Bishop Books

The Bishop's Daughter was somewhat predictable, but I couldn't wait to finish it anyway. It really held my interest to the point of being hard to put down. I only with this wasn't the last in the series.

I love reading about the Amish and this is an excellent book. I'm sure you'll love reading it too. I think all books are priced too high though and for that reason I give only three stars!

I enjoy readings all the amish stories! I am married to a man that use to be amish mennenite. And I know alot about the amish. I like christian romance! Well written book Wanda!

Author of When God unfolds the rose,
Peggy Headings

I loved this entire series by Wanda Brunstetter and impatiently await the next installment of this enchanting author. A warm and heartrenching tale of a young women trying to find her own identity in a society that idealizes conformity and crushes individualism. A wonderful-gut read for sure and for certain!

I really took an interest in this series for two reasons. I live around many Mennonite families and the Amish stories and lifestyle has always interested me. Secondly, because I was adopted and I understand the feelings that Jimmy was going thru in looking for his roots, wanting to find his people. All three stories were really well written, but in the third, there was the emotions in dealing with everything that happened in the first two books. Ms. Brunstetter weaves a wonderful story. Many people may not like these books because they feel there is too much death and depressing aspects of it but anyone who knows an Amish or Mennonite family knows that their lives are strife with pain and suffering.

I started as a fan of Beverly Lewis books and as I finished her series I searched for more Amish novels. I was so thrilled to have discovered Wanda Brunstetter, because she weaves a wonderful story that makes you stay up way too late at night to see the ending. I cannot wait to see what wonderful saga she weaves for us next. Wanda, you have thrilled me again!!

This cd series has put me to a new level in life and opened up my mind to the truth. Cd series should be in every household it will take you to the level in the mind where we are suppose to exist at all times.

The lights came on! I understood the power of the way we think but I never understood how to turn it into manifestation.

My negative situations started to change positively after listening to the first and first quarter of the second CDs. I'm on my third listen now and it's starting to get easier to block out the negative thoughts and bring in the positive. I and my sister are seeing everything we had lose (esteem, confidence, patience to businesses, properties) come back to us better than before and easier also.

Since I'm more of an audio/visual learner, I'm going to purchase the book just for the diagrams.

If you're around negative situations or people spouting negativity you need to get this and allow it to penetrate. Your life will change for the better!

This is such an awesome CD set, I have listened to it countless times and I'm still picking up new information. This Idea on The Laws of Thinking is a must to creating and manifesting your desires into your reality. Great work I applaud the author.

This man does not teach sound doctrine according to scripture, and should not be trusted. I've seen sermons he preached, and the were not what scripture says.

be careful which authors you trust...not all are as they say they are

The Laws of Thinking: 20 Secrets to Using the Divine Power of Your Mind to Manifest ProsperityThis book has changed my life forever. Had I had this ensightful knowledge taught to me when I was 21 years of age or younger, there would not have been the same unnecessary struggles that I was lied to about, that said I had to do this, would not have been a part of my forced makeup of lack and defeat... Thank you Bishop E. Bernard Jordan for being the conduit that brought to us this consciousness of God...

The books in the Swan series are taken from a conference for pastors, where Dr. Piper presents these biographies. The biographies are never meant to be exhaustic treatment, but tailored to encourage pastors.

I find these brief biographies to be so wonderful and often whet the appetite for more. One can only be encourage and motivated to do more for the Lord, having bathed the soul in these well-written, tailored sketches.

Incredible. This is the first book of a series of four that Piper wrote to expose this generation to some of the great saints of the past. I started by reading book three, moved to book four, just completed the first and am looking forward to diving into the second book to finish the series. This book was very powerful, enlightening and challenging. As a Reformed believer, I've grown up with a tremendous appreciation of Luther and Calvin, but knew little about the incredible influence of Augustine. As I've matured in my walk and the more I read, the more I see the fruits of Augustine's thoughts in the works of so many great thinkers and writers that followed. Piper's expose on Augustine gave me an even greater appreciation for God's sovereign grace in the life of Augustine and for how God used him like the source lake from which mighty rivers of knowledge and grace have flowed down throughout history.

I think what I enjoyed most about the book is the concept that the central theme that connected these three men was their love for God's Word - they digested it daily, they wrestled with it, they sought to squeeze out every truth that could be known about God Himself from His divine and inspired Word. Their lives were devoted to the study of Scripture and to the accurate and passionate teaching of God's Word to the people. While each lived in tumultuous times, it was amazing to read about how diligent they were with their time and how much they accomplished without any of the modern conveniences that we enjoy today.

I would highly recommend this book and the entire series to all followers of Christ to gain an even greater appreciation for God and how He has used ordinary men throughout history to accomplish extraordinary things. The books are easy to read and relatively short, but are packed with great encouragement for every believer.

Concise but comprehensive might sound like a contradiction but I couldn't think of any other way to describe it. John Piper really introduced me to Jonathan Edwards, and between the two of them I would say that no other author has had as much of an impact upon me in the last few years as these two. Now Piper introduces us to Augustine, Luther, and Calvin also. This is the first book in a series of three and well worth the investment. I read it in my spare time in just 1 week, have the second book ready to go, but regret not purchasing the third at the same time. Piper's strength is not only in presenting one very compelling argument about the triumph of God's grace (or "Sovereign Joy"), but to do it by presenting numerous facets of the work of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin, which are easy to follow and understand, gives an excellent overview of their lives and ministries, and which leaves you wanting to (and feeling confident of being able to) read from the original sources. Every page was a gem. Be warned though, I got about 10 pages into the book then realised my mistake ... I should have read this book with a pencil and note pad in hand! There are so many great quotes from Augustine, Luther, and Calvin, not to mention Piper himself that you'll want to write some of them down to chew over later (or file away for sermon illustrations). This is an easy read and a great introduction the some major figures in church history, not to mention excellent food for the soul. In a day when people are so biblically illiterate as well as ignorant (or contemptible) of church history, this book demonstrates that our impoverishment is foolish and unnecessary. We need more books like this! I would have given it 6 stars if I could, simply on price, readability, and content alone.

As you can see by the book's subtitle, this little book has three biographical pieces on well known historical Christians. Though most Christians know the names of these men, few know any more than that. So this book serves as a useful introduction to their lives and work.

But this book offers more that just a general introduction. These essays were originally conference talks given by the author to an audience of pastors. So there is a specific theme and purpose to them beyond summary historical information. Lessons from the lives of these men are drawn out to inspire and equip a new generation of Christian leaders.

I was personally most inspired by the chapter on Martin Luther. I was greatly convicted to be more diligent in the study of God's word. But all three essays were interesting and provoked personal reflection.

The Legacy of Sovereign Joy is Book One of John Piper's series The Swans are Not Silent. Each book of the series (of which there is currently four) collects three of the biographical lectures Piper gave at the annual Bethlehem Conference for Pastors over the past two decades. When Augustine resigned as Bishop of Hippo it was said that the "swan is silent." Piper aims to show that the swans, those in our heritage of Christians throughout the centuries, are in fact not silent.

This book expounds on the lives and thoughts of Augustine, Martin Luther, and John Calvin. It begins with an introduction about "savoring the sovereignty of grace in the lives of flawed saints." Piper explains that each of these men "had this in common: they experienced, and built their lives and ministries on, the reality of God's omnipotent grace." (18) Noting some of the flaws of each of these men, Piper believes that "the glory of God, however dimly, is mirrored in the flawed lives of his faithful servants." (37)

Each chapter is about half biography and half theological survey and averages 34 pages. There is a pattern to each chapter: after a brief introduction John Piper provides a biographical sketch and then brings out a prominent theme from author's theology. For Augustine, the theme is sovereign joy, for Luther it is sacred study, and for Calvin it is the divine majesty of the Word.

After these chapters, Piper concludes with four lessons we can learn from the "flawed saints." "1) Do not be paralyzed by your weaknesses and flaws... 2) In the battle against sin and surrender, learn the secret of sovereign joy... 3) Supernatural change comes from seeing Christ in his sacred Word... 4) Therefore, let us exult the exposition of the truth of the Gospel and herald the glory of Christ for the joy of all peoples." (143-148)

It is evident throughout the book that John Piper has done his homework; quoting often from primary texts and secondary sources. While there may be some over simplification in regard to the theological themes, Piper's points are nonetheless insightful and practical. Each chapter serves as a great introduction to the lives and thoughts of these Christian men. The Legacy of Sovereign Joy provides a stimulating resource for those looking to discover some of the motivating themes of the Reformed tradition.

These tales were collected from virtually every corner of the globe and some go far back into the reaches of antiquity. Bennett and his collaborators did a fine job of finding stories of universal, fairly non-controversial appeal that we can all cite without worrying about the inherent differences in religion or politics that might otherwise divide us. Segregated according to the principles being celebrated (Honesty, Courage, etc.) these fables and true life stories demonstrate virtues of conduct far too often left unstressed in our morally-undermined society.

I had this book when I was a little kid. I honestly think that by reading it, it changed how I viewed things as a child. Partially because of this book, when I was little I had strong feelings about responsiblity, kindness, courage, perserverance, and many of the other subjects illustrated in The Children's Book of Virtues. I loved reading it and the stories affected me greatly.

As a homeschool mother I am always looking for great stories for my almost 7 yo and my 2.5 yo. This book is part of the curriculum for Sonlight and it is fabulous. My daughter's favorite is about two brothers, one who doesn't let his "please" out of his mouth so the "please" jumps into the other brothers' mouth (which makes him say all his "pleases" twice). Eventually though, the "please-less" mouth wants his please back and his "please" is thrilled to be at home and allowed to get some fresh air. The stories are grouped by moral or attribute (compassion, courage, etc.). Both male and female main characters throughout the stories and the poems makes this book appropriate for both boys and girls. I highly, highly recommend this book, no qualms about it.

My children and I just adore this book. What a lovely collection of stories all heavily demonstrating solid virtues that are Biblically rooted, not worldly. My children, ages 5 and 4, request that several stories be read time and time again. This book will grow with us through the years; they are no where near growing out of it.

Bennett compiles the stories and poems in 4 categories: courage/perseverance, responsibility/work/self-discipline, compassion/faith, and honesty/loyalty/friendship. There is a nice selection in each category of 1 paged poems, to several paged stories. There is a solid virtue to be taken from every single work.

I recommend this book highly. Fill those little minds with things that are good, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable. Also recommended by the same author are The Children's Book of Faith and The Children's Book of Heroes. Both also have wonderful collections and wonderful illustrations.

I purchased this book and a few others in the series for my 4 ½ year old. My son is very intelligent for his age, yet some of the stories were a bit long and beyond his attention span and/or understanding. However, I am not disappointment as I am confident that in time, all the stories will be appropriate. I would recommend this book!

Great book encouraging boys to be chivalrous and pure. Should be on the shelf of every young family.

I purchased this book for my 3 year old nephew. I read through it and it seems a bit old for him. The recommended age is 8 so I wasn't surprised. However I do think he will enjoy the story and his mom can explain things to him as she reads it to him. I have the "Princess and the Kiss" for my 4 year old daughter and she enjoys it very much.

I bought this online hoping that it was well written and had a good point. What a pleasant surprise, it is wonderful! I love how it the book progresses without feeling like something has been left out. The Squire is tempted but yields to the scroll (God's Word), since we are scripture training from Don't Make Me Count to Three by Ginger Plowman, it shows how God's Word can and will help you keep your focus on what is important. What a gem!

While I appreciate the author's attempt to use allegory to encourage and assist parents in teaching that purity is important to their children, the author does not appear to have the theological skill of Lewis in writing allegory without unintentionally muddying the theological waters.

The representation of Christ as Aslan by CS Lewis is of a different nature than the angle of the Lantern that I see in the story line. In no way did Lewis ever compromise the nature of Christ. If in some way the Lantern is representing Christ, then He certainly doesn't need our protection - it's the opposite, we require His protection. If the Lantern is representing purity, then that is not something to be served...but something that serves us. (See the quotes I have pasted below pulled directly from the book "The Squire and the Scroll").

There is quite of bit of theological muddiness here - it's not as simple as if the Lantern represented Christ...which it can't, because we cannot have Christ stolen from us if we are believers. We dod not have to rescue Christ from the Dragon's lair, for Christ put all things under His feet. He is the victor. So if the Lantern represents Christ (as in a line quote below the Lantern shows the way), then what exactly is going on here? If we are talking about the Lantern representing Purity (which can and should be guarded), we have other issues.... Christ brings peace and joy, not being good. Christ should be honored as opposed to a quality (purity - see again the quoted lines below). The Pharisees honored "being good" (legalism) and were completely missing the mark. The story also talks about *obeying* the Lantern. If the Lantern is Christ, fine, He is honored by obeying the Scroll (Bible); however, if the Lantern is not Christ, but is Purity...then we are honoring "being good," which again, is like the Pharisees. (And in the story line, the characters are rescuing the Lantern which is then to be honored and served. Hmmmm).

So...is the Lantern representing Christ? If so, it's not being done as Lewis did with Aslan - instead, it becomes a idol with a tenuous hold on things that can easily be captured away (as in Old Testament idols). If it represents Purity, then is the idea of "being good brings peace and joy, shows the way, etc" the idea we want to bring across? Are we wanting to say that "acts of righteousness" will show the way?

Some quotes from the story:

It was this good man's charge to guard the Lantern of Purest Light, the lamp that brought peace and joy to his kingdom.

His kind parents were not people of great position, but they had clean hearts and honored the Lantern of Purest Light as the people of the kingdom did.
And the boy promised to honor his parents and the Lantern by living his life by the five truths in the scroll
.
and he honored the Lantern by obedience to the scroll in all that he did. The words of the scroll had seen him through many a temptation. But the knight did not remember the words of the scroll.
"For the Lantern and the scroll!" shouted the squire, and he plunged the sword into the dragon's body.

And when the travelers came to the tunnel, it was open, and the Lantern showed the way

"Because of his bravery and his devotion to the Lantern and to the scroll, he will have my daughter for a wife and rule my kingdom one day. For who better would guard the Lantern of Purest Light than one with a heart kept pure?"

A shout went up from the people, for they were in agreement with their king.
Beyond knighting the young squire, the king instituted a new order of protectors; the Knights of the Lantern. The knight who had trained the young squire became its captain. These men dedicated themselves to the words of the scroll and to the defense of the Lantern

And when the two were gifted with a son, the knight taught him from the scroll so that he would one day be ready to defend the kingdom and the Lantern.

Alittle yeast leavens the whole lump. I just can't help worrying about the murkiness of this, especially when teaching impressionable children is involved.

AS a mother of 3 boys ages 2.5- 5 years old this is great book. They consistenly ask for it to be read at least twice a day. Filled with knights, dragons and a king, this keeps their interest yet gives them clear idea that being virtuous is that which should be rewarded. Great book, highly reccommend. My boys are always trying to be the squire who brings the bad dragon down.

This is a great survey work. I stumbled across it as I was looking for information on medieval education. There is a good chapter on medieval education. Lots of good information for someone just started learning about the Middle Ages or for someone doing a bit of research.

_The Middle Ages_ by Morris Bishop is an enjoyable and witty overview of the history, culture, and society of Medieval Europe. The first chapter, "The Long Dark," looks at the beginning of the medieval period, the author arguing that the Middle Ages should be seen as both a continuation of the language, institutions, and artistry of not only old Rome but also of cultures independent of it, such as that of the Franks and Saxons and a formation, the beginning of our modern world, the end of pagan classical civilization. Charlemagne is a major figure in this chapter; his coronation as the first Roman emperor in the West in more than 300 years (in the year 800) marked a major shift in power, from the East to the West, the development of a culture that was not a satellite of Byzantium but rather firmly European, and the very birth of European civilization.

Chapter two focused on the history of the High Middle Ages, focusing in large part on the year 1000 as a major turning point, that despite Viking threats "one could point to certain gains, to certain justifications for hope," as the West was in generally a better shape and the broad outline of the major modern states had begun to take form. Technology continued to advance, with the advent of the spinning wheel, mechanical weight-driven clock, compass, and fixed rudder. Notable in the chapter is King Henry II (who laid the foundations of English common law and the institution of limited monarchy).

The next chapter focused on knights and the crusades. Bishop noted that the crusades were "the first wars fought for an ideal" and that they were promoted with all the tools of the propagandist, among them atrocity stories, lies, and inflammatory speeches. Also interesting was his coverage of Saladin (the "pet enemy" of the West), the description of crusade battles (Richard the Lion-Hearted took Acre in 1191 with the help of a catapult known as Bad Neighbor), and why the crusades ultimately failed (they did not correspond to any temporal aim, as Europe had no need for Jerusalem or Syria, and Europe would have benefited more from a stronger Byzantine Empire though the crusades achieved in fact quite the opposite).

Chapter four focused on the life of the noble, on what in fact feudalism really was, the bloody nature of the family feuds of the nobles, the "bundle of paradoxes" that was the noble (he could be both gallant and bloodthirsty, charitable and immoral), and many of the elements of their daily lives. We learn for instance that window glass was rare for centuries and for long time was treated with great care, as Bishop tells of some nobles who removed and wrapped window glass before long journeys. Throughout much of the Middle Ages pockets were unknown, blonde hair was much prized in Italy (ladies spent a great deal of time bleaching it), hard soap was a luxury item and did not appear until the 12th century, and dinner guests were provided with spoons but had to bring their own knives (forks were a rarity).

Chapter five looked at Christianity, arguing that the church, in many senses, was more than merely the patron of medieval culture, that it was medieval culture. He argued that the pope's involvement in political affairs blunted church authority, laying the papacy open to "mockery and shame" by overuse of crusades and excommunication for temporal gains. The coverage of the cult of relics was fascinating (so morbid was this that Saint Romuald of Ravenna, visiting France, heard people propose he was more valuable dead than alive and barely escaped). The life of the monastery was well covered, as well as St. Francis and the Franciscans, Dominic of Caleruega and the Dominicans, the Waldenses (early evangelical, almost Protestant, Christians), and the Cathari (dualistic heretics).

Chapter six looked at towns and trade. Interesting tidbits include the fact that the last name Walker comes from the cloth trade (walkers stamped on cloth to shrink and compact it), that bankers first appeared in medieval trade fairs (money changers or "bankers" got the name from the banks or benches that they laid out their coins), artisans kept virtually no stock in stores (they worked only on orders), and our hook-and-ladder companies comes from the hooks supplied in medieval cities to pull burning thatch from roofs to the street.

Chapter seven looked at the life of labor. Bishop looked at how the manorial system functioned, the daily life of the peasant, leprosy, and the state of medieval medicine.

The eighth chapter focused on the life of thought, the author examining how schools worked and what it was like to have been a student, the origins of medieval science and secular scholarship (as scholars realized that the physical world was "no mere ugly training camp for the soul" but worthy of study in its own right), and famous medieval writers like Dante and Boccaccio.

Chapter nine dealt with medieval art, architecture, and music. Fascinating coverage of the evolution of building styles, the construction of cathedrals, the use of stained glass (which told the stories of the Christian faith through "colored sunshine", though Bishop felt the term stained glass was incorrect, as it was not stained with color but rather infused with it), the work and role of artisans in society, and the origins of musical notation (developed during the eleventh century into our recognizably modern form, which was also when our notes were named - ut, re, mi, fa, so, la - from the opening syllables of the successive lines of a familiar hymn).

The final chapter dealt with the end of the Middle Ages. Major topics include papal conflicts such as the Babylonian Captivity and the Great Schism, the challenges posed by John Wycliffe and John Hus, the "greatest calamity" to befall the Western world (the Black Death), the Hundred Years War (a "futile war,...it achieved little except destruction, misery, and death"), and Joan of Arc.

This is a very enjoyable, informative and well written book which does a very good job of tackling various aspects of the Medieval Europe, covering the tale end of the dark ages and taking the reader through to the end of what we consider the 'middle ages.' While informative it is never dry and frequently witty. I could only wish that the photos throughout were in color rather than black and white.

I am always fascinated with anything to do with the middle ages. The best attribute of this book is the clarity of its author's writing. It is a pleasure to read Bishop's words (in very plain English, I should add). This is not a big book and, yes, you can comfortably read it in the beach or while sunning out in the yard.
Having said that, I felt that the format could have been a little better laid out as there will be a tendency for readers who only have a passing interest in history to forget what they read only a few pages ago (as each page throws out one detail after next). But that also means that this is one of those rare books where you can start reading from almost any page and not be "confused". All in all, a great starter book on the middle ages!

I was not sure what book to buy to read on the middle ages. But I seen this one and the reviews and bought it. I was not disappointed at all.

I am no historian by any means but I always had an interest in medieval history. This book was very, very easy to read and enjoyable. Bishop reminded me of a funny uncle telling a story. His wit and humor were used well and his writing made you want to continue on to see what else he had to say.

I will not claim I can debate middle age history now but I learned enough to dispel many myths and misinformation I had collected over time and a desire to read more about the era and learn much more then I currently know of the period.

For 12 dollars if a person even has a mild interest in the middle ages it would be a shame to pass up such a wonderful piece of work. The book is funny, easy to read and keep reading and rather astonishing amount of information in so few pages.

If what you are seeking is one of the movies or the mini-series written out in the form of a book, save your energy and watch the movie again. This novel is not a spectacular special effects experience for those with short attention spans. It instead is a very deep and moving story throwing complex characters together in a disaster situation.

The capsize of the ship becomes a metaphor for all the characters as their lives are turned upside down by what they experience during their climb to the ship's hull. As they move further away from the civilized aspects of the ship to which they are accustomed and into blown away and unfamiliar settings, they are forced (both physically and emotionally) to shed the outer facades of their humanity and behaviors to face and rely upon the raw, inner base persona that all humans learn to hide from the civilized world. All aspects of the characters' respective lives are turned as upside down as the ship they are in until it is only their singular drive to live that keeps them going.

Gallico is expert in keeping some characters shrouded in mystery while slowly revealing the inner personalities and thoughts of other characters to allow the reader to feel emotions and experiences from those characters' unique perspectives. This is far more a human drama than a simple disaster/escape story.

They say books are better than the movie, some are true.
This is one.

"Upside down, in the biggest transatlantic liner ever built, 81,000 tons of metal hanging between heaven and the bottom of the sea."
-Chapter 5 of "The Poseidon Adventure."

During a 1937 North Atlantic crossing aboard the infamous Queen Mary, author Paul Gallico had quite the scare when, out of nowhere, an 80-foot rogue wave struck the liner, causing her to keel over - almost on her side. Thirty years later this event would serve as the inspiration for his 1969 best-seller, "The Poseidon Adventure."

The story concerns the efforts of a small group of passengers attempting to escape a cruise ship after it is capsized by a massive wave. Gallico tells his story with a strong sense of suspense and a richly detailed group of diverse characters.

And those characters are the most fascinating aspect of the novel. Gallico does a masterful of job of building them into people of depth and dimension. With the sea disaster as the underlying premise, he strips them of their security and their dignity, testing their might, taxing their bodies, and stripping them of their clothes.

In so far as the actual escape is concerned, the reader gets a strong sense of the imminent danger and claustrophobia encountered by the survivors. Throughout the book one never forgets how close they are to impending doom. Gallico is almost unrelenting in his sense of urgency.

Overall, "The Poseidon Adventure" makes an excellent and fast read. Some of Gallico's verbiage shows it's age, but ultimately the novel is a story of courage and strength of character, of failure and loss, of intense drama and great suspense. It will leave you as stunned, breathless, and exhausted as the survivors.

The book was re-released in June of 2006 and is still available. I highly recommend you add it to your reading list!

NOTE: I also listened to the audiobook this summer. In some cases Dylan Baker's voices are brilliant (Mike Rogo, Frank Scott), but in many cases they are a bit annoying (the Rosens, Hubie Muller). At the start it seems like Baker went into the studio cold - he seems unsure and uneven. But by disc 2 he finds his stride. The audiobook's abridgement was authorized by the Gallico estate, but like most abridgements it takes away from the story. Worth a listen if you're pressed for time, but I highly suggest sitting down with the actual book.

This book was well written and a very enjoyable read. I also recommend seeing the movie. Both were fantastic =-)

THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE will always remain one of my all-time favorite movies. I saw it when I was 9 on New Year's Eve, 1972, and I watch it every New Year's.

After finding an old Saturday Evening Post article about how Paul Gallico came to write the novel, I decided to give the book a read years after seeing the movie.
(Gallico remembered a childhood trip he took aboard the Queen Mary when a wave hit the ship so hard, it nearly tipped over. An officer sitting at a table nearby in the dining hall muttered aloud, "Blimey, we nearly went over that time!" That memory motivated Gallico to inquire insurance companies about capsized ships and he went on to write POSEIDON).

There are very few examples of the movie surpassing the book, but this is one of them.
Why?
Because it's the message in each. In the film, the defrocked preacher genuinely cares about his small "flock" that follows him up through the bottom of the ship--even going so far as to sacrificing himself to see their survival. In the book, he comes off as bitter and even crazy, culminating in such an looney act that you can't stand him--or Gallico for subjecting his reader to it.
The same could also be said for how the author dispatches other characters. Other deaths aren't tragic, they're just cruel.

I realize it's a disaster story and unrealistic to expect happy endings for most of the characters. A very smart screenwriter once said that "movies can tell people that life is hard and life can be tragic, but they shouldn't tell an audience that life is crap." I got that feeling from reading the novel.

Gallico's theme appeared to be: Life is hard, but religion will just make it harder (the survivors left in the ballroom are also rescued in the novel without the hellish journey of the main characters--the crazy preacher took them on a foolish journey). The movie said: even in the face of disaster and loss, faith, courage and love can still survive.

Fortunately, the screenwriters jettisoned most of Gallico's choices and made a movie worth seeing repeatedly and caring about.

Well written, well researched and carefully thought out book proposing the hypothesis that the sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church was only the most visible manifestation of a general malaise in moral leadership among the hierarchy.
I would have liked footnotes to many of the assertions in the book.

I almost hesitate to recommend this book, since reading it was like tearing open a psychic scab. Still, I think that anyone who cares about the Catholic Church should acquire and read this, what I can only characterize as a masterpiece.

It is not simply a re-encapsulation of the scandal that broke in 2002-2003. Rather, it is an incisive history and analysis of the culture American Catholic Church entire, focused on the Arch Diocese of Boston as an archetypal case study.

Lawler's essential thesis is that the pedophilia scandals that are now scourging the Church are only symptoms of a deeper malaise, one that is rooted in the "suburbanization" of Catholic culture, and it's loss of focus. Instead of of hewing to her ancient prophetic charism, her essential mission of evangelizing and sanctifying, the Church has lost its way. And this didn't happen suddenly in 1968 or 2002. The tepidity and mediocrity began seeping in long ago, back when the Irish, Italian, French and German immigrants first began arriving here, and began attempting to fit into the American milieu.

It's now reached the point that most American Catholics - to include most of our bishops and priests - now conceive of the Church as primarily a political and civic association, rather than a mystical entity with radical and essential moral & spiritual claims on us all. There is a distinct lack of urgency, and a tendency to relativize and abdicate all accountability when it comes to any difficult aspect of the Faith. Most notoriously, that of course means any teachings involving sexuality or gender, but even issues related to violence and economics are fudged away. It's all go along to get along, and what many refer to as "cafeteria Catholicism" is now firmly ensconced as the order of the day.

The recent scandals only rip the lid off the sepulcher. They only reveal who we, who our shepherds, have become. How compromised we all are. For even if only two thirds of our bishops have colluded to protect the 2 or 3% priests proven guilty of gross criminal sexual malfeasance (to the point of often engaging in what amounts to criminal conspiracy) they are only representative of most of the rest of us. Creatures of our culture of materialistic excess and sexual decadence.

So the bishops cannot hold themselves accountable. But neither, apparently, can we.

Re-reading Cardinal Law's correspondence with serial rapists such as Fathers Geoghan and Shanley is heart wrenching and soul numbing stuff. But nevertheless, I think it is salutary.

The bishops may have indeed "gotten away with it." Many of the most derelict ones (such as Roger Cardinal Mahoney) still hold their positions. Despite their irresponsibility. Despite all the scandal and bankruptcy, moral and otherwise. Most of them have kept their "jobs," while holding the vast majority of innocent priests and engaged laity "accountable" with all their invasive background checks and sex ed programs.

With this book, Phil Lawler has given us a difficult, even brutal, yet profoundly needed self- examen. I say that if you care about the Church, you should buy and read this book.

And wonder if we do not have the bishops we deserve.

I have read many publications attempting to highlight the cause(s) of the wide-spread sexual abuse of children and teens by the Catholic clergy, but this book is particularly interesting in that it is a long-range examination of this using the Boston Archdiocese as the epicenter. This book proposes there were numerous "fault lines" that gradually led to conditions that permitted this horror to continue and grow. It also dissects the reponse of the American Bishops to the scandal. I highly recommend this to all, but particularly to Bostonians, Bishops and Catholic clergy.

Very excellent. One of the best unbiased books on this subject. I rate this as a mature educated "cradle Catholic."

I was not familiar with the political flavor of Boston Catholicism described in this book, but now I understand the development of underlying culture of deceit that enabled the attitude of "keeping quiet." Americans for the most part are law abiding members of society, and what really disgusts me is that this trait of "protection of the bishop" is pandemic across the US in many Catholic diocese's.

The most telling sentence of the book is on the back cover where a conservative bishop tells "the road to hell is paved with the skulls of bishops." That told by St. John of the Cross who had his own problems with bishops in his native Spain nearly a thousand years ago.

In my own case, I grew up with a priest who was elevated to the episcopacy and now retired but is embroiled in a abuse case back in his home town. I personally don't think he did it, but then one has to ask, how many priests are guilty of abuse and are not fingered...and, how many are not-guilty of anything but are being charged anyway.

Mr. Lawler doesn't make a distinction between guilty or not, but he does write a compelling expose' of the catholic church in the US. The real problem is that he thinks the problem is still among us with the bishops not learning from Cardinal Law's mistakes. In fact, he tells tales of other "princes of the church" who are still part of the problem. I believe that pressure has to come from the "pew Catholic" in this matter, according to the book, the Vatican is neither unable to or impotent in this problem. I suspect, the Vatican is afraid of loosing its most financial prosperous givers to the till.

A great read and I wish more expose's would come forth.

This book comes with beautiful illustrations and a plethora of ideas separated by month of the year. It includes crafts, recipes, games, and holidays I've never even heard of. Some of them are fairly elaborate, but most are simple and easy to implement.

I am especially impressed by her consistent message that gentle parenting is the best kind of parenting, and that family togetherness is precious. It even includes sections on what to do on those of days when children are simply impossible, how to comfort a sick child, and making travel with children fun.

It does remind me a bit of the Waldorf philosophy of education, since it incorporates an observance of the seasons, emphasizes creativity, and includes lots of fantasy play and fairy folklore.

This book is wonderful to have and explore for those women and families with children who love to take time to enjoy simple, natural treasures and to observe old-fashioned family traditions. It is a wonderful source to find out WHY we celebrate some holidays in the ways we do and to take a trip down memory lane as you rediscover some of the older traditions you might remember your grandmothers or aunts or great-aunts observing. I am definitely adding it to my home collection to use with my own family. The only negative note I might have is that the persona the author writes with has some strange sayings "Dear Reader" this and "Dear Reader" that. A little annoying, but definitely not worth NOT getting the book!

It is Thanksgiving Day as I write. I have used this book extensively over the past week as I write down the activities we will do as a family this holiday season. We are a family with young children (8, 6, 3, baby), so we are only now starting our family traditions. It is VERY important to me that the children have family memories to keep them reminded of their happy childhood. This book has been a wonderful keepsake. I have already started purchasing it for others, as it is beautifully written and breathtakingly beautiful. Do not hesitate to buy this book. It will enhance your library like few others. I am wishing for another book like this one, but have not found it yet.

I found this book inspiring and full of practical and lovely ideas. Some of them are relatively easy to implement; others take a bit more effort/preparation. The holidays discussed are American. The book presents simple ways to make daily living special and to take note of holidays, seasons, and other occasions.

I love the noble simplicity of the Victorian age. This book is an invitation to experience simple rituals in your daily life. I especialy enjoyed the beautiful art work and many pictures. This book takes the reader on a gilded journey through the entire year with wonderfull passages describing a myriad of traditions and daily rituals for living. If you cherish the victorian tradition then you simply must have this book. Buy it new or used, read it, experience it, and pen a review to spread the joy, this truly is home.

Great book. Very clear explanation of what manifolds are and how to use them. Also, the prerequisites are minimum. You'll get a lot of mileage out of this book if you have a semester or so of advanced calculus and some topology and linear algebra under your belt. I wish there was there was a chapter on bundles because I would love to read what these guys have to say about them. Very readable. Definitely a good buy.

I have been using this book to study differential geometry for many years - a little bit at a time. This book is a fairly complete introduction to the subject. However, it does a poor job motivating and explaining the subject. I found it necessary to supplement with several other texts to really get a good grasp on the material in the book. A number of times, I have picked up something in another book and have gone back to this book and realized that I had not "gotten it" the first time through. If the book had more examples and concrete calculations it would go a long way to clarifying the material.

I would recommend getting a book like Guggenheimer's Differential Geometry and reading it first. This book then does a good job of generalizing the ideas to many dimensions.

The amount of material this book manages to cover is phenomenal, and while the explanations are very clear, the summation convention notation is horrible. The idea is that things are clearer if we assume that we are summing whenever we see two of the same indexes in an expression (which sometimes has 5 or more), which leads to many headaches when trying to sort out when we are summing and when we are not, because it's not always very clear, and sometimes very important to a particular proof or concept. Maybe I learned so much from this book because I was forced to rewrite all of the notation, guessing whether sums were needed or not, and finding out when the sums made sense.

If you have zero background on differentail geometry, this book will be a tough starting point. It's basically oriented to math student, not physicist. However, for those not happy with Frankel's application-oriented approach to differential geometry, this book is a perfect companion, a true classic with full math rigor.

The only complaint I have this the print quality (you gonna risk hurting your eyesight reading the small print), but that's what you paid for.

I came to this book with the minimum background--calculus and advanced calculus, differential equations, and some linear algebra, and found it a bit tough going, but still enjoyable. In fact, for me, not being a mathematician but a math hobbyist, really, whose education is mostly in biology and art history, I found it pretty difficult but also quite fascinating and even mind-blowing. I only had the vaguest ideas about tensors, fields, and manifolds before this, although I knew that the theory of manifolds underlies differential geometry and Einstein's famous General Relativity theory.

I understand that the notation in this book is considered old-fashioned and may contribute to the difficulty of reading it. Not having had anything different I don't know if it was harder for me or not, but overall I didn't find the notation too bad. The authors make the interesting point in the introduction that notational developments have occupied much of the work in manifolds, which I found funny. This implies that you can be good at math notation but not that good at the math. So maybe there's hope for me yet. :-)

That issue aside, I found this a very complete and well presented discussion on the subject. Some of it seemed pretty abstract and even counter-intuitive; for example, the concept of distance between two points isn't necessary to have a manifold, and yet having a coordinate neighborhood, or a manifold consisting of differentiable functions is, or other similar properties. It is a little strange to consider that one can perform differentiation on a manifold without the concept of spatial distance, when to my mind taking delta y over delta x at the limit is just shrinking the distance down to nothing in order to obtain the derivative of a function, not to mention that this seems problematic given the requirement of either uniform or non-uniform convergence. How do you know the function converges without some concept of distance? If you're better at this stuff than I am perhaps you could leave me a brief comment if I'm getting something wrong here.

But I still learned a lot, and much of it is pretty amazing and even mind-blowing stuff. People wouldn't need psychedelics if they knew enough to be learning about tensors, manifolds, and topology. They could blow their minds just on this stuff. :-)

So go out and get yourself a book on tensor manifolds and blow your mind the natural way. Higher mathematics is just awesome stuff even if I'm not quite smart enough to really understand it, but I can at least appreciate it, and I probably got a lot further with it than most biology and art history majors. :-)