Bishop Books

Great Book! I had to buy for my class ... happy that we are using this :-)

Excellent book describing both the technical aspects of Computer Security as well as the heuristic methods used to secure computer networks. Helpful to everyone who is trying to understand how computer security works.

Excellent service! The book arrived within five days of placing the order, and I was totally blown away when it arrived, considering the fact that it was a text book that I needed to have in a timely manner. Thanks again Amazon! I'm now hooked more than ever, and I'm telling my friends about the wonderful shopping experience.

I used this book for a graudate-level introductory computer security class and it was very detailed and explained concepts well. I took a security and privacy course in undergrad and Bishop's book is much better than the book I used last fall. If you have strong math skills and strong coding skills, this is the book for you. It is even helpful to people studying for the CISSP and Security+ certifications in information security.

This book was used in my Intro to Computer Security class, which I thought was going to be an interesting until I had to read the book. This book is suited more for those already in the field or have knowledge about computer security.

The way the book is writen makes it a hard read as it is full of theory and hardly any application. Complex theories are not explained in a way that allows somebody new to the field the chance to understand them.

Examples are more or less useless as they are either complex or not explained in full. Most of the examples cause more confusion then understanding. This is not just my opinion but the majority of my the class.

This is a fresh and wonderful translation of this Christian classic. Sr Boulding is herself a fine poet capable of touching turns of phrase such as, [Book I,5]

"Who will grant me to find peace in you? Who will grant me this grace, that you would come into my heart and inebriate it, enabling me to forget the evils that beset me and embrace me my only good?"

Albert Outler (no mean wroughter of words himself) translates this passage in this way,

"Who shall bring me to rest in thee? Who will send thee into my heart so to overwhelm it that my sins shall be blotted out and I may embrace thee, my only good?"

The loss of the "thees" are of course helpful to the modern reader, but the use of "that you would come into my heart and inebriate it," is just, well, stunning.

One final comparison with Outler in the well-known passage in book ten:

Outler: "Belatedly I loved thee, O Beauty so ancient and so new, belatedly I loved thee. For see, thou wast within and I was without, and I sought thee out there. Unlovely, I rushed heedlessly among the lovely things thou hast made. Thou wast with me, but I was not with thee."

Boulding: "Late have I loved you, Beauty so ancient and so new. Late have I loved you! Lo, you were within, but I outside, seeking there for you, and upon the shapely things you have made, I rushed headlong. I, mishappen."

Both use Augustine's marvelous play on the words "formosa" and "deformis" But Sr. Boulding's choice of shapely and misshapen retains Augustine's intentions and poetic voice, it seems to me.

This is a lovely work.

This is a profound book in so many ways; here are just a few. Augustine writes with a combination of confidence and humility that is not seen today. His confidence stems from faith in the God he clearly knows so well and his humility from a deep understanding of the sinfulness that dwells at the very core of his being. Worship is the purpose and attitude of the book; one can't help but be moved to do so after reading it. This book has also stimulated me to much thought in the areas of entertainment, evangelism, conversion, and scripture. Although this book is a great classic that has influenced Christianity and beyond for many centuries and people feel like they "should" read it, I recommend reading it for the pure delight of listening to a man who lays himself bankrupt before the Almighty and sincerely asks, "Give what you command, and command what you will."

This book has opened up a whole new avenue on interest for me.I have read this book several times and it has a potent affect on me. There is a dvd series (by The Teaching Co) 24 lectures on this series that I also recommend. After reading this book a whole world of other books opens before you,but you come to the understanding that you will not live long enough to read them all....unless

This is easily the most overrated religious book ever. I believe it is Chapter 6 where Augustine talks about how he used to steal pears just to steal them even though he wasn't hungry is the best thought in the book about how natural evil is to us and how bad we really are.

There I just told you the best part of the book. Chapters 10 and 11 are absolutely horrific. Can anyone really say they understood those chapters?

Augustine has a major problem with sex in general and is a really bad advice giver on that subject.

This Christian classic has touched me deeply. I read it the first time right after college, but recently picked it up again (thirty years later). I didn't remember a thing from the first reading.... I've been a Christian for many years, but find that this book is so fresh, with insights that are truly amazing. For this new read, I bought two different translations so that I could read both and compare when the meaning seemed obscure. I highly recommend the translation by Maria Boulding. It does a great job of staying true to his meaning, while expressing things in a way that speaks to the modern mind.

Father Mikal Wolodyjowski walks into his church, St. Lucy's, and discovers three dead bodies in the sanctuary. The church, which had a state of the art security system, had been locked before Father Mikal entered. Auxiliary Bishop John Blackwood Ryan, who prefers to be called "Blackie", is assigned by Cardinal Sean Cronin to re-consecrate the church and solve the crimes.

Blackie, at the beginning realizes that he must ponder how someone, without tripping the security system, could murder three people in the church? He must also consider why anyone would desecrate the church. Was it a message for the church, its pastor, or the community? Was the crime committed by local gangs to secure their turf; by drug lords who may have wanted the church out of their affairs; by minority activists who plotted to integrate the area; or local contractors, who wished to profit by manipulating the development of the neighborhood?

Andrew Greeley develops several minor themes in this novel. He expounds on urban renewal and illustrates problems with "blockbusters" and "gentrification". He wonders what happens to the poor when upper class buyers flock to newly planned suburbs that are easily accessed by the mass transportation system. Greeley presents details on advanced security systems which can provide protection by companies remote from the site being monitored. He discusses the impact of "hackers" and considers alternatives for computer "experts" who try to protect the systems.

As is typical in Blackie stories, the Bishop interacts with a couple who are courting. Declan O'Donald, a police sergeant who is also a lawyer and has earned a Ph.D. in psychology, is attracted to Camilla Datillo, an assistant states attorney for the county of Cook. As is his habit, Blackie becomes involved with the lovers and fosters their romance.

Andrew Greeley shares some Christian wisdom in this novel. He considers forgiveness when Father Mikal asks his parishioners to prepare to forgive those who stained their church. When confronted with alleged contact with ghosts, he posits the likelihood of natural suspicion of people involved in horrible events, and even suggests the possibility of ESP.

The Bishop in the Old Neighborhood is an excellent novel. The mystery is interesting and well resolved. The love story introduces us to two fascinating characters. I recommend you read the book.

So glad to have found the latest in the Blackie Ryan series. I only wish the book was longer. I enjoy so much every mystery Greeley writes. They're quick reads, fun, interesting, and I actually learn something each time I read him. Eagerly awaiting the next in the series.

Put Bishop Blackie out to pasture, no way! He is one of the most charming of all the sleuths. This is a complicated story of hate, revenge with racial overtones, as Cardinal Cronin sends his "best cleaner upper" to erase the stigma of three brutishly hacked bodies that are discovered before the alter of St. Lucy's.
All the things we find so delightful in a mystery by Andrew Greeley, the humor, the pathos, the philosophical asides, the deft plotting and fine characters are present in this addition to the Blackie saga. To this mix is added ancient murders and lost loves to make THE BISHOP IN THE OLD NEIGHBORHOOD a fun read as we visit with old friends.
Nash Black, author of TRAVELERS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.

A gruesome triple murder in a well established middle-class neighborhood reeks havoc for Chicago's Catholic community when the bloody bodies appear on the altar of St. Lucy's Cathedral. Given that the church is involved with an important expansion of its affiliated school and the neighborhood is transitioning from primarily Black to White families, there are multiple suspects -- including a gang chief whose children attend the school, a developer whose fortune rides on completing local condo projects, and the local priest who may have had affairs with the more attractive of his female married female parishioners. Which of the many obvious suspects is behind the killings? Bishop Blackie to the rescue! º His boss is in Rome dealing with Vatican politics, so no help there! But an old report from his father's law office sheds light on a murder of six teenagers the early 1940s that is surely tied to these more contemporary murders -- but how? Meanwhile, a talented and cute young couple emerge to assist the Bishop¡Va couple who fall in love and are engaged by the end of the novel¡XDeclan O¡¦Donnell and Camilla Datillo. He¡¦s a member of an elite secret squad among the Chicago Metropolitan Police; she¡¦s an assistant district attorney for the State of Illinois. I have the feeling we will see these two again in future Greeley novels, as Bishop Blackie declares them both members of the North Wabash Avenue Irregulars by the end of the novel. I recommend this cliff hanger with many exciting scenes and a twist at the end.

Although I promise to rarely read Greeley novels, they routinely manage to attract my attention and I find myself hooked on the plot. This most recent mystery puts my bishop friend Blackie Ryan into the old Chicago neighborhoods, where he's guaranteed to charm at least the millions of readers who claim these haunts as being close to home. This complicated Blackie sleuth story starts out riveting enough, but becomes difficult to believe, except for the tidbits of church history inserted into prose. For example, I'm a post-Vatican II Roman Catholic but never heard about the plot to declare certain popes "legal" - where does that come from? Nevertheless, Greeley educates me with every story he writes. Thankfully, The Bishop in the Old Neighborhood stays away from graphically immature sexual encounters, but stays close to entertaining old fashioned romance. I enjoyed this book. Therefore, I'll likely go ahead and read more Greeley stories because, frankly, I appreciate his candor about the Roman Catholic Church. Moreover, Greeley is real when he attaches the church to the lives of the everyday people he writes about. In fact, "Archbishop Blackie", as he's promoted, is a believable person who puts class into Greeley's sometimes tangential plots, regardless of the quality of the rest of the story. I've passed this novel on to my Chicago friends, who are lined up to read it.

My husband was an Episcopal Priest. He admired Bishop Paul Moore. The book is a walk down memory lane; I knew a number of clergy mentioned in Honor's compassionate story.

Honor Moore deeply engages her memories and the documents of her family. She uses photographs, letters, journals and newspaper reports to inform and challenge her original memories as well as plenty of psychotherapy to inform her insights. Her book reflects an adult making sense of her family and herself ... within the context of wealth, privilege and many well-known names.

Most compelling of all is the cost of her parents dishonesty about affairs, sexual orientation and affections. As another reviewer notes, this book is a carefully reflected upon object lesson for all people about the damage done by denials and lies.

At the same time, it chronicles the opening up of new opportunities ... such as Bishop Moore's ordaining the first out lesbian, and other changes in the Episcopal Church. The overall message is one of hope and faith and love (as in the best kind of charity.)

Read it!

I wish that the author of this book had enough income from her trust fund that she didn't have to write and publish a book like this. There is an incredible amount of private information in this book that should never have been made public. Honor Moore has dishonored her family.

I happen to have had the good fortune of meeting Ms. Moore in school, many years ago and we have remained in touch sporadically over the years. Can I be objective because of my relationship? Yes and no...I have other friends who have written books and I am predisposed to like them, that said, some I like better then others, reporting to you that I love Honor and I truly loved her latest book. Found it very moving and respectful, not a "Mommy Dearest", loose liped memoir at all. Wonderfully written, evocative, funny and sad and above all written with a full heart. One of my favorite reads in the last few years. Bless her and Mom and Pops too.

Honor Moore could teach Freud himself a few things about family relationships. The first of nine children of a marriage between a privileged Episcopal priest and his well-born wife, Honor from an early age longed to get inside the dynamics of her parents' life together.

Coming as it does while the Anglican (Episcopal to Americans) church is in the midst of a controversy about the roles of gays and lesbians, her memoir is especially instructive about the way sex and gender play out in this ecclesiastical world. It is also a cautionary tale about the ripple effect of dishonesty nurtured in closeted homosexuality.

What makes this memoir so compelling, however, is not that Honor Moore outs her iconic father, Paul, the bishop, but her gentle but relentless search for the factual and emotional truth about her parents' multiple liaisons and her own. Meticulously, she recounts her childhood awe of her father's spiritual identity, separate from the one he assumed around the rectory. In his clerical garb, he was apart, but even more than she knew was hidden.

The years the family spent in Jersey City during the late fifties and early sixties in a ministry that involved all its members formed her character and created the image of her father as a dashing activist priest aware of the roots of racism and poverty. She speaks dispassionately of the huge family fortune that provided some respite for the family and enabled her father's ministry. He called it his cross of gold. She would say, I think, that the cross he and his family bore was of a different nature.

Aside from its political implications, this memoir is a deeply personal exploration of Christianity and the erotic and worth reading no matter what your sexual or religious orientation.

I have no idea why this book is no longer in print. Jim Bishop wrote an earlier book about the day Lincoln was killed ("The Day Lincoln Was Shot") that is still in print (and it's great), but this one has apparently fallen out of favor. Strange.

So why a minute-by-minute examination of a single day, even a day as momentous as this one? That's not necessarily an easy question to answer; it is a kind of subset history genre, the close examination of Kennedy's death, or Lincoln's, or Christ's, or 9/11, etc. On first blush it might seem of value only to the researcher writing from a larger historical perspective, but in fact a work of history with this kind of focus can be far more interesting than any other approach to the subject. In the case of JFK, the incredible tension that builds naturally from a chronicle of the day he was killed makes for a more thrilling story than a novel on the same subject could ever hope to achieve.

The book follows not only Kennedy but all the players, Jackie, Oswald, his mother & his wife, LBJ, RFK, J.D. Tippett, and so on. At times these separate strands converge, but mostly they're followed separately and Bishop does a masterful job of keeping all the threads tight. It's hard to imagine the amount of research and organization that went into telling this story so cleanly, because it is certainly one of the most confusing, contradictory days in world history, but Bishop makes it look easy. He is a brilliant storyteller, and anyone will tell you that is what a great reporter has to be. It's not just the facts, ma'am, it's the narrative drive, and this one moves like a supercharged Hummer.

So why has it fallen out of print? And why has another book on the same topic, William Manchester's "Death of a President," also fallen out of print? I'm not much on conspiracy theories; there's nothing in either book that the "military-industrial complex" would find terribly distressing. Bishop does mention several eyewitnesses who saw or heard shots coming from the famous grassy knoll---as, incidentally, do the live news accounts of November 22---but by far most of the evidence Bishop (and Manchester) collects points squarely at Lee Harvey Oswald. I think this excellent book is out of print now because people just don't care who killed Kennedy anymore, and they certainly aren't interested in a blow-by-blow account of the assassination.

To say this is "too bad" would be an understatement of biblical proportions. Every day, every hour, we are losing our sense of wonder and curiosity about our country, and we are most particularly forgetting the lessons the Sixties taught us: don't trust the official story. They may be right (in this case, I think they actually are: I believe Oswald did act alone and the "coverup" all these years has been the CIA, FBI, Dallas police dept., etc. covering up how incompetent and ineffectual they were protecting Kennedy that day), but you should ALWAYS look into the story for yourself. Books like "The Day Kennedy Was Shot" (and Oliver Stone's masterwork film "JFK") help us do that, by marshalling all the available information into a powerful narrative thrust. If we forget, or more importantly if we simply cease to care, then the ones who want us to sleep our lives away have won before we're even out of the starting gate.

Read this book, not just because it is about one of the most important days in American history, and not just because it is a remarkably well-written thriller, but also because it is important, SO important, that we never forget this man and how he died and the lessons his death taught us.

John F Kennedy, the 35th. American President, served from January 20, 1961 until he was assassinated in Dallas-Texas on November 22, 1963.

During his short term in office important events took place and some of their effects, after forty-four years, are still living with us up to this day.
For instance, Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, Cuban Missile Crises and his confrontation with Nikita Khrushchev - American U2 Spy Plane.
The establishment of the Berlin Wall and USA subsequent estrangement with USSR.
The Space Race with the Soviets and his solemn promise to America to outpace USSR by pushing research and development of the Space Program.
The beginning of Vietnam crises.
The energetic inauguration of American Civil rights.

The book referred to all the above, but did not touch base with something equally important.
Israel.
The Negev Nuclear Research Centre located about ten kilometres to the south Dimona in Israel.

It has never been a secret that in 1958, the French helped Israel construct the centre.
{{{The year 1958 was filled with open unrest in the Middle East. a) Union between Egypt and Syria. b) Civil disturbances in the Lebanon c) Coup in Iraq - suspected as communists. d) The Marines landed in Lebanon, and e) The height of the Algerian Revolution and its adverse impact on the Franco-Egyptian relations}}}.

Nevertheless, officially the centre was built as nuclear reactor to help produce additional power for `desalination plant' to water the Negev desert.
The world concluded that the purpose of Dimona was not as announced. Israel constructed it to build nuclear weapons. The Arab world, estranged with Israel since day one, suspected the Israelis were applying a policy shrouded in ambiguity and equivocation.

Dimona began active work in the beginning of 1962 and was able to produce plutonium. Arab university professors gathered in Cairo and their forum reached the conclusion that enriched uranium was also produced.

USA intelligence was able to assess the purpose of Dimona since the beginning of 1960 and insisted that Israel should agree to comply with international standards of `inspection' (Israel never signed the Nuclear non-Proliferation Pact that began late in 1960).
Indeed, Ben Gurion agreed to international inspection provided 1) Inspectors are USA citizens or under the sole supervision of the USA, and 2) that Israel would receive advance notice of the schedule of inspection.
Some suspected that since Israel was able to receive advance warning of the date of inspection, it was a lot easy to makeover, hide, evade, and cover, ahead of time, sensitive data at the site away from the scrutinizing eyes of the inspectors.
The inspectors informed USA administration of their qualms and complained that their work, in the absence of professional surprise check, would be rendered futile, useless and a waste of time. The inspectors didn't agree to any restrictions put to them by the Israelis concerning the `areas' or `the facilities' they intended to check.

Ben Gurion was adamant "there will be no surprise visits", and Kennedy was determined to `go by the book', `the inspectors should apply the guidelines to the letter and produce their appraisal, independently, as in any other place in the world. Exempting Israel would be taken as precedent'.
As expected, the charismatic young American president won over the old man of Israel. Dimona was put under the Inspectors Microscope.
But for how long??

When Lyndon B Johnson succeeded the assassinated President he did not pursue the same stringent approach as his predecessor.

Dimona was completed to the best of Israel's abilities...............

"The Day Kennedy Was Shot" is one of the most well written books I've read so far this year!! At first glance, this book is like looking at a script of the TV series "24", but sadly Jack Bauer wasn't there to help and the tragic events of November 22nd, 1963 were not fictional, but a tragic reality. How an authour, yet alone anyone, can piece together the events of a single day in such mintue detail is beyond me. The scenes he masterully recreates make the reader feel like they are there. This book was gripping and hard to put down! The only thing that this book lacks (while taking nothing away from the theme and I suspect, the intent of the book) is an exploration of possible conspiracy theories. (If you're looking for another "conspiracy" book, this one is NOT for you) But if you're looking for a complete account of that day's events. (The book's chapters are divided into hourly sagments running from 7AM-3AM CST) this is THE ONE! I would recomend this book as an ideal source to use if you're writing a report about that fateful day. I would defy anyone to match its exactness of detail!

As the leading civilian authority on the Secret Service, I recommend this book for its clasic status. That said, there are several errors throughout and, like Manchester before him, Bishop has an obvious lone-nut bias. I know for a fact that Bishop spoke to former Secret Service agents Bill Greer and Jim Rowley...beyond that, it is hard to tell who (if anyone) else.
Vince Palamara-JFK/ Secret Service expert (History Channel, author of two books, in over 30 other author's books, etc.)
Pittsburgh, PA

From the opening sequence depicting the alleged events in the Kennedy's suite at the Hotel Texas in Fort Worth that morning, complete with the character's imaginary thoughts, one immediately gains the uncomfortable impression that Mr. Bishop is merely making this stuff up. His detailed analysis of those fateful 60 seconds in Dealey Plaza is worse than conjecture, it is utterly IMPOSSIBLE. Not only does he treat us to a detailed description of Oswald's alleged actions and even thoughts as he supposedly sits in that window in the School Book Depository (from which we now know at least some of the shots could not have been fired) with a complete absence of witnesses or testimony, he then goes on to describe how the first bullet missed, hit the street BEHIND the car yet managed to spray the occupants in their FACES with "cement dust", and then somehow ricocheted over, under, or around the car to then hit the curb two streets away and account for Mr. Tague's facial injuries. Not only is this feat of physics utterly impossible, it is not recounted in this manner by one single witness to these events. Even if the reader were predisposed to believe that Mr. Oswald acted alone, which not only is not plausible but is not possible in the face of known evidence, it is ridiculous to imagine that Mr. Bishop would know it to be due to Oswald's wife and mother not treating him sufficiently like a "man". The concept of an impartial analysis of the day's events is an interesting one, but having amassed quite an assassination library myself I would strongly recommend that this early apologist effort be passed over. You can get a better accounting of the details with a great deal less spin in Jim Marrs' "Crossfire".

I have'nt finished this book but as you've asked me I respond. The book is heavy going,but probably no one will ever do better owing to the subject i.e Cranmer's deeds are known in all their inconsistancies in the earlier years,but nothing is known of the personal reasonings that gave rise to them.
Even the glories of his style of writing just seemed to come from nowhere,but the Author does a good job in explaining its inimitableness

I took "Thomas Cranmer" on in order to make sense of a seeming paradox: What I already "knew" of him did not square with the theology I had begun to discover in his Collects and Prayer Book. I was curious!

MacCulloch does a masterful job at presenting this complex, and sometimes contradictory figure of the early English Reformation. Despite the derrogatory review given by "a reader," I found very little bias and no axe-grinding in this work. Actually, I came to the book expecting some bias. Even being thusly prepared and properly skeptical, I found only a very few times that MacCulloch let his own opinions show through. (When he does, it is in parentheses with exclamation points!!) You can almost hear him chuckle at times.

I read the book in 9 or 10 days, and never found it to be a chore; in fact, the most difficult thing was putting it down and going to bed! While the book is scholarly, and masterfully written, it is definitely not tedious or boring.

I came to the end of the book with a deep respect for Cranmer. I have many points of disagreement with him, and yet a certain admiration for his eventual willingness to heroically stand where he believed the Gospel compelled him to stand. Fr. James DeKoven, an early Anglican theological hero in Wisconsin, once said "We live at a time when cowardice in matters of religion has been elevated to the status of virtue." Archbishop Thomas Cranmer proved, in the end, to be anything but a coward.

I have corresponded several times now with Professor MacCulloch, and find him to be humble, dedicated, and helpful. I am now reading his "The Reformation: a history," and I plan to read everything else of his that I can get my hands on!

MacCulloch's book provides access to the singularly foundational figure of the reformation in England. Most who recognize Cranmer's name at all know him only as the author of the first Prayer Book or the man who attained Henry VIII's annulment from Catherine. MacCullogh gives depth to Cranmer as a flawed yet faithful agent of the Church, one who sought with conviction the reformation of the Church of England but was also willing to slavishly follow his prince in order to achieve that reformation. The final chapter, chronicling Cranmer's fall and ultimate martyrdom, reads with the pace of a good novel. For Episcopalians and others with an affinity for the Anglican tradition, insight into Cranmer's life and thought is crucial, and MacCulloch presents that insight with skill.

MacCulloch seeks to present Archbishop Cranmer as a radical protestant with little scholarly interest or knowledge of the early church, and also that the "via media" of Anglicanism that resulted from the English Reformation was contrary to Cranmer's radical protestant beliefs and is a "myth." While MacCulloch may have written a biography he failed to examine the source of Cranmer's beliefs and theology. MacCulloch claims that Cranmer's eucharistic theology stems from the Swiss Reformed tradition: one had only to read Basil Hall's essay in "Thomas Cranmer: Churchman and Scholar" edited by Ayris and Selwyn to see that this is demonstrably false. Cranmer was heavily influenced by Lutheranism as well as by the "exposition of the most holy and learned fathers and martyrs" of "the holy catholic church of Christ from the beginning" (Cranmer's words) and as such his theology clearly stands in the same line as that of Richard Hooker and Lancelot Andrewes. This sort of "scholarship" with an obvious ax to grind is perhaps the worst sort. If you want to know Cranmer's views on the Sacraments (as most Anglicans or scholars of the Reformation do) please read him in his own words in "A Defense of the True and Catholic Doctrine of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ" (if you can find a copy in the library) or in "Thomas Cranmer: Churchman and Scholar."

Many Anglican history books have an axe to grind. But not this masterful biography. The Thomas Cranmer of MacCulloch is very human, but no villian nor an unblemished hero.

We see his theological evolution from a fairly orthodox Catholic to a stauch Protestant who went to the stake in defiance of Bloody Mary and the "Antichrist" Pope.

MacCulloch also takes the reader into the historical sources and their reliability. These, along with his extensive footnotes will be of interest to any serious student of Anglican history.

Yet this longish book is very readable and rarely gets bogged down, again unlike some other Anglican histories.

If you want to learn about Thomas Cranmer or about early Anglicanism, this book is a must read.


Mark Marshall is the author of God Knows What It's Like to be a Teenager.

This book is an awesome description of the treatment of people on Rwanda; the reactions from developed countries makes one realize how insular and selfish people can be. Everyone interested in world events and mission work should read this description of the genocide recorded by Bishop Rucyahana. It is also a great example of forgiveness and hope from people who have suffered so much.

This book, reviewing the Rwandan genocide of 1994, is a compelling read. Bishop John Rucyahana, who lost family in the horrific events of that year, brings an African perspective to join the many western viewpoints that have mourned the deaths of over 1.1 million Africans.
One item of note is that Rucyahana is not intent to simply identify systemic political issues as the root of the evil that was seen (though he acknowledges their role), nor to focus too narrowly on individual organizers of the slaughter. Instead, he reminds us that this event should keep before us the human capacity for unimaginable evil.
Yet simultaneously Bishop Rucyahana sees real hope and reconciliation flowing among the people of Rwanda in the wake of this genocide.
For all these reasons, the book is compelling and deserves reading as a story of how great good can be brought out of the most heinous evil.
On the other hand, the book could have used a bit more editing. At times, the text simply doesn't flow well, which is regretful for such an important book.
As supplementary background, an interested reader might also be interested in We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda.

Bishop John Rucyahana is Rwandan. He was a refugee in Uganda during the Rwanda genocide and in this book he illustrates for us the historical origins of the genocide, the reason that the plan succeeded, and the answer to the questions of reconciliation.

For each of us who care about how such evil can be possible in the world, The Bishop of Rwanda gives us those insights. Using true stories to illustrate both the evil of the genocide and the miracles of reconciliation, Bishop John ultimately tells a story of hope for the future of Rwanda.

If you want to know what happened, why it happened, and what you can do to keep it from happening again, this book is an excellent start. If you want to understand Rwanda so that you can assist in the reconciliation process there, this is an great text to begin your understanding.

Having been blessed enough to meet with Bishop John twice this year-once in my country and once in his, I can tell you that this man is even more powerful than his account of those tragic events in 1994. He is truly devoted to his work-Reconciliation, as well as his school, which he gave us a tour of. If you want to know what has happened in Rwanda, I would suggest reading this book, along with "Murambi: Book of Bones.", "Shake Hands with the Devil." and "We Wish to Inform You.." for a more complete picture. If you wish to know what is going on right now in Rwanda, Bishop John is a very integral part of that process, and his book is a faithful portrayal of his work.

Within a world of differing political opinions and cultures it remains painful to recognize the inhumanity of man that flaunts indifference to others at every opportunity. The contrast of evil and of love towards others is acutely apparent and as described in this book is an echo of history, and the reality of our collective existence. This book retells the ongoing battles we face, and the sense of responsibility that we each have to shoulder. Rwanda is an example. When they were challanged and forced to choose, they chose God and to love one another. This book is a difficult read, my suggestion; read the ending before pushing this book aside.

When I studied religion at university, my lecturer told us that if we were to read any book, it had to be confessions. It really is a great book and well structured. It is very dense as the best religious texts are, so it will take a long time to properly read and absorb. A must have for your collection.

For those of you who thought that St. Augustine was going to be so deeply intellectual that it couldn't possibly apply to you, you should try this small book. It's not difficult reading, but the ideas aren't little ones. I was amazed at the parallels in culture to our 'modern' age, and at how little has changed in nearly 2000 years. He writes pretty bluntly about his youthful vices, which made me examine my own. I bought ten copies for friends and for graduation gifts this year.

The Augustine part is fine and the translator did a wonderful job, but why were the parts edited out? Saint Augustine was just like us in his struggles to not only come to Christianity but also to live the Christian life after his conversion. He writes about his screw-ups, failures, and triumphs in such a humble, heart rendering manner I wish I had articulated it that way first. All Christians should have this book in their library to be read and re-read often. PAX, bb

For whatever reason, the editor here has seen fit to leave out sections of Augustine's Confessions. What is most annoying is that this book is not clearly marked "abridged". Honest dealing requires this book to be clearly identified for what it is - an abridged, incomplete version of Confessions.

The Confessions offer a deep look into St. Augustine's mind as he battles through questions about time and memory. It is, quite personally, an account of a once atheist who, through tragedy and an insatiable desire for truth, becomes spiritually connected to God. Augustine presents age old questions about existence and purpose, and provides his own unique and intelligent viewpoint. Augustine's confessions are uplifting to read through, and his gentle and eloquent praises to God are remarkably written. I gave this book five stars, in light of its uniqueness and the personal betterment I felt when I read it.

Carlton Pearson has given a wonderful gift to all of us. It hasn't come without a price, however. Friends, associates, fellow pastors, members of his church, and denomination have castigated and reviled him. And they have done it in the name of protecting/serving an archaic and violent theology. The true gospel, literally meaning "good news" has been twisted and perverted by many, though not all, for centuries.

He writes very emotionally about the loss of most everything that had comprised his life up to the point that he finally accepted the unconditional, eternal love of God for everyone. While friends and associates literally turned their back on him, he stayed true to his message and did so right on the buckle of the "bible-belt.' Oral Roberts and many of those type of preachers have a lot invested in keeping people afraid through fear-based theology. In fact, Carlton Pearson tells about a multi-page letter sent to him by Roberts calling on him to repent and saying that his (Pearson's) minstry is "the most dangerous I have seen in sixty plus years.."

Bishop Pearson proclaims the true "Good News" telling us that God will ultimately save and restore every human being who has ever lived to himself through His irrestible love and grace. Why? Because being God He could do nothing else. We forget that it was Christ himself who came to show men and women how to live and how to love. He spoke of things not usually found in the theology of His day. Back then it was all about the "law." It was about a laundry list of do's and don'ts to appease an angry and treacherous god. Yet Jesus hung out with some very questionable characters and turned organized religion upside down saying such outrageous things as "Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, soul, body, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself-on these two hang all the law and the prophets." Period.

The fundamentalists/literalists have taken the greatest message the world has EVER received and turned it into something exclusionary; They have become the modern 'gatekeepers of grace.' Perhaps worst of all, they have wed God to their brand of politics and used God to promote their narrow, myopic world view insisting that they have the only truth. Bottom line: God hates who we hate and loves who we love. The trouble with this is not only that it is horrid theology, but it marginilizes millions of people who are seen as expendable and hell-bound. It promotes judgement, fear, and suspicion all the while telling us that we have free will, but will be eternally damned if we use it.

In this book, Bishop Pearson explodes the myth that the God of the universe would damn most of the world to eternal torture and reward a handful with the bliss of heaven. He lays bare the tribal theology of centuries past and invites the reader to fall in love with the God who will never leave nor forsake any of His creation.

If you are one of the many who have been poisoned by toxic theology and any of its messengers, don't give up! There is a beautiful, glorious relationship that is to be found with the Creator of the world whose love is eternal and whose grace is for all. There is no fine print to grace and you can bet that anyone who says otherwise has an investment in keeping you afraid and controlled. True love invites all to the table with no exception, and asks us to love as we are loved. If we did that for just one single day in this world, the results for us individually and collectively would be unbelievable.

My words pale in comparison to the one who said, "If I be lifted up I will draw ALL people to me." Get this book and start to live in love, faith, and happiness.

If there is no devil (legalism or at best a myth), and there is no sin, then there is no hell and no need for a Savior, Jesus the Christ (Messiah). Why did Jesus bother to die on the cross for our sins? So, why do we need Jesus at all? The Gospel of Inclusion includes only those who do not believe the Bible says what it does...that when Adam & Eve were tempted by the Devil in the Garden of Eden and sinned (disobeyed what God had told them), they needed a Redeemer for they would die in their sin. (Genesis 3). God loves you, yes, but why would He let people who sin (disobey) Him into heaven when they die? They would continue to disobey Him. Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. (Leviticus). That is why Jesus came, to take the punishment for our sins on the cross. He died for our sin. If you believe this and ask Him to be your Savior, you will be saved (yes, from hell). Romans 10:9-11. John 3:16 says: FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. It's that simple. God's only requirement is that you believe you are a sinner, believe He sent Jesus to die for your sins, and ask Him to forgive you. It is this that the GOSPEL of INCLUSION states is narrow-minded. 2 CORINTHIANS 11:3 BUT I FEAR, LEST SOMEHOW, AS THE SERPENT DECEIVED EVE BY HIS CRAFTINESS, SO YOUR MINDS MAY BE CORRUPTED FROM THE SIMPLICITY THAT IS IN CHRIST.
I do however, completely understand that a lot of church practices are not rooted in Christianity, but in non-Christianity and a lot of people are turned off to JESUS because of these practices. I would highly recommend the book "Pagan Christianity" by Frank Viola & George Barna.

*****
This book is about a way to be a Christian that is loving and caring, living in the spirit of Jesus rather than by church doctrine and man-made rules based upon hatred and fear. The author uses many quotes from the Bible as well as quotes by theologians and other thinkers to make his case in diagnosing the problems with Christianity today and in arguing that there is a better way, a way that was practiced by the first-century church and beyond for almost 500 years. If you are someone who loves God and who desperately wants to follow Jesus, yet can't bear to call yourself a Christian because you are uninterested in the orthodox evangelical or fundamentalist churches...this is the book for you.

The author presents God as love at great personal cost. He has been attacked and vilified by evangelical and fundamentalist leaders, and has lost his lucrative ministry, and in some ways his life's work. However, the same could have been said about Paul (author of some of the New Testament), who also did an about-face and preached the real message of Christ. In my opinion, it is the author's life's work that led him just to this point, and that gives his message the sincerity and the purity it has.

I have to admit that before I read this book I was considering leaving Christianity for good. I still loved Jesus, but didn't know how to live as a Christian in today's dogma-based, money-based, and fear-based churches. "The Gospel of Inclusion" is genuinely good news, and has given me a way to follow Christ without being a part of what I frankly am repulsed by in the institutionalized and religion-based so-called "Christian" churches. Rev. Pearson has found a spiritual home and a message and a way to follow Jesus that is good news for all people, and I know that I will too.

I consider this book a spiritual classic that will inspire many, and perhaps comfort you if you need a soft place to fall.

Highly recommended.
*****

I agree with all the favorable reviews here, and couldn't say it better. But I will add how I came to know about Bishop Pearson.

It was when, during one of the many dark days of this pseudo-Christian mass hysteria sweeping this country, I turned on the radio to an episode of This American Life.
(You can probably visit the archives of This American Life and listen to the show.)

As I listened to his story, about how he risked losing so much with his congregation and leadership to follow a higher spiritual law (the kind I had been taught years ago was the point of Christianity), I grew mesmerized.

In those days, many people like me were desperately searching anywhere for validation of our perceptions: that the religious scrupulosity infecting our culture like a lethal brain disease was shutting out goodness and reason, compassion and intellect, empathy and forethought.

Suffice it to say, it wasn't an easy time to stand up to this hysteria--on Pearson's local stage or the national one. So my God, what a heroic thing to do, to renounce all that and embrace goodness, light, and a higher order of thought. And to be willing to pay the cost. I love This American Life in general, but that was one of the top episodes, in my opinion. Extremely memorable.

So memorable, in fact, that as I made my way through the throngs of people at the Book Expo in New York last summer, quite a while after hearing that episode, I immediately recognized Pearson as the author solely by the book title (not wearing my eyeglasses, I couldn't read the author's name!) . The show had made no mention of a book, either. I simply "recognized" him--a man I'd heard on radio and never seen in a photo--because he simply, well, shone. His intelligence, openness, and kindness were right out there. Frankly, I just thought, well, who else could it be!

Fortunately, he had a few minutes to talk with me and confirm that yes, his story was on that radio show. I enjoyed our conversation very much. He is the type of preacher who could lure me back into a church. Intellectually smart. Spiritually strong. Morally honest. And brave.

I am amazed at the poor scholarship and the preference of man's intelligence over God's wisdom of this book, especially from a man of Dr. Pearson's experience. It is difficult to believe that his revelation about hell came from God. It contradicts the Bible and the words of Jesus. For Christians at least, God's revelation is always consistent with his Word, the Bible. Many people only want to hear of a loving God, but the same God is also one of judgment. Jesus makes this so clear in the gospels about the future of all who reject Him, and thus reject God; so to take this book seriously is a moot point. Dr. Pearson has gone beyond the Bible in his positions; this is a contradiction to being a follower of Jesus. It is absurd to attribute things to the Bible that clearly cannot be proven. The Bible does not discount hell or sin. Dr. Pearson's book is an exercise in futility since the Bible clearly speaks consistently about the judgment of hell and sin. The choice of man is either to receive or reject the God of the Bible. It is each person who makes the choice if he or she wants to live in hell or not. God wants everyone saved but each person has to make the decision to accept Jesus. A synopsis of what Jesus said in the gospels is: "If you reject me now, I will reject you in the day of judgment". The choice is yours and this basic truth of the Bible is not addressed in Dr. Pearson's book.

Any forthright author on this topic should not engage in sophistry but categorically state whether or not he believes the Bible as God's inspired word or not. Clearly, this book is only Dr. Pearson's opinion of hell and inclusion of everybody regardless of their unrepentant sinful life. We know where the Bible stands on the subjects of sin and hell; and it certainly is not with Dr. Pearson. I hope that any serious scholar should also read the sections of the Bible on this topic so they can make an unfettered analysis of the subject of Dr. Pearson's book.

An absolutely fascinating story of how two boys from Ohio without college educations, through sheer will, determination and confidence in their own abilities, invented a machine that literally changed the world. It is almost laughable the way they kept plodding along, ignoring the fact that many eminent scientific minds of the period (One can almost hear them dead-panning, "What's that have to do with us.") had repeatedly failed, often catastrophically, to fly a heavier-than-air machine.

This book was a major dissapointment for me. I could not finish the book. The author dwelled more on the problems of the Wright Brother's father, and the chaos he delt with in their denomination. I felt like I was reading their father's life story. Historical bio's are my favorite reading, but this book I had to lay down. After several re-starts, I finaly gave the book away to another history friend. I will choose another bio if the Wright Brothers

Hi. I've read this book from cover - to - cover so many times that it's actually falling apart. This book is fabulous and I would reccomend it to anyone iterested in flight!

Very good biography. Details the events of the Wright brothers' lives quite well. I found especially interesting the section on their family lineage and background. It gave a feeling of them as once-removed from the frontier lifestyle, and also well described their place in midwestern American society, with the father leading the church efforts, their "modern woman" sister attending college, etc.

The book doesn't go into a great deal of technical detail on their inventive process. Crouch's colleague Peter Jakab has written an excellent book, "Visions of a Flying Machine," which fills that niche excellently.

My only qualm with the book was that as I was nearing the end, I couldn't help but thinking, "Yes, this is all the stuff that happened in their lives, but who WERE they?" Crouch is very exhaustive in covering all the events, esp. their fight for proper credit for the invention. But in the end, I didn't feel as if I had a feel for who they were as people.

Ironically, I felt that Jakab's "Visions" book told much more about who they were as people. This book focused on the invention period, and by really showing how they worked and thought, gave more of a feel of their personalities and humanity

Tom Crouch does a wonderful job in bringing the story of the Wright brothers to life. He explains their social interactions, their different personality types and the family's ideals.

However when he starts to tell the story of the invention of the aeroplane (airplane) the disappointments mount. At this point the author could have focussed on the insightfulness and engineering brilliance of the Wright brothers. However the author seems unwilling or incapable of expressing how the Wright brothers were able to distil and redefine the ideas of their predecessors. The redefinition of Smeaton's coefficient, the choice of a dynamic approach to restore equilibrium, the experiments and formulae required to calculate the basic forces of flight and efficient propellor design are all given scant attention. The book's phobia of technical detail is epitomised by its reference at one stage to increasing the octane rating of the fuel to increase power. Unfortunately octane and its potential to produce greater power would not be understood until the '20s. The book then appears to have great difficulty in differentiating what the Wright brothers did in comparison with their rivals. Instead of demonstrating why wing warping was the basic concept behind all control systems in aeroplanes, the author resorts to bold assertions such as the Wright brothers were aware of ailerons and fully described them in their patent application. This is highly debatable and in my opinion WRONG! Furthermore any patent issue which may have gone against the Wrights is always described as a legal loophole and not given any further regard. Instead of defending the Wrights on their own merit the book seems to be compelled to detail feel good stories or nicknames of distant relatives and associates. The relevance of Orville's flying students' ancestors defeating the British (I'm assuming not single handedly as implied by the book) in the battle of Lake Erie in 1813 does seem somewhat irrelevent. I enjoyed the enthusiastic style of the writer, but in the end felt that the book was somewhat flat in conveying what the Wright brothers actually achieved on that historic December day in 1903.