Brandon Books

A side of Barbadian history I needed to learn more about. O'Callaghan brings some of the dark to light.

I read Testimony of an Irish Slave Girl a few months ago where I was introduced to the history of Irish Slavery on Barbados. I'm not a history buff and generally do not read non-fiction. Nonetheless, I bought this book because of the reviews and I found myself interested in the subject matter.

After I got through the first chapter I became thoroughly engrossed in the book and was not able to stop reading it.

The author did noticeably repeat a few of his facts throughout the book, but the items were generally repeated because they were relevant in more than one place. His arguments were sometimes made in a manner that made me wonder if he was creating his own history, or if I was getting a picture of what really happened. I would have prefered him to have made his arguments more convincingly and as if they were fact. But, I suppose it is also great to know that there is limited information and he is interpreting the information.

I may just give up reading fiction and switch to history if it is all this interesting. It was a hard book to read. I can not believe people could do this to one another. I suppose that is why is was so gripping.

Being an Irish history buff, one day I had come along an interesting bit of Irish history, about a time period during the slave trade years, where there was a great deal of Irish slaves. Yet, I could only find this information on websites with bibliographies of books that are rare or no longer existant. Yet, I had the fortunate luck of stumbling across this book here on Amazon.com. I must say, it was everything and more than I asked for. Detailed accounts of the invasion of Ireland by Cromwell and his forces, the brutal savagery and overall genocide committed by these men. The detailed accounts of how the slaves were sold on the auction block, how they were looked down upon by even the other slaves, since they were white.

I highly reccommend this book to any Irish history buffs like myself or any students doing a report on Irish history.

It is sad that the average American history book sums up Cromwell's attrocities as "Cromwell treated the Irish very poorly". This book brings to light the extent of the savagery done upon the Irish, and does great justice in explaining the time known as the Irish Holocaust.

This is an excellent history of slavery imposed upon the Irish by the British government. This history of white slavery is frequently ignored.
The first chapters with detailed histories battles in Ireland are somewhat too complex. However, when the author gets to the story of slavery, the gathering of mostly women and children to serve as slaves in Barbados, the writing is excellent.
English power under Cromwell clearly did not consider the Irish as humans. The captives were treated almost like animals. The imposition of slavery shows well how an ideology of superiority can turn to cruelty, starvation, and oppression. While we tend to think of slavery in terms of racial groups, this work shows that racial groups are defined (socially constructed). To the English, the Irish were a racially inferior group.

The nonfiction book "To Hell or Barbados: The Ethnic Cleansing of Ireland" by Sean O'Callaghan describes a moment in history that very few know about. In the seventeenth century, Oliver Cromwell (who took over England) encouraged the mass slaughter and enslavement of Irish men, women, and children for various reasons, one being that the Protestant English regarded the Catholic Irish as inhuman and unchristian.

According to O'Callaghan, many Irish priests were hunted down like wolves and Irish soldiers exiled to Spain or France, while rebels and widows alike were forcibly sent to Barbados in the Caribbean as indentured servants or slaves. Over 50,000 people were sent to Barbados to work on the sugar plantations. This book chronicles what happened to them. Beatings, whippings, torture, rape, and humiliation were just some of the terrible indecencies that these people suffered because they were Catholic and Irish.

The book itself is short, well written, and easy to read. The narrative moves from Cromwell's battles in Ireland* to the treatment of the surviving Irish to exportation to the Caribbean and indentured servitude/white slavery to modern-day descendants of the Irish on Barbados. In between, you will get a detailed and informative account of life in the seventeenth century while at war in the UK and as plantation owners and slaves in the Caribbean. There is even a chapter on Irish buccaneers (pirates).

*Please note you may want to look up who Oliver Cromwell was before you read this, as the book jumps straight into the action without too much political/biographical background.

I read this book quickly. It was fascinating, yet horrifying and thoroughly depressing. It is also eye-opening history. I highly recommended it to anyone interested in Caribbean, Irish, or English history, as well as for those interested in the slave trade or religious conflicts.

We used this book on our trip to Florida this August and was a great buy. It is not a book that lists ALL there is in Florida, but what is BEST to see if you travel with kids. It gives insights that are a rarity in books of this type and it proved good both for things to do and for restaurants that pleased both kids and adults (from diner to real restaurants). We spared a lot of time and, consequentially, money.
We used it together with a traditional guide book for reference, but we learned to trust the 'Unofficial' advice better.

After our family's great success with The Unofficial Guide to Disney World, we eagerly snapped up The Unofficial Guide to Florida With Kids when the 2nd Edition was published in January, 2001. What a terrific book!

We decided to take a weekend trip to St. Augustine, FL this past Wednesday, and left after work on Friday. With very little time to plan, I dug out this book and quickly flipped to the chapter dedicated to St. Augustine. There, the author gives a quick and interesting history of the city, as well as a map with recommended family resorts, attractions, and restaurants clearly marked. This section is followed by impartial reviews of each.

The family resorts section goes over a number of cozy historical hand-picked bed & breakfasts and inns, with an eye towards children. It is very helpful in telling you what aged children are welcome, whether breakfast (and what type) is included, accurate rates, distance to nearby attractions, etc.

The restaurant section focuses on dependable family-friendly local restaurants. This list is a godsend when you cannot stand the sight of another fast food restaurant, yet are afraid to try anything else.

The place where this book really shines, however, is in the attractions section. Here the author and actual readers list and rate each attraction's appeal by age group! This feature is extremely handy in trying to sort through Florida's myriad of attractions with limited time on your hands and with an even smaller budget! We really liked the fact that the author points out lesser-known and less crowded attractions that are often overlooked by unprepared families.

For instance, although we normally would never have stopped at anything called the St. Augustine Alligator Farm (I still grin at the name :)), we took the advice of the book and gave it a chance. It turned out to be terrific, one of my 3 1/2 year old's favorite parts of the trip! Another attraction that we would have certainly overlooked was Marineland, listed at the end of the chapter under side trips. Normally we wouldn't have given the park a second look, but we followed the book anyway and spent a fantastic Sunday afternoon there. Much smaller crowds meant that we got great seats at all of the shows, and we also got to spend a good bit of time talking with the animal trainers. My daughter even got to pet, feed, help train, and have her picture taken with a live dolphin! She was ecstatic, and I quietly whispered a thank you to author Pam Brandon for sending us here instead of the ultra-crowded Sea World where we could never have gotten that much time so close to the animals.

I overrode the book's warnings about taking a preschooler to the Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum (rated in the book as 1 star out of 5 for that age group, although higher for older kids and adults). Sure enough, Ripley's was way too scary for my daughter, and I regretted not listening to the author's good advice. We could have saved $20 right there - more than I paid for the book!

The Unofficial Guide to Florida With Kids saved us so much time and money in one weekend that it has already more than paid for itself. We are currently pouring through our copy working on our next trip. We spend a lot of time and effort on our family vacations, and we want to get our money's worth. We won't go back to Florida without this book. Highly recommended.

I live in Central Florida, so I can say first-hand what an amazing book this really is. It has so many fabulous ideas and great vacation strategies. As a mother of 5, I know how hard it it to plan a well-rounded vacation. This book gives an outstanding variety of suggestions on places to go for kids ages 1 to 100! Give this book a read if you're going to Florida--you'll have the best vacation possible.

The book provides a very thorough representation of what there is to do in Florida with children, but I found a couple of things with which I take issue. First, on page 176, Brandon's advice for Waiting Line Strategies for Theme Parks suggests to use "elevator shoes for the short and the brave." Maybe Brandon doesn't understand that the height restrictions for theme park rides is for the protection and safety of kids and small adults, and legal liability of the theme parks! Getting your kids to stand up straighter, or putting heel lifts in their shoes (Brandon's advice) just so they will be permitted to ride an attraction is pretty lame, not to mention dangerous.

In addition, I was shocked to visit St. Augustine Beach and see cars driving on the beach. I thought I had thoroughly read the St. Augustine chapter of the book. Guess not. The only mention of cars on the beach is on page 78, listed under Northeast Florida's Best Beaches, NOT in the St. Augustine chapter. I was very disappointed and felt that the driving on the beach is a hazard for young families, and is obviously downplayed both in this book and by the proprietors of beachside motels (particularly the author-recommended LaFiesta Oceanside Inn). All in all, a disappointing book which I feel I can't trust for further Florida adventures with my children.

Ms. Brandon takes the guesswork out of vacationing in Florida, with her common sense approach to this book. Information is organized in a user-friendly fashion that makes it easy and fun to include the whole family in the planning process! Her vast knowledge of the subject matter is apparent; she has given clear and concise descriptions of specific attractions throughout Florida, from a perspective rich with personal experience and humor. Indeed, it is an enjoyable book to read, even if a trip to Florida is not on the horizon!

An English classic of that golden time between the Wars. Angela Thirkell writes a wonderful comedy of manners dealing with both young and mature love among the upper classes set in that time and place.

Nadia May, whose real name is Wanda McCaddon,has per her AudioFile biography, worked as a reporter, a University professor and an actress. She has narrated books under the names Donada Peters, Margaret McKay, Ann Miles and Leonarda Stafford. She is a grande dame of audio book narration and her voice, mature-- yet precise, lends itself well to this gently paced story.

If you are an anglophile, an audiophile or maybe just want a story that does not involve a lot of blazing guns and dead bodies then I definitely recommend all 10 hours of this story. This will make the reader smile and maybe even laugh out loud.

This is the first book I have read by Angela Thirkell and I am determined to read all of the other novels she has written.

Of all the authors I have read with claims attached to them of being "modern day Austens", Angela Thirkell is the only one that lives up to that claim, in my opinion.

In "The Brandons", as in Austen's literature, one senses a "match" in the offing and Mrs. Brandon spends much of her thinking on how to match up Miss Morris with one of her eligible male friends. The book is delightful, charming, funny, and full of astute observations on human nature...just like Jane Austen's writings. Read it!

Unexpectedly wonderful. I had read somewhere that Thirkell was a bit of a poor-man's Nancy Mitford. Well that might have been for some of her novels - my knowledge of her full body of works is not great - but the Thirkells is a wonderful descent into glorious pre-World War II English Countryside.

The book is chokka with great and memorable characters and has an appealing plot which has a few twists in it to keep things very interesting indeed. In fact it starts as a simple premise of a family waiting for an inheritance, as such, as ends as a very sweet romance indeed.

It all starts with the sickness of a maiden aunt, Sissie - who lives in a mouldering pile and keeps threatening to will it all away from various relatives if only to keep them on their toes. Trouble is the various relatives - or at least two of them Mr Grant, and Francis and Brandon - don't actually want the mouldering estate anyway. No matter how poor they are they can see that it will be a bit of a white elephant - or at the very least a very damp hippotamus.

The Brandon's come with a wonderfully vague mother who keeps getting read bits of boring pieces of writing by adoring males in the area, and Hilary Grant comes with a hideously annoying mother whom nobody - except possibly the reader - can like. This book is very much in the vein of E E Benson's Lucia Series - although those were individual masterpieces of machivellian cunning- this book is a fun and rather distinguished country romp.

Apparently Thirkell wrote a number of stories in which the same characters turn up - all of which is set in the Barchester land of Anthony Trollope so there is enough connection among these books to make for quite an extensive bit of connected reading (if anyone is interested of course). It has all the satisfaction of a nice twisting plot with the pleasant relief of a happy and romantic ending to look forward to.

Angela Thirkell's books fall into a typically English genre: the gentle goings on of a set of eccentric (usually upper class) villagers. The books amusing and make an enjoyable quick read. Although I understand where the comparisons to Jane Austen are coming from, I think they are off the mark, though. I think P.G. Wodehouse is a fairer comparison, without so much silliness (which I love). These little trifles don't have the depth or subtlety of Austen's works. However, for a light read where you like most of the characters and wish them well, you can't beat Thirkell. My favorite is Cheerfulness Breaks In.

Overall this was a great read, and thank god this wasn't another 'junkie chic' book pretending to warn of the pitfalls of drugs while bragging about the all the 'awesome' things the author's done despite/while on drugs. Novak's not afraid to get into the ugly, gritty details of being a drug addict and the desperate things he did as an addict - I defy anyone to not have their jaw drop at least once when they read this book.

Considering that after the early promise Novak showed as a skateboarder, he ended up famous essentially for being part of Bam Margera's crew, it's really interesting to read this book and get a better grasp of what Novak is like as a person and not just as an extension of Bam. (Although I have to admit, Novak's brief description of Bam and his friendship in the book is the only thing in about ten years that's made me feel sorry for Bam. It's an eye-opener.)

Having listened to Novak on the radio his voice really comes through in the writing - you can tell in certain places things are phrased exactly as he speaks in real life, so the book doesn't appear to have been overly ghost-written by his co-writer. In writing, he seems to have more intelligence (although that could be Frantz's contribution) than comes across from his radio/tv appearances.

My only complaint about this book is that those with more than a passing familiarity with his life know there is a *lot* missing from this book - it's essentially a collection of stories about his journey from skateboarder to junkie to rehab to ...(I won't spoil the end) - we're not getting the whole story. His father, for one, who he has cited as a huge influence over how his life ended up is completely missing in the text (for legal reasons, I assume). The book feels a little disjointed - partly from the way it was written (swapping back and forward between different times and leaving some fairly key parts of his life out), and partly because Novak kind of writes like an outsider looking in on his life - he seems to lack insight in a lot of passages. (I assume he was writing them from the perspective he had when he was on dope, but it would be interesting for him to have said if he still has the same perspective when he's clean).

The life of a Junkie never has a fairy tale ending. we are told at a young age on how not to do drugs and how bad it is. Brandon Novak writes about his world in the filth and grime of the Baltimore, Maryland streets and his comback as a better, sober, person. With his writting style no one would have ever guesses that this Jackass Junkie could write something in such detail and in such a poetic manner. The story starts with his conscience dissision to return to rehab, for the seventh or eighth time, with flashbacks describing his current state of mind. Who would have thought that a young skater with so much potential and talent could leave it all for a vial of heroine, and i'm sure Novak is still figuring that out for himself. We finally get to learn about Novak's choices in his life through his graphic story of courage, self-doubt, companionship, and betrayl. He retells the slang, codes, and business ethics of the common junkie in Baltimore with such detail that you can feel like your in that filthy garage with Novak. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has once ridden a skateboard.
P.S. Novak writes about his argument with Mike Vallely and I can't say I was dissapointed!

To all those people who think that brandon novak is a lost cause and only thinks about himself is all BS!..

..I now have a different perspective on brandon novak because deep down he does really care about his loved ones and was always trying to get help but at the time he was so mentally ill that he didnt know right from wrong and the drugs were his eventual downfall. What i really loved about this story were all of his flashbacks and all of the people who gave him advice and guidance even though he igonored it, and they all played a key role in his life and addiction *SPOLIER* *SPOLIER*(and i liked the ending i thought it meant that he now realises that he is an addict and will always have the temptation..he will always struggle)

This is a really great book if you are a new reader into addiction and recovery

I now see a complete different side of Novak. His heart and intelligence really show in this touching auto-biography about his struggles through life, how he lost everything, and yet people still had faith in him. The last fifth star is lost due to the ending, its fine, buts its a bit too lose. SPOILER WARNING!!!!!

can any1 clarify this for me? by the end does he live with the fact he is addicted, but stays clean, or continues to abuse heroin?

One of the Best Wildstorm Graphic novels of all time! This particular Gen13 Tradepaperback reprients the first Seven issues of Gen13: the regular series. It takes place where the first Gen13: miniseries left off. This one of Brandon Choi's Best writtem works! Brandon Choi, Jim Lee, and J Scott Campbell created this superhero team of Gen-active teens! These young people are lead by the mentor, Lynch or I/O from the WildCats: miniseries. the Gen 13 team leader is Fairchild,former college student who discovered she had more abilites then just brains! Then their is Burnout who is like Wildstorm's human torch! Grunge and Freefall, Gen-active teans who love to party! They have a love and friend relationship which is essential to the story! The RainMaker is the native-American superheroine who is also a Lesbian! She finally admitts to her sexual perference after having an on and off relationship with Bobby Lane aka Burnout! This book has wonderful characterizations and art and is considered one of the best Wildstorm titles ever made. With an acclaimed story by Brandon Choi, Jim Lee and Campbell, Art drawn by J. Scott Campbell with Alex Garner, This is a great read with Beautiful art! Also, Jim Lee and Scott Willaims apply the artwork for issues #6 and 7! Buy it! If you love comic books I know you will want this!

EXCELLENT,EXCELLENT,EXCELLENT, This graphic novel has the best artwork and the best stories and has humor (something rarely seen in most except for Young Justice). It should have had a few fold out wall posters of the girls too. I guess you can't have everything. This is just a little better than Young Justice because it's a little more adult and the girls are breathtaking. Too bad their not based on real women. If Image kept J. Scott Campbell for all of Gen 13 and not just the beginning they would have sold a lot more comics. Too bad he now works on Danger Girl which isn't near as fun to read as Gen 13. Art alone cannot always sell a comic book.

Gen 13. When I think of this title, I think of J. Scott Campbell's gorgeous artwork and Alex Garner's amazing inks. This book is still going strong today, even though the dynamic duo of Campbell and Garner have gone on to work on the comic Danger Girl. This book is a good place to pick up a nice part of the Gen 13 story, and is good reading material on a rainy day. Pick it up!

Collecting the first seven issues of the Gen13 regular series this book has excellent artwork and entertaining stories. The big disappointment is the poor quality paper used. Worse than that used by most comic books, the paper is grey and makes all the colors murky. And whoever decided to print the original covers of the issues at 80% size and rotated so that the corners are cut off should be fired.

Jeanne Carmen was a poor girl born to a single mother with her twin brother, Don. She developed quite early and left a terrible home life with an abusive stepfather for the life in New York City. There she would become an actress and a model. Regardless, she became friends with the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio, Frank Sinatra, Peter Lawford, and mobsters from Las Vegas. Of course, she writes about her relationship with Monroe which was just a friendship. Both had come from terrible upbringings and Carmen was just as beautiful as Monroe. Regardless, these two blonde women with the looks of the golden age of Hollywood would engage with some of the world's most powerful men. Finally, Carmen writes about what probably happened to Monroe on the last night of her life. Had I have known that Jeannie was sick and dying of Lymphoma on December 20, 2007 at 77 years old, I would have bought this book sooner. Jeannie was from Arkansas, a small town country girl, who made it big by leaving home at 13 years old. She writes candidly, openly, and quite honestly about her sexual relations with men like Sinatra, Dean Martin, the Kennedy brothers, and Vegas mobsters. She writes about her love of golf and golfing with Bob Hope. She also writes about Elvis Presley. They all died too young in her opinion. She ran away from Hollywood rather than building a career or face losing her life at the hands of Sam Giancana, the ruthless mobster, who she writes orchestrated Marilyn's death and probably the Kennedy brothers. I am glad that Carmen finally had the courage to write this book. She had spent years talking about Monroe and her suspicions. I am just sorry that she never had the career that she deserved. Unlike Monroe, Carmen ran to Arizona and became a loving mother to three children.

From the cotton fields, to the greens, to the silver screen and beyond - Jeanne Carmen did everything she wanted to do in life - and then some. Sadly, she died last week so I revisited this book and we should all be so lucky to do, let alone try to fit, all the things she did in her life in our lifetime. Her friend Marilyn is not the story here - but Jeanne knew more than anyone else until her own death and thankfully she shared it in the book - its Jeanne who's the story and I challenge anyone to reccomend any other books of actresses from that time who did more than Jeanne. Her Wild Life is over, but thankfully we can re-live it by reading this book.

This book is entertaining and interesting and Ms. Carmen
certainly had a "wild life". However, I question her
account of her close relationship with Marilyn Monroe.
If they were such close friends and shared the many
experiences that Ms. Carmen writes about, why then is
there not even one photo of the two of them together?
Also, some of the escapades sound like the product of
an overactive imagination, and there are numerous
misspellings and grammatical errors throughout the
book. A rather expensive paperback; I wish I could have
borrowed it from the library instead of buying it.

Jeanne Carmen "WOW" very interesting plus fun and historical read about the great adventures that this icon who lived to talk about her mishaps and adventures. Jeanne has always been up front about everything and says it like it is whenever - where ever! Go along for the ride it is definitely fun. Her golf talents will surprise you. Some moments are touching when Jeanne talks about Marilyn Monroe her dear friend. Brandon James did a wonderful job of writing! What a power house movie this would make considering everything she knows about the mystery revolving around Marilyn's death!!

Mind Karate" is much like any other PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) book on the market these days really, but, it is still amongst one of the best, along with the likes of Napoleon Hill, Clement Stone or even Anthony Robins. The thing I liked about this Brandon's book was the enthusiasm he instils in you, with easy interactive and realistic exercises so that you can question what it is you really want out of life, which then helps you get ready to do the things necessary to go out and get what you desire.

Those who are learning karate will recognise his quite original use of Funakoshi Sensei's use of "The 20 Guiding Principles of KARATE" (Funakoshi was the founding father & supreme grand master of Shotokan Karate). Here Brandon takes each principle and uses it as a tool to motivate you to overcome past problems, fears and worries so that you can plan for what you will do, achieve and become in the future.

Brandon keeps the tone realistic, unlike some other similar books on the subject; it's not full of any psychobabble hype or strange cosmic chants concerning getting something from nothing. His passion and energy leap out of the page to invigorate you into taking action in sensible easy going steps.

His inspiration comes from the experience of his own life and upbringing. Once he realised that he was in charge of his destiny, he did something about it & changed his life for the better.

It's an easy to read book full of positive and inspiring quotes to help you plan your road to your eventual success. It's laid out in easy and logical stages. There are a couple of small typo's however, but they don't detract from the powerful message this book provides.

Do not be fooled by the cover of this book. While the principles of karate and martial arts are thoughtfully weaved into the "take away" points of the author, this is a book that will change your life. Fundamentally, it is a work that inspires and teaches you how to make your life the way that you want it. Brandon's own story--his challenges, losses, and feeling that there is something more we all can do with our lives--is what makes this work unique, meaningful, and inspirational. While it is less about "kicking your own butt" than living your own dreams, the practical wisdom the author provides --the why and the how of it all-- will give you the boost you need to get started today! I plan to purchase more copies for my staff.

The title itself says it all. It's a very simple concept to apply, yet it
can be so difficult to achieve one's dreams and goals. The author takes you
through a journey, showing you how to become better in areas you've
identified to focus on. Iurato accomplishes this in thought provoking ways,
which cut through a lot of the traditional self-help hype, breaking your
path down in manageable steps to help you to achieve immediate results.

One of the most impressive things I found with this book is the fact that
the author actually asks the reader for feedback at the end of each chapter
when the exercises are completed.

The book gives a clear snapshot of Brandon's passion in assisting others
with achieving a better way of living. If you're looking for a self-help
book that will give you tools and guiding principles to move forward in your
life - you won't be disappointed in choosing this book. If you do the work
in this book - your life will change - period!

I didn't know what to expect from this book but I bought it after hearing Iurato speak at my company. Wow! I love it! It takes the 21 principles of karate and brings them into real life, like how do you get out of poverty, divorce etc and make it big. So many books are not realistic for regular people. This one gave me concrete examples and great exercises at the end. I bought copies for my teenage nephews and several for friends.

Sometimes a child does not have the desire to go to sleep, and it is likely the lack of a night time routine. This wonderfully written and illustrated book will help that child develop a bed time routine that will delight parent and child. It will allow a parent to participate actively with that child's transition time from wakefulness to restful sleep. I highly recommend this book to any parent. It will bring peace to you, your child and to your home each night. Nite! Nite!

This a great book for parents to read to their children at nightime. Any parent should be able to relate to the challenging task of getting your child to go to bed at (nite! nite!) time. The author also gives much credit to his wife in developing a normal routine for their child Olivia Louise. I do encourage any parent to buy this childrens book ( ages 1-3).

Very good book for children. Illustrations hand drawn and extremely good. Recomend for all children.

This book is awesome. This is Brandon's first foray in the writing world. It is obvious that the inspiration comes from his daughter. The bond between mother and child in the book is sweet. It is a good nite, nite book for a parent and their little ones.

Right off the top, it's important to know one fact about the author, because his perspective colors everything he writes about, and the colors are red, pink, gray, and black. Yes, Brandon Scott is a charter member of the Jesus Seminar, so that means that "Jesus" here is actually the reconstructed, reduced Jesus as promoted by the likes of J.D. Crossan, and, furthermore, the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas stands on equal footing with the biblical gospels we all know and love: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and, well, John isn't dealt with at all here, because there are supposedly no parables in John (umm, what about the Vine and the Branches, or the Good Shepherd?)

First the positives: the author is an expert on parables, and there are some excellent interpretations here of a few of them. What is often lost to a modern readership when dealing with the parables is the fact that they were often shocking and scandalous to their first-century audience. Therefore, while "Good Samaritan" may be part of our vernacular, the very idea was just unheard of by his Jewish listeners. The best interpretive job, or the one that resonates with me the most, is concerning the Prodigal Son(s), where the conventions of Jewish family life are ripped apart by what transpires. The father is shown as being degraded by the young son, and degrades himself in the eyes of the community when he welcomes him back. That only scratches the surface, but if there is any reason to get this book, the Prodigal Son story would be it. On other parables, there are issues raised which are often ignored by other interpreters. For example, in the story of the hidden treasure, was Jesus commending the man for his dishonesty in finding the treasure, hiding it, and then buying the field without notifying the owner of the hidden treasure? There are potentially some good discussion starters here for small groups.

Of course, the "historical Jesus" had more in mind than just telling stories. It was his way of re-imagining the world as he thought it should be, and here's where things get a little stickier. Just what was Jesus trying to communicate? Here are the main points, according to the book:

1. God is unclean. This rather shocking statement is derived from the parable of the leaven, where a woman "hides" leaven in three measures of flour (a huge amount) and the leaven works its way through the whole batch. Leaven is seen as corruption, as unclean, in other words, so to Jesus, the kingdom (or "empire") of God is full of uncleanness, therefore the rather shaky jump to "God is unclean". My question is, if leaven is considered unclean (and, frankly, it is seen in a negative light throughout Scripture), why was it just prohibited for the seven days of the Passover, and not the whole year round, as was pork and shellfish? That gives this first point a flimsy foundation.

2. God is present in absence. This means, basically, a world void a divine intervention. This is based on the Parable of the Empty Jar found in the gnostic Gospel of Thomas. The parable, like much of the Gospel of Thomas, really makes little sense, but what sense the author does make out of it (and, in my opinion, he really has to stretch to do it), is used to "prove" this point. However, those of us who believe in the healing ministry of Jesus, which implies divine intervention, would see that as totally dismantling that argument.

3. Cooperation, not competition. This is illustrated by the Parable of the Good Samaritan. This point I have no problem with, as far as it goes.

The author, finally, seems to have his own agenda here: a Christianity without Christ, which is an etymological impossibility. The argument that is made for this is so weak as to be no argument at all. So, I'll sum up this book with a parable of my own. "Re-Imagine the World" to me is like a breakfast buffet to a vegetarian, who takes what he or she can eat (fruit) and rejects the rest (bacon, sausage, and eggs).

Bernard Brandon Scott is a lay theologian and an internationally-known biblical scholar. He is a graduate of Vanderbilt University as well as St. Meinrad School of Theology in St. Meinrad, IN, where he taught. He is currently the Darbeth Distinguished Professor of New Testament at the Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa. He is a senior fellow with the Jesus Seminar. His book is a creative attempt, and for me a successful one, to take two possible approaches to parables and ask whether they "cohere" or "fit together" to represent a "consistent picture" of Jesus.

Developing what he envisions as a model from surveying, he uses the work of the Jesus Seminar and chooses parables accordingly. He writes, "To lay out a map, a surveyor establishes points and then coordinates those points. I have developed three different coordinates. Each coordinate is specified by a parable that provides the initial insight that allows me to sketch the general contour of that coordinate. I will expand the insight by relating various other sayings and deeds to form a coherent field for each coordinate. With each coordinate we are, in a sense, plotting an aspect of Jesus' map. By triangulating the three points, the whole map of what Jesus is about should come into view." Maybe Jesus will look like a peasant Palestinian land surveyor! Let's see.

Scott proceeds to take the parable of the leaven, the parable of the empty jar and the parable of the good Samaritan (which he prefers to call "From Jerusalem to Jericho") as his three coordinates. He contends that the world "implied in these three coordinates re-imagines a community's social experience." The Empire of God is at the core of this re-imagining that Jesus does. The re-imagining includes a redefinition of family, of God in a non-patriarchal world and of social relations. His summary claims that the Empire of God is the presiding symbol and it functions to create through the imagination a sphere in which those who are part of this community of envisioning can experience healing, the hospitality of the unclean and the presence of God in God's non-empirical activity. As a social community wherein peasants accept each other, reject the perspective that they are in agonistic conflict with each other and reach out to enemies, a real threat to Rome's rule is posed. What is envisioned, Scott argues, is the Empire of God or a counter-world to the Empire of Rome.

This reviewer was captivated by the insights coming from Scott's book. He introduces Jesus as a "subversive poet," a new insight for me, and this makes him compelling. I have learned that this counter-world is a destination of grace and into the hands of the ultimate Mystery. Read this book and your faith journey just may be renewed! Mine was.

Re-Imagine the world is an excellent scholarly source on the parables and written in an easy to understand way. Scott keeps the chapters interesting, but not too long, and not confusing. It's a great book for people just beginning to read about the parables and for those who only want a brief overview. It shows many details that the common person would overlook, like Jewish law and ancient traditions.
It is important for anyone to keep in mind that no one scholar is 100% right, but all scholarly points of view are important.
It's an interesting, quick read. I definitely recommend it!

I haven't bought this book yet, but I'm probably going to. I just wanted to clarify at least one erroneous statement from the previous review. The author states that the vine and the branches and the good shepherd are parables. While both elements are present in the gospel of John, but neither are parables. The Good Samaritan is a parable. It is a story told by Jesus to illustrate a point, usually about the nature of the kingdom of God. "I am the vine, you are the branches", while meaningful, is not a story to illustrate a point. It is an image. It may be a beautiful image, it may be an awful image. But an image it is. Both are instances of a trend of John's, a series of "I am" statements which are largely unique to John, and yes, do tend to exist in place of parables. For the author to assert that John isn't much fodder for the student of parables is actually correct. This is not to say that the gospel of John is of no interest or use, simply that it is of little use for those studying parables. In much the same way, the Declaration of Independence is not of much use to those who wish how to make a casserole. To say that the Declaration of Independence is of little use to those studying casserole is not a mark against the document, but merely to place it in its proper context.

Thank you. That is all.

What a thoroughly satisfying book! Despite the fact that I am a loyal native Utahn, this book never really appealed to me until I actually read it. Journalist Brandon Griggs is not a Utah native, but his passion and love for the state is evident in this handy little guide to points of interests around this wonderful state. The explanations are kept to 1-2 pages, making this a quick and interesting read--spiced up with Griggs' delightful commentary. I was also impressed at how unbiased he was--some of the stops here are somewhat controversial but Griggs was always able to put down just the facts. Beyond that, this is a fasinating and fun read that makes me want to take a road trip because apparently there is so much in Utah I have yet to see.

This is a great book for not just tourists, but also locals. I have lived in Utah almost my whole life, and I had never heard of half the stuff listed in this book. I have already made a list of everywhere that I want to visit. In fact, I just went to Ray's Tavern and the John Wesley Powell River Rafting Museum this weekend!

Once in a lifetime, every American should visit the state of Utah, known for its great skiing, glorious scenery and national parks, but most people will never discover another side of this interesting state unless they bring along a copy of this delightful book which is full of historical factoids as well as descriptions of unusual sites and places well off the beaten track. I highly recommend it.

Awesome Book. Everyone is borrowing it to plan short day trips and vacations. Wish I had bought all my family and freinds one.