Bridges Books

The photography in this book is outstanding and details the residents of this historic city and the variety of lifestyles they choose to live. For example, the photographer has chosen to feature a young man running the James River Rapids. Kudos to the editors for choosing to highlight the fact that whitewater boating is not just sport for heterosexuals. Open boating gay guys like it too.

Anyone who is confused about change and how to deal with change should consider reading this book. It is packed with clear, easy to follow explanations of the cycles a person goes through when experiencing change (such as job loss), and how they can get back on track.

Great read

The previous four volumes of Anand's highly literate and absorbing "Bridges Over Time" series traced the Whitmead family of Surrey, England, from before the Magna Carta to the early 1700s. The fifth, The Cherished Wives, picks up the Whitmeads in the late 1700s, as George Whitmead, a wealthy merchant with the East India Company, returns from India to England to choose a suitable bride.

George may be young but he has decided ideas about wifely deportment and his interval at home stretches as one young woman after another proves too talkative, too opinionated, too forward, too independent. Then his eye falls on Lucy-Anne, 17, shy, quiet, inexperienced and protected.

Even before the wedding Lucy-Anne understands that the sun shines on George exclusively and that her own orbit will be of his choosing. But at her wedding her great aunt Henrietta bestows an unusual blessing: "I wish you well, my dear, and I wish you power and freedom too; more of them than I have ever had."

Her words ring in Lucy-Anne's mind over the years, most often ironically, for power and freedom were not part of her marriage bargain. Lucy-Anne traded away any chance at either in return for the security she gains from being George's wife and mistress of his Surrey Estate.

But it's a hard bargain. George, disappointed in an heir, returns disgruntled to his beloved India, leaving his wife in the care of his mother, both cocooned in respectable seclusion on his estate. But old Mrs. Whitmead soon dies in a most protracted and hideous manner and Lucy-Anne is left to cope on her own. A particularly blistering and insensitive letter from George destroys the last of her regard but Lucy-Anne struggles to run the estate and live according to his proscriptions while carving out a niche for herself.

Since anything she does is likely to annoy George, deception becomes a way of life and repressed emotions smolder, needing only the slightest spark to shatter her artificial and lonely life. That spark is, of course, supplied. But this is no passionate bodice-ripper, no tale of triumph for the headstrong heroine. Quite the opposite. Passion turns to ashes when doused with the cold water of reality and every small gesture of assertiveness on Lucy-Anne's part is beaten back tenfold.

Anand's compassionate but unsentimental eye creates a vivid world in which the characters are wholly of their time. Her prose is colorful and evocative, her characters, especially the women, completely human, and the richness of historical detail forms the textural background inseparable from the story itself. Those who have not read Anand before will find themselves turning with pleasure to her earlier works.

This is a wonderful narrative of a childhood spent in Trinidad. There were so many similarities between my experiences and those of Ms. Bridges though our respective childhoods occured decades apart. It was beautiful and lyric and poignant and funny. Most memorable was the description of the toddler Yseult's memories of childhood flight and the reaction of her horrified nanny. I certainly wish that this book was still readily available. I'd love to read it again.

The Christian Ministry by Charles Bridges is simply one of the most powerful books I've ever read. Virtually every page was helpful. Bridges' book is a theological and practical expose' on what it means to be a Christian pastor and preacher. It is significant that a book this old (1849) is still incredibly relevant. There are five parts to the book - let me give a quick run-down of each.

I. In part one, Bridges covers the origin, institution, dignity, use, necessity, trials, difficulties, comforts, encouragements, and qualifications of the Christian ministry, along with four steps of preparation for the ministry: habits of general study, special study of the Scriptures, habits of special prayer, and employment in the cure of souls.

II-III. Parts two and three deal with five general reasons and ten personal reasons why ministers are often ineffective. The general reasons include:
1. the withholding of divine influence
2. the enmity of the natural heart of man
3. the power of Satan
4. local hindrances
5. and the lack of a Divine call to ministry

The personal reasons (i.e. causes of ministerial inefficiency connected with our personal character) are:
1. want of entire devotedness of heart
2. conformity to the world
3. the fear of man
4. the want of Christian self-denial
5. the Spirit of covetousness
6. neglect of retirement (time alone with God)
7. the influence of spiritual pride
8. the absence or defect of personal religion
9. the defect of family relgion; and the want of connection of the Minister's family with his work
10. lack of faith

I can scarcely describe how heart-searching these chapters were. When I was working through these some months back, I felt very deep apprehension and fear over my personal accountability to God for the souls in my charge. I needed (still need) to feel that and Bridges pressed it into my heart like probably no author ever has. Those of you who know me best will readily see how much work yet needs to be done in my life regard to these ten things. Pray for me.

IV. Part four of the book details the public work of the Christian Ministry. Much space is given to the task of preaching, including the institution and importance of preaching, and preparation for the pulpit. The last sections of the book I actually read were those detailing the Scriptural mode of preaching the Law and the Scriptural mode of preaching the Gopsel. I suppose I put these off, because I didn't think I would agree with Bridges on his view of the Law, but I actually benefited immensely. I just underlined and underlined and underlined. It is so rich. Then there are also chapters on the mode of preaching (addressing both topical and expository preaching and extempore and written sermons) and the "Spirit of Scriptural preaching" (broken down into seven qualities: boldness, wisdom, plainness, fervency, diligence, singleness, and love).

V. Finally, part five deals with the Pastoral Work of the Christian Ministry, addressing first, the nature and importance of the pastoral work, and second how to treat specific cases in pastoral work (i.e. the infidel, the ignorant and careless, the self-righteous, the false professor, natural and spiritual convictions, the young Christian, the backslider, the unestablished Christian, and the confirmed and consistent Christian.) This was an especially helpful section, giving much encouragement to me in the midst of some challenging pastoral responsibilities, and also supplying much insight in how to apply the Word to specific kinds of people.

It is impossible for me to do justice to the helpfulness of this book. I really know of nothing else quite like it, except maybe Spurgeon's Lectures to My Students. But I think this is even better than that - because of its focus not just on preaching, but on pastoral work. Brdiges is eloquent and full of the Gospel. Like Spurgeon said of Bunyan, he just bleeds Bible - prick him anywhere and his blood is bibline. He was also very well-read in the Patristics, the Reformers, and the Puritans, and quotes from their works often. There are lots of gems scattered throughout that it would be almost impossible for anyone to find elsewhere, unless they pursued a PhD in church history. Perhaps the best thing I can say is that the book has weight - gravity. It is a serious book, but serious in a joy-giving and helpful sort of way. If you are a pastor or elder (or want to be), I highly recommend that you read it.

A moving story that will bring tears to your eyes. Thought provoking look behind the scenes of earlier years, relationships w/people, Christianity and God. A good read aloud that is as good for the reader as the listener. If you like this book, try also The Basket of Flowers, and check-out the entire Lamplighter series of old Christian classics.

I sat in the bookstore for hours, poring over books on dog training, puppy training and gun dog training. I just happened to see this little book tucked among the larger ones. I thought it had an interesting title and paged through it. Great! I figured, since it cost less than $10, I would buy it and see what it said.

WOW! I have read tens of books on dog training, and this book contained the most useful information. Every other book tells about obedience training, blah, blah, blah. This book tells how to LIVE WITH YOUR DOG. Do not pass this up.

I bought this and sent it to my father as a gift. He received it promptly and was pleased.

My father gave me this book and I absolutely loved it. I've read it 3 times and am amazed at the courage these submariners had to do what they did. Of course, many of our sailors were killed directly or indirectly by faulty torpedo tubes. That was a shame.

Great read and the best part is that it's all fact.

This is an incredible book. The author sketched each bridge on the Mississippi River from New Orleans all the way up to Luling, Iowa (pretty much most of the navigable waterway). The book has proved to be a valuable resource to my own research on the river's bridges.