Butler Books

John Butler books are my 3 year old son's absolute favorite. He is captivated by the beautiful soothing illustrations, and loves to chant along with the story being told. I have been reading this story to him since he was 6 months old, and have since bought all of the John Butler board books. They are lovely, and a wondeful bonding experience with your child!

We own many John Butler books. My 18 month old has loved them since the beginning. She is active and it is hard to get her to settle down for any old book, but this one does the trick. The pictures are wonderful and the simple flowing text of Hush Little Ones makes it a must have for any little one.

My daughter and I both love this book. The pictures are very sweet- each one includes a baby animal and the parent snuggled up for bed. My daughter picks this book and "While You Were Sleeping" also by John Butler, every night! I highly recommend them both.

John Butler is a great illustrator. I love how this books shows all the baby animals sleeping with their families, in their own habitats and how as you turn the pages the sky turns from a late sunset to evening on the last pages. This was one of my son's favorite bedtime books since he was 15 months old. Now that he is 3, we read it often and can talk about the different places where animals sleep and how they find shelter with one another.

I have been reading this book to my son at naps/bedtime since he was 8 months. Now, he's a good kid, but he doesn't sit still for EVERY book I try to read to him -- but this one he loves EVERY time. Even if he's fussy, this is the book I pick up first, and he usually settles down right away. If he's really fussy, he settles down by the "Zebra" page, guaranteed. You know that commercial for Staples with the red "easy" button? Well, for bedtime, this book is the "easy" button.

Even before he could understand the story or theme in a book, my son loved the "sing-song" of the text. The review on the back cover says it reads like a "lullaby", and that is a perfect description. Not too many words on a page (so he doesn't get bored), and the word choice and the rhyming make it perfect for bedtime! We rock in our rocker, with a soft lamp nearby, clean after his bath, warm in his pj's, and look at the book with the fuzzy animals in their soft bedtime environments... The pictures are simply beautiful, and John Butler adds a little, sweet, tender "character" to the face of each animal.

I loved this book so much I went out and bought several (3) of John Butler's other books, "Whose Nose and Toes," and others. However, I haven't been able to get my son as interested in them. They are a little more advanced, requiring interaction, memory, identification, etc. I think we will wait 4-5 months (when he's 2 years) before they will be age-appropriate. BUT, this book is perfect for babies and beyond! I will start reading it when our next child is 1 month old, and I am certain it will work!

I HIGHLY recommend this book for any small child. Reading to kids when they are young is ESSENTIAL for future success in school and beyond!

That's right. Now that Jack Butler has completed his fifth novel, THE ILLUMINATION OF ELIJAH LEE ROSWELL, his great and classic Southern novel JUJITSU FOR CHRIST is going to be reprinted! I don't know if it's going to be this year or next year but it will finally be available again, as it should always have been. We'll now have two reasons to celebrate.

Well, shoot, I first read this novel 20 years ago and I fell for it as if I were a termite eaten trunk of any sort that stood in those piney woods. Finest kind, boy howdy. This novel is special, well, yes. It's special alright. But it's a whole lot more than that. This novel is not just a good read but uniquely so. So, get to it!

This little book ranks with "To Kill A Mockingbird" or "In Cold Blood" as a truly American classic.

Told through a "secret" narrator (at least secret until the final pages of the book), "Jujitsu for Christ" takes place in early 60's Mississippi during the initial struggle of black men, women and children to be free of the legacy of slavery. Although the books feature character Roger Wing is a young white man living in a primarily black neighborhood in Mississippi; the real main character of the book is not a character at all. It is the weaving of all of the characters as author Jack Butler adroitly links the attitudes, mores, people and historical time into an entertaining and yet deeply truthful book.

"Jujitsu for Christ" is a wonderful piece of literature that leaves nothing to chance and is a clear demonstration of the laws of Karma.
If you have the chance to read this book you might find that it changes, however minutely, how you think about the world.

Jack Butler, son of a preacher man, should be a national treasure. The man who brought us "Living in Little Rock With Miss Little Rock" and "Dreamer" first brought us this treasure of growing up in the south.

Complex race relations, uncertain zealotry, budding sexuality all mix well in this stew. Go to your local library (they probably have a copy) and give it a read. I finally found a good used copy and treasure it.

I've kept copies of this book around for years just to pass out to friends. I've even taught this book in an English class. This slim little book is laugh-out-loud funny in places, heartbreaking in others. A simple description of the plot would not do this book justice. "Jujitsu for Christ" is about race relations, martial arts, comic books, super heroes, human heroes, born-again baptists, left-out losers, and the need we all have to connect with others and be included. The language of the book is sheer Southern poetry, flowing like sweet cherry wine from one word to the next, without ever being over-wrought or artificial. Displaying his mastery of language and cadence, Butler commits to paper in two pages of rhythmic, run-on sentences the most spot-on accurate description of summer in the deep South that's ever been written and goes on to pull off an astonishing narrative "trick" halfway through the book that impacts the novel's entire point of view. This is a beautiful book worth reading again and again. That it's out of print is a sad commentary on the state of publishing in America. Find it. Read it. Treasure it.

Mother Goose Remembers by Clare Beaton This beautiful book of the author's (and yours) favorite nursery rhymes is illustrated with her wonderful felt and bric-a-brac embroidery embellished pictures which you and your children will adore looking at as you try to find the single floating feather on each page (to make your feather pillow). You can read the familiar rhymes with your child or enjoy singing them with the sing-along CD which comes with the book. An excellent gift for any young child.

Both my kids love this CD and its NOT annoying to listen to like some other kid CDs. Its actually a pleasant CD to listen to for adults. Have used it for 4 years and still using it.

This book has it all.

Great visuals -- the illustrations are jaw-droppingly beautiful.
Great auditory -- the nursery rhymes are just as you remember -- no revision, and they just pour off your tongue.
Great tactile -- this book feels luxurious, with its hard cover and its thick pages.

We haven't listened to the CD yet -- the kids just want me to read it to them again and again. I would choose this book for myself -- the illustrations are simply unbelievable.

Clare Beaton is amazing.

I am a Pre-K teacher and it never ceases to amaze me that most 4-year olds do not know any nursery rhymes. This book has an excellent collection of nursery rhymes plus the most amazing illustrations. My own 4-year old asks for this book almost every night and she can even recite some of them.

This is such a beautiful book, it sits on MY bookshelf. I do LOVE to read this with our children, 6, 3, 1, years old. Mother Goose offers something to all age groups. All of the familiar poems and stories are here, as well as a few not-so-familiar entries. The best part of the book, however, is the illustrations. The book is exquisitely illustrated with the look of felt patchwork pictures. We all Really Do Love this Book!

A flawed heroine physically and emotionally can be hard to like, but not in this book. Butler writes about people you come to love and care about. And the secondary characters are almost as wonderful. Her writing is clean and lovely.

I look forward to Nancy Butler's books and I'm rarely disappointed.

Miranda Runyan is wasting away in her Palfry cousins' home, helpless, hopeless, and numb after a carriage accident that severely crippled her, and took the life of her parents three years ago. She thinks she's a monster, severely scarred (no mirrors are allowed near her), as none of her remaining family has visited her in the past three years, leaving her to rusticate in a private room of their home, tended only by one sour, dour, maid and a sympathetic, caring older woman.

Left alone in an out-of-the-way garden, in her Bath chair one morning, while the younger, full-of-attitude maid is off on a clandistine meeting with a man in the Palfry's employ, Miranda is mortified to be found out by a guest of her cousin's.

Morgan Pearce can't believe that someone has simply walked off and left this fascinating, mysterious woman alone to her own devices. Pushing her chair along on a brief walk, and trying to strike up a converstation with her, Morgan decides to make Miranda his next "project". Little does he expect that she will turn his feelings, and views upon life upside down.

Nancy Butler writes with such emotional impact, and in-depth characterization, that she always pulls the reader into her stories, making you turn pages in impatient anticipation. Bits of welcome humor, and sparkling dialogue, off-set the human drama.

This is a true love story, IMO, and one of her very best. It's no wonder that Ms. Butler is an award winning, and most beloved author of the traditional Regency genre.

Don't miss this enthralling, heart-stirring tale!

I was impressed with this novel because it can be read & enjoyed by everyone, not just people who like to read Regency romances. The quality was deeper than that -- this one has a really good story to tell, and it is well told! Its themes are very well-written and explored, and the romance is very sweet & grows slowly. It earns every one of its 5-star rating, and I would gladly read anything else by this author.

Morgan Grambling Pearce reluctantly agreed, for Ronald Palfry's sake, to leave London behind for three weeks. Morgan felt he had too much to do, with his sister, Kitty, due to marry Lord Waverly in about four short weeks, running Grambling House Publishing Company, and seeking out bed partners at night. But Ronald felt Morgan owed him this. Ronald thought he had saved Morgan's life during the war. The least Morgan could do was travel to Palfry Park in Windermere and help his father with his memoirs. After all, General Sir Janus Palfry was a war hero many times over. His stories of the times he spent in the Colonies of America, India, and all the famous people he knew would sell like mad. But Sir Janus was long-winded in his writing and needed help to edit it down. Thus Morgan found himself as a guest as Sir Janus's estate.

Morgan had been at Palfry Park a couple of weeks when he crashed into a Bath chair, literally. The lady within the chair seemed paralyzed and could do little more than stay where she was propped and be waited on hand and foot. Suddenly, Morgan found himself wanting to help the veiled lady, no matter how ill tempered she seemed or how often she flat out told him to leave her alone!

Miranda Runyon was a victim of a coaching accident that took her parents' lives over three years ago. Even though she has a fine estate on the Cornish coast called Nasrannah, Miranda cannot bring herself to return to the place where such wonderful memories of when her parents were alive and she was not crippled. Instead, she remained at Palfry Park, the home of her father's cousin, Sir Janus. Problem was that Sir Janus, his wife, and his two daughters pretended that Miranda did not exist. Alice and Mrs. Southey were hired as Miranda's caretakers, with orders to keep her hidden whenever they had house guests. It was pure chance that Morgan found her and made it his business to spend a little time each morning with her, without the rest of the family knowing. Whether she liked it or not, Miranda began looking forward to his visits and blunt speaking. With Morgan's help, perhaps Miranda could begin to recover the use of her lifeless limbs and have a reason to keep living. But first, she must face some hard truths about herself.

***** I will start off by stating that in all the years I have read regency romances, this is one of the very best I have ever come across! Author Nancy Butler does not give wimpy heroines or have love neatly fall into place. Instead, she creates realistic characters who act as I would expect real people to react if they found themselves in these situations! I came to care very much for Miranda. I understood how and why she felt as she did. I understood why she was so bitter. At the same time I could understand Morgan's side, his reasons for all he did. I cheered Miranda as she found the courage to attempt what doctors said she could never achieve. And just as real live, it was not easy or fast. It took hard work and determination. Through the talent of this awesome author, I got a peek into the lives of some amazing people. The only thing I hated was seeing the book end. I could not stop thinking about it or the characters in it for a long time afterwards.

Nancy Butler's talent shines brighter than a sunny day at the beach! All of her books are wonderful and well written. But in my humble opinion, this book is the best thus far! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Morgan Grambling Pearce reluctantly agreed, for Ronald Palfry's sake, to leave London behind for three weeks. Morgan felt he had too much to do, with his sister, Kitty, due to marry Lord Waverly in about four short weeks, running Grambling House Publishing Company, and seeking out bed partners at night. But Ronald felt Morgan owed him this. Ronald thought he had saved Morgan's life during the war. The least Morgan could do was travel to Palfry Park in Windermere and help his father with his memoirs. After all, General Sir Janus Palfry was a war hero many times over. His stories of the times he spent in the Colonies of America, India, and all the famous people he knew would sell like mad. But Sir Janus was long-winded in his writing and needed help to edit it down. Thus Morgan found himself as a guest as Sir Janus's estate.

Morgan had been at Palfry Park a couple of weeks when he crashed into a Bath chair, literally. The lady within the chair seemed paralyzed and could do little more than stay where she was propped and be waited on hand and foot. Suddenly, Morgan found himself wanting to help the veiled lady, no matter how ill tempered she seemed or how often she flat out told him to leave her alone!

Miranda Runyon was a victim of a coaching accident that took her parents' lives over three years ago. Even though she has a fine estate on the Cornish coast called Nasrannah, Miranda cannot bring herself to return to the place where such wonderful memories of when her parents were alive and she was not crippled. Instead, she remained at Palfry Park, the home of her father's cousin, Sir Janus. Problem was that Sir Janus, his wife, and his two daughters pretended that Miranda did not exist. Alice and Mrs. Southey were hired as Miranda's caretakers, with orders to keep her hidden whenever they had house guests. It was pure chance that Morgan found her and made it his business to spend a little time each morning with her, without the rest of the family knowing. Whether she liked it or not, Miranda began looking forward to his visits and blunt speaking. With Morgan's help, perhaps Miranda could begin to recover the use of her lifeless limbs and have a reason to keep living. But first, she must face some hard truths about herself.

***** I will start off by stating that in all the years I have read regency romances, this is one of the very best I have ever come across! Author Nancy Butler does not give wimpy heroines or have love neatly fall into place. Instead, she creates realistic characters who act as I would expect real people to react if they found themselves in these situations! I came to care very much for Miranda. I understood how and why she felt as she did. I understood why she was so bitter. At the same time I could understand Morgan's side, his reasons for all he did. I cheered Miranda as she found the courage to attempt what doctors said she could never achieve. And just as real live, it was not easy or fast. It took hard work and determination. Through the talent of this awesome author, I got a peek into the lives of some amazing people. The only thing I hated was seeing the book end. I could not stop thinking about it or the characters in it for a long time afterwards.

Nancy Butler's talent shines brighter than a sunny day at the beach! All of her books are wonderful and well written. But in my humble opinion, this book is the best thus far! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

In an age which sees sex as an idol rather than an icon it is a welcome alternative to see human sexuality presented as what God intended it to be. It presents Pope John Paul II's "Theology of the Body" in a very positive and holistic way that teenagers can readily understand. Furthermore, this book contains good resources for the classroom or youth groups as it contains teaching strategies, stories, testimonies, group activities, questions for discussion, etc.

Fr Michael de Stoop
Catholic Youth Services Chaplain
Archdiocese of Sydney, Australia

This book is a wonderful book for teens. It is well written and easy to understand. It is full of important information and encourages discussion. A must read for any teen.

I teach high school morality and vocations, and this book has been a rich personal resource of both clear, relevant information and classroom activities that have been invaluable for lesson planning: prayer services for each chapter; suggested movie clips and songs to use in tandem with the text; many hands-on/kinetic learning activities; excellent journal and discussion questions; and my favorite of all teaching methods, the personal story. The authors have included a broad variety of genuine, heartfelt testimony from people of all backgrounds and experiences. No surprise that students love and integrate the principles of these stories; Jesus, after all, used that method also when He taught through parables.

I would love to see this book in a catholic high school religion curriculum. It is relevant and engaging, at least from a teacher's point of view. I think it is a good tool for opening up the discussion of sex and love with teenagers today, and more importantly, keeping that discussion going by using language that teens will not instantly tune out. It's grounded in Scripture and other specific, official Church teachings, which is essential for driving the point home with young people today. Overall, a great text.

This is an excellent interpretation of Pope John Paul II's incredible philosophy of our use of the body in our goal to love God. This workshop opens teens to a clear and new perspective on their sexuality, chastity, and vocations. Well done Brian, Jason and Crystalina!

Book arrived quickly and in perfect condition.

Valuable information for everyone who does pet therapy with their dog. I wish I would have read this before I began pet therapy. An excellent easy to understand book.

One of the best Therapy Dog books I have read! Kris Butler shares her wealth of experiences so we all can contribute, learn, and benefit from her knowledge.

The book covers everything from the dogs, patients, health care professionals to the organizations we work with. It also covers therapy certification organizations.

Being a small therapy dog owner and reading about their special needs and outlook of the world, really acknowledged their "special gifts and our obligation" to them as therapy dogs.

I would recommend this book to anyone considering therapy dog work or an experienced therapy dog team.

I can not thank Kris Butler enough for writing this book. I have been a very active dog therapy visiter this last year and visits were going very well until I started visiting a behavior health unit at a local hospital. My boxer dog became very stressed and I was very concerned. After reading Therapy Dogs Today, I became very proactive in how I did my visits to these BH units from what I had learned from this book. The very first visit after reading this book, I could not be happier about how my dog responded to the visit. Once I understood how stressful this environment was for my dog and what were the stressors, I was than able to work on reducing these stressors. Both my dog and I thank you Kris!

Kris has provided us with great new insight and tips into our work with therapy dogs. The examples are wonderful - and in my mind one of the best parts is on her discussion of social proximity and how important it is to understand this in ALL of our visits. A job well done!!! A must read
Kate Nicoll, MSW, author Soul Friends: Finding healing with animals, founder Soul Friends, Inc.

When I read this book I delved into the unknown, and I think that it's interesting and informative. I had never heard of electronic voice phenomena, or anything like it. It was simple enough for the casual information gatherer (like myself) and, I felt, advanced enough for an expert. It makes you think about the blend of technology and simplicity that is behind a message and makes you wonder if you really could receive those messages too. I was impressed with the authors ability to bring an unknown subject into the mainstream effectively; and, make you want more. Very nicely done!

Read this easy to read book to develop your own scientific evidence to prove the continuity of life in another expression following the change called "death."

After reading it, I am ready to get out my tape recorder and have a try at it. The instructions given are easy to follow and encourage one to develop their own techniques.

We need to remember that those in the "spirit realms" are just as anxious to communicate and those in this physical. Read the truly amazing examples of those who have met with success. My favorite story is the one about the "talking coffee pot"!

This is the first book I've read on the topic of EVP, and I was absolutely blown away!

Although I've been an avid reader of all things in the "metaphysical" realm, I had actually never heard of the use of technology to communicate with the spirit realm - until I read this book.

One day as I happened to be flipping through the channels, I caught a segment of a talk show where Tom Butler was discussing this techniqe and stated that he had just written a book on it. I immediately went to Amazon.com and ordered it. At first I thought that the book was a bit expensive - but after reading it, I must say that the information included is truely invaluable!

The authors not only give examples of EVP, but they also provide detailed information to help other's get results via this method (as well as methods using a video camera & TV).

This is an excellent read for anyone with an interest in the "paranormal" - an open mind is a must!

The media decided that man's landing on the moon was the top story of the last Century. But is that more significant than communicating electronically with other realms of existence, which wasn't even on the list of events considered?

"Come again," you say. Yes, there is strong evidence that we are in touch with the "Other Side" (the world of the so-called "dead") as well as with other realms of existence. This evidence exceeds the "boggle threshold" of most people, including orthodox science and the mainstream media, but the evidence is there nonetheless for anyone wanting to open his or her mind to it.

You might start with this excellent book, which summarizes much of the work done by credible scientists over the past 50 years in the areas of Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) and Instrumental TransCommunication (ITC) and tells about ongoing research in the field. We're talking about tape-recorded voices of entities from other realms of existence, phone messages from them, and television images, to name just some of the phenomena. "From EVP messages that we received, we quickly satisfied ourselves that the voices were not stray sounds in the environment or stray radio broadcasts," authors Tom and Lisa Butler write. "In fact, with deceased relatives giving us messages on our audio tape, we came to realize that EVP was the most important proof of survival that we had ever experienced."

When the Butlers first heard about EVP, they considered it "outlandish, even improbable," just as most people who are not familiar with it are likely to conclude. But after you have finished this book, you should, unless you are completely closed-minded and stuck in your worldview, realize that there is really something to it.

The Butlers are now engaged in extensive research in the field and detail much of their findings. If your mind is easily boggled, it's probably not for you. If you want to expand your mind, this book is one means of doing so. Landing on the moon is nothing compared with the implications of the evidence in this book.

This book is a gem! It is fabulous. It is simply amazing - and it is inspirational! Why? Because communicating with those who crossed over is the greatest discovery in human history!
With absolute certainty the most important question in this world is whether or not we survive physical death. The consequences are enormous. There is nothing as important, nothing as critical and nothing as urgent in the world than knowing that we continue to live in the afterlife.

Tom and Lisa Butler's book is revolutionary in that in a materialist world of to-day, there is an urgent need to remove the fear of death, to satisfy the curious and the skeptic that the afterlife is no longer a matter of `belief' but now is a matter of empirical - objective - evidence.

People want proof about the afterlife. People want guarantees - people want highly credible material to reveal to them how to be given absolute guarantees and guidelines that the afterlife is a certainty and that there is absolutely nothing to fear about physical death. Spirit voices on tape - the Electronic Voice Phenomenon and electronic communication from the otherside (Instrumental Transcommunication)- have now been universally accepted and have given us clear evidence that our loves ones who crossed over still care for us.

I very strongly recommend this book. I am so thankful for Tom and Lisa Butler for making a most wonderful contribution to mankind! I sincerely believe the book should be compulsory reading at school and by everyone who wants to be given assurances that we survive physical death and that we will inevitably meet our loved ones who crossed over - love being the most powerful force in the universe!

Dr Victor Zammit

I have a new favorite illustrator. Each page just glows and the animals look touchably soft. Its a wonderful board book and great gift for a new baby. Definately go to a book store and browse through these pages if you can, Butler is amazing.

The sweet illustrations are really the selling point of this board book. There isn't much text, which is fine, but the animals aren't really familiar (a zebra, an owl, a panda bear, a seal, etc.) so my 11 month old daughter looks at me a little puzzled - but she does love the big eyed animals. We read it before bedtime, and she loves to "kiss" the animals. It is the only book that she seems to want to kiss. It is our new favorite bedtime book.

Another wonderful John Butler book, but not our favorite. The illustrations as always, are stunning. Our daughter really likes identifying the baby animals by type, but it would be nice if the "names" of the babies were on each page as part of the story rather than just one page at the end of the book.

This is my 11-month-old daughter's favorite book. She goes into her room to "check on" it through out the day. She digs it out of a pile of books to read, even when we're in the middle of a different book. She absolutely adores it. I would recommend this board book for all babies, and I am thrilled to see there's a hardcover with more babies for when she stops chewing on all her books.

Just bought this book for my baby as a souvenir from the zoo; it's much cuter, more useful, and more educational than the typical stuffed panda! This book is absolutely darling, the second I saw it I had to have it. The illustrations are top notch, the selection of animals, flawless! The book shows first a variety of the sweetest baby animals, asking, "Whose baby am I?" Then providing an equally cute picture of each baby's mama. At the end I like to ask my baby, "whose baby are you?" We love this book!!

50 Prosperity Classics: Attract It, Create It, Manage It, Share It - Wisdom From the Most Valuable Books on Wealth Creation and Abundance

Summaries of great books on prosperity from 1907 to the present day. Some of the names will be immediately recognized. Others are not household names, but each of them is in the book for a reason. They have real value to share, expertly summarized by Mr. Butler-Bowdon, who is gifted at getting to the heart of things in this book and in the others in his "50 Classics" series. I have learned a great deal from the reading of this book, and his other ones, and have shared many of these concepts with my management students.

This book is loaded with wisdom, about life as well as about making money and being successful:
* "Prosperity is always personal, resting squarely on the degree to which you have refined and bettered yourself." - James Allen (1907)
* "Don't be afraid to be different. On entering any new field or an industry, aim to really shake it up and provide new value." Richard Branson (2002)
* "Innovation will always be a risk, but it becomes less risky when you remain open about how, and by whom, your innovation will be used. People do not buy products, but what the product does for them. The purpose of innovation is to provide satisfaction where there was none before." Peter Drucker (1985)
* "Poor people don't have a results outlook, and as a result, prefer to get a guaranteed amount for their time only. No matter how much you get paid an hour, you only have a certain number of hours...Rich people,in contrast, create things or systems that can earn money for them independently of their time input." T. Harv Eker (2005)
There are literally dozens of gems like these that just pop off the page as you read them.

Conrad Hilton's story demonstrates how we should never be discouraged by adversity and how we are never too old to prosper.

Donald Trump's story is equally instructive from "The Art of the Deal": "Sheer persistence is the difference between success and failure"... "The worst thing you can do in a deal is to seem desperate to make it. You need leverage: Find out what the seller needs or wants and give them this in addition to the purchase price." His story also shows that just because you're down you don't have to stay there, and he didn't.

The story of Muhammed Yunus, the "banker to the poor" in Bangladesh showed how microloans made to the poor really made a difference in lives. It is also one of a number of summaries in the book showing what a difference can be made in the lives of the giver and the receivers by sharing the largesse.

The book concludes with five pages of "Prosperity Principles" and recommendations for fifty additional propserity classics. It's a real winner.

Lawrence J. Danks, Author - "Your Unfinished Life": The Classic and Timeless Guide To Finding Happiness and Success Through Kindness

Although many good business books come and go, those writings summarized in this book are writings that will endure when all has shaken out. The authors are from the pool of the truly great who can "Walk the talk".

I chanced upon this book during my usual lunchtime browsing through bookshops in Singapore. Tom has done a great compilation of all the great books and ideas on the "wealth (about money)" and "prosperity (about life)". And he has presented these in a very readable and easily understood manner.

I will definitely recommend this book to all my friends.

Butler-Bowdon's "50 Classics" series is one of the most comprehensive collections of summaries I have come across. This new book, "50 Prosperity Classics" is captivating, filling the reader with both modern and legendary knowledge about the game of wealth. From contemporary stories such the growth of companies like Starbucks and The Body Shop to well known social theorists such as Adam Smith and Max Weber, Butler-Bowdon provides succinct summations that are both engaging and enlightening. On a personal level, this book has changed my perspective towards my finances, career and way of life. I highly recommend not only this book but the series as a whole.

This book read as if, I was sitting down with the author over a cup of coffee while he told me his insightful and intelligent opinions of books that he has read on the subject of prosperity.

I find his writing style fun and descriptive and the attitude that he delivers is that of someone who is curious and well informed in the subject matter.

The books covered in 50 Prosperity Classics included some that I would have never read for various reasons, but since I was able to quickly gather the essence of those writings, I have discovered some interesting books that I will read in full someday.

At first glance, you might think this to be a compilation of book reviews; I found that it was much more than that. It is informative opinions as well as background on the authors and thoughtful distillation of the subject.

I have read other books by Tom Butler-Bowden and have found them all to be equally useful, informative, and entertaining. I strongly recommend this book for anyone serious about understanding, prosperity from different perspectives.

As we enter the fifth anniversary of 9-11 and the mid-term elections, Diana Butler Bass' book is well worth a second look. Using her personal experiences attending church in Washington, DC post-9/11, Butler Bass reflects on what it means to be a Christian and an American in a post 9-11 world. As Christians, do we drape the cross in the American flag or do we follow the cross of the risen Christ?

Bass has a talent for expressing keen social observation and scholarly analysis in clear, engaging prose. In "Broken We Kneel", she is able to lead the reader through big ideas about church and state by drawing on her experience as a mother, scholar, and church worker in the Washington DC area. The result is a book that is both accessible and insightful--and most importantly a joy to read!

Bass' strong Christian voice, rooted in Augustine, is desparately needed in current discussions about peacemaking, patriotism, and citizenship. While challenging, it is generous and hopeful that Christianity's long tradition has important and unexpected insights for today's world.

The deepest implications of 9/11 have nothing to do with George W. Bush or Osama bin Laden, and everything to do with Christians' duty to oppose violence and empire wherever they may emerge. As Butler Bass explains, the confusion of the state with the church has perilous consequences, both theologically and throughout human history. In the face of war, Christians are called to remember that they are "in the world, but not of it." They must love and forgive all people, even those their kings declare are enemies. (One of the most innocently radical elements in "Broken We Kneel" is Butler Bass's discussion of oikos - the concept that we are all one family.)

Indeed, though Butler Bass bills her book as a lament, it is equally a gentle reminder that Christians are aliens in the City of Man, and that bombs falling on Iraq and Afghanistan can neither return our missing loved ones nor answer our own prayers for healing. She also offers hope that through renewed commitment to hospitality in the tradition of Jesus, we may strengthen our citizenship in the City of God.

God is speaking to us, even now whispering good news of comfort and hope. If September 11 challenged you as a Christian, Diana Butler Bass will help you to listen to God again. Buy this book now.

Diana Butler Bass writes for the many Christians whose horror at the attacks on September 11 was compounded by the abduction of Christian terms for nationalist, militarist, and imperialist goals, and the enthusiastic unquestioning enrollment of innumerable congregations and church leaders in a neo-medieval crusade.

A meditation framed on the experience of conflict with the Washington D.C. congregation on whose pastoral staff she was serving at the time, the chapters will call to mind the works which indelibly marked the path of Christianity in the 20th century, whether theatrical, like 'Murder in the Cathedral' or 'A Man for All Seasons', confessional like Merton's letters and meditations on the American war against Vietnam; but the language is not the language of the polemic or the theatre or even autobiography, but the language of lament, of exile, even of excommunication. There is no ease in such language, and there are no simplifications in the book, which opens with the author's confession to her (Episcopal) priest that she had removed the United We Stand sign from the church entryway, because it was a call to vengeance and to a national crusade. When the priest informs her that the church belongs to the congregation, she responds that it's God's church, and from there, travels from the powerful political congregation which dedicates its faith to nation to the celebration of Easter some 20 months later in an inner city church three blocks from the White House.

Those who seek the company of the suffering servant of which the gospels speak, rather than the Nordic warrior messiah that stands at the center of the American war cult as much as he did at the heart of the German Church of the Third Reich, will find a familiar voice & a kindred heart in 'Broken We Kneel'.

Diana Butler Bass shares hope with the church, and all who care deeply about the role of faith in our national life. Bass dares to speak boldly of the hope with in her, and of our challenge to be members of an alternative intentional community, the Church within the Empire. Her words give courage to all whose hearts ache for another way to be both Christians and patriots, to humbly tell out from our souls the greatness of the Lord. Bass' text is a welcome antidote to the myopic zealotry that has been so prevalent in our national landscape after September 11th. I pray that from the hope renewed in reading this significant little book many, "proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight, the hungry fed, the humble lifted high." An engaging and inspiring read for all concerned about faith in America. Share this book with your friends, your pastor, grandmother, and reading groups. Would be an excellent springboard for parish discussion groups.