Butler Books

This is a must read for anyone with friends or family suffering from Alzheimer's Disease or other dementia, whether or not you are a care-giver. Enables understanding of this dreaded disease, and communication with those who suffer it. You will be wiser and more compassionate after reading it.

Wonderful book! Balanced, informative, so very helpful. As a caregiver, it gave me what I needed to keep peace and joy in my husband's life.

This book was shipped sooner then I expected and in perfect condition. This is a great book for those with a loved one with Alzheimers. In fact a must read.

I wish I had read this book three years ago when we first realized our mom was suffering with this disease. I have read many articles on the subject and felt I understood what was happening to her. But this book helps you to communicate with the alzheimer's patient. It gives you a better understanding of each stage and how to make the most of each day for both the alzheimer's patient and their family. It has practical information that can be applied immediately.

This book has been a God send. I read it early on into my journey as a caregiver so I better understood what to expect. 5 Years later I am using it as a "how to" manual. The author is direct and realistic with her advise. I appreciate that are not sugar coated. It is reassuring to learn that what I am living is not unusual that eveything is managable with a little creativity.

Thanks for the support and advise.

I have spent time in both evangelical and "mainline" churches. There is a lot of discussion about growing membership and being relevant etc . and the point is missed. And this is why so many churches are foundering like damaged ships.

It is not enough to be happening and relevant as it where. The central gospel message needs to be preached. Unsaved people do not become saved by osmosis. They need to hear the message of unconditional salvation by accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior and be given the opportunity to this.

And this message can effectively delivered in a loving way without condemnation. And here is a news flash many of these churches the author criticizes are doing just that.

It is that simple - the reason mega churches are become mega churches is for this reason. An unconditional invitation to receive the message of salvation is given every Sunday - HELLO! It is not about marketing or politics.

Many of these "progressive, mainline" churches stubbornly refuse to do this but they'll try anything and everything else - oh well good luck.

This is probably well written, but I don't really believe in many of the concepte she is proposing therefore I cannot consider it a good book. For those who are searching for something it would be a good read.

Butler Bass has written a very readable book about growing the church
outside of Christian fundamentalist, evangelical traditions.
It is loaded with practical ideas for growing congregations
but more importantly, it talks about the need for non-fundamentalist
Christians to reclaim the language of faith, community and personal
transformation.

I would like to express my appreciation for "Christianity for the Rest of Us." As the pastor of a small, struggling mainline congregation, much of what Diana Butler Bass has written here resonates. My congregation just spent almost six months with this book. We used each of the "signposts of renewal" that form the heart of the book as a theme for ten weeks. Each member read the chapter in advance and the liturgy, scriptures and hymns were all chosen and crafted to accompany the theme. Before going into the book, I didn't know what to expect. It could have been deadly dry and dull; it could have been fluffy and shallow; it could have been yet another piece about what we're doing wrong. Instead I found a very enjoyable, readable book that touched me deeply often. It reaffirmed to me that my tiny congregation that struggles along is indeed going in the right direction and is part of a larger whole of God's people who see their faith-life differently than many other congregations. It also made me realize that we need to continue our work; we are not done here and God has plenty more in store for us. How exciting! I am grateful that "Christianity for the Rest of Us" found its way into our congregational life. Though our formal study is over, as I said to the congregation last Sunday, we are not done with this book.

Diana Butler Bass has visited numerous mainline Protestant churches all over the continental U.S. This is her "report": mainliners are NOT on the way out; as a matter of fact, they have the best hope of re-introducing to our tired-of-secluded-suburban country a much-needed sense of true community through the neighborhood church. When glittering technology gets old, when surface religion becomes a drag, there is genuine depth (imagine that) and substance to the mainliners' faith. Diana Butler Bass describes the Church's focus on a handful of very important areas that provide that sense of community. She offers a wonderfully hopeful perspective for those people who have felt devalued by the more vociferous "evangelical" circles.

The idea of a serial killer on the loose has been done to death. The bodies are stacking up like cord wood and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. RATTLESNAKE CROSSING gives fans the impression Ms. Jance was under contract obligations to meet a deadline and cranked out a pot boiler.
It didn't have the spark of expert craftsmanship that others of both of her series have exhibited. It is difficult to pin point what is missing except that both Joanna and her supporting characters seemed static. But as part of the series Jance is forgiven and we'll be back for more cases that involve a favorite lady sheriff.
Then maybe I'm just tired of killers who kill to kill after listening to the news on a daily basis.
Writing as a Small BusinessQualifying Laps: A Brewster County NovelNatchez Above The River: A Family's Survival In The Civil War

This author keeps me on the edge of my seat no matter how many times I read and reread her works of art. Thank-you

I recently discovered the Joanna Brady series and have been happily reading along and enjoying the character of a woman sheriff in a small town. At first, I thought that her wearing a suit and heels to work was ridiculous but I realized that she probably had to be conservative since she was the first woman sheriff in the region. I also enjoy the Arizona setting and Jance's deft interweaving of family, friends, and mystery.

I wasn't nuts about the serial killer plot in this book -- I identified this person the moment they made an appearance in the book by the "profile" similar to many on TV cop shows and movies. However, I suppose serial killers are everywhere.

Overall, the Joanna Brady series keeps my interest and I've read about nine books so far.

My first Brady novel. Actually my first read by this author. It starts quickly and grabs your attention quickly. The story is interwoven nicely and just keeps going at a good pace without a lot of wasted words. It's led me to read more of Ms. Jance's work

It is "my bad" that I haven't caught up with J.A. Jance before now. Tucson is my second home and this author had not crossed my radar screen until my wife gave me this book for my birthday. I am ordering all the sequels as this is very good writing and needs to be supported. It talks to you as you read it so if you are into this genre, go for it. It is "really good stuff."

Very pleased with this purchase. Very good price for 1700+ page book.
Excellent full color pictures and maps. Includes words from many versions including KJV, NKJV, NASB, and others. Each explanation includes the author of that explanation, his/her affiliation and occupation. Moderate and very conservative views of scripture alike will be pleased with this work. When there can be several interpretations it gives the different views and then the most likely view according to the text(s), but not dogmatic about it. The dictionary also includes non-bible words that fit into the biblical realm. Some examples, textual criticism, rapture, eschatology, etc. Very good dictionary.

This is an excellent resource book and provides many references that are not found in other Bible dictionaries. It would make a wonderful gift for any srudent of the Bible.

Great book; has pictures of glossary terms that bring the book to life. Great Amazon product!

I have found this to be a wonderful Bible Dictionary! My mother in law bought me a different Bible Dictionary for Christmas and I found it to be very difficult to understand. I found this one on Amazon and she took the other one back and bought this one for me. It is a great investment! Much easier to understand than the other one! I am very pleased with this book ;0)

When I have something to look up, the answer is almost always in this dictionary. It defines words, topics, customs, some history, geographical and cultural information.

The complexities of Oankali sexuality are fully revealed as Butler introduces Jodhas, the first construct ooloi. Butler addresses unanswered questions such as why Lilith never left Nikanj, how ooloi get and keep mates - some that don't want them, etc. In addition, human sexuality is brought to the fore with the construct ooloi-human relationships and taboos such as incest are touched upon. That Butler is able to introduce these topics without causing her readers to cringe is a testament to her storytelling ability.

Readers receive snippets about the Mars colony and human emigration. Butler also allows her readers to truly feel what ooloi's experience when they need a mate. She does a wonderful job of retelling the story of a construct's life on Earth (previously told in Book 2) while still keeping the story fresh, exciting, and interesting. Jodahs is introduced as his metamorphosis begins and, as the first construct ooloi, we are taken with him as he discovers his ooloi and construct abilities. Jodahs is a captivating character and, as we are pulled along on his journey, we cannot help but care about the outcome for him. The only issue I had with this final book is the series was:

1. There was no follow-up on Akin and the Mars colony. Akin was such a well-crafted character that I wanted to follow him to Mars to see how he fared. The way this book was written makes Book 2 seem incomplete.

Overall, it is a good story and I would recommend it.

More inbreeding issues.

A third novel in this series that is basically the same quality as the one preceding it, and adds little more to what is going on, or more of the same. Aliens remove breeding, then want to hybridise and cross-breed, and it turns out they may need some human breeding after all. DOH.

Or, aliens can be stupid and make scientific mistakes when conquering, too.


2 out of 5

Imago is the concluding volume in Octavia Butler's Xenogenesis trilogy and one thing that should be apparent by the time the readers gets more than a handful of pages into Imago is that Octavia Butler has written a trilogy in the more classic sense of the term. Butler's trilogy is a collection of three novels which tell otherwise complete stories that while they expand on the previous novel, each novel does not depend on the other to stand. Octavia Butler's trilogy is three stand alone novels telling three stories related in theme and setting and that builds an overall story arc as well as three smaller story arcs.

Imago is the story of Jodahs, the latest Oankali / human hybrid child of Lilith Iyapo. An interesting thing about the Oankali child is that as a child their gender is not set, so depending on the stimulation and experiences given to the child, the child may develop into a male, female, or ooloi (a third gender). Up until this point no construct (hybrid) children have been permitted to develop into ooloi because the Oankali have had concerns about how they would develop and it was only recently that male hybrids were permitted to develop. Jodahs, of course, develops into an ooloi hybrid rather than the male he, or it, was intended to be.

The story of Jodahs is one of isolation and dependence and the reader gets to experience the anxiety Jodahs feels and experiences from his community (an ooloi always needs to find a new home because of sensory differences with those in the home it was raised in).

We are now at least several decades, perhaps longer, from the events of Dawn and Adulthood Rites so Butler reveals some of how the Earth has developed and how the Oankali / human project has progressed. We learn that the Mars colony that was proposed in Adulthood Rites is a success and giving humanity the only chance to survive unchanged.

Imago is written with a strong sense of character and Butler describes the alien culture in such a way that it feels authentic and the hybrids in a way that we can see why some humans would never accept them, but also why others have accepted the Oankali.

As always, Imago and the Xenogenesis trilogy is an examination about race, differences, fear, prejudice, the future, and identity. As always, Octavia Butler does an excellent job with her storytelling. And, as is the case with the two previous Xenogenesis novels, Imago is a very strong work of fiction but somehow less outstanding than some of her other work.

-Joe Sherry

Octavia Butler recently died in Seattle. Her passing is a great loss to literature in general and science fiction in particular. She once said that she didn't really write `Science Fiction' as such because she did know much about science. In fact her books do tackle some of the big themes of SciFi, but are not in the `hard science' genre. Her themes were race, sexuality, and the nature of `reality.'

Ms Butler was dyslexic, [...], above average in height, African American, and a genius. She lived as a hermit in the middle of a major city and created a body of work which stands with the very best. She won both Hugo and Nebula Awards several times and the MacArthur Foundation `Genius' Award in 1995. I think she is one of the few SciFi writers to have received this recognition.

I am posting this review on each of the Xenogenesis Trilogy (Dawn, Adulthood Rites, and Imago) sites as well as the volume where they are collected; `Lilith's Brood.' All are excellent and recommended.

In this series Ms Butler took on sexuality and the nature of `humanity' in a startling new way. She gradually takes the reader from the perspective of a `human,' specifically an Earthling who encounters an alien race to the perspective of the `alien,' specifically the descendent of interbreeding between humans and aliens who is now the `human' and sees Earthlings as the aliens.

Ms Butler skills are so great that this change in perspective goes so slowly that the reader is largely unaware until it has been accomplished. While some will dither about which of Ms Butler's novels are her `greatest,' few will argue that this series is superb. I have read nearly all of Ms Butler's works and enjoyed them all. I think she was one of the finest writers of speculative fiction in recent history and will miss her work.

In the aftermath of a devestating nuclear conflict which has left Planet Earth radioactively poisoned, the surviving remnant of humanity must contend with the arrival of the alien Oankali. In her "Xenogenesis" series Octavia Butler wove a most fascinating saga on the nature of humanity, exploring the interactions between human survivors and the Oankali, and, in so doing, providing some insightful literary commentary on the racial and sexual issues which are still divisive among many Americans. "Imago" is a memorable, rather absorbing, character study of Jodahs, the hybrid human/Oankali shapeshifter who is capable of giving miracle cures to injured and diseased humans by his personal touch. But also latent within Jodahs' chromosomes are some unique genetic secrets which may portend humanity's - and Oankali's - future in the solar system. Butler concludes the "Xenogenesis" series on a triumphant, optimistic note in this fine early novel of hers, which many would regard as a classic of not just American science fiction literature, but perhaps too of feminist and Afro-American literature.

This is the first collection of short stories with Bertie Wooster and Jeeves. The stories are loosely linked with fun references in later stories to earlier events; for example, to the time Bertie had a bedroom full of cats leading to a looney doctor thinking him crazy.
I love it. A must for any Jeeves fan.

This funny volume by English comic writer P. G. Wodehouse is really a series of loosely connected short stories. Most of them (though not all) deals with dim witted bachelor Bertie Wooster, with the help of his inimitable and intelligent butler Jeeves, trying to help his friend Bingo Little, who can't fail to fall in love with the first woman in his sight. Bingo fears that if his uncle doesn't like the current woman he is wooing, he will cut the rent he depends on for living. By the time Bertie and Jeeves has the problem kind of sorted out, Bingo has lose interest in the woman. The other stories deal with Bertie trying to get himself out of his own problems, and with his aunt Agatha, who is always looking for a woman to marry him. Very funny sort of frivolous comedy.

The Twenties produced several notable works of fiction, and right there in with the best of them is this, the most delightful of all the Jeeves and Wooster entries.

Composed of a running series of short stories originally published in the Strand and Cosmopolitan magazines, "The Initimable Jeeves" achieves its distinction through the remarkable quality level of the stories combined with the full blossoming of two of the more notable and best-loved characters in all of fiction, Bertie Wooster and Jeeves. They would be paired again many times, but here they are given probably the best pure story material they would ever enjoy.

This was one of the most popular books of the twenties; first published in 1923, in a decade and a half it sold over 3 million copies. To put that figure in perspective, "Gone With the Wind" , the best-seller to end all best-sellers, needed a full decade to surpass 3 million in sales. (Though admittedly Margaret Mitchell's tome came at a much steeper price!)

If you like Wodehouse you'll love "The Inimitable Jeeves".

Fans of the Hugh Laurie Television series will discover more episodes were adapted from this book than any two of the rest!

Although "The Inimitable Jeeves" is not the first appearance of the famous double act, Jeeves and Wooster, it is the first book to be 'completely' dedicated to them. It was first published in 1923, and was originally known in America as, simply, "Jeeves".

The book is set in the 1920s England and features Wodehouse's best known creations : Bertie Wooster and his valet, Jeeves. Bertie is the book's wealthy, good-natured and rather dim narrator. He's a member of the "idle rich" and, rather than having to work for a living, lives off an allowance provided by his uncle. He spends much of his time in the bar-room of the Drones Club, is fond of the occasional wager and has an appalling dress sense. Luckily, Bertie has Jeeves to look after him. Without Jeeves, Bertie's life would be a mess : he makes an excellent hangover cure, his bets usually win and he's intelligent enough to rescue Bertie from nearly any situation. He disapproves of Bertie's more garish items of clothing, and will - occasionally - take it upon himself to deal with the offending item.

All of the short stories are connected and most of them involve Bertie's friend Bingo Little, who is always falling in love - occasionally while still 'officially' in love with another. It's Bingo who most consistently drops Bertie into trouble : Bingo's schemes generally aim for an increase in his allowance from his Uncle, with the intention of marrying his latest girlfriend. Generally, Bingo's intended is a girl his uncle wouldn't approve of - so he ropes Bertie and Jeeves into helping him out. There are also appearances for Bertie's troublesome cousins, Claude and Eustace, a devious bookmaker called Steggles and Bertie's fearsome Aunt Agatha. Bertie is held in very low esteem by Agatha, but she is determined that Bertie should marry - Bertie's opinion, as far as she is concerned, is irrelevant.

A very easy and enjoyable read.

I can't recall reading a more consistently comical book in my whole life. I wasn't sure at the start if I was going to enjoy this. For one thing, what do most of us have in common with the idle rich of 1920's England? These blokes spend most of their days carefree and content, engaging in such benign activities as hanging out at the local bar all day and gambling on everything from the ponies to what was dubbed "the great Sermon Handicap". The latter is essentially a bet about which of the parsons in the area (there are about a dozen total) end up performing the longest sermon on Sunday. What a life huh?

Bertie Wooster, our main protagonist, is a couple of IQ points above being labeled a true simpleton. He is however, despite all of his shortcomings, an extremely likeable chap all the same. Bertie would be lost in this world if it weren't for his valet, his right-hand man - Mr. Jeeves. Although Jeeves may be a man of few words, there is no doubt of his wisdom every time he does open his mouth to speak. He consistently saves the day, and keeps Bertie's chaotic life from becoming an absolute catastrophe. The refined, conservative Jeeves also does his best in preventing Bertie from dressing like a total nerd (their constant battles over Bertie's eccentric style of clothing is priceless!). On top of that, Bertie's best friend Bingo keeps falling in love with every female he sees with a pulse (which of course calls for Jeeves assistance as well). And lastly, to add even more flavor to this already colorful crew is Bertie's Aunt Agatha. This rich, pretentious, highfalutin' dame is something else to say the least. She reminds me a bit of a more refined Hyacinth Bucket from that classic British sitcom "Keeping up Appearances". Bottom line, the whole bloody bunch is absolutely hilarious!

There is nothing in this light-hearted book that is going to broaden your intellect and make you any more enlightened or wiser. However, if you are looking to have some fun, not have to think too hard, and also want to laugh, than this book is ideal for you. I am greatly looking forward to reading quite a bit more of these Jeeves & Wooster books. If they are anything like this one, I am going to be one happy man (there are thirteen more!). It took me a while, but I am glad I finally got around to reading Wodehouse. The chap definitely had a unique sense of humor and I enjoy his facile, sunny style of writing.

I give it a solid 4.5 stars. A whole lot of fun!

The second installation in the Xenogenesis series introduces Akin, Lilith's son and a human-born male construct (Oankali-Human mix). In this book Butler takes readers back to the new Earth and shows the changes made, and provides a glimpse into how the Oankali-Human union fares. There are now three groups on Earth: Oankali (consisting of the aliens and their human mates), Constructs (the Oankali-Human children), and Resisters (sterile humans that have refused the Oankali gene trade). Butler takes the time to reveal more information about the Human-Oankali bond and the readers are shown what happens to humans that refuse the trade. Gabe and Tate reappear in this novel and we get a peek into the lives of resister humans.

Through the eyes of Akin, Butler shares the emotional upheaval experienced by the resisters as a result of their circumstances. Being a sympathetic construct (the reasons for Akin's sympathetic viewpoint cannot be revealed without spoilers), Akin tries to give humans another option besides sterility and Oankali mates even though they are continuing to self-destruct.

Butler still gives a lot of attention to sexuality in this novel and many unanswered questions about Lilith are finally answered. This is an excellent sequel, but the few issues I had were:

1. Many of the resisters were too simple-minded. Humans are complex creatures, but many characters, such as Neci and her crew, Akin's abductors, etc., were so simple that they often ignored the obvious. This is particularly evident in Neci's dealins with the two Oankali girls.
2. Typos and editing issues.
3. I felt that this book left a lot of questions about Akin unanswered. Did he find mates? Who went with him to help with the solution he found for mankind? How does it work out? What happened when everyone returned to Lo?
4. The Oankali are thorough but not infallible, it seems like they could/should have missed sterilizing a couple of humans somewhere.

These and many other questions were not answered, but overall it is a good book. Akin is a wonderful character and I hope to learn more about him within this series.

Happening upon a sentient species in the throes of self-destruction, the wise and beneficient Ounkali have imposed a genetic "trade" upon humanity "for their own good." In this impressive sequel to "Dawn" Butler continues her exploration of the theme of benevolent enslavement within the context of human subjection to a unilaterally imposed choice between tri-sexuality and species subversion, or extended youth and sterility.

Even more than the original novel, this story told from the point of view of Lilith's son, Akin, reveals the underlying self-centered hedonism upon which Ounkali paternalism is founded. Perhaps it takes an Ounkali to see them as they really are - and a human understanding to grasp the extent of the damage that their smugness and condescension have wreaked upon the remnant of humankind, whether resistor or "trader."

The irony of a restored Earth where individual choice is illusory, since humanity's destruction is assured and each survivor's physical being is literally the eternal property of an alien will, is given greater depth by what Akin learns - not only humanity but the Earth itself will be cast aside like trash when the Ounkali have extracted from it all that they desire.

Even without this knowledge, Lilith and other accomodators ("traders") must live with and manage bitterness and grief as best they can, for the sake of family and children. One senses that it is not the five-way trisexual matings or their hybrid children they resent, but the fact that sterility is their only other option. Loving their Ounkali kin, and not daring to acknowledge their condition, they nonetheless hate their enslavement.

If "intelligent hierarchicalism" is indeed the fatal flaw of humanity (doubtful), the fatal flaw of the Ounkali is their unquestioning presumption of superiority. They do not listen, and so they cannot learn.

Come to think of it, that's the true fatal flaw of humankind as well.

Hybrid helper?


Part of the problem with these books I think is the what would seem to be extremely unlikely acceptance so quickly of what the aliens are up to. Overwhelming technological advantage, sure, but given general human atittudes the suspension of disbelief required for this book was basically shattered pretty early.

After that, it is really dull. There is some resistance to the complete changing of the race, and the main character has a kid that may actually help reconcile the rebels.

Now I know why the three volume Xenogenesis series was collected in a single volume titled Lilith's Brood. Adulthood Rites is the second entry of three in Xenogenesis and the focus has shifted from Lilith Iyapo to her part human / part Oankali son, Akin. In Dawn we were introduced to an Earth that had all but been destroyed by humanity before the remnants of humanity were rescued by the alien race Oankali. The Oankali survive and adapt by finding new species and civilizations to "Trade" with. In the rescue of humanity, the Oankali will Trade with humans and help humanity repopulate the newly restored Earth. But at a cost. Humanity will no longer be what it once was because a Trade involves both parties giving up something and receiving something in return. Humanity will get another step on the evolutionary scale but will be far more and less than what they once were. Lilith Iyapo was chosen by the Oankali to seed the first colony and awake the remnant from their slumber and teach them to accept the Oankali. In many ways she failed with that first group she was given, but by the end of Dawn Lilith was to found her first community while those who would not accept what had occurred were isolated and left sterile. Breeding could only happen with the permission of the Oankali. At the very end Dawn we learn that Lilith was pregnant.

When Adulthood Rites opens, the story is focused on Akin, one of Lilith's hybrid children and her first son. Because he is part Oankali, Akin is aware in the womb and if he were fully human one would consider him unnaturally precocious. As it stands he is not fully human, though as an infant he looks human enough (except for his tongue). The focus of Adulthood Rites remains squarely on Akin with brief flashes of events surrounding Lilith, but only to a point. I would suggest that 95% of the story follows Akin as he grows and as he is kidnapped by raiders who seek to have children the only way they can, which is by theft. This theft, or kidnapping, of Akin is the event that drives how the rest of the story will play as it shapes Akin into something different than he might otherwise have been had he been left to bond with his siblings.

A major theme of Butler's work here seems to be of the nature of identity. What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to be different? What does it mean to have an identity in a particular culture and embrace that of another? Or be embraced by another? Butler's fiction, in particular the Xenogenesis trilogy, addresses these issues in such a way that it fits a science fiction story with aliens and tentacles, but it is really a story that addresses what can go on in our society as well. There is a depth here once one looks beyond the surface of an interesting story. Make no mistake, Adulthood Rites is an interesting story.

With all of that said about what the novel is about and what it is talking about, I do need to confess that like Dawn, I found Adulthood Rites to be less engaging and gripping than some of Butler's other fiction. In particular Kindred and the two Parable novels seem to me to be stronger works of fiction than Xenogenesis. What does that mean for the casual reader? Not much. Adulthood Rites would only be considered a "lesser" work of fiction when it is being compared to Butler's own work. Otherwise, I would suggest that Adulthood Rites (and Dawn before it) is a creative look at science fiction and how actually meeting an alien race could and would change humanity irrevocably. To be blunt, Butler tells a damn good story and keeps taking that damn good story in directions that were not necessarily apparent when the story began. She keeps it interesting and she keeps it authentic (as authentic as aliens changing the genetics of humans could be, but it feels real, and that's important).

Bottom Line: Octavia Butler need to be read by more people. She was a top shelf talent with a powerful creative voice and Adulthood Rites is a good novel that suffers only, only in comparison to her own work. In comparison to others, she stands tall.

-Joe Sherry

Akin (Ah-keen) is a human-born construct...a mixture of both Human and Oankali genetic material. He, and others like him, are the first steps toward what the Oankali have promised, toward what the Oankali have exacted after they saved the remains of Humanity from the utter obliteration of nuclear holocaust: the melding of both sentient species.

Akin has a long road ahead of him. He must not only come to grips with who he is, he must also, somehow, determine how to coexist with the multiple factions of both Humanity as well as Oankali.

Adulthood Rites is another well written tale by Butler. However, where the previous novel, Dawn, gripped you and did not let go, this novel merely loosely hangs on. I kept wanting more about Lilith (who was the primary character in Dawn) and her connection to Akin, who is, after all, her son and the future of what both Humanity and Oankali will be. However, the tale does provide a well-drawn narrative of Akin's exploits, and how he relates and interrelates with not only his Human brethren, but his Oankali people as well.

Overall, while Adulthood Rites does not quite stand up to its predecessor in sheer magnitude of story, it is ultimately a well-written novel and I look forward to closing out the Human/Oankali saga sometime soon.

Protestants must know this book exists. Are they ignoring it? Why aren't they Catholic yet? The evidence for the Papacy in this book is ridiculously overwhelming. I don't know how any one with an ounce of intellectual honesty can even begin to try to refute this book.

In "Jesus, Peter & the Keys" Butler, Dahlgren, Hess fall back on some techniques familiar to children of The Baltimore Catechism and Josh McDowell's popular apologetic resource guides of "Evidence that Demands a Verdict" effectively combining both for the diligent student, but boring the crap out of an ordinary reader. I'm glad I worked through it, but after a while the question-answer-explanation tridium structure made me weary.



Nevertheless, for Bible-believing protestants, this is the "Catholic Evidence That Demand a Verdict" so necessary for coming home. No honest textual critic of the Bible can read this book without having their views challenged and the question of the divine appointment and necessity of the Papacy answered in the strongest possible terms. Which of course leads to the necessity of a salvific choice if one is to remain true the protestant ethos of the sacred nature of conscience and faith.

There is only one way to understand what Jesus meant when he gave Peter the keys. That is to study the textual meaning as it would have been understood then, the historical circumstances, and the evidence that remains of what the early church and early church fathers took it to mean. What other way is there is grasp the true meaning?

This book is an excellent handbook for anyone studying the subject, and it goes into the subject in great depth. Indeed, it's indispensable for any student of the meaning of Peter and the keys.

Although this book leans heavily to the Catholic interpretation, there is no evidence that the author slanted his writing. He merely presents the evidence.

In Aramaic, the words would have been: "Thous art kepha, and upon this kepha" (p 18). Furthermore, "all archaeological, philological and historical evidence all point to the naming of Simon as 'Peter' by Jesus as the first instance of the use of 'rock' as a man's name" (p 27)."Peter is the Vicar (Prime Minister) of Christ on earth, the one who opens and shuts, bind and looses" (p 53) the gates of heaven.

The most interesting part of the book is the section on the church fathers and their comments. The section starts out with the obvious comments from 1 Clement circa 95 AD, and pointing to clear apostolic succession.

Surely the clearest and best comment is from Irenaeus about 180 AD when he wrote: "'That tradition derived from the apostles, of the very great, the very ancient, and universally known Church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul...For it is a matter of necessity that every Church should agree with this Church, on account of its preeminent authority, that is, the faithful everywhere, inasmuch as the apostolical tradition has been preserved continuously by those faith men who exist everywhere"

The arguments are clear, and the conclusion impossible to ignore.

The case for Petrine-papal authority in the church is compelling to the open mind. In this well-organized work, the authors point out scriptural allusions (old and new testament) to the role of Peter and his successors having primacy in the church. What is more, the early and apostolic fathers are shown to have accepted that teaching from the start. To claim that the doctrine was a corruption of the true faith is to believe the teaching infiltrated the church at or even before the last Apostle's funeral. The case is indeed compelling from scripture alone but added to it is the weight of church history. As John Newman commented, "To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant."

This book is more helpful as a resource for learning the Roman Catholic arguments for its case for supreme, papal authority than it is as a serious, scholarly approach to the interpretation of Matthew 16:18 and the historicity of the papacy.

The problem is, of course, that as serious Protestant Christians look to the Bible, and NOT a changeable, developing, teaching magisterium as their authority in matters of faith and doctrine, there would be more required to convince such Christians than what is contained in this book.

As is often the case with Roman Catholic apologetics, the entire case against the unique claims of Rome by the other side are not presented with the thoroughness required by the serious truth-finder. A short time on the internet at the sites of various modern Protestant apologists provides plenty of refutation to what is presented here. Especially with regard to interpretation of the original Greek and the views of early church fathers. In fact, solid refutation and contradiction to the claims of this book were made immediately upon this book's publishing that have yet to be re-addressed. (See the works of Webster, "The Church of Rome at the Bar of History", e.g.). As such, in spite of the rave reviews of many pro-Catholic readers here, this book can not be said to be "complete" at all. Scott Butler et al. should re-publish this book with an addendum addressing these refutations. The fact that they have not shows they can not.

The basic question I would like to ask as it relates to the claims of this book is this. If papal authority, so key to Roman Catholicism, is as they claim, would one not expect to see some proportionate evidence of this in the New Testament itself? Would not the letters of Paul, John, or Peter himself, or the Book of Acts spell out without equivocation Peter being the supreme head of the church, which would be positioned in Rome, and whose successors - and whose successors ONLY - would rule the Christian church?

The inability to show that forest from the tree is the basic problem with the unique doctrines of Rome and ultimately why this book fails to convince as well. Yes, the Catholic faithful will always laud books like these, that essentially preach to the choir, with 5 star ratings.

But detractors and serious truth seekers beware, you will find this book does little to convince.

This book was great. I absolutely loved it. I didn't give it full marks because the beginning was very slow. The excitement didn't come until the ship sank. After that it was great. I would recommend this book to everyone.
This book takes place mainly in the Pacific Ocean. The time is from 1945 to 2001. It ranges from the ship sinking to Hunter trying to fix the captain's name. There are two story lines in the book. (One is Hunter and the other is the crew) There were a lot of important events. Of course one of the most important was the sinking. Also when the captain was court-martialed it was huge.
There were a lot of conflicts in the book. Many of them happened in the water. For instance many men thought they saw a fantasy island. They would want to take a group of people and swim to it. The problem was that the others didn't see it, so they didn't want to leave the group. Sometimes physical fights would break out over weather or not to go. Eventually to solve the issue one guy would just swim out and see. (Of course they wouldn't find the island) some of them were attacked by sharks, while swimming away, and died.
Over all this book was great!!!

If you want to give your students an inspiration to do more for others than for themselves, give them this book. Scott Hunter's work was important and I appreciate this author's choice to write the book for the left for dead navy soldiers.

This book was recommended to me by a friend as a must read. After buying the book from Amazon, I couldn't put it down. The stories of the men who were left at sea and the struggle by the young man so many years later to restore the honor of the caption falsely accused is well written in this short book and should be on everyone's must read list.

From start to finish I enjoyed much of this novel. THere were times when i didn't understand all of the fancy language of the navy and ships, but it was a great read.
THis novel is based on the story of the U.S.S. Indianapolis. THis ship sinks during the world war and everyone points their fingers at the captain. But a young boy chooses to aid this man who has been accused of this nonsense.
This book is very interesting and every page had more detail and suspense that made it a great read. Usually I can't sit through
an entire book but i got through this one. I reccomend it toaanyone interested in suspense and tension. THis book is for you.

Ben Olejniczak
English 9 PIB
4-22-06
Rosie Book Review

"A Simple Review of Injustice"

The novel, Left For Dead by Pete Nelson and Hunter Scott, is quite an interesting piece of work. The book is about the story of the USS Indianapolis disaster, possibly the worst the Navy has ever seen. The story is centered around the injustice that was directed towards the ship's captain. Captain McVay was court marshaled because of his so-called inability to get out of the situation the USS Indianapolis faced. Hunter Scott, a boy who saw the movie, Jaws, became skeptical. He went on a journey to prove that Captain McVay was innocent. Does Scott prove that McVay is in fact innocent? Or does his efforts fail him? Read this novel and the ending will astonish even the worst skeptics.
Quotes in Left for Dead show the reader that this book is worth reading. First, in the Preface, Hunter Scott says, "I am trying to honor a group of veterans to whom honor is everything." Hunter says here that he is going to great heights as well as disadvantages to fight for Captain McVay. Hunter has a mission and nothing is going to stop him from doing what he thinks is right. He is trying to make up for all the sacrifices those men faced in order for our freedom to be in stone forever. Suspense is prominent in this novel. Here, before chapter seven, a quote from Herman Melville, a man from Moby Dick, is stated. It reads, "Any man unaccustomed to such sights, to have looked over her side that night, would have almost thought the whole round sea was one huge cheese, and those sharks the maggots in it." Here, foreshadowing of the accident is given. This is important because it gives a sense of suspense to the reader. The horrific disaster is shown in a nutshell from this little quote. Toward the end of Left For Dead, Pete Nelson writes, "Three hundred and seventeen survived the sinking of the Indianapolis, which meant that there were 317 different stories to be told afterward." Pete Nelson is saying here that this story is a classic. All of the survivors would not have stories to tell if it was not an experience of a lifetime. Just another reason to read Left for Dead.
Left For Dead has its ups and downs. I really enjoyed the history behind the USS Indianapolis. I learned many new things from this novel and there is plenty of knowledge to share! Also, I love how Pete Nelson implemented a story theme to the novel. It was not just a documentary; it was a story that included documentary material. However, there were some downsides to this novel. I did not like the fact that it jumped around from story to information often. It would have been better if the novel would have one way or another; either all storyline or either all documentary. As you can see, Left For Dead is a great novel and I would recommend it to anyone if they are interested in history regarding the Navy or even American history.

Miss Jane Porter wrote this book in 1809 but it is still an exciting and heroic story of The Scottish Chiefs, men and women, who attempted to drive the English occupying soldiers and their warrior king, Edward I of England, hero of the Crusades, out of Scotland. William Wallace, the valiant Murray, and many others and their deeds fill the pages. Wallace, who wants to free his country and wreak revenge on the English for the murder of his wife. OK, you've seen Braveheart and despite it's inaccuracies, it brought the story of Wallace, The Hero of Scotland, back into the public eye of the world. Now, read this book. No, it is not absolutely accurate either, but it's a wonderful read. Another OK, the cover is abysmal, a droopy male and female. Look for the Scribner's with the N.C. Wyeth illustrations. Dynamite, and in the right spirit!

This tale of Scots resistance against English King Edward is essential to those who grew up with "Scots wha hae wi' Wallace bled" in their ears. Others may enjoy it more for its romance. What pleased me most was seeing the medieval (turn of 13th-14th century) history through the focus of the English author Jane Porter, whose text was published in 1809, and the 1921 edition's illustrations by N.C. Wyeth. Atheneum's reissue is well bound and printed; the book feels pleasant to the hand. Most of all, Porter's latinate sentences beg to be read aloud. Although sold for ages 9-12, the text would be difficult for many of my college freshmen. Lucky the child with a parent to read it aloud! Lucky the adult with a child to read it to, or, failing that, to have these 500+ pages on the bedside table to peruse at day's end.

This classic should be read by all. It is a story of great courage and conviction, a story in which good brave men fight the scoundrels, and sweet strong ladies stand by their men. There is so much to be drawn from a book like this. I intend to read it several more times before my life is over and make it required reading for my children one day. We need more men as William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, boys such as the faithful Edwin, wives and daughters such as Isabelle and Helen. If Scottish Patriots filled the pews of our churches, the Church would rise up in a great way.

I so enjoyed reading this book. It was beautifully written, although it took a little while to get used to the way they spoke then. It can not really be compared to the movie Braveheart, because although both the book and the movie are about William Wallace, the story line is different. This book is not just a quick way to learn the story line. You have to appreciate the old dialect, and the talent with which Jane Porter incorporated so much detail. This is truly a classic story and has become one of my favorite books.

I enjoyed Scottish Chiefs. The plot was interesting, and it certainly helped me really get to know William Wallace, the main character. The book was exciting and well-written. I would certainly recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about William Wallace, the Bruces, and Edward I of England. But Jane Porter, the author, was not perfectly historically accurate. She added in some new characters that probably never existed--like Helen Mar, for example. This turned out okay, but readers should not assume that this is a perfect biography of Wallace. One thing I really did not like was the way all the women in the book were constantly fainting for no reason. I'm not sure if this was really the way people were than, but it annoys me. also, Porter portrayed Wallace as an extremely perfect person, more like an angel that a human, which was certainly wrong. The book is also very long, and sometimes hard to follw. But it was good overall. Also, my mother, who read it to me, my brother, and my sister as a part of our home education this past year, said thast it was a difficult book to read out loud, aned that it was not as accurate historically as it could have been.