Cross Books

One of the most entertaining books I've read in years. Ropp's trek from Houston to Biloxi to Omaha and, finally, Washington,is authentic and that's from someone who trod in those steps a few years earlier on the way from navigator and electronics training to retirement from the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force thirty years later. Highly recommended, especially for anyone who ever wore a uniform, especially a blue one!

A very funny book, and as a former flight surgeon it's a little too close to the truth!

James McM. Owen has written a very entertaining book about life as a junior officer in the Air Force in the 'good old days' forty or so years ago. My military years were in the Navy but, I'm convinced, the service is the service and what the Air Force imposed on the hero and his associates was typical of service life in general. Thankfully, I never had such lousy duty as Shimia! The book seems to pick up speed as it rolls along and I was very disappointed when the the story was finally over. Looking forward to Mr. Owen's next book -- he is a very good storyteller.

"No Time for Pilots" by James McMillen Owen depicts military life like it really was in the 60's and 70's. Military people and their spouses will relate closely to the comedy and tragedy of military life. This may be a novel, but Owen's descriptions of incidents and places are realistic. I remember well those 50 degree temperatures at Eielson AFB, Alaska and the shrimp boats at Biloxi, Miss. For those of us who are no longer involved in military life, this book will bring back vivid memories of the places we have been and the people we have met along the way. For those readers with a non-military background, this novel is an insight to military life. The author makes living in many different locations and traveling from base to base seem as exciting as it actually was. Owen's use of humor throughout the book is especially entertaining.

Well packaged, high quality greeting cards that are unlike anything you can pick up at your local grocery or drug store. ADORABLY cheesy "needlepointed" envelopes serve as the icing for the cake inside. Brilliantly funny, especially for those, like me, with a slanted sense of humor. Don't have enough time to stitch up all the little messages yourself? (See the book by the same author). Until you are ready to undertake that (which I will be), I cannot imagine a better way to express and share your sweet sentiments with others. A great deal and a great find! Looking forward to many gleeful moments of mailing fun! Hip-hip-hooray!

... send something Subversive instead!

If you're all serious and sentimental and not the least bit cynical, move on. In fact, move on IMMEDIATELY! This stuff is not for you!

But if you're cynical and sarcastic and, well, just a smart-ass, you need this box of cards. Seriously! Know someone who's not too keen on getting older? Perfect opportunity to send a "Happy F@#%&ing Birthday" card. Or if a friend is going through a tough romance, commiserate with a "Love Stinks" card.

See? So useful for modern living! You really ought to have a box handy - I do!

...These are the cards that you're looking for. Who needs fluffy bunny cards to beat around the bush when Julie Jackson's Subversive Cross Stitch notecards tell it like it is.

Great for so many occasions. I hope this is the start of a revolution. Surely the next set will have my favorite design from the Subversive Cross Stitch book, which is "Have a Nice Life." There are so many people i'd like to send THAT to.

Somehow along the way in wanting to "appeal" to everyone and not wanting to offend anyone we forgot the words "sin" and "cross". John brings back what we have been missing.

I read this book a couple years ago, loved it so much I lent it to a friend, but apparently didn't get it back. So I ordered it again, and finished reading it in one setting, sensing once again the impact of the cross John Fischer writes about in this book. It is rugged and splintered. It's not 'pretty' nor 'polished'. And this book helped me again realize it was an awful tool of death where sin was destroyed for me and those that accept His gift of redemption. This book will touch places of your heart possibly never visited before and I highly recommend it.

The book is written in logical format and the material is very inspireing. I have never worn a Cross around my neck I am now in the market to by one.

With On A Hill Too Far Away: Putting The Cross Back Into The Center Of Our Lives, John Fischer explores the centrality of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ to the Christian faith. Drawing upon the image of a 15-foot cross bolted front and center inside a Connecticut church, Fischer provides concrete Bible-based steps for Christian living. Other very highly recommended Fischer titles for a Christian readership include Ashes On The Wind; Saint Ben; The Saints' And Angels' Song; 12 Steps For The Recovering Pharisee; and True Believers Don't Ask Why.

It is hard to find much from or about Beecher in print, so this collection certainly fills a void. The Whitman comparisons are legit, and this book provides a solid overview of his work.

John Beecher taught that poetry can literally save your life. It was certainly true in his own case. These poems were written by a man who, given the choice of signing a loyalty oath or being true to himself, knew what to do. Steven Ford Brown, who knows Beecher's work better than anyone else, is the perfect editor for this volume. Grab it while you can.

My computer ate up and so vanished my thoughts on John Beecher. Let suffice: I knew him from 1978 to his death two years later. I put his name in Amazon slot to see what would come up. Except for this new book, (thank you dear Studs) I must say I have been disappointed at how little interest apparently exist in reprinting his other books--especially that interested one in 1955 a long narrative poem on abortion. Where are the researchers? He should have a biography by some clever whip smart student of social protest writers from the 1920's to the Seventies. I think it is right to say he and I were friends--said we were fellow New Englanders. I believed in him in the time of his last roar, as person-brave, writer-truthful, and I still do. Particularly today. JB lived a full life in his time--no icon he!

For anyone who doesn't know about John Beecher, he was THE American social protest poet. (He died in 1980) His poetry is not technically complex, it's far from high art, but that's the point: it's poetry for common people about common people. His voice of protest is so heavily laden with the truth that it's impossible to ignore. In one poem in the book, he describes how standing up for the right thing isn't hard when you accept what the right thing is and don't accept anything less - in a world where money interests rule so many parts of life, Beecher's is a much needed voice.

I thoroughly loved this book of poetry. Knowing it was written by 'real' people, every page spoke to me as though the thoughts and feelings on that page could've been my own. I remembered childhood moments, my first love, the loss of a dear friend, the excitement of new love, my internet friends - all within the covers of this enjoyable, well written joyful collection of poetry.

Between the covers of this book and in the words on each page, I have found a reflection of my own life. Through the words I have revisited the beauty of this world, experienced loneliness, remembered the euphoria of youthful love, and felt the pain of loss no parent should ever experience. I was drawn back willingly and sometimes unwillingly to these moments. When words like these are able to transport you from this world to a different time and place, they are definitely worth sharing. If you are not afraid of revisiting your own life experiences, then I highly recommend this "book of memories."

I have read the book from cover to cover. This is an eclectic collection from a group of Florida Poets. There are poems that rhyme and make good use of meter, and there are poems that have no set structure and no rhyme. There are poems about love and loss, and poems that are declarative and proud (see Gisele's chapter "Proud and Passionate"). I would recommend this collection to any lover of poetry. Take it on an airplane for casual reading, or simply to pass time on a rainy day. It is easy reading.

This is the first book (dare I say in a long list of books to come) to be published by the nine talented poets in this anthology. As you read this book you will visualize the picture that each poet paints. I had no problem understanding the content of any poem or the thoughts of the poet when the poem was conceived. Some poems invoke sadness, while others passion, hope, romance. I cried while reading some poems and at times I even found myself laughing out loud. The poems in this book will take you on an emotional roller coaster! It was a pleasant surprise to open the book and see that a portion of the proceeds are being donated from the sale of the book to a very worthy charity. One of the poems is titled, "Where does the soul of a poet go?" In my opinion, it's right here in this book, it is very visible in each and every poem.

I read about this book in our local paper and decided to carve out some time and read it. I am so glad that I did. The author has helped me to understand why I hunger for nature when my spirit hungers for purpose. This book is filled with quotes that relate to scriptures and ultimately author observations. Many times, I found myself stopping mid-page and thinking about how the observatins applied in my life. For example, she points out that so many of our spiritual leaders (Jesus, Moses, David and Isaiah, to name a few) retreated into the desert when they needed to find their spiritual security. Why? I had never thought about it before, to tell you the truth. But now that I have I realize that, as usual, there was and still is a very good reason. Does it ever feel like each day passes at the speed of sound? This book encourages you to spend some time in nature (even if you just look at the beautiful pictures). It is there that you will come to realize that these anxious feelings are man (or woman) made. Nature is moving at the exact same pace it has for millions of years.
There is a wealth of information in this book about wild life, plant life and the universe. I found it so interesting and I've often used it to generate discussion around our dinner table. I highly recommend adding this book to your reading collection. You will find yourself going back to it again and again. I know I have and I just read it a few weeks a go.

I like to think of Phyllis Strupp as "an apostle for the desert." She weaves her love of and inspiration from all of the desert's flora, fauna, and scenes with biblical insight, history, philosophy, science, and literature. The result as an ever so rich tapestry that draws you on from scene to scene, from page to page. As a Bible student myself, I found her biblical references both apt and suggestive. Her book does, indeed, nurture one's spirit.

It isn't often that you can get lost in the beauty of a book, this was the case with "The Richest of Fare."
Words crafted skillfully to describe the life and beauty of the Sonoran Desert weave their way into your heart and make you yearn to be part of it's majesty.
Accompanied by colorful pictures, your spirit senses the pure spiritual side of this part of creation, as the author shares pictures of landscape and creatures that merge to make this desert what it is.
The Richest of Fare is more than a book, it is a spiritual awakening to what has been before us since the world began. It is a reminder that truly our Maker speaks to us in all that He has created.
Well worth your time.
Shirley Johnson
Senior Reviewer
Denise's Pieces
MidWest Book Review

I have always imagined deserts to be nothing but sand dunes. The Richest of Fare changed that ill-informed idea. Blending scientific fact, spiritual truths, and stunning photographs with thoughtful prose, the author has created beauty for our senses. Visually appealing and emotionally comforting, this book is one you'll want to keep.

In ages past, Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed all sought spiritual renewal in the desert. Stark beauty, blessed silence, and the awesome nighttime sky drew them closer to God's message. On a daily basis, modern man has been estranged from the natural world. Artificial lighting prevents city dwellers from seeing the stars. Concrete and sprawling subdivisions separate us from earth's spirit. We sense an isolation; wonder at a feeling of indifference; and struggle unsuccessfully to create a finer meaning for our existence. America, especially, the richest and most blessed of all countries, is floundering. To paraphrase Thoreau, civilization has improved our houses but not the men who inhabit them. This richest country in the world boasts 44 million uninsured citizens; 10 million illegal immigrants; 9 million unemployed; and 4 million homeless souls. Something is wrong with this picture and Ms. Strupp makes a compelling argument in explanation.

Quotes by Thoreau, Francis of Assisi, H.G. Wells, Marcus Aurelius, Charles Darwin and others are combined with Old and New Testament writings to make her point. Poetic metaphors enhance Ms. Strupp's well-written prose. In the desert monsoon season, "air clings to you like a desperate beggar." Runoff deposits after a hard desert rain become "little shards of eternity." Earth has been transformed by warring humans into "a sponge to sop up blood." Those who plunder Earth like a commercial commodity are "spoiled children betraying their mother." The writing, photographs, and well-chosen quotes create a spiritual picture I won't soon forget.

The Richest of Fare is not a "religious" book It's spiritually encouraging, emotionally comforting, informative and educational. It may impact how you look at life, your fellow man, the desert and the cosmos. This one is highly recommended for readers who are searching for true meaning in their lives.

Raphael Cohen-Almagor offers a comprehensive, rich, and critically considered discussion about questions of death and the choice of death in the context of the medical practice.

This book is a remarkable contribution to the debate on death with dignity. It discussed a wide range of topics, including an original outlook on terminology at the end of life (for example, 'post-coma unawareness' is suggested instead of 'permanent vegetative state'); the question of autonomy; the sanctity-of life - quality of life debate; criticism of some extreme quality-of-life position; criticism of Ronald Dworkin's distinction between critical and experiential interests; active and passive euthanasia; the Dutch experience, and the Oregon Death with Dignity Act.

Cohen-Almagor's book is a complete, interdisciplinary discussion of the right to die with dignity. It may be of great interest to people coming from different experiences. Its language and methodology make it accessible to wide range of readers. Its exceptional merit is that it provides a balanced view that never renounces human life and human dignity.

The Right to Die with Dignity offers a valid and up-to-date discussion on euthanasia. It contains three levels of analysis: ethical, medical and legal. On each Raphael Cohen-Almagor shows incredible thoroughness and exhaustiveness. In the book you find statistic data, court cases, examples and arguments for and against mercy killings. The book has many virtues: the argumentation is rational, clear, simple and above all with a remarkable human approach. It is also an easy read, for those who meet the questions of morality and legislation of euthanasia for the first time, but also for those who have some experience in this subject.

A nuanced discussion of some of the most difficult issues in health, law, and bioethics today written in a lively prose and with a clear sense of moral passion. The international perspective is particularly useful and, undoubtedly, Cohen-Almagor's arguments and conclusions will provoke discussion

Cohen-Almagor uses insightful examples and applies his penetrating intellect to shed light upon some of the most difficult choices that arise at the end of life

I just finished reading "Sailor in the White House." Now, I finally understand what strongly influenced FDR throughout his entire government career. In his fresh and probing new biography, author Robert Cross opens up a whole new dimension in the life of our 32nd president.

FDR used his expert sailing skills and instincts to guide America through the Great Depression and on to victory in World War II. He was always ready to compromise, change tack or revise his plans based on the changing political landscape...just as he did when he sailed the world's oceans. What an ingenious way to look at President Roosevelt! I thank the author for sharing his important insights with all of us. Great job!

This was an excellent view of another side of FDR that as a sailor of the same waters, I found exceptionally interesting.

Not only was the book extremely well written but it was full of glimpses of this president which added a new perspective to my knowledge of his presidency.

It is a wonderful experience to stumble across a biographical work about a man about whom so much has been written and yet find an entirely new and different view of the person's life.

Bravo!!!

Franklin D. Roosevelt loved the sea, sailing and all things nautical. He was America's greatest seafaring president, spending more time sailing, fishing and swimming than any president in our nations's history. And this book tells very interesting minute of it.

In Robert F. Cross' terrific new book, "Sailor in the White House: the Seafaring Life of FDR," the author offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at Roosevelt's time on the sea. What makes this book such a treat, is that many of the stories are told through the voices of those who actually sailed with the president, and who shared their tales with the author for the first time.

Through interviews with Secret Service agents, Roosevelt staff and family members, and contemporaries of the president, Cross exposes a whole new dimension of FDR's life, a dimension which-until this book-has never been explored in the countless biographies of the 32nd president; but it is a dimension which is key to understanding FDR's character and governing style.

The author logs just about every minute FDR spent on the water, and lists all the vessels he was aboard during his entire lifetime-an extraordinary record for anyone, but particularly for one whose legs were paralyzed from polio. From canoes to lifeboats, schooners to destroyers, and battleships to submarienes, Roosevelt never passed up an opportunity to be on the water. The author meticulously records each vessel, noting the type of craft and the years Roosevelt was aboard. No such list existed until now.

The never-before-told stories, including one in which FDR's life was threatened when a fire broke out aboard his schooner, and rare photographs shared with the author are laid out for us within the overall framework of two world wars and the Great Depression. A never-before-published photograph shows FDR seated in a wheelchair; this is only the third such photo known to exist in the more than 35,000 photographs of the president in the FDR library. And Cross has found it!

As we tag along with Roosevelt on New York State's Barge Canal, the atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the Caribbean, and witness his many antics and adventures, the author skillfully keeps the reader current on world and national affairs, allowing us to see behind the newspaper and newsreel footage, while weaving in the unfolding and perilous world
history.

The tales of FDR hiding from his Secret Service guards are amusing, providing a glimpse of a fearless president who valued his privacy and went to great lengths to protect it. FDR never permitted secret Service agents to travel aboard his small vessels; they had to travel behind on destroyers and Coast Guard cutters. He played "cat and mouse" with the agents, who really had their hands full protecting FDR. The author's interviews with FDR's Secret Service agents are priceless.

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., calls this book "delightful." It is that to be sure-but, it is much, much more. "Sailor in the White House" provides a new and valuable insight into the make-up and character of the only American president ever elected to four terms. FDR never passed up an opportunity to be on the water, a place where he felt most at home. A place which helped him to relax and gain perspective as he tackled the most difficult problems ever filled by an American President. I recommend this book highly.

Martin Davis, Ph.D.

This is a book I could not "put down" once I started reading it. My problem is I get into the index which takes me every where in the book. However, when I finally got it all together I found it to be both historic and above all informative. I grew up in the Roosevelt era and this book has given me an entirely new insight of his time.
Thank you Mr.Cross.

This is a great santa collection, the charts are in full color, very easy to read.

You should to have it!

This is, so far, the best collection of Santas and Father Christmases I have yet encountered. The charts are color coded, and there are a great variety of designs. This is perfect for someone who knows a collector of all that is Father Christmas! I have even kept several to display myself.

Great book for all the cross-stisches crazy, like me. Sorry for my englis

This is one of my favorite cross-stitch books. I have already stitched 3 of the Santas from it and hope to eventually stitch them all. The photography is excellent and the charts are very well done. Along with each photo is some history about the various renderings of Santa. It is a great book for stitchers and Santa collectors alike!!!

Christians have a deep and abiding fascination with the cross. Though 2000 years have passed since Christ hung on that cross, Christians continue to grapple with its deepest meanings and continue to seek to apply its lessons to their lives. Of the countless thousands of books written on the subject, A.W. Pink's The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross stands as one of the few true classics.

In this book Pink looks at each of the seven words Jesus spoke while hanging in agony. In his introduction to the book Pink says, "The death of Christ...was unique, miraculous, supernatural. In the chapters which follow we shall hearken to the words which fell from his lips while he hung upon the cross - words which make known to us some of the attendant circumstances of the great tragedy; words which reveal the excellencies of the one who suffered there; words in which is wrapped up the gospel of our salvation; and words which inform us of the purpose, the meaning, the sufferings, and the sufficiency of the death divine." He dedicates a chapter to each of the words of forgiveness, salvation, affection, anguish, suffering, victory and contentment. In every case he spends some time discussing the meaning of the word and usually equal time applying these words to the faith of the individual Christian. Far from "mere" theology, this book is intensely practical and immediately applicable.

The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross deserves the accolades given to it. It bears repeated readings and is ideal for group study (and, indeed, I led a group of over 100 people reading it in tandem). It is worthy of a spot in the collection of every Christian.

Pink, master of the Old Testament and lover of the NT, takes each of the 7 sayings and explores seven aspects of each of the sayings. Wonderfully enlightening as he always is with his timeless commentaries. Use this as a devotional leading up to Resurrection Sunday...you will experience the Cross in ways you never imagined. All of Pink's works and thoughts are Scriptually based.

The hinge point of creation is presented to us in Christ's death and resurrection. I must confess that I knew that..but I didn't really understand all it's implications.

A.W. Pink has a remarkable ability to bring forth truth and understanding that lies incredibly rich in the understanding of the seven sayings of Jesus on the Cross.

If you would like to understand the lessons from Christ on the cross then you must read and understand this text.

I am nearly done with this book and I must confess that Pink has done an incredible job in pointing us to Christ.

Buy this book!

This is a must read for any student of the Bible. Pastor Pink's insights into Jesus on the cross are unique and fully referenced to the rest of the Bible. I couldn't put the book down. It was very readable and unlike many of his works, short and compact.