Cross Books

For anyone wanting to know St. John of the Cross this book is excellant. For anyone struggling with the "Dark Night" this book is a must. Very reassuring and comforting to know you don't walk alone and that God is always there. This book will deepen your faith.

Like many saints, when you approach St John you feel like you are approaching a figure who is more than human. St John seems to have reached heights and depths of the human psyche and spirit the ordinary mortal cannot hope to match.

Certainly St John's path contains many paradoxes and contradictions; I am sure if he had been born in the same period in Japan he would have been a great Zen Buddhist monk. His path is also soaring and frightening, designed to purge the Christian contemplative of every ego desire and attachment which hinders our union to God. His path of union is also terrifying for its intensity and the degree of suffering it seems to require.

St John himself only seemed to reach the state of union through a 'dark night' while he was imprisoned in a bleak monastary prison for allegedly breaking several rules of his order. Tortured, beaten, and starved, the Sanjuanist monk experienced an incredible mystical experience which led him to write several beautiful poems modelled on the Bible's book of 'Songs' and also on the Psalms and Lamentations of Jeremiah. He later explained the meaning of his poems as the means through which anyone, provided they can practice enough self discipline and trust enough in the grace of God, can achieve an intimate union to God in this life.

Unfortunately I doubt in our consumer age, so focused on immediate gratification of every sensual and physical desire, so obsessed with money and wealth and possessing material things, and so denigrating of any form of 'useless' focus on the 'impractical' which doesn't productively 'do' something, can really well appreciate John's message. John was no believer in compromise; it was either the way of the cross, which meant giving your life over to Christ at all cost, or you risked perdition.

Strangely though, his works have enormous popularity and are cropping up everywhere. His works seem to fill a void, a great void in the human spirit and heart, which no material good or amount of money can fill. Perhaps few if anyone can ascend to the top of Mt Carmel in our era, but we can at least try, even a little.

Always go with hard cover books, becuase they last a lifetime! Spend the extra 5 or 7 dollars so that you don't have to spend the extra $20 to get a replacment book. I haven't read it yet, but to have all of St. John's works in one place is deffinetly a good deal. Buying one book is way cheaper then buying 4 or 5 books.

This is not an easy read, but something that is well worth the effort! Parts of the text have changed my life already. I highly recommend this book for anyone wishing to draw closer to our Lord.

A masterpiece. The clarity of the text is unsurpassed and the effect is ultimately transcendant. I can see how it might be difficult for people who have not participated in at least the first night of this process to absorb the experience he is trying to relate. Nonetheless he is absolutley correct. If you could only have one book in life, this would definetely be a consideration, in that it completely details the process of the mystical experience. I could ramble on forever, but just buy it. It will be the best money you've spent. Bless.

I wish all college students would read this book. Provides insights and truths about the real world of work. Great examples of individuals who have navigated the world of work, and struggled with their careers. How do people decide on careers, is it okay to change, what if I'm not certain about what I want to do, what if I don't like what I'm doing. This could save many students a great deal of frustration when sorting out their career plans.

Others have written good reviews so I'll keep mine short. This is an excellent book, in part because it's very readable (you don't feel you're being lectured). Also, the lion's share of the book is personal stories of Liberal Arts grads finding their way into career paths, with plenty of ups and downs. If experience is the best teacher, this book gives you the benefit of 30 other people's experience. Highly recommended!

As a sophomore in college, I'm almost to the point of entering the "real world." But instead of feeling unprepared and anxious about this process, I am actually looking forward to it. This is entirely due to Smart Moves, and I cannot even begin to emphasize how much this book has already helped me - even though I'm still 2 1/2 years from graduation!
What really makes this book a pleasure to read is it's format. At the beginning are extraordinarly helpful pieces of advice on what to do in and once you graduate from college. Next, the book goes on to provide real-world examples of people who are enjoying their careers in just about every major field. Smart Moves chronicles their stories while not only including their successes, but their mistakes as well.
At home, my mom and my 17 year old brother looked through the book while it was laying down on the coffee table. They both loved it. Here is what my mom had to say:


"Your purpose in life is not to find yourself...it is to create yourself."
My son, a student at Duke University, received this book from the University the summer between his freshman and sophomore years. He asked me to read it, and I was delighted to find it offered, through biographical examples, some truisms that we had been trying to explain to him.

1. Follow your passion; your happiness and enthusiasm will attract the money you need to survive.
2. Be willing to work hard.
3. It doesn't always matter what you major in, there is a good chance you will change careers several times in your life.
4. Every job you have will teach you something about yourself and give you the experience to make yourself available for the next opportunity.
5. Remain open and flexible.
6. Remain curious and research-oriented.
7. Use your summers between school years to take internships or volunteer in the areas of your interest.
8. Explore the career counseling center early during your undergraduate years.

I felt the lively and entertaining writing style of the authors, Sheila Curran and Suzanne Greenwald, made this book a fun and informative read for both undergraduate students and their families.

Beth Zarian, author, Around the World with Historical Fiction and Folktales.


Once again, I'd recommend Smart Moves to anyone who has an open mind!
-Paul Zarian

A refreshing and timely read for every recent college graduate. Curran helps job-seekers (and their parents!) understand the challenges - sychological, cultural & socio-economic - facing every graduating liberal arts major. Her years of experience counseling the best and brightest of the country's youth has taught her a simple truth - happiness is in doing what you love to do.

What's so fascinating is the complete relevance it has to the day-to-day decisions that my 22-30 year-old peers are making every day. I can't tell you how many times I have felt compelled to share the "Smartest Moves" chapter with colleagues who find themselves "disenchanted,"
"disengaged," or otherwise, with their current career path.

Every college graduate should read this book - and so should their parents.

A college sophomore at Duke University, NC, I received a copy of 'Smart Moves' over the summer, at a time when I was extremely confused over which major I should choose, which career path I should follow etc. That was, until I received this book.
Through the stories of 23 other students, all ranging in a wide variety of careers and fields, I have realized that the next 3 years of my life will be about finding out what my passions are and where my interests for the future lie, rather than about working my way towards a preordained career goal on a predetermined path which I might regret later on in life. Several of my course selections and internship plans are now being reinforced after reading this book.
Smart moves has been a really useful eye-opener and myth buster for me, and I highly recommended to all students in liberal arts colleges, regardless of whether they were in a similar position as I was in or not. Read this book, and you would have made your first of many smart moves.

I bought this book for one story but it turned out all of the stories were great.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings always makes me cry. The other reviews of this book here describe it so eloquently and throughly that I don't feel the need to add to that aspect. The book has a strong emotional pull that made me cry and made long to go to Cross Creek and see it for myself. Rawlings is one of my all-time favorite writers, ever since my seventh-grade teacher read the newly published book The Yearling to her class, a chapter or two each day after lunch.

Wonderful view of an isolated place in FL (near Gainesville) circa 1930 written by a brave, independent woman.

Cross Creek is a series of entertaining if perhaps embellished anecdotes relating to Florida in the years preceding World War II told from the perspective of a educated emigré from the North. Some of the language, which was typical of the times, would no longer be considered politically correct and might be offensive to some. The book, however is totally delightful and gives some insight into life in rural Florida at the time. An excellent companion read is Tom Glisson's The Creek, which gives a native's view of the same time and area. Both books are a must read if you live or are interested in North Central FL.

Rawlings explores the lives and interations of the odd assortment of people living in Cross Creek, Florida in the early 1900s. It is often assigned reading for teens, but I doubt that most of them can appreciate it. Her accounts of neighbors feuding and subsistance living gives us many lessons in human behavior.
The lyrical descriptions of wildlife and the orange groves and wild landscape are very appealing. Your mouth waters as you read her essays on downhome foods like hush puppies. She turned those into a cookbook which I'll have to try out.
Modern readers squirm uncomfortably at her use of the N----- word and her characterization of blacks as irresponsible, drunken, immoral, etc. It is probably a faithful representation of common thinking at the time it was written, so recognize it as a snapshot of the times. Then move past that to luxuriate in the beautiful passages in the book. (I deducted 1 star for this)
The reader becomes absorbed in Rawlings' love of the land and the creation of a home. It gives much the same feelings as A Year in Provence or Under a Tuscan Sun.

This is a lovely picture book that talks about babywearing around the world. We are a babywearing family, so it's a nice addition to our collection, but it's valuable for any family that wants a beautiful picture book, or a book that talks about families around the world. Highly recommended!

This book is not only colorful and entertaining, it is very educational. There is a picture of babies and their family members carrying them in a variety of carriers and positions. The author took the time to write a sweet little story of what they do and how they live in different countries. It truly is a sweet little book that will encourage you to carry your baby and connect with someone else in the world who carries their baby too!

If you babywear then this is the book to get your kids.. this is a great book full of vidid illustration and color :) It's a great educational tool for any babywearing meetings as well. Would definately like to see more of this type of material offered:)

My daughter loves this book,she loves looking at all the pictures and enjoys hearing about the babies and kids around the world that are lucky enough to be worn. Plus as a bonus she enjoys finding which people go where on the map on the inside cover of the book. This is one book I don't mind reading over and over again.

My 2-year-old and I love this book. While the text is a bit long for her, it is easy to read just some of it, as each page can stand by itself (each page spread is about a different child and family in a different culture). The global map on the end pages show where each family lives, and there are notes at the end about each culture -- very helpful since it was a long time since I took geography! This book helped us talk about babies as we prepared for our family's second child, about nursing/feeding the baby, and caring for the baby... but this is also a book that will continue to be useful as my children grow and we can talk about other cultures and their traditions.

This was a wonderful book about childbirth. The authors walk you through "full-throttle pain relief", such as epidurals and spinal blocks; alternative methods, including self-hypnosis, birth balls and birthing pools, complete with testimonials from those who have tried them; and advice from caregivers, including obstetricians, nurses and anesthesiologists.

Written in a reassuring and accessible tone, this book left me feeling reassured and more fully informed about the labor process.

I found Easy Labor very helpful in preparing for labor. Unlike most classes and books, it did not promote either the medical model or the natural model to the exclusion of the other. It simply laid out all the different options available during labor, and provided actual data on which were effective, and the pros and cons of each.

Written by an anesthesiologist, this objective and comprehensive guide outlines the pros and cons of pain relief options in childbirth. From acupuncture to hydrotherapy to hypnosis to the Bradley method to the epidural, you'll find it here. This book is the best and only one of its kind - readers will learn about labor from professionals (midwives, nurses, obstetricians) and moms in a clear, easy-to-read text. If you want to be "prepared" for labor (if that's possible), look no further. This is a book designed for middle-of-the-road, level-headed mamas - it's neither extremely naturalistic and anti-medicine nor overly cold and sterile.

Don't go to the hospital without reading this book. It gives you the knowledge to ask specifically for the pain relief you need. I was going the natural route until my labor had gone on for 30 hours. I had to take a detour from my original plan after being stuck at 9 cm for hours and enduring Pitocin without an epidural. I had to break down and ask for the epidural. It was going to take the anesthesiologist (sp?) a 1/2 hour to get to me, so I asked for narcotic in my IV. The nurses said no, but I asked them to call the doctor (b/c I had read in this book that it was ok), and the doctor said yes, of course. I had relief right away and did not have to suffer for another minute.

This book is an absolute must-read for women who are considering motherhood, AS WELL AS their partners and potential birth support persons.

It is vitally important that women and their birth helpers be very educated about pain relief and management options so they can confidently make decisions at a time when physical and emotional challenges may leave them feeling panicked or vulnerable.

This book is full of information that can be applied to any kind of birth, in any type of setting. I especially appreciated the encouragement to keep an open mind and expect the unexpected- the pain is often more or less than what you would have expected. Even if you're planning a home birth with no pain medications, it is important to know about them anyway in case your birth doesn't go as planned (which is often the case).

The book is very respectful toward the pain relief and management decisions that each different mother makes, whether she wants an "epidural all the way" or a "completely unmedicated" experience. It is also very well-written, well-organized and interesting- at some points I couldn't put it down.

I would have given the book 5 stars were it not for the omission of home birth from the list of "birth environments" (and the lack of acknowledgement in general that home birth is an option). There are only a few passing mentions of home births. Yes, you may apply the "complementary and alternative" pain management/relief method information to home birth. However, there are special concerns regarding pain relief and management during home birth and/or hospital transport that aren't really addressed in this book, so I can't say I would consider this book totally complete.

I do give the book a lot of credit, however, for pretty good coverage of alternative pain management and relief methods- some of which I was not familiar with- and a pretty good overview (if rather cursory) of the roles of midwives and doulas in the birth process.

I got this book from our church. I spent a lot of time reading it over a month. An excellent book, where the Gospel is presented clearly in no uncertain words.
The author did not waver in writing about what should a bible believing church have its foundations on. Christ is pointed at virtually on every page clearly. Although I would love to have been there on that road as Jesus put all the jigsaw together for those two people, Mr. Cross did a great job.
I am going to gift this to one of my friends and my younger brother.

I wish I knew about this book a couple of years ago. Its a wonderful survery of what the bible says about Gods plan for redemption. I have passed along my original purchase of this book and have purchased another to pass along as well. If you or someone you know is new to Christianity or checking it out please read this book.

This book is a tremendous book. It is great when used by new Christians to help them put the plan of redemption into more basic terms. It is great when used as an evagelistic tool for those that would not otherwise read the Bible, to help them to understand - and hopefully read the Bible afterwards. It is great for those who have read the Bible, it brings up so many things that we ponder, and is a tremendous review. It is also great for a Bible study. It is great to read to children daily. I can not say enough good things about it. I have purchased many copies of this book to share with others.

An excellent explanation of the bible! Ties old and new testaments together and explains God's plan of salvation in the easiest format I have ever found. For those who find the bible confusing, don't have time to read it, or aren't sure what to believe, this book makes it all clear and easy to understand. We loved it so much that we have since purchased dozens of this book and hand them out to friends and family who have questions about what to believe in this age of questioning everything and "anything goes". My husband became a Christian after reading this book and finally understanding how we can be sure whether we will be in heaven one day or not, strictly according to the bible.

So a short review here.

This was one of the first books suggested to me by a friend when I started getting into reading the Bible seriously. It was an immense help, being able to be walked through the whole thing from beginning to end. Seriously. For all the whining and complaining, or even genuine confusion about how the Bible seems to make no sense, etc. etc. this book helps to put so much into context. It also kicks all the misconceptions about Christianity out the window.

If you go through this book once, you'll already know more about Christianity and more correctly about Christianity than likely 80-95% of the population.

Worth every penny, and then some. And when you're done, give the book away, and buy a couple more to share (like what I did... :)

Gordon

I just finished Sutters Cross, and I'm savoring the glow that accompanies the completion of a good book. It was so refreshing to read a Christian Fiction book that broke out of the formula and was well crafted. It was complex without being confusing. A southern novel that was not a cliche. Mr. Cramer uses words in a delightful way, too. One of my favorite story lines was the one that followed Eddy and Marcus. He truly captured the magic of boyhood in their story line--I loved it!

This book was also Christian without being preachy, spiritual without being too pointed and obvious. (..."Oh, here's where the author is bringing in the moral of the story....") I give it two thumbs up!

Jake Mahaffey lives with his wife Lori in the beautiful little town of Sutter's Cross in the Appalachians. There is a rigid social structure in the town in which everyone knows his place, especially in Jake's church. All of this changes when a ragged, homeless man comes to town and offends some of the townspeople and charms others. He has an other-worldly wisdom about him which offends his enemies and attracts those who see beyond his ragged exterior. His very presence seems to uncover the towns' hypocrisy, and suddenly the greed and self-centeredness of some of Sutter's Cross citizens are exposed. Important themes such as living through pain and suffering and father/son relationships are explored in this book. The book starts somewhat slowly, but it gains momentum and, in the end, important lessons are learned by many of the main characters. This is recommended Christian fiction.

I've just started reading this book and I can't put it down. I just recently discovered this Author and now I have all his books.

Author seems very knowledgable of his subjects, have read two of his books and found them very interesting.

Sutter's Cross by W. Dale Cramer is a lyrically crafted book. It's Cramer's debut novel, and it truly shines. Harley shows up in town at the church picnic lunch wearing another man's pants and quickly saves an elderly woman from choking. From this auspicious beginning, people in town quickly line up either for him or against him. At first I was concerned the book would be too similar to Joshua, but this book is entirely different and certainly stands on its own merits. Cramer does a wonderful job of characterization, although Orde seems a bit stereotypical. The stories of Web, Eddy & Marcus, and Jake & Harley come together with such a clash that even Web's change becomes believable. The scene of prayer in the church brought tears to my eyes, and the scene of Marcus with the fireflies stands as one of the best I've ever read in fiction: miraculous and moving. Cramer's story is all the more moving for not tying everything up with a neat bow at the end.

Dr. Jabbour bravely leads us forward -- rather than backwards in fear -- forward in faith. Followers of Jesus must take the initiative, creating conversation, creating understanding, bringing a fuller portrayal of Jesus to our Muslim friends. Personally, a man of great character and compassion, in this book, he takes us on his personal journey. However, the highest praise comes from my two daughters who remember Dr. Nabeel Jabbour as the one who played hide and seek with them in our small apartment in Central Asia. Highly recommended!

Good book. It does a great job on going by "Insights from an Arab Christian." I decided to give this book a five star rating because it has given me a better understanding of an Arab world.
Although I must disagree with some of the theological undertones, it is was a very valuable learning experience.

Dr. Jabbbour's book is quite characteristic of his other works, including "Unshackled and Growing". That characteristic is an ability to explain deep and complicated concepts in simple, but clever ways, without watering down the issues. In The Crescent Through the Eyes of the Cross, Dr. Jabbour employs a clever yet sincere literary method to get his points about the ways in which Muslims see Christians and Christian efforts at evangelism. He creates the characters of "Ahmad" and his family members. Though he creates these "characters", they are really a composite of actual Muslims Dr. Jabbour has encountered in his extensive experience. Thus, their concerns and issues (and even complaints) are genuine. Dr. Jabbour does a great job of taking those complaints seriously, while not always agreeing that the complaints are legitimate. In short, he is fair in his address of them. I think this kind of sincerity and fairness is what is needed in this field. Christians must understand the legitimate and even illegitimate concerns of those they are trying to reach. More than that, Christians must endeavor to honestly address those concerns. This book is a useful tool that will help Christians do exactly that. While the book (as Dr. Jabbour acknowledges) is not the final word on the matter of Muslim evangelism, it certainly is the first place someone who cares about being careful should turn. In fact, though the intended audience is mainly Christians, I think this book is so fair in its address of Muslims' concerns that Muslims themselves would benefit from and respect this book.

Abdu Murray
Founder, Aletheia International

One version of a famous proverb goes like this: "It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness---but it feels better to curse the darkness." Many polemical books have been written, especially since 9/11, that curse the darkness. By giving distorted portrayals of everyday Muslims and their pious culture, they actually add to the darkness. The result is that Christians who read these books are unable to converse with Muslims without displaying their fear, disdain, and ignorance. This destroys their credibility and repulses the Muslims.
Dr. Jabbour, on the other hand, lights a candle that fosters respect, understanding and empathy. This can enable Christians to have meaningful friendships and dialogues with their Muslim neighbors, displaying attitudes and understanding that open doors instead of closing them.
In my opinion this book is a "must read" for any Christian who wants to have meaningful friendships with Muslims that are a blessing to all concerned.

Dr. Jabbour has opened our eyes to the Muslim world through the eyes of a Muslim in this book. If you are looking for a non-prejudiced book about Islam, this is it. The fictional characters seem very real as I have met people like this in my travels to Jordan, Israel, and Egypt. Even I, thinking I was not prejudiced, discovered new prejudices and asked God to forgive me. Once I finished the book, I requested the addendum from Dr. Jabbour and was further challenged in what I thought I knew about Islam, the Middle East, and the Crusades. Buy this book and be challenged in your faith toward loving Muslims. They are our neighbors too and, as such, we should treat them as our neighbors, not our enemies.

I love the Outlander Series. I read Outlander for the first time back in the early 90's when it first came out, couldn't wait for the next ones as they came! I just read A Breath of Snow & Ashes and LOVED it just as much as the others in the series. NOW I'm kicking myself in the rear! I had the whole set, and got rid of them about a year ago because I'd gotten out of reading. NOW I just bought the Outlander book again, and read it, now I need the others...going to read the whole series again. I love Claire and Jamie!

I will make this simple buy the book and start reading I swear you will not want to put it down. I have my mother in law to thank for introducing me to the series. I am in love with the books and now have convinced my very macho husband to read them. The Author is very convincing and I swear it is like you are there with them through it all. I can't wait for the next one.

I have read all six of the Outlander series several times. Diana Gabaldon is an extraordinary writer, imaginative, talented, and extremely creative, and the overwhelming response to her stories is indicative of her talents in this genre. She has interwoven romance, history, and adventure into a mesmerizing tale which captures the attention of the readers, holding them spellbound and breathless as each page is turned. Her writing has inspired many, including myself, to learn more about Scotland and the people who lived/live there, their way of life, their haunting music, traditions, and history. I note that one of the reviews (2 stars) was critical of the male/female views of that era in Scottish history. Too bad that reader didn't read the entire series as she missed out on a great adventure. One should not take it personal that the values of that era included "ownership" of the wife; that ownership also included protection and security, of which many current wives do not now have. I rate the Outlander series with 5 stars.

It's been sometime since I've read all books in the Outlanders series and happened to read the person who wrote the 2star comments and just had to write a review.
As this person pointed out the time period was different and she didn't lose any of her stubborn nature but grudingly came to realize that men in the period were respected for how they managed everything they owned, including women, as they were also considered property. She forgave him for the time period's mentality, not because he enjoyed doing it.
I think this person shouldn't let one incident influence their opinion of a great series of book!

The Outlander series is definitely on my current top 5 list, along with Earth's Children (Clan of the Cave Bear), Harry Potter, His Dark Materials (Golden Compass) and Song of the Lioness (Alanna). The writing is so vivid and well done, it really transports you to a different time. The love story between Jamie and Claire is one of the best I've ever read, but the book really is more of an adventure. Claire is an awesome heroine, second only to Ayla on my fictional heroines list. Consequently, I was sad to read the review that gave the book only 2 stars. Please don't let this affect your decision on buying this book. The author of said review did not even finish reading book 1 let alone the rest of the series!

When I sent away for this book I had no idea that it would be so beautifully illustrated in full colour. It is a real little treasure of cat stories told in a way that only James Herriott can. I loved it.

We loved this book so much, we named our two cats Olly and Ginny. 'Nuff said.

Goes quickly, but he writes well and if you're a cat owner, you'll really develop a rapport with the cat stories in here. Not just for "cat ladies" - my husband picked it up and couldn't put it down.

Look you haven't heard a story read until you've heard it read by Christopher Timothy!!!! This guy could make a phone book interesting to hear read! These stories are great! They'll have you laughing and crying! So becareful if you listen in your car ;0) I was driving my 18 wheeler down a rural road in Luisiana getting all teary eyed! Scary thought, right?

James Herriot writes of his veterinary experiences as no one else could. Full of humor,sometimes sadness but always spellbinding and interesting. I could not put this book down.