Cruz Books

Every book has to end, I know that, but I felt cheated when I closed "Red Square". How dare Cruz Smith actually finish this thriller? How could he not have added a few more pages of his delicious and irresistible writing? Arkady Renko, the incorruptible and love-lorn Soviet detective, is on the trail of the people who killed one of his informants. He is also pining for the love of his life, who is now broadcasting pro-western propaganda to the fast-collapsing Communist empire from Munich (the action takes place in August 1991). As luck would have it, Renko ends up in Munich as he tracks the killers. The plotting in this novel isn't great -- there are too many coincidences and Renko does remarkably well in Germany, given it's his first time in the West and he speaks little German. The writing is addictive as ever and reaches new heights when Ranko is reunited with the object of his desires, who has a new man in her life. If you want to while away an absorbing few hours, I highly recommend this book.

I read this book twice. Still was confused, but as in his other novels, the author grabs you and puts you inside the protagonist's (Arkady Renko) head.
I think I will read this a third time. Even if I still don't understand it, I will greatly enjoy the ride.

Red Square blew my mind. What a great book. I find there is a lot of junk out there for the two genres I prefer: fantasy and crime drama. I was floored by Red Square - and had actually read it first. Kind of shows how great it is that I loved every moment and I had not even read Gorky Park or Polar Star yet (both darn good, too). Havana Bay followed and was good, but not as full and gripping as Red Square. wow. Truly a gift.

First published in 1992, _Red Square_ illustrates the complexities which have emerged as the Russians allow some private enterprise but have not yet become a democracy. Hardliners want to perpetuate their own way of life, while young people and the hungry proletariat want reform and their own piece of the pie. Arkady Renko, who has appeared in two previous Cruz Smith novels (Gorky Park and Polar Star), has returned to Moscow from exile and has resumed his job as a detective, this time investigating corruption and criminal fraud in the city as private enterprise takes illegal turns.

Rudy Rosen, who engages in money-changing, gambling, and other felonies, some of them involving citizens of foreign countries, is cooperating with Renko by allowing him to record conversations. Immediately after Renko leaves Rudy in his car, however, Rudy's car explodes, incinerating Rudy and a suitcase full of cash. As Renko investigates who might have killed Rudy, the complexity of this mystery parallels the complexities of a Russian society in which it's every man for himself in terms of financial transactions.

All the characters are at loose ends, wondering who they are and how they are perceived. Renko is just back from exile, the love of his life having defected to Germany years ago, and she believes that he has abandoned her. Rudy Rosen wants to have it both ways--to cooperate with Renko and to continue his shady dealings. The Chechens who appear in the story are blamed for everything that is violent or illegal, but they remember the horrors of mass relocation and the killings through which the Russians annihilated their villages and left them homeless. As the investigation of Rudy's death leads Renko from Moscow to Munich and Berlin (and to a meeting with Irina, his long lost love), Renko meets with other Russians who live abroad but still regard themselves as Russian.

Renko is a sad case--morose, love-starved, and without any reason for living--and as he tries to do what is right, his essential goodness comes through. As the case becomes an investigation of stolen paintings, many of them owned by Jews at the outbreak of World War II (and earlier), Renko's own superiors and the Russian Mafia abroad threaten his life. The body count rises and who-did-what-to-whom becomes confusing, but many readers will be focused on the character of Renko. As he tries to navigate the minefield of his own life, he resembles a modern version of some of the great Russian tragic heroes. This is not the most unified of the Renko mysteries, but it is fascinating, nevertheless. n Mary Whipple

Martin Cruz Smith is a former journalist and magazine editor. "Red Square" is his third novel - after " Gorky Park " and "Polar Star" - to feature Arkady Renko and was first published in 1992.

Renko, the hero, works as an Investigator with Moscow's militia - more or less the standard police force - and has something of a chequered career. Never a truly 'practising' member of the Party, Renko hasn't always been thought highly of by those in authority. He has always wanted to catch the people responsible for the crimes he's investigating, regardless of the 'political' consequences - as a result of this, he was once dismissed from the Party for a lack of 'political reliability' and sentenced to a life in Siberia. He also appears to be something of a disappointment to his father, a very famous ex-General. (Arkady's opinion of his father - who is very ill as the book opens - isn't too high, either). However, after the events outlined in "Polar Star", he was reinstated to his former position - but is now working in a new Moscow that he barely recognises. "Red Square" is largely set in Moscow, Munich and Berlin in 1991 and is set in turbulent times : Germany has been re-unified and the breakup of the USSR is closing in.

The book opens in August 1991, with Renko and his partner - an Estonian called Jaak Kuusnets - on their way to a meeting with Rudy Rosen. Although Rosen operates as a banker for the various factions of the Russian Mafia, he has agreed to Renko planting a transmitter in his car for the duration of a Mafia-sponsored illegal market. (This is largely due to the fact that the militia have enough to put Rosen away for a very long time). Despite turning informer, Rosen appears to feel relatively safe. The Chechen faction, headed up by Makhmud, constitutes his only real enemy, but - since all the factions require his services - he doesn't think he's under any real threat. His sense of security is reinforced by Mikhail Kim, his fearsome-looking Korean bodyguard, and his business partnership with Borya Gubenko - the head of the Long Pond Mafia. Unfortunately, shortly after a quiet conversation with Arkady at the market, Rudy is killed when his car goes up in flames - changing Renko's case from surveillance to a murder inquiry. One of the witnesses points the finger at Kim - and it seems clear the Korean was responsible for at least one of the two explosions.

Although Arkady works most closely with Jaak, there are a couple of other members on the team he has assembled. Polina deals with the forensic work and is nearly as dedicated to her job as Arkady Renko is to his. Minin, on the other hand, is practically the anti-Renko : he remains devoted to the Party and is, in fact, the only Party member on the team. Renko's boss is a man called Rodionov - the City Prosecutor and an elected member of the People's Congress. When Renko meets with Rodionov to inform him of the investigation's progress, he's also introduced to General Penyagin - the recently appointed head of CID. Unlike his predecessor, Penyagin is a bureaucrat - not a detective risen from the ranks. Renko is stunned to discover that the third person attending the meeting, Max Albov, is a journalist. As the investigation unfolds, developments take Renko far and wide - even to the recently reunited Germany. However, Albov proves to be someone Renko just can't avoid.

This is a hugely enjoyable book - in fact, the Renko series is just getting better and better as it goes along. The book is set in the USSR's dying days, a difficult time for all those used to playing the political game. As such, it's probably even more dangerous that it had been - especially for someone like Renko who only cared about catching the villain, rather than doing what was politically 'correct'. Highly recommended.

I've enjoyed all of Amy Stewart's books, but this one took a much more personal turn than her others. Her other books required research, research and more research. This one was quietly personal with no research other than the experience of toiling in her first garden.
We've all had a first garden - a place to make our mistakes and be thrilled at what grew despite our best efforts. I still get thrilled over some flowers that other people call weeds, so it was a joy to know she had also been beguiled in the same way.
I enjoy Ms Stewart's apparently pointless meanderings, which always lead exactly where she intended them to go. Her observations of gardens and human nature are acute and vivid. Her mistakes and her successes remind us of our own.
This writer has a finely-honed vocabulary that she uses with precision to produce precisely the effect she aims for. This may not be great literature, but it is a pleasant read - a life and a garden accurately recalled.

This lovely book is a definate "must-read" for anyone starting out on the daunting task of a first garden or if you find yourself needing a reminder as to why you dug up all that ground in the first place! Tips and helpful info at the end of each chapter will give even the most experienced gardener a bit of a hand, and the writing style is at once elegant and funny.

When I'm diving into a new field I know nothing about - Buddhism, photography, wine, wrestling, or gardening, to take a few recent examples - I'm always looking for a certain kind of writer: an opinionated, first-person guide to this confusing new world. My model for this kind of writing is Bill James, the great baseball analyst. I'm always on the lookout for "the Bill James of wine" or "the Bill James of wrestling."

The point isn't that I want an expert to tell me what to think. Rather, I want to hear about this new universe from a distinct, coherent point of view. From there, I can develop my own perspective. I don't want an authority so much as a critical sensibility. These new subjects always teem with boggling amounts of details - the eightfold path of Buddhism, the varieties of wrestling holds, the latin names for all those flowers. I'll never learn all this stuff by trying to memorize it, and that wouldn't be much fun, anyway. Rather, what I want is to absorb the perspective of a savvy participant, so that the field as a whole makes sense to me. Once I do that, the details can fall in place over time, if I decide to stick with it.

I appear to be in the minority in this preference - most people seem to prefer the bland-to-cutesy textbook style of the Dummies guides. Guide series do have their places - I'm a big fan of the " . . . for Beginners" series of cartoon guides. When they're done right, as in the classic Marx for Beginners by Rius, those are a great way to get your bearings on a subject. The newer "Introducing . . ." cartoon series is also great. And Oxford University Press has a nifty ongoing series of "Very Short Introduction to . . . " books. The Jung books from both of the latter series have been great entry points into a massive body of work.

All this brings me to From the Ground Up, my entry point into the daunting world of gardening. I've picked up a half a dozen gardening reference books over the last few years, but all of them succeeded only in dazing me with a boggling array of disconnected tips, warnings, and factoids. What I needed was a theory of gardening that made sense to me. So I switched over from Borders's "Gardening Reference" section to the "Gardening Writing" section. I was wary, because I find nature writing often unbearably twee and smug in that Year in Provence mode. I was wary of this book too, given its sweet but very Provencial impressionistic cover painting of a front yard garden. I browsed the book over several Borders visits, each time wavering, then finally took the plunge.

It was a good call. I devoured the book over just a couple of days, and now I feel a new sense of comprehension of all this gardening stuff. Stewart writes about her first year of building a garden from scratch, as an enthusiastic but inexperienced amateur. Her tastes, reassuringly, are for wildness over rigid structure, and a few weeds and bugs over pesticidal warface. She strongly prefers organic methods, but isn't a compost Nazi when chemicals seem to be the only way to go. I don't really like her taste in vegetables - I can't stand tomatoes or zucchini - but I think I'd really enjoy hanging out in her garden.

This isn't one of those books where the putative subject becomes a metaphor for the writer's life. Sure, we learn about her husband, her beloved great-grandmother, and her two amazing cats. But the focus is always on the garden for its own sake, and that's plenty. We learn a lot about the virtues of compost, the overratedness of roses, and, in a great chapter, the lives of earthworms. (The latter subject must have really inspired her - she followed this book up with a whole book on worms.)

Stewart did have an inspired location for her garden: a rental house in Santa Cruz, across the street from an amusement park and just a block away from the beach. Gardening so close to the ocean - and to druken tourists - has its own specific challenges. And this microclimate has its own specific charms. One thing I'm learning is that gardening is always local. You can browse all these giant coffee-table books full of fantasy gardens, but what really matters is what will grow in your soil, under your sky. (That's why my next step is to start reading books specifically about gardening in the South - Tough Plants for Southern Gardens looks particularly promising.)

I'm still not sure I'll end up planting much more than my current batch of containers. Or maybe I'll just grow a huge row of something simple and useful, like mint - I really like mint. But even if I punt on this whole gardening project, I understand the gardener's worldview a little better now, thanks to Stewart.

I read Amy Stewart's fine book, From the Ground Up, last week on a very long plane ride home to California from Indianapolis, Indiana. I'd been to Indianapolis to speak to the Indiana Arborists' Association convention, as I am a garden writer myself (Allergy-free Gardening, Safe Sex in the Garden, etc.). My flight was delayed due to a snowstorm in Detroit but the extra long trip was made more than okay because I had this delightful book to read.
I'd received From the Ground Up as a present from my Mom. It is the story of one lady's first attempt at gardening, and as one who taught horticulture for 20 years, and who has gardened for almost 50 years, it was remarkable fun for me to see all the little mistakes she made, the discoveries she uncovered, the personal disasters and achievements that accompanied her quest to create a wonderful garden.
Really great gardens don't just happen, not at all. They are created with huge effort, smarts, learning, help and advice from other gardeners, with tips from garden books, and most of all by the vision of the gardener in charge.
There exists within the wide range of garden writing a host of some rather fabulously good writing. These are the books that combine solid garden advice with a large dose of very personal observance and experience. Although From the Ground Up is a first book, it reads as though written by someone who had been writing for many years, someone who had honed and polished her writing so that every line sparkled. I would expect that this book would appeal most to those who love to garden, but because the level of writing is so unusually excellent, I'd guess almost anyone who appreciates literate writing would enjoy it.
If you're one who is new to gardening you'll find a wealth of useful tips here, interspersed with some darn good recipes too for making gourmet meals of all that extra fresh produce you'll eventually have. I really can't say enough about this marvelous book. Reading it was pure pleasure.

This is a quick, enjoyable read for anyone who can still remember the joys and tribulations of their first garden. Amy Stewart makes many of the mistakes we all made concerning bed preparation, the inappropriate flowers and vegetables planted with such hope, the unexpected hordes of four- and six-legged diners---no wonder 'paradise' is a common theme in most religions. Most of us have tried to create our version of the perfect garden in our own backyard, but this author is one of the few who have tried to tell the tale.

And a very sprightly job she does of it, too. She doesn't make the mistake of overloading her prose with too many adjectives (a common fault among gardening writers) and the short sentences keep us reading briskly onward. Each chapter is followed by a series of hints in bold type on subjects such as "Sheet Composting" and "Tomato Trouble." The author actually found a product that chases gophers out of her garden (usually) which I'm going to have to try on our moles.

Even though Amy Stewart's small backyard garden luxuriates in the sun (and shade) of Santa Cruz, California, she still has much to share with us gardeners in less fortunate climates. She's still got to do battle with snails, aphids, and gophers. The plants that looked great in the gardening center succumb to all kinds of nasty diseases and acts of Nature. Tomatoes seem especially prone to yellowing, drooping, curling up, and getting spots. The author refused the heartless advice of the gardening books to "destroy all infected plants" and nursed her tomatoes with her "crude and ineffectual remedies, feeling like a Civil War doctor who has nothing but snake oil and dirty bandages to offer the wounded."

Doesn't that sound like something you did or might do with your first tomato plants? As my husband is prone to say, 'enjoy your hundred dollar tomatoes,' and take a trip through the mishaps and discoveries of this honest, sometimes hilarious first-time gardener.

Para todos aquellos que sufren de pensamientos negativos, para aquellos que viven pensando en el fracaso este libro les podra ensenar como ver el mundo desde otra punto de vista. Muy bueno para sacarse de la mente todo lo negativo que acada segundo llega a nuestras vidas y sobre todo para levantarse el auto estima. se los recomiendo 100%, una verdadera joya que no debe faltar en su colecion.

He leido algunos libros sobre La Ley de Atraccion, este es uno de los mas practicos con ejemplos significativos que he leido, Camilo Cruz se enfoca en el poder de la mente, su funcionamiento y como esta atrae cosas a nuestras vidas. Todos planteamientos estan basados en cosas que vemos en la vida cotidiana lo que lo hace muy real, sencillo y practico

Estoy muy agradecida con el Dr. Cruz por mostrarme con su libro una manera mas positiva de ver la vida, es fabuloso, sin duda lo recomiendo, se convirtio en mi libro inseparable. Muchas gracias

Es un libro muy realistico. Esta muy sercano a lo que es la vida diaria, con respecto a lo que se refiere a la Ley de La atraccion. Su contenido realmente da pautas para mejorar nuestrtas vidas con un enfoque en lo que hemos venido haciendo con nuestra realidad y como cambiarla para hacerla mejor.

Si lo que buscas es encontrar unas líneas que cambien casi por arte de magia tu vida en un momento difícil de ésta - siento decirte que- no es este el libro que buscas. Es más, si encuentras uno así, avísame!

De este modo, lejos de todo el ámbito paranormal o mágico que alguien podría esperar, el libro lo que sí que es, es interesante como pocos; combinando la pscología con un punto de vista más científico de cómo trabaja la mente humana, y con un toque de sentido común y racionalidad del que a menudo nos olvidamos.. todo orientado a invitarnos a pensar de una forma positiva, para atraer nosotros mismos las oportunidades que deseamos.
Desde luego que es un libro muy interesante y que merece la pena leer.

Okay, I'll admit it. It's cool to see the look on Alex's face when he gets books that have his name in them. And this was definitely a winner. We'd checked out 'the horrible, terrible, no-good, very bad day', so I knew he'd like this one. Of course when we read it together he reads what Alexander says. It's pretty cool.

Alexander? He'd be quite middle-aged by now, perhaps with children of his own.

It would have been great if we had seen some stories of middle-school Alexander, teenage Alexander, Alexander at college, Alexander starting his career, meeting Mrs. Alexander, dealing with his own kids. . .

My son's name is Alexander (goes by Alex). I gave this to him as a birthday gift and we have read it over and over many times. The three short stories are just the right length for a bedtime story. This book has humor and the boy, Alexander, is one boy that all children can relate too. The illustrations are great too! I highly recommend this for any child.

I grew up just loving Alexander in Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day. My mother read it to us a children (ok, so now you know I'm not too old!) and I was just thrilled to see such a good copy of not only it but the other Alexander stories as well. The library binding is very nice and this book will definitely be a keepsake for my children someday. If you like to have books to pass on, this one's for you!

.....that they or their friends may have to face in their young lives. In one story Alexander deals with issues surrounding moving to a new neighborhood. In another he deals with the repercussions of spending all his money. And, in the last, he deals with just a plain old bad day where nothing seems to go right. In each story Alexander feels kind of glum and is afraid that no one understands his struggle. By the end of each story though, he learns a lesson and learns his responsibility for his actions. The stories don�t end on particularly happy notes, where all works out despite everything, but rather shows a given realization being reached by young Alexander: that if you spend your money frivolously, you won�t �be rich�, that everyone has bad days and it�s just part of life, and that sometimes we have to do things we are afraid of and that we don�t want to do, such as move to a new neighborhood.

The stories are written on about a second grade reading level. Kids ages seven and eight will have little difficulty with the language or with following the story line. Honestly though, I�m not sure that kids this age will get the moral of the story on their own. They may just see the ending where Alexander doesn�t get what he wants as unfulfilling until an adult explains further.

Excellent book on a California Asian Fusion style of food preparation. Great graphic photos of food preparation with easy to follow instruction to make the various foods. This book prompted a visit to three of the restaurants now in operation in California. Planning to visit the other two in Oregon soon.In particular the Cantina in Pacific Beach, California. Awesome interior design highlighted by a bar from Indonesia and a 1200 pound statue of Budah. Friday, saturday & sundays are heavy customer attendance. The food presentation is very unique. I've recommended this experience to my friends. The Cantina is open for breakfast(awesome), lunch (awesome), and dinner(equally awesome experience).

After eating at the Cantina for years, it was wonderful to finally be able to experience the food at home. Excellent recipes, photos and presentation. I highly recommend this book.

My husband and I ate in Isabel's restaurant in San Diego weekly when we lived in San Diego for four years. We just moved to Chicago and I can't explain my joy when I found out she not only had a cookbook, but one with many of my favorite dishes from the restaurant in it! It is one of the things I miss most about San Diego--luckily, I can still enjoy this great food when I make it in my own home!

Ate at her restaurant and had to get the book as the food was wonderful. The photos and the recipes are
great. We tried them at home and they are unique and great tasting.

The only reason I give this book 4 stars instead of 5 is that if you were not a cook, it would be hard to follow the recipes, as they leave out things that you'd know as a cook to do, but wouldn't if you were a novice. Nonetheless, this is a great book with great photos.

I first encountered Isabel's cooking at her Dragonfly restaurant in Ashland Oregon a couple of years ago. As director of the Center of Excellence in Nutritional Genomics it is important for me to look the part so I ordered the grilled chicken lettuce wrap thinking that it would be low-cal, healthy but tasteless. Boy was I surprised and my family and I have been regulars every since. I was delighted find that many of Isabel's great dishes are now available in "Isabel's Cantina: Bold Latin Flavors." I purchased her book recently and I wasn't disappointed. Isabel has managed to capture in this well written and beautifully illustrated book, the very best of the "fusion" cuisine. Drawing on her multicultural experiences in the LA area, Isabel blends international flavors and ingredients into dishes that are both delicious and fun, not to mention healthy. Her recipes are certainly at the forefront of current food trends that place greater emphasis on flavor and a healthier balance between protein and vegetable. Is Isabel's Cantina: Bold Latin Flavors the new cuisine for the global village? Is Ms. Cruz the new female "Bobby Flay" of the West Coast? I don't know but her style and recipes have put the excitement back into fusion cooking.

This book blew me away. The art and storytelling are so complimentary, it makes the experience of reading this trade paperback truly amazing. The art was definitely the first aspect that drew me in, then the story pulled me closer and wouldn't let go. I highly recommend checking this out. Arthur Dela Cruz is a rare talent, this artist excells at more than one medium, and this read is surely proof of that. I found myself lingering on pages long after reading the words, taking in the art. Then, found myself later to be thinking about the words I had just read and considering all the twists and turns that had happened. Wonderful. Enjoy this book.

This is one of the most beautiful comics i have ever seen. ADC's use of grey's to create an almost surreal mood is wonderful. The story itself is also surreal, you never know what is really going on, kinda like watching a David Lynch movie. If you like Lynch, I suspect you'll like this too. Can't wait for the rest of the series' to come out, i can't wait to see where the road ends. I find ADC's website useful, [website] for when you want to find out info on the next series' and some samples from the book if you want to take a look. And if you want to get your girlfriend into comics, this is the perfect choice.

This collection of Arthur Dela Cruz's Kissing Chaos series was a great read. The art pulled me in and the writing pulled me closer. I've always been a fan of "on the run" stories, and this book was no exception. Chances are, you haven't seen art like this much before. A combination of medias that when combined, made perfect sense. Keep your eyes open for the now available comic book entitled "Kissing Chaos-1000 Words". It continues the story of Damien & Angela and sheds new light on events from the first collection. I recommend this trade paperback 100%.

I remember hearing rumors about Kissing Chaos when it was first published. When Oni announced they were releasing a collection of the first series, I suddenly became entrenched in intrigue. I ran out and bought most of the issues, unable to wait for the trade. The story and art were fascinating. A great deal of the events and characters are shrouded in mystery, which adds a huge ammount to the epic nature of the tale. This collection is well-worth a close look. First, it collects the entire first storyarc into one book. Second, it has a bunch of backup stories orginally printed online and at conventions. It also features Dela-Cruz's sketchbook and a how-to on his coloring technique. Finally, the unique size of the graphic novel makes it look just like a paperback novel, so no one knows you're reading comics! I am in eager anticipation of the next collection.

I'm not a huge comic collector, but this stands out as the best series I own. The story is well written and the artwork is amazing, creating a great book about kids running away from the law. Reading it, you will get the feeling that this could be easily turned into a film, or be right out of a regular novel, which makes it great to buy even if you don't normally read comics or graphic novels. I'd highly recommend this to anyone, whether you own a huge collection of action comics and appreciate great graphic novels, or if you've never really liked comics and was looking to just start getting into them. After reading this one several times over, it seems clear that Arthur Dela Cruz will soon become a big name in the comic world.

'In as much as you have done it unto the least of these, My brothers, You have done it unto Me." Nicky Cruz makes you realize that cleaning up the vomit from a heroin addict who needs your help brings one far closer to YHWH and His glory than sitting in a comfortable pew listening to a sermon. Nicky and many others have had LIVES that are sermons. In this book you see up close what Yahusha meant when He said the prostitutes and tax collectors were going into Heaven before the religious leaders. It was awesome to see how one person's life can be used by the Holy Spirit to dramatically revolutionize tens of thousands of other people's lives. There are a series of "one person's" seen here. We hear of David Wilkerson leading Nicky (and only Heaven knows how many others) out of sin and abject misery into love and joy and transformed lives. (I did not realize he was also instrumental in impacting the Minister of the famed Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.) Then the Holy Fire leaps from Nicky to others who also pass it on. This is the real thing. A very convicting story.
If you haven't read, or seen the movie of, The Cross and the Switchblade,
chances are you will be greatly impacted by it.
I used to agree with the saying, "You can catch sickness but you can't catch health." Well, now I believe that the healing of the soul from the Holy Spirit can indeed be passed on from one person to another, and in fact, we are to be willing instruments used for that purpose.

Before I make my comments:
I want it to be known, I RECOMMEND this book. 4 1/2 stars

I will start by saying if you have never heard of Nicky Cruz.
Please read "The Cross and the Switchblade" by David Wilkerson, and then "Run Baby Run" by Nicky Cruz. Then you will have a better understanding of where Nicky Cruz came from.

After having reading the other two books (I mentioned) I found this book interesting. At first I thought it sounded like a book "about Nicky" but as I continued reading on I believe it was Nicky telling his life experiences FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.

Also, for the first half of the book I thought it should have been titled "The life and times of Nicky Cruz" I didn't quite get where they came up with this title "One Holy Fire..." As I read on it made more sense, though I still think the title was not the best match to the content of the book.

That being said I really like the book especially knowing the past of Nicky Cruz. I felt like he was quite transparent in this book, and gave glory to God.

This book, I felt, picked up excitement as you read it. The more I read it the more I enjoyed it, so don't put it down to quick.

It's a remarkable story, and feel it would be good for anyone hungry for the REAL and LIVING Christ.

Jim

I have to admit in over twenty-nine years of ministry, I have not read a Nicky Cruz book until now. Sure, back in the early 70s I saw the Cross and the Switch Blade, but not being a Christian at the time I was not too impressed. So when my youth minister laid this book on my desk, it sat there for almost two weeks until an overwhelming sense of guilt and obligation make me pick it up and begin to read.

This is a wonderful book. As I read it, I could sense the integrity of Nicky Cruz. How refreshingly honest it is to read when Nicky tells us that he has not written a book in the past eight years because he had nothing to say. As an avid reader of Christian books, it become readily apparent that too many authors repackage sermons and stoop to write drivel just to publish another book to receive royalty checks. As soon as I read this confession, I was hooked. On the integrity issue, we see how Nicky had to come to grips with the cult of celebrity and his sense of being used to attract crowds so Christian entertainers could earn more money. I was shocked to see how his publisher failed to pay him any significant royalties on his book Run Baby Run, an international bestseller. I was awed by the grace with which Nicky accepted his plight and gave God the glory for it.

Enough about the author lets look at the book. Cruz calls the church to stop doing church and to be the church- to abandon its fear of men and to follow without hesitation the leading of the Holy Spirit. It is, as the poet said, a road less traveled. Interlaced with personal stories, Cruz argues persuasively for a life of faith and trust in the sovereign moves of the Holy Spirit- that as Christians we could turn the world upside down if we would just get out of the way and let God be God.

For us control freaks this is a word we need to hear. The Holy Spirits fire is something we cannot calculate or control. It the truth be told, too many us prefer predictability and security to the guidance of Gods Spirit. The results are predictable- stagnating or declining churches where the power of God is absent. We cannot have both- We must surrender the leading and power of the Holy Spirit and see lives transformed, or we can try to control the sovereign God and get only the results that we, ourselves, are capable of getting. I choose to follow God.

I strongly recommend this book to every Christian who is looking to serve God in any capacity. One Holy Fire is a solid reminder of what God is willing and able to do whenever He finds a believer that will yield completely to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
In this book, Nicky Cruz narrates amazing accounts of God's power, deliverance and love towards the hurting and helpless. He also shares inspiring testimonies of how God has mentored, supported and refreshed him throughout his ministry. One Holy Fire is a refreshing, uplifting and anointed book. I believe it will greatly bless every person - clergy or laity - who reads it with an open heart.

Nicky Cruz author of 'Run Baby Run' and whose life was subject of the motion picture 'The Cross and the Switchblade' (from the title book by David Wilkerson) has a new book that will set your soul afire. 'One Holy Fire' is such a book with never-before-published stories from his ministry that will make your heart quake and explode your imagination. Cruz shares dramatic stories of physical, emotional and spiritual healing. Thousands have come to Christ as a result of the Spirit working his life. Cruz explores spiritual promises regarding the Holy Spirit's work and what it means to "Walk in the Spirit." 'One Holy Fire' will inspire you to live according to the Spirit's guidance. After reading and applying what purpose the Spirit has for you, you will experience new energy as the Spirit of God works in your life. This book has so much anointed power, that it's sure to change you how you live your life. If you've searching to be set on fire for the fulfillment of God's joy let 'One Holy Fire' ignite the flame of your deepest desire. I recommend this highly.

I travelled throughout Bolivia and Peru a few years back and I can relate to this travel diary. I think it is a "Must-Read" for anyone thinking of travelling to Bolivia. I like how they took bits and pieces of blogs and put them in the book and printed the weblink for the addresses. I have surfed around some of the sites and there is a ton of info on them.

Some hilarious stories that any South American Traveller can relate too. It is also filled with great tips and advice. It will come in handy as I am planning on going back to Bolivia next summer.

Unfortunately, I went to Bolivia before reading this book and now realize all the things I missed. I am definetely inspired to return to Bolivia someday after reading this book. Each of the stories has a different style, some I liked a lot and some not so much, but they are all are interesting and extremely informative. You can read about a lot of places that are not found in conventional guide books and get a real sense of what places have a good vibe and are worth visiting and what places to avoid.

Hilburn definitely captured the essence of Bolivia. Whether you are a first time vistor or a long time resident you will enjoy the compulations captured in this great book. A must read for anyone interested in the inside track to the culture of this intriguing land.

I highly recommend this to readers with a soul for adventure and a curiosity not easily satisfied. Entertaining and educational. I definitely will share with my five friends and brothers.

Having traveled Bolivia and falling in love with the country, i was curious to see what this book was all about being the skeptic that i am. However i was pleasantly suprised upon reading the anecdotal humor that Hilburn uses so eloquently. Even if you have no plans to ever visit Bolivia, the stories in this book are alone well worth the purchase. Its very easy to read and you will be very happy you did. Next to the Bible, this is one of my all time favorites. Adam Rosenfeld

Hard to put down. Reads from a journal prospective of many adventurous sojourns to Bolivia. I can appreciate that because it gives a lot of different takes on various desitnations, all from individual travellers. Witty, humorous, and full of incredible experiences; but also some well learned lessons and places to avoid. This book has enlightened me to the romance and adventure of taking the back road while backpacking on my forthcoming trip to Bolivia.

Picked this up for an extended Northern California hiking and riding trip. I purchased about four others as well and I used all of them as each has a little something different. Not a single one was useless and none warranted less than 4 stars. I would reccomend doing the same rather than just picking one for your trip.

Like all other Afoot and Afield guides I own, this one is excellent and very useful. The Bay area is so large and wonderful that a truly comprehensive guide would take 10 volumes, but this book does a great job at summarizing the main hiking areas, and I found it very useful when I stayed in the area for a few months. I did not find most of the text too useful, given that it largely describes directions which can be easily inferred from the map. But the brief highlight description of each trail is very useful to decide where to go, and equally useful are indications of difficulty and length of each trail. Take into account that if you are in good shape and you hike without many stops, the hike duration indicated in the book are likely an overestimate of how long it will take you to complete a trip. Most trips categorized as "difficult" are actually easy, but they are just long. What I really LOVE about this book, however, are the maps. A large map of the whole Bay area is subdivided into smaller zones, and the book reports a more detailed map for each zone. Then the zone map clearly indicates the location of each hike, and finally you will find one very detailed and very reliable map for each hike. These maps are really well done, and there is pretty much no way you can get lost using them. Highly recommended!

The newest title in the outstanding "Afoot & Afield" series from Wilderness Press, Afoot & Afield San Francisco Bay Area by David Weintraub features no less than 102 memorable hiking trips around the greater Bay Area ranging from a 1.5-mile stroll through Golden Gate Park, to rigorous10-mile treks. From M. St. Helena (near Caistoga) the tallest summit in the North Bay (4339 feet), to the Sonoma coast's Kortum trial skirting the Pacific ocean, to the waterfalls of the eastern Santa Cruz mountains near San Jose, to the Peninsula's Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve, this is the ideal guide for hikers, dog walkers, bikers, backbackers, and outdoor enthusiasts. An invaluable, "user friendly" guide to personally exploring the coast, canyons, and ridges around the San Pablo and San Francisco bays and beyond, Afoot & Afield San Francisco Bay Area is the ideal and enthusiastically recommended planner for day trips, weekend excursions, or holiday outings.

Wilderness Press has a series of books on the SF Bay Area hiking trails (two of which are written by Weintraub): East Bay Trails, South Bay Trails, North Bay Trails, and Peninsula Trails. Those books are excellent and obviously have the kind of complete and detailed coverage that a single book of the same size cannot offer for the same vast area. But if you wish to buy only a single book on hiking in the SF Bay Area, this one is the best I've seen. It discusses hiking opportunities from Santa Rosa in the north to just outside Santa Cruz in the south. It discusses more hikes than any other book (except the Foghorn one, which however offers no maps). It has excellent maps, along with detailed directions, the attractions of each hike, the best season for the hike, and so on. Unlike those in some other books, the maps included cover more than just the hikes discussed, so in essence it leads you to many more trails than those listed in the book. It also mentions (though does not have the space to discuss in detail) some of the flora and fauna you might notice on the hike, and offers some photos. If you don't get separate books on each area, this is almost certainly the one to get.

Great guide to the bay area. If you want just one book for a hiking guide to the bay area this is the one to buy. Truly up to date and will probably surprise most bay area outdoor enthusiasts with the comprehensive hiking coverage of the area. Even after living here for more than a decade I found new reasons to visit parks that had faded in memory. This guy has truly walked these trails. When you see the accuracy of the trail descriptions, the abundance of information on wildflowers and the choice morsels of local lore you know you are walking with a guide whose heart is in his boots. Another great guide book from this author.

I purchased four books on angels at the same time and this book was the most well-rounded, easiest, and most interesting to read. It covers the different duties and characteristics of the nine choirs of angels. It gives many incidents of encounters with angels experienced by people in the bible and by Catholic saints, as well as known appearances of angels over the centuries to crowds of people. It talks about guardian angels as delineated in the bible, and the three named angels; Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. The second part of the book deals with the fallen third of the angels, Satan and his followers, not balking at describing their tactics and characters.

During the first half of this wonderful book, you will swear that you can hear the heavenly choirs. It is that beautiful. And the second half, where Ms. Cruz deals with their demonic counterparts, is as important as the first half is lovely. This is an important and beautifully written book. Pick up a copy and emerse yourself in its simple and compelling truth. Learn of the beauty of the spirit world and the terribly important role of Holy Church. God bless.

This book is one of the greatest Masterpieces ever written for anyone who knows (or would like to learn) that this world for now is not only difficult to navigate but almost impossible to endure without the assistance of Angelic help against powerful demonic entities. Now, I have don't have the answer to why bad things happen to good people or why God permits suffering, tragedy, and evil itself. There are tons of books on that topic right here at Amazon.com. But if you are going through a dreadful bad patch and feel like it is truly an attack that you cannot see, hear, touch except if it comes by way of the most difficult people in your life - please buy this book. Your entire outlook will change and eventually (in my opinion) you will be better able to deal with the toughest stuff out there. I just cannot help asking WHEN will we wake up and realize that there is real help that doesn't come from a pill, a movie, a cult, a new "technique" for tragedy, or even the advice from your closest friend. A friend...like the Angels in this book.

At the very least, quite a satisfactory introduction to the subject of Angels and demons. Moreover, Joan Carroll Cruz approaches this fascinating topic as one of the faithful. This makes for a refreshing change from the breathless and heretical blather put out by misguided New Agers.

The book is well written and researched. But Mrs. Cruz uses the same stories and quotes from a handful of Saints, Blesseds, priests, etc. to make different points (be prepared to read the same passages, verbatim, numerous times throughout the book). I don't think this retreading, as it were, serves her or the reader particularly well. Still, there's something to be said for Mrs. Cruz's vignette, rather than narrative, approach -- despite the redundancies, it makes for a read that is not only fast, easy, and enjoyable, but also informative.

Recommended.

Joan Cruz has written an excellent and very useful book that one will keep referring to. She presents many examples from the lives of the saints on both the good and bad side of the angelic realm. All catholic clergy shouls read it as well as lay people.