David Books

Last summer I borrowed this book from the library for my daughter who was then 3. Although we had borrowed many other books, this one was our favorite. We would read it over and over and over. This is a great book for any little girl who is bursting to start using her imagination!!

We came across this book at the library accidently and knew we must own it. My 4 yr old daugther Gabriella loves all things magical and this was such an adorable book. Great story, beautiful watercolor pictures.

Definitely a must have.

A fantastic children's book of a little girl telling about her winter coat which is not just any winter coat, & the six magical buttons which she gives along the way to her newfound friends.

Great way to learn to count & read, to see how good deeds are done & their results. I recommend "The Magical, Mystical, Marvelous Coat" to anyone with small children around - they'll love it!

This exciting, enchanting story will delight you and your children just as it delighted me and mine! It's a warm tale about a child's magical coat and the people in need whose problems are solved by the coat's wonder-working buttons. In these difficult days, the story's theme of giving to others and the way such generosity comes back to the giver, is especially welcome. We loved the rhymes and the beautiful pictures, and we can't wait for more books from this wonderful author.

I loved this book - a delicious combination of imaginative story-telling and pictorial enchantment. The narrative has rhythm, rhyme and pace. Simple as well as subtle; traditional with a twist. It makes for captivating reading aloud, and children can understand and pick up the themes and rhythm with ease. The lush and delicate imagery is a perfect compliment to the magical world of a child's imagination wherein we encounter a variety of storyland characters. Careful attention to her friends' needs and a generosity of spirit are justly rewarded at tale's end.
Light and as welcome as a breeze on a summer's day.

This novel is one of the best I have read. Alex Haley and Stevens express a kind of compassion from a grandmother/mother that no one could do better. It's a very emotional book, and touches everyone that has ever experienced a good book. Once you start it, you can't put it down!

This book made you feel apart of it. I loved it! I loved the history, the story, the emotions and how it wove a story of a loving family working their way through life. This is a must read.

Pretend that there is a really good review here. I loved reading this novel. It is one that is vary hard to put down because you can't help wondering what is going to happen next.

At the center of Mama Flora's Family is the indomitable spirit of Mama Flora, the matriarch of an extraordinary family of destitute Tennessee sharecroppers. The characters are so real and believable it made this reader feel that I was right there with them experiencing all their trials and tribulations, as well as the joys. This book is much more than a poignant, hard-to-put-down story of a Mama Flora and her descendants from 1920 to the late 1990s. It, for the most part, effectively weaves into the plot much of what has transpired in American/African-American history during this time period (e.g., life for African-Americans in the South, the rise of the Civil Rights movement, the Black Panthers, the Nation of Islam, the Viet Nam war, political repression under Idi Amin, etc). Mama Flora's Family is a rich, resonant family novel that cuts across the barriers that divide us to touch the hearts of people of all races and backgrounds. I highly recommend this excellent, emotionally-packed posthumous novel written by David Stevens based on Alex Haley's notes and research.

Reading this book is like cozying up with a warm blanket. The authors provide so much detail that you feel like YOUR grandmother is sitting in front of you, recounting the tales. The book spans the decades, from the early 1900s to the late 1970s and throws in a bit of history/current events to place the family's hostory in context. Great book!

This book was an eye-opener for me. The discussion about our "shadows" was so important because for the first time in my life I understood my own behavior and what kinds of things trigger shadow behavior for me. The only thing that seemed unrealistic is that of all the examples Dr. Kantor used regarding relationships with couples he had worked with, the results were almost always positive if the couple was married; rarely did the couple actually split up and I remember one of the only couples who did split up were only engaged, not married. That's great if that's how this has really worked, but I suspect he left out stories about couples who ended up deciding not to stay together.

Turn off your phone, cancel your evening and grab your bright yellow highlighter...get in a comfortable position, fire up your itty bitty book light because you cannot put this down. You have been "put down" enough, or you would not be reading this...get real. This will do it!
How glorious the truth rang. Each theory is followed with actual couple stories. I felt like I knew these people...their stories are your stories, and my stories. David Kantor passes no judgement, and eloquently and calmly reports what he has seen and heard--- really points out how important "your life story is" when relating to an intimate other. It all makes so much sense...in these times of war, it would be lovely to dissolve the 'wars' between those who claim to love one another...this shows and tells. This book is the "bones" for any further relationship books you read---it will haunt you.
My bible...

This book is a must buy for anyone who is, or wants to be, married. The truth is this: everyone gets married twice, the only question is whether it is to the same person. This book gives couples the best chance to rediscover (or discover) true love.

You know as well as I do, that every author in this field has the magic "phrase", "touch", or "plan", even to the point of describing men and women as coming from different planets. And in these works, a lot of blame is foisted on environment, upbringing, etc.

What is refreshing about Kantor's explanation and experiences, is that the truth seems nothing more than what YOU feel and what YOU expect to feel about YOUR life and the relations YOU make within it. Face it, you've been betrayed as a child, you have expectations on how to recover from that betrayal, and you want your partner to represent that Hero who will rescue you from that situation so it never happens again. Unlike other works, he doesn't dwell on the mysticism of it all. He gives his diagnoses in frank, straightforward prose. I appreciated this approach.

I really liked Kantors questions on how to start to reveal your betrayals and your expectations to yourself. To get you thinking about your distant past, your relationship with your parents, he has you remember not only what your parents did or said to you, but how you remember them smelling. Wow, this is powerful stuff.

Having written that, I believe you have to be in the right frame of mind to get anything out of this book. I mean, a closed mind is closed and reading this work won't open it.

For those suspecting that they can do better with their partners or even the people around them, and needing a new path to explore, dive in to this pool. The water is fine.

"The couples to whom I have recommended this book all had a similar response after reading it: they identified with the couples and the issues described in the book, went through an initial crisis, and as a result of that crisis had a major breakthrough in their relationship leading to a much deeper understanding of each other's myths, more compassion for each other, a renewed commitment to their relationship and a more satisfying, passionate sex life. I will certainly continue to recommend Dr. Kantor's book to the couples I am working with, my students, and my colleagues. -Ulrike Dettling, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Arlington Reiki Associates

This is the first publication with his entire collection. Even lost paintings are represented by old black and white photographs. The images are not large, but the quality of this book is wonderful. By far the best buy for any Rothko fan (besides an original...)

Opening the package as it arrived from Amazon, easing this massive catalogue from its slipcase triggered a memory: walking to the edge of the Grand Canyon. With similar impact: awe. David Anfam brings the reader with him to encounter, view, & experience Rothko's work. His ten-year dedication paid off with the discovery of "lost" titles, setting the chronology of 836 works on canvas, (he couldn't have been afraid to get his hands dirty) & analyzing the slow struggle, sporadic leaps engendered by the painter in the evolution of the oeuvre. As scholar, teacher, critic, curator, & especially writer, Anfam proves the perfect choice to perform the daunting, almost impossible task of bringing Rothko into focus.

The author insightfully tracks the early representational beginnings, (his foray into narrative linked with crossing boundaries is totally appropriate for the artist from Dvinsk, Portland, New York) through the mythological (application of Kermode's distinction between "Chronos" & "Kairos" is utterly intriguing), & makes a case for Rembrandt as the source for Rothko's obsessions with tragedy & darkness, Vermeer his source for color's sensuality. Anfam traces in detail, using numerous examples of the brilliant reproductions, how the multiforms foreshadowed the work of the classic period. The architectural contexts for the Chapel are pure genius: Vincent Scully's, "The Earth, the Temple, & the Gods"; Joseph Rykwert's, "The Dancing Column"; & Leo Bersani's, Ulysse Dutoit's, "Arts of Impoverishment."

Anfam's breadth of vocabulary is English, yet he has benfitted from years in the States with a rapid, laconic language that impels the reader forward, informs succinctly. Purposely parrying time-worn quarrels, he unearths the more "thorny," "shady" aspects of dilemmas presented by such a complex art.

Two things happened as a result of reading MARK ROTHKO / THE WORKS on CANVAS / CATALOGUE RAISONNE. During a recent visit to C&M Gallery in NY for a show of eight Rothko's, alone in the second room, I heard them. A few nights ago I had a dream of a handwritten note on a table in the front room of an auction house that said, "The Last Painting." Rereading Helene Cixous's essay by that name (subtitled, "Or the Portrait of God"), she writes, "I think of the last Rembrandt. A man? Or a painting?" [in Cixous', "Coming to Writing and other Essays."] Anfam has presented us with the triumphant Rothko.

A work of major importance in the history of modernism, David Anfam's catalogue raisonne is brilliant, lively, entertaining, and handsome. Combining vigorous scholarship with creative imagination, it offers the best ever understanding of Rothko and must be considered a prerequisite to any and all encounters with Rothko. Anfam's eloquent text takes the reader through the paintings in a most delightful way while the paintings themselves are a joy to see thanks to what surely were monumental efforts on the part of all those involved with design and production. This book is the best of its kind in every way and a bargain at the price!

David Anfam has given students of twentieth-century art the much needed and previously missing in-depth study of Mark Rothko, a key figure in understanding the esoteric art of this century. Lesser studies by lesser minds have failed where Anfam has not -- scholarly attention to detail; carefully informed visual analysis of ALL the works on canvas; subtle conclusions; historical context. Anfam's rasionne is a must read!

Anfam's study is a great deal more than a much-needed reference book. Anyone interested in the history of modern art would find this study illuminating and exciting. Not only does it provide the first complete catalogue of Rothko's paintings on canvas (almost all in gorgeous color reproduction), it also includes numerous fresh and original insights concerning Rothko's intellectual and artistic sources. A monumental scholarly achievement, this volume will long remain a model for the field.

This is a excellent diatribe for both Evangical and Catholic readers that explains, without bias, the positions that support both perspectives. Hopefully this dialogue enhances the understanding between both demoninations.

Mary consists of a conversational debate between two friends from Bob Jones University - Dwight Longnecker, a writer who converted to Roman Catholicism, and David Gustafson, an Anglican lawyer. The subjects of the debate consist of various aspects of marian doctrine taught by the Roman Catholic church. These include Mary's perpetual virginity, the immaculate conception, the glorious assumption, apparitions, veneration, the rosary, and the co-redeemer / mediatrix controversy.

The arguments are presented more as a friendly, though serious, conversation between colleagues than a series of polemical attacks and defenses. Most of the discourse consists of e-mail style single paragraph repartee, and rarely does one writer get more than a single page before a response is given. A surprising amount of information still manages to be presented although this format would not seem to allow it. It would be well beyond the scope of this review to discuss the multitude of arguments and counter-arguments throughout the book, but in general both sides present their cases as clearly as they would like and neither gives the impression that their case has not been heard.

One of the biggest strengths of the book is that neither author is willing to back down from what they consider the truth in the name of ecumenism. This concern is stated succinctly by Longnecker when he writes, "if I doubt the value of theological polemics, I'm also suspicious of that kind of sentimental ecumenical dialogue that doesn't believe there is really a problem" (209). Although the authors are friends, neither is willing to back down from the real differences between the two traditions, nor are they afraid to deal with whatever ramifications follow. If marian dogma will keep the Church split down Roman Catholic and Protestant lines, then so be it. Another strength is the knowledge of both sides of each other's positions. This is not a straw man bashing conversation between two radicals. Rather, each admits the strengths and weaknesses of the other's points, and even draws from the other's tradition to reinforce his own position. Thus, the dialogue comes across in an intelligent and respectful manner. It does not seem that either side is taking unfair shots at the other.

The biggest weakness comes from the very nature of the debate itself. Although Gustafson is far from timid, most of the concessions in the debate come from his side. This is not surprising, for his is really the only side that is allowed to do so regardless of how the argument pans out or the debater might actually think. While it would have been appreciated much earlier in the book, Gustafson states the issue clearly when he writes that "when the matter is not Catholic dogma, Catholic individuals have the liberty of expressing their own doubts more freely, or even making personal concessions. But when the questions are about defined Catholic dogma, there isn't really much to discuss, is there?" This is exactly the problem with the attempt to debate a Roman Catholic - reason and Scripture are not considered the Catholic's final authority, and therefore arguments based on them have little chance of success. Throughout the book as Gustafson's arguments get stronger, Longnecker simply retreats into the "safe zone" of Roman Catholic authority. That authority is the real issue is admitted by Longnecker when he writes, "this question [the question of authority] has really been lurking behind our whole discussion. I once had a meal with a friendly Franciscan who was fond of fried chicken. Over the meal I was (as an Anglican) arguing with him about the Immaculate Conception. He ended the conversation by saying cheerfully, `We believe in the Immaculate Conception because the Pope tells us to. Pass the fried chicken.'" Having been in Gustafson's shoes a time or two, I can say that this is an accurate assessment. Unfortunately it is this problem that gets the least exposure. That is, many of the arguments revolved around a "private interpretation" of Scripture or of the official teachings of Rome. Yet it is this very issue of private interpretation that Roman Catholics claim to successfully avoid by their reliance on the teaching magesterium. However, adding a human authority structure to Scripture does not solve the problem, rather, this move merely pushes the question back a step.

The truth is that both Roman Catholics and Protestants must, in the end, rely upon their reasoning abilities (to choose their authority) and their interpretive skills (to understand what that authority teaches) in order to determine what they will believe. Protestants are simply more willing to admit that this is the case.

Based on previous reviews, I had high expectations for this book, and I'm happy to say that all of my expectations were met! This is an excellent book for understanding two different views about Mary.

Both participants in the debate are respectful of each other's conclusions. The discussion never degenerates into mere name-calling. I think that Gustafson, the Protestant, sometimes bends over backwards and is too generous toward the Roman Catholic point of view, but that is much better than allowing the debate to degenerate into mere polemics.

The foundational issue is authority. Once Longenecker accepts the authority of the Roman Catholic Church to decide on all doctrinal issues regardless of Biblical support, he cannot help but express his devotion to Mary. In that sense the discussion over Mary is secondary. The real issue concerns the relationship of the Bible to the church. Is the Bible authoritative? Or can the Roman Catholic Church legitimately add to its teaching?

While reading the presentations of Longenecker, I couldn't help but observe that his commitment to the Roman Catholic Church and Mary pushes him to finding some kind of doctrinal defense no matter how much it strains credibility. His reasoning in defense of Mary's Bodily Assumption fits that description. (But it forced me to ask whether evangelicals ever do the same in some of their apologetic presentations on other issues. It's always easier to spot the speck in someone else's eye than the plank in our own.)

After reading the book, I was more convinced than before that Marian devotion is misguided--to say the least. But Longenecker did make me realize that such devotion began relatively early in the life of the church. Evangelicals need to explain its early origin and its continued existence and development. Why did leading theologians such as Augustine not see how mistaken it was? How could Martin Luther go beyond the New Testament and speak of Mary in such glowing terms?

I do have one minor criticism. The book uses both footnotes and endnotes. I could not figure out why some notes qualify for the bottom of the page but others are relegated to the end of the book.

All in all, this is an excellent book for anyone who is genuinely seeking to understand the issues about Mary that are debated between Protestants and Roman Catholics. It is very informative, and I highly recommend it.

When one deals with the subject of Mary, he is stepping into a sensitive arena especially with all that mutual misunderstandings between Catholics and Protestants for each others points. But before I state my opinion about the subject, allow me once again to state my denominational background so that I won’t be misunderstood or considered blindly biased for my denomination: I was born of an Orthodox father (thus I am officially an Orthodox), raised as a Catholic by my mother and school, and recently I am getting more acquainted with the Evangelical doctrines. So I can describe myself as a NON-denominational believer trying to take the best from each of those three mainline churches; this is where reading and studying comes in.

So back to the subject of Mary, ever since I became a believer and started to read the Bible as well as read about the Evangelical line of thought, I noticed there is something wrong with some of the doctrines my Church (Catholic, and to a lesser degree Orthodox) taught me. The Bible doesn’t mention anything about the Immaculate Conception (Mary being exempt from the stain of original sin), doesn’t mention anything about her rapture, nothing about her being a co-redeemer or mediatrix or advocate, the Bible doesn’t mention anywhere that we should pray to her or venerate her… So naturally, I had a lot of questions and since there is a big dispute about these between the Catholics and Protestants, I needed a book that is the least possibly biased so that I get to know their respective arguments. And here is the real strength of this book!

The title says it all. “Mary: a Catholic-Evangelical debate” is written in a form of a debate between a Catholic (Dwight Logenecker) and an Evangelical (David Gustafson). Each Marian subject has a chapter dedicated to it where the two authors each take turns to present their ideas and arguments. It’s like watching a live debate which was another positive point about the book. The subjects discussed are: the biblical presentation of Mary, the title “Mother of God”, the virgin birth (all in favor here), the perpetual virginity, the title “Spouse of the Holy Spirit”, the Immaculate Conception, the assumption, the veneration, the apparitions, the rosary and the titles “co-redeemer, mediatrix, advocate”.

Another important aspect which makes this book great is the brotherly and respectful spirit of discussion between the two authors. You really see that they aren’t arguing just for the sake of it, or to show who is scoring more points. They are really open to one another and both seem to debate for one reason: unravel THE truth. And so I started to read and reflect on each author’s point of view.

In chapter one, you’ll see how much in common there is between the two. I live in a country where the Evangelicals are almost considered cultic (being a minority), sometimes put on the same level as Jehovah’s Witnesses’, and sometimes even called “Mary haters”! (wow). Such a big misunderstanding (I am trying hard to avoid the offensive word of Ignorance) is very unfortunate. Both affirm how important and how holy Mary is, as the Bible is very clear here: she was the first Christian, the most obedient to God, her pure womb was chosen to bear Jesus while she was still a virgin, she is the no1 Saint of Christianity, a raw model for us all. Protestants strongly affirm this stand but stop here. Catholics take it a few steps further. So using the word “Mary haters” or such is really preposterous and couldn’t be explained except by ignorance and unfounded speculations. On the other hand, calling Catholics “Mary Worshippers” (as some fundamental Protestants do) also misrepresents the Catholic position, and here, ignorance finds its place again.

Regarding the virgin birth of Jesus (Mary conceived Jesus by a miraculous act from the holy spirit, without any sexual relation), it is a dogma upheld by ALL Christians, so no need to discuss it here.

Regarding the title “Mother of God”, Evangelicals accept this term but with caution because they say it could confuse the laymen (for after all, God has no mother in the proper term, Mary is but a creature of God). They prefer the original word used by the early Christians as stated in the council of Ephesus: Theotokos meaning God-Bearer. But here the disagreement is subtle and rely on the proper interpretation of words. I think the evangelical caution is warranted.

On the perpetual virginity, I learned that the Bible isn’t conclusive here. Some Protestants say Mary could and should have had a normal husband-wife relationship with Joseph AFTER(!) the birth of Jesus, because the Bible say “she didn’t knew a man UNTIL the birth of Jesus” (Matt 1:25), that they “lived together”, that the Bible mentions “brothers and sisters” for Jesus (meaning half-). They rightly affirm that the Bible teach that sexual relations between a husband and wife is honorable in the eyes of God, and that Mary and Joseph living their marriage fully does in NO way lessen the holiness of Mary or affect the holiness and divinity of Jesus. But Catholics are also right here that the Bible also doesn’t mention that they did have any such relation, and that the term bro/sis could be explained as cousins in the language of the Jews. And why did Jesus assign Mary to John if she had other children? The debate then naturally centered on whether celibacy is holier than marriage, which is the true origin of this disagreement. But it seems that the majority of the very early church fathers taught the perpetual virginity which seems to be the most widespread in the early church. I am standing with the Catholics on this one.

As for the title of “Spouse of the Holy Spirit”, the Catholics have gone too far, inventing words that could (and surely will) confuse the people. Of course, they do NOT mean that Mary is the literal wife of God, they mean it in a more spiritual term. But David argued right here that such a title is neither found in the Bible, neither doctrinally needed, and is fertile ground for erroneous understanding by the believers.

As for the doctrines of Immaculate Conception and Glorious Assumption (Mary’s body was taken up to heaven), David was a fierce lion here, Dwight almost “sweating” defending those two doctrines. Now both agree (yes even Dwight!) that these ideas are completely absent from the Bible. The Catholic Church introduced them VERY late in her history, relying mostly on some early apocryphal books (like the Protoevangelium of James, which Dwight used extensively to prove his point). But, what’s weird is that, both Catholics and Evangelicals rejected these works as scripture for their many errors and gnostic exaggerations. So I really couldn’t find any logic in Dwight’s approach and found the Catholic doctrine very wanting (even the Orthodox rejected them)

Regarding the apparitions, I think no one had the upper hand here. I agree with the Evangelicals that the Bible clearly warns about following any miraculous signs or messages from heaven, as we do not have a way to really foretell whether they are 1/truly from heaven 2/lies and inventions from people wanting some profit 3/hallucinations or 4/demonic manifestations (the most dangerous). The revelation is complete in the Bible. Also, Evangelicals are VERY jealous people for Jesus, and are at much unease when anything distracts the attention from Jesus even if it was towards any saint. The glory is to God alone. But I am with Dwight here that we shouldn’t go so far as some Protestants as to discard all apparitions and miracles, as some are increasing the devotional lives and indeed POINTING towards Jesus. So my stand is to be very cautious: I don’t disregard all the apparitions, but I also don’t follow them as I believe I have nothing new to learn; everything I need is in the Bible.

Finally, regarding the veneration and prayer to Mary and considering her as mediatrix and advocate, I think Dwight failed to present a convincing scriptural proof for these practices and relied heavily on tradition of the church (3rd century AD and up) On the contrary, I learned how much the scriptures insist that prayer and supplication be directed to God, and God alone. Who understands us better? Loves us better? Know our hearts and minds? Even very respected Catholic cardinals like Newman are very “afraid” that the Co-redeemer doctrine (not yet dogma) be upheld by the Catholic church as doctrine. Scripturally speaking, David sounded the most correct here: Glory to God alone, the work of redemption is God’s work alone.

So as you might have noticed, the REAL question of disagreement between Evangelicals and Catholics emerge strongly here: The scripture (bible which tells us the true apostolic tradition) alone is our source of doctrine and practice?-Evangelicals- Or Scripture AND Church tradition?-Catholics-

After reading such a book I honestly felt that regarding the subject of Mary, the Evangelicals are the truest to the scriptures and that Catholics although having a much richer church tradition, stand on shakier ground from that aspect.But I also think that the Evangelicals also neglect Mary quite a bit and should teach and talk about her life more; she really was the holiest of Christians.

All in all, a tremendous work, excellent for reflection and for clearing up the confusions. Both Catholics and Evangelicals have a lot to learn from each other. I just hope that the spirit of honesty and Christian love and respect found in this book be reflected among us all. Highly recommended reading!

This book is excellent and honest. There is no relativism here. This is a serious conversation/debate between committed christians, who are honestly trying to discern Christ's will for their lives and the church.

Authors Dwight Longnecker and David Gustafson go head to head on Mary on these pages. Longnecker, a convert to Catholicism, defends Catholic doctrine articulately in the face of a very competent challenge from Gustafson. This book, which comes out of ECT (Evangelicals and Catholics Together) is a clear example of the search for truth via serious dialog and debate. While I felt Longnecker was a little too gentle in places, and gave some unnecessary ground, in general I thought it was a "gloves off" but deeply civil discussion between two christians.

I must admit that this book surprised me. As an orthodox Catholic I find the thought of the Catholic church being "together" with evangelicals problematic. We are dealing with a group of people who count bigots like Dave Hunt and Tim LaHaye as part of their membership. It can be argued that they butcher the gospel by dividing it up and placing an unhealthy and ahistorical emphasis on the book of revelation, placing it ahead of the gospels and the ministry of Jesus Christ. We are talking about people who vehemently opposed having a Catholic priest chaplain of the House of Representatives. Catholics need to always remember that Norman Vincent Peale told evangelicals that they could not vote for JFK because he was Catholic. They are now doing the same thing to a mormon presidential candidate I won't mention by name. It is clear therefore that these people's theology makes learning from their past mistakes difficult. Evangelicals deny the sacraments Christ himself founded. They rip people away from historic christianity without even a pause or a semblance of humility in the name of evangelization, even though they have no claim to apostolic authority. The list of abuses goes on and on.

But I note that evangelicals who are as conservatively protestant as I am Catholic list the same set of concerns about Evangelicals and Catholics Together, albeit filtered through the lens of their own ideology. When I see this, I remind myself of the call to unity in the gospels. It is a struggle, but I remind myself that many evangelicals are honest and sincere Christians who believe what it is that they say: Hunt, Chick, and others notwithstanding. While the Catholic church must continue to proclaim the truth, we must not forget the emphasis that Jesus places on love for our brethren.

A good challenging book. Highly recommended.

This is great book, It has a lots of example and explained really well. Great Work!

The book is good but many solutions are not tested fully so its not that they can be cut and pasted directly out of the book. you may have to troubleshoot many of them. Otherwise a real good book.

As a Developer working predominantly with Oracle Databases for over five years, I'm always looking for books to help me produce better code. I have to say this is one of them. The author has produced a book that explains concepts in a practical manner that is also easy to read. I began reading this book just before starting a major development project and the code insights and examples assisted me greatly in this project.

Probably more a information and guidence book rather than a reference book. I found I read it from cover to cover and used the information as a platform for future developing. Some great code examples which I have used to great effect though!

With 15 years experience in Oracle as DBA and developer, I wrote a lot of packages and found in this book true advices and practical solutions, wich sound good to me. The best feature is that you can experiment all the code found in it and see by yourself the advantage of using the way proposed by McDonald. I like these books where autors breaks some common ideas ans show by "A + B" that the right solution is not the most common. A real useful book written by a true professional.

The book takes a bottom-up approach: the first part shows useful coding and optimizing techniques, while the second one gives real world applications and tips on program design.

I have two minor complaints, however:

Most chapters assume at least a good knowledge of PL/SQL and build on that, which I think is fair for a book titled "Mastering ...". On the other hand, two of the chapters (Triggers especially, and PL/SQL Debugging to a degree) take a different approach and start from the beginning, explaining the basics, too. It may be just me, but I think those pages are wasted.

Furthermore, there is a certain amount of overlap with Tom Kyte's Expert One-on-One Oracle, also from Apress.

I enjoyed this book very much. It was an interesting read and it shows that only with direct and personal experience (satsang) with the Master can a person subjectively observe the Master's Is-ness and inner transformation. And that is what this story is about; a spiritual experience of great importance, affecting and transforming the life of this author. After reading Charles Perry's Haight-Ashbury historical account and Gene Anthony's pictorial account, Robert Roskind's memoires of ex-hippiedom, Tom Woolfe's bio on the Ken Kesey and Merry Pranksters adventures, along with this read, you really can feel for the cultural, social and political climate at that time and the place, and get a feel for the Master and appreciate the idea of a such a Being living here amongst us in knowledge and yet still in vulnerablity. Great read.

I enjoyed this book very much but I am giving it four stars because it has a lot of editing errors that need to be corrected. This is a novel about a young man, Trevor, growing up in the '60s who like so many people during that time hears a different drummer and after following his path through the bohemian Topanga Canyon lifestyle in Southern California and breaking up with his girlfriend as their life-styles and values become increasingly divurgent, heads north to the Monterey Pop Festival and the hippie haven of Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco.
As Trevor encounters several synchronicities and follows their trail his path takes a spiritual turn and through the use of first LSD and then meditation he opens to a deeper understanding of what is happening during the Movement in SanFrancisco and all over the world during that Summer of Love. He meets a small community of people who are studying with a Master, a type of guru of transcendental spirituality, and they learn that there is a deliberate shift in consciousness that is being encouraged and supported from beings of high vibrational realms. The Flower Power era is NOT a coincidence but a deliberate paradigm shift. The book resonated with me because I grew up during that time and in those very same places and it rang very true to life. The 1960s was a complex, lovely, brutal, exciting and mind-expanding time, a time when many people took quantum leaps in their spiritual, emotional, intellectual and artistic growth. This short, sweet novel expresses some explanations for the climate of that time. It offers insight into how many people were feeling and thinking. The main character, Trevor, is portrayed very realistically and develops from a curious and open-minded young person into a seeking and realizing pilgrim on the path of self-actualization, peace, amd harmony. So many of us trod that same path. The '60s was not the same thing for everyone, my experience was much more political than Trevor's, I took way more LSD and listened to way more rock 'n roll, but my spirit opened up in exactly the same way to a unique vibration that almost seemed to be in the air and the water at the time. If you lived during that time you may enjoy a nostalgic look backward. If that is not your era you may enjoy this lovely window into a part of that experience.
At a time when the world seems to have forgotten how to love, this gentle book can go a long way toward reminding us of the capacity we all share for harmony and unity and peace. It might nudge you into recognizing how much fear you carry around with you and help you lay that aside in favor of love. Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair...and read this book.

This generally well-executed and hard-to-put-down book is a fictional(ized) reminiscence about What Really Happened according to someone who was at ground zero when the love bomb went off.

That is, I _think_ it's fictionalized. At the very least, author David Rey Echt has changed his name to "Trevor" for the purposes of the narrative. I don't know how much of it is really supposed to have happened. But it doesn't matter, because the novel is true in the most important sense: something really did happen during the Summer of Love, and it wasn't just that a bunch of kids did a lot of drugs and had a lot of sex.

Zen master Seung Sahn once remarked to his then-disciple-and-protege Stephen Mitchell that the hippie mind was just a quarter-inch away from enlightenment. You'll find similar views echoed everywhere from Stephen Gaskin and Ram Dass to (more recently) Skip Stone's _Hippies A to Z_ and John Bassett McCleary's _The Hippie Dictionary_. And on my own website I write as follows: "It may be best to regard the hippie movement, on its spiritual side, as a recent example of that perennial underground countercultural mysticism that always seems to swell up, like grass through the cracks in the sidewalk, whenever a dogmatic and/or authoritarian worldview, religious or otherwise, holds cultural sway."

So you may well imagine that I'll be sympathetic to a novel suggesting that at the heart of all of this is a spiritual event that . . . well, I'd better not spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it yet. But fictional or not, the personal journey described in this book is realistic, and the spiritual advice is sound. (For whatever it's worth, this review is being written by someone who has been known to tote around a battered copy of Stephen Gaskin's _This Seasons' People._) Echt has clearly done his spiritual homework.

What can I tell you _without_ spoiling anything? Just that it follows the travels of a young man named Trevor from Topanga Canyon to San Francisco on a journey of spiritual enlightenment.

I can also tell you that there's some serious mojo in this book (or, more precisely, accessible "through" it, if you know what I mean). There are a few passages that will actually give you the spiritual equivalent of a contact high just from reading them. That's a nice feature, given the aim of the book.

If you lived through this period of time (whether or not you were at ground zero), this book will help to remind you of its real meaning. If not, the first-person narrative will show you what the air tasted like, so to speak. Either way, this text can push you a little further toward mindfulness, if you want it to.

One last thing -- I absolutely hate to Deduct Points For Spelling, so I'm going to pretend I gave it four and a half stars. But the reader should be aware that there are lots of typos and grammatical gaffes that got past the proofreader(s). This doesn't bother everybody, and I don't have any particular problem reading around such things myself. (And I think it's good to be understanding about the fact that, particularly at non-mainstream publishers, authors are often left to proofread their own books.) Nevertheless, if you _do_ care about such things, be warned.

I lived through the Summer of Love, and my own experience was far less adventurous or groovy than the events described in this fictional account. That shouldn't be surprising, since the story is about the calling and initiation of a few flower children (and others) into a path of lifelong spiritual service. This isn't a novel meant to fictionally convey to the reader what the SoL was like...rather, it's a way of viewing it as a spiritual event, a hinge around which human choices and events might turn one direction or another.

So far as reading goes, I did not notice the many typos or other problems mentioned by previous reviewers--perhaps those have been cleaned up. The story itself is made stronger by being expressed in language of the time and the characters being humanly comprehensible...in other words, they are not "perfect beings."

Still, there's a lot of auras, and golden light, and third eyes--the sort of thing that works if you're receptive, but not so much so, if your personal inclination goes in a different direction.

In sum, this is a pleasant and hopeful story, but one that on reflection can lead the reader to think about what has happened since 1967. Has the world improved? Have you?

I can tell you that reading this book definitely resonates with something deep inside. Even though I wasn't born during the 'Summer of Love', I can get a sense of what it must've been like. It doesn't matter since the message is timeless. Definitely a must-read !!!

Reviewed by Gina Holland for RebeccasReads (5/08)

"My Tour in Hell," is just like the title says. These are the memories of David Powell's tragic events, of a man who served in Vietnam, and they are not only tragic, but are also something that I would not have imagined. This man goes through some of the most traumatic events that I have ever read or heard about. While I was reading this I felt as though I was actually inside his head and going through the same horrific things that he was going through. This war caused this man to have doubts about himself, his manhood, his religion and other things that no man should have doubts about.

Though it was Powell's choice to enlist, despite the fact that he was twenty-five and married, you realize that it was because he wanted to get it over with and get on with his career. His thoughts were that he was going to go in early and fight for his country and maybe go home with honor and dignity. Not only did he leave with tragic memories but also memories that would almost ruin his life. The accounts of murders and tortures that was seen in this novel, is not only horrendous but mind-wrenching as well. Mr. David Powell, is not only a strong man, but was a strong young man and I, as a citizen of the United States, am proud of him for what he did, what he accomplished and am very grateful that he came out of the whole situation alive. How awful it must be, to watch children die, to watch children fight, to watch children be used a pawns in the game of war.

David lets us in on his own personal trauma and I for one am grateful that he chose to share his experience with us. I was not aware of the close-up tragedies that take place in wars. I've never been there, but David brought us up-close and front-center, into a very, very horrific situation, and I commend him for being strong and making his way out alive. I hope that David's life is better for him now.

"My Tour in Hell" is something that all of America must read. It shows just how much our young soldiers do for us and for their country. It makes us wonder, if those young people deserve to go through hell like David did. Luckily, David came out okay, but lost a lot of things in his life. This novel can be read by young adults and adults. The pictures would not be suitable for young children. I for one, thank you David for writing this story and sharing with us. You have made your point of showing the world, just how truly horrible war and fighting can be. Good luck in your future.

My Tour in Hell: A Marine's Battle with Combat Trauma
David W. Powell
Modern History Press (2006)
ISBN: 9781932690221

Although a history buff, the Vietnam War is one area I have avoided studying simply because I felt it could only be depressing. I was surprised and re-educated about that simple belief by David Powell's autobiography of his tour in Vietnam and how Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affected his life after he returned home. "My Tour in Hell: A Marine's Battle with Combat Trauma" retells one marine's experiences on a personal and honest level that makes the reader understand the decisions made by American soldiers, often against their better wishes, and how their time serving their country was both unappreciated and misunderstood.

Most of "My Tour in Hell" is Powell detailing his tour of duty in Vietnam. I was instantly surprised that he only spent thirteen months in Vietnam--the typical length for a marine's tour of duty. I had expected the average Vietnam Veteran had spent several years as a soldier. Nevertheless, the time Powell spent and the experiences he had were enough to make anyone have PTSD. Powell faithfully and truthfully exposes his personality flaws and strengths as he recounts his experiences. The book opens with his first day in the field and the fear he felt. He then discusses various patrols and operations in which he was involved. His memory of events is excellent, and I was fascinated by his experiences several times of seeing events in slow-motion when something traumatic happened such as his watching an atrocity or realizing he was being shot. I had not known that slow-motion, so often depicted in films, was an actual human experience. I realize better now how the constant stress of potentially being attacked can cause disorientation, fear and even the sense of time nearly stopping.

Powell's experiences are all the stronger because he questioned his Christian faith during his tour. He asks himself how he can kill people, especially those not directly attacking him, and he comes to reconcile himself to shooting the enemy because they would kill him or his comrades if given the chance. At the same time, he is disgusted by his fellow soldiers' behavior, such as sharing a Viet Cong nurse whom they take turns raping before killing her. Powell discusses how difficult he found it to befriend his comrades because he feared being distracted by worrying about them, thereby putting himself at greater risk. When he breaks his own rule, he hurts all the more when his friend is killed. Powell discusses all these events without being overly emotional in his descriptions, but the pain he felt comes through perhaps stronger because of the scarcity of words.

PTSD became part of Powell's life almost from his first day in Vietnam. When he was on leave, he could not function normally in an airport from fear of the people around him. When he returns home, he finds himself unable to confront people from fear and distrust, resulting in failed marriages and frequent career changes.

The purpose of Powell's book is not only to detail his war experiences but also to explain how he was diagnosed with PTSD and how the use of Traumatic Incident Reduction (TIR) helped him deal with his emotions and reactions to other people. While he gives us details about his treatment, I felt the book ended a bit too quickly, and I would have liked to hear his overall conclusions about his experiences and why he decided to write his story, but I don't think any reader will doubt the importance of Powell's story and how it adds to our knowledge of what it is to suffer from PTSD.

"My Tour in Hell" also provides several useful appendices, beginning with a study guide of questions for each chapter of the book to help people reflect on Powell's experiences. In addition, the appendices include Frequently Asked Questions about PTSD (including definitions and statistics relevant not only to veterans but civilians who have undergone traumas such as natural disasters or being raped) and a glossary of Vietnam War terminology.

"My Tour in Hell" is an extremely readable and informative memoir about a Vietnam soldier's experience. I appreciate that Powell was honest and straightforward without sensationalizing the Vietnam War. Squeamish readers will not find it gory or difficult to read, and they will come away with greater understanding and appreciation of the military men and women who serve this country. When Powell returned from his tour of duty, he told his wife, "I want to have someone, anyone, hug me and say `welcome: all is forgiven.'" With "My Tour in Hell" Powell has found that forgiveness and been able to tell a story the American public has waited too long to understand.

- Tyler R. Tichelaar, Ph.D., author of The Marquette Trilogy

David Powell's book "My Tour In Hell" broke my heart. This well written account of a, may I say, sensitive young man having to find a way to deal with being thrown into a hell-ish situation. The amazing thing is that it did not break him. May this book, and David's story, be a testament for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as any other traumatic stituation, that it is worth it to travel the path towards healing.

Quynn Elizabeth, author of "Accepting the Ashes- A Daughter's Look at Post Traumatic Stress Disorder"

Echoing Mr. Vaknin's five stars, I would also assert that the images of war and PTSD, while poignant and moving, are secondary in this volume to the "way out." Far more than a mere glimpse of hope, Powell's overriding point seems to be that Traumatic Incident Reduction, in fact, does "take the war out of the soldier." That's life-saving information for those who continue to suffer the past (i.e. most of us!), military and civilian "warriors" alike.

Author David W. Powell was a U.S. Marine enlisted man who saw his share of combat in Vietnam around the same time period that I did in late 1966 - 67. He writes a moving chronicle of his experiences there and his subsequent return back to civilian life in his book "My Tour In Hell - A Marine's Battle with Combat Trauma."

The story of his life is at times, hard hitting, sad, remorseful, angry and lonely. But always hidden in the fabric of his tale, you will find hope. He may have been traumatized by battles and war and much worse - but he continues to move forward looking for his life's purpose. He doesn't give up when others may have thrown in the towel. His story is about a man who had his compassion and faith almost destroyed by events beyond his control. His reactions lead to self-destructive behaviors as he tried to self-medicate his feelings, fears and depression with booze and activity.

There is an inner spiritual hunger that Powell had, and still has, that keeps him pushing onward with his life in spite of how he was feeling, or being treated by the world around him. You can feel his heart reaching out to be "hugged" and appreciated. He seems to find rejection, lack of compassion in others and very little understanding of what he went through and was feeling. That is why his struggles for loving acceptance and for inner peace strike the reader so powerfully.

I could feel his pain and know how he felt with the homecoming reception he got when he returned. I think almost every Vietnam veteran can identify with the massive social rejection we received. That was the worse part for us young men coming home. I think we could have lived without parades but most of us did not even get loving hugs from our own families. No one wanted to listen to our stories about what happened to us. And no one ever asked how we really felt emotionally. I think Powell's book speaks not only for his own personal life experiences, but they also speak out for a generation of warriors like him. His voice needs to be heard and responded to before we lose another generation of veterans coming home from wars in the Middle East.

This book should be required reading by all those who were around in the 1960's and 1970's that they may fully understand the sacrifices that these American heroes gave so bravely of themselves. Those peace marching heroes of the "hippie generation" will never be able to walk in their shadow. These men were America's best! So on behalf of all veterans, I say to the author and the others who served, "Welcome Home!"

This book is highly recommended for those who are personally dealing with any combat trauma (PTSD) and for their families and friends so they can achieve some level of real understanding and compassion for what it means. This book is well written. The author writes in a style that makes it both easy to read and understand. He tells his story in a brutally honest manner - even when it does not shine a good light on his own actions or thoughts. His book will change lives and will bring some veterans in for help.

This book is highly recommended and is given The Military Writer's Society of America's Highest Book Rating of FIVE STARS!

This book also receives my personal endorsement. Buy it. Read it. Then share it with those who need assistance in finding their way home!

This book is a must read for anyone who wants to know the mind of God and draw closer to Him. If you want to see revival in your church, home, community, at work, etc.; read this book. David Herzog has written a book that will encourage and inspire you to jump the next level in your walk with God.

Great 40 day devotional/study guide for a daily devotion when you don't have a lot of time. Goes great along with the book.

This book is awesome. You must get this book. I recommend this book to anyone. If you want to experience the presence of God, read this book. This book is filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit. David Herzog is a Great Man of God who is allowing God to use Him to do a great Work in the Kingdom.

With all the education man has achieved he's still miserable. How we need God in our lives. Our young people are searching through drugs and the occult trying to find that missing ingrediant in their lives. God's Glory fills the void!

Churches are going "through-the-motions" of a service and people still leave without what they came for. The GLORY FILLS THE VOID!

The GLORY is God's presence! And we need to understand how to react when God shows up.

Good book about the wave of revival that is going to take place in our nation. Some of the things we will experience are familiar, but many things will be brand-new. We are getting ready to reap the greatest harvest of souls the world has ever seen, and it will happen because of the outpouring of the Spirit.

What a miserable life our Frost leads!

However, I don't feel sorry for him, because I know everyting will be all right with him in the end of the story.

I like happy-ending stories, and so I like this seiries of Inspector Frost.

Incredible. This was the first Frost book I read after seeing the inferior TV show first. In my opinion it's the best of all five Frost novels, with good mysteries, likeable (and unlikeable) characters, just about everything.

Whether you're British or American, you'll love this book (and the others in the series.) Here's hoping Wingfield writes more!

After reading all the Colin Dexter Inspector Morse books and feeling at a loss as to what could possibly satisfy me after such a delightful and rich reading experience, I was lucky enough to find Frost.Definitely not politically correct but what fun to read ! Great stuff.

Frost is a new series character for me and I will enjoy following him in this series. He is brash, rude, profane, obscene, callous, rough-edged, filthy minded and has poor personal hygiene. Nonetheless, he is also relentless and compassionate. He gets his bad guy and also shares the credit.

Most of the police have the flu and -- of course that's when a whole series of crimes take place, piling up on the exhausted Jack Frost. (Would someone's parents really do that to a child?) meanwhile, his vicious and incompetent superior is looking over his shoulder trying to find an excuse to scrape the Frost out of the force.

This is my first Frost book and I'm an immediate fan. I've watched all of the TV series and loved them and am now enjoying the book too. The TV people have cleaned him up quite a bit physically and cleaned up his language too, as they'd have to in order to pass the censors but he still makes a wonderful character. The dishevelled, grubby, newly widowed Frost is joined by a new offsider, Det.Sgt.Frank Gilmore, only 24 years old, and totally unable to comprehend how this grubby, crumpled older man could possibly be the crack policeman that he is. As usual, the always fussy and inept Police Superintendent Mullett is always there to exasperate Frost, who does his job expertly, but in his own unorthodox way. There are two separate cases taking place, one the serial murders of old age pensioner women who are found with their throats slashed, and the other being a case of arson and murder. The writing is tight and the book flows seamlessly as the overworked police team from Denton moves in on the criminals. It's a great read which I can't praise highly enough.