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Dean Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Dean
Fresh Wind Fresh Fire Unabr Aud CD
Published in Audio CD by Zondervan (2001-11-01)
Author: Jim Cymbala
List price: $24.99
New price: $212.35

Average review score:

Where the real thing is.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-02
You can't not believe this man. It is not the most impressive thing that he built up a huge Church starting with about 10 people in a dangerous area of New York.
It is not the most impressive thing that his wife, who has no training in music, helped to write, guide and direct, songs for one of the world's most loved groups, i.e. The Brooklyn Tablernacle Choir. What is a most impressive to me is that they have stayed right where they started about 25 years ago, continuing to be instrumental in thousands of changed lives of former drug addicts and pushers, prostitutes and pimps, gangs and gangsters, gays and lesbians in what is - except by the grace of the Holy Spirit - still in a dangerous area and with quite a few potentially very dangerous parishioners. People feel embraced by YHWH's welcoming Love in Cymbala's Church. And I believe it is His Love that protects them and moves them all.

With that background I knew I wanted to hear what this man has to say.
I wasn't disappointed. The message is simple as he would say himself:
Prayer, and lots of it, first. Everything else later.

Someone said, "Prayer is not preparation for the work. Prayer IS the work." Cymbala agrees.

Inspiring
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-27
One of the more inspiring books I've ever read. It makes you want to meet with Christ and see the power of what He can do. Read if you want to be humbled and empowered.

Ordinary People, Extraordinary God
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-19
A few years ago, I wasn't just asked, I was TOLD to read a book called "Breakthrough Prayer," by Jim Cymbala. It didn't look like a brilliant title. But "Breakthrough Prayer" was simply amazing! Since then I've read "Fresh Power," and this book has simply been waiting on my shelf for me to pick it up. I finally did, and it is pretty awesome as well. Jim Cymbala is the pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, and through the power of prayer, some awesome things have happened.

It had to start with a leap of faith. Asked by his father-in-law (and won't we do ANYTHING for the in-laws!?) was a question. Would Jim preach four Sunday nights at the Brooklyn Tabernacle, where things had hit an all-time low? Hmm! What would you do? Jim took a leap of faith. And there were times where he felt like quitting. But through it all, and still today, he is the witness of modern day miracles on the meanest streets.

Now, "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire" is considered a classic by some people. And not because it talks all about Jim, his wife, Carol, and what He did. This is about an awesome God who broke through, just like He did in the days of Moses, Elijah, David, the days we seem to think are over. He tells stories of people like Charles Finney, D.L. Moody, men without a college education, who stormed the gates for Jesus Christ!

Stepping out in faith, and trusting is all God asks us to do. Jim Cymbala did just that. He illustrates the power of prayer. And time after time, you don't see Superman tales. You see ordinary people in the service of an extraordinary God. That's what makes this special. God writes the story, and we live it out! That's awesome!!!

A Call to Prayer
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-03
Cymbala's book more than anything is a call to prayer and earnest seeking of God. As a young man in the early 1970s he began pastoring the fledgling Brooklyn Tabernacle having had no formal training. Through his own brokenness and seeking God, he came to understand that God would bless the ministry and continue to bring people for them to minister to and introduce to Jesus if they would truly seek Him and not rely on their own devices or abilities.

As a result, the Tabernacle saw a great deal of growth and tremendous Christian ministry opportunities were opened to reach out to the people of Brooklyn and New York City as a whole. From the very beginning they made the cornerstone of their church the Tuesday evening prayer service during which they called to God and sought Him. Many extraordinary events occurred as a result and continue to happen today.

People who were once very closed towards Jesus come to true repentance and a real relationship with Him through this ministry. The Tuesday evening prayer ministry is so important that Cymbala will not accept speaking engagements if they keep him away from the prayer meeting more than one prayer meeting at in a row.
As a result of allowing the Holy Spirit to lead and direct them through seeking Him in prayer, they see lots of really cool stuff that could in no way be scripted.

Prayer is also an integral part of their Grammy award winning choir ministry with the weekly rehearsal incorporating at least 30 minutes of prayer to the practice.

Far from being a feel good type of book, Cymbala challenges the reader and today's churches to truly come before God and passionately seek Him in prayer and study of the Bible. He mentions various trends and how some churches try to cater to popular culture and make things cool and hip and while those things aren't bad in and of themselves, he emphasizes that it is a mistake to promote these flashy programs and neglect the ministry of prayer. Contrastingly, he points to the early church "These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer..." Acts 1:14 When believers and the church is in constant communion with God, He tends to work more actively and mightily.

I highly recommend this book as a reminder on the importance of prayer as well as a good high level overview of the history of the Brooklyn Tabernacle.

An Appeal to the Power of Prayer
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-15
The Brooklyn Tabernacle's commitment to prayer is well-represented in the work. Rev. Cymbala is truly a humble man of God who seeks not to elevate himself but the Mighty God he and his Church serves. In addition to the rich Scripture that is cited in this work, there are numerous testimonies to the power of prayer, and historical accounts of church leaders who made prayer a number one priority as well. I also appreciated the simple plea of prayer that Rev. Cymbala ascribes to. Today, there are a number of church leaders who promote special techniques for prayer such as position, geographic location, and so on. How refreshing it was to hear a pastor appeal to calling on the name of the Lord that rested on the grace of God and His mercy rather than an individual's unique performance.

Fresh Wind and Fresh Fire is a book, which will leave one in awe to the power of God that is released when people unite and call upon the Name of the Lord.

Dean
Dr. Judith Orloff's Guide to Intuitive Healing: Five Steps to Physical, Emotional, and Sexual Wellness
Published in Hardcover by Crown (2000-03-07)
Author: Judith Orloff
List price: $24.00
New price: $3.85
Used price: $0.59
Collectible price: $24.00

Average review score:

Dear Judith,
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-03
Your books are a joy to read. You are a wonderful writer. I couldn't put down each one of your books. I loved all your personal stories and learned so much from you. We have a lot in common. Thank you for being so honest and open.

All your books are up there in my top favorite non-fiction list. The other two super heroes up there with you are Dr. Brian Weiss, "Same Soul, Many Bodies", and Dr. Elizabeth Kubler Ross, "The Wheel of Life", her autobiography and her best book ever. (Also "The Yeast Syndrome" by Dr.John Towbridge is a must read! Candidiasis is the main cause of everything from athletes foot to severe mental illness.)

I've never read or heard other people talk about some of the things you talked about in your books, although I've felt them, like wanting to go home. I also have a very deep rooted sorrow and I thought it was from child abuse, but I think you're right about it being a global consciousness we sensitives tap into.

I love how you make all the things that I thought made me weird, or weak, make me sound enlightened and desirable. Awesome.

I'm so happy to have found you and I'm looking forward to seeing how all this new information frees me and changes my world.

Thanks for all the love, learning and encouragement. You are so much fun, so warm and so charming. I hope I get to meet you someday, even if it's when we finally make it home.

Good, fun.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-17
Very enjoyable for knowers & seekers. I grew up in L.A., so it was fun reading for me.

When Reason and Spirit Work Together to Heal
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-18
I love this book! It's sound and grounded and keeps its simple enough to follow. Judith Orloff offers a possibility into healing and wholeness as part of a self-care program. Intuition often has answers that the intellect can't find. So when your left and right brain work together ... more healing is possible.

Energy Medicine
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-03
This text gives voice to a near silent wisdom that underlies human evolution in consciousness, i.e., health & wellness, and validates the lives of many intuitives challenged to make sense of a dominant world view. My mindbody, my cells, my emotions all respond to this intelligence in an life-affirming way. This is profoundly healing.

Well-worth purchasing!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-29
I feel very lucky to have stumbled across this book while browsing through one of my favorite local bookstores. I am a seeker trying each day to develop my intuition, look within myself for answers, and feel the power of our Divine Creator flow through me. I am a strong believer in the mind, body, and soul connection and Dr. Orloff does an excellent job in this book explaining our energy systems, the power of the mind to heal, and our very own connection to Source that has been with us since the time of our birth. We all possess the ability to heal ourselves and it is time we start looking within to heal any emotional wounds that have manifested into physical symptoms in order to catch our attention. Dr. Orloff is an amazing Doctor, healer and writer. This novel is very profound and sure to change your life!

Dean
The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World
Published in Paperback by Conari Press (2001-07-11)
Author: John Robbins
List price: $17.95
New price: $7.14
Used price: $5.11

Average review score:

Riveting and Compelling
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-10
If this book doesn't make you want to go vegan, nothing will! Help save the Earth, prolong your life and go veg!

Great book, everyone should read this book.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-25
This book really opened my eyes to a healthly livestyle for myself, and also for the world. Please read this book!

As Above, So Below...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-14
It's truly rare to discover a book that literally changes your life, but this book is one of them. Mr. Robbins meticulously researches and presents an argument for how one's diet can change not only one's personal well being but the well being of all sentient beings, including the sum of the parts (our planet Earth). This book makes it clear that through our personal dietary choices we can either save the planet (and ourselves) or ignore the problems until it's too late. And although the book implicitly argues for the adoption of a vegetarian diet, it's my hope that people not willing to go that far will at least start making conscious decisions about the purchase of animal products, and realize that supporting humane agriculture is a form of philanthropy that they realize direct benefit from (e.g., it simply tastes better).

In an age of information overload and seemingly insurmountable global problems this book gives rise to a feeling of personal power and the ability to literally change our lives and the planet with every bite we eat. I will rank this as one of the most important books I have read in my lifetime, and I encourage everyone to read it and pass it along to a friend (or enemy).

Changed my life
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-12
I never thought I'd give up meat. After I saw a video on Cnn.com about slaughterhouses I became interested and picked up this book. While living in ignorance may seem easier, I think John Robbins is right when he says the truth will set you free. Not only is the information life changing, but he has a very eloquent way of writing. I'm often easily distracted and have a difficult time reading books but i read through the majority of the book in only a few days. I can't imagine many read this book and don't decide to become vegetarian, John Robbins is a remarkable individual.

best book ever!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-05
the title says it all...that's all i can say. i love this book and i recommend it to everyone.

Dean
The Law
Published in Hardcover by Foundation for Economic Education (1996-04)
Author: Frederic Bastiat
List price: $12.95
New price: $10.00
Used price: $8.64

Average review score:

Bastiat really shines, but this edition of the book does not
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-11
I think that other reviews have done a fine job of praising the importance and genius of Bastiat's work. And I thoroughly enjoyed his reasoning and clarity as well. But I was pretty disappointed by the quality of this edition. The book has misplaced punctuation and typos in it -- the kind that would be caught by a simple spell checker. Maybe I'm picky, but I find such errors to be rather distracting when reading. When I buy a book, I expect that someone has carefully proofread it, but somehow that seems to have been overlooked here.

So, 5+ stars for Bastiat, and a generous 2 stars for the publisher.

The Law is a must read for all educated
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-08
The Bible , The Art of Warfare, The Prince and the respective the Law is a must read for all people educated and pragmatic.

Best Regards
André Rafnsson.

Excellence! Paragon of its kind!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-18
The author of this book was clearly blessed with a stellar mind capable of powerful reasoning and the most cogent elucidation of his mental products. His presentation in this book of the right use of law versus the manipulation of law is virtually inarguable. The logic is glaringly clear and unavoidable. Every, and I mean every U.S citizen, should read this book. In fact, had this book been required reading in public schools from 1850 (its origination) our nation would not presently be on the precipitous decline that it is. Any person with the main of his mental faculties in proper working order will inevitably be convinced by Bastiat's case that the definition of Law is the organizing of force for the maintenance of justice, and therefore, its application should be strictly limited to protecting individual liberty. It requires only that the reader accept that justice be understood as the unhindered presence and practice of liberty- which ensures that each individual is free to exercise his God given faculties (his humanity) according to his own conscience (or the direction of God if he is wise) rather than according to the coercion of other men. Can there be a better definition or objective for the law than this? Bastiat argues forcefully that this situation of liberty will naturally be the most peaceful and prosperous for any society. This book will change your mind or greatly enhance your thinking regarding the matter of the right use of the law.

Must Read!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-12
This is a formative, classic work. If you are into politics, do yourself a favor and read it ASAP. This is really a light-weight primer to libertarianism, and yet it is very powerful and heavy-duty at the same time. If more people would read (and adopt) these ideas, I think our political environment would slowly move in the right direction!

Plunder by the State democratically legalized
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-21
In 1850 a French guy wrote this little essay on the Law. It could have been written today in the US, in Europe, because we are certainly not progressing in terms of common-sense, politically. Here are some ideas:

-Justice is the absence of injustice. Nothing more than that.

-What God does is well done. Do not claim to know more than Him. The fact that this rule is almost universally broken says much about our level of hubris.

For Bastiat Law is a minus, it takes away. His subject is so relevant today that we can see the results of the States' false philanthropy, just as Orwell warned us in his Animal Farm. Western governments certainly know how to belittle us... we couldn't do without them. In Spain we have this government commercial encouraging drivers to drive well: "We can't drive for you!" They wished. The only idea that they think about it tells how far they've got under our skin.

This book is dynamite. Makes one see the world today in a clear and detached way. Who are the philanthropists that we "owe so much devotion to"? Take Gore's greedy schemes with his mineral mines behind his climactic facade. Take another homeless, Soros, the preacher of the Left, whose God is money.

To be a Pharisee is indeed to love the Law while hating man, to use the Law to make Injustice legal, to pervert Justice, to become a new god to modern State worshippers, wellfare addicts. Yes, Bastiat would sure be ashamed to see what the West has become: the legalized plunder by the State.

Dean
Eli, Eli Lama Sabachtani
Published in Paperback by Athena Press Publishing Company (2003-06)
Author: F. Dean Christensen
List price: $11.95
New price: $6.68
Used price: $7.12

Average review score:

Best Recinnendation for Christmas
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-12-13
This has to be one of the most spectualar books written and would make an excellent Christmas present (any time of the year).
Well researched and presented with the imagine of Jesus the Christ's teachings, this should be a all-around Christmas favorite.

Mel Gibson Should Have Used This Book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-03-29
In the Hollywoood extravanganza, 'The Passion,' it is to bad Mel Gibson didn't read this book. There would not have been the sarfical drama and there would have been more reality to what was and what is -- but that is Hollywood 'hype,' and not true historical research.

To Much Validity in Truth
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2004-02-25
After reading the massive and extensive research, compiled so secretively, and significantly, I can see the value of this book being the best seller it will become. There's no doubt in my mind that Mr. Christensen of Cordes Junction is profound in metaphysics, spiritual at-one-ment, and hisotrical knowledge and counters any and all Hollywood extravangas. How about airing this one on a special documentary made for television? The ratings would be as high as five stars on this website!

The Entire Mideast Should Read This
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-02-14
Whatever one believes about historical research of the Star of Bethleham the 'Star Prophecy' outlined reached by Christensen dictates this should be distributed throughout the entire Midest!

The entire Mideast Should Read This
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-02-14
Whatever one believes about historical research of the Star of Bethleham the 'Star Prophecy' outlined reached by Christensen dictates this should be distributed throughout the entire Midest!

Dean
Comparison of sampling methods to predict phenology of predaceous arthropods in a cotton agroecosystem
Published in Unknown Binding by Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Texas A&M University System (1992)
Author: David A Dean
List price:

Average review score:

great book!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-01
Great book...good quality...arrived in record time. I will highly recommend ordering this book for a Christmas present for any age.

Excellent Christmas Story for the Whole Family
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-21
This story will rank among my all time favorite Christmas stories! It is heartwarming and humorous, and conveys the true spirit of Christmas!

Jonathan Toomey
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-02
This book is a GREAT human interest story that uses a man's skill-carving, with a family need for a nativity. In the process of carving the characters and the friendliness of a woman and her son, Jonathan changes from a bitter, lonely man to a believer.

Not just for children!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-16
Each year I buy myself a new Christmas book, looking for something unique..Just ran up on this book at a company book sale and stood in awe as I read the story. I knew this was "the one" for this year. Not only is the story heartwarming but the illustrations are perfect. My children are grown as well as my granddaughters and I plan to buy copies for all of them.

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-03
A friend and I are often comparing notes on wonderful new and old books and stories for children (and adults), especially at Christmastime. When I saw this book, I knew it would fill the bill as a perfect gift to her to add to her wonderful collection of children's books. I was right--she loved it. I'd never heard of this story before, but, in my opinion, it should be much better known and read. It's so sweet. I'm certainly sharing it. It's perfect for reading aloud. Again, a real good experience with you folks.

Dean
Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories That Heal
Published in Hardcover by Thorndike Press (2001-03)
Author: Rachel Naomi Remen
List price: $27.95
Used price: $4.75

Average review score:

Sweet book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-06
Beautiful sweet touching book that helped me get me through some tough times. Celebrates the human spirit

Must Be Present to Win
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-29
Rachel Naomi Remen believes in the healing power of stories. She trained as a pediatrician and expected to practice traditional medicine much as her father and other male members of her family had done before her, but something happened to change her carefully planned course.

In the introduction to Kitchen Table Wisdom, Remen tells how her male colleagues frequently knocked on her office door to ask for her help with a crying patient. They believed that she, as a woman, would know what to do. Though she knew no more than they, she felt flattered that they came to her and felt that this helped her be more a part of their exclusive "Old Boys Network." She began to spend more and more time listening to patients share their fears and feelings of living with a terminal disease.

Since the age of fifteen, Remen has suffered from Crohn's disease. As she listened to her patients, she began to feel less lonely and isolated. Probably, her guidance and uncanny understanding of her patients stemmed from her familiarity with physical and emotional pain.

Kitchen Table Wisdom is a compilation of eighty-eight poignant stories that Remen heard over many years, as well as stories of her own life. Her stories demonstrate her belief that a larger process is at work in all our lives and that human beings are "unfinished, a work in progress." She believes we come into the world whole but lose faith in our wholeness and become discouraged by feelings of not being pretty enough, smart enough, etc. " ... our wholeness exists in us now," she writes, "Trapped though it may be, it can be called upon for guidance, direction and most fundamentally, comfort."

No retelling of Remen's stories can do them justice. One of my favorites is "The Question"--a story told by a patient named Tim (now a cardiologist) of his experience at the age of fifteen with his father, who was in the last stages of Alzheimer¹s disease. At the time, his father had not spoken for ten years and was totally helpless. Tim and his brother were alone with their father when he suddenly slumped over and fell to the floor. The brother was calling 911 when both boys heard a voice commanding, "Don't call 911, son. Tell your mother that I love her. Tell her that I am all right." With those words, the man died. An autopsy later revealed that Tim's father's brain had been entirely destroyed by the disease. Tim never stops wondering who spoke those final words. He tells Dr. Remen, "Much of life can never be explained but only witnessed."

The author believes that talking about and sharing one¹s feelings revives memories that can lead to important new insights about one¹s life, bringing about a healing that formal treatment is unable to offer. She says that Shamans believe illness is a direct indication of soul loss. The soul, she explains, is that which is aware of the sacredness we carry and the sacredness that exists in the external world as well. Losing our appreciation for our sacredness, living with sadness, with feelings of unworthiness can manifest illness.

"Life is the ultimate teacher...," she writes. "It is through experience, and not scientific knowledge or expert academic training alone that we learn our deepest lessons." In her lectures and writings, Dr. Remen likes to tell of a sign on the wall of a room in Florida where the elderly come to play Bingo. It reads, "You Have to Be Present to Win." And so it is in life.

by Duffie Bart
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

An easy-to-read prescription..
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-26
...from a very wise doctor. Gathering readers around her kitchen table, Dr. Remen takes an indirect but inspiring approach to those of us who sometimes prefer to avoid the doctor's office.

A truly healing book.

thinking positively
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-06
I am presurgery and this book helps to calm me and encourage me to think positively.

Extraordinary book
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-24
For years I refused to read this book after a friend's recommendation thinking that it would be another "feel good" attempt . Boy was I wrong! This book is one of the most extraordinary pieces of writing I have ever encountered. I have read it over and over again many times (the stories are short enough that allow you to read at your own pace). It has actually become sort of a "guide to Life" for me. Furthermore, as story-telling itself goes, is simply masterful. Dr. Remen is a powerful communicator and her wisdom goes beyond "new age". It is a groundbreaking work about mystery, awe and Life with a capital "L".

Dean
Oddkins: A Fable for All Ages
Published in Hardcover by Warner Books (1988-09)
Authors: Dean R. Koontz and Phil Parks
List price: $127.00
New price: $94.99
Used price: $26.55
Collectible price: $127.00

Average review score:

A Charming Fable
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-01
I am an adult and have just discovered this jewel. I have to say, I loved it. Of course, it's not like Koontz's adult books, but it's not designed to be. The tale held my attention and I loved the characters, especially Amos.

This is a good book for younger children who want to be a little scared, but not too much and the message is timeless.

Highly recommended.

Fable for kids
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-05-21
It is a nice story, with a definite "good" advise for kids. I think it would make a good introductory book for youngsters into the "suspense/horror" genre.

One of the best story books ever
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-16
I have been looking for a copy of this book for years. It was the 2nd book I read by Koontz and fell in love with it. I had read it over several times and fell into the story and art work everytime. Even though it's been over 10 years since I've last seen or read the story, I remember it as if I read it last week. I only wish it was more available for others to enjoy as well. This is definately a story for those who are still a child at heart.

Childhood Favorite
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-06-07
I remember reading this book when I was 10, it's stuck with me ever since. Now with kids of my own I can only appricate the story's plot more. I love this story and am only sadden to know that it is no longer in print for other adults and children to enjoy cheaply.

Greta, Great simply Great !!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-02-12
I read this book to my kids when they were little, sometime around 1990 I think. We had just moved into a new house( another Navy Move) and of course the children were in new surroundings. My wife was working nights and I was fortunate to be at home with the kids. My children and myself loved the story and it has remained one of their favorite memories of childhood.(Not the only book I ever read to them of course) Even tho' the book is not all sugar and spice its wonderful illustrations helped tremendously. I'm not a fan of Koontz particularly, as I think most of his books are the same tired old things, but I think this book is great for the young and the old.

Dean
Ship of Ghosts: The Story of the USS Houston, FDR's Legendary Lost Cruiser, and the Epic Saga of Her Survivors
Published in Audio CD by Random House Audio (2006-10-31)
Author: James Hornfischer
List price: $29.95
New price: $15.87
Used price: $15.87

Average review score:

The Dying Buried the Dead.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-13
At 69, I have never shed so much tear as I did reading "Ship of Ghosts"! I walked away from reading only to wipe or hide my tears.

In a way, I took "comfort" that my father was spared of the ordeal and that "comfort" helps fill somewhat the hole in my heart of my life-long yearning for the father I never knew. The survivors survived, not only to tell the story of the Houston saga, but also to spare the agony of their family members who otherwise would be like me.

Other good books such as Winslow's offered much information about USS Houston and her crew where I first saw my father's name. This "Ship of Ghosts" offers added views from non-Houston survivors.

And lastly, it is well written.

Eric Lien

A good telling of fate of FDR's favorite ship.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-05
This was one of those "why not?" choices of reading.

I knew of the heavy cruiser Houston but this book filled in the story. James Hornfischer did a wonderful job accumulating stories to present a good picture of what happened to the men of the Houston in the early days of the war and what happened to them during the war.

The Houston and along with a "rag-tag" collection of ships were given the all but suicide mission to defend Java from the Imperial Navy and the approaching invasion force. Suicide in the fact they were going to a fight severely over gunned and with no air cover.

They tried but were beaten and eventually only the Houstan the and Australian Cruiser HMAS Perth remained. Trying to make a run to Australia, they stumble on the invasion forces even though they thought it was only the navy. The Perth is mortally wounded and the Houston learns she has stumbled on the invasion fleet and rushes in. Four Japanese ships are sunk by the Japanese trying to get the Houston. Eventually she is sunk.

The story reads like an adventure which are greatly added by the personal stories of the survivors. The ship cats of the Perth and Houston. The cat from the Houston runs into the jungle just before the final voyage when the ships stop to refuel. The cat from the Perth is caught 3 times and ordered to be clapped into irons(ie a fuel can with four holes). Poor kitty knew what was coming. The grizzled old marine Sargent who stays at his post firing his 50 calibers while the ship tower sinks into the water(he could not swim). The chaplin who gave up his life in the life boats so the younger men would have a better chance.

The men of both ships try to figure out what to do. Some are picked up but surprisingly many are left by the Japanese. Some unruly Australians cuss out Japanese that try to rescue them. It was commented that in a disaster it's best to be with Australians as they have the penchant to look at everything as an opportunity. One group for instance, made it to shore, made a ragtag ship and sail and were going to make a run for Australia. They were captured.

Next came the stories of the camps. The brutality and the diseases of life in the jungle as a P.O.W. You get to hear the about the amazing doctor who had knowledge of Jungle medicine and probably saved countless men. One thing was surprising was to read these men were involved with the bridge and train system that was told by the move "The Bridge on the River Kawi" I knew Hollywood tends to glamorize things but you will see the full story from this book. One of my favorite characters from this cast is the supreme scavenger named Mccone. The Japanese were scared of him because they thought he was crazy. He assembled a crew which he called the 40 thieves. One story that made me laugh was the arrival of a delivery truck. The thieves stripped it down to the frame in minutes and the tossed the frame next to the junk pile. The driver came back and was subsequently beaten by the guards for loosing the truck. The guards were beaten by the NCOs for the truck being lost and the NCOs were beaten by the commander for the guards loosing the truck. The prisoners had to work from laughing and dreaded what would have happened if the commander had put his hand on the still hot radiator as he looked through the junk pile.

An interesting aspect was the mix of brutality and the rare instances of compassion shown by the Japanese. Beatings were a constant thing but then there were moments of were they would do things. When it came to the Korean guards it was down right brutal.

One interesting side note was the fact the river Kwai was not the original name. It was later renamed after the movie came out.

All in all this is a good book for the historian and the general fan of the area. Numerous sources are listed for further research if so desired. There is also a website listed that keeps track of the survivers and men who died on that day.

Great read-the Real story of building the Burmese-Thailand railroad
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-04
As an avid reader of WWII books this is the 2nd book of Hornfischers I've read. The first was "Last of the Tin Can Soliders" which I highly recommend, also.
Growing up in the 60's I watched the movie "Bridge on the River Kwai" and thought it was great, although not extremely factual. The movie and treatment of prisoners had to be softened given how soon after WWII it came out (1958). This movie doesn't really give much background on the real hell that these captured men went through just to survive through another day.
I am always astounded at what soldiers of the "Greatest Generation" endured to survive in dire situations in WWII. How humble these men and woman remained after the war is also amazing.
This book gives extensive details of how the Houston and its men got in their predicament by being early on the frontlines trying to stop the Japanese. It contains many personalized stories of both the men that survived and those who didn't. Homage and respect is paid to both by Hornfischer in his detailed accounts of what happened.
I look forward to Hornfischer's next book. He meticulouly researches his subject matter. He then takes all of the research and creates an interesting read.

Engrossing, well-written, excellent historical account
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-01
This engrossing book traces the epic story of the crew of the USS Houston, beginning with their ship's demise in the early days of WWII. Part of a hodge-podge of allied naval forces, arrayed against the trained and massively superior Japanese air and sea powers, the Houston was sunk when it stumbled onto a giant Japanese landing invasion halfway between Singapore and Batavia (now Djakarta). The book traces the surviving crew, who disappeared from contact at sinking, were captured and sent to Changi prison camp in Singapore, and were dispersed between 1942 and the end of the war as POW work slaves to Burma, Thailand, and Japan, many working on the Burma-Thai railway (the same project as the Bridge over the River Kwai). The book is a well-written and very readable litany of the many horrors endured (malaria, beri-beri, cholera, torture, malnutrition, beatings) and the adaptable will of the lucky survivors. A few more maps and timelines and such would be a welcome addition, but nonetheless this book must be lauded as a very well-researched, thorough, and page-turning account of a little chapter of WWII.

A generation of heroes.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-05
I'm not a war, history or navy buff, and "Ship of Ghosts...." was loaned me by a friend who knew I served aboard a naval vessel (DLG) for 3 years. He felt I would find the book by Mr. Hornfischer an interesting read. What an understatement. I was so mesmerized by the history of the ship, and its heroic captain and crew I had difficulty putting the book down. The author does an excellent job of chronicling the naval battles, as well as the subsequent imprisonment of the Houston's survivors and the horrific treatment inflicted on them by the Japanese. The drama is strong enough to bring tears of sorrow and joy simultaneously. What a testament to the bravery of what may be our last great generation. Bravo to the U.S.S. Houston, her captain and all who served aboard her, and to Mr. Hornfischer for revealing the story to the world.

Dean
Lovin' Mrs. Jones
Published in Paperback by PearlStone Publishing (2002-12-28)
Author: Edward Dean Arnold
List price: $14.95
New price: $9.00
Used price: $7.85

Average review score:

Excellent Book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-18
This was an excellent love story. The book was real and heartfelt. I am glad that someone wrote a book without complicated drama. I'm waiting for the second part to come out. I want Mrs. Jones to find and keep her true love. ;-)

True Love Does Exist
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-20
What a love story!!!! I was hooked from the very beginning and could not put the book down. It was refreshing to read a story where faith in God, true love, and the impossible becomes possible.

Lovin Mrs. Jones
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-11-10
Mr.Arnold,
Last night I fell in love with your writing! It took me a total of three hours to read your book Lovin Mrs. Jones and once it was over I cried. I'm trying my best not to sound like a babbling idiot here but I'm at a lost for words. I haven't been touched this strongly in a long time but your book was remarkable. To say that you are talented would be a understatement God has truly blessed you with a gift. Thank you so much for helping restore my faith in love and igniting my desire to write again. I wish you continued success in all that you do.

Truly Inspired Writer

I am Lovin' "Lovin' Mrs. Jones!"
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-04-21
I dont know when the last time a book moved me like this. Amazing detail, vivid characters, realistic in every way. When a writer can make you see a movie this clear its really a beautiful thing. I felt like I knew the characters, Gabriel and Alexandria, and I could truly feel everything they were going through. This author's writing style is so refreshing. Its real. Its believable. No corny stuff. Just good, juicy, stay up all night trying to get to the end, reading!

Captivating
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-13
I had this book for almost 3 years and I can't believe I just got around to reading it this weekend. This was the best love story I've ever read! I couldn't put it down and yet like the other reviewers at [...], I didn't want it to end. I thoroughly enjoyed the developing relationship between Gabriel and Alexandria. This story had me reading certain parts out loud just to get the full effect, it had me laughing out loud and crying like it was happening to me. It made me want what they had! It was almost like watching a movie. All I can say is WOW...a very inspirational novel. Way to go Mr. Edward Dean Arnold. Keep 'em coming. God has truly blessed you with the gift of words. I thoroughly enjoyed your work and look forward to reading more from you.


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