F Books

As an avid reader and self proclaimed "self-help junkie" I found Dr. Singh's book to be one of the most well written, thorough and applicable books that I have ever read. Dr. Singh does a great job of linking together the pieces of a broken heart and putting the information to restore your heart right in your lap.

I have worked in Christian ministry helping people working through their relational brokenness for over seven years. Often it is hard to find books in Christendom that speak to the core of what is truly going on in the human Spirit. For this reason it is with great joy that I recommend Rekindling Your Spirit to you. I used Rekindling Your Spirit in my men's group. The book really helped the men to see below their symptomology to the their core need for God and His love. How refreshing! Three cheers for Rekindling Your Spirit!!

You will see yourself in these pages. I have. You will see the struggles you've been facing ... the ones that most of us don't know how to put into words ... brought out into the light. Paul Singh helps us get a clear view of what is at the core of the issues we face, and even more importantly, where and how to find the freedom and healing we all so deeply desire.

Most of us need help for our own life journey, and there are many around us who could use some help too. This book will impact you personally, but it will also help you bring freedom and healing to those around you. Wouldn't you like to go from struggling ... to freedom ... to having something you could give to help others?

This book is a treasure all the way through, but let me leave you with this: ACT ON CHAPTER SIX. I've needed what's in that chapter more than I ever imagined.

I would highly recommend this book if you want to see your life and/or your marriage truly transformed. Most therapists (Christian Therapists included) deal with the 25% above the surface, namely, the pain/hurts you're experiencing. Dr. Singh takes it to such deeper levels, that you will be amazed and be saying, 'wow, I didn't know that' over and over again. He speaks the truth in love and has a gift of doing it with gentleness so that you're open to listening, taking it in. He teaches to daily spend some time worshipping/focusing on the Lord (taking the focus off yourself). My own experience has been that Dr. Singh's book/teachings/conference led me to a place where the Holy Spirit delivered me from bondage in my life and my marriage is being transformed.

Dealing with the brokenness and pain that are common to humankind, Rekindling Your Spirit delves beneath the waterline, below the iceberg-tip symptoms to the deep issues of soul and spirit that drive addiction - and offers hope. There is such concrete and personal content here, real-life application of the theology of atonement and sanctification. The material is not difficult to understand, but it is difficult to look deeply into one's own soul and relationships and see the wreckage that exists - not just the pain done TO me, but worse, my own sinful and damaging responses. The chapters are potently able to disrupt long-standing patterns of self-deception, self-absorption, and codependency, and lead to the grace, healing, and peace of God.

Rekindling Your Spirit is best read slowly, honestly, and in the company of a few intimate friends who will join in the journey of spiritual growth and change. The Christian Gospel really is true; and transformation really is possible.

I can't possibly add any comment that wouldn't just echo the praise already heaped upon this excellent novel which I originally read as a teen in the early sixties. With the recent remake of The Manchurian Candidate updated to current events, Seven Days In May has preyed on my mind.

Possible scenario: The U.S. Military, totally disgusted with the Iraq War's civilian leadership and the destruction of a military establishment slowly and systematically put back together after Vietnam, decides to stop the carnage and waste and do SOMETHING about it. Of course, it would only be temporary until the next elections...or maybe not. A chilling possiblity.

This gripping 1962 novel provides a stark reminder of both the Cold War and the fragility of democratic rule. President Jordan Lyman has recently signed (and the Senate approved) a nuclear disarmament treaty with the Soviet Union. But the treaty remains highly unpopular, and has left many in and out of the military establishment frightful of surprise attack and seething with anger. Enter General James Scott, a charismatic leader with political ambitions. President Lyman learns that General Scott may be plotting against him, but the evidence is sketchy, and Lyman doesn't want to act against a possible military coup without something closer to proof. Adding to the President's woes are his current unpopularity, his doubts as to just who is loyal, and his uncertainty as to the correct course of action. As the story unravels, we sense the President's fear as well as the ever-present threats to democratic rule, particularly in times of danger and stress.

SEVEN DAYS IN MAY is an excellent novel as relevant today as it was in the 1960's. This fast-reading book was made into a very good 1964 movie with Frederick March (President Lyman), Burt Lancaster (General Scott), Kirk Douglas, Ava Gardner, and Edmond O'Brien.

Exactly as long as it needs to be--an important thing with books--"Seven Days in May" is a riveting thriller about the totally unthinkable: a military coup d'etat in the United States Goverment. Yet, the author makes it seem possible. A very popular general, a president with the lowest rating since Truman, and a Peace Treaty that has the country and the government divided...could it trigger a popular coup? It does in this book, and it is set forth totally realistically, as if something like this REALLY could happen. We think our country is immune from this kind of Byzantine political intrigue, but it turns out that we really are no less vulnerable from breakdown than your average banana republic...at least in this book. Chilling thought isn't it? Totally awesome book, I recommend it highly.

"Seven Days in May" is an authentic classic political thriller of the first rank. Authors Baily and Knebel present a scenario in which an unpopular President is targeted by America's top military brass for an actual military takeover of the government. The story is complex, but vividly presented with an authenticity that is both disturbing and plausible. The reader is brought to understand that it could happen here, and the story suggests how such a scenario could come about in these United States.

The novel is well-written and fast-paced, never drags, and absolutely holds the reader's interest throughout. The amazing thing about the story is that every bit of it hangs together without straining the reader's sense of credulity. The novel features excellent writing, and the authors weave the plot together towards a conclusion that is startling and believable (no spoiler here).

This was a big budget movie in the 1960s featuring Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster (available on DVD) and I would very much like to see a reprint of the novel become available, as my often-read paperback copy has long since fallen to pieces from frequent readings.

I read this book on a long airplane trip, and the story was so intense it kept me glued from lift off to land down.

As the other reviewers have summarized, the plot centers around "Seven days in May" as the President of the United States and his closest aides secretly scramble to thwart a coup being planned by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The book is very fast paced, and has no "main" character. The point of view shifts from one character to another, often on opposite ends of the country, with lots of action in between. There are numerous twists and turns, but the book is never predictable or cliched.

It's also a very well-researched story, and anyone well versed in National Security and the Pentagon will be impressed at the two authors' attention to detail.

I was really amazed how un-dated this book is, despite being written in the early 60's. The authors wisely never reveal the year the story takes place, but subtle hints indicate it takes place sometime in the 70's (Kennedy is the last "real" President mentioned). When you hear the logic of some of the coup-planners you have to wonder wheter or not such a scheme has ever been secretly plotted in the past- or wheter a similar one will ever be plotted in the future. Complacency in the stability of ANY democracy can be dangerous, and the events in "Seven Days in May" certainly proves that.

This book highlights the independence that exists between the military and civilian branches of the US government, and the careful dance that the president must do to appease both sides. When it comes to matters of national security, the book raises the important question of who is ultimately responsible. Should the constitution always be respected, even when the safety of the nation is in danger? Does the military have the right to surpass the president if he is acting in a manner that will endanger the country? Does the president deserve to have his role as "Commander in Chief"?

In this era of terrorism and uncertainty, these are all very relevant questions to ask. This book, especially the ending, answers these, and many others, brilliantly.

A treasure has landed in my lap in the form of Dia North's new book, "The Smart Spot." In my dance training, I'm always helping people get centered and aligned with their physical body so that they may experience freedom through movement. With Dia's clear and simple guidance, I can also assist myself and my students in contacting and connecting with the creative core of intuition and higher mind. What better place to listen from?

Lisa Alpine, co-author "Wild Writing Women"

A groundbreaking work with a new perspective on how to achieve successful outcomes in business. I use the Smart Spot techniques daily.

Nancy Copeland, President, Copeland Strategies

With great examples from the world of business and deep metaphysical truth, The Smart Spot builds a bridge from commerce to spirit that's 'Spot On'.

Patricia Aburdene, coauthor, "Megatrends" series

This work unveils a well-tested new synthesis of concepts and lays out breakthrough methodology for managing personal power which literally brings deep spiritual wisdom "down to earth." Dia North's work is cutting edge with its sharp emphasis on an expanded redefinition of intuition as the intentional direction of the interactive functions of intellect, spirit, emotion, physical awareness, and more. The process North offers can be done effectively to achieve success in grand business collaboration, to create positive intended outcomes vis a vis a full spectrum of short-term personal goals, or to discover a creative path that will deliver on an individual's life purpose.

The Smart Spot is an experiential read, in that it carves out a clear path for consciously claiming and directing enormous freedom to yield desired outcomes with integrity. Stories from North's professional consulting practice spice the information liberally with real-life examples of how the process generates intended results. The implementation exercises, in combination, could be summed up as an indispensable manual for harnessing and focusing energy to hit the bulls-eye every time. Readers will recognize and trust the solid logic that emerges as they test out this fluid magic.

Deceptively simple and highly accessible, this book will be exciting and encouraging to anyone bent on realizing their dreams and having a good time doing it. The practical applications are unlimited because the method can be taken, layer by layer, to greater depths. This is a joyful book, destined to delight the hard-boiled pragmatist and the self identified "mystically attuned" with the same human punch and universal force.

The Smart Spot is an easily read book, written in simple language with simple instructions. The book is written with a friendly, enthusiastic tone. What The Smart Spot does best is to straddle both the business world and "New Age" type thinking which stresses the unseen but powerful energy of the individual and what it can accomplish, if only certain mental exercises are followed.

Skeptics may be won over by the success stories recounted in anecdotes. Business leaders report that they access an intuition from within themselves to make important decisions. The author dissects this process and makes it available to all, through a step by step process. Helpful details to the four step process are given, including using the color gold in visualizations, because of its particular "energy."

The Smart Spot stresses collaboration, not ruthless competition as a basis for success. The book emphasizes the best result for all concerned, as a refreshing change from those books which promote business strategies designed to conquer the competition. I think this would be a helpful book for a person in a decision-making capacity who is looking for a guide to help with important choices.

Sun Ra has remained one of the most misunderstood musicians of our time. And in the case of many music geniuses, Sun Ra would keep the critics and fans at arm's length, but welcome musicians into his world of philosophy and art.

Author John F. Szwed does an almost impossible task of peeling of the layers of myth and disinformation to present the real life, struggles and triumphs of Sun Ra. Szwed brilliantly weaves through the situations which shaped his life while growing up in Birmingham, Ala., the highs and exteme lows in the jazz world of Chicago and New York City & how persistence finally yielded an understanding - on various levels - from fans who also wanted to challenge the barriers erected in the music industry.

The philosophy of Sun Ra is explained and Szwed shows how it influenced every facet of his life on and off stage. I strongly believe Szwed ends any debate on how Sun Ra lived his life and what he demanded from those around him.

This must have been a very difficult undertaking for Szwed, but his outstanding research and balanced reporting yields a fantastic biography on a person we can continue to learn from.

Great book.
If you have an interest in who Sun Ra was you ought to read this. Not a lot of musical analysis, but an extrordinary explanation of the ideas and philosophies behind it. Good job on the life as well.
I wish the highly-praised Lewis Porter Coltrane biography was a quarter as good as this.

The book is well-written and does what it sets out to do - explain who Sun Ra was and what he was doing. This is no mean feat. Sun Ra was a man of many interests and beliefs, of whom many misconceptions exist. Even most of his fans (I've been listening to Ra's music for about 10 years now) will probably learn much and gain tremendous perspective on him from this book (I certainly did).

The book's story is one of a man with artistic genius within him, who probably could have been a millionaire and musical "star" - who chose to do other things instead. Here is the unusual story of what he did and why he did it.

There is room for another book in the world on Ra's discography, that traces the patterns, forms, and themes of his vast catalogue of recorded music. There is room in the world for a book that tells the stories of the members of Ra's Arkestra. But this is not those books, this is the first logical step in studies : an explanation of Sun Ra himself. It's a difficult job very well done.

Frankly, Sun Ra seemed to go out of his way to make a biography pretty much impossible. Professor Szwed is to be commended for his effort, though I think at times the professor takes Ra and himself too seriously. It is a hip jazz disease that Ra played off of brilliantly and would have been amused by.

What is of value is you get some idea of the depth of this fellow, the complexity, the seriousness and simultaneous playfull nature. In being too deep or altogether dismissive of him, we missed the amazing creations.

The book confirmed my evaluation of Ra's heart and motivation. A few years prior to reading this book, I went with my family to an assembly of jazz musicians who processed, played outrageous free jazz, and did this while listening to an old woman recite Sun Ra's poetry while "dancing" and "singing" in Wichita. My young daughter was squealing with delight and loving the wild affair. The adults were being so "into it", solemn, and so serious. This book confirmed to me she was likely the only one Sun Ra would have concluded got it. He probably would have commenced to direct the band to improvise off of her squeals.

He from above probably was smiling and particularly happy that a little white girl "understood the vibrations" and would have been encouraged for the future of the earth which he was convinced would take all the races working in harmony to rescue.

This is, simply put, the greatest jazz biography I have ever read. Sun Ra is a complex and fascinating character, and Szwed's narrative more than lives up to the challenge. The most impressive thing about this book is that Szwed places Ra's, shall we say, bizarre beliefs in a context that makes him seem brilliant, lonely, compassionate, and vulnerable--in a word, human. Interwoven with the facts of Ra's life, his childhood, his musical development, his status as 60s cult icon, Szwed goes into long, fascinating digressions on the roots of Ra's beliefs--from ancient Egyptian mythology to the Bible. After reading this book, it was as if a whole world had been opened to me, and I now enjoy and appreciate Ra's art so much more. I wish I could convey how much this book moved me...it is more than the best jazz biography I have ever read, it is one of the best biographies I have ever read, period. If you are at all interested in Sun Ra, experimental jazz, or modern mythmaking, then DO NOT hesitate to pick this book up.

This is a really fun book to have around for your children. It is easy to understand and packed with fun information about each state. My family enjoys this resource.

This is a great book for introducing the concept of states to younger ones, PK and K. My DH travels for work and we can look up information about the state where he is working. It's better than just a map because we can learn interesting facts about the state as well as know what it looks like! It will be a central part of our homeschool curriculum for years to come!

The Star-Spangled State Book is an absolutely wonderful resource for anyone wanting to learn more about the U.S.! It is filled with so much great information in a format that is so appealing to kids and adults alike. It gets five stars in my house.

Ever want to press the "easy" button in your homeschool? Look no further. The Star-Spangled State Book is a colorful, child-friendly, easy-to-read book about the 50 states. My 1st, 3rd, and 6th graders all love it. You get great facts and no fru-fru with this book. (We use it with the workbook - much better with both.)

The book contains a page dedicated to each state. You will see a small picture of the state, the capital, the abbreviation, the flag, the 3 largest cities, date entered statehood, rank, population, and area. There is a Fact Box and 2 short stories about each state, usually about a famous person who has contributed to our country in some way.

In addition, you will find a page on the following: American Presidents, The Civil War, The 13 Colonies, a blank American map, a labeled American map, Statehood Order, State Abbreviations, and more.

The GeoQuiz at the bottom of each page reviews states, capitals, borders, and trivia. This is a great refresher for mom, too!

I compared this book to others on the market, and liked this one best. My kids have improved their knowledge of states, state recognition, and capitals with it.

As a homeschooling Mom of 12 years, I really appreciate this book. It is packed with information on each state and written in a way that will help children to memorize important geography facts without a struggle. The pictures, graphics, and text are Mommy and child appealing, making learning about the states both fun and successful. I am so glad I got this book for our state study.

The author Peter Tremayne obviously has a great knowledge of Ireland in the 7th century and also on the Irish Law of the period. His Sister Fidelma book are attracting what can only be described as a cult following, but they are of interest to anyone who likes historical novels or mysteries. This series of books are set in Ireland in the 7th century, a time when there was total equality for women. The lead character is the beguiling Sister Fidelma. She is a brilliant scholar, a leading authority on Irish law and the sister of a king. This is also a period in history when celibacy was not yet a part of religious life.

In this the fourth book in a must read series of Irish mysteries, Sister Fidelma is called to investigate a murder at a remote abbey. But when she arrives there that is not the only mystery that awaits her. There is also the strange disappearance of a ship and all its crew.

I read this 300-page book in one day, which says something about Peter Tremayne's ability to keep the story moving with plenty of twists and turns. Tremayne artfully evokes the landscape and social setting of 7th century Ireland, and is adept at creating visual imagery to take us back to that world.

His heroine, Sister Fidelma, is the proud forerunner of today's special prosecutor, assigned to investigate evil deeds throughout the Emerald Isle. In this case, she ponders the grisly beheadings of two women at a monastery on the Southwest Coast, a mystery which soon becomes entwined with political intrigue and a threat to the kingdom.

Sister Fidelma is very much a modern woman in an ancient setting, and this will be appealing or offputting according to the reader's predilections. If the book has a fault, it is in Tremayne's gratuitously injecting his views on various theological controversies into a murder mystery. In the same context, others may question the historical accuracy of some of his claims.

These caveats nothwithstanding, the book is a page-turner that will not go half-read. Stodgy conservatives such as myself might be irked by this or that historical point, but we will nonetheless have had ourselves a good read.

To put it succinctly: this is a solid, well-written, nicely plotted mystery set in seventh century Ireland, where women had greater rights than they probably have today. Historically accurate (within reason for a mystery novel), this is about as good as the genre gets.

I'm not a fan of modern murder mysteries because I can too easily translate it into paranoia, and stay awake at night worrying about my own safety. But the setting of the Sister Fidelma mysteries is far enough removed from my own reality to just be a great escape. I'm also interested in Irish history, but I'm not one to just sit down and read a history book. I was delighted to learn that in Sister Fidelma's time in Ireland women often were on an equal level with men in many ways, perhaps even as much as today.

This story is the second of the Sister Fidelma mysteries I have read. Another reviewer mentioned the preferred sequence to read them, but I have not done so. You can pick up one and still know as much as you need without having read any of the others.

The Subtle Serpent is very difficult to put down. Even with kids fighting in the next room or my eyes begging me to let them close at night, I found it difficult to not go on to the next page. Sister Fidelma is a bright, bold, brave, compassionate, and likeable young woman who is called to figure out why a headless corpse has been found in the well of the Abbey of the Salmon of the Three Wells. You meet some very interesting characters and some interwoven plots while Sister Fidelma goes about solving this murder.

This fascinating historical mystery is set in Ireland in the year 666 AD. The author uses actual historical events as a backdrop for the story of Sister Fildelma, who is dalaigh, an advocate for the courts. In this capacity she is sent to investigate a murder at an abbey on the southwest coast of Ireland. During her investigation, several more murders are committed and Sister Fidelma becomes aware of local tensions and political machinations, as well as inappropriate behavior at the abbey.

This is a story that benefits from the excellent scholarship by the author who has thoroughly researched this historical setting. The time and place are vividly portrayed with lots of relevant and interesting details. The author is a capable writer with a talent for characterization and ability to build suspense. In addition, despite the fact that I have read none of the prior books in the series, I didn't feel lost by jumping in at the fourth book. However, I am intruiged enough to want to go back and start at the beginning!

I think this is such a hard topic for many of us who personally have gone through difficult times. I know the theology, but it didn't make my heart feel any better. I have three special needs children and I have never been able to really understand our suffering within our family. I know God is wonderful and works all things for good for those who love him. I believe in Romans 8:28, but my heart had moments where life felt so difficult for my husband and me. This book has been a real blessing to me and has really given me hope while raising these babies. I realize that God has called me to raise these children for a purpose higher than i really know here on earth. I needed this book at just this time in my walk. I pray that whoever reads this book will be as blessed as I have been. If God led you to read these reviews, i say buy this book and let God speak to you through it. God bless~

This topic could be no more relevant for the church. It's not a question of modern days, but one that has continued long throughout the history of Christianity. Maybe, however, no other group of gifted men have come together, as one, to put together such a gem of all books.

I am thankful for such a book. You will find it honest, true, straighforward, and absolutely and purely Biblical. If you're wanting a read that will make you feel perky, good about yourself, and inward focused, than don't read this. If you're ready for a heart-wrenching, long-enduring read, than pick this up (and be sure you can sit for a while).

This book will bring to the front of your heart one of the issues that you have just bumped down to the bottom of the priority list. Get it. Read it. Pray through it. Cry through it. Live with the truth of it.

In Piper's book, Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, he makes a clear distinction at the very beginning of Chapter 1 that the reasoning behind his book stems from the ultimate reality that God is the supreme value in and above the universe. I found that comforting, knowing that this book was going to focus on suffering without giving God the easy way out. After reading through it, I realized that this is exactly the focus that Piper intended to convey in his writing. It gives a very heartfelt and sincere, yet firm message that the Lord allows all things according to His will and purpose.

Throughout scripture we are reminded of God's purposes in suffering and the vital role that it plays in strengthening our faith and dependency on God. I had not yet come to grasp however, (until reading this book) that many times suffering is the cost of obedience. I think too often we are told that obedience leads to greater fulfillment and contentment in Christ. Ultimately, yes, but there is definitely something to be said for individuals that choose to be obedient, knowing full well that the road is paved with suffering.

I also found it interesting that this type of suffering leads not only to greater obedience but also to greater compassion. This wouldn't have been my natural inclination. I don't usually think about the Apostle Paul, Jeremiah the Prophet, or King David as being very compassionate. Perhaps this is due to their human perspective in relation to their sufferings and the call on their lives. However, you can not read the words of Christ and not sense the compassion that he has for us.

I would and have been recommending this book to a number of my friends. Excellent read!

When the condition of suffering is brought up in today's society, relatively few people can identify with. The modern world, more specifically Western society in all its affluence, is populated with denizens that spend most of their brief lives attempting to avoid suffering. People look to various techniques or goods in their quest to minimize any type of suffering for a mere hint of such a condition is undesirable. From drugs, money, sex, food, entertainment, religion and so on are being utilized for escapism as the reality of suffering becomes too much. As Christians, how are we to endure suffering or even explain it? All too often I hear Christians ask the question of why bad things happen to good people?

The recently released book Suffering and the Sovereignty of God edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor aim to answer the question of suffering from a biblical basis. Based on the 2005 Desiring God National Conference of the same name, the editors have assembled the speakers from that event to put to paper the content of their sessions. If you attended the conference, the book's editors have arranged the various essays by themes instead of the actual order of each session and included additional material outside the conference relating to suffering.

The heart of the book is divided into three parts:

1. The Sovereignty of God in Suffering
2. The Purposes of God in Suffering
3. The Grace of God in Suffering

Part one contains two essays - one written by Pastor Piper and the other by Mark R Talbot. - that tackle the role of God's sovereignty in our suffering. Part two considers the "why" of suffering in four essays - two by Piper, one by Steve Saint, and one by Carl Ellis Jr. Part three closes out the book looking at grace in suffering with writings by David Powlison, Dustin Shramek, and Joni Eareckson Tada. The last part of the book contains appendices of Don't Waste Your Cancer by John Piper and David Powlison as well as a transcript of the Q&A session with Piper and Justin Taylor from the conference.

The arrangement of the chapters is purposeful, attempting to let each chapter build upon themes and concepts addressed. Even so, the chapters do not have to be read in order to benefit from the writings. In part one Piper shows how God is sovereign over the various methods Satan uses to cause suffering. As humans we all too easily attribute suffering to the Enemy and leave God out of the picture. Mark Talbot, in his essay, reiterates God's sovereignty and goodness through suffering and simultaneously engages the errant view of open theism. Then in part two the book covers the reason of "why" suffering exists. Here in this section Piper explains the ultimate reason for suffering is to "display the greatness of the glory of the grace of God." The second essay is based on a chapter from another of Piper's books Let the Nations Be Glad and works out some reasons how suffering affects a Christian. Steve Saint then further extends this line of thinking into relationships in missions and relates it to his own personal experiences. The final essay of the section by Carl Ellis Jr. parallels Saint's in some ways as he examines suffering in a horizontal sense of one human to another. Part three then engages how God's grace in suffering. David Powlison's essay helps to demonstrate how God meets us in our personal sufferings. There is no quick and easy answer as Dr Powlison aptly points out but he guides us through some biblical principles to help us out. Dustin Shramek reminds us of the immense pain that suffering produces. Though Christians may know the theologically correct answers to suffering, as humans the emotional and physical pain of suffering still exists and does not usually quickly pass. Closing out this final part of the book, Joni Eareckson Tada shows us how we are to place our hope and joy in God and not our own circumstances. Suffering tends to draw our gazes inward and on the Self which is our naturally sinful tendency instead of looking to God. The appendices serve as a coda for a few months after the conference both John Piper and David Powlison were diagnosed with prostate cancer. Don't Waste Your Cancer is Dr. Piper's pre-surgery meditation on his condition that God purposed in his life; Dr Powlison added his own thoughts to this writing shortly after being diagnosed himself. The Q&A portion gives Piper an opportunity to address some corollary issues tied into suffering as well as some personal insights.

Overall this book is immensely profitable whether you read it from cover to cover or skip around. The writers all engaged suffering horizontally while at the same time vertically. Despite the brevity of each chapter for a collaborative work such as this, the topics were handled with conciseness and depth. Suffering is an immensely personal condition that creates more difficulty in our already difficult human lives. Suffering and the Sovereignty of God helps guide us in the biblical truth Christians have that answer the hard questions when such circumstances arise and how we should bring this Truth to a dying world.

This book has some great essays. It provides a great mix of theology, and personal testimony, and narratives of how God uses suffering to progress the gospel. The question of suffering is very complex so having a variety of writers from diverse backgrounds attacking the issue from slightly different perspectives helps the reader to understand how God uses suffering to glorify Himself, to mature us in Christ, and to progress the gospel. Suffering can not always be explained, but we have a God who has suffered through his Son and that should bring great comfort to us. The most poignant essays were by Piper and Joni. Another good essay was Suffering and Missionaries. The book starts off with essays by Piper and Taylor putting suffering within the framework of God's sovereignty.

I haven't suffered much. I was humbled by stories of suffering in this book. The book was very encouraging because the authors of these essays were very honest in their struggles, but yet praised God for the suffering. Their endurance was not their effort, but God's strength working through them.

I read this book in one sitting, which included the time during my daughter's orchestra concert. I'm ashamed to admit that I was more interested in the book than the concert. After I read it, I immediately xeroxed off several pages to give to my teaching friends who I thought would enjoy the poems as much as I did and I was right, they did! Something about the selections really spoke to my heart. It felt like the poems were meant to nourich me during those days when I was running low on fuel. I highly recommend this book to any teachers out there.

I bought two copies of this book, one for myself and one for my supervisor. The poems are well chosen and the book is well organized into different categories having to do with vocational discernment. What makes this book unique, however, is the personal testimonies from teachers describing the meaning of each poem in their lives. Since I received this book I have used it extensively, not only for my own enrichment but also for the enrichment of the patients I work with,

I bought this book a while back for my oldest daughter who teaches high school English and Art. It was so awesome that I kept it for myself. (I have a naughty habit of reading all the books I buy as gifts before I give them away....does that make them used books?) My copy is quite dog-eared and worn.

If you love poetry, you NEED this book. The poems are varied and inspiring and enlightening. I discovered many new poets whose books I just had to own after reading their poems here. It's an amazing anthology and would make a great gift to give any friend or loved one who enjoys poetry.

At first glance you might think it's just another "teacher book" but it is so fullfilling. As a teacher who loves poetry, literacy, and teaching children to love the written word this book touched me deeply. The poems can be read in the classroom, the narratives are rich and moving and they made me realize I was not alone in feeling I was called to the teaching profession. This book was a Christmas gift to me, one I have deeply cherished. The book gets to the core; it brought tears to my eyes.....tears of joy.

I absolutely treasure this book! For several years now, everywhere I give talks or do workshops on service-learning and civic education in higher education, I find an excuse to read a poem or two from this compelling collection of poetry. I think educators are yearning for renewal, and the combination of each poem along with a teacher's note on the meaning of the poem, strikes a chord. I know this, not only from audience reactions to my reading from the book, but also because I always get asked for the citation! I am always happy to recommend the book--(no one in higher ed has said to me they were not interested in the book, when I tell them the poems were selected by K-12 teachers). Suggestion for gift-giving: whenever it fits the occasion, it is a great present. It is also perfect for end-of-year giving for groups (appreciation gift for graduating seniors, recognition of teachers, thank you to participants in service-learning and community involvement programs, etc.).

Using Technoleverage is absolutely imperative for start-ups and emerging growth companies. While larger companies may be able to coast for awhile on pure momentum (often risking long-term failure though); the opposite is true for entrepreneurs which have no such luxury. Entrepreneurs must be the hunter or end up being hunted. According to Hruby you must "Find new ways to apply technology and you'll leave your competition far behind."

As an example, Hruby uses the simple sneaker. Thirty years ago sneakers were inexpensive canvas shoes that came in only a few designs and colors. Now sneakers seem to come in infinite varieties of colors, styles, and features. In fact, recently I've been reading how several sneakers are now integrated with computers to constantly adjust the shoes characteristics.

Using real-world stories from companies in dozens of industries, Technoleverage shows how wisely using technology may very well be the differentiating factor in exponential success. Technoleverage shows how to get technology under your business to literally "lift" its profits, visibility, size, and value. A technology-driven business strategy applies to all types of firms, whether they invent new technologies, manufacture technological goods, sell technological services, integrate technology for others, distribute technology -- or just plain use it.

Technology is a competitive weapon for entrepreneurs and it must be seen as exactly that - a weapon to be used to provide exceptional value to customers and reduce internal costs and inefficiencies.

Michael Davis - Editor, Byvation

Starting with a simple idea, that a company must capitalize on available technology to outshine competitors, the authors offer advice on how to use the power of technology to outperform the competition. The authors start out with a simple example: The sneaker.

Consider the sneaker. Thirty years ago sneakers were just an inexpensive canvas shoe that came in a few colors and even fewer designs. Today, however, their descendants come in dozens of styles, colors, materials, and a re truly high-tech wonder shoes including those with inflatable air bladders and gel inserts. All sport functional treads and distinctive logos. No longer is the term sneaker even used replaced by "athletic shoes." Not considered just a shoe anymore, they are not considered sport equipment. Most importantly, they are no longer inexpensive. So, what happened?

Technology happened, according to the author F. Michael Hruby. What a company has and how they will use it will determine whether they stall or move forward in today's marketplace. If companies fail to find new ways to apply the latest technology, they will fall behind.

Footwear makers learned this lesson well. They not only learned new ways to apply technology, they also learned to apply diverse technologies, such as adhesives, ergonomics, foamed plastics, injection molding, industrial engineering, and material planning. They literally transformed the sneaker from shoes to a status symbol. Consider the household names that
have resulted: Nike, Reebok, and New Balance.

The author argues that any company can do this. They must first start by searching for ways to solve customers' problems. Decide which technologies are needed and how to apply them. Fully exploit all opportunities. Companies must not leave gaps open for competitors to fill. They must also learn to capitalize on their technology by, for example, licensing it. Develop complete systems instead of just single products. Find new markets. Measure success. These are just a few of the author's points in a book designed to teach one to use the power of technology.

Among the increasing publications of books in Management, "Technoleverage" emerges as a help-full handbook for the year 2000. It provides guidelines for top managers willing to create change, understand where their company is, where to go, and how. In an original approach the author unveils methods and describes the processes in a realistic way. How to identify opportunities, produce brand-new ideas, differenciate and implement in a cost effective manner. How to deliver value to customers and stay ahead from competitors, how to measure your company's success.... With a clear vision, the autor shows the way to run business.

TechnoLeverage was genuinely the best business book I've read, simply because it's practical and "real world". It provided me with new ways to look at new business development and has provided me with new personal and business challenges. I am going to buy twelve copies for my collegues.

I found TechnoLeverage very insightful in its approach to corporate strategy for technology management. It was clear from the beginning of the book that a company did not have to be a high-tech or even a technology-based company to be able to put technoleverage to work to raise profits. In planning for the "big picture", I found that the book had many useful checklists and action items. It also had a very helpful chapter on financial measures and what can be learned from them. I would recommend this book to other managers in Marketing, Strategic Planning, Finance or Research and Development.

I found this book to be good background reading regarding the history of Atlanta's passage through some of the important events in the civil rights turmoil of the 1950s and 1960s. However, it's not really the story of the temple bombing on October 12th, 1958. I think a better title for the book would be "A Biography of Rabbi Jack Rothschild." Rothschild was rabbi of The Temple for 28 years, including the time of the bombing. The book tracks his entire life, starting with the details of his childhood in Pittsburgh, through the story of his army service, the whole history of his leadership of The Temple, and the details of his death and funeral service. He had a great career with many important achievements, and this book describes all of them.
Rothschild was in the vanguard of those working for civil rights reform in the 1950s, and his social activism may well have led to the bombing of The Temple. However, if the goal were really to write a book focusing on the bombing of The Temple, including events leading to the event itself and the trials of the alleged bombers, it would be a very different (and shorter) book. A book truly about the temple bombing would have included a lot less biographical material about Jack Rothschild and more about other bombings and possible perpetrators of the bombing of The Temple.

It's a good book, particularly for those interested in Jack Rothschild's life, and I'm glad I read it. For those of us who were not firsthand witnesses of the overturning of legal segregation in the South, the book provides a rich and detailed timeline of some of the key events of the times. I do think a good editor could have cut the length of the book by a third, which would have given the book more impact in fewer pages.

In 1954 the Supreme Court acted where Congress was afraid and began the process of integrating the races in the United States. It was clearly an idea whose time had come, as proven by the legislation that was passed in the years following the basic decision.

But before that could happen there had to be a spate of violence against the decision. This book describes the bombing of the Temple in Atlanta on Sunday Morning, October 12, 1958. While a horrific incident in its own right, this has not lasted as one of the major icons of the civil rights struggle.

In the hands of Mellissa Fay Green, the incident is the starting point of this book which is a report on the early days of the resistance to the struggle. Her book reads almost like it is a crime novel. It's well written, the characters are developed so that you understand them - not necessarily like them, but understand them.

Recently reprinted this is a book telling a story that is worth understanding today as much as it was back then.

With "The Temple Bombing," Melissa Fay Greene surpasses the accomplishment of "Praying for Sheetrock." Much like that book, "The Temple Bombing" is a microcosm of the Civil Rights Movement. It is the story of the 1958 bombing of the Temple in Atlanta, a synagogue for Reform Jews. Rabbi Rothschild led the Temple during turbulent years in the South, and was an outspoken advocate for the equal rights of Black Americans; furthermore, he believed it was the responsibility of the Jewish people to stand up for these rights. Greene holds that it is this advocacy, combined with anti-semitism, that leads to the Temple becoming a victim of the synagogue bombings that were widespread in the 1950s South.

The story of the bombing itself is compelling and reads like a true crime book. It begins with the emergence of Nazi-like groups in the South, moves to the bombing and search for clues, and ends with a tense courtroom scene. I simply could not put this book down.

But this is more than just the story of the Temple bombing. Greene also tells the story of the Civil Rights Movement, and how in Atlanta it was in a very real way propelled and sustained by the example of Rabbi Rothschild. Atlanta has a unique history of integration as it touted itself as "the city too busy to hate". In other words, if integration was good PR, then Atlanta was going to do it. Hence, the public outcry and huge support for Atlanta's Jewish community after the bombing, and the (relatively) peaceful integration of the Magnolia room and other Atlanta landmarks.

Interspersed with this story are fascinating sidetrips. The best of these are related to Dr. King; we get to see his Nobel prize celebration, his dinner at Rabbi Rothschild's home that is hidden from the Rabbi's neighbors for fear of ridicule, and finally his funeral.

This book grabs onto the reader and doesn't let go. It is compelling and important history; so much so, that one is willing to forgive Greene for making Rothschild more of a god than a man.

I picked this book up in a Boston bookstore a few years ago while attending a National Abortion Federation meeting. The title attracted me, as I was attending my first national abortion rights organization conference of abortion providers and was astounded by the level of fear and anxiety that I sensed among my compatriots. It has been said that the true test of courage is not in doing what needs to be done without fear, but is in continuing to do so even in the face of great fear. If this is in deed true, my colleagues in the National Abortion Federation must be among the most courageous people in the world. Many of those whom I met there had endured years of threat and ostracism, of attacks both verbal and physical, and most knew clinic workers and abortion providers who had been maimed or murdered or whose facilities had been bombed and burned. And they continued their work even in the face of continuing threats to themselves, their families and their coworkers. So Greene's book title was a magnet for me, pulling me in although I had never heard of Ms Greene or the Reform Temple bombing. (I was in the Navy, serving in the Pacific when this incident occured and must never have seen any news reference to it. I was perhaps much more attuned to the events in Arkansas in the 50's, and never had heard of it until I read Ms. Greene's account.) The Temple Bombing is a masterwork by a master story teller, and although the ending is somewhat unsatisfactory in that the perpetrators were never caught and punished for their part in this heinous terrorist act - some of whom probably went on to other deeds even more evil like the the bombing of the Church in Birmingham which killed the four little girls - this is the way history played out in the South. Much as many of us would like to change it. Ms Greene has written a fine book with a truly heroic protagonist sympathetically and sensitively portrayed, and has given us a vision of an Atlanta and a time which long ago ceased to exist. For movie buffs, the temple bombed was that depicted in the wonderful movie, Driving Miss Daisy.

There's been a lot written about the civil rights movement but the Temple Bombing is a real stand-out from the pack. Greene writes a compelling narrative, using the bombing of an Atlanta synagogue in 1958 as a touchstone for an in-depth social history. There's a good overview of Jewish life in the American south, the history of extremist groups in mid-20th century America, and how the bombing of "The Temple" effected so many people in so many ways. Couple that with a lively cast of characters that Greene brings to life through vivid prose and great personal sketches. Well worth reading and passing on to others.