Ferguson Books

I purchased this to add to my classroom library as I have read other books from this author, including the first in this forensic series. Although not for the squemish reader, it really holds ones attention and I like the ongoing tension between the main character and the young deputy as well as the sub-plot about her long-lost mother. What is a real plus is that the main female character is strong, smart and has morals--something that younger readers need to see more of.

The Angel of Death was scarier than The Christopher Killer, I thought. I also enjoyed that I didn't figure out "the devil" right away. The foreshadow of the german shepard was used really well. Don't miss this book, it's great till the last page.

I was first attracted to this series because of its originality of a teenage girl fascinated with the science of forensics and using that to help out officially. The books are great for an introduction to forensics, but the mysteries are no mystery. I knew the ending of the first book in a few chapters and I knew the guilty party for this one just reading the summary.

Cameryn Mahoney is back, this time the dead body of one of her teachers is found. The state of the body is mystifying though, what possible could have caused the death of her English teacher, Brad Oakes? Cameryn teams up with the popular, good-looking Kyle from her school to try to solve the mystery.
Again Alane Ferguson shows her skills, winding together another thrilling mystery. Things start to spin out of Cameryn's control, she's keeping secrets from her Dad and fighting with her best friend, Lyric, Kyle is the only one who really understands her. But things are not as they seem...

This is one of those books that you can't put down, one that you'll stay up reading all night even though you have to get up early in the morning. The pace is fast, and the details are well-written and obviously well researched. I really like the interaction between Cammie and her father. The conversations between them, where they are obviously hiding a few things from each other, are also very realistic and convincing. The only problem with this book is that it leaves on somewhat of a cliff-hanger, and I keep wondering what's going to happen. I can't wait for the next book!

Gregory of Nyssa, one of the three great 'Cappadocians', is well represented in this mystical biography of the prophet Moses.

Gregory of Nyssa is a towering intellectual figure in the Christian tradition. He is revered as one of the main Church Fathers, especially in Eastern Christianity, however he is somewhat below Augustine in the West, although much recent Catholic scholarship is recovering the theological and philosophical brilliance of this great man.

Gregory of Nyssa wrote several key works, including a long treatise against the heretic Eunomius (who using Aristotle's logic claimed the essence of God is finite and knowable to the human mind), a commentary on the Song of Songs, and a mystical biography on Moses.

In this work Gregory meditates on the famous life of Moses as recounted in the Old Testament, from his birth in Egypt to his calling in the field by the burning bush to his meeting with God on Mt Sinai. In his meditations Gregory introduces several themes which will dominate later Christian theology and mysticism, including the theme of the darkness of God, the notion of 'epikstasis' or endless progress into the Godhead for the saint, the infinity of God's Being (a critical concept for Gregory) as well as encountering God in light and unknowing. Gregory readily adapts several ideas from Platonic and Aristotlian philosophy but articulates a genuinely Christian understanding of God, as an ineffable and infinite mystery, One in three and three in One.

Gregory also extensively uses allegorical interpretation in his approach to Exodus, from seeing the slaying of Egyptians as also the slaying of internal selfish sins which turn the saint from God, to interpreting the pieces of the Ark of the Covenant in terms of fundamental parts of the physical and spiritual universe which manifest God's infinity, goodness and power. For Gregory, the entire cosmos becomes a sign of the infinitely beautiful and good hidden God. However Gregory is also careful to make sure we don't idolise God by substituting a false idea in him in his place. Like most mystics Gregory stresses constantly the ineffability and incomprehensibility of the divine, while stressing God is revealed to us in Christ.

Gregory's influence resounds in Christian theology and mysticism, especially in the Orthodox tradition. His great importance as a mystical theologian is starting to be recognised by scholarship, and his work is worth reading and pondering upon.

This is a fine book on so many levels, as other reviewers have pointed out. So I will focus on one relatively narrow aspect of the book, and that's the nature of hermeneutics used by St. Gregory.

In our time, almost all biblical interpreters use a sometimes painfully literal approach to the texts. This was often not the approach used by the New Testament writers in their Old Testament citations, and that alone leads to a lot of confusion in our readings of the New Testament.

So it shouldn't be surprising that early church Fathers such as St. Gregory will sometimes use a less than literal approach to the text, as here in his treatment of Moses' life. And that's one of the treasures of this book, reading and hearing the story of Moses' life in a way that I had never heard before, in a manner that illuminated stories that had sometimes not made sense, and shed light on some obscurities of Moses' life.

You don't have to agree with everything the dear saint says to treasure this book, and appreciate his humble insights. This book also (like a number in the "Classics of Western Spirituality" series) provides a helpful segue into the early Fathers for those like myself who grew up Protestant, and had little by way of introduction to the Fathers. This is a good way of learning about them, fun and easy to read, and even a bit of a page-turner. How could you go wrong with something like that?

First, You need to know I grew up Jewish, converted to the Episcopal Church, and became an Episcopalian Benedictine Monk.

I read this while a monk. I felt one should read this kneeling.

Using classical anagogical writing, Gregory writes not about Moses, but about Prayer, how God makes him/herself known to us, particularly in Sacraments, but also in the quiet prayer (hesychasm) practised by Eastern Orthodox and many Western catholic monks/nuns/lay people. How the practise of the presence of God is joyful and fulfilling, not a burden, an affirmation, not a loss.

This is a richly satisfying book that should be read slowly, gratefully, enthusiastically.

St. Gregory of Nyssa is regarded as one of the most prominent of the Greek Cappodocian fathers, the brother of St. Basil the Great, and friend of Gregory of Nazianzen.

St. Gregory lets us know all about Moses. He mentions some things that really happened which were previously obscure now become brilliantly recognizable, and also tells us what every step along the Way meant for both Moses, Israel, and for us as Orthodox Christians.

No matter who you are this book is going to open the eyes of your understanding. Moses was an amazing man and prophet, miracle worker, and "He who was drawn out of the water and called upon the name of the Lord."

Moses' life is a perfect representation of what it means to live in the presence of God.

A most wonderful book. St. Gregory of Nyssa is one the best known Saints of the Holy Orthodox Church, and his "Life of Moses" is a must for all Orthodox Christians. The cover of the book is handicapped by a hideous picture, but the contents far overshadow the horrible cover, which is unfortunately standard for all publishings in this series. A great and Spiritually beneficial work at a good and affordable price.

My first intention was to read the praised book named Parallax, but sadly was out of print. Anyway, this book is also a great choice for those trying to learn how distances are measure to other objects of the vast universe. The author also provide a rich background of history and explore new theories about the structure, age and density of the universe in plain language. This is definitely a book to enrich in knowledge.

This is a wonderful book and I could not put it down. Query to the author. Not so long ago I asked a physicist friend of mine how it could be that there are galaxies out there 15 billion light years away and the age of the universe is about 15 billion years old? In my mind this does not compute. He allowed as how that was an interesting question and that he would ask somebody at Brookhaven National Laboratories. A few weeks later he sent me the copy of Kitty Furguson's book " Measuring the Universe" with the idea that I would find the answer. However, if the answer was there, I did not find it. Any comment from the author?

This is a very readable book, with many ups and downs. It tells the story of key contributors to our understanding of the universe and their quest to measure it in their time and with the tools available to them. It also does a very good job of explaining some basic concepts. It doesn't do such a good job with more complex concepts. And there are some simple concepts that just don't need to be explained repetitively.

For instance, the explanations and diagrams explaining parallax are very good. Sometime after that the term parsec appears in the text without any explanation at all. Another example: Cepheid stars are fundamental to current attempts to measure the distant objects, and that is made very clear. But why we can and should depend on Cepheids is not explained. A final example: I don't know how many times she explains that 10 with an exponent menas one followed by that number of zeros, or preceded by that number of zeroes for a negative exponent - but it is way, way more times than necessary and occurs throughout the entire book.

A second edition, perhaps with better editing, could easily be much better and be a very good book. Never-the-less, this book is interesting and generally easy to read, and covers a lot of ground about the participants.

This is a great physics detective story, and it blends history and science together to give a picture of how we have measured what was once considered unmeasurable.

There are some minor annoyances, such as her repeatedly explaining scientific notation (perhaps a brief appendix could be included in a future edition). Also, she could have explained how the parsec came to be, rather than just using it with no explanation.

There are some notes at the end of the book that give the reader suggestions for further reading. To her credit, she includes Halton Arp's concerns about the use of redshift (See Arp's book, Seeing Red).

This book builds up a clear picture of how we built up the cosmic distance ladder, and the missteps along the way.

I have always had a love of astronomy and space exploration, but the distances and measurements used by stargazers always bewildered me. `Measuring the Universe' takes you through, step by step, each astronomical discovery, and the people and methods used, to assist you in better understanding concepts such as `What is a parsec?' or `How do they measure the distance to a star?' (not as accurate as I thought).

There are also interesting stories about the private lives of some astronomers such as Eratsthenes of Cyrene (measured the diameter of the Earth), Galileo and Edwin Hubble.

A clever mix of textbook and novel, something that any budding or professional astronomer should read.

I am an experienced Access developer. I was looking for insight into how Jet works, especially in aspects of replication where I was encountering corruption. The book was WAY over my head.

The best computer book I've ever bought. If any book will make you feel like you have the power of God this is it. This book allows you directly access the Jet database engine and make it do whatever you want. If you are interested in getting really good with MS databases--this is the only enssential book to own. Master this book and you should command an annual salary of $150k or more.

The CD ROM includes code samples, white papers, and utilities associated with the book.

Index

1. An Overview of Microsoft Jet

2. Introducting Data Access Objects

3. Data Definition and Integrity

4. Queries

5. Working with Records and Fields

6. Creating Mulituser Applications

7. Database Replication

8. Accessing External Data

9. Developing Client/Server Applications

10 Managing Security

11. Programming with DAO in C++ and Java

12. ODBC Desktop Drivers

13. Optimizing Performance

Appendix A: Specifications

Appendix B: SQL Reference

Appendix C: Registry Settings

Appendix D: Error Reference

Appendix E: Microsoft Jet Components

It has all the answers so I have one at home and one at work. It it just that good.

Not only does this book go into great detail about how the whole Jet Database Engine works, it describes the whole structure of the Workspaces Data Access Object Model. The information in this book has helped me countless times when I've needed to get information about tables, queries, recordsets, fields to show to users. I was even able to create my own report wizard in VB, and it works just like the one in Access! This book will teach you TONS about the way the Jet Database engine works, and works great as a reference. If more programmers knew the information contained in this book, there wouldn't be as much confusion going on.

The best computer book I've ever bought. If any book will make you feel like you have the power of God this is it. This book allows you directly access the Jet database engine and make it do whatever you want. If you are interested in getting really good with MS databases--this is the only enssential book to own. Master this book and you should command an annual salary of $150k or more.

The CD ROM includes code samples, white papers, and utilities associated with the book.

Index

1. An Overview of Microsoft Jet

2. Introducting Data Access Objects

3. Data Definition and Integrity

4. Queries

5. Working with Records and Fields

6. Creating Mulituser Applications

7. Database Replication

8. Accessing External Data

9. Developing Client/Server Applications

10 Managing Security

11. Programming with DAO in C++ and Java

12. ODBC Desktop Drivers

13. Optimizing Performance

Appendix A: Specifications

Appendix B: SQL Reference

Appendix C: Registry Settings

Appendix D: Error Reference

Appendix E: Microsoft Jet Components

I have read nearly every book out there on Vacation Rentals, and I found this one to be very straight forward ad easy reading. I have been in the business for 10 years, so most of this information is excellent particularly if you are new in the buisness.

I had a bit of a problem trying to retrieve my "free guest book" from the author's website, and as soon as she was aware of this, she contacted me directly and help me achieve my goal immediately.

I have listed my vacation rental on the author's site and will look forward to taking any bookings that come in as a result of this completely free advertising.

After communicating with Marie, I can see why she is successful, she is a great "problem solver" Way to go, Marie!

Warmest aloha,
Ilona Coffey
[...]
bch-clb@aloha.net
kauaivacationvillas@yahoo.com

Marie Ferguson's book was a great help, and gave me lots of ideas on renting my villa in Florida. I also purchased her Vacation Rental Organizer. It's nice to have all my information on my villa in one place.

This book is not worth it. Although it does have gems like "provide clean linens" & "screen your renters"-who'd would have thunk it?

Breaking all the Rules: How to Rent Your Vacation Home: A New, Innovative - Rent by Owner -Tool for Preparing, Managing, Advertising & Maintaining Your Rental & Free Welcome Book & Property Listing

I bought this book and let me say my first year of renting was a huge success and It was easy !
This book takes you from start to finish! Easy Read and Easy to follow samples of contracts etc.
Thank you Marie for writing it! It has made my life alot simpler with renting!

This book has really helped me. - TEN STARS

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was written from personal experiences and I felt connected with the author. Marie Ferguson takes a different approach to renting vacation homes. She has a clear understanding of what your guests want and what they expect upon arrival and that they are willing to pay higher prices to get quality accommodations.

This book is right to the point and answered all of my questions. It is also helpful to know that Marie Ferguson is available to answer questions as they appear. I have never heard of any author being available 24/7. She has great insight for creating property listings that really work and she is willing to help you with yours to give it that personal touch.

I also received the Welcome Book (that no other author has provided) and a free property listing. The Welcome Book comes with Sample Rental Rules, Pet Rules, Beach Rules, Pool Rules, etc that can be easily changed to fit your rental needs. I had fun customizing it and my Guests love the fact that I provide all the information needed to make their stay more enjoyable.

I particularly like the lists it provides for stocking my rental (things I didn't think of ) and it provides samples of rental agreements and correspondences to renters. It certainly makes it easy for me to run a rental business by using the system in this book. By following the easy, step by step instructions, I have had good luck with my renters. Like anything, if you are consistent with what you are doing, chances are better that you will succeed in having a great business. I am having a great time with my rental home. With this system, I am able to use it when I want (easily) and rent it out during the times I am not there. I am planning on buying more properties while the prices are affordable.

I also bought Marie Ferguson's latest book, The Complete Vacation Rental Planner and Tax Organizer. What a handy book to own. All of my rental information can be found in one place and I like the tax section that shows the deductions that I can take.

I have been looking for a book on Intuition. Most of the books did not have much background or ways of developing your own Intuition. This book not only explains in great detail of why we as a race have Intuition, many examples of situations that had happened to the author and her friends, but also techniques on to develop your Intuition. "Cracking The Intuition Code", is what its says. You find out what it is, why we have it, and how to crack it and use it.

Gail Ferguson provides fascinating insight into many of the unexplained feelings and "signals" that all of us experience every single day, and the impact these curious events have on our lives. Unfortunately, many of us - especially those of us who are men - tend to ignore these occurances far too often. Gail Ferguson has helped me understand that intuition is not just a "woman thing" but a meaningful force in all our lives, regardless of our gender.

She paints a clear picture of intuition as a real-world process with practical applications that can significantly alter the outcomes we experience in our lives, and illustrates the salient points with gripping, often amazing true stories and examples.

Since reading "Cracking the Intuition Code" I have been more consciously aware of and cognitively attuned to the intuitive signals that come my way. Thanks to this remarkable book, I have learned to act on those signals and follow though much more often than I had previously. When I do, I find more success and peace of mind. Unfortunately, sometimes I still ignore those intuitive signals. I am still learning that when I do things usually don't turn out as well as I would have liked.

What's more, as a professional sales trainer and performance development consultant I am incorporating many of the ideas from the book into my work. As a result, I am finding that the most successful salespeople, virtually without exception, rely on their intuition to a significant degree. I am also finding that almost all salespeople can develop more customers and close more sales by honing and practicing the skills and techniques that Gail Ferguson describes and explains in this intruiging book.

Highly recommended for everyone who wants to take their personal performance to the next level!

This is a unique book about intuition because it circumvents the spiritual aspects usually associated with intuition. Instead, it proposes that this is a biologically-based sensory system that is normal for the human species. Lots of thought-provoking insights into the human mind and the pros and cons of over-rationalizing our environment. The first part could have been cut in half, but the shorter, second part is priceless. I suggest for those who prefer associating intuition with spiritual aspects of one's life, to read Carol Ann Liaros's Intuition Technologies, which has additional exercises for developing one's intuitive abilities.

I own this book. I read and liked it. It reasons very well on why Intuition is a natural phenomena, we humans are endowed with. Gives a scientific explanation to the purpose of intuition, with real life examples. Of tremendous value is the assertion, that intuition is a guiding force to help acheive our strongly intended life goals.

Intuition is in natures order, to act as guide to facilitate goal achievement, provide communication to help those in need. A good source to learn to harness a natural resource.

Buy it. You won't regret the $ spent, you won't read it and be disappointed. Ferguson knows her territory. Trish MacGregor

The book arrived very quickly and was in awesome condition. I was impressed!!

There was never a more timely book..
It should be on everyone's wish list!

For summary of the book see Forums

Not too many philosophers have taken a serious crack at explaining what the advent of the Internet means to the future of human society. While technology takes a back-seat to spirituality in The Global Brain Awakens, author Peter Russell takes all the recent hype about global interconnectivity to a fascinating extreme: The Internet as the central nervous system to a newly evolved global organism. Russell draws parallels between the development of the central nervous system in living organisms and creation of Web communications here on Earth, which he argues is the biggest living organism of them all. Unfortunately, this intriguing line of thought is undermined by the book's conclusion, which collapses into a mire of hokey higher consciousness that lacks the same critical reasoning. We recommend this book to anyone interested in an alternative vision of a Web-enhanced future, provided you are not turned off by its new age clichés.

Every so often a book comes along that has the potential to "rock" the very fibre of your being, as well as impact society on a grand scale. This is one of those books! Peter Russell has put together a compelling story of how the "age of consciousness" will swamp the "information age" in comparison. It all starts with learning how to finally tap into that 95% of dead weight brain we carry around. If you are on the path to higher levels of consciousness (and who isn't?), then you will want this book. Guaranteed satisfaction!!

A beautifully written, wide ranging and thought provoking book. As a trained physicist, Russell distinguishes facts from his ideas. However his extrapolations are very plausible and echo conclusions I had reached myself. They are expressed in a most eloquent and readable style.
This book should be essential reading for all - especially youngsters of every race and religion. The contained message of hope is one of the few chances we have to make the future a better place for all.

This book shows how our thoughts and emotions (our energies) get stuck in certain parts of the body. Starting from early childhood, going to adulthood, we can look at our bodies and see what was going on then and now and give us an area to work with to correct anything from illess to phobias. I enjoyed reading it.

Easy to read. Not sure if I believe all he writes. But interesting theory.

I've been a Bodymind expert for over 15 years and have read many books and articles on the subject. Even with emerging trends like psychoneuroimmuology Dychtwald's book stands strong. The work is simple, elegant and in-depth.
For anyone interested in being able to diagnose the bodymind, this book is a wonderful foundation. It breaks a very complex subject into accessible bits, laying a solid and easy to grasp foundation then building on this.
There are a lot of books that give a more scientific view or a more in-depth psychological view but they are also much more complicated. This book is a great starter to gain a solid grasp of the bodymind.
I still think it's one of the best books out there.

I picked this book up at a bookstore about 12 years ago but did not read it until I began acupuncture for a knee problem. I have always been interested in how the body works and why it is the way it is; this book explains so much about the body.

Whenever something physically wrong happens to me or my family I refer to this book to see what we can do to change our behaviors to create a healthier bodymind.

This is a book for people who know very little about the body/mind connection. It's good information if you're new to the subject and but it was written in 1977 and the author's forword in the new edition is dated 1985. I was disappointed. In the world of quantum biology this material now seems a little dated. I don't recommend it to anyone who is already familiar with the concepts of body/mind interface but if you are a novice it's a good introduction.

Sinclair Ferguson's biblical-theological treatment on the Holy Spirit is a rich and sumptuous theological feast for any serious-minded believer who wants to know more about the so-called "shy member of the Trinity." In eleven meaty chapters, Ferguson gives a comprehensive, if not exhaustive, biblical overview of the person and work of the Holy Spirit, all along the way drawing on historical theology and charitably interacting with perspectives different from his own.

Chapter one, "The Spirit and His Story" surveys the Old Testament's more shadowy teaching on the Holy Spirit with a careful biblical-theological approach. "The Spirit of Christ" (chapter two) is an exceptionally rich chapter on the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus. Christ is seen as the quintessential "Man of the Spirit." Because his entire life was lived in the Spirit's power (Ferguson starts with his conception and moves through the various aspects of Jesus' life all the way to exaltation), Jesus is now the "Lord of the Spirit" (2 Cor. 3:18) - the One who sends the Spirit to his church to reproduce the "human holiness" of which he (Jesus) is the pattern.

This moves into the next two chapters, which focus on "The Gift of the Spirit" and "Pentecost Today?", exploring the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost and its significance in redemptive history and for believers today. "The Spirit of Order" (chapter five) discusses the ordo salutis (order of salvation) and how the Spirit applies the redemptive work of Christ to the individual believer. This is an excellent chapter which focuses on union with Christ as the central motif for understanding how the Spirit applies salvation in our lives. Throughout both this chapter and the entire book, Ferguson writes with a solid understanding of the inaugurated eschatology of the New Testament, allowing the "already/not yet" tension to inform his treatment of the various aspects of the ordo salutis (i.e. justification, regeneration, adoption, sanctification, glorification).

"Spiritus Recreator" (chapter six) discusses the Spirit's role in the new creation, while the next chapter, "The Spirit of Holiness," explores his role in sanctification. These were two of the most helpful chapters in the book for me personally. Ferguson maintains the Christ-centeredness with which he began the book as he shows how the Spirit reproduces the image of Christ in believers through his definitive act and progressive work of sanctification. Also very edifying is chapter eight, "The Communion of the Spirit," which deals with the personal ministry of the Spirit in the life of the believer as seal, firstfruits, and earnest/guarantee.

Chapters nine and ten talk about "The Spirit and the Body" and "The Gifts of the Spirit," the former discussing the role of the sacraments under the Spirit in the life of the church and the latter addressing the issue of spiritual gifts - with Ferguson taking a firm, though gentle, cessationist position. His critiques of Wayne Grudem deserve careful reflection from all who hold a continuationist perspective. The final chapter, "The Cosmic Spirit" discusses the Spirit's work in what we might call common grace and points us forward to the eschatological fulfillment of the Spirit's work in the world.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and learned much from it. Ferguson's articulation of a Reformed view of the Holy Spirit is intelligent and persuasive. Theologians, biblical scholars, pastors, and serious layreaders would all benefit from this book.

God is One yet three persons. He is not three gods that became one God nor is He three persons that became One God. The three persons of God always existed as one God. All three persons of the God always existed. This work by Sinclair Fergunson does not go through the paradoxes and dilemmas that many a theologian ponder and discuss in other works. The author starts with a brief distinction of ministry between the three persons of the God head: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. In brief there is a discussion about the Father's grand scheme of creation, life, death, and the proprietion for man's sins. Also discussed is the implementation of the Father's plan by the Son. The Son comes into the sinful World as a man suffering the indignities of a sinner without ever sinning in total obedience to the Father. This culminates in the Son suffering a shameful death and the glorious resurrection. Dr. Ferguson argues the Son stayed God but did without the prerogatives of God while on earth. He needed the help of the Holy Spirit in withstanding temptation and in revelation. Jesus did not depend on human strength, but His strength as God. Christians should also depend on the strength of God through the Holy Spirit. Jesus emptied Himself to become man yet stayed God, but in a sense depended on the other person of Himself to preach the word of God and avoid falling into temptation.


How does the Holy Spirit minister to the individual Christian? The chief gift of the Spirit is the ability to know God's word and to share it with other people. This gift was given to only a few before Pentecost, but now is given to all who believe in Jesus Christ and accept the gift of Salvation. The Christian also needs the Holy Spirit in his daily walk. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can the Christian preserver temptation and not fall into it. How does one express love for God? Living in Obedience to God's Will. Sinclair Ferguson does not detail how the Spirit helps the Christian in his walk.


The Fruit of the Spirit is love. The sum of the Law and the prophets is to love God plus to love your neighbor as your self. Only through the Holy Spirit can any man show such a love. This book details such a love.



Also discussed in this work is the inerrancy of God's word. Theopneustic is defined as God breathed. Teaching God's mighty deeds and interpretative word. Words that proceed from God's mouth. The author argues through the person of the Holy Spirit. In general Sinclair B. Ferguson makes the same fruit comes from God's redeemed people.

'Which, if any, elements of Pentecost are once-for-all, and which elements can be viewed as repeatable and even normative in the experience of the church?' pg 80

The whole book revolves around this weighty question. Ferguson's theological answer is compelling as he shows just what is normative for the New Testament church, derived from Pentecost and Acts. This is most revealing not only on this subject, but on its role in ecclesiology as well. It takes me often into deep discussion with Christians of other denominations, and has seen me well-equipped for the task.

What I found so likeable, so totally acceptable, with this book, was the manner in which Sinclair Ferguson distinguishes his view of the Holy Spirit, and thereby successfully defends the Reformed Christian from the charge that we lack a proper view of pneumatology. The historically Reformed view is roundly presented here. It is not an exhaustive work, and never was meant to be. It can be seen as a primer to the Holy Spirit in the view held by the Puritans, Spurgeon and Calvinists, so it brings glory to God in the only correct way by always making God's sovereignty and glory His ultimate goal.

ON PENTECOST BRINGING GLORY TO CHRIST:
'Pentecost is not repeated anymore than the death and resurrection of Christ is a repeatable event. Pentecost was a public expression of the hidden reality that Christ had been exalted as the Lord of Glory and that His messianic request for the Spirit had been granted.' pg 86

'The coming of the Spirit is, therefore, the evidence of the enthronement of Christ, just as the resurrection is the evidence of the efficacy of the death of Christ as atonement (Romans 4: 24).' pg 87

The work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration, justification and sanctification are brought in proper context, far outweighing the 'genie in a bottle' renditions by liberal Christians.

This book would have certainly presented Martyn Lloyd-Jones with a problem, had he ever been given the opportunity to read it. 'A two-stage view of the Spirit's work is characteristic not only in Pentecostal and charismatic but also in Catholic traditions.' pg 82 The perennial discussion of 'second blessing' is properly addressed and resolves itself in the fact that, as the Spirit came once-for-all to the church at Pentecost, so it only comes once to the believer. Invariably, it seems to be related to the speech of those whom the Spirit fills, as the biblical interpretation of Acts seems prevalent to indicate, that believers receive 'power' to be Christ's witnesses. A witness has to be understood to be believed - in any age.

ON THE SPIRIT'S EMPOWERING BELIEVERS:
'It is possible that 'tongues of angels' (like a number of expressions in Corinthians) express a Corinthian claim, rather than apostolic understanding. That would fit well with elements in the false teaching at Corinth (the over-realized eschatology, which led some to hold that the resurrection had already taken place and that therefore believers were already like the angels in heaven).' pg 213

'The Spirit is an arrabon (2 Cor 1:22; Eph 1:14), a Semitic loan-word for a pledge or down-payment, a guarantee that the final instalment of salvation and glory is assured. In this sense His indwelling is provisional.' pg 177

ON OUR UNION WITH CHRIST:
'On that day you will realize that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I am in you.' John 14:20 'That day' in this context looks forward to the gift of the Spirit at Pentecost. Herein lay strong encouragement for the first disciples. No language can define, far less exhaust, the meaning of these relationships. In keeping with this, union with Christ becomes virtually the central theme of the rest of the New Testament.' pg 187-188

'For union with Christ is not deification or mysticism.' pg 112

ON OUR ADOPTION:
'Of all the descriptions given to the Holy Spirit in the NT, the richest is probably 'Spirit of sonship'. Although it is used only once (Romans 8:15) it is with insight that Calvin lists this as the first title of the Spirit, corresponding to what must be seen as the highest of the privileges of redemption, namely sonship.' pg 182

'This interpretation is confirmed not only by Paul's use of several sync compounds in this general context (heirs together with, suffering together with, being glorified together with Romans 8:17)'pg 185

ON THE NATURE OF REVELATION:
'But with the widespread conviction which arose within the church that the Scriptures constituted a unique and completed repository of divine revelation, it became common to interpret many NT references to 'prophecy' as tantamount to preaching - thus allowing those passages to have a direct significance for the ordering of contemporary church life.' pg 214

'...the controlling background to the NT's thinking is not Hellenistic but Hebraic prophecy, with its implicit, and at times explicit, claim to divine inspiration, not least when it reflected on future events.' pg 215

'In fact, in the Scriptures themselves, extraordinary gifts appear limited to a few brief periods in biblical history, in which they serve as confirmatory signs of new revelation and its ambassadors, and a means of establishing and defending the kingdom of God in epochally different ways...limited to those periods of redemptive history.' pg 224

'In Luke-Acts, as we have argued, Pentecost is portrayed as a redemptive-historical event. By its nature it shares in the decisive once-for-all (Gk ephapax) character of the entire Christ-event.' pg 82

In general, I enjoyed reading this book. Dr. Ferguson is eager to show the solidarity of the Trinity in creation and redemption. The Spirit is not an afterthought in his theology, but the executive of God's work in the world. Yes! I thought his emphasis on the Spirit's work as Christ-oriented was well put. I also appreciated his redemptive-historical perspective throughout. He wasn't overly concerned to abstract the Spirit's role within the activity of God, but rather to show how he works in concert with the Father and Son for the redemption and edification of God's people.

I disagreed with some of his conclusions regarding the cessation of the popularly named "sign-gifts" (though he categorizes them as "word-gifts" over against the "sign-gifts", i.e. the sacraments). In his response to Grudem, he points out what I think are genuine weaknesses in Grudem's reasoning, but at times he also misunderstands what Grudem is trying to say. I think he also fails to address a few pertinent arguments.

For those who are interested, these are: 1) The multiple functions of these gifts, not only to confirm revelation, but to demonstrate the Kingdom of God, to effect unity and edification in the body of Christ, and to show mercy to those in need. Certainly these functions have not ceased. 2) The lack of distinction between occasional and perpetual gifts within the Scripture itself. Scripture presents Spiritual gifts as a diverse mix of gracelets characteristic of the new covenant era, which continues to this day. 3) In the end, Ferguson concedes that Christians through the ages and today do, in fact, receive God-given promptings and healings. Yet he won't identify these with the NT gifts of Prophecy and Healing. He says that there is too much discontinuity between the nature and practice of these and the NT gifts. But he does not seem to have first-hand observation of these gifts in action to be in a place to make such a comparison (I'm sure his church does not seek to practice such gifts). Nor does he suggest alternate categories for these present-day phenomena if they are not technically "Prophecy", "Healing", or "Tongues". I don't think any violence is done to the primacy or sufficiency of Scripture if the categories above are seen to be flexible enough to include "God-given promptings and healings." With regard to Tongues, I agree with Ferguson's distinction between NT tongues and the commonly practiced "prayer language" of pentecostals. But there are enough credible reports of glossolalia that ended up being actual human languages (say, on the mission field) to suspect that the NT gift of Tongues is still given when God decides the context is appropriate.

Cessation vs. Continuation is an important issue, although in my opinion not an essential one. Still, I find that a continuation of all the NT Spiritual gifts fits just as well, or better, with the paradigm of the Kingdom of God, and the Spirit's work as its executive, presented by Dr. Ferguson in the rest of his book.

Overall, a great synthesis from the Reformed perspective! Read it.

Dr. Sinclair Ferguson's book on the Holy Spirit is a welcomed edition to any believers library. Ferguson is one of the best theologians in the Western hemisphere and his writings are brillant and full of Scripture.

In this work, Dr. Ferguson delves into the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Yet in this short work (288 pages), he covers nearly every work of the Spirit from His divinity to the gifts of the Spirit.

The book comes from a Reformed position so those from say a charismatic perspective may not like Ferguson's views on the baptism in the Spirit or the manifestation gifts of tongues and prophecy.

Overall, a great book.

I think it is a good book; it has solutions to the problems and it is very useful for a Large Sample Theory class; but it is so dense; it has a small font and it explains so much stuff in a few pages,without any examples...

I'm currently half-way through Professor Tom Ferguson's course using this book (learning from the man himself!). We have so far covered the first 14 chapters/sections in 6 weeks. I have to compliment this book on its clarity and flow. The material itself is difficult, but the presentation of material in A Course in Large Sample Theory is as likely as good as it can get in book-form. Having the material presented by a professor is of course ideal but this book is certainly feasible for self-study yet rigorous enough for a first-year graduate course in statistics. There are plenty of (useful) examples in each chapter in addition to explanations. Further, the exercises in the book also have full solutions in the back -- pages 172-235 are the solutions (additional exercises on Professor Ferguson's website). If any book were to make this material feasible for self-study, it would be this one.

For those who want to take this material on for self-study: Pick this book but... this level of this book (ie, the material) is comparable to real analysis but with more direct applications. That is, an individual will succeed in using this book for self-study if (and perhaps only if) she has a good base in analysis and proofs and feels comfortable adapting that knowledge to statistics. An individual with little or no background in analysis proofs will have a very difficult time using this book for self-study. That said, if you want to learn the material, this book would be a prime starting location. If you don't have a good background in analysis, consider spending some time preparing by running over the theory of limits before engaging this book.

For those who are taking a course and are using this book, be happy your professor picked it -- it's clear and concise. This is a book worth buying. Due to the level of the material, rereading chapters is sometimes necessary but is easily manageable since chapters are concise and include examples.

Among the textbooks on the statistical large sample theory, it is perhaps one of the best. Very user friendly, logical from the beginning to the end, and full of intuition accompanied by rigorious mathematical developments. Only the book by van der Vaart can compete in terms of quality, although van der Vaart can be difficult for a student.

Ferguson has written an excellent book on asymptotic statistics. The theorems and their proofs are as clear as they can be. Measure theory and functional analysis are mostly avoided. Much like Rudin's books (though this one is easier to read), there is little fat and the results appear in a concise and easily remembered and referenced way. It is the most readable book on this topic that I found and is quite enjoyable to read.

Regarding its coverage, the book is more elementary than other books such as Asymptotic Statistics by Var der Vaart and is also slightly outdated. A consequence is that some important modern results are missing, for example asymptotics of M estimators, non-parametrics/semi-parametric, local normality. On the other hand, in order to cover these additional topics the book would have to be much longer and contain more advanced math.

If you are learning this topic for the first time, I can't think of a better book to read. If, on the other hand, you have already learned asymptotic statistics in some form and wish to learn more advanced and modern material you should probably use a different book.

Tom Ferguson's book is the standard at the UCLA Department of Statistics and for good reason. The book follows a logical format, essentially proving a different limit theorem/approximation in each chapter. The book is good for an advanced graduate 1 quarter/semester course in asymptotic theory, although some of the topics may have to be omitted. I wouldn't recommend reading this book by yourself since I find it to be very compact/concise. However, if you've taken a similar course already it makes an invaluable reference.