Ferguson Books

I'm not familiar with Ferguson, but this exposition of Daniel is a fitting addition to The Preacher's Commentary series. Daniel is one of the most difficult books to explain in the entire Bible, and Ferguson does a better job than most of making sense of it without sacrificing scholarship. Very useful for the Bible teacher or pastor seeking to make Daniel real for a congregation or classroom.

There are two ways one can approach the Book of Daniel. One can ignore the stories and focus on the prophecies in chapters 2 and 7-12, looking for explanations in history. This jigsaw puzzle approach to the Book of Daniel does not help one to live a better life. But, I must confess, that that was the approach I was looking for when I bought the book. I got so much more out of it as I studied Daniel's uncompromising life of prayer. Dr. Ferguson does not ignore history nor fail to indicate what events the prophecies refer to when this is clear, but much more important than that is the lesson that God is sovereign over history. He is in control. We can either, like Daniel, seek after God's in obedience or, like the kings of Babylon, go against His plan in a rebellion that is doomed to fail.

The book I actually worked through was of the old Communicator's Commentary. Fortunately that series is no longer operative, but even more fortunate, Dr. Ferguson is.

As bad as Communicator's was, Dr. Ogilvie should be commended for trying to improve it. Now to the book itself. As the other reviewer already noted, those who approach Daniel from a prophetic viewpoint miss the forest for the trees. Ferguson does not crucify scholarship at the expense of application. He provides deep truths with poignant illustrations (many of them with gripping Scottish overtones). Underlying Dr, Ferguson's interpretation of Daniel is a rock-hard foundation of God's Sovereignty. While focusing primarily upon the prayer lives of the heroes, Ferguson does justice to the prophetic sections when they arrive. He provides convincing exposition from a Reformed eschatological background. He also argues convincingly for an early date of Daniel.

I recommend this commentary for pastor's and the curious layperson. In fact, this is one of the top non-technical commentaries on the book.

This book is so much fun to read, I'm not sure who enjoys it more, me or my 20 month old daughter. It's a great bedtime book! Not only has my daughter thoroughly enjoyed the content, but she is already able to recognise letters and all the Pooh characters. I highly recommend this book for it's easy, fun reading. The little rhyme associated with each letter of the alphabet is absolutely adorable!!!

My daughter who will be two next month, would not sit through the entire book. Actually after 3 pages she loses interest. They are too many words on each page.

In the Lexington Park Library in southern Maryland , alphabet books and Winnie-the Pooh books are two perennial high demand items from customers three feet and under. I was delighted to find Don Ferguson's Disney's Winnie-the-Pooh's A to Zzzz , which admirably fills both needs in one handy volume. The book jacket states that Ferguson "has been putting words in the mouths of Disney characters since 1976." He does a superb job here supplying words for Winnie-the Pooh, Rabbit, Eeyore, Piglet, Tigger and friends. Each page features a large capital letter of the alphabet, and a four line rhyme that captures the gentle, humorous essence of A.A. Milne's original Winnie-the Pooh characters. The verses are brought to life on each page by the vividly colorful illustrations of Bill Langley and Diana Wakeman. These bright pictures depict Winnie-the Pooh and pals enjoying each other's company in homey activities in the Hundred-Acre Wood, through all seasons of the year. We join in all kinds of fun including a birthday party, a walk through the snowy woods, some kite flying, and, of course, a hunt for honey! So, treat yourself and your toddlers to some alphabet fun. "C is for Carrots, D is for door," with Disney's Winnie-the-Pooh's A to Zzzz, they're sure to want more!

Book was delivered promptly and in very good condition. I am very happy with the purchase.

In this book, the author truly does permit the early Christians to "speak." In each chapter, Everett Ferguson gives excerpts from various early Christian writings in order to give voice to these early writers. In addition, Ferguson also supplies a discussion section which enables modern day readers to look deeper into each chapter's given subject, and to see how Christian thought has evolved from the time of the early church to now. Ferguson's discussion format also provokes the reader to explore his or her own opinion on the given subject. Furthermore, each chapter ends with a bibliography and notes section which directs the reader to helpful sources, if further investigation is desired. The subjects of the book include important Christian practices such as baptism, early church creeds, the Lord's Supper, and other Christian topics. However, Ferguson does not limit the book to these topics. The author also includes cultural insights into early Christian living, Christians in the military, and women of the early church.
The author states that the book is designed with "a stress on historical continuity" of the New Testament with the goal of tracing the New Testament's historical development through the second century (Ferguson,vii). Ferguson's goal is for the book to be accessible for readers who have no real knowledge of the early church outside from the New Testament in order to "enable them to break into the New Testament from a new perspective, and so give them a fresh look at early Christianity" (Ferguson,viii). It is the opinion of the writer of this paper, that Ferguson has achieved his goal.
Ferguson gives some interesting highlights into the various subjects presented in the book. For example, the author points out that the early church had no set creed, "but the church did have a clearly defined set of beliefs which it preached and confessed from its beginning" (Ferguson 22). Creeds developed later in the church's history. However, there is evidence of an early baptismal creed. This comes from Hippolytus' Apostolic Tradition, in which he describes a series of questions given to the person at baptism, and the individual's response confession determined one's ability to be baptized. This is a strong argument that infant baptism was not the common practice at that time, in that an infant would not have the ability to answer any questions (Ferguson 23-24).
In addition, Ferguson notes that the early church did not practice tithing because they were breaking away from the Old Testament teachings. While Ferguson does give some interesting highlights about giving in the early church, it would have been helpful if he would have informed the reader as to when the practice of tithing ten percent of one's income (an Old Testament practice) became a common practice in the church. Ferguson does elaborate on various subjects earlier in the book, and this is very helpful to the reader, so it is a disappointment that he did not also elaborate on tithing (Ferguson 86).
Also, the author introduces the very interesting fact that early Christians were sometimes thought of as atheists because they did not do blood sacrifice. Ferguson points out that prayer is the Christian's sacrifice, and the early Christian life was filled with prayer (Ferguson 119-120). Ferguson also states that the Lord's Prayer was used as a model only in the early church, and was not a set prayer to be repeated verbatim, as some denominations do today, but was used as "an outline or sketch of prayer that was either filled in or supplemented with one's own petitions" (Ferguson 136).
Lastly, Ferguson does present an interesting and fairly balanced insight into the early church. For example, Ferguson devotes a section to the book on early Christian hymns and poetry, and gives a strong argument for non-instrumental worship; however, he does not condemn the use of instruments, but leaves room for discussion on this sensitive subject. He does note that there was no evidence of musical accompaniment in Christian liturgy until the Middle Ages. The early hymns were most likely chanted and did not have musical accompaniment. Furthermore, Ferguson states that the early church fathers associated musical instruments with immorality and idolatry and "took a very dim view of them in any setting" (Ferguson 157).
In conclusion, this book is well-organized, well-written, and provides the reader with sufficient notes and references to further explore each chapters' subject matter with ease. This format is helpful for the casual reader as well as the scholar. This is an excellent book, and a good edition to anyone's personal library.

This book will contribute to the unity of professed Christians as they seek to rediscover biblical roots and the development of doctrine in the post New Testament period. The brief discussions of each topic ranging from baptism and the Eucharist to Christians in military service and early Christain acts of mercy, are drawn from a solid selection of early Christian writings and elucidate how changes in thinking occurred. This book is an excellent introduction to early post-apostolic church thought and very helpful to any sincere investigator of historical theology.

I think that it is a very well written biography book of Knut Hamsun. It dipicts and well studied how Hamsun's own experiences relate to his works. Anyone who loves Hamsun's works must read this book. I am very sure that you will enjoy reading it and will understand Hamsun's attitude towards his works deeply. This book is highly recomended his admires who have read Hamsun's majore books, but not a novice I guess.

I wanted the writing here to be as great as Knut Hamsun's own Hunger--and of course, it simply can't be. I'm not at all sure that it's Ferguson's fault. I wanted to know what Hamsun's mindset was at the time of struggling through his masterpieces like Hunger and Pan and Victoria, I wanted to be able to get inside the great writer's mind...and it just can't be, because the author of this bio wasn't there. If you want psychological insights and great writing you must go to the source: Hamsun's own novels. Yes, you'll get dates and details here in Enigma, but that does not make for interesting and/or engaging reading. I was disappointed. The gifted, self-taught Knut Hamsun remains a favorite, though. One of the giants.

i bought this book. i read this book. i lost this book on a bus in one city. i saw someone reading this book in a different city months later. we discussed knut hamsun for 5ive hours. in another city i bought this book again. who among us could read hunger, pan, mysteries, victoria, dreamers and under the autumn star without wanting to know all we can about the author? this is as natural as stubbing your toe. if reading the afore mentioned books doesnt make you want to know everything about knut hamsun, you are defective. this should be against the law. like not dying of thirst when you refuse to drink water.

they call this book ENIGMA people. figure it out. they call it that because knut hamsun was an extremely intresting person composed of complex contradictions. and this book also gives a synopsis of every major work hamsun ever produced. something like that could very well be termed invaluable, couldnt it? it also is packed full of anecdotes from hamsuns life. but then again, what did you expect?

did you know that he was a nazi sympathiser? did you know that he found a fingernail in a graveyard when he was a child and was consequently tormented by a ghost for some time?

oh yeah, if you were worried about whether its "well written" or not, i can assure you that it is. but maybe ive presumed too much.

great story line kids have read all the books in the series and really enjoyed them

My 11 yr old grandson, who is an avid reader, has read all 11 of the current Mysteries in our National Parks series. We purchased the first one while on a trip as a souvenir; subsequently I have purchased the remaining editions available and we are awaiting the 12th book. He is collecting the series, and plans to donate them to his elementary school's library at some point in the future. He has reread many of the issues. These books are excellent for the 10+ year old who is beginning to read "chapter" books.

This book, ninth in the "Mysteries in Our National Parks" series, is set in the Virgin Islands National Park. The authors deftly weave information about endangered coral reefs and hawksbill turtles into the story, as well as Caribbean culture and history: Jumbies (evil spirits), basket-making, sugar plantations, the 1733 slave revolt, Haitian Macoutes, and the smuggling of illegal aliens from Haiti to the Virgin Islands. A map of the park and an afterword by a marine ecologist are included. The story's politically-correct ending is somewhat unbelievable, but the story will appeal to middle grade students reading at approximately fifth-grade level.

This book has a useful focus (financial analysis) and includes helpful case studies. The author has experience as both a manager and teacher, which makes the writing both realistic and readable.

Dr. Ferguson has made an important contribution to the field of M&A research. His analysis of the impact of cultural issues on the success of acquisitions is thought provoking and very timely. His writing style is clear and entertaining. This is a must read for M&A practioners, corporate development professionals and CEO's of acquisitive companies.

Acme's Inc. strategy is loud and clear. We will grow our markets and product lines through strategic acquisitions! With over half a billion dollars in Acme's coffers, acquisitions will put us right at the top of our markets!

Do you think, that this M&A strategy works? What will work and what will fail? How are we going to select the right companies for our M&As? All these questions have a common theme - people. The hardest to quantify assets are employees. If we just could factor in their reaction to change, then we will be able to predict Acme's financial performance. In other words, if we add organizational culture measurements to the due-diligence process, then we can gain the insights of how people on both sides will accept or resist an acquisition. And we can do that before risking hundreds of millions of dollars.

How much would such a tool will be worth to you? With more than 2/3 of M&As failing to increase shareholder value, it is easy to see why Stuart Ferguson's Quantitative Organization Culture Analyses, or QUOCA, presents a very valuable resource to executives, integration managers, bankers, and financial analysts - just to mention a few. Check how cultures can make your deal fly, or crash. Personally, I also appreciate the books' easy to read style and flow.

a little turgid but still a good bio of an interesting character. interesting to watch someone on the cutting edge become so quickly politically incorrect during his lifetime

At a certain moment in my life, it seemed that many many writers I admired were talking about or recommending Miller. I decided to give his books a try. The first thing that I ever read was Gliding into the Everglades, a little book of essays. I actually liked it, and felt encouraged to pick up the Tropics books. Which I loathed.

Don't get me wrong, I had taken my history of literature courses. I understood the boost that Miller gave to personal narrative and the influence that he undoubtedly had shown. I just didn't want to read anything else by him.

And there I remained-- until about a year ago. On a whim, I saw the Ferguson biography and decided to buy it. I was curious if it would make me look at Miller differently.

The answer is: not so much. It *has* influenced me to go back to his essays and give The Air-Conditioned Nightmare a try. However, it did not improve my opinion of his novels, nor did it make me like him at all as a person. It doesn't help that both June and Anais Nin were the kinds of women that I deeply dislike. (Actually, as a writer, Nin is one of the authors I actually like much less than Miller. I typically love diaries of every kind, but I find her self-indulgent crap completely unreadable.) Hystrionic, manipulative and not very clever-- Miller seemed to choose women to turn into muses that were the very opposite of the type I wanted to read about. So in that sense, it was an explanation (of sorts) for my gut level reaction to his work.

Ferguson is a good biographer. I thought that he maintained an excellent balance between detail and readability. He seems fair and respectful to Miller without being adoring. His prose is skilled without being obtrusive. Based on this book, I would be interested to read his biography of Knut Hamsun. Recommended.

Robert Ferguson has written a spectacular biography on legendary writer Henry Miller. Ferguson, unlike other Miller biographers (such as Mary Dearborne, Alfred Perles), relates the details of Miller's life & works without personal bias or an angle. Although a very tough task, Ferguson is able to distinguish reality as it happened from reality as reported by Henry Miller (which at times is filled with bald-faced lies, such as claiming to have met Emma Goldman although she was not allowed in the city when Miller claims to have met her) most of the time. While some fans of Miller will not like the work because it "spoils the mystique of a legend", others will, I'm sure, agree that this is a thorough, fair and accurate biography about a man who tried very hard to erase the tracks he made in life with all new marks created by semi-autobiographical romances. And dang good ones at that!

I love this book, I got the book to learn more about slavery in the Caribbean and it gave not only an insider view but also the story about how slaves were captured in Africa was a great added bonus.

First published in 1831, "The History of Mary Prince" is an extraordinary cultural document. It is the first published account of a female British ex-slave. Mary Prince, a slave in the West Indies in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, tells the story of her life in an effort to awaken sympathy for the abolitionist movement in England.

Mary particularly emphasizes instances of the arbitrary punishments meted out by her various masters. She repeatedly questions how the British, a civilized nation, could permit its colonists to treat its colonial work force like brute beasts. Mary elicits our attention and respect in the ways she manages to resist the brutality of her masters, both physically and vocally. She often shows herself speaking out against cruelty regardless of social taboos, accepted colonial norms of unquestioning obedience, and the image of the "benevolent" slave owner.

Mary's narrative is also remarkable for her characterization as the "self-made heroine." Mary tells us extensively about her attempts to save enough money to purchase her freedom, and to engage, convert, and marry the man of her choice. As the editor of this edition points out, as Mary begins to learn the value of her labor, she more easily manipulates her owners into realizing their own powerlessness over her. A sort of Wollstonecraftian feminist hero, Mary Prince bases her self-definition on her ability to be financially, as well as physically independent, and to improve herself through education and religion.

One limitation of "The History of Mary Prince" is the fact that it was only dictated by Prince. It was transcribed and published by British abolitionists, who may have suggested the emphasis on brutality and deemphasis on specifically sexual violence. It is impossible to know the extent of the editing process, which was out of Prince's hands. Nonetheless, this edition, edited by Moira Ferguson, contains many relevant historical documents which provide a rich context for Prince's narrative.

Born in Bermuda in the late 18th century, Mary Prince was a Black woman who survived enslavement in the colonial world of the Caribbean. She orally told her story to a third party, who transcribed it. First published in England in 1831, "The History of Mary Prince, a West Indian Slave" is one of the most important narratives of the slave experience in the Americas.

This book describes in detail the reality of the slave experience: the dehumanization of Black people, the moral degradation of their masters, and the ever-present violence. Prince's story is also an important early defense of the humanity of people of African descent. She notes that slave masters "think that black people are like cattle, without natural affection. But my heart tells me it is far otherwise."

Prince tells of her labor in the salt ponds of Turk's Island, her conflict with a hired mulatto woman, her spiritual life in the Moravian Church, and many other topics. Ultimately, she celebrates the desire and hope for freedom: "All slaves want to be free."

"The History of Mary Prince" does not quite attain the level of literary craftsmanship and psychological complexity as do some other classic slave narratives (I am thinking in particular of those of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs). But it is still a powerful, authoritative, and important human testament. Mary Prince declares, "I have been a slave--I have felt what a slave feels, and I know what a slave knows." We of later centuries need to hear her words.

I just finished this book today. My wife bought it prior to a 16 day trip to Japan, and is still reading it. Although the book chronicles his hitchiking from south to north in Japan, supposedly tied in with the sakura front (the blossoming of cherry blossoms as they move north) it is the best book I have ever read to gain insight into the Japanese mentality and attitudes. I've been there many times, but this book was like a refresher course on relationships with Japanese. This is a companion book to Lonely Planet's Japan Guide, at least to my way of thinking.

If you like traveling cheap, and meeting great people as you do it, this book is for you. The small cultural details included are invaluable as you will constantly run into them. The travels plans laid out are specific and don't leave much room for guesswork. Make a special note of the importance of visiting Kyoto and Nara. This area is most like the old traditional Japan. Happy Hitchhiking!

For those who plan to tour Japan and want to see something besides the admittedly enjoyable megacities, this is a must-bring book. Rather than the check-everything-off-the-list credo of Lonely Planet travelling, this book is more of a starter point, showing the best tricks and methods to travel around Japan. His recommended tours are interesting and well thought out.

I have a few complaints about the book, though. Others may disagree, but I found hitchhiking annoying when done too often, and would vary it with taking the train, which wasn't always expensive. I think Ferguson too rarely brings up the importance of speaking Japanese: while hitchhiking is possible (if not as fun) for friends of mine who can barely speak it, some of his recommended activities would be very difficult for non-Japanese speakers. Also, the book gives exact directions how to hitchhike an exact route. While merely a format for the book, hitchhiking (and touring) is a lot sloppier than that...plus it runs counter to the do-it-yourself philosophy of the book. All forgivable problems, but worth watching out for when using the book.

I thought touring around Japan was great fun, very easy, very safe, and only occasionally too expensive. There isn't the overtouristing so common elsewhere. I strongly recommend people to "bum around" Japan, and this book is the best guide to doing it.

Speaking as a past participant of the Katimavik program myself, I can from my own personal experience tell you that Will Furgusons book about his experience should be a mandatory item included in the inventory of every katimavik project house. Even if you are never planning to participate in the program (which probebly means you are smarter than the thousands of crazy adventurous canadian youth who have subjected themselves to this , as Furguson words it, "government sponsored endurance test), you will laugh out loud as you go along with Furguson on his riotous adventure.

For those of you unfamilliar with the program, Katimavik is a Federally Funded youth volunteer corps, that places groups of 11 youth in a 7 - 9 month project in which they volunteer full time at a job, and spend the rest of their time doing learning programs as a group. Oh yeah, and you move to a different province every three months. Oh yeah, and half your house dosnt speak english. And did we mention that you cant buy bread, you have to make it from scratch? Or that you get thrown into a strangers house for two weeks every rotation?

An incredibley rewarding experience, the program focuses on teaching the youth of Canada both the lessons of the program, relating to community service, the environment, healthy lifestyle, second official language, and leadership, but also the lessons of life. It builds character, and Furgusons book illustrates how far you can come when forced into the reality-tvshow world of this program.

A good read for future participants, past participants, or anybody, I definatley reccomend you pick this one up.

As a new member of the Katimavik alumni, I found this book absolutly facinating! Although the rules have changed, this program still has the same family-like feel to it. I read this book while in my second trimester of Katimavik and was amazed at how different the rules are from then to now! Will is an amazing authour (I've read 3 other books of his). He manages to get the feel of the setting you're in while in Katimavik very well. I recomend this book to absolutly everyone! Canadian or not!. As someone who went from being an only child to having 10 'siblings'( and misses them all!!!) I can honestly say I wouldnt have passes up this expearance (the good, the bad, and the insane) for absolutly anything, and loved reading about Will's own expearance in the 80's.

I am astonished to find that this book is no longer being published. Get a copy now, before they become valuable - and they will, believe me, because this book is fantastic.

The book covers Will Ferguson's experiences in Katimavik, a Canadian youth program which lets young adults work and travel around Canada, expanding their horizons and hopefully turning them into fine upstanding Canadians. His trademark brand of sardonic humour is in fine form throughout, and he does an excellent job of portraying the other people in his Katimavik group, from the arrogant boy from Quebec to the good-hearted but criminal-minded guy who joined Katimavik on court's orders.

Yes, they sound like caricatures, but it's obvious that they're based on real people, and it's the sympathy and skill with which their interaction is recorded which makes this book so great. It's a unique and unmissable work, beautifully combining travel journalism, autobiography, and sharp observation into a brilliant whole. Get it now!