H Books

we are studying this book in our marriage group and we absolutly LOVE it! i recommend it to anyone who is married or is planning on being married. i think it would help engaged couples understand marriage better too before they say I do!

Covenant marriage provides a framework for marriage the way GOD designed it - that is for a man to enter into a covenant relationship with his wife. Every successful marriage is based on and begins with a clear understanding of GOD'S design, plan and purpose for marriage. "Covenant Marriage" is an excellent starting point to gain that understanding!!!

Gary Chapman is just a normal guy trying to live a Christian life. His marriage seminar is great if you ever get a chance to attend one. I really like this book and have been giving it as a wedding present.

This book has been a fabulous benchmark in my relationship with my wife. I am finding out in this book, that most of the effective changes that are taking place are happening when I am making the changes to my own views and habits and attitudes in comparison to God's outlook. As long as I am looking at how "I" can help this relationship, this book is a MUST.. It will drive you into the most wonderful "garden of eden" with your wife.
If you are a man thinking maybe you need to quit looking for her to get better, this book will bring change to the 10th level. Get it..

This is a great book for married couples and well as those contemplating marraige. I have read a number of books on covenant marriage and consider this one of the best. The communication chapters and the various intimacy chapters are very well written. You will not be disappointed in having this book on your self for a resource for years to come.

I, like another reviewer, thought that this would be "just another new age book". It's not. Not only does it explain the "how" of creating miracles, it shows how changing one's way of "seeing" others to a vision of LOVE can change the outcome of a potentially negative experience. I do believe that continuing to hold the vision of Love past the experience can heal not only fear of the experience happening again, but the others involved as well. This was especially helpful to me as I had been struggling with being angry toward people who begged for money on the street. Now, I can "see" them surrounded by Love!!! and who knows what might happen in their life, and in my life. [...]

Quick - what's the first thing that comes to mind when you find yourself in a bind? The frantic search for someone to blame? The feeling of victimhood? The lengths to which we are willing to stretch reason in order to find someone else responsible for our woes is nearly comical.

This book is as close as you can get to a "how-to" book for miracles. The exalted "A Course In Miracles" is quoted freely in this work, establishing its secure underpinnings in the metaphysics of higher realities (a.k.a. miracles). The key: miracles are a CHOICE.

If life is a series of lessons, choosing the "path less taken" often means a conscious decision to see a situation in a completely different light. This might entail compassion for the oppressor, awareness of the "big picture" and the wellbeing of all concerned, or simply a complete surrender to a loving Higher Power. (Interestingly, completely "losing it" later on seems to be OK). When this loving attitude is chosen as the response to a crisis, the lesson may be "called off" as it were. You got it. You passed the test. No need to go further.

This is a wonderful book - one that should be read by everybody as an antidote for the "eye for an eye" mentality of the world-mind.

Facing a eye disease with no known cure and progressive degeneration I found myself looking at books with titles like this one. Aftear all, since medicine has no answer, I'll have to find the solution in some other way. I'm not really very religious, and am actually a bit ashamed to show books like these to my friends (as a engineering student and computer geek this is not really the stuff I used to read). Still, I liked Carolyn's way of writing without being based in a specific religion.

It's hard to know what's true and what's not, what comes from God and from men. The Bible isn't for me, at least, not everything. The concept of Carolyn's God is indeed a lot more pleasant. Is it that way? Who knows.

In any case, the book won't make it worse, it can only make you a bit better person (and more optimist) or you'll just throw it away disgusted.

I liked it, the first pages were somewhat boring and the cases shown were not impressive at all. But the second half was delicious and left me thinking about it.

Read it, I definitely didn't regret spending my money on it, even if some parts sounded like some books on mind control (Ex: Silva's Mind control method).

Overall, it was good book and I'll read it again soon. If you think there must be someone or something out there worrying about us but have no clear idea about it, give it a try.

I love the way Carolyn Miller tells real-life stories of miraculous occurrences with the thoughts and feelings of the people experiencing the miracles. Miller captures the emotional spark and personality of those involved, and gives us a front-row seat as miracles unfold. Many of these stories describe people who survived accidents and escaped assaults in situations where they easily might have died or been seriously injured instead. Miller explains how changes in people's thinking leads to changes in the circumstances in their lives, even when the situation appears to be hopeless. Miller points out some simple steps each of us can take to live more miraculous lives, and she explains them so clearly that it's easy to do!

Creating Miracles excited me to the core of my being. I have seen and felt its principles operating in my life and have learned that we all have the power to access a spiritual and mental state that allows us to surrender to God/Spirit and find the path to living a passionate, purpose-filled, and yes, miracle-filled life.

In Creating Miracles, Carolyn Miller provides the keys to help us see, understand and find our way through the maze that is life and to take an active role in consciously creating our own miracles. It is one of the most valuable books I have read because it fills my world with the grace and freedom that comes from learning how to live with peace and serenity, trusting that all is as it should be in this moment, and knowing how to create a more desirable future.

I have recommended Creating Miracles to many many friends and given it as gifts. I share it's principles with my hospice patients and virtually everyone I come in contact with. Simply said, it works!

I really enjoyed reading this book. I love stories about horses and them communicating with humans. The book was a bit predictable and it could have used a little more romance, but it was great.

Dark Horse is on par with early Anne McCaffrey and Mercedes Lackey stories, and contains many of the elemtnts that made both the Valdemar and Pern series popular. Magical black horses choose and accompany "good" mages, protecting them from evil magic and acting as advisor and friend.

Dark Horse is the story of a young girl who is orphaned when her entire tribe is killed by a rival tribe that is led by an evil mage. She rescues and is rescued by a Hunnuli, a giant protector-horse, and is adopted by another tribe. When she learns that she, too is a mage (though a good one) she risks losing her life and her love because of the gifts she was born with...

I am disappointed that after only five books that this series has come to an early and undeserved demise.

I have read many fantasy and sci-fiction books and the is probably one of the best, if not the best. You can feel and understand what the characters' feel. I loved this book!

This Book is one of the best I have read. But as a series this is the BEST fantasy series, I have ever read. I wish there were more!

this si an amazing book. if you like a bit of war, an amazing storyline a just a tiny bit of romance, you'll liove it. Unforunetly it is out of print now, but perhaps it can be reprinted for the next generation, I know it's worth it.

The amount of detail in this account of the 11th Mississippi Civil War Regiment is astounding. As a descendant and a civil war buff I was spellbound and as a genealogist I found it full of new and useful information. Overall I thought Steven Stubbs' book was a monumental achievement.

Jim Harrison
Huntsville, Alabama

This is without a doubt the best account of the day to day activities encountered by our ancestors who served in the Eleventh Mississippi Infantry Regiment. From chapter to chapter, as I read, I feel I am with them. As a genealogist I have found more information about several of my ancestors, most who were members of the "University Greys" Co. A" in this book than I have found after several years research in Libraries and Archives. I commend Col. Stubbs for compiling the greatest account of any Civil War unit I have ever read. I highly reccomend this book not only to Civil War buffs but also to Genealogists. There is priceless information in this great book.

Steven H. Stubbs labor of love which documents not only the 11th Mississippi Infantry Regiment, but also the individuals who comprised it, is everything a regimental history should be. Unjustly overlooked by historians due in large part to the fact the regiment served as a part of two different brigades (the first a very unusal mixed-state command), the 11th Mississippi's combat record in Lee's Army of Northern Virginia is second to none. By the time it was assigned to Brigadier Joseph R. Davis's brigade in early 1863, combat reputations at the brigade level had unfortunately already been established and "carved in stone." As a part of Bee's/Whiting's/Law's hard-hitting "mixed" brigade, the 11th Mississippi, 2nd Mississippi, 4th Alabama and 6th North Carolina comprised one of Lee's premier combat units and played a major role at 1st Manassas, Gaines Mill, 2nd Manassas, South Mountain and Antietam. However, the brigade was broken up in late 1862 and the units reassigned to more traditional "state" commands. The two Mississippi units went on to form the core of Davis's new brigade which came to grief during the Gettysburg Campaign. Although the 11th Mississippi missed the debacle at the Railroad Cut on July 1, it was present for "Pickett's Charge" forming the highly exposed left flank of the Confederate line once Brockenbrough's small Virginia brigade broke to the rear. The remnants of the 11th Mississippi, along with the other units of Davis's Brigade, also suffered in rear-guard actions at Williamsport and Falling Waters. Thus, the outstanding performance subsequently demonstrated by Davis's brigade following the Gettysburg debacle, during the Overland Campaign and the fighting south of Petersburg in the closing months of the war, was largely relegated to brief passages or footnotes in the works of most Civil War historians. Steven Stubbs history of the 11th Mississippi helps correct this serious error of omission. Highly recommended.

Mr. Stubbs has written an excellent history of the Eleventh Mississippi Infantry Regiment. The Eleventh fought from First Manassas to Appamattox and had as colorful and as glorious a record as any regiment in R. E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. That record, until now, has largely gone unnoticed. Finally it has been told in great detail. As an Ole Miss alumni I especially enjoyed reading about the University Greys who were University of Mississippi students who made up Company A of the Eleventh. I also liked the roster included in the book. It gives the service record of every man in the regiment, some 1500 of them total. I would recomend this book to Ole Miss students, Ole Miss alumni, Mississippians in general, descendants of these men and anyone interested in the Army of Northern Virginia.

Steven Stubbs has truly immortalized the men of the 11th Mississippi Infantry Regiment in his heavily researched history of this famous Confederate unit. I have read several regimental histories through the years, but none as detailed or with more documented sources as this one. From organization, through the first battles, into Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg, and on to the heartbreak of Appomattox, the author describes the activities, movements, and everyday lives of these men of the South. Especially interesting to the genealogy buff is the detailed roster of all men known to have been a part of the 11th Mississippi. Overall, this is by far the best regimental history that I have ever seen. The "boys of the 11th" are not forgotten!

Although some reviewers list this book as over 500 pages, it is actually only 144 (see Amazon's Book Description). It has excellent illustrations, however, there is very little text. The introduction is approximately 15 pages and each illustration is accompanied by a short paragraph of text. If you are searching for visuals this is definately a good choice. However, if you are looking for information you may want to purchase an additional book (or different book). I am a art history student looking to broaden my knowledge of Egytian art and this is a great first step for those looking to do the same.

Wonderful Book
This book is a gorgeous and lavish catalogue of selected, exquisite, and little-known works of Egyptian art dating from the Old-Kingdom. I truly love it, and I recommend it to anyone interested in ancient art. I particularly loved the special devotion to fragments of statues and small works of art not usually seen, but as beautiful if not more pronounced than the usual art seen in other books. An masterpiece of art in itself.

You don't have to be an Egyptologist to appreciate the exhaustive research that went into the compilation of this catalogue that accompanieD a blockbuster exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

The amazing work of Old Kingdom (c.2650 - 2150 B.C.E.) artists is splendidly displayed on glossy fact filled pages.

The aim of the book is to capture the many artifacts of the old kingdom. in this regard, its aim is not to be informative by being detailed on the old kingdom history - there are many books which attempt to do this.

having stated the aim of the book, i should judge it on the quality of the pictures: they are superb!! one of the best pictures i have seen, especially considering that they are indoor pictures! the grain is non-visible, this makes a difference for such a relatively pricy book.

Many of the pictures fill the whole page and this creates a striking image! It is a great buy if you want to collect good pictures on egypt!

One minor disappointment is that they omitted some of the most interesting pictures or artifacts of the old kingdom, which you find in other books. For example and most importantly the bas relief of king djoser at the ny metropolitan museum. yet, i probably know why..

This magnificent volume devoted to the approximate 500 years that made up Egypt's Old Kingdom period(2649-2150 B.C.), is truly unsurpassed in information and artifacts that were brought together from collections in Egypt, France, Italy, Britain, the United States and elsewhere for a unique travelling exhibition titled: "Egyptian Art In The Age Of The Pyramids". As a lover of all things to do with Ancient Egypt I was amazed by this wonderful work that had as its focus not the frequently photographed treasures of Tutankhamen or the Valley of the Kings but instead on this much earlier period of Egyptian history that saw some of Egypt's most wonderous works of art and building accomplished.

For those not able to see the exhibition this book is a wonderful guide and source of information that can be enjoyed by people just developing an interest in early Egypt and also by those with a fairly advanced knowledge of this civilisation and its wonders. I was amazed by the terrific attention to detail and especially by the fact that many of the items featured have not been widely seen or examined in detail before. The volume begins with some detailed maps of the different regions of Egypt in the Old Kingdom period so that the reader can get a feel for where the various items featured originated from. A brief run down on the six dynasties of the Old Kingdom and their history including the Pharaohs who reigned during them is also included and certainly helps to give the items a proper time frame and place in the overall history of Egypt. The first chapters of the book cover specific areas of interest and vary from a detailed examination of the incredible Step Pyramid of King Djoser through various tombs of officials and court dignitaries to an examination of royal statuary, furniture of the old Kingdom, and the excavations that have taken place at old Kingdom sites. Each of these chapters contain a detailed commentary of the topic under discussion by various world wide experts and each include breathtaking colour and black and white photographs, maps and drawn ilustrations of tomb reliefs and wall paintings. The text in these chapters is clear and concise and easy to follow while still being incredibly informative with much background information included. These chapters really are a great introduction to all facets of cultural and religious life in the Old Kingdom.

The second section of "Egyptian Art In The Age of The Pyramids", deals with each individual artifact that was included in the travelling exhibition. Each item is accompanied by a beautiful colour illustration photographed often against a neutral background for maximum effect and also includes any other available photos that may have been taken when the piece was being excavated or from the site it was found in . Each item also has a detailed description and a background history and includes which dynasty of the Old Kingdom it comes from and who the reigning Pharaoh was at that time. Measurements and the loaning museum are also included to give a very detailed run down on the modern origins of each piece. The marvel of the items as stated is that both well known and quite rare items are included in the volume. We get to see such diversely famous pieces as the blue tile wall decorations from the under ground chambers of the Step Pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser, and the majestic twin statue of Pharaoh Menkaure and his Queen, through to the extremely rare Silver and Turquoise inlaid braclets belonging to Queen Hetep-Heres, the mother of Pharaoh Cheops, and the extremely touching statue of Queen Ankh-Nes-Meryre nursing her young son, the boy Pharaoh Pepi II. Less well known pieces such as vivid wall paintings from some of the nobles tombs, wooden statues of farmers and alabaster vases in the shape of monkeys from unknown sources really bring to life the everyday existence of both the priviledged and the general population during the six dynasties of the Old Kingdom.

As an amateur Egyptologist I would dearly have loved to see this original exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art however having missed that this splendid book is a perfect way to enjoy the wonderful artifacts that were included and to learn in a detailed but user friendly way much about Egypt during the Old Kingdom. "Egyptian Art In The Age Of The Pyramids", is one of the most tresured books in my personal library and I highly recommend it to all readers interested in ancient history and in early Egypt in particular. This volume itself is a true treasure just like all the precious items it so lovingly features in its pages. Enjoy!

Memphis or Bust

Determined to fulfill her husband's last request, Claudia McIntosh is hauling a three-foot bust of Elvis Presley in the back seat of a vintage Cadillac from Dallas to Memphis, hoping to locate the kitschy sculpture's rightful owner. Along for the ride are her eccentric aunt who knew the King of Rock 'n' Roll and a temperamental teen with a suspicious mind of her own. When the road trip hits the Heartbreak Hotel, these three women uncover pieces of their past along with the bust's mysterious history--discoveries that will leave them all shook up and change their lives forever.

The first thing I noticed when I started reading this book was the wonderful way Leanna puts her words together--the cadence of the sentences and the unexpected words used in descriptions. Being a novelist myself, I wanted to study her techniques.

Very soon, I was sucked in and lost myself in the wonderful story. I loved her characters, and she defined each one superbly.

One of my editors recently wrote on her blog that authors need to look at things from a different perspective--turn things around and see where this takes them. Leanna did this very well. The fresh way she presented this story took the reader into the hearts and souls of the characters.

I highly recommend this book. It's a must read.

There are so many books out there and so little time to read them all. This is one story I recommend you take the time to enjoy. While there is nothing fluffy about this book, it does have it's humorous moments. There are also some very deep moments and emotional ties that develop between these friends whe secrets come out that challenge their beliefs. I found some of the struggles they dealt with to be very true-to-life. And when it comes to grief and loss, I dare say I don't think I've read anything more real and honest than Claudia's perspective. I've read a lot of stories where people were angry with God for losing a loved one, but Leanna Ellis makes this one feel...real. It's hard to explain, but if you know someone who is angry and feels far away from God because they can't seem to let go, this would be a great book to give them to help them work through that.

But this story is more than just a glance into someone's pain, it's a compelling tale of three women who all have serious issues to deal with. The dialogue is natural and feels so real. The way the author brings these issues to the forefront through the story is incredibly well-done. You can actually learn something about your own heart and your own relationship with God from reading this book. That's a skill few authors have, and that's what makes it fabulous Christian fiction in my book. I highly recommend it.

On a recent visit to our local Christian bookstore, I decided that I needed something "new" to read. It's not like I don't have a TON of books sitting in my "to be read" stack, but I wanted something to jump off the shelves at me.

This book did it.

The title and the cover caught my eye, and this sentence from the back cover sealed the deal:

Determined to fulfill her husband's last request, Claudia McIntosh is hauling a three-foot bust of Elvis Presley in the back seat of a vintage Cadillac from Dallas to Memphis.

The blurb goes on to explain that she is joined by her eccentric aunt who actually knew the King of Rock 'n' Roll. They find themselves in the company of a friends' daughter, a temperamental teen.

Let me tell you, I have enjoyed this book from front to back! It made me laugh and cry as I pictured each step of the journey these three women take to return this mysterious bust. And of that journey, Ellis' character Claudia notes:

At the beginning of our journey, I thought we three were as different as the seasons. But now I realize even the seasons are connected and dependent on one another.

I love the reminder that we really DO need to depend on each other to take each step. And more importantly, we must depend on God. We are not alone.

Ellis does a fantastic job of incorporating faith in this story in very real, manageable chunks. It's not so overt that it's a turn-off. Nor is it contrived and stiff. I mean these women find themselves in bars, dealing with such topics as unplanned pregnancies, early death, hidden secrets, suicide, wrestling with faith and uncovering lies. In essence, these are three generations of women meeting real life with real emotions head on.

I like the review on the back that calls this book, "..a fun, deep, unexpected book."

On a light note, I loved the trip down memory lane. There are plenty of Elvis facts woven throughout along with reminiscing of the 60's, 70's and 80's. For me, this was one of the things that kept me reading...despite the fact that I've never been to Memphis or had an overt interest in the "king"!

I want to encourage you to read this book. If you lived through the "Elvis era", have wrestled with heartache and loneliness, enjoyed life in the 60's, 70's and/or 80's, have walked on the wild side, stuffed emotions, or dealt with skeletons in a closet, you just might find yourself in there.

I know I did.

Still grieving from her husband's early death, Claudia stumbles across a note from him, with an odd request - take Stu's beloved bust of Elvis back to Memphis. Unable to refuse, Claudia hits the road in Stu's red vintage Cadillac with her Aunt Rae, an unconventional woman with a mysterious tie to Elvis and the conspicuous bust of Elvis riding in the back seat. Joining them is Ivy, the teenage daughter of Stu's best friend Ben, unpredictable and defiant and maybe more than the childless Claudia can handle.

Their journey is replete with shocking revelations, fascinating people, a sharing of secrets and finally, blossoming hope and love.

Leanna Ellis tells a unique and quirky tale that is fun, captivating and inspiring. Claudia, Rae and Ivy represent woman across the generations and their interaction, though not without difficulties, engagingly highlights the importance of female relationships. Leanna is adept at creating poignant and tender scenes without sentimentality as the characters battle with grief, fear, rejection, faith and love. Seamlessly woven throughout the story are fascinating insights into Elvis' life, love lost and rediscovered and burgeoning hope. If you are looking fsomething a little different from the main fare and a better than average read, Elvis Takes a Back Seat is is the real deal!

Claudia is a young widow who is having a hard time moving on with her life. After experiencing the loss of her parents, she was faced with the illness and eventual death of her husband. Claudia was the kind of wife who built her life around her husband's hopes and dreams. With his death, and no children of her own to tend to, she felt lost. As the book opens, as a result of the prodding of her friends, Claudia has pulled out all of her parents' and husband's belongings and attempts to have a yard sale. However, on the day of the sale, she finds time and time again, she is unable to let go of the belongings.

While preparing for the sale, Claudia sees a lamp she understandably banished to the attic from the beginning of her marriage. The lamp, also a bust in the image of Elvis, was treasured by her late husband, and a reflection of just how much of an Elvis fan he was. When Claudia sees the lamp, she immediately knows she cannot sell it. When she discovers a note from her husband in the box, the beginnings of a plan for a road trip to return Elvis to his proper home begins to develop. Before long, Claudia, her aunt, and her best friend's daughter, head off to Graceland, with Elvis, too big to fit in the trunk, riding along in the backseat. As the group travels across state lines en route to Graceland, they get to know one another better, and it soon becomes apparent that this was more than a road trip, but rather, a journey to self-discovery.

ELVIS TAKES A BACK SEAT was an unexpected pleasure to read. In addition to telling a good story, the book carries readers on a roller coaster ride that covers the full spectrum of emotions. Leanna Ellis has created an interesting group of characters and then, like peeling back layers of an onion, she slowly reveals more and more about their lives, their secrets, and their innermost fears. The characters are genuine, flawed, and colorful, making it easy to empathize with their struggles. Elvis represents so many things in ELVIS TAKES A BACK SEAT, from letting go of the past, having faith, and the struggle between our human nature and our spiritual nature; yet the story is so much bigger. This book is poignant display of how family secrets, doubt, fear, rejection, and even love impact each of us. Finally, ELVIS TAKES A BACK SEAT is a testament to the goodness of God's grace.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

"Passion." "Honesty." "Truth" with a capital "T". These are what I found in "Escape from Fred". I was looking for entertainment and I found transcendence.

When I picked it up off my dad's bookshelf, I was just looking for a pleasant story to while away a winter afternoon. What I left with, after reading it through cover-to-cover, was something unforgettable and real. If "Escape from Fred" is not nominated for some sort of major award, then there is no justice in the literary world.

In the person of Mark Cloud, Brad Whittington has created a character of depth, passion and honesty. Anyone who has struggled with issues of faith and loss will recognize the confusing mixture of hope and fear that Mark struggles through. But Mark is darned likable, too. You will genuinely care about Mark, and will, (unless you are some sort of zombie), see a little of yourself in him.

The book succeeds on several levels:

As sheer story, it is very entertaining. I literally could not put it down.

As literature, Whittington hits a homerun where few authors even dare to come to the plate. He captures the essence of what it feels like to be truly human, with all our jumbled experiences of love and loss, hope and despair, faith and doubt, but he never allows the story to become maudlin or preachy. An impressive feat, indeed.

In other words, "Escape from Fred" pulses with raw honesty, real emotion and believable "answers", (if answers can be found).

Recommended with passion and without reservation.

Without the benefit of reading the entire series, I found much to like in Mr. Whittington's Fred.

I will be reading more of Mr. Whittington's books. In Escape, he stages the struggle of father's faith vs. son's beliefs a wrestling match worthy of a front row seat.

An excellent, entertaining read. Laugh out loud funny in spots, achingly painful in others.

If you struggle with faith issues, or with understanding why painful things happen to nice people, this work of fiction may very well be a soothing escape.

Book three of the Fred trilogy. Mark Cloud escapes from Fred to enter college. He hangs out with the wrong crowd, though. Lots of shenanigans ensue - very funny scenes. Hysterical dialogue throughout. Events seem to conspire against him and he eventually takes to the road, hitchhiking, to see parts of the country and to get away from it all. Meets totally believable but wildly unique and even dangerous characters. Discovers himself along the way. Eventually finds redemption. This book has it all. It's a solid conclusion to an insightful, wildly funny series. Seriously, what more could you ask for?

My wife and I've read the Fred series together, and Escape From Fred is a terrific culmination to this fantastic series. Brad Whittington has accomplished a difficult feat here, blending humor into believable events, with a theological thread of truth throughout. It's not preachy at all, as seen through the quest of a seeker, but leads a person to some valuable spiritual insights about people and about the Lord. We heartily recommend this book.
Ron & Dee Arnold
Honolulu, HI.

This final chapter in the "Fred trilogy" brings our hero, preacher's kid Mark Cloud, full circle and all grown up. Having graduated from high school in the last book, Mark is ready to get to college and start over - escaping Fred, Texas, and all that's associated with it, including his identity as a PK (preacher's kid).

Things don't turn out quite the way he plans, however. While he initially finds fun, friendship, and even romance at college, his own mistakes and those of others soon destroy his carefully-constructed "new life." When another tragedy strikes back at Fred itself, Mark makes another escape, leaving everything behind and setting out on a road trip of self-discovery.

Through it all, Whittington carefully weaves in intriguing historical references from the 70s and earlier. The Beat Generation and their writings play a major role this time around, and the early growth of the Nation of Islam even plays a part. None of it feels forced, although at this point, alas, the similarities between my own upbringing here in Texas and Mark Cloud's come virtually to an end. I never did hardly any of the things he does in this book (though I did think about a few of them...). However, I feel I must say this, Mr. Whittington: Mark's new friend at college? The Captain? I knew that guy. Only he went to a different college and a different year. He has to be the same, though. No one else could talk quite like that...

The humor and spiritual questing as vital elements are unchanged from the previous two books, picking up on past threads and carrying them to satisfying conclusions (Jolene's wedding, for instance...). This whole trilogy is one of those excellent stories that demands multiple readings. In fact, it's ideal for reading aloud to a loved one.

There's not much more I can say than I've already said on the previous two books. If your tastes in reading ordinarily don't approach this kind of story, you're seriously missing out. Highly Recommended.

Emerson's works require repetitous reading and re-reading. Anyone that says you can "get it" from a single read doesn't understand the man or the truths he reveals about life and the universe. To call Emerson a transcendentalist is a cliche and the one calling him this doesn't understand that Emerson was about the here and now.

His best works for a truth seeker are Self-Reliance, Compensation and the Over-Soul. I suggest reading Compensation at least every night for three weeks. The world changes once you do.

To put Emerson in the same category as literary writers like those other reviewers have done is an injustice. He definitely deserves reading and he is an American writer, but he's more akin to Lao Tse than any American poet or novelist. They have a moment or two, Emerson is constant.

Ralph Waldo Emerson was a transcendentalist (someone who espouses a philosophy emphasizing the intuitive and spiritual above the empirical), and a Christian minister, who was also steeped in the rich philosophical tradition of the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad-Gita. His essays are classic literature at its finest, with a rhythm and cadence that are, even in prose, poetic and musical. The beauty of this prose, in my opinion, is unparalleled.

What Emerson has to say is every bit as important as how he says it. He was a genius with "rough edges" who challenged society to question many of its unexamined assumptions. He did get into trouble for this, and was forced to resign as minister of his church, but Emerson refused to compromise on truth. A rugged individualism and stalwart non-conformity were the cornerstones of his personal philosophy. Emerson was well ahead of his time (1803-1882) and remains so to this day.

Emerson was a far more prominent voice in America than many people today might realize. If you decide to read Emerson, you may very well find yourself repeatedly saying, "so that's who said that." Many profound and moving quotes are attributed to him. His essays, "The Over-Soul" and "Self-Reliance" are justifiably considered among some of the best writing by an American author.

Emerson's voice will certainly not be to everyone's liking, and that is as true today as it was in his time. Because of the style of his prose and the nature of what he wrote about, there will be many who read him and who simply put him aside. On the other hand, don't be surprised if reading Emerson sends shock waves through your central nervous system. For those who really get hooked on Emerson, as I did 32 years ago, he will remain a lifetime companion offering a wealth of insight into the eternal verities of the soul and man's quest for the divine. For my money, there is no finer essayist or "philosopher" than Ralph Waldo Emerson.

I can hundred percent sure Emerson's essays will be venerable as Shakespare's works someday,he changed my predujice of English,which I thought English has no quality as French or Russian,those had depth of thinking that English cannot instead of.Now I recently contacted Emerson's poetics ,also fall in love with those lyric prose,they really touched my heart,those are not kind of verbose,oppositely with philosophy of his unique stance.Nothing can prove its well inspirations,except read it.So,just start your reading right now.

If I could create my ideal afterlife or heaven, I would wish to be forever cradled in the gentle arms and soothing prose of Emerson. Who needs prozac or any psychiatry for that matter when we have access to such beautiful writing?

Although he was considered during his lifetime to be a profoundly radical thinker, Emerson, the Transcendentalist chief, after his death, was soon reinterpreted as a bland Bostonian Brahmin, a mystic anarchist who was only brave on paper. It cannot be denied that his philosophy of a joyful and affirmationist acceptance of life, and of nature, his anti-slavery activities, his attacks on the state and on the sensualism of bourgeois society, could have easily provided the formula for a complete overthrow of the moral order of his time. His libertarian thrust, his serene integrity, his indefatiguable optimism and common sense, however, will continue to find admirers, notwithstanding the fact that political identifications have changed and emphases have shifted, or otherwise one can simply enjoy the polished beauty of his prose style. Though by no means a deep thinker, Emerson's brilliantly epigrammatic, allusive, declamatory, pithy style provides instances where the reader may extrapolate a number of meanings from even the shortest utterances, and it is due to this quality, perhaps, that the Emerson enigma came into being, enabling him to appeal to such numerous and diverse temperaments. His best essays include "The Over-Soul", "Compensation", "Self-Reliance" and "Manners", in which he preaches, in the rhetorical manner reminiscent of his background as a Unitarian minister, his ideals of contenment, joy, independence and self-confidence -- tonics of the soul.

This is one of many books out there that deal with today's issues. However, one of the things I really appreciated about the book is that at the end of each section, there are question and answer blanks. This is great because when you write something down, it becomes that much more meaningful and that is what this book is about. Dealing with some of the most relevant issues for people age 12 and up, McDowell journeys to the heart of each issue, covering them thoroughly with a biblical perspective. That biblical world view that McDowell presents strikes penetrating blows in the recent idea of relative truth. Brick by brick, McDowell attempts to tear down some of the crazy ideas in this ho-hum, post-modern world. I bought them for all of my high school seniors for graduation, but they would work for just about any age. It's an unfortunate world we live in when so many people think that Christianity is such a bad thing and on the same level as Santa Claus. Read this book and take what McDowell says to heart. You won't be sorry!

This book makes plain things one would think should already be plain, but aren't. It's a great book for teens and adults alike. For me, it explained a lot of the belief system that's been pawned off on our young people. Whereas before I was just scratching my head, now I think I begin to get it. It still doesn't make sense to confuse facts with preferences, but at least I see in part how the lie has been sold.

Would make an excellent basis for a youth small group or Sunday school class, or even a youth group series. Everyone who cares about kids, especially including kids, should read this book. If you have pre-teens or teens, make every effort to read this book with your kids. My daughter (16) enjoyed it very much.

I lead a teen book study and not only have the youth gleaned a lot of information from this book, I have too! Sean is straight-to-the-point on many controversial issues and offers good, logical arguments for Christian moral standards. A breath of fresh air in today's relativist world and a great way to give teens the strength they need to stand up for their faith. Great read.

Sean has done a fantastic job of dealing with difficult issues in a straight forward manner, biblically. It is unfortunate that in the church today too many are not basing their decisions to some of the most important issues in life based on their 'feelings' instead of what their 'creator' desires. I praise God for Sean and his strong biblical stand.

This is Sean McDowell, author of "ETHIX." Please change the ages for the book on the amazon website from 4-8 to 14-18! This book is now going into its second printing and is selling well. Thanks

This book builds on a couple decades of research into customer engagement and new product development. Related methods to involve customers and users are Probe and Learn, User Toolkits, Lead Users, and in service innovation, co-creation.

The Internet and other lowered costs of communication and development have made it cost effective to try and fail and try again, rather than to analyze.

Thomke tells how to do it. And he does it clearly, with a minimum of jargon.

Buy this book!! Thomke's important new book on innovation is the best that I have read. As a lecturer in product development, I would recommend it highly to anyone with an interest in innovation. In particular, it will be of benefit to company executives wishing to improve the efficacy and efficiency of new technology generation and product development within their firms and students of all levels in this area.

New technologies have allowed for experimentation to be conducted on a much larger scale and in a much more cost effective fashion than ever before. However, what most organisations do not realise is that merely employing new technologies is not sufficient to unlock their true value. The organisation itself must be structured to fully exploit their potential. In today's competitive environment, innovation is crucial and speed is the essence. How this can be done most effectively within organisations is the critical issue addressed in this book. Six simple yet practical principles have been promulgated by Thomke to help senior managers optimise value from experimentation.

The importance of experimentation in driving innovation is wonderfully highlighted and Thomke discusses important paradigms such as failing often to succeed sooner as well as contemporary issues thrown up by new technologies such as what to do with the opportunity to experiment more. He even delves into real-world issues of engineers not trusting computer simulations resulting in the seeming paradox of even more physical prototyping.

The book is written in a highly readable style which engages the reader. Particularly fascinating are the case study examples which illustrate vividly the importance of experimentation in driving innovation and the practical value of the principles which he advocates. These studies cover such diverse companies as Eli Lilly, BMW and there is even one on the design of yachts for the America's Cup! User-friendly boxes explaining important concepts such as computer simulation make the book accessible even to those unfamiliar to this field.

All in all, this is an excellent book and it is highly recommended. Five Stars!

Stefan Thomke has produced a landmark book that beautifully reinforces an often ignored aspect about innovation -- experimentation matters. Indeed, experimentation is at the heart of innovation, and Thomke has delivered that much-needed message very well. Drawing upon his extensive research and with many insightful case studies from across the industries, Thomke's book is a powerful account of how new technologies and processes
can be leveraged to innovate and compete. This book is a "must read" for anyone who believes that innovation will increasingly be the driving element of competitive success, and that strategic experimentation design and management are at the center stage of innovation. Those not believing so, needless to say, will obviously be left behind. Read this book now and implement its ideas faster than your competitors.

Observation, exploration and experimentation have been the three basic means of learning for scientists. Of these, experimentation calls for the highest levels of external intervention and as a topic by itself has always been of interest to statisticians who have developed powerful techniques to derive maximum information through the least possible number of experiments. Application of these statistical techniques has resulted in substantial reduction in research expenditure, quicker understanding of scientific principles and shorter time to convert ideas into useful products. On the other hand new technologies like simulation, CAD/CAE that harness the advances in computing have completely changed the experimental landscape by providing powerful techniques for rapid and economical experimentation on our desktops and servers. To cite one example discussed in this book, car maker BMW's crash simulation test progressed from 3000 to 700000 finite elements between 1982 to 2002 while simultaneously resulting in reduction of processing time from 3 months to 30 hours. Power of computing enables "front-loaded" innovation - understanding the phenomenon before committing resources into physical manufacturing.

But the lacuna is that experimentation has never been thought as a separate management discipline cutting across functional silos to bring innovative solutions into the marketplace. Experimentation as a strategic tool that needs management attention and involvement is the core theme of this book.

Management deals with producing results under uncertainty. Uncertainty can be broadly classified under technical, production, market and customer needs. Experimentation should tell us not only what will work, but also what does NOT work. The knowledge so derived should seamlessly flow across the Design-Build-Run-Analyze cycle that cuts across departmental boundaries in large organizations. This is analogous to the concept of ERP in business processes. Though this concepts looks simple, organizational barriers prevent the seamless sharing of information for innovation. Design, manufacturing , marketing and procurement functions fail to optimize on the organizational repository of knowledge that can put winning products into the marketplace. This book is an excellent study on how management can use experimentation as a unique strategy within and beyond organizational boundaries. Case studies are quite detailed and well illustrated.

Read this book. It is worth experimenting.

The way to succeed is to double your failure rate. That comment by Thomas Watson, Sr. is not among the innovators' words of wisdom in Stefan Thomke's densely informative exploration of technologies and processes of experimentation but it perfectly fits the message. Central to Thomke's message in this book is the idea that iterated experimentation through the use of models, prototypes, and computer simulations is the key to learning and innovation. Getting the key to fit in the lock of increased organizational innovation capability, however, takes some jiggling and struggling. Experimentation Matters details the technologies that can transform innovation but place just as much emphasis on the changes that must be made to business processes, organization, culture, incentives, and management. Thomke provides plenty of detailed illustrations of companies wrestling with these issues, and offers six principles revolving to help companies experiment early and often and to organize for rapid iteration.

The first part of the book explains in depth the reasons why experimentation matters for learning and innovation, and how new technologies are affecting the development of both products and services. Thomke shows how the rate of learning is influenced by several factors that affect the process and how it is managed: fidelity, cost, iteration time, capacity, sequential and parallel strategies, signal-to-noise ratio, and type of experiment. Beneath the bewildering diversity of approaches to innovation in different industries, Thomke uncovers six principles that can improve how experimentation occurs: Anticipate and exploit early information through front-loaded innovation processes; Experiment frequently but do not overload your organization; Integrate new and traditional technologies to unlock performance; Organize for rapid experimentation; Fail early and often but avoid "mistakes"; and Manage projects as experiments.

In the final chapter, Thomke looks at how some companies are "shifting the locus of experimentation" to customers as a way to create new value. This approach, sometimes referred to as "co-creation", not only raises productivity but helps fundamentally change the sorts of products and services that can be created. Innovation toolkits given to customers need to enable them to iterate through the steps of experimentation, be user-friendly, contain libraries of useful, pretested and debugged components and modules, and they must contain information abut the capabilities and limitations of the production process. In addition to the development of a customer toolkit, Thomke adds four other steps for shifting experimentation and innovation to customers and, very importantly, notes how the creation and capture of value also shifts.

One great strength of Thomke's book is the attention given to the managerial and organizational challenges of implementing new technologies such as computer modeling and simulation and combinatorial and high-throughput testing. As other writers have repeatedly emphasized - but many managers have not yet understood - new technologies *must* be introduced only in concert with revised business processes, structures, and management approaches. Iterated experimentation helps learning by increasing the number of failures. But if incentives continue to punish failures, the new technologies will be underused or misused. Financial incentives, organizational culture, and management communications will have to change if experimenters are to feel free to fail at the most productive rate.

Thomke illustrates and details the crucial role of organization, process, and management in realizing the potential of experimentation technologies with a range of illuminating cases. He devotes a chapter to these effects in the integrated circuit industry, examines the challenges faced by Bank of America in its bold service experimentation efforts, and shows how managers at Eli Lilly struggled with non-technological aspects of high-powered experimentation in the drug discovery process. A study of experimentation in the auto industry, particularly at BMW, suggests several lessons regarding the reality of technology introduction: Technologies are limited by the processes and people that use them; organizational interfaces can get in the way of experimentation; and technologies change faster than behavior. Thomke also shows how managers can look at projects as experiments, reiterating, refining, and learning from them as they proceed through the stages of design, build, run, and analyze.