L Books

We learn to pray by repeating what we hear others say. Our first prayers may be nothing more than a simple memorized prayer before bedtime or mealtime that we learn as a child. I was raised in a tradition that looked down on "prayer books" and instead advocated using one's own words in prayer. Inevitably, however, one would end up using the words and phrases they heard others say when they prayed. A prayer book is essentially the same thing, except that the prayers have been carefully constructed and often refined and polished through years of use.

One advantage of Boa's wonderful prayer book is that it incorporates the words of scripture to form the backbone for one's daily prayer while, at the same time, provides a rotating list of instructions which encourage one to pray, using their own words, over a variety of topics.

The book has provided a helpful jump start for my often lifeless attempts at prayer. It helps me pray when that is a low item on my priority list for the day. It has also helped me develop consistency in prayer. I give these books often as gifts and in the beginning of 2008 each family in our congregation was encouraged to purchase a copy that we might all grow together in our devotion to prayer.

I love the format of the daily prayers in this book and the way that scripture is incorporated into the prayer as well as promptings for personal prayer time as well. This is a great way to have daily worship and prayer time, as well as reinforcing God's word into our memory.

This is a prayer book that turned my quiet time into something i began to look forward to. Dr Ken Boa shows how verses from the Word of God, when prayed in the structure of the Lord's Prayer can transform your relationship with Him. Buy the book for yourself or better still, gift it as a blessing to somebody else!

Face to Face has become a mainstay for my time in the Word of God. The daily scriptures always apply to personal life - always timely. I like the size and covering of the book - I can take it with me anywhere - usually it goes with me daily to the gym. It is a great source of refreshment and getting my thoughts grounded back on the absolute Truth of God's Word. There's always a verse or two that I end up copying on an index card to keep before my eyes regularly.

In the introduction to this book the author writes, "The problem with prayer is heightened by the fact that people often succumb either to the extreme of all form and no freedom, or the opposite extreme of all freedom and no form". I was pretty much in the all freedom trap and felt my time spent praying was wasted a lot of times due to my inabilty to get my mind in order. This book has really helped me to improve my prayer life.

I really enjoyed the way the book is organized with gentle nudges at the end of each section to get you going in the right direction. My previous prayer efforts consisted of me basically free associating. Since purchasing this book I have found myself getting to my point or just finding what I want to say much faster and with much, much more clarity. I also learned work in a time to stop and listen for a change, too!

Another problem I had had with my prayer style was the pure inabilty to pray out loud. I'm not talking about in front of people or groups; I mean just praying out loud, alone, in my house. It was like my brain would freeze when I opened my mouth. Reading aloud the passages inluded in each section allowed me to let my mind get 'warmed up' and my prayer just flowed out after I finished reading a section.

This isn't a Book of Prayers that you just read out loud. Rather, this is a book that lets you pray God's word back to him and then nudges you in a general direction that you fully expand on yourself. I found this book series recommended on my church's website and am very glad that I found them. Just to be clear, the book isn't a Bible replacement or a list of prayers. Face to Face is organized based off the Lord's prayer and is merely a guide to developing more meaningful prayer. I highly recommend it.

After a brutal mugging in NYC, Jeff Resnick struggles to patch up his life, accept his new psychic abilities, and attempt to use those abilities to help solve a gruesome murder of a banker in Buffalo, New York. The slim book is tightly written and moves briskly forward, a great asset for any mystery. A former insurance investigator downsized out of a job prior to the mugging, Jeff takes the tantalizing clues his on again/off again psychic abilities provide and combines them with sound detective skills to hunt down the killer until he pushes the killer too far threatening his domestic situation. The main plot is intriguing, well done, and a solid read for any mystery lover. The secondary plot surrounding his domestic situation plodded a bit and lacked depth. Still, it's a four out of five star read for the mystery reader in me. For those mystery readers who like the psychic angle, it might climb a bit higher.

L.L. Bartlett's MURDER ON THE MIND is just what I look for in a mystery these days: a book with a balance of plot, character, and something extra. Mystery readers have read it all, so writing a good whodunit requires a meld of good writing with an intriguing element that make the story go in an unexpected direction. Bartlett succeeds on both counts.

Jeff Resnick is hurt, unemployed, dependent on his brother ... and psychic, apparently the result of his injury. As the mystery of who killed a local banker unfolds, he deals with his own doubts and aversion to his "gift" as well as his brother's and that of the police who must be convinced he just "knows" what happened to the eviscerated victim.

What Barlett does well is avoid some traps common to paranormal mysteries. Jeff is a believable character and neither his brother nor the cop descend to the stereotypical role of non-believers who ignore the evidence before them. Neither does the paranormal element get so "woo-woo" that disbelief can no longer be held at bay. Everyone in the story is real, and I accepted Jeff's ability and sympathized with the fact that he wasn't any happier about believing in it than those around him were.

Jeff as a character is well-rounded, and he grows within the story, learning that some of the things we believe as kids are not quite the way we perceived them. As he recovers from his physical injuries, he takes the first tentative steps toward a new level of maturity, finding that accepting the support of others doesn't make a person weak, and that repayment of that support doesn't have to be by tangible means.

MURDER ON THE MIND was published by Five Star Press but is now in paperback through Worldwide Mystery, available on the eHarlequin website beginning Oct. 1st. It's well worth reading, and one can only hope that there is more to come about Jeff Resnick as he begins his second life with second sight.

L.L. Bartlett's MURDER ON THE MIND is an exceptional debut mystery that adds a paranormal element to the enjoyment of unraveling traditional investigative techniques. Told in the first person through the eyes of a psychic sleuth, or perhaps brain damaged, MURDER ON THE MIND heightens the level of suspense as each new clue or vision arises.

A mugging in Manhattan, leaves former insurance investigator Jeff Resnick with broken bones and a fractured skull --- and completely dependent on his rich estranged half brother Dr. Richard Alpert and his girlfriend Brenda Stanley. Visions of a hunt and and a hunter stalking his deer prey terrify Jeff. The doctors diagnose brain damage. Days later, a local banker is found dead, his murder eerily similar to the details of Jeff's nightmares. Jeff believes the attack has left him with a sixth sense, a psychic ability to see murder before the event. Jeff uses his visions and his investigative skills to try to solve the crime but as he gets closer to the killer, danger arises from all corners. Will the police trust his revelations are due to psychic visions or attribute his knowledge to a more nefarious means? As Jeff becomes closer to his half brother, dangerous past secrets emerge touching his traumatic childhood. Somewhere danger lurks and Jeff must work hard and fast if he doesn't want to become a victim to one of the dark secrets he uncovers.

L.L. Bartlett writes a magnificent mystery! MURDER ON THE MIND mixes an eerie, psychic paranormal element with an investigative hunt for clues and facts, never sacrificing the mystery to an easy resolution. Intriguing twists keep the reader poised at ever page. MURDER ON THE MIND will appeal to a variety of readers from lovers of traditional mysteries to suspense lovers with its ominous, supernatural feel and even beyond these genres as moments of tenderness and fear both move the reader's heart. L.L. Bartlett truly leaves the reader guessing, never quite sure of the murderer's identity as terrifying details mix with an investigative trail more typical of light mysteries. The complicated psychological battle between Jeff and his brother might turn either way. With possible brain damage in play, is Jeff a reliable first person narrator? Will past secrets come to light to add another twist to this murder mystery? L.L. Bartlett's fine writing keeps the pages turning with eager anticipation until the very end.

If it weren't for bad luck, Jeff Resnick would have no luck at all. Just when Jeff thinks his life is on the upswing after sustaining corporate downsizing and personal tragedy, he is viciously mugged by teen-aged thugs in New York City. The injuries leave him with more than a shattered body; his independence is also shattered because he must now ask for help from his estranged half-brother, Richard Alpert, who insists Jeff come back to Buffalo to recover. Jeff reluctantly agrees.

Adjusting to life back in Buffalo is difficult. Not only does Jeff have to come to terms with being dependent on someone for help, he has to recover from the skull fracture he sustained in the attack. And there is the matter of the vivid mental images he keeps having - images of the victim of a savage murder, the overwhelming feelings of the murderer and those of a terrified witness to the crime.

Seeing Jeff come to terms with the surprising new circumstances of his life, including the new "ability" his injury seems to have awakened is what propels Murder on the Mind and takes the reader on Jeff's often harrowing journey. L.L. Bartlett's clear, taut prose keeps the reader wanting to know more as the tale unfolds and the core truths are revealed about the murder, the murderer and Jeff's new-found insight. Bartlett also leaves a few intriguing questions unanswered, begging more tales of Jeff, Richard and the wonderfully-drawn supporting characters in the book.

I highly recommend Murder on the Mind, a fast-paced and original mystery with an unexpected setting and a very unconventional investigator. I look forward seeing more of Jeff Resnick and the environs around Buffalo, New York very soon!

The story content and flow of the plot is exciting and easy to read. I found myself becoming attached to the main character and wanting to help him find the perpetrator of the crimes of murder. This book is well written and I'm looking forward to another adventure in the literary life of Ms. Bartlett's creation, Jeff Resnick.

I was lucky enough to see Larry Shue play the role of Charlie off-Broadway in May of 1985 (he died in December of that year). To my mind, he was the perfect Charlie, although years later I saw a performance of the play with Jaston Williams and Joe Sears that rocked the house and showed just how sharp Shue's wit was.

So much can be said about this light-hearted play that it's hard to pick where to start (and what to leave out)...

Larry Shue really set up a diverse and side-splitting play. First of all, it incorporates many accents and notions as cultures collide in the Deep South. One character even makes up his own dialect and tells an entire story in it (it's a lot funnier than it sounds trust me)! The plot also drives off of a cleverly set up situation of mistaken identity.

Somehow Shue created a hilarious, yet somehow realistic cast of characters. He followed this up by setting up an absurd plot that flows naturally and is exciting to read. Great character + great plot = what can go wrong?

I loved this play so much that I went to see it live at a somewhat small theatre. Literally everyone in the audience was laughing hysterically throughout the performance and they all stayed after for about an hour to learn more about the play and Larry Shue. The great thing is that this play is funny without being crude, which shows real comedic talent (and seems to be a rare find these days).

Reading a play doesn't take that long at all! If you are a theatre geek, or someone that is just starting to read plays this one will be a great choice for you. It's diverse, funny, witty and masterfully set-up. I strongly recommend it.

This is about the funniest play I ever read. Have never seen it staged either. But it is typical of modern plays in having only seven characters, all of whom have meaty roles. Needs thick Southern accents and one cultured British and one Cockney accent. Five men and two women.

I had the sheer joy of playing Charlie several years ago and I hope some day I can do it again. It is funny and thought provoking at the same time. When I first read it I couldn't stop laughing and I wondered how we would get through it as actors without cracking up.
Everyone should read it and try to see it if it is playing at a theatre near you.

Having taken part in a performance of "The Foreigner" over ten years ago, I was anxious to take a trip down memory lane. After reading the play today, I am reminded what a precise and humorous tale this is. Despite remaining relatively obscure, it is one of my favorites. Larry Shue's attention to detail and sharp wit make this play a laugh a minute and thought provoking.

Charlie accompanies Froggy to Georgia on military business as Charlie's wife's health declines. Feeling his marriage is failing, Charlie becomes very asocial. To maintain his silence, Charlie adopts the persona of a foreigner with no English speaking skills. In the lodge he takes up residence, the lodge's keeper Betty is about to loose the property to a conspiracy of Owen and a resident of the lodge and preacher David. As a member of the Ku Klux Klan, Owen's feelings of hatred rise when he feels Charlie mocks him. This causes Owen as well as David, whose membership in the Klan is not known, to attempt to exact revenge. When their violent scare tactics fall apart, so does the conspiracy of David and Owen. Additionally, the corrupt preacher David's image is soiled as his true intentions are revealed toward his fiance and her wealth.

It is a misfortune that this show is hard to find on the stage. Were it more well known, I am sure it would achieve much deserved recognition. If you are unable to see the show, reading it is the next best thing.

A great resource book to have on fractures. I am using it frequently in practice

I am an Internist who bought this prior to deployment to a Level 2 BAS in Iraq. This was very helpful not only in terms of diagnosis, but management. It lets you know just when to refer, so you are not taking up medical evac resources, or placing soldiers on the road unnecessarily. I highly recommend this book as part of your packing list if you are a non-ortho battalion surgeon.

This is an excellent reference to rapidly give you the plan of treatment for any fracture in a table form as well as a longer written discussion. It states when orto MD must be seen and when. Perfect as a ready reference!

Great photos of fractures plus this manual gives a description of how to treat - what the best type of casts or splints would be and what they look like as well. Excellent resource!

Very easy to use, concise advice on the most common fractures. Not a definitive ortho text, but does exactly what the title indicates. Worth the price for anyone in primary care or urgent care environments.

This book by Mr Hubbard helped me to help my child with this sometimes troubling subject of Grammar. He enjoyed it very much.

I remember the horrors of English 101 when I was in school before this book was written. I use this book while tutoring my students and used it when I was homeschooling my own child. Wow, when kids understand what grammar is and how to use it, do they start to write and communicate! And this goes for adults, as well! My students whose second language was English loved this book because the simple and clearly illustrated examples make it possible to show an idea without words. This is THE grammar book to own and use!

This has helped my son get grades level and above all of his class mates. He is now able to read when before he would not even touch a book! It has also helped me and I am a school teacher!!! Get for the benifit of your child.

This book is a wonderful example of how a complicated subject can be made simple and fan to learn. I would highly recommend it not only for children, but for adult as well! Adults, this one can really improve your communication skills!

This is a very good basic grammar book. I used it to refresh my memory, and the children in my home are learning their grammar in conjunction with Grammar House Rock. Photocopy a few pages, and kids will have a fun coloring in the black and white pictures. My only problem with this book is L. Ron Hubbard pads this book with ideas from scientology. This is only so in the beginning and end of the book. Parents, if you do not want your children to learn Scientology, find some scissors and cut those parts out. It is a great grammar book. The illustrations are beautiful, and the characters are diverse. It has pictures of Black, Latino children, and disabled children. There is also an overweight child.

Do not think this book is some kind of odd cult thing. It simplifies grammar, and children will like it because of the pictures. Just avoid the beginning and end parts of the book if you object Scientology. Get your children Grammar House Rock too. Remember to be an active part to your children's education.

The product arrived fast and secure, I'm very happy. It's a beatiful book, I recomended a lot.

I just started birwatching and this book is a must have for every birdwatcher both amateurs and specialists.
The spanish version is very hard to get and probably in the future the Organizacion colombiana de ornitologia will release a revised version of the book.
For the moment this book is a must have!!!

I live in Medellín, Colombia, South America, I was looking for this book in the spanish edition, but it's hard to find it, so I bouhgt the enlgish version.
This book is an excellent knowledge tool and it will open the eyes of the readers to one of the many wonders we have. A Guide to the Birds of Colombia is just AMAZING. For those who love animals, in special birds, consider buying it, you won't regret it.

"A Guide to the Birds of Colombia," by Steven L. Hilty and William L. Brown is mandatory reading for serious field observers. This book treats all of the 1,695 species of resident and migrant birds known to have been reliably recorded in Colombia and on its island posessions of Gorgona and Malpelo prior to 1984.

Moreover, this massive Princeton University Press text (836 pages) includes sixty-nine color and black and white plates by Guy Tudor (one of the most talented living bird illustrators in the world) & others. And before I forget this book includes superb line drawings by Michel Kleinbaum.

I found the sections on Topography, Climate, Vegetation, Habitat Descriptions, and Conservation & National Parks excellent. In addition, the review of Colombian Ornithology and the Range Maps are valuable field observer tools. In conclusion, this is a meticulous text with an expert index that will absolutely fill all the needs of serious field obsevers. Recommended.

Bert Ruiz

Es un libro que no debe faltar en la biblioteca de ningún ornitólogo. Describe casi la totalidad de especies de aves del país con más especies de aves en el mundo. Excelente.

This engaging book fills the void that other Civil War histories leave, and that is an understanding of the everyday experiences of the foot soldier. "Hardtack and Coffee or the Unwritten Story of Army Life" by John D. Billings is an exhaustive and fascinating look back at the flesh, bones, and blood of those lines and arrows on the maps of Civil War battle strategies.

The book is filled with anecdotes, observations, and songs arising from the era. (I very much appreciated the introduction which details the election of 1860 and started the whole terrible tragedy that ensued over the next half decade.) The generous amount of illustration truly helps evoke the period. "Hardtack and Coffee" is a perfect companion to Bell Irvin Wiley's "Life of Billy Yank: The Common Soldier of the Union" and "The Life of Johnny Reb: The Common Soldier of the Confederacy". And it is a perfect part of anyone's Civil War/American History library.

Rocco Dormarunno, author of THE FIVE POINTS

I am a Civil War reenactor, and this book has been an excellent source of ideas for first person scenarios and ideas for living history. It is an insightful, unique record of the soldier's life for living historians or students of history. I would highly recommend this engaging book.

This is the best book on the life of the Civil War soldier. The other reviews attest to this, so here is something different.
Charles W. Reed, the illustrator, was ALSO a Civil War veteran.
He served in the Ninth Massachusetts Battery and won the Medal of Honor at Gettysburg for saving his commanding officer, Captain
John Bigelow, who had been seriously wounded in the fight at the
Trostle Farm on 2 July 1863.
My favorite chapter was the one on the army mule.
Buy, read & enjoy this book!

Hardtack and Coffee provides an excellent picture of Army life in the mid-nineteenth century. The sketches illustrate the text superbly. This is a useful handbook for students and teachers as well as an intriguing introduction to the Civil War.

I'm one of those men with the "Civil War Itch" who can't get enough reading, can't get enough time on the battlefields. This book is hands-down one of my favorites in my extensive collection, re-read several times and dog-eared. It's something I always put in my bag for air-travel reading, because you can pick it up and put it down when you need to...the author and the illustrator both were participants in the Conflict, so you know it's accurate. The content is educational but not stuffy, since it was written to explain to soldiers' families what exactly Union Army life was like...and the humor still carries through to this day. After you've read the historical studies or walked a battlefield, THIS is the book you want to read to put yourself in the shoes of the everyday soldier--and it's easy to do with the author's skills. For me, the best chuckles are the chapters "Jonahs and Beats", and "The Army Mule". A must-read for those wanting more than just a general's biography or an order of battle.

This book is very well written and helpful. It gives a good Christian insite into the effects of emotional abuse. If you have been emotionally abused in your life I recommend this book.

The topic of emotional abuse is one that must be addressed in our time. Physical abuse is highlighted quite often but not emotional abuse. Everyone should read this book. It will change the course of many lives.

This has been such a great book for me. It was such a big eye opener for me. I knew that my life as a child left me scarred, but without any physical signs of abuse I felt that maybe it was all in my head. It was hard to read and realize that the emotional abuse I have suffered still has a great impact on me today. I loved how they spoke of God and seeking Him in your road to recovery. This book is so well written and it's easy to understand. It has identified the different types of abuse and I can see the type I myself have suffered from. Even if you have never suffered emotional abuse I would still recommend this book.

I've been reading a lot of self-help books, but have rarely been so moved to recommend them to others. I found this one uncommonly wise, kind, and helpful and sensible--you come away
with a grounded, helped feeling...hopeful, too. I'm not crazy about the word "empowering," but this book is empowering, I think. If you're looking for help in this area, this book is worth reading. (I know Bill Blass used to say in those magazine perfume ads that he didn't like people (women) who thought they could be helped by self-help books--remember?--but I don't care! This is a truly good one!) If you are in pain and you suspect past emotional abuse might be a factor contributing to it, please check this book out. You might even be moved to pass it on to friends--I am already plotting to purchase additional copies!

This book is an excellent resource to help a person recognize the difference between criticism and emotional & verbal abuse. Criticism is normally given IN LOVE, there is an enormous difference between criticism & abuse. This book will also help anyone who was previously in an abusive relationship to be able to recognize some of the common traits all emotional abusers and potential emotional abusers exhibit and steer clear of another abusive relationship. I even found instances in my own life where I was the one doing the controlling through emotional abuse & have been able to discontinue that behavior through self examination & prayer. Excellent book!

This is a great book, in perfect condition and mailed very well - good
packaging, arrived in time. Great seller, thanks!

I was searching for a book that would help me begin the process of assessing and measuring client outcomes in my counseling practice. It is a very useful book with very practical tools. Thank you!!

This book is not about learning a therapeutic technique, its about using simple tools in therapy (regardless of theoretical orientation) to help measure outcome - something MFTs need to know in order to provide good service to clients. I am a grad student and this has been some of the most valuable information I have learned thus far.

In the thorougly revised edition of the "Heroic Client", Duncan, Miller, and Sparks now advocate "A Revolutionary Way to Improve Effectivness." They invite mental health professionals, of any discipline, to partner with clients in all aspects of their care and abandon the search for the best therapeutic process or evidence-based therapy, and instead, focus on client-based outcome feedback to improve effectivness by an incredible 65 percent!

As in the previous edition, the strength of the authors' arguments for practicing "Client-Directed, Outcome-Informed Therapy" lies in their comprehensive and enlightening review of the science behind "what works" in psychotherapy. The revised edition updates the reader on the latest empirical findings targeting the limitations of applying the medical model toward resolving human problems-namely the myth of psychiatric diagnosis, the myth of evidence-based practice, and the myth of the magic pill. The sections examining the science of evidence-based practice and the ethics and science of using medications (especially for children) are significantly expanded, thought provoking, and timely. Also of significance, in the revised edition is the authors' unvailing of their own empirically tested process (Session Rating Scale-SRS) and outcome (Outcome Rating Scale-ORS) measures which have adequate psychometric properties, and of equal importance, are designed to be feasible for clinical settings. Using the SRS and ORS together, the authors report that their outcome management system offers the only system currently available which tracts both outcome and the alliance in a practical manner. Finally, as in the original text, Duncan, Miller, and Sparks intersperse case examples throughout their book to demonstrate the application of their approach to helping people change.

The revised edition could stand alone, without the reader needing to read it's predesesor. The only dissappointment to this reviewer was the mention in the first edition of The Nova Southeastern University (NSU) Pilot Project- Duncan and Miller's proposed solution to address some of the problems associated with conducting outcome research in the clinical setting. In the original "Heroic Client", they stated that results were preliminary because the study was still underway at press time and that two replications were planned. Unfortunately, the revised edition does not revisit this promising study.

Nonetheless, Duncan, Miller, and Sparks offer a simple, yet compelling message which has tremendous ramifications for the training, practice, and the delivery of mental health services. They are not just whinning about "business as usual" nor do they advocate another theory or therapy method which falls short of empirical support. Instead, the authors remind therapists that we are in the business of change, and out of respect for our clients who seek our sevices and the third party payors who help reimburse it, we must translate empirical research into an approach that they so rightly state will be "effective, accountable, and just." Their alternative vision of the future of mental health is a must read for students and practitioners alike.

After being a counselor for over thirty years it is refreshing to see a scholarly book by authors who understand what is important in change, growth and healing. For far too long therapists and medicine have taken credit for the work done by the clients.

This book outlines important research and common sense reasons why we need to really listen to the client and his family to learn how to support what he is doing to be healthy. Anyone interested in helping people change can benefit from this newest volume from the people who get what counseling is all about.

This is a great feat - to take such a complex situation as a disfunctional church and explain clearly and simply the dynamics that may be at play. A few things I thought were very helpful:
* a discussion of the brain's capacity to function at different levels according to stress and anxiety levels
* the nature of anxiety and its role in a family system/congregational system (particularly when shared around)
* ways to reduce anxiety so that we can function at our problem-solving best
* the role of pain in moving us forward in better directions

So much of what has happened in my past and present congregations was resolved in me by reading this book. It is helping improve my leadership greatly.

I would hightly recommend this book because it gets the the heart of the issue about how conflict develops between church members as a result of our family background. Steinke gives practical insight into our own ways of looking at church situations through the lens of the family systems theory. Even though it is a short book it is packed with good things and definitely a must read, especially for church leaders.

I was the pastor of a troubled church and was relocated after 20 months. This book provided me with much understanding of the dynamics of church life. I wished I had it when dealing with my struggles. Now that I am in a new church, I am writing a thesis based on my former church using this book and others to do a case study.
A great read for clergy and lay alike.

Murray Bowen caused a stir in the fields of psychitry and psychotherapy when he suggested that families were emotional systems, and that only by stdying the system could one begin to understand the behavior of individuals within the system. Now that his ideas have gained wider acceptance, many thinkers in this field, like pastor and psychologist Peter L. Stienke, have begun to explore the application of systems theory in other contexts. This book presents an excellent introduction to systems theory in the context of a church or synagogue congregation, which function as their own emotional systems much like extended families. Steinke does an excellnt job of introducing systems theory for pastors, church leaders, and others who may want to better understand the way that emotional reactivity influences not just individual congregants, but the whole congregation. Those who have little background in this area will find Stienke's book clear and approachable.

Peter Steinke is a Lutheran pastor and director of the Interfaith Pastoral Counseling Center in suburban Chicago. His career has been one of studying and advising the dynamics of disfunctional churches and counseling pastors who have been hurt by said churches. "How Your Church Family Works" is an introduction to systems theory as it relates to interpersonal dynamics within a church and has been very helpful for this reader.

Steinke begins by introducing the concept of systems--that every unit in a system effects and is effected by every other unit in that system. He then covers how systems work--always seeking to remain stable, even if that stability harms most or all the people in that system. He then moves into a discussion of forces that stabilize or change a system (anxiety, closeness, etc.). Finally, after weaving theory and example to the point that the reader has a fuller understanding of systems theory, Steinke shows how individuals within a system can effect change for the better.

The overriding theme in in "How Your Church Family Works" can be "knowledge is power." Steinke accurately describes the "tunnel vision," the pressure to conform to others' idea of what your role in a system should be, and the tendency of people within a system to focus on other people in that system and blame them. However, through understanding systems, the way they work, their flaws, and how to be an angent of change, one can make an ineffecient, stifling system a productive, nurturing system. They key is knowledge and "big picture" thinking, and defining one's self.

In all, this book has been incredibly helpful as I continue to reflect upon my experiences at a church with a dangerously crushing emotional system. Steinke's book empowers one to be agents of positive change in situations that may be difficult to understand, let alone control. Highly recommended.