N Books

When I was young, my history-buff Mother had my siblings and I visiting every old fort she could find. I did not enjoy it. However, I found that reading Micaela Gilchrist's novel was a lot of fun and added a whole new perspective to the historic vacations of my youth. Her characters are entertaining and she shifts persectives -- from Army wife, to Army officer, to Native American -- with ease and wit. Well written, entertaining and a good journey through our past.

This novel gets off to a slow start. I think the prologue kept me reading. Initially, the author's characterization of Mary Bullitt is unconvincing. Happily, as the character ages, so does the writer's depth in portraying her. Stay with the novel through the first bit, and you'll enjoy the journey. Lots of action and opportunities for speculation about the General's romantic interests.

Excellent reading. I didn't want to put it down. This is also a
part of my husbands' family history so it was very interesting to read and also to update our family records. Will keep as a reference book.

I have never tried to read a book so slowly before. When I finished, I closed the book and was completely speechless. If you like historical fiction, this will soon be one of your favorites. The author paints a picture without overdoing it with flowery language. I had to turn around and buy a copy as soon as I finished.

This is perhaps one of the most intense historical fiction novels I have read in a long time. It is so well-written, that I keep glancing through my Native American Indian history books to gather more information about Black Hawke and General Henry Atkinson. This novel really has renewed my interest in Native American history.

Mary Bullitt agrees to marry General Henry Atkinson after knowing him one day. She moves from Louisville, Kentucky, to St. Lois ~~ at that time, a frontier-town in what was known as the West. This novel is based on Mary's journals. It is also a novel rich in details of life in the early 1800s to the mid-1800s. It also explores the question of Indian rights that were being violated at the time and other people's misconception of the Indian Wars.

Mary and her General kept me riveted through the pages and transported me back to the early beginnings of this country. It reminds me of man's greed ~~ to conquer all he sees and how others fight it. It brought me to the realization that life was tenous during those times ~~ as well as being more intense as well. The scenery descriptions and actual lifestyle habits of the times are so well-researched, that I actually felt like I was there as an observer.

This is a beautifully-written novel ~~ one to keep in your personal library. If you know of someone who is tenative about reading historical novels, start with this one. It is a guarantee to bring history alive in the reader's mind.

1-27-04

I haven't read this book in over 20 years. The other reviews written here say a lot for the way this book finds its way into your life. For me, my kung fu teacher gave it to me to read. One memorable line that has stuck with me permanently was when Justin asked his Buddhist teacher if he knew any magic. The teacher told him to look around, all that he saw was magic.

If I need its lesson again, I'm sure the book will turn up.

Yes. this is my second copy of Grandmaster..... this book hits a satisfying spot inside me. It's intense, a great combination of spy thriller and eastern mysticism. I can read it every 2 years or so, and love it every time. Too bad the new edition has such a cheesy cover compared to the original paperback issuance. It looks like a chess manual, which it certainly is not, although chess plays a serious part between the two main characters as they meet again and again throughout life. Get it!

They were born on the same day on different continents as Justin Gilead is an American and Alexander Zharkov is a Russian. They first meet at ten years of age over a chess game. However, that night Justin watches assassins kill his father in a seedy Paris bar. He is rescued from the same fate by monks from the highest mountains in Asia who were looking for him as they believe he is the latest reincarnation of Brahma. For the next decade and a half he lives and studies Buddhism under their tutelage.

However Russian troops attack and burn down the remote monastery. Justin survives but is filled with rage and a need for vengeance against the Russians. He obtains work for the CIA enabling him to focus on his target Zarkhov, the chief of the Russian top secret espionage elite unit Nichevo. The life and death chess game between two masters will leave one as the GRANDMASTER and the other dead.

Readers will quickly understand why this novel won an Edgar Allan Poe Award in 1985 though the Iron Curtain has since fallen, turning what was contemporary back then into historical especially the insight into the life and death of grandmaster chess as played by the Russian Bears. Justin moves the action-packed plot forward as his Buddhist trained skills enable him to accomplish seemingly impossible achievements; on the other hand Zarkhov is a vestige of the Soviet Union adding to the sense that this is a historical thriller. Fans will marvel at how newlyweds (at that time) Warren Murphy and Molly Cochran gifted their readers with a novel that remains tense and exciting though the perspective has changed.

Harriet Klausner

What is it about this book? It seems we read it and then lose it. Rather like Gilead and his medallion. I read it about ten years ago in a local community college library. When I finally had money to spend to buy my own copy I couldn't find it. I was about ready to decide that I had imagined the book. Then I found it in a local used bookstore. And found out there is a sequel! I snapped them up immediately (even though I don't really have the money to spend at the moment but I couldn't risk not being able to find the book like before.) Thank you, Molly and Warren.

I found this book for the first time in a box of family give away books. I read it and loved it. That was several years ago, and now I re-read it every time I run out of books to read. Warren and Cochran do a great job of relaying the eternal struggle of good and evil alongside the modern storyline of international spy-games. I didn't want to stop reading this book when I reached the last page. I was happy to find that Warren and Cochran wrote High Priest to follow where Grandmaster left off. Both of these books are quick reads that often times go too quick.

This very useful guide is full of strategies to help you get the most out of your staff. The gardening analogy does wear a bit thin by the end of the book, but its points are valid, and it lays out a solid road map for hiring and developing employees. Author Erika Andersen provides case studies and other hands-on tools that give you the chance to apply what you learn along the way. In addition to telling you how to grow great employees, she offers information on how to decide that someone isn't going to fit and how to let them go properly. getAbstract recommends this excellent guide, which carefully explains how to become a master at hiring and keeping good employees, a very important facet of growing your business.

In the introduction, Erika Andersen lays out her underlying premise as follows: "Managing well requires skills--just like cooking or playing the piano or, yes gardening--and I hope to teach you some of those skills." She succeeds. Here's an outline of the book, chapter by chapter.

Preparing the soil. This chapter concentrates on what Andersen calls "the foundation of management success:" listening.

Plan before you plant. This is about how to set expectations. There's very good material here on core competencies and key capabilities. One very important skill that Andersen covers is learning to describe a job clearly. This is vital if you want to find the right people to do the job and if you want to establish clear expectations for them.

Picking your plants. This chapter will be hard for many managers in larger companies to implement. It covers using the interview process to make sure you're hiring the people most likely to succeed on the job. The material is good, and picks up on those listening skills mentioned in the first chapter. The sad reality, though, is that HR has co-opted the hiring process in many companies and the managers have very little say

Not too deep and not to shallow is about how to bring people on board. You will search in vain through dozens of books about managing people without finding a word, let alone a chapter, on this critical task.

The gardener's mind is a great chapter about trusting your own skill and letting human nature help you grow great people. This is the core concept beneath the metaphor. Read this chapter when you doubt yourself. Read this chapter when you are tempted to "make" something happen.

A mixed bouquet. Guess what? Everyone who works for you will be different. This is the chapter that will help you figure out how to manage each of them.

Staking and weeding. This is the day-to-day stuff you have to do to keep the garden growing. It's not very exciting most of the time, but it's absolutely essential and the great supervisors I've known have practiced it as a core part of the job. There's good material on giving feedback of all kinds.

Letting it spread. The gardening metaphor starts to break down a little here, but it's OK. This chapter is about delegation, how to do it well, and how it can make things better for everyone.

Plants into gardeners. The metaphor morphs into science fiction. Imagine the plants in the garden rising up and seeking nutrients on their own, watering each other and thriving. Andersen shares her coaching model in this chapter.

How does your garden grow? The metaphor is back and working. Andersen re-states the core idea that successful gardeners trust their own skills and the power of (human) nature. She offers her "management decision tree" to help you work effectively with your team members. If you like complex decision trees, you'll love it. If you don't, skip it. There's enough good narrative and example here that the decision tree is not really necessary.

Some plants don't make it. I wish this chapter had come earlier in the book, but I'm glad it's here. Too many authors imply that if you do as they suggest everything will work wonderfully and profit and joy will reign. Every working manager knows that's impossible. Sometimes you have to help a team member move on to another job where they can thrive. There are tools here to help you.

The master gardener. When you become responsible for people and their performance you enter a field where you will never know everything. I tell new supervisors that it will take them a year and a half at least to become effective and at least ten years of work to master the art of supervision. Even then you won't know or be good at everything. In this final chapter, Andersen comes to terms with that by giving you tools to guide your own development.

If you are responsible for managing people and their performance this book will help you do your job more effectively. It is an absolute must-read for working managers and for senior executives who want to improve people management in their organizations.

Tending the garden is metaphor and departure point for this brilliantly clear, wise and pragmatic book. If you aspire to be an effective leader, if you strive to achieve the potentiality of those who work with you or for you - whether you are a human resources professional, a CEO or newly minted supervisor - Erika Andersen's insights, tools and exercises will deepen your skills, give you fresh insights, and reinvigorate you.

GROWING GREAT EMPLOYEES reminds me that one's humanity plays a big role in becoming an influential leader. The importance of being a good listener, a mentor, being bold, honest, responsible and accessible to those around you are welcomed reminders in this era of myopic functionality, quarterly returns, and corporate liability.

Beyond trend, GGE will be a `perennially' relevant resource for the business community.

Growing Great Employees is an exceptional resource guide to building and managing a powerful team. We send this book to all of our clients, candidates and new hires as it is full of inspiration, powerful tools, practical examples and insight. Erika's conversational writing style, realistic examples, and multi-faceted approach empowers each reader to enhance their leadership skills and manage with confidence.

Erika Andersen provides us with all the skills we need as managers to turn our associates from contributors to superstars!

In addition to being full of insights and inspirations, Growing Great Employees has space for you to write YOUR story, and to make this book your own.

Don't buy 1 copy of this book...BUY 2: 1 for you, and 1 to give away to your favorite manager or manager-to-be!

This is the perfect type of story! it is filled with secerts,romance, hate, love, and mystery. I read it in two days and couldnt wait to finish each chapter to solve a piece of the mystery. This book kept me guessing up until the last chapter about who Gabe was. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author and also watching the movie that was made for this story.

I have read all the reviews and while I found this book to be interesting, it took awhile for me to get into the story. I did like how the author went from one characters story to the next. It took a long time to find out the main character Eliza's secret and then the book seemed to rush to the finish. Historically I am sure the book is accurate, but it did not seem like the depression years really affected the family. I also think there needed to be more of a romance between Gabe and Eliza. It was well written and worth reading, but it is a little slow at times and not Ms. Austin's best work.

The title first caught my attention as a TV Movie, that seemed like a nice, romantic story, along with plenty of struggles for characters of its historical time, and included Christian inspiration. In my search for the book - which I knew had to be better than the movie - I was happy to find out that Lynn Austin is an author of so many historical, Christian novels. I am close to the end of Hidden Places, and don't want to put it down. I can't decide who my favorite character is: Aunt Batty, Walter, Gabe, or Eliza. This book is full of struggles and hope. It shows how the characters keep their Faith in those difficulties of life.

I recently bought another one of Lynn Austin's titles. I love her style of historical, Christian fiction. I am hooked on Lynn Austin! Keep on writing! We're waiting for more!

This book was made into a Hallmark movie. The movie does not do this book justice. The book is much better and tells you things that are left out of the movie. The book is more in depth on the character relationships than the movie and gives you character background information. Excellent Read!

. . . and things not being what they seem. Lynn Austin weaves the consequences of bitterness, deceit into a satisfying tale of redemption and fresh starts. Lots of heart, some humor and a whole lot of trying to figure out why people do what they do.

Strange, supernatural game playing beings are at the heart of this book. They like to play games on a very large scale, as in planet to planet, and are not particularly nice.

A young boy gets involved, and is made into one of the participants. He meets others, and they decide to do something about it, as well as running into the Flying Dutchman, the Wandering Jew and Prometheus.

I discovered this book a few years ago after my mom took me to a book store, and told me to get some books. It follows a twelve year old boy as he travels through other worlds in hopes of someday making it back home. The characters are great, and the plot is even better. I love how Diana Wynne Jones describes the other worlds/dimensions. It is a thought provoking book. the only problem i have with it is that at some points it's hard to follow, and it starts out a bit slow. Other than that, this book is fantastic and has become one of my favorites.

This is probably my favorite of Diana Wynne Jones' books, since her humor in the others can grate on me. The main character seems (to me)to be a fairly normal kid one or two centuries ago. (Of course, I'm an expert on neither normal kids nor that time period, so maybe I'm wrong.) That never gets too jarring; he adapts pretty well to almsot everything.

Concept

They (the villains of the book are refered to as Them, always in italics and capitals) are ancient and thouroghly weird demons playing continual games with entire worlds for their boards. People are their playing peices. However, if one of the "pieces" sees Them (not everyone can)They banish that person to another world. HTe person must switch worlds every time the Them playing that world make a move, so that they cannot make any changes to "play". If they get Home, to their own world, they can stop, but no one ever gets Home. Besides, time flows differently for Homward Bounders (world travlers)than for their worlds. A year passes for Jamie, but a century passes for his world. I was strongly reminded of Rip Van Winkle, and I wondered if Jones was thinking of that story, too.

The main characters (Jamie, Helen, and Joris, mostly Jamie) are all new Homeward Bounders. They haven't been away from Home long, and are still both fiercely angry at Them and hopeful to get home. Older Homeward Bounders have given up.
Jamie is fairly ordinary for his time period in England, but Helen and Joris are both really weird. Other Homeward Bounders are taken from mythology: Ahasuarus (the Wandering Jew) and the Flying Dutchman.

Other Characters:

Helen (proper name: Haras-uquara) is wacky. She comes from a world which is really nasty. Everyone there steals from everyone else, except the House of Uquar, where she grows up. (Uquar is their name for Prometheus, who taught them about Them before he was chained.) She has an odd ability to change one of her arms into anything she can think of- an elephant's trunk, or a Living Blade to fight Them with. (The living blade was the idea of Konstam, who will be mentioned with Joris. It is a weapon against demons.) Helen loves creepy things, like bones and rats and bugs. WHich is fun and wacky, espessially in a girl. She isn't the sort of nice and pretty girl in most stories- in fact she never shows her face unless to look at a rat or bug, prefering for some reason to keep it covered with her hair. She isn't a quantifiable character. I like her.

Joris is also significantly weird, but nto as fun. He is a slave and an apprentice demon hunter (until his eighteenth birthday, when his master will free him but he will stay a demon hunter). He is obsesssed with said master, Konstam Khan, one of a huge family of demon hunters led by a woman named Elsa Khan, who don't hold with slavery adn were somewhat ticked off at Konstam for having a slave. It can get to be a bit annoying (to Jamie and Helen more than to the reader) the way Joris keeps talking about Konstam, but it's not too big a thing. And both Joris and Konstam turn out to be useful in getting rid of THem.

Okay. The story is darker than most of Diana Jones' books; the characters are pretty ambivilent and flawed. The ending isn't really happily ever after for Jamie, because (in order to keep Them, once expelled from teh worlds, from coming back) Jamie must travel between worlds forever. He'll be able to visit his friends, but each time he'll be the same age, and they'll be older. He comes up with it himself, but it's not an easy ending. It's necessery, but I wish there was another way. Endings like that are good; they are realer somehow.

But it doesn't end badly. Prometheus is freed and can go home; the other Homeward Bounders can go home, if only to die. Which, for soem of them, would probably be a relief. Helen goes back to fix her world, which was so nasty in part because of Their games. It'll be hard work for her, but you get the impression she'll have fun. She claims she will, anyway.

I like this book a lot, and i appologize if my review was scattery.

A well-crafted book like this has literary merit long before most YA fiction was considered to be of much merit at all. The mythic background of this book is tremendously evocative to me. A former reviewer mentioned the Christ symbolism of one of the characters - this is simply false - the chained up nameless character is Prometheus, the bringer of fire to humanity.

Reflecting in the mood of the multiverse an odd and endearing British Empire view of the universe, the tropes of the "bounds", the conspiratorial THEM, the mythic depths, and the presence of a cosmic game, combined with the sombre mood of the plot - all of these give this book great merit as one of DWJ's strongest works.

You could say it's a collage of myths - that can be a good or a bad thing depending on whether like myself you have fallen in love with the mythic elements. I have read this book countless times since I was very small and still enjoy it, so this is my cheerful recommendation.

Jamie, an average boy living in 19th century London, stumbles upon his destiny at only 12 years old. He discovers a mysterious building known only as the Old Fort, and is punished for trespassing in a way he could not have even guessed. Jamie is captured by Them, robed spirits who 'play' the worlds like gameboards, and is whisked away to wander the thousands of worlds by traveling the Boundaries. He is gives only one hope, that if he finds his way home he may stay there and 'reenter play'. Jamie visits worlds of nomadic peoples, war, jungles, and even cannabilism. He eventually makes friends with Helen and Joris, other lost Homeward Boundaries with a bitter hatred of Them. This trio and other friends make a plan to overthrow Them once and for all to put the worlds back to normal... but will it be enough?
The Homeward Bounders was one of Dianna Wynne Jones' more serious novels, with discussions on hope, reality, friendship, and having a place to call home. I loved the creative multi-universe setting and the way the book grabs your attention and doesn't let go. The ending was anything but happily ever after, but satisfying all the same.

This is a good place to start before getting a tattoo. We get a lot of people in our shop who just come in and basically point at something in a book. It's nice to know some history and symbolism before you place it on yourself for good. The author has good insights and a few illustrations. This is not a picture book.

This book is fun and easy to read. I would recommend anyone who has infinite questions about getting a tattoo to read this book first. It contains rich information on about everything tattoo related. Did this book definitely help me make a decision? Oh yah!

I was a bit skeptical at a book with this type of format and approach but it was amazingly well done. It covered many of the questions I knew to ask and didn't know what the best answer was as well as the questions and answers I had yet to even consider. A very very useful guide to the entire process behind getting a tattoo and one I'd recommend to everyone who wants to feel fully informed before making such a permanent decision.

Very informative and easy to read book. Her advice matched my own tattoo experience exactly. I had a great tattoo experience but wish I had read her book before making my first tattoo appointment.

Honestly, for people like me, who have thought about a tattoo for years, not seriusly enough to do it, but not with so little importance that the idea is forgoten fast, this is a great start. If you have had many doubts about tattoos in general, this is a good start, and an interesting reading anyway.

The Frommers are terrific interviewees and their book is a history and an entertainment resource about the Catskills - what else would we expect from oral historians of their rank.

GREAT INSIGHT INTO WHAT THE CATSKILLS WERE ALL ABOUT

WONDERFUL COLLECTION OF REMINISCENCES

wonderful oral history - - -covers a lot of territory

While working at the Nevele Country Club, one of the many legendary Catskill resorts covered in this magnificent document, I briefly met Myrna and Harvey Frommer while doing their research. They probably don't remember me, I was too young at the time to offer the kind of history they were looking for, but the pair's enthusiasm and obvious love for the area's resorts and their unique (now long gone) familial atmosphere was readily apparent. When I finally got to read this book, it provided me with a sense of pride for being a part of its history. There's even an ancient picture of my father playing sax in the old Art Kahn Orchestra! But aside from personal connections, this book stands as a definitive oral history of an era. The people interviewed are true insiders, some of them legends in their own right among Catskill lore. And while the book provides some deep sociological perspective concerning its ethnic background, the authors know how to balance this with charming, amazing and often sidesplitting anecdotes. If you ever spent a weekend at Grossinger's, The Concord, The Nevele or one of the dozens of small bungalow colonies, this book will wash you in warm memories. And if you didn't have the chance, it will make you wish you did.

Doug Moo offers a great exegetical and expositional commentary with the PNTC series offering on James. Well worth the buy, if you don't have a solid commentary on James. Nothing too crazy, and lots of compelling argumentation for his positions.

I have five critical commentaries on James (Lenski, Bruce, Woods, Martin, and now Moo). This one will more than likely be the primary source for me when I study the book in a critical fashion. He is thorough and that is what I want. If you are a preacher looking for something quick and in summary form, a smaller work might be more useful. For me, as a preacher, if I am in the circumstance where I need something quick I am already in trouble. I like the Pillar Series. Not long ago I read of one's review that was overly critical of the work on the epistles of John - I do not subscribe to that sentiment at all. It is a good series!

If you are looking for an answer to a question raised about the meaning of the book of Phillipians, you could not find a better treatment. This is a wonderful resource and fine treatment of the text. I used it in a series of sermons, and found it very easy to acess and get the gems of the book.

`The Epistle of James' by James B. Adamson, 1976, 227 pages in the series The New International Commentary on the New Testament; `The Letter of James' by Douglas J. Moo, 2000, 271 pages, a volume in the series The Pillar New Testament Commentary; and `James' by Ralph P. Martin, 1988, 240 pages, A volume in the series Word Biblical Commentary are all `full featured' and recent commentaries on the first of the short `catholic' epistles in the New Testament.

I find it amazing how different the material is in these three volumes. After 1800 years of commentary, one would expect a fair amount of uniformity in thinking about this short letter, but there is a remarkable range of differences in emphasis among the three.

Those of you who are familiar with the world of biblical commentary will recognize that all three are part of major series of commentaries. Adamson and Moo belong to series dedicated to the New Testament, while Martin's volume is an offering of a larger series on both Old and New Testaments. And, each volume is organized in a way to match the editorial style of their series. This is most clearly seen in Martin's volume, as his work is organized in virtually the same way as the much larger work on Paul's Epistle to the Romans by the distinguished scholar, James D. G. Dunn. This is no surprise, as Martin is the New Testament editor for his series, the Word Biblical Commentary.

Ranked by scholarly detail, Martin has the most and Adamson has the least, with Moo somewhere in between; but don't take from this that Martin is heavy on the Greek and Adamson has no original Greek. All three are specifically written for the scholar and assume that the reader either knows classical Greek or is willing to slog through all the Greek words and expressions. The irony here is that while Martin is the most heavily scholarly, it may also be the most accessible to the lay or strictly pastoral user, since this series divides scholarly observations into the `Comments' on each paragraph, while more general thoughts are spelled out in straight English in the `Form/Structure/Setting' section and later in the `Explanation' section following the `Comments'. Adamson organizes all his `special' or more technical topics in `Excursus' sections following his main commentary. I found this just a tad distracting, especially when I discovered some mistakes in references to these Excursus sections in the main text.

All three authors give us their own translations of the text, and all three agree on where the difficult phrases are to be found. If I were to pick a volume purely on the basis of their translation, I would prefer Adamson, as he seems to give translations that best resolve these difficult sections. But, in all three cases, the authors agree on where the difficulties lie and, in general, the nature of the difficulties.

In the three authors' introductory chapter on the author, themes, and canonical status of the letter, all three agree on the major points. They uniformly agree, for example on the belief that the letter does, in fact, represent the thoughts or writings of James, the brother of Jesus, who was head of the Christian Jews in Jerusalem up to about 62 CE. They also agree that the final form of the letter was rewritten and polished sometime in the early 2nd century, CE. The authors are also uniform in their citing Martin Luther's misunderstanding of James; however, I would give Luther credit for seeing scriptural support of many Roman Catholic doctrines, even if any sound reading of `James' shows that this support is probably stretching James points just a little too far.

On the major themes of the letter, I generally prefer Martin's emphasis on the three topics of `Wisdom', `Perfection', and `The Piety of the Poor' to the other authors' interest in theology and the law. James is clearly spending less times on these typically Pauline topics than he is on lessons for a Christian life.

Among all the other differences, it is most remarkable to see all the differences between how the three authors structure an outline of the short letter. If you didn't know better, you may think they were talking about two different writings. This is just a symptom of the fact that `James' is much less a theological argument a la `Romans' and much more a collection of lessons on prayer, right Christian behavior, and the implications of faith. This is consistent with the fact that the letter has much in common with the Gospels, especially the Gospel of Matthew (See Martin).

One last difference I detect between the three is the fact that Martin makes more connections to modern theology of, for example Dietrich Bonhoffer, while Moo and Adamson have more citations to the great reformers, Calvin and Luther.

If I had to pick only one of these, I would go with Martin's volume in the Word Biblical Commentary series. If I were interested only in pastoral interpretation, I would go with Moo or the article `The Letter of James' by Luke Timothy Johnson in `The New Interpreter's Bible', since both refer heavily to the standard NIV and NRSV translations. If your interest is in a scholarly study of the letter, you will probably want all three.

This is Moo's second commentary on the epistle of James. He wrote his first one in 1985 as part of the Tyndale series. This commentary is the result of fifteen years of reflection on that work. The content of this commentary makes it evident that this is the mature thought of a noted scholar on the letter of James. Those fifteen years left him more convinced "that the heart of the letter is a call to wholehearted commitment to Christ" (x).
Moo provides a lengthy introduction to this epistle (46 pages worth). This introduction includes the history of James in the church, nature and genre, authorship, theology, occasion and date, and structure of James. Concerning authorship, Moo holds that James, the bother of Christ, is the author. He presents arguments against this traditional view and then answers them. The section on the theology of the book is a feature more commentaries would do well to include. He dates the writing of the letter around the middle of the 40s AD. This is important because the date of writing has great implication on the relationship of the letter to Paul's teachings. Moo does not place a ridge structure on the letter. Instead, he finds "several key motifs" which "are often mixed together with other themes in paragraphs that cannot be labeled as neatly as we might like" (45). Denying the assertion of some commentators that the letter has no unifying purpose, Moo argues that the central concern of the letter is spiritual wholeness of the readers (47).
Moo's analysis of the text is insightful. His word studies are well done. He presents a wide range of possible meanings but uses the context to determine which meaning is James's meaning. Moo also does a good job in showing James's relationship with Paul. James is not writing against Paul. James means something different by faith than does Paul. They are addressing different problems.
The format of the commentary is user friendly for the most part. One helpful aspect is that Moo's introductory notes precede the verse by verse exposition of major points and most sub-points. Moo transliterates Greek words making the commentary usable to those who do not have the advantage of knowing Greek. One slight critique concerns the chapter divisions. The chapter divisions of the commentary are based on the chapters of James. This is fine, but the table of contents is broken down by his outline. One would whish the editors would choose a method of division and stay with it. The only other criticism is that Moo's writing style can be difficult at times. These two minor criticisms in no way change the fact that this is a masterpiece. It is short at only 251 pages not counting indexes. Anyone from a layperson to a scholar will benefit from this commentary. This reviewer would recommend it without hesitation (something he does not do often).

The Ann Graham Lotz's book on "Just Give Me Jesus" was a conduit that provided the strength and encouragement to a homeless person.... I was just an instrument on God's behalf, that while serving the homeless people at a homeless shelter I encountered a man who had read one of the "tracks" I leave out for people to read, on the powerful message of Jesus Christ and how they can save their lives through his amazing grace. On the back of the track was a short summary about the book "Just Give Me Jesus". This homeless person wanted me to pray with him and after doing so, he pointed to the picture of the book and said while reading the track he got goose bumps and would like to read this book. I told him I would try to get him the book and will bring it the next time I come to serve. I ordered this book off of Amazon and took it to him. He was shocked I remembered and was overjoyed about receiving the book. Several others whom are in the same situation as he, also expressed a desire to read it. Their hunger and thirst for the hope that only Jesus can give was such an inspiration to me and a powerful message.... Praise God for answered prayers! It was such a blessing to me to be able to give this man this book.

Jen

I have gotten the book but have read only a couple of chapters. The book was in very good condition when I received it and I am thankful I was able to get it at a good price.

Thanks, Amazon!!

Donald (Shirley) Schlegel

I read this quite a while ago; It was my first book by this author. I never forgot her, either. Then I saw her on T.V. one day, and I noticed that her eyes were on fire by the Holy Spirit, and her adoration of the Lord encompassed every word she spoke. This author is genuine, and her writings have a tender way in which they woo and lull the reader into a deeper walk with Jesus. I simply love everything Anne Graham Lotz writes. Thank you Anne, for making our tumultuous world easier to bear with your sweet words.

Carrie Lynn Jones
Author of It All Began... When Jesus Gave Me Sneakers

This book is incredible!! It's the first book I have read of Anne Graham Lotz and it will not be the last. I love her writing and relate to her on so many levels! The more I learn about Jesus, the more I agree with Anne - Jesus is all I want and all I need!

I loved this book. It gave me so many other views of how a true Christian should follow after Jesus. It was an eye opener when it came to the world view versus a Christian view of life and the tribulations that comes along with it. I am so blessed to have read this book, and highly recommend it for ALL women of faith that is struggling with their purpose and why God created them. Just Give Me Jesus is all about a woman's purpose and her role in society. Anne Graham Lotz hit it right on the point. I am a changed woman because of this book. Jennifer Rankins

I found this book in the bargain bin at the university bookstore last December and bought it for $4 (Canadian) as a holiday or end of term present for myself. I ended up finally reading it this past June, while on vacation. The book is a lengthy one and well-researched.

I ate this book up and have dog-eared a few sections (Brown case and some others) for teaching the Supreme Court sections of my American Politics courses. The book does so many things and I'll note a few: shed light on the multi-faceted politics of a liberal Republican prosecutor, California Governor, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

The Warren Court really did help make the nation with decisions on so many important cases. I have a broader affinity for Warren after reading this book. The book also explored the relationship or lack thereof between Warren and Nixon. The book's coverage of Nixon was honest and unfavorable, which was insightful to read about the sparring between the two men.

This book is great for anyone interested in the law, California history, Supreme Court history, or American Politics. The book's tone is written for a learned lay audience or an academic one examining the history or psychology of the Court and decision-making.

I received this book promptly and in excellent shape.
The seller is great as far as I'm concerned.
Charlene Kornblum

This is a remarkable book of Earl Warren, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in the 1950s and 1960s. The author does a superb job describing both the personal feelings and professional dealings of one of the US's most notable (or notorious, depending on your perspective) activist judges. Few these days remembers him as the Republican governor of California and vice presidential candidate, and that era gets extensive treatment, laying out the roots of his judicial philosophy The book clearly presents the arguments of why Warren was such a success at judicial consensus building and therefore one of the most effective supreme court justices. Interestingly, the book also has one of the most rational descriptions of the Warren commission buried within its pages (explaining both the strengths and weaknesses of their process) and does not try to hide the warts of the man. This book is a fantastic learning opportunity.

I grew up in a neighborhood and a time when "Impeach Earl Warren" signs were common. As an engaged teenager I closely followed the changing legal landscape of the late fifties and early sixties as the Warren Court rearranged the legal landscape and with it the social order of our nation in the areas of civil rights, criminal justice, freedom of speech, privacy and the role of religion in public schools. Even today as a practicing attorney I admit to strong philosophical disagreements with some of the Warren Court decisions. Having said that, Jim Newton has produced a masterpiece in his book "Justice for All."

First, this book is a marvelous biography of one of the most notorious men of the 20th century. From humble beginnings in the dusty backwater of a turn of the century Bakersfield, California to Chief Justice of perhaps the most influential court in the world, Earl Warren's story is compelling. In addition you are treated to a wonderful and readable history of California politics in the first half of the 20th Century, a time of unparalleled opportunity, growth and change in the Golden State. That alone is worth the read.

Nevertheless, the real gold nuggets of this book lie in its recounting of the internal politics of decision making within the court, as Chief Justice Earl Warren, guided not so much by legal principle but by what he perceived to be the "right thing to do", rewrote and redefined some of the most important constitutional issues of our time. While such a disclosure, poorly written might leaden the eyelids of all but the most inspired, Newton masters this task by writing a clear and easily understood layman's explanation of the facts, the legal and social issues and the courts resolution. I found myself excited, engaged and highly entertained by Newton's easily understandable prose. I was in a sense a fly on the wall as some of the most important legal decisions of the 20th century unfolded before my eyes.

Warren is not portrayed as a flawless Deity (he after all recommended and supported the forced incarceration of Japanese American's in WW II) but rather as a multi-faceted personality whose core belief was in using the power of government to do good for the common man and whose political and legal judgment evolved to blend with and sometimes challenge the social and legal fabric of our nation.

I was amazed to learn of his post Miranda concern (fueled by a very real and I would say predictable jump in crime in America after Miranda) that perhaps the court had gone too far in defining the relationship between those who would do harm and those who are ultimately charged with our protection. Thus while the basic concept of Miranda is appropriate and now fully integrated into the fabric of our legal system, later Supreme courts thankfully have more clearly defined the boundaries under which we balance the rights of the accused and the right of our citizens to be free from the terror of criminal activity.

OK enough politics, after reading this book, I am wiser, far better informed and far more sympathetic to a man so many have reviled as the father of judicial activism. Such a label in the absence of context does a huge disservice to this huge man and his historical significance. This book provides a context and insight that far surpassed my expectations. Regardless of your politics or your view of judicial activism, this is a truly enlightening book worthy of your time.

I rarely give a 5-star review on a book. This one gets one for a stack of reasons.

When I finish a biography, I ask myself if I feel like I know the person. I feel I know Warren.

Another reason to like this book, it makes no bones about Warren's bad decisions, his support of the uprooting of Japanese in California in 1941. The author is not shy about criticizing Earl Warren.

Finally, I am a layman. It is a tough task to explain complex legal decisions to a non-lawyer. But Newton does it quite well.

One other thought: After all the learning I did by reading this book, it makes me quite critical of any and all the "teachers" I had in government and American History. They could not teach a politician to steal.