O Books

Many ime I have said why. Many times why her/him and not me. My bodywork healer recommended reading this as part of my work with her on faily issues.I have always felt like there was something I was missing about why we have joy/misery/violence in this world.It is clear to me now how much work we are all really doing and that no matter how painful it can be we must continue to seek the reason.

I have read this book three times since 1995, when it was given to me by a friend after my son had passed away. And it is now my favorite book to give to those who are facing critical moments in their lives and who believe their "luck" has ran out. It has also enriched their spirits and helped them answer many questions regarding the mysteries of life. This is a MUST book for all who want to grow spiritually.

Robin Norwood offers her readers clear compassionate insight into the many purposes of life on earth. The vignettes in this book open up a range of possibilities for rethinking any circumstance in your life. A death is seen as an agreement that has been made to fufill a karmic bond and when seen through this light, the circumstances can be viewed with a different understanding that perhaps allows more peace. A personality trait or skill that a person posesses may be the main issue the soul has chosen to work on in this life to evolve and expand. A relationship that causes great grief may be the perfect reflection of where we are wounded and helps to "wake us up." Life on earth is all about learning, evolving and expanding. There are no bad experiences when seen in this light, it is all perfect and always evolving. Every experience moves us into the next phase of our evolvement and if we can recognize where we are wounded by our experiences and move past the wound we can choose not to experience that circumstance again. A really beautiful, helpful and insightful book.

Robin Norwood's book, Why Me, Why This, Why Now? is exactly what I needed at this horrific time of my life. I am re-reading it for the fourth time and gaining new insights once again. She helps me to understand and put some meaning into life's trials. I plan to read it often, most specially when I feel discouraged. I recommend this book to anyone who is suffering.

I happened to come across this book sometime in 1993. Like a wiseman once said, you dont find books, rather books find you and so let me reframe my sentence and put it as "Why...found me in '93. At first I found the book almost incredible; I was even angry because it was challenging all my deeply rooted beliefs. But when I dared to pick it up for the second time I found the deepest wisdom in every single word. It was truly a healing experience. I have read this book countless number of times ever since and each time it touches me afresh! I recommend this book to anyone who feels a need to look beyond everyday life and it is a must for those who are looking for meaning in these repititive episodes of pain and joy that we happen to call- life.

I grew up a Met fan in the 70's but his career in NY was a bit vague to me. I knew him better down the pike in Philly while unfortunately having to root against him. I learned so much about him while turning every page and he made me laugh and later brought me close to tears. The book was splended and showed many of his peaks and valleys, reminded me and informed me of his baseball career. Its often said that "this (one) is unique," but Tug truly was one-of-a-kind and apparently a joy to many. The adversity he experienced was wide-spread and unfortunately it may've trickled down to his children, specifically the now renown, Tim McGraw. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone, especially those that knew him during his sports career; the final 100 pages were riveting as you get a front row seat at his final months riding a bad roller-coaster.

First off I will admit to no small amount of prejucice when it comes to this book. I have been a Phillies fan since the 1970's and was a huge fan of Tug Mc Graw's growing up. In saying this perhaps this book had a deeper effect on me than the average person as I was aware of a lot of the events that Tug relates in this narrative of his life. What I was not aware of was his incredible courage while he was fighting this illness and the amazing warmth and generosity of his son, C&W star Tim Mc Graw. I feel you have to have grown up as part of Tug's generation to understand his motivations and behaviors. I am not saying that excuses the mistakes he made but it did help me to understand the WHY of what he did. In addition it made me appreciate all the more the courage it took him to admit those mistakes and the effort he put forth trying to correct them. This is an extremely moving and emotional tale with tremendous highs and lows and should effect everyone who reads it. Also this is an incredibly honest insight into the psyche of professional athletes in the 70's and 80's. Highly recommended for its' passion and honesty.

Tug McGraw has had a shameful life story that not many people have known about. He had done some very bad things like neglecting his son, country singer Tim McGraw, because he refused to believe that he was his son. When he was dying he forgave everybody and was nice to all of his relatives, and admitted to all of the wrong things he did. He really showed that he was sorry for everything and he would have changed a lot if he could.

I was truly impressed by how he handled everything when he was dying. He is definitely an amazing man, in more than one way.

He had many family-related problems that he got through. He was a little crazy too, but a motivational speaker really got him to the World Series by telling him, "Ya Gotta Believe!"

Tug McGraw was a bonafide original. From his thigh slap to his screwball to his love of a good time, Tug did things his way. But as he says during the book, sometimes his way was the selfish way. The most compelling part of the book for me was him discussing his relationship with his son Tim. From refusing to acknowledge his fatherhood to completely ignoring him (other than one visit in Houston) to finally coming around and taking responsibilty for himself and his son.

That's a main theme in this book, taking responsibility. Unlike his ex-teammate Pete Rose who seemingly blamed everyone under the sun for his problems other than himself, Tug steps up and admits his mistakes. He says that he was not a good husband or father. He was determined not to make the same mistakes with his youngest son Matthew. His children all rallied around him as he battled brain cancer.

Sadly this story doesn't have a happy ending as Tug passes away in January of 2004, a month before this book was released. The final chapter of this book is very touching as Don Yaeger describes Tug's final days. This book shows that it's never too late to say you're sorry and it's never too late to make things right. An excellent book, highly recommended.

Wow! I'm not a baseball fan, or a Tug McGraw fan for that matter, but I read this book in a day. I love, love, love Tug's son Tim McGraw and it was amazing to read how Tug treated his children, Tim especially and they way Tim loved Tug so unconditionally-even paying for his medical bills, rent, furnishing a home for his father and spending hours on end just holding Tug's hand in Tug's final days. It makes me an even bigger fan of Tims. Tug's own childhood/family life was heartbreaking to read about, as well. The baseball parts were interesting, but not very exciting for me, as I am not a big fan of the sport, but baseball fans will definitely enjoy this book.
There are some great pictures in the book also.

The 7 Laws of Highest Prosperity is the greatest book I've read this year! This book helped to get a clear focus on what God wants me to do. It is a refreshing story about how God desires all of us to be prosperous in every area of our lives. What better what to witness than through success! If you're looking for clear understanding of God's purpose for your life, then this is the book for you!

This book reads like a modern-day parable; a story that draws one in and makes one look at oneself with new eyes. I felt like Kemp was writing about ME.
As I shared the book with friends, their reaction was much the same.
I have highly recommend 7 Laws of Highest Prosperity to my church members.

A wonderful story, a wonderful lesson in life. This book is insightful and truly inspirational. You cannot read this book without comparing yourself with the main character, Sam the Wood Gatherer. The lessons of life here are more valuable than any financial returns that may come from following Sam's lead. This is NOT your typical book on prosperity. All too often, these books focus primarily, if not entirely on self. The lesson here is that prosperity will come to you if you focus your energies on others. It is a fairly short book, just over 100 pages, but the power in those pages is immense.
I enjoyed this book so much that I am in the process of gathering several other Cecil Kemp books for reading. I have just finished my second, "The Secret Meeting Place," and it may actually be even better than this one.
If you are looking for more from your life, this is one of the most important books you may ever read. Don't miss it!

If you think you know what prosperity is, this book may change your mind. It presents the fullest definition of "Propserity" I've ever found. So much of what we call success is only superficial, but this book goes deep. Written as a short novel, it will keep you on the edge of your seat as the main character moves from a wood cutter to "highest prosperity." I love it.

Cecil O. Kemp's "7 Laws of Highest Prosperity" has more practical spiritual guidance than Steven Covey's "Seven Habits of Highly Successful People", and is more readable than Spencer Johnson's "Who Moved My Cheese?". Following Sam's road from lowly beginnings to "highest prosperity" was for me both a pleasure and a beginning of my own journey to seek highest prosperity. When it comes to knowing how to live prosperously, Kemp hits the nail on the noggin! No false premise here.

"...Christmas is such a special time that very special, almost magical things can happen. And the most magical thing of all is Santa Bear: I'd say he has the best job in the whole world, because the joy of giving is what Christmas is all about." -- From the book

This lovely book by Stan and Jan Berenstain follows the Bear family as they navigate through the trappings of Christmas: making lists, feeling the tug of store-front windows loaded with toys, kids worrying if they've been good enough to merit Santa Bear's visit, the spirit of giving and more.

I love that this book doesn't demonize wanting things (like The Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmies), and shows kids deciding to spend their own money to buy their parents special gifts from Christmas.

One adorable scene in this book is when the kids encounter a bell ringing Santa outside the mall, standing in front of a pot that says "Help the Needy". Paper Bear explains "His job is to collect money to help the needy--birds who need seed, squirrels who didn't put enough aside for the winter".

Especially good for Christmastime, The Berenstain Bears Meet Santa Bear is a heartwarming story with an uplifting message that children will no doubt enjoy.

This is such a cute book! This one has the Bear family going to the mall two days after Thanksgiving and finding that it's all decorated for Christmas. Mama thinks it's too early, but Papa thinks that the kids will be fine and they will be able to handle it. Then the next page shows the cubs jumping up and down in front of the toy store way too excited for the season to begin. Sister has a ton of questions about Santa, like how does he get down our skinny chimney, how does he drive his sleigh when there's no snow, etc., etc. Just the same questions just about every child has at one time or another. It also goes through how hard it is to wait until Christmas Eve and all the things a kid goes through waiting for that wonderful event. Lastly, it shows the cubs buying thoughtful gifts for their parents and being very excited when they open them on Christmas. The book closes with Papa explaining all of Sister's questions on Christmas Eve while they are looking up into the sky, waiting for Santa Bear to come. Then, it starts to snow and blankets the entire town with Christmas snow.

This is such a great little book - it shows all the joys of Christmas through a child's eyes but also teaches about giving. When Sister says that Santa Bear has the hardest job in the world making all those presents and then delivering them, Papa counters with the fact that he thinks that Santa Bear has the best job because he gets to give all those gifts to so many cubs. That's the last sentence in the book too - when the cubs give their gifts to their parents, they realize that Papa was right - Santa Bear did have the best job in the whole world because it feels better to give than to receive.

We LOVE this book in our house and I just can't recommend it enough!

I got this book as a christmas present in 1990 and really enjoyed it. All the toys looked exciting to me and I really loved the illustrations.

I gave this book four stars because it is a great book for children dealing with questions about Santa Claus. Papa Bear answers all these questions with a simple answer, "Christmas is such a special time of year that very special, almost magical things can happen. And the most magical thing of all is Santa Bear."

This book is about how the cubs start wanting their presents for Christmas. Brother bear wants just a couple of things and makes a small Christmas list, while sister bear makes a really long one. Sister gets thiknking and she realizes she's being greedy.

I reccomend this book to any child who is havinbg a want problem. The point of this story is don't be greedy. This is for children 5-8 yrs. of age.

Kugel's lucid text is an important adition to biblical scholarship. By pointing out the many ways that the modern reading of the text differs from the reading in the early rabbinic period he is able to document the ways that our apporach to the text as changed. Most interstingly, he shows how christian and muslim readings of the Hebrew Bible has colored Jewish understandings and thus deeply effected Jewish theology.

As one who has waded through Genesis Rabbah all the way to Deuteronomy, scratching my head, making marginal notes like Rashi, and looking up almost every word, this book came like a 500 BTU central unit, to a cottage deep in the rain forest.

Dr. Kugel has gathered thousands of lines of commentary from unnumbered sources, but all from a 300 year time period, about 200bce to 100ce-- the same time the gospels and epistles were written, the Mishnah was codified and most of the rabbis of the Pirkei Avot were active.

Kugel quotes standard Jewish commentary, but he also quotes from Christian scriptures, treating them (as Christian scholar Rosemary Reuther suggested many years ago) as midrash upon the Jewish texts. He also uses standard histories of the time, such as Josephus' Antiquities, the works of Philo, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.

What makes this extensive work such a relief and a delight are the extensive annotations of the author: accurate citations are always given (I checked); end notes are given, describing all sources, and giving dates, or approximate dates. There is a bibliography of modern sources as well. Most importantly, each time a midrash or other commentary is inserted into the text of the Torah, Kugel gives us a most essential bit of information: he tells us what the problem is with that text that the commentator feels needs explaining.

It is not always obvious to a reader 2,000 years later what a certain rabbi's problem was with a text that prompted him to write the several lines of commentary he left us. The work Kugel has done-- his gift to us, is to climb into the minds of these people in a different place, discover what their concerns were, and deduce what parts of the texts would have caught their attention and for what reason. Since none of his interpretations (at least none I have looked-- and I've looked at most of them) seem forced or overly creative, I believe this is the work of a great scholar. I cherish it, and I thank him much.

Dr. Kugel sets out to produce a mixture of ancient and modern interpretations and does a wonderful job at it. While most of the interpretations are ancient coming from interpreters such as Philo, and others, Dr. Kugel helps explain them more smoothly by writing a brief analysis of each interpretation presented. The Bible as it Was, is truly a great way to learn about different interpretations other than the ones you hear in church. It offers a variety of interpretations, so that the reader can make up his own mind. While this book offers interpretations of the text, it might also offer some hard times to the devoted Christian, if they are not willing to accept that there may be other interpretations of these narratives.

This is a definite must have when studying the Old Testament, in particular the Pentateuch, or first five books. It does not go into later books of the OT, however, with the references provided, if the reader wanted to do more research on their own, then the references that Dr. Kugel lists in the back of the book will allow them to do so. If you are serious about learning the Pentateuch then pick this book up.

"The Bible as it was" is a wonderful and exhaustive work regarding scriptural interpretation and the first five books of the Bible. Early Jewish tradition was to fill in interpretive information when necessary to resolve items that were ambiguous or unclear. In addition, notes and commentary were often passed along with the texts and over time tended to become a part of the text. As a result, the Bible of today includes a lot of commentary as well as the original texts.
Kugel's purpose is to try to reconstruct the Bible as it was in its original form as closely as possible. While we all know that no copies of the original Bible exist today, the King James version was based on the Textus Receptus which was a Greek translation of the Bible and considered the oldest reliable source at the time. Since then there have been many archaeological finds of manuscripts from earlier points in time and in the original Hebrew language. Many of these passages differ somewhat from current translations. In theory, the older versions should be closer to the original version. Working from the oldest texts he examines some of the differences in the way passages were interpreted and what that could mean. This gets us closer to an original version without all the intervening thoughts and interpretations that earlier writers had added in an attempt to make it more understandable and applicable to the people of their time.
Dr. Kugel thoroughly documents his work complete with quotes, sources and annotations as appropriate.

A fascinating book that sheds new light onto many passages it should be read by anyone attempting a serious and scholarly study of the Bible.

This informtive study of the Hebrew Bible provides a chapter-by-chapter analysis of some of the most important stories of the Bible, describing how these stories were interpreted by various peoples, how its message was understood at the time, and the origins of modern explanations. An outstanding contrast between past and present interpretative methods.

Very interesting story. I know the subject as I worked for his company (DFS) for about four years. This is a really good story, about an exceptional individual. Unfortunately the author is uninspiring. It gets boring in spots.

Chuck Feeney is a very unique individual. We need many more like him in the business world, instead of the Nardelli's and that ilk.

This should be required reading for any wealthy person. The Feeney way of living and giving is spectacular in its simplicity and heart.

Nice job by Conor O'Clery. Following Chuck Feeney around to gather the info for the book had to be exhausting since Chuck doesn't appear to stand still for more than a few seconds. Aside from the millions of lives Chuck has influenced through his giving, the difficulties of remaining nameless and faceless - and multiple other sub-plots - think SALES. If you have anything to do with sales you should buy this book for yourself and your team. Chuck Feeney is the quintessential salesmen, "the pure and concentrated essence" of a Level 5 leader and consummate salesman. He calls audibles at the line of scrimmage on every play - a perpetual no huddle, run and shoot offense on steroids. There is no five year (or five minute) business plan in his briefcase - just an uncanny ability to trust his gut and get buy-in from the people around him. This is already a longer review than Chuck would read so I'm signing off......long live prodigal generosity....

I saw this book reviewed in The Economist and could scarcely believe what I was reading. I recommend this as a great read, a great book club or church group read, and a good book to give out to the board of directors of any organization, whether for profit or not! Here is a unique insight into the upbringing, growth and mindset of one of the most well grounded individuals of the modern era. If you are interested in how to make the world a better place, drop what you are doing and read this book!

In 1988, Forbes magazine's annual list of America's most wealthy listed Charles F Feeney as the 23rd richest American alive, whose personal worth of $1.3 billion was greater than Rupert Murdoch or Donald Trump. In fact, four years earlier Feeney had secretly given away almost his entire fortune to a philanthropic trust. He had enough to live on for the rest of his life, but no longer even owned a house or a car. He was, as Irish journalist Conor O'Clery phrases it in this powerful biography, `the billionaire who wasn't'.

This is two books in one: the remarkable story of duty free retailing and its leading company, DFS, whose extraordinary growth and profits paralleled the rise of jet travel; and that of Feeney himself, a slightly shambolic businessman, linguist and traveller, who took the needs of the world on his shoulders and became a model philanthropist.

It is nicely written and pulls you in like a novel. As a business biography alone, O'Clery's book is valuable, showing that huge money can be made from very simple business models. DFS's success could be put down to `four men in a room' working out what they would bid for airport duty-free concessions, and winning them. Once established, profits came easily. Feeney insisted that luck played a big role in the company's fortunes, that they reaped the benefits of being the first trusted brand in a fast-growing new field. Yet the book is also peppered with Feeney's advice to other to always `think big' (in both business and philanthropy), and in his restless desire to build a great business even the other partners admitted that Feeney had been its driving force.

I liked this book so much I included it as one of the classics of philanthropy in my own book "50 Prosperity Classics: Attract It, Create It, Manage It, Share It - Wisdom from the best books on wealth building and abundance".
50 Prosperity Classics: Attract It, Create It, Manage It, Share It (50 Classics)

The story of Chuck Feeney is long overdue. Bright, modest, humble, he lives the Gospels without preaching them. By giving away his fortune he enlarged himself, which is the inherent nature of selfless living. Whenever we give away something in the pursuit to help others we are both benefactor and beneficiary. We grow in the process. Nothing is depleted.

At least that is the lesson that was reinforced for me in this fine book by Conor O'Clery about a philanthropist who leads quietly and by example. We should all follow.The Gospel of Father Joe: Revolutions and Revelations in the Slums of Bangkok

I had the pleasure of meeting Isaac a couple years back when he was in Milwaukee during the Ostara season. His "Evening with Isaac" program literally blew me away. He was charming, funny, but most of all, he was competent.

One of the things lacking in most Neo-Pagan books is scholarly research which can be easily peer-reviewed. Isaac, on the other hand, provides all the resources necessary to check his facts and figures. In areas of speculation (or potential bias) he lets his audience know what's going on instead of trying to pass his word off as gospel.

The Essential Guide is just what it claims....an essential text for any serious student of the craft. It debunks the junk, it provides a historical context, and it prepares readers (new and old) in the ways of the craft.

As a Pagan for 10 years, and as the coordinator of Milwaukee Pagan Pride Day for 4 years, I highly recommend this book!

This great book will become an established text on the Wiccan studies and procedures.I highly recommend anyone to read it.Not just the pagans,but curious outsiders,who have no concept of the Wiccan lifestyle.We have several generations,who have been brain-washed into thinking that the pentacle and the pentagram are the devilish symbols of evil-doers.Anyone who is a true Wiccan,knows this is completely not the case.In light of the military acceptance of the Pentagram symbol,on the head-stones and cenotaphs at the Arlington National Cemetary,why not a Druid Sigil emblem also? This book will educate,inform and assuage any uneasiness concerning the correct Wiccan dogmata code of civil conduct and the proper displaying of pentacle stars.(The perfidious rogues,who are involved with any malefactional act concerning the misuse of a pentagram symbol,should be forced to publicly recant any maleficence committed and face the punitions imposed upon them.-N.B.-This is my editorial opinion here,in brackets,not dear Isaac's rant.Yet,the wicked misuse of the pentacles evokes a rousing cry for justice from me.The Pentagram should be a symbol of rapprochement and not for division among people.)
And remember the Pentagon is a five-pointed star also.The perduring pentagram continues on.Read the facts in this great book.

This is BAR NONE the best book I've ever read on Wicca!

When I first got involved with Wicca, I was full of questions for my tearch: "how old is all this stuff, really?", "where does all this stuff come from?", etc. She was very good about telling me when she didn't know and kindly tried to tell me what she did. I turned to books to learn more about the new religion I was so enthusiastic about. While I don't mean to offend anybody, I, personally, found just about all the books out there had one or more things in them that really bugged me. Some made lofty claims that Wicca came from the Celts, Paleolithic humanity, the people who built stonehenge, the Atlantians, the Aliens or what have you. I found a strong woman-centric slant to many of them, which, as a man, made me feel excluded. I believe in gender BALANCE, not female dominance OR male dominance and for something as close to the heart as spirituality, it was a cruel blow to be delt woman-centricism. Other books were fluffy: so light weight that they seemed patronizing and to only deal with pleasant aspects of nature and humanity.

Isaac's book had none of these problems and there are many, many aspects to it that are wonderful. He's honest that Wicca is, as far as any real scholarship can glean, purely a modern religion. He also says something that none of the authors who try to convince us of some ancient origin say: that just because it's modern makes it no less valid! He is gender balanced and matter-of-fact. He's not afraid to talk about "dark" issues. After reading it, I FINALLY felt that I got a square deal for buying the book.

But, I can't sing the praises of this book high enough. It's informative as to the history of Wicca. It would have answered all of the initial questions that I would have had as a beginner and taught me a lot of good stuff to boot.

Perhaps its only weakness is that, unlike many of the other books that I looked at when I was starting, it is not quite as chalk full of exercises, spells, rituals and the like. I think that this is because Isaac doesn't want to limit Wicca to a particular set of techniques and, to be honest, while it's true that much of his competition packs this stuff in, it's also often the case that they present it as the "right" way or the "ancient" way. Isaac isn't trying to tell ANYONE what the "right" way is and admits that it's probably not "ancient".

What he lacks in quantity, in this regard, he makes up for in quality. For example, he has a general outline for a Wiccan ritual that is top notch and shows his decades of practice and expertise.

So, I think this is a MUST HAVE for beginning Wiccans, because they should DEFINITELY READ THIS BOOK BEFORE THEY READ ANYTHING ELSE ON THE SUBJECT, and I also think it's a must read for experienced Wiccans, because it dispels a lot of myths that they were probably taught at some point. That being said, I think a beginner should THEN go on to read some other books, with the knowledge that they may have one or more of the flaws that I sited at the beginning of this review, to get some ideas for spells, exercises and rituals. The books by the Ferrars would all make good followers and, before Isaac's came out, they were ones that I respect as minimizing above mentioned flaws.

About what another reviewer said about being able to get the same information from reading other books, that may be true, but beginners aren't likely to know about them. I certainly didn't when I was starting. I had to wade through mountains of what to me is, with all due respect, nonsense in order to get to anything that I considered to be academically sound or remotely accurate. Yes, Hutton is great, but Isaac's book provides one starting point for the beginner.

Someday, I'd like to see a book as good as Isaac's that ALSO has a large collection of sample exercises, spells and rituals, but which notes that they are only examples and that there is great diversity among Wiccans. That way, we'd have one beginner's guide that I would actually feel good about recommending.

Usually it isn't a compliment to say that you plow through someone's books, but in Isaac Bonewits's case it is a compliment. I can never put his books down until I finish, including this one.

Specifically in this case, Isaac fits decades worth of study and involvement into a manageable book that's not too dense for the non-scholar. This book should be a standard for all Wiccans, and is even useful for the rest of us Neo-Pagans.

Have you ever read a book that made you laugh, made you think, and made you glad to be a part of something all at once? If you haven't then this book will do it for you. The writing is easy to understand, the language is not teacher to student, but rather a friend telling of an amazing journey. The journey wasn't a physical one, but rather a growth of spirit. The complete likability of this book isn't the only reason for having this book in your library.
The main reason to have it is the well-researched, informed history of Wicca. Isaac experience many of the bench marks of Wicca first-hand, and who else has had the chance to crawl through Gardieners personal papers and tell us the real truth found there. Most books about Wicca agrandise the "secret" history of Wicca, but if you want to know the real secret history of Wicca then pick up this book. I guarentee you'll learn something new.