Owen Books

...this comprehensive book is amazing! It has provided me with an excellent source for review as well as information/concepts that I did not pick up along the way during nursing school. One must be committed to get through this very detailed book, but the end result is well worth it (as if you didn't already know that).

The questions at the end of each chapter and in the CD-ROM, in my experience, are similar to that of those found in nursing school exams. They strive to be in an NCLEX style, but are more geared toward testing your understanding of the content found within the chapter. This is helpful for content review purposes, but they are not as solid of examples of NCLEX questions as compared to the Kaplan book (another book I recommend). However, the rationales Saunders provide make up for that issue nicely.

If you are dedicated and really want to pass the first time, you won't regret this purchase!

If you studied and graduated from a non US nursing program you must prepare for the NCLEX thoroughly, I graduated 9 years ago in the UK and thought I had a good general knowledge base, however once I started using this book I realized how much my UK education had not prepared me for the US system and the NCLEX.

Allow yourself a few months studying hard from this book (it is 'no-frills', almost written in note form, but it is the closest thing to experiencing a proper review course you can get outside the states)

At first I found the rationales in the included chapter exams very difficult to agree with in terms of prioritization, coming from the real world critical care environment, but the more questions and rationales you do the more prepared you will be. I would also recommend a question and answer book - I used the incredibly easy NCLEX RN question and answer book and the Mosby one.

As much as I recommend this book I also found it very useful to answer questions from several different publishers as I found they would all be somewhat different but it is a very accessible way of learning and getting questions wrong really helps for the right answer to 'stick'.

Overall a 5 star recommendation, there are no other publications I am aware of that offer this sort of package. Buy it and work hard!

I found out this morning that I passed! in 75 questions!

Good luck, good luck, good luck!

This book is wonderful. I study it for my tests, including my online exit exams for my specialty classes. This book covers everything and eliminates all the "fluff". I bought this and the Question and Answer book and they are GREAT learning tools. I would recommend this book to any nursing student to use throughout school and for boards!

The review is excellent! There are a lot of graphics and test questions that help you really understand the material. The rationales for the review questions are also a plus. The outlines are very helpful, concise, and comprehensive. I recommend this book for every nursing student!

This book is easy to read and the CD is so helpful. This book is reccomended by all of the instructors in our NCLEX review courses. I feel better prepared for the NCLEX.

Fantastic story, great for these turbulent times. Also recommend The Great Hippo Migration, fiction, for kids. William James Reece.

Bought this book for my wife for christmas. She heard the story on the news and really wanted to know the whole story.

The well-written book portrays a heart-warming story about friendship. Mzee's love and guidance, along with Owen's resilience, proves that Science can't always explain what brings species together. The book contains factual material, as partially told by the general manager of Haller Park, Dr. Paula Kahumbu. Photographer Peter Greste brings this story to life with his photos that capture all the main events leading to the remarkable friendship of Owen and Mzee. Further, they capture the amazing bond the two share. The pictures do a well job of telling the story. The vocabulary of the story is geared towards an average intermediate reading level, and can easily be modified to tend to a younger audience's level of understanding. Following the story are maps with facts about Kenya and Malindi, as well as facts on hippopotami and aldabra tortoises. The last section of the book also further discusses the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami. Lastly, this wonderful addition includes websites where teachers and parents can download discussion guides and take a virtual visit of Haller Park. This is a must for any parent and/or teacher to share with students of all ages.

The story of Mzee and Owen is a beautifully written story of two friends. The message of friendship and the bond of love shared between two souls makes this a must read for all ages.

I purchased this book after hearing something about their story. I believe it is intended to be a children's book, but I enjoyed the story and the pictures of the two together. It's a touching story of two misplaced creatures bonding together - gives you warm fuzzies. I pass it around to others who might enjoy reading it as a "pick me up". It is always returned with a smile.

for a child of any age that has a favorite blanket (blankey)
a plot a young child can follow and relate to.

I read Owen. I would recommend this book. The reason I would recommend it is because it was funny and it made me crack me up. In the book Owen, Owen and Fuzzy were playing captain plunger. They looked silly. This helped me convince me that it was a grate book.

This is a review/evaluation of the book as part of an in depth study on children's picture books. I am a third grade teacher and I use this book in my classroom because no kid is ever too old to read a great story like this. I truly think it is a classic!

Evaluation: In addition to the wonderful illustrations, this Caldecott Honor book is also a heart warming story that is very appropriate for young readers. The illustrations and the story are very appealing to children and allows readers to easily identify with the main character and the situation he is in. The illustrations add to the meaning of the text because they emphasis the personality of the characters. They highlight Owen's playfulness and the love that he has for his blanket. They also add to the worries of the adults in the story because their concern shows in the illustrations. The illustrations also extend the text because they are so clear that a student could understand the story without actually reading the text and rely only on the clues from the illustrations. The background settings are also nicely illustrated and accurately detailed because it is easy to compare and contrast when they are in places in their house that is shared by all of the family members and when they are in Owen's room and his play area in the background. Henkes also adds specific details to the setting that compliment the fact that the main characters are mice. This is reflected in the art work they have in their house and the statues they have outside. The illustrations are done with watercolor paints and black pen for the full-color art. This compliments the mood of the book because the illustrations are very colorful and vibrant. Henkes varies the size and number of illustrations on each page to compliment the plot and to reflect the sequence of events that take place. Each illustration is within black outlined boxes that make it easy to follow the progression of the story. The jacket and cover design expresses the theme and spirit of the book without giving away too much detail. The cover design gives some questions as to why a lady may be looking for the small boy and will spark children's curiosity making them want to read the book. The bright yellow and bold title stands out against a bright blue background. This book is very similar to Kevin Henkes other mouse books. All of his characters face some type of childhood problem that teaches them about growing up. His books are easily recognized by children because the title always contains the name of the main character. Readers also become familiar with the characters because they are in several of his books, even if it is only a picture of them with no reference in the story. The illustrations are all very similar in that they are fun and engaging and add to the story. Henkes commonly includes text in the illustrations that may be a character's thoughts or something they are actually saying. The added text is often more humorous than the story itself. Since Henkes is both the author and illustrator of his books, he has the liberty of making his text and illustrations become one and perfectly balance each other. This book is appropriate for the preschool level, but older children will also enjoy it, especially if they had a blanket or other comfort item that they adored in their childhood. Parents will also like the book if they are trying to teach their child the same lesson. This book is a very nice read aloud and should be part of classroom libraries. It should be on a booklist as a must read for students who are about to start kindergarten.

References:
Henkes, K. (1988). Chester's Way. New York: Greenwillow Books.
Henkes, K. (1996). Chrysanthemum. New York: Greenwillow Books.
Henkes, K. (1996). Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse. New York: Greenwillow Books.

I was given this book as a baby gift after my son Owen was born. I have been hooked on Kevin Henkes ever since. I still remember pausing in the story and my son Owen, when he was only 2 saying, "No, Fuzzy is perfect". This is a beautiful story which will be one of the books I hold onto forever. My Owen also has a special blanket that at 9 he still sleeps with- his coldie he calls it. Your kids and you will love this book even if they don't have a special blanket or lovie of some kind. All my children love this book and I have given it as a gift many times- also Lily's Purple Plastic Purse- very loved by all my kids. Enjoy! (And don't worry about what the nosey neighbors think!)

"Owen" is a sweet and thoughtful story on par with all of Kevin Henkes other children's books. Whether you're a teacher looking for a story that students can relate to, a parent searching for a meaninful read for your child, or if you are just in the mood for a story filled with sentiment, you can't go wrong with "Owen."

Playwright Peter Shaffer is an exceptional dramatist. His characters are unforgettable, and each one is dealing with a psychological struggle. In "Amadeus," Shaffer examines seventeenth century Vienna and the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his rival, court composer Antonio Salieri. This play shatters the view of Mozart as an innocent child prodigy, and instead paints a picture of a childish, scatologically minded, yet ultimately tormented musical genius. Trapped by the financial demands that are placed upon him, and the demands of a domineering father, Mozart strives to make his music and to be excepted.
The main focus of the play is upon Salieri, whom the audience sees as a sweetmeat loving, conniving schemer who is appalled by Mozart's new ideas and manner. However, Salieri is not one demensional. He is a sympathetic character, who wrestles with his conscience. Feeling betrayed by a god who shows favoritism, he recounts his desire to make music that will provide him with unsurpassable fame. However, his music is ordinary when compared with Mozart's genius, and Salieri is fully aware of this whereas ordinary citizens of Vienna are not. Vowing revenge, Salieri decides to lash out at Mozart: "God's Flute," therefore providing an opportunity for a terrifying confrontation in which Mozart is driven into madness and early death. Everyone can relate to the character of Salieri because we have all felt betrayed when our own specific talents were regarded as inferior to someone else's.
Shaffer introduces us to two tortured individuals who are nevertheless sympathetic and unforgettable. Please give this play a chance.

When I was younger, I almost never reread anything. My hunger was so voracious that I gobbled up a book and then rapaciously moved on to the next. But as I've aged, I read less frantically, returning again and again to a few works that especially move me. At the top of the list of such works are the plays of Peter Shaffer. And at the top of that list is his masterpiece "Amadeus."

What I find remarkable about Shaffer's "Amadeus" isn't so much the title character, Mozart, as the character who becomes Mozart's nemesis, Antonio Salieri. Salieri is one of the great tragic figures in literature. He's an individual who appears to genuinely love musical beauty, and who genuinely wants to dedicate his life to it. (In an early scene, for example, he makes a deal with God. "Signore," he begs, "let me be your flute, your mouthpiece. Let me produce absolute beauty. In return, I'll be your slave.") But Salieri is also a hopeless mediocrity. He knows good music when he hears it, but he's simply unable to create it himself. His compositions are acceptable, and sometimes even pleasing to the ear. But when compared with the music of Mozart, they reveal themselves for what they are: technically proficient, but utterly uninspired. The awareness of his own mediocrity, coupled with his absolute yearning for beauty and his life-destroying jealousy of/admiration for Mozart, is the heart of the play. (Milos Forman's 1984 cinematic production of the play unfortunately rewrites the script to put Mozart rather than Salieri centerstage, thereby missing the whole point.)

When one thinks about it--and I believe that this is what makes Shaffer's play so poignant and profound--Salieri is everyperson. Let's face it: most of us are mediocre. We fall somewhere in that great middle zone of "average." We'll never be able to create artworks that express the yearning for beauty that even the dimmest of us occasionally feel.

As if that's not bad enough, the world, as Shaffer demonstrates in his play, is unforgiving of mediocrity when it comes to art. One can work like a demon, as Salieri does, but it's genius that the world wants, genius that the world demands, and genius that the world rewards. Moreover, the creative genius is allowed anything by the admiring world--in fact, the world expects its geniuses to walk to the beat of a countercultural drummer. The mediocre artist, however, is allowed no latitude whatsoever in personal lifestyle.

The paradox of this situation, as well as the horrible burden of mediocrity felt by artists like Salieri (and the rest of us), is the tragic message of "Amadeus." When Salieri at play's end tells us, in his decrepitude and madness, that we can pray to him when we feel the sting of our own shortcomings and he will bless us, most of us ought to shiver. For, after all, we don't want our mediocrity blessed, do we? And yet the tragedy of the human condition is that, blessed or not, it's what we are. And so Shaffer leaves us with this question: how do we overcome our Salieri-like resentment and frustration at not being able to create beauty long enough simply to appreciate beauty when we encounter it?

The best part of the book is the introduction, which tells of the changes made to the script over the years, based on on-going research by the author. I saw the movie and the play, then bought the script in order to compare the different renderings of this amazing story.

Peter Shaffer's award-winning and highly popular play AMADEUS is in many ways a morality play but seen through the eyes of a complicated postmodern villain. The play is called AMADEUS but the chief character of the story is Antonio Salieri. Salieri is the Court Composer for Emperor Joseph II of Austria during the end of the 18th Century. He is held in esteem not only by the Emperor and Court, but by the masses as well. Then Amadeus Mozart makes his way to the Austrian Court at Salzburg and Salieri recognizes in the young man a musical genius superior to anything musical he has ever heard. He becomes enraged with bitter jealousy. Feeling that God has abandoned him and given the talent that he has trained to develop and possess his entire life, Salieri declares a war against God that he will fight on the battleground that is Amadeus Mozart.

AMADEUS is a fantastic play. Author Peter Shaffer has revised the play several times since its first performance in 1979 and this version of the show (written twenty years later in 1999) is in my opinion the best because it is the one that portrays Salieri more than just an evil man, but as a human being that the audience and readers can relate to and actually understand somewhat. A must see play that anyone who enjoys theatre should be familiar with.

Like a newspaper article, theatre has to convey its story with an economy of words.

In this way, great playwriting is a rare skill much like land the penny toss at the carnival and Shaffer is that rare playwriter who accomplishes his task so seemingly effortlessly.

Deftly, Shaffer tosses his Amadeus and Saliere together and in so doing plays each against their type rendering his Amadeus into the simple squeezebox which provides the background for the languid single note of Saliere's mournful jealousy.

What's so amazing is that in telling us the story of Amadeus' art, Shaffer shares important insights about his own. Don't have too many or too few notes but just the right number. Don't be so flashy in being good that people concentrate on the flashiness instead of the point.

And don't become so engrossed in your art that you lose sight of the ultimate ends it was meant to service in the first place.

Whether we are each more Amadeus or more Saliere we can connect with this play.

This book seemed so realistic to me at times while reading it, I almost thought I was reading a true story.

It depicts the events that occurred during the UN/US intervention in Somalia in the early '90s, some that really happened, others fictional. The writer, himself a former Marine, clearly infuses his characters with the spirit of Marines he must have known. Our involvement in Somalia was relatively short lived, and marred by mishandling of the situation by the highest levels of the US government, but the heroism of the American warriors involved is without reproach. After almost two decades of military campaigns not producing a Medal of Honor recipient, two were awarded during the battle of Mogadishu.

A surprising amount of excellent literature has emerged from what was really a minor conflict in the history of our country. If you are interested in the Somalia campaign (and even if you are not) I suggest that you read the book "Blackhawk Down" to get a picture of what happened. It is an extremely well written piece. I have also heard the book "In the Company of Heroes" highly recommended although I have not read it yet myself.

Sharkman Six, while fiction, realistically portrays the political climate, and the conditions of the Somalia action. It is a riveting read, and one of the best pieces of military fiction I have ever read. The atmosphere, dialogue, and descriptions are quite authentic. The book is exciting, funny, and sad all at once.

As an avid reader, especially interested military books, fiction and non-fiction, I reserve the five star rating, and award it sparingly, because I think the ratings should mean something. A five star award should be reserved for only the most exceptional of books. This is one of them, so do yourself a favor and check it out.

I am looking forward to more similar work by this promising author.

Having served in Somalia during Restore Hope I was immediately intrigued after reading the dust cover. Fortunately, the rest of the book exceeded my expectations. West did a fine job of developing the characters while not drudging on too much about it. The plot twists dealing with the main characters family history was almost as suspenseful as the rest of the book. I also enjoyed the way West shows the reader the psyche of the Marine Corps. West's writing style makes the book a very easy read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who either served in the Corps or is interested in books about the Corps.

Semper Fi!!

I must say I was very surprised by this book. It's actually an action book, but it's wrapped in fast realistic dialogue and it's pretty smart. I really got into the fact that the LT has doubts and relies on the SgtMaj for advice. Also that there were no real heroes except one Sgt who was flawed. I never served in Somalia but was in Afghanistan and Iraq. I have to say this nails an infantry (West's is recon) platoon right on. Semper Fi Marine!

I was very impressed by West's Four Days to Veracruz but this one may be even better. Subtle yet cutting account of modern war. Wow! This is so different from other military fiction my hat (cover) is off to Mr. West

I never served over in Somalia so I will not even try to comment on the accuracy in that respect. Being a fiction novel however, not everything is going to be as it REALLY was. I can tell you this though. I read this book while I was stationed on Schwab with 3rd Recon Battalion and this book is right on in the Marine Corps aspect. The way they talk and interact and everything is great and very accurate. Everyone has their own life and issues and all the mannerisms are there. Owen West tells a good story here, so sit back, K-bar clutched tightly in your hand and enjoy the read. Semper Fi.

This is the third, excellent volume in the author's series that follows the detective work of Major Abel Jones during the Civil War. This time, the author's masterful style immerses you in April, 1862, with its odd speech (to the 2007 ear), its stomach-turning savagery in the Battle of Shiloh, and its well-mannered relationship between Union and Confederate officers off the battlefield. Someone has brutally slaughtered forty slaves, men, women, and children, in the no-man's land between Union and Confederate lines. General Grant sends Major Jones on a hazardous trip through the lines with a request that Confederate General P. G. T. Beauregard cooperate in investigating this terrible crime. Beauregard agrees and assigns Confederate Lieutenant Drake Raines to aid Jones. The two officers follow a frightening path as they track down the murderers and barely prevent another mass killing. The story is full of action, and the plot twists wonderfully.

I loved the first Abel Jones Civil War mystery (Faded Coat of Blue), but was sorely disappointed by the second (Shadows of Glory), so it with great relief that I can report that this third in the series displays much (if not quite all) the skill Parry brought to Faded Coat of Blue. The story kicks off with a serious bang, as the first thirty pages or so throw Major Abel Jones into the messy battle at Shiloh in early April 1862. From the very first sentence ("I remember the smell of men burning"), the reader is immersed in the chaos and confusion that is war, and it's hard to imagine any work of nonfiction\ able to compete with the "you are there" sensation these pages impart. In this in initial bloody action, the ever-stern Jones rounds up as many of those fleeing the battle as possible, and rallies them into a little unit, fighting through the day.

It's only after the battle that we finally learn the purpose of his foray into the front lines. As outlined in the previous books, the Welsh immigrant and former soldier Jones has been transformed from an army clerk into a special agent of President Lincoln's. Here, he sent is to investigate the massacre of forty runaway slaves, an atrocity discovered by advancing Union troops in Tennessee. Jones meets with Generals Grant and Sherman (and his friend Dr. Mick Tyrone), and is escorted to the Confederate side as an emissary to General Beauregard to discuss this heinous crime. Of course, this isn't as simple as it sounds, and Jones goes through a few adventures before he's able to team up with an young aristocratic (and Harvard educated) Southern officer to unmask the killers.

Actually, the book's one significant weakness is that there is a great deal of buildup to the mystery, but once the investigation is underway, the killers are identified with very rapidly (not to mention that the answer seems obvious the moment the villain is first seen). As in Shadows of glory, the emphasis is much more on mood and atmosphere than actual suspense. Much of the story seems designed to have Jones come to the realization that slaves are humans too, and perhaps are worth fighting a war over. To that end, a number of the supporting characters aren't nearly as well realized as they are in either of the two earlier books. Jones' Confederate liaison is a textbook golden-haired young Southern gentleman, and there are a smattering of basic rednecks and slave types as well. One notable exception is the Barnaby B. Barnaby, the Cockney gentleman's gentleman to Jones' liaison, who provides comic relief and a vivid voice. Of course, the strongest voice is Jones' own as narrator, and his telling is robust with the Welsh idiom, cadence, and priggish prejudice of the earlier books. Phrases like "he was as full of tricks as an Irish barrister" abound, and add much to the story.

All in all, the book is satisfying reading, if not as outstanding as Faded Coat of Blue, which just had everything going for it. The series continues with , Honor's Kingdom and Bold Sons of Erin which I will definitely be seeking out.

I'm always wary of historical novels, since they have a tendency to transfer 21st Century sensibilities to their subject matter. Owen Parry (whose real name is Ralph Peters, the great Russian expert and strategic thinker) avoids that, creating a hero and a story which live and breath the Civil War era. I was impressed, although not overly so, with the first book of the series, but I am increasingly moved by every addition to the series.

Major Abel Jones is pompous and priggish and if weren't so clever in solving murder mysteries, he would be a classic comic figure (one on-going theme is the pride this Welshman takes in his singing voice, when it's obvious (though not to him) that it's rather awful).

The walk on parts of various historical figures is impressive. I always judge the walk ons in historical novels by using as my gold standard the Abraham Lincoln in George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman series: lovely little vignettes which both capture the essence of the man and allow the reader to see his hero in a new light. In River Jordan, Parry manages a General Grant who is every bit as real as Fraser's Lincoln. That is the first time I can say that about anyone's novel about any era.

I've traveled in Wales, know Welsh history back to the early Middle Ages, and even studied the language some years ago. I recognize Owen Parry's Union officer, Abel Jones, as the counterpart of some of the sturdy people of that splendid land. I've now read all three of Parry's Civil War mysteries available in paperback, and each new one has been better than the last.

The only mystery writers of comparable talent who've dissected the physical, mental and moral tragedy of war are Charles Todd and Reginald Hill. But Parry, writing in the voice of a deeply religious, highly puritanical Welshman of the mid-Nineteenth Century, is unique. I doubt that there are very many better first-person stories out there in any genre.

The plot and characters of this latest novel have been covered by other reviewers (with whom I soundly agree). I only want to suggest that if you haven't yet heard the voice of Abel Jones, go thou and do so.

There is something sublime about this book.

It would be easy for Parry to follow the easy path to Civil War fiction that so many other authors have followed. But, instead, he chooses to probe the depths of slavery and abolition and Union versus Confederacy.

Although this book is billed as a historical suspense/mystery novel, it is far more. The murder plot is merely a device the author uses to explore the depths of human character and the interplay between Whites and Blacks during the Civil War. All of Parry's characters are very human, including his main hero and his major villain. The terrors and bloodlust of war are portrayed vividly. And, to Parry's credit, not all of the action takes place on the battlefield.

Main character Abel Jones is a Welsh major hired by President Lincoln to solve the mass murder of some Blacks barely over the Shiloh battle lines. To do so, he must coordinate his activities with officers from the Confederacy. The Union blames the Confederates for the murders and the Confederacy blames the Union. But Abel is Able as he solves the dilemma. But, as I said, the mystery plot is secondary.

Abel struggles with the line between Christian non-violence and wartime bloodshed. Some characters struggle with loss of life and property while others struggle with the concept of true freedom.

The only negative to this book is its obvious setup at the finish for a sequel. I don't dislike sequels or series novels, but the setup is too obvious.

Nonetheless, this book is glorious and there really is something sublime here that I can't pinpoint. A treasure.

I just finished this book, and my title says it all...well, almost--

Owen has you nailed. Your Old Man has certain strategies for interfering with your communion with our Holy God. Your Old Man wants to flee from His presence, and he will prompt you to sin, forcing you to grieve the Holy Spirit in order to give himself a breather from your fellowship. That's one of his motives. Your Old Man is you, with all your imagination and creativity, and pet sins. Owen will teach you how to recognize, track, and thwart his stratagems by prayer and watchfulness.

One noteworthy lesson from Owen will prove familiar to all spiritual warriors, and that is the Old Man's line, "This far and no farther." Sound familiar? "I'll just look at this one thing on the web, but go no farther." "I'll just have dinner with her, no more." May I add here that I've noticed just how prominent the word "just" is in the Old Man's lexicon. When you hear it echo in your mind, drop to your knees and start praying, because "it's on!"

Think of this book as critical intelligence on enemy movements and dispositions that has been stolen from enemy headquarters by a stalwart agent of proven worth. You might win without it, but you'll suffer a number of defeats along the way that could easily have been avoided. Our final victory is indeed assured, for He Who has begun a good work in us will finish it unto the day of Christ Jesus Our Lord, but whether you start beating the guts our of your Old Man now or only much later depends largely on how well you now "know thy self," for to know thy self is to "know thine enemy." To wage war while despising critical intelligence is the height of folly, for it is to give your enemy victories that might easily have been yours and is to prolong the suffering needlessly. Sure you have an enemy army without your walls, the Evil One and his minions, seeking to sift and devour you, but you have a tireless enemy within as well, who desperately wants to cooperate with him and throw open your gates to let him in. You must identify this spy, track, pursue, seize and bind him in chains and cast him into your deepest dungeon; but keep watch, for he fights furiously to free himself and turn the tables on you. Owen will show you how to put his neck under your boot, and through prayer and watchfulness keep him there, but it is up to you both to read this book and yet also manage to remember its lessons once the fog of battle descends on your mind in the heat of temptation and obscures your love of Christ.

If you read this work prayerfully, perhaps in conjunction with "Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices," by Brooks (ISBN: 0851510027), and "The Christian in Complete Armour," by Gurnall (the full 1244-page version, ISBN: 0851511961), you'll find yourself promoted to officer in His army in no time. J.C. Ryle's "Holiness" is a goodie, too (ISBN: 0967760356), but this one by Owen is the clear winner for crucifying the flesh with its passions and desires.

If you're a purist and desire to read only undistilled versions of Owen and others, insisting on the Complete Works of..., or whatever, be at peace and buy this. It's by no means distilled, and though it is still a little bit of work it is by no means as hard to get through as Death of Death. I too prefer the works in the original, and that is indeed what you're going to get here, but with footnotes to explain archaisms and a few corrections to Owen's errant citations, etc. You can tell the editors love Owen in the original, too. I guarantee you won't regret this purchase.

Stop reading and start buying! For the Christian is from moment to moment, day to day, either advancing or retreating, conquering or being conquered. Put on the whole armor of God, read this intelligence on the ploys of your traitor within, and get on with your conquest!

Absolutely at the top of the list, just under The Holy Book of God, you will find this masterpiece. Of all the oceans I have dared to surf, the ocean of Owens' "Overcoming Sin & Temptation" will quickly grab at your heels and pull you under. However, after returning to the crest of the water, you are ready to dive again. Endless thoughts he ponders on the awfulness and despicableness of sin to which he offers God's Holy Word as the ONLY balm of healing. Any scholar or student of the Word of God must take on the challenge of digesting even "parts" of this book. I will for the next twenty years be scouring the pages of this volume to understand the depth of the wisdom of John Owen.

I'm about a third of the way through having owned it for a little over a month, and the book is phenomenal. This is not light reading though, and one must be in a state of high mental and spiritual aptitude, as well as prepared to reread a sentence or two now and again. Concurrently, I'd say this is a book to spend some time with rather than trying to rush through in a week or two.
They just don't write 'em like they used to...America we need revival!!!

Takes plenty of work to read, but magnificently rewarding. I don't know of anything that compares to it on these topics of sin and tempation. It took me over a year, but I read all 400 pages and loved just about every minute of it.

This is a well written and thought out book by John Owen. The editors have done a great job making it accessible to laymen like myself. After reading the forwards I was intimidated to even start, but with their "modernizing" of the language and useful footnotes at the bottom of each page, they have helped make this a book that many will understand and learn from.
I would highly recommend it. You may spend a lot of time on one page, but you will grow in your faith and find scripture passages enlightening in new ways to you.
Take up and read!

I found this book to be so helpful. Although, it's a slightly older edition then the current one avaliable, it still got the job done.

This is my favorite Nursing Diagnosis/ Care Plan tool Yet. I have several of this type book. I can now get rid of all the others and lighten my load.
I wish it had been the first one I purchased. It is better than the last edition too.
So please save yourself time, from shopping around - and with your care plans, get this book!

I am a nursing student (will graduate in July) and this book has been an invaluable aid with all of the care plans I have had to do. As a matter of fact, most of my fellow classmates use this book or an earlier edition.

Nursing Diagnosis are not easy but this book has really helped. It gives you possible outcomes/goals.

I am a nursing student. I have 4 care plan books that i use when writing a care plan. I use this one alot because its: simply stated and i find rationales in it that the other books don't have. Its worth the money.

So far I've only gotten throught the first chapter. It's a dense amount of information, but it is incredibly well written and informative. No extra words just to take up space and get something into book format. It's definetly a text book. The first chapter gives you an extensive review of the human relationship with drugs since the beginning of time, and forty pages later, I feel enlightened and full of ideas. Incredibly insightful and well worth the price for someone with a deep interest in this field.

This is a wonderfully written book with lots of great information. However, I really dislike the newspaper column width of the text. It is very hard to read from such a thick book with this layout.

The item shipped quickly and was brand new as I was told. I am not impressed with the Study Guide, and the book itself is rather disjointed. It's hard to find the information within all the quotes from addicts. I would set it up so that the information came first and then the quotes would be placed at the end of the text in each section.

If you work in human services or if you're just interested in learning about substance abuse, this is the only book you'll need. This was my text in grad school and a decade after I'm still recommending it to clinicians.

The authors, Darryl Inaba and William Cohen do a great job of keeping this book very open and simple. They cover almost every drug (5th edition) which a counselor may run into when talking with his students. As a research or higher level order book though, this would not do as it is just too brief on most subjects to really get to know indepth pharmacology or pharmacodynamics on most of the psychoactive drug actions. There is a lot of history, and even a CD-ROM to help you familiarize yourself with many topics of addiction in a very short period of time. In some sections, there is some really good information on drugs I have not seen on the pharmacy shelves for at least 12 years. If you are someone who wants to quickly get to know the subject of psychoactive drugs, then I highly recommend this book for you. His vocabulary is such that it is easy to read, without too much of a serious tone-- and you will not even need a highliner to remember the facts. This book is packed with knowledge. Very enjoyable reading for a change, with lots of good and interesting photographs that make you think. You will enjoy this book, for it is written in a very unique format that makes you want to relax and just turn each page and learn. guyairey

The rest of the reviews give beautiful summaries of this book.
I just want to add a few things. On the technical/storytelling side, Mr. Owens writes extremely well and this facilitates the excellent storyline that keeps the reader engaged.

Concerning the spiritual/Christian side of the book. This is the deepest book that I have read by a Christian author. By depth, I mean his representation of spiritual warfare is right on. Though many call this book a fantasty -- it is not fantasy but reality when it comes to the things of God.

So -- Mr. Owens, if you read these reviews. I just want to say thank you -- God is using you mightily and I am looking forward to your next book!

I really enjoyed Mr. Owens' book. Kept your interest and leaves you interested in the characters-wanting more. For all those who are looking for other good authors while waiting for next novel-check out Stephen Lawhead.

All the previous reviews tell you what the basic premise of this book is, a tantalizing bit of plot, that it is well-written, AND that it is an excellent first novel for author Owens. I agree with those statements.

But what is not told here is that new Christian fantasy is far and few between (his publisher put out four. Will there be more?) The Christian publishers--for years--stayed away from it and only re-published C.S. Lewis' Narnia or sent you to read Lord of the Rings and general market fantasy. A smattering here and there, but not a stronghold as a genre.

This book is well done, and if you appreciate Christian fantasy, you should be buying this. Why? 1. Because you like the genre and we all have said it's good. You'll enjoy it if you like Christian fantasy and a good story. 2. To let publishing companies know that we want more. 3. I really like it that there is a strong woman character and she meets her match in every way--definitely can appeal to women.

I hope Miles Owens is writing more of this sort of book. He'll only get better, and is already a really strong writer. More, Miles, more!

This book was an excellent first novel. I cannot believe the publisher has not picked up the trilogy! I keep checking back in the bookstores, but no second book has appeared. With the great need for engaging Christian fiction, this book stands a league above some of the other trite books that call themselves good reading! I implore Strang Communications to reconsider and publish this series.

In Miles Owens's book Daughter of Prophecy, a battle between good and evil is looming. At the center is Rhiannon, a girl who at her birth was prophesied to be the Protectoress of an Ancient covenant. At first she believes her prophecy to be literal and she trains with her brothers in sword fighting. But as the story progresses, she realizes the Eternal might have something entirely different in mind. Helping her in this process is a repentant religious leader and her foreign teacher. Meanwhile, the Mighty Ones are sending winged horrors determined to destroy her before she can fulfill the prophecy.

There are subtle christian messages throughout this book. The Eternal can use us only if we let go of all our wants and desires, and He is always standing by to help. Evil is truly evil and powerful, yet prayer can help destroy it. Owens does a good job of developing the characters and allowing them to grow in the story line. There are many characters, yet Owens makes it easy to keep track of them. Even the secondary character's actions will have an impact on the outcome of the battle.

Daughter of Prophecy is a great christian fantasy book. I look forward to reading the sequel.

CSFFC Ratings:
Teen Friendly: A
Christian Message: A
Crude or Profane language: A(none)
Drug or Alcohol: A-
Sexual Content: A(none)
Writing: A-(Solid writing. A few editing mistakes)

JoEtta Dingman
Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Central Reviewer