Owens Books

Do you want to learn really how powerful CSS can be? This book takes you from the ground up and helps you to understand not only the how to use css for layout but also why you use css. Starting off with the basics you get a good feel for how to write css in both the page itself as well as in an external stylesheet. The authors also explain the advantages and disadvantages of each way to include the styles. Then the book takes you through typography, which unless you are already an expert, you will gain a great understanding of exactly how the type settings really work with the text on a web page. Next, it dives into how to use the css to control your page layout with many different known techniques. You also will understand how these designs work so you can review them and walk away with the knowledge of how to leverage existing patterns and modify them to your needs. If you want to know how to design a page using css definitely get this book.

I have seen this book as very good reference for css. I just would like to have CD also with samples. It is must buy.

I had hoped to use this book as an introduction to using CSS and to help me update my online portfolio. While I did learn a good deal about CSS, this book was not nearly as easy to use as I had hoped.
First, a significant portion of the book is dedicated to a lengthy and repetitive sermon on why CSS is superior and should be used for all your presentation needs. It seems to avoid discussing the shortcomings of the system, or point out where you might need to resort to other solutions, such as JavaScript.
I am a person who learns by analyzing examples and learning to expand on the ideas in them. This, I think is where this book fails. The code samples in the book are incomplete and presented as fragments interspersed with explanation. The more advanced examples are so full of hacks to make presentation identical on all browsers, that they become unreadable. And the final straw was when I downloaded the dynamic-looking photo browser pictured in Chapter 12 and found that the dynamic functions simply don't work! (samples available at http://www.friendsofed.com/download.html?isbn=159059231X).
This is probably a good source for a designer already familiar with CSS. For a beginner, I recommend looking elsewhere.

This book does an excellent job of explaining CSS. My main focus is seperating content from presentation being my sites are search engine friendly.

Great for CSS beginers, I found everything here I needed to know to get started.

This author is fantastic - each book I read draws me further into this world and into the characters that exist in all the books. I want a heartmate too!

Straif Blackthorn is the last of the Blackthorn family. His entire family had been wiped out by the Celtan Angh virus fifteen years ago due to a defect in the family genes. He had decided to move back to the T'Blackthorn Residence, his ancestral home. The morning he made his decision to move back to the ancestral home, a wet cat informs him that she is his Familiar. "You will adore Me. Everybody adores Me." They adopted each other and became companions. The Fam's name is Drina. She's a beautiful half-Siamese cat, the daughter of the Cat Zanth, which is Familiar to T'Ash.

Mitchella is a member of the Clovers family. They are a family that pride themselves as the most fertile family on Celta. Mitchella cannot bear children of her own. She's sterile, a condition caused by a disease when she was a child. She has a ward, Antenn, who she loves as much as she would any child of her own body. Mitchella owns The Four Leaf Clover, a store specializing in interior design.

After returning to his ancestral home and activating the spells for housekeeping and general habitation, Drina informed Straif that the house was not up to a cat of her degree. They must go shopping. After all Drina is female, she likes shopping. She insists they shop at The Four Leaf Clover. Drina will not allow the gloom to remain in the residence. Besides, she needs an adequate pillow to sleep on. Mitchella had been pondering how she was going to keep her store open without getting a loan from her family. When Straif introduced himself and told her he needed his home redecorated and refurnished, she just knew this would be an expensive job. Sexually attracted to the man and a good paying job, could a woman ask for more? But, he's a noble of the highest class, and a relationship between them would never work.

Robin D. Owens has written another winner with HEART CHOICE. This is the fourth book in her Heartmate series. I was fascinated by the magical environment. The house itself was amazing. It was like a living being. It was able to communicate and use Straif's flair in order to take care of itself. Mitchella was able to use her flair to redecorate the rooms. She could even make walls into moving scenes. I absolutely adored the Familiar, Drina's snotty attitude. Her diva attitude had me laughing out loud many times. Straif and Mitchella's hearts had both been grievously injured in the past. Straif by the deaths of his family to the virus he had survived, and Mitchella by men's rejection due to the fact that she couldn't bear heirs. Their love for each other is almost tangible. Straif's determination to find a cure for his family's genes keeps him from seeing the possibility that Mitchella could be his Heartmate. It was wonderful to revisit Celta and get to read about some of the characters we learned about in previous books. HEART CHOICE is a wonderful book to lose yourself in for a while! I'll be anxiously awaiting the next book in this wonderfully imaginative series.

Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)

"Hear Choice" is a romance set in an alternative world, were magic is common place. S hires M to redecorate his mansion, and suddenly discovers that he is under attack. While working closer and closer with S, M is drawn to him but worries about the future of their relationship. S is a powerful mage with a hereditary problem that leaves him vulnerable to disease. He wants more than anything to solve that problem and have children. M is a weak mage who is infertile, and that infertility pains her greatly. She is drawn to S, but knows that her inability to provide him with children ruins any chance of a long relationship.

"Heart Choice" was a pleasant surprise. The issue of infertility is addressed in a considerate manner -- no last minute "surprise" that M isn't really infertile. Unlike Owens' previous novels, S and M don't both have talking cats, and the one talking cat has a unique personality. Hurrah! M is a friendly woman, fairly considerate of S's feelings, and you could really imagine S loving her. Alas, the infertility plotline is poorly developped, including far too much fretting, an abrupt closure, and awkwardly sudden personal growth. This is regretable, since the treatment of infertility could have been such a strength of this book. The other plotlines start later in the novel but executed better.

Like Owens' other leading ladies, M issues ultimatims and walks out on her man, but M is far less prone to this behavior than the ladies in Owen's earlier novels. The relative infrequency of this hostile behavior makes it possible to enjoy M for the rest of the book. Hopefully Owens' next leading lady won't ever run away or issue an ultimatum.

Overall, "Heart Choice" provides pleasant entertainment, worth the purchase price for a little escape.

Others have written good synopsis of the characters and plot. I would like to add my recommendation. This is one good book. It makes you feel horrible with Michella when Straif rejects her because of infertility. Not many authors can make you connect to characters the way Robin Owens can. I am waiting eagerly for number 6 in the series.

Oh yes, a cat like Drina can make you really glad to be a dog person.

I absolutely love this 4th book in the Celtan series.
It is the tale of Straif Blackthorn and Mitchella Clover. Straif is the only survivor of a plague that killed off his entire family. His primary goal is to cure this plague and rebuild his family. Mitchella Clover is his Heartmate, she is perfect for him in everything except she is sterile.
I read this novel in 2 hours because the emotional journey of both Straif and Mitchella as they both realize that a family is not a unit made by blood but by love is fantastic. Together with the help of an orphan named Antemm, Straif and Mitchella rebuild the Blackthorn family. It's also a plus that Robin also writes about Famcat Drina, who is not only sassy but a Diva("Everyone Adores Me").

I used Paul's book to train my puppy and it has been one of the most rewarding things I've ever done! His methods are completely reward based and compassion driven so there's no using pinch or choke collars, something I am very opposed to. I have have had great success overcoming all the normal puppy issues such as potty training, nipping, separation anxiety, and digging by using Paul's methods.

All in all I can't say enough good things about this book!

I loved this book. It is very helpful and easy to read. I highly recommend it!

This book is it! Five stars quality!
We got "The Puppy Whisperer" with the hope of getting an overall guide to training our new puppy full of energy. We were amazed at how detailed and full of great advice this book is. Paul Owens explains the bare bones of dog training technique while maintaining a style full of warmth and compassion which makes for a perfect combination helping to train the puppy to be an obedient and loving companion.
Definitely recommended for people who want an easy to use tool and a serious method.
Ruy Folguera

I recently got a new puppy after not having one for many years. I thought I'd brush up on new training techniques and "non-violent" sounded good. I read the book before I brought her home and everything has worked beautifully! All the advice, techniques and training have been fantastik and I would highly recommend this book. I've had my pup now for a little over 2 weeks and there has been 1 accident in the house - really! It has made puppy ownership a joy instead of a pain. Thanks Paul!

Very useful book. Wish I would have had it before I got our puppy.

This book gives you a great set of guidelines on how to get ready for and start a relationship with potential for the long term. It also helps put in perspective how to view the downsides of dating.

In addition, the example stories help bring home the lessons. It's a great guidebook for dating right.

Amy's Take Heart gives encouragement and solace to those out there who are scared and lacking self confidence because of previous relationships.
The book is an easy read and I couldn't put the book down until I read it from cover to cover.

Amy Owens cuts straight to the chase with her refreshing, no-nonsense approach to dating and relationships. The exercises in the book encourage you to delve deep into your heart and mind, resulting in honest answers to some of the most common questions facing singles today.

By completing her lessons, I was able to better define some of the difficulties encountered in past relationships, and how to avoid similar situations in future relationships. Thank you, Amy, for opening my eyes to all the wonderful possibilities that lie ahead!

This book is a MUST read for anyone newly single. I wish so much I would have known about it several years before I did. I know it would have helped me in my dating relationships - especially the chapter on pacing relationships. I didn't fully appreciate the importance of developing a relationship in the progressive manner suggested in Amy Owens' book. After reading the book, it made sense why some of my relationships were not successful. I can definitely see now why it is such a necessity to go through the various stages and the importance of communicating that to your partner. I would highly recommend this book and have, in fact, given several copies to my newly single friends as a show of support - passing on what I wish I would have known sooner. It definitely contains great, practical advice - even for those of us who had been single for awhile before they learned about the book. Definitely a good buy!

One of my goals in life is to continually improve myself as a person. Every once in a while, I find a philosophy, concept, or book that greatly enhances my improvement process. Amy's book does this for me. Unlike many self-help books that belabor a subject, Amy describes her lessons in simple but direct terms. She goes straight to the point and does not over-write the subject.

Having been in quite a few relationships over many years, I have read many books about the single life. Take Heart! is one of the best. Buy the book, read it, use it as a tool for improving your relationships, re-read the book from time to time. I think you will be amazed that Amy's lessons will change your life.

Take Heart! Stories of Encouragement for Singles, PLUS 10 Lessons You'll Need to Find Mr. or Ms. Right by Amy M. Owens has become my bible for relationships.

I read all of the Sherlock Holmes stories (short stories and novels) in a relatively short period of time (good for comparisons), and this was by FAR my favorite of them all. _Nothing_ is as it seems to be, not in the presenting murder mystery, nor in the background story. Both of them are fascinating stories in themselves; combined, it's truly amazing.

The last of the four Sherlock Holmes novels, and one of the two best. It contains more detection in its first section than The Hound of the Baskervilles, with Holmes (off-stage for much of The Hound) actively investigating the murder at Birlstone, and drawing his ever-fascinating deductions from raincoats and dumb-bells; indeed it is the only pure detective story among the four, with the reader given every opportunity to solve the crime. Although the solution is justly famous, it is but a variation on "The Norwood Builder," at much greater length. The second half of the tale concerns the doings of the Pinkerton agent Birdy Edwardes in the eponymous Valley, terrorised by the Freemasons, a gripping and powerful account which is perhaps of greater interest than the detection.

The story is a report on the actual events surrounding the arrest, conviction, and hanging of the Molly McGuyers in Schuylkill and Carbon Countys, Pennsylvania at the end of the 19th century. In the story the Mollys are like the gansters. In the Pa. coal region they are folk heros who fought and died for workers wrights. See the movie, "Molly McGuyers" staring Sean Conrey, it's an exact match.

The actual Pinkerton, McGowan, Died of old age in California.

'The Valley of Fear'. A real page turner but what makes it most memorable for me is not that Holmes is at his best, but Conan Doyle is. After reading this book I recommend you to read this book because it was a suspense story. The whole story moves around Mcginty who was a big criminal in the valley of vermisa also called the valley of fear. There was only one person who could face to that criminal and his name was Jack McMurdo. He behaved as a gangster and he had taken many risks in his life and he was not afraid to take more risks. Don't miss 'The Valley of Fear'. It's terrifying, exciting, and best of all, real.

I liked this book a lot and it's right up there behind The Sign of Four as the second best Sherlock Holmes novel. Though it's well known that Conan Doyle was growing tired of the character by this point.

The story is of a brutal murder in a mansion house in the English countryside. There's not much sense-making evidence to work on so Holmes and Watson go down to investigate along with Scotland Yard and the local police. Sure enough, Holmes solves the case rather quickly and all is revealed. But it's here that Conan Doyle uses the same split narrative he used in A Study in Scarlet. The story jumps far back in time and details the long, sinister plot leading up to the murder in the mansion. It's a good story and quite addictive. But I'm afraid I saw the plot twist coming (though it's an imaginative surprise) and only because there were no small revalations at any point, therefor I knew I big 'un was coming and deduced the logical conclusion.

And is it just me or is there a major anachronism in the story? Holmes speaks of Moriarty as if he is still alive. But didn't he chuck him of the Reichenbach falls and watch him fall to his death? Unless this story is set before then. And who is this mysterious Porlock? It was never cleared up. Perhaps in a future story eh?

The book is very helpful for the storytellers and teachers who feel that young people and students can become active storytellers as well and then they can enhance their lives and their society.

Now in a new second edition, Children Tell Stories: Teaching and Using Storytelling in the Classroom is the award-winning creation of Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss, who have been telling stories as "Beauty and the Beast Storytellers" for twenty-five years (and they never say who is the beauty and who is the beast). Chapters reveal the educational benefits of storytelling, how to get started with storytelling in the classroom, helping students choose stories to tell, assessing student storytellers, and much more. An accompanying DVD of helpful videos, web links, and stories to print out enhances this wonderful resource especially for educators, but also useful to home schoolers and child care providers.

This book has a wealth of information and is a great value. The DVD is a treasure! I teach special education in an elementary school and I plan to use the stories from the DVD with my students. My students also love the authors' Noondlehead Stories and Scary Tales books which I have read aloud in class.

As an elementary teacher for almost ten years, I've recognized the importance of telling stories to children and have been telling stories for years. I was missing a piece of the literacy puzzle, the piece in which children tell stories themselves, but I didn't know how to approach it until I stumbled across Mitch and Martha at a storytelling conference and bought their book. It provides a practical, manageable approach to teaching children to tell stories. Our school has a high percentage of ESL students and the lessons and activities in this book are of particular relevance. Perhaps the most important part of the book is the companion DVD. It's truly an inspiring 20 minutes. I've shown it several times around our school and teachers who claimed they have no time for storytelling are now finding time.

This book is as good as its cover and its cover is t-e-r-r-i-f-i-c! From the cover, and most importantly when you dive into the wealth of information within the book, it is clear that storytellers Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss know storytelling
is fun in its appeal and a powerful tool for learning. They've improved on an award-winning book that explores methods and merits for teaching storytelling to children. Their generosity and intelligence make the second edition with its DVD even more inspiring.

The DVD alone is worth the price of the product with its unobtrusive camera work and delightful music. We are in the room, not watching from afar. The DVD also introduces us to the most engaging children and adults. Kids have clearly strengthened their public speaking skills and enhanced their self-esteem. In a world gone mad with teaching to the test, this project attests to value of humanizing learning, and building a learning community in the classroom and beyond. Turn off the sound, you can see the success of this work in the faces of kids and administrators alike.
Carol Birch
Storyteller

Perhaps one of Oklahoma's better-kept secrets is the work done by the University of Oklahoma Press. To be sure there are some readers that know about the quality works published by the Press such as Lige Langston: Sweet Iron; The Dismissal of Miss Ruth Brown; and The Western Range Revisited, to name but a few. However, I am frequently surprised at the number of readers that are not aware of the caliber of the offerings by OU Press. Thus, I was anxious to read this just released paperback novel, which is volume 30 in the highly acclaimed American Indian Literature and Critical Studies Series. I was not disappointed. The novel, written by a Professor of English Language and Literature at the University of New Mexico who is of Choctaw-Cherokee-Irish descent, will draw you in from the first page and keep you reading to the very end of the 296 pages. It is about Jacob Nashoba who was born in Mississippi, came of age in Vietnam, and settled in an Apache village on a reservation in the Black Mountains of eastern Arizona. He finds a job as a game and fish ranger for the Tribe and tries to adjust to a life of semi-isolation and "adjustment." It's not easy. The cast of characters he must deal with include his estranged wife, corrupt tribal officials, a resident anthropologist that is, well, different, and various and sundry sellers of "vision quests" to tourists and former Hollywood extras that I swear I have seen in old John Wayne movies. Add to this mix a right-wing militia group secretly, to some, training on Indian land and you have the makings for a first rate story. Dark River has it's light side but be aware that this is a complex, subtle, sometimes violent story that deals with the aftermath of Vietnam on certain individuals(not just Nashoba!) and the contemporary problems associated with Native Americans and their identity. It is not a novel to be taken lightly. I had to go back and re-read parts of some chapters and think about the message of this book a number of times. I would do it again. It's that good. OU Press is to be commended for making this book available to a wide audience at a reasonable price. They do good work.

In DARK RIVER, Owens creates memorable characters (one of his strenths, I think) and tells a compelling story with laugh-out-loud humor. Consider one of the minor characters: the resident anthropologist Avrum Goldberg, who wears a traditonal breechcloth and Apache leggings and moccasins. He shares traditonal lore with tourists, who mistake him for an Apache and call him Chief Gold Bird, a title he denies without success. Goldberg's dream is for the Apaches to turn the reservation into a tribal theme park to attract more tourists and generate income, a scheme that does not gain favor with the Apaches, who are reluctant to give up their cars, televisions, and other twentieth-century technologies. This is by no means the central focus of the novel, but Owens skillfully weaves his imaginative subplots and characters into the central story, his concern about what is happening on a river in the reservation where he goes to flyfish.

I think this is Owens's best novel yet. Furthermore, it is accessible to any reader--one doesn't need to be familiar with his other work or knowlegable about American Indian literature to read it. Actually this is true for THE SHARPEST SIGHT (1992), which my then 85-year-old mother compared to Norman McLean's "A River Runs Through It." She would read and reread passages from each.

I understand DARK RIVER is a finalist for the Best Novel of the West from the Western Writers of America, and I wouldn't be surprised if he wins. He has received several awards for his earlier works.

Dark River, with its main character Jake Nashoba, starts off like the other excellent novels of Louis Owens. The story has great quirky characters, encounters and conflict between native and Anglo culture, different native cultures, and traditional and modern native culture, plus a little Native American magic and mysticism. But with the turn of every page, Dark River turns increasingly surreal. The excitement of the novel grows as the characters all head for the dark river of the title. Dreams and reality mix until it's hard to know where one ends and the other begins. This is one of Louis Owens' best novels and I enjoyed reading it immensely, ranking it up with my personal favorite, Bone Game. My one regret is that Louis Owens' life ended too early and he isn't around to give us any other stories to read.

This is one very nice novel, and Owens has a sharp eye for character development. I heard him read from this book a couple of years ago--and must say the laughter of the audience was echoed as I read it for myself. Let's hope this talented author keep producing these gems.

Tongue firmly embedded in cheek, Owens seems to take on everything in this novel, including his own previous novels. And nothing is as it would appear. Absolutely nothing. It's wonderful!

Owens is a true original, yet his stories are as old as time. His characters come to life and take charge of the story. For the academically minded, this would be an interesting novel to use when discussing the Foucault/Barthes debate concerning role of the author in the text.

I neede to buy this book for a class/trip I am taking over spring break. I was very surprised that it was not a dry text book , but a very readable information guide to the entire area. Great book if your interested in the geology of the area.

I read it after I came back from a trip to Owens Valley, so I can't speak on using it for directions, but it is a great book. I began reading to find a few facts to label my trip photos with but found myself reading the entire Owens Valley half, even the places I didn't see. There are some crazy things in Owens Valley! A gravity deficit, piles of rock in neat columns, lava cooling into glass, water issues with Owens Lake... I couldn't stop reading even though I had work to do - bad bad, but so good!

The chapters on each location are longer and geologic feature are more detailed than your average guide book, so you understand the background and science, but there's no technical jargon, so it's very easy to understand. Very clear simple writing by people who obviously have a genuine appreciation for what they're writing about.

Most years we vacation in Mammoth. This book describes a number of convenient and interesting side trips to take with the family. We wander around, sometimes visiting the same features, sometimes visiting a new site. Always appreciating more & more of the world around us. My children have a much better feel for geological processes and their impact on the landscape than do their peers.

The book starts with a five page description of Eastern California's geological history, then jumps into 30 sites of interest, nearly evenly distributed between Death Valley & vicinity and the Eastern Sierra & vicinity. A glossary, "Sources of Supplementary Information," and an index round out the book.

Each site receives its own chapter, replete with photographs, maps, geological diagrams, and even driving directions, as needed. I'm not a serious geologist, but landscape features fascinate me. The explanations that the authors give work well for me: I can understand them well enough to explain them to children.

If you're interested in how the land has been shaped, if you're willing to turn off the tube & make contact with the natural world, then this book is for you. One of the best "field guides" to geology I own. One of my favorites, too. (The companion volume, GEOLOGY UNDERFOOT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, is also an excellent book).

Great to take along any drive through the area. Have your passenger read as you go, stop along the way for a closer look. Easy to read, not too "intellectual". This was my favorite guide to the area when I moved here (and still is)!

The southwest United States is a geomorphologist's dream... There's not a lot of green stuff covering up the beautiful geology! This book details the geologic features of Death and Owens Valley, CA. It gives the geologic history of features while succinctly describing the details of the processes that brought about these features. The Tufa Pinnacles in Searles Valley, the alluvial fans in Death Valley, the interesting history and development of Gower Gulch, the mysterious ascent of desert pavement, the glacial morraines and routes of the Tahoe and Tioga Stade glaciers at Convict Lake, the Mono Craters (Domes), Fossil Falls, the Alabama Hills and more. You'll even get the heebee jeebees when you read about the monstrous explosion of Ubehebe Crater! Certainly one of the most interesting and pleasurable books I've read in ages! Highly recommended for ANYONE who plans a trip to California's awe-inspiring Death Valley and environs! A must have!

If there is no delivering power from sin's control in your life. If there is no reality of Christ in your life.... what good is your Gospel? This book reveals how God, through the cross, can bring power into your life, if you want it. If you are sick of powerless empty Christianity and desire the cross to be applied to your heart unto freedom, here it is. Get it and share it!! Expect great things!

"The mortification of sin in believers" by John Owen is a Christian classic written in 1656 by a Puritan and Oxford don. Owen was greatly respected for both his deep and exhaustive exposition and his practical application based on a transparently godly life. I, too prefer the original version, but such is the power of the thought of that original that even with omissions the text, the message comes through. Unfortunately, his language in the original is antiquated amd ponderous, making it difficult for the modern reader to understand (though those used to the Authorised Version should cope), but the content makes the effort worthwhile. Much of his strongly worded statements are directed against "Papists," the legalists and ceremonialists of his day. This may be off-putting to some, but all of what he says is just as relevant today if the reader does not restrict what is said to Roman Catholicism, for legalists and ceremonialists, obvious and hidden, are in every denomination and church.

His purpose in writing the book (based on a series of sermons) is to give advice on how best a Christian believer can defeat sin in their lives. He begins by explaining the second half of Romans 8:13 - "but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live," making five points that: (a) the duty, means and promise are conditional; (b) they are for believers; (c) only by means of the Holy Spirit can sin be defeated; (d) what duty of "mortifying the deeds of the body" means; and (e) the power and worth of the promise "you shall live".

One by one he deals with these points in depth, showing that even the best of believers will have to battle against sin all their lives and that only the Holy Spirit can successfully do this work. It is work worth the labour for a believer's life, energy and comfort is dependent on putting sin to death to live a life of godliness (Col 3:1-10). In defining what he meant by mortification of sin, he follows Paul's lead and shows what it is NOT, then what it IS, emphasising that only a believer can truly mortify sin and that mortification is not defeating a particular sin, but it is laying the axe to sinful attitudes and inclinations at their root in the fallen nature.

He then gives nine directives of HOW to mortify sin:
1. Check that a besetting sin is not fatal
2. Constantly remind yourself of the guilt, danger and evil of sin
3. Load your conscience with the guilt and evil of sin, the offence against God's love
4. Develop a vehement desire for deliverance
5. Some sin is rooted in character - this is no excuse but a challenge to greater battle
6. Avoid sources of temptation
7. Oppose sin at its very beginnings and do not wait until it emerges full-blown
8. Learn your true status and value by considering the greatness of God.
9. Speak no peace to yourself until God does

Finally he gives advice on the preparation of the heart for victory over sin by fixing on Jesus and the work of the Spirit.

If we are really serious about overcoming the evils of pride, selfishness and lust in ourselves to enjoy the wonder of God's unconditional love and grace and to live the life of the Spirit of Christ, then this is a book worth reading. And more than that: study it with your Bible open, building into your way of life the principles it gives.

Very good reading. Every Christian should read this. Short and easy to read.

As Christians, in this World today we need to Learn and Learn and Learn and then Teach and Remember what we were Taught.I read "The Mortification of Sin", then I bought 9 copies and handed them out to my friends,family,pastors and thats what you do with Good Sound Doctrine.

This is an absolute essential book for the Christian who truly wants to grow in Christ and understand the deeper work God desires to do in our lives.

SEA AND POISON by Shusaku Endo

Reading Shusaku Endo's Sea and Poison was such a delightful experience I was reluctant to close the book. Granted, it is sad to read about cruel and heartless experiments on living human beings but that is not what the book is about. From the vantage point of Japanese/Christian culture Endo courageously shines his compassionate light into the dark crevices of our souls and makes us confront our own demons nesting there. In doing so he helps us become better persons. Robert Wright in his often quoted The Moral Animal points out that "Human beings are a species splendid in their array of moral equipment, tragic in their propensity to misuse it, and pathetic in their constitutional ignorance of the misuse." Endo does us a service by diminishing our "constitutional ignorance of the misuse" [of our moral equipment]"

Endo traces the inner development of his characters with such a deep understanding of the human condition that I was astounded and moved to tears and joy. He placed two aspiring medical doctors, Toda and Sugura in a University hospital in southern Japan now seemingly under the control of the military establishment. The end of the Japanese/American war was quickly approaching. Daily bombing of the nearby city flattened the city and killed thousands of civilians and gave rise to implacable hatred directed towards two enemy airmen the military captured and brought to the hospital for experiments to determine how much could be surgically removed from a person before the person died. Toda and Sugura are assigned to assist the chief medical doctor who controls the future of the two aspiring doctors. Endo explores how Toda and Sugura deal with the conflicting demands of society, the medical establishment the nation and their conscious. Endo gently opens a window into their souls and allows us to witness the mighty clash between the demands of self preservation and the importuning of their conscious.

Endo writes so evocatively, with such elegance and grace and without a trace of judgment or preaching it was like reading a book length haiku. I recommend that the readers read Bushido the Soul of Japan by Inazo Nitobe, (it's in the public domain and several sources allow a free download). Reading Inazo gave me a deeper and broader understanding of Endo's perspective and I intend to return to reading his books.

My compliments to the reviewers who have contributed to the further publicity of this harrowing and psychologically complex novel, an exploration of those who have denounced their spirituality in exchange for social acceptance, and the consequences they have to suffer. I would like to just add one side note. There is an excellent film adaptation of SEA AND POISON, directed by Kumai Kei in 1986. Because of the controversial subject matter, no major studio would finance the film and it took Kumai years to finish it. (It would certainly not be made in today's Japan, considering the strength of revisionists and glorifiers of the imperial past) This movie has also been nearly completely neglected in the US, no doubt due to its unflinching realism, thoroughly unexotic visuals and political content, something we do not expect from the country mostly known to us through bubblehead animation, Power Rangers and Godzilla. Please do seek it out, if you have wherewithal to do so, and show it to as many Americans (and Chinese, etc.) as you can. I believe the US distrubtor in 1987 was Gates Films.

Obedience to authority and power leads people to harm others, and not being able to resist authority of someone higher is human weakenss. It seems that the Intern named Toda is the one Endo wanted to emphasize upon. The charactor of Toda remainds me of Albert Camus's "The Stranger," and Dostoevsky's "Devils," and it can also be related to other charactors Endo draws in his other novels. Can people feel guilty without punishment of the society? What is morality? What is "right" and "wrong" in such an absurd world like today?

There is a sequel to The Sea and Poison. I do not believe that it is published in the United States, but it is about Dr. Suguro's later life. People judge him and punish him under the name of "democracy" and its "justice." Dr. Suguro ends up hanging himself. Can people judge and punish others? If judging and blaming are the meaning of justice, how does it differ from what is unjust?

I am Japanese, and I personally think that Endo is the best writer from our country. I strongly recommend all his work to Americans.

This short, dark, psychologically gripping novel is an indictment of militarism and its corrupting effect on the individual and society. The old, the young, the innocent, the pure of heart, caregivers, families, traditions, institutions - all will be degraded if not destroyed by it. It is, for me, Endo's most important and accessible work; it is also that rare thing, a Japanese artist's unsparing summation of the worthlessness and hideousness of The Fifteen Year War.

Edmund Burke would have agreed with Endo's novel "The Sea and Poison". Although a short novel, it is one that delves into some very deep issues about morality and the ethics of passively accepting evil in one's presence.

Contrary to another review, "The Sea and Poison" is not based on the activities of Unit 731 in Manchuria at all. The novel is based on the vivisection of 8 B29 crewmen at Fukuoka Imperial University. These experiments involved removal of lung tissue, puncturing hearts and other experiments, while the airmen were alive. None survived the experiments.

Returning to the novel, Endo focuses on a medical intern, Suguro, and his friend Toda. Both characters represent very different responses to the proposal to vivisect the airmen. Toda feels no guilt or remorse, and has no issue with taking part. It is not even matter of justifying it to hinmself: he just has little response in his conscience. Suguro, on the other hand, is flooded with doubt, ethical problems, and his own conscience. Shown to be a basically kind man, the novel reinforces Burke's suggestion that all evil needs is for good men to do nothing.

A burning look into the morality of the passive, "The Sea and Poison" will challenge and provoke. Despite its brevity, it packs a punch, and will leave you thinking for long after you have turned the last page. As usual, Endo has written a fantastic novel with real weight.