Powell Books

I bought this when the book I was looking for was out of stock. I absolutely LOVED it! The activities use easy to find inexpensive materials and make the Parables of the Bible easy for kids to apply to TODAY'S world. I would strongly recommend this to any youth leader who wants to build excitement in coming to youth class! I used this for a preteen class and a teen class; they both enjoyed it.

This is my first year as a volunteer youth leader. I used this resource as a 6-week session. It was excellent! The kids loved the high energy activities every week, yet each lesson had a profound message. Highly recommended!

This lovely book is the sequel to the heart-warming "The Bear Affair". Another teddy bear book - how wonderful! Even though this book is classified as a romance novel, it also had some mystery in it, which made the book that much more interesting. Of course, a romance unfolded. The mystery is what happened to the teddy bear at the museum? It will keep you on your toes until you find out.

"The Bear Affair" and "The Teddy Bear Bandit" are the loveliest, sweetest, warmest books I have ever read. If you love teddy bears, you don't want to miss these two books.

When i first began reading this book i thought it as boring ,but as i read it more it inspired me to tell my crush how i felt.I'ts truly a lovely book espacially for a teen to read.This book will bring out your most innerchild within you..It gave me a pleasure reading it cause it's so romantic and goofy.If you buy this book i think you'll love it.

Jo Ella Exley does a great job of giving justice to Texas pioneer women when it is long overdue. Much is written of the great men of Texas. Heroes like Austin, Houston, Bowie, Crockett and Lamar--just to name a few. But, what about the women who stood beside their men forging their way together through the untamed Texas wilderness? Exley gives a voice to these women, in their own words they tell about life and love on the Texas frontier. Heartaches and hardships along with joy and triumph are told in the pages of this remarkable compilation.

Jo Ella Exley has complied and edited a collection of writings of frontier Texas through the eyes of Texas Pioneer women. This has to be one of the best books I've read describing life in early Texas. Some of the women came from much but most from little, but they all shared in the determination to survive the Texas Frontier. Whether it was Mary Rabb, one of Austin's original "Old Three Hundred", or Silva King brought to Texas enslaved, one word can be used to describe them all, "tough". Mary Blankenship homesteading on the staked plains of West Texas at the dawn of the twentieth century best described the loneliness and hardship of life on the frontier with this quote, "We had plenty of time to be still and know God. He was our closest neighbor."

Wow. There's just so much to say about this collection that I'm not sure where to begin - or even how to say half of it. So let's start simply: the B&W artwork carries a style all its own, one that adapts itself to the mood of each story. Sometimes, the loose linework reminds me of Jules Feiffer; other times the drama of big blacks and wide whites makes me think of Miller's Sin City. Each change draws analogy to some other artist, but the fusion of them all comes uniquely from Powell's pen.

Those blends of reality and dream (or nightmare) convey Powell's subjects too - is there anything more concrete or more unreal than teenagers trying to find their place in the world? The style also works well with difficult topics that blend many feelings. The opening story, "Nineteen," seems simple: a man delivers a letter. In its few wordless pages, it comments on loyalty, prejudice, duty, tragedy, and probably more. That emotional whirl starts on the first page, where points of view orbit the somber central character. It continues to the last panel, where we suddenly learn that the whole story was really about another, unseen character.

Every story of the fifteen or so has that same density of meaning, and at least as much ambiguity. That's why I want to call this "graphic poetry," to distinguish it from the more linear and explanatory books called graphic novels. And, as with poetry, the meanings don't always present themselves for easy inspection. The sense often has to be teased out of Powell's personal imagery. It sometimes takes two or three readings, or more, for all the parts to come together.

These stories, collected from "Walkie Talkie" magazines, truly expand the world of comic storytelling and art. "Tiny Giants" has my highest recommendation.

-- wiredweird

I feel so overwelmed by this book right now. I admit that I know this author, and i'm sure that makes me more naturally open to Nate's work, but for God's sake do not overlook this book at any cost--I beg of you!!

This author hails from a band called Soophie Nun Squad, and anyone who comes in contact with this crew is given a gift of pure joy if they can open their eyes to see it as it lies before them in such simple form. The whole band is full of a very particular kind of magic that is extremely rare and should never be overlooked.

I tell people that David Lynch movies "make no sense" just so that I can feel normal and fit it--the truth is that they make perfect sense to me because life has no thesis statement and I see that man as a messiah of the highest high in filmaking. Nate has captured the open ended paranoia of Lynch perfectly with characters that seem to just sit there with such simple thoughts as the world emotionally sandblasts them.

Nate is 23, and I never doubted that any member of Soophie Nun Squad could walk on water if they willed themselves to--however, this book leaves me speachless and in awe in a way where I simply cannot fathom what the Soophie gang is going to bless me with next. Eli-monster and his wife Marilie (Two other Soophie alumni) are simply breathtakingly youth-filled multimedia artists from middle America who seem to have tapped into a dam of eternal youth. Nate apparently has been drinking from the same well. OK--enough is enough--I should describe this now, but where on earth do I begin:

This book is a tangled web of disjoined emotions like the films of David Lynch. It paints a picture through a million crystal clear images like Robert Rauchenburg. It uses the simplest language to describe the most puzzling complexities in life--like Ray Bradbury did in "the Illustrated Man" or "The Halloween Tree". The stories are so dark in their style of ambition that at times it brings to mind Ann Rice, and I could picture the new generation of goth kids falling head over heals for this. I could even picture the emo kids going crazy for this because it's every bit as poetic as the lyrics of groups like "Death Cab For Cutie" and "the Postal Service" (if you like those groups then you should buy book this ASAP). Also those neo-punks who love the lyrics of "Mars Volta" or "At the Drive In" could easily love this. Even fans who love the lyrics of Palumbo from the band "Glassjaw" (though this book is not violent at all) The beautifull emptyness and negative space contained here can even at times bring to mind the simple elegance and understanding tone of "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind."

See, what you might not understand (which I did not understand eaither until now)is that Nate Powell is not just an intensely eye catching visual artist, he is a writer and a thinker who is on the very cusp of something that is so critical to our culture right now. This is because he views the world with a gifted sense of carfull observation. Sure, you can go get a very bloody Todd McFarlane illustrated novel and say to yourself: "wow, i'm so cutting edge (that it takes intense gore to catch my attention and make me feel exclusive)," but Nate manages to rewind back to the heart of so many great movements in American culture. This is not a cutting edge take on super heros, this is a cutting edge take on humanity and sorrow. My all time favorite book (which became an adequate movie) is Denis Johnson's collection of short stories entitled "Jesus' Son" and although "Tiny Giants" is not a drug enduced tale, it still resonates with such an untainted and unashamed look at life, loss, and struggling to find our place in this confusing world. If you like "Jesus' Son" then you are wasting time by not buying "Tiny Giants" (and vica versa). I am so blessed for having stumbled upon this book, and having known Soophie Nun Squad, that I owe it to them to take their influence and build the most wonderfull things out of it that anyone has ever seen. Few people inspire me on a level like David Lynch, Robert Rauchenburg, and Denis Johnson--I certainly did not expect to find the next person on this list to be such a simple 23 year old guy from a band that has given me so much already that I could never fully repay them in five lifetimes.

When I first heard Bob Marley's "Catch a Fire" I was sure that it must have come through him from a higher power. It's clear to me now that Nate Powell has managed to pull off the same feat with his book "Tiny Giants." If you buy this book then you will be supporting one of the most independent/non-commercial artists I have ever met. I promise you this.

Like most women, I am most curious to know the true story of all the cosmetic "wonder claims" from the best anti-wrinkle cream to how Botox "really works" to even plastic surgery without having to actually go through the expensive journey, myself. And really how effective are those natural methods offered that claim I can look younger and firmer without the high tech experience?
Helena has courageously and provocatively taken this tour for me and shared her experience in her new book. She has been able to make me laugh while also scaring me a bit on her journey through the fascinating world of anti-ageing. I actually found myself unable to put the book down from time to time in anticipation of whether or not Helena was going to actually go through an invasive procedure or not?! Such a great read! Her ability to share her process as she visits the most expensive and glamorous salons in the world to sharing the more natural processes for looking and staying younger kept me intrigued throughout the whole entire book.
I have to confess that I am Carolyn - one the people of whom Helena speaks about in her book that offers a more natural, viable alternative to fighting ageing, but this has not deterred me in any way from wanting to know more. I highly recommend this book to any of us wanting a glimpse of what it's like to explore the full spectrum of possibilities offered, from an insider's journey through the "land of anti-ageing" alternatives.

In this wonderfully written book, Helena( who by the way is gorgeous)explores with great research and sense of humor, the many options sane or not, that are available in the anti-anging world. I was entertained by her charm and curisosity. The book gave me the conclusions I needed to figure it out how is it, that I want to age. A must read for any woman over 20!!!!!!!!!!! From fancy clinics in Switzerland, To The Ritz in Paris, to LA and Jamaica, Helena takes you in a world winning Tour de Beaute!!
Ana Paula Markel

This is an insightful book of relationships and new understanding from a world perspective. A story of real people being real people whatever the circumstances. Smooth reading and fun.

I really enjoyed reading "Two Walk the Golden Road". It is a very touching story that shows how people of diverse cultures and personalities can not only learn to relate to one another but can become close friends.

It is a not necessarily a "feel-good" story but it is one that will make you ponder the complexities of relationships between people.

This book is an enormous, enormously readable encyclopedia of a book. It's thorough, has a huge variety of entries, contains information I've found nowhere else, and is well worth paying for for any fan of the West, of the Four Corners states, and of Utah in particular.
Its entries on various mountain ranges, mines, periods of history, Indian tribes, historical personages, legends, towns, cities, controversies, scandals, religious movements, and area wildlife are thorough, fascinating, good reading.
Each entry is written by a different western writer, and so the entries read like spellbinding (though fact-filled) stories, not like boring, dry, textbook accounts.
Some of the entries, however--such as the entry on missing 1934 artist-photographer Everett Ruess--were not fact-checked well enough, and so constitute the book's only weaknesses.
Overall though, the book is worth any price you could pay for it. Don't be surprised if you pick it up to look up the Henry Mountains and keep on reading clear through I and J. It's that good.

The Utah History Encyclopedea, edited by Allan Kent Powell, and published by University of Utah Press (1994), has proved to be my number one source for research on the history and Native American studies in Utah.

I am an archaeologist and have been working in Utah quite a bit over the last three years. While I had some knowledge of the prehistory and Native American Tribes of southern Utah, I did not have any specific knowledge of the history of Utah, its founders, historic events, towns, or cities. Each of the reports I write (typically for government agencies)needs to have an Archaeoogical/Historical/Cultural Context section. I have used this book hundreds of times in the last three years. While not all of the information I need is contained in the book, each section and article has a suggested bibliography which I can use to find additional information.

Although this is a reference book, I find that I frequently enjoy reading articles which are not related to my research. While it has proved to be an enourmous resource for my research, its articles are written in lay terms, which anyone might enjoy who is interested in the history, prehistory, or Native American of Utah and the West.

I highly recommend it to the general public and my colleagues.

Deborah Dosh Director Kinlani Archaeology, Ltd. P.O. Box 67 Flagstaff, Arizona 86002 (520) 526-9797

Powell's work is a must for any archaeological enthusiest. Written with extreme intelligence and backed with remarkable historical fact, the Villa comes alive within the pages of this brilliant piece of scholarship.

A brilliant and somewhat off-beat look at the decades of classicists who stayed at Sir Arthur Evans' house, Villa Ariadne, in Crete, next to the Bronze Age dig Knossos. Dilys Powell's marriage to a young classical archaeologist brought her in contact with Sir Arthur himself and with the numerous archaeologists in his milieu. The chapter on Sir Arthur's Victorian upbringing is perhaps the most interesting of the book. But the death of Powell's husband and World War II plucked Powell from this magical world. After the war, however, she recreated some of the legendary exploits of the classicists who worked for the Greek resistance. A wonderful book for anyone interested in Greek archaeology or who has ever visited Greece.

This entertaining love story proves that love isn't just for the young. I loved reading about a heroine who is in my age group for a change. It's a really fun read.

Love the characters and the family interplay! Humor and romance and wondering what's going to pop up next made this a joy to stay up reading. Can't wait for the author's next one.
~Gerri, Wilmington, NC

Mark Anthony Powell's WHAT ARE THEY SAYING ABOUT LUKE? was published in 1989 and was hailed as a concise summary of the vast scholarship pertaining to the Gospel of Luke and touches on its companion, Acts of the Apostles. The book covers the major theories concerning Luke: its author and community concerns, the sources of the Gospel and Acts, how the author sees the person of Jesus Christ, and the spiritual and pastoral concerns of the writings. Powell points out that in many ways the gospel broke new ground since it was the first work to deal with the fact that the end of the world was not happening as soon as many Christians had anticipated and how this shaped the theology of Luke. He also pays attention to the ways in which Luke's idea of discipleship differs from the other gospels and the importance of community in Luke/Acts.

One of Powell's important observations is the foresight that the author of Luke/Acts had in regard to theology and social issues. Powell agrees with those scholars who believe that the author was not only writing about the needs and concerns of the immediate community that would have first heard the words, but also other communities known to the author that were yet to hear the gospel. This information was somewhat new at the time and has been developed further in recent years.

At this point, a book written in 1989 about a biblical work can seem out of date and since Paulist Press has updated many of the volumes in the What Are they Saying series, an update may be in the works, but the older date should not deter people from using this book. It is still one of the best introductory volumes about Luke available and it's written in an informative and inviting manner. Powell's bibliography is an excellent resource for anyone studying Luke and many of Powell's findings can serve as a good basis for current Lukan scholarship.

I wanted to learn more about what the general schools of thought were concerning the Gospel According the St Luke and "What are they saying about Luke" is a great place to start.

The book take a great approach, with each chapter discussing a different aspect of the third Gospel - authorship, the history and cultural aspects surrounding the Gospel, the audience, themes, etc. The book discussion major sources, research, and analysis from biblical scholars around the world (well, mostly American and European) and outlines the scholars' arguments as they relate to the theme of the chapter (e.g., a chapter on Salvation would contain the main premsies of the recent major scholarly analysis of Luke.)

Chapters are short and written for the serious layman: not too 'heady' or scholarly or not alot of jargon or technical language. That doesn't meant that the book doesn't educate you, though. The author explains key themes, terms, and points about the different aspects in Luke.

Also it has a great bibliography at the end.

The main shortcoming of this book is that it was published in 1990 and I am not sure if it's been updated since then. Therefore, there may be new studies on Luke published since then that aren't covered.

Regardless, this is a concise, highly readable, and informative source for understanding the scholarly discussion on the Gospel According the St Luke.