R Books

Well differential equaitons are all about change, and this book changed my life. I read this more than 30 years ago, and all the mathematics I know, I mean really know, I learned from this book. Along with Aristotle's ethics, it is probably the most important book in my life.

No doubt the best book on ODE by a master!! Ecuaciones Diferenciales Ordinarias (Fondos Distribuidos) Kiseliov Krasnov is another great book! Translated in English!! Like Spivak's Calculus on Manifolds, thin but good!!!

This is a classic in the field. Excellent presentation and geometric perspective of dynamical systems. Most definitely a book to be kept as reference.

I had always hated d.e.'s until this book made me see the geometry. And I have only read a few pages.

I never realized before that the existence and uniqueness theorem defines an equivalence relation on the compact manifold, where two points are equivalent iff they lie on the same flow curve. This instantly renders a d.e. visible, and not just some ugly formulas.

He also made me understand for the first time the proof of Reeb's theorem that a compact manifold with a function having only 2 critical points is a sphere. If they are non degenerate at least, the proof is simple. Each critical point has a nbhd looking like a disc. In between, the lack of critical points means there is a one parameter flow from the boundary circle of one disc to the other, i.e. thus the in between stuff is a cylinder.

Hence gluing a disc into each end of a cylinder gives a sphere! It also makes it clear why the sphere may have a non standard differentiable structure, because the diff. structure depends on how you glue in the discs.

What a book. I bought the cheaper older version, thanks to a reviewer here, and I love it. No other book gives me the geometry this forcefully and quickly. Of course I am a mathematician so the vector field and manifold language are familiar to me. But I guess this is a great place for beginners to learn it.

One tiny remark. He does not mind "deceiving you" in the sense of making plausible statements that are actually deep theorems in mathematics to prove. E.g. the fact that in a rectangle it is impossible to join two pairs of opposite corners by continuous curves that do not intersect, is non trivial to prove.

Hence the staement on page 2 that the problem is "solved" merely by introducing the phase plane, is not strictly true, until you prove the intersection statement above. All the phase plane version does for me is render the problem's solution highly plausible, and show the way to solving it. You still have to do it. But it was huge fun thiunking up a fairly elementary winding number argument for this fact.

Good teachers know how to deceive you instructively by making plausible statements that a beginner is willing to accept. I presume a physicist, e.g., would not quarrel with the statement above about curves intersecting.

This is the best differential, equaitons book I know of if you want to understand what they are, as opposed to learn to calculate canned solution fornmulas for special ones. He even makes clear what it is that is special about the special ones, e.g. linear equations are nice not just because the solutions are familiar exponential functions, but because the flow curves exist for all time,...

This is an amazing book. Arnold's style is unique - very intuitive and geometric. This book can be read by non-mathematicians but to really appreciate its beauty, and to understand the proofs that sometimes are just sketched, it takes some mathematical culture. This is the way ordinary differential equations should be taught (but they are not).

There are a lot of books about gifted children, but none as helpful as this one. I use this book as a reference. It can help with everything from dealing with schools to the emotional side of giftedness. The advice is practical and can be used instantly. Anyone who has just learned their child is gifted should start here. It may not be as useful to those who have already read the other literature out there.

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

I learned about this book in Beestar online GT program. I had been very nervous before, because I did not know how to raise my gifted child. He is obviously smarter and very different from his peers. A great thing I learned from this guide is about communication - an important factor both in parenting and educating the gifted child. The author's great ideas are good not only for parents communicating with gifted kids, but also for parents communicating with the teachers. I was able to teach my son how to communicate effectively following this guide. It would not have been so successful without this book. Now my son is smarter than ever and more important to me, he is happy and confident... In short, if you have a gifted child, buy and read this book before anything else. It is truly a wonderful guide.

This book has been great at calming my fears as the parent of a gifted child. It talks about expectations for your child as well as how to handle certain challenging situations both at home and at school. Definite must have.

This is by far the most comprehensive book about gifted children that I have seen. It covers a broad range of topics, yet still manages to be quite detailed and "meaty". An entire 19 page chapter is devoted to the characteristics of gifted children. In addition to the usual checklist, the chapter also looks at Dabrowski's overexcitabilities, the gifted child's sense of humor, imagination, etc. The authors embrace an open and flexible definition of giftedness, and offer alternatives to the "one test" model of selection.

A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children is a guidebook brimming full of practical suggestions on how to raise a gifted child. If you buy just one book on gifted children, this should be it. I recommend it to both veteran "gifted parents" and those with young children who are just starting to explore the world of giftedness. Whether your child is moderately, highly, or profoundly gifted, this book will have meaningful information and helpful suggestions for you.

Chapter five deals with establishing discipline and teaching self management, while chapter eight is all about acquaintances, friends, and peers. Chapter 11, complexities of successful parenting, features a list of six responsibilities for parents:

1.accept and appreciate the child's uniqueness
2.help the child like herself and relate well to others
3.help the child develop a relationship and sense of belonging within the family
4.nurture the development of values
5.teach the child self-motivation, self-management, and self discipline
6.help the child discover his passions, and commit to letting him explore

This chapter also contains sensible advice on how to avoid parental pitfalls such as enmeshment, adultizing the gifted child, or over empowering the gifted child. Parents are encouraged to care for themselves and be sure that they are modeling healthy attitudes and behaviors.

If the inquisitive reader wants to explore further, the back of the book is filled with an impressive number of endnotes and references to published studies and other works pertaining to child development and giftedness. The authors, Webb, Gore, Amend, and DeVries, are all well respected members of the gifted education community. They have many years of combined experience as teachers, counselors, and parents of gifted children. Their collective wisdom shared here is a real treasure.

This is the first book I've read by this author and probably the best compliment I can give him is I am ordering "Jane Doe" today. I just happened to read a blurb on this book given in the back of another book I was reading. It was enough to make me curious. Fortunately it turned out to be a nice surprise. Lots of action, an anti-hero, a heroine who transforms nicely as the book progresses and just enough romance. A great read.

If you're into action, adventure and romance, then this is a book for you. The pace was pretty good too. This was my first time reading this author and now I'm a fan. I like the way he writes. And he keeps it interesting.

After reading all three of R.J. Kaiser's novels, I feel that "Payback" is the least best novel. I enjoyed Stephanie and Jack Kidwell a whole lot. I thought that they were really fun characters. After Stephanie's husband is killed, she discovers that she has inherited millions. Stephanie feels that she did not really know her husband as good as she thought. Stephie decides to go on a vacation to the Caribbean and discovers that she is being followed. Later she finds out that her husband was stealing money from a powerful group of people. Stephie has to run Jack Kidwell, her only new friend on the island, who I feel is kind of a slime. She has to find a way to appease these dangerous people before she is bait for the fishes.

The tropical setting, the action and dialogue all add up to an extremely entertaining read. It's fun and fast paced. I think this book may have missed bigger notoriety because of its title. Too many Payback titles and it's not the Mel Gibson movie. This book would have made a tremendous Mel Gibson vehicle.

While investigating her husband to obtain a divorce, Stephanie is shocked by her discovery. Not only is Jean Claude dealing with crooked investors, but he's also having an affair with her sister. When Stephanie goes to confront the two on their secret rendevous she witnesses their murder. Now she is the one with the password to obtain thirty million dollars and she's on the run.

Jack doesn't care about anything but where he can get his next drink. After his fiance died he feels life isn't worth living. So when Stephanie comes to him for help to get her away from St. Thomas on his boat, he doesn't ask any questions, doesn't even care about the danger. Jack and Stephanie are in for the ride of their lives.

Payback is past paced and exciting. Not a minute goes by that you're not on the edge of your seat. Set in the beautiful Virgin Islands R.J. Kaiser you feel like you can feel the breeze. Jack and Stephanie begin to care for eachother and romance does blossom, but this isn't a book for romance readers alone! This is an action suspense novel that keep you turning the pages late into the night.

Nice, light read, with quirky characters and interesting plot twists. I wish it would be reprinted, maybe as a single volume with some of his other comedic novels. I first read this as both a Reader's Digest edition and later read the full novel from the library.

This book tells the saga of the Kwimpers of Cranbury County, New Jersey, who decide to teach the government a lesson by homesteading on the fill that was trucked in to support a highway bridge. The story is told through the voice of Toby Kwimper, the family's eldest son, an elementary school football star (he never got much further than elementary school on account of repeating so much), who the girls all find irresistible. Of course, Toby has his own way of resisting the girls so that they don't get the better of him. In fact, through honesty and good will, Toby manages to persevere through all the calamities that the government, the neighbors, and Mother Nature can think to throw at him, his family. This book was sheer delight to read. I just hope Toby's still out there on his land in Columbiana because I would love to meet him someday.

At the time I read this book, I hadn't even heard of it. My mother recommended it to me, for which I am grateful. The characters are funny, but at the same time they are real and touching. The other characters are a delight and the story logically progresses. The end is totally satisfying and, at times, totally unexpected. This book should go back into print.

This is one of Richard Powell's best books. It's main characters are a family of New Jersey Piney's. As Powell grew up in Philadelphia and later retired to Florida, he obviously knew a lot about the people and the places he wrote about. The Kwimper family is hysterical. Particularly the father, who feels he is helping the government by taking advantage of their various assistance programs. The book is a true satire in that regard. The main character, Toby Kwimper (played by Elvis in the movie version "Follow that Dream") is your classic big strong dope with a heart of gold. Like all Powell novel's it's very cleverly put together with great dialogue. If you like this book, check out some of Powell's better known novels: "The Philadelphia" (later made into a movie starring Paul Newman), and my all time favorite, and Powell's last and greatest novel "Whom the Gods Would Destory" (about the Trojan War, Helen of Troy, Odyssey cycle of stories - a truly great read). Powell at one time was a creative writing teacher at Syracuse Univ and it shows. He's one of my favorite authors.

"Pioneer, Go Home!" is great fun to read. I read it as a teen in the spring of '61 on a trip from Ohio to Florida. Mom, my Aunt and I went to the movies soon after we arrived. The movie was "Follow That Dream" starring Elvis Presley. As it turned out, the movie just happened to be based on the book I had just read on the way down to Florida! I read the Reader's Digest condensed version at the time. A few years ago, I was able to find a copy of the book. It really is that good! I have read and reread it many times. It is always fun! I would recommend it highly to anyone who loves fun books and has been to Florida in the 50's or early 60's. You will like the movie, too. This portrays a more natural Elvis than his usual movies do. The story takes you back to 50's Florida when it was unique in its own way.

I have been doing this exercise routine, or a variation thereof, for about four months now, and it has worked extremely well. This is a very simple plan, but doing just this amount every day is better for you than intermittently doing more strenuous or demanding workouts. And once you master this simple plan, there's no reason not to add on more routines/exercises. You can also do this several times a day (early morning, and then evening for me), which increases its effectiveness.

(Note: I have also been eating a largely whole grain/vegetable diet lately, so some of the fitness can be ascribed to weight loss, but not all. I think they complement each other well.)

it is especially for people who aren't used to move a lot, for people who live a very sedentary life. and the book makes it very easy for them to change this life style into an active one. the workout routine it suggests is extremely easy to follow and helpful.

This program is simple indeed: 10 minutes of brisk walking or simple aerobic stepping, followed by 5 minutes of strength and flexibility routines using two-5 lb. dumbells. Plus lots of good motivational advice. This is the minimum program-you can expand it by speeding up the walk, adding arm movements to the steps, more weight to the dumbells, or by adding a few more strength and flexibility routines. This author makes no presumptions about your physical abilities-if you need to start working out on a bed instead of the floor, he provides you with the basic tools and urges you to get started. I bought a perfectly good copy from one of Amazon's associated stores for a few dollars: I am doing it every day, and it really works for me.

Richard Bradley is the Director of the Fitness Center at the Department of Transportation here in Washington, D.C. He created Quick Fit to give time-crunched federal workers a fast, simple workout that they could fit into their schedules any time, without even changing clothes.
I'm a federal worker myself, facing the same time challenges. I've tried Bradley's Quick fit workout, and it certainly works as advertised.
But the choice of exercises IS limited and you will probably quickly outgrow them. I recommend buying "Quick Fit" and using it to learn these principles:
-- It IS possible to pack a complete, effective workout into 15 or 20 minutes.
-- Fitness success lies not in WHAT you do, but in doing it consistently.
-- Consistency in exercise hinges on keep the whole thing simple and convenient.
-- The "perfect" workout is one that people will actually DO.
The only downside is that, at first, I felt self-consious working out in my civvies. But no one in our agency's fitness center gives a darn or gives me a second look. And I've noticed that a few other people now work out in their civvies, too.
Bradley's "Quick Fit" is an excellent book, and a good place to get started. I recommend it.

Don't have time to exercise? The last of the good excuses is gone with this guide to 15-minute, no-sweat workouts presenting 10 minutes of aerobic activity, 4 minutes of strengthening exercises, and 1 minute of stretches. Step-by-step illustrations demonstrate just how to do them, case history successes link exercises to positive results, and the author comes with credentials: he's directed the Occupational Health and Fitness program at the U.S. DOT for the past twenty-five years, and presented extensive seminars to business and government groups alike. With Quick Fit: The Complete 15-Minute No-Sweat Workout, even those who are most pressed for time have no excuse now.

My sister and I were so excited when we got this book, and we never forgot about it...We are 33 years old now, and it has kind of become our way of saying something is "fun"....whenever we do a craft or art project, we compare it to this book, "doesn't this remind you of when we played with Richard Scarry's rainy day book?" And its always a little bittersweet, because we no longer have our book. Imagine my delight, to find an old copy of the book, here on amazon! I can't wait for it to come in the mail, and I will surprise my sister!

I have such fond memories of this book, which I used to pore over a child, about 27 years ago now I guess.
I always remember the part about mixing colous and I'm absolutely sure it played a huge part in my early interest in art. I'm now an Art Gallery Director, so who knows where that next Christmas present might take your child?

I bought this book as a child about 25 years ago, and have never forgotten it. The activities and illustrations brought me hours of joy --it never got boring. As a parent, I am saddened to see that this book is now out of print, as I would love to be able to purchase it for my children and their friends. There isn't much out there which encourages wholesome fun and creativity these days -- bringing this book back into print would be a wonderful start.

I agree with the earlier reviewers. This book is the greatest. I have been looking for it for years, and would love to buy if for all my friends children (okay and for myself too.) Please re-release it!!!...

I also had this book as a child, (I got it 1975 for X-mas: I was 5)and never forgot it. It took me almost 10 years to find a copy of it, and now it is one of my most prized possessions. I remember that I was actually challenged by the activities in the book - it was not the typical 'color and connect the dots' activities. Mobiles, 3-D towns, greeting cards, as well as coloring and connect dots. It also teaches how to mix colors. It is divided into the months of the year, so activities coincide with specific holidays, etc. I am now an full-time artist, and I believe that this book had everything to do with what my career is now. THEY SHOULD REPRINT THIS! One of the best children's books ever! Definitely brings out an intelligent creativeness in a child.

Have you ever had telekinetic powers and want to get rid of them? Well, a girl named, Felicia, in Runaway by R.L.Stine did. Before her telekinetic powers start up again, she wanted to run away. However, everyone knew she had these powers and that her two best friends were dead as a door nail because of them. Rather than staying where she was, Felicia ran away from her family and friends to a small town called Shadeyside. There she meet two new wonderful friends. Their names were Zan and Nick. They got her a job cooking hamburgers at a local resturant, and seemed pretty nice. Zan Nick and Felicia stayed friends for quite a long time. One day, Felicia, overheard two boys talking about how they can't watch a man's cat while he was on a vacation anymore. She needed the money and a place to sleep at night, so she asked them if she could watch the cat. They said sure,why not. The next day at work, Zan told her to change the light bulb in the storage room. When she got there, the room was flooded with water like an indoor pool. When she took the light bulb out of it's socket, it started a fire. No one was hurt and everyone got out safly. That night, when Felicia entered the den area of the man's home, it looked like a hurricane had hit. There were papers off the desk and on the floor. Just a she was about to clean up the papers, she noticed there was blood on the walls, too. When Felicia went to wipe the blood off the walls, she realized it was only red paint. The thought that someone knows who I really am scared her silly. When Felicia is about to runaway agian, someone finds out who she really is. Who could it be? Ladies and gentlemen, I invite and encourage you to read this fabulous book, Runaway, by R.L. Stine.

i love it!r.l stine did a great job on this but isnt for childeren uder at least 13 because how the gresome detail about "oh kristy!"felicia cried.one of the support beams had cut off kristys arm.felicia could see the white bone and the ragged layers of muscle."bricks had cruched anys face his nose and lips and eyelids scraped raw" so i warn u this is not for young childeren if you are in to gruesomw stuff like me you should reaf this but i just wanna warn you the details are pretty gruesome if you love r.l. stine read this during the day cause at night when kristy and andy are found you may see visions of them beware!

This book diserves a 5 because the way that he puts out the story just blows your mind... I like the way he put a little bit of drama, suspence, and a tiny bit of romance. Don't forget the crazy people. He is one of my favorite authors. Next to Stephen King that is.

I realy enjoyed the runaway. last sunday i was coming home from florida and read 8 chapters. I would of read all of it but i slept instead. Then the next morning i read the book in 2 hours which is the fastest ive ever read a fear street. I have a hard time reading books usualy but this one realy interested me so it was alot easier. This was with out a doubht one of rl's finest.

Have you ever heard of a girl with telekinetic powers? Well in the book Runaway a girl named Felicia has powers to move things with her mind. One problem, she couldn't control her powers. So she became a runaway. After he escaped all the tests people were doing on her she went to a town called Shadyside. There she met a boy called Nick and his girlfriend Zan, short for Alexandria. Felicia became runaway because at her old town she killed two people. Zan found out about her secret and tried to kill her. Next her friend Debbie tried to kill her. Do you think she think survived?
While I was reading the book, I was on the edge of my seat. Everyday I read two to four chapters. When I was reading the book I pictured I was in the book watching everything. Everyday when I was in school I couldn't wait until my study hall so I could read the book. One weekend I stayed up from 9:00pm to 1:00am finishing the book. I absolutely could not put the book down. The book had so much action and excitement. That is what I look for in a book.
Felicia, the protagonist, is tall, slender, brown eyes, and long brown hair. Her personality traits are nice, caring, helpful, concerned, generous and courageous. She showed she was helpful by helping out at the Burger Basket. She showed she was courageous when the Burger Basket started on fire and people were still trapped inside the building. She went inside and cleared the fire with her telekinetic powers. She has a couple of strengths and weaknesses. Her strengths are that she has telekinetic powers. Her weaknesses are that she cannot control them. They just go off when ever they feel like it. An example is when she was in school, she felt the powers swell inside of her, then they just burst out and a row of lockers began to tremble and books began to slam against the lockers.
Felicia seems like a nice girl. She seems she would help out no matter what the situation. She acted strange a few times but people got used to it, except for Zan. It seems like she had a lot of adventures. This was a good book, I hope you read it.

Richard Pipes does a good job at laying out the workings of Russia's Tsarist Regime. What I found to be most interesting and persuasive is Pipes' frequent contrasts between Russia and Western Europe. For instance, he looks at the status of the nobility and the strength of the church. In both instances, Pipes draws a clear path as to how, in Tsarist Russia, these institutions became virtual extensions of the state bureaucracy (in sharp contrast to Western Europe, where they often served as brakes on royal power). In addition, Pipes places Russia squarely in the sphere of Asian (specifically Mongol) influence. As evidence, he points to close similarities between the Khanate and Tsarist "patrimonialism." In doing so, he de-emphasizes the oft-stated argument that Russia was the close heir to Byzantium. Finally, Pipes continally demonstrates how Tsarist policies laid the groundwork for the Soviet system (though the latter took those policies to a far bloodier and more extreme conclusion). My only criticism of the book is that Pipes does not deal directly with the issue of Russia's "national minorities" (beyond a quick mention of the Jewish Pale of Settlement and several Polish rebellions against Russian rule) and the attempts by the Tsarist regime to "Russify" those groups. I think that this would have been quite relevant to look at in Russia during this period. I am looking forward to reading Pipes' writings on later events in Russia.

I think this is the best of what I guess you would call Pipes' "Revolutionary Trilogy." "The Russian Revolution," perhaps two or three times the length, is impaired a bit by Pipes' sometimes tedious moral-pointing. "Russia Under the Bolshevik Regime" seems a bit less ambitious than the other two, and in any event it is surely the one least likely to survive the torrent of new material that is becoming available after the fall.

What distinguishes Russia in Pipes' eye is the tradition of "patrimonialism" -- as a political category, a coinage of Pipes' own, though with its roots in Weber, in Hobbes and Bodin, even in Aristotle. Pipes means to denote "a regime where the rights of sovereignty and those of ownership blend to the point of becoming indistinguishable, and political power is exercised in the same manner as economic power."

"Despotism," Pipes continues, "has much the same etymological origins, but over time it has acquired the meaning of a deviation or corruption of genuine kingship, the latter being understood to respect the property rights of subjects. The patrimonial regime, on the other hand, is a regime in its own right, not a corruption of something else."

This is a brave assertion, and Pipes remains faithful to it. Indeed, the core of the book is perhaps his chapter entitled "The Anatomy of the Patrimonial Regime," where Pipes tries to show how utterly different is the tradition of governance in Russia from the tradition in the West -- even in Western nations that we might think of as "reactionary."

There are other virtues to this book. His introductory chapter on the environment is perhaps worth the price of admission, as he retails the grim arithmetic of topsoil and grain production. His discussion of serfdom provokes all kinds of questions about the relationship between serfdom in Russia and slavery in the West.

A work of just 318 pages can hardly pretend to be the last word on the history of a great nation, and Pipes maintains no such pretention. I take it as given that much more could be said to inform, expand upon, or criticize, Pipes' perspective. But as a framework for approaching the study of Russia, it is hard for me to see how it could be bettered. As a provative contribution to the literature of political analysis generally, I should think its claim is equally strong.

This book is an absolute must-read! Before I read this book the history of Russia was a weakly connected sequence of contradictory events to me - that I wasn't able to organize in my mind in any comprehensible way. After reading this book I see a clear picture of my country's history. I suddenly understand what is going on. Every historical event, every action of a historic person suddenly falls into place, I see their meaning. This book provides you with an understanding of the real issues that have been troubling Russia for the past 1200 years. You will understand Russia and you will understand its people. The mext time Russia is on the news, and you have some Russians making a statement or conducting some action - you will understand where they are coming from when they are doing that.

This is indeed a brilliant book. Any one who wants to understand Russia should read it. I can not praise it highly enough. Please get a copy and learn and enjoy.

When I purchased this title in a used bookstore for two dollars, I was somewhat apprehensive about its scholarly quality, author biography not withstanding. Upon reading, however, I must say that I felt Pipes admirably illumined what is a very complex economic, social, and cultural subject. Specifically, his thesis concerns the manner in which the Russian state, under various formative influences, developed an essentially proprietary attitude towards land and subject alike. In Pipes' view this has been the primary determinant of all Russian history following Mongol domination. I myself make no pretenses to be an authority on the subject, but Pipes' use of evidence generally convinced me of the credibility of his claim. I would recommend this title to anyone interested in a general account of the pre-revolutionary Russian state apparatus.

Here is the clarion call to a true life that
glorifies God. Put the lies of culture aside
and learn the real truth.. and live it!!

The fact Pastor John Piper in some of his books, "Don't Waste Your Life" and "A Hunger for God" quoted Law in this book several times intrigued me to read it personally. As I went through the chapters, however, it is clear to me and will become clear to the readers as well that Law sounds eerily close to a Roman Catholic minus the devotions to the rituals. Despite many deep, excellent, stinging, uncomfortable, soul-searching reflections and illustrations on the Christian life contrasted against the futility of a self-centered life that I believe are profitable for Christians, particularly to defy the preaching of prosperity gospel that seems to "prosper" more than the true gospel, sadly Law embraces the fatally erroneous doctrine of justification by works. In his view, Christians need to practice the principles of piety, self-denial, generosity, meekness, simplicity of life and all the Bible, particularly the New Testament teaches, the best they can in order to be saved that sounds all too familiarly popish. What he mostly brings up from the Bible is the wonderful teachings of Christ. There is no mention of poverty of spirit, dependence on God's grace to live a sanctified life or to desire to live for him to begin with, let alone the cross, justification by faith, sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, and perseverance of the saints.

Well, the immediate questions that arise are of course, aren't Christians saved already, and that they are saved by grace on the basis of the finished atoning death and resurrection of Christ on the cross, and not by works? How does one know that he has done his best? What is the standard? Whose standard is it to use to determine whether one has done his best, man's or God's? If it is man's standard, which one? The Pope's? How can we be so sure if it is his standard to be used, not someone else's? If it is God's, where is it in the Bible that says God commands us to do the best we can and not rely on him for everything without excluding our responsibilities? Where is it in the Bible that God's standard says we are saved as long as we do the best we can? This is unquestionably deadly because in the end, it points to the perfectionist demand of the law where no one can meet, which is warned against by the Apostle Paul in his epistles, particularly to the Romans and Galatians. The meat of what Law talks about is all about doing and there is no mention of child-like dependence and trusting on God's grace in Christ through the Holy Spirit to enable us to follow what Law, in some cases, biblically and exquisitely exhorts to embrace and practice. To properly describe what Law offers here is a mixture of rich food and poison. The rich food is his biblical heart-piercing warnings, rebukes, reflections, illustrations and encouragements, specifically about prayer, fasting, simplicity, modesty, generosity, humility and self-denial that I must admit are too good, too important, and too bitter-sweet, eye-opening of an exposure and remedy to my own weaknesses to be overlooked as well as too precious to be neglected in practice. The poison is his constant insistence of justification by works. For the fullest benefit to be reaped, enjoy the rich food. Let it purify our souls and reform our lives, but spit the poison out. Instead, embrace and enjoy the even richer food of justification in Christ alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, and to the glory of God alone for these are the fountain that enables all true piety.

If you're looking for a challenge in your spiritual walk - this is the book for you. Law's classic book was the transforming resource in the lives of the Wesley brothers as well as abolitionist William Wilberforce - just as it changed their lives, this book will not leave you the same!

I've read an abridged and edited version for the modern reader by John Meister (158 pages) - but it wasn't enough - I had to order the small type 317 page version! This is not an easy read - on the difficulty scale of 1 - 10, this would be a solid 9. I wouldn't suggest this book to anyone in high school or even college - Law deals with real world issues and a little seasoning in life is necessary to get the full effect of his challenge. This is a perfect book for the Christian man who wants more than a Purpose Driven Life, the man looking for a profound, insightful, and challenging read that will deeply impact the core of his being!

You can find these books online. The longer version is a Vintage Spiritual Classics edition and retails for around $13.00. Rare will be the person that will want this book - but if you're the one, don't pass this one up! I give this my highest endorsement and recommendation.

Law deals directly with the concept of devotion to God - and asks some difficult questions about where man places his true devotion in life - in the things of this world, or in the Kingdom of Heaven? Law argues that a wise and reasonable man will wholly devote himself to the things of the Lord for they are far superior to the temporal and worthless things of this world. In fact, Law says that a lack of this devotion is a clear indicator of gross ignorance! The book gives several practical elements necessary for a devoted life including prayer, study, humility and confession. But it is not the elements about which Law writes, it is the manner in which he presents them to the reader that makes this book so exceptional - Law raises the bar and challenges the follower of Christ to live an exemplary life, a life worthy of their calling, a life comparable to the great saints who have walked before us or even to angels who minister above us!

wow - what an inspirational, hard-hitting, right on read this has been. I'm still in the process of reading it but I already love it. This should be required reading for all Christians. Then perhaps the church would live differently than the world and perhaps we'd have less scandal.

So far I can see that there needs to be a balance. One could easily tend towards legalism and a justification by self-works type of mentality. Perhaps he'll cover in later chapters how it's the Spirit of God that now creates the will to do differently and also empowers us to do so as we allow him to lead us in all areas of our lives.

But as long as one is aware of this work of the Spirit in a believer's life, then this book can do nothing but stimulate one to self-reflection and love and good works.

This book should be read by every Christian that can get it. It was a tremendously insightful and humbling book that opened my eyes to the hypocrisy in my own life as well as the church in general. The Christian church in America and I am guessing much of the Industrialized and wealthy west[yes, I am a member of that group] have fallen so far from the devotion and holiness that God requires that it is a shock to see what was the actual New Testament norm just 270+ years ago, let alone at the time of the writing of the New Testament. This was a very easy to read book, compared to say Spurgeon or Calvin. Extremely convicting personally. Would recc. to anyone who see themselves as sinners and wants to know what they should do. Includes excellent examples and is written as a practical guide, though not a how-to book[remember, was written over 270+ yrs. ago, before self-help books where invented;)]Found out about this book from a Word Pictures Program on the subject at their video's are also highly recc. for those seeking to glorify God and enjoy him for eternity[mans chief end]
Sincerely,
Wayne Borngesser

I have searched all over for a good book about Sinclair Lewis and his writing. This one is the best anyone could hope for. It has a useful and very easy-to-use format and unlike other similar books, it is LOADED with photographs-- a pic is worth a 1000 words. This book proves it. A little expensive, but worth it.

This book was a lifesaver. As a book collector, I cannot tell you how important a bibliography formatted like Pastore's can be. I wish he would write more. BRAVO to him for writing and to AMAZON.COM for carrying this book.

This book provides the most honest and concise bibliography of one of the foremost authors of our time and Mr. Pastore has essentially re-engineered how a bibliography should be written - that "thin" can be better than "fat".

All (ALL!!) bibliographies should be this clear and TO THE POINT. I hope this bibliographer works on some other authors. What value!!!

Intelligent and thoughtful analysis of a very difficult author. Quite nice, really and beautifully presented.