Roberts Books

Paul Jellinek's Promise to Mary chronicles the author's travels through the northeast, south, and Alaska, capturing the spirit of "Faith in Action," a loose confederation of interfaith religious congregations who mobilize volunteers to care for the elderly and homebound. Told in the form of refreshingly original vignettes, an engaging portrait emerges of care-givers and receivers. We see the lines separating them often blurred, with some drawn to this calling by traumatic life events, leaving an indelible formative imprint on their life's experience.

Begun in 1993 through a series of nationwide grants awarded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the groups were started through seed grants to fund a paid executive to coordinate the volunteer base. The author's visits reveal that most of the original 25 have flourished more than 20 years, melding into the bedrock of community service in their individual locales.

The author skillfully remains the unobtrusive central character, through whom these voices are heard. The human toll exacted over a lifetime is examined in stories woven in a distinctly compassionate literary style. The author's gently probing questions are genuine and heartfelt. He gives voice to those whose eloquence, stifled by their infirmities, reveals their quiet perseverance and he allows them to express simply stated life-affirming truths.

Dr. Jellinek celebrates the nobility and dignity of those who populate the book. The overriding tone is decidedly redemptive and hopeful. Stories of great courage emerge as the unsung heroes of local community service manage time and again to marshal their inner reserves, drawing upon a fragile yet durable support network woven of member interfaith congregations and faith communities. These are ordinary people doing extraordinary things, largely under the radar. The stories call to mind the importance of small deeds which loom large in the lives of those whom they touch.

The nonthreatening imprimatur of "church" is time and again the narrow margin breached by wary "forgotten souls" who tentatively reach out for much needed help. Their simple but profound acts of faith and trust are to what the program owes its success.

This book should be required reading, especially for those embarking on a career in social work or community service. To read it is to be infused with a sense of all that is possible and to have one's faith in humanity restored, through a rare glimpse into the heart and soul of some of the finest people one could meet. The author succeeds in focusing a deserving spotlight on those remarkable people who populate our everyday lives, but whose heroic deeds are largely unknown, except to those whose lives are quietly transformed by their gentle presence.

This is a book whose power lies in the gentle yet compelling individual stories which emerge, revealing the humanity which lies within all of us. It is also a compelling journey of personal discovery for the author as well as a wonderful historical record of Faith in Action.




Dr. Jellinek documents the sustained viability of what remains a simple but profound formula for success - ordinary people accomplishing the extraordinary, when artificial barriers to human compassion, in the form of preconceived stereotypes are ignored and people are free to relate to one another on the most basic level. By entering this world with Paul as your guide, you emerge hope-filled and humbled by the extraordinary compassion his journey reveals.

Paul's caring and poignant sharing of his journey across the continent and through the years with Faith in Action is one that will warm your heart and hopefully inspire you to look closely at your own community. I will guess that you won't look far to find your own Mary, Gracie, Harold or Eddie Mae. But stop and look farther. Find what it is you can do in your own community and with your own neighbors to help - with or without a Faith in Action project. Paul will tell you from his own experience as a Faith in Action volunteer for many years, that you will get so very much more than you give.

Thank you Paul for writing this important anthology once again proving what a small group of very committed people can do.

Paul Jellinek is a masterful interviewer and storyteller. The amount of depth and detail he was able to uncover in the lives of those he visited in just a few short hours is incredible. For those who take time to assist neighbors in their communities, it is an affirmation. For everyone else, it is compelling work of non-fiction that will keep you reading on and on. It is truly inspirational. I would recommend this book to everyone.

This is a book with a mission. It accomplishes its mission and then some. It spreads the word about Faith in Action, a successful, 15-year-old national program that brings together local congregations of different faiths to provide volunteer help to elderly and disabled individuals. Through interviews with administrators, caregivers and those they help, the book enlightens the reader about the program and its life-altering accomplishments.

The interviews, combined with the author's observations, provide keen insight into many of our country's great challenges--racism, poverty, crime, drugs, isolation, loneliness, abandonment. They also show how Faith in Action and its remarkable staff and volunteers take on these challenges and make a difference. The book is instructive, inspirational, and motivating. Undoubtedly, some who read it will become volunteers themselves.

The book's style is entertaining and captivating. The author brings us along on his road trip to contrasting parts of America where he conducts his interviews--New England, the South, and the Last Frontier of Alaska. Through his writing we share the scenery, weather, accommodations, and food he experienced--the good, the bad, and the ugly. (On the good front, I long for a piece of the "...best slice of pie I had ever had at a restaurant." Inquiring minds should see page 217.)

Each interview is a personality profile. We are introduced to a bevy of characters--some endearing, some distasteful, all remarkable. Among the favorites are the indomitable eighty-five-year-old Miss Helen; Sylvia, who once excelled in the study of mold spores and now excels in administering social services; Kim, whose hard life has transformed her into an expert practitioner of compassion; Jamie, a former wild child turned nurse with unique experiences involving death and dying; and Rodney, a former gang member who has yet to recognize his power and purpose.

The book has a rare attribute--a wonderful use of humor. There are more than a few laugh-out-loud moments. Always appropriate, humor is skillfully interjected throughout our journey with the author.

A Promise to Mary is reader-friendly. Because of its clever format--broken out by geography and interview--it can be picked up and put down as the reader's lifestyle dictates. It can be read in one sitting from cover to cover, enjoyed at the beach, or become part of a daily public transportation commute.

I owe a great deal to the book and its author. During my time reading the book, it became my travel companion, making my weekday commute a pleasure. My faith in the goodness of human beings has been reinforced. And I have added one more goal to my list of things to accomplish--becoming a Faith in Action volunteer. Thank you, Dr. Jellinek. Well done.

PROMISE TO MARY is a gem. With a narrative style that rings true, the very real characters are as complex and interesting as any in a work of fiction. The author's genuine, but realistic, empathy provides a welcome antidote to the "kumbaya"-tinged works common to the genre. It is enough to provide even the cynic with at least a modest insight into our shared humanity.

I enjoyed reading this book as it gives the reader a great insight into the life and times of Robert Koga (at least up until the time of the book's publication). There is plenty of background on Koga's family roots and how he came to be an LAPD Officer and all the varied assignments that career gave him. It also gives a good, detailed, background on how Koga developed the Martial Arts system that he still teaches to Police Officers throughout the world. The major reason I did not give this book the highest rating is the fact that there are grammatical errors throughout the text (must be the result of computer spell checkers doing the proofreading instead of a competent human). Mr. Koga told me of the book's flaw when I met him a couple of months ago. Otherwise, this book provides all kinds of information not just about Mr. Koga, but the LAPD culture between the early 1950's to the early 1970's and Japanese Martial Arts.

I like this man. He has done a lot for law enforcement training and martial arts.

An amazing book! A Must-read for any law enforcement, martial arts or police enthusiast!
A living legend, Bob Koga spent 35 years in the LAPD, and studied under Aikido's distinguished Koichi Tohei. Koga served as the personal interpreter to Sensei Tohei during the Master's first visits, when Tohei revealed the secrets of Aikido to the United States (Koichi Tohei is the only person formarly awarded the rank of 10th Dan by Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido).

Co-written by Koga's own students, this inspiring work includes gripping testimonies from law enforcement officers throughout the US, whose lives were saved because of their training under Koga. Bob Koga drew from his experience to develop and teach real-life arrest and control techniques to law enforcement officers for 45 years, so far! He was inducted into the martial arts Masters Hall of Fame in 2000. This book provides a unique insight into Koga's life, from childhood to the development of the philosophy behind Koga's dedication to professionalize law enforcement.

This is the personal story behind the legend that is Robert Koga.

An amazing book! A Must-read for any law enforcement, martial arts or police enthusiast!
A living legend, Bob Koga spent 35 years in the LAPD, and studied under Aikido's distinguished Koichi Tohei. Koga served as the personal interpreter to Sensei Tohei during the Master's first visits, when Tohei revealed the secrets of Aikido to the United States (Koichi Tohei is the only person formarly awarded the rank of 10th Dan by Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido).

Co-written by Koga's own students, this inspiring work includes gripping testimonies from law enforcement officers throughout the US, whose lives were saved because of their training under Koga. Bob Koga drew from his experience to develop and teach real-life arrest and control techniques to law enforcement officers for 45 years, so far! He was inducted into the martial arts Masters Hall of Fame in 2000. This book provides a unique insight into Koga's life, from childhood to the development of the philosophy behind Koga's dedication to professionalize law enforcement.

This is the personal story behind the legend that is Robert Koga.

An amazing book! A Must-read for any law enforcement, martial arts or police enthusiast!
A living legend, Bob Koga spent 35 years in the LAPD, and studied under Aikido's distinguished Koichi Tohei. Koga served as the personal interpreter to Sensei Tohei during the Master's first visits, when Tohei revealed the secrets of Aikido to the United States (Koichi Tohei is the only person formarly awarded the rank of 10th Dan by Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido).

Co-written by Koga's own students, this inspiring work includes gripping testimonies from law enforcement officers throughout the US, whose lives were saved because of their training under Koga. Bob Koga drew from his experience to develop and teach real-life arrest and control techniques to law enforcement officers for 45 years, so far! He was inducted into the martial arts Masters Hall of Fame in 2000. This book provides a unique insight into Koga's life, from childhood to the development of the philosophy behind Koga's dedication to professionalize law enforcement.

This is the personal story behind the legend that is Robert Koga.

I may not be a pool enthusiast, but there is much to like in Running the Table: The Legend of Kid Delicious, the Last Great American Pool Hustler by L. Jon Wertheim.

Danny Basavich is the most unlikely of heroes. A native of Manalapan, NJ, Basavich was an over-weight kid who suffered from bipolar disorder. He was repeatedly bullied by other kids, which led to a pattern of switching from school to school. Finally, he dropped out and got his high school diploma through an alternative program before he turned 16. Not having anything to occupy his time, he started hanging out at a local pool hall. The locals liked this amiable kid who had a natural talent for pool. After taking him as far as they were able, they then drove him up to Chicago Billiards in West Haven, CT--considered to be the "finishing school" of pool players. Here, Basavich learned to progress from pool player to a "pool thinker," allowing him to visualize a game of pool like a game of chess and thus, always looking toward future plays.

At Chicago Billiards, Basavich met Bristol Bob Begey. Together, they decided to take to the road and try to make a living hustling pool. Much of this book details their travels together, as well as Basavich's solo road trips. This is a fascinating lifestyle as they traveled all over the country. Sometimes, Basavich would make $5000 on a set of pool, and then make another $10-15,000 on side bets. But pool hustlers also tend to be compulsive gamblers, and they could lose the dough just as fast on cards, casino games, and other bets. Wertheim also talks about what makes a good hustler. Often times, Basavich would intentionally lose a game early to win a big pot later on. Once Basavich became fairly well known as a pool hustler in almost every state, he had little choice but to turn professional. Wertheim gives a short history of professional pool, which can best be described as unorganized, low-paying and dysfunctional. Basavich made much more money on the road than in any professional pool tournament.

L. Jon Wertheim is a writer for Sports Illustrated, and he writes in a style that shows off his love of sports (even though he knew little about pool when he began Running the Table). He describes players who worship at the felt green altar and who have "a mutually held belief in the truth and romance and righteousness and dignity to be found in hitting six-ounce balls across felt-covered slate into a half-dozen unforgiving leather pockets. That and a shared restlessness, a natural tropism for adventure and unpredictability."

Although I'm still not much of a pool fan, I found Running the Table to be totally enjoyable.

This book was hard for me to put down. I wanted to read a chapter per day but was hopelessly drawn into the book so much so that I finished it in a couple of days.
As a player, I could identify with some of the characters. Great story about Danny Basavich. May he be around a long, long, time.
There's talk about making a movie. Let's hope that the studio isn't short-sighted and it comes true.
Hey, "Delicious," if you need background players, lemme know...

This book is probably as accurate as you will find for the life of the beginning pool player. The fact is, unless you are a "Trust Fund" kid, you have to have a job, a wife that works, or you better be very good!

Big-H

Kid Delicious' story is moving -- at times tragic, heroic and beyond belief. He's part manic depressive, part obese food addict and part ultra-talented pool shark. His dedication to the game gave him solace from a world (New Jersey suburbs) that didn't have much sympathy for a fat, homely, smart-aleck kid with a sharp mind.

Kid Delicious (Danny Basavich) comes to dominate the pool hustling circuit, and you can't help but admire how he pursues/embraces his true love in spite of his profound psychological struggles. His success is a testament to putting everything you have into something you love, and his failures make him human and sympathetic.

If you like books like Playing Off the Rail or Positively Fifth Street, you'll love this one. Wertheim's research is very thorough and he writes like a true billiards fan, with a detailed understanding of the cadences of the game and the sundry characters who populate the dark, dank pool halls across our country.

Danny Basevich's life has certainly been a roller-coaster ride, and Wertheim captures its energy admirably. A phenomenal read.

A good read for players wanting a peak into the recent past of life on the road for money players, and an interesting character study of Kid Delicious. Fun for those who follow the pool scene these days. A revealing picture for those who don't. Doesn't exactly make me want to throw a cue in the trunk and head off for glory.

The Shepherd has got to be my all-time number one favorite short story and should be considered a must-own book for anyone who enjoys Aviation Literature.

I bought this book about twenty years ago in a used book store in San Luis Obisbo, CA for $4; I know this because that is the price penciled in on the first page. I have read it at least ten times.

The great surprise about this book on top of the masterful writing, is the absolutely wonderful illustrations done by Lou Feck. This book is prolific with these illustrations, around 40 total, in a book only 123 pages in length. It is amazing how much Lou Feck's illustrations add to this book. I would buy the book for the illustrations alone. If I recall, only the smaller Hardback has these illustrations, I seem to remember the larger size hardback has a different set of illustrations which are not nearly as detailed.

OK, so I've gone on and on about these illustrations, so what do I have to say about the book?

Well, others have left pretty good descriptions about the story, so the only thing I would add, is that this story could have been an excellent Twilight Zone episode. I won't give away the ending, but I will say that it is very much like the type of twist you would see on the Twilight Zone. If you love stories of Aviation, you will love this book, and if I could only take five books from a burning house, this would be on the list.

I also highly recommend "Night Flight" by Antoine De St Exupery, which is another excellent short story.

If you are a pilot, or love the flying life, or are a writer who aspires to an altitude well above the mundane, here is a classic.

Forsyth tells a Christmas-time story of a young pilot's solo flight home to England from Germany in a then-current single-engine Vampire jet fighter. The weather is not good at takeoff, gets no better enroute and goes to worse upon arrival. A typical night in European winter flying, but with an unusual climax.

To tell more is to reveal the plot line to any who might not have already read (and re-read)The Shepherd. And it is too good a timeless book to do that. Buy it!

This is a great little story that is combined with vivid illustrations. The illustrations make it seem as though it is a young readers' book, but the context of the book is a mature one. Simply, this is a story of a Cod War era RAF pilot who is flying his Vampire (early British fighter jet) home from Germany to England on Christmas Eve night. The reader is treated to the reflective thoughts of the lonely pilot as he flies through the dark and quiet winter sky, and then we are treated to a Twilight Zone-like account of faulty instruments, bad weather, and a mysterious rescue in the fog . . . .
An adult can read this in about 15 minutes. It's a great tale, and an unusual delivery from a master of espionage fiction. Try it if you can find it.

Excellent book. I highly recommend it. It will cause you to beleive in a higher being.

This is, simpy put, one of my favorite readings of all time.

This very short novel is engaging, exciting and very well written. Forsyth showed that he's more than one of the best thriller writers of all time.

Fun and light hearted view from Dora's perspective how fun and important it is to visit a dentist. This book familiarizes young ones with the experience of visiting the dentist, from the tools used to details of the entire examination. My son likes the story and asks me to read it often.

The concept is great, anything to help us brush the little ones teeth. For some reason I thought this was one of the books with thick pages that can stand up to the kids. It is not. Has thin pages that are destroyed in no time.

my son never let the dentist perform the full cleaning until after we read this book together. kids who like dora will most likely respond well on their next dental visit when they see dora acting like a big girl and letting the dentist examine and clean her teeth. i convinced my son that the dentist will make his teeth white and shiny like dora's - he fell for it like a champ! thanks Dora!! :-)

It's a good idea to start early so when that time comes to go the the dentist, your toddler will be willing to sit there just long enough to complete the checkup. Dora rocks when it comes to getting kids to do things like say words, jump up and down, whatever. A must have.

We started reading it every day 2 weeks before her first dentist appointment. Great book! Worked like a charm!

This dictionary is a great resource for social workers. It is missing a few relavant terms but contains all of the major ones that helps guide practice.

I recieved "The Social Work Dictionary" in great condition. I order it "new" and indead it was.

Thanks,
The book came in great condition, just as it was described. Additionally, this item was delivered very quickly.

At first, I was very skeptical about the purchase. However, once I got the book I took the time to read through it and I was very pleased that I had actually purchased the book. The text provides very thorough and meanful definitions that are very understandable. I also use my text at school while doing some of my course work. This book has eased my life so much and I would recommend that everyone should acquire this book as a reference guide. The book offers so much information to help you through your day and with understanding the terminology which helps you make better accessments on your clients.

I bought this book to look up those terms that, since my formal education, I seem to have forgotten. On more than one occasion, it has allowed me to write more thorough and extensive progress notes. Also, it helped me study for my LICSW exam. I definitely recommend it.

Breaks free of the conventional bonds of indoctrinated, cookie cutter, christianity. A refreshing view of spiritually and the relationship of God with humanity.

This book dissents from and defends religion in very different ways than most. It is a masterful treatise on the religion of love, the religion of inclusion, the religion of the goddess, and the religion many of us have lost to patriarchy and intellectual dominance. There is little pious prattle here, rather a statement of the value of all religions, human talents, and dispositions. All are needed to truly solve our problems.

The following summary was used in a discussion with Bob Thompson at Northwestern University's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, in Evanston, Illinois, on November 30, 2007. This was one session in a semester-long study group titled, "Why Religion Matters." These notes highlight many passages and concepts but are only a small reflection of the richness of the material and the personal vignettes which illuminate Bob's ideas. We hope that this summary whets readers' appetites to experience the entire book. (Note: references, e.g."p15," are to page numbers in from which passages are quoted)

The Introduction distinguishes religion of the head from religion of the heart. "Religion of the head involves thinking about life's questions in order to come up with answers. Religion of the heart is about seeing our innate and unalterable connection to all others as both the question and the answer" p15. "Religious orthodoxy is the inevitable result of thinking exclusively from the head. The heart is always a heretic, however, and its natural inclination is to upend the status quo...and see the human race as one" p16.

Chapter 1, "For a Good Time, Call God" Asked if he believes in God, Thompson usually responds that it depends on what is meant by God. He cannot agree that God is a separate being with an extreme ego who controls the world. Rather God is a voluptuous ultimate reality which "calls us to laughter, love and joy" p23. "It matters whether we worship a God of distance or a God of intimacy. An intimate God is at once transcendent and imminent , beyond and within. We live in the Divine and the Divine lives in us" p27.

Chapter 2, "What is the Soul?" Thompson also disagrees with the conventional Christian belief that the human soul is separate from God and corrupted by original sin. Rather, "The soul is a drop of consciousness in the ocean of God" p31.

Chapter 3, "Soul Liberty." A preliminary title for this book was "Soul liberty - Meditations of a Christian Heretic." "Soul liberty is the freedom to seek the truth in one's own way, according to one's own conscience" p41. In this Baptist belief, a person may choose any religion or none and is only responsible to God for the decision. The chapter ends with several paragraphs on the importance of meditation, i.e. "opening to the inner teacher" p43. "placing our attention within ourselves," and "recollecting the soul." This work of a lifetime takes "our attention from life's broken surface to an inner truth" p44.

Chapter 4, "Finding God by Subtraction" God is always present but lives in silence. God can be most easily found in meditation, prayer, or even in the awkward silences in conversations. Bob quotes Meister Eckhart who said that "God is not attained by a process of addition to anything in the soul, but by a process of subtraction" p 54.

Chapter 5, "Do you Believe in Divine Intervention?" Does God answer prayers? Is God an activist? Thompson does not believe in a personal God. Rather, "The God I've met is impersonal or transpersonal. A transpersonal God does not seek out individuals by bestowing favor on some while turning away from others" p58. "We need the experience of an enduring presence that lasts an eternity far more than an intervention that lasts a few moments" p59. This enduring, compassionate presence helps us to realize that we are never alone.

Chapter 6, "The Greening of God." The prevailing Western view has been one of patriarchy or the right to dominate the natural world. Now "we are beginning to wake up and see the earth as indigenous peoples have always seen it, as a living organism....Mother Earth, the Great Mother, the Goddess" p68. And God connects everything and is in everything that lives. "Water and air pollution, deforestation, and global warming are all symptoms of a deep brokenness...we must address" p72.

Chapters 7-13 are an invitation to "Be a Christ," but not some distant savior dressed as a king, rather as one who lives a compassionate life. "We live in an eternal now. This is it... Spiritual truth is about fully living the moment we are in" p89. "Ego is the illusion that we are ...separate from each other, and separate from God" p99. "It is more useful to see sin as a condition or state of being in which we see ourselves as literally separated from ourselves, others and the Divine" p103.
Thompson, as a heretic, says we should live beyond the belief system we've been handed. "Real spiritual strength comes...from our own inner authority, the authority of our own experience, the teacher within" p120. ."Christ is the Christian word for the divine energy that connects everything" p122. It is called by different names in Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism and other faiths. It is intoxicating, so "it's not unusual for great spiritual teachers to appear to be a little too happy, giggly or simply `lit up'...Other people seem to light up when in their presence" p 126. "All will be well, no matter what...In our inner-most heart, in the soul, we know there is nothing to fear. And what we all want is nothing to fear" p128.

Chapters 14, "God and Caesar - Religion and Politics." Introduces the concept of the politics of conscience, or the politics of the heart. It will take a massive act of conscience to bring peace to the Middle East or to mitigate the suffering in Africa. However, "conscience is always speaking, but often we turn a deaf ear" p139.

Chapter 15, "A Greater Patriotism" states that we are surrounded by violence. "When we swim in it all the time, we just don't notice it" p146. But we notice terrorism and wonder where it comes from. Following Ury, Thompson says it's like a virus "that lies sleeping, then wakens and spreads throughout the body and attacks, as if out of nowhere....Violence prevention requires creatively addressing conflicts in their earliest stages" p147.

Chapter 16, "The Hospitality of Heaven is a Queer Thing" addresses the issue of same sex relationships suggesting that LGBT people "need to be healed back into the larger community' p154. This is done thru agape love which, following M. L. King, is "an understanding, redemptive, creative good will toward all human beings...it is what Jesus meant when he said `love your enemies'" p155. This is not the same as to" like" your enemies. "Like," in any case, is a fairly superficial engagement.

Chapter 17, "Surrender Your Life to Something Greater" Dealing with the ego is not easy. "We can be important one day, and a mere drop in a very big bucket the next. And when we realize this, we can let go of the need to be important" p163. True greatness, however, comes from our connection to others. Gandhi, M.L. King, and Mother Theresa all surrendered self will and said yes "to serving the human race, no matter what" p165. "The greatness of the servant comes from helping others to discover their greatness" p 166.

Chapter 18, "The Devil is Not What You Think." Whether you believe in a devil or not, the most serious temptations are from those you believe to be allies. They appeal to altruism, ego, and power; persuade us that " life is a puzzle to be solved;"....and "reduce the meaning of life to a formula" p171...or "to getting life to go our own way" p173. Rather, "Life is amazing and astonishing....Every moment of life is remarkable. Every moment brings astonishment. Every moment is a mystery." P173

Chapter 19, "The Things We Carry Around." "...to get over our narcissism, our self absorption, our preoccupation with ourselves. This is the very heart of all spiritual practice and it takes a lifetime" p179. "We reduce our our own suffering by letting go of the poison we carry around" p 180.

Chapter 20, "The Spiritual Purpose of Our Relationships." "When I'm experiencing tension or discomfort in a relationship, I inevitably realize that I am struggling, not with the other person, but with myself" p187. A person is only fully developed through others. "We can't grow in isolation and exclusion" p188.

Chapter 21, "Life is But a Dream." We need to be aware that life is neither permanent nor predictable, just "a succession of images and experiences" p 198 . "We are awake when we know that life is nothing more than a passing show." P201.

Chapter 22, "Every Tomb is a Womb." "When we say goodbye to a person or a place we love, a part of us dies. We are then reborn to another way of life. When we go thru a divorce, lose a friendship, or fail to get the job we want, something in us dies while something else rises up." P 204.

Chapter 23, "From Religious Tribalism to the City of God." Thompson talks about the need to cultivate interfaith relationships. This "encourages us to explore our own tradition and assumptions more deeply" p211. We become more welcoming to strangers, more willing to help them with whatever burdens they have, and more understanding of "what it means to be religious" p215.

I was born and raised Jewish, attending an Orthodox synagogue as a child and a Conservative synagogue as an adult. I now live in the mostly Conservative Christian community of Colorado Springs, CO. I never really felt drawn to organized religion and for years I found myself unaffiliated and searching for a spiritual home. For six years, I found that home at Lake Street Church. Bob Thompson's words have shown me the difference between religion and spirituality. They have also helped me to accept Jesus Christ - not as a messiah or savior, but as a rabbi, teacher, and mystic. I have learned to experience God on a personal level rather than as an omnipotent, wrathful, punishing presence.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading A Voluptuous God, connecting with the essence of Bob Thompson's spirituality, and learning to relate to the concept of being a heretic. I have purchased extra copies to share with friends of like mind living here in Colorado Springs. I highly recommend this book to any and all spiritual seekers.

Being raised a Catholic was a spiritually alienating experience. I tried to live the Word but seeing others in my church being pious in the sanctuary and then being less than Christian in the outer world made no sense to me. So, for many, many years I veered away from Christianity. I never thought a spiritual book written by a Christian minister would help me change my attitude about religion. The chapter 'The Resurrection of Judas Iscariot' literally moved me to tears. I confess I have been in situations where I did not speak out or act upon a situation that required my attention. Several days after reading this particular chapter I came upon a homeless man. He was looking for shelter and food. While I could not give him shelter, I did take him to a restaurant for a meal. I don't think I would have done this had I not read this chapter on Judas. I am now trying to live the Word. Thank you for writing such a meaningful book.

Many years ago I abandoned the Christian faith believing it was obsolete. However, I always said if some new philosopher comes along who can articulate the faith in a way that reconciles it with reason and makes it relevant in the 21st Century, I will reconsider Christianity. Thompson does that in this excellent book.

How can folks think this is a 5 star quality book?? It reads like a bodice ripper without the bodice! No character development to speak of just a whole lot of them like quantity counts. There were too many editing mistakes to count like referring to Santa Clause 100 years before he was invented!!! Gross lack of research in details! There was much repetition of points already made...redundant. It was a good premise and I sailed the Bahamas and know history and Florida and sailing and this could have been pretty good if the writing had been better.

"The Great Gatsby" and "Gone with the Wind" are 5 stars books...not this one!!!

This is one that you want to savor and read again and again. Well written, it evokes the sights and smells of the South and Caribbean in the early days. You hate to see the characters grow old and things change as Wilder weaves you into the lives you are loathed to leave. I will keep this one close, to reread often.

The book is BIG, but is easy reading, and the characters soon seem more like friends. You'll find yourself continually referring to the family tree.

I bought my book at a Daytona Beach flea market for 10 cents. The price on the cover of this 1964 Bantam Book is $1.95. But it's well worth todays price!

Thank you Robert Wilder (1901-1974) for one of the best books ever written!

It was lying on the floor. I picked it up while waiting for the dryer to finish. In those 15 minutes I got hooked, and never stopped reading for three days. That was about 40 years ago, I know it was in the 1960s. Most marvelous story book I ever have read. Would like to read it again, since after so long it would be a new book again. Lucky you if you have not read it yet. Enjoy pls.

A wonderful book, anyone who has been to the gorgeous,
captivating waters of the Bahamas ... Exumas will find
a special tug at their hearts in this book. Anyone who
had family that left the states seeking another way of
life will feel the magnetic pull of this book. Anyone
who ever dreamed of living in the almost indescrible
beauty of the islands will understand it all. One of my
favorite books of all time, it is an unforgetable journey
when you travel with the characters in this book. The best!

Robert Conroy premises his most recent alternate history novel, about an American invasion of Japan during World War II, on the success of a real-life group of hard-core militarists who attempted to thwart Japan's surrender in the Second World War. With the emperor now in custody and the impending surrender suddenly called off, American forces now have little option but to carry out Operation Downfall, the invasion of the southern Japanese island of Kyushu. As is typical of many alternate history novels, Conroy's narrative unfolds through the experiences of a mixture of historical and devised characters, and it is through their eyes that we witness the consequences of the prolonged scenario.

Conroy's scenario benefits from a degree of verisimilitude lacking from the similarly premised but much inferior novel MacArthur's War: A Novel of the Invasion of Japan. His writing is also much improved from his imaginatively-plotted but poorly written first novel 1901, as his characters and their attitudes seem more plausible for their historical setting than they did in his earlier work. While not as evocative as David Westheimer's classic Death Is Lighter Than a Feather, it is nonetheless an enjoyable novel of the genre, one that entertains its readers with an engaging picture of "what might have been."

five stars all the way! an exiting page turner of an all too possible scenario. not for the faint of heart, however...

I am not usually drawn to alternate history but I found Robert Conroy's 1945 to be a provocative treatment of the possibility of the die-hards grabbing control of the Japanese government and leaving America no choice but to stage a costly invasion. Conroy provides plausible portrayals of the important historical players: Truman, Marshall, Macarthur, and Nimitz as well as Hirohito, Anami, and Homma He also portrays the brutal situation faced by his fictional infantrymen and sailors. This story brings up some interesting permutations such as the course the Russians would take and the use of atomic bombs after the first two were dropped.

The story also worked as a war espionage novel and particularly the exploits of the one-armed Japanese-American OSS agent were satisfying.

1945 is an alternate history novel that deals with the story of what might have happened if Japanese militarists had success with their coup on the night before Emperor Hirohito's surrender declaration was broadcast. This is an interesting, unique point of divergence from our history that results in an amphibious invasion of Japan without involving something happening to the Manhattan Project -- which was far too large an undertaking to be derailed by something like lightning prematurely detonating the Trinity device or that device simply failing to detonate, as is the case for at least two other "Invasion of Japan" alternate histories that I know of.

In any event, with the Japanese surrender called off, the United States prepares Operation Olympic -- the invasion of the southern home island of Kyushu -- and Operation Coronet -- the invasion of the Kanto Plain. We're introduced to the two "main" characters in succession: An infantry lieutenant transferred to the Pacific theatre from occupied Germany and a one-armed Japanese-American (Nisei), veteran of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, who volunteers to be dropped into Kyushu on an OSS mission.

Though the story is interesting, Conroy does an overall poor job of developing his "main" characters. I put the word main in quotes, because although we do get to see them more than any other characters in the book, they're never developed much beyond what we're given in the first few paragraphs of their introductions and there's so many other secondary and tertiary characters used to show how the invasion is progressing that none of them are ever fleshed out either. Instead, we're left with a stream of characters who do little more than illustrate what's going on. A reader can easily understand what someone's doing and how, but will never understand why they're doing it or what's going on in their heads beyond the standard cardboard characterizations of "a family back home," "duty to country," and "just wanting to get home."

At times, Conroy seems to want to go into a historical viewpoint, showing what's happening and why, but because of the way he tells the story, he uses a cardboard character to demonstrate. It's not ineffective, but it's not as effective as it otherwise might have been, either. Because Conroy takes this approach, he has characters knowing things and sharing information that they would have no way of knowing in the first place. There are two glaring instances of this: One, when an American infantry captain shares news about a Japanese balloon bomb that knocked out power to "some super-secret military facility in Hanford, Washington," (something few people know even today, and if it's so super-secret -- why are you talking about it?)and when a Japanese officer bemoans the ineffectiveness of kamikazes by pointing out the plight of the Laffey, an American destroyer that was struck by several Kamikazes during the battle for Okinawa.

The most intriguing character is the Nisei, and I have to give credit to Conroy for writing about a character with a physical disability, which he does very well. Small mentions about his difficulty wheeling a bicycle along really sell that characteristic for me. But I don't get to know as much about the character as I'd like to, which is a real bummer. There's also a completely random romance thrown in at the end of his story, which simply reeked of fanservice and a desire to have things go well for the man.

Despite his weaknesses characterizing things, the story progresses logically. Though a major plot point is telegraphed early on when we're told that the Nisei has been ordered to investigate happenings around Nagasaki, most of the rest of the story unfolds with a minimum of heavy-handed foreshadowing, a major problem with many alternate history writers. Each character does a great job of speaking from their own point of view, even going as far as to express wrong information -- something difficult to have your characters do without confusing the reader -- but which Conroy pulls off very well.

Factual and historical matters are on target, as far as I can tell, and although I thought he stretched things early on with civilian protests in the United States, he provides an excellent reason for them and they never factor into the story as I had feared they would. (That's a personal peeve of mine with most AH invasions of Japan -- it doesn't jibe with the time period and the fact that returning soldiers from Europe and the end of rationing would defuse most homefront tensions.) Conroy doesn't bring too much in the way of historical grudges to bear -- he doesn't wholly indulge in historical wankery by having a mass replacement of Pacific Theater generals by their contemporaries from Europe. There is one replacement, and it's foreshadowed fairly heavy-handedly, but it wasn't as jarring as I feared it would be.

Overall, it's better than most alternate history novels out there today.

I've enjoyed Conroy's other alternative histories, especially 1862: A Novel. But, this novel rates as his best. The book is well researched and his characters are believable. He also explores some interesting points that reflect on current conflicts and policy. For instance, had the war with Japan continued with high casualties, would the American public continue to support the war? What would US policy towards the use of nuclear weapons have been had the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs not brought peace? What would war on the Japanese mainland have looked like? This was an enjoyable and thought provoking novel. Highly recommend. Download for your Kindle: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device today!!

The book was great and all but (sigh) why does it always talk about Kara more? And i didnt like when she was able to go to avalon what about Adriannne or Emily? they deserve it more!! Anyway it was about them defeating the sorceress( Kara and Adrianne), (Emily) and destoring blackfire, healing the mistwolves and healing Aldenmore. I hope the next 6 book in the new series waan't talk about Kara more like she is not goood of a character.

This is one of my favorite books but it broke my heart. this author has a special gift of making a character in a book dear to you but she took away
one of those charecters later she will return this charecter but the feeling for the charecter will never quite be the same.

KEEP THIS IN MIND,

avalon heartbreak

This was definatly my favorite Avalon book. It is so exciting and full of adventure. Sure, Kara was mentioned alot, but I thought it was so cool anyway. After a firemental comes for Adrianne, Kara, and Emily, they have to go to Aldenmor to stop the Dark Sorceress. It was full of surprises right to the end when they find the mistwolves. This was a thrilling adventure all the way through, even though one of my favorite characters Stormbringer, makes a painful sacrifice...

The fight for Aldenmor is finally drawing to a close. Join Emily, Adriane, Kara, and their magical animal friends as they jump through portals and rescue the mistwolf pack from the Dark Sorceress. Adriane and Stormbringer, her bonded Mistwolf, find Dreamer, an orphaned pup who is a gifted magic tracker. Storm disappears while holding the pack in mist form and Adriane grows depressed in the long run. Kara and Lyra, a winged leopard, find AvAlon and restore Aldenmor to its original beauty. Emily, in the mean time, is with Ozzie, an elf trapped in a ferret's body, in an elf village where Black Fire has poisoned the villagers and their livestock. Emily heals them and advances in her magic skills. This is an awesome book that teenage magic lovers would enjoy.

AvAlon: Trial by Fire is part of an amazing series by Rachel Roberts. Adriane and Stormbringer, the main characters, are my favorites. I hated the Dark Sorceress though. This book has made me a magic fan for good. I loved Trial by Fire.

I must say it wasn't the best in the series and it wasn't the worst, it was perfect. I am a BIG fan of the avalon series so right away when it was out I so bought it. Anyways now with the story which is basically what we are supposed to type about, Emily, Adriane, and Kara now finally have to destroy black fire... and all have a major part to fufill(i may have spelled it wrong!lol) the prophcey and compelets their destiny. First of all Adrianne has to deal with the dark sorceress with Lyra as Storm turns into mist to save all the mistwolves from these crystals stored with Blackfire! She totally saves the day but... there was a huge price to pay for that. Kara well we find out more about her and she gets once again in this spellsinging spell and is in the sorceress cluthes. Basically the sorceress captures Kara to make her open these portals with fairy map given to her by firemental, to get the unicorn. But eventually the unicorn rescues her and she sadly goes to Avalon which is UNFAIR they all had should, not to mention gets her unicorn jewel!!! Well the magor thing, Emily has to destory blackfire, break the crysatls that contain the mistwolves and most of all heal the mistwolves with blackfire but has help with Zach and later the mages. Well I shouldn't really say they ALL complete their destiny since in book 4 heart of avalon Emily compeletes anpther of her destiny as well so she has to heal avalon later. It was an excellent ending and ALL AVALON FANS SHOULD READ IT NOW!!!!!!!