Stanley Books

I like dual language books as I Learn the language. This one is a good one. the stories are interesting and the trandlation allows for quick help on difficult passages.

Luigi Pirandello, the 1934 Nobel laureate for literature,created some delightful and surprising short stories of the southern regions of Italy.
Supported by a careful English translation on the opposite pages it is possible for the intermediate level student of Italian to get a taste of real literature.
Because of Pirandello's place in the literary world, this book should be added to every student's library.

This book is a great version of these classic tales. Being a dual-language text makes it an excellent aid to Italian language study. It is a must-read for lovers of Italian literature.

Yeah, its fun to study this way, and you will not even realize how much italian you have learned until you go back to read the book again or go read another book in italian and you will be like "Holy cow I can understand some of this"...I am reading this book for a second time now...my feelings on the actual stories themselves is really kinda hit or miss...some of them I thought were really cool, like Una Voce, it is a story about a blind man who is engaged to this woman. A doctor thinks he can cure the man's blindness. What happens? You have to read to find out but it was very interesting (Yeah I know it sounds like that movie with Val Kilmer but trust me, it's different). But honestly, for a lot of the other stories I was like please let this end. Maybe something was lost in the translation, and I'm not fluent in Italian, but Pirandello reminds me of a guy who takes 2 hours to set up a joke and then has no punchline. He writes like at the end there is going to be some really big catch like "Woah I can't believe this happened!" but then he just ends it before that catch ever takes place. So I guess what I am trying to say
is that this book is a great tool for learning italian, I just didn't find most of the stories very interesting. Still, I am glad I bought it. I thought "Italian Stories" were a lot more interesting. Yeah, I know Pirandello is real famous and people love his stuff, I'm just saying that I didn't particularly like it.

Outstanding book for the intermediate Italian student. Put together well.

Stanley Stewart presents several stories from air incidents with a brilliantly narrative manner, keeping a fine balance between the technical and non-technical aspects of every case during each presentation.

I truly enjoyed reading this book, and currently looking to order other titles by same author, simply because of the way he writes (which, to me, is compelling).

Highly recommended.

This book is based on actual events and has a lot of details. It is very readable for an aviation fan working in non-aviation fields. That is, it has enough technical details to help understand the sequence of events, but not overly burden the reader with too much jargons. The stories are very well told, and each has a happy ending - not a single life was lost during the events described in the book.

I bought this book after getting Flying The Big Jets by the same author. This book reveals the story-telling talent of Cpt. Stanley Stewart in a way that is both entertaining and easy to read.

There is something for everyone in this book based on true accounts... from airships, prop planes to the big jets. The analysis into the mishaps by Cpt Stewart is in depth technically enough and not only touching on the competency of the aviators, but also the mental side of the pilots and how it affects decisions made.

Cpt Stewart is not afraid of placing responsibilities for the incidents illustrated in this book on the appropriate shoulders of those involved. Be it the pilots, ground engineer, nor airline. I am touched by his coming to the defense of a 3 flightdeck crew, who by showing incredible airmenship, cool headed-ness and knowledge of flying, averted a potential air disaster, only to be accused by investigators for illegal actions concerning usage of slats during a flight.

This book, though about mishaps, serves to remind the average air commuter out there that air travel is very safe and the pilots whose hands we put our lives and comfort in are well trained for nearly every situation. The superb airmenship described in this book is testament to that fact.

All in all, a very enjoyable book.

The Amazon Editorial Review above does not do this book justice. This is truly one of the better books written about what goes on on the flight deck during an in-flight emergency and how nerves of steel and teamwork have helped to avoid many potential disasters.

Right up front you are told that there was no loss of life in any of the incidents described. Yet, you will tend to forget that as you read each chapter and find yourself turning the pages and wondering what the crews can possibly do to avoid certain disaster.

What was interesting is the detail that is put into describing the individual actions taken by each member of the crew. As you read about the events unfolding and how the crews respond, it becomes even more amazing when the author tells you just how short the time-span was for the crews to realize there is a problem, determine what the problem is, and then take the necessary action to solve it. In some cases, it is only seconds.

The 747 that loses power in all 4 engines after flying through volcanic ash is the final chapter in a book that will keep you riveted from the moment you start reading it. An unpowered Glide towards a nightime ditching of their 747 in the ocean, the crew never gives up trying to save the aircraft and their passengers...

A great book.

A common cliché about flying is that "it's hours of boredom punctuated by moments of stark terror".

This book is a collection of moments of stark terror where disaster seemed inescapable. Yet, through the sheer ability, perseverance, bravery and resourcefulness of the crew, the worst was avoided and the aircraft was landed safely.

Every single incident described in the book is remarkable in its own right. The viewpoint taken is that of the flight-crew, corroborated by CVR transcripts, accident reports, ground staff testimonials. Although it might seem that reading such a book would require prior knowledge on aircraft systems or aviation practices, this is not the case. Great care is taken so that the narrative is comprehensible; maps are used to show routings or the position of points of interest, be they radio beacons, waypoints or airfields; pictorials are used to aid with the comprehension of various aircraft operating systems or extreme attitudes.

Read about a stewardess that survived a fall from 33,000 ft after being blown out of the aircraft following an explosive device detonation. Read about a first officer landing safely while the captain is half sucked out of the window after the windscreen shot out of its frame...

Entertaining, informative, and written by an experienced airline pilot. This last bit says it all.

As a Reading Specialist, I enjoyed this book very much. Not only does it deal with social issues that children encounter in school, but it also is told using language that is easy to understand. It is very readable, and I highly recommend it.

I just finished Enough Is Enough. It was very good. And now I realize that it's not nice to pick on others. I enjoyed it because it taught me to stand up for myself instead of letting kids be mean to me.

THIS BOOK SHOWED AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF HOW TO DEAL WITH AGGRESSION, WITHOUT RESORTING TO VIOLENCE. MY 10 YEAR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER AND 8 YEAR OLD GRANDSON ENJOYED IT VERY MUCH,AND OF COURSE I DID ALSO.

With so much violence in the world, it was nice to read a book that showed that there are other ways to handle anger and pursecution without violence. Everyone can benifit from reading this book which was aimed for young adults.

A beautiful multi-cultural story My nine year old niece loves it

I received this devotional from a very dear friend as a gift. I was blown away at the short concise devotions presented in this book. Do you ever have a book that seems to go along with your life, and what you are seeking the Lord for? Well this one did for me. These devotions were encouraging, and challenging all at the same time.

The readings could be a great end or beginning to your day. They are light enough that you could read them before your bed time, but certainly strong enough for a good hearty portion as part of your morning devotion time.

I highly recommend Enter His Gates, especially if you are seeking a better understanding of God and a closer walk with him. The book also helps to give insight into ourselves. The aspects of the book I enjoy most are: It's so clearly inspired and easy to understand. The messages are simple but powerful. There's a brief message and scripture for each day and also a perfectly devine short prayer to start each day with. It has enriched my life beyond my expectations!

Stanley has done it again in this inspiring devotional book for every day living. A great companion to this book for me was another meditation book, SOUL SATISFACTION, by Elizabeth Rankin Geitz. The two books together gave me both a male and female perspective on passages of scripture, enriching my understanding immeasurably. A great help in my every day life.

This book has wonderful devotions that say so much without a lot of words. They can be used in many different ways. There is a devotion for each day of the year with each month focusing on a particular theme. You can, of course, read the devotion that matches the particular date, or if you are dealing with issues, you can read a devotion pertaining to your particular issue. The key verse is included with most of them coming from the New King James Version. There is a scripture passage given that can be read from the Bible, but if you're short on time, you can just read the key verse and devotion. You can spend as little as 5-10 minutes and still receive a powerful message. It has helped me tremendously in my daily walk. I highly recommend it.

This is a strong, foundational guide to daily life. Dr. Stanley explains the purpose of the gates as given in the Bible. This is to protect the creation of God, His children. We are God's people. This will instruct on how to live as a child of the King. The book may be read as a daily devotional or as a topical study. The topics include setting goals, communicating with God, trusting God's provision, the significance of the Cross in our life, spiritual warfare, the work of the Spirit, freedom in Christ and many more. Dr. Stanley writes from his heart. The material is all backed with scripture for sound doctrine. This is a very positive, uplifting book. Great to give as gifts.

Gosh! This is for people who count, what else does a combinatorist do? Before people dismiss me as somebody who don't know hoot about math: I took a class with Prof. Stanley (the author) in college, and I had actually used vol 1 as a text. The material is highbrow (I agree on the 'hardcore' math observation) but the main theme of the book is how to 'count' -- needless to say not in the sense of everyday counting, but in the sense that 'topology' is 'coffee-to-donut transformation' and 'analysis' is 'honors calculus'. You have to know how to count, and comfortable with combinatorial proof to actually learn from this. I like the fact that Prof. Stanley asks for combinatorial proof to some known results, marking them as unsolved -- he really elevates the status of combinatorial proof, a method many dismiss as 'handwaving'. There is a number given to each exercise, according to the level of difficulty: [1] for trivial, [5] unsolved. I saw a professor who worked in differential topology for 40 years refer to this book -- and first year undergrads thumbing through the pages for exercises marked [1] and [2] to solve in spare time. This is a book for all levels of mathematicians: I am sure even the armchair amateur mathematicians can grasp some of the materials after a hard day's thought. I dont see this book as any less than a definitive text on enumerative combinatiorics.

This book is a must for anyone who likes how to count. In addition to the superb exposition of deep and important mathematics, it contains so many intriguing problems, some of them even puzzle-like. Read this book cover-to-cover or open it at a random page. Either way you would love it!

This is an excellent book on combinatorics, but it is quite difficult to understand--written for experts, not novices. The author often chooses a more general framework in which to present things, and this can make the material quite difficult to follow. But the rewards for the diligent reader are great. Occasionally I question how Stanley chooses to present a certain topic, but usually if I look closely enough, I see that there are deep reasons for his choice of notation or presentation.

Some of the material in this book is easier than others; some of it depends on earlier chapters, but some stands on its own. People interested in partially ordered sets and lattices may want to jump ahead to that chapter--much of this chapter stands on its own, and it is an excellent exposition of that topic, and I think somewhat easier to understand than the rest of the book.

The most precious thing about this book is that the author manages to provide several comprehensive frameworks for solving large classes of enumeration problems. Combinatorics seems a hodge-podge subject to many mathematicians, but Stanley manages to see it as a unified subject with a number of general theories and common techniques. This book is truly the only text I have ever read that has this perspective on the subject.

I would recommend this book only to someone who has a strong background in mathematics and wants a challenging text that can take them to a deeper level of understanding. Students of combinatorics may want to take this book out of the library and read the introductory pages; there are some particularly useful comments right at the beginning. As a final note, the exercises in this book are also helpful and of diverse difficulty levels--and Stanley classifies the exercises by their difficulty level. People who find this book difficult to follow may want still benefit from some of the easier exercises. Students wanting an easier-to-follow text might want to check out Cameron's "Combinatorics", or Wilf's "Generatingfunctionology". As a final note I would like to remark that this book is very reasonably priced, especially when you consider the wealth of material it contains.

I agree with the other reviewers. The book is a masterpiece on enumerative combinatorics. However, I am not so sure that it is a good book for a beginner. If you are a beginner, then you should read another book first, like John Riordan's book on "Combinatorial Analysis." Stanley's book is best suited for an advanced student who has a high level of mathematical mental maturity. The reason I say this is that in a few places Stanley's formalism, which is entirely appropriate for professional exposition, actually obscures the underlying simplicity of the mathematical ideas. We have all seen this in research papers, where a mathematician takes a trivial idea and "obsures" the underlying simplicity with too much formalism. However, for an advanced student, the book has a high density of important ideas and methods.

There was an earier review that claimed this book is for "people who like to count." That's a little silly. This book is a rigorous math text. And it's glorious. It's probably my favorite text. But it's not light reading at all.

I spent a semester actively reading and working on this book with my advisor. I read this book and worked on research, 50/50 split on my time. I got through 2.5 of the 4 chapters, and I'm damn proud of myself. It's a great book, but if you didn't know that 'enumerative' was for "people who like to count", you probably want a different text.

This is a wonderful book for new parents or even grandparents who want to understand how they can help their baby grow into a confident person who can have a full emotional range. The book also helps a parent understand his or her own feelings and how those can affect the baby. I give this book as a baby gift now.

The Greenspans have offered up a concrete, easy to understand gathering of what all new (and maybe not so new) parents should know about infancy and toddlerhood. The best thing next to self esteem a parent can offer a child is to teach that child an emotional language. "This feeling goes with this label...". A child begins to associate, "Oh, so THAT'S what this funny feeling is about" and before long you have an individual who is aware of feeling states and then moves on to appropriatley expressing them. Give this gift to YOUR child!

This book is a must read for any parent that is worried about the emotional health of our society today. We live in a society of repressed emotions that come out in violent outbursts. This books tells parents how emotions develop in a baby and toddler and what we as parents can do to help our baby develop all of their emotions. It also teaches us how we can help our baby handle and express all emotions so that they don't become bottled up and come out in violent outbursts. Most of the advice in this book goes against conventional parenting advice, but in my view we've been following conventional advice for 50 years and look where it has gotten us. It is time for a new, more sensitive way of parenting that teaches our children that emotions are ok and can be expressed in appropriate ways. I give this book my highest recommendation.

As a single parent of a 2 1/2 year old boy, I have found this book to be the best teacher, guide, and sanity-saver since the day he was born. This book has given me concrete options for understanding and dealing with every perplexing behavior of my son's. He has a flourishing emotional life because of this book, and I have managed to keep sane.

The book is easy to read, gives several solutions to each problem presented, has tables and lists to help explain concepts, and offers a contiguous view of the child and his family's development. If a parent could only read one parenting book, *this* is the one they should read, take to heart, dog-ear and memorize techniques from, through the start of pregnancy through all their children's first years. The family foundations and relationships it helps to establish make the most solid beginnings for family life. Thank you, Greenspans, for this seminal contribution!

Your child's EQ (emotional quotient) is more important to their future success, health and happiness than their IQ (intelligence quotient) and this book can help the both of you off to a great start. As an Emotional Intelligence Coach, I strongly recommend this book. Your child's EQ can't develop farther than yours. Take an assessment and see how yours is, get some EQ coaching from a trained and certified EQ coach, read this book and get to work. Your child's future depends upon it.

"Foo, A Japanese-American Prisoner Of The Rising Sun" by Frank "Foo" Fujita, with Stanley L. Falk. Subtitled: "The Secret Prison Dairy of Frank "Foo" Fujita". University of North Texas Press, 1993.

This is an interesting book on many different levels. First, it is the story of a World War II Prisoner Of War. But not just any POW: Frank "Foo" Fujita was a Japanese-American, perhaps the only Japanese-American who was held as a POW in Japan. And, on the third level, "Foo" was a Texan and a member of the Texas National Guard. His unit was called up, to be sent to the south Pacific, and, after the sneak attack, on Pearl Harbor, they were diverted to Australia. The 2nd Battalion, 131st field Artillery was assigned to the defense of the Dutch island of Java, where they were overrun by the Japanese. Most of us have forgotten the American units that were part of the ABDA, American, British, Dutch and Australian forces in this theater, with, perhaps the major exception being the cruiser, the U.S. S. Houston. (See, for example, pages 345-346, where a contemporary "bird-colonel" does not believe that Fujita's unit was never in the Pacific.)

To make the story even more interesting, Sergeant Fujita was an accomplished sketch artist, and he includes contemporary drawings of himself and of the Japanese mistreating POWs. So, on this level, he has enhanced his story visually. His entire diary was in a code of his own fabrication. His diary and his drawings were hidden in a wall of a building in his POW camp; the diary and drawings were recovered after the war. This recovered material makes this book a primary source for the history of Japanese-held POWs.

Excellent primary source supported by explanatory notes supplied by Stanley L. Falk.

Foo, A Japanese-American Prisoner Of The Rising Sun is the true and riveting account of Frank "Foo" Fujita's experiences of being a Japanese American combat soldier who was captured by the Japanese during the Pacific campaign of World War II during the defense of Java in early 1942. Based on his secret prison diary, we are provided a "window in time" regarding the daily life and experiences of a prisoner of war which vividly recounts the privations of the POWs and the living conditions in Japan. The text is illustrated with drawings, maps and photographs. What is surprising is the humor that was to be found -- even in the midst of the most severe circumstances. Foo, A Japanese-American Prisoner Of The Rising Sun is a unique contribution to the annals of World War II literature and highly recommended for academic, community, and personal library collections.

I met Foo in a restaurant in Abilene, TX, sitting in a booth next to him and two other gentlemen. His book was to be released the next day. My wife, after evedropping on their conversation, introduced her and myself. Foo sold us a copy of the book....and autographed it for us. This was several years ago. We have learned he has since died. He was very warm and personable with us. His story is facinating. (His reason for being in Abilene was that there was to be some sort of POW reunion the next day.)

I knew "Foo" (he died last year) and many of the other men (my father among them) who were taken prisoner with him. This is an excellent book about a little known page in American history. Although, in many ways, Foo's captivity was atypical of the treatment most of the "Lost Battalion" received, it is a fascinating, well written book which shouldn't be missed by anyone interested in the Pacific Theater of World War II.

Having known Foo since High School days and later being a sister-in-law, I read the original dairy and saw the pictures he drew of the atrocities experienced there in prison. This book is an excellent account of the way it was. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a factual story of what it was like to be in a POW Camp in Japan during World War II.

My kids (ages 7 & 9) and I just read the book this week and enjoyed it very much! We thought that the author had such a wonderful idea when she linked the story to various "Jack" nursery rhymes. It was like a very fun surprise inside a story that was already cute. Great illustrations too. It was a library book but my kids enjoyed it so much we decided to buy a book at amazon.com for our home library!

In yet another parody of a well-known fairytale, Diane Stanley tells the classic Jack and the beanstalk story from the gentle giant's perspective. The Giant and the Beanstalk tells of Otto, a kind, loving soul whose favorite pet chicken is stolen. Otto is heartbroken and desperately begins to search for Jack and his hen. After encounters with nearly all the children's rhyme Jacks, Otto finds the correct Jack and makes a trade that leaves both parties quite happy. The giant world reexamines their values and learns from meek Otto's loving example.

Stanley is able to tell of Otto's quest with a unique and admirable amount of suspense, considering, of course, that this is a children's book. Her style weaves clever references to various nursery rhyme characters with an earnest giant's search to create a charming tale. The dialogue is believable and completely natural; some of the characters that Otto meets are friendly, others are fearful, but all speak in an unaffected, straightforward manner. The interesting point of view shift will intrigue readers who know the original version well; the giant is too often cruel, mindless, and demanding, and Jack becomes a hero for his thievery. Stanley's adaptation acknowledges that Jack wrongs another being with genuine feelings in his quest to remedy his family's poverty. Otto has a history, a personality, and a problem. He is no longer the flat character that the original version of this tale portrays him. The artwork too, will endear children to the book. Stanley slyly slips many references of the other Jacks into the pictures, as well as the text. The page containing the Jack that built the house contains all the elements of that particular rhyme, up to the sack of malt and priest in background. The cartoon style drawings also fit this tale well. The playfulness of the story is ideal for such artwork. Finally, some observant children will note the magic bean at the top of each box containing the text of the story, another clever addition to the book.

The Giant and the Beanstalk by Diane Stanley is a well-written and well thought out story that children are sure to enjoy. The pictures and funny retelling will undoubtedly garner many young fans.

Clever. This new twist on Jack and the Beanstalk gives children the other point of view. Was the giant really mean and nasty? This book keeps the reader on his toes by painting the familar fairytale in another light. I like how the giant had to go through five other Jack characters to find the one who climbed the beanstalk. This would be a great book to share in a classroom who is already familar with the traditional story and nursery rhymes involving the Jack characters. This could create a great conversation.

If you like the Stinky Cheese Man, you will love this book. Now, at last, the untold story behind the well-known tale of Jack and the Beanstalk is finally revealed. No, the giant is not really a blood-thirsty monster who wants to eat Jack, and no, he doesn't have the hen because he is greedy. Otto is that rare, gentle giant (although possibly not the brigthest).

To recover his precious hen, Otto travels through five or six different fairy tales in search of the elusive Jack. Older readers will recognize the "other" Jacks immediately, and everyone will get a chuckle out of the giant's quest.

A fun version of an old story, which gives new meaning to the phrase "...and they lived happily ever after."

I thought that this book was really cute. Although I am a little old for it, I loved it! Otto was really funny and his quest to save clara the hen was really sweet. It shows the giant's side of the story instead of the one we usually hear.

I happened to really like this book, and fairy tales and classics really aren't my thing. This book was right up my alley. My dad dislikes kids books and classics, and he thought that this story was as cute as he's ever read.

My little brother hates reading, but he reads this book all the time, around three times a day.

We found out about this book from the teacher at my brother's school because she wanted him to read. He loved it, and had me read it to him a few times.

THIS IS THE BEST SORT OF CLASSIC I HAVE EVER READ IN MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I like the process that took to purchased the book and it did not take long for me to receive my purchase. Also, when I got the book it was in the condition I chose it.

Book came in GREAT condition, no bent cover or anything..it was great...the only thing was that it took a whole week to be shipped...otherwise the product was great

This is a great book. It is writen entirely in Spanish, so it is not the book for you if you are uncomfortable reading Spanish, or just not quite at the level to reading about grammar in it. It is very accurate, very well-written and explains some nice grammatical differences that I have not seen described in some other books I've used.

This is an excellent grammar book that is based on guidelines for students progressing from intermediate to advanced levels
of proficiency in spanish composition. It's not just grammar but also a guide to better writing in spanish.
The way the book is structured differs from other grammar books in the way the information is ordered; It is divided on six level-appropriate types of composition:

1) Description: Present tense, nouns, adjectives, articles, linking verbs
2) Synopsis: nouns, direct and indirect object, reflexive pronouns, personal pronouns, imperative in the present
3) Personal Narrative: Past tenses, imperative in the past, method and time
4) Creative Narrative: Perfect tenses, future and conditional tenses
5) Exposition
6) Argumentation

The 7th, last part of the book consists of exercises.

The book is written mainly in spanish, using only a few english words here and there. It contains very good explanations instead of the plain grammar rules like most other books. The explanations are easy to follow and illustrated by examples. If you are looking to improve your writing skills and to UNDERSTAND spanish grammar instead of learing the rules by heart,
this book is for you

I'm an advanced Spanish instructor and intermediate language coordinator. This is by far the best textbook of Spanish I've ever seen. Yes, you don't find great pictures, appealing format, that's true. However, the grammatical explanations are just incredible. This book is a link between theoretical linguistics and the classroom. The explanations are based on concept-based systemic-functional grammar of Spanish, instead of the rules of thumb that you will find in most commercial textbooks, which have as many exceptions as rules. If you found yourself thinking "... um, but I can also use the imperfect or the subjunctive here, so how do I explain this when the textbook says the opposite?", then this is the textbook for you. You'll find well-grounded, essential, concise, conceptual explanations rather than list of rules that are not true anyways. And you have EVERYTHING in this book, all the grammar you can possibly think of, including meaningful word-order in Spanish, phonetics, questions of discourse, a task-based approach to composition and academic writing, editing and typical error analysis and the metalinguistic knowledge necessary to be literate and articulate in Spanish. Students can realize how changes in form translate into changes in meaning and how meanings are constructed in Spanish (for example, changes of focus or information prominence with rheme and theme structures). There are lots of exercises based on these explanations. Explanations are in Spanish and most examples are translated into English. This is ideal for an intermediate and advanced level. If you want to read more on this line, get also Spanish/ English Contrasts by Stanley too, and read Dwight Bolinger's articles.

Hauerwas has a reputation as a sort of theological curmudgeon, but in reality he is as clear a thinker as we could hope for in an ethically confused time. And he reveals himself as deeply human at the same time. This survey of his work helps me think my way through many theological briar patches - whether I agree with Hauerwas or not.

Readers who like the way Hauerwas combines breadth, depth, and compassion with a stringent ethical vision will also want to read Heroism & the Christian Life by Brian Hook and Russ Reno.

This is the collection of essays through which I was introduced to Stanley Hauerwas. I wish I had begun reading him sooner. Hauerwas' arguments are clear and to the point, and some of his comments are jarring; but then, we need to be shaken from our complacency. I like that fact that Hauerwas can combine what is sometimes an abrasive manner with humility. He truly seems concerned not only with whether we think through these problems, but also with whether we properly understand what the problems are that confront us as Christians. I recommend this book to anyone who is concerned with ethics and especially the manner in which Christians should respond to the issues of the day.

I have not read any of Hauerwas' works in their entirety. But this is an intriguing set of essays. Stanley Hauerwas approaches many issues from a totally different perspective than the world around him. Unlike many western Christians Hauerwas does not look at social issues in term of rights; for example abortion. Hauerwas does not qualify his remarks on abortion in terms of right to life, right to one's body, etc. instead Hauerwas' view of life is that it is a gift of God that we should not address as a right because rights are ostensibly legal entitlements. This does seem to be a Biblical perspective on the issue, at least it is in my opinion. That not withstanding Hauerwas makes little use of scripture in these essays. Something I find rather disturbing. As a Christian I want to see ethics spelled out in scripture because that's the bread and butter of my faith. This is the only major shortcoming I can readily identify in the way he addresses things. Overall I would recommend this work to any Christian would wishes to reflect on social issues in a way that does not require them to play ball with the world at large.

If you want to understand Hauerwas' thought on the issues of the day, as well as his method for doing ethics, begin here. The selection of essays for this text allows you to see many facets of Hauerwas' writing. The opening essays attempt to show how Hauerwas goes about doing ethics. They explore the way narratives impact the living of life and what Christian discipleship looks like. The later essays explore particular social issues, such as war, capitalism, sex, and medicine. The introductions and conclusion by other authors help to understand some of Hauerwas' thought. The essays in this book range from complex to simple and straightforward. There is something here for everyone, though some of the essays might be a struggle for those who are unaquainted with Theology and Ethics. Be prepared to disagree with some of the things Hauerwas says. However, if you want a thought-provoking book that deals with the issues of the day, this is it.

Stanley Hauerwas is probably the most influential contemorary Christian ethicist. While prolific, Hauerwas can be frustratingly difficult to read, especially if one's goal is to get a sense for his overall "system." (He avoids this last word like the plague.) This anthology provides an excellent way to learn Hauerwas's approach to contemporary Christian ethics and his views on a range of topics.