Stone Books

A perfect book of poems. Each poem makes me shake my head in wonder at such brilliance. His imagery is incredible. He can twist and turn any ordinary moment into a tornado humming with all aspects of life. Startling.

Today I had the pleasure to hear Mark Cox, this year's Frost poet in residence at the Frost Place in Franconia, NH. He read from this lovely book of poems with such clarity, such honesty, that I was compelled to buy the book on the spot. He writes of the things that we all face, that we can all connect with, but still, with careful word choice and all the other fine things involved with the crafting of good poetry, he evokes our own experience as well. The poetry is accessible, careful, emotion-laden but not "sentimental". Build your own collection, using this one as a valued addition.

Cox is a poet whose work I admire and enjoy (and I'm a hard woman to please -- as I am both a poet and a literary critic). This collection is like a complicated American all -you can eat breakfast with surprises, freebies you never thought you'd get and a bottomless cup of thought provoking images to wash it down with.

See him "read" (aka, perform) these if you can, but in the meantime, buy the book and support the work!

Reviewed by Rustin Larson in The Iowa Source

An often heard praise for a poet these days is that he "takes the straw of the ordinary and spins it into gold." However, it may be said Mark Cox takes it one step further, that he gives his gold an unusual new texture and shine. Ever since the appearance of his chapbook Barbells of the Gods in 1988, Cox has been taking perfectly good poetic lines and spinning them into something even better. One line from that chapbook could well have read "Let's... throw our cigarettes from this car like ecstatic hearts, / and let the sparks lead us home." That would have been a good line for most of us. But Cox does a brilliant thing. He reverses the tenor and the vehicle of the simile so it reads "Let's throw our hearts from this car like ecstatic cigarettes..." and for my money the lyric and imagistic movement of the line is enhanced by this strategy. Something emotionally unexpected and vivid comes from it. This is just the sort of gold weaving Cox has practiced and improved over the past decade. His new book, Thirty-Seven Years from the Stone, exhibits a very high level of accomplishment.

Cox's great sense of the absurdity and communicative strength of similes, and his artistry with them, continues beautifully in poems like Like a Simile:

"Fell into bed like a tree/ Slept like boiling water/ Got from bed like a camel/ And showered like a tin roof./ Went downstairs like a slinky/ Drove to work like a water skier/ Entered the trailer like a bad smell/ Where I changed clothes like a burn victim/ Drank my coffee like a mosquito/ And waited like a bus stop./ A whistle blew./ Then I painted like I was in a knife fight for eight hours/ Drank like a burning building/ Drove home like a bank shot/ Unlocked the door like a jeweler/ And entered the house like an argument next door./ The dog smiled like a chain saw./ The wife pretended to be asleep/ I pretended to eat./ She lay on the bed like a matress/ I sat at the table like a chair./ Until I inched along the stair rail like a sprinkler/ Entered like smoke from a fire in the next room/ And apologized like a toaster./ The covers did not open like I was an envelope/ And she was a 24-hour teller/ So I undressed like an apprentice matador/ Discovering bullsh*t on his shoes."

Working with the concept on a larger scale, with extended metaphor and simile, Cox excels. Even a title might reflect a brilliant reversal of the expected, such as The Tunnel at the End of the Light, and then build upon it: "The summer my body began to fit,/ living seemed fluid/ as putting my arm through a sleeve--/ when I threw crusts of bread in the air,/ they became birds,/ when I held her,/ I held myself-" .

There is a great emotional investment in each poem of Thirty-Seven Years from the Stone, but Cox does not stray toward the sentimental and false. Do not mistake heart and courage for sentimentality. Whether reflecting on fatherhood in poems like Make the Cobra Talk, or on his future death in Grain, the uniquely rendered similes transmit a genuineness within the oddity: "...like a snapping turtle in a two-dollar butterfly net,/ I will refuse the new world" Cox says of the prospect of leaving the ones he loves behind when he dies. It's a tenacious spirit that inhabits these poems, that grabs on and holds us even as it turns the world upside-down. Thirty-Seven Years from the Stone is an accomplished, admirable collection of poems.

These poems, like those of William Matthews, will endure to tell the future what it was like to live in the 1990's--these are poems that absorb and transform the objects and everyday incidents around our lives. The eschew the false intellectual pretense of so many fashionable poets today, they discard the acceptable poses for the heart, they ignore the cute little moves that fill magazines and books, and they deal with a complex inner emotional life. The poems are complex in the way interesting people are and so take the same effort to get to know. A reviewer in a recent KIRKUS REVIEW, who hasn't taken this effort, coming against a unique poetry he cannot understand or which lies beyond his comprehension, relies on a few cliche ridden, generalizing comments ("Cox at his sentimental worst... stretches to find significance in everyday things"). Better such reviewers should educate themselves by reading more poems, more variety. The test is to read one of Cox's poems: they take you through a structure of feeling and thinking, they structure an experience rather than bottom line it, discover it rather than report upon it. Their music reminds me of Pachabel or Gorecki -- a steady background that rises to a crescendo, but upon which are played numerous variations. I'd recommend it to anyone who loves poetry-- or lives.

This is an absolute masterpiece. I'm sadly surprised for never seeing it put in the same category of Frank Miller's "Dark Knight Strikes Again" and Alan Moore's "Watchmen". Comic critics, what do we pay you for? :)
This is, as Miller's and Moore's above mentioned works, an enlightning examination on the superhero's figure, recreated in a distant future by a bunch of weird teenagers. From that distance, Warren's analysis of it gives us a unique perspective.
The story is amazing, breathtaking and mature, and the ending is just great. Warren's take on the characters is great, his Batman gives us the real feel of it in a nutshell.
The art is soooo appropriated for the future setting, kind of manga takeover.
I loved everything of it, and you will too. I'm planning to buy a second copy, and maybe a third one, to keep for the future generations.

I've been a fan of Adam Warren's work for some time, in particular his later adaptation of Japan's "Dirty Pair," and his fun work on Lee & Campbell's "Gen13" characters for Wildstorm Comics.

Perhaps Adam Warren's only work for DC Comics, Titans: Paper, Stone, Scissors," is a fun romp set in the far flung future, where a formerly earthbound galactic diaspora has populated the stars. Four undergrads (a disaster survivor, a parasitic alien occupying a host body, an non-believing poly-theistic magician & a young athlete) come together to re-create ancient 20th-century superhero archtypes (DC Comics Cyborg, Starfire, Raven & Nightwing, respectively) to save their university from the imminent attack of WMD's gone wild.

I also recommend his more recent "Empowered" paperback series (super-hero parody, with tons of fan service), published by Dark Horse Comics & his tamer, more scifi oriented "Iron Man-Hypervelocity" and "Livewires" mini-series for Marvel Comics. (My only reservation about the later two titles is Warren didn't provide finished art... instead scripting and doing the page layout for the stories.)

I love this book! why? because ADAM(WAR!)WARREN made it. He is the best (American)Manga writer/artist or what some say 'wartist'. The book has action, comedy, and the usual asian- manga flavor. I f you love anime/manga you must get this book. If it's ADAM "war!" WARREN made it rules!

Not only is the art the usual high quality for Adam Warren, but the story is also one of his best.

This is Warren when he's most intelligent. A great read for the casual reader, this story also offers a highly intelligent, satiric meta-story about the stupidity of super-hero comics (sic!). Well worth the read if you like your comics more intelligent than just mindless action.

The only complaint I can really have about this are the garish colors, but that is a matter of taste.

Excellent one-issue Elseworlds story by Warren, which details the adventures of a new group of "Titans" in the far-future. Plenty of action, light-hearted angst, and psuedo-religious/scientific babble to get the story going. Plus a number of engaging and interesting characters making up the team.

Especially interesting was the "appearance" of a current DC superhero and how Warren managed to incorporate him into the new Titans! From beginning to slam-bang finish, this story is well worth your time and money.

Am buying it in English for the sake of my almost 4 year old grandchildren. It is a wonderful "Why" book and a better "Why Not?" book equipped with the most restrictive of adult perspectives. The Stone Age tale is interspersed with modern references which are numbered. At the bottom of the page the references are identified as "anachronisms". I am hoping they use the same word in the English original. I find myself wishing that the same device was used with movies like Lion King. Our little boy twin is very interested in death. It would be helpful for him to know that having the father lion speak after death to his son was artistic license and does not really occur - at least not exactly like that. The book is droll. Sleeping under a stone blanket may deserve the warning: "This is pretend, don't let a heavy slab of rock fall on you just because you're tired!"

This is a fun look at a boy's struggle with his surroundings. Ug is constantly wanting more out of his life-softer trousers, a warm place to live, etc. Ug's insatiable curiousity drives his parents crazy, but his dad tries to encourage Ug. The book is funny and wistful at the same time. The ending is thought-provoking and a bit melancholy-what has Ug achieved in the end?

I've just come to the painful and shocking discovery that I've never given Raymond Briggs much respect. To my credit, I never had any real reason to until now. The only Raymond Briggs creation with which I was familiar was his seemingly ubiquitous picture book entitled, "The Snowman". I'm sure you've seen it. Published the same year as my birth that doggone story always depressed me as a little kid. I never really saw the point of it all. Boy makes snowman. Snowman befriends boy. Snowman dies a horrible melty death at the end. Ugh. But hold that thought! "Ug" was just the storybook to rescue me from my unhealthy anti-Briggs mentality. With the discovery of "Ug: Boy Genius of the Stone Age", I've come to the slow realization that perhaps Mr. Briggs does not begin and end with "The Snowman". In this odd little book that seemingly draws on everything from Winsor McCay to the far more contemporary Chris Ware (there's more than a drop of "Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Boy On Earth" here) we meet a kid who yearns for nothing more than a comfy pair of trou.

Ug lives with his ma and pa (Dugs and Dug, respectively) in the Stone Age. Ug is a bit saddened by the fact that his pants are completely made out of stone. He keeps believing that there must be something better out there. Pants that are softer than sandstone. Food that doesn't have to be eaten raw. Homes that are not caves. The more Ug dreams, the more his mother attempts to squash his resolve. And when, at long last, he and his father seem to be on the right path, a lack of certain tools bars their final triumph.

The book is written more like a graphic novel than a picture book. Here we have voice bubbles and the occasional footnote. I've probably never seen a picture book that used the word, "anachronism" more often than this puppy. The book is undoubtedly odd, there's no question. Briggs has an odd off-kilter sense of humor that serves him quite nobly in this endeavor. It's certainly a book for older children, though. And it occurs to me that books such as this are just begging for squeamish adults to get angry about. The mom walks about without a shirt (it's really not that noticeable, but some people might object). The fam eats raw meat with bloody regularity. And then there's the rather depressing final picture in the tale. Kids yearning for a vindicated Ug to prove to the world that he's right will take no comfort in the image of our now adult hero cave painting above the graves of his parents. But then, Briggs has always sorta been a fan of the letdown ending. "The Snowman" should've tipped me off that this book would end similarly. Only in this case, it doesn't mean you dislike the rest of the tale. It's just ... odd.

I doubt you've really seen a picture book like this before. It's incredibly wordy and more than a twinge depressing. Yet Ug's a likable enough fellow and spending a whole book with him is a pleasure. I wouldn't go handing this tale to anyone who you fear is stodgy or uptight. And kids will certainly dig the format, even if they don't understand all the words and references. Possibly the most amusing caveman picture book available to consumers in this day and age.

Poor Ug. He knows there's a better world but his mum fights him on it and his dad isn't much help. Illustrations are wonderful and sense of humor is black. I think a clever child would enjoy this book but not the average kid. A child and parent would greatly enjoy reading this book together, I think. Educational without being pedantic.

Ug just wants a better way to live his life, but the prehistoric boy genius can't figure out how. He invents the wheel but finds no purpose in it, he discovers fire can cook food - which other cave folk find a disgusting concept - and he longs for warm clothing. How can a boy genius survive among the primitives? A fun cartoon style lends to this zany tale and will invite even reluctant readers to learn.

Warming the Stone Children by Christine Sandor is a memoir of being sexually abuse as a child by her mother. Christine takes you on her journey in finding out the truth and how to deal with it. Her story is an open and honest one. It will grab your heart stings. Christine shows us there is strength behind abuse. Everyone should read this book.


AngelLesa
Publisher of The Odd Mind Magazine
Host of The Odd Mind radio show
www.angellesa.com

I was drawn to this book by the amazing title that begged so many questions. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down! Although at times the crimes against this child are unimaginable the reader is always left feeling hopeful. This is a beautiful, brave sharing which is sure to change lives.

An incredible true account of the author's experience of incest at the hands of her mother. Sandor's story is courageous, and although hellish to imagine, ultimately a testament to the healing that is possible. The writing and poetry are honest and candid without being self-indulgent. This book is a beacon for anyone who has survived sexual abuse, anyone hoping to help someone who has been victimized in this way, or anyone who wishes to be reminded of the strength of amazing grace.

Christine Candor's, Warming the Stone Children, is not an easy read. But, that's okay. I don't think it has to be. Yet, I believe it is a story that should be read by most and understood by all.

Christine's parents made it clear from the beginning that she was an accident that they never wanted to happen. They wanted a boy and not "another damn girl." From the beginning this child had nowhere to turn but into herself.

The author takes us down her long path to recovery. There we meet her parents, Catholics who stayed together for that reason. Yet, they should've been divorced to save their children. In fact, one of her mother's descriptions of her husband was the "biggest mistake" she'd made in her life. Their fighting made living with them a daily nightmare. But, that was nothing compared to the physical and sexual abuse this child suffered at the hands of those she should've been able to trust the most.

As I read the author's story, I felt an almost unbearable the pain in my chest. Christine takes you through the many people who aided in saving her life. That's when the book really takes off. I began to breathe a bit easier. Yet, I could never seek real comfort as the author revealed the tragedies she had to overcome.

Still, I felt joy at her victory over the turmoil in her life. It is a testament of Christine Candor's fine spirit that she pursues life as a therapist and minister to those in need. Warming the Stone Children will warm and break your heart. Yet, you will revel in the greatness of good overcoming evil.

Armchair Interviews says: Story of one woman's climb out of a horrible childhood to being a surviving adult.

An amazing true story of Mother-Daughter Incest and the healing process. This book is sure to help surviors and professionals understanding the most taboo of subjects. Sandor's writing draws you in a gentle story telling kind of way. This book is a gift to the reader.

I've been looking for a poetry book, for a very long time, that I could just sit back, relax and really get into. I searched through aisles and aisles of boring, unemotional poetry with themes I just didn't relate with by various writers. I finally found what is in my opinion, the perfect poetry book! Every poem in this book is outstanding. It is the most enjoyable book I've ever read. And most definitely the type of book that one would read over and over again. I was also pleasantly surprised to find out that it's written by the author of one of my favorite children's books! Highly recommended!

In my opinion, the way Giselle Steele writes --with a gentle, tender touch that leaves a lasting impression--is reminiscent of Robert Frost; the same deep appreciation of nature, the same vivid imagery, the same deep emotion, fill every verse. The poems in this book truly come from the heart, and make the absolutely remarkable photographs--also by Giselle Steele --suddenly come to life. I recommend this book highly!

This fascinating book of poems will remain a part of my life forever. The poetry is very moving and diverse. The book begins with a journey to the ocean under the heading "Captive Soul of The Sea" then takes you to a realm of fantasy in the section entitled "Ivory Tower Of Dreams." There are three more sections filled with awesomely written poetry, each as enjoyable and exquisite as the next. I recommend it highly for all poetry lovers, and for anyone who wants to be taken on a fantastic journey through reading.

"The Wayfarer's Stone" is one of the most inspiring works of poetry I have read in a good long while. I purchased mine at Amazon and ended up getting another one from the publisher's website beacuse they offered autographed copies (at special pricing, by the way). Would absolutely love to attend a reading of The Wayfarer's Stone by the author. Highly recommended reading!

I just finished reading this and I have to say what a lovely gift this book has given to me. It feels like time stops as you read this - I was totally into each poem. I especially liked the author's comments at the back of the book. She explained her inspiration behind each poem and that was really neat. Does anybody know if she is currently on a book signing tour? I would love to get this autographed. Truly a wonderful book of poetry!

I gave this to my college-age vegetarian daughter as a gift. She was thrilled. So, in case you have a young vegetarian on your gift list, rest assured this is "very cool."

As a relatively new vegetarian, I have recently purchased many cookbooks. This one has become my favorite by far! I have tried recipes from all different sections, from appetizers to salads to main course and all but one have been delicious. As the only vegetarian in my household, I appreciate the recipes with fewer servings. Who would have thought that my non-vegetarian family would love Roasted Vegetable (Tofu) Quesadillas?!

So, I have to admit...when I picked this book up, it was to giggle a bit at the photos. But when I started to peruse the recipes, I realized I had to have the book. If you are vegetarian (or, like me, just don't eat a ton of meat), you likely already keep most of the ingredients as staples and buy the rest on a fairly regular basis. Perhaps you will even find something you always wanted to try, but never knew how to make edible--mine was quinoa. The recipies are diverse, creative, and easy to prepare (there is a "Special Occasions" section for time or labor intensive foods). Best of all, everything actually works! Several of the recipes have become standards for me, and every time I flip through I find something else I want to try. And, yes, I still occasionaly find myself laughing at the pictures.

I am extremely pleased with this book. A yoga instructor told me to check it out and I decided to buy it after reading the other review here. The recipes are well written and there is a lot of variey as well. So far, I have made the Louisiana Gumbo and the Southern Style Gravy with Sesame Biscuits - and both turned out amazing! I like the menu suggestions in the back and am anxious to try more of the recipes. If everything continues to turn out like the previous recipes, I may have a favorite new cookbook!

The collaborative work of master chefs Faith Stone and Rachael Guidry, Yoga Kitchen: Vegetarian Recipes From The Shoshoni Yoga Retreat offers menus drawn from the Shoshoni Retreat kitchen and which composed of meatless recipes that share the qualities of "conscious energy, pleasurable dining, and cultural diversity". From Baked Corn and Coconut Kachoris; Creamy Pumpkin Seed Dressing; Crisp Moo Shoo Vegetables with Homemade Scallion Pancakes; and Curried Chickpea and Potato Stew; to Grilled BBQ Tofu; Sauteed Green Beans and Swiss Chard with Toasted Urad Dal; Mountain Yogi Kichari; and Peach Surprise Muffins, Yoga Kitchen is a very welcome, delightfully delicious, nutritionally wholesome, "user friendly", and enthusiastically recommended complement to any vegetarian cookbook collection!

The insights and wisdom contained in this book is awesome. Blarney Stone (Susan Ryan) paints a beautiful word picture of new combinations of cooincidences or similarities. This new panoply of words and notions, notches your mind to the next level to contemplate what Blarney maintains, that "the most hidden is really right in front of our very eyes!" A MUST-READ if you've had the least interest in Kaballah or how the universe works. A must have for your metaphycial book collection.

This wounderful work by Blarnee Stone makes one think about preconceived notions. The authors use of allusion and witt combine to make a very entertaining book. This reading will appeal to a large audience, not only those interested in The Qabalah and Astrology. It makes you wounder about life's coinsidences even if you were never interested in them before. The book provides great insight for Bible Buffs, or read this enchanting piece to simply enlighten yourself. I cannot wait for the next volume!!!

A fast read that peaked my interest. I couldn't put it down and can't wait for the next volume. I truly enjoyed it.

"You've been Kissing the Blarney Stone," you're full of "Blarney"....ever heard those expressions? Have you ever said them to someone trying to turn your head with declarations of undying love and devotion you did not believe for a moment? Well, although the author of You be Franken I'll be Earnest calls himself/herself - and I am inclined to believe it is a she - Blarney Stone, there is not one bit of blarney in this book. Oh yes, the author uses wit, and goofy humor to take us on a magical, mystery tour of the Kabbalah, the Tarot, Bushes and hedges, words, word play, past presidents and prophecies of future ones, politics, conversations with God (ess), numerology, and more, but she (I insist!) is DEADLY EARNEST about the message. Not since I saw Whoopi Goldberg's early Broadway standup routine, have I been hit in the solar plexus with such force. Whoopi made me laugh hysterically, but she was deadly serious as well.

It is quite clear this book is the result of much personal meditation, inspiration, insight, and thorough research, and an attempt to reach out to all of us to wake up, to open our eyes, to snap out of our complacency and see, really see, what the Universe, the holy books, the mystical books, the animals, the plants, the oceans, mountains, and our Mother Earth are trying to tell us. Everything we need to know to stop those who would push the self-destruct button, is hidden in full view if we only we would open our eyes.

Blarney Stone ....

Thank you for "Saving The Best Wine" till last!! Most books for me burn out after about 10 pages. But not yours!! It instantly peaked my interest and held my attention till the very "final word." Thank you! Can't wait till the next book.

This author has such an exquisite Biblical background, the gift of God-given insights, a superb mastery of alternative wisdom, rich pithy expressionism plus a delightful warm, sharp sense of humor!

A great read. Another plus for Clinton, Massachusett - truly labeled--"Best Extradordinary Town By A Dam Site." R.L.Harding,
publishusa@yahoo.com

Hi we've got this book in our CJP-NHRecord Office to show to anyone interested in obtaining a rewarding career in the Music Industry. This is one book they should read from cover to cover and cherish as a treasure. It's a full of great wisdom from a great gentleman who enriched the lives of so many and whose spirit is carried on and alive through Joan Carol, his wife, who is a great lady in her own right. Take the opportunity to read about WHY "you've got to be bad before you can be good" and then you can work toward the rewarding career in the Music Industry that Cliffie himself understood, loved, & lived so well. Thank you for letting me tell you IT'S WORTH YOUR purchase and actually UNDER priced for its value of knowledge enclosed. It will make a GREAT present for anyone this season and all year long. God Bless and now "BE GOOD!" & add it to your order!!

Hi we've got this book in our CJP-NHRecord Office to show to anyone interested in obtaining a rewarding career in the Music Industry. This is one book they should read from cover to cover and cherish as a treasure. It's a full of great wisdom from a great gentleman who enriched the lives of so many and whose spirit is carried on and alive through Joan Carol, his wife, who is a great lady in her own right. Take the opportunity to read about WHY "you've got to be bad before you can be good" and then you can work toward the rewarding career in the Music Industry that Cliffie himself understood, loved, & lived so well. Thank you for letting me tell you IT'S WORTH YOUR purchase and actually UNDER priced for its value of knowledge enclosed. It will make a GREAT present for anyone this season and all year long. God Bless and now "BE GOOD!" & add it to your order!!

Hi we've got this book in our CJP-NHRecord Office to show to anyone interested in obtaining a rewarding career in the Music Industry. This is one book they should read from cover to cover and cherish as a treasure. It's a full of great wisdom from a great gentleman who enriched the lives of so many and whose spirit is carried on and alive through Joan Carol, his wife, who is a great lady in her own right. Take the opportunity to read about WHY "you've got to be bad before you can be good" and then you can work toward the rewarding career in the Music Industry that Cliffie himself understood, loved, & lived so well. Thank you for letting me tell you IT'S WORTH YOUR purchase and actually UNDER priced for its value of knowledge enclosed. It will make a GREAT present for anyone this season and all year long. God Bless and now "BE GOOD!" & add it to your order!!

The word on the street in L.A. & Nashville has been that this is THE BOOK to buy if you're serious about music. The people who told me this didn't even know who Cliffie is or that I knew him! The book has an extremely friendly & encouraging tone, which I appreciated. The thing that had the most profound effect on me was that I felt like Cliffie was talking directly to me! I felt like he was still with us - telling stories, imparting his wisdom & wit, and that this book was a labor of love, a gift to us after his passing. I felt like he was sitting on my shoulder the whole time I was reading it - I've read a lot of books and have never had that sensation before. (I'm getting chill bumps as I am writing this.) I would not be suprised to learn that he's sitting on lots of people's shoulders while they read this book. The front cover looks warm & friendly, and the copy leads the reader to believe there will be lots of useful, practical advice and suggestions inside, which there is. The back cover looks like a Cliffie & Joan Carol Production! They both look great and the graphic border compliments their Southwestern style. ( I'm a graphic artist as well as a musician, so the first thing I look at is the graphics!) Also, the quotes and their authors are extremely impressive! I don't think anyone has ever written a step-by-step comprehensive guide to moving ahead in the music business, especially one so accessible to the layperson. If I had read it 10 years ago, I could have saved myself a lot of time, energy & frustration; and reading it at this point in my career will help me move ahead more efficiently. We, as the readers, get to benefit from "The Master's" (Hey - I'm not the only one who calls him that!) vast experience & expertise.

It is a rare opportunity to recieve knowledge from one who has done it all, writes from experience, passes on the lessons. It is a book you will want to refer to over and over again as you journey down music road.

I am having a great time going through my Bible marking all the portraits of Jesus he brings out. I am learning so much about foreshadowing of our Lord's life and death. I have heard of some of the obvious ones, but this author brings forth portraits where you wouldn't have thought they existed. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in seeing just what an awesome work of art the Bible is!

I am a pastor.
As a graduate from Westminster Theological Seminary I also have been faithful to preach Christ-Centered sermons so far.
Taking a look at Bob's Beasley's book, I have been so thankful to our LORD that I review his book "101 Portraits of Jesus in the Hebrew Scriptures."
This book is one of the best books I have been reading so far. Bob does his best to reveal our LORD CHRIST from the old testment of scripture.
The contents of the book is so precisely and spiritually summarized that anyone who reads this book will have great insight of how to read the Bible as Jesus wants.

Bob says about this book that it is primarily for lay people, but I am sure that all kinds of preachers have to read this book mandatorily.
Luke 24:27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

Pastor Junshik Hwang, Ann Arbor, Michigan

What better way to pass the time than meditating on the person of Jesus Christ? In "101 Portraits of Jesus in the Hebrew Scriptures", Bob Beasley gives us Jesus in all of His New Testament glory by taking us back to the Old Testament. After all, isn't that what the apostles did to show us the wonder of and beauty of our Savior? One has to ask if Bob has not captured on these pages some sense of the conversation Jesus had with those men on the road to Emmaus when He opened up the Scriptures to them. Thank you, Bob, for putting these meditations down in print. I am going to make sure every member of my congregation has the opportunity to read and profit from this book.

101 Portraits of Jesus in the Hebrew Scriptures is a wonderful resource for both pastors and laypeople alike. Christians often hear that Christ is found on every page of Scripture, yet many still struggle at times to see him on the page in their day-to-day reading. But 101 Portraits gives you an amazing guided tour of the Old Testament as it points to Jesus Christ on every stop along the way. Equally amazing, each stop along the way is easy to understand, short and pithy (2 pages per passage), and yet points the way to deeper study if you are so inclined. Now there's no excuse for not seeing how Jesus Christ is the "same yesterday, today and forever!" This is a trip through Scripture we can and should all take.

1776 is a very special play. It portrays true historical magic. I especially liked the play because of the character development. I liked how Peter Stone, the author, developed John Adams character. Stone portrayed Adams as an egotistical jerk who would not take no for an answer. The ironic thing was that his unwillingness to quit was the key to winning our independence.

I am especially involved in the study of history. The play was actually quite accurate except for all the singing and dancing which was added for theatrical purposes. The play had great lyrics and music. Not only was the book version well done the movie was also excellent. The movie stayed word for word with the book.

This play attracted my attention to a specific theme. When John Adams was desperate and discouraged he did not give up. He kept on pushing and pushing untill he had the outcome he wanted. A major theme of this novel would have to be to not give up when faced with tremendous odds. If John Adams had given up then we would most likely still be under British rule.

This play should definitly be read by all u.s. history classes. It inspires patriotism just at the mention of the title. This play is a great source and accurate account of exactly how this great nation became so great. A truly outstanding book.

Peter Stone's play "1776", is not only a wonderfully entertaining piece of musical theatre, containing great songs and dialogue (often with a healthy amount of wit), it is also historically accurate. The story centers around the Second Continental Congress in Philidelphia (most notably John Adams), in the months immediately prior to the signing of The Declaration of Independence. One of the things that impressed me most about this play was that when writing dialogue between Congress members, letters from Gen. Washington, and conversations between Adams and his wife, Stone reviewed historical documents. Thus, many exchanges you hear/read throughout the play were actual conversations or letters written by those people. Therefore, the play is not only entertaining, it's educational. This play allows you to better understand the people who fought so hard to secure American independence. So often we revere our forefathers with such a sense of awe that we forget their basic humanity. Stone does a wonderful job of reminding us all that these were simple men and women, with everyday hopes and dreams, who were also willing to risk their lives for the freedom that they sought. I think that this play ought to be performed for every school in America -- it teaches while it entertains!

This musical play really inspires patriotic feelings for any American that reads it. A sense of the magnanimity of such an occasion can be felt by its readers. From John Adams's beligerant character to Ben Franklin's sensibility, the reader will feel like he has known these great men and women forever.

Every 4th of July I watch the restored laser disc edition of "1776," the musical that has our Founding Fathers singing and dancing their way to Independency, and every time John and Abigail Adams sing goodbye to each other ("Till Then" and "Yours, Yours, Yours"), I get absolutely choked up (to be fair, I get absolutely choked up when I listen to either the original Broadway cast with William Daniels as John Adams or the revival cast with Brent Spiner in the role). But as much as I enjoy the songs, from "Sit Down, John" to "Is Anybody There?", what I admire is the way Peter Stone's book tells the story of what happened in foul, fetid, fuming, foggy, filthy Philadelphia.

Granted this is drama and not history. A historian would point to a big error in that John Dickinson did not show up the day of the crucial vote so that Pennsylvania would not kill independence. But Stone lays out the positions of those who oppose independence, not only Dickinson but Edmund Rutledge of South Carolina, who wants independence but sees it as independence for South Carolina. Consequently, even though we know that these men are going to sign their John Hancocks to the Declaration we still wonder how it will happen given the obstacles. The biggest one is slavery, and while the song "Molasses To Rum" captures the Triangle Trade, it is the debate between Rutledge on the one side and Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin on the other that is even more memorable as the Founding Fathers discuss the difference between "property" and "people being treated like property."

One of the most unusual things about "1776" as a musical is that the vast majority of songs are in Act I, because once the declaration committe's draft is read to the congress ("The Egg"), the debate becomes too important for anything but the most somber of songs. The genius here is the ability to mix low comedy, as in "The Lees of Old Virginia," with the historical drama, best represented by the moment when Franklin justifies the need for independency to Dickinson. Stone takes Franklin's old words, "We are a new nationality. We require a new nation," and amplifies them into a moment of ideological clarity. It is the gravity of that moment which allows the songs by Sherman Edwards to go off in fanciful directions, along with Franklin's pointed reminder at the crucial moment that the Founding Fathers were not demi-gods.

I maintain there is a wonderful educational opportunity with "1776." Obviously it is not what "really" happened, but it is based on such things, from the words of the Declaration of Indpendence to the letters exchanged between John and Abigail always addressed to "My dearest friend." Granted, not all students will be interested in exploring the reality behind the drama, but for those willing to make the connection, it is a worthwhile step in the development of their critical faculties.