T Books

I used an earlier edition in seminary, and have referred to it many times as a pastor and university professor. Ladd lays out a theological orientation that gives Christian leaders an effective framework to help connect contemporary generations to the Word of God.

I am just getting into my study of this book and the lessions has already brought change in my Christian walk as I see more clearly what it means to be in the Kingdom of God. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is serious about knowing what our Lord was preaching about and what He was living.

Ladd's New Testament Theology is a helpful introduction to the Biblical Theology of the New Testament. Ladd's primary contribution to the field of Biblical Theology is the incorporation of the "already" "not yet" eschatological dimension into New Testament theology. In his work he argues that there is a tension between realized and future eschatology throughout the entire New Testament. The future Kingdom of God has broken into the present and has radically shifted the entire redemptive history of the New Testament. While this Kingdom of God has become a present reality the entirety of its reign remains a future hope. This tension exists throughout the entire New Testament.

Ladd treats the Synoptic Gospels together and focuses primarily in arguing his case that the future coming age has broken in to the present age. R. T. France adds a helpful chapter where he looks at the unique contribution of each of the synoptics to theology. Much of the material on the Synoptics seemed a bit redundant and could have been shortened. However, when Ladd proceeds to discuss the Gospel of John he is at his best. The chapter where he discusses the Johannine Dualism is extremely helpful. Also the chapter on John's view of eternal life is very instructive.

In my opinion the best chapter in the book is on the resurrection of Christ. If Christ be not raised from the dead then our faith is useless - Ladd showed the importance and necessity of the resurrection throughout this chapter. He argued persuasively for the undeniable historical fact of the resurrection. Also in his dealing with the relationship of the church and Israel I believe he is dead on. He argues correctly that the church is the new spiritual Israel.

I must confess that his section on Paul was slightly disappointing. I believe that Ridderbos' Paul: An Outline is the best on Pauline Theology and most other works pale in comparison. With that said, the section was still helpful. Much of the section on Paul seems dated as it was written before the "Sanders Revolution." However, his section on Paul and the Law proves refreshing compared to the material written today although I disagree with his interpretation of Romans 7.

The chapter on the work of Christ, which detailed the atonement, was helpful. Ladd treats various biblical aspects of the atonement such as its relation to the love of God, its sacrificial and substitutionary nature along with propitiation and redemption. In his chapter on justification he highlights that justification is eschatological. While I believe this is true I remain nervous at the possible outcome for holding such a view. One potential danger is to say that the ground of realized justification is the work of Christ while the ground of future justification is the resultant good works. I believe he is correct to write, "Justification, which primarily means acquittal at the final judgment, has already taken place in the present. The eschatological judgment is no longer alone future; it has become a verdict in history" (483). Although I hesitate to use the word "primarily" for justification also seems to be rooted in eternity while worked out in present time and consummated in the future. Ladd uses the language of imputation and argues that the ground of our justification is the work of Christ and his righteousness imputed to our account (489, 491).

The rest of Ladd's work is most disappointing. He spends a mere 70 pages in dealing with the rest of the New Testament. His treatment of Hebrews - a theologically rich book - barely skims the surface while his treatment of the rest of the Catholic Epistles is hardly worth reading. Also it is surprising for someone who has done so much work on eschatology to only spend 15 pages on the book of Revelation. David Wenham's essay on the "Unity and Diversity of the New Testament" is a helpful introduction to a difficult subject.

Overall I believe that Ladd's work is a helpful contribution to the field of New Testament Theology although I believe it is sadly lacking in some places. Some of the additional essays (Hagner, France, and Wenham) have sought to fill the void, but there remains a large gap in the Catholic Epistles. Nonetheless, it is a volume worth working through and should remain a valuable repository for years to come.

this is a thick, beefy book! Exellent treatment of new testament theological themes, deals with just about the whole range of new testament studies, a gold mine!! hits a home run with responsible biblical interpretation, although it's a bit involved at times, it may not be the best choice for beginners. Even beginners though, if they are willing to work through this book, will learn loads of new testament theology.

I have just completed reading this book for a New Testament Theology class. This book is amazing. I keep a good portion of my school books for future use on a book shelf. This book does not belong on the book shelf, it belongs on my desk. I recomend this book to anyone interested in the Theology of the New Testament.

I thoroughly enjoyed "There Ain't Enough Front Porches."

I found it to be a spell binding and delightful tale whose characters came to life for me.

Mitch Stennett
President of EDA, Jones County MS

16 y.o. Billy Rose Marsh's story starts with a death many years after she meets the love of her life, Kenner Golden. It is a nostalgic look at small town life in the South, but there are mysteries, secrets kept until near the end of the book and deaths, sometimes suspicious. It is a hard book to put down and I found myself identifying with some of the characters, since I lived for a time in a similar Southern town. Your feelings can range all the way from amusement to sadness. There are a number of touching moments in the book, particularly notice when a dime is mentioned. Buy the book, read it, then give several books to people you love. As a book reviewer for The Funseekers Radio Network I read a lot of books every month. This one really held my interest. The combination of a 16 y.o. classical pianist who is influenced by Elvis, the air of mystery and the keeping of "the secret" in the book until the last part, plus the surprises at the end make the book a great read.

If you have the winter blues and find yourself in desperate need of a vacation, may I suggest you read "There Ain't Enough Front Porches" by Molly Marx Brent. She's a highly descriptive writer. She draws you easily into her story. So easily you will swear that you can feel the gentle Mississippi breeze and feel the grass under your feet. Her characters are so well written you can almost reach out and touch each and every one. It was an incredible read and quite the delight. I can't wait for book two.

Can one person really make a difference in this world?

This is the story of Billy Rose Marsh, who was affectionately known as "The Kid". She had been trained since birth for a career in music, however when she turned sixteen, her plans came to a crashing halt. It all started with a mysterious blind date, arranged by her overly protective father. Little did anyone know that from that day forward, "The Kid" would be caught in a downward spiral, as her days of pink ruffles and laughter were slowly replaced with a hospital gown and sedatives.

Ms. Brent has written a flawless novel! Set in the fictional town of Dunn Berry, readers will be treated to the down-home hospitality of the South as they relive the "good old days" of 1955. The author has magnificently portrayed this time and place through dialogue and description. The characters are all richly drawn and utterly unforgettable.

Yet, it's the story line that will clutch readers' hearts with this tale of regret, repentance and reconciliation. The book begins at the funeral of Billy Rose Marsh and is really a journey into her life and the lives of all she touched with her love and talent. This poignant story is filled with shocking twists and turns, love, hate and even murder. Gradually, all the secrets of this sleepy town are brought to light. However, in spite of the sadness and scandals, there is an overriding trust in God and an unshakeable hope for the future.

The author herself seems to be acquainted with the themes of trust and hope. At age sixty-five, she was totally disabled from a heart attack and stroke. This book was written from her bed. It's her desire that this story will be an inspiration to others to never give up. It's this reviewer's belief that her goal will be accomplished. This book undoubtedly has the potential and power to influence lives.

There Ain't Enough Front Porches is a journey back in time to dramatically give readers hope for a better future.

After reading "There Ain't Enough Front Porches," you might find your speech has slowed to a lazy drawl, you have a sudden hankerin' for cornbread, and you've suddenly started using words like "hankerin'". That's how deeply the characters and the story draw you in to the world of Dunn Berry, Mississippi.

Meet Billy Rose Marsh--better known to Dunn Berry as "The Kid"--a 16-year-old girl whose talent is rivaled only by her beauty and spirit. Her life has been a series of performances intended to prepare her for real stardom, until Kenner Golden drives into her life in a brand new Cadillac. Neither of them expects to fall in love--they barely even like each other at the start--but a blind date on Halloween night in 1955 proves to be the beginning of a journey for both of them that changes their lives and the lives of everyone they love as well. Along the way, some long-buried secrets are unearthed, hearts are broken and mended, tragedy strikes without regard to bank accounts or social status, and more than a few miracles are witnessed. Like a visit with the kinfolks, this book will make you laugh, cry, cuss, and cheer, but it will also leave you feeling heartened and at peace, as if you'd just spent a balmy Southern evening holding hands with your sweetheart on your mama's front porch.

I had read Disguised Blessings a few years ago and wanted more of Georgia Bockoven books ever since. Finally found them through Amazon booksellers and have been devouring the rest of her stories all summer.
This story was such a beautiful weaving of love within a family that suffered and yet managed to thrive through the love of a grandmother. It underscores the importance of patience and persistence of mothers and the wonderful men who come into their lives.
Ms Bockoven!! Please write more books!!

The characters in this story were very well developed and believable. The story was gripping and the plot was excellent. I believe this is Georgia's best book to date

I stumbled across this book quite by accident and boy did I fall. It's an easy read that keeps your attention to the very last page. It is all about family and finding your way home. I loved this book. Can't wait to read her others.

The only reason I got this book from the library is becuase of the lead character's name. This book was great. It really makes you take a good look at your own family ties. The story was great, you could relate to the characters, the people were real. This book is a keeper, will be looking for more of Georgia's titles.

I picked up this book thinking 'Okay, it's sounds pretty interesting' and to my surprise it was not only interesting, it was tremendously addicting! I didn't want to put the book down. Any free time I had from the kids and work I had my face was buried in the book. It's a great book, it's one that I'll keep for my kids and one that I'll send to my sisters. The characters are wonderful and very realistic. One that'll touch your heart. Pick one up, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

This is a handy little reference for a variety of time-saving tips and tricks. You'll definitely be able to economize your daily activities if you keep this book near you when building your reports and analyses. Don't be surprised if you dog-ear quite a few pages.

JR

An Excel User doesn't need to spend years in learning Excel, thus to get the most of it. An Excel User needs to know how to "kill the time" through Excel's Abilities. An Excel User just needs a book as "This isn't Excel it's Magic". It is a friendly Piece of Advise submitted in a gracious manner by the Excel Magician Bob Umlas,Microsoft Most Valuable Professional.This book will become "A Daily Excel Encyclopedia" to everyone who looks for Excel proficiency in job accomplishment.
A 21 century Excel User deserves this book. Do not miss Bob's Excel CLEVERNESS!!!
Pavlina

This book is full of quick hints that can save you time and frustration when working with Microsoft Excel. Many functions were identified that I never knew existed. This book is definitely worth the price. Enjoy!!!

What a handy little book chuck full of hints, tips and techniques by Bob Umlas. Bob Umlas is a Microsoft MVP and has held that honor since 1995 for his dedication to various online groups

The book is organized into 6 categorizing chapters: Features, Formulas, Keyboard Shortcuts, Printing, Miscellaneous, and VBA. It contains 142 pages with 84 tricks, tips and manipulative techniques, some of which are quite useful.

Some of the techniques covered are ones that you probably learned at some point but have forgotten. Others will be old tricks applied differently that will give you a new perspective. Plus there are many advanced features that are explained to stretch your skills. What impresses me the most is the practicality of what is presented in the book. The majority of the techniques are useful hints that can be put into practice rather easily.

This isn't Excel, It's Magic! is a fantastic book. I thought I knew a lot about Excel; but I now realize how little I did know. It is hard to pick a favorite because there are so many great head spinning, jaw dropping tips & tricks.

The book is well written with easy to follow examples. It makes unlocking the power of Excel an amazing experience. 85 great topics ranging from using advance filters to using vba bookmarks. A must have for beginning and expert users everywhere.

Thanks for a great time saving book, Mr. Umlas. You are a true magician!!

Excellent book. Louise (the mother) writes in a restrained, understated, yet intelligent style that breaks one's heart. Those of us with children who suffer with mental illness will appreciate the details of this story -- we are usually presented with the broad strokes of a family's descent into madness (as we are in Raeburn's "Acquainted with the Night") but this book offers us the small observations that we share with other families in the same situation. The author makes us feel the frustrations of an intelligent woman forced to deal with uncomprehending psychiatrists, teachers, neighbours, and social assistance workers. When you are the parent of a young adult with a mental illness, you are powerless in the face of bureaucracy and Louise reminds us of how soul-destroying this vulnerability can be. As the other reviewers commented, I wish I knew what happened to Louise and her husband over the years, and to their son. I googled her name and the name of the book but was unable to find much.

Our high school library was weeding out books and I came across this book. I instantly knew it was a book about mental illness, being a mother of a son with paranoid schizophrenia. I started to read it and I never put it down. It was painful to read because I knew the hurt and the hopelessness that Louise and her family felt. Her story provides a look into a family that learns to love, live and hope in spite of the heartache and pain they endure. It truely speaks for all of us on this journey. My son is homeless right now because we can not allow him to come home. He refuses medication and is an adult. Even after all this time, there are simply no easy answers for these problems and our federal and state govenments do not do enough. Louise this is a beautiful book, I felt your courage, your pain, your love and I could see Tony and I saw my son.

I have to wonder what was happened to Tony since this book was written in 1968??? Maybe his Mom has written a sequel or up date. Tony was very much like my son in many ways, but his illness didn't erupt until he was around 35 and was diagnosed as Bipolar/manic drepression. Somewhere around 1990. Luckily there were good drugs to keep him somewhat "normal" I hope Louise will contact me to let me know how Tony is doing if she reads this. Inability to get along with other people is paramount in Tony's and my son's world. Paranoia is ever present. My son, as a youngster, used to tell me to quit looking at him when I was admiring my beautiful, blond headed Adonis. So, Louise, if you're stil around, I would love to hear from you!!!1 Best, Anne in North Carolina

I ran across This Stranger, My Son: A mother's story, while packing up my high school library. It is an old title and the book was well worn and needed to be replaced. The title intrigued me and I took it home to read. I was propelled to my childhood by the heart-breaking stories of a little boy lost. You see, I was the sister of such a "monster." I watched as my parents struggled on a very modest income to get help for my brother. My brother, about the same age as Tony, was tormented at school. The safety of home is where he released all his pent-up rage. I hated him; called him a monster and worse. Thank you, Louise Wilson, for allowing me to see that my guilt was really my love for a brother who was ill not mean. My brother has had a fairly normal life because of the recognition of a chemical imbalance for which he takes medication. Please let your readers know how Tony has faired. Now, since this title is out of print, I'll just dust off this book, place a new cover on it and book talk it to my high school students. A sequel would be wonderful...we so care about you, Tony and all of your family.

I read this book as a child of nine in an excerpted version in 'The Reader's Digest' and I have never forgotten the anguish Jane suffered when Tony wiped jam all over her party dress. I managed to get a second-hand copy [...], and it went even deeper this time. I am a mother of a child in England who has ADHD, and thirty years on, the same tags were hung on us as they put on Louise and Jack - bad parent, dysfunctional family etc. Nothing's changed, at all. Deborah Spungen had the same experiences as Louise with her poor daughter Nancy ten years later, and it took the 'experts' just as long to diagnose Nancy Spungen with paranoid schizophrenia. I greatly admire the parents of these two lost children. Does anyone know if anything ever helped Tony as the book ends in 1968? Louise and Deborah, Tony and Nancy, you are in my prayers.

This is a book with a narrow focus taht has far-reaching implications. Cavanaugh examines Chile under the Pinochet regime. This regime used torture as a tool of the state. In essence, torture became a "liturgy" of the state. Unfortunately, the church was not prepared to deal with such a turn of events. That is because the ecclesiology of the church at the time held that the state was to care for the body while the church cared for the soul. This dualism created problems for the church resisting the torture of the state.

It is at this point that Eucharist is suggested as a counter liturgy. Where torture individualizes, the Eucharist creates a social body. Eucharist helps others while the torture only harms. In short, Eucharist provides the means for the church to engage meaninfully the wayward state.

This book says wonderful things about the situation in Chile. It could also have implications in other contexts. What does it mean for the Eucharist to act as a counter liturgy to the litugy of capitalism? How does the building up of a social body in Eucharist allow Christians to deal with the fragmentation of war? There is much more that could be said based on what Cavanaugh does in this wonderful book.

This remarkable book has forever changed the way I view the Church, the State, the Eucharist, Torture, and how they all relate.

William Cavanaugh's dissertation takes the form of a historical case study of the Roman Catholic Church in Chile during the Pinochet regime. He begins by dicussing how torture and disappearance[1] are ecclesiological problems. What he means is that torture and disappearance are not merely horrible abominations enacted upon individuals, but are violence enacted upon social bodies. Who are the victims of torture and disappearance? In once sense, it is those who have been tortured and disappeared, but in another it is all of those who dwell in the society in which this is taking place. This is because torture and disappearance are actions that can happen to anyone at anytime, so all people are kept in fear and an anxiety.

The idea of torture is perhaps the most effective generator of fear, since torture reaches to the very limits of horror, turning the body against the person to such an extent that death become desirable. Fear of torture, fear of death, were concrete fears that only began to articulate the hidden anxieties which lurked beneath the surface of Chilean society. (p. 47, emphasis added)

In this way, torture is liturgical:

Torture may be considered a kind of perverse liturgy, for in torture the body of the victim is the ritual site where the state's power is manifested in its most awesome form. Torture is liturgy...because it involves bodies and bodily movements in an enacted drama which both makes real the power of the state and constitutes an act of worship to that mysterious power. (p. 30, emphasis original)

So Cavanaugh argues that in Chile, torture was an act of violence upon the imaginations of the society. The society as a whole was made to take on the imagination of the state and forget all other narratives.

How Did the Church in Chile respond to these attacks?

Cavanaugh says that the Church in Chile had a deficient understanding of ecclesiology, which led to it being totally unprepared to deal with the violence of the regime. He argues that the Church had allowed itself to be relegated to a private "spiritual" sphere. They viewed the human being as being under two divinely sanctioned authorities, the Church (in regard to spiritual matters) and the State (in regard to social matters). When the state launched attacks upon the imaginations of the people of Chile in the form of torture and disappearance the Church was forced to respond to a state that was refusing to live by the bifurcation that their ecclesiology demanded. "Chapter 2 describes how ill-prepared the official church was to meet this strategy, since its own ecclesiology had already, in effect, disappeared the church as a social body." (p. 120)

So the church's response was to try and recapture its political and social aspects. The church learned how to be oppressed and give voices of dissent to the oppressors. The church began to tell a different story from that of the state, a story that gave the people a new imagination.

Cavanaugh offers several examples of how the church in Chile learned to do just this in the midst of their oppression. Specifically, he focus his study on the Eucharist as the church's response to torture.

"The Eucharist , as the gift which effects the visibility of the body of Christ, is therefore the church's counter-imagination to that of the state." (p. 251)

"The Eucharist is the promise and demand that the church enact the true body of Christ now, in time. Worldly kingdoms have declared the Kingdom of God indefinitely deferred, and the poor are told to suffer their lot quietly and invisibly. In the Eucharist the poor are invited now to come and feast in the Kingdom. The Eucharist must not be a scandal to the poor. It demands real reconciliation of oppressed and oppressor, tortured and torturer. Barring reconciliation, Eucharist demands judgement." (p. 263)

The church in Chile was unable to adequately respond to the abuses of the regime because of its faulty ecclesiology. But after a time the church found within its own structures and liturgy the tools necessary to respond to the actions of the state by proclaiming a parallel narrative. The church learned that it can not separate between the spiritual and the social, between the ecclesial and the political.

May the church in America learn this truth as well.

[1] Disappearance, as Cavanaugh defines it, is the apprehension of individuals by the regime without the officers of arrest identifying themselves or giving the specifics of the charges. The individual is then held in custody for an extended length of time without trial or knowledge of when his imprisonment and torture will end.

Cavanaugh's book shows what Radical Orthodoxy is all about--he traces some of the myths that drive Western nation-states to medieval theological hiccups; he delves the resources of Christian liturgy for strength to resist the all-envious nation-state; he points to times and places that the Church has really "gotten it right" and taken a stand against the idols and empires in the name of Christian charity.

Best of all, Cavanaugh does it in such a manner that a reader who has trouble with John Milbank's dizzying syntax (and I are one) can make it though his book without having to read each paragraph three times.

For people who suspect that neocon political ideology is more sinister than we've been led to think, and for people who believe that the Peace of Christ is neither utopian dream nor otherworldly sigh but practices through which the gracious Father of the universe, incarnated in the Son and empowering peaceable communities through the Spirit, can redeem, even if incompletely, the world which God so loves.

When I first heard of this book, I thought I had a fairly good idea of what I would discover within. With its focus on torture in general, and the torture employed by the Chilean Pinochet regime specifically, I was sure that Cavanaugh's work was going to be some form of Liberation Theology. What I was not prepared to find was a work that arrived at many of the same moral conclusions as Liberation Theology, but which transcended this theology's shortcomings precisely because it was so thoroughly orthodox. But that is exactly what "Torture and Eucharist" is.

For Cavanaugh, torture is a kind of "anti-liturgy" employed by the State to divide its social bodies into individual and powerless units. The Christian performance of the Eucharist serves as the ultimate antithesis to this division, uniting the Church's members into one perfect political Body, the Body of Christ. This may initially sound like excessive idealism, but Cavanaugh pulls no punches in critiquing his own communion's failings. Focusing primarily on Jacque Maritain's ecclesiology and "Social Catholicism," Cavanaugh demonstrates how the Church under Pinochet abdicated its responsibility toward the "body," by turning this responsibility over to the State and by claiming jurisdiction only over the "soul". It is this separation of the "physical" from the "spiritual," the "political" from the "theological," that Cavanaugh presents as the primary reason the Catholic Church could offer no systemic resistance to Pinochet's regime. And it is, of course, only the Eucharist that perfectly unites the two realities--the Body which the Church failed to recognize.

The final part of the book contains case studies that demonstrate alternatives to the atomized and scattered ecclesiology of the Church during Pinochet's reign, though exactly how the Church at large could have reacted as the "Body of Christ" remains an open question. But I did not find this to be a shortcoming, as the author is committed to dealing with history, not speculation. Overall, I believe I have encountered in Cavanaugh a brilliant and sincere theologian, worthy of reading multiple times. It is an understatement to say this book gave me many things to ponder, at once disturbing and inspiring, long after I had read the last page.

A life-changing book in my development as a convert to Catholicism. Few have ever demonstrated the inherent relevance of the Eucharist in the arena of "worldly" power politics. Cavanaugh revealed to me how Catholics need not look so much outside of doctrinal orthodoxy for a response to secular evils. Rather the transformative power of the Eucharist and the Liturgy is ever yet to be discovered, not just as succor for the soul but also for the nations.

I can only echo the other reviews and state that this is one of the best books for coaches out there. This is the one book I'd keep if I had to toss out all of the other soccer books on my shelf. You don't have to pay the thirty bucks or more charged here. It's still available from Reedswain for much less.

I think that this book is the finest book (to date) on coaching the female athlete at the highest levels. In my time as a NCAA Div. II women's soccer coach, a girls high school coach, and premier level girls soccer coach, I have found Dorance's theories and models to be highly useful. This is NOT a book for the recreational coach. The focus of the book is the philosophy and foundation of creating soccer champions.

Anson's insight into the mind of the female athlete is not only clear and concise but, it is uncanny as well. I have found the ideas in his book have led me to a better understanding of my own players. This understanding has helped me form a consistant winning program where ever I have coached.

I would highly recommend this book to any individual who is looking for more theory and philosophy to coaching. This book is not a daily practice guide with drills and games, rather it is an excellent source for building a successful women's soccer program.

I am not a soccer coach. This book was recommended to me by a volleyball coaching mentor. He recommended it and said it was the best coaching book he had ever read.... I agree.

There is not doubt why Anson Dorrance is one of the best soccer coaches in the world. His insights into success with female athletes is extremely helpful and I recommend this book to anyone who wants to be a better coach, period.

This book is an excellent guide for ways to develop your soccer team and take them to a new level. This is more for advanced coaches, but I think beginning coaches can utilize these techniques also. Covers great program building techniques for youth boys and women of all levels. Great resource for all soccer coaches.

I've only coached men's college teams, but I'm convinced Anson's principles represent a foundation for the future of coaching -- for athletes of either sex. Competition is fun and practices need to be fun. The days of drill sergeant as coaching model are over.

Kids from most countries now have hundreds of choices in terms of different sports and entertainment. Every minute of practice needs to be fun or they'll do something else. And it's only going to get worse.

Obviously the "competitive caldron" can create women's US college soccer champions (UNC won the title again in 2000), but it may also be our best chance to lure the upcoming Sega generation into team sports.

This play is amazing, crazy and oh so funny. It's fun to read and even better to watch!

A "screwball" comedy that is very well written and superbly crafted, a wonderful theater ensemble piece with action and interesting stage business pretty much constantly going on in every scene. It just percolates with fun from start to finish. It has wonderfully endearing characters and is very indicative of the 1930's America concerns and values. It informs the audience about those times, while teaching a wonderful message of tolerance and the benefits of diversity and individualism. The character of Grandpa espouses a philosophy that is both timely and timeless, and that would benefit all people at all times, if they would just adopt it as a way to live. It is simply to relax and enjoy life. Quit striving for the seemingly important, but actually unimportant things like money, position, unrewarding work for other people. Give up the prejudices and conventional negative assumptions about other people that actually make us unhappy. It seems odd, but is instructive to audiences of today, to know that the play was controversial when written and first produced.

From this wacky family with pet snakes, fireworks, playwrites, and dancers: you learn to expect anything that doesn't make sence, but what you don't expect is them to make sence! That is exactally what happens. When Alice, daugher of Paul and Penny, tells them of the young man that is calling for her, they instantly accept him into the family. His family, however, is not so accepting.
My high school has just started preparing for our performance of this wonderful play. We have all fallen in love with the script and are eager to perform. This is a wonderful choice for any theater program, I am sure that anyone can find it entertaining!

When I first read this play I absolutely loved it. When our school did the production I played the part of Edward Carmichael. It was one of the greatest experiences for me. I loved doing the show, it was soo much fun. To me the show was about a very loving family who has to overcome obstacles. I would love to do the show again.

Reading "You Can't Take It With You" brought back so many memories. This play is full of fireworks, plays, kittens, and everything that comes together to create entertaining chaos! This play can be enjoyed by all ages. High School theatre teachers will smile as their students take pride in portraying characters like Penny, Mr. De Pinna and Essie! This story will stay in your mind as a warm memory.

Just a few days ago I watched German TV, ZDF, praising Joschka Fischer as the foreign minister who stood against Colin Powell and George W. Bush when it came to the Iraq invasion, but the reality is that around Christmas 2002 Mr Fischer suddenly had vowed to support the U.S. in their Iraq adventure. He seems to have strong transatlantic ties. Only Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder managed to hold him back (not because he was a pacifist but because it was not in the interest of German industries) otherwise Joschka Fischer would have thrown bombs again like he did in the Yugoslavian war. It is good that this book keeps record of his actions which should be investigated by the International War Crimes tribunal in The Hague.

Now, 7 years after German Chancellor Schröder and Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer launched the first German war of aggression after WWII we see what their policy was aimed at: to occupy Kosovo and let it become part of the EU. Ralph T. Niemeyer very openly addressed the interest of the German government and industries in occupying this part of Yugoslavia.

Although fiction should not be taken too serious this book has opened my eyes as it makes clear who had an interest in occupying Kosovo: The Germans for the third time in 100 years forcefully brought the 8th corridor under their control. In order to do so they had to invent a building of lies around President Milosevic and by this win public support for their brutal intervention. This book describes very vividly how the war against Yugoslavia was prepared from the Schröder - Fischer government. The facts presented (although the book is overall fictional) seem to be accurate as far as I could find out. Schröder and his gang, like in this book, would probably be found guilty especially since a war of aggression is not only by the German constitution but also the UN charta illegal and in the German criminal code bears lifelong imprisonment. One would think that this would deter men like Schröder and Fischer. That it diod not only shows that the international law is still too weak to go after the real war crime suspects. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading a detailed analysis without the boring style of a mere non-fictional book. The mix of fiction and facts is excellently carried out and it is always clear when facts are presented where these have been obtained from. I like the way, the references have been made. Read it and then think again whether Kosovo should be a member of the EU at the price of another war.

Now, almost eight years after he and German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder ordered the first war of Germany after WWII against a sovereign country former Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer decries the war he had launched employing lies like "Auschwitz is happening again in Yugoslavia" as a mistake. In this book I found the hard facts which prove in a fictional trial based on real evidence how cynical Fischer and Schroeder were leading the unwilling German people into a war of aggression, fashionably marketing it as a war over "human rights". Also Adolf Hitler has always maintained that he had "freed" the people he tortured and had only shot back.

what can we "ordinary" citizens do about our leaders misleading us when it comes to a colonial - kind of expension? Not listen? Hardly, but we should question the news being presented to us. This is what this fictional account of the war crimes committed by our leaders in the NATO war against Yugoslavia teaches us. Haven't Schroeder, Blair, Fischer spoken all along about "Auschwitz" which they wanted to prevent from happening again and used it as a reason to justify the invasion and bombing campaign against Yugoslavia? In this book, although fictional, some hard facts are introduced which if we ever had the guts to ask our leaders about would have made it impossible for them to gain public support for the war against Serbia. We should ask questions now when it comes to another "humanitarian" war, let's say in Sudan....

I got a copy of this book for each of my children after having borrowed it from someone else. I don't necessarily agree with everything that the author has written but he does have some great thoughts on life in general and even better, has written them down for his children to read. I think that most of us would love to share our hard learned wisdom with our children to possibly spare them some heartache and experience of roads better taken but as my daughter always tells me -- she needs to learn from her own mistakes, thank you very much Mom. Still, the idea of the content of the book and wanting my children to have successful well-rounded lives made me purchase the book for them and enclose a letter in which I have added some of my own thoughts, wisdom and wishes for them.

Life offers a very diverse serving of obstacles and opportunities. Each provides it's own lesson that we may become better people for having experienced them. Carl's book drives this home with a wonderfully broad foundation of thoughts and ideas, that are as much for parents as they are for young adults. I felt inspired and grateful that someone took the time to paint a view to life with such down to earth values. Thank you Carl, our whole family enjoyed your book.

I've just finished Carl Nichols' extraordinary book which was a gift to me. I am so grateful that he took the time to write this wonderful how-to full of practial advice, thoughts, and values about work, life, loving, creativity, and leadership. Mr Nichols' book is a welcome relief for those of us who do not have the time or experience to articulate these important principles to our kids. I feel like a much better parent just by having read the book, and I actually find myself having more meaningful conversations with the kids now. We're communicating!

So thanks, Mr. Nichols, for having the courage and insight to write this extraordinary book. I plan to buy several copies for Christmas presents for my friends.

This is a wonderful, succinct book for anyone starting out into adulthood, or any parent wanting a good guide of things to teach their kids. Things learned not in school but through life experiences, Carl distills down into a set of practical advice, as given to his college bound son.

The beauty of this book, relative to the wealth of "self help" books out there, is its complete coverage of "things you need to know" instead of just being about one topic like public speaking or negotiations or money or relationships. Its almost a "best of", short and sweet, targeted to a particular life stage. And Carl's advice rings true throughout.

An ideal gift for a high school or college grad, but also for any age there are lessons for us, and for our kids.

Absolutly great. I feel as though Nichols is my father and all of that advice is directed towards me, too. It is very well written and there are some amazing tips on how to look at certain situations in life. I especially love the comparison of the different types people at work to different breeds of dog. It is a great book. I highly reccomend it to anyone and everyone.