Thomas Books

I took the Microsoft exam 70-216 for network infrastructure today and all I can say is AMAZING! How did the writers know what was on the exam? There is so much obscure stuff on the exam that no other book I read covered the questons on the exam. But this one did. So much of the test was troubleshooting the network, so I guess a TCP/IP troubleshooting book would be the right one. But the similarity of this book to the test is amazing.

This book was good to read too and I am using it at my job and fixing some of the problems we've had with WINS and VPN based on what I learned. Great book and best study guide for the test.

This book is heads and tails above any other TCP/IP book I've read or own. Finally understand how DNS works, the RAS section helped me put together my Win2k VPN. Get this is you wnat to understand some of the weird stuff in Win2k TCP/IP.

We are in the process of moving from NT to Win2k and my boss made me the project manager. I had to get on top of Win2k networking fast. I bought this book on the recommendation of several of my co workers. Glad I got it. The book is informative and detailed in explanations and examples. A must have for the busy guy like me.

OK, I admit it. I learned my TCP/IP for Windows NT exams from reading Exam Cram. Needless to say, I passed the Windows NT TCP/IP test, but couldn't tell a subnet from a supernet. Now I have a job in the industry and I needed to actually learn TCP/IP, especially since we are moving up to Windows 2000 in our shop.

This book is unreal in how good things are explained. Great detail in describing RRAS, WINS, DNS, and the TCP stack. Using the information in the book I am now up to speed on TCP/IP. Enough to pass the 70-216 test! Not bad for a NT MCSE!

For Real, this book helped a lot. I owe the author's a beer on this one.

This book is fresh air to someone like myself who has read at least a dozen Windows 2000 books. I get the impression that a lot of the Windows 2000 books were written by people who write books and don't work with the technology. This book doesn't fall into that class. It was great to read this book, because it renewed my faith that a tech book could be written in a way that doesn't put me to sleep.

They cover Windows 2000 TCP/IP from top to bottom. WINS, DNS, DHCP, RRAS, IIS, routing and network devices. Its all there, and its filled with little known factoids that makes me want to keep reading and have another "aha!" experience.

This book also was the major reason I passed the Microsoft 216 exam so easily. Although I didn't buy it to pass the exam, they seem to cover all the material that the exam covered. A nice bonus. I wish they made the book longer, because I'm sure they could have said a lot more that I would like to read about.

This book isn't for beginners, but neither is Windows 2000. I think once the reader is ready to manage Windows 2000, they'll be ready to get the most out of this exceptional book.

It is a very good book, the reading is really good!!! I loved reading the letters between Jefferson and Adams!!!! The letters are very good!!!!

What an incredible feeling reading the words of two of our country's founding fathers. To feel the respect and affection , as well as irritation, of these men is astounding. I am grateful that they have been made available to us to have and hold in our own hands and libraries and to pass on to our children.

This is a very intersting book. The letters are all preceeded by an introduction that gives the reader historical context as well as a description of the relationship at the time between the writers of the letter.

Out second and third presidents began their political career as friends, fell out, and then fortunately became friends again. In this wonderful collection of personal letters we see not only the men but the times until their deaths July 4, 1826. One of our most beloved presidents and most mis-understood are brought into reality by this collection. They were after all both remarkable men and human beings.

Have you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall and to be able to share in the thoughts and happenings of important places and people? Well, if your desires in that regard include the office of the Presidency of the United States and the early days following the American Revolution, that is exactly what this book provides.

As was typical of statesmen of that day, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams maintained a lengthy personal and professional correspondance the subjects of which were both mundane and highly intellectual. This book takes that correspondance, chronologically arranges it and then groups it according the characteristics of the time and the themes of their correspondance. As an additional bonus, John's wife Abigail Adams is included as well.

My attraction to this volume was to seek clarity and focus on several questions that are quite relevant to today. What was meant and intended by the concept of Separation of Church and State and what was the philisophic and religious thinking of there two important figures? There's no shortage of resources out there to tell you what these men thought, the context of their society and usually as an added bonus how these matters in one way or another support the agenda or perspective of the one putting the source together.

At some point however, if you really want to grapple with these issues or just understand the times and importance of these two men, there is no substitute for simply reading and allowing them to speak for themselves.

The added benefit of reading it through in its entirity is that you are not subjected to the judgement of another as to what is significant, what isn't and you aren't relying upon snippets and quotes that may or may not be in context and may or may not be representative of all that either man had to say upon a certain matter.

Certainly, this is just a small cross-section of all that these two men wrote and by itself there is much more that should be added. However, more than any other correspondance preserved from that day that these men engaged in, this was an exchange between men who considered the other his equal and for whom, with exceptions in time periods that are noted, mutual respect and a desire to explain themselves to one another motivated a candor and depth of intimacy that is difficult to find in other sectors.

Certainly, any student of American History needs this resource as a reference and as such it affords a ready means to add information and topically flip through the pages to see what each man had to say on a particular subject.

Every such student though, in my opinion, owes it to themselves, at least once, to just sit down and read the entire volume. Do this, and you'll have a handle upon the style of communication of the day, a feeling for many of the issues of the day and how they were viewed by the participants who did not have the advantage of knowing at the time how something would resolve. Idiosyncrasies in language and social custom will become more self-evident and the chances of being mislead by a quote isolated from its context will diminish considerably.

In short, for anyone who loves History, this is an experience not to be missed.

The footnotes and introductory passages to the different sections in my opinion do a remarkably good job of providing the reader with just enough context and outside information so that the letters themselves make sense and are not misunderstood. The reader is not told what to think about the letters per se, but rather equipped to make a better informed evaluation and come to their own conclusions. Those elements make the book valuable as well.

5 stars if ever there was a book worthy of 5 stars; again, this IS history.

Bart Breen

A truely amazing book. I found the illistrations easy to understand and the dialogue easy to read. A must for the body therapist

Tons of info. Takes a few extra minutes to process it all but worth the extra time for the added perspective.

I've had this book for a few years, and always take it with me when I go on retreat, and am still trying to absorb... though I've read and re-read the earlier chapters numerous times. I'm a yoga teacher and dietitian, so am fascinated by the science of movement at deeper levels and it's certainly here! Bless you, TM for your focus and perseverance to communicate at the level you do. Inspiring.

A must for any soft tissue therapist. This completes an understanding of how the body is affected by a series muscles.

A huge topic with tons of minutia that is broken down in an easy reading format. I really liked the way the book is set up. Great way to look at the body as a whole and to start thinking about alternative and complimentary modes of treatment up the kinetic chain that you may not think about before reading this book.

This is a beautiful, timeless story, told in gorgeous prose, and charmingly decorated. I'm not the sort of person who gushes over books, but this one is true literary perfection, and not just for children. It's the kind of book that, no matter how old you are when you first read it, will stay with you for the rest of your life.

I read this as a child. It got stuck in my mind, but I could never remember the title, thinking of it only as the story of the Hunter and the Mermaid. I searched for it for years.

This is a beautiful story, one of my favorites for children.

This story by Jarrell is gentle, mythical, and stands the test of time. A short story about a solitary hunter on an island, who meets a mermaid, and together form a family with animals they meet. The tone is warm and soft, kind and at times bittersweet.

While perfect for bedtime, cold or rainy days, this book is appealing to me even as i grow older. The subtle lessons about companionship, newness, differences, loneliness, loss, and joy are not forced to the fore. Rather, an old-fashioned sense of creating an environment as a way to tell a story is key here. Inviting wilderness, homely relationships, and just enough magic and mystery to compel the story forward.

One of my most treasured books since i was a young child, the is a timeless and infinitely re-readable story.

Randall Jarrell (1914-65) is better known as a poet, although probably best known today for his poetry criticism. He also wrote a few children's book, most notably The Bat-Poet and The Animal Family, the later published the same year he died and winning the 1966 Newbery Honor. It is wonderfully illustrated by Maurice Sendak - of Where the Wild Things Are fame - in beautiful pen and ink drawings.

The story is a sort of fable along the lines of Hans Christian Andersen or Lewis Carroll, but updated with a 1960s message. It is about a lonely hunter who lives in a cabin by the sea who with time comes to gather around him a "family" of very different creatures, first a mermaid, and then a bear, lynx, and human boy. Each is an orphan whose parents have either died or somehow left the scene. They all are very different animals yet find comfort and eventually identity with one another. It is a story in the spirit of the Age of Aquarius, when songs such as Free to Be You and Me and Free to Be a Family resonated during a cultural revolution in which boundaries of class, race and, in this case, even species were being explored, when everyone was a "brother" and "sister".

My reading of the story in its 1960s context is only one interpretation, this is not a heavy handed preachy book by any measure, it is timeless in its message about toleration of differences, the power of love to overcome anything (including for a mermaid to live on land, in effect brining a happy ending to Hans Andersen's otherwise brutal The Little Mermaid), and in particular for those who seek out love and find it in the most un-expected places. It is a short book, easy to read, and poetically written. Over the past 40 years it has found a place close to the heart of many children and adults, I only wish I had discovered it sooner.

Every once in a while, an author manages to pull off a novel that carries with it the exact tone and magical feeling of a fairy tale. In the genre of The Last Unicorn and The Princess Bride, this beautiful story takes you into a peaceful world where a lonely hunter lives by the sea.
The story follows the hunter's efforts to make a family for himself, and to keep that family safe. I don't want to spoil any of the plot points, but I will say that this gentle fable is going to fill each reader with joy and contentment. The tale is universal, and is just perfect for a shared experience at bedtime.
The decorations by Maurice Sendak are also quite lovely, giving us detailed sketches of the landscapes that the hunter and his family occupy.

Great book. A very necessary addition to the discussion. I agree with the positive comments aleady on this board. I bought and read this book a few years back so the details escape me now. It's time to reread it. That will have to wait until a coworker finishes reading it. I'll expand my comments then.

The three things that stand out are:

1) His refreshing discussion of the world-wide history of slavery that takes a holistic view rather than a bash-the-US approach.

2) His interesting and unique (I think) comparison of the white redneck culture to the black inner city culture...thus the term black rednecks. I discussed this idea with some of my black collegues and they were at first a little uncertain what to think, then they whole heartedly agreed. They are hard working men who despise cultures that reward laziness, lack of education, and intolerance. Most of them grew up in inner city USA, have friends/family there, and find it difficult to relate to those people whom they now view as being stuck in nowhere land.

3) His discussion of the origins of the redneck culture, including language.

Sowell presents many ideas that could reduce racial tension and help all of us strive for the American dream. Craig Matteson's review gives an excellent summary so I refer you to that for details. The title is a great choice. I highly recommend this book for blacks, whites, and other races as well.

In his bestselling autobiography, "My Grandfather's Son," Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas called hearing and speaking with leading conservative author Thomas Sowell "a landmark event." Justice Thomas later cited Sowell among a few who, "unhampered by party allegiances...could speak their minds with honesty and clarity. They were my kind of black men."

In "Black Rednecks and White Liberals," Sowell's sober, reasoned approach wrestles major pieces of Western cultural history from emotional revision and reinterpretation.

Anyone following conservative politics and philosophy since Ronald Reagan's election will recognize Sowell's underlying themes. He long opposed preserving "ghetto" or "gangsta rap" culture, which criticized studious, high-achieving blacks for "acting white." His first essay traces perceived black "cultural heritage" to a "redneck" culture rooted in Britain's working class, transplanted with the 18th century Southern settlers, extracted through education and migration after the Civil War, then given, in Sowell's words, "new lease on life" by liberals and academics after 1960.

Sowell also long opposed affirmative action, racial quotas, and busing. In "Black Education" he uses the histories of Washington, DC's Paul Laurence Dunbar High School and Howard University to divide traditional teaching (based on discipline, study, and hard work) from modern social experiment, multiculturalism, and what Sowell quotes one leader's calling a "superiority-inferiority complex" between mostly white teachers and their black students. Sowell sees the tragedy stemming from students needing the best available education regardless of race.

Sowell's essays siphon morality from causation, drawing lessons (as opposed to agendas or even reparation) from US history. In "The Real History of Slavery," and again in "History vs. Visions," he laments black history told only through acknowledged mistreatment of blacks by whites, challenging Alex Haley's powerful "Roots" mythology. He widens slavery and human exploitation's shame and history to South America, the Middle East ( frightening examples of Arab mistreatment of slaves) and among Africans. He cites Western Civilization and philosophy as catalysts to see and end slavery's evil; Western culture had been vilified for preserving the "peculiar institution" and not denouncing it strongly enough in Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

Two essays, "Are Jews Generic?" and "Germans and History," isolate Nazi Germany's unspeakable Holocaust from Jewish and German interlocked histories. Sowell recalls their cultural contributions: Germans as punctual craftsmen relishing and using learning and technology, Jewish merchants and bankers creating wealth through long hours, hard work and convenient goods and services in new, untested areas. Both were discriminated against (as would other nationalities seen as economic "middlemen"), sometimes violently, by indigenous peoples Sowell saw as lacking their respective initiatives and work ethic. Sowell noted Adolf Hitler exploited this trend in his need to seize dictatorial power from Germany's need for restored pride, and used it to win an election with devastating results none could expect in 1933.

Ultimately, this book's provocative title (I received more comment from its cover it than any book I carried publicly) and essays tell Western cultural history without evoking guilt, shame, or burden. "Black Rednecks and White Liberals" is history re-told as statistically as Sowell (also a leading economist) could tell it; a wake-up call from nightmares of past mistreatment. It licenses anyone reading it to transcend their past or its perceptions. Highly recommended for those interested in American history and culture.

With his usual impeccable research and clear writing, in the title presentation, Black Rednecks and White Liberals Thomas Sowell has shown that much of the self-defeating behavior of Black Americans came from neither the antebellum South, nor from ancestral Africa. Rather, they came from the behavior of English expatriates who relocated to the old South. From the Reverend Wright style of rant, to the word choice itself, we see reflected in American Blacks the lifestyles of the people who had lived in the Northern half of England, and who were considered unwelcome and uncouth even among their own countrymen.
There are other long essays, including works on Black education, slavery, and discrimination against Jews, but it is the first that generates "aha's" on almost every page

I was automatically attracted to this book by the title and was interested to see what was written. I'm not a big fan of Sowell but this was a very compelling read. Finally a book that explains "ghetto" culture and not just fingerpoints at it. Also, I love this book because it equates whites and blacks that live similar cultures. Too many conservative writings that focus on societal failures always point to the black community when the same ills exist in predominatly white locales.

I think this is a book that both whites and blacks should read.

Blood of Angels is one of the best suspense novels I have read in quite some time. Set in Nashville it features Thomas Dennehy, a lead prosecutor who is known for his closing arguments and who has sent more than one criminal to death row. His new case, for which he plans to go for the maximum penalty, is against Moses Bol, a Sudanese immigrant accused of raping and murdering a white woman in a gritty part of town. As the case is contemplated a bombshell drops. An anti-death penalty professor claims he has incontrovertible proof that an executed convict that Dennehy put on death row, Wilson Owens, was innocent of the crime for which he was put to death. This throws the prosecutor's office into disarray, as well as the case against Bol, as an activist preacher claims Bol is innocent. In the meantime Dennehy thinks he's being stalked by someone, and acts directed at him get increasingly more frightening. He is soon visited, yet again, by his past, in a harrowing sequence of events.

This novel is definitely an intricate, well thought out work of suspense. The characters in this novel are very well drawn and Dennehy's relationship and interaction with them gives the novel a very personal touch.

Two thumbs up for this one.

The start was a bit misleading ( I thought I'd stumbled upon an anti-death penalty rant disguised as a novel ), but was pleasantly surprised to find myself in the middle of a fantastic thriller.

I recommend readers go through the bargain hardcover book section of their local bookstores and experiment with new authors on the cheap. That's how I found Reed Arvin and now I plan on reading all of his books.

Thomas Dennehy, Assistant District Attorney of Davidson County Tennessee, has his hands full in Blood of Angels.

The case of one Wilson Owens has come back to haunt the DA's office as new evidence has come to light that the State of Tennessee may have executed the wrong man two years ago.

Dennehy was the prosecutor in the case known at the Sunshine Grocery murders and has the singular notoriety of having convicted two men in separate trials and of separate crimes of killing the same woman. This in itself puts a tornadic twist into this book that would make it a brilliant story, but Arvin goes one-step further by hurling the racially charged murder of a local white-trash girl by a Sudanese immigrant into the mix.

Kwame Jamal Hale has come forward and delivered what may prove to be very damning evidence that he, not Owens, was the murderer at the Sunshine Grocery. His claim? He knows where the heretofore-undiscovered murder weapon can be found. Dennehy, his boss David Rayburn and soon-to-be retired fellow prosecutor Carl Becker, can only wait and watch as the circus rolls into downtown Nashville and the DA's office prepares to tender their resignations en toto, if it is proved that Wilson Owens was innocent and unlawfully executed.

Meanwhile the bond hearing of the suspected Sudanese murderer Moses Bol comes to court. The DA is dealt another blow when bail is set at $1.5 million and is paid by one Fiona Towns, a Presbyterian preacher of a dying central Nashville church that has less the dozen members.

These two stories together are not enough for Arvin. He tosses in the failing personal life of Dennehy, a cast of characters that make every page a thrill to turn and just enough action for you to gnaw your fingernails down to the cuticles. Dennehy has a wit and dark sense of humor that would be depressing if it were not written so well. Add his ex-wife, her wealthy doctor second husband, and a daughter that truly loves her daddy, and you have the full package in a legal thriller that you will be proud to recommend to every fellow fiction reader you know.

Armchair Interviews says: If you love legal thrillers, check this one out!

I loved "The Will" by Arvin and grabbed "Blood of Angels" as soon as it was released in hardcover. It is a book to own and I will read again one day. Great suspense, character developement and plot. This book has it all. It's one of those you can't put down once you start it.

As a former resident of Nashville and currently living in the city of Frankling (the hero's city) I was expecting to be somewhat familiar with the sites and locations. What I was not expecting was the absolutely riveting story - a police procedural of the first degree. I now know how residents of New York, DC, LA & Chicago feel when they read stories that take place in their city. The areas described are well-known and provide a reference point for the story.

This is the New South. Absent are evangelicals, the dominant Democrat party, close-knit generational families and a whites only landscape. Instead, Thomas Dehenny, the district attorney, is a driven, dedicated hard-drinking, divorced father who never attends church. One detects that the author (through Thomas) decries those who devote their lives to defending murderers and rapists. He asks, What about the victims? Who speaks for them?

In this case, there is a strong possiblity that the wrong man was executed. The crime involved two defendents - the shooter & the medic who actually killed the woman through negligance (he was on meth). At the same time, the city is rocked by the brutal murder of a Nationite woman by an African refugee. The struggle between low-class whites (The Nation) & the growing numbers of refugees and immigrants is real & depicted with accuracy. Into the fray steps Fiona Tonws, local Presbyterian minister/activist. Despite their positions, a romance breaks out between the two. The real villian is revealed midway through the book & he is as horrible and clever as they come. The ending was sheer perfection as was the entire story. I cannot say enough about this book! Buy it.

This book is a good historical novel. If you are looking for a history of the Plantangenets with all the footnotes, multiple views and scientific evidence that contemporary history readers are used to, then this is not your book. Jingoistic, culturally biased, misogynistic, stereotypical and severely dated, the book is nevertheless well written and cohesive.

Costain writes 4 history books about the early British Royal Families.The books are very clear, nicely written, and follow the history of England.

I bought the set years ago (actually decades ago) and got through the first two before I gave up. I was "done in" by all the Henrys, Edwards, Eleanors, etc. that my head spun. However, being bullheaded, I started again (since I love history) and this time I went straight through.

English and French history can be extremely difficult for someone new to that period of time. There are a lot of players with the same name (Isabella, the most hated queen of England and wife of Edward II; Isabella of Spain, Henrys I, II, III, IV, etc., not to mention the Henrys (Henris of France). However, plugging away is definitely worth it and reaps great rewards because what could be more fascinating as the truth (as far as it can be told after hundreds of years after the fact). John is more famous as being forced to sign the Magna Carta, not for the fact he murdered one nephew and imprisoned his niece as being threats to his throne while Richard III gets pilloried for his "supposed" murder of this nephews. It was John who had the country excommunicated a few times for his actions (no burials, no communion, no marriages, etc.) until people realized that nothing terrible happened. And it was when I came to the last part and reach about Richard III and the difference between the "real" character and Shakespeare's Richard III when I decided to pursue the case further and then read Josephine Tey's famous book on Richard, The Daughter of Time, that started me on the road to becoming a Ricardian. Eleanor of Aquitaine, the first (to me) feminist.

Great history and worth reading and pursuing if you don't manage it the first time. It's worth the effort. (A genealogical chart would be helpful.)

The title of the book led me to believe that this book would encompass the entire "conquering" family of Normandy as they became the rulers of England. However, I was disappointed that the actual conquest was bypassed and the book opens with introduction of the first Plantagenets and not with William the Conqueror as I incorrectly assumed from the title. The book is very thorough where the author choses to be. For example, he can hit a few highlights of history and move the story along very rapidly and then suddenly spend page after page on one segment of one chapter of one person's life. I know I bought the book used, but the original publication date of 1949 and the republication in 1964 seemed obvious in the authors style and tone. I think the book is very informative, and if you are interested in the Plantagenets, it is something you'd enjoy. Just be aware of the "late" start of the book. The actual Conquest is over before this book begins.

I am writing here for all four books instead just the Conquering Family. Its easier that way since most people who read the first book will definitely end up reading the rest of the three books.

This series by Thomas Costain have been around for a long time. Its one of the easiest to read written history on ruling family of the Plantagenats who ruled England from Henry II to Richard III. That's nearly 300 years of English history. Costain's story telling skills mixed with great history make this series one of the best set of books in introducing anyone to mediveal English history.

Having said that, it should be warned that Costain's history isn't exactly very scholarly. The author does take few liberties with the facts, even putting in few liners here and there to advanced the story. Even some events which may be more mythological then true, have been told as if they may be true. Costain also have his own bend to certain views and his sympathic views on certain events and personalities may not reflect history's. (The series almost does read like "historical fiction novels" and has been mistaken for such by the uneducated. Especially by those who worked in bookstores.)

But Costains' creative inputs should not distract from the fact the most of what written in his four books proves to be very entertaining and accurate history. Even those who may not care for mediveal history have enjoyed it since I have recommended this series to several friends who regards such subject as one of the most boring subject next to watching dust bunnies grow. By the time they were done with my books, they were ordering their own set.

This was the first book I read by Merton and that was 30 years ago. It had a significant impact on how I looked at things. Well, not things but life in general, people, and most importantly God. Merton writes in a style that reaches mind, heart, and soul. It is timeless. I recently gave it to my daughter as a gift. Then browsing for old times sake, I just had to have a copy. It still resonates. It makes you reflect on questions and ideas that may not surface without the read. Well worth the time. It is one that can be read front to back or in excerpts.

This book by Thomas Merton is a marvelous exploration of what it is to be human and the fundamental problems of disconnection from the depths of Being. More practically, it addresses the solution to our isolation in a direct, loving and compassionate way. Thomas Merton is clearly one who has traveled the path to his deepest self and has much to share about his journey.

Thomas Merton is a mystic who has spent a lot of time in silence and deep contemplation. He had a grasp of contemporary issues facing the modern person and he has a way of using language that is simple, but touches the heart.

Although Merton was a Catholic Christian mystic, his message is universal. He illuminates the mystic's path and shares the fruit of his explorations through writing in a way that is accessible and powerful. Somehow, between the lines it is obvious that his experience has been profound and he translates this into terms that help the reader to find meaning.

This book will be especially appealing to Catholics and Christians. The tone is understanding and gentle, although it is packaged in a way that is most digestible to fellow Catholics. On the other hand, there are so many gems that are applicable to the human condition that it will be a valuable read by people of any faith.

Thomas Merton wrote a lot of books and this is one of his best for lay people. New Seeds of Contemplation is also very thought provoking and could be considered a companion volume. It also goes a bit deeper into some of the more existential and metaphysical aspects of living, but not in an esoteric way.

If you have an interest in Christian Mysticism in general, I also highly recommend Practical Mysticism by Evelyn Underhill. This is a great short introduction to Western Mysticism delivered in a very poetical style and that is geared to the average person looking for meaning in their lives.

This book was an amazing read for me the first time through. I have since read again and it continues to reveal insights into my life and relationship with God and to others. Thomas Merton is amazingly timeless and contemporary throughout. These are not abstract views of spirituality, but real and meaningful looks at a life of faith in the world, our world, today. Merton looks truthflly at how we relate to God and to each other in a world that is filled with noise and distractions. I highly reccomend this book to anyone who is honestly seeking to deepen their own interior spiritual life. Merton is a man of our times, understanding the depths and treasures of faith as well as the pitfalls of our humanity. This book will help you to believe that goodness is very possible and that being a spiritual person is possible while living in the world. Merton shows that the religious life is not just for priests, monks and nuns, which is very compatible with the John Paul II vision that all lives lived in faith can be a vocation.

This hardcover is very nice as it is linen bound with a gold ribbon marker. Chapters are broken up into numbered segments, making it possible to read a little each day and to find favorite sections.

"No Man is an Island" is a spiritually moving set of essays--or meditations, rather--that address many issues but ultimately center on our relationship with God, with each other, and with ourselves. Having read only a little of Merton, I found this book somewhat more straightforward and prosaic compared to a later work of his, "The New Man", and he gets a tad dogmatic in spots (well, he is ordained, so he has a license to do so, fair enough)--I was reminded of some of the more trenchant passages in "The Seven Storey Mountain" before he'd mellowed out a bit. And yet Merton's characteristic mix of simplicity and profundity, his fine-tuned mystic's sense of paradox, and his ability to take Catholic teachings and breathe new life into them are all here in full; indeed, in many ways this book would serve very well as a Catholic Monastic statement of what life's all about, spoken in Merton's gentle conversational tones at once calm and serious, critical of the shallow aspects of modernity while articulated in a manner that speaks eloquently to modern people. I have no doubt that this book should appeal to readers who profess Christianity as their religion, but I also think that many non-Christians (such as myself) will find much here that is inspiring and spiritually enlightening.

Every adjective title used to describe this book in the reviews so far i have found to be true.

"The truth i must love in my brother is God Himself, living in Him."
excerpt from this book (Thomas Merton "No Man is an Island"

Reading just that line is enough to contemplate for some while.

I found i had to read small sectionsm and re read to gain fuller meaning
because some concepts are difficult to grapple with, but grapple with them.
I will re read this book many times over throughout my life. It strikes richly at the core of Catholic teaching, its value universal for everyone.
Its a celebration of God and his creatures, it affirms the truth of His love as His gift living in us, for us also to share, for it is not ours to keep selfishly.

I enjoyed the movie "National Treasure" with its fast-paced action and frequent references to the First American War for Independence; except that the treasure was mere artifacts, and the keepers were occultists. (I had another theory about a roadmap to the lost treasure of liberty found on the front-side of the Declaration of Independence, but that remains to be rediscovered.) "The Hunt for Confederate Gold" does one better, as it leads us through the darkest hours of the Second American War for Independence, and also connects to our modern world, where there is a hidden treasure waiting to be found, in none other than the State of South Carolina.

This message is encoded within the pages of same Bible that was read in the Old South, leading us to dig deep for the truth that was once held in trust by a civilization that has not passed away, but remains latent underground.

In the story, a young soldier becomes disillusioned with the endless wars for the empire of the Regime, and returns to his native South Carolina to find himself, and the true meaning to his life. His sage college professor opens his mind to the rich legacy of the past, and potential for the future. His research into his Confederate ancestors leads him to an old family heirloom with a wonderful secret. The hunt is on, and the thieving Feds are hot on the trail. This is a captivating tale of hope that leads us all toward that one treasure that has been lost to the South for so long-- one worth more than gold, and its keepers are Christians.

A great book having to deal with some of the effects of the Civil War that most people have no ideal about.

This is one of the few books that deal with the uglier truths about the last few days of the "Civil War" (war for southern independence) Although the story is somewhat weak it is a very good read and presents the story in the most unusual fashion. I highly recommend this book!

I bought The Hunt for Confederate Gold for my husband, thinking it was a non-fiction book about one of his hobbies: treasure hunting. My husband read it and loved it. He immediately told me, "You HAVE to read this book!"

I did read it, and imagine my surprise and delight to find that not only was it a novel with an exciting and complex storyline, a real page-turner, but the storyline was one which spoke to my heart. I was amazed to find a novel which tells the truth about the history and heritage of the South, and especially one which does that in such an entertaining way.

If you are looking for an absorbing "good read," The Hunt for Confederate Gold is for you. If you care about truth and like to see the record set straight, this book is for you, as well. And if you cherish a hope that someday you will see the wrongs of the past corrected, even if only between the covers of this book, The Hunt for Confederate Gold is definitely for you.

I don't remember the last time I enjoyed a book so much. From the first paragraph, I was captured by the characters, the setting, the message.

I love tales of ships and the sea, and the story of Lieutenant Marchand and the Confederate Naval Cadets' perilous voyage along the Southern coast held me spellbound.

But that's just the beginning of the appeal of Thomas Moore's novel. I love stories of the South, as well, and now "The Hunt for Confederate Gold" will be listed among my favorites.

The ordeal of Dr. Hastie at the hands of out-of-control federal authorities is not at all farfetched, and his story is a warning that people who cherish liberty should not ignore. But this sobering message does not overpower the sheer enjoyability of the book. The characterization is excellent. The protagonists -- Hastie, "Bo" Bolitho, and members of the Fellowship of the South -- are genial fellows, good and true without being sappy. And the federal villians aren't cardboard cutouts of evil, but flesh and blood men caught between negative Zietgeist and their own ambition, which can be a deadly combination, as history demonstrates.

Taking place in fabled South Carolina, and entwined with a riveting parallel story set in the last days of the Confederate States of America, Moore's story is a completely satisfying read. I highly recommend it.

This book gives a different perspective on eternal truths. I couldn't read it fast enough although the title says it all!

You can just tell what this book will be from the title... I am not, but I know I AM. At first I thought it was just saying, yes you are... something to be a better person, but no, completely wrong. I know Jesus, the great I AM.
Through out this book you ever page just keeps reminding us how small we are and how great God is. One part to summarize this book best, and what stuck with me the most was when Giglio explained how big this universe is... the furthest thing from our earth, and how many billions light-years away it is, then he went on to explain how far a light-year is. And the God that holds this together cares enough to have a personal relationship with me. The ideas and lessons in this book are truly from the scripture and as you read you can just feel the love Giglio has for the Lord.
This book is definitely recommended for all believers who wish to grow closer to their savior. And recommended to anyone with questions of how great God really is, and how everything here on earth and the heavens above are His.

This book does an excellent job portraying the reality of how big God is and that we as humans cannot begin to compare with him or fall into the notion that the world revolves around us. It was very encouraging reading material and glorified God in His majesty, as He is.

It was very stimulating and refreshing!

This book is great!! It really puts you in your place and sets a perspective for your life. It's not about us and our stories...it's about God's even bigger and greater story!

i am not

I heard Louie speak at a Passion conference and decided to check out his books, and this one was excellent. I liked it better than The Air I Breathe, but they are definitely on different topics.

This book focuses on humility in the truest sense, coming to know who we are in relation to God. Louie does an excellent job of going through examples of how we try to make our story the center of the universe, turning God into a bit player instead of the star. He is a very relatable guy, and I think it helps to hear someone who could very easily think they are a big deal to seriously discuss how we have to conciously overcome that mentality to be servants of Christ.