Thomas Books

I can't rate any particular book of the Yada Yada Prayer Group book series any higher than the others. I love the entire series. I think the story consistantly gets better as it goes along. This is definitely something I highly recommend to any woman out there who wants to read something fun, dramatic and meaningful.

Once again I've been so entertained by a wonderful book. It's so great to read and not have to worry about the content or the language and yet have a story line that gets you so involved you feel you know each character!
Can't wait till the new series (which will include some from this group of characters) comes out ;)
Book was packed well and in great condition. Arrived quickly
Thanks,
Connie from NC

I purchased one book, read it quick and went online and ordered all the remaining books I was so taken with the storyline. The writing is fast moving and catchy and keeps you wanting more. It was a much needed boost to my reading and spiritual apathy I was struggling with at the time. If you haven't treated yourself to a Yada book, do it NOW. You will be glad you did. Peggy Touchtone ShollyDown Home Delicious

I entitled this review "Treat Yourself" because meeting the ladies of the Yada Yada Prayer Group will bless you immensely. Mrs. Jackson's character development is absolutely amazing to me. You will love these ladies and you will see yourself, your friends and your church members in these characters. Every book in this series is a treat to read. I had to stop myself from reading them too fast, because I did not look forward to getting to the end of this series. Trust me, treat yourself. You will not be disappointed.

This is a great series about 12 women who serendipitously end up in a prayer group together. Through the series I have fallen in love with each and every woman in the group. I have laughed with them and cried with them, and they have taught me a little more about prayer and perseverance. A great book!

I have read several books on psychic development. I have to admit, this one got so heavy that I had to stop reading in the middle. If you like a lot of theory, then this book is for you. If you'd like a little more structure and practicality, I'd recommend You Are Psychic: The Art of Clairvoyant Reading & Healing or Extraordinary Psychic: Proven Techniques to Master Your Natural Psychic Abilities by Debra Katz. However, I suppose I can't offer a complete review since I didn't finish the book. All I can say is that this book was a bit cumbersome to read for me, but still interesting. Perhaps something to read slowly and ponder while you are working exercises with another more fast-paced book.

This is a book that gets to the point. It's the "how to" book we're looking for. I started reading it Friday evening - and finished it on Sunday. Worth every penny. Thanks Henry.

A little bit old hat now. A real primer if you are interested in opening your spirituality. The stories of Edgar Cayce are interesting.

I have read many books in search of explanations... I would say that this is the most illustrative of all. Chapters and contents are very well structured in order to introduce you to the psychic being you really are.

I encourage those of you, who have been compiling information and have some scattered concepts about psychic development and awareness, to read this book. From my point of view this book have provide me a solid base for growing on psychic development.

The author, Mr. Henry Reed, mentions in the book that he has used some psychic techniques in order to improve the final result of the book when writting it. And after reading it, I really believe he did it so, because as said, this book is great.

This is a very solid read, expounding on the spiritual philosophies of the "sleeping prophet", Edgar Gayce, who may well have been one of the most gifted psychics of his era. The author, Dr. Henry Reed does a nice job of interlapping science and metaphysical properties to help guide us into fairly easy to understand excersizes to expand our psychic awareness and abilities, based on Cayce's teachings. I really enjoyed the descriptions and hypothesis of the soul and collective consciousness, and the section on hypnosis as an induction to opening ESP and intuitive awareness was quite fascinating. Would definitely recommend this one to all pursuing their psychic gifts.

Love it, love it, love it. Despres does it again. She captures the south and sets the reader right down in Gentry, Louisiana to experience the story set in post WWI south firsthand.

Lucy Adams, author of If Mama Don't Laugh, It Ain't Funny

I loved Loraine's first novel, "The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc", and this book did not disappoint. Set in the south, two generations prior to Sissy, Loraine's female characters present strength, perserverance, and mettle. Belle teaches us to follow our dreams and what we feel is right in our hearts. A entertaining book for both men and women.

I was assigned this book for my company's book club and I really enjoyed it. Not only does this book give us an entertaining read but it also gives us a lession of society during the 1920's. After reading about how the KKK terrorized people over a reason they had no control over, all I can imagine is how terrifying it must have been to live during that time and be of a non white non Christian "race". I also found myself truly engaged in the life of the characters, and the so called relationship between Belle and Brouee - at one point during the book I wanted to scream "kick him in the nuts!" during an altercation between those two. (I'm not a violent person - really!)
And don't think of this book as a chick book - I think men would also get a kick out of the humor of the story.

This is an excellent novel written by a cleaver woman who obviously grew up in New Orleans. I enjoyed it emensely and highly recommend it.

Stayed up late last night and finished Bad Behavior which I really liked. A very unconventional love story with the KKK, anti-semitism, Chicago race riots, Southern social history and a lot of Southern proper behavior thrown in. Rules for women that we didn't know existed. We have the cutting of the hair, the cutting of the ties to the 19th century and yet, the infinite human need for love and/or sex. Our heroine is badly behaved but in a way that one can't help liking. And the Jewish man she falls in love with, unlike the 20th century Jewish male model celebrated by Seinfeld, Woody Allen and Saul Bellow--whiny, desperately in need of a mother and good cooking, narcissistic and pathetic, is more like the second generation Jewish male one pictures in the early twentieth century--self reliant, hard working, intellectual and urbane. Altogether a great read. Bravo.

Eye-opening read that explains very clearly why and how the political "system" either co-opts or sidelines the Congressmen you hoped and expected could be the honest ones who would effect "change..." This gives the reader a very good understanding of the problem we face today.

Dr. Coburn is one of only a few congressmen who "gets it". Future generations of Americans will look back with anger at how the baby boomers ate their seed corn and saddled them with trillions of dollars of debt. Hopefully, they may appreciate the efforts of Dr. Coburn, who was one of the few who argued against all of the fiscal insanity going on in Washington today.

This is truly inspiring. It will open your eyes to the world of Washington and inspire you to make a difference. Please visit the the web site for Americans for Limited Government in which Sen. Coburn was chair

This book, based on the reviews here, is self-righteous pablum with little factual substance. A better, book, one that I've actually read, is Chris Edwards - Downsizing the Federal Government (Cato).

This is one of the most rewarding and enlightening books I ever read. It was a real sleeper as far as publicity goes, but everyone should read this book. Liberals who just scrunge up their faces when they hear Senator Coburns name, should think again and read this book. Senator Coburn is a very conservative republican, but he does not rail against liberals or democrats in this book. He must have rightly figured to do so would tag the book as a typical partisan effort. Instead he exposes what the Republican party establishment does and goes after Republican leaders. He only mentions Democrats when he has to in relaying information about any particular congressional bill. He surely didn't win any friends in congress when he exposed the inner workings of that body. Politicians quickly (if they didn't sart out that way) transform into playing the power game. Everything becomes about power and not what is best for the people. The bribes, strong arm tactics, threats, play along to get along, we'll do the right thing later, gotta secure power now kind of shenanigans. You definately do not have to agree with Tom Coburn politically to appreciate this book. It's great to get a birds eye view on why our government does not work. I can see what congress is doing and not doing now and understand why thanks to having read this book. The establishment doesn't want you to read this book, but do yourself a favor and read Breach of Trust. We need to shake things up in Washington and elect new people. In fact Mr. Coburn talks about the 20-25 in congress who stick to their principles and truley work to do the right thing. It's good to know who they are. Let's get a majority like them. To get a feel as to how to do that it helps to read this book. This is eye opening stuff. Thank you, Senator Coburn.

I live in New Orleans, La., and lost ALL my cookbooks (and everything else) as a result of Hurricane Katrina. I purchased Cajun Cuisine and I have tried several recipes - I am very pleased with it.

It's hard to learn to cook Cajun food from a cookbook; the food traditions of the Cajuns of Southwest Louisiana have been passed down orally for 400 years, and only in the "Cajun Cuisine" craze of the late '80s-early '90s did Cajun cookbooks really start to become popular.

These recipes are stripped down to the bare basics, because that's how Cajuns do it. Cajuns don't customarily use Emeril's Essence (remember, Emeril is from Boston) or carefully measured spices. It's a dash of this, a dash of that, until it tastes right. Don't make it too spicy; you can add your hot sauce later. You will never be able to make authentic-tasting Cajun food if you follow a recipe to a T.... that's not how it's done! You also need to learn how to modify recipes to suit your tastes... if you don't like file' powder, don't add it (many Cajun cooks don't add file' to anything, some put it on the table for you to sprinkle in yourself, some use it heavily). If you don't like okra, don't use it! Again, not all Cajun cooks do (although in response to the reviewer below, when Cajuns do use okra in gumbo, it is always sliced, and it is always slimy. Some people like it that way.)

This book provides excellent framework-style recipes for you to do what you want with. If you want to add tomatoes, go ahead! No one's stopping you! If you want to pour in a half gallon of Tabasco, feel free! If that's how you like it, that's how you like it. If you want to make your roux with butter (or oil or lard or bacon grease) do it that way! It won't change anything important, the recipe will still be fine. That's the beauty of Cajun food.

In response to the other reviewer who complained about a lack of pictures, the reality is that Cajun food is not as pretty as New Orleans food, and therefore doesn't make for terribly appealing photos. Gumbo looks like brownish-gray glop, but it tastes like heaven. That's just the way it is. If they'd included pictures, the sauces piquantes, the gumbos, the stews, the fricasees and the etouffees would've all looked the same, and how much would that have really helped? Plus, the drawings that are included in lieu of pictures are really adorable.

Get this book, and don't be scared to experiment with it! That's what it's all about!

`Cajun Cuisine', published by the very local Louisiana publishing house, Beau Bayou Publishing Company, and with no clearly discernible author, may be the publishing analogue to what in the culinary world is called `rustic' or in the pharmaceutical world, `generic'. Aside from a fairly nicely composed cover photograph of all sorts of raw and prepared Louisiana victuals, there are no frills and only one `pretension', in the form of a semi-scholarly introductory essay on `Arcadian (Cajun) Cuisine' by the retired Director, School of Home Economics, University of Southwestern Louisiana, Marie Louise Comeaux Manual. While this author's credentials are `academic', her essay is not terribly scholarly, as it is poorly written. It does, however, do a decent job of adding some material to our understanding of `Cajun' cooking.

Most foodies know that there is a `Cajun' and a `Creole' cuisine, which seem to coexist in and around Louisiana, centered in New Orleans. The problem is that I suspect few food enthusiasts who have not studied the matter can make a clear statement of the difference between the two. It seems as if the classic dishes of the area such as gumbo and jambalaya, as well as a foundation in French cooking techniques are claimed by both heritages.

According to the `Oxford Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink', the two cuisines are very similar, and the main distinctions that source can make between the two is that `Creole' is an urban cuisine originating with the earliest Spanish settlers from the 17th century and that `Cajun' (from Arcadian), is a rural cuisine deriving from the French émigrés from Nova Scotia in the late 18th century, after being kicked out by the English following the French and Indian Wars (That little opening act for the American Revolution). And, while both cuisines claim gumbo and jambalaya, etouffee and its principle ingredient, crawfish, seems to be distinctly `Cajun'. A second culinary difference is the greater extent of French influence from Arcadia, a purely French colony. This influence can be seen in the fact that Cajun cooking values balanced, but varied seasoning. It's `signature' cooking technique is braising, which is straight out of the French provincial cooking playbook. This is ironic because `Cajun' cuisine is often associated with very spicy foods; however, much of this `heat' was probably added a scant 25 years ago by the famous Paul Prudhomme of New Orleans, who, I believe, virtually invented the `blackened' cooking technique, most famous with `blackened catfish'.

But getting back to this book, my initially cool impression made by the somewhat pretentious introduction was redeemed when I started looking at the recipes. All the recipes are written in a very economical style, with crisp ingredients lists and matter of fact descriptions of procedure. The writing is not the minimalist sparse writing of Elizabeth David in `A Book of Mediterranean Food', but it has few if any `trucs', tips, hints, sidebars, or other accroutremonts of modern cookbook writing. And, it has none of the scholarly observations on origins or variations also found in Ms. David's works. For an experienced cook, this may be a very good thing. It means we have `just the facts, ma'm'. So, an experieced cook can be on their way to reproducing the dishes and fill in the extras where needed. One place a modern cook will especially wish to fill in is in replacing `oleo' with either real butter or a less saturated vegetable oil. In the mid-1980's, we had not heard all the dangers of trans-fats, commonly found in common margerine (oleomargerine).

One advantage of the sparse recipe writing style is that the slim 222 page book can contain a very healthy number of recipes, probably numbering close to 250, if you include the supplementary recipes for dressings, sauces, and condiments. And, this healthy number of recipes seems to cover the full range of `Cajun' specialities. The very best thing is that those classic dishes such as gumbo, jambalaya, and etouffee are represented by several variations. From there, it goes all the way from fried oysters to boudon to beignets. I did find some famous preparations missing, such as coffee with chicory, `poor boy' sandwiches, and `mouffelata' (sic) sandwiches, but as none of these are `cooked' dishes, I'll not feel cheated.

One thing I like about a cookbook with a lot of recipes for dressings and sauces and condiments is that it adds a great source of information on which one can improvise (See Sally Schneider's new `the improvisational cook'). This book is the perfect source for making a few dishes, then striking out on your own in making `Cajun' style dishes without having to resort to Monsieur Prudhomme or Monsieur Lagasse.

The book was very nicely organized and will stand up to some serious stints in the kitchen. I was also very happy to see tables of contents with all recipes listed at the beginning of each chapter. This is something all cookbooks (other than the monster references) should have. The ony annoyance is that the recipes were not printed in the order they appeared in the table of contents. I have no clue why they were different.

But, for a very reasonable list price, we have here an excellent source of basic, authentic `Cajun' recipes with all the essentials and none of the frills.

This is a book about cajun cuisine. That is all you are getting. That may seem odd to say that since this is the name of the book but many know that cajun cookboks will often have numerous other recipes that may be creole, traditional southern, soul or classical french. Even italian. This is specificaly cajun and not southern louisiana. You get what you pay for.

Because the book operates from a narrower scope you may not have the recipes you want. No red beans and rice for example that is a creole dish. You may also notice the lack of tomatoes in many dishes that you normally think would have them. The crawfish etoufee for example has no tomatoes which is classical cajun. This etoufee is little more than butter and the trinity. You get a down to basics recipe for maque choux and i use it often. This book gives you everything you need to be a cajun cook but maybe not everthing you want.

There are many dishes here that you may have never heard of. Try the louisiana pear cake one time. A spice cake with fresh pears is all the rage now at my little restaurant here in tennessee and some of the recipes have allowed me to expand and my offerings to my customers who are not cajun. In fact cajun cake recipes are one of the real strong points of this book. There are about 10 of them compared to only 2 in prudomme's book. You get everything from that pear cake to wine cake and syrup cake. All are wonderful.

This book has helped me as a restaurant owner to become a self taught cajun chef. Everything from cajun ginger cake to vegetarian gumbo. You can't help but love this book.

Why the 4 stars? No dry spice measurements. The dry spice mix is the standard of paul prudomme's recipes but all this book gives you is is cayenne, salt and pepper to taste. How about telling me how much you normally use? Also unlike the prudomme book this book has no photos of the prepared food. Prudomme's book has many full color photos. No extras here just recipes. No colors or diagrams and even though the author is an expert on cajun cooking there is no significant background given about the dishes. No history, nothing to tell you where the dish comes from or how it has evolved. A book of recipes is great but we all can find dozens of recipes for almost anything online. I'm looking for more than that.

Note that almost none of these recipes makes use of justin wilson's standard flavorings. Wilson uses bitters in about 1/3 of all his savory dishes and worcestershire sauce is used in about 2/3 and all have hot sauce. These ingrediants are rare in this book. In fact i can't think of one recipe that uses bitters.

If you are looking for a solid collection of authentic cajun dishes this is it. They work. But if you want a more complete south louisiana work paul prudomme's book is superior for the same price.

Gelbart isn't a Cajun name, so please pay no attention to her review. Me (a Cajun with a Cajun name - LeJeune), my Cajun friends, my Cajun family, and Cajun and African American and Cajun cooks I have known in Louisiana have always cooked with cut okra, and the end product is not slimy or gooey. And just because Emeril and Paul Prudhomme are chefs doesn't mean that they know how to cook EVERYTHING. Not to mention that I have never met anyone in Cajun Country who made a roux with butter - lard maybe! - but not butter. Trust the creators of the recipes! The food speaks for them!

I am so glad that I ordered this book.. it is more than just a book, but it is one that I am glad to read and study each and every day.

There are great tips and explanations of verses all throughout this Bible. Also, plenty of encouraging tidbits placed throughout. Dr. Stanley has done a wonderful job putting this Bible together...

This Daily Bible by Charles Stanley is OK as far as a daily Bibles go..Its About the same as any other..But the Personal commentary and the insight from Charles Stanley is Awesome and very Useful! I rate it a 4 star item on that front! Its worth buying just for his wonderful Way of bringing God's Word home to your Heart!

If you don't know the wisdowm of Gods word, this book will teach you and show you great and mighty things. You would have read the whole Bible in a year and learned things you would have never known, if just reading the Bible. To say that Charles Stanley breaks it down to you where you can not say you dont understand. He is really being used by God, and I pray I continue to follow Christ as Pastor Stanley do.

I have read many of Charles Stanley's books and love all of them. This has the greatest study guides and the reason I bought this was to help me read through the Bible in a year. It is wonderful and I would recommend it to anyone seeking a deeper walk with God. I have never been disappointed in any of his books or study guides.

This book is awesome! McManus really inspires you to look at every second that goes by in life, and seize those divine moments because they can really impact someone's life, as well as your own. I HIGHLY recommend this book!!!

Chasing Daylight is the kick in the rear a lot of us need. Go after your passions with confidence and don't look back.

McManus is an inspiration and by telling the story of Jonathan he gives us an example of someone living boldly because they can not live any other way. That is the life I want to lead.

I loved this book. I would read it in the mornings while eating breakfast and it was a great start to the day. Erwin McManus is very passionate about his faith and he is very effective in trying to convey that passion. So many of his personal stories that he tells made just say "Wow." And then I realized how so many small things we do, the little leaps of faith that we take, can have such huge rewards and make so many differences in people's lives that do not know Christ. This book is definitely a call to action for the individual and also for the church as a whole. Let's be a generation that seeks to help the lost, the poor, the broken. Let's be a generation that puts other needs before our own. Great message!

I would agree with another reviewer that things get repeated a lot throughout, probably because the whole book was based around the story of Jonathan and the Philistines. Could have been shorter, but still, an excellent read and highly recommended.

A good read, motivational. It is a little rambling for my preference, the author seems to say the same thing many different ways ie take action, just do something for the kingdom of God etc. It gives overall good advice for believers in Jesus Christ but I wouldn't treat the book as a book on theology. The personal stories the author gives are excellent and are the most motivating part of the book.

McManus has an easy to read style that draws you in. Though carpe diem (seize the day) is the main theme this does not reflect a frantic pace but rather developing a discipline of making deliberate choices that give life to your dreams and what God has called you to do. Using a moment in Johnathan's life when he did seize the day by taking the initiative in the face of uncertainty. I will warn you that this is a battle story and was difficult for some church members to find value in studying. Jonathan used his influence inspite of the risks, to advance and leave a mark that served God's will. McMannus writes that all of Jonathan's choices required action and a willingness to awaken those who are in many ways just sleep walking through life. Our church bought the book for our small group leaders as well as the companion DVD and study guide. They were generally well received.

Some readers might find some parts slow going, but this classic work remains an excellent introduction into how and why our understanding of the heavens (and ourselves) changed so radically following the work of Copernicus. Those interested in reading Kuhn's seminal and more famous "The Stucture of Scientific Revolutions" will enjoy reading "Copernicus" to see how his thinking grew from this earlier work.

I asked my son when he was 4 years old why the Sun moved across the sky over the day. He answered me "because the earth turns". This seems like an obvious answer even for a 4 year old, but 400 years ago his response would be meet with ridicule and even worse would be considered heresy. Thomas S. Kuhn is able to beautifully and logically describe from a scientific perspective the ideas and discoveries through the ages that lead to the enormous conceptual leap from a geocentric to heliocentric world. This alone makes this book a great read. But what I valued more from the book is Kuhn's revealing of the impact of the "Copernican Revolution" outside the scientific world. It's influence on religion, society and the entire scientific process is still felt today. The idea of a heliocentric universe was not only a great scientific theory, it was really a turning point in the human race and how we see ourselves in the universe. I would also recommend "The book nobody read" and "Galileo's Daughter" as more modern follow ups to "The Copernican Revolution".

Kuhn's The Copernican Revolution was written as a text for an undergraduate course in the intellectual history of science. As such, its approach is focused and temporally expansive. The drawback of such an approach is the deficit of analysis in key areas. The analysis of the Church's role in science during the late middle ages and Renaissance was rather one-dimensional, but this obviously is not Kuhn's focus. Instead, he would like the reader to realize that any set of data can be modeled to an infinite number of paradigms (in anticipation of Structure of Scientific Revolutions). The heliocentric argument solved some qualitative problems but was largely Ptolemaic in articulation. Its aesthetic and geometric harmonies were extracted by astronomers who could could apply a mathematical rigor to it, in a post-Ptolemaic tradition (Kepler and Newton).

Kuhn challenges the reader's imagination to decipher the heavenly phenomena in the same way Ptolemy might have, without being hampered by the technical minutia of astronomy. He writes so lucidly as to pick the reader up and drop him or her under the ancient sky, and to follow a long, through time. Paramount to Kuhn is the practical importance of astronomical data and the logic of its categorization.

Perhaps the most persuasive analysis that Kuhn endeavors is that of the progression of the Renaissance neo-Platonics: Brahe, Galilei, Kepler, Descartes, and the mutation of the Copernican system into Newtonian synthesis. In one sense, his analysis is very non-Kuhnian as it can't point to a singular moment, and involves more of a patchwork of adopting new features (that is until Newton).

A concise introduction to the evolution of astronomical thought from antiquity to newton and a compelling classic.

This is a great overview of the development of the Copernican system. The main text is very clear and readable and the "technical appendix" has good expositions of key mathematical arguments. Nevertheless, I think Kuhn's interpretation of "the Copernican revolution" has some shortcomings. Kuhn wishes the Copernican revolution to conform to his idea (as presented in his book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions) of a revolution brought on by a crisis: "[Copernicus'] famous preface still provides one of the classic descriptions of a crisis state" and "Ptolemaic astronomy had failed to solve its problems; the time had come to give a competitor a chance." But Kuhn does not support this position very well. For instance he writes: "When Copernicus listed the aspects of contemporary astronomy that had led him to consider his radical theory, he began, 'For, first, the mathematicians are so unsure of the movements of the Sun and the Moon that they cannot even explain or observe the constant length of the seasonal year.'" Here Kuhn is using a rather underhand trick. He is implying, of course, that this calendar issue was Copernicus' primary motivation, but fails to address two crucial counterarguments. First, Copernicus' preface is addressed to the Pope and he is clearly interested in emphasising that "my labors contribute somewhat even to the Commonwealth of the Church, of which your Holiness is now Prince," mentioning specifically how the calendar issue was a concern for Leo X, etc. Second, when Copernicus says "first...", he does not mean "first" as in "most important," for he continues with a "second" and then reaches "the chief point of all." This chief point of all is the fact that the Copernican model has a beautiful implication: the planetary distances. A geocentric model cannot give such information because we could scale the orbit of Saturn, say, to make it twice as big and it would still look exactly the same seen from earth. But in a heliocentric model the distances are determined because if we scaled the orbit of Saturn then it would look the same seen from the sun but different seen from earth. So with the earth in the center we cannot determine planetary distances because we are the center of scaling, but with the sun in the center we would notice scaling and thus the planetary distances are locked, or, as Copernicus puts it, "this correlation binds together so closely the order and the magnitudes of all the planets and of their spheres or orbital circles and the heavens themselves that nothing can be shifted around in any part of them without disrupting the remaining parts and the universe as a whole." Thus he can claim triumphantly that earlier astronomers "have not been able to discover or to infer the chief point of all, i.e., the form of the world and the certain commensurability of its parts. But they are in exactly the same fix as someone taking from different places hands, feet, head, and the other limbs---shaped very beautifully but not with reference to one body and without correspondence to one another---so that such parts made up a monster rather than a man." (I'm using the translation from Goldoni's excellent article in the Mathematical Intelligencer.) Kuhn admits that the Copernicus' determination of the planetary distances is "crucially important" but dismisses it as the main reason for the acceptance of the theory: "'Harmony' seems a strange basis on which to argue for the earth's motion... Copernicus' arguments are not pragmatic. They appeal, if at all, not to the utilitarian sense of the practising astronomer but to his aesthetic sense and to that alone. ... New harmonies did not increase accuracy or simplicity. Therefore they could and did appeal primarily to that limited and perhaps irrational subgroup of mathematical astronomers whose Neoplatonic ear for mathematical harmonies could not be obstructed by page after page of complex mathematics leading finally to numerical predictions scarcely better than those they had before." The correct reading---beauty before truth---is staring Kuhn in the face but he refuses to recognise it, opting instead to dismiss Copernicus as "strange" and Kepler as "irrational."

"The Copernican Revolution" tells the epochal story of how the earth-centered cosmology of Ptolemy was replaced by the sun-centered cosmology of Copernicus and Kepler. The book is a classic. Kuhn understood how ideas influence each other and hang together in a system. He could write with equal erudition about observational astronomy, medieval theology, astrology, and Aristotelian physics.

"The Copernican Revolution" is a trove of historical and intellectual insights. Perhaps the main lesson is that scientific progress is not a simple matter of theory being adapted to observation. Multiple theories can account for the same observations, theories have complex non-observational bases of support, and extra-theoretical assumptions provided by "common sense" (such as the immobility of the earth) can be highly contingent products of a culture. Scientific progress is never guaranteed. Erroneous theories -- such as the theory placing the earth at the center of the universe -- can hold sway for centuries and generate a vast body of supporting evidence, only to fall out of sync with new observations and a new climate of opinion -- at which point they can hang on tenaciously, or collapse "suddenly" over the course of a generation or two. It all comes down to history.

Kuhn's great contribution to thought was to situate the history of science within the history of ideas -- he treated scientific theories as the products of cultures, institutions, and sheer accidents, not as deliverances of pure logic. "The Copernican Revolution" is fantastic and should be ready by anyone who enjoyed and learned from "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions." It's become fashionable to bash Kuhn lately but his books have a secure place in the canon of history and philosophy of science. Six stars!

I acquired the leather bound edition of this book when it was published. It wasn't at all what I expected it to be. The book was better. It transformed the way I thought about devotion. I have kept my edition in excellent shape all these years despite using it. If you are thinking about buying the book, I highly recommend it. I don't know what the newer versions are - whether republished or rewritten.

This book has been a continual inspiration and source of God's voice to me. As I read and re-read the content, I find God speaking to me each and every time. I even had my own copy rebound, so that I can be assured to always have it. I have bought copies for others, and am sorry to see it out of print.

This book has really helped me in my daily walk. The book is divided into 52 topical sections like silence, meditation, fasting, distractions, etc. with scriptures to read for each day of the week. There are also hymns, meditations by Christian authors and prayers for each week that relate to the topic. It's something you can do in 10 minutes a day if you're just starting and need to develop the discpline or you could spend 20-30 minutes each day if you want more time in prayer or to meditate on the readings. I highly recommend it and am about to buy a second copy for a friend.

I first read this book on a professor's recommendation in 1985. Disciplines uses a weekly format, including a 2-part reading schedule (1 part for use, and 1 for reading through the Bible in a year), and writings from classic Christian writers through the centuries. Like others, I have started reading many authors after reading their words in Disciplines. The heart is grabbed, the brain is engaged, and God speaks to you every day. My only negative is that there is no sequel, although it is similar to a Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants, an excellent book from the Upper Room.

There are so many choices confronting anyone looking for a half decent devotional guide today. This is the only one I have read that I cannot imagine anyone being disappointed with. I would recomend trying to get a hold of the leather bound edition from 1985 even though it will be a bit spendy. The reason that I recommend that edition is because it is quite a bit sturdier and it will take you through the whole bible in a year as well as the daily devotional readings. The Benson's have gain an incredible balance of focus on spiritual formation with practicle life application. They have avoided the error in many modern devotional guides of just giving a little two minute self help blurb to make you feel better about yourself for the day. They have also avoided the tendencies of certain older guides which seem to focus almost exclusively upon what wretched sinners we all are. If you make the effort to go carefully and patiently through the entire book in a year the Spirit will use it to transform you from the inside out. This devotional is both encouraging, challenging, and will serve you well for years to come. It is structured enough to give solid direction, but flexible enough to work for just about anyone. You also will have gained a great introduction to almost all of significant writers on Christian spirituality throughout history. I just can't for the life of me understand why it has been taken out of print, maybe because it will require more then a five minute commitment each day, but it is well worth it.

From the outside, Morgan Malliard seemed to have it all ~ diamonds at her disposal, a father whom seemed to do anything for her...or did he?!? When you find out in the novel that Morgan's father had her sign papers about tax evasion/fraud, I was like, WHAT!?!!!?!? What an unexpected TWIST...and then when he threw the paperweight at her head that landed Morgan in the hospital...WOW, what a father, eh?!!?!!? I just LOVE the Spa Girls, and seeing what will happen next in their adventures.....be sure that you don't miss the 3rd book in the series, "Calm, Cool & Adjusted".....

I would recommend Kristin's Spa Girls books to anyone into chic-lit...there's friendship, faith, and fun all rolled into one series! Each of the three books has twists and turns that are unexpected. A fun read!

In A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND, Kristin Billerbeck continues the spa escapades and relationship foibles of three friends whom readers met in SHE'S ALL THAT. It's a Chick Lit plot all the way, as they try to make sense of life, love and vocation. When the going gets tough, these gals head for a good manicure and facial.

In book one, Billerbeck followed Lilly Jacobs, Poppy Clayton and Morgan Malliard's friendship through the eyes of Lilly, a fashion designer whose romantic life had gone to pieces and who was at a dead end at her job. In book two, Billerbeck shifts the focus to Morgan, the poor little rich girl who has everything money can buy but longs for love and her father's attention.

Morgan is despondent after an escapade with a man who claimed he was a Christian rock star. He swept her away from a fashion show where she was modeling Lilly's couture wedding gown and her daddy's diamonds, and he seemed to be the Prince Charming of her dreams. But like most Prince Charmings, he seemed too good to be true --- and he was. The paparazzi are having a field day with the story of the "Jilted Jewelry Heiress" and Morgan is ready to lay low for a while.

"You know, if it was Johnny Depp I was accused of adultery with, well, so be it, gossip away," Morgan tells her two best friends angrily. "But a guy without a job, who was living off his wife in Daly City while I thought he was off in Nashville making his way as a Christian artist? Now that's just humiliating."

With her father's money, Morgan can lay low in style. She has the 600-thread Egyptian cotton sheets, unlimited Visa card, a BMW, and pair after pair of Jimmy Choo shoes. But her father's money may be in jeopardy --- and a new wicked stepmother waits in the wings. Then, Morgan is implicated in legal troubles. Should Morgan leave home and try to make it on her own? And what talents does she have besides wearing big expensive diamonds and looking beautiful?

When the three girls get in over their heads, they head for...you guessed it right. "Man, I need a spa treatment," Morgan intones. "Not just a measly pedicure or a pink-and-white nail fill. I need the full treatment; an enzyme peel, a moisturizing facial, a cucumber mask for my puffy eyes, a hot-stone massage, and maybe even a diamond treatment."

Meanwhile, Morgan and Poppy wonder why Lilly is putting off tying the knot with her own special guy, hotel dynasty heir Max Schwartz. Lilly has a few secrets of her own, and her beloved irascible Nana isn't going to be happy when she finds out what Lilly isn't telling. Poppy, a chiropractor, lends some engaging quirkiness to the storyline, with her oddball mixture of natural healing remedies, Zen-like statements and Christianese: "Self-esteem comes from the Lord, not other people. Why should we care what others think?" She mixes self-help and pop spirituality as easily as she wears her gauzy skirts.

Although Morgan isn't as interesting a character as Lilly, fans of the first book will enjoy catching up on the lives of the three women. It's a good bet that Poppy will be the focus of the next installment, and as the most colorful character of the trio, her story may be the most promising of all.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby

A great series by a fine author! This book was a gift, and I had serious reservations about reading it (I wasn't planning to read it!). It sounded like chick fluff, but I read it anyway. IT WAS FABULOUS!!! Ms. Billerbeck has a way of pulling you into the story...you just have to read what the characters say and do next! After I finished this book, I bought four others (two from the Spa Girls series and an Ashley Shockingdale novel). Keep 'em coming, Kristin!!!!

I enjoy reading chick-lit, but I shied away from it for a while because they all began to sound alike. When I heard of Christian chick-lit, I thought it would be an interesting genre to read. I love Christian novels, but most of the ones I've read are historical sagas, and I had no idea what to expect from Kristin Billerbeck's A Girl's Best Friend. This is a fun and entertaining novel with a compelling storyline and a lovely message to boot. Morgan Malliard is a young socialite from San Francisco who seems to have it all -- money, good looks, an envious wardrobe and unlimited dough. But there is more to her than that. She loves God and her two best friends, Lilly and Poppy, whom she meets at their favorite spa, calling themselves the Spa Girls. She also dreams of meeting the perfect man, that one perfect fish in the sea. Things, however, aren't as great as they seem. Morgan has no direction in life. Even though she attended Stanford University, she doesn't know what she wants in life, and settles for the comfort her father's money brings. Then she discovers that her fiancé, a self-proclaimed Christian rock star, is already married. Could things get any worse? When her father, an imperious jeweler, is accused of tax evasion, dragging his daughter along with him, Morgan is forced to reflect on her life and makes some big changes. Will God and her lawyer, the gorgeous George Gentry, help her along the way?

I enjoyed Billerbeck's sassy language and keen storytelling. I also like the chick-litty feel mixed with spirituality. This novel has satisfied me in supplying me with a fun, girly read and uplifting me in a spiritual level at the same time. What could be better than that? I enjoyed the opening paragraph, which goes: "There are plenty of fish in the sea. But really, there's not. It's not just our imaginations. It would be great if decent men were as plentiful as jumping salmon in a rushing river, but they aren't. For every Mr. Darcy (and he's married, incidentally) there are a hundred Mr. Wickhams. Or in more contemporary terms, for every one of Colin Firth, there are several thousand Hugh Grants. The odds are against us." I was sold from the moment I read the aforementioned opener. The best part about this novel is that, unlike many Christian novels I've read, it is not swamped with judgment or sanctimonious passages. Those novels, as well as many religions/churches and believers, give Christianity a bad name. To me, God is about love and giving and teaching and freedom. He is not bitterness and restriction and judgment. This is the second part of the Spa Girls series. Lilly's story is the first one. Having read this, I will read Poppy's story next. I will also read other books by this author. This is a genre I will follow closely in the future.