Thomas Books

This is an incredible adventure and love story which reveals the early oil exploration in Saudi Arabia. It is about a mining engineer turned geologist and his keen observations revealed in his letters to his bride while he wanders around the Arabian peninsula in search of a key outcrop.

This is the book you need to read to explore the Saudi Arabian oil discovery in the past. I enjoyed reading about the culture and the people before the oil discovery. Careerwise, it teaches you how to overcome obstacles and succeed wherever you work. It exposed me to things i wasn't aware of, even though i am part of this culture :)

The book is mainly a compilation of letters from the first president and CEO of Aramco to his American wife during the very first days of oil exploration in Saudi Arabia prior to the Second World War, the period 1937-1940. It is an excellent and authentic record of Mr. Barger's experiences during those early days, when Americans, and Saudis worked well together, by in large, in pursuit of a common, mutually beneficial goal. Adaptations were readily made to a harsh environment. Each side accommodated the customs of the other.

The maps and pictures are easily worth the price of the book - particularly the pictures of the remote places, remote even today, certainly to Americans, but also to Saudis. Thomas Barger was one of the very first Westerners to many of these places, even ahead of Thesiger. He visited and / or lived in Salwa, Yabrin (Jabrin), Layla (even visiting the "lake" when it was full), Sulaiyl, and Wadi Dewasir, all during the period that the remnants of the Ikhwan were settled there, still retaining their fanatical beliefs.

The book ends with the period of the "100 men," when Aramco was maintained with a skeleton crew during WW II, after the Italians had bombed Dhahran and Bahrain.

With so many "Arabian Nights" fantasy books, usually through a darkened glass, shaping the American outlook towards Saudi Arabia, this book is a refreshing, realistic read.

As being one of the many grandchildren of Thomas Barger (A.K.A Daddy Tom to us!)I found this book inspirational and touching. I never had the chance to actually meet my grandfather, but through this book I had a chance to understand what his job really entailed and how great a man he really was. The best part of the book are the love letters between Daddy Tom and Kathleen. Their romance produced 6 wonderful children and 13 glorious grandchildren. Get this book if you are even slightly interested in the history and traditions of Arabia!

I am an American Educated Saudi businessman living in Jeddah, Saudi Arbaia but I have been doing business with Aramco for the past 20 years or so. I know the Eastern part of Saudi Arabia as well as Riyadh, where my family and I lived for 17 years before moving back to our home town, Jeddah.

Saudi Arabia, seen in the eyes of a young geologist armed with little background information, became a fertile ground to develop his exploratory instincts prodded by his young wife through lovely romantic letters. He fell in love with the country and the country fell in love with him. This affair, I believe, fuelled his love for his wife and hers for him.

It is a book I am recommending for my children to read to "re-discover" their country instead of relying on uninformative and largely incorrect description by satellite media moguls.

Dennis and Barbara Rainey are as engaging in the book "Parenting Today's Adolescent" as they are in person. The unforgettable Lessons, Charts and Conviction Building Plans are great tools for parents who are slightly challenged or just clueless on how to approach their teens with some tough topics. The book identifies various traps such as peer pressure, sex, dating, attitude, media, unresolved anger, appearance, false Gods and more. If you have ever heard Dennis Rainey on the radio or at a Family Life Conference then you know that he can tell a captivating story. This book is a wonderful what to do and how to do it guide for parents. I love the writing style and how they capture so much information in every chapter. This book is a great resource for parents of children any age.Biblical Perspectives on Tough Issues: Counseling in African-American CommunitiesHe is NOT Left Behind... He is With Me!

I am halfway through this book and have found it to be filled with great advice in helping me raise my five children. They aren't quite yet in the preadolescent age, but soon and I am preparing. This book is based on Christian values and refer to a lot of scriptures. Even if your family isn't Christian or really religious in your everyday living, this book will still make sense and give you some encouragement that you can make it through the teenage years with success. Sticking to convictions you set with yourself, your children can work.

If ANYONE ever felt the need for a parenting "How-To", this is it!! Not for the faint of heart though - as it pulls no punches and advocates a tell-all approach to upcoming obstacles and pitfalls in a teen's life vs. leaving up to chance or peer-information or just plain ignorance. Taboo topics such as masturbation are addressed with exact advice and timing suggested. The philosophy is "Don't leave anything to chance - inform your child BEFORE it happens while encouraging serious brainstorming and promoting action plans to head off destructive events that are ultimately inevitable." Another issue addressed is virginity and the distinction between being a virgin and actually being PURE. Empowerment is key - for the child as well as the parent - in the face of a permissive society which shapes our children's perceptions of values and morals. Of course, the foundation of this book is the ultimate Rule Book of all things in life - the HOLY BIBLE. But even non-Christians who want a guide on how to teach good morals and values to their teen who is trying to make sense of: 1)where they belong and 2)what they should do in this crazy world will find this book to be a true treasure. I have recommended to it countless parents and am thankful I didn't find it too late...

If you have kids and care at all about what challenges may come to them in the teen years, you need this book! It is THE most helpful book I have read on child-rearing. It really opens your eyes to what is out there, what your children need, and what you need to do. Thank God for this book! And thank you Dennis and Barbara!

I was really concerned about how to deal with a lot of issues with our daughter and purchased this book and even though I have only read about 1/3 of the book it is GREAT! I like the way it is written, the scenarios and suggestions are down to earth and real and I intend to use the methods presented in the book when I am faced with adolescent challenges.

I love purchasing from Amazon it was very simple and straight-forward and the book quality was great!

Let me start by saying that I'm a 13 year old boy and that Reggie White is my hero. I bought this book looking to learn more about my hero's life and I really struck gold.

Reggie White tells you about his entire life in this autobiography. He starts with an Introduction called "Promise Kept", which I particularly enjoyed. He then tells about his childhood, College days with the University of Tennessee, his Memphis Showboat Days, the USFL's fold and his move to the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles (my favorite team), and then his move to the Packers.

In between that though he tells stories of God and his miracles on the football field and about Buddy Ryan and the players he would go into the trenches with any day.

He also writes about the death of Jerome Brown, stories of God, how he didnt want to leave his teammates of the Eagles but had to because of the ignorance of Norman Braman, and much much more.

This is perhaps my favorite book I've read so far, and I enjoy reading.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of the NFL in general. Reggie White is a true NFL Legend and my hero.

I don't know where I'd be today without the witness of the late Reggie White. I suppose the answer is that God would have used someone or something else to crack open my hard heart, but I will still be eternally grateful to Reggie - not only for writing this excellent football book, but more important for always wearing his heart for the Lord on his sleeve, in plain sight for any observant fan.

THIS IS THE STORY OF REGGIE WHITE FORMER NFL GREAT. THIS IS A GOOD READ FOR EVERYONE, NOT JUST FOOTBALL FANS. REGGIE TELLS US OF HIS LIFE AND CAREER WITH THE EAGLES AND PACKERS, ALONG THE WAY HE HAS SOME GREAT STORIES ABOUT FORMER COACHES AND TEAMATES. BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT MESSAGE IN THIS BOOK IS HOW TO LIVE A CHRISTIAN LIFE. REGGIE WAS A DEVOUT CHRISTIAN AND SPREAD THE WORD. HE NOT ONLY TALKED THE TALK BUT WALKED THE WALK. THE LESSONS AND MESSAGES IN THIS BOOK ARE WELL WORTH READING AND USING IN EVERYDAY LIFE. I WAS VERY SHOCKED TO LEARN OF REGGIE'S DEATH. HE WAS A GREAT ROLE MODEL FOR EVERYONE. I RECOMMEND THIS ANYONE AND EVERYONE TO READ. THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH REGGIE WHITES IN THIS WORLD.

I found this book very interesting I learned a lot about Reggie White. I wish that he was still with the Green Bay Packers. I am a huge Green Bay Packer fan. This book had a lot of interesting stuff in it. For example I never knew that one of his favorite players growing up was O.J. Simpson. Reggie said in the book that O.J. Simpson was like a moving target for defensive linemen; he said, that was one of the reasons that he wanted to play defensive end. I also learned that he really liked his coach Buddy Ryan when he played with the Philadelphia Eagles ,and when Buddy Ryan got fired Reggie couldn't figure out why he got fired; he said Buddy Ryan was a good coach. Reggie also talked about his church getting burned. He also talked about his friend and teammate Jerome Brown who was killed a car accident and he thought he was a really great person and he said he misses him. I learned a lot from reading this book. This book is one of my favorite books that I read. I would recommend this book to every Green Bay Packer fan.

"I've never seen any conflict between Christianity and football. I don't see football as a violent sport; I see it as aggressive. And I see Christianity as an aggressive faith." (pg. 189).

IN THE TRENCHES spends tons of time talking about what made Reggie White famous, FOOTBALL, and what he thinks is most important for him to do with his football success, use it to promote JESUS!

"...three words--IN THE TRENCHES--sum it all up for me. I live my life in the trenches. I do my work in the trenches. I serve my God in the trenches. I go to war against evil, poverty, racism, and injustice in the trenches." (pg. 22)

Reggie talks about how he grew up. He was the second son of a teenage mother, who seldom saw his father. He was always much larger than other kids his age, and they called him names like "Bigfoot" and "Land of the Giants." He got saved when he was 13, and he would point out what the Bible said to bad kids who were doing things like always telling lies.

He claims O.J. Simpson as his childhood inspiration and main reason that he wanted to play football, even though this book was written after the famous murders?

He toughened himself up for football, to prove wrong the folks who said he couldn't handle it because he's a Christian!

He talks about playing in the USFL and the NFL, for the Showboats, Eagles and Packers. This book was written before he won the Super Bowl with the Packers. He spends plenty of pages giving many details about many different games. Sometimes it gets a little too long for me, so if you are interested in hearing about his football career, then this is the book for you! "Sacks are fun, man. There's nothing like throwing a quarterback down for a big loss." (pg. 83). He also talks about being one of the first really big stars to go into Free Agency, which was not popular with the team owners of the time! "The owners who screamed the loudest about free agency were the owners of the notoriously tightwad teams--the Eagles, the Bengals, the Steelers." (pg. 127).

He details the times when God pulled off public miracles to heal him to play. He also discusses how God used his football fame to bring to the public eye the problem of church arsons in the South, by having Reggie's church get burned down, which brought national media attention, and plenty of extra love and support from Green Bay fans, and from across the nation.

There are many b/w photos in the middle of the book, so you get to see many of the family and friends discussed.

This book is better than Reggie White's later book, BROKEN PROMISES, BLINDED DREAMS, which is mostly about his thoughts concerning African-Americans in the USA. BROKEN PROMISES focuses mainly on what's wrong with the immoral US culture, these days, so you should read BROKEN PROMISES if you are interested in social activism and the African-American experience, from Reggie White's perspective.

He only briefly touches on the culture wars in this book, IN THE TRENCHES, "Nobody's preaching abstinence today because nobody's figured out how to get rich off of other people's abstinence--but there's plenty of money to be made from other people's sexual activity...[...]..sexually transmitted diseases...aborting unwanted babies...Much of the money spent on various aspects of people's sexual behavior is TAX money--money you and I shell out to the government, money that is spent without our say-so!" (pg. 217).

At the end of the book he give tips on how to be a good role model.

I am a Reggie White fan, because I like what he did with his football fame, using it to promote Christianity throughout his entire career, and way before and after his pro football days, as well!

I think this is the best Reggie White book that I have read, though I can also recommend BROKEN PROMISES for anybody who is intrigued by the activist aspect of Reggie White's life.

There is also a pretty decent book of photos called REGGIE WHITE: A CELEBRATION OF LIFE, 1961-2004. This is slim on text, but has many interesting photos of his pro football years.

"When I face the final judgment, God isn't going to ask me how many Pro Bowls I played in or ask me to recite my stats. He's going to ask me if I knew Jesus, and if I helped to bind up the wounds of people." (pg. 195, IN THE TRENCHES).

Had the audio tapes from the library and listened so many times I wore it out. Thought the reader was wondeful and will buy it on CD to add to my collection.

I am so glad this has been re-issued on CD. 15 hours of Alan Rickman's voice. Excellent value for money. An ideal gift for any fan of this actor.

Return Of The NativeThe Return of the Native Now the book is on cd and it's a must have. Now that the book is on cd there is no more issues with chewed tape. Mr. Rickman gives the book life and makes any long trip on the road go by fast and eases the mind. Great stuff wish he read more.

As a lover of descriptive, old English this book is a delight. Hardy writes such beautiful prose in describing the wilds of Egdon Heath and its occupants. I have loved Hardy's writing since first reading, 'Far From the Madding Crowd', as he rung my heart for Shepard Oak. How much more would I have enjoyed it if it was read, I can not tell but 'Return of the Native' is so much the richer for being read and heard. It's the difference between enjoying the story and being in the story; walking with the characters across the heath, willing them to take a different path or hoping they tread their way to a beloved or to avoid another. I laughed out loud at poor Christian and cried and the fates of some. Alan Rickman, (I am very biased on anything to do with him and his voice) does a fantastic job in developing these characters into distinct personalities with their own sound and feeling, a truly skilled actor.

Loved this audio book, Mr. Rickman kept my attention from begining to the end of the book. I couldn't stop listening to it even if I wanted to. *Grins*

Major W. Ian Thomas' book The Saving Life of Christ contains a wealth of insight for living a victorious Christian life. Thomas is right on target with the doctrine of justification, but he is weak in the area of sanctification. He seems to hold a passive view of a Christian's faith as he states, "I sit back in the rest of faith." This is contrary to the teachings of 1 Cor 15.58, Phil 2.12, and Jas 2.14-26. Furthermore, Thomas holds to the concept of a carnal Christian. He states, "If you are a carnal Christian, it means that you have been redeemed by faith ... but you live ... under the subtle influence of a defeated foe, the flesh."p.37. This theory contradicts the teaching of Rom 8.1-9. A Christian does carnal things (1 John 1.8, 10), but the bondage to a carnal way of life has been broken by God's power (1 John 3.9).

Although Thomas gets a lot of mileage out of the false doctrine of the carnal Christian, he offers practical theology relating to the Christian life. Thomas also sites a few well-developed concepts from Biblical characters, including King Saul, Moses, Jacob, and Esau. Although Jacob was a scoundrel, God worked in his life and, in time, transformed him into Israel, the prince of God.These edifying examples make this book well worth reading, but because the other theology noted in the book I can only give it 3 stars.

Thomas has a unique view of how Christ will live in us if we only give Him an invitation. If we do this without reservation, Christ will then take over our lives while we are allowed to go on vacation. Anytime I read a book by Thomas, I invariably feel inspired.

The main theme of this book is that Christ can live through us. After we commit to Christ we receive the Holy Spirit and are reborn. Christ will then live in us if we offer Him child-like acceptance.

Like the Jews who longed for Egypt while travelling in the wilderness, there are carnal Christians who still live in the flesh even though they have been redeemed by faith in Christ. Without the fullness of Christ in us we cannot celebrate completely.

Thomas makes his case with readable prose and his arguments are backed up by original thinking.

I read the book after hearing the author speak at a local church and found both experiences to be inspirational.

I have been a Christian for a long time, and grew up in a great Christian home...the authors home to be precise. I was taught many of the principles from the Saving Life Of Christ from a very young age, but to be honest they didn't always sink in. Through high school I went through a very rebelious stage as so many ministry kids do and wasted a lot of time and opportunity to allow Christ to live through me. In fact I became so tired of always feeling like I needed to impress Christians or those around me that I wanted to give up. It wasn't until after high school that I figured it out...that it was never about me in the first place. I needed to just let go and allow God to be God in my life through Christ. It never really connected until I picked up Grandpa's book(very reluctantly I might add) and allowed myself know Christ as he desires to be known...in full dependence. I think this book is a great resource in helping us understand who Jesus came to be for us and the life that He longs to live through us. I also appreciate it because it does not rely on insirational dialogue as the motivating factor for someone to respond but rather on the word of God. It is not just for the spiritually mature but for anyone who desires to know Christ in a more powerful way. I am in no way the cookie cutter Christian...in fact I run a skateboard outreach for youth, and have used it in my Bible studies with kids who hardly have any concept of obeying the law let alone the Savior. I highly recommend it and am grateful that the Lord has used grandpa to reach so many people through The Saving Life Of Christ!

In His Strength,

Ben Thomas
~Pastor of Skatechurch~
Portland, OR
www.skatechurch.net

Thomas' wonderful title is an excellent encouragement to live a life of victory instead of defeat.

Among the important points Thomas covers include:

1. Having a new life in Christ saves us from the futility of self-effort.
2. To be a true disciple, we must realize our own bankruptcy.
3. We are called to commit to Christ, not a cause.
4. What is not of faith is sin.
5. Do not panic and let God be God!
6. The sufficiency of Christ.
7. Remember the sin of Moses that kept him out of the Promised Land.
8. God does not intend to satisfy us in the wilderness.

Read and be encouraged to stop trying to live life in your own strength and instead let Christ's life flow through you!

OK, Amazon, I'm sorry & I apologize for my obnoxiousness on my previous review for this book. I guess I did go a little over the top! This time I'll just stick with the subject of the book.

My review title says it all, folks. This IS the ultimate tornado encyclopedia; whatever you're looking for on the subject, you'll definitely find it here--and then some.

I'm thrilled to hear that Mr. Grazulis is planning to update & re-publish this book in 2008 (I hope & pray it's not just a rumor!) When he does, I'll be sure to snatch up my copy quicker than a tornado can develop!

Hi! This is the same person who wrote the review "The Best Condensed History of Tornadoes Available." I just got it today( the full 1300+ pages of tornado stats)and have had a hard time putting it down! I had the book Significant Tornadoes 1880-1989 but this is even better. It has almost every single twister, cyclone and whirlwind that has touched down in the US. Thank you Amazon.com and midnightcowboy for the excellent shipping quality and value of service. This is the greatest tornado book available. Fortunately, maybe this book will not be rare and out of print for too many more years (it could reprint by 2008).If you love tornadoes this is your book!

I know folks that this isn't the Big Green Book but it is a very close second. I just received it in the mail today and am loving it... every page! This is a great reference work on tornadoes and a good substitute while waiting for the Big Book to reprint. I just can't see how anyone could pay 800.00 for the Green book version of Significant Tornadoes! That's plain outrageous! The book is scheduled to reprint sometime in 2008, I think. I own Tom Grazulis' Tornado Video Classics series, Flora's Tornadoes of the United States, many storm chasing books and videos, his Tornado: Nature's Ultimate Windstorm and now this two volume set. Tom Grazulis is one of the best authors and really does much to grab the reader's attention. Kudos to Amazon for their quick and great service. The paperback binding is a little weak for a book series of this size but this is not their fault. Any paperback binding requires great care. But I would recommend a hardback version if you can find it or when or if the Big Book reprints or not.Anyway the information in this book I would highly recommend to anyone like myself interested in weather, tornadoes or a career in meteorology.

This is a great book of 1400 pages worth of information. But it is not worth 850.00 for that is just a rip off. This book is good for about 150.00 though. There is a ton of information it has by state and shows all Tornadoes that had estimated winds of 113mph and above and all tornadoes that killed anyone. It also has the events written down and a discription like for Instance it would say some thing like this

Lincoln, Missouri 4/17/1880 6K 15INJ F-5 1500yds 75m
Started 10 miles of North of Troy at 1700 and desipated 10 miles south of Troy. Homes were ripped apart and one women was killed as she could not escape the winds the Tornado went directly through the town of Troy and farm after farm and even a inn almost completely vanished from earth. That tornado was just a hypothetical Tornado but that what it gives you

... it is the best book on tornadoes that I've ever read (Arjen and Jerrine Verkaik's "Under the Whirlwind" is a close second - well, not that close, as it's well eclipsed in size by this). It not only covers every F2 and over-/killed one or more-tornadoes in the U.S. over three centuries, and tornado listings and path-maps for every state, but goes into detail on tornado formation, the dynamics of a supercell storm, other wind-related hazards they produce, a detailed, illustrated analysis of the Fujita scale and what damage counts for what ranking - in short, just about everything that counts regarding tornadoes. A must-have for cyclonophiles!

UPDATE - ...

Even though salvation is by grace, this book will really challenge you to make your Christian walk alive.

This book is a must read. I have purchased two others and given them as gifts and have plans to order more. The information that has been shared is so enlightening. I never knew the history about the Salvation Army. I will look at the volunteers with a deeper appreciation from now on. I am starting to read it all over again as I feel the need to do so. I've shared segments with so many. David Jeremiah is a great author.

fran bradman

Christians, while there are mnany good and Godly people in this country, have by and large become soft and self-serving. This book will help cure us all of that. I have been inspired to get up out of the pew, out or my comfort zone, and out of my little holy huddle, and start some SERIOUS serving. If we serve, we will be more attractive to people and more pleasing to God and this book really helps show the way. David Jeremiah hits at the heart of the issue from a postive, encouraging point of view, rather than accusing, belittling, pointing fingers and making us feel guilty (isn't that Satan's job?). Great book, but don't just read it, DO IT!! We need to stop squabbling and start serving, and thereby show people that God is indeed alive in us!

I saw Dr. Jeremiah preach the introductory message for this book and immediately knew that I wanted it. This book is assembled into 40 daily devotionals in Dr. Jeremiah's "get to the point" style. These 40 lessons support the five "signs of life" of a Christian: Dusty shoes, worn out knees, rolled up sleeves, open hands and outstretched arms. llustrations really add to the discussion of the point he is making.

We have just finished this book as a Sunday School study. Response was just wonderful.

I strongly recommend this book for the new Christian as well as someone who has been a Christian their entire life. I thought it was more of a chapter book, but it is a daily devotional which makes it even easier to read consistently. It has been very challenging to me spiritually.

Excellent book, good pictures. I like the grouping by body part and specific classifications of dermatologic disorders.

Fantastic book, I absolutely love it. Lots of nice pictures,the book was much better than I had expected - a great buy!

The pictures were excellent, each disease also had a differential and there were small bonuses regarding pediatric patients. Book is well organized and easy to read. Perfect for a med student, and even for residents

Delivery was fast, and the book was in excellent condition. It was a very good purchase, I was very pleased.

This is an excellent book! I'm using it in NP school. It provides a 1-2 page explanation of the skin disorder along with pictures.
thanks

Ellen Castro has written a perfect gift for any busy leader. Her inspirational insight into various aspects of leadership is easy to read and includes space for personal reflection. Whether you read one a week for 52 weeks or several a week, the key will be how you apply this material to your personal leadership.

Castro has taught leaders and been in leadership. She knows what she's talking about. If you want to build trust with others in your workplace, you need this book.

Ellen Castro's book has provided me with many excellent ideas to use in my own business. I had the pleasure of meeting her recently. She walks her talk!

Ms. Castro has written one of the most worthwhile and innovative books on leadership you could hope to read.

Ellen has given each of us the gift of how to become the type of leader we want and were meant to be.

Even if you aren't in a formal leadership position this book is a must read for those wishing to be true to themselves in their professional and personal life.

"Spirited Leadership" has thought provoking questions for the reader at the end of each chapter. If you take time to consider each issue as the author allows, you will be well on your way to a "Spirited Leader".

Very applicable and to the point. A great check list for reviewing my behaviors. Enjoyed the reflections. Helped me integrate into my everyday life.

"Ellen Castro's Spirited Leadership offers a generous feast for the managerial soul. Readers will return to this lovely book repeatedly, and will be refreshed and reinspirited each time. It's a vademecum for the 1990s - a source of spiritual guidance and a stimulus to reflection." Lee Bolman, Missouri Chair in Leadership University of Missouri-Kansas City

This book is so comprehensive and informative. It covers every kind of adoption - foster care, state, private, domestic and international. It has tips for paying for your adoption and lots of inspirational stories at the end of each chapter. I highly recommend this book and can't wait until we bring our own little one home!

This book was very well written in both its content and sentiment. Some adoption guides are technical and hard to read and I found this book to be neither. In addition to having great information regarding the various aspects of adoption, there are heart warming stories from adoptive parents and adoptees whose names you will recognize. This book is a must read!

My husband and I felt more confident about going through all of the steps of adoption after reading this book. This book tells you what the different types of adoption there are and what steps are necessary in each case. It is very detailed and helpful.

If you are considering adoption, this is a wonderful resource.

This book is 300% better than the first adoption book I chose to learn about this delicate subject. It has helped tremendously in reconciling feelings about adoption and my faith, as well as provide useful information in a very clear presentation. A must-read for anyone considering adoption!

This book has been such an encouragement to me in our family's adoption journey. It is inspiring and informative. A unique feature of this book is that is includes sample copies of documents needed for adoption paperwork.