Thomas Books

It is not enough to know WHAT a writer said, we must know WHY he said it, in order to truly understand the work. My opinion is that Mauck the attorney has absolutely NAILED IT, to be quite colloquial. Acts is a poor history, but it is an excellent "elogium" (legal statement of facts required by Roman authorities), and seen as a legal document, we now understand why Luke wrote, and why he didn't write, about various things.
Since reading Paul On Trial several years ago, plus other works, I have written my own (history-emphasized) commentary on Acts and taught it several times in classes. Whether in print or in class, my teaching now has Mauck's Paul On Trial as the starting point and framework!

I am a long time student of the Bible and a lay minister in our church. This book has helped me "conceptualize" the books of Luke and Acts and will surely help me "speed-understand" the points in each book in relation to the larger inspired work and inspired word of God. The book is very well written and if you are reading this review, it should be in your library too.

I am still reading this book, but want to provide a comment. This book is worth the effort to read,study, and contemplate. I agree with all of the preceding reviews. For me, Mr. Mauck's book is functioning like a good brass or gold polish. It is stripping away the grime and tarnish of twenty centuries as well as my own understanding and appreciation of the Book of Acts, cleaning and polishing it right down to it's original design details and shape. I am now seeing things in Acts and the Gospel Of Luke that either I never was aware of before or have always wondered about but didn't know more. This book is wonderful because in its way, it reveals Christianity as it is, a uniquely radical, powerful phenomenon that is supernaturally guided and fueled, not the pervasive, almost ambient cultural Christianity that we all tend to take for granted, for good or ill.

I found that this is not a book that can be read quickly, it is more like a text book that I could only take in smaller portions in conjunction with going through ACTS in a small group Bible Study. I would like to know who the people are that are slamming this author, I would really like to know their arugments against his theory, because this is very powerful stuff, Canonization of the Bible speaking...not even Chuck Missler or Hal Lindsey thought of this theory before Mr. Mauck.

I simply can't think of a reason why anyone would doubt his theory that Luke wrote what has become to be known as Acts as a defense of Paul and the earliest Jesus/Gospel followers...and he pulls the book of Luke into the same theory, although the title doesn't mention this fact. At a minimum, Acts should have been titled "Acts of the Holy Spirit", more so than "Acts of the Apostles", as many refer to it. But now after reading this book, Acts should be retitled in all new pressings of Protestant Bibles to more reflect this book's arguments.

This will probably be his only book, unless someone un-earths some new letters or documents in an archeology dig in the middle east that were written for the same trial-type cause. This was a job well-done, by someone who gets it that we worship the Jewish faith fulfilled. God Bless.

I read this book about 2 years ago, and am still fascinated by its premise and the well-reasoned approach used to support that premise. Mauck's writing is clear and compelling, and got me thinking about the Book of Acts in a far different way than I ever had before. To the best of my knowledge, there is no other book that treats Acts as a legal document and Mauck's arguments gripped me to read further and revisit the Bible itself in light of this idea.

I am neither a law student nor Bible scholar, just a Christian interested in learning more about my faith. I highly recommend Paul on Trial to anyone who is interested in more fully exploring the early Christian church and Paul's challenges in spreading the Gospel.

This is a wonderful book. I am using it as a resource in leading an ILEAD class at Dartmouth.
Institute for Lifelong Education At Dartmouth

Most books about networking, dating, and making friends start at the point of contact: They assume that the user knows where to go to make friends. Thomas starts with the basics, from roaming your neighborhood to meet folks to the handy rule of thumb that it takes 7 visits to a new group for others to feel that you're one of the crowd.

I teach interpersonal communication, and this book has the best pointers I've yet read on how and how much to personally disclose to a new acquaintance, as one tests the waters and works toward building stronger ties and friendship.

Thomas avoids jargon and writes fluently in a down-to-earth, easy to read style. The book is well-organized. The chapter summaries and resources are a plus. Marvin Thomas has performed a much-needed service in offering this book to as a how-to manual for meeting and making friends in our fragmented society.

This is an excellent book. It woke me up to the importance of having people in your life. I am not a particularly outgoing person by nature, but after having read the book, I realized I already had a group of people around me that I can call my "personal village". The book made me realize how lucky I am to have these people in my life and to try harder to maintain these friendships, but also to be open to making connections with new people.

This book is so amazing. I have never written a review of a book. However, this is one that anyone that might be in the midst of "reinventing" their life as I am should read. I will soon be relocating to a new state and city and at the age of 59 that can be a little overwhelming. I am really looking forward to this new start and more than ever since reading this book and using the workbook. I have plans to start a study group after I am settled.

This is the kind of book I want to share with everyone I know. A "where have you been all my life?" book. It speaks to my heart in countless ways.

Two weeks ago I was struggling with the winter blues/cabin fever. It was bitter cold out, and I felt housebound and lonely. I told my partner "I have to get out." He's said "Let's go walk around Green Lake." We bundled up and drove all the way from Kirkland and began to walk. Within 5 minutes we ran into some dear friends, who had also been feeling housebound (she said she'd woken up crying that morning, and her husband had said "Let's walk around Green Lake!"). Three miles flew by, and before we knew it we were hugging goodbye. I drove home feeling a warm sense of contentment.

When we got home, I opened up Personal Village to my bookmark and began to read. It was the chapter that discusses limbic resonance. It was as if it had been written just for me on that day, as it spoke to exactly how I was feeling: I had needed a people fix!

I have spent my whole life looking for, and being a part of, communities, and feeling frustrated when I'm not involved in any that are currently working well for me. This book is inspiring me to put more effort into finding what I want. I have often wished I lived in Paris during the salons. This book is inspiring me to create one!

I am extremely involved in my neighborhood, and I love what Marv says about why there is value in picking up trash and caring about the people and place where we live.

His lists of books, films, and other resources are fantastic.

If you have longed for a greater sense of community in your life, or if you have felt that something is missing, read this book.

The condition was better than advetised. My father was delighted that the cd was there. Thanks for the good work.

Some of Dylan thomas's greatest work.
I spend many hours just browsing through and marvelling at his command of the English Language. Recommended for all lovers of poetry.

Dylan Thomas is immortal for the phrase "rage against the dying of the light", and probably should be. He had a real gift for the music in words. At first it seems that they should all be set to music, but as you hear them and let them play in your mind, you realize they are already their own setting. Some of his poems have been set to music, but none improved.

While I praise his real and powerful gifts, I also want to note that there is a certain adolescence in his themes of dying and death that, for me, diminish his greatness. However, it has and continues to attract the young who, in the abundance of everthing that is youth, think it mature and so, so, sophisticated to pine for death. For example in his own epitaph, he is upset with the fact that he has to die and blames his mother for bringing him into a world where his fate is to feed worms. Please! This from a man who basically drank himself to death at a sadly early age (not tragically - drinking yourself to death is hardly tragic, it is stupid).

For me, his early poem "Woman on Tapestry" is powerfully beautiful and demonstrates his gifts and strengths. Or take a look at the vitality and rhythm of "The Countryman's Return" (It opens: "Embracing Low-falutin' London (said the odd man in a country-pot, his hutch in the fields, by a mother-like henrun)". That's pretty good stuff.

The CD with Dylan Thomas' voice is a nice addition because the music is all the more obvious.

As a reader of his own poems Dylan Thomas has no equal. The immense power, the great musicality , the depth of feeling are simply above those of other writers I know. Compare the tepid TS Eliot slowly measuring out his syllables, to the booming flow of Thomas' poetry.
But the voice on the C.D. is one thing, and the poems as we read them another.
The poems are often to me too unclear and mysterious. Yet they at their best have a richness, a power in feeling, a strength uniquely their own.
In his greatest poems there are great memorable lines' Do not go gentle into that good night, Rage, rage against the dying of the light " Or at the end of another great poem about dying , "After the first death there is no other"
As I feel his verse Thomas belongs with Wallace Stevens and Gerald Manley Hopkins and Yeats and Keats and Shakespeare as great makers and masters of their own special music.
What a treasure.

If you truly are a lover of great poetry than this book should be very satisfying. Over the years there have been several volumes that have tried to attempt to collect some of the best poems by Dylan Thomas but none has come close to how complete and accurate this book is. THE POEMS OF DYLAN THOMAS, collects practically every poem that he ever wrote during his lifetime. All of his greatest and best loved poems are here and an added bonus is the CD in the back flap of the book(a special treat by all means) which has the acclaimed poet reciting eight short poems which are also included in the book. Dylan Thomas only lived to the age of 39, but in his brief run here on planet earth he wrote some of the finest, romantic and beautiful poems of his generation. Poetry scholars and literary historians have called him the greatest poet of the 20th century and although there have been many great poets (too many to mention) he stands as one of the most well known and best loved poetic geniuses of all times. Great book of poems that I highly recommend for anyone that has ever been moved and stimulated by the beauty and euphoria that poetry like the ones contained in this beautiful book can bring to a person's soul.

Any book that has to do with is a good book. Hey that's why they call the bible the good book.

I love this Bible. I have bought 6 for the junior high girls at my church. It is easy to read and makes the Bible understandable for all ages. The language flows and is not stilted or artificial. I highly recommend this translation regardless of your age or reading level!

The Bible is a compilation of stories - written and translated over 2,000 years ago. Readily available Traditional Bible versions are sometimes hard for the early learner to understand and digest. This Promise Bible, Contemporary English Version, delivers the stories in easy to read format, perfect for the beginner interested in learning The Word. Great for all ages.

The Promise Bible is just wonderful, it is the contemporary version of the Bible and it lets younger students of the word understand it more clearly. It is truly a shame that it has gone out of print, because I need another hardcover for a gift.

I have never read a Bible that is so easy to read in English and the paper qualilty and fonts are just the right size. I believe it is the best Bible ever produced in modern English. Buy this Bible for yourself and then purchase one to give as a gift. I use this Bible for my writing research then cross-reference with a King James Version for the final draft in my books. I'm sure you will be well pleased with this Bible. That's my recommendation! - James Russell, Author of the Christian devotional book "Walking With The Lord."

This was a great collection of stories. I feel that the first stories were the strongest and the last stories the weakest but even at it's worst these were wonderfully crafted stories. The writing style never fails to make you sympathize or in some cases, even empathize with the characters involved. Great to get you started in the always colorful, probably with gore, Punktown (Paxton to the socialites). Great stuff. Highly recommended place to start for all P-Town related books. Move in to Monstrocity after this and find out how bad things in the city REALLY are.

All I can say to this new author is...WOW! What a great compilation of stories. Interesting, well written, imaginative, and absorbing; you won't want to leave Punktown once you submerge yourself into its seedy depths.

On the planet of Oasis, an Earth established colony is formed called Paxton, but is known to everyone on Oasis as Punktown. In this colony, people from many different worlds and cultures live crowded into the apartments and streets, the colony overflowing with teeming life forms from the native Choom to the strange L'leweds and Antses and Waiais and of course the Humans.

Although each chapter is a separate story, they all blend into each other as a single fully developed tale of the colony itself, and the lives that carry out their existence there. When I read the first two chapters, I found myself being a little disappointed that they seemed to end rather "unfinished", like there should have been more wrap up to that particular tale. But as you read along, this feeling will fade because you realize that the overall concept of the book is that "life goes on", and you begin to feel the continuum of Punktown itself; as an entity comprised of individuals and not the individuals themselves.

My favorite chapter has to be the first one, "The Reflections of Ghosts", about an artist who clones himself to make artwork out of his creations, twisting the helix here and there to cause mutations according to whatever specs his customers wish. He calls them "Starfish" because of their complete lack of intelligence, but his narcissistic captivation with his "art" will be his downfall. Wait till you read about his "wall piece". Yuck.

Next, in "The Flaying Season", we follow a human woman named Kohl who lives in the Antse part of the neighborhood, and cannot seem to let go of her past even though it has already been erased.

"Wakizashi" is a very strange tale, introducing us to the L'lewed, one of the strangest residents Jeffrey Thomas dreamed up for Punktown. This chapter gives us a reason to ponder just how far does Tolerance extend when you are dealing with such diverse cultures?

"Precious Metal" is a new look at "Man vs Machine", a rather interesting tale that would be at home in Asimov's "I Robot". (Yes, it's that good!) Mob bosses and a robot jazz band and beautiful women make this tale a tasty and satisfying addition to this collection.

"Heart For Heart's Sake" is a beautiful tale of love conquering both evil, and artistic desires. Teal has created the perfect piece of art, his best work ever, and his girlfriend Nimbus does the performance art within his creation. But what price could possibly be worth such a treasure?

"Face" is a different kind of love story; the unconditional love of a parent for their child. This chapter is not about the conquering power of love, but the gut-wrenching pain that familial love can cause, and just how far one will go to never let go of their love. Or avenge it.

"The Palace of Nothingness" is a short, futuristic Haunted House story.

"Immolation" is an interesting and sad tale of a "Culture"; which is a clone specifically created for work. Would these "Cultures" have feelings? Love? Anger? Would there be room in their "brain-drip educated" minds to feel friendship, affection, or perhaps even seek vengeance?

The last chapter in the book, "The Library Of Sorrows", is about a cop named MacDiaz who has a photographic memory chip installed in his brain. This proves to be great for solving crimes and tracking killers, but just how many grisly scenes can he handle having total image recall of? At what point does one grow weary of the carnage?

This is the first book I have read of Jeffrey Thomas's, and I must say it is absolutely wonderful. I loved the world he created, and the different aliens. His descriptions of the strange beings bring them out into flesh without teetering over into boring repetitiveness or patronizing "you should know what I'm thinking" prose. The characters are well though out, believable, and likeable; and the scenes they wander through flow like mind candy past the eye. Punktown is a fast read, which is good, because you will want to stay up reading this one. Enjoy!

"Punktown" is a collection of short stories of the futuristic city of Paxton (a.k.a. Punktown).

This collection is Thomas at his best (and if you have read his works "Monstrocity" or "Letters from Hades", you know this is high praise). Speaking of "Monstrocity", it is a novel also set in Punktown and is highly recommended as a follow-up to "Punktown".

While each story in this collection can stand on it's own, they are best when read together. There is a continuity present throughout these stories, and as a whole, they create a collage of a fantastically creepy city. Thomas delivers in creating a world like no other, and he does it well.

In the realm of the concave of space, in the infinite palette of stars, we experience this broad brush of great talent in Mr. Thomas's aspect of his eye. He is brimming with imagination, almost choking the literary world with this book's essence and flair. I thoroughly enjoyed this series of stories of the incredulous, and can't wait to read more, and to stoke my memory with the imagery it hangs in midair like a surreal Dali freakout. Suspended by sheer imagination, this book is a complete work by itself, evenly charged with bountiful prose that guts even the most mundane of human boor's soul, peels it back, and hoses out the insides. Bravo!

Jeffrey Thomas' is a grim, grimy, and enthralling world. A genre-busting collection, Punktown has cyberpunk and horror (even a touch of splatterpunk) in its lineage, and a compelling collection of tales merging a smattering of species on a faraway planet with the gritty, crumbling, degraded desperation of life in a huge megopolis slowly suffering the unstoppable enfeeblement of its advancing age. A future noir in its own vein. Thomas' stories bring life and death, excess and blight, triumph and failure to Punktown with a clear, sharp writing style. Punktown is not to be missed.

I admit when I bought the book I read it quickly cover to cover. I couldn't resist the overview, but I quickly saw that real benefit would only come through practicing in depth with each page. Ezra's words gently encourage us to go to our own edge...to hear his wisdom and use it as inspiration toward our own proving ground.

Ezra Bayda's latest book even tells you how to use it! He says, "Don't consume this book." I, therefore, did not read it straight through and, instead, gave it preferred space on the passenger seat of my car for those moments when I need a little encouragement. His writing is very accessible and goes right to the heart. Treat this book like a special friend.

Got this for a friend who has breast cancer. Great words and thoughts.

This is my third book by Ezra Bayda and in many ways it is my favorite. Thomas Moore sums it up best in the introduction when he said, "I like Ezra Bayda because I don't think he assumes he gets it all right." And this is why I liked this book, it does not provide answers it only provides questions for reflection. For some reason I like the format and I also like the way the book feels in my hand. It just begs to be carried around with you and read throughout the day. But unlike many books, I do not feel the need to read it from cover to cover, rather I use it judiciously throughout the day. I let the day determine what page I will read. If it is 9:34 in the morning I turn to page 93 and read the passage if the temperature is 74° I turn to page 74. I found this to be a great tool to return my awareness to what is real.

I am amazed of how deep can Ezra Bayda communicate his insights with such concise words. He helps unveil the false beliefs we all carry upon our shoulders and inside our soul. Every line read is like acknowledging the truth we have always felt was there but resisted to be put in words.
As I slowly read each page, I looked around me just to be sure no one else, besides the author, knew what I have been feeling all along in my life. So, you will not only read a book, you will read yourself as if your inner self was an open book waiting for you to dive into it.
Thank you Ezra, this book is not staying on my shelf but instead, will be carried inside of me forever.

Frank Peretti is one of the best authors on the face of this Earth. This book, The Secret of the Desert Stone, displays that talent. He perfectly captures the greatness, and soverigntiy of God in a creative way. Once again, I totally admire the Coopers maturity as Christians, and their complete trust in the Father.

I'm a big Cooper Kids fan (and my name is Cooper, too). This book, Secret of the Desert Stone, is one-of-a-kind. As far as plots and settings and storylines in general go, this one's OK or above average, but nothing fantastic. In fact, if that was all I was looking at, I would rate it three stars. But the reason I rated it five was because breaches the most important thing in a person's life in a totally innovative and oh-so incredible way. The Coopers crash-land in the territory of a savage tribe in Africa while trying to discover the secret of a phenomal stone in an African dictatorship. But what they discover among the people is breath-taking. This book has a POWERFUL spiritual message (and don't get me wrong. It's NOT TOTALLY BORING....just not as action-packed as the other ones. A plain and simple fact meant to inform, not to dissuade). If you're reading the Cooper Kids, READ THIS BOOK. It will be a story you won't forget.

I loved this book! It gives readers a breather in the series, since the most of the books have dangerous situations. This book is not so dangerous until the end, but it is soooo interesting to see the simalarities between the idea's of the people they meet and Christianity. It starts when Dr. Cooper and his kids investigate the apearance of a large, perfectly rectangle stone in a mountain pass. The tribe they meet behind it is very friendly to them. During their stay with the them they discover the tribe is expecting water to come from the stone to help them grow crops, although the army on the other side is terrified of it. Dr. Cooper's family also dicover the people have a religion very similar to Christianity, with some of the same stories that some from the Bible. In the end, the stone saves them all. This is such an interesting book, it was a thrill for me to read.

This book is a great book for all ages. I am currently 17 and I love it. It is a wonderful testimony of what you can do with faith in God.

Dr. Jacob Cooper, Biblical archaeologist, and his two young teen-aged children, Jay and Lila, accompany their father to a small country in Africa after being summoned by Brent Anderson, a missionary to Africa, and two solemn costume-wearing Africans.

Thus begins a very unlikely adventure for the Cooper trio. In Togwana, they meet Dr. Jennifer Henderson, an African-American geologist from Stanford University, who has also been summoned. They face the new dictator Idi Nkromo, a cruel, heavy-fisted ruler. The problem facing these newcomers is the Stone of Togwana, not a stone of nature, not a man-made stone, but a mountain-size creation blocking the range between two actual mountains. What is more, it appears overnight, fully there. The Togwanians call it a baloa-kota, a curse, a plague. The dictator has called a man of archaelogy and spirit and a woman of science to disappear the stone, because the dictator plans to perish the people beyond--the Motasas, stereotypical bone-wearing, spear-chunking Africans.

This new "mountain" measures three miles wide and two miles high. Once they begin to measure and test it, all manner of supernatural things begin to occur. The small group flies to the top in a small aircraft to examine the Stone there. When a monstrous snowstorm threathens to annihilate them, they fly off but strong currents force them to land on the cannibal side among the Motasas. Whereas Togwanians on the other side fear this surreal structure, the Motasas recognize it for what it is: a sign from God.

Let it be said that this is just the beginning of a seemingly parallel world in which a Christ-like personage figures into their mythos and religion. The snake bites them to make them do bad. Coincidentally or not, the villagers have built their houses on stone foundations made of the same red rock as this new mountain. They believe that God will send them water through this mountain so their village will survive and flourish. There are many other direct references to events in the Bible.

Frank Peretti is a popular Christian writer, who weaves stories of faith tested by trial and tribulations. In this series of young adult Christian novels featuring the Cooper trio, Christian values and codes are at the core. Even in their troubling early teens, Jay and Lila remain children of faith, as reflected through their behavior.

This little story is a quiet victory of faith, demonstrated by the Coopers and the Motasas, a seemingly most unlikely people to follow God, which is the point--God can touch all peoples. The novel is a nice read to confirm a young Christian's faith and a reminder of the great working powers of God in all places and in all people. Indeed, God works in mysterious ways to bring about good. But then, you will have to read the book to find out what this Stone brings.

Gary Thomas has done an outstanding job communicating truths many of us have but find difficult to express or know how to address. While reading this book I realized that many others have struggled with some of the same aspects of the spiritual walk, yet at the same time, I was challenged that I could have a greater intimacy with the Lord.

While Gary made difficult concepts easy to understand, do not be mislead that this book is a quick read that requires little thinking. On the contrary, it will cause you to stop and meditate on things most of us spend little time contemplating. Yet I could hardly put it down! Finally, I read the book through and now I am reading it again even slower and meditating even more! This book will change you by causing you to draw closer to Christ and desiring Him more, thus changing you from inside out!

This book is one of my favorite devotional books. It brings balance into your theology, while provoking you to a greater relationship with God. His chapter on death is especially excellent.

This author has gone to the early "fathers" of the church to use as a point of stimulation, but his applications are focused on the issues we face (or need to face) daily.

I would encourage anyone to buy this book if they want to be challenged to grow and experience a greater depth in their Christian walk.

This book is a spiritual feast for the famished soul. Gary Thomas delivers a thoughtful and provocative study of Christian spirituality through the eyes of the Christian mystics (Pascal, Fenelon, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Francis De Sales, John Climacus, William Law, and others). It is a fresh book - not just a rehash of some other excellent books on the disciplines. Thomas offers fresh insight on basic areas of the spiritual quest - such as: spiritual goals, holiness, humility, simplicity, the remembrance of death, surrender, the seasons of the soul, and spiritual direction (mentors). The book is laced with excellent quotations from the authors listed above and many others. In fact, if someone wanted to glean the best thinking of the mystics, while avoiding the sacramentalism that crept into many of their writings, this would be a great place for it. But more than a great survey of old literature, this book presents old truths in such a way that all seekers of God will find benefit.

This book does and excellent job of exploring the spirtual journey as experienced by the classic authors of the christian faith, and relating it to your own journey. I have learned a great deal from reading this book, and have recommended it to many friends.

Seeking the Face of God is the first book I have read by author Gary L. Thomas. I don't read many books twice without some time [months or years]in between readings, but this book is an exception. I am reading it this time with the use of a highlighter. If you want to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord, then read what the ancients had to say. Gary's research of the Christian classics is evident. Read, meditate, grow.

When my work days start to overwhelm me, glancing at a few pages from this work of art help me to gain perspective again. Mr. Kincaids paintings alone have the ability to sooth and calm, but his text adds even more to his message of joy, hope, and learning to find your own "retreat" to reflect and slow your life down a bit. I love this book.

The pictures are perfect, the stories moving and clearly paint the picture expected by the title "A Simpler Time"

I first saw Tomas Kinkades work at a gallery in Port Jefferson Long Island. They were set in special rooms with typical individual lights for each piece. There were dimmer switches in the room that we were able to control the lighting, enhancing the effects. The paintings actually came alive with light as I dimmed the house lights. I'm not in the position to afford his work but with this book I'm at least able to enjoy the experience. The book is so good you can see the brush strokes and even the bumps in the canvas It's not as good as the real thing although it dose tease your senses. So sit back. Put on some soothing music and live the experience.

I bought this book 2 years ago, as a reward for myself. It's so beautiful and tranquil that reminded me of the simpler time is really what I want.

At the college I work at I teach classes on personal development and stress management through hardiness training. Recently, in class, we were discussing whether it is possible to experience joy when in the midst of challenges and trials. Through beautiful artwork and inspired narrative in "Simpler Times," Mr. Kinkade demonstrates how one can experience peace and joy in a hectic world. The book was like food for my soul. Thank you.

My Dad bought this book when I was a kid over thirty years ago. He never got as much out of it as I did. I'd spend hours looking at the many firearms listed in this large volume. It got me started in collecting old military arms and I refer to it still to this day.

This was purchased as a gift for a person that had been looking for it for several years; he is very pleased with it!

I highly recommend these Small Arms of the World books, due to the good coverage of Curio and Relic firearms, how you can take them apart to clean them, how they operate, pictures of individual weapons, interesting diargrams of some popular guns, and just simply the most information you are going to get on semi-automatic and full automatic firearms, at least that I can find. Seems that especially machine gun technology is some kind of restricted information somehow, at least in newer books, but at least these Small Arms books can help a former U.S. Army machine gunner like myself understand a little better how the guns I was checked out on,actually worked in principle. So, if your quest for knowledge is machine guns, then I defintely recommend these books. And if your quest for knowledge is Curio and Relic classified firearms, then especially the older versions of the Small Arms books are what you need. The newer ones kind of water down really old technology, while paying special emphasis on what was hot technology at the time, like a early seventies Small Arms will talk in depth on current American small arms like the M16, but will have minimal space on bolt action rifles, for instance.
I definitely recommend the 1969 9th edition as a good all around "get you by", if you just wanted one edition on older Curio and Reic Firearms, if you are a collector of Curios and Relics like me.

Small Arms of the World: A Basic Manual of Small Arms
is a classic. it is one of the best fireames books ever made, it is a real pity that it is out of print. they realy should rerelease it, I know I would buy it.
But until that happens I'll just have to keep getting it from the library.

If I could only have one firearms book I would choose this book hands down.

For the person interested in modern military small arms, this book is the place to start. It presents the material well, with good photographs, understandable diagrams, and interesting text. Hopefully an updated version will come out someday, but I don't think anyone will regret buying this one now. In fact, I have an older edition from the 1960's that I treasure for it's better coverage of now-obsolete firearms, special emphasis on World War 2 German designs, and more complete history of firearms through the centuries. This edition, on the other hand, gives more attention to weapons developed during the 1960's and 1970's. No doubt, after some future edition finally brings us up to date on modern high-tech weaponry this book will still be a valuable snapshot of the variety of arms in use throughout the world during the final decades of the 20th Century.

I highly recommend this book as the starting point for a good understanding of the small arms field, or as plain old good reading for the relatively technical-minded gun enthusiast.