Thomas Books

Although it's still hard to get the proper balance, I found this book very useful for thinking through how to desire things in life, yet let go of those desires and release them to God's will and His timing. It doesn't give you the magical solution, but it helps think through these things.

I love all the books by John Eldredge. This one is no exception. The things that he talks about are real in a practical sense, things that matter to our hearts and things that we struggle with. It doesn't read like a big theology book but very hands on. It talks about what to do with your desires and how to handle them.

John Eldredge says in the book that we live in the life of desires - who we are are identified by our desires. Our desires are inherently good. But our desires also need to be checked against by the truth because there are false desires too, that are not from God.

Our desires reside in our soul - they live in a place "where our souls are flourished in an atmosphere rich in love and meaning, security and significance, intimacy and adventure."(p.72) We desire these things.

John spends a lot of chapters speaking about the agony of desires - desires that are not met and yet to be fulfilled. One thing I like about him saying this is that in waiting our soul will be extended. As agonizing as it is to wait, it really feels like a good dose of medicine to take.

What are our desires? It varies. You have your heart desires and I have mine. But John gave plenty of examples: a single person wanting to get married. A married person wanting to save his marriage. While reach your heart desire may not be easy, he encourages us not to be disheartened by this prolonged waiting. But he did warn against dropping out of the journey of desire and carrying on your life while leaving your heart desires behind. Then what road will you take?

He also warns against substituting false desires with your true desires. Pleasure is the word for false desire. TV, shopping, advertisers, food, etc. These things anesthetize our pain. "If the evil one cannot get us to kill our hearts and bury our desire, then he is delighted to seduce our desire into a trap." (p. 84) Don't give in. Stay with the pain!

John has talked about a lot other stuff that I can't include them all in here. Read the book. But what I get the most out of the book is this: if you think you have found your heart desire on earth, don't set up camp and call it home because we will never be home until we go to heaven. Life is a journey and a battle. Guard your desires! Keep them alive!

Whew! That God created me with deep desires that are signpost to guide me to become the man He wants me to be..... that is freeing. So many of us have been taught that all our desires are "of the flesh" and fall short
of true holiness. This book released me from all that into the joy of
walking in God's approval as His beloved.

John Eldridge at his best. This book reads like "Purpose Driven Life", but with more emphasis on the heart, instead of the mind. Excellent reminder of God's love, instead of His plan.

Eldredge always touches me with his writing, he has a way of presenting what's in scripture and using it as a backdrop to anecdotal stories thus making stuff I kind of know already become more alive. I feel closer to God and I feel more like wanting to serve God when I read his works.

In Desire, Eldredge presents us with the fact that we all desire things, relationships, sex, food, etc., in life. We all live with desire and if desire is stuffed, shoved away, then usually we'll end up seeking out illegitimate ways to meet our needs for pleasure and pain avoidance.

By allowing our God given desires to drive us to the places God has for us, in other words, for living in such a ways as to allow the desires of our hearts (what God has built into us) to guide us with the hand of the Spirit to those places God intended us to go, then we will live lives filled with both joy and fulfillment even in the midst of hard times and pain.

This isn't some cheer leading rah-rah book, nor is it some kind of "name it and claim" type of instruction. This book is about what we already know (that we want stuff out of life) and that Jesus said he came to give us life, and to give it to us in the fullest sense of what that means. That life eludes most of us, even the best of Christians.

I strongly recommend this book.

I could not put this book down. Once I began reading it, I had to finish it. It was full of mystery and suspense. I can not wait until the sequeal comes out. I have told alot of friends about this book. If you like suspense, mystery and a all around good book, Buy this. I recommend it to everyone.

Mr.Davis book kept me on my toes. I never knew what to expect next. It made me think,and explore the way the human mind can find a faucet to place the blame on someone eles. I cant tell you how often when asked if I like a book my respones is that it was just okay. This time I can truly say that this book is AONE. you wont be able to put this one down!!!

It was one of the most execiting books that i have ever read. i could not put it down, had to finish it. it was GREAT !!!!!!

I really enjoyed your book, I don't normally read books. Your brother Steve gave the book that you signed to my husband and he gave it to me to read. I was recovering from an illness so I had time to read it. It really kept me wanting to keep reading it. I want to read the next book you have comig out. Keep up the good work. Teresa Tanner

This by far is one of the best novels I have read, in a long time. The suspence in the plot keep me reading. The book was a roller coaster ride and made you want to come back for more. I am definintly looking forward to the sequeal.

Received very quickly and in great shape, would buy from again.

Thank you

I love this bible. I was in need of a different translation, since I have been reading NKJV forever. It gives me a fresh look at scriptures that are translated very close to what I am used to, but different enough to engage my thinking. I appreciate Max Lucado's commentary. He gives a creative spirit-filled touch. His love for God is evident throughout his commentary. Can anything be more important?
There is no concordance. Strong's concordance can be used if need be.

I have my devotionals day and night, and Max Lucado's Devotional Bible is truly inspiring. You will truly "Experience the Heart of Jesus".

I love this bible so much I have ordered many and given them away as gifts to many family and friends. It is so easy to understand and interpret. Every time I open and read scripture from it, I always instantly feel better about anything that has been troubling me. I get very excited when talking to people about their faith and what not and when someone happens to mention that they don't enjoy reading their bible...I smile and say, "Well, I have got a bible you should try..." Max Lucado is an amazing author and it feels like he is speaking right to you. I hope you give this bible a try, you won't be disappointed.

Of course the bible has always had meaning, but i talk in a sense for those who have had trouble understanding it. I think this bible was meant for me to find because now more then ever in my life I've managed to understand the will of The father and the son. In the past bibles confuggled me to the core. Alot of the old words and sentence structures kept me from catching interest in my life. Up to about a year ago I realized god was calling me to try and change. My first step was to get a bible and little did I know, since i was walking with the world, that the bibles have been updated to reflect modern language. I found that reading this bible was the best and most interesting thing I've done and Easy too. The setup into plain english makes it easy to understand everything that was hidden in my life, and the devotionals on the side make it easy to understand the subject of the stories your reading. Now i understand more what God did and still does for us through Jesus Christ. This book will definately make it easier for those who have trouble to learn the lessons of every story from the Old Testament to the New

I have enjoyed ALL of Rhys Bowen's murder mysteries. I write this review of the Constable Evans book because Rhys will no longer be writing this series. This is a big disappointment as I enjoyed the innate goodness of Constable Evans and his struggles with humanity in a small slice of earth that struggles with it's own history and growth. I have collected all the paperbacks of this series and I guess I'll just have to keep reading them over and over.

After finishing this thoroughly satisfying cozy, you'll feel as if you had an insider's visit to a charming little village of Llanfair in Wales. The characters actually breathe, the language is just plain FUN, these are people you've sure you have truly met. The writing is clever and inspired and the scenes are wonderfully painted. Constable Evan Evans is the policeman with both a heart and a brain, as well as a coodling landlady and enough love interest to keep tongues wagging. Dueling church billboards are a witty and delightful touch.

This reader is delighted that there is more of Evans and Llanfair waiting. If you have made it through the series and wonder what's next - then M.C. Beaton's Hamish MacBeth series of cozies might should be added to your reading list.

That's surprising given I've been to Wales and it was very foggy and damp -- but the Wales described in this book is a wonderful place indeed -- beautiful and filled with kind, caring people (who unfortunately for any outsider speak Welsh!)

This is the second book in the series -- I'm reading them in order -- and I think I liked it better than the first. I thought at first I had everything all figured out, and was disappointed, but as it turned out, I wasn't even close. That's a great mystery. Add to that a wonderful world you enter when you read this book...

The plot involves a summer resident (a retired Colonel living on a pension who comes to this tiny village in Wales every year for a holiday) who is found dead right after he's discovered some ruins. The local constable, Evan Evans, immediately believes he was murdered, but the police higher up the chain of command try to insist it's an accident. Then there is another death -- made to look like a suicide. Is there one killer or two? Evans gets involved in trying to find the connection between these two deaths as the key to discovering what happened.

All in all, a great book to curl up with when you have the time to read uninterrupted -- it creates a wonderful mood.

This series is set in the peaceful Welsh village of Llanfair and features Evan Evans, the local constable. When two recently arrived Londoners are murdered, Evans must sift through the rivalries that the victims were involved in. This is a well-crafted series with likable characters and well-written plots. Each entry in the series is better than the one before. If you like British procedurals, add this to your to-buy list.

Life in Llanfair is about to get another jolt. Colonel Arbuthnot is hit over the head and killed right after discovering an ancient ruin on the nearby mountains. Meanwhile, tensions build in the town when Evans-the-Meat announces a plan to put the village on the map and returning resident Ted Morgan announces plans to turn the old slate mine into an amusement park. Then a second body turns up. Constable Evan Evans finds himself overwhelmed with events and trying to find the pieces to make sense of it all. But if that's not complication enough, there's a new female resident in town, and she also has her eye on the eligible lawman.

I just discovered this series last month, and I've already read two of them. The characters and setting are charming. The author's obvious love of them comes through on every page. The plot is great as well. While I had some things figured out, there were still enough twists to keep me surprised until the end.

Anyone looking for a relaxing cozy mystery would do well to book some time in Llanfair. I'm hooked and look forward to many happy visits with Evan and his neighbors.

This book was enlightening to say the least. It really opens your eyes to the fallacies of Obstetric care in America.
The more you learn about birth, the more you doubt the so-called "professionals."
We have been duped into thinking childbirth is a mechanical event, something to be feared, and managed by some outside source. None of this could be further from the truth. And the truth can be found in this book.
For your safety and sanity- read this book.

I'm about halfway through the book right now, and a quarter of the way through my pregnancy. Although Expecting Trouble is a death knell for prenatal care as we know it, the book was reassuring to me. It let me know that I needn't feel out of the loop in caring for my own baby- the doctor isn't the real authority in this case. Virtually all prenatal problems develop regardless of the mother's prenatal care, whether a birth defect occurs before a woman knows she is pregnant, or it is caused by genetics. It either happens or it doesn't happen. So many women look to their doctors as magical people who will diagnose and treat any potential problem. During pregnancy, this just simply isn't the case most of the time. I feel more at peace knowing that this is the type of situation that there simply is no way to control, beyond maintaining good health and avoiding known dangers. The majority of pregnancies are (medically) problem-free, and I will feel less stressed knowing that I will probably have one of them. And if something goes wrong, I will know that I couldn't control it.
I highly recommend this book, along with The Nature of Birth and Breastfeeding, by Michel Odent.

It's such a no brainer that prenatal care is really wonderful, helpful and good. Strong, second generation in the medical care of pregnant women, has a lot of reservations and a lot of data to back those reservations up. He also has some suggestions for how things could be improved: involve certified nurse midwives in prenatal care to avoid the temptation to complicate a normal pregnancy and birth, keep NICUs regional (so they don't turn in to profit centers, complicating life for normal newborns and their new parents). He'd like to believe that preconception care would help (by getting women help to stop smoking and so forth before they get pregnant), but he's sensible enough to recognize there are some hard limits on what the medical profession can do in the face of widespread social problems.

This book should be required reading for every woman in American.

Thomas H. Strong has written an excellent account of the inherent flaws of prenatal care in the United States, highlighting where Western medicine succeeds and where it fails. Looking critically at other health care systems around the world, he demonstrates how alternative health care for birth when delivered by midwives has higher success rates in preventing premature birth and various birth problems. If anything prevented me from giving this excellent work five stars, it was the fact that Dr. Strong, while praising health care systems like the Netherlands, decided not to address the fact that those same praiseworthy birth traditions are delivered by lay midwives, not the nurse-midwives found in other countries. While both lay (or direct-entry) midwives and nurse-midwives contribute important care to pregnant women, Dr. Strong failed to address the prejudices surrounding direct-entry midwifery in the United States despite its affordability and accessibility in remote areas.

I think this is an important book for mothers to read, but be aware that it presents research and, while well-written, is not written in the accessible format of many books destined for the expectant parent. It would be an excellent book for anyone interested in the sociology or medical anthropology of birth and its inclusion in women's studies classes would enrich any curriculum.

Jacquelin Thomas is one of my favorite Arabesque authors. Dr. Ashford thinks Marc Chandler is responsible for the death of her mother and is willing to risk her career to avenge her mothers death. It's a nicely woven story of betrayal and hidden family secrets that reveal the truth. Wonderful read.

'Family Ties' was a very good read. The secondary characters were just as interesting as the main. It opens one's eyes to the 'AIDS' epidemic, while sharing a beautiful love story within a love story. I cried at the end of the book and just wanted to start reading it all over again. Very touching. It will make you believe that true love knows no boundaries.

This was a very good book by Jacquelin Thomas. We were first introduced to Marc from her anthology Cupid's Bow.

Marc was given some troubling news by his mother on her death bed. After being hurt by many woman he has given up on loving and trusting. That is until he meets and gets to know Mack(McKenzie).

Mack is on a mission to destroy the person she believes who killed her mother. That person is none other the Marc.

At first they are both trying to figure each other out but there is a strong attraction that can not be denied. Once they really get to know one another the love blossoms.

All the characters truly makes this an exciting read. Once you start and really get into the story before you know it you are done. Ms. Thomas really puts her heart into her stories.

I would love to see a story about Jim and Carla. Again this is an excellant read you will truly enjoy it.

Dr. McKenzie Ashford has put her life on hold, forgoing romance and the social life befitting a successful thirty-year old woman. As a research scientist in Florida, she was making a name for herself especially in the field of AIDS research. When she is offered a position with Chandler's Pharmaceuticals, she knows it is an opportunity of a lifetime, but when she comes to face-to-face with CEO Marc Chandler her past comes back to haunt her. Fifteen years ago McKenzie's mother died from a drug overdose. Now she is working for the man she believes is responsible for that. To see him as the upright executive is almost more than she can bear, but she is determined to expose him although she cannot deny the unmistakable attraction she feels. Marc can see that McKenzie is not a dowdy scientist but an attractive, vital woman to whom he is drawn, but there is something about her that he does not quite trust This book offers a plot with many twists and turns and

surprising revelations to keep the reader turning the pages to find out what will happen next. Colorful secondary characters and romances make this a well-rounded satisfying story.

Thomas has done it again with her great writing skills. And when I say skills, I mean some serious skills!! I love all of Thomas's work. She does a great job with all of her stories. Family Ties sure did fit the bill. Mckenzie and Marc have a lovely story that everyone is sure to fall in love with. What I liked most about this novel was all the informantion on the AIDS epidemic!! But all in all, great story to read! Much love Thomas!

This book is a good read for anyone, especially those interested in or having adopted a child. It is directed at the professed believer who claims to want to honor and obey God. The author gives many scriptural examples of how the Father intended his children to behave in relation to those among us who are less fortunate and therefore needy. It touched my husband and me deeply as we are the parents of an adopted daughter who died four years ago. We have purchased several additional copies to give to others who for different reasons will be blessed by this excellent book.

This book is absolutely fabulous! I read it in less than 24 hours. It will move you to ACT. It is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. I sent an email to the author through his website - just for feedback - and received a personal response! This guy is 'for real' and is committed to helping orphans. Check out the Children's Hopechest organization after you read this book.

.......and you will hear Him, loud and clear. Beautifully written and easy to read. This book is not complex and meant for study. It is a quick read of 2 hrs or so. It is a book of receiving and giving. You will receive a fresh anointing, a new hope and in turn you will be called to give it away. To share the hope and joy of Christ with those who are fatherless in spirit and in body. Amazing read!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Tom Davis for this powerful reminder.
This is a great book that will provoke the reader, gently prodding them into activity...and all the while raising our awareness of God's blessing in our lives.
A memorable read!

"In this world you are an orphan; eagerly anticipating your adoption as God's child.
In this world you are a widow; longing for reunion with your Bridegroom.
In this world you are a stranger; a pilgrim waiting to become a citizen of heaven.
And in this world, God has called you to care for the orphan, the stranger, and the widow."

So starts Tom Davis' short, but powerful book on compassion to the orphan, the stranger, and the widow in Fields of the Fatherless.
I'd highly recommend this book to all followers of Jesus, regardless of your call to adopt. It's applicable to the entire body of Christ.

Ultilizing the metaphor of the Old Testament practice of leaving a portion of your field for the 'stranger, the fatherless, and the widow' (Deut. 24:19f), Davis offers a passionate plea for living a life of compassion to the less fortunate.

These less fortunate (strangers, widows, orphans) are mentioned over 60 times in Scripture! Yet we tend to have blinders on when reading our Bibles. Studies show that Christians give less than non Christians to AIDS related causes (the leprosy of our day).

But in ignoring the orphans, the widows, and the strangers, we are missing out on an incredible, joy that can only come with sacrifice. For in the eyes of the orphan, we catch a glimpse of God.

Davis writes: "To feed, clothe, and treat the fatherless as members of one's own family is to live out the call of Christ." (55) This book is a great advocacy tool in raising up the church to live out its call to the fatherless. I will be passing it out to my senior pastor, and our mission board to read and (I hope) inspire. We'd encourage you to do the same. It's a quick read, consisting of over 6 chapters, and refrains from using technical adoption jargon. Rather, it simply and passionate pleads the case for the downtrodden in our world.

"But whoever has this world's gods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?"--I John 3-16-17

Ruth Bell Graham was a truly remarkable woman. I love how she told God that she would consider it an honor to serve Him with Billy Graham if God allowed it. She is a woman to be envied in her devotion to God and family and her absolute patience. Oh, how I wish I were as devoted as she was in every way.

A lovely book, lovely graphics, and truly inspirting. One that you must keep and then also great gifts for special friends.

I am half way through and i just love this book. It is so beautifully written and the pictures are so wonderful to look at. The poems are so touching! I will definately be reading more Graham books!

Rich, simple and startlingly clear & deep, the poetry of Ruth Bell Graham speaks a heart language that lends itself alike to silent contemplation or verbal reading.

This is far more than an attractive coffee-table book. It is a treasure of rich verse, beautiful language, deep insight and breathtaking honesty.

An ideal gift for yourself or that special someone, this is a book that will continue to give every time it is opened. It also poses the risk of making poetry lovers from those who think all poetry is stilted and obscure.

Married to internationally known Reverend Billy Graham, Ruth Bell Graham has a lot to say in her own right. She shares her voice in a poetic way within the pages of "Footprints Of A Pilgrim." And what a lovely voice it is - melodic, deep, intelligent, elegant and so insightful. I had never known Mrs. Graham possessed such creative talent. Her poems are amazing and are of varied human, nature and spiritual topics, always interesting.

The book itself is beautifully presented, loaded with pictures of the past of family and friends and annotated with brief glimpses into Mrs. Graham's life. It's almost like a shortened version of her interesting biography, showcasing her wonderful poetry throughout the years.

"Footprints Of A Pilgrim" is the type of book I keep in my library as it can be re-read a few years from now, appreciating in age.

I first heard of FTBY&M in 5th grade(1979) the whole school watched it in assembly. I loved it-all the stories and most of all the music. It touched me like nothing I had seen or heard before. The title song had our whole school singing for days! Years later i just happened to come across the book in our library, and WOW! all those memories came rushing back!! THEN, two years ago, i was given the soundtrack to FTBY&M, and I have not stopped singing since. The music and stories got me thru a serious illness and a horrible breakup= and when I one day have kids of my own, I will pass the legacy on!!!!!

I loved this song book and the CD - a record when I was growing up- so much. Now when my friends started having children I knew that I had to give their children the same experience but I couldn't find it anywhere until I found amazon.com! I think it made me realize as a little girl that I could be anything I wanted to be. Now I am a lawyer and happily married and continue to feel free to be me!

This book brings back fond memories of when I first heard these songs/stories back in grade school. I really think they are wonderful, motivating stories and songs that truly inspire children. I had to get it for my first baby so he can also experience the magic.

I love Free to Be...You and Me probably because I am currently in the play. I actually have a preformance tonight! I love this book and its a Great Show!!! I actually never heard of it until I started the show. The great songs like "Glad to have a friend like you", "Something For Everyone", "Brothers and sisters", 'Free To be you and me" and "Free to be a family" are all spectacular!!!!!!!! Of course every song is great !!!!!!! The stories like "Boy meets Girl", "ladies First", "The Kingdom with no rules or Laws" are all such good stories especially "The Kingdom with no Rules or laws" thats my favortie because in the show i play the mother in that story. I love this book and play b/c its about kids and I'm a kid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I grew up in the late '70s playing the record of "Free to Be you and Me" over and over. My mom actually had to buy me a second copy because I lost the song book and couldn't live without it. I still sing "When We Grow Up" and "It's Allright To Cry" in the shower and to my nephews. Now I share the wisdom of Atalanta and William's Doll with the teenage mothers I teach. While it doesn't take a genius to figure out the songs on the record were recorded in the '70s, they are timeless treasures for all of our children. Buy this book and the CD for the important children in your life. You'll never be sorry!

I will never be able to write a suitable review for this book - the scope of what lies between it's covers is far too great to do justice to in a review, and I am vastly inadequate to the task in any event. So, the one I write today comes from the heart - as one of the "posterity" they speak of as they went forward in their remarkable undertaking. As one of those they "did it for."

The constructive writing of the "Articles of Confederation" was especially intriguing. The pesky issue of slavery presented an immediate and daunting problem early on within the erection of the articles of confederation. It forced an issue never dealt with before, from those educated, mostly wealthy men who would "free themselves from oppression" but had obviously never before seriously considered the oppression of others - or that it would present so large a problem in the overall picture of establishing Independence "for all". They struggled with it, agonized over it; and as can be imagined, could not agree over it. It was spell-binding to watch the process unfold - not from the pen of the "historian" but from the rapidly evolving mind of the Rebel himself - because no matter how you view it, these brilliant men were elitists within their own, considered themselves to be conceived in somewhat of a Royal Nature, too, while at the same time viewing the Crown itself as a symbol that could not longer be tolerated. The "free labor population" (Benjamin Franklin himself would have been categorized into this second group early in his career) presented essentially the same problem to them as did the slaves in the proportioning.

As a result, they found themselves dealing with their own consciences too, something that may have been a unique concept for most of them - an exercise much needed of themselves as they extended their own quest for Independence and found themselves having to deal with "all of us" into the bargain. They knew they would have only "one shot" at establishing the best of it; and amazingly they were honest and earnest in that Quest. (try that today with the political assortment we have now)

In the "republican legislature" and "revisal of the law" section of this original accounting, the struggle for the distinct separation of Church and State is one of the most important conquests ever undertaken; uprising from a birth in the human mind; and clearly demonstrates the chasm of thought processes that existed between Jefferson and other honest, though less broad-minded men who still clung to the "status quo" and did not possess the courage, judgment or the vision to want to support the concept which became a cornerstone of our Constitution.

The 'original papers' poignantly illuminate the intimate, internal working of the mind of Thomas Jefferson for the reader as nothing else can, something the "historical accounting" written by others somehow leaves wanting in the translation. To read the words straight from the mind and the pen of the "original", uncensored language, spelling, phrasing and all - is an experience anyone interested in keeping the torch of the Forefathers burning will enjoy.

This book highly recommended.

At approximately $10.00 I expected a little more material than this 32 page, index card size book, provided.

I have this book (I checked the IBSN#). It's 32 pages of quotes, and that's it. No papers, no index, etc. I think the other customer reviews are innacurate in that they are probably about an entirely different book.

So about *THIS* book, I love it. It's got the well-known quotes like "Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." and lesser-known quotes like "When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on."

It's not a scholarly work. It doesn't have citations to explain where the quotes came from, but it was exactly what I was looking for.

If you are a fan of Liberty, this book is a must buy.

Mr. Jefferson was a brilliant man. I enjoy reading his works and appreciate this opportunity to gain insight into his logic and thought process as it evolved throughout his lifetime. His intellectualism and that eternal curiosity about his world place him head and shoulders above those men of his time. He bought Louisiana upon the suggestion of Thomas Paine and our nation spread westward as a result. He no doubt made major contributions towards the creation and founding of this nation. Thousands of accolades for his brilliance and achievements are in order. I'm not putting him on a pedestal, there was a dark side. He did own slaves. He was however in many ways morally and intellectually bound by the time he lived in. His thoughts regarding the mentality of slaves scream racism. His solution was to abolish slavery and export them back to Africa. He believed most would never fit in to American culture based on their resentments against enslavement and the racism they endured from white society at the time. His letters to American Indians in which he addressed them as "My Children" and assured them of his eternal blessings belied the fact that their lands were being taken away from them and they were being forced to be assimilated or slaughtered. He did not foresee the industrialization of America and wanted to leave manufacturing to the Europeans to preserve the American way of life. In short, Mr. Jefferson was all too human, who no doubt would be appalled at the antics of modern day Republicans and Democrats.

What a difference of few decades make. When I was a youngster the founders were all revered and taught in school. Nowadays, they are almost ignored and condemned for not conforming to our modern view of morality. Of course, the present view is both arrogant and ignorant because we assume that future generations will believe as we do and lacks the humility to realize that the human condition is fraught with weakness and sin as well as triumph and wisdom.

Thomas Jefferson was one of the most remarkable men this country or any country has ever produced. All you need do is sample these writings and you will begin to understand the powers of his mind, the charisma he manifested, the range of his interests, and the paradoxical foibles as well. The writings included here are his autobiography, his Notes on Virginia, all kinds of essays, letters, speeches, and selected other papers.

He writes of philosophy, English prosody, natural history, political observations, the history of the Founding, theological beliefs, and many other topics. Both of his inaugural addresses are included as well has his notices to Congress (what we now call State of the Union Addresses used to be handled in a letter). There are also letters to Indian tribes that are quite interesting.

The idea that the Indian tribes would want to remain as they were seemed a mistaken to notion to Jefferson and his contemporaries. They needed to understand that realities of their world had changed forever and they had great opportunities for improving their lives (as he saw it). Their rejection of overtures to assimilate seemed evidence of an imprisoned mind rather than what we would call a "lifestyle choice".

This is another of the great volumes from the Library of America. It includes a chronology of Jefferson's life, great notes on the texts included, and an index.

Something you really should have on your shelf of American History and our Founding.