Wagner Books

I wish the author hadn't died because the Kane novels are some of the better fantasy I have ever read. No wonder they are hard to find, everyone wants them.

I bought my book about 3 years ago and I still read it over and over again. Out of my little library, this is my favorite book. I was looking at the complete series, and I noticed that one of the stories is called "The Lair of Yslsl" (or something to that extent) and I was wondering if it is the same as "Dark Crusade"

A collection of short stories and novella centered on the character of Kane, an (apparently) immortal warrior/sorcerer. The writing is o.k. but the character of Kane seems a little flat to me. It's run-of-the-mill swords and sorcery writing, obviously inspired by Robert Howard (Conan) but not as good.

great book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

classic hero!

ROBERT GET A LIFE. IF YOU CAN GET ONE BUY ONE!

A decade after his death, somebody finally got around to compiling a tribute to the late, great Karl Edward Wagner and his greatest creation, the arch-hero, Kane, in a two-volume set: Gods in Darkness, the Complete Novels of Kane, and this volume, The Midnight Sun, which contains all of the short stories, poems, etc., that have been floating around, mostly out of print, for the last decade or so.

Kane was my first experience with Wagner. Back in the '70's, when I was still a wee lad and most of my friends were reading stuff like The Outsiders, I stumbled on a paperback copy of Death Angel's Shadow, the one with the Frazetta cover, and spent the next few nights hiding in bed; under my covers, flashlight on long after midnight, altering my mind with this combination of Robert E. Howard and Lovecraft.

Now, after reading most of his published work, for my buck, the noveletta's contained here are absolutely Wagner's best writing, period. The shorter Kane stories are nightmarishly bizarre, violent, and punchy, unlike Wagner's complete novels which tend to be a bit bloated and have a tendency to lose momentum (although they're still worth reading, by all means). The novel Bloodstone (contained in 'God's') is particularly inconsistent. That seems natural, since Wagner tended to work in the short story format, both in his own work and as the editor of other authors' works, in his many horror anthologies.

As far as the compilations go, they're okay. There are lots of typo's in the text (nitpicky, I know, but c'mon...), and frankly, my biggest gripe - the Ken Kelly covers just stink. Nobody does Wagner and Kane (or fantasy illustration in general) justice like Frank Frazetta.

Anyway. Say what you will about the likes of Lin Carter, L. Sprague de Camp, Manly Wade Wellman, Fritz Leiber, et al, there are really only two masters of what's come to be known as 'dark fantasy': Robert E. Howard, and Wagner.

This volume is great. Pick it up and enjoy.

On the surface, this book appears to fit into biblical principles. Except for one thing, one of the authors uses his or her young son as a Christian "medium" to located demonic spirits and report what the spirits are doing. The Bible is quite clear on the use of mediums [Deuteronomy 18:9-12], even those who claim to be speaking for God [Acts 16:16-19]. This book has charismatic overtones. If you read this book, have your Bible open so that you can readily compare everything to Scripture. The devil loves to mix a "little" deception with "a lot" of Christian doctrine.

This is a great book for all beginners to the spiritual warfare aspect of their Christian walk.

This is a must-read book to educate you about protecting your home from spiritual darkness, just as the title states. The book points out things that are happening in the spiritual realm of homes. The authors teach you about protecting your home as well as cleaning your home.

What an eye opener. Every christian should read and pray this one through. I read this through so quickly I could not put it down! And I could think of several people to pass it on to. There are several things that caught my attention. And got me to work on spiritual housecleaning. Movies mostly and after you read this you will watch movies television and books with different eyes.
And when I got to the chapter about the masons and shriners.... I went to sleep thinking I had no concerns about this part and closed my eyes, but when I woke the next morning the Holy Spirit said "Oh yes you do!" and gave me visions of my parents leaving the house with their vests on, full of patches they had earned.
This would also be a good way of helping others that you know that are doing things that you know they shouldn't but you don't know how to tell them they are messing with the dark side like reading the horoscope etc.
A must read for all.

Awesome easy to read book.
Right to the point.
A very honest book related to real life experiences.

This book is very informative. It gives lots of information on types of boas and their temperment. It also contains information on the care and husbandry of the different boas.

I've had this book for several years, and find it to be roughly the same as almost any other small, paperback, guide to owning a pet. I have many books on snakes, a lot of them which are this same type of very general guide. It would be a good read for somebody considering getting a boa. However, I found it to have a lot of generalized information (as many other guide books do). If you are looking for an introduction to boas, this is a good book for you. I would hope that a new boa owner should have done their homework, and found out all of this information prior to getting their new snake. However, in the event that the new boa owner has jumped into an unplanned or impulse purchase, this is a good way to catch up and get the most basic of information. Experienced boa owners may find this to be too general.

I have read some books about boas, and this one is very usefull when it comes to talk about diseases, even when the chapter about disease is short, it's clear and concise. It also talks about genetics, a little confusing for someone new in breeding but usefull too. I consider this book is for begginers and intermediate boa owners.

This has become one of my favorite snake books. It has really solid information for the size and price. The pictures are great, but it's the little details that make it unusual, things I never would have thought to do or not do.

I commend the author on his works. I have purchased many small books on Boids but so far this is the best. Most books overload their pages with pictures and unuseful information, but this author knew what he was doing. A great book for novice and intermediate boa lovers, and would recommend it over and over again. Thanks for a great book.

Heavy, gloss paper, large full plate colour photos. This nice-to-behold book covers the history of Boeing, dedicating about 50% to pre-war military and commercial models - the remainder to post-war commercial jets.

For example: the Boeing 707/720 chapter is covered in 18 pages - with scope ranging from the prototype Dash 80, through to US Air Force CFM re-engined KC-135 tankers. Nearly all pages contain at least one bright glossy photo to accompany the text.

A good balance between technical & political issues, commercial and military types - even if you must only have 1 high-quality Boeing book for your coffee table, then this one is it!

First the mistakes: -There is no tables with the especifications of the aircraft and, i think, that could be interesting. -I would like to see a photograph with a Boeing wearing the colours of Iberia (That's not really a mistake). The history of Boeing is really good driven by the authors, and the history of each plane is very detailed and easy to read. The curiositys are very interesting. And, what do you say about the pictures?. Only a word: fantastic. I'm really amazing with this book and i recommend it for all aviation enthusiastic.

Being an aviation buff, I did buy this book for me, but intending to show it sometimes to my 2yr'old kid. As it turned out, the kid got absolutely fascinated by it, much more than by his other board books, and much more than by other adult aviation books. Don't know what it has to be so special to him, but I know of no other book that has been enjoyed so much.

The book is a good look at Boeing's aircraft, from 1916 to present --- you see the 707 for the first time 43 percent through the book. Lots of color photos. Photos of older aircraft are mostly recent photos of restored planes.

I recommend it if you're into climb rates, engine model numbers, service ceilings, and other minutiae. If you're interested in the company and the people in it, its struggles and triumphs, you'll get very little of that here.

As a former US Air Force weather officer, the above quote was one I heard Boeing B-52 bomber crews often say half-jokingly when flying combat missions in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm. They flew through all sorts of high-level and low-level turbulence, sandstorms, dust, active thunderstorms, low level wind shear, anti-aircraft flak, and guided surface-to-air missiles in their trusty 32 year old Boeing heavy bombers and swore allegiance to them like they had been hearing the sounds of Orpheus. The same rabid fidelity is heard from Boeing airliner pilots often and, we all have heard of the legendary Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress' rugged durability in battle during World War II. Aircraft made by Boeing have had and continue to have a remarkable mystique about them. This book does a great job explaining that mystique and is just plain fun to look at and read!

The book totals 192 pages and is oddly sized on 10½ by 10½ inch paper. The whole story of Boeing from it's early days during World War I up through 1998 are told in very readable text. A generous amount of high quality pictures are used to illustrate each development. Chapters cover the floatplanes and fighters of the early days, pre-WWII development of airliners, the Boeing bomber heritage, the classic early jetliners, medium range airliners, the 747, the 757 and 767, and next generation aircraft including the 777. A useful appendix is included listing each Boeing "Model number" with the type of aircraft it is better known as, how many were built, and when they were produced.

This is a very enjoyable coffee-table book for all people both young and old interested in aircraft. Kids will love looking at the pictures, average adults will greatly enjoy the clearly explained history and development, and even Boeing veterans will probably learn a few things! I feel safe to say that this is a book you will have in use on your bookshelf for a long, long time. It should be best for kids as they will likely grow in understanding of airplanes as time goes on and interest in the field continues beyond just pictures. It's a great buy for anyone! Go for it!

This book is a nice, thorough, easy to understand, reference for the beginner. Short, well-organized with pictures. Not very detailed for the experienced marine aquariest.

This book was amazing! I have purchased many books on seahorses and yours was the most knowledgeable and understanding with great tips. Thank you so much!

I bought this book as a resource to address whether I wanted to keep a seahorse aquarium. The book is neatly organized and the pictures are glossy and bright. They are really the highlight of the book. The material is presented with simple language that appeals to those just starting this hobby. There is very little technical information: Aquarium design, filtration, or ecological considerations, so that is why I gave it an average rating. This book provides a nice overview of seahorses but you will need to consult more comprehensive sources if this is to become a serious hobby. Respectfully submitted, K.

This touches all the bases. Very informational, but easy to read. If you want to own dwarf seahorses, get and read this book BEFORE you buy them! I wish I had!

I'm so glad this book is available and it will be a regularly referenced book in my library. I missed having an illustration that showed the anatomy of seahorses, however, when I was looking at one of my new dwarf seahorses anal fin yesterday, thinking it was a parasite (doh). I had to get on the internet to see an anatomy illustration. There are lots of photos of healthy seahorses, but none of what diseases look like, etc. (Although there is one of hydroids). There are no photos of tank set-ups either. I guess mainly it's the illustrations that are lacking in my opinion. But, lots of kudos & thanks to Alisa Abbott for her research and for sharing it with us, saving us from the things she learned the hard way.

The move from the full screen of the desktop to the significantly reduced screen of a handheld is similar to the re-formatting of a movie made to be viewed in a theater to one presented on a television. However, beyond the problems of reducing the size, there are vast differences. Movie and television screens engage in one way interaction with the viewer, and the effective use of handheld devices necessitates that the viewer be able to discern every detail and interact with the screen.
The problems of compressing a fourteen inch square image into one two inches square are extensive, what is minor on the large screen often becomes significant on the smaller one. This book lists a series of style guides for the small screen presentation, placing them in three categories: strongly recommend, recommend and consider. A guideline is listed as strongly recommend if not following it could render the application unusable. If it is placed in the recommend category, then not following it will lead to an application of reduced usability, although it will still perform as expected, but nowhere near optimal. Being placed in the consider group means that following it will lead to a somewhat improved application.
The guidelines listed in the book can be placed into two general categories, those that apply to all screens and those that are specific to the very small screen. Examples of those that apply to all would be the rules that all error messages should describe the problem and the selected item should always be clearly highlighted. Organizational rules for forms, lists and other structured presentations of data are quite different when the available screen real estate is so limited. It is of course these rules that should receive the bulk of your attention, because for most of us, they are new.
When developing for the handheld, it is necessary to adopt a different mindset, and this book is an excellent primer pushing you into that mode. It shows you a very large number of the critical rights and wrongs, and it should be read by everyone who is shifting to that type of development. There are many things acceptable in the desktop that are unacceptable in the handheld and it is necessary that you learn them before you begin.
The improving combination of better batteries, more electronic power in a smaller space, higher quality wireless signals and improved content means that developing for the handheld is an expanding market. From this book, you can learn the fundamentals of presentation, a necessary first step in creating the applications that will continue to feed the expansion.

This is one of a class of books that every application developer should
read, and that not enough do. It provides cheap access to knowledge that is
expensive to obtain. The title is almost a misnomer; Call it a Usability
Guide and give a better idea of it's usefulness.

MIDP 2.0 is the latest version of the most common J2ME Profile. It's a
fairly new specification. Nokia, for example, have only announced support for
this on their Series 60 devices in the last couple of months and I'm not aware
of software or firmware upgrades for legacy devices yet. A lot of the content
in this book can be usefully applied to MIDP 1.0 devices though.

The MIDP 2.0 Style Guide for the Java 2 Platform Micro Edition is a widget
by widget guide to best practice programming with the MIDP 2.0 API. The
information contained within comes from established design principles, J2ME
programming and implementation experience, and usability studies. The latter
particularly doesn't come cheap, and is out of the reach of most individual
programmers and small companies. So there is real value for money here.

The layout is very browseable, with most chapters being a set of
recommendations for a specific for specific widget such as a text box or a
gauge. For the most part each chapter follows a standard format, that is
defined in the introduction.

There are two target audiences here; J2ME developers and MIPDP 2.0
implementors. For the former it's an excellent resource. For the latter I
would say it was pretty much required reading. This is because it ends up
defining what amounts to a contract between MIDP implementors and application
developers.

For instance, from two successive recommendations on text boxes,

Application Developers<
"Use [The NON_PREDICTIVE] modifier in a textbox that has a URL, EMAIL,
NUMERIC, or DECIMAL constraint. Email addresses and domain names are not
typical words, so turning off predictive text input ..."

And in the next paragraph,

MIDP Implementors
"If the application specifies the NON_PREDICTIVE modifier, allow users to
enter one character at a time without any predictive input facilities."

Clearly the first recommendation is only meaningful if the second has been
followed already. There are lot of these sort of co-dependent recommendations.

There is still a lot of slop in the MIDP 2.0 specification. Large chunks of
it are optional, or can be implemented in more than one way. This is only to
be expected in such a young technology, but it means that books such as this
may help to define the standard if people use what they give.

I would expect many of the recommendations in here to become part of future
versions of the MIDP specification.

First, a very important note: *this is not a technical book*. If you are already familiar with older versions of MIDP, this book is an overkill and might be a bit boring from time to time. Having said that, the book really does a good job introducing the MIDP GUI concepts and much more. It's a very readable book and contains plenty of clear examples.

In the first four introductory chapters (Introduction, MIDP Characteristics, Designing Applications for MIDP and Screen Layout) the authors briefly go over the most important features of MIDP. A special emphasis is given to the new fearures introduced by the latest MIDP 2.0.

Then they move to the most important MIDP GUI elements. Each element is introduced and its usage is suggested and the next six chapters explain design patterns and rules to be used with the most common GUI elements (Lists, Text, Forms & Form Items, Alerts and Canvas Screens).

The 11th chapter was the most interesting chapter for me - it explains the recommended usage of GUI elements related to game programming. The game package is brand new and introduced in MIDP 2.0. Here the elements such as offscreen buffer, layers and sprites are described. There is even a small subchapter about game performance and resource usage and, at the very end of the chapter, the authors give some general advices related to game creation and programming concluding with a crucial remark: "Always test your games on actual devices".

Chapter 12 explains Abstract Commands and the next three chapters introduce the features that really distinguish MIDP development from other Java applications. These features are, of course, strongly related to mobile devices properties and include Application Discovery, Installation and Mangement, Push Functionality and (many times neglected) Security.

The last chapter (16) goes briefly into some of more advanced topics of MIDP 2.0 (touch input, overall application preformance and multithreading). This chapter is very basic and contains some obvious hints, but, as I said, this is not a technical book and the chapter does a good job presenting the features that might help GUI designers.

The book is intended for beginners in the MIDP application development and, as the name of the book says, is mostly *a style guide* providing plenty of hints and advices. These advices are nicely separated in two classes: "For Developers" and "For MIDP Implementators". Authors use "Recommend", "Strongly Recommend" and "Consider" to mark the importance of these hints.

The book is coming from Sun and takes its place in the fameous "from the source" series which implies a certain level of quality. I can recommend this book for all beginners in MIDP area and, especially, to GUI designers and product managers wanting to became more familiar with the MIDP application look & feel.

If you are designing Java programs to run on cell phones or PDAs then you will want to keep this style guide nearby. This will not teach you how to code but it will teach you how to design your MIDlets so that they will be usable. The book will show you what works and what doesn't work on small devices. You won't find a single line of code in this book because that is not what this book is about. What you will find are lots of samples of good design and bad design plus plenty of recommendations to help you to write usable MIDlets.

The target audience for the book is made up of two groups, those who are porting the Java environment to a new device (implementors) and those who are writing MIDlets to run on those devices (application developers). The book is well structured to show what is the responsibility of each group. For example, the style guide tells the application developer not to worry about text that is too long to fit in a field because it is the responsibility of the implementor to determine if text should be clipped or wrapped.

The book starts with some basic guidelines (make your code simple, predictable, and efficient) and a description of the minimum MIDP hardware (tiny screen, limited input, two colors, and little memory). The authors then get into the main focus of the book, designing MIDlets. Starting with screen layouts, they take us through the different items you can place on a screen such as lists, text fields, forms, commands, etc. The focus is not on how to code but on how to make these items usable. The book also covers issues such as push, security, and touch input from the usability point of view.

There is no doubt that this book will be the standard for designing programs for MIDP devices. This book can help you avoid a lot of simple (and not so simple) mistakes that you may not notice until you get to usability testing. You could write your MIDlets without this book but why not save yourself some headaches.

As a MIDP 1.0 developer and member of the MIDP 2.0 Expert Group I was very concerned about how many of the complex aspects of MIDP 2.0 would be communicated to developers new to the platform. I was delighted to find that the MIDP 2.0 Style Guide does a fantastic job of covering both the technical (implementation) aspects of MIDP 2.0 as well as the super important usability aspects of small devices.

This is not a book for learning how to use the MIDP API's from Java, for that I suggest looking at "Programming Wireless Devices with the Java2 Platform, Riggs et al" or similar. This is a brilliant companion book on how to design your applications and as a result should be viewed in that light, rather than as an alternative to a technical book.

The book has a well structured layout, both at a high level and at an individual chapter level. The book starts with an introduction to the MIDP specification, the changes from MIDP 1.0 and a general guide to designing applications for the sorts of devices that MIDP operates on. The book then covers each of the major user interface components (from High-level API to the new Games API) as well as the likely interfaces that users will work with for installing and removing applications.

However, where this book really excels is the fantastic linking of the application developer concepts with the MIDP implementors concepts. The success of MIDP 2.0 will be how "standard" the implementations are, and how well application developers can leverage the commonality and standardisation of the platform. Each section has paragraphs grouped for "Application Developers" and "MIDP Implementors" which provides advice such as "Recommended: Use the SENSITIVE modifier for text boxes and text fields....." and "Strongly Recommended: Never store the contents of the text box....".

This additional clarification covers areas that specifications cannot easily cover, the intentions behind the specifications and how the MIDP API implementation can impact on the application developer. This can provide great value to a developer when identifying potential risky implementation options and areas where different MIDP implementations may cause problems.

A great reference for all MIDP developers; hopefully MIDP implementors will do everybody a favour and take on the recommendations provided in this book as this would be of value to the entire MIDP community.

There is MUCH wisdom in this book on satan and his temptations, but I feel like it focuses too much on people who are realy-realy having problems with porn, and it is a TRUE addiction to them. It puts the spin that any problem with porn, must be to the point of true addiction where they're hiding it, and can't seem to take a break from it when anyone else is less then 20 miles away from them. BUT if they are closer then it becomes a game of a sadistic rush in the posibility of being caught. I am not that bad, so I only give it 3 stars. FOR those who ARE that bad, if people like that are at a point of humility where they want help, this book is for you.

I would like to HIGHLY recommend this book to any man or women who is trapped in the addiction cycle of pornography, masturbation and any other sexual sin. I have read many other books and none even comes close to this book. I did not find any psychology in this book, just pure truth and reality as reflected by the Words of God. Pastor David A. Wagner does an excellent job describing the problems, the cause and effect to all types of sexual sin and gives practical ways out of this addiction cycle and sin. Please get a copy for youself and for others to read so that they too may find freedom from sexual sin.

People laugh when I say my friend, Br--t is addicted to pornography. they say it isnt that bad, but it is that bad when your friend does it so much that you never get to see him anymore. My friend was very smart and funny and we all liked hanging out with him, but ever since he moved from home into his own place we never see him because of it. One time i went to his house and he said 'do you want to see my harem?" and he showed me on his computer all of his files of naked women. Then he showed me his plasma tv and we were watching Star Trek III the Wraith of Kahn and he said "Let's watch something else." And he put in a Playboy video of naked girls. i was so sickened i left. I also know he doesnt just watch them, but does other acts taht I wont say here because he told me and said "theres nothing wrong with it." Well, there is!!! One time I went to his place and his car was there and he wouldnt come tot he door and i knew why. So i waited for him. Because thats what friends do, peo-ple!! They W>A>I>T> for friends who are in trouble abd need help. So when I get the money I'm going to buy this booka nd send it to him and i wont tekl him it was me, it will just say "from a friend..."

Practical, engaging and extremely relevant are the words that I would use to describe "Secret Sins..." As a pastor, I am made well aware of the frequency of the problem of addiction to pornography and the impact it has on lives and relationships. In a non-condemning and helpful way, Wagner offers help and hope. A valuable read.

This book is an excellent review of the issues surrounding pornography and sexual addiction. David Wagner gives an insightful and practical common-sense approach to understanding the deception and betrayal that comes with pornography use. Wagner shows how pornography destroys lives and marriages from the inside out, though it is seldom talked about, exposing it as a "Secret Sin of the Heart". He then follows with a biblical, Christ-centered approach to remove this "secret sin" and find satisfaction in living a morally pure life. Excellent reading for anyone wishing to know more about these issues or anyone who finds themselves trapped in this "Secret Sin".

Amazed a couple in their 60s seek and share such an adventure. This travlelogue is inspiring and insightful. My spouse and I have decided to take on an exotic adventure after reading about David and Flo's travels. We plan to take a different path, but on Unpaved Roads.

"I think I'll retire and write a book about my travels." Many have tried but few have done so as successfully as David Wagner. This easy-to-read book is filled with so many anecdotes and insights that readers actually feel they are travel companions of Dave and Flo in their 13-month odyssey throughout Asia. Unpaved Roads is truly a joy to read!

Mark H. Rossman, Ed.D Professor Emeritus

I wasn't expecting to be so entertained. But I was! The author will take you along in his journey from the deadliest bus rides to the side splitting camel ride. The sense of humour was great and there were times I laughed so hard my ribs ached. As Dave takes the reader through places like Shri Lanka, India, Thailand, Vietnam and China I felt the experiences of the sparkling night sky, the smell of ethnic foods in the air and the festive sounds that filled the streets. Unpaved Roads will provide the reader with an opportuntiy that you would not normally have! A Great Read!

Enjoy the trip----Follow Dave and Flo's 13 month journey through Asia and you'll wonder why you're sitting still. Never before has a book transported me so far--it made me feel, taste, and see the places and people being described. Dave has a way of making all their challenges and experiences sound enticing, worthwhile, and downright life changing. And you'll definitely want to know Flo by the time you've finished the book.
Read this book with a group of friends who want to travel and you may just find yourself on the next plane to "somewhere".

When I curled up to read Dave Wagner's "Unpaved Roads", I was looking forward to an interesting tale of someone elses adventures. However, soon I was hearing the sounds, smelling the aromas, tasting the foods, and meeting the people; in fact, having a much richer experience through reading his book than I might have had had I actually traveled the same path in person. Flo and Dave's loving hearts open doors into other people's lives and allow them to experience (and share with us through their book)the facinating diversity of other cultures while celebrating our common humanity.

This was the first book I read by Antonin Artaud.
I was really moved by this man and he helped me
realize that one could an outsider yet still
remain in centricity of culture. I don't know
alot of it went over my head I guess but the
man is extremely interesting and offers neat
challenges to his time and to the reader.

that's the best way to put it: like condensed Proust. De Nerval's stories of place, love, and memory have found a permanent place in my heart. As other reviewers have noted, these stories seem the very definition of romanticism-- an unexpected quality in a writer often remembered most for his madness, eccentricity, and ultimately, suicide.

this edition by Exact Change Press is also worth remarking upon: the paper feels great, the design is perfect... hmm, running out of synonyms for "good."

all in all, a great volume by a lesser-known master.

I love Nerval's voice and his lush dreamy nostalgia. Many of these pieces are like looking at a Rococo painting and there's many of the classic Romantic themes, love of nature, nostalgia for a lost idyllic past and lost youth. I love literary surrealism so Aurelia was right up my alley but it has a more spiritual vibe which seems lacking in more modern surrealist works. After reading Nerval I can see why the surrealists considered themselves the prehensile tail of Romanticism.

simultaneously one of the saddest and most hopeful books i have ever read, this is an account of gerard de nerval's descent into insanity and his frantic search for something beyond what the positivists offer, a "spirit world". nerval obsesses over an actress who barely knew he existed, idealizing her to a seriously nutty point--but during all this he visits funerals, graveyards other places, apparently believing he is in touch with something metaphysical. i read this book awhile ago but i do remember his reference to his rejection by the woman, aurelia:"one's only option after these kinds of events is whether to die or go on living." touching, mystical, and sad.

Because this book shows what a real romantic means beyond the common meaning of "being in love". Because De Narval is a Romantic, he behaves trying to be the center of everything, no matter the price or the pride. He loves as a tool to make women move around him. His dreams are an extension of his life, so he can live any dream as real because the memorie of the real is the same as the memorie of the dream.

One of the most important books of the 20th century for changing the worldview of those holding the office of 'pastor'...but not functioning as a shepherd! While having structure, the church is not an organization, but an organism...a community of Christians who need a shepherd, not a manager.

If you've read Fresh Faith by Cymbala and felt something stir in your pastor's heart, if you agreed with his assessment of church consultants and experts, then this book should be next on your "to read" list.

Wagner challenges the last 20+ years of pastoral training and modeling. He claims that the CEO/leadership model is not the biblical model of pastoring, and backs up his claim convincingly. Nowhere in the scriptures does God use the metaphor of king, ruler or leader for pastors. He repeatedly uses the metaphor of shepherd. Wagner sees significance in the repeated use of this term, event to Peter, who would have related to a fishing metaphor better.

I highly recommend this book to all pastors, seminary students and professors and those who are otherwise closely involved with ministry. It may challenge you, it may cast serious doubts on your current methodolgy and theology of the pastorate. If nothing else, it will cause you to examine your own pastoral theology and decide whether it is of this world or of God's design.

This book reveals the deficiencies resulting from applying the corporate leadership model to the local church and demonstrates through scripture God's plan for caring for His people. In a sincere effort to maximize effectiveness, too many churches today have adopted the corporate model and have become driven by quantifiable but inappropriate goals. The corporate mindset has shifted the shepherd/sheep model to an employer/employee model, much to the detriment of the sheep and God's eternal purpose. After personally transitioning from a corporate model church to a pastoral church, my spiritual life and walk with the Lord is thriving as never before! I am called to pastor, yet the corporate approach that I have seen modeled and demonstrated in many churches has kept me from embracing the call on my life. So thank you Glenn Wagner! But still, one must admit that in practice it seems that purely pastoral churches often focus inward and lapse into a "me and my four and no more" environment. If I could add another chapter to this book, or even better have a follow up book, I would love to read more of the practical application of God's plan in present day churches addressing how both the people and the local body can flourish.

One day, about 4 years ago, a pastor friend called me with a broken voice. He had been crying. He was trying to tell me about this new book he just read, "Escape From Church, Inc." Short time later he spent more money than he could afford to purchase copies for all of his pastor friends that he thought would be interested. I do not know how many copies he gave out, but one of them came to me.

This book is fascinating! It is true that Wagner is so passionate he tips the scale a bit too far in the other direction. Yet, so many people bought into the CEO mindset, that he needed to make his voice loud and passionate.

Give this book a try.

As a pastor of twenty years and a student of church health, I was disappointed with this volume. Obviously the author has been burned by the abuse of church growth/health principles, and now swings the pendulum in excess to the opposite direction. He makes a sharp distinction between pastors who use a shepherding model and pastors who use a corporate model. The idea that the two both may be used together apparently never occurs to him.

Wagner hammers again and again on his point that the people of God throughout the Bible are depicted as a diverse flock with the pastor as the shepherd. Each sheep is in need of one-on-one ministry. He is certainly correct, but he omits Paul's analogy of the people of God as one body. Wagner gives no attention here to the corporate (gasp) need of the body, or of the flock as a whole, to receive loving care and nurture.

With all of its shortcomings, I still give this book two stars because it provides a good critique of church growth/health principles. It also emphasizes something modern pastors must never forget: according to God's Word, we ARE undershepherds to the great Shepherd, our Lord Jesus Christ.