Wallace Books

Ross Slotten, an American family doctor, has written a fine biography of Alfred Wallace, the 19th century's greatest explorer-naturalist and the co-discoverer of evolution.

Wallace's 1858 essay `On the tendency of varieties to depart indefinitely from the original type' outlined the theory of evolution and pushed Darwin into publishing his The origin of species by means of natural selection in 1859. They "had discovered a true natural system, one without a predetermined balance, teleology, or divine plan." Natural selection made a creator unnecessary: developments were not due to some prior purpose or design. Mind had evolved from matter, not matter from a Mind.

Darwin and Wallace united two ideas - the survival of the fittest, and the common origin and divergence of species. Natural selection was like the human practice of selecting among domestic animals and plants.

Wallace spent 12 years in the western and eastern tropics collecting and studying insects, birds, fish, plants and mammals. He wrote up his experiences in A narrative of travels on the Amazon (1853) and The Malay Archipelago (1869). He pioneered the study of biogeography, writing the classics The geographical distribution of animals (1876) and Island life (1880).

He later turned to spiritualism because of the death of his first-born son. As Slotten writes, "Wallace tried to do the impossible in attempting to reconcile religion and science."

Wallace also wrote, Bad times: an essay on the present depression of trade, tracing it to its sources in enormous foreign loans, excessive war expenditure, the increase of speculation and of millionaires, and the depopulation of the rural districts, with suggested remedies (1885), which sounds quite up-to-date!

He had abounding intellectual curiosity and tirelessly sought truth and justice. The Times wrote of his `restless, always creative, and original intelligence'.

Wallace said that Darwin's Origin of species was the greatest book since Isaac Newton's Principia, writing that Darwin's name "should, in my opinion, stand above that of every philosopher of ancient or modern times." Together, Darwin and Wallace had overthrown creationism and, as Slotten writes, "This was arguably the greatest intellectual revolution in modern Western history."

An artfully written, rigorously researched, deeply compelling exposition of a most remarkable human life. It is a travesty that the modern world has nearly forgotten Mr. Wallace. Mr. Slotten has done a great service to history with this important book.

This is by far the best of several recent biographies of Wallace. As a biographer myself, it is hard for me to grasp how Dr. Totten, as a physician, ever found the time to do the meticulous research for this book. While it contains a wealth of end notes, the narrative does not make difficult reading. The author does not insert his own biases in his treatment of the portion of the book that deals in Wallace's spiritualiam.

The story of Darwin's voyage around the world in the Beagle is well known. He used his observations and the time (you have a lot of time on a sailing ship) to develop the basics of the theory of evolution. After his return to England, he wrote up his findings but did not publish them.

Wallace spent a long time making similar observations, but was haunted by ill fortune. For instance his collection of specimens laboriously collected was being shipped to England when the ship they were on caught fire, and the specimens were lost.

Wallace's thoughts though were running along similar lines with that of Darwin. When he was getting ready to publish people told Darwin that his theories were about to be published by Wallace. Darwin then rushed his theory into print and now the theory is Darwin's theory rather than Wallace's theory.

What isn't very well known is that Darwin and Wallace were able to then work together for many years to further develop the theory. Perhaps a better name would be the Darwin-Wallace theory.

This is a very well written addition to the literature and Dr. Slotten's obvious dedication comes through.

The place of Wallace in the rise of modern evolutionary theory and its confusions is always a contentious one, and the record shows the persistent, but let us hope, not permament distortion of the facts of the case. The record should show that Wallace produced the first version of what Darwin later got credit for. It's that simple, and any honest profession would move to correct the injustice. But not here, the stakes are too high, and the agenda too ambitious to allow that to happen.

The facts speak for themselves and all biographers tend to 'fumble' the ball here. No fumble at all, it is a fixed necessity of compromise with the Darwin propaganda machine. Let us grant the excesses of some claims that Darwin plagiarized Wallace. Even so the sleight of hand pulled off by Darwin and his gang as to the Ternate paper should be a minimum charge against the paradigm dogmatists here.
This useful and always interesting new biography of Wallace, in a recent slew of such, manages reasonably well to navigate the fudge that occurs here in all cases except those in the wake of Brackman's A Delicate Arrangement which attempted an expose of the great cover story here.
In many ways, this issue of Darwin's rigged priority apart, this is one of the best of the genre and fills in a lot of gaps, especially as to the later Wallace with his ventures into spiritualism. Current scientism finds spiritualism silly superstition. No doubt this is the case, but the false reductionism of Darwinism in action is no less silly and totally fails to grapple with the far greater complexity of man known for millennia. It dawned on Wallace that the methodology emerging couldn't possibly constitute a theory of man's evolution and the way it has totally amputated its subject matter in the regime of brainwashing that has taken over the subject. In a context where to even mention a Buddhist sutra is to be called an irrationalist the true 'evolutionary psychology' of man has become almost a taboo subject. These tactics will come to a bad end sooner or later, and at that point the dissent of Wallace on the evolutionary emergence of man will come into its own again against the false reputation of that iconic imposter, Charles Darwin frantic for his priority at the receipt of the Ternate letter.

If you were born in the 1950's this book is for you! All the great shows are here (U.N.C.L.E., Wild, Wild West, Mission Impossible, etc) The book is nicely illustrated and features the author's incredible collection of props from many different shows. Much of the author's prose illustrates his considerable knowledge and love of the subject. I wonder if the former Soviet Union has books like this one? It is my theory that the Soviet Blok collapsed because it simply wasn't very fun. This book is fun. Buy it, or you will be shot with a sleep dart (while you are sleeping, of course, so you will never know that you have been shot with a sleep dart)

Danny Biederman is the actual author--the forward was by Robert W. Wallace. Biederman's collection of fictional spy artifacts is interesting to both movie buffs and to those involved in real-world espionage. I hadn't heard of most of the movies in "the Incredible World of Spy Fi," so I'll be looking them up on DVD. The spy gadgets and props are almost as important as the actor--the gimmicks are characters, too! Who can forget John Steed's steel-lined bowler, Maxwell Smart's shoe phone, the U.N.C.L.E. Special, James Bond's PPK and tricked-out sports cars, or Jim Phelp's self-destructing tape recorders? I enjoyed reading this book and it will be a valuable reference in my personal library.

This book should be in the library, or, more likely, on the coffee table of every aficionado of espionage. Most of us of a certain generation were weaned, so to speak, on the exploits of the imaginative and edgy TV spy series of the 1960s, so there's much here to bring one back to one's formative years. Danny Biederman gives it all his intelligent, informed, and indulgent commentary. There is simply no book like this.

Christmas present, birthday present, valentine's present, no-special-occasion present: this book makes me HAPPY! I can't imagine anyone not falling in love with it. It brought back floods of ecstatic memories -- and of course, I had to read it while drinking a shaken/not/stirred martini! BRAVO! MORE BOOKS from Mr. Biederman's archives -- and WOW, can he write! Wry, witty, charming, impeccably researched -- 10 STARS!

Danny Biederman's THE INCREDIBLE WORLD OF SPY-FI is not only the perfect coffee table book for those of us who grew up wanting to be James Bond (and maybe still DO want to be James Bond), it's also a brilliant and deeply enjoyable work of scholarship and pop-culture history. Biederman's personal collection of props, costumes, and other arcana from the Bond films, TV shows like THE MAN FROM UNCLE, and even spoofs like AUSTIN POWERS, has been justifiably legendary for years; now he's given us the gift of an intense look at just a fraction of that collection. One word of warning: Don't just get lost in the incredible photos, because Biederman's insightful, humorous, and intelligent prose (which accompanies the pics) is every bit as pleasurable as the visuals. My only complaint? I just wished this book was six times longer. Can we hope for a SPY-FI 2 sometime in the future, Mr. Biederman? Sure hope so.

Ross is clearly revealed in his letters, as is much of the history of The New Yorker during his time. Greatly enjoyed this.

An engaging look at the history of the New Yorker through the founder's own words. A peek into the process of publication of some of the most well-known writers. Famous writers' correspondance with a brutally honest Harold Ross. EXCELLENT!

Most of the text is Ross's; this is what makes the book worth 4 stars.

Some of the explanatory comments are pretty clumsy:

"Married to Fleischmann's ex-wife, Ruth, a major New Yorker stockholder, Vischer played a strong behind-the-scenes role at the magazine and was trying to keep Ross from quitting." (p. 271)

Would a sentence like that have ever made the pages of the New Yorker?

I can't comment on the selection of letters with any authority, but it's at least adequate: Truman Capote progresses from someone who, in September 1944, "wouldn't have been employed here [even] as [an office boy] probably, if it hadn't been for the man- and boy-power shortage" (Capote had insulted Robert Frost by walking out on poetry reading) to somone whose stories Ross would like to see more of, if they "aren't too psychopathic" in July 1949.

I've long been a fan of The New Yorker altho the drawings and not the too lengthy articles are my favorites now.

Have read most of the books about working at the magazine, but this is the best. Harold Ross had such a way with words. I particularly liked the letter of sympathy to E.B. White (page 97) upon death of White's father: "...after you get to be thirty people you know keep dropping off all the time and it's a hell of a note." And about Christmas: "...it always comes at the very worse moment in the year for me."

Here is truly a genius at work. I thought it was ironic also that although he said don't waste time writing letters as you don't get paid for them, he wrote them so well. It is also interesting that the editor of this book finally found some recordings that Ross made and he was dictating letters!

I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys The New Yorker and would like to know how it developed over the years.

These letters were my companion as I read "Genius in Disguise", Kunkel's wonderful biography of Harold Ross. The biography tells the story of Ross and his founding and development of The New Yorker. These letters bring Ross to life and convey the personality that spotted and nurtured the talent that made the magazine great. Here's a quick letter to John Cheever in 1947, which gives a little flavor of the man:

"Dear Cheever:
I've just read "The Enormous Radio," having gone away for a spell and got behind, and I send my respects and admiration. The piece is worth coming back to work for. It will turn out to be a memorable one, or I am a fish. Very wonderful, indeed."
As ever,
Ross

Anyone who appreciates historical romances, will be enthralled by the writers expertise and knowledge. It is fascinating tale that keeps you riveted to such an extent that you just cannot put the book down.

I congratulate the writer and eagerly await her next book to see what befalls Angel and her family.

A splendid read, keep them coming!

Anyone who appreciates historical romances, will be enthralled by the writers expertise and knowledge. It is fascinating tale that keeps you riveted to such an extent that you just cannot put the book down.

I congratulate the writer and eagerly await her next book to see what befalls Angel and her family.

A splendid read, keep them comming!

This is a book that I normally would not purchase; I'm a sci-fi,fantasy fan. The only reason I read it was out of curiosity. Even though I do not know the author, she is my sister's friend. I could not put the book down! I was amazed how exciting this book is - I read it in four nights. I can hardly wait for the next book to come out!

Faye tells a beautiful tale with a richness of history and passion, a delight to read!

I was enthralled by the book. Could not put it down! History,life and passion woven into one great story. Can't wait to read the nextbook.

I was enthralled by the book. Could not put it down! History,
life and passion woven into one great story. Can't wait to read the next
book.

Great service. The book was great and in perfect condition when it arrived in good time.

This was a fun little book involving idioms. My little girl did not appreciate the comments nor the answers to the artwork.

She did like looking at the pictures as the artwork interesting and there is much to find in each pictures.

She was a little young for the idioms so she was not interested in reading the book several times.

One of the most original and droll presentations of idioms you will ever find. The detailed illustrations are beautiful and very, very funny. Mr. Edwards invites interaction by hiding a monkey within each one so that even though a toddler may not appreciate the sophisticated humor of the picture, he can still enjoy what he sees while searching for (and usually finding) the monkey. All ages will love this book. Wallace Edwards is a master illustrator.

As a former kindergarten teacher of 25 years, this is one of the most unique books I have ever read. My 7 yr old grandson and I were held captive by Edwards' ability to bring humor to two generations with "cliches" and incredible artwork that stimulates the mind of both adult and child. Incredible!

This is an excellent book to use when working with children on idioms! This book contains just about every idiom I can think of. The pictures portray the idiom as a child would think of it (i.e. dog eat dog world shows a dog eating a hot dog!) but at the very end of the book it tells what each idiom really means. I think this book is appropriate for grades 2 and up. The pictures are all wonderfully done. A great book all around!

I happen to be a good friend of one of the three authors but had never known anything about his Vietnam experience. After reading these stories, it is easier to understand why, 30 years later, it might not be something a former U.S. Army Ranger would want to talk about, even with his friends -- or maybe especially with his friends.

Three men, obviously each quite different, recount recollections of their experiences. If all one knows about war -- the vast majority of us who have never seen combat -- that it is Hell, then these stories give us all we need to know about why this is really so.

The authors pull no punches, make no excuses for the surprising level of brutality. Their texts, surprisingly well-written, take us along on their hunter-killer missions, carefully planned lethal traps, sprung on the Mekong Delta's Viet Cong fighters. They are very close to each other, each life depends on the guy next in the six-man column. Some of them don't come back and we wonder now was it worth it?

But it's not all blood-and-guts fighting. (A vivid description of a beheading left me more than light-headed.) We see some very introspective reflections during the quiet moments, an occasional R&R, the usual intra-squad bitching and brawling.

Little wonder that only 365 days in a high-risk combat unit could have such a lasting effect on the participants.

History is still judging if was worth it. This modest but important addition to that assessment makes its own understated but powerful contribution. Definitely worth the price, and then some.

The real Viet Nam. The people, the land, and the Americans who came from all over the U.S. for reasons even they didn't know. The authors make the war real through their own memories--three American Rangers who spend their days on Long Range Recon Patrols--dumped into Viet Cong territory to bate the enemy. The reader is right there with them, experiencing their fears, their doubts, the complexity of an uncertain war, and the simplicity of young men thrown into chaos. This book has an uncanny way of mixing the routine thoughts and actions of American boys with the terrible brutality of killing--often never knowing if the victems were really the enemy. The authors are men who went off to serve their nation in a killing field of great peril. And returned to three decades of silence before telling their stories. The best book I've read on the American soldier in Viet Nam. This is not gussied-up chest thumping--this is the story of three ordinary men forced to become warriors. You're right there with them on each page.

Written by the three men who lived them, "Nine from the Ninth" consists of nine raw, thoughtful, inelegant, thought provoking, at times funny, and always stimulating accounts of their service with the Ninth Infantry Division in Viet Nam. I laughed at some of them, was appalled by others, was stimulated by all of them, but most important to me, I learned more about myself than I ever wanted to learn by reading them.

Nine from the Ninth: For the last four years, I have supported the Contemporary History Department at the Navy Historical Center. While our principal focus is to collect and record stories of current Naval significance, we frequently have the opportunity to interview, through the use of oral history, the men and women who participated in military events of yesterday. These interviews always provide new insights and inspiration for historians to capture the true nature of these conflicts for future generations. This book provides a rare glimpse behind the curtain of war.

While this review is not an official endorsement of the Historical Center, I found this compilation of short stories to be outstanding examples of the graphic and detailed events of battle that can only be told by those who served their country in the trenches of war. Thirty years after their tour of duty, the detail of combat is still very fresh in their mind. They provide an amazing account of the smell, taste, color, fear, tragedy, humor, friendships, camaraderie, explosion and horror of war. For those of us who have never been face to face with killing and dying while serving their country, this book is a must read.

I am grateful for your heroic service to our nation and applaud your efforts in capturing these stories for the benefit of all. I hope that this book provides both encouragement and a template to all of the other unsung heroes of America's wars to share their story.

Most everyone has an impression about the Vietnam War, regardless of how little they really know about it. Unfortunately, the movies by Oliver Stone (Born on the Fourth of July) and others provide the slanted "facts" and distorted perspective that too often define the war for the uninformed. To really understand the war you should first read accounts written by the actual participants and there is no better place to begin than the newly released memoir, NINE FROM THE NINTH.

NINE FROM THE NINTH is not a global perspective of the conflict, but it never pretends that it is. Rather, it is a collection of nine stories taken from the personal remembrances of two former US Army Rangers who served with Company E. of the 75th Infantry Rangers, and a third author, Jack Bick, who volunteered and went on combat operations with Company E as a photographer and writer. For them, combat didn't include the nightly comfort of an air conditioned Officer's Club in Saigon or the relatively safe vantage point of an aircraft 10,000 feet above the jungle. Instead the stories present the personal, close-up views of combat that can only be told by those who have "been and done", and survived.

Jack Bick, accurately observes in "Smart Charlie" that the Vietnam conflict was unique; as opposed to WWII, US leadership wasn't fighting to win, so soldiers generally, including even the elite Ranger's, lacked an overall sense of purpose....their strategic goal became to survive for 365 days, and go home! Along the way, the three authors, Jack Bick, Paul Newman, and Bob Wallace, formed bonds of friendship that outlasted the terror, anger, and hate of combat and survive thirty years later.

Bob Wallace's story of "Staff Sergeant Frost" is a revealing look inside one of the war's most legendary fighting groups, the LRRPs (Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols). These six-men, self-contained, voluntary units would deploy for days at a time inside enemy controlled territory to "observe and report". Regardless if an officer was with the LRRPs, it was the senior sergeants like Frost (E-5s and E-6s) that ran the teams. Their reputations were for eating snakes and ravaging the countryside, but the profane and gritty senior noncoms made the teams work, fight, and ultimately survive. As very young soldiers they were called upon to undertake harrowing tasks that brought about sudden maturity. So brutal was the LRRP experience that lasting for three weeks on a team converted a "cherry" into a veteran!

Paul Newman's account of the "Bo Bo Canal" is a gutsy story of the fighting along "a mosquito ridden canal" that ran for 20 miles, and became a "water road" for the VC. Carrying more than 8o pounds of combat equipment the team members would sink so deeply into the mud that walking was often difficult. This uncensored tale isn't for the squeamish but accurately conveys the unavoidable brutality of warfare and how it changed the outlook of the men who survived it.

After Vietnam the three authors left military service and took with them the best and worst of their experiences in Vietnam. The same training and personal skills that helped them survive in combat ultimately helped them succeed in their later careers. Initiative, risk taking, determined individualism and community involvement were common hallmarks as each man became successful in a variety of endeavors.

This is a highly recommended book for anyone interested in real stories of the Vietnam War, and the memoirs of three men who served their country honorably, proudly and well.

Old Arthur is the most wonderful story about an aging dog who has outlived his usefulness to the farmer who owns him. Very happily he finds a new home with a with a little boy who loves him for what he is, a loveable dog. Every child I have ever read the story to has just loved the book.

Old Arthur is the story of a boy who picks a dog at a pet store- not the usual puppy- but an older dog. This is a beatiful and touching story that i read over and over as a kid. The pictures in the adapted version look just like a dog I had as a child, that we found as a stray - when he was older too. I think that made me love the story more, and even now makes me remember that special dog. Old Arthur is a good book for boys and girls - it touches the heart!

I read Old Arthur to my 1st graders and they loved it. What a wonderful story for children. As I read, the children became so involved in the story that at one point, my class was almost in tears, but you should have heard their excited voices when Old Arthur found a new friend. We made a dog bookmark after the story that the children use at their desks for other books they read during quiet reading time. That was over a month ago, and the children still talk about Old Arthur. I would recommend every elementary teacher get this book for the classroom and share it with the children.

I fondly remembered reading this book as a child some 25 years ago. Month after month I would take it from the library. I had a copy tracked down and given to me as a present and it was the most wonderful feeling to have this book back in my life after so long.
I look forward to the day when I have children of my own and can read it to them.

My Uncle is now retired,but was a publisher for Children's books. He sent "Old Arthur" to my mother when I was a very little girl. It was my favorite book. Occasionally I find myself reading the book and it never fails to provoke happy tears. I urge you to buy a copy if you can possibly find one.

Secret Dramas by Angela Wallace is one of the most intense novels of the year! Meet high drama rolling girlfriends like Alexis Stewart, Jaylin Saunders, Adrienne Chambers and Sheri Thomas who are flawlessly described with masterful execution by this extremely talented and gifted writer.Their characters are intense, bold, daring, off the edge, large and in charge. The ladies are all holding down big time positions, but Ms. Angela
Wallace has added a beguiling and life threatening twist to each one's lives that become dangerously entangled with secrets and lies that hide drugs, prostitution, mob affiliation and perhaps, even murder.Alexis is the television producer of a popular daytime soap opera.

She has major issues with Stephan, an ex-lover who thinks he can take advantage of her and block her from succeeding. Jaylin Saunders is a publisher and unfortunately is tangled in a mess with an unsavory business partner.Adrienne is an office manager, but her affiliations with the mob may lead her to self destruction.

Sheri has a high profile job as an investment manager, but her secret habit of abusing drugs may get the best of her. The story keeps boiling to a dramatic ending filled with plenty of action and riveting dialogue that may be the first novel to place women in control of their destiny and all for the love of money. However, are they willing to risk it all to have it all? Secret Drama is a fast turning novel and biggest surprise of the year that will claim the author's reign to fame as the "Goddess of Upscale Chic-Lit Drama." The novel is a winner, and ready made for the movie screen.

There is no doubt that the fast paced drama will land itself into the hands of a big time producer. A new drama queen is born. The author's passion for writing is evident in this masterful and seasoned work from beginning to
end and as if she has been writing her whole life.

Secret Dramas by Angela Wallace is one of the most intense novels of the year! Meet high drama rolling girlfriends like Alexis Stewart, Jaylin Saunders, Adrienne Chambers and Sheri Thomas who are flawlessly described with masterful execution by this extremely talented and gifted writer.Their characters are intense, bold, daring, off the edge, large and in charge. The ladies are all holding down big time positions, but Ms. Angela
Wallace has added a beguiling and life threatening twist to each one's lives that become dangerously entangled with secrets and lies that hide drugs, prostitution, mob affiliation and perhaps, even murder.Alexis is the television producer of a popular daytime soap opera.

She has major issues with Stephan, an ex-lover who thinks he can take advantage of her and block her from succeeding. Jaylin Saunders is a publisher and unfortunately is tangled in a mess with an unsavory business partner.Adrienne is an office manager, but her affiliations with the mob may lead her to self destruction.

Sheri has a high profile job as an investment manager, but her secret habit of abusing drugs may get the best of her. The story keeps boiling to a dramatic ending filled with plenty of action and riveting dialogue that may be the first novel to place women in control of their destiny and all for the love of money. However, are they willing to risk it all to have it all? Secret Drama is a fast turning novel and biggest surprise of the year that will claim the author's reign to fame as the "Goddess of Upscale Chic-Lit Drama." The novel is a winner, and ready made for the movie screen.

There is no doubt that the fast paced drama will land itself into the hands of a big time producer. A new drama queen is born. The author's passion for writing is evident in this masterful and seasoned work from beginning to
end and as if she has been writing her whole life.

This is one of the best books that I have ever read in my life!!! I have sat on the edge of my seat with adrenaline pumpiing as I turned the pages waiting to see what's going to happen next. The twists and turns of these ladies lives are unbelievable! Alexis, Jaylin, Adrienne, and Sheri all have a characteristic and a story that I have experienced or can relate to in some way. This is a must read and I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed! Congratulations Angela and keep it coming.

Secret Dramas by Angela Wallace is one of the most intense novels of the year! Meet high drama rolling girlfriends like Alexis Stewart, Jaylin Saunders, Adrienne Chambers and Sheri Thomas who are flawlessly described with masterful execution by this extremely talented and gifted writer.Their characters are intense, bold, daring, off the edge, large and in charge. The ladies are all holding down big time positions, but Ms. Angela
Wallace has added a beguiling and life threatening twist to each one's lives that become dangerously entangled with secrets and lies that hide drugs, prostitution, mob affiliation and perhaps, even murder.Alexis is the television producer of a popular daytime soap opera.

She has major issues with Stephan, an ex-lover who thinks he can take advantage of her and block her from succeeding. Jaylin Saunders is a publisher and unfortunately is tangled in a mess with an unsavory business partner.Adrienne is an office manager, but her affiliations with the mob may lead her to self destruction.

Sheri has a high profile job as an investment manager, but her secret habit of abusing drugs may get the best of her. The story keeps boiling to a dramatic ending filled with plenty of action and riveting dialogue that may be the first novel to place women in control of their destiny and all for the love of money. However, are they willing to risk it all to have it all? Secret Drama is a fast turning novel and biggest surprise of the year that will claim the author's reign to fame as the "Goddess of Upscale Chic-Lit Drama." The novel is a winner, and ready made for the movie screen.

There is no doubt that the fast paced drama will land itself into the hands of a big time producer. A new drama queen is born. The author's passion for writing is evident in this masterful and seasoned work from beginning to
end and as if she has been writing her whole life.

Reviewed by Heather Covington/(...)

Alexis, Jaylin, Adrienne and Sheri have been friends for years. Alexis Stewart is an Executive Producer for the hottest daytime soap opera. Jaylin Saunders is the Publisher of a prominent, black publication. Adrienne Chambers is a sexy office manager by day, high priced call girl at night. Sheri Thomas is an investment manager for one of Wall Street's largest firms.

First of all - Congrats to Ms. Wallace, "do it yourselfer independent author"!!! When I first heard about the book, I was eager to read it. I promised I would be objective. Once I started reading it, I was hooked. The author ingeniously interweaves the lives of not only the main characters, but the other characters in the story as well.

Descriptive, yet classy love scenes. Scandal. Great dialogue between the characters and plenty of DRAMA!!! You name it - it's in there: Struggle of independent women. Importance of friendship. Relationship issues. Money issues. Drug addiction (I ain't squealin' on which one is the addict, read it for yourself!!) Money laundering. Murder. All the makings of a great made-for-tv mini-series! Reminded me a lot of the Jackie Collins type novels that had me hooked back in the day. It's a real page turner. As I got toward the middle of the book, I couldn't get to the next chapter quick enough. When I realized I was almost finished, I tried to pace myself to drag it out.

A intriguing story with a well thought out plot and great characters. What I really and truly enjoyed about this book was: The men were not all dogs!!! Realistic, well-developed male characters with positive traits. (Does Malcolm have a brother?!?)

Support this writer!! I already sent her my suggestions for the sequel...
PEACE

Vendler is one of the great critics of the writing of Stevens. In this small work she focuses on shorter works, " Anecdote of the Jar" " The Emperor of Ice Cream" "Postcard from the Volcano" "The Rivers of Rivers in Connecticut" " Of Mere being " "The Dove in Spring" "Somnambulisma". She sees Stevens as tormented by thwarted desire , and gives a certain degree of detail regarding his difficult personal life, including his unhappy marriage.
She writes of his ' sexual loneliness in old age' as reflected in his poem 'The Dove of Spring' of the claims of 'sensual desire against the reasoning mind'(To an Old Philosopher in Rome)of his writing in a posthumous voice about the collected poems, (The Planet on the Table) where "he sees his life work contained in a single object, the potential book lying before him on a table'. She writes of his especially close relation to Keats, another one of the great musical poets.
Vendler's work is filled with profound and arresting insights, though often difficulty and awkwardly expressed.
This small book helped me read and understand Stevens poetry in ways I had not before.
And I suspect it will do so for other lovers of the poetry of Stevens.

This is a collection of four lectures on Wallace Stevens, concentrating on shorter poems, and mostly (though by no means entirely) late poems. She argues for Stevens as a poet of passion, particularly the passion of one who desires but cannot have the object of desire -- or desires to desire but can no longer fulfill his desire, perhaps because of age.

I found this very helpful, very readable, very acute. And definitely a prompt to read some of the intense shorter poems more closely -- I had lately been concentrating on the remarkable long poems. My appreciation for Stevens only grows with each closer reading, and Helen Vendler's work is very helpful in pointing the way to more perceptive reading.

I acquired the book principally because I was baffled by the poem "The Emperor of Ice-Cream." and hoped that Vendler might have something to say on the topic. As was to be expected, she did much more than offer a few clues. Her reading of the poem is extraordinary - spot on so far as I can tell - and a revelation. (I had thought perhaps we were in an Ice cream Emporium.) With her help, one can see Stevens as sane, human, passionate, very intelligent --- a real poet addressing fundamental, and often distressing, issues.

Vendler is clear, lucid, illuminating, and tough minded. An awfully tough combination to beat. On top of that she is concise and accessible to the educated but non-professional academic such as myself.

I was reading yesterday a review in The New Yorker about the recent books on atheism: how good it is and how true, and it struck me how little room there is in our culture's collective mind for independent question. We know all about God, both his existence and his non-existence. We're big knowers of metaphysical things. But really we know next to nothing, and mostly we are not aware enough to even realize that. But if one begins to realize, one finds oneself with very little personal or cultural company, which is why I am so grateful to Helen Vendler for this group of lectures on Stevens.

Her discussions of Emperor of Ice Cream and A Plain Sense of Things in another book were my introduction to Stevens' work, prior to that I had thought he was not worth the trouble. It turns out that he is, to use a phrase he never would have used, an incredible poet - incredible in the sense of astoundingly good, not literally incredible. But incredible because often in his work one all at once recognizes a thought, an intellectual intuition one never expected to find expressed anywhere, let alone a 20th cenury poem. Like an unexpected sequence of chords that tears you apart.

Helen Vendler has a talent for getting to the essence of poems and poets, getting to the question at the core of the words. Poetry isn't really an end in itself, no art is. It is the artifice by which we understand better that of which we are merely moments. Which is to say that great poets and those who introduce them do truly help the angels as they try to save mankind.

Getting back to gratitude, I'm glad that Stevens wrote the way he did, that he was the way he was. I'm glad he insisted on his singular path, this shy, honest, loving being.

Wonderfully refreshing, further demonstrates the need that Charismatics and Cessationists have one for another. I found myself agreeing with Grudem's assessment at the end.

This book is highly recommended for the seminarian, scholar or lay-person who seeks to understand the role of the Holy Spirit in the everyday life of a believer. While the book is written from a cessationist standpoint, the contributors argue that the third person of the Trinity is indispensible for the proper study of the Bible, for a right understanding of our emotions, for authentic worship in the local church, and for a Christ-centered love of all people. Of special note are Wallace's essay on "The Witness of the Holy Spirit in Rom 8:16," Averbeck's piece entitled "God, People, and the Bible," and Willie O. Peterson's work on "The Spirit in the Black Church." Perhaps the most moving section of the book, though, is Wallace's introduction entitled "The Uneasy Conscience of a Non-Charismatic Evangelical." Here, Wallace honestly writes of his struggle with God as he and his family came to terms with his son's cancer. The Bible alone was not a remedy for his grief; instead, a personal, existential experience of God was needed, and this came through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. This book reminds us that whether we are scholars or lay-people, the goal of Bible study is not that we simply master the Scripture; instead, we must earnestly desire that the Scripture masters us by the life-changing work of the Spirit. Both cessationists and charismatics will appreciate this book's emphasis on the unique role of the Holy Spirit for the life and practice of the Church; in the end, the work proves to be a thoughtful, penetrating read.

In 1993, Chuck Swindoll authored "Flying Closer to the Flame: A Passion for the Holy Spirit." What that book was for the general non-charismatic Protestant lay person, "Who's Afraid of the Holy Spirit?" is for the scholarly non-charismatic Protestant pastor, professor, and student.

The co-editors, Wallace and Sawyer, along with the nine other contributing authors, all write from the cessationist theological camp. Cessationists believe that the Bible teaches that the sign gift ministry of the Holy Spirit ceased at the close of the New Testament canon. These sign gifts (such as the gift of healing, miracle working, speaking in tongues, prophecy, etc.) were given to authenticate the apostolic ministry and message of inspired Scripture and not meant to be ongoing aspects of the Spirit's ministry in the believer throughout church history.

The purpose of "Who's Afraid of the Holy Spirit?" is not to provide theological support for that view. Instead, that view is assumed. Rather, the purpose is to stretch their fellow cessationists to consider the ongoing, active, powerful, personal presence and ministry of the Spirit today in the experiential life of the non-charismatic Christian.

Wallace and Sawyer launch their edited work with candid narratives of their personal experience in the cessationist camp. When life crisis struck, their personal, academic approach to the Spirit was found wanting. At the same time, their theological convictions did not allow for a charismatic experience of the Spirit. Out of that tension, this book was born. How does a non-charismatic cessationist experience the power and presence of the Holy Spirit?

The eleven assembled cessationist scholars address that question theologically, historically, and personally. As with any collaborative book, the linkage between various chapters can be choppy and the value of diverse chapters varies. However, over all, readers are exposed to a wide assortment of important theological examinations.

Before a summary overview, readers should understand, as noted in the opening paragraph of this review, that this book is not for those disinclined toward scholarly detail. Swindoll's book, though fifteen years old, is still the place to go for the lay non-charismatic wanting a practical theology of the Holy Spirit.

One of the central issues addressed is summarized by several of the authors in the disturbing picture of the cessationist "Trinity": Father, Son, and Holy Scripture." Yes, you read that right--Holy Scripture. Wallace and his co-writers sense that for many non-charismatics the Holy Scriptures have replaced the Holy Spirit. The authors ask readers to consider what the role of the Spirit is in their lives now that the canon is completed.

Wallace's chapter on the witness of the Spirit in Romans 8:16 is core to that discussion. In a nutshell, Wallace presents a joint ministry of Spirit and Scripture. Believers have confidence that they are Christians based upon the objective testimony of Scripture and the subjective witness of the Spirit. This dual, mingled role of Spirit and Scripture is emphasized throughout "Who's Afraid of the Holy Spirit?"

Richard Averbeck, in his chapter on "God, People, and the Bible," does a fine job exploring the relationship between illumination and biblical scholarship. He also does an excellent job convicting the typical evangelical scholar of his/her failure to be dependent upon and open to the Spirit in the scholarly process.

"The Spirit in the Black Church" by Willie Peterson is one of those "worth the price of the book" chapters. For anyone wanting a handle on how black cessationist evangelicals handle the "tension" between the experience of the Spirit and the cessation of the sign gifts, this is the chapter to read. Peterson's blending of history, theology, culture, and current ministry is example-setting.

David Eckman's chapter on "The Holy Spirit and Emotions" should be required reading for all seminary professors, students, pastors, and Christian counselors. It provides the seeds for a much needed evangelical theology of emotions. Emotional intelligence has been a buzz word in secular writing for nearly two decades. Yet the Christian community still has not offered a practical biblical theology of emotionality. Eckman has laid the foundation.

Co-editor James Sawyer's concluding chapter "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Scriptures?" powerfully encapsulates the message of the book. Sawyer journeys with readers on an important historical trek which opens eyes to why cessationists have become so afraid of the Holy Spirit. His fascinating and ironic premise is that the same evangelicals who decry how the Enlightenment influenced liberal Christianity, were themselves influenced by Enlightenment rationalism. Ouch. You have to read it to appreciate it.

Overall, "Who's Afraid of the Holy Spirit?" is a timely book that has already stirred up much needed conversation. Admittedly, a few chapters were uneven at times--seeming not to fit the overall flow of the book--as if they had been written for other venues (which is most likely true) and woven into the fabric of this book. Yet, that is minor in the overall scope of this important contribution to the field.

Perhaps the true "criticism" I have about this book is its failure to provide a "spiritual theology of the Holy Spirit." Before I explain that, I should say that in fairness to the authors, that was not the full intention of this book. So, my encouragement would be that they rejoin to write "volume two."

As I think about the theological process, I see at least four "types" of theologies: academic, historical, practical/pastoral, and spiritual. Academic theology (including systematic, biblical, exegetical, and lexical) explores the "What?" questions. As the label suggests, it is academic in nature. This book does a splendid job exploring the academic theology of the Holy Spirit from a cessationist perspective.

Historical theology explores the development of doctrine over time. It asks the "What then?" questions. This book also does an excellent job uncovering and presenting the doctrine of the Holy Spirit in the evangelical tradition.

Spiritual theology asks the "So what?" questions. What are the implications for our lives of the academic truths discovered in the text? "Who's Afraid of the Holy Spirit?" did a commendable job challenging readers to consider such implications. It presented many categories for the cessationist Christian to think through.

Practical/pastoral theology asks the "What now?" questions. How do we personally apply and how do we disciple, mentor, and guide others in the application of the text? Here is where I felt a level of disappointment with the book. As a pastor/counselor/professor/soul physician, I wanted more practical direction. We learned what not to do. We even learned what areas to think through. But we readers were not given many pictures of what this actually looks like in daily existence. We were not given many models of discipleship ministry. What exactly does it look like to equip and empower cessationist Christians to be filled with the Spirit, to be led by the Spirit, to express the fruit of the Spirit. While some of these topics were broached, the focus often failed to address fully the practical "what now?" questions. Again, no one book can "do it all." But a book emphasizing how cessationists can and should experience the empowering presence of the Spirit could "go there." I hope the next volume does so to a greater extent. That said, I still highly recommend this book. It deserves all five of its stars.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of "Beyond the Suffering," "Soul Physicians," and "Spiritual Friends."

The authors of this book are coming out of the Bible Church movement and seminaries like Dallas Theological which have focused on the intellectual aspects of doing theology and Bible study to the detriment (say the authors) of the experiential and other aspects of the ministry of the third Person of the Trinity. This is an excellent and scholarly but irenic treatment of their realization that they (we) just might have been quenching the Spirit.

September 9, 2006

Who's Afraid of the Holy Spirit?

"If the Holy Spirit did not die in the first century, what in the world is He doing today?" The answer(s) to this question are explored by eleven authors from a variety of different backgrounds and disciplines. Some of the authors will be quite familiar to most readers (e.g. J.I. Packer), while others will appear as new and helpful guides on their spiritual journey (e.g. Gerald Bray, Richard Averbeck and M. James Sawyer).

The high points of this book are many, but I will limit my comments to three areas:

1. It breaks fresh ground. Though the authors of these essays would certainly vary a bit on a number of issues, they all want to allow the Holy Spirit to be Lord of their lives (2Cor. 3:17). At the same time, they want to safeguard the authority of Scripture, and avoid some of the excesses that they have encountered. This form of cessationism is being tentatively called pneumatic Christianity.
The implications of this departure from the older form of cessationist thinking are nothing short of astounding. This book will serve as a focal point in the ongoing discussions about the work of the Holy Spirit today.
This work also breaks fresh ground by addressing topics rarely discussed in many circles. The Holy Spirit and the Arts by Reg Grant is a refreshing look at a much-neglected topic. Willie Peterson's The Spirit in the Black Church brings a fresh perspective to the table, and Jeff Louie's The Holy Spirit and the Local Church should be read by every Pastor and church leader.

2. Exemplary Methodology. The diverse backgrounds and disciplines of the authors help to round out the discussion. The essays complement one another across various fields of expertise (see especially the third and fifth essays by Daniel Wallace and M. James Sawyer).
Another useful feature of this book is the frequent insistence on the need to have a personal relationship with God through the Holy Spirit. While propositional truth is useful, and even necessary, we cannot reduce all of the Christian faith to propositions. The authors from the more academic disciplines seek to provide the practical implications of their writings to the reader.
In terms of useful methodology, I would like to highlight essay number five by Daniel Wallace, entitled, The Witness of the Spirit in Romans 8:16 Interpretation and Implications. This chapter addresses concerns and blends together insights from a number of disciplines: historical, theological, lexical and grammatical. The author frequently points the reader to some of the most useful works in New Testament Studies and is thorough in interacting with the relevant literature. However, Mr. Wallace, is not content to simply state his interpretation of the text, but presses on to flesh out its implications for the Christian life. This essay combines the diligence and analysis of a learned exegete with the passion of a preacher. This essay alone is worth the price of the book.

3. Irenic in Tone. One of the things the Holy Spirit is doing today is bringing unity to the body of Christ in answer to Jesus' prayer in John 17. This is evidenced by the irenic and thoughtful tone of the essays in this seminal publication.

Additional Comments

Although this work was primarily focused on the ministry of the Holy Spirit, an essay on the person of the Holy Spirit would serve as a welcome corrective to the trend toward depersonalizing the Holy Spirit and viewing him as an "energy" or "force". There were also a few minor typographical errors, which can be easily corrected.
Biblical Studies Press is to be commended for publishing this work, as is [...].

Conclusion

This book may prove to be one of the most significant works to be published in the last decade. It will certainly cause a stir in some quarters of Evangelicalism, which has imbibed from the wells of rationalism for far too long. I would highly recommend the prayerful reading of this book along with Wayne Grudem's very helpful response. If this book succeeds in bringing honor to God the Holy Spirit, then the Father and the Son will be very pleased indeed (Mt. 12:31-32).


Andrew Carr
La Rue, Ohio