Wallace Books

Brand new book in perfect condition.
Ordered several titles by same author.
Arrived timely and perfect condition

I am compelled to put my five stars on this book mostly to counteract a number of nearly unintelligible one-star reviews by "readers" who apparently were either forced to read the book by a teacher and/or never bothered to finish reading the book. Much as I love her writing I'll admit that this and L'Engle's other books are not for everyone. But if you hate your reading assignment how about taking it out on your teacher and not the author? And if you are going to review a book, you should probably read all of it first; it might surprise you at the end. Just my two cents.

Although this is not a new book, it is still timely and enjoyable to spark a trip in the imagianation..

The Wrinkle in Time Quintet Boxed Set (A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters, An Acceptable Time)
I had never read these books as a child, I wish I had having read them now. The complexity of the characters and the incredible nature of the plots are real page turners.

In Madeleine L'Engle's first Time Quintet book, A Wrinkle in Time, she took her readers on a mind-bending trip through space. In the sequel, A Wind in the Door, she looked at scale, as the heroes found universes within universes. In the third book, A Swifting Tilting Planet, it is time itself that is played with.

Once again, the principal characters are Meg and Charles Wallace Murry. It is around a decade since the previous books, and Meg is now married to Calvin O'Keefe and very pregnant. It is Thanksgiving, but Calvin is away at a conference, leaving the Murry family alone with Calvin's nasty mother. When word comes in that a mad South American dictator has threatened the world with nuclear war, the older Mrs. O'Keefe suddenly recalls an ancient rune, that is a spell that can be invoked to avert disaster. The use of this rune will send Charles off on a bizarre adventure to stop the dictator while Meg is relegated to the sidelines as an observer.

With the aid of a time-traveling unicorn named Gaudior, Charles Wallace will go back in time to go "Within" certain key figures. Going Within means sensing all that the person senses, with minimal influence on their behavior. The people who Charles Wallace goes Within are O'Keefe ancestors who are also related to the dictator through family ties that span centuries and go from Wales to the United States to the Patagonian country Vespugia. It is through witnessing - and perhaps subtly altering - this history that Charles Wallace hopes to create a change that will somehow avert nuclear oblivion. Standing in his way are the demonic Echthroi from A Wind in the Door as well as the rivalries within the families themselves.

Though technically children's literature, these books can also appeal to adults; in fact, it is possible that the complicated ideas in them could be intimidating to some younger readers. Personally, I find A Swiftly Tilting Planet, like its predecessors, a good book, though not necessarily meriting classic status (and it is not necessary to read the earlier books; each stands alone). If you have enjoyed the previous books, then this one should also be entertaining.

It is true that this book discusses basic virtues with which we are quite familiar. But it does not pretend to do any different. It's what the purpose of the book is -- to present basic virtues and remind us of their importance to our happiness.

I find it interesting how many people are expecting the prophets to say something earth-shattering. Whenever I read the scriptures the words of the prophets of old are essentially always the say. At least in their essence, the core of their message is the same. There are prophets who do bear some terrible news and speak of great things and destructions, that is true. But these things come because God's people have abandoned him and gotten away from basic virtues. What the prophets of old are doing is no different from what the prophets today are doing -- reminding us to live right at all times. Remembering is what our job here on earth is. Remembering the good virtues, the commandments and the teachings and doing them.

President Hinckley is doing nothing less than that. It is a great reminder of what we need to focus on in our daily lives and what the world is trying to get us away from. Great book.

I love the book. It's very inspiring. I hope everyone will have the chance to read it. It strengthens my conviction that the values and standards should remain constant and true "like the North Star."

Wonderful! Being happy doesn't have to be so complicated. This book is so well written. I use it as a reference often. I also use it to cheer me up. It reminds me not to get caught up in the world. I have given this as a gift many times. Thank you. Mr. Hinckley. It was fabulous!

If more people followed the ideas in this book, the world would be a better place, filled with better people, and thus a more pleasant place to live!

I was raised by great parents who taught me most of these virtues, not only by teaching, but also by example; so I know that they work. As with most people, I find myself lacking and find that I need reminders from time to time of these basic principles of happiness. Gordon B. Hinckley has done a great job of articulating and providing a compelling argument for these ten virtues. It has caused me to reflect on my life and make resolutions to improve where I need to, and to teach my children those same things. Any book that does this for me is worth reading.

I also loved his discussion on the guardians of virtue; marriage and family. I agree that the secret to a great society is to have strong families anchored by a strong marriage. I strongly recommend this book for anyone willing to be reminded of such important points.

I don't have a library but if I did, this is one that'd be there for sure. I LOVE this book. I love Stegner anyway but this one touched something in my heart and made it explode. I cried, couldn't help it, I was just reading along and found these tears dropping on the page. The characters are so vivid and true. This is life in middle class America, this is what happens when you're just trying to live and love and work and be a good person. Stegner writes so beautifully and he is sorely missed. And now as I age and pass through the same ages these characters have gone through, I'm finding similar things happening to me for real. I truly hope that the younger generations discover this book, this style of writer, all this Americana in Stegner and others' writings.

I can see how some people would not be excited about this story because it in not overly dramatic. To me it was simple and beautiful. The best stories capture the realness of experience...a story that feels like we can be inside. It is beautifully written and poetic in so many ways. This book is meant to be read slow and chewed on. I read a lot of books but this one is on my "to read again list" because of it's ability to make me look at my own life and question the depth of my relationships.

`How do you make a book that anyone will read out of lives as quiet as these?' asks the author of his own characters, about two thirds through Crossing to Safety; that seems to be the challenge Stegner set himself.

The novel, running from the 1930s to the 70s, revolves around the friendship between two couples, the Langs and the Morgans, in which the men are both literature professors. The Langs are rich and endowed with extended families and the Morgans are self-made and orphans. They all lead full lives in which they remain by-and-large happily married.

Stegner is erudite, and he obviously loves the places he describes, from Madison, Wisconsin to Florence and including the secluded lakeside spot in New England where much of the book is set. But it is difficult to identify with characters whose lives are so uneventful. From the beginning, one of the protagonists is dying, but because the story is told from the perspective of the old Larry Morgan, that only comes out as looking back on a life well spent. The characters barely struggle, and when they do, Stegner chooses to skirt around their conflicts. The reader is left to enjoy his detailed and moody descriptions, his poetic quotes, and the contrasts between the depression and post-war eras: pleasant because the book is well written, but not very exciting.

`You don't,' would be my answer to Stegner's question. Judging from other reviews, obviously, I've come to the wrong conclusion.

Beautifully written, provocative, and enduring. Hated for it to end. Wanted to reread it immediately.

Wallace Stegner is simply one of our finest writers and this book is great on so many levels. Remarkably little happens in the story, and yet he brings you so close to the characters that you can't take your eyes off of them. He won the Pulitzer for "Angle of Repose," which is also great, but I found Safety a far speedier, enjoyable read. If you have an intellectual bone in your head, you cannot go wrong with this.

so happy with this product. package arrived way earlier than expected, no issues what so ever.

The job of doing any encyclopedia is daunting, and even more so if you are dealing with a company like DC Comics and a 70 year history. The big question any compiler/contributor has to ask is exactly what time frame do you focus on? With DC, we have had a Crisis, 52, and a slew of important storylines in every long lasting title.

WIth this update, the team of Greenberger, Beatty, Wallace, and Jiminez have expanded the previous Encyclopedia with information on the newest multiverse changing series. The 'older' entries on golden age and one or two shot appearances have not been changed, but those characters with current histories have been modified. Entries for Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Justice League are short, but substantial works have been written on those characters already.

The detail in the entries reminds me of the Hitch Hikers Guide to the Universe in that the whole entry on earth now reads Mostly Harmless, so the 5 page entry pales with respect to the Fleischer volume. Artwise, the Alex Ross cover is almost worth the price of the book itself, but inside the book the entry illustrations are garnered from the comics. Much of the art has been cleaned up and digitally colored. As much as I like the look, 'modern' looking GIl Kane art from the 60's almost defeats the purpose of the Silver age addition.

Pegging in at almost 400 pages, this book is a sure winner. The only way that this style of book could be more comprehensive is the production of a Golden Age Guide to DC Comics, Silver Age, Bronze Age, and Modern Age Guide to DC Comics, OR, an online guide with entries as long as researchers can make them. (but not Wikipedia).

This is the best we can expect considering the subject and expansive breadth of the topic. Enjoy the ride. This just could be the writers bible for every DC title...

Tim Lasiuta

Wether you're 5 or 55 we pretty much all grew up watching cartoons : )
(Both Marvel and DC) This book as well as the Marvel encyclopedia (with the same format) are awesome for refferrence. They answer any the questions you may have about your favorite superhero's or supervillians...(or even people who only made cameo appearrances for one or two episodes.)
What made The Joker so cynical? What is Poison Ivs' real name? Where was Alfred the Butler born ? What kind of special powers does The Penguin have? How many episodes has The Green Lantern been featured in ? What is the name of Supermans' fortress? READ THE BOOK!!!!!

I am a casual DC Comics fan who was much more into comics in my youth. I bought this encyclopedia because I used to enjoy reading "Who's Who," a series in the 80's that featured biographies of DC characters. The cover art on this is striking, done beautifully by Alex Ross. The biographies have all been updated, so it was nice to hear about what my favorite (or obscure) heroes and villians have been up to the last 10-20 years. The entries are generally well-written, though I have found an error here and there. Occasionally, an entry will say deceased, but not mention how or if the character died or not say deceased, but indicate in the entry that the character died. Also, this was produced before the "Infinite Crisis" series, which changed (and in some cases killed) many of the characters in the DC universe. Overall, though, it's a pleasant read for casual fans and a way to pass time here and there. It would make a great gift for children 12 and up, I would say.

Loved this and being I am not a comic guy and only know story lines via cartoons and movies so this filled in the blanks and back stories, orgins and the anamation is great.

This is the amazing memoir by U.S. Grant, who rose from obscurity at the outbreak of the war to be the Union's brightest military light. It is slightly apologetic in tone, but much less so than it could have been, considering the degree of scrutiny Grant's command decisions had endured. Among his few regrets are the assaults upon Vicksburg and Cold Harbor.

One telling anecdote comes from his early life, when he went to buy a colt from a Mr. Ralston. Upon arrival he tells Ralston, "Papa says I may offer you twenty dollars for the colt, but if you won't take that, I am to offer twenty-two and a half, and if you won't take that, to give you twenty-five." As the child is father to the man, so is the horse trader father to the general.

Very detailed and complete rendition of the chronology of his personal life as well as his military life. I learned details of both aspects of this era in history.

Written by the dying hand of one of the chosen men of his time. For any scholar of Grant, Civil War or Military History, these readings are a must. Grant's military genius was without equal. Had his superiors, early on, had his keen foresight, the Civil War could have ended a year or two earlier. Another great read is "Grant" by Jean Smith.

This has long been regarded as one of the better memoirs to come out of the post-Civil War period and I can see why. Grant seemed convinced that the course he was on, and more importantly, the course the Union was on, would lead to eventual victory. Grant wrote his memoirs in the hope of providing some financial security for his wife and family upon the event of his death, which came very soon after finishing his memoirs. This is a refreshingly honest, fair, and generally unpretentious account detailing his own role in this pivotal event in American history.

We get a brief glimpse into his early years, his time as a student at West Point, his military service in the Mexican American War and the most well-known period of Grant's life, his service in the Union army during the Civil War. I found the early part of the book to be very illuminating as I did not know that much about his life before the Civil War. He could be very self-effacing, could admit weaknesses, in other words he just seems to come across as plain spoken and honest about himself. Throughout the book he utters what I considered to be very insightful and thoughtful comments. For example, he admitted the reputation attached to Lee by the Northern press and other Union commanders, but he realized that Lee was still human. He also relates his first encounter as a commander in the Union army as he's about to face the enemy and finds that the enemy was just as frightened as he was. Grant's attitudes toward the earlier war with Mexico and the Southerners' attachment to their cause also offer revealing sentiments.

I'm not going to describe every campaign Grant was involved in, but you will encounter Grant in the western theatre first, with notable successes achieved at Forts Henry and Donelson, Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chattanooga, and etc., up to his appointment as Lieutenant General and head of all U.S. armies in the field. The nearly epic battles fought between Lee and Grant in Virginia from the spring of 1864 up through Lee's surrender at Appomattox in April 1865 are obviously covered, though we also get information on Sherman's movements in Georgia and the Carolinas and other important sections where the war was being waged. I think it's fair to say there is a certain amount of spin or a sort of expectations game being displayed in Grant's memoirs, for example, how the Union armies usually always inflicted heavier casualties on the Confederates, how the North, despite its superiority in numbers, actually had many disadvantages and etc. Some of his points are very valid, but there can also be no doubt that his victories in Virginia came at very heavy costs in terms of Union casualties.

Grant offers opinions on the quality of the soldiers and officers, both North and South. He also demonstrates throughout his memoirs his rather magnanimous feelings toward his opponents, the rights of Southern citizens and their property (i.e., showing restraint in terms of looting and wanton destruction of private property and etc.). Some of this, I'm sure, was an attempt to improve his own image, but no doubt, there had to be some truth in his sentiments expressed. The maps included in this volume are very detailed, but often difficult to read. As a military narrative of the movements, battles and strategies of the Union armies, this is a must read.

Grant finished this lengthy memoir on the eve of his death from throat cancer. Impoverished at the time, the ex-President made his wife rich from the proceeds. Simple, straightforward, earnest narrative, sometimes ironic, sometimes colorful, always unpretentious. Inevitably self-justifying, but candid nonetheless.

The most memorable anecdote describes his first action in the 1861-65 war. Although he was a combat veteran of the Mexican War fourteen years earlier, he was scared, almost frozen, as he led his men against the enemy position. When he arrived, the enemy had evacuated. "The reb commander was as scared as I was. It was a lesson that served me well for the next four years."

Excellent general's-eye descriptions of the battles for Fort Donaldson, Shiloh, Vicksburg, Cold Harbor. His proudest contribution to the Union victory seems to be his strategy of "coordinated attack". He believed the early rebel success was due to the fragmentation of the National fources, which allowed the outmanned rebels to concentrate on one fragment at a time.

Grant is full of forthright and fascinating judgments: he revered Lincoln and Sherman, detested Hallek, disliked Stanton but respected him.

Civil war buff? Don't neglect this.

I found this book in my building's basement about three years back. It was in good condition so I picked it up. I thought it would make a fair complementary read to The Encyclopedia of New York City by Ken T. Jackson from the New York Historical Society.

The fact that I completely read GOTHAM in one sitting (OK, I actually slept a few hours on that Saturday night) is just to tell you how a well written history book can become a real page turner.

Today in the The Wall Street Journal [1-year subscription], GOTHAM takes the Number One spot in their "Five Best" feature on page W10: this title is now a real classic of American history!

If you're interested in New York City, this is the book to own. It's incredibly rich and comprehensive, a gold mine of information about the fascinating history of this city. I own a number of NYC history books, but this is the one I find myself referring to over and over.

This is a masterpiece of the history of NY. I concentrated on this early setttlement in Dutch hands. It all started with Henry Hudson, and his hope. It ended with Peter Stuyvesant and his dictatorial domain. In between there were some interesting characters who can be seen as ancestors and predecessors of the current New Yorker.

The book, Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898, was not for myself. Our son wanted it for Christmas. As far as we know he is pleased with the book. He wanted the book because one of my and his ancestors came in to Manhattan about 1650 and helped build the wall that later became Wall St. Our son has an under grad degree in history.

Tremendous detail and fantastic history make this book top notch. Incredibly well researched without a "revionist" slant make this book a must read. By far this is my favorite of all American History books I have read. Having grown up in Brooklyn (and bored my buddies to death leading them to historical landmarks) only enhanced the experience. Few books "bring you there" but Gotham has that magic of taking you on a time travel to the glorious and not so glorious days of a great city.

Good plot, good writing, well researched. What more can you ask of a good historical fiction novel?

Breem wrote the way today's authors should. His prose and literary style has been unequaled.

Good book. For military fiction of Roman empire a bu short on action description. However, the story line is great and portraits the time well

Excellent historical novel of late Roman Empire and Gothic invasion of 400 AD. Breen well captures the ambience of late Roman europe and the collapse of european Roman society. He gives perspective to the intense pressure on the Goths by the invading Huns, and how stopping the invasions of Goths in nothern Italy and the Balkans only made the invasion of Europe inevitable. The freezing of the Rhine in 416AD allowed 250,000 Goths, Vandals, Franks and Burgunds to migrate enmass into France.

Breen also has an excellent understanding of Roman warfare tactics and and strategy and provides a detailed account of how a single legion was able to keep the migration at bay until the fateful freezing of the Rhine. Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in history and politics, and makes history accessible to all through a exciting, fast paced battle adventure. Would be great material for a stategy computer game.

Inspiring introduction by Stephen Pressfield (Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae) as he extolls Breen as one of the great historical novelists. I agree completely.

Also recommended:
Stephen Pressfield (ASIN:055338368X Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae)

Robert Graves [ASIN:B000O86ICW Count Belisarius]

I was very disappointed by Eagle in the Snow. The core idea, that of a Roman Legate named Paulinus Maximus defending the Rhine crossings in 406 AD, seems fertile ground for an excellent historical novel. Alas, I felt the book fails on a number of points.

First, the book lacks believeability. For example, the Romans seem able to freely converse with their German counterparts, even though the narrator occasionally mentions how terribly they use Latin. At another point, while the Germans are crossing the frozen Rhine, Maximus must ford a shallow stream- which has not been affected by the cold. The worst part of this was the stilted, juvenille dialogue. Perhaps this was meant to reflect the harsh speech of a Roman soldier, but this does not sit well in the upper ranks. Nor does it make for interesting reading.

Next, the author allows his equestrian training to take an inflated role in the novel. The early premise gives Maximus responsibilty to train an old-school legion of ~6000 men (late imperial legions were generally much smaller and heavy on foreign troops). Traditionally, the legions contained very few mounted units. However, in this novel, Roman cavalry constantly invade the battlefield and destroy the author's attempts at military accuracy. The Romans had not developed modern stirrups, and the notion of a medieval cavalry charge was beyond them, yet here the tide of battle is routinely turned when the flanks are struck by Roman horsemen. It is clear that the author tried to bring personal experience to bear, and those paragraphs about horsemanship are indeed better writing than elsewhere, but he chose the wrong era to narrate a glorious sally on horseback.

The main character, Maximus, is difficult to like. He is an old-style Roman general, belonging to the Mithraic cult, and deeply attatched to Roman service. But the reader never understands these loyalties- instead, we read about how poorly he is treated by civilian and religious officals, how little support he receives from his commanders, and how often he drifts into reverie of the glory days of his empire. He is a man who gives a hostage her freedom after she attempts to murder him, but who cannot forgive his best friend for once having an affair with his deceased wife. He is given charge of defending the Rhine frontier, but claims that "you never win a battle by fighting on the defensive." He deceives the German tribes at every turn, but scorns them for not fighting during the day "like civilzed people" or resorting to treachery. The worst moment comes when Maximus finally betrays his own country, by admitting that he was in pursuit of the imperial throne all along.

Yet what stands out the worst is the author's own underlying bigotry. He clearly depicts the Germans as barbaric, ignorant and faithless. His portrait of women is even worse; the few who even appear are hellcats who use their bodies in an effort to seduce or undermine Rome. Even Maximus' dead Christian wife is proven faithless to him. The soldiers who are most loyal to him are the auxiliary officers, while his own Roman soldiers seem ready to mutiny against him. Meanwhile, the Romans to whom the Germans feel such "hated and envy" are themselves too stubborn to make concessions to the barbarians and too foolish to do anything but sacrifice their lives to stop them. Of course, Maximus miraculously survives, and we get a fleeting glance of Alaric's sack of Rome. But by then all sympathy for the protagonist is gone, and we even feel that somehow there is justice for him to witness the end of the world he thought he knew but wouldn't give up.

The back of the book claims that this book "is nothing less than THE novel of the fall of the Roman Empire." If that is so, it is because it lacks any competition. Read Count Belisarius (Robert Graves) or Attila's Treasure (Stephen Grundy) instead. Eagle in the Snow is not recommended.

Dr. Sife, is a wonderful man full of compassion. love and knowledge and heartfelt feelings for the Loss of a Pet. To read his book, is to know his heart and soul for he, has experienced the same in that we all bond and unify with our animals. God Bless you Dr. Sife!

I highly recommend this book for anyone grieving the death of a beloved pet. Dr. Sife gives very helpful information about the grieving process, and most important, reassurance that the pain one feels is very real, and not to be dismissed by anyone. Very well-written, insightful, with numerous photos. I would have been lost without this book.

I ordered this book the day after my two dogs were euthanized for some extra support. It is very informative and helpful. I think it would even help deal with the grief of a human relative or friend aswell. I would suggest it to someone in grief with a pet definately.

I operated a professional pet sitting service for eight years and this is the book that I always recommended to my human clients when their beloved companions made their transition to heaven. Dr. Sife writes with such compassion that he draws the reader in to assist with their anugish. Dr. Sife suggest many helpful things. From the very important stages of grief, to planning a memorial service, to offering to the reader ways to bare their grief until healing can come. Many books on pet grief are written but Dr. Sife's was pionner in this field. He is a practing therapist with a degree in counseling psycholoy, (Ph. D.). He specializes in pet berevement. He is also the founder of The Association of Pet Loss and Berevement.
My best friend and I just have suffered a terrible tragic loss of Solomon, a young feline companion that died very suddenly from choking. The Loss of A Pet is a lifeline for our broken hearts. One final note: The Chapter on our pets going to heaven is so comforting. Thank you Dr. Sife for helping the reader travel down this dark road.

This book was very helpful to me during a trying time I had not too long ago. Do yourself a favor and buy it. I also read and highly recommend 'How to Roar: Pet Loss Grief Recovery' by Robin Jean Brown and 'Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet' by Gary Kowalski.

I didn't order this for myself but for a student of my huband's for his birthday. He is thrilled with the book -- has wanted it for a long time. He is highly interested in languages and wants to pursue seminary education. This will be great for him. Thank you.

This book arrived in a timely manner and was in good shape--exactly what we expected.

This has been a most helpful volume to me already; it is clearly done and not too advanced for a middle student of the language. If I have any criticism I would say that the index could be just a little more complete, but it is not bad. I find myself using the volume often with satisfaction.
My background is engineering so I am unfamiliar with some of the literary vocabulary, but usually Wallace takes the trouble to explain terminology and that is a big plus.

This textbook is an extremely comprehensive treatment of the Greek grammar beyond the basics. A basic knowledge of Biblical Greek is required to get the most out this text book. It is highly recommended for all who are studying Biblical Greek and desire to get beyond the grammatical categories to see the revelance of syntax for exegesis.

It has been 36 years since I graduated from seminary and, now retired, I am trying to relearn Koine. In reviewing the advances in our understanding of etymology and syntax, I realize that some of the older texts I spent scarce money on years ago are simply not up to speed. Wallace's Inter.> Advanced grammar is a truly great text. I used to consider a grammar to be a reference work; I'm reading this thing like a novel! I own Dana&Mantey, BDF, Moulton (Prolegomena), and Burton; this work includes virtually everything in the sum of the others. I have also just ordered the "holy grail" of grammars: AT Robertson. I am very anxious to compare them. Even this early in my 2nd life with Greek, I can see that this grammar is a must-have.

I was unimpressed. I'm a believer, but this book does not answer the many questions that have been asked surrounding the veracity of the gospels and the historical Jesus, except in a superficial way.

Reinventing Jesus is a an excellent exegesis of the Orthodox New Testament texts vis-a-vie the Gnostic texts using internal and extra-Biblical evidence. I had been exposed to some of the concepts of this type of study when I took a course on ancient Israel in graduate school, and found its extension to this topic of great interest.

I have to admit that after reading the very well balanced account of the two sets of texts, that they are very different from one another, and that the survivor simply met the needs of the people of the time more fully. I'm not certain that this has to do with their being "closer" to the teachings of Jesus, however, as almost everyone who witnessed the events of this time probably had his or her own take on the situation. I suspect the entire 1st Century was spent deciding just what the message actually was, and ultimately it came down to two almost opposite concepts. The Gnostic notions of Christianity are much more esoteric, exclusive, and intellectual and focus on perfecting "the self," while those of orthodoxy are more directive, inclusive, require belief more than introspection and focus on others.

I'm not certain however, that I agree with the authors when they insist that the Gnostic texts were later. While I agree that an argument from absence is not a strong one, I also believe that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. The secrecy of the Gnostic teachings would almost guarantee that they would not be committed to writing as early as the more open and inclusive teachings of what became orthodoxy. I'm more surprised that they were put on paper at all. This tendency to secrecy and elitism is probably why they did not survive as doctrines into modern times.

I also agree that, far from dictating the content of the new imperial religion or suppressing alternatives, Constantine's primary motive was consensus, order and peace in the kingdom--this one, not the next one. He was nothing if not a pragmatist. That he remained a pagan himself until converting on his deathbed suggests that he had very little religious stock in the outcome of the council of Nicea at that time.

A superb discussion of the topic.

In recent years there have been a number of works attempting to undermine any traditional belief in Christianity. Likewise, there have been a number of Christian apologetics books designed to counter them. I found this particular one to be very interesting and it has a number of very appealing aspects.
For one, this book is a work written by scholars who are specialized in their subject. The authors focus a fair amount of the book on textural criticism. Some scholars such as Bart Earhman and some members of the Westar Group (Jesus Seminar)have been very critical of the New Testament in this regard and the authors seek to respond. Komoszewski, Sawyer, and Wallace also do a fine job refuting supposed links between Christianity and pagan religions as well as theories found in Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code." This book is more detailed and technical than the works of some apologetics such as Strobel, but generally avoids getting tedious. Actually, I think it does a good job attempting to bring a complicated subject such as textual criticism down to a lay audience. "Reinventing Jesus" received some very good endorsements from people such as Gary Habermas and Paul L. Maier. The endnotes are quite detailed and worth looking at as well. Overall, this book was an enjoyable and informative reading experience. I would also recommend Craig Evan's book "Fabricating Jesus" and some of Paul L. Maiers books such as "In the Fullness of Time."

The authors are sectarian scholars at sectarian institutions, not really scientific biblical scholars. They assume but do not demonstrate that the Pauline-Hellenistic church knew the real Jesus. They ignore entirely his brother James who led the earliest followers of Jesus and knew him best. The Gospels were written under the influence of Paul's invention of his own Jesus, a Jesus that James did not know or agree with. One wants real biblical scholarship not this sort of special pleading. Dallas is not the place to find out the truth about the real Jesus; it is the place for redneck Christianity.

Reinventing Jesus contains a well thought out and scholarly introduction to a number of issues currently being discussed within New Testament scholarly circles, and I'd wholeheartedly recommend it to the layman in high school, college or the workforce, and also to the scholar. This book also served as a great primer for me into the work of Wallace and Sawyer, and Komoszewski's book on the deity of Christ co-authored with Robert Bowman is on its way to me now!

The book covers a large range of topics including oral tradition, textual criticism, early church history, Christology, and the newly internet-revived pagan copycat thesis. Komoszewski et al address (but also in some cases, build upon) the arguments of both popular and academic writers, providing a fair yet critical evaluation of the claims of authors such as Bart Ehrman, Acharya S, Robert M. Price, and Freke and Gandy. They also provide a list of books for further reading in each topic they write about, giving the reader an opportunity to move on once passing the popular introduction to these issues to more academic sources.

All in all, great book, and I would be pleased to see this cohort assemble again for another quality work.