Way Books

I'm an addictive personality with some years of recovery under my belt. This workbook poses loving, provocative questions that have helped me grow, learn and share my experience, strength, and hope with others. Whether as self-study or in a group, it's top notch. And it works for all kinds of addictions--whether booze, cigarettes, food, work, relationships. Five of my friends have also ordered this book and each uses for her own purpose.

I'm in a 12 step group for codependents and we're using this workbook. We're on step 4 and I just finished the exercises for that step. So far, I've found this workbook to be really helpful. The questions have helped me see issues underlying my codependency.
I like the flexibility of it. You can take it as slowly or as quickly as you want and it recommends only answering the questions that apply to you. I like working with a group, but I think it would be a valuable tool to use alone if you didn't have a group.

A complementary approach to therapy which helps one put into words on paper their thoughts which seems to be a helpful outlet to understanding the Self.

The 12 Steps: A way out:A spiritual process for Healing.
I am very pleased with my purchase. All books were new from Amazon. I was very impressed with the speed in delivery and I saved on shipping. I order these same books 3 or 4 times a year.

This book, worked in a group, any group desiring to make changes in their life, will change anyone to be a better person and in believing in spiritual being. I have been in a group for 12 years using this book. I can speak very enthusiastically about this.....if a person wants to know who they really are.

I love this book. It is funny, touching, memorable, humble, inspiring and all together delightful. I don't like Della's singing, don't know much about her acting. What captured me is her marvelous personality, her smile, her uncommon commonness. There are parts of this book I will carry with me to my grave.

Having been exposed to Ms. Reese's multi talents throughout my growing up years, I just now finished reading her book which covers the time period from her birth until 1997. And I am glad I did!
Ms. Reese is what I consider a "real" person as she is so wonderfully candid in everything she says and does. The story she tells in her book is no different as she recollects even the details in great honesty.
Her story is very inspiring and uplifting as she teaches her life's lessons in the tribulations she forged through.
If you've ever wanted to sit down and have a chat with Ms. Reese (And who wouldn't?) but couldn't, reading through these pages is the next best thing. It's almost as good as hearing her voice right beside you with her words, smooth and flowing.
I highly recommend this flawlessly written book. It is everything that Della Reese is - interesting, witty, inspiring, intelligent, gutsy, full of love and hope and just like her, it teaches straight from the heart.
BRAVO!!!...THANK YOU!!!... and...ENCORE!!!

Della Reese is like a streetcar to ecstatic experience. She knows the way to abundance consciousness and she will stop at whatever stop you need to get you there, because it's on her route. This is no airy fairy lady. She tells it totally like it is in this earthy, raw, absolutely beautiful and hilarious tale of her life adventure from Detroit's "Black Bottom" slums to the hills of Bel Air.

If you have ever felt excluded or ridiculed, had a jones for the wrong person or the wrong lifestyle, suffered a broken heart or known there was something great in you, no matter what anyone had to say about it, her words will pick you up and put you right on the trolley!

Like her early mentor, Mahalia Jackson, she fills herself with God-Essence and breathes it out sweetly and powerfully, right to your center, taking you on a trip to exactly the place she wants for you, which is home. Where you are comfortable in your own body and where you know that you are loved.

So, I guess that makes her an "angel", her loving word for people who appear with exactly what you need when you need it, like Nat King Cole, Ed Sullivan and many others did for her. In reading her account, it naturally makes you more aware of how people in your life serve as angels, even when you aren't aware of it at the time.

I first Della's voice when I was a hurtin' little kid, hanging on for dear life, literally, seeking solace in in art and music.
Her jazz voice got me and got me good. Her author's voice, like her voice in gospel, blues, "pop", TV and ministry, it is a voice that tells you of the WHOLE journey from despair to full-out happiness. And that telling causes resonance, so you can feel it, remember it and find your own way to it.

Read this juicy, juicy book! "Period. The end."

This book is wonderful! I love Touched by an Angel, and am a big fan of Della's (Have to buy some of her music someday!) This book really captures Della's effervescent, full-of-life, no-nonsense style. It reads just as if Della was sitting right there in your living room talking right to you. It is full of amazing stories and straight talk about her ups and downs professionally and personally, and the one thing that shines through so very clearly is her powerful and strong faith in God and how He and the human "angels" in her life have brought her through. You really feel you get to know her--her personality sparkles in every chapter. I loved this book.

This is a very interesting book, that makes you want to keep reading and reading. It focuses mainly on her early years and how she started in the music business, then onto her role as an actor, teacher and preacher. The stories of her life make you feel as though you know her on a more personal level. She speaks in very plain language so it is easy to understand what she is saying. Many people can relate to different parts of her life. You would have never expected some of the things that she has gone though. She has been though many ups and downs in her life and is not afraid to discuss them. She is very open and honest and I applaud her for that. This was very informative. This has made me want to read more biographies of other famous people.

From a written review, posted here by the author's spouse: Ms. Williams combines artistry that evokes days gone by with her use of tried and true nursery rhymes illustrated with drawings reminiscent of the thirties, and hip drawing techniques of today where the words leap out to show the concept for such letters as "H" for Huge and "I for icy." What fun! Great for pre-schoolers and beginning readers! Priscilla Milliman, first grade teacher

From a written review, posted here by the author's spouse: It's darling. I'm anxious to read it to students. Ellen Chenier, Paraprofessional, Ypsilanti, Michigan

From a written review, posted here by the author's spouse: I found your book striking, imaginative and original Michael J. Major, Writer, Anacortes, Washington.

From a written review, posted here by the author's spouse: Creative and innovative, a new look at words and letters. The letters seem alive, characterizing the actions of the words they're portraying" D is drippy, G is growing, V is vanishing." Jeannie Reardon, Program Coordinator, Bright Horizons (Child Care Center), Durham, NC

From a written review, posted here by the author's spouse: Love this book! (Especially for pre-reading set). It's clear, colorful, and uses objects from child's experience level. The use of nursery rhymes and "turned-on" words is very effective. It could be used in early primary classes for letter identification, recognition and sound review. Judy Matarazzo, 1st grade teacher, Haverstraw-Stony Point School District, New York

This book is great for those with short attention spans. :)

It's an A to Z format of topics from Acorns to Zinnias. Individual little sections focus on food sources (i.e. acorns, berries, cherries, salvias, suet), common individual backyard birds (bluebirds, cardinals, swallows, etc.), procedures (banding, feeding, first aid), and more. The topics are logical and easy to read and provide lots of little useful tips and tidbits for attracting birds to your yard.

The sections on individual birds generally include getting to know them information and a brief summary of how to attract them as well as some brief information on various types and where they are found.

As an example of the plant sections, the ornamental grasses section gives a short overview of gardening with grasses and best grasses for birds with a chart that includes the plant name, bird attracted, plant description and culture.

The back of the book includes sources, recommended reading, a USDA plant hardiness map and a zone map.

The information is not in-depth (most of the sections are 0.5-1.5 pages long), but it's fun to read and filled with ideas for creating a haven for birds. A few of the more popular sections are given a little more space (water gardens have six pages for instance).

I like this book. I'm a new bird watcher and this book has many good hints.

This is a great beginners book. It lacks some types of birds, for pros, but for backyard bird lovers like me, it's perfect. I love the tips and heads up on how to train, feed and attact all types of birds in my area. It even has a page on building a birdhouse!! Lots of homemade treats to give you feathered friends a big smile...LOVE IT!! JK

This book is worth its weight in gold. It is loaded with tips on gardening and attracting birds. Good for novice and old timers. Once can never know enough and new ideas are always welcome.

I really like the way this author writes: clear succinct explanation scattered with vivid personal anecdotes. This is a sturdy oversized trade paperback that will stand up to years of thumbing through it and carrying it outside.

It's stuffed with beautiful color drawings, side-bars, tables, and landscaping plans. The table of contents is a huge, comprehensive list of topics from A to Z, touching upon everything from bird anatomy to different types of feathers to the coloration and shapes of eggs to project lists to attract birds in all four seasons.

If you can have only one general book on birding, I would recommend this one. With its clear writing and all its illustration, it would be suitable for motivated fifth-graders on up. It also covers so many different common birds that it's not limited to just one American region. Highly recommended. Longer review at OrnateBirdGarden-dot-com.

The Backbone of the World is a collection of random vignettes recording the author's experiences along America's continental divide. From the boot heel of New Mexico to Canada's Alberta province, Frank Clifford finds no shortage of eccentric, hardscrabble westerners with which to commune. Although ostensibly exploring the newly commissioned (and largely conterminous) Continental Divide Trail, the author actually spends little time on it. He prefers to alight sporadically in places collateral to the divide - the story becoming less reminiscent of a "backbone" and more of a vertebra here and a vertebra there.

And there's a larger problem with this appellation, as well. One assumes that Clifford derives "The Backbone of the World" from the Blackfeet name for an area in Glacier National Park, yet, in socio-geologic terms, it seems overly hopeful to apply it to the continental divide as a whole. The world is a big place and Clifford singularly fails to defend the distinction. Indeed, he completely ignores it. Why such a lofty claim when the author's protagonists are so quintessentially local (so local, in fact, that they inhabit only the eastern front)? In the absense of an answer, the reader is forced to conclude that Clifford has bestowed the honorific merely because it sounds good.

Lest I criticize too harshly however, the book's subtitle is right on the money. Frank Clifford meaningfully portrays a vanishing way of life. He has filled his book with people of extraordinary character from which he extracts stories disarmingly genuine. In fact, it is this talent that saves the effort from becoming a run-of-the-mill travel book and compels me to award it 4 stars. The Backbone of the World is recommendable, if somewhat arbitrarily constructed. For a more immersive experience regarding life along the divide, I recommend Leaning on the Wind by Sid Marty.

Anyone interested in reading about the glamorized West - artist retreats in Santa Fe, Denver socialites, ski resorts in million-dollar-home settings - will probably be disappointed in this book. Frank Clifford instead takes the reader to isolated outposts where people are just barely surviving: a sheep rancher north of Vail who lives in a ramshackle trailer; one of the last residents of Jeffrey City, WY, who is sick from years of working in the now-closed uranium mines and is too poor to see a doctor; a park ranger in Yellowstone hellbent on stopping illegal hunting practices along the park's isolated boundary; a trapper in New Mexico who sometimes goes six months without human contact; a Canadian environmentalist fighting a losing battle against gas and timber companies; a group of Blackfeet Indians trying to maintain ties to their ancient culture on their reservation near Glacier NP; a ranch family in southern New Mexico frightened of the drugs and violence along the border.

A few things unite most of Clifford's subjects: a fierce independence; a hatred for governmental interference, especially when it interferes with their livelihoods; and a similar disdain for "outsiders" who they feel look down upon them as inferior people, hicks, and want to impose restrictions on how they can and should use the land (i.e. environmentalists). Clifford, who is a journalist from California, must be commended for not taking a position for or against his subjects (he realizes both sides have valid arguments) and for becoming one of them, even if it's only for a short time (he rides horses with his subjects, helps them with their cattle and sheep, etc.). The book will definitely take the wind out of the sails of anyone who pictures the West as merely a drop-dead beautiful mountain backdrop to be enjoyed while sipping red wine on a dude ranch porch. This is the real deal, the other-side-of-the-tracks picture where people count pennies to survive the year and every cow or sheep lost to a grizzly bear or coyote means they go a little bit deeper into debt. It's an eye-opening book - one of the best on the West of today that I've come across. Highly recommended.

Never seen a hawk on the wing... for the many Americans that the lyrics of this old Jerry Jeff Walker song apply, Clifford's book is a marvelous remedy. As he explains in the prologue, he undertook the book in conjunction with the development and opening of the Continental Divide Hiking Trail. But his book is less about the physical panorama of the scenery along the Divide, as it is of the hard-scrabble existence and diversity of people who hold on to the "old-ways" of life along the Divide. Some of Richard Ford's books like "Rock Springs" serve as a wonderful fictional compliment to Clifford's work.

Clifford has a journalist background; he is able to find very real people truly "hanging on," even if it means going around the sign in Catron Co. NM that says: "Visitors not Welcome. Trespassers will be shot."

In the "boot heel" of New Mexico he interviews a descendant of a polygamist Mormon sect that fled the United States in the late 1800's so they could continue to practice their beliefs which had recently been outlawed. These "higra" Mormons were, if anything, too successful in Mexico, and were eventually driven out by Pancho Villa, with some settling along the border line, back in the States. Clifford has done his background work on this area, quoting Cormac McCarthy's "Blood Meridian."

At the other end of the trail he rides horses with the Blackfeet Indians along the Canadian border, conveying insights into the reservation life, and he rides with a radical environmentalist, of the "Monkey Wrench" variety. In between, there is a National Park Ranger who fights the poachers at Yellowstone; the miners dying from the effects of their work in the uranium mines of Wyoming; documenting the extent of work that cattlemen must do to make a ranch viable in these arid lands; the Hispanics of Northern NM who have their own laws, and strongly resist outside intrusions; and a hippie-like shepherd struggling in Colorado, whose method of castrating his sheep you will never forget.

I felt myself savoring each vignette, and wished the author could have spent an entire month with each of his subjects. He has the knowledge to cite various literary, historical, and political antecedents to each situation. As others have noted, the book's title is a bit of an overreach, but if America is your whole world, so be it.

And excellent summation of one of the book's central themes is: "This strange legacy of socialism is one of the abiding ironies of the West. No region of the country is more devoted to the myth of rugged self-sufficiency, none more dependent on federal largesse, and none more contemptuous of the hand that feeds it." (p 159)

An excellent read for those who live along the Divide, and for those who don't.

Clifford writes with too much evenhandedness and too little anger to suit me about what's happening to The West. Even so, there's no doubt that he cares deeply about what's being lost. This book ought to be required reading for anyone who crosses the state lines of NM, CO, WY, ID or MT.

I don't give 5 stars and it's not about me so I seldom toss my twopence in but, this is well-written and easily worth the used price listed. You can get the drift from the other reviews. Fine book, Mr. Clifford! thank you.

I found this book to be extremely easy to read, especially in my "busy" life. The chapters are broken into months but can be read at any time. The ideas are explicit and concise and realistic. Mimi writes with the knowledge that readers will pull ideas from her book that will work for each family individually. There is no "must do" chastising in Ms. Doe's work, simply suggestions for things that will help every busy person feel more balanced about family life and taking control of what may feel like an out-of-control situation. Definitely worth the time!

This book pushes past the "yes, but's" so gently, it doesn't hurt a bit. Fresh perspectives about how to interpret what is going on and practical suggestions about things to do (and not do), make this a virtual parent's handbook for sanity.

As a psychotherapist and author (Embracing Fear, HarperSanFrancisco 2002) I have made good use of two contrasting metaphors for parenting that have always made sense to me. One is that children are clay and parents sculptors, assigned the job of molding the clay into what they believe is best. The other metaphor is that children are seeds, and parents gardeners, with the job of caring for the enviornment surrounding the seeds so that they can grow into whatever they are meant to be. Mimi Doe is a master gardener with a wonderful ability to teach other gardeners.

Mimi Doe writes with clarity and grace about what we as parents should be doing but don't always make time for. She organizes the book by months and seasons and gently guides us through the maze of parenting. The tips are not only useful but inspiring as well since they are all doable if we make time for them.

Parents should keep this guide right by their bed and refer to it on a daily basis to keep their lives balanced and to be a strong force in their kids' lives as well. While reading this book, I wanted to go hug my daughter and say sweet things to my baby son. Must reading for parents with kids of all ages.

So as the mother of twins life is never dull...This book, which I read each morning, keeps things balanced for sure. I love the ideas and inspiration.

Mrs. Doe is such an inspiration. She is my second mother, and I love her!
Even more so, she is such an amazing author. She continues to inspire my life and my familial relationship through her writing.
Thank you Mrs. Doe.

EVERYONE BUY THIS BOOK.

It will change your life.

You can't make this stuff up! Or can you? I laughed until I had tears running down my face and my stomach hurt. Richardson has captured southern humor or any kind of humor at that! Reading this book made my day better and thankful that someone like her can find the good in just about anything.

A great read. Perfect for the multi-tasking woman reading on the go or filling rarely vacant snippets of time. Quick, humorous stories that satisfy the need to read without bogging a girl down in a plot line. You'll love it!

Lucy Adams is the author of If Mama Don't Laugh, It Ain't Funny

If you want to forget your problems and just enter funny land...then read this book. I seldom laugh out loud while reading books;...this one, though, has made up for all the others. It's really truly spittin' chucklin' good.

I read a few chapters each night so I could guarantee that I would go to sleep laughing. Georgia Richardson (aka Queen Jaw Jaw) has been through it all and came out writing so we could laugh with her. You may recognize yourself and wonder why you weren't laughing when it happened to you. Thank you, Queenie, for your unique and Southern perspective.

It takes a southern person, a female southern person at that, to come up with the side-splitting situation Georgia Richardson relates to things which happen to us all, but which Georgia finds hilarity in it. And writes about it . . . hilariously. I read this book with tears in my eyes, because of such topics as "Dreaming of Elvis, Mel Gibson, Bob Villa." Because my wife has cataracts, I read it to her. She cried also. From laughing. You want to see how everyday things and everyday situations can bring a smile, then a snort, then a guffaw, then uncontrollable laughter? By this book and find out why

Excellent book about how to live your life simply and in a state of abundant good health. I highly recommend this book for anyone who would like to improve their entire life, physically and emotionally.

I first bought this book in 1986 when I was still a student. I followed all the advice as best I could and found it very helpful. Starting work and a period of illness, along with all the other things that life has thrown my way has meant that I have not always kept up with all seven steps. But this is still a book that I return to time after time when I am trying to do something to improve my health. I know that I should be following the seven steps all the time - that's the whole point - but I also know I fall far short of the ideal. It's still a book I would highly recommend to anyone looking to get some perspective on how God wants us to care for ourselves.

I love this book! A friend of mine lent me this book several years ago and I had to return it after I read it. I recently decided to buy a copy for myself. It is full of very useful and wise information. I agree with almost everything that Stormie says in this book. It is written in such a way that is easy to put to use in my life. The seven steps are complete and can be put to good use in anyone's life that is truly interested in better health. I believe that if anyone were to read this book and put the information to use it could change their life in truly positive ways.

This book is very easy to understand. It gives great ideas on how to improve your life with God. There is a lot of helpful information. I would recommend this book.

Stormie OMartian has researched the health books and gleaned the best from them. She covers all the things we should do to be healthy, and inspires us through God to do it. I bought copies for several of my friends. One of the best condensed fasting books I've seen.

Trust me! I looked everywhere and couldn't find it til I read this book. Now I know that, "I Had It All the Time". Execllent book written by an excellent author. This is a fast read and easy to follow.

"This book will not have a sequel; to the contrary, it heralds the end of a long and self-diminishing train of thought- the notion that you need to be something other than you are. It will not introduce you to a revolutionary technique; but it will introduce you to yourself. This book will not direct you to a mystical master or exotic gems- but it will assist you to unearth your own hidden treasures and awaken the master within you......The Spirit within you is greater than anything in the outer world. The power of your life is now redeemed to your own hands, where it has always been. You had it all along." (from the introduction)

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This book does everything it claims to. It was the one book that I gave all my coaching clients and everyone that has ever read it has raved about how much they loved it. With chapters like....

Let It BE Easy
There Ain't No Future In The Past
If You Can't FIx It, Feature It
First Class Flying
and
I'm Off To Be The Wizard

....You know you are obviously going to have FUN on this journey of rediscovery. With lighthearted wisdom and practical evidence of our internal greatness, Alan Cohen makes self-help a thing of the past and self-worth a household mainstay.

I can't recommend this book enough. I wish I could attach a picture to show you all the flags that adorn its pages. It looks like a rag quilt with all the frayed edges from hours and hours spent revisitng its wisdom. Treat yourself to yourself. Give yourself the gift of this book.

Another great read by Alan Cohen. Reinforces the notion that you already know how to live your life and just need to be reminded (or rather need to reach deep down through the denial).JUST DO IT!

After being a self help junky for the last 15 years Alan Cohen gives good advice and stop trying to fix your self and just enjoy life

I found this book by Alan Cohen much better and different in style than anything written by Wayne Dyer (who is very good) if that helps put my review into perspective. Refreshing, insightful, and uplifting yet down to earth in a spiritual way (which is what are all doing of course).

All Christians will benefit from the message that Dr. Peterson so clearly and compellingly presents. The Way begins earlier than I thought, is narrower than I thought, is more clearly marked than I thought, and is certainly more full of life and adventure than I thought.
I'm pushing this book. It is very, very good.

Eugene H. Peterson, The Jesus Way: A Conversation on the Ways that Jesus Is the Way (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2007).

There are two kinds of spiritual writers: mechanics and artists.

Mechanics focus on how spirituality works, on tightening the nuts and bolts of prayer, meditation, fasting, and the like. By showing us how these means of grace work, they help us draw closer to God and godliness. Richard J. Foster is a mechanic of the spiritual life. His Celebration of Discipline is a masterful user manual of spiritual practices.

Artists, by contrast, show us what spirituality looks like. They don't write user manuals; they paint portraits. Not landscapes, mind you - portraits. For spiritual artists, spirituality is personal, biographical, narrative. They show God in human form, and godliness in human form - warts and all. Eugene H. Peterson is a spiritual artist, and The Jesus Way is an exhibit of masterfully drawn portraits.

It is also a frustrating book for our mechanically inclined, North American souls. Unlike The Celebration of Discipline, The Jesus Way includes no three- or four-step guidelines for prayer and fasting. If you're looking for that kind of guidance, don't bother reading this book. It will not give you The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Christians or The Secret of Becoming Like Jesus. It is not about How to Win Souls and Disciple People. It is, instead, "a conversation on the spirituality of the ways we go about following Jesus." It is a gallery of portraits in which the artist's perspective paints his subject in a new light.

The portraits in Peterson's gallery are biblical and historical figures: Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, Isaiah, Herod the Great, the Pharisees, Caiaphas, the Essenes, Josephus, the Zealots. And, the centerpiece of the exhibit, Jesus. But Peterson's perspective on these subjects, his unique angle of vision, forces us to see through them the various ways in which North American Christians should but do not follow the God-Man who is the Way (John 14:6).

Indeed, what Peterson's portraits show is that North American Christians have adapted a variety of spiritual ways and means that have nothing to do with Jesus, indeed, that contradict and subvert the way of Jesus. We are a consumer-oriented, mass produced culture; and our spiritual ways reflect our cultural predilections. We are felt-need driven, without considering that a consumer's felt needs might be artificially manipulated or authentically mistaken. We are mass produced, without considering that Jesus' ministry is concrete, not abstract; personal, not impersonal; individual, not cookie cutter.

Peterson's portraits of Jesus' Old Testament predecessors show a spirituality that revolves around "faith and word, imperfection and marginality, the holy and the beautiful." His portraits of Jesus' New Testament contemporaries are diptychs, Herod and the Pharisees, Caiaphas and the Essenes, Josephus and the Zealots. Or rather, perhaps we should say that they are contradictory diptychs: Herod versus the Pharisees, and so on. Jesus aligns with neither side of the diptych; rather, his way subverts both. He neither builds a kingdom of political power (Herod) or legal precision (Pharisees). He neither uses institutional religion for selfish ends (Caiaphas) nor rejects it entirely (Essenes). He neither lacks principle (Josephus) nor embraces principled violence (Zealots). His way is different.

It is irreducibly personal. God is a Trinity of Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in eternal, indivisible union. Their way with one another is personal. And consequently, their way with us is personal as well. God relates to us a Person to persons. His way is personal. His way is Jesus.

Contemporary North American spirituality, by contrast, is impersonal. It focuses on abstract, mass produced principles that do not know what to make of humanity's warts and all condition. They don't know what to make of King David, for example, whose imperfections Scripture draws in such meticulous details (violence, adultery, murder, polygamy). Call this the Way of Imperfection. David's seven penitential psalms (Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143) contain no three-step program for personal holiness. They simple call upon God for forgiveness. "In dealing with God we don't do it on our own," Peterson writes; "we deal with God as he deals with sin."

The Way of Jesus, you see, is the personal way of dealing with God, of relating to him not as consumers seeking personal benefit but as servants seeking divine direction. The consumer mentality warps North American spirituality; if we are to follow the Jesus Way, we must submit to a necessary "purification of means." If the end of spirituality is personal - communion with the Triune God - then the means to that end must be personal as well. Peterson's portraits show us what that personal way looks like.

I mentioned that The Jesus Way is a frustrating book. I should say that it is a frustrating book for me personally. I have a mechanical soul. I favor the user manual approach to spirituality. And anyone who has read anything by Richard J. Foster knows how spiritually fruitful that form of writing can be. The mechanics of the spiritual life are as necessary as the artists, but in a different way and for a different reason. The mechanics think for us. The artists force us to think for ourselves. The mechanics show us how to do things differently. The artists show us how to see things differently.

At any number of points in The Jesus Way, I disagreed with something Peterson wrote. Is Christian spirituality always a spirituality of people on the margins, as the chapter on Elijah suggests? Peterson seems to agree with historical criticism's reconstructions of the multiple authorship of the Pentateuch and Isaiah. Is he right? Perfectionism is without a doubt a spiritually deforming doctrine, but does David's example mean that no spiritual and moral progress is possible?

The Jesus Way raised many questions in my mind for which it did not provide definitive answers. But the questions forced me to look differently at my own ways, to look at my life and spirituality, and the spirituality of my church. That is what spiritual artists are supposed to do, to help us see differently. And Eugene H. Peterson is nothing if not a master artist.

I am not going to go into what this book is about because others have done it very well. I have to tell you, this book is so incredibly delightful to me that I have read it like I have never read another book. I will read a paragraph and be so moved by it, that I will read that paragraph over and over and sometimes it has taken me days to get past that one paragraph. I have done this with several pages as well. The book just comes off so honest to me. This book is just so practical and honest, I don't really know how else to describe it. I highly recommend it.

This is a wonderful book, flowing from one of the greatest Christian writers of our time. I clung to every word.

Once again, Peterson delivers an insightful book. Eugene Peterson is one of the best contemporary Christian writers and his work provides timely and powerful theology that drives for application in the life of the individual Christian.

It is my opinion that everyone should read anything by Eugene Peterson and I would rank much of his work to be just as high on the reading list as C.S. Lewis's work.

This is an excellent read and incredibly valuable for those who are concerned about improving the way they live their life out daily for Christ, or want to know what that looks like.