Williams Books

While so many clergy are running from this wild fire that is destroying so many souls, Dr. Williams chose to suit up in the Armor of God and attacked this problem head on. This book is very timely for a world that is caught up in its own devices, seeking to fulfill its desires at any cost. Dr. Williams' book is written so plainly that from the person that doesn't know God to the person that is elite in his status with God will know that this life style is wrong and it will kill you and those you love. Thank you, Dr. Williams for being bold in your presentation but gentle in providing the solution to this life style.

Finally we are speaking as we should. BOLDLY. Pastor Williams only God could have directed you to write such a direct and meaningful book. The concept has been greatly overlooked until now. You have faced the issue in the way God has asked, we as Christians, to face all of life's issues. With HIS WORD. That is the only True answer. Romans 8:13.....God Bless

Pastor Dr. Gary L Williams Sr's book is both timely and tenacious in dealing with this horrendous issue! It not only deals with this awful epidemic infecting the minds of men trapped in this lifestyle, but it also offers solid solutions to help anyone struggling with this stronghold. Whether you are caught up in this lifestyle or just wish to help someone that is, this book is a must read. No library is complete without it!

In today's society, it is common to hear or see particular behaviors that truly do not line up with the Word of God. The "blind-eye" notion must become a reaction of the past. As a true Christian, we must all stand on God's written Word. Dr. Gary Williams, Sr. has directed our attention to a very serious demonic underground epidemic that is completely sweeping this nation. In his book, "Deliverance from the Down Low", he outlines a very pragmatic prescription for "deliverance". Praise God for a man of God who takes a stand on righteousness! "Deliverance from the Down Low" is not only educational but shares biblical scriptures that confirms God's plan for our lives. Definitely a must read!

In a sea of opinion and propaganda it is often difficult at best to find the unadulterated truth. But God promises that He would never be without a witness. Dr. Williams with this book serves as that witness! He stands on biblical truths and practical real life applications, to masterfully weave together a strong life line with this book,that can and will serve as the life line of deliverance to any and all who struggle with their sexuality or any habitual sin. This book is more than just another book that highlights the alternatives to bisexuality, homosexuality, or even sinful living. "Deliverance From the Down Low" exhalts God as the ultimate healer of all of mankinds deepest ills; therefore it also servers as an indictment before God for all who ignore it's message!

This is- no way around the word- a lovely read. Bayer has a style of character developement that is elegant and fluid. Try his two books under the pen name "David Hunt".

Several decades have passed since a wealthy socialite and her young lover/teacher were gunned down in the Midwest: now forensic sketch artist David finds himself returning to the scene of their crime, investigating other murders and discovering a new circle of intrigue and danger. Bayer's is a strong suspense story which moves at a different pace and provides unexpected twists of plot and excellent tension.

I received "The Dream of the Broken Horses" as a birthday present. When I first started out I wasn't quite sure where it was going ... about 100 pages in I realized that it had crept up on me and I was "caught up" ... I mean I was enraptured ... I couldn't stop reading ... I read till 3AM. The next day I couldn't wait to get home ... the characters haunted me ... I was "in and in for the whole ride" and I rode that "horse" all night and enjoyed every minute of it. If there was one fault ... It was the fact that there is no city in the midwest this "cool" ... beleive me I know ... I'm from the midwest.

Typical of Mr. Bayer's books, it takes a dozen pages or so to really get into the story and then you are hooked. I have read every book that he has written, in both names, and I have never been disapointed, he is a master. The story just builds on itself and he has just the right amount of violence, sex and mystery. Not rauncy sex but a part of the story. To tell more would give plot away. Try it you love it.

Since his childhood, forensic artist David Weiss has been obsessed with a society double-murder that implicated his father and drove the man to suicide. Now, Weiss is back in his childhood home of Calista (a mythical midwestern town) and intends to use his time to discover the truth. The murder may be decades old but Weiss is certain that the easy explanations are wrong--that something more profound remains to be found.

Weiss's investigations lead him to stories of sexual obsession, child pornography, and blackmail. There are plenty of motives for murder--and even after all the years that have passed, some still living are willing to take action to stop the investigation and protect their secrets. With the help of a case writeup by his father and one of the victim's intimate diary, Weiss learns a great deal about the people who were killed, but nothing points a certain finger at the actual killer.

Author William Bayer's strong writing makes THE DREAM OF THE BROKEN HORSES something special and something far stronger than the story that underlies it. In some ways, the actual story is frustrating and important loose ends remain. Bayer's use of diary to develop character and reveal clues would normally be a cheat. Somehow, however, Bayer pulls it off. The powerful character of Barbara Fulraine (one of the victims) dominates the novel and the lives of many of the survivors. Her dream of broken horses may have been a psychiatrist's wish fulfilment, but it is also a sad reflection of the painful life Barbara endured.

THE DREAM OF THE BROKEN HORSES is a hard book to put down. Although most of the action takes place in back story, Bayer's writing is so compelling that I found myself reading on compulsively. Very fine.

First, I do not like mystery novels. No way - don't read 'em...not interested, thankyouverymuch (this to anyone who tries to loan me one). I vastly prefer (I thought) theological treatises. Tomes. You know. Dry as old bones? (What was I thinking?!)

I couldn't put these books down. They will have to be pried out of my cold, dead hands before I give them up. I operated on just a couple of cylinders for a few days, thanks to staying up all night two nights in a row, reading them. Readers, beware! Before you sit down to read them, make sure you have meals pre-cooked & your laundry caught up. You'll need to call in sick to work, too :-). Homeschoolers - might as well give your kids the day off - you won't be in any shape or mood to teach!

Our Traditional priest went nuts over them, too, and HE operated on fewer cylinders than normal for awhile, the poor dear. These books are just...well, in Father's words: "PERFECT!" "Treasures!" and so on... He will be carrying them in his little Catholic book store.

Mr. Biersach is a FIRST-RATE story teller! "Move over, Rice" my foot (ala Mr. Rose). Move over, TOLKIEN, is more like it. Rose may've pegged the genre rightly, but the comparison between Bill's writing and Rice's is an insult to Biersach. I know, because I've read Rice.

The Endless Knot (TEK) and The Darkness Did Not (TDDN) books have incredible, intricate plots-within-plots, combined with characters so perfectly fleshed-out that I felt I knew them personally and by sight, long before I half-finished The Endless Knot.

This, combined with wondrous Traditional Catholic knowledge that I thought had been lost forever, and it's all wrapped up in ONE book! Well, two actually (TDDN being the 2nd offering). As Amazon doesn't carry all 4 books, they can all be ordered at TumblarHouse.com.

This is the first book in a series that I intend to read all of. This book is a fantastic murder mystery in the genre of the Rabbi Small books. For those of us who follow traditional Catholicism, this is an outstanding trip, however, anyone will enjoy the story and may even learn something.

A friend of mine to whom I had loaned my copy of "The Endless Knot" once noted how odd it was to get to know fictional characters so well that when the book is over you miss them terribly. I know exactly how she feels. The characters become like very dear friends to you and it is hard to lose them whe the book is over.

In "The Endless KNot" we are introduced to Father John Baptist Lombard, a former LAPD Homicide Detective turned Latin Mass priest. Lombard's stance has made him the mortal enemy of LA's vindictively liberal Archbishop, Morley Psalmellus Fulbright. Fulbright is so far gone that he considers death to be "an expansion of mind" and promotes Neo Pagans and radical feminists to high positions in his Arch-Diocese. Lombard is assisted by Martin Feeney, the arthritic gardener at St. Philomena's Traditonal Catholic Church. When Fulbright's cronies start getting knocked off one by one, the Archbishop has no choice but to order his most despised priest to get to the bottom of the murders. With the help (and hindrance) of Feeney and the cops he once trained, Father John Baptist goes on the trail of one of the most bizarre serial killers in US history. Along the way, William Biersach irreverently skewers the highly liberalized institution that the Catholic Church has become. As well as dragging Wicca, Neo Paganism, and Voodoo over hot coals. At one moment the reader is on the edge of their seat with suspense, at another they will split their sides with laughter. In closing William Biersach deserves a 26 gun salute. In addition, I should be very much interested to see Mel Gibson sponsor this book for PBS's "Mystery!"

WOW! The plots were so complicated that just when I thought it was all figured out, another shows up. The characters are so real that I want to visit them again. Hungry for more! Even though I have about 30 books on my shelf that are calling to me,I could not put the Endless Knot down. Every reading unveils more details. Still untying. Underlined a novel for the first time.MORE!MORE! I beggin for more. Ya hear?

Endless Knot starts out slow (okay, the first few pages are sluggish) but I stuck with it until page 52 and I'm glad I did because after that the book takes off like a roller coaster. You won't want to put it down. I read through lunch, dinner and stayed up late to finish it.

The mystery is complex. The characters are very good. Father John Baptist is calm amidst the whirlwind, whip smart and doesn't mind offending people if it means hiding the truth. His Watson, Martin the gardner, altar server, assistant cook, driver and leg man (despite a nasty case of arthritis) is loud mouthed, cranky as as wolverine and devoted to Father Sherlock. He's also a smart guy in his own right. The other characters, the hard drinking, party loving Knights of the Tumblar function as Father Baptist's Baker Street Irregulars. The cops are nicely written and so are the colorful, fiesty and sometimes crazy group of folks who make up Father Baptist's parish.

The villains are well done too and their particular vices were timely. About ten years ago I would've thought there was no way such people could exist in their positions. Today, nothing shocks me.

Endless Knot is a mystery in the Arthur Conan Doyle/Agatha Christie mold but it ends with a bittersweet note. The killer is caught but not without cost to the detectives. I'm off to find the next book in the series.

Here is an account of one of the boldest attempts of slaves to free themselves. In April 1848 dozens simultaneously fled from Washington, DC, in a sailing vessel provided by white sympathizers. All were captured, but the well organized attempt startled the public North and South. The author fills out the story with background about slavery in the nation's capital, and traces some of the era's major political developments relevant to human bondage. The book is informative and an easy read.

The author's knowledge of her subject is remarkable, her writing is graceful, and her judgments are consistently sound. This book is a great read, an exciting tale framed by a sharp, balanced and sensible portrayal of an era of shame, ferment and change in our history. Ricks's literal knowledge of the streets of which she writes makes this book vibrate with authenticity. I enjoyed it consistently--and learned enormously from reading Escape On The Pearl. Since I write fictional accounts of the period myself under the pen-name Owen Parry, I realize how complex a subject this author has taken on--and I can only say that it's humbling to see another writer do a far-better job than one can ever hope to do. This book deserves wide attention and, as readers, let us hope that Ricks will return to the period for additional books in the future.

This is a gripping tale.

While the book's title highlights the 1848 escape attempt on the Pearl, the contents of the book encompass much, much more. There's the story of a slave family - the Edmonsons - which Ricks follows from before the courageous but unsuccessful flight to freedom all the way into present-day Washington, DC. There's an engrossing overview of abolitionism and its firey, impatient and ultimately triumphant adherents. Ricks presents her readers with a compelling description of the underground railway. Washington is presented as the small southern town that it was then, with illuminating detail. She brings to life the mid-nineteenth century context with its wrangling and maneuvering and unforgettable characters. It was a hell of a time and she gets it.

The small hard kernel of yearning and determination that impelled this particular journey by these particular people inspires us. Here, too, is a great and continuing irony of history: Some human beings are capable of enslaving others; at the same time different human beings strive passionately to free others; still others fight to free themselves.

'Escape on the Pearl' is a terrific read.

This is a great book. But don't take my word for it - Edward Ball, author of the bestseller Slaves in the Family, says "My kind of Southern history looks at slavery through people, and Mary Kay Ricks puts you on a first-name basis with the remarkable Edmonson family, who went through a mass escape, the near prostitution of two daughters, and a great homecoming. And she's found their descendants, who will tell you all about it." (quoted on the back of Escape on the Pearl).

In 1848 some residents of Washington DC owned slaves though many others opposed the "curious institution". In April, conductors on the Underground Railroad try a bold freedom run using the Pearl to take seventy-seven runaway "fugitives" to freedom in the north. However, a terrible storm on the Chesapeake doomed the mission. The sheriff arrested the freedom fighters and took the recaptured slaves back to their owner who sent them to New Orleans for sale. Another twist returns the slaves to DC where Preacher and staunch abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher made efforts to get them freed and his daughter Harriet Beecher Stowe used their plight as part of her reference notes published as the Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin, two years after the classic was released.

This is a complex at times convoluted look back at a major incident of its time that has somewhat lost its significance over the subsequent century and a half. The book gets inside the heads of the slaves, slave sellers, slave owners, the Stowes and the Underground Railroad conductors. However, most fascinating besides the link to Harriet Beecher Stowe's classic is the way the citizens in the metropolitan DC area looked at slavery. Historical readers need to set aside some time because though difficult to follow because of how complex the events leading to, the event itself, and the subsequent aftereffect and outcome are, this is a discerning insightful look at the abomination of slavery.

Harriet Klausner

Julie Williams has written an exceptional first novel. This insightful story in poems takes the reader on a journey in a young girl's life as she experiences the heartache of loss, struggles to understand those around her, discovers first love, and the boundries of friendship, and through it all learns how to become her own person. Allie Benton is a hero we can all cheer on!

A wonderful book, although I wouldn't call it poetry; more like a diary. I met the author and she is a wonderfully funny person. The story is one that holds your attention. Read it all in one sitting. Couldn't put it down. Even my husband likes it and he doesn't do much reading for pleasure.

I am a 55 year old male man who didn't want to read "a story in poem" about anything. I was given this book and resisted reading it for a very long time. One night I started reading and I could not put it down. It was powerful and moving. It's about a 14 year old girl learning to live in this life. It's a poem. I cried like a baby! I am currently buying up every copy I can. I give this book to anyone I care about.

If you, or maybe your very close friend, had a difficult childhood. This book is for you. Poem and all! Poem just means all the unneeded words are missing. Read this book! (...)

My daughter and I each have a copy of this book and had the same experience reading it: we couldn't put it down. My daughter said that she carried such an ache around in her heart for this young girl. She said she felt as if she truly knew her and loved her. This is a powerful story told in the spare, searing language of penetrating poetry. As a teacher, I have been pondering ways I might bring this book into my classroom. It cries out to be heard as well as read. I have already recommended it to my colleagues.

I enjoyed this book immensely, as did (all!) the members of my book club. The descriptions are lovely, the characters real, the story poignant, the end satisfying.

In spare language, the author shows us through a heartwarming main character what it is like to lose a twin and a father. I felt her anguish about having an unstable mother, and going to a new school without the right clothes to fit in. I felt the heartbreak of her Native American friends who, in the sixties when the novel is set, are scorned by most of the townspeople. It's awesome how much insight and information was conveyed, and how much I was made to care, in such a short book.

My order arrived timely in the condition promised. Very nice to do business with this seller.

It is amazing how one text can cover so much ground. This is truly a must have for all beginning therapists as well as a helpful checklist or guideline for the more experienced therapist. What I appreciate is the dual perspective of both what the client is potentially thinking, feeling, desiring, fearing, as well as what the therapist is experiencing during the interview or session. Chapters are very practical, relevant, and specific as types of training or theories are almost always followed by an example or actual case. It is helpful to have different theraputic styles included, allowing the reader to be more widely exposed. Just the many assessment tables, charts and lists, are worth having all under one cover!

v
Issues addressed in this volume include:
Client expectations for therapy
How to manage the initial interview
What information should be gathered at intake
JoEllen Patterson, et.al, offer readers of this volume a broad overview of foundational skills required in the practice of family therapy. Chapter by chapter the authors present treatment issues/concerns with proposed remedies for those difficulties. Beginning family therapists' questions are dealt with in a respectful and practically helpful manner by the writers. The content of this book is drawn from the authors' many years of instructing and supervising graduate level marriage and family therapy students in one of the premier COAMFTE programs in the U.S.

Family Therapists proceed in the practice of their profession through various developmental stages. Patterson and the other contributors attempt to provide the beginning family therapist with information needed at each of those levels in order to successfully move on to the next. In the authors' model there are three major developmental phases for family therapists:

Stage One: Learning Essential Skills

Stage Two: Learning to Conceptualize Cases

Stage three: The Therapist-as-Self


Who should attend therapy sessions?
How to join with clients
Establishing credibility
Defining goals for therapy
Building motivation
Administrative concerns
Establishing fees
Managing crisis situations (suicide, violence, abuse)
Assessing for substance abuse, biological factors, meaning, spirituality, social systems outside the family, and developmental issues
Developing a treatment focus/plan
Major theoretical models of therapy
Length of therapy
Use of questions
Normalizing, reframing, confronting, supporting, pacing
Working with adolescents and children
Working with couples
Dealing with infidelity, sexual difficulties, mental illness
Getting unstuck in therapy
How to utilize supervision and peer consultation
Handling "no shows", secrets, agency issues, countertransference, burnout
Terminations


This book provides the beginning family therapist with a comprehensive, practical resource for trouble-shooting at the predictable stages of therapist development. It is thoroughly systemic in its approach yet deals with the realities of of individual diagnosis, mental illness, and managed care. For family systems purists that compromise may be problematic. For someone who has taught in a graduate level family therapy program and supervised them for several generations I applaud the effort. This is a "real world" not an "ivory tower" tome. I also commend the authors on their use of relevant research data to support the interventions they propose. Emphasis on self-of-therapist furthermore is a strength of the book. It calls to mind some of Harry Aponte's material. I cannot think of a more comprehensive volume to put in the hands of graduate students in family therapy. I wish I had been given it when I launched my career. I wish I had written it. I will use it from this point forward.

JoEllen Patterson in her book has done an excellent job in giving good hands on approach for those practicing marriage and family therapy. This book has been a great help to me in a practical sense. I'm not a trained marriage and family therapist, and I know my limitations in this area. As a caregiver for a mission organization, the many insights I gained will enhance my ability to assess, understand, and develop avenues of referral to professional therapeutic caregivers such as marital and family therapists.

Essential Skills in Family Therapy is a guide of the process of therapy to be used by those learning how to do therapy. The book is also a good refresher for practicing therapists. Chapters cover topics from the beginning of therapy through termination and include special issues like working with children and adolescents.
Getting started
The developmental stages of new therapists are learning the essential skills, learning to conceptualize cases, and dealing with the therapist as self.
Before the initial interview
In the initial contact, therapists should listen and reflect what they hear and assess for crisis. This initial contact contains only basic relevant information and is not the time for interventions, advice, or suggestions. Therapists must know whether they have the knowledge and expertise to treat a problem or if they need to refer the client to someone else. The "business" of therapy, such as policies regarding making and canceling appointments and payment, should be discussed as quickly and efficiently as possible. When beginning therapy, it is helpful to know who made the initial contact and why, although the therapist should build rapport with all involved. A sample intake form is included, and the authors also discuss which family members should be involved in therapy.
Initial interview
The first task of the therapist is to join with the client. The credibility of therapy and/or the therapist may need to be discussed. Goals should be defined, and the therapist should begin to build motivation for change. Administrative issues like confidentiality, videotaping, observation, etc. should also be discussed.
Guidelines for conducting the assessment
The initial assessment is the time to explore the presenting problems, attempted solutions, and crisis and stressful life events. The therapist must constantly be aware of possible issues of harm to either self or others. Suicide, violence, abuse, substance abuse, biological factors, meaning systems, spirituality, family system, and social systems are all considered.
Developing treatment focus
The therapist must select the problem list, examine the history and treatment of problems, select a treatment modality, and determine the length and frequency of treatment. The treatment modality selected will be influenced by the therapist's orientation and experience, research, the financial constraints of the client, and the client's willingness and availability to follow the suggested treatment. Referrals may be considered. The therapist may wish to consult with the client's physician or request psychological testing.
Basic treatment skills
Therapy includes asking questions, normalizing, reframing, providing support, confronting, and pacing the therapy to meet the needs of the client. Handouts may be given to clients. In developing their expertise, beginning therapist should establish their understanding of the theoretical foundation of treatment skills; consider process and content, timing, and clients' anxiety levels; and create a family treatment plan.
Children and adolescents
Parents or primary caretakers should be involved in therapy and as cotherapists during the remainder of the week. In working with adolescents, the family need for maintaining structure must be balanced with the transformational needs of launching the adolescent.
Couples
Each spouse should get his/her turn to talk so that the therapist can understand the needs of both. This chapter deals with some of the common problems that couples present.
Mental illness of family member
Depression, anxiety, and alcoholism and drug abuse are discussed. When a family member is involved with drug or alcohol abuse, the first goal of therapy is to stop the abuse and then the reasons for the abuse can be examined.
Getting Unstuck
Resistance is a normal part of therapy. The familiar is comfortable. Therapy often involves both first and second order change. First order change is behavioral with the goal of acting in a new way. Second order change deals with behavioral, cognitive, affective, and relational realms and seeks to change the entire system. In dealing with cancellations and no shows, therapists need to review goals with the client and possible terminate or go to more infrequent appointments to address other goals.
Termination
Termination can be client initiated, therapist initiated, or mutual. Having clearly defined goals will tell therapists and clients when it is time to terminate therapy. Temporary relapses can be predicted by explaining that we often take two steps forward and one back.
Future effects of managed care
Managed care makes it more important for family therapists to maintain a relationship with family physicians. To meet managed care expectations, therapist need to articulate the problem, possible treatments, the chosen treatment, and expected outcomes.
This is an excellent resource for beginning therapists or those considering studying to become therapists. Therapists should be able to clarify their strengths and limits immediately, and this book can help them do that. The tables on such things as violence and abuse are helpful guides. Meaning systems are defined as cognitions, beliefs, memories, and emotions, which are often a part of culture and have implications for those of us who work cross-culturally. I appreciate the emphasis that the authors placed on developing the relationship between the therapist and the client. Therapists must know their role as they have full responsibility for therapy and for the relationship. As divorce has become so prevalent in the U.S., it is important for us to know that only about half of divorced couples develop cooperative coparenting. Couples need five positive interactions for every negative interaction. Families put energy and resources into being stuck, which is sometimes helpful to point out to them in the course of therapy. I appreciate the explanation of the goals of terminating, which are helping clients consolidate gains made in therapy, empowering clients, and being sensitive to loss issues, as I have not always thought through these goals when terminating therapy.

I bought and read the book when it first came out, and I bought a second so I can loan it to others to read and not worry about my first book getting lost. Besides the Donnellys, some of the people and events in the book were apart of our life as well. Very well written!

I just found out about Michael's death through the Gulflink website. My sympathy goes out to his family. His story, with the help of his sister Denise, will be with us all always. He could have chose to sit back and just kept his disease and facts to himself, but he chose to share it with all in the hopes it might make a difference to someone. What a legacy to leave. And thanks Michael, for helping my family live through our anger we had at my brother's death, and dealing with Gulf War illness. My prayers are with your family....
Kelly Seibert
Hillsborough, NC

In this story there is a message for millions of Americans. In this story the reader will learn about the "wheels of justice."

I obtained a tape of this book from the library of the blind , on tape.
I was fascinated with the whole process of his student days as well as the way they worked in the present time illness.
My heart goes out to him and his family and ALL other Soldiers who became ill with no apparent cause after the war.
I would like to know what his present status is, and would like to help in any way that is possible.
In thinking that our present war situation probably is as tentative, to hold this VITAL information back from those who serve makes a mockery of the Ideals our Country was founded on.
I used to participate in Living History, and the good thing about that is that we seem to LEARN from the past.
War does NOT change minds or hearts.
I would hope and pray that this present generation does not have to pay the price of this brave Soldier, Officer, and Gentleman.

I first came across the book in the fall of '99. It was at a critical time in my air force career. Soon, the mandate to submit to the anthrax vaccine would require a decision that would obviously affect the rest of my life. Take a vaccine that has been proven to cause terrible reactions and has been whispered to be a root cause of Gulf War Illness or refuse and be subject to military justice and the end of my career.

In my squadron, the most asked question to management was "If we become ill following the vaccine, will the Air Force take care of us?" As I saw in this book, the answer to the question is NO.

As pilots, our most treasured asset is our health. Without it, we can no longer perform the mission that we love. The manner in which Michael and Denise describe the physical and mental anguish he endured was truly overwhelming. I could imagine myself in his position and the way I would react; how I would feel.

In my months of research, this book proved to be one of the many determining factors in my decsion. When I talked to former commanders who reminded me of their experiences with Agent Orange or when I spoke with members at my own base that had testified to Congress about their illnesses following the anthrax vaccine, in the back of my mind was Michael Donnelly.

I ultimately made my decision to resign in lieu of taking the vaccine which has led to the end of my aviation career. The only salvation I have is the knowledge that I will never need to worry about unexplained illness in the future.

My most heartfelt sympathy and gratitude go out to Michael and Denise's families. Michael's story is one that I will never forget. Thank you for helping me make my decision.

Update: After reading more about how crisis pregnancy centers operate, in addition to my own re-thinking of this issue, I can't endorse this book. (I will keep the plot summary I originally wrote just for information sake, however.) As purely a novel, it's well-written. But the picture it gives of crisis pregnancy centers is skewed from the reality of them (just do a search for crisis pregnancy centers in Google News or an academic database, and you'll see what I mean). In addition, the abortion issue is not really explored beyond a surface manner. So, caveat emptor.

The basic story concerns one Dr. Red Richison, a 2nd-year resident who after treating women for complications resulting from botched abortions at the local VIP (Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy)abortion clinic, begins to suspect some shady dealings. In his investigation, he finds out that the head doctor, Dr. Ophion, is not giving clients with substantial insurance coverage the proper medication along with RU-486. The result: they develop further complications and have to come back to the clinic for more procedures, resulting in more profits for the clinic. Along the way, he becomes romantically involved with Bethany Fabrizio, the director of the Women's Choice Clinic (a crisis pregnancy center). Also prominently featured in the novel is Dr. Dalmuth Kedar, who struggles to keep his sister Regan's premature baby alive in an artificial womb, with Red's help. The ending is a happy one, yet everything is not exactly "all right." If you read the book, you'll understand.

The authors are not "balanced" in the presentation of their message, and don't pretend to be. Yet the book is not preachy, and is accessible to a wide audience. One problem I had with it is that some of the conflicts were resolved a little too neatly. For example, someone at the VIP clinic, on learning of Red's investigation, tries to sabotage him. The way the perpetrator is caught, it just seems too easy. Plus, Red and Bethany have a fight over Red's ex-fiance and Bethany apparently going to the clinic for an abortion. The way this was resolved did not ring entirely true for me. But still, the authors know how to craft a page-turner, which is mainly what the intended audience is probably looking for. This is one of the few novels that has abortion as an explicit part of the plot that I'm aware of, so it's worth checking out at the library; just don't expect a compelling exploration of the issue.

I could not put this book down. It it a great story with an amazing message. Instead of unrealistically making the abortionists all bad and the pro-lifers all good, the authors have crafted multi-dimensional and human characters. You will love it!

False Positive is a fast-paced novel that handles the volatile subject of abortion in a tender and compassionate way. So often the debate between the pro-life and pro-choice camps deteriorate into name calling and vicious attacks. This book does NOT do that, but gently probes the deep questions without bogging down in theory or theology. The characters in the book present a variety of views and circumstances drawn from the real world are incorporated. (One of the authors is an OB-BYN physician.)

The characters are real and it should be required reading for those who have strong opinions on either side of the abortion question. All but the staunchest defenders of abortion, under ANY circumstances, will find this book worthwhile. This book is especially timely for women contemplating abortion as well as comforting to those who may struggle after having an abortion.

The heroes of the book (and the real world) are the tireless volunteers who give of themselves to help women facing unwanted pregnancies. Thumbs up to the authors.

I couldn't put False Positive down. The authors really have a knack for clear, page-turning writing. Characterization was great, and I appreciated the humanness of the characters as well as the real struggles that people face in the abortion arena. It was dealt with sensitively, and with candor and reality.

A morality play...disguised as a medical mystery...with the requisite dash of romance? Hmm, was this worth my time?

Although I believe in the sanctity of life, the subject matter of this book almost kept me from reading it. I feared a thinly veiled anti-abortion discourse--and one thing I don't handle well is agenda-heavy fiction. If you want to make a point, make sure to entertain and tell a good story at the same time. That's why Grisham's legal thrillers continue to sell even while taking on the tobacco industry, the homeless crisis, etc.

Cutrer and Glahn dispelled my fears quickly. The medical details, the unflinching looks at difficult subjects, and the likeable characters drew me in. ...

Although "False Positive" doesn't have the immediate hook of a Grisham-type thriller, it does have the very human motivations, readable dialogue, and ethical dilemmas that Grisham has used to such marvelous effect. The authors handle this medical mystery with maturity, surprises, and grace. As the story draws a growing number of characters together, the action accelerates and the emotional impact rises. While never veering from their spiritual beliefs, the authors (and publisher) demonstrate open minds and open hearts. Beware: stanch advocates of either side of the abortion debate will cry foul, but this book rises above the mudslinging. Cutrer and Glahn raise questions not easily answered by either side. They write about real people who don't always agree. And I liked that.

In fact, I liked this book. A lot! Although "False Positive" was my first read by these authors, it will not be my last.

THAT SEGMENT OF THE BOOK IS ONE OF THE MOST DRAMATIC EVENTS IN THE HISTORY THAT I HAVE EVER READ THE SERIES . SPANING ABOUT 8 YEARS NOW .

I read the original three volumes and believed that the author was done, because I never saw another volume. Just recently I realized I had missed four volumes!!! I could not put them down. Characters are believable with battle scenes that remind me of Viet Nam. I enjoy the military very much, recognizing all the elements in the Hordes versus Keane. I only wished that he would spell Civil War names correctly, JEB Stuart and not JEB Stewart. I still enjoy this series very much and I am glad that it continues.

This book picks up right where the last one left off. There is a 30 day lull in the battle with the Merki due to the assasination of the Merki leader. The Merki have a ceremonial 30 days of mourning when the leader dies.

During this time, the humans begin there final withdrawal and buildup. They leave behine a scorched earth. The Merki do not know how to handle an enemy that will not fight in the open. There is no honor in this battle. They look forward to a single big confrontation and swift decisive end.

The humans have several tricks up their sleeves, including traps, guerilla warfare and deception.... And as usual, new surprising weapons.

This is an excellent addition to the series. The end of the book opens a new chapter for the next book. I hope we can find out more information about the technology and history of the "ancients"....

Four amazing books so far. Or, if you prefer (As I do), one very long book, a sort of "War and Peace" of the sci-fi genre. No matter how you look at it, this developing tale by Forstchen only gets better. He is not afraid to kill off some of his main characters to add realism to the story, and he is not afraid to surprise the reader with tactics that are rather unexpected. "Fateful Lightning" presents a massive migration of Rus toward the land of Roum, pursued by the relentless Merki hordes. The humans will burn the land behind them, poisoning wells and setting traps for their foes, so that by the time of their final confrontation we can realistically see that the Merki, in spite of their great superiority in numbers, are overextended and will not be able to withstand a severe blow from the humans. The humans are at the end of their rope, too, but one of the most endearing characters in the series will have a shot at saving his people by refusing to obey orders. And Muzta, one of my favorite characters, will also have a chance to save his own people. Again, the battles are almost unforgettable: the horror of war, the worst of men, and the most noble in them is presented by Forstchen in a gripping, spectacular way. Hawthorne becomes a sort of Dark angel of the battlefield, and the Roman Marcus figures as a key participant by now. Four out of four. And it only gets better.

Wow, this is the series that just keeps on going and going. Excellent. This was perhaps the best one I've read so far next to Rally Cry. Again, there's that great sense of dread and forboding on the humans' part, as they attempt to fight off the ever encroaching Merki Hordes, now, of course, led by that rat Tamuka. The funeral of Jubadi was sickening... I loved it. Showalter's and his Cavalry's final, desparate charge into the Merki ranks was glorious. John Mina was a total nutball, picking on ol' Fergie like that. Oh, and I'm glad Ferguson, my favorite character in the series, got the girl. He deserves her. The Battle of Hispania was marvelous, so many troops in a battle of annihilation, fighting for their lives against vicious alien monsters, it filled you with pride for being human. Mutza's role in the whole story was satisfying-- I always liked him for some reason, even when he was attempting to destroy the old 35th. At least he had that glimmering of doubt, of whether or not fighting the humans was such a good idea, something which Tamuka did not. Bullfinch's endeavors, however, were very underexplored. I would've liked to see more of his liberation of the Cartha. Young Gregory's recitation of Shakespeare's Henry V-- "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers..."-- was very emotional and moving. And, yes, the editing is very, very bad here, as it is in the other Lost Regiment novels, but it did not take away from this rich story. Fateful Lightning is a masterful end to the Merki War, a stupendous entry in the Lost Regiment series, and a true gem in the realm of science-fiction.

I liked this book, and I think you should get it - but watch out - there's a big surprise waiting!

Finding Jesus, Discovering Self is a buffet table sort of a book, a collection of Bible stories about Jesus, first person stories from the authors, poems and quotes from writers famous and otherwise, and directions to help the reader reflect, react and respond to the ideas presented in the stories. Ok so far, the bible stories are familiar, the personal reflections engaging and interesting, the poems and quotes enlightening and easy to read. It's like a long dinner table conversation with those smart, compassionate, well read friends you always wished you could spend more time with. There's a magic bookshelf that pops out the perfect quote, the poem, the literary example at just the right time.

As the evening goes on, though, something a little disturbing starts to happen. The talk turns to you (me!) and the friends start to tell their stories in a more intimate way, revealing not just the easy morals or the funny parts, but how they fell short, were disappointed, didn't act right, learned a hard lesson the hard way. Something about the way they tell their story makes it impossible for you to stay silent, and you find yourself talking, thinking, feeling in ways you hadn't expected. It gets tougher - the friends use challenging words like "imagine it differently...", "ask yourself what the other person is feeling.." or "name your unfinished business."

Caren Goldman is a friend, and in the interest of full disclosure, when I read this book I could imagine her at our dinner table, telling these stories, running to the bookshelf for the Rilke poem that put the idea just right, fixing me with that look when I'm less than honest with myself.

Bill Dols I've never met, but I know things about him from these stories, and I've let him sit at my dinner table, too. Both Caren and Bill present Jesus in a new way, too - not the Gospel of Certainty but the Gospel of Questions - love embodied in the unanswered far more than the answers. These old, familiar stories that Jesus told or that were told about Jesus are presented like a familiar stone, or a picture we've seen forever. They ask us to turn it a little, hold it in a different light, look from closer in. I read the Good Samaritan story, then they asked me to imagine that I was the priest who walked on by, or the robbers who stripped and beat him! Their questions for reflection take the story all the way home... "look around you", "Who do you pass by every day". They quote the Talmud, Milan Kundera and poet Derek Wolcott.

I get up from the banquet, the dinner conversation, the engagement that this book invites a little tired. It's not an easy self-help affirmation, this book. It's hard. The Jesus I thought I knew is different from the one I meet in this book. So is the "self." This book asks us to look at the beauty, the ease, the love - but also the anger, the selfishness, the disappointment. Smell the flowers, of course, but smell the funk too, acknowledge the rest of the picture, live with the tough questions.

It's not easy - I stopped a couple of times. I thought, "I don't really need this," and "I don't really have time, and " I'm not sure what they believe and if they believe the way I do". In the end, I found it immensely helpful, a powerful experience. Living the questions raised in this way - the questions about Jesus, the questions about myself - is a better way to live. It's like the way I feel getting up from that dinner table - challenged, alive, full, energized - and ready for more!

Caren says that it's her hope that "the questions...will ...remain a welcome signpost on your journey to healing and wholeness." Bill says it's "exchanging the insatiable search for meaning in the Bible for the opportunity to read sacred narratives as life's drama around and within me." Around the middle of the book there's a little TS Eliot poem that summarizes the genius of this book for me.

"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."

The authors have provided me "food for the journey."This outstanding book is most helpful for a fifteen minute quiet time in the middle of a busy day, as well as for a contemplative read to begin or end the day. Bill Dols is creator and Editor of Bible Workbench and Caren Goldman is an Associate Editor of this 52 week program that is a valuable resource that provides a life-changing process for us to engage scripturre in the same way the authors have done in this book: Scripture, Questions, Stories, and Poetry that reflect the relevancy of the Biblical text to our lives today.

Finding Jesus, Discovering Self by Caren Goldman and William Dols is a book about passages to healing and wholeness, using passages about Jesus's life from the Bible as meditations and illustrations for handling daily problems. The book is written by the unlikely team of Goldman, a Jewish journalist, and Dols, and Episcopal priest. They are excellent writers and bring two different perspectives to each scripture and add guided meditations and questions to answer about your perspective and insights gained. The book is an excellent study, no matter what stage your spiritual development is.

Caron Goldman and Bill Dols invite us to explore the Jesus story and our personal stories from fresh, new, sometimes challenging perspectives. To help us, they generously share their own stories, struggles, joys and questions in "Reflections." They invite us to go deeper with more questions and creative imaginings in "Wonderings and Wanderings." Then they hold up "Mirrors" for us to catch another glimpse of the Jesus story and our own with poetry and prose from many sources. In the process of "living" the questions about Jesus and his story, as well as our own stories, one discovers universal life connections and truths. This book is one all seekers will want to own and keep close for guidance on the path. The more I found about Jesus the more I discovered about self and life.

This remarkable book gave me that rare gift, an inventively presented opportunity to see old ideas in new ways; to turn off the philosophical autopilot and reconsider long-held values and operating principles; to realize yet again that I don't necessarily know what I think I know. I took advantage of the authors' permission to skip the exercises this time through, because I'm getting ready to move and don't have time to engage at that level. In some future peaceful season I'll be back, to consider their questions. Great quotes from a lineup that includes a range of talent from Oscar Wilde to the Thomas of that other gospel, combined with the authors' personal experiences that relate to the stories of the life of a wise Jewish man from Nazareth, provoked enough thought this time through.