Wilson Books

The popular attention in the Protestant world towards traditional Reformed theology and thought that has come about in the last 30 years or so, has had multiple attempts of explaining just what the encompassing nature of Reformed theology looks like. Some have been attempts to be extremely contemporary, some have been dry theological tomes, accessible to only those who are already presupposed to that corner of the Protestant world. What the compilation of chapters, by different authors, in Back to Basics, have done is to present a readable explanation of traditional Reformed theology, beginning with the doctrine of a sovereign God that rules personally in his creation.

A risk with any work that has multiple authors, and this one has four sections, with a different author in each, is that the writing will be uneven and that thoughts developed in one part of the book will be dropped totally later on. As such, even in good books, with well written ideas, stand alone chapters are better remembered than others.

In this book, the chapters on sanctification, or how the Christian grows in his faith and what that means for his vocation and all areas of life; and the section on the covenant nature dealings between God and his people are nicely done. The sections dealing with the doctrine of God and the role of the church do read dryly at times.

The general reader, who is interested in a high view of a personal yet universal God of the Bible and who is looking for a clear, succint teaching on justification and how that applies to the whole life of the individual will find this work useful. Unfortunately, there has much contention historically, and even in recent years among different parties in the Protestant world, between the covenant and dispensational or even more recently towards things like open theism. Some of these arguments have been needlessly distracting from the heart of the gospel. What the authors of Back to Basics have done, is to write a genearlly lucid explanation for how Reformed theology flows into every other area of the Christian life, and to do that in a way that is not argumentative or contentious. And for that, the reader should be grateful, and should find the book a fine complement to their personal study.

This book is responsible for introducing me to the Reformed faith. For years I had been told of the "evils" of Calvin and his twisting of God's character... afterall, he's a lawyer... and who can trust those guys? But what I found shocked me! The reformed faith actually made sense (go figure...)and had no semblence to the caricature the critics like to draw of it.

I was going through a rough time in my faith and I decided to re-examine things I had been taught in church when I stumbled on this little gem of a book. This book was the stepping stone to my discovering the Reformed faith and gave me a firm foundation that had never been built in my life. I continue to return to my copy from time to time for its concise examples, thoroughness and extremely readable style... my paperback edition is extremely dog-eared.

If you are interested in testing the waters of historical, evangelical Pretestantism, I heartily recommend this book as a launching point.

The book is divided into four sections: Conversion, The Covenant, The Church and The Christian Life. Each chapter in every section has study questions that reinforce and help the reader gain a deeper understanding of each section. The foreword is written by RC Sproul.

Doug Wilson, Doug Jones, Roger Wagner and David Hagopian have put together a well-rounded presentation of the Reformed Faith. As Roger Wagner, one of the authors, states, "the Reformed faith starts and stops with the sovereign and gracious God who has revealed Himself in Scripture." That's the focus and starting point for every discussion in the book.

Many authors simply complain about the condition of the Church. Not these authors. They exercise terrific insights, give helpful direction and pastoral-theological wisdom that really does encourage the student of Scripture. Each message is an example of compassion.

A short summary of the book from the book: "[God} is, and forever will be, preeminent in all things (Col. 1:18)." In all areas of life, God is primary and it is Him that we glorify in all things. Conversion, covenant, church and life, all things are for Him and through Him. The authors' theses are complete and clear. Their goal was accomplished: Why is Reformed theology such a good thing (or is it)?

This title is recommended by: RC Sproul, Jay Adams, E. Calvin Beisner, James Montgomery Boice, D. James Kennedy, John Frame, Jerry Bridges, GI Williamson and Steve Brown.

I've read several of the books that are often suggested as introductions to Reformed thought. This is the first one that doesn't focus on Calvinistic soteriology to the exclusion of other equally (or perhaps more) important aspects of the Reformed view of what Scripture teaches. My only real quibble is that the title ought to be Back to Intermediates, because there are more foundational doctrines than these - but all Protestants agree about those.

The book is divided into four sections, each written by a different author:

Doug Wilson contributes the chapters on salvation. He very able covers justification and predestination. Doug Jones contributes the section on covenantal theology. Covenant theology is the true heart of the Reformed viewpoint. These few chapters ably lay out the scriptural basis for it and explore the implications of it. A third section concerns the church, including its nature, the sacraments, and church discipline. This is the weakest section of the book, but still adequate for the overall purpose. Particularly, one wishes that more time would have been spent on the nature of worship and on the place of the sacraments in the corporate life of the church. Finally, Hagopian himself handles the section on the Christian life, which is mostly a theology of sanctification. This is perhaps the most immediately practical of the sections.

Each chapter ends with a dozen or so review questions. We are considering using this book in a Sunday school class, so that is a very definite plus. Any criticism that could be leveled against the book would be on the basis that it could have treated a subject more thoroughly, but doing so would have necessitated expanding the book beyond its purpose.

Most protestant denominations praise the efforts of Luther and the other founding fathers but since have adapted a very different theology. Hagopian, Wilson, Jones, and Wagner do a good job of bringing us back to the "richness of the Reformed faith." First and foremost, it's biblical. In addition, it's logical and the most glorious! Read this and let's bring the glory back to God, not man.

If you like to travel the back roads this is the book for you. It has excellent information, along with maps, GPS and history. Well worth the money.

Here is the situation, you want to do some exploring and follow a certain dirt track and need to know the condition of it, length, and what you can expect for scenery, also, can your pick-up right from the factory handle the trail?

You swing into the "Poison Raven" shop and ask the senior manager, you have socks older than this kid but it's this or nothing, and you ask for info; Is the scenery worth it? " Yaahh, its awesome back there, Rad."
IS the trail passable , are there washes with mud or water in them, can a stock short bed make the trail, is there alot of scramble, boulder moving, or is it a trail an 'old man' of 40 can handle in an Escalade?

The answers are " Yaahh, its Rad. most is lame, but some is gnarly, no prob in your hummer dude, rock on and git er dun"

When you leave the manager turns to an employee and says, " Oh, Wait, was that old dude talking about the Yellow Cat or Hell's Backbone?...oh, dude, I screwed that up big time..." and they laugh and you end up screwed...big time..

Instead of that scenario buy this book and stop only for gas, water and a shovel, and "git er dun" on your own.

Even if you only have a stock SUV you will love this book, it will open up more areas to you than you will believe, even in places you think you already know.

Having explored canyon country in Utah for many years we bought this book and then went out and followed every track we always had wondered about.

It is not perfect in every way, but it gives you a great idea of what to expect, take the time to read the entire route description and then go out and follow one and see how things line up.This will also get you in line with how the authors are thinking and writing, understanding that things here change day by day, and year to year, but a trail that is a Difficulty 2 or 3 won't become a 6 and a scenery rating of a 10 doesn't become a 4 either.
Keep in mind this guide can not tell you it rained like hell yesterday and the washes are a foot of mud, or that there is bad trail damage from the ijits that went through ahead of you and tore hell outta the crossings and kept on going.
But , that said, it will tell you how long you will be in a wash, how many washes there are to cross, how many rivers or creeks, and gives a rough idea of the scenery you can expect and most importantly to us, the difficulty of the trail.

At 4 times the going price I'd still buy these gudies, they are a fantastic shortcut to exploring, and also takes the worry out of wondering where a track ends up, and if it does connect to another track how bad is that one?

Bottom line also-- this is NOT the beaches on D-Day----you don't HAVE to keep going, we can go back and call it a day.

Many of the trails that we decided from their rating were too much for our truck or suv we planned on hiking on foot, or mtn bike, without the guide we probably wouldn't have ever turned off onto these trails to begin with. Worth every penny and then some.

I've got a lot of Utah guides but this one is the best by far. Very good maps at different scales. Trail diagrams with loads of point of interest. Detailed trail logs with turn by turn directions, scenic ratings, difficulty ratings. A great historical section about the people and places of Utah. This one has it all. We leave in one week!!

I have found this title to be very interesting, and very informative at the same time. It provides a great deal of background information and historical facts for each of the trails it details. The book also provides some historical and other information on the state of Utah, including info on the types of wildlife and plantlife that can be found in the different climate of Utah.

It includes many trails, all over the state. As the title suggests, mosts of the trails are ones that give you an alternate route, or backcountry route, to or through a city/town. The only reason that I didn't give it five stars is that I would like to see some more maps of the smaller, shorter off road trails in Utah.

Overall, this is an excellent resource to have, and I have found it very enjoyable. There are great trails and wonderful details in the book. I would say it is worth the buy.

Backcountry Adventures are the best guides of their kind out there. Odometer references, descriptive text, and (especially) GPS coordinates make these easy and foolproof to use. The map and index for the respective areas, Southeast, Central, etc., make planning your route easy as the different routes are color coded with their page numbers referenced. Good sampling of human interest content also, giving some history, flora and fauna, and geology information.

My only criticism is that these guides should be spiral bound, and pages removable. This would allow the book to lie flat and pages and/or sections could be removed to make it more concise for use on a motorcycle or bicycle. These guides are the size of a mid sized phone book and are too big and heavy for anything but automotive use.

I love this cookbook! I've tried about half a dozen of the recipes, and loved each one. My favorites are "Cinnamon Oatmeal Chocolate Chip" and "Molasses Spice Chocolate Chip."

The recipes in this book are amazing, and the introduction is very helpful and informative. She tells you flat out to use good quality ingredients, and not to use no/low-fat ingredients - these are meant to be savored and enjoyed. While I like to cook healthy, if you're going to eat a cookie, you might as well make it worth the splurge - just be sure not to eat too many (if you can!). She gives tips with each recipe, that are truly helpful, and even gives suggestions how to give a little variation to the recipe. I am determined to try most of these recipes, but have tried only about 7 so far. Out of those, only 1 didn't work out for me (the malted milk ball cookies), but I overcooked them so it was my fault. The buttermilk choc. chip brownies have become the requested dessert for my father and sister's birthdays (though I have to leave out the pecans since they're both allergic). The butterfinger brownies, caramel surprise cups (amazing out of the oven or warmed in the microwave), and pb cup cookies never last if my brothers find them, and my mom and I also love the chocolate chocolate chip shortbread cookies. The Holy Smokes Cranberry cookies are also amazing! ( I was also surprised to find out in her notes that they are served at a restaurant less than an hour from my parents house). To sum it all up, if you love cookies and chocolate, this book will not disappoint. These recipes run the gamut from the classic toll house cookies to white chocolate chip lemon pucker cookies all the way to cognac apricot rugelach w/mini chips - you're bound to find something different and special for everyone you know.

_A_Baker's_Field_Guide_to_Chocolate_Chip_Cookies by Dede Wilson is exactly what it says it is -- a guide to baking all different types of chocolate chip cookies.

The format is very nice. The book has a binding that lays open flat and recipes are accompanied by information on how well the cookies store and ship and whether the dough freezes well, if the cookies keep well, if the recipe is fun to make with kids, quick to make, and sturdy enough to mail.

The recipes are very good, if sometimes a bit sweeter than I prefer. There are lots of different types of ingredients, different types of chocolate, and different cookie shapes and variations in crispiness and chewiness.

I was looking for a book to give me ideas for chocolate chip cookies, and this book has been perfect for that. Definitely five stars.

I cant wait to try these recipes. They are all so different when you read the descriptions of the ingredients. She has the book very organized and tells you what cookies can be mailed as gifts and how long they will last. There are also some great recipes for dark chocolate 70% cocoa cookies, which I love. Have fun eating!!!

I was pleased with clear recipes, and that they were laid out so you could lay the book flat and see all the ingredients and directions at once. And the results were delish, too!!!

I bought this book and I love it. There are so many cute cookies ideas. I haven't actually made any yet but I'm planning on to very soon. :-)

This `A Baker's Field Guide to Christmas Cookies' by Dede Wilson is a perfect example of how the same subject can be served well in two very different ways. The obvious touchstone against which to proof this volume may be Rose Levy Beranbaum's book on Christmas cookies. But, this would be an unfair comparison. Beranbaum's work covers the very high end of Cookie making, ending with a truly glorious creation of a gingerbread cathedral of Notre Dame. Beranbaum also covers just about every little issue you may possibly encounter in baking cookies and provides us with lots of unusual recipes.

Dede Wilson, on the other hand, has given us a very practical kitchen reference for lots and lots of common cookie recipes baked for Christmas, including several ethnic favorites such as the relatively difficult Moravian Ginger Cookies.

My favorite thing about Ms. Wilson's contribution aside from its spiral binding which lays flat on the table is the fact that you often have more than one recipe for a particular type of cookie. For a rolled gingerbread / spice cookie recipe, there are at least three alternatives, not even including the difficult Moravian cookie. That generally means that if you want to make a particular kind of cookie, you have your choice between an easy, intermediate, and hard recipe.

Other very nice features are the fact that every recipe falls on two facing pages, begins with a very clear picture of one or two of the cookies, states the type and (very cute here) habitat, gives a description of the cookie and alternatives, gives the shelf life under proper storage conditions, and gives appropriate tips on making this and similar cookies. I think the recipes are well written and leave little room for error, although I was just a bit confused by the instructions to form rolled gingerbread dough into a disk. This sounded more like instructions for a freezer cookie than a rolled cookie.

The introductory material to the book gives nothing near the detail of Beranbaum, but gives enough to avoid any egregious errors. It also does not give lessons on using piping bags and other decorating techniques, but none of the cookies require elaborate methods.

The book does include an appendix on sources, most of that are probably familiar to regular bakers such as King Arthur, KitchenAid, and Wilton. Several are unfamiliar and welcome to me, especially New York Cake and Baking Distributors and The House on the Hill.

If I were the author, I may have included a bibliography of major works on cookies such as by Malgieri, Heatter, and Beranbaum, especially for help on decorating, but the book does a pretty good job of standing on its own as a great reference for common cookie recipes. It really fits its `Field Guide' metaphor well.

I decided to bake Christmas cookies for the first time this year. I ordered several books and this one is the best. Its not too overwhelming. The layout nice and the sprial binding makes it easy to use. The assortment or recipes is good, but lacks the homey feel that someone's great Aunt Edna's recipe handed down over generatons will provide. But, its good for the basics and for those starting out.

This is a Christmas cookie lovers dream. It has easy to read instructions, great info on storage. Lots of space in the book for your personal notes as well.

I have gone through two Christmas seasons using this cookbook with many compliments on the resulting baked goods, but have also found many recipes we use all year long. Some of the best features are:

Symbols with each recipe to indicate if the dough can be frozen, if the cookies keep well, if they are kid-friendly to make, quick to make or sturdy enough to mail.

The binding is a sturdy covered spiral so the book lays flat on the table and the pages do not tear or come loose from the binding.

The introduction has excellent information on ingredients, storage, baking and cooling advice and equipment needed

There is a listing of Resources in the back for equipment mentioned or required in the recipes so you can order items by phone or over the internet.

PICTURES! Excellent photos of each cookie so you know how it is supposed to look. This is especially helpful when making cookies with children; they like to have an idea of what they are making.

The recipe for Kris Kringle's is the best I have found. The same for the Snickerdoodle recipe (I make these at least once a month).

My children have made many of the recipes with me. Their favorites are the Peanut Butter Chocolate Kiss Cookies, Night Before Christmas Mice, Pepparkakor (ginger snaps), Easy Christmas Wreaths, Candy Cane Cookies and Mocha Orange Pinwheel Cookies.

There are also a whole range of more complicated, interesting cookies, which one would want to make without their kids help.

The format is easy to follow, easy to read and less intimidating than Rose's Christmas Cookies (also a great book).

Blueprint for Black Power details a master plan for the power revolution necessary for Black survival in the 21st century. Blueprints posits that an African American/Caribbean/Pan-African bloc would be most potent for the generation and delivery of Black power in the United States and the World to counter White and Asian power networks. Wilson frames this imperative by deconstructing the U.S. elite power structure of government, political parties, think tanks, corporations, foundations, media, interest groups, banking and foreign investment particulars. Potentially strong Black institutions as the church, media and think tanks; industry; collectives such as investment clubs and credit unions; rotating credit associations such as Afrikan-originated esusu, tontine and partner are analyzed. Pan-Afrikanism, Black Nationalism, ethnocentrism and reparation are assessed, often misused and underused financial institutions as securities, mutual funds, stocks, bonds, underwriting, and incubators advocated, thus elucidating oft-negated opportunities for economic empowerment.

ECONOMIC DESTINY DETERMINES BIOLOGICAL DESTINY!This book although big and thick it really is the blueprint for power. It expands on what BLACK Labor White Wealth by Claude Anderson PHD talks about. This book covers all the bases. Mr Wilson's book shows how insightful he is about the problems we face today. He shows several ways how we can have heaven while we LIVE overnight if we do what he suggests. It shows how the power is within our grasp if we will only wake up and raise our consciousness of what is really going on, I was awakened several times in this book; Wilson names names of the organizations and the people in the organizations that are anti black. He names the black leaders that are anti black too. He explains what's going on and why it continues unabated. He talks about how the nation uses psychic warfare to keep African Americans down. He explains how they deliberately keep blacks out of higher education; yes, we do get an education but there are different levels of education. There's the education that will teach you how to use a computer and then there's the education that will teach you how to make a computer from raw materials. Big difference! He talks about how blacks have very few people who have this very high level of knowledge that can be used by blacks to be more valuable to the world. He explains how too many blacks have a consumer mentality not a producer mentality. He has charts and references galore showing startling comparisons between blacks and whites that should not be missed by anyone of african ancestry. He goes deep into the obstacles that are holding blacks back in spite of drive and determination to succeed(Think and Grow Rich a black choice IS NOT the last word on success). He really made me rethink whether or not it is probable not possible to succeed when starting with no money. Wilson says the odds are against it. Of course you can always find someone who has succeeded from all the ghettos in the world but what about the other people in the same situation who didn't have any money, no inheritance from parents, no references, no relatives, no insurance money coming to them because their parents just died, no money coming to them from an injury and no one to give you advice. This is why so many blacks find themselves in jail or working menial jobs according to Wilson. The author suggests an african centered consciousness that will help the weakest one of us and help all of us to see immediate progress. This book is truly shocking; over and over again he talks about the consequences of not raising ourselves up:BIOLOGICAL DEMISE! Really this is no joking manner; the author has me convinced and Black Wealth White Labor says the same thing that if we do not learn how to compete with white people we will go the way of the indians. It is imperative that we adapt this philosophy before it is too late.

Blueprint for Black Power details a master plan for the power revolution necessary for Black survival in the 21st century. Blueprints posits that an African American/Caribbean/Pan-African bloc would be most potent for the generation and delivery of Black power in the United States and the World to counter White and Asian power networks. Wilson frames this imperative by deconstructing the U.S. elite power structure of government, political parties, think tanks, corporations, foundations, media, interest groups, banking and foreign investment particulars. Potentially strong Black institutions as the church, media and think tanks; industry; collectives such as investment clubs and credit unions; rotating credit associations such as Afrikan-originated esusu, tontine and partner are analyzed. Pan-Afrikanism, Black Nationalism, ethnocentrism and reparation are assessed, often misused and underused financial institutions as securities, mutual funds, stocks, bonds, underwriting, and incubators advocated, thus elucidating oft-negated opportunities for economic empowerment.

The late Amos Wilson wrote a blockbuster with this book. In in he states why African-Americans are economically powerless. He also states how they are to achieve power. A book well worth reading.

A lot to read, but well worth the investment. This book, if taken to heart, should be required reading for all Blacks and anyone interested in the advancment of Black people. Every thing you ever wanted to know about the who, what, when, where and why of the Black condition and how to rise above White dominance is right here.

The world is a complicated place, and one of the ways we try to make order out of chaos is by dividing things into lists. Even with Amazon, users are exposed to myriad lists: not merely the best seller lists, but also heaps of lists by customers who create rosters of books, movies or other items organized in a particular fashion. Certainly the list has been around for a long time, but it really became a phenomenon with The Book of Lists and its successors. One of the newest of these books is The Book of Lists: Horror, and following its format, I present my review in list form.

SECTIONS OF THE BOOK:

1. Movies ("Fear on the Silver Screen): This section, taking up just over half of the book, is filled with lists created by various people associated with the horror genre. Among other lists, there are the horror films that most influenced Ray Bradbury's youth; the five common tactical errors made in horror films (e.g., confirm your kills); ten movie fates worse than death; and the top ten horror movie surgical blunders. Some of the lists are weak, others are interesting, and no doubt you will find your own movies that fit in a list (for example, I would include one character's fate in the movie Wolf Creek to fit into the "worse than death" list). The real strength of this section is that it can give you a number of ideas for new movies to see.

2. Books ("The Literature of Dread"): This section takes up another quarter of the book and many of the same comments apply as with the movies. Of course, for every horror movie (using the very loose definition of horror in this book), there are probably a dozen books, so there is even a greater chance that the lists will neglect some novel or story. When we get a list of five horror novels set in Venice, you can tell that this section may be stretched a little further than needed.

3. Music ("A Little Nightmare Music"): This section is brief and appropriately so. And there's no reference to Warren Zevon's Werewolves of London.

4. Miscellaneous ("A Miscellany of Terrors"): This grab bag is the largest of the minor (last three) sections. Comic books, TV horror hosts (such as Vampira) and even drinks are here (Zombie or Bloody Mary, anyone?).

5. Fan Submitted Lists ("Shrieks from the Gallery"): This section has lists from non-pros, but even the ones from kids sometimes surpass the ones elsewhere in the book. The nicest list here includes a bunch of old pulp covers; they're fun to look at, even if the pictures are a bit small.

Overall, this is the literary equivalent of a bag of potato chips. Even if not every list is spectacular, you can't stop with just one. There may not be a lot of nutritional value, but even a guilty pleasure is a pleasure nonetheless.

You dont need to love horror to love this book. If you even have a passing fancy for the dark side you are in for a treat.

love books of lists, love horror genre....mix 'em together and you get a winner! FIVE HUGE STARS!

This book is the best Ive read for movie information. Its has a large selcetion of lists ranging from the best deaths in a horror movie to what are Stephen Kings favorite horror stories. The number of horror stars is amazing. There are writers, mucians, directors and actors. I highly reccomend this book to any fan of horror or just movie information.

I am a huge fan of the horror genre and lists so i knew i would love this book. It is interesting on many levels. Many familiar faces of the genre created lists in the book that are both entertaining and informative. I guarantee you will be making lists of your own after reading this book with movies, books, or music that sound appealing to you. It is also great to hear what people involved with the genre think. All the lists are given generous description so even the most diehard genre fans will learn something new. I highly recommend this book, whether you are a fan of the horror genre itself, a lover of lists, or you simply enjoy entertainment related trivia. Just trust me this book is for YOU!

"its bedside manner is decidedly more reassuring and less alarmist" [than the Lonely Planet guide] Sunday Telegraph book of the week May 2000

Best Title Award for October 1999 from Big World Magazine (Pennsylvania) "This clear concise manual explains how to avoid the icky side effects of travel"

"the most amazing collection of well-written, easy to read, and jargon-free information flowing off every page of this book." Doctor (autumn 1999)

"Whilst her theoretical knowledge is extensive, it is her personal experience that adds great charisma and humour to the very informative text, making the book a true pleasure to read." Travel Wise: newsletter of the British Travel Health Association Autumn 1999

"offers practical advice for disease prevention and treatment, based on the author's and travellers' personal experiences in a clear and concise way."
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (1999) 93 539

"clear, easy to read, comprehensive manual... everything from jet lag to the psychological problems of being a long-term expat spouse." Carousel: diplomatic service families association magazine Autumn 1999

"excellent" Wanderlust June/July 1999

"magnificent book... readable and accessible" Expeditioner (Brathay Expeditions, spring 1998)

"indispensable...some of the most realistic, practical advice about trekking" Independent on Sunday, London (May 4, 1997)

"recommended" Marie Clare May 1997

"covers insect bite treatments, acclimatization, AIDS avoidance, snake-bite treatment and travel related skin problems." Los Angeles Times (Mar 9 1997)

"at once attractive, user friendly and a good read." Discovery - Cathay Pacific (May 1996)

"Amusing and informative...By far the best book of this type" Sesame: Scientific Exploration Society Newsletter, UK (spring 1995)

"Interesting off-beat guide" Observer, London (May 14, 1995)

"coverage is excellent...sensible...accurate and well researched...single authorship makes it an easy read" Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (1995)

"with tips on avoiding afflictions such as `sahib's knee' when mountain walking." Australian Gourmet Traveller

"advice...from immunisation to dealing with snake-bites. General Practitioner (July 14, 1995)

"there is even a section in `Sex and the Single expat'. An extremely useful book." Good Book Guide (July 1995)

"essential reading" Marie Claire June 1995

"useful reading" Daily Telegraph (London) 10 June 1995

"a must for anyone going travelling." Wanderlust February 1995

"The sensible precautionary advice covering common and uncommon ailments is not only thorough, but also made more palatable by the case histories and touches of humour." The Book Seller 13 January 1995

"an irresistible little book... Each topic is in easy-to-follow sections, with anecdotes and case histories to illustrate the medical guidelines." Globe (London)

Even if you're not going to be travelling in remote places, this book is wonderful. Jane Wilson-Howarth's no nonsense (and funny) tone makes this book an excellent read, even if it's just for the vicarious thrill of knowing which parasites you might encounter.

This a gem of a book- not for the squeamish (though they wouldn't be travelling off the beaten path, would they?!) and definitely not to be given to your hypochondriacal aunt before she goes on her next overseas vacation- but great for everybody travelling outside of say, North American & Western Europe. V. practical, v. succinct & v. realistic. Great help in planning your trip, esp. if you are anyway intrepid in your travels. And loads of fun to read, with lots of v. funny bits.

Cadogan's Bugs, Bites and Bowels is the best health guide for travellers. I travel a lot for work and pleasure and always use it when preparing to leave. The text is bang up to date and easy to understand. You get all the details on where you're at risk, signs to look for and lots of advice on what to do if your luck runs out - for each and every possible ailment.

Everyone who is planning a trip outdoors should get a copy. Five Stars.

I seem to collect health travel books. We live in Mexico and beleive in being our own best health advocates anywhere. Of all the books I have seen in the past five years dealing with travel health, Bugs, Bits & Bowels surpasses my previous favorite, one in the Moon Travel Series which is currently out of print. Wilson-Howarth is concise, yet seeming thorough, with a presentation easily understood. Even bits of humor sprinkled in.

This is a unique, engaging children's book that crafts a tale of discovery that is sure to capture the imagination of kids everywhere. Buy this book for a child close to you!

REVIEW FROM ForeWord Magazine, May/June 2003:

Children love hearing true stories. They are often more surprising than fiction. In this embellished true story, a homeless chicken and a black cat meet, become friends, and find the chicken a coop.
Columbus the cat brings Henrietta the chicken home to his family-a mother and her daughter, Katy. Although Katy's mom allows the chicken to stay, they have no coop, forcing the distraught chicken to roost in the trees. "If I survive the night," Henrietta wails to the cat, "where will I lay my egg in the morning?" Columbus tells her not to worry: "In the morning, I'll show you my secret passageway, which will lead you into a new world."
Columbus shows the chicken how to use the cat door and invites her onto Katy's bed, where she lays her egg. Katy hides the eggs at first, fearing her mother's reaction, but the story twists again, concluding with Henrietta getting her very own quilted coop.
The author is an educator and animal enthusiast; this is her first children's book. The story follows the true experiences of her neighbors in Northern California who had a pet chicken that actually used the cat door and laid her eggs on the little girl's bed. Told in a casual way, the story is more believable and entertaining because it is based in reality.
The illustrator lives and works in the Scottish Highlands but captures the lush colors and landscapes of the rainy California area. Using details such as printing "Mendocino Children's Choir" on the back of Katy's pink jacket, he brings the story to life. His patchwork paintings offer a memorable picture of a family learning to include a chicken.
Animal lovers will enjoy the friendship between the cat and the hen. All readers will appreciate the creative problem-solving skills of the animals and the warm welcome Katy and her mom gave them. Sometimes true stories really are the most amazing.
Anna Stewart

Based on a true story of a girl's pet hen who would sneak into the family home through the cat door and lay an egg on the child's colored quilt, The Chicken Without A Coop by Kathleen Cameron is a charming picture book about the plucky Henrietta the Hen who, when left behind by her human family, befriends Columbus the Cat and his young owner Katy. Simple and inviting color illustrations by John Wilson add a special touch to this heartwarming story of acceptance.

I am a teacher so I am always looking for new books to add to my collection. This is my new favorite and my students too! I look for engaging stories that spur discussion, "Chicken Without a Coop" definetly foots the bill. Just the title got my students going. I think it is a classroom must for any teacher who likes books that can easily support critical thinking skills,it's great for prediction skills too.

We had fun with this book, my daughters are 6 and 11.
Firstly, I felt the bookcover created a cozy, old-fashioned
flavor and is good for reading aloud. We enjoy the story of Henrietta the chicken as well as the illustrations and have
had good conversations of how it might be if a chicken started using our own cat door and moved in with our family!

My copy of Beth's book is full of underlines and earmarks! Her insights are timely and help us to focus our energeries where they will do the most good. Thanks for a great resource!

Beth's book saved my relationship with my youngest boy when I discovered that he is an intuitve, thinking type when it comes to temperament; one of the most challening types of children to raise. Beth taught me how to look at my child's actions from a different point of view so I wouldn't take certain behaviors personally and could deal with them more creatively--for both of our sakes. In fact, I consulted with her personally and she was an incredible help to my husband and me. I highly recommend this book to all parents who are truly interested in raising the child you were given instead of forcing a personality on him or her. Great book!

I just finished this book and it was full of wonderful teachings to apply to
children. It equipped me with a new set of eyes for observing and guiding children into a balanced and healthy life. On-top of the abundance of information this book provided it was full of helpful references on specific topics which was very helpful as well. I would recommend this book to anyone that has children or works with them in anyway.

What a wonderful book! It is a holistic, comprehensive, user-friendly tool for parents, teachers and health care practitioners. Beth is an intelligent and down to earth writer. She acknowledges children with the same respect as adults and reminds us that children are the bearers of light. If we provide the right environment for them, they will be illuminated throughout their lives.

Beth is such a wise writer! This book reflects a weath of tools to help us find a way to raise our children in a sane way. Truly comprehensive and loving and spritually uplifting.

What I like especially about this book--and I like a lot about it--is that it corrects an imbalance in the thinking and feeling lives of fervent Bible-believing people.

For a long time, what we've gotten is a lot about what Paul thinks about things. And as a consequence, we've gotten a lot of emphasis on sin, sin lists, sin avoidance, sin management, sin identification, sin angst, sin taking over the world, sin in the schools, sin on TV, sin in the newspapers and magazines, sin on the Internet, sin in our neighbors, and so forth. A sense of the Christian life as a battle against sin.

But this book reminds us that Jesus and the love of God and the love of our neighbors are where our hearts should be. It reminds us to expect God's power in our lives. To open our hearts and minds to this. And this is welcome. Most welcome. Highly welcome. It is indeed good news.

Empowered Evangelicals serves as an excellent resource to help dispell fear in seeking MORE of God's presence and power in a more experiential way in church life. Coming from a conservative evangelical background, the book helped me feel more comfortable with the new wave of renewal and the resulting manifestations. A satisfying discussion of two worlds that need not clash but merge to be one burning church on fire to reach the lost and heal wounded people.

I enjoyed the thoughts of both Nathan and Wilson. I was a member of the church that R. Nathan pastors at, when I left it was to take a staff position at the church I currently am at. When at Nathan's church, I became very trusting of him because of his preaching the Truth in humility. Therefore, as a result of my deep appreciation for Nathan's faith in Christ, I may be a bit bias in my review. The book gives sincere examination of both classes, Evangelicals, and Charismatics. The examination is performed with the purpose of unifying the body of Christ. A kind of "best of both worlds" approach. My friends, Jesus desires much more unity among believers, and this book is a service to that desire. I reccomend this book to all. Peace.

Within Evangelicalism exists many branches. In this book, the authors contrast Pentecostal Evangelicalism with classical Evangelicalism, looking for common ground for the future. Often these two groups are at loggerheads. The authors are trying to get beyond the various "straw man" cariacutures that overgeneralize and stereotype each others' camps. They appeal for fresh reasessments of thorny theological issues like spirit-baptism, healing, Christian scholarship, and supernatural manifestations. The most interesting part of the book is when the authors discuss paradigm shifts. A paradigm is an accepted assumption, a relatively unchallenged "given". Our reading of scripture, our management of emotions, our theological assumptions are so firmly entrenched that we often cannot see an issue clearly. Think how much paradigm shifting was done to in Acts to blow away cherished theological constructs. Saul was struck down by Jesus on his way to persecute Christians(and becomes Christianity's chief spokesman!). Peter finally gets the message that the gospel is for Gentiles also(but only after much supernatural intervention by God!). Are we immune from such a state? Do we have no blind spots? Admittedly, there is already some cross-pollination betweeen these two groups. The future for the church may well be a sort of hybrid betweeen classical Pentecostalism and classical Evangelicalism. If the issues are approached in humility, perhaps Nathan and Wilson are right: we could have the best of both worlds. Perhaps God still has some paradigm blasting to do in our age!

Nathan and Wilson score on this collaboration! Great for pastors and church leaders looking for guidance in how to have a church that is both strong in Word and strong in Spirit. This book, along with Doug Banister's Word and Power Church, argues convincingly that the best of the Evangelical and Charismatic worlds can be mutually embraced. The authors write carefully and thoughtfully as they strike a balance between the often characterized two extremes: mind and emotion.

The only weakness of this book is that it is difficult to keep up with who wrote what. I frequently found myself thumbing back several pages to try to place who exactly was sharing a personal story (Nathan or Wilson?).

If you are extremely Pentecostal or extremely anti-charismatic, you will probably disagree with the conclusions drawn in this book, but if you have an open mind, "Take up and read!"