Wilson Books

We are at a critical time period in church history, where we must be rethinking almost everything we have presupposed in our modern philosophy and methodology to reach post-seeker generations. Jim gives a portrait of the rising landscape that is forming in the Future Church.

Kudos to Jim for a great book that captures the essence of the emerging church movement. Often times when we think emerging churches we think of candles, poetry, tattoos, and experiential worship. Future Church is a great read because it boils down the movement to the core transferrable principles. As a new church plant it was most encouraging to hear stories from other new emerging churches and their struggles. I say this is a must read for all church planters and pastors.

Jim Wilson has shed light on the most crucial element for church leaders -- how to be THE CHURCH God needs to reach a lost and dying world. As a member of a church staff, I've witnessed firsthand how our church has grappled with finding the appropriate identity to draw those in need of the Gospel message into our church. FUTURE CHURCH helped me understand the issues and challenges our church faces. Rather than offering a purely theoretical approach, Jim provides case studies of actual churches -- from big to small; urban to rural -- which are shining examples of the FUTURE CHURCH. Thanks, Jim, for reaching out to us who are struggling to get where we need to be.

I lead a church plant in Seattle called Cascade Hills... We've been at this for 2 and a half years, and are discovering that "contemporary worship" is neither contemporary, or real worship. There is a stirring in us for more of God, and less of "churchianity." We have been on a journey of discovery, and have found ourselves outlining a ministry plan that literally has lined up with each of the 7 fulcrum points Jim Wilson so clearly articulates in "Future Church". Here's where it gets interesting . . . we did the plan, then discovered the book! I have not been able to get past the idea that this is a move of God on His Church, and that something huge is about to happen... Not just in Seattle or the West Coast, or even America, but worldwide. Thank you Jim!"

Finding our way into the future is too often like taking a trail, any trail, and hoping it leads to the mountain top. Jim Wilson has given us in Future Church a trail guide to creating a church whose best days are ahead,not behind. Based not on theory but on actual case studies, Wilson takes us behind the scenes of churches that most of us would never discover otherwise. There we meet fearless leaders and focused congreagations who are influencing the world in which they live in ways that lift up the hope and the winsome nature of the real Gospel. I'm recommending Future Church, not only to all my pastor friends, but to the leadership teams within our congregation. With a guide to a preferrable future at hand, we hope to continue the process of shaping our church into one that shapes our community for the better.

Ed Rowell, Teaching Pastor
The People's Church
Franklin, Tennessee

While I may be Susan's cousin, this book was tremendously informative in a one-night, easy-read session. I gave it to my husband, the physician, and he has passed it on to his office manager. The ideas are good, even for an English department meeting, and I think the idea of an agenda is more than important. The new chairman does not do an agenda--"I know what I need to cover..."--and at the first meeting, she had to tell someone that "we will discuss that in a bit later on in the meeting".

"Gourmet Meetings" is a creative guide for those challenges we all encounter working with groups. The author's clever use of the meal metaphor makes it easy to remember their succinct recipes for success. A quick, fun, and useful "cookbook" approach to making meetings work!

A frustrated meeting leader as a teacher, President of a Teacher's Association, President of a single parent group, and as a technical writer, I wish I had had the feast of ideas in "Gourmet Meetings." Schools should make "Gourmet Meetings" required reading for all business programs

This book has been a tremendous tool for the management staff. It has helped us to stay focused on our meeting objectives, stick with the `who does what by when', and has had a tremendous impact on accountability and follow through. This easy read is packed with functional suggestions that keep us on schedule, on budget, and on task!

The perfect book for those who don't need to follow Robert's Rules of Order, but still need to get the most out of every meeting - whether their role is that of coordinator or attendee.

This book is highly interactive, a great source for interesting quotes and fun stories and designed for the reader who is pulled in multiple directions at once. Chapters are only 2-3 pages long and each is a gem.

I have never before seen anything so incredibly chock-full of history of the roots of bluegrass, mountain and old timey music before! The author knows his stuff. The two narrative cd's with music samples are worth way more than the price for the book itself! This is a highly collectable book - you will never come across anything so interesting and enlightning on the roots of music in this great land!

Give them as gifts. "Heritage tourism" is very popular and this is one fantastic road trip! The Blue Ridge Mountains -- you can toss a stone in any direction and hit a musician. I have only one word of advise should you follow the Crooked Road... Please do not just go from town to town looking to hear music. You will miss it entirely. The countryside, the fresh air, the people - that is The Crooked Road.

I also recommend you start the trail in Rocky Mount Virginia - there is a lovely Bed adn breakfast just one block from the Depot where they have Footlights of the Blue Ridge music every other Friday night.

My younger son (7) and I as well as the rest of the family love the music and intros on the CDs. There is so much good info on the Road and all the places to go, you better go soon, before everyone gets there ahead of you and you can't see / hear the good stuff! The only problem I have is that the volume / equalization of the intros vs. the selections make the narrator difficult to hear when the selections are at a good level. I am looking forward to our next trip so we can have a better idea of where to go with the little bit of time we will have. FYI: the Floyd Country Store has been remodeled, and even though it is more "touristy" now it is so much more comfortable than it was before - it seems to have A/C. I know for a fact that MANY of the locals attend shows there regularly (we have family there). I have also seen some of the people there that are in the photo on the cover of the book.

This is a very informative and interesting book. The Cd's are well done. If you want to know more about Bluegrass and Old Time music in southern Virginia and northern North Carolina, this is a "Must Have".

I found this guide to be delightful. Besides being enjoyably readable, it contained great historical "tidbits" to give it context. The information about the sites was practical and usable. The two CD's that were included in the book had a fun variety of old time and roots music. I have listened to them over and over again in both my car and my home. What a treasure this Guide to the Crooked Road turned out to be!

I have traveled the world and there is truly no place like home, my home is Virginia and the music I was raised on. There is no doubt that this book and the bonus CD's capture's the very essence of the music and sounds of Virginia and the festival's that we have all come to love and enjoy. This is true, down to the roots Virginia music, played and sung with all the heart and soul that reflects the wide variety of musician's through out our beautiful state. A must have for Virginian's and anyone else that love's and enjoy's the old sounds of music from the past.

I purchased this book for my son who is a member of the UW band. We'd been to "Kites On Ice" several times when he was younger and the combination of the kite/camera and the views above Madison made this a perfect gift. It turned into a sort of "Where's Waldo", trying to see if he recognized himself or any of his band-member friends from the kite's view. The stories of the author's children and the paranoid police officer are a fun personal touch to the spectacular photos.

A very unique and fascinating book. Although the photos in the book are all of places and events in Wisconsin, there is a universality of subject matter that shoiuld make it interesting to photographers and anyone who likes photo books.

How refreshing to see a perspective in photography that profiles the life and times of Wisconsin and the residents with such clarity and storytelling. Hanging by a Thread brought so many great memories back to someone who has since relocated East. Absolutely amazing that the photographs can capture the life of Wisconsinites on a kite and string. The stories behind the photos added a refreshing prespective on Craig's art. And behind each photo is an inventor, an entrepreneur who's passion in flight and photography has brought me back home again within these pages.

Thank you Craig for capturing my memories in a fresh perspective through the pages of your book.

As a native Wisconsonite now living in the tropics, I've tried to keep a balanced view of the state. Of course--it's beautiful. The people are great. There's no lack of interesting things, crackpot ideas, places to go and things to do. But hey--there are other places in the world, right? As my brother once said, "hey, I've never seen a place where people were so INTO their state!" Sometimes, the cult of Wisconsin can be a little heavy.

But then along comes this book, and I'm completely entranced.

The photographs are great. The perspectives are amazing. The text is understated and fun. And the stuff photographed brought tears to my eyes. Especially the Mississippi River covered in fog.

And the stuff people do in Madison--Opera in the Park and the Concerts on the Square and jogging for this that and the other thing and ice fishing and...on and on. All of the oddball things and places and events are endearing.

If you've lived in Wisconsin and loved it...well, buy this book!

When I first heard about this book I was not enthusiastic. Pictures from a kite? It sounded like sort of a hobby project, or a curiosity piece. I figured the photos would be lousy.

I was wrong! I'm not sure if the pictures are National Geographic quality, but they are darned nice pictures. Don't think "pictures from a kite" think about the pictures you'd take if you could float gracefully over the landscape.

As noted by another review, the pictures are much more intimate than normal shots taken from above. They are much more elegant and personal.

My wife is a recent immigrant and has come to love Wisconsin. I bought this for her because I haven't seen any other book that so gracefully and truthfully captures the spirit of Wisconsin. Thanks Mr. Wilson!

It is excellent book for adventure and romance. It really intrigued me. This book is highly recommendation.

Talk about your tortured hero's. Dominic Maitland, Duke of Avon is the poster boy. Not only was he born crippled, his entire family dies (except father) in a horrible accident and his father abandons him to a harsh school without an allowance. So basically he has lived all his life without love and only relys upon himself. He decides the only life for him is that of a spy/informer of military strategems for England in her war with Napolean. Lady Harland's father, a general, is one of the few people privy to his secret activities. And so the romance begins or not with Dominic and Emily. Dominic does everything ( including some very hurtful things) to keep her away even though he's madly in love. He believes that his handicap will be passed on to his children and so has decided never to marry, but Emily will not be denied and so a rollercoaster begins. There are so many ups and downs in this book. Just when you think all will be well -BAM!- a huge misunderstanding or a crule twist of fate intervenes.

This is a wonderful book. After what these characters have been through, you really feel their deep love in the end. Just magical.

Emily, Lady Harland, has lost two brothers and a husband to the war against Napoleon. Her surviving brother is paralysed, an invalid. Her father, a general, is still involved in the war effort although they're now back in London. So when she hears the idle, indolent and supercilious Duke of Avon mocking the English troops and suggesting that Napoleon should have been allowed to run free on the Continent, she is furious - and lets him know her views in no uncertain terms. And when he informs her that the severe limp she sees him walk with is only an affectation, she is incensed and dismisses him as a worthless fop. Only, once he leaves, she notices that there is blood on the handrail where he had walked...

Dominic Maitland, Duke of Avon, is indeed a cripple, and has been since birth. He is also up to his neck in the war effort himself behind the scenes: he decodes encrypted messages and is in charge of a network of couriers. The night Emily meets him, he has just come from a rendezvous with a courier which went badly wrong, and he was nearly killed. His business with her father is to establish the source of a leak in the war office, for which her father is responsible.

Avon has long decided never to marry, and never to fall in love. After all, who could love a cripple like him? And anyway, his father always told him that his crippled leg was hereditary - so why have children only to pass that on to the next generation? Furthermore, he detests feeling pitied, so he avoids friendship - the person he is closest to is Moss, his valet, who is more like a father to him than his own father was.

However, he is deeply attracted to Emily, and she to him. He tries to scare her off by indicating that all he wants from her is sex - but she refuses to be completely scared off. And when Avon starts spending a lot of time at her home, working with Devon, her brother, they are thrown more into each other's company - and then when Emily and her father save Avon's life and he has to stay with them in order to recuperate, feelings grow even stronger and he finds it impossible to deny what he really feels for her. But he still won't marry her... and then things get worse when, under severe stress and worry, Emily says something unforgivable to him about his limp. Can these two ever forgive each other and find love?

This is an amazing, gripping and so well-written book - Gayle Wilson is a real find! I would put this on a par with the better long Mary Baloghs, and I'm now off to get hold of as many other Gayle Wilsons as I can. Excellent!

wmr-uk

If you pick up this book, you are going to fall in love with the hero. Never has a book provoked so much emotion! This book is a keeper that can be read and enjoyed time and again! This is the first book of a three book series. The Gambler's Heart and The Heart's Wager are just as wonderful! Gayle is truly gifted. This book is going to be re-released in December 2000 - I recommend it to anyone who loves dangerous romances that are full of love and emotion.

I don't usually care to see books released again, but this is certainly an exception! I loved this book and scoured the used book stores when it was first released to buy a second copy to loan to friends. It was too good not to share, but too good to risk losing. Avon is a hero to die for--great strength of character and intellect hiding a wealth of strong emotion. Very sexy combination. I sympathized with the heroine so deeply when she voiced something she wished with all her heart she could call back. Excellent story, excellent romance, and great conflict. These series books have such a short shelf life, I'm glad that more people will get a chance to enjoy this story.

Superb! Captivating, subtle, forceful, multi-dimensional.
UNBELIEVABLE!! Why is this trilogy so hard to get in one volume in the US? (you can get the one volume in Europe), but, really, they should all be read together. Beyond anything ordinary. Listing separate elements (Wutra worm, phagors, etc.) does not even begin to describe the impact of these books. Highly recommend to anyone who has any imagination/curiosity whatsoever

Yes, it really did take me two months, but I don't mean I didn't enjoy it - it's just very, very long and heavy enough so that you can't do more than 30-40 pages a day. This heaviness is maybe the greatest fault of this saga, but there's a lot of good in it too, starting with the very interesting basic idea. And even though you get the feeling that Aldiss only scrapes the surface of the world he has created, in the end he sums up the whole magnificent range of time pretty nicely. It's not every day you see a novel which covers a... well, was it 1000 our years? I can't remember anymore, after all this time.

More importantly, Helliconia is not only about great and big things, Aldiss pays much concern to single people and their lives. In fact, each section is an exploration of one person, and since those persons are psychologically very believable, they are most certainly worth the attention. Helliconia doesn't even lack humour, against all probabilities. If massive epics are your trade, go and get it. But friends of neat 150-page novels can save their money for something else: this one really takes time.

This series is a masterpiece. Buy it (if you can) and set aside enough time to read it. It's worth every minute. The 'plague' referred to in a previous review is the biological mechanism that allows the human inhabitants of the planet to survive the massive temperature extremes that occur over the 'year' (1000 earth years). The temperature ranges from sub-sub arctic to ultra-tropical and the physical changes as the people go from short fat and conservative Winter people to tall thin active Summer people are described with marvellous detail.

The story of the humans and their interaction with the natives of the planet is interwoven with the technical information with a masterful flair.

This series is similar in breadth and vision to the Eden series by Harry Harrison, so if you enjoy one, you will love the other.

One word keeps popping up in these reviews: CRIMINAL. That is, the fact that this is currently unavailable. This is a must-read for SF fans and a must-study for would be writers of SF but be forewarned: if you are of the second persuasion this will scare the words out of you, unless you are as gifted as this man (or very cocky). Read them all, read them in order for the delicious discovery, the slow-revealing of mysteries. Images from these stories will haunt you ever after.

Helliconia is a place I can almost SEE through the pages in my book. You begin to genuinely feel for the characters, as the storyline unfolds, we watch the main characters from above, often they lived hundreds of years apart: the Spring with makind living underground worshipping a mountain god & praying for the return of Freyr (the second sun) Summer & the emergence of Mankind's nations across the globe; the slow sink of mankind into barbarism in Winter as helliconia slides into another 500 year long freeze. The most complete & absorbing series of books I have ever read. It MUST return to print...please. A true classic to rival Tolkien and surpasses the Mars books by Kim Stanley Robinson

It is not often that I call a book must reading, but this one certainly is. Sandra Wilson has written in such a way as to draw any reader closer to God. It is especially good for anyone with any kind of sense of having been left alone and lonely. But is is also a must for those who believe that they are closer to God than ever. I have reccomended it to many of my counseling clients and have bought and given copies to all of my children, my husband and my parents. If you don't read anything else this year, read this.

This is an excellent book about the price people pay for being damaged in their early years. Most people hide when they have been rejected or fear rejection. Sandra rightly says that the only way out is to experience God's unconditional love.

She also gives very practical advice about how to know God personally and intimately. This is not just another bland how to book; it speaks to the heart!

Never, never have I read any book that so perfectly diagnosed my condition. What a loving God we have - and how very much He longs to tell us. But the masks we wear to prevent that relationship is tragic. Sandy Wilson pictures it all so well - and in a gentle and loving way. She gives great encouragement that an intimate God is just a breath away - if we seek. Thank you dear Sandy, for your ministry.

I thought this book was very helpful and gave keen insight into the love God has for us. It gives many suggestions to enter into His presence and bask in His love. I found it a real encouragement.

This is the best book I have ever read on seeking a personal relationship with God. I have read it for myself, given one to every member of my family and several friends and am recommending it almost daily to people I see in my Christian counseling practice. A book for anyone who has ever wondered where God is and haven't we all?

While this is clearly a comprehensive book at JM's work and the photographs are exquisite, the prose could have used a bit more editing.
For example, the introduction, written by JM's niece is a stream of consciousness of memories vs. a more concise piece on Julia Morgan's relationship with the goddaughter and the mother (who was Julia's assistant).

This book is an exceptional coffee table book for oneself or as a gift. It is one of the most comprehensive books I have seen on Julia Morgan and her architecture with a wonderful compilation of photos.

This is a great addition to the Julia Morgan literature. A lovely intro by her god-daughter gives some new biographical information, and there are more pictures and discussion of her private home commissions than in any of the other books I have.

Much new primary source material. Stunning photography and much more. Something for the scholar, the architect, the homeowner, the dreamer...and anyone who craves beauty.

I recently purchased this book....and I'm so very glad I did. I have always been a great admirer of Julia Morgan's work and this book more than satisfies my interests. There are 350 amazing color photos! It is the most comprehensive arrangement and collection of photography I've every seen on this subject. As a professional artist, I own many books on art and architecture, this so far, is my favorite work on the subject of Art. Not only is it a pleasure to look at, but the writing is colorful and holds my interest. So many times I've bought an art book and only have enjoyed the images; this is not the case. This book is a joy to read, the quality is of a high scholar with a passion for the subject...this makes the difference. The passion truly comes through in every line. I have learned so much about a amazingly talented woman. What is unique about this book is the author has collaborated with Julia Morgan's god-daughter who is the the grand-daughter of Ms. Morgan's personal secretary. The book contains information other books just couldn't. The book is a great honor to a professional, who designed over 700 buildings. Every library should contain this book, not just for the pleasure of viewing, but for the superb historical referencing as well. It is my hope that this author continues his writing. It would be a great service to us all, who wish to learn through quality sources.

Sonoma Ca.

This is an excellent book that demystifies the basic concepts of peer to peer computing. It then goes on to explain JXTA in extensive detail with tons of code to experiment with. I always like books that have a complete application to build on the concepts that you have learned throughout and the example provided in this book is great. All in all a great book which i highly recommend and which i will be using for an online course that i will be teaching on Peer to Peer computing technology.

The core of the JXTA is six protocols and this book covers all of them deeply and systematically.

For example, the book first introduces the Peer Discovery Protocol (which will definitely be used by every JXTA application to discover the resources). The book explains how to realize the Discovery Protocol by using the lower layer Resolver Protocol. Then the book teaches us how to use the Discovery Protocol in a JXTA application and actually gives us a useful example.

Every protocol covered in this book follows this pattern - explanation and example.

In addition to the protocols, programmers also need to know how to use some sub-system of JXTA to increase the flexibility of JXTA application and decrease the implement burden. Fortunately, the book covers them, such as CM (cache manager) in chapter4, Document (advertisement) in chapter4, module framework in chapter10, and so forth.

You definitely need to put this book on your bookshelf because give you more than just example code. It includes how the protocols are implemented and how to use the protocols.

Developers, if you want the whole scoop on a new architecture that will enhance the way we use the internet, then you need to get this book. Brendon, the author, does a superb job of presenting JXTA, peer-to-peer, and how you can apply it. This is not just an overview and it's not another "copy & paste" book. You will get hands-on experience on how all this works. Its easy to read and very concise.

As a IT contractor, its important to know what is out there and how it works. Sooner or later you will be affected by this new architecture. Why? Because it's an improvement over the way things are done today. Companies are always looking for an edge and this would give them that by distributing resource power among a wide array of servers and not drop the load on just one.

You will learn what P2P and JXTA are in the first 2 chapters. Then it's hands-on from chapter 3. Unlike other books being offered on JXTA, Brendon did not gloss over anything in this book and does a lot more then just talk about it. After understanding the basics and terminology associated with P2P and JXTA, you begin doing some hands-on experience with the JXTA shell. As the book progresses, you get a good understanding of how it works in detail. Then the grand finale, a sample application shows you how to put to put what you've learned to practice for your own application.

About myself:
IT Contractor - 9 years
6 years experience Java(Sun certified) programming
"always checking to see which way the wind is blowing!"

JXTA is a new platform from Sun for peer-to-peer computing. JXTA is a short form of juxtapose, meaning side-by-side. Thus JXTA is not meant to replace client-server but to co-exist with it.

At its core JXTA is just a specification for protocols needed for P2P computing. These protocols can be implemented in any language(Java,C,C++ etc)and on any platform. At present the specs define six protocols.

The book under review has done a good job of defining JXTA and its 6 protocols. It consists of 3 parts. The first part gives a general intoduction to JXTA concepts (like peer, peer group, pipe, endpoint, and advertisements) and JXTA protocols.The second part is for those who want to go further and study all the 6 protocols (Discovery, Resolver, Rendezvous, Information, Binding, and Endpoint) in all their gory details. The third part is for those who want to go still further and develop their own applications. Here they will find a 100-page chapter covering a sample application. Thus the reader can decide at what stage he wants to quit.

I found two main defects in the book: First the text in the UML diagrams is so small that I had to buy a magnifying-glass.Secondly the book does not compare JXTA and Jini very well. I think the comparison of Jini with later technologies like Web Services and JXTA is very important for a logical analysis of the direction IT is taking. From a logical point of view, Jini is the inspiration behind both JXTA and Web Services. And it is from this (purely logical) point of view that we will compare Jini with JXTA.

Jini starts with a very powerful unifying principle,namely,the distinction between hardware and software is artificial, and therefore both these concepts must be replaced by a more general concept of services.This is the third unifying principle in IT in over a decade.

First came objects which unified attributes and methods and put them in one basket. Then came components which unified software development. And now we have services which unify hardware and software.Staying on this logical track, what could be the next unifying principle of IT.My "guess" is as follows:

If the difference between physics (hardware) and what it does(software) is artificial, then the seperation of biology (user)from these two is also artificial.Thus hardware,software,and geneware must be unified into a more general concept which covers all three. The concept of services is not enough for this unification even though terms like "user experience" have started floating around in the IT industry.

Well, returning to JXTA, we can look at it as a special case of Jini restricted to P2P and not covering client-server.Alternately, JXTA is Jini minus its dependence on Java and RMI plus new terminology and protocols suitable for only P2P.I hope this is not the end but just the beginning of purely logical comparisons of Jini, JXTA, and Web Services.

Experts are welcome to tear down this argument to pieces. That can only lead to greater logical clarification of the subtleties involved.

I have no experience in network programming. I had to learn JXTA for a graduate class in P2P, so I picked up this book. My groupmate, on the other hand, picked up the book by Brookshier. I found my book an easy read and quickly breezed through all twelve chapters. My groupmate said that with his book, he couldn't get past the end of Chapter 1 before feeling sleepy. He eventually switched to this book.

The two things I liked in the book were, one, it's conversational tone, and two, it's learning-by-doing approach. Much of the book consists of coding exercises, covering each of the six JXTA protocols. The 11th chapter is a complete chat application, with both client and server code.

In summary, the best book for a jumpstart to JXTA.

I just love this book. Anyone who loves pugs will love this story and book. We laughed so hard we were crying and the pictures just add to the story.

You can't go wrong with this one.

This book is adorable. When it arrived I sat down with my 8 year old daughter and read it. She'd laugh at the pictures and letters from the young pug. Many wonderful messages and terrific pictures. I think her favorites were the curler in his tail and him cooling off in the fridge. She got many ideas for creative pictures for our own pug!

After falling in love with Wilson the Pug from the "Tao of Pug" book, I had to get this one. I was NOT disappointed. Very funny exchange between the older and younger Pug, Homer. Photos are just as creative and funny as in the "Tao" book. This is another can't-miss great gift idea and something every dog (and especially Pug) lover will want for their collection!

Letters to a Young Pug picks up the story of Wilson and Homer (from Homer for the Holidays). Wilson's Tao master is retiring, and before Wilson can take on the job he has to train his successor, Homer. The letters he writes to impart his knowledge of the Tao and Homer's humerous responses are wonderfully entertaining. If you have a pug, you will definitely see something of your pug in this book.

Continuing antics of Wilson and Homer. A must read if you have read Nancy's first two books.