Columbia Books

This is a read which I think answers the question as to why "'God" would allow bad things to happen to people, and why terror still seems to reign [or at least gets a great deal of our attention and effort] on Planet Earth. The author digs beneath the surface of ordinarily accepted dogmatic "truth" and boldly goes where few have gone before.

Jehovah Unmasked is well worth reading. We find here, once he has been unmasked by the author's delving into ancient language and meaning, the identity of an entity, or perhaps multiple entities, who seem to be in the business of actually making people squirm if they do not obey or "believe" as he would have them believe. And not only that, he passes himself off as being THE Infinite God, the One God of most religions originating in the Middle East and spreading their influence into the West. If you can look at this big-gun toting being as a god of love, then you clearly have on your religious blinders. But if you take them off, you will be able to see why holy wars, crusades, inquisitions, and other us-against-them, and God-on-our-side politics have been the preferred preoccupation of humanity for a very, very long time.

What is most fascinating is that author Nathaniel Merritt uses the same Bible which most of us are used to reading, through our rose-colored, unquestioning glasses, to prove his point: that "Jehovah" may not really be who a lot of people think he is. It brings to mind the New testament text from II Thessalonians 2:3,4 which speaks of someone taking his place in the temple of God and essentially presenting himself as God, a "god" [small g] disguising himself as God [capital G]. People may view this as the "end times", but it is well worth asking the question, might not this charade already have been in progress for thousands of years before those words were penned? It is an interesting twist, one that kept me reading this book and finishing it in an entire day. And I can count on one hand the number of books which have absorbed my attention to that degree!

This book is only for the open minded and those who are willing to allow what is presented to speak for itself. It is not a work for anyone whose basic view is "my mind is made up - don't confuse me with facts". I would recommend it for anyone who is interested in taking a look at ancient history, with a view to perhaps discerning from that, how life, even in these times, may have gotten to be so messy in the first place. It is not for the faint-hearted.

Other recommendations along these lines would be Genesis of the Grail Kings by Laurence Gardner, The Gods of Eden by William Bramley, The History of God by Karen Armstrong. Apparently there are a lot of people doing a great deal of digging into the past for answers. Are you daring enough to be one of them?

ALl I can say is, move over, Indiana Jones! This is a trek into the ancient past you won't want to miss. If you dare.

I bought this book based on the rave reviews posted in Amazon. If you are looking for a scholarly, unbiased book on the origins of Jehovah, this isn't it. Most of the "great revelations" are well known and are discussed in many scholarly works, popular literature, and even textbooks.

In starting to write a review of Jehovah Unmasked, I find myself at a loss for words. In my own personal experience, there have been few if any books that have made as deep an impact on me as this one. I simply cannot adequately express how important this book can be not just for everyone's personal life, but how it has the power to truly transform this world into a place you wouldn't even recognize from today's spiritually jaded wasteland.

Through the plentiful use of quotations straight out of the Old and New Testament Bible, author Nathaniel Merritt unmistakably demonstrates that the Jehovah of the OT could not possibly be the same "Heavenly Father" that Jesus spoke of in the NT. The contrast is in fact so stark, that one has to stop and seriously ask why the Old Testament God wasn't dethroned 2,000 years ago. This is clearly not the loving God that millions of Christians THINK they worship today. He is nothing less than a raging, vindictive, bloodthirsty maniac who violates his own commandments on a regular basis. And yet millions of Christians continue to believe that this is the One True God. The cognitive dissonance that resulted from this failure to recognize the obvious has probably caused more inner turmoil than any other single thing in history.

There are so many "gems" in this book, I cannot begin to number them all. But just to give you a clue as to what I'm referring to, I quote the following paragraph from page 111:

"Just as 'you are what you eat' so too 'you are what you worship.' Ideas have consequences. Ideas have psychological consequences, societal consequences, and spiritual consequences. If the god you and your sect worship is a petty, angry, egotistical, mercurial, raging, murdering, irrational despot such as Jehovah, that is what you and the members of your sect will eventually become. If the god you worship indulges in murderous fits of rage, so will you and the members of your sect. If the god you worship shifts the blame for the woeful condition of the kosmos it fashioned onto your narrow shoulders, and tells you that you are born sinful, wicked, and fit only for hell-fire and damnation, your inner self will be fragmented and burdened with terrible guilt and self-loathing."

Contrary to what many people may believe upon reading this, Merritt is not exhorting his readers to become godless atheists. He is only revealing that the emperor god Jehovah, who has held sway over mankind for thousands of years, has no clothes. He is a pathetic thing, frankly far more worthy of our derision than our respect, much less our adoration.

Merritt DOES give us an alternative, as did Jesus. However, this alternative of a truly loving, infinitely merciful God, who only asked us not to sin, but didn't threaten us with eternal damnation if we occasionally slipped up, threatened the religious establishment. The early Gnostic Christians simply wanted to experience this perfect God of Love personally, but the Church of Rome couldn't allow this. This was because they, quite simply, wouldn't be needed anymore as an intercessor between man and the wrathful, punitive Jehovah-god. The Church slyly offered Jesus as a "way out" of perdition, but only if you accepted the premise that you are a sinful creature, inevitably cursed by your blood descent from Adam, the original sinner who dared to try to find out what was good, and what was evil.

I could go on and on, but then I would be writing a book myself. Spare me the trouble and just buy this book and read it for yourself. If you read it with the intention of "disproving" the author's points, you will learn nothing. You will only be condemning yourself to the same-old doctrine-infested "old time religion".

Emerge from the Darkness and come out into the Light. The water's fine out here.

Discover the truth about Judeo-Christianity and learn what true Christianity both was and is. The book is hard-hitting, pulls no punches. Answers the age-old riddle of how a flawed and suffering universe can be the creation of an all-good and perfect God.

I have read this book from cover to cover twice. I have shared it with my family and friends. They have been amazed. The truths contained in this book are mind altering, reality shaking and will absolutely turn your world upside down and inside out; in a very good and positive way.

Of course it will be scary at first to learn that everything you ever thought about the Old Testament God Jehovah was completely wrong, but once you embrace the truth about the loving Heavenly Father of Jesus and the you realize the Jehovah is a benefaker of jibes...

The amazing thing is that all this truth comes directly out of the bible. It becomes crystal clear once you can allow your mind to accept that even perhaps the God of the OT is not the TRUE GOD MOST HIGH.

Isaiah 14:1-28 tell it all so clear who is the creator of the world and the cause of all the suffering. Read the book and you will see for yourself.

Wonderful experience. Seller worked out all the details with me and I was so pleased with the purchase. Would definitely refer others to him and also buy from him again. Thanks so much.

Pictures. These will remind you. Haunting. Sad. Heart wrenching. Moving. These words won't do it for you. The book will give you more. Over 3000 people died that day. This book will help you to never forget what happened to them and us.

The point comes across, but I think there is plenty of other work that should have been included.

A message to each and every reviewer who takes time to add thoughts to a any media of memorial of 9/11, World Trade Center Towers tragedy... thank you from my heart.

My spouse and I resided on the Lower West Side, Battery Park City, Gateway Plaza, So. End Ave. As survivors of the 9/11 World Trade Center Towers tragedy... From our Gateway Plaza apartment, facing the street and 300 yards from the Towers, we helplessly witnessed all from our apartment windows. The closeness of the Towers viewed from our windows - gave an illusion that one could reach out and touch the Towers; their beauty with night lights reaching toward the sky promoted a contemplative emotion.

We viewed the planes entering the Towers, the overwhelming inferno, individuals jumping, the collapse of the Towers, the darkness as debris hit our windows with a fury. What occurred over a period of hours, seemed like a much shorter time span. The darkness was darker than an eclipse, darker than the darkest night; and then a momentary hush after the air cleared. Viewing the roof garden one floor below, with the human reaction of looking out to see if someone might be on that roof garden and in need of help. Debris strewn everywhere, recording tape and paper hung from the trees of the garden and oh, so much ash. The momentary hush, whether real or imagined, then the viewing of debris for a second, fantasized that a parade had just passed by on our short street. I now really understand the expression a "feeling of helplessness", I couldn't fix what had just happened.

We vacated our apartment finally at 5:15 p.m. that day, waiting for someone to knock on our door, with only a battery radio to keep us abreast of happenings. "In a New York minute", we evacuated via the stairwell touched with ash, the result of a first floor door left open. With a few belongings, gathered with a tad of thought of what was being left behind, we stepped out of the door onto the pavement, seeing and standing in ever so much ash & debris, I wanted to turn around and go back to our home. It was one moment of reality in time, I carry to this day.

We planned to walk up the East Side, glimpsed the tired fire, police, volunteers, and med techs in our immediate driveway and street, so instead opted to pass through the building in back of the apartment complex. We gained access to the Esplanade walking the short distance to reach the Hudson River North Cove dock. We were escorted to the New Jersey shore via New York Police boat. From the boat deck, we viewed even more damage to the Manhattan skyline, especially noting the zigzag shape of the side of the American Express building, housed in one of the World Financial Center buildings along with the glorious Winter Garden, as well as the fall of World Trade Center Building 7. We were taken to the Jersey City Hospital, attended to by compassionate staff. Then traveled by National Guard truck to Hoboken, NJ where we were housed by a wonderful family who with great trust welcomed strangers to their home.

On Friday 9/14, our eldest son & daughter-in-law drove from New Hampshire via New Jersey routes to Hoboken for transport us to New Hampshire for temporary residence with our daughter, who along with her friend and our youngest son, greeted us with open arms & the overwhelming feeling of not wanting to let go with each hug that followed. Our daughter and son had spent that Friday in New Hampshire collecting items of clothing and necessities which the Concord community generously opened their hearts and donated by churches, stores, individuals, employers, American Red Cross, et al.

One of our grandchildren -- he was 8 at that time - arrived home from a few days with his Dad. He hugged us so tight, understanding the depth of 9/11 events for someone so young and yet so wise. He told Grandpa & Babcia that he had something for them... his Mom was not even aware of his gift. He had spoken to his classmates about his grandparents' closeness in location of the World Trade Center Towers. Presented to us was a large envelope full of hand-made cards from each of his classmates. And if that isn't love and caring, I don't know what is - from the hearts and minds of children!

Residing now in New Hampshire, not because of 9/11 drove us away, but circumstances just went that way as we continue to put our lives into perspective.

We Miss - New York City deeply; events found nowhere else in the USA, the introduction to & interaction with so many wonderful cultures. There isn't a day or night over these years that we do not think of 9/11... the Lady of Liberty & Ellis Island both on the merge of the East and Hudson Rivers. And that Lady of Liberty wept, I just know it, & still stands with pride that the USA is a democracy that will prevail.

We Remember - the victims, the survivors, their friends and families, the workers from the public and private sector, the volunteers, our neighbors in Gateway Plaza and staff in the small group of stores on South End Avenue, Battery Park City.

We Remember - the places we visited, the book signings attended, the celebrities we met, the concerts and theater plays, the movies, the arts, the parks, the strangers we talked with, on streets, on subway and those while standing in line for an event...

We Remember - Always In Our Hearts, Forever In Our Souls, Heroes, Victims, Survivors One and All... We Were There.

Painfully, the lump in my throat and the twist in my stomach, the tears in my eyes and the pain in my heart, to the depth of my soul, forever reside.

LIFE has done a first class job of putting together a book covering this horrific act by such a cowardly enemy.Rather than to make the Americans cower as these fanatics probably thought and probably thought and hoped for;it showed what a good and strong nation it is.History will remember both 9/11 and Pearl Harbor for the terrible and misguided acts of hatred they were.
This act conjours up different thoughts for everyone who witnessed it ,in whatever fashion,but no more so than those who had friends and particularly those who lost loved ones.
To those who may turn a little soft on the War on Terror a review of this book should remind one of what we are dealing with.
A great book TIME and thanks.

I just love to get my hands on anything to do with personal growth. I had heard about Randy Gilbert's book and eagerly awaited its arrival. What I found far exceeded my expectations. In "Success Bound," Randy draws on his family experiences, wisdom from great literature, and has somehow magically weaved in numerous examples of protocol and incidents from his service in the US Coast Guard. I am always on the lookout for examples that I can use in my own presentations and teleclasses to amplify concepts. My copy of "Success Bound" is well highlighted.

Brian E. Walsh PhD, author "Unleashing Your Brilliance"

Only one word describes "Success Bound" and that is SUPERB. Once again Randy Gilbert has proven himself a master at helping others to break free and succeed in any endeavor. I highly recommend it! -Kathy S. McBride, author, "Remember Lot's Wife: What Jesus Taught About the End of the World."

"Success Bound" by Randy Gilbert is a terrific book that acknowledges that experiencing failure is a part of becoming our best. He gives practical ways to learn from and work through these obstacles. Personal experiences and stories of others are appropriately used throughout the book to reinforce the ideas. It is also great that although the book focuses on success, it does it in a way that supports Christian principles.

The road to success is a road of many challenges and yes, even failures. Many people perceive failure as a negative and this perception stops them in their tracks. Randy Gilbert is a master at explaining how we can first recognize failure, pinpoint the problem, and then chart our course from this vantage point. The book has four parts that include 21 strategies for recognizing and overcoming failure.

The only other book I have read on the subject of using failure to gain success is in John Maxwell's book. "Failing Forward." I keep this book by my bed. In "Success Bound," there are many personal stories from the author that are heartwarming and come from a genuine place of experience and knowledge. The book is filled with advice and excerpts from people like Napoleon Hill, Bill Cosby, Anthony Robbins, and John Maxwell, just to name a few.

In the bible, King Solomon asked for wisdom. Randy Gilbert has so many inspirational and wonderfully wise quotes from the bible, that he must be following in King Solomon's footsteps. Rkandy's integrity and humbleness in achieving human success on this planet is a true indication of a capable leader. He gives credit where credit is due. "Work to rid yourself of the feeling of having to be perfect when you launch into a project. This type of fear will drive you away from those who want to help you accomplish your goals." This statement speaks volumes to the reader, just as many of the lessons in this wonderful book speak to you on the journey to success. I will keep a copy of this book by my nightstand for the times I feel that insatiable need to be perfect, which makes me limit myself in the process.

The end of the book is about freedom to live and to love. There is even a bonus section at the end of the book that is priceless and gives me faith, not just in this book and its words, but also in Randy Gilbert's character. I am motivated to pass this book on to others and to follow the steps of this great leader in our world today!

Nicole Biggs, Author of "The Single Mothers Journey to Wholeness"

A lot of self-improvement books skirt around the issue of Christianity. Not so with SUCCESS BOUND: BREAKING FREE OF MEDIOCRITY by Randy Gilbert. There is a unique approach to success here, where the primary focus is learning how to fail before you can learn how to succeed. Gilbert's book gives twenty-one strategies for turning failure into success.

The book is broken into four parts; (1) Rainbows After the Rain addresses the problem so many people have of giving up too soon. They encounter failure a few times and pin the label on themselves rather than on the action plan they used. These first five chapters teach the reader how to overcome this failure mentality. (2.) Wisdom for Young and Old focuses on learning from failures, both yours and the failures of others. Here we begin examining some of the natural laws dealing with success and failure such as the Law of Cause and Effect. (3) Shatter the Glass Ceiling instructs readers on how to overcome self-imposed restrictions we place on ourselves. There is a good bit of detail here on overcoming fear of failure. (4) Free to Live and Love covers familial relationships, both spousal and parenting. This section alone is worth the price of this book.

Society today says it's wrong to keep score in children's games. Gilbert correctly illustrates how this type of political correctness is condemning a generation to life of mediocrity because they never learn how to fail. If you never learn how to fail, you will never learn how to succeed. Gilbert encourages parents to allow their children to fail and he does so in a constructive manor that reminds parents to always show love and support regardless of the result. These chapters alone make this a great book for parents.

There is a ton of information packed into 200-pages. I also love the quotes scattered throughout the book. This is one of the best success focused books you ever read. I did have one disappointment. Gilbert mentions in the book that he had at least two other books in progress, but I have been unable to find any indication that they ever went to print. He does have several books available that are business interviews that he apparently did in a radio show format. I have never read any of these, but they could be worth a look.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book other than there would be whales in it. The summary above comes from the back of the book and doesn't say much. I'll tell you a little more about the book so you can properly decide if it's your kind of book but don't worry, I'd never reveal too much or spoil and ending.

The main character is an 11 year old girl whose family moves to a small town where most of the inhabitants are Native Canadians. The book is Children's Fiction but for older children, say 12 and up. A large portion of the book has stories, myths and history of Native Canadians, specifically Huuayaht. I found this very interesting.

Also, since the summary says a tragedy will happen but doesn't specify anything, you don't know where or when it will happen. I don't know if it was on purpose or not but quite a few times the words made me think the tragedy would happen next and I was wrong. As an adult, later on in the book I figured out what the tragedy would be although I wasn't sure who did it. I had an idea and it did turn out to be right but I could just have easily been wrong. I don't think a child reader would be guess what the tragedy would be.

Another common occurrence in this book is bullying and the book teaches good lessons about it. It may be a good book to give to a child who is being bullied just as a fun read but with underlying lessons.

Overall I enjoyed the book although I did find my mind wandering a bit. The writing style didn't pull me into it's hold until the second half of the book.

Another hit for Kunati publishing! Cheryl Kaye Tardiff's story of a young girl's struggle to leave her home in Wyoming to move to Canada with her parents touches the very soul of the reader. Change is hard for any age. Cheryl weaves the uncertain path of life, death and recovery with a golden needle. Many times I found myself fighting back the tears because of the grip of real-life emotion. It's a great read for any age and the valuable 'lessons' portrayed are bone jarring. There has been talk of making the book into a movie and I'd love to be the first in line! Great Work Cheryl Kay Tardif!

In the summer of 1977, eleven-year-old Sarah Richardson is filled with trepidation and resentment when her father's new job forces her to leave her home and best friend in Wyoming to relocate in the remote town of Bamfield on Vancouver Island. But these feelings fade when she sees her gorgeous new home overlooking the ocean and befriends and Indian (a term commonly used for First Nations people in 1977) girl named Goldie. Of course, her idyllic summer with her parents and Goldie doesn't last. Once school begins, Sarah endures long, painful lessons about bullying, racial hatred, and family tragedy.

Cheryl Kaye Tardif's WHALE SONG is an unusual mystery. Although the story opens with an adult Sarah reflecting back on the summer that changed her life, she eases into eleven-year-old Sarah's point of view as the story unfolds, turning the book into a young adult novel. But then grownup Sarah slides briefly back into the story with ominous foreshadowing about events she wished she'd seen coming.

The other unique aspect is that the mystery doesn't occur until two thirds into the book. Certainly, the reader feels tension building among main characters and a grim situation inevitably spiraling out of control. But death, a police investigation, and murder charge don't occur until the reader knows the Richardson family so well that we feel their anguish. Some mystery fans might loathe the pacing of events, yet it's important to understand that mystery is only one facet of this multi-layered story. Crime might not be center stage in WHALE SONG, however, it's essential to the story.

Cross-genre novels are hard to pigeonhole, and this one will be a challenge for librarians and booksellers. WHALE SONG is an elegantly written, heartbreaking blend of friendships lost and gained, family tragedy, spirituality, death, guilt, punishment, and forgiveness. This is a lot to incorporate into one novel, but Tardif does it beautifully in a mere 199 pages. If you want something different in a mystery, WHALE SONG is a compelling story you won't forget any time soon.

11-year-old Sarah and her parents, Daniella (an artist), and Jack (a marine biologist), move to Canada from the States. Sarah is not happy about the move but she starts warming up to the idea when she sees their beautiful new house located right along the beach that has an amazing view. She's even more happy when she meets Goldie. The two quickly become best friends. Sarah loves Goldie's family, especially her grandmother who they call Nana most of the time. Goldie is of Indian descent (along with most of the other people in the town where Sarah is living), so Sarah learns new traditions and tales from the past.

Sarah develops a crush on a boy in her class, Adam. She also gets bullied by a girl named Annie. But for the most part she likes her new home. She especially loves going out on the schooner with her parents and listening to the whales, which are Sarah and her mother's new love.

Not long after being in their new home, Sarah's mom starts having fainting spells. It is discovered that she has a rare condition that is slowly wasting her away. When Sarah finds this out she's devastated. Unfortunately, there's nothing anyone can do for her mother. Her doctors only give her about two to three more years to live, max.

When Daniella eventually ends up in a coma, something happens and she dies. Jack (Sarah's father) is arrested for pulling the plug on the machines that were keeping his wife alive. Sadly, after his long-awaited court date, the jury finds him guilty and he's sentenced to ten years in prison.

Sarah has to go back to the U.S. with her grandparents and leave everything behind once again. She tries to block out all that has happened to her back in Canada, even the good things. But when she's older (in her 20's), someone comes along and opens her floodgates (so to speak), and she once again remembers everything, including how her mother died.

This was an incredibly hard book to write a summary of. So much happens in WHALE SONG that it's hard to cover the basic things in a short summary. Just go read the book and you'll find out how wonderful it is! It's completely heart wrenching because you know all along that Daniella is dying. But the whole book is just amazing.

I seriously never wanted to put it down. Ms. Tardif's use of words is incredible, like when she's talking about the killer whales or describing scenery. They just flow so easily across every page. My heartstrings were being pulled the entire time and I absolutely loved it. If you like these type of books, I seriously recommend getting yourself a copy. You seriously won't be disappointed. And yes, I know I just overused the word seriously -- sorry!

Reviewed by: Breanna F.

"Whale Song" is a poignant tale that asks difficult questions - ones that challenge us to look deeply into our own hearts. This is a very well written novel about Sarah, a young girl who moves to Canada from Montana. It's about her family and friends who love her so very much, and the difficult choices and sacrifices that have to be made by them all. Set on Canada's breathtaking Vancouver Island, the whales and other wildlife are as beautiful as the story itself. This is Ms Tardif's "heart book" - the book closest to her heart - and after reading it, it's easy to see why.

This book is full of practical recipes for almost anything you need, and safe for the environment as well. I use it like a recipe book, whenever I need to mix a cleaner or make a product, I look up the thing that I need, and the variations of it, and make it with the basic supplies that I bought. I am really enjoying it, and feel like I'm making a small difference for the environment, and a big difference for detoxifying my home.

This is an absolutely great book for anyone interested in "greening" their home. Their recommendations are great for the enviornment, for your health, home and save you money!

It's amazing all the products you can clean with that are already in your kitchen and, more importantly, not toxic.

This is a great book. I got it not really thinking I would use it as much as I have. I use it for body creams, cleansers and moisturizers AND I use if for household cleaning, furniture polish, sachets, and more. And her explanations of how different ingredients work is also very helpful. I now buy very few commercial cleaners (Bon Ami, Ecover laundry detergent) mostly because I can't find washing soda anywhere locally.

This book is filled with natural and non-toxic cleaning products, personal care products and more. I have made a number of cleaning potions from Better Basics and am loving the way my house smells when I clean it! Meaning...instead of the old days using harsh chemicals, my home smells like almost nothing--just clean!

I was going to post a review for Annie Bond's Home Enlightenment: Practical, Earth-Friendly Advice for Creating a Nurturing, Healthy, and Toxin-Free Home and Lifestyle, but noticed it is no longer in print. Too bad, because it was good. However, if you want similar information, check out Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your PlanetBoth of these books deal with the next steps to take once your home is non-toxic, including ways to make your home your sanctuary.

Our book club recently had the privilege of reading Pug Sheridan. Our discussion of the book was momentous because we were joined by the author herself, Sandra Cline. As a group, we found the book enjoyable and thought-provoking. Written in the style of magical realism, the novel is set in early 1900s Alabama against the backdrop of racism, fear and hatred incited by the Ku Klux Klan. The book centers around Pug, a spunky, privileged white girl who collects her band of multicultural best friends and forms a secret sisterhood. The friends grow up together and are supported and protected by a circle of wise women--mothers, grandmothers, mentors. In making their way to adulthood, the girls suffer unspeakable loss, prejudice and violence. Pug is a soul who longs for peace and justice. She confronts the ugliest of life's issues and, though she struggles with her own imperfections, retains her spirit throughout.

Ours is a book club made up mostly of teachers and former teachers who love a good story and a good discussion. Sandra Cline delivered both with Pug Sheridan.

Our book club chose this book as our September 2008 read, especially because Sandy Cline is a local author, and agreed to attend our discussion after we finished the book. What an amazing experience! We were able to really get a feel for Sandy's frame of mind and intentions while writing the book.

I really enjoyed this book...it reminds me on several levels of To Kill a Mockingbird, one of my very favorite novels. The young southern protagonist, the racial themes, and the strong family influences are all reminiscent of Harper Lee's classic. Pug is a very memorable character, and her "sisters" all add a vital piece to the story. The plot has a lot of action, several surprising twists, and really pulls you along. I found myself breeezing through this book.

Overall, I thought it was a great choice for our book club; it allowed for a very satisfying discussion of the central themes. I would definitely recommend this book.

I first read Pug Sheridan 18 months ago, since then I've purchased 6 copies to give as gift to friends, and have led discussions on Pug Sheridan for 2 book groups. The last time I read Pug Sheridan my husband and I were making a long drive and I read several passages to him, I find the wording to be beautiful and so did he. I'm a great admirer of Sandra Cline and am looking forward to her next book. I'm hopeful that our high school will include Pug Sheridan in their curriculum. There are dark passages but they are followed by support and survival.

Sandra Cline did an excellent job in writing this book. We read it for discussion in a book review club. This group is composed of senior citizens and several members were reared in the south. They verified the existance of viewpoints expressed by the characters. Sandra Cline visited our group when we discussed the book and it seems clear she did a lot of research before writing it. She also told us that a sequel is coming. I am sure it will be well received. While I regard it as a "chick book", I say, "So what." it was very enjoyable reading and held my interest throughout. The events experienced by the many characters were individually believable and described very well. I would recommend the book to anyone from high school age on.

Pug Sheridan is a young girl in the south who deals with prejudice, ignorance and hatred of the very people she loves. Sandra Cline gives the reader a truthful picture of southern life in the early part of the century. She brings her characters to life and the reader grows to love them all, even the bad guys because we understand why they are as they are. On a larger scale it is a picture of how one person can change an entire community with love and acceptance. It's clear that Sandra Cline has a story to tell and it comes from her heart. This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. I wish it could be read by every high school student in America. Perhaps it could be used as a catalyst to change the way our young people view others. The paraphrased words that come to me are "Treat others the way you'd like to be treated."

Patterson's basic argument (partly inspired by Isaac B. Singer) is that what makes human cruelty easy is the cruelty we inflict on animals. The needless killing of animals, he says, makes the needless killing of human beings not only plausible, but possible. The infrastructure, he notes, of the Nazi death camp is identical to the animal slaughterhouse in all respects except one: at Aushwitz, Treblinka, Dachau, etc, it was humans being killed and not animals. Patterson is shocked - as are many of his animal rights informants - that people know of the tragedy of the holocaust and yet turn a blind eye to the treatment of animals.

One regretable aspect of the book is that he does not provide any considered response to those who reject the Holocaust analogy. There is a strong response, especially amongst Jewish scholars, that such analogies diminish the significance of the Holocaust. Answering such criticisms would have been advisable especially given that such criticisms are badly formulated. Nonetheless, this book is a triumph.

I just finished reading Eternal Treblinka - Our Treatment of Animals and The Holocaust by Charles Patterson. I found it incredibly enlightening with respect to human nature. Up until recently, I have held the belief that people are essentially good and will do right when given proper information and opportunity. But Patterson's book reveals a more base and far less noble side to humanity by delving into our history of brutality against other animals and one another.

Through the history of the Holocaust and our relationship with animals, Patterson addresses issues of dominance, our unwillingness to speak out against evil, and reveals our skill for "ignoring" and "rationalizing" atrocities which occur all around us. I found this quote particularly poignant:

"I was revolted and saddened at the savagery of our species. I came to realize that humankind has a very thin veneer of civility on top of millions of years of evolution that evidently genetically predisposes us to brutality and senseless savagery." - Peter Muller

I can only hope that humankind will continue to evolve and that this "thin veneer" of civility will grow into a thick, strong, compassionate, non-violent way of life as more people open their eyes and take responsibility for what we are doing to animals.

One of the people interviewed for the book expressed disillusionment because her church showed no interest in animal abuse issues. She says "I think how 130 years ago the church remained silent about the slave trade because they were only black people. Fifty years ago the church remained silent because they were only Jews. Today the church remains silent because they are only animals."

Today, we think, "how could ANYONE have stood by and said nothing during the Holocaust, or the Slave trade?" but we are ALL doing it RIGHT NOW! Just standing by, thinking: oh, well it's the food chain, or oh God gave the animals for our use, or oh, I only buy "humanely" slaughtered animals (as if there is such a thing!) or worse...we whine, "But I LIKE cheese or meat" - as though our desire for a particular flavor trumps the right of billions of animals to a life free from torture, enslavement and murder.

Someday we will hopefully see that it is all connected. The violence and lack of compassion we show towards animals returns to us in our relationship with other humans and ourselves. As Pythagoras said: "For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other."

I agree wholeheartedly with the Isaac Bashevis Singer quote at the beginning of this book, but feel that it is both the primary thesis of this book and unfortunately also its high point. After a promising first chapter, Charles Patterson throws together the results of his abundant research into a not altogether coherent whole. A long list of isolated facts, no matter how meticulously researched and established, does not an argument make.
For example, I remain unconvinced that there is a cause and effect relationship between our treatment of animals over the ages and the Holocaust: that the two are parallel tracks on our sickening recent record as a species, there is no doubt; but I would not venture beyond that point.
Also, while the testimonies provided by survivors of the Holocaust, as well as by Germans, concerning their realization that our relationship to animals is not unlike an "eternal Treblinka" are indeed inspiring, I seriously doubt that they affect more than a tiny minority of those survivors, like vegetarianism in general.
More realistic, I think, is the sad but not surprising fact that most Holocaust survivors 1) have no problem with eating meat and how it gets to their table and 2) feel entirely justified grinding another people into the dust, apparently having learned nothing from their own horrific personal experiences.

This is a very good book. My only problem with it involved a general demeaning of Christianity. The author forgets that Christians bless their food before eating it. Further, that they are called to be stewards of creation....though they have failed with Western Christianity's industrialization and glorification of scientism and produc tivity. Most ominous is the slandering of St. John Chrysostom, a giant in the Eastern, read "Asian", Orthodox Church (which, by the way, eats a vegan diet about 50% of the days of a year!) If one types "John Chrysostom anti-semitism" into one's browser there will appear a good number of sites dealing with the mistranslation that Patterson has so eagerly adopted in order to grind his anti-Christian blade. A little deeper research would have made for an even better book.

The Eternal Treblinka is a book I find to be extremely informative and intense. I believe that this book should be read by as many readers as possible. The information can definitely impact lifestyle and raise awareness regarding the human conditon. It cohesively defines the foundation of suffering. This book certainly summarizes how the treatment of animals and nature will rightly cause the beginning of the end of our own existence. It's an absolute must read!


Maria B.

If you want to understand what Gilda felt as she described her cancer experience this is the book for you. I thourghly enjoyed this read. Her courage in the face of all this was truly inspiring....

This book is less an autobiography than it is a memoir of dealing with cancer. The entire book is pretty much about the nitty gritty details of cancer, which could prove a valuable comforting resource for those going through something similar. Wish there had been more about her life and career. But it's pretty much all about cancer and Gene Wilder, whom she obviously adored. I like that it feels like you can hear her voice when you read--it sounds like her and can be very funny and touching. She seems like a great person and someone you would have loved to know as a friend.

I first discovered Gilda from watching the TV-movie of this starring Jami Gertz on ABC back in 2002 (which I don't recommend for highly-acclaimed critics, or to anyone for various reasons resting solely on the persona portrayed by Gertz) .
Although growing up in Detroit, I wasn't very familiar with Gilda as one would think, being from the same town. I looked EVERYWHERE to try to purchase this book, on here, Border's, Barnes&Noble and other various websites and my last resort, eBay (which I recommend if you don't know where to purchase it). In which case, I received it in the mail after a week or so, ripped opened the packaging and read it like a fat kid eating cake. Wanting more. After reading the book, you feel like you know Gilda. While reading the book, you feel like you know Gilda.
She starts off talking about her random excursions in her ambiguous life, how she wanted her story to go one way, but it took a left turn and made another. Gilda especially highlights her relationship with Gene and how they met, where they got married, the process of getting married in a French town hall and saying "I do" at every pause, because she couldn't understand the French language. She did everything in her power to try to become Gene's wife. She suffocated him, he moved to New York came back to see her in Connecticut and when "the ducks were landed" she ended her relationship with Former SNL lead-guitarist, G.E. Smith and so began the relationship between Rosanne Rosannadanna and Willy Wonka. Her never ending battle to have a child, put me at the edge of my seat as she went through 2 miscarriages.
Feeling unexplainably fatigued all the time, she tried to find the source of her problem by taking vitamins, sleeping more, eating properly. She stopped smoking (a habit she picked up at age 14) and went to doctors who mis- prescribed her with "Epsom-Bar Syndrome." Eventually, it got to the point where she couldn't get up and was constantly tired, so she got other opinions and was diagnosed.
STAGE FOUR Ovarian Cancer.
Afraid to be seen in public, she took therapy and began to realize how many other people were suffering from the same thing. She joined the Wellness Community, found her place and died on May 20, 1989. This book touched my heart from beginning to end. As if she was my life-long friend. I own the original 1989 edition, and I am NEVER letting ANYONE else touch it.

I was diagnosed with colon cancer in April 2005 and life has never been the same. My partner purchased this book for me and I loved it. I loved it not because it read like a self help book but because it read as a true commentary of life with cancer. It's words touched a part of me that no self help book could ever touch. Radner's everyday dealings with this insiduous disease made me laugh and cry and boil over with anger. Radner's words help me to roam through the numerous rooms that one staggers through after a diagnosis of cancer. My heartfelt thanks to Gilda and I would recommend the book to everyone who is affected and infected with cancer.

Gilda Radner was a very fine performer, but this book--not devoted to her entertainment career--shows her to be a class act off-stage as well. Some of us are lucky to have faired well at the hands of brilliant medicos, and are very grateful for it, but anyone who has had long-term experience with America's byzantine medical system knows how easy it is to become fixated, to the detriment of one's own health, upon its appalling lapses and petty cruelties, and lose sight of what's positive. Practically crawling, doubled-over in pain, before doctors took her condition seriously, and, later, away from treatment for an extended period of "remission," only to find out it was merely a mistaken test reading, Radner shows no bitterness in this honest, brave, and, yes, sometimes funny book.

Someone so famous during the golden era of "Saturday Night Live" that she could hardly walk the streets of New York without being mobbed by fans, Radner is reduced by illness to humble sprees involving bingo parlors and mail-order catalogues. Demonstrating resilience, but also a sweet brave sadness that makes you hope, against all sane logic, that things will turn out differently.

It has been written elsewhere that when Radner was very ill in the hospital she would make the rounds cheering up other patients, introducing herself "Hi, I used to be Gilda Radner." There you have it--that transcendent quality humor sometimes has to defy all human limitations, even death. Fortunately Radner will defy it more than most because her warm, precise and yet delightfully silly comedy will live on in tape, film and this very good book. Thank you, Gilda, you will always be really something.

I have greatly enjoyed using this book both as a personal resource and a group study resource. I anticipate using this book throughout my life both personally and in ministry. A must-have!

This is an excellent guide to prayer. We use it every day for a starting of our daily prayers.

I absolutely love this book. It combines just the right amount of structural guidance and freedom. I love the addition of "Spiritual Readings" to complement the Scripture readings and themes.

Each week focuses on a different theme. The Scripture readings help you discover various aspects of the theme without the authors manipulating the text. The readings are associated with the theme, but are not "devotionals" on the days Scripture readings. The readings are taken from some of the best Christian writers and classics of Christian thought.

Shawchuck and Job structure the daily devotionals as follows:

Invocation (a written prayer to focus you and draw you in for the day's theme)
A Psalm (Chosen to align with the week's theme.)
Reading for Reflection (Chosen from among the best writers in Christian history)
Daily Scripture Readings (Monday-Friday with the weekends consisting of a selection from the Lectionary)
Reflection: Silent and Written (Nothing written, but this give you time to sit quietly or journal)
Prayers: For the Church, for Others, and Myself (Again, not written, but this is the time where you spend time in prayer)
Hymn (Sing or read as poetry; either way you are exposed to some of the great hymns of the church)
Benediction (Provided by the authors to bring closing).

This book has helped me on my spiritual journey. I struggle with ADD and this book provided the right amount of structure to help me stay focused and yet the freedom to experience variety.

I love the way this is set up. It has different type of devotional components

This might be the only product on Amazon that I've ever seen with 20 5-star reviews and nothing else. I hate to be the grumpy one, but I'm just not tracking with these other reviewers. I found this to be one of the least helpful devotionals that I've ever used.

I was assigned to use this devotional for a seminary class and was fully prepared to appreciate it. I was excited about the daily Scripture readings, the collected quotations, and the weekly hymns, all tied to the same theme. This seemed like a perfect format. Unfortunately, it turned out to be dreadful.

My one primary complaint was that the Scriptures and the quotes were difficult to connect thematically. Though there was a category for each week like "Forgiveness" or "Wise Stewards," I often found myself completely perplexed as to how a particular Scripture reading was supposed to relate to that topic. I'm not suggesting that reading the Bible should be an inherently intuitive process, but if I'm going to be sent flying across the entire Bible from one day to the next, I would really prefer to understand the relationship between the passages.

I also found the "Readings for Reflection" to be a struggle. Though other reviewers raved about the authors who were represented, I found many of them to be extremely obscure (and for good reason). Many of the readings were very wooden, probably somewhat indicative of the time when they were written. I do enjoy reading the classics, but I did not find these selections to be especially enlightening and more often left me scratching my head.

Finally, I found the organization of each week to be extremely frustrating. I was constantly flipping back and forth from one page to another, and the binding of the book is so tight and its pages so narrow that it would frequently snap shut and leave me hunting to find my place. I realize that many will laugh at my focus on such minor details, but they really affect me. I'm distractible to begin with, and the last thing that I need when spending devotional time with God is one more thing to distract me. I really wished that the Scriptures and readings had been better integrated to allow for a more natural flow when using this book.

Upon rereading my critique, I probably paint myself as some sort of lazy idiot. I am not looking for a mindless devotional book. I am willing to invest in intellectual reflection when I study the Word and read what others have to say. Maybe "A Guide to Prayer" will work for other folks, but this guide left me disappointed and even frustrated. I will keep looking for a devotional guide that flows more naturally and makes more sense to me.

My husband was recently incarcerated and in the time before he left I was trying to find a book that would explain things to me and help me to be better equipped to handle what my family and I would be going through. This book showed me the things I was looking to learn about the system we will have to deal with for years to come. I am not the only woman who has ever had to face this problem, and I feel that we will make it through. I think It is a must read for any family member who has a loved one in jail!

If you are the mother of an incarcerated son or daughter, I would not recommend this book; it is focused primarily on the incarceration of a husband. There were some helpful tips; however, there was a lot of "filler" that most people could just use common sense and wouldn't need to consult a help book about.

"Ann is to be commended for shining a little light on an otherwise darkened corner of American society."
- William Harmening, Former Manager of the Federal Bureau of Prisons Halfway Program

This is an important book for families who have an incarcerated loved one. Prisoners should also read it so they can better understand what their loved ones are going though. It's also a valuable work for anyone to read to gain a better perspective to realize that we need to make changes to solve our out-of-control system of crime and punishment.

Tom Lagana, co-author "Chicken Soup for the Prisoner's Soul", "Chicken Soup for the Volunteer's Soul", and "Serving Time, Serving Others."

Family Arrested by Ann Edenfield is a straightforward, "user friendly" guide to dealing with the incarceration of a loved one. Comprehensive, the information ranges from making bail; to what to expect during a visit to prison; to the illustrative personal experiences of a woman whose husband was sentenced to serve 15 years, Family Arrested is practical, well-researched, and filled from cover to cover with absolute need-to-know information. If you have a jailed or imprisoned friend, spouse, or family member, then give a careful reading to Family Arrested.