United Kingdom Books

I'm so tired of all these yuppie cooking shows. I think that the "Two Fat Ladies" is such a refreshing breath of fresh air! Whenever I see it on the television, I stop what I'm doing and get ready to learn something and have a great laugh. I appreciate it even more now that Jennifer has passed on.- Kristina Jansz

Haggis is the legendary national dish of Scotland. It is, when well-made, surprisingly delicious. We served an excellent one to friends from Nova Scotia that we bought in Scotland, and our guests were delighted by its spicy richness.

Clarissa Disckon Wright, the witty co-host of the Two Fat Ladies cooking show, wrote this book with her wry humor but also with authority. It is an excellent work and fun to read. The illustrations are charming.

Be warned, however; making a haggis yourself is not for the faint-of-heart, nor is a detailed recipe included here--the initial stages of making haggis resemble a post-mortem more than a culinary exercise. Dickson Wright gently suggests you buy yours, as most people do. This is surprising, as she once described a recipe for beef tongue stuffed in sausage casing explaining, "just as simple really as applying a condom, though, of course, less fun."

Clarissa Dickson Wright fans will love her little book of history about one of Scotland's culinary products. Except for its whiskey, if one mentions "haggis" one immediate thinks of Scotland. The book is brief and to the point with suttle humour peppered throughout the piece. Ms. Wright shows her culinary knowledge and her well read background in this delicious piece of work.

Clarissa Dickson Wright, The Haggis: A Little History (Pelican Press, 1998)

Books like this make me wonder: what is the publishing industry thinking jacking up their prices every year, like clockwork, assuming we're going to buy this "cost of living increase" nonsense?

Clarissa Dickson Wright's The Haggis: A Little History is a small, lavishly-illustrated hardback priced such that, if the carpings of other publishers are to be believed, Pelican must have taken a major loss printing and selling it for the price they do. One would expect to see a book of this beauty selling for at least three times this price solely to break even. (Heed well, poetry fans. You're getting screwed on those fifteen-dollar trade paperbacks of less than an hundred pages. Not that you're surprised, but now you have hard evidence.)

As to the content of the book itself, it's a short essay by Dickson Wright (the surviving member of the wonderful Two Fat Ladies) on the origins, history, and popularity of the dish that has come to be associated with Scotland more than any other, though it's been said the Scots invented whiskey because they had to eat haggis. With her trademark wit and charm, Dickson Wright sheds new light on the much-maligned supersausage. Maybe even enough new light to get a few folks to try the stuff. Maybe. Folks, if you have tried scrapple and thought you were eating something akin to haggis, think again. (One word: oatmeal.)

A lovely little book. Granted, probably not for everyone, but giving a slew of these to children as birthday presents (you can remove the dust jacket; the actual book cover is just as beautiful and far more durable) may finally take the taint off the Scottish Hot Dog once and for all. ****

Today, most people know Mary Wollstonecraft for two things: her pioneering book, considered the first feminist work 'A Vindication of the Rights of Woman', and her famous daughter, Mary Shelley, author of `Frankenstein'. Diane Jacobs' biography shows that Wollstonecraft was much more than her works and progeny. Born into a life of unnecessary poverty (her father wasted the family money), Wollstonecraft, from an early age, fought against the injustices she saw around her. By the time she reached adulthood, she had rejected the typical role for women in the 18th century, especially where conventional marriage was concerned; she also believed there was more to life than teaching or being a governess (the acceptable occupations for women). After trials, more poverty, and unrequited love, Wollstonecraft comes into her own when she becomes a writer and then travels to France during the revolution: here she is exposed to the wider world, serves as an education advisor in one of the revolutionary governments, and meets the love of her life, American Gilbert Imlay, by whom she has a daughter, Fanny. Although the relationship doesn't last, self-realization propels her to a mature writing style and philosophy that was unfortunately cut short by her death after giving birth to her second daughter, Mary. Jacobs does an excellent job of chronicling Mary's life and work; however, I found the beginning of the book repetitious (but then again, so was her early life), and only when Mary goes to France did I find it to be interesting. What I found fascinating was the stereotypical `female' reaction Mary has to her deteriorating relationship with Imlay: plaintive letters and even suicide attempts to get attention and keep an unfaithful (and flaky) lover with her. Jacobs has a knack for describing the supporting characters in Mary's life wonderfully: Mary's two sniping sisters, their resentment and complete lack of understanding of Mary's choices (and some of it is deserved, as many of Mary's promises to help them never came to be); Imlay, obviously good-hearted, but shallow (and surprisingly naïve - his request of William Godwin to not talk badly about him, even though he takes Fanny's support money away after Mary's death is worthy of criticism); Joseph Johnson, whose long-suffering support of Mary makes him one of the most sympathetic characters in her story; and Henry Fuseli, the painter, for whom Mary had an obsessive passion (despite the fact he was bisexual and married). Perhaps where this book falls short is in the portrait of William Godwin: not really mentioned until the middle of the book, he seems tacked on at the end; his and Mary's relationship, at times, seems one of convenience, at least for her. The most poignant part of the book, at least for me, was at the end, when Fanny, overlooked by her stepfather (and ignored by her biological father) accomplishes what her mother attempted: at 22, she travels to Wales, checks into a hotel, and commits suicide, leaving a letter hoping that her family would "have the blessing of forgetting that such a creature ever existed..." (285). It would have been fascinating to learn what this first, and possibly smarter, daughter of Wollstonecraft could have accomplished had she been given the chance.

If you are familar with Mary Shelley(or her classic book "Frankenstein") This extremely researched and well-written biography introduces you to her mother,Mary Wollenstonecraft(Godwin) A lady who was truly before her time(the late 1700's). The daughter of an abusive father and indiffrent mother,her brilliant mind enabled her to write the classic treatise "Vindication Of The Rights Of Women" while only in her 20's. She also journeyed to France and witnessed The French Revolution in all it's g(l)ory,had several passionate love affairs,one which produced a child though the father had no intention of leaving his wife and marrying her, making her a single working mother long before it was either fashionable or accepted. She married William Godwin ,(the father of the future Mary Shelley) and tragically died from complications of her childbirth at 38. Although Ms. Wollenstonecraft's life was short,it was well-lived and makes for fascinating reading that the author(Diane Jacobs) vividly brings to life with both immediacy and wit. An empowering book for woman as well as an engrossing bio for both sexes..

I had the great pleasure of reading and using Diane Jacobs' "Her Own Woman: The Life of Mary Wollstonecraft" while researching and writing my recent biography, "Theodosia Burr Alston: Portrait of a Prodigy (Corinthian Books, 2002). Vice President Aaron Burr, for all his flaws, was the first prominent American man to enthusiastically embrace and publicly endorse Wollstonectaft's radical feminist views on the equal education of women. He used her principles to give his teenage daughter, Theodosia, a "man's education" which would equip her for the three roles in life he envisioned for her: queen, president, or empress. I found Ms. Jacobs' work extremely insightful and enormously useful in understanding this woman who many cite as one of the first mothers of feminism. -- Richard N. Côté

Diane Jacobs has taken the intriguing, and sometimes tragic story of Mary Wollstonecraft and turned out a riveting account of a true pioneer. Fresh and readable, the book makes use of previously unknown sources to provide a new perspective on someone who's life was even more dramatic than her important writings. Far and away the best book on Wollstonecraft. Truely enjoyable and highly recommended.

Alexandra Johnson, who teaches writing at Harvard and Wellesley, provides us with six excellent stories about the role of the diary in the creative lives of seven prominent female writers. The chapters are arranged progressively according to both the age of the writers at the time they began writing the most celebrated parts of their journals, and to the time period in which they lived. For each chapter, Johnson slightly modifies her style to best capture the spirit of the particular writer's life, as recorded in her diary. It is a very effective narrative device, executed with remarkable precision, a style that is very difficult to carry off without sounding artificial and capricious.

The role of memoir is often underestimated outside of literary fiction, but its importance is gaining ground. One need not be an English major at some liberal arts college like Amherst, Swarthmore, Smith, Vassar, Mount Holyoke, or Sarah Lawrence, to find the subject relevant and interesting. For example, we often rely on patient memoir as medical narrative in my graduate program in biomedical ethics at the University of Maryland. History, law, and even business are focusing more attention on personal narratives now than in years past. Still, it is in the diaries of writers where we find the most inspiring stories.

In Johnson's book, the frustrations and insecurities of hailed writers are laid bare for us both in their journal excerpts and in the author's impressive ancillary research, making these past figures seem ever more human than what we usually grasp from reading their fiction. The incipient chapter on Marjory Fleming, with its occassional comparisons of the central figure to other important juvenile femmes de plume (Anne Frank and the young Bronte sisters), fills the reader with both charming amusement at how such a young girl could write like such an adult, and with awe at her gifted literary ability, which was cut so short by an early death. The next two chapters, on Sonya Tolstoy and Alice James, show us the age-old struggle of the aspiring female writer against male-imposed (both societal and familial) restrictions to her creative expression. These are among the most emotionally frustrating chapters; they often reminded me of the classes I took as a Women's Studies minor in college.

My favorite chapter is about the relationship between the great Virginia Woolf and Katherine Mansfield, as recorded in their diaries. The way that Johnson writes about these two, one can feel the writers living and breathing, conversing and writing, fretting and maligning, praising and rejoicing in their shared and individual literary triumphs and (often self-perceived) failures. Of all the chapters, this one is a true must-read for the bookworm short on time.

The following chapter on the provocative (and promiscuous) Anais Nin reads almost like a confessional more than a biography. The most interesting points of this entry are where Nin confronts her own dishonesty within her diary's pages--the 'cardinal sin' of journal-keeping. Without saying so explicitly, Johnson shows the reader by example how important it is to keep one's diary devoid of any false stories or feelings. The last chapter on May Sarton is like smiling into the day's end--the golden years of one's life published in best-selling diaries. One is never too old to begin, I suppose.

The six chapters are capped by a prologue and epilogue, both in the form of diary entries (they may very well be) from Johnson's contemporary life. This book, unlike so many other nonfiction books of its kind out there, reads like a seamless biography that entertains, informs, and (most importantly) moves the reader to a better appreciation of the interior lives of some great (and some overlooked) female writers and diarists. It is a book for reflection on the power and value of keeping a diary (or 'journal,' for us men), and for motivation for all of us to start keeping one of our own.

What a fantastic find! This book is one of those treasures that you will never forget! A truly savoury read!

For the diarist, writer, avid reader or fan of Virginia Woolf, Anais Nin, Alice James, Katherine Mansfield, Marjory Fleming or May Sarton (or just for a lover of great writing!), this is a must-have book. I have kept a journal for nearly 20 years and have never thought much of it. In other words, it's part of me like my arm or leg is but in this book, journals are made into fascinating mirrors (or in some cases, pandora's boxes) of women writers. The author explains in great detail how each writer used her journal as a creative tool. The title "hidden writer" is somewhat misleading, as all the women in this book were published, but the "hidden" aspect perhaps refers to the private aspects of themselves they revealed only in their journals. Chapters on Katherine Mansfield and Virgina Woolf are exceptional.

Johnson's research is phenomenal, layered and her narrative skill at tying it all together is amazing. Somewhat mediumistic, she dons a slightly different voice in each chapter, to best bring the writer's diaries to life.

The book ends with a few journal entries from the author.

A fascinating, memorable read. Anyone with an interest in writing, psychology, and creativity should find this a wonderful read!

Recommended without fail!

This book examines several women writers through recent history, and how their practice of journal-keeping helped (or hindered in the case of Anais Nin) the finding of their unique voices and the moving of their private writing into the world in spite of the often huge barriers of their repressive time-periods and circumstances.

It starts in 1809 with Marjory Fleming, a six year-old Scottish prodigy whose diary became a huge success after her death at age nine from measles - and her older cousin and mentor who never published a word.

Then Sofia Tolstoy, in 1862, marries Leo Tolstoy who funnels her considerable energy and talent and intellect into scribing and organizing his own work.

In 1889, Alice James hides behind illness to avoid competing with her ambitious brothers Henry and William; she only manages to start a diary once she's a middle-aged invalid in England, far away from her famous American family. I found her story particularly haunting and appalling.

Next, Virginia Woolf and Katharine Mansfield chronicle in their journals their creative friendship and rivalry. Then there's Anais Nin in the twentieth century whose fame is secured by her bank-vault filled with less-than-truthful diaries; oddly enough, her fixation on her diaries keeps her from breaking through with a successful work of fiction.

Last comes May Sarton who goes where no one has gone before and writes with great candor about old age and solitude. The book is written in a scholarly, yet fluid, style that pulls you along. Very interesting.

It's a nicely written, enjoyable read. I thought it would be dry, but it really isn't. The contrast between the two leaders couldn't be more stark, but not necessarily in the way you'd think. Roberts does a good job of bringing out the positive and negative in both leaders.

I found the book fascinating and read most of it in one sitting. The author's intent is to provide a comparison of two massively competent leaders pitted against one another, with the implied idea that Churchill's was better because he was on the right side. In fact, the author stumbles over himself sometimes to remind us several times that Hitler was evil (which, of course, he was). But after reading, I came away with the two both being geniuses and both being spellbinding leaders who brought out the best in their subordinates. Both had severe limitations as well. And the two leadership styles were complete contrasts. So what are the lessons here? Both leaders did many things right. Both did many things wrong. I think the case can be made that Hitler's style finally proved his undoing--he held the reigns too tightly and surrounded himself with sycophants. But remember that WWII was a very near thing. The author makes the point that after the Americans entered the war in a serious way, Churchill's supreme leadership was gradually eclipsed by Roosevelt and Eisenhower. But Churchill ultimately comes out a hero, which I like because I greatly admire him. Fascinating book? Yes. Worth reading? Absolutely.

Hitler and Churchill: Secrets of Leadership
This is a wonderfully written book comparing a fine leader who was a good man with a fine leader who was, probably, the twentieth century's most evil man. The message is that fine leadership does not imply goodness or badness. Oddly enough, with this serious theme the book contains some delightful humor.

This book depicts the differences and similarities between two of the most influential leaders of the twentieth century. This book can be used to complement Leadership courses at a Doctoral level as examples of transformational leadership.

For people out there who enjoy a reading an excellent novel, or know someone who enjoys reading this is a must have, or a wonderful gift. In this novel they compare the differences and at the same time their similarities of leadership between the two men, how they were both very committed to lead their country to victory, and would do anything in their power to do so. "Secrets of Leadership" has points or facts that you would have never known about both Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler, how Hitler wasn't mean and tough all the time, and at time's actually showed affection ( that's all I have to say on the subject), also they have three very interesting sections of illustrations, and explains how they used the media or the press to inspire and motivate their followers and soldiers. All in all this is a great book for anyone who is interested and even for those who are not into the whole war thing.

This is a great book on one of the great private jewelry collections of all time. The images in this book are the benchmark for this kind of book and the text is highly informative. The Duchess had impeccable taste and the Duke indulged her at every turn. Not a piece this woman owned was anything but the epitomy of elan and elegance, it was no wonder that her jewel auction brought out royals and the famous, I especially appreciated the breathtaking Prince of Wales feather's broach bought by Elizabeth Taylor, no surprise that this woman of singular taste would buy the best piece from the collection of a lady with dare I say even better taste. Great book, highly recommended.

I adore this book! It's an oversize publication which increases the beauty of the photography. The photos of the Duchess'jewelry are breathtaking, and it also provides a full account of the famed auction, including the amounts paid for the jewelry. There are great pictures of celebrities who purchased some of the pieces. There's even a stunning photo of Liz Taylor wearing the Prince of Wales Plume Pin for which she paid over $500,000. It also recounts the story of their lives along with pictures, including copies of newspaper clippings during the abdication. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Duke and Duchess or the forthcoming auction of the Windsor's household possessions at Sothebys. This book is the jewel in my collection of royal books!

THE JEWELS OF THE DUCHESS OF WINDSOR 1st edition,is a lush vicarious view of the golden age of royalty. The illustrations are breathtaking, done by some of the world's most famous photographers including Lord Snowdon..a marvelous addition to any collection.

THE JEWELS OF THE DUCHESS OF WINDSOR 1st edition,is a lush vicarious view of the golden age of royalty. The illustrations are breathtaking, done by some of the world's most famous photographers including Lord Snowdon..a marvelous addition to any collection.

This is a very good story, and well told, even if ghost written.

Oddly, it casts the Duke of Windsor in a poor light, and indicates why, quite apart from the marriage question, he was a bad King. Who can read without wincing his account of how he abruptly cut short the presentations of debutantes to him at Buckingham Palace because it started to rain? This was the high point of perfectly harmless society ladies' lives, and he not only walked out in the middle, but caustically observes that he cannot understand why anyone was upset.

And then there is the peculiar passage where he says that he worked out that it would take nearly a month for bodies like the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, and others, to present their loyal addresses, so he insisted on them all being done in one day, in one batch, because he could not be bothered to respond to all of them individually. Yet this was his job as a constitutional monarch!

A welcome feature of the book is that it stops at the moment of abdication. Although this means that he doesn't have to explain his conduct during the lead up to the war, and during the war (which is, however, documented in the Duchess of Windsor's memoirs), it does focus the book almost entirely on his upbringing as a Prince, and on the abdication, which are the most interesting things about him.

Well worth reading.

The Duke of Windsor wrote this book in the 1950s while living in Paris. Reading it you begin to get some sense that for all his faults here was an individual of extraordinary personal charm. It was certainly a singular life. Here was a boy who was led to believe he would inherit the throne of the greatest empire on earth but who ends up as a sad fixture on the international cocktail party circuit in the arms of an ageing American divorcee of uncertain past. What happened! The anecdotal style of this simply written book is very enjoyable to read. The passing of the certainties of the Victorian age, the Edwardian twilight, World War I, the thrill of all things new and American in the 20s and 30s: the would be Edward VIII is a uniquely placed witness. History increasingly casts the Duke and his bride as ridiculous even sinister figures. This book helps you to remember that they were human too, falliable, and at the mercy of political and world historical forces beyond their control.

The greatest love story of our century is an understatement.
A King's Story is well known to be ghost written for the Duke and even with constant prodding, he suffered from selective memory.
He seems to forget all his previous "friendships", those familiar with the saga will know this means the married women in his life before Wallis. A great addition to royal book collection, but if you are looking for the facts, hunt them down in Donaldson book. Companion book is the Duchess Heart has it's reasons. Maybe they should have gotten together so the facts in each book matched.

It is quite a sad testament to our times that there are very few true gentlemen left these days. Civility is indeed going the way of the do-do bird, and the days of gents like David Nivens, Cary Grant, Cole Porter, Sean Connery and the good Duke here, are slowly fading into obscurity. That need not be the case and, hopefully, there are few out there who still feel as do I, that it need not completely die. Perhaps if more read the memoirs here, they will become inspired and such a dream can become realized.

The memoirs themselves are quite extraordinary and give one fantastic insight into this legendary gentleman and family. Reading other reviews that quibble over "selective" memory of the Duke, I can only surmise that these come from the very same individuals who grab the latest issues of "In Touch" and whatever other gossip periodicals they can grasp, only to "learn" the inside dirt on various celebs and noteworthy individuals. If that's what you are truly after in the first place, then this is definitely not for you and you should just stick to reading the by-lines or scanning the photos of the tabloids. Otherwise, if you'd like to get a peek into a life of grandeur and civility, and perhaps some tips on how to bring a modicum of dignity to your own, then this is for you.

Enjoy.

Leithart, currently a professor at New St Andrews university, does the church a wonderful service in this book. All too often, Christians look at Washington D.C. as the battlefield from whence comes all the glory. Leithart points out that it may instead end up being the church's Waterloo. He redirects us to the centrality of the church, showing how by focusing our attention on its purity and power, we may yet "turn the world upside down."

In modern times, the Church emulates the world. Saints of all denominations dress, talk, and pray like the world-especially in the house of the Lord. Today's worship is just another production in which we can feel good about ourselves so we can go home and finish making Sunday dinner. Personal testimonies substitute Biblical preaching. Rock concerts replace the Psalms of David. Yes, even cookies and orange juice supplants bread and wine in many congregations. Where is the Church's hope? Does it have any? Or will the Church continue to slide down the slippery slope becoming more and more like world? Peter Leithart's Kingdom and the Power says no, the Church will not become like the world. Rather, the world will become like the Church. In his book, Leithart declares that the power and blessing of God's kingdom are realized in the worship and through the sacraments of the Church.

Many details make this book unique in its field. First, the emphasis on the liturgical (or sacramental) model sets this book apart from most books in Protestantism and Reformed camps.

Another aspect making the book peerless is the refreshing optimistic outlook. Postmillenialism is refreshing.

Moreover, Leithart supports his ideas with weighty documentation. He cites verses for nearly every new-sprung thought. He cites items obvious to some to make it easy on the reader who needs evidence for every point. Furthermore, Leithart writes very concise. He does not bundle the reader down with point after point phrased in several different ways. Interesting analogies and stories keep the reader entertained yet do not add to the labor of reading the book.

I found this book to be very important to the increasing pile of books on the table. First, the book is consistently reformed. Leithart makes no apologies about what he believes. Second, the work is simple enough for a common reader yet not dumbed down. Third, the invigorating outlook excites the reader.

This text can be summed up in a paragraph found on pgs 212 & 213 - "In the Bible, the kingdom of God is mainly concerned with the church, her sacraments and worship, her discipline and teaching, and her ministries of mercy ... the really big kingdom activity - the act that radically changes the world - is the gathering of the people of God on the Lord's day at the heavenly banquet table, when God's people hear His Word, offer humble petitions to the King, and feast on the flesh and blood of Jesus."

The Kingdom and the Power is a healthy antidote to different forms of liberation theology or millenarism, which secularize "the kingdom," which was so central to Jesus' teaching in the Gospels. Leithart sets out to show how the Biblical worldview of authentic power lies in Christian worship by means of the liturgy. He also gives solid grounds for what is popularly referred to as a "high ecclesiology."

The Biblical insights Leithart gives in this text build upon one another organically, and from atop the mountain of a Catholic worldview, I can see it leading the reader right on up to where I stand. I say this because having immersed myself in the Magisterial documents of the Catholic Church (especially those of the Second Vatican Council), the chapters in this book synthesize much of what has been expressed in Lumen Gentium, Gaudium et Spes, and Sacrosanctum Concilium.

After reading The Kingdom and the Power, I recommend that the avid reader take up Letter & Spirit, Vol. 2: The Authority of Mystery: The Word of God and the People of God (A Journal of Catholic Biblical Theology)

The English Baptist preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon was a man subject to periods of depression. When he would find himself in such a state, he would call his wife, Susannah, and say, "Fetch me down Baxter!" This was in reference to the book The Reformed Pastor by the great Puritan divine Richard Baxter. This book always excited Spurgeon and pulled him up, as it were, by his calling. After reading a few pages of Baxter, Spurgeon would again feel the fire of God reviving him.

The Kingdom and the Power: Rediscovering the Centrality of the Church by Peter J. Leithart is my Baxter. If ever I need the excitement of God to well up in my heart anew, I will call out to my wife, "Fetch me down Leithart!"

With the pen of a poet, Leithart sets the hungry soul on fire. Like a treasure hunter, he guides the reader through room after room of the great palace that is the Kingdom of God, exploring each facet in all its glory and finally arriving at the very center of the Kingdom, the room where all the treasure is kept, the living room where the people of God sit enthroned with Him on the love seat between the cherubim. This room is the Church. This is the center of God's purpose and God's Kingdom.

There are two chapters in particular that I will go back and read through again and again. They are chapters 8 and 9, "The People of the Kingdom," and "On Earth as It Is in Heaven." In these two chapters Leithart, without even mentioning the modernist theologies of liberalism and dispensationalism, destroys them both by expounding what God says about the Church and her mandate in the Kingdom.

Allow me to entice you with just one quote. "The Church, as a collaborator with God, is called to nothing less than world conquest, world construction, in the widest possible sense. She is called to labor by God's power to bring every man, woman, and child into the life and under the dominion of the kingdom; to work to see that every institution in every nation conforms itself to Christ's commandments; to bring every thought into captivity to Christ (2 Cor 10:5). Her mission is to see that every human being brings every created thing into service to God, so that the Adamic commandment in both its royal and priestly dimensions is fulfilled. So, the Church has a mission, and what a mission!" (p. 173-174). How's that for comprehensiveness?

I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs to see the vastly panoramic vision of the Kingdom of God anew - or for the first time! But beware, this is one of those books that will compel you into joyful action.

If you want to be inspired to really make a difference in the world, read this book. I had trouble putting it down. Bart Campolo connects powerful stories & the good news of Jesus in ways that challenge common views of what it means to really follow Christ. This book is about how to recognize who Jesus is and where he can be found.

The day I picked up this book, I read it from cover to cover. It gives you a sense of the day-to-day concerns of the young people who are living, for Jesus, in places where they're not allowed to go out at night because of the danger of the neighborhoods, of the people they're meeting and caring for, of the failures as much as the successes, of the doubts probably more than the certainties of Bart Campolo, who directs the ministry. In the final analysis, it gives Christians who are facing much less difficult ministries-of-daily-life feel inspired and, especially, not so alone with the questions.

I actually participated in the program that Bart got a lot of these stories from. Not only an amazing program, but Bart's chosen a good selection of stories from people's experiences in the inner-cities of America. Frightening situations, heart-melting situations.... A great compilation of short, encouraging stories. Very honest. Very real.

Kingdom Works provides an accurate and powerful introduction to the realities, challenges, and rewards of living and serving as disciples of Jesus among the poor in inner-city neighborhoods. A must read for anyone considering living and/or ministering in the inner-city.

This book reveals a lot about life as a rock musician. Genya Ravan is a Rock & Roll Queen, and this book is a must for a peek into the 60's and 70's rock world. Genya lived it & tells it all, from her many incarnations as a musician with the FIRST all female rock band, Goldie & The Gingerbreads , lead singer of Ten Wheel Drive, solo artist, & record producer . If that isn't enough, how about starting your life as a prisoner of the Nazi's and escaping with her parents & sister, sharing beds & buses with Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck & others, and reaching the depths of drug addiction & surviving cancer. Genya Ravan is an extraordinary woman, and she tells honest tales that will make you see how it was for one of the original women in rock & roll.

You should read the book, if you were a fan of the Ten Wheel Drive. But you could read it, too, if you are just and simply looking forward to a great story. Just when it becomes incredible, commence to listen to some of her music (you wanted that all the time, you notice)...

It blows you away, no matter what we choose to write, here.

This fascinating book covers the life of Genya Ravan, who, among other things, founded Goldie and the Gingerbreads, the first all female rock band that played their own instruments, fronted the ground breaking rock band with horns Ten Wheel Drive, recorded multiple solo albums and was the first female major label record producer. The story is an exhilarating roller coaster ride which begins in a concentration camp, takes you through rock stardom, drug addiction and finally recovery from cancer. Along the way many famous icons of rock history are described first hand and Genya's experiences should make for a real page turner for any fan of rock music as well as an inspirational story which can be appreciated by all.

This book is just incedible. I've been a fan of Ten Wheel Drives Brief Replies & her (just rereleased) Urban Desire & And I Mean it albums, but I was not expecting the intense story about to unfold before my eyes. Holocaust survivor, first all girl band, first woman music producer ect. Does it realy take a hit record to recognize a true original? You must buy this book & get blown away! Also go to www.genyaravan.com SHE'S NOT DONE YET!

For those of us who travel to London to buy anitiques--or who daydream about doing that, this book is priceless. It offers so many good tips about where to shop for what, and it is written in an accessible, light-hearted style. What beautiful photographs accompany the text!

In addition to sharing an insiders knowledge of the London antique scene (with good, clear maps), this is also an attractive book with numerous beautiful photographs and interesting commentary. It is a worthwhile find even if you aren't going antiquing in London. If you are, it is essential.

I love this book,it's brilliant! What I love best about it is: 1) it identifies areas in London that have antiques areas
that I didn't know about and 2) it has web sites and URLs of dealers that aren't easy to find with an internet search engine. I'm no stranger to London having grown up there and a regular visitor, but this book covers the antiques world in greater depth than I knew existed; and when I can't be in London, I'm a constant internet shopper and having all these website addresses
is wonderful!

I found this book very helpful and informing. A veteran antique dealer who has been shopping london for 15 years, I discovered places I had never visited before. It was easy to read and to use. A must for antique shopping in London!