Religion Books

I recently lost my boyfriend to cancer. After his death I was given "no death, no fear". Great book! It helped ease the pain. I wish I would have had this book before he died so we could have read it together. It is a simple book with very profund messages and helps take the fear away from the idea of death. Life continues...

Hanh quickly grabs the reader's attention and mindfully drifts off in euphamism and metaphor as he meanders over, under and through this difficult topic (difficult for most people).

Calming in his approach to death, life, beginning (no beginning) and end (no end), the author seems to have an excellent hold on his spiritual beliefs and his desire to share. For those of any and all faiths, death is a frightening subject, but Hanh paints a wonderful picture of immortality through all that a person touches in his/her life.

The only, and I stress only, misgiving I found with this short read are the over-used metaphorical analysis between human life and that of an oceanic wave. I wish the author could draw similarities shared by all breathing life organisms, rather than something as translucent as water (although I think I understand WHY he often describes life in terms of water).

I would certainly recommend this book.

I read this book after the passing of my Grandparents and it helped me deal with their passing. I recommend this book to anyone who is searching for answers about life and death. Great book!

This has been one of the most powerful books I've ever read. It helped me through the death of my father. My mother is now nearing the end of her life in this body and I'm re-reading it. I suspect that I will revisit it many times . . .

I first thought the book was simple and repetitive. But when I experienced a loss and re-read the book, I finally realized how profound this book really is.
I had been dealing with the subject of death for quite a few years. (I started with the book HAGAKURE, by Tsunetomo Yamamoto. You may or may not like to check that out. It's a more stoic approach to similar subjects). Anyway, I wanted to conquer the idea of my own inevitable mortality, so that when the time comes, I will handle it with grace. So, my approach was to prepare beforehand.
As I said, I was working on my OWN mortality. It never occured to me that I might also apply it to someone else. Someone I love recently died. That was the 1st real loss that I've encountered, so I was devastated. All those years of preparing myself didn't really mean much (though at the time, I thought I was ready and that I knew it all). I had already owned a copy of this book and read it several years ago. Feeling in the pits, I decided to pull the book out and read it again, as this time it is much more applicable (since I'm experiencing loss).
The book seemed so simple beforehand. It was a quick read. Thich Nhat Hanh also seemed repetitive; I felt bored several times. This, as it turns out, was my fault, not his. He is such a good teacher that he makes everything seem so simple. However, after someone I loved very much died, I re-read this book, and I realized how profound it really is. The reason why Thich is so repetitive, is because you need to drill it into you head so that you really understand it. It's like learning how to count to ten. No one is born knowing how to count to ten. But you drill it until the day when you know it all by heart. Trust me, this book is more profound than it seems; do not just read through it and think that it's all obvious and that you already know it. Reading and learning is not good enough; you have to experience it!
It's like this: death is not real. You cannot create something out of nothing, and you cannot become nothing from something. It's not the reality of things. (Physics will agree with that, for you scientists out there). The problem is that we're deluded. This delusion creates in us a false sense of reality, and that leads to our suffering. We fear death because we think we become nothing. We fear death, because we do not understand it. The problem is that we've learned the wrong way; we need to unlearn our delusions and see death as it really is: simply a change in form. Basically, it's moving on. We want to stay in one place, but the fact of the universe is that it is always changing. We are deluded into remaining stagnant in a universe that, let's face it, is not going to stop and wait for us.
This book helped me immensely in my loss. But it's neverending; you can't just reach a certain point and then stop; you'll lose it. You have to keep going. It's one of those books I will always keep with me. Get this book beforehand, and slowly introduce it into your life and try to apply it. Don't wait until you experience a loss. You will be too devastated. It's never too late to prepare youself for what's inevitable. It will greatly diminish your sense of despair. That much I can gaurantee.

I've been reading the One Year Living Bible for several years. I love it and enjoy the easy reading of the Living Translation. Reading a passage from the Old and New Testament, as well as Psalms and Proverbs helps me to see the unity of God's Word. I couldn't get along without my daily dose of God's precious Word. Try it, you'll love it!!!

I had read the entire Bible three times using the One Year Bible. I got bored with my Bible studies for awhile and so I did these daily 15-30 minute readings to keep myself spritually nourished. I have also listened to the NIV Bible on Casette from cover to cover five times one year because I had read a book by Phiilip Yancey that had advocated trying to read the entire Bible to gain an insight into your problems. I alternated versions in my daily reading from year to year-NIV and NLT.
I would have liked the ONE YEAR BIBLE better if it had a traditional leather binding. It is convenient that the readings for the day are arranged in an easy to use format.

The New Living Translation makes understanding the Bible much easier for today's readers. We all should be constantly reading the Bible and this makes it easy, my only problem is the print is smaller than I would prefer.

An easy way to read the Bible through without getting bogged down reading books that are "heavy" in geneology.

Forget the NIV translation with its clunky English. This is the one to get. The NLT version reads as easily and SMOOTHLY as a magazine article and is 100% accurate. You WILL understand this version. You may find yourself reading much more daily than you had planned to! Before I found this, I was using a 12 page (!) Bible reading plan chart, bookmarks, and index tabs to do my daily Bible reading. Now, all I do is flip open to today's date and there is a selection from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and a verse or two from Proverbs. You get a complete spiritual reading meal all on 4-5 pages. I bought two: one hardcover for home and one paperback version for my office in case I am stuck there late (I do my study after dinner). Get this.

I loved this format on this particular book. The days were easy to ready and understand and they matched the Old Testament to the New Testament. There were several days that I got wrapped up in the readings that I contunied going. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has tried to read the bible in a year or even sit and try to read it straight through and failed.

This is a great book--full of real-life disciple-making from someone who is doing it. I'm amazed every time I go to Xenos. Denis McCallum, the founder and one of the two senior pastors at Xenos Christian Fellowship, is making active disciples from among non-Christian people. He's actually practicing what he writes about in this book. I've been in the McCallum home on two different occassions and each time, the home was filled with young people who they are discipling--jsut like he writes about in this book. Buy it, read it, and do what it says.

We purchased twenty copies which we used as a text book for a 13 week class at church, mixed men and women. The thrust of the class was to help the students know what is involved in finding, mentoring, teaching, and releasing a disciple in a one-on-one long term committed relationship. The book made a good back drop for the course in so far as it gave us a track to run on, since none of us had taught this subject before. As the teacher, I found several of the chapters to be spot on target and I used them pretty much exclusively for about half the course. Other chapters however were either weaker in content or just didn't cut to the specific deliverable I wanted to get across, so I supplemented with independent material. Several of my students had gone to the church website (Xenos) to check it out and were a little worried about the "casual" approach to ministering. Our church takes a more conservative approach and some behaviors that are considered culturally permissible, like smoking, course language, etc. we tend to frown on and believe the Holy Spirit through the process of Sanctification will cleanse the mature believer of. We therefore don't condone or model those behaviors in an attempt to woo the non or immature believer into sticking with us. Fortunately almost none of this came out in the book. Moreover, the book (and Xenos fellowship) rely heavily on "cell churches" which we also do not subscribe to. This method did come out in the book and so I had to customize the content for my class when it did. This was not a problem though. All in all, I'm glad I chose the book because it lived up to its "organic" name. That is, it got right to the heart of mentoring one on one, as opposed to many books I've seen that are more "clinical" or targeted to my own discipleship and walk with the Lord. This book definitely got us into the messy "human-ness" of one man pouring his life into another man, or woman to woman.

I really liked the book. It had the right theological framework necessary to grow God's people and care for the flock as well as providing very practical advise for helping those that want to engage in discipleship at different levels.

I found the section on professional counseling rather difficult. I lean toward Biblical counseling which empowers God's people to counsel at different levels. I cringe at the advise most people get when they see psychiatrists. The problem is real, however. You were brave enough to speak about it. I would think something not so sophisticated speaking about this might be more appropriate for the readers of this book.

Your section on quality conversation and friendship making will surely be helpful to some.

It is a good basic book that helps people trying to make discipleship work in their cell groups.
I already started talking about your book and will pass it on to some of our pastors

For a number of years now I've been working on a practical how-to book on discipleship. Dennis McCallum has beaten me to the punch with Organic Disciple Making. He's written the most practical book on how to disciple people I've ever read.

Time and time again I find myself saying, "Yup, he nailed that one; that's how it works." For example, early on the book covers the subject of modeling and its key role in making disciples. Later it delves into the practical questions of how you counsel and disciple through various issues or how you deal with blocks in their development.

For example McCallum distinguishes the difference between weakness and resistance and the appropriate response of a disciple maker. A disciple struggling with weakness generally needs encouragement, whereas a disciple who is resistant often needs confrontation and possibly discipline.

I loved that the book had a whole section on coaching and I loved that its counsel is both biblically grounded and rooted in the everyday experience of someone who leads 250 home churches. I've read so many books on discipleship and few drill down to address the questions ordinary people have as they struggle to help their disciples grow.

All of us who have committed ourselves to following Jesus and representing his name need to learn how to make disciples. It was the last thing he asked us to do before leaving the earth. If you as a Jesus-follower feel like you need help in learning how to do this in a way that feels natural, do yourself a favor and get Organic Disciple Making.

In the long tradition of The Lost Art of Disciple Making, Multiplying Disciples, and Disciples Are Made, Not Born, Organic Disciplemaking: How to promote Christian leadership development through personal relationships, biblical discipleship, mentoring, and Christian community is designed to do more than tell about the need for making disciples of Jesus. This is a book that painstakingly provides a path from start to finish.

This book has the potential to be used by small group coaches to disciple and develop small group leaders. With today's small group ministries launching groups with leaders just a step ahead of their members, this could be a very helpful resource providing a pathway for mentoring.

In its pages you will find more than stories of how it's working at Xenos. You'll also find the practical steps needed to begin a disciplemaking ministry in your own church. More importantly, you may find the inspiration to look for one life to pour into. After all, that is the point.

I read this book in several sittings which is unusual for me. I just couldn't stop and wanted to read some more of this fascinating story. It is a feel good story for the modern ages. If you are reading this you probably know about the former Beverly Hillls mom , twice divorced who was unable to receive Holy Communion from the Catholic Church, circumvented any road blocks and began her service for mankind(the most down and out of low people in La Mesa prison near Tijuana)and our Lord at age fifty. She produced her own habit and eventually was recognized by an official order. She has worked amongst the biggest drug dealers of Mexico, the murderer of Presidential candidate Colosio, the bloodiest of assasins and the peons who are just to poor to live in society and seek refuge in jail(now that is desperate)and the mentally ill. A prison in Mexico is unlike an American prison. Torture is common. She got involded in prison reform as well as changing men. Mother Antonia is unafraid of the toughest and meanest because she is a righteous woman and all who encounter her love and admire her. She lives in prison. She lives the same way the prisoners do. She walks and talks to the hardest of hard core. She gives them hope and transforrms many of their lives through the miracle of faith. This is an inspirational story that will leave you pondering your own existence; it is truly an amazing story that all should read as it will make you feel better about mankind. She is truly a living saint. Oh yes, there is a large print edition of this book available for the visually handicapped. God bless Sister Antonio and all who she touches.

This is a very inspirational book and helps people see how they can still be useful as they get older.

The Prison Angel is one of the most inspiring books I've ever read. Mother Antonia is so amazing that one would question the truth of her story if it weren't for the consistent witness and corroboration provided by all those who come into contact with her. She loves and ministers to everyone without distinction. This is a great book for teaching the golden rule.

This book touches your soul and uplifts your spirits. You would dare to judge another person after reading this book about a woman who could forgive and love the "unlovable." Very touching

Mother Antonia is an inspiration for us to see all people as fellow humans with similar needs - to be cared for, loved, and accepted. I appreciate that she paved the way to be valuable at an "older" age, and she welcomes women in their later years as valuable and able to serve others. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and passed it around among many friends.

Paul Jellinek's Promise to Mary chronicles the author's travels through the northeast, south, and Alaska, capturing the spirit of "Faith in Action," a loose confederation of interfaith religious congregations who mobilize volunteers to care for the elderly and homebound. Told in the form of refreshingly original vignettes, an engaging portrait emerges of care-givers and receivers. We see the lines separating them often blurred, with some drawn to this calling by traumatic life events, leaving an indelible formative imprint on their life's experience.

Begun in 1993 through a series of nationwide grants awarded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the groups were started through seed grants to fund a paid executive to coordinate the volunteer base. The author's visits reveal that most of the original 25 have flourished more than 20 years, melding into the bedrock of community service in their individual locales.

The author skillfully remains the unobtrusive central character, through whom these voices are heard. The human toll exacted over a lifetime is examined in stories woven in a distinctly compassionate literary style. The author's gently probing questions are genuine and heartfelt. He gives voice to those whose eloquence, stifled by their infirmities, reveals their quiet perseverance and he allows them to express simply stated life-affirming truths.

Dr. Jellinek celebrates the nobility and dignity of those who populate the book. The overriding tone is decidedly redemptive and hopeful. Stories of great courage emerge as the unsung heroes of local community service manage time and again to marshal their inner reserves, drawing upon a fragile yet durable support network woven of member interfaith congregations and faith communities. These are ordinary people doing extraordinary things, largely under the radar. The stories call to mind the importance of small deeds which loom large in the lives of those whom they touch.

The nonthreatening imprimatur of "church" is time and again the narrow margin breached by wary "forgotten souls" who tentatively reach out for much needed help. Their simple but profound acts of faith and trust are to what the program owes its success.

This book should be required reading, especially for those embarking on a career in social work or community service. To read it is to be infused with a sense of all that is possible and to have one's faith in humanity restored, through a rare glimpse into the heart and soul of some of the finest people one could meet. The author succeeds in focusing a deserving spotlight on those remarkable people who populate our everyday lives, but whose heroic deeds are largely unknown, except to those whose lives are quietly transformed by their gentle presence.

This is a book whose power lies in the gentle yet compelling individual stories which emerge, revealing the humanity which lies within all of us. It is also a compelling journey of personal discovery for the author as well as a wonderful historical record of Faith in Action.




Dr. Jellinek documents the sustained viability of what remains a simple but profound formula for success - ordinary people accomplishing the extraordinary, when artificial barriers to human compassion, in the form of preconceived stereotypes are ignored and people are free to relate to one another on the most basic level. By entering this world with Paul as your guide, you emerge hope-filled and humbled by the extraordinary compassion his journey reveals.

Paul's caring and poignant sharing of his journey across the continent and through the years with Faith in Action is one that will warm your heart and hopefully inspire you to look closely at your own community. I will guess that you won't look far to find your own Mary, Gracie, Harold or Eddie Mae. But stop and look farther. Find what it is you can do in your own community and with your own neighbors to help - with or without a Faith in Action project. Paul will tell you from his own experience as a Faith in Action volunteer for many years, that you will get so very much more than you give.

Thank you Paul for writing this important anthology once again proving what a small group of very committed people can do.

Paul Jellinek is a masterful interviewer and storyteller. The amount of depth and detail he was able to uncover in the lives of those he visited in just a few short hours is incredible. For those who take time to assist neighbors in their communities, it is an affirmation. For everyone else, it is compelling work of non-fiction that will keep you reading on and on. It is truly inspirational. I would recommend this book to everyone.

This is a book with a mission. It accomplishes its mission and then some. It spreads the word about Faith in Action, a successful, 15-year-old national program that brings together local congregations of different faiths to provide volunteer help to elderly and disabled individuals. Through interviews with administrators, caregivers and those they help, the book enlightens the reader about the program and its life-altering accomplishments.

The interviews, combined with the author's observations, provide keen insight into many of our country's great challenges--racism, poverty, crime, drugs, isolation, loneliness, abandonment. They also show how Faith in Action and its remarkable staff and volunteers take on these challenges and make a difference. The book is instructive, inspirational, and motivating. Undoubtedly, some who read it will become volunteers themselves.

The book's style is entertaining and captivating. The author brings us along on his road trip to contrasting parts of America where he conducts his interviews--New England, the South, and the Last Frontier of Alaska. Through his writing we share the scenery, weather, accommodations, and food he experienced--the good, the bad, and the ugly. (On the good front, I long for a piece of the "...best slice of pie I had ever had at a restaurant." Inquiring minds should see page 217.)

Each interview is a personality profile. We are introduced to a bevy of characters--some endearing, some distasteful, all remarkable. Among the favorites are the indomitable eighty-five-year-old Miss Helen; Sylvia, who once excelled in the study of mold spores and now excels in administering social services; Kim, whose hard life has transformed her into an expert practitioner of compassion; Jamie, a former wild child turned nurse with unique experiences involving death and dying; and Rodney, a former gang member who has yet to recognize his power and purpose.

The book has a rare attribute--a wonderful use of humor. There are more than a few laugh-out-loud moments. Always appropriate, humor is skillfully interjected throughout our journey with the author.

A Promise to Mary is reader-friendly. Because of its clever format--broken out by geography and interview--it can be picked up and put down as the reader's lifestyle dictates. It can be read in one sitting from cover to cover, enjoyed at the beach, or become part of a daily public transportation commute.

I owe a great deal to the book and its author. During my time reading the book, it became my travel companion, making my weekday commute a pleasure. My faith in the goodness of human beings has been reinforced. And I have added one more goal to my list of things to accomplish--becoming a Faith in Action volunteer. Thank you, Dr. Jellinek. Well done.

PROMISE TO MARY is a gem. With a narrative style that rings true, the very real characters are as complex and interesting as any in a work of fiction. The author's genuine, but realistic, empathy provides a welcome antidote to the "kumbaya"-tinged works common to the genre. It is enough to provide even the cynic with at least a modest insight into our shared humanity.

Purchased this as a gift for my husband and found it to be a beautiful bible and very closly accurate to the original hebrew. He Loves It !

The Reader's Hebrew Bible has been on the market for only a few months and looks set to become a "must" for everyone who has covered the basics of the language and wishes to progress to "real" Hebrew. You need, though, to have a good working vocabulary for it to enable you to read in extenso with fluency. The grey-scale shading of proper names is a good idea. The price is also exceptionally cheap for a product of this quality.
What would be really helpful is a Grammatical Analysis of the Old Testament similar to "Max and Mary" for the New.

I've got both the first and second editions of the Reader's GNT companion volume. Either is a great value for the money, but neither comes close to the quality and usefulness of the Reader's GNT published by UBS -- the real deal. So I was a bit hesitant to purchase Zondervan's Reader's Hebrew Bible.

My hesitation was overcome by the fact that I use my UBS RGNT on a daily basis for devotional use, but don't read the Hebrew text in the same way as frequently because of the need for a lexicon nearby. A reader's lexicon helps, but it's still a clunky way to read, and because Hebrew vocabulary is so much larger than NT Greek, there are few of us who will ever be able to simply read with no lexicon around. So seeing what a reader's GNT did for me, I ordered this.

I'm very pleased. It hast the same cheap binding and paper as the companion RGNT, but the fact that it's duo-tone (basically PVC plastic) does mean that despite being flimsy, it should hold up for a long time. They seem to have overcome the typeface problems present in both editions of the RGNT. This font is very easy to read. I have not found the proper names being in gray instead of black to be a problem -- they're not that light and the purpose is to make proper names used less than 100 times stand out so that the newbie doesn't waste time trying to parse them. That's the whole point: to gloss the words so the reader doesn't have to. The more you read, the more you learn, and the more often you read and learn the more Hebrew sticks in your mind.

The fact that this text is that of the Westminster edition of Leningradensis is great. They essentially cut and pasted from Bibleworks 4. There are minor variants between this and BHS/BHQ, but nothing significant and all differences are listed in the appendix. I also like the way they've dealt with Kethib-Qere readings -- something that should serve good training for the student just learning his way around the Hebrew Old Testament.

If Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft ever prints a readers edition of BHS or BHQ it will probably leave this in the dust just as the UBS RGNT leaves the Zondervan RGNT in the dust, but until then this is a great tool.

I received A Reader's Hebrew Bible with great anticipation and was not disappointed. I have found it to be a very well conceived and thoughtfully delivered Hebrew tool. It is perfect for someone like me who is trying to intergrate the Hebrew scriptures into my life in a practical manner. This tool has already allowed me greater ease of access and I recommend it to all.

Based on the success Zondervan had with A Reader's Greek New Testament, you knew it was only a matter of time before they'd put together a similar resource for the Hebrew Bible. To the delight of many, A Reader's Hebrew Bible was released this past March. I've been looking forward to writing this review and wanted to express a word of thanks to the folks at Zondervan for sending me a review copy. I'll be breaking this review into two parts. Part one will discuss the physical characteristics and also the packaging for this Bible. Part two will take a look at what's inside this Bible.

Let me start by talking about the physical characteristics of A Reader's Hebrew Bible. It has a very appealing look about it; one might go so far as to say it's beautiful. The binding is a light brown Italian Duo-Tone. You will find the title stamped on the front cover and the spine in silver lettering. The page edges match the lettering as they are also gilded silver. This volume measures 7.2 in. wide by 9.9 in. high by 2.1 in. deep, which makes it a bit larger than the other Hebrew Bibles I am familiar with. The paper used for this Bible is a bit thinner than the paper used in some of the other Zondervan Bibles in my library. It is slightly transparent as you're able to make out some of the text on the other side of each page. However, this in no way hinders the readability of the Hebrew text. I felt that the decision to go with this paper was probably design-related as it lends to the overall elegant look and feel of the Bible. In addition to the great look and feel of this Bible, Zondervan went the extra mile by creating great packaging for it. This Bible comes in what I would consider a presentation quality box. The front of the box is windowed to show the front cover with the title in silver lettering. The back of the box has a well laid out list of information that will be important to someone who is looking to buy this Bible.

Next, I wanted to take a look at the inside of A Reader's Hebrew Bible. There are 28 pages of worthwhile introductory material at the front of the Bible. This includes the Author's Preface, a Quick User's Guide, an Introduction, and Abbreviations & Sigla. I am very excited to note that all of the introductory material is written in English. Many of the Hebrew and Greek Bibles available in the bookstores of Bible Colleges and seminaries come from the German Bible Society. The difficulty for many American students is that the introductory material is written in German. Since most of the students are not fluent in German, they miss out on the introductory information, which will help them to make the best possible use of their new Bible. Following the introductory material is the actual Hebrew text. I really appreciate that the Hebrew text goes across the entire page, with all of the notes appearing at the bottom. This serves to make the text more readable as you don't have any notes or references in the margins, breaking up the text as you're trying to read it. I think this will be especially useful to first year students who are working on their Hebrew reading as it will minimizes the distractions on the page. When the reader comes across a word they're not quite sure about, they can refer to the notes at the bottom of the page which contain glosses and definitions of Hebrew words occurring 100 times or less and Aramaic words occurring 25 times or less. These notes will prove very useful to the 1st year student as well as the more casual reader whose Hebrew skills may be a bit out of practice.

Let me summarize by saying that I think Zondervan did a great job with A Reader's Hebrew Bible. It's a very attractive and high quality Hebrew Bible at a reasonable price. The layout and notes will be invaluable for the 1st year student or the more casual reader. It will make a great gift for students, pastors, or the layperson interested in Biblical Hebrew.

This bible is everything the seller said it was. It has become a irreplaceable part of my library. Thanks for the great condition of the book and the speedy delivery!

This book brought a lot of things to light. I am very thankful for the time of the author. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves Gods Word!

I am really enjoying my Chronological Bible. It is everything I expected and I can now sit down and read in the order things probably happened. I used to reference myself the order of events and skip around my Bible...I enjoy this a lot more. Great quality as well and price was the best on Amazon. Don't forget to sign up for the credit card, you'll get $30.00 off your order, I wound up paying $5.18 for this book and one other.

The first scripture in this chronological Bible is John 1:1 and rightfully so. In the beginning was the Word. Upon reading this I knew this was the Bible for me. The dates are nor arbitrarily set forth but rather determined through years of intensive study. If you enjoy the historical view in addition to spiritual nourishment of the Word you will thoroughly enjoy The Reese Chronological Bible.

I bought this Bible for the sole purpose of gaining a generally chronological orientation to biblical events and persons relative to the whole. It serves its purpose well enough. The reader ought to realize, however, that the interpretive chronological schema is dispensationalist, and that such a schema affects, for example, the date given (late) for the writing of Revelation, which in turn has definite implications for one's eschatological interpretations and expectations. In short, the chronological flow is useful, but I would not use this as a primary study Bible.

The text is King James Version, and the font is comfortably large.

This is a must have for parents who want to teach the stories of the Bible to their children. Our 3.5 year old son asks for it each night...you gotta love that. I'm not sure how they do it, but they capture the basics of the main stories of the Bible in a sing songy short story. We've purchased many other first Bible type books, and this one is heads and tails above them all. Highly, highly recommended.

My son loves this book. We checked it out at the library and he enjoyed it so much that I purchased his own. The pictures are great and the rhymes really help kids stay interested. It's a nice introduction to biblical stories and people. It's become his favorite bedtime story book.

Every home should own this excellent Bible. I bought it after I read it at a freind's house. It is worth the money and my daughter loves it. We have only owned it several months and have read it already 15 times from cover to cover. Great investment.

This Bible is so wonderful. My kids try to figure out what the next rhyming word is before I read it. This Bible has helped us all learn many biblical facts and it is so much fun for the whole family. The pictures are an extra bonus. I have bought several as gifts and everyone loves it!

We have 3 "Bible books" (as my 2 year-old calls them) thus far. This was the first we bought, and it's still our favorite. The only con I can list is that we want more... more stories. It's selection of Bible stories is far from comprehensive - there are so many more stories to be told... but the ones chosen here are told well!

Why I like it:
1) Memorable text: our oldest (2 1/2) is at the age where he's absorbing lyrics (song and books) like crazy! The rhymes in the text are well written and he remembers parts of some of them. It's "his job" to tell the last part of the Noah story when he finds "a shining rainbow in the sky!"
2) Realistic illustrations: Being a guy (and father to 3 boys) I always chafe just a little when I see the cartoonie nature of some kids illustrations (especially animals). Another Bible story book we own shows the whale that eats Jonah as a smiling little fish with a perfect water spout coming out of the top, and the ferocious lions prepped to eat Daniel have round chubby cheeks and smiles on their faces. Life is happy, sad, and sometimes scary... I want my kids to learn that. The pictures here are real - Jonah's whale surprised me (teeth & all!), and my son at first, but that's his favotie story now. The pictures are real - SO much more interesting for the kids.

This is my favorite book. It can change your life by teaching you to be more in control of your thoughts. I read it at least once a year. It is simply written. I am going to have my teenage son read it.

This book is Life changing. Sheds light on ways to continue to move forward in a positive direction regardless of your past. A must read.

Of all the amazing books of this genre I've read, I return to this more often, refer it to more people and just all around appreciate it more than any other.

I'd love to get specific and sound brilliant but fact is I've not read it for a while so what arises for me is a feeling... a feeling of clarity, inspiration, simplicity, and depth.

Do own this book... read it often and feel the freedom!

And if you enjoy this book, check out my latest, Strength for Life: The Fitness Plan for the Rest of Your Life. In it you'll find familiar themes and practices effectively disguised and training, nutrition and inside out fitness.

Beautiful book by Sakyong Mipham...

The ideas and theory behind the talks are alot deeper than they first appear.....

Instead of listening to NPR news and the "negative" news always on tv/radio... its nice to listen to these audio books...

I am not very good at sitting meditation, so I did not sure the 3rd CD yet... but overall... recommend this great audio CD..

The son of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Sakyong Mipham who is the lineage holder for the Shambhala world his father revealed, is able to freshly express this royal path. The "crazy wisdom" taste of Trungpa isn't here but is wonderfully matched by the gentle, loving and compassionate clarity of the Sakyong. This is a short book that is very easy to read and reflect upon. The chapters are short and to the point. There are glimpses of the writer and his life which make this very human and real. Shambhala, windhorse and the dralas are meant to inspire and this book does that. Although it's simple and clear, it bears rereading and studying. It makes this reader look forward to future teachings of the writer.

I echo what everyone else has said. This book gives you the gift of a more thoughtful approach to worshiping at Mass. Pope Benedict XVI (Cardinal Ratzinger) sometimes uses complex sentence structures (most likely because the book is a translation from German), but it give you the opportunity to really take time to re-read and soak in the depth of what each well-thought out phrase means in the context of his whole message. One of the most beautiful things he does is weave in a little religious history and puts the Catholic Mass within the whole history of worship. Read the book!

Highly recommended! Pope Benedict XVI, as always, writes with gripping clarity. His prose never disappoints or wearies the reader. Virtually each sentence sheds light, something true of all his writings. This book plumbs the depth and mystery of the Catholic liturgy in all its richness, and reasons that its sacred character must never be diminished by innovations responding to ephemeral cultural tastes.

This book was wonderful. Ratzinger is a wonderful author and it is an easy read.

The last of the four sections is the heart of the book and contains the enthralling thoughts one expects after reading "Introduction to Christianity". For me, the text on art proved very dull and lifeless. But in the final section of the book, the Pope returns to the topic of active participation in the liturgy. He brings vitality and thought to these topics. The section on the Human Voice as part of the Mass is exceptional and thought provoking.

Perhaps one day I will gain enough insight to revisit the middle sections. Undoubtedly, the last section will become familiar to all Catholics as the Mass adopts these thoughts in practice. Although I still have trouble with his thought of an oratio conducted largely in silence. The Eucharistic Prayer is the heart of the liturgy; to place it in silence seems a terrible loss.

This book held me spellbound. Filled with insights and history surrounding the mass and the liturgy, as a lifelong Catholic, I suddenly saw the mass in a whole new light. Pope Benedict XVI, then Cardinal Ratzinger demonnstrates his abilities as a clear patient teacher as he teaches about the liturgy and its meaning, in ways that are down to earth and don't require a degree in theology to understand. It will open your mind and understanding. Highly reccomended!