Causes Books

This is a well written book. It reveals much about the criminal attitude, self defense preparedness, the psychological impact of shooting incidents, the aftermath of the incidents, and critical examination of
these incidents. Your mind and body must be prepared if you want to protect yourself from violent
crime. Certain decisions need to be made before you are attacked. You won't have time to engage in
philosophy when only seconds remain for you to act. The incidents reported here are varied enough
to give you some important things to think about. If you are on a search to obtain critical knowledge
about protecting yourself and/or your loved ones and also being a responsible citizen, then this book
is for you. Thanks Chris Bird. Job well done !

In this relatively short (307 pages) book, author Chris Bird has done what the news media has failed to do with all of its massive resources - tell the truth about the incredible effectiveness of firearms for self defense.

Rather than revealing the amazing positive statistics and stories of these encounters, the establishment reporters have done just the opposite. They have portrayed a totally one sided picture of the relatively few misuses of guns and ignored the literally millions of protective uses of these weapons by American citizens.

As Mr. Bird states: 'According to various academic studies, each year at least a couple of million ordinary citizens use firearms in response to criminal attack or threat. In only a very small percentage of cases is the gun actually fired.' That is incredible. It is a travesty that this is not broadcast wide and far.

In this volume, the author chronicles the stories of fourteen of these average people who protected themselves and/or others with firearms. The situations and outcomes are vastly different, but there is a common thread: Ordinary people effectively warding off criminal attacks.

Most people in this country have been conditioned to believe that they should simply call the police when in danger and all will be well. This book will help dispel that notion. I highly recommend it. Another one that everyone should read is Dial 911 and Die. This is certainly not for men only. Mr. Bird also cites the research showing that women actually have much more to gain in safety than men by keeping and/or carrying a firearm.

This is a must read for anyone who is concerned about improving his/her own safety as well as that of family members.

I was so engrossed in reading, I couldn't even put it down to grab my gun when the burglar came in. Which was kinda too bad, because he stole my gun.

This book is another eye-opener from Chris Bird. His way of getting these stories out will keep you reading and make you even more certain of why you got your Concealed Carry Weapons license. Once you start reading you can hardly put it down. Highly recommend this book, can't say enough good about it and the author.

"Thank God I Had a Gun" is the kind of book every patriot should keep on a shelf between his "Red Dawn" DVD and his emergency pants. It's a great collection of stories about how very terrified real-Americans overcame their inbred fear of their swarthy neighbors by shooting them. Some of the tales are heartwarming, like that of pizza deliveryman Ron Honeycutt who stopped a potential mugger with 15 well placed shots to the torso, pausing only to reload once. Others are empowering, like that told by Barbara Thompson who ended after-hour burglaries at her plant nursery by ambushing the burglar and blowing his head clean off.

But, unfortunately, by focusing only on killing potential criminals, this book completely ignores a more common way firearms are used for defense: the impromptu administration of justice against those who've wronged you.

You've heard about these cases. A wife cheats on a fine NRA-supporting gun show enthusiast or he loses his job for engaging in so-called "hate speech" and the patriot attempts to regain his honor by shooting everyone who has even the slightest connection to the source of his shame. There have been at least a dozen incidents of this nature in the last two months alone--more if you look at those resulting in three or less deaths. That's twelve more chapters for the book, and at least two more if you add talk radio/cable news junkies who ambush cops because they are afraid they'll take their guns.

Another piece this book lacks is a how-to section. I mean, hey, there are a lot of us who haven't bagged us a perp yet. Most of our friends have shot at least one person, some, two or three, and we're still waiting for a chance to exercise our Second Amendment rights to the fullest extent. It's embarrassing. We're called "cherry boys" and are the objects of jokes about the hitting power of our loads. We want to be NRA heroes too, but we need a little help getting there. A short, last chapter would have provided that.

Again, although it was a great book, it was also deeply flawed. I'll give it five stars but only because I fear my masculinity would be questioned if i gave it fewer.

Is it just me, or do almost all of these reviews sound somewhat alike? And the vast majority are from California. They also sound somewhat superficial, so it's hard to tell what the book is really like. Is it good as a psychology volume, or a self-help book? Confusing.

Clarke-Stewart and Brentano deliver powerful insights and advice for anyone considering marriage or divorce. They provide statistical evidence for the various causes and consequences that are associated with marriage and divorce in a manner untypical of most textbooks. This book reads more like a novel, as much of a page-turner as one would expect from any novel. However, the lessons learned are extremely valuable to adults of all ages. For those suffering through a divorce, this book can serve as solace or a guideline of what to and not to do. For those contemplating marriage, this book provides grounds for the pitfalls of marriage. Even to older adolescents, the lessons learned are applicable to people of all ages.

As a young woman who never experienced a divorce, whether it be my own or my parents, I found the information in this book to be extremely helpful in choosing the right mate. Everyone knows of the possible consequences one may experience while going through a divorce, but the extent of what divorce can do to someone on the long-term scale can be astronomical if not handled correctly. Clarke-Stewart and Brentano not only provide information and statistics about the current state of divorce, but also deliver valuable advice for those seeking marriage or divorce. The adverse affects of divorce on yourself or your children can be avoided if you are aware of the numerous consequences involved. Overall, this book is a must read for anyone experiencing divorce, anyone contemplating marriage, and anyone looking to offer advice to a distressed friend.

Divorce,Causes and Consequences is a very indepth resource. I gained an immence amount of knowledge while reading this text. The book was very easy to understand and follow. The material in the text covered a wide variety of topics that many individuals deal with on a day to day basis. It states many statistical facts and allows a reader to analyze information which is pertinant to life and divorce. I highly recommend any one who may be interested in the causes of divorce and its consequences to use this book as a self guide to avoid such situations. However there were some facts that will allow some readers to feel as though many processes are common sence. Overall I urge many to purchase this book and gain knowledge on divorce and its consequences.

While this book is packed with information, statistics, and research, it is easy to read and understand, and in no way reads like a textbook. The information that it included was not only interesting, but is valuable information that everyone can take with them, whether looking to get married or not. I normally dread reading books for class, but I found this book extremely interesting, and it contained a lot of information that we could apply to our everyday lives. It gave an in-depth look at not only divorce, but the psychology of it, and how it impacts the world and our society. This book gave an awareness of the world we live in, and just how much marriage and divorce are central issues that need to be taught. After reading it, I am much less ignorant about marriage and divorce.
Everyone can learn something from this book!

How many people thought about they will get divorce before or during their marriages? These days significant amount of people ended up in divorce and even some people divorce more than twice. This book teaches why people divorce and results of divorce by using statistics, references, and personal stories from divorced families. This book totally changed my perspective toward divorce in many manners. It tells you before-during-after divorce period with comparison of short-term and long-term. At the end, I was surprised from what I have learned and gained much more confident of marriage and divorce.

The organization and format of this book is very good. This is not a glance-over book.

The photos are usually shot from several angles (laid out side by side) to help get a full picture of the particular subject of instruction and photos are also shown of DON'T pictures, which is also very helpful to a visual-oriented learner.

The text along with the photos is understandable and very instructive without being too wordy.

Judge Ribeiro also injects his personality into the instruction without being too heavy-handed on personal vignettes, but adding them very appropriately.

The organization by belt is very helpful in the sense of emphasizing those points that are most important at each level. Some other reviewers had questioned the organization by belts (in order from white belt to black belt: survival, escapes, the guard, guard passing, and submissions).

It seems, though, that the book emphasizes how important it is to learn the fundamentals in order to really progress. The book certainly never suggests that the reader cannot look at anything besides the point of emphasis for a given belt. The belt organization simply matches emphasis with belts.

The book never advocates dogma and frequently praises the continued evolution of jiu jitsu.

A very good book to supplement training: highly recommended.

If this is not the best book on Jiu-Jitsu then I want to buy whatever is better.

Everyone has pretty much given the run-down on this superb book so I will just touch on a few points that are of particular importance to me:

The breakdown by CHAPTER==BELT COLOR==GOAL, e.g., white=survival, blue=escape, is ESPECIALLY useful for those just starting jiu-jitsu or those teaching.

The white belt "survival postures" and the blue belt escapes from those postures are worth the cost of the book alone. Saulo Ribeiro has managed to keep the survival postures to a minimum (even for side mount where there are numerous top pinning styles and arm positions) and they all seem to work off the same principals and even a similar pattern.

Frequently, Ribeiro shows a better (according to him and his also multi-time world champion brother Xande [shandee]) way to do common techniques, and also shows the common mistakes including what is wrong with the usually given methods for that same technique.

This book immediately made me almost happy to have my back taken (by a similarly experienced and sized opponent) since the very simple defenses and escapes to those positions worked on the first try even though I messed up some of the details. (Really! -- my training partner is a bit stronger, heavier, younger than I am and he has quite a bit of judo training, but he can no longer hold me FROM THE BACK.)

Although the book stands alone, it is especially useful if you have any of Saulo Ribeiro's Jiu-Jitsu Revolution 1 or 2, or Freestyle Revolution DVD sets. Although you don't "need" one to benefit from the other, the text gives the few CRITICAL points which is good for memorizing the techniques, while the videos show the moving details in case you are having trouble or something doesn't make sense.

Although the DVDs and book overlap, their is no sense of wasting time or money when using both.

(BTW, he in no sense means that you must wait to become a purple belt to learn the guard, but rather that the FOCUS is on a particular goal or position for each belt level. In the case of a purple belt, he is saying this is where you focus on MASTERING the guard.)

Is there anything wrong with it? No index, but the contents is so good this is not a deficiency and the book runs the content RIGHT to the last page wasting no space. Crappy font for cover title but how picky can I get? A VERY FEW mistakes in left-right or picture correspondence -- or maybe clarity and I misunderstood, but that isn't very detracting, although I would offer to edit the 2nd edition if they ever re-publish it.)

The techniques WORKS right out of the box (i.e., book) and if you practice it then it is even more valuable.

Much of it is SPECIFICS on HOW to grapple using the techniques as examples rather than as the only answers -- he is teaching grappling using techniques, not JUST a bunch of (useful) techniques. Saulo is teaching us to fish (do jiu-jitsu) WHILE he feeds us some very fine fish (techniques).

If you are a low rank jiu-jitsu play you MUST buy this book if you buy anything.

If you are teaching jiu-jitsu, you owe it to yourself and your students to have and understand this book.

I am reasonably sure that anyone in between (i.e., teacher and low level) will find this book superb, and probably the best, as well.

This is a must-have for anyone wanting to learn Jiu-jitsu. This book is easy to follow and teaches you the basics and the higher levels with step by step procedures and ease. I reccommend this book for anyone studying or just learning Jiu-Jitsu.

This has to be the best jiu-jitsu book I have ever read. It has excellent pictures, great tips, and very detail oriented. I have at least ten books on the subject and have checked many out from the library, this is the best written and easiest to understand.
That being said, there is not one mention of take downs. Granted all jiu-jitsu fight wind up on the ground, but they start on their feet. Not one take down. This just frustrates me.
I bought this book to review some technique and help create a strategy for a coming competition. It helped from the gaurd, side control, mount, half-gauard and all the escapes I could ever want to know/review. Then I thougt of mine and many bjj players weakness, the take down. Nothing in this book. It is like the book is saying "go ahead and give your opponent 2 points right off the bat."
Now that is out of my system, it is really the best book on bjj you can find. I would supplament this book with Wrestling for Fighting by Randy Couture for some takedowns. Also one of the most helpful books for a new or intermediate bjj player.

I have not much basis of comparison with other bjj books, however, I have seen plenty of instructionals and done my share of googling.

The thing I love about this book is Saulo's core premise - get good at defense first. In fact, get good at knowing what to do in the very worst positions first (e.g. under mount, under side control, under knee on belly, etc). After you know how to survive under those positions, learn how to escape. After you know how to escape those, learn what to do from guard (the best of the worst positions). After you know what to do from guard, learn how to pass it. After you can laze around all day in a superior position, learn how to submit. Hell, as long as you have dominant position and can hold it, you will win on points. In a real fight, you would be pounding on your opponent anyway, requiring little real finesse.

I came to this realization very early in my bjj career - I hated being smothered, I hated that it was difficult to escape, so it was crucial to learn how to escape. I did not even make the connection that there were survival skills to learn (e.g. what SR covers in his white belt section, or how to not get submitted while under dominant positions and spend minimum energy doing so) other than escapes. But now thanks to this book I realize that these skills have a fundamental importance - even more so than escapes. So it is gratifying to read something from a several time world champion who says basically the same thing, and extends my understanding.

Get good at the defense, and you will be like one of those weighted punching balloon dolls, always somehow rising to the top, causing your opponent endless frustration and demoralization. Technically, it might be possible to be so good at takedowns and guard passing that you never, ever wind up in an inferior position, but that's highly unlikely, and if you do you are stuffed. (Doing so would also make a person fearful and overly risk averse, knowing that you can't afford to make a mistake. That attitude is a prescription for choked, poor performance, not to mention slower learning.)

Ok, so great idea, great layout, great belt system. I think whether or not your club has a syllabus, adding these techniques to your own repertoire (a sort of secret syllabus, if you will) will give you an edge. For example, I will make it my mission to know SR's white belt and blue belt (e.g. survival and escapes) for my blue belt grading, which is coming up shortly.

Which brings me to the reason I rate this book four stars (it's probably more like 4.5 stars, but I don't have that option). If you practice bjj, you will find yourself under top control (north south). You will find yourself under side control with your partner blocking or holding the leg close to him with that arm (to prevent getting the guard). This position will transition nicely into north south anyway, from here your opponent can go from side to side, confusing you and often getting stray arms. You may also find yourself in side mount. Some people have guards that are devastating and feel like a dominant position in and of themselves, with triangles and armbars easily forthcoming.

How to survive these positions with minimal effort should be covered in the survival section. If there is a reason for this (maybe it's imperative to escape ASAP, or maybe there are no good options, or something I can't fathom), at least indicate this and have some comment.

For some reason, how to survive in these positions isn't covered and it detracts from the book. I realize that no bjj book can ever hope to be complete. However, for a book that claims to be a "university" and rightly stresses the importance of fundamentals, if even a compromise is necessary it would be better to remove a submission or two and flesh out the survival section some more. I hope a future edition of this book clarifies how Saulo would handle these situations.

I realize that Saulo has copped some criticism from others about the black belt section being the weakest of the book. I think that's missing the point. If you excel at the rest of the skills in this book (e.g. everything required to gain a dominant position), then a submission will be a fait accompli. There are plenty of black belts who have one "go-to" submission, e.g. a cross lapel choke, and need nothing more.

As I edit this review several weeks after first writing it, I will add that I have been methodically trying the survival techniques in my rolling. They work pretty well. The higher belts (blue and purple) will still get submissions on me, but it will usually take 5 minutes or so before they achieve one. I have also managed to escape and upgrade my position from time to time. I am usually able to stymie those of equal skill with these techniques.

So what is the point? This process has helped to remove the fear and desperation (including needless energy wastage) that comes with being trapped under a dominant position. And as I get better, I hope to be able to increase the time it takes for more experienced attackers to get a sub, or to prevent them entirely. This will increase their frustration, their impatience (and hence foolishness), and their energy usage, all of which will give me an advantage.

I feel this is the final word in the gun control debate. This is what we the legitimate gun owners have needed. Some proof that packing heat is the best way to deter crime and to keep yourself and your loved ones alive.

I finished reading this book very quickly. Every story was intense and captivating. The book was enjoyable for entertainment value alone, but it also contains critical information about personal defense.

Ever wondered what it was really like to be attacked by someone trying to kill you? These are stories of people who lived to tell the tail. Many potential murder victims only survived because they had a loaded gun handy.

On a personal note, my brother wasn't as fortunate as many of the people in this book. He was returning a tape at a well lit video store on a Sunday night when he was kidnapped by four thugs. They had his car, his cash, and all his possessions, but they murdered him anyway. Apparently just robbing people had become boring to them. They are now in jail, but I often wonder if my brother would be alive today if he had a gun with him.

With 25 reviews prior to this one, this book doesn't need more promotion, but I can't resist giving it another 5-star vote.

Most things about this book have been stated by previous reviewers. I can add one comment: If you think that citizens should not be allowed to own guns, read the first chapter of this book and tell me what besides a personal gun might have saved Doug and Judy Stanton and their four children.

Jerry Hessler, the murderer who came after them, wrote these words:
"Brian dead, Tracey dead, Amanda dead, Thane dead.
Reid orphaned, Sue widowed, Mark crippled, Ruth unstable.
Countless friends and family stricken with grief.
Not a bad day's work.

The score is 4 to 0.
Even if they execute me it will still be 4-1."

How does a citizen deal with someone who thinks like Jerry Hessler? With a gun.

This books shows how and why.

The basic premise of this book is: defensive use of firearms is not just for the military and police; it is for every citizen confronted or assaulted by violent criminals violating their personal and property rights. This book contains numerous examples of citizens who used firearms to save their own lives, or the lives of others, before law enforcement arrived.

There are also examples of armed citizens coming to aid of stricken law enforcement officers, who probably owe their lives to the second ammendment rights exercised by the citizens. The stories of survival in the face of certain death at the hands of a violent criminal are gripping.

The book is a fast and easy read. Although not a great literary work, Robert A. Walters succeeds in telling the stories of victims turned defenders completely and understandably. No matter which side of the "gun control" debate you are on, this book will give you a good source of insight into the reasoning behind the pro-second ammendment advocates.

You will probably not sleep well at night after reading this book - unless you have an appropriate, loaded weapon nearby.

It's alright, some fairly straightforward tellings of real-life crises by an excitable writer.
Sometimes the embelishments made presumably for the reader's sake tend toward the melodramatic.
But if you believe the cops are here to protect you (they mostly take reports) then you need to read this and things like it...

This book, Sell Yourself Without Selling Your Soul, by Susan Harrow, is an excellent guide to marketing my books. At almost 82, I am for the first time in my life, publishing and marketing two books, memoirs. With the helpful suggestions, I think I can do it!
Donna Love, Capitola, CA

Sometimes a book title can be misleading, but not so in this case. In fact, this book delivers what it offers, with a giant bonus - PR advice that works.

SELL YOURSELF WITHOUT SELLING YOUR SOUL is a guide to succeeding in business and in public life, without losing the essence of who you are...without selling out. Susan's book is filled with wisdom, humor, kindness and realworld PR savvy.

This is a wonderful book for the person who wants more success and more visibility for herself or her cause, within her ethical construct. I highly recommend this book.

Susan Harrow is a media coach and marketing consultant. In "Sell Yourself Without Selling Your Soul" she explores the ways you can share your passion with the world. If you are looking to promote a product or a cause she explains how to become a polished interviewee. She also shows you how to:

Build name Recognition
Avoid Costly Mistakes
Get Media Attention
Become Mediagenic
Create a Winning Press Kit
Find People who Need Your Product or Service
Get on Oprah!
Wear the Right Clothes for a TV Interview

Throughout this book there are many success stories and Susan Harrow gives helpful and practical applications. Simple things like practicing answers before an interview becomes key to success.

If you have a product to sell this is one of the most important books you may ever read. I've been interviewed numerous times and the advice is excellent. The only book I think you need after reading this book is Feeding the Media Beast: An Easy Recipe for Great Publicity.

~The Rebecca Review

Having read a good number of the reviews of this superb book by Susan Harrow, I'll skip points I am happy to see others have covered so well. I also won't take time to summarize what's in the book so much as what I see pervading it and coming through it.

As a spiritual teacher and "Heart-awakener" with a huge focus on personal integrity and realness, I loved finding these two qualities radiating off every page with a consistency, strength, and confident serenity that can only come from someone who's walking her talk. For me from the title on through to the index, the book is a huge sigh of relief. There's so much hype in the world of publicity and marketing. I have to confess that even as a successful teacher of self-awareness and personal and relational integrity it's a struggle for me to read the compass clearly as I attempt to bring my work forward into the clamor of the marketplace. It's a challenge to make both audible and intelligible sounds that still ring entirely true to who I am and who my wife and partner Linda and I are together in our work. Underneath and shining through every single detail, Susan is initiating us neophytes and, I'm sure, many veterans with her obvious mastery of that profoundly intimate craft. That's the main reason I call the book a "publicity with integrity bible." In our time mature trueness to our heart and soul is the necessary foundation of all real spirituality and religion, it's the core of faith more than ever before. Without making an untoward display of it--which would ring untrue for her--Susan has written, in this sense, an authentically sacred text on how to make a true personal and creative ritual of the spirit in bringing our hearts and our messages to the world.

There's that word "real" again. Susan's ear and eye for emotional realness, for how ordinary-human we all are no matter how famous, admired, accomplished, and remarkable, pervades the whole book. It helps us approach the often intimidating prospect of publicizing ourselves with at least one foot always firmly on the ground and the other moving straight forward at a sustainable pace--or, whenever it's necessary to pause and take a breath, able to come back to rest on the material and psychic earth right underneath us.

Quite a number of other men have commented on how the book speaks so directly to us too. I agree, and wish to add that I think that's entirely deliberate on the author's part. I hear Susan Harrow saying to everyone, and certainly to men, "If you want to know how to speak both literally to women in the marketplace--and the worlds of publicity, journalism, and PR--and also to 'the Feminine' principle that no one can any longer afford to fail to take into account in any of our undertakings in life, then don't just do the things I urge you to do in this book in your publicity efforts. All that is important, absolutely. But if you really want to get underneath the content and into the context I'm teaching you, then continuallly take a step back and see how I am myself doing exactly the things I'm urging you to do. Study how I frame my communications to you, how carefully and gently I take all of your possible feelings, fears, reactions, and concerns into account, much as I'm urging you to do with everyone in the world of publicity with whom you wish to communicate."

If I'm at all mishearing you, Susan, I do apologize. But I'm delighted to get this message in any case. You've written a most practical approach to a key project in the life-work I call, in one of my own book titles, "Healing the Spirit/Matter Split." I intend to follow your precepts faithfully in every sense of the word and to recommend your good news far and wide. Thank you! --

"Although Susan Harrow's book, Sell Yourself Without Selling Your Soul, has a subtitle that calls the book "a woman's guide," I highly recommend it for men, too. If you have a message that you want to spread to the masses, Harrow teaches you everything you need to know about publicity in full detail. Both the beginner and the experienced will benefit. I wish more authors read her book before contacting my magazine. They would certainly increase their chances of getting reviewed."
~ Bob Olson, OfSpirit.com Magazine editor

Complete, interesting, case studies, images, factual and hypothetical... It's all there with the organization and language selection for any reader to understand successfully.

The new edition is much more comprehensive than the previous one. It is a good general reference for nearly all basic aspects of forensic pathology.

This book is one book that everyone in the field of Forensics should have in their library. It covers every possible aspect of death investigation. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in Medicolegal Death Investigation.

I have to add my 5 stars for this informative resource. It was my textbook for two courses. However, even after my classes ended I found myself referring back to the loads of information provided within the pages of this book. It is extremely comprehensive and well worth the investment.

*If you are not a student required to purchase a newer edition, I recommend looking at an earlier edition - I know that you'll get the same great information, just at a much discounted price.

Book was exactly as described. Brand new and in shrink wrap. Very happy with purchase!

This book should be a staple for any salesperson, old or new. The common sense rules will help boost your commissions. Great book.

Sandler's approach, at first glance, seems like it goes against common sense. But digging down, it uses human nature to let the customer see their problem (pain) and helps them buy. There are no gimmicks, just straight talk to a customer. My takeway is that it empowers salespeople to pick their clients, not the other way around.

How? By not being afraid of a "no". Once you are not afraid of "no" you can be confident and in better control. All sales situations should result in either a "yes" or a "no". Go for the "no" does not mean you want a no, but it does mean you deal directly with the customer issues that could lead to a no. After a while, you build confidence as you yourself raise the issues that could result in a "no" and let the customer resolve them (or you realize this really is a "no" and don't waste any more time on this prospect).

Counter intuitive but correct.

I have used this book bot only for myself, I have trained sales assistants as well. This process not only simplifies the sales process, it keeps you in control. I keep this book in my briefcase and constantly use it for new sales ideas. I highly recommend. MRM

Dave Mattson, the CEO of Sandler Training, channels the late, great David Sandler's superior sales ideas. Rule #50: If you liked You Can't Teach A Kid To Ride A Bike At A Seminar and Close The Deal, you've GOT to get this book!

Most of these "awesome" reviews come from people that have never written another review. Are they real people? Who knows. Or in one case I noticed that the guy works for the Sandler company.

Careful.

This exceptionally well written account of Churchill's take on the period between the World Wars is history at its finest. A truly great man takes us through the whole agonizing run up to the second world war. He explains the opportunities missed which might have ultimately saved millions of lives. He shows the reader what can happen when a world and its leaders refuse to address growing problems with dictators and rogue regimes. The French cowered and withered away in front of the Nazi menace while the Americans tried to pretend that it was not their problem. Churchill stood alone during the years this book covers, and it is no over statement to say that without him Western Civilization might well have come to an end.

Histories of the Second World War abound, but they are usually written by persons whose perspective is either from a later time or at the time of the events but far from the halls of power. The Gathering Storm, is the first of the six-part The Second World War series by then British Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill. This is a truly unique perspective on one of the greatest calamities in modern history, and the author's skill as a recorder of the events resulted in a masterpiece of historical literature--a work that helped Churchill win the 1953 Nobel Prize for Literature.

Some criticize this work on the grounds that it assigns blame for the war on the pacifist leaders who were the dominant political force between the world wars. While I agree that historians writing about events and personalities from the outside ought to remain as neutral as they can, eyewitness accounts from the participants in the events ought to be allowed a broader role. They are in the special position of not only recording the events they witnessed but also of passing on to later generations the immediate lessons that could be learned from them--lessons that might otherwise be overlooked.

There are two lessons that the author wished to convey about the events leading up to the war. The first is that the war could have been avoided, and the second is why it was not. The Gathering Storm--especially Book One of the volume--makes the case for these arguments. It describes the several opportunities that the allies missed to prevent the war, and it reveals in bitter irony the inevitable failure of the "peace at all costs" ideology when held by those in power. When one believes that something is so good that it is worth having "at any cost," one may not realize that the cost may be higher than anyone can afford to pay. The cost, for example, of avoiding a small war in 1936--to drive Germany back out of the Rhineland--may have been the enormous war that erupted three years later.

If you do not wish history to inform you of the reasons things happened the way they did, you probably will not like this book. If, however, you are looking for possible answers for how and why such a horrendous tragedy could have occurred, you may find them here.

First published in 1948, Winston Churchill's first of six volumes of his history of the Second World War is an historical classic. The Gathering Storm volume still stands as a monument of books in the telling the causes of World War II. Along with his access to his private papers, a research team and a band of stenographers, Mr. Churchill was not the mere writer of this book, he was indeed its Conductor.
Mr. Churchill had stated that he not only intended to make history but he also intended to write that very same history. This book is more about the true causes and effects of historical events and not some mere memoir. Although I must admit Winston does make himself look good.
His breakdown of this volume is much more chronological than his writings in "The World Crisis". From "The Follies of the Victors" through "The Fall of the Government" we see the foibles and weakness of the governments in Great Britain and France and the rest of Non-Germanic Europe for that matter. We all know of Neville Chamberlain and his appeasement. His sellout of Czechoslovakia!!
You can see from this initial book, the effort and the scholarship which ultimately earned Mr. Churchill the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Yes this is a must read. This is the penultimate story of the 20th Century History.

This is the first volume of Churchill's Noble Prize winning six part chronicle of World War II. The Gathering Storm depicts the rise of Hitler and the indifference of the leaders of the European democracies to the clouds of the gathering storm. Churchill incorporates contemporary documentation and his own reminiscence in this opening memoir. Churchill was a great statesman with great literary ability - a winning combination. The Gathering Storm a unique work and has a message for us in today's world.

Read and reviewed by Jimmie A. Kepler

This is a splendid book. My suspicion has always been that a lot of people are frightened away from it by the fact that it is just the first of a six-volume series, and the sheer size of the work is intimidating. If that's your reaction, think again; first, Churchill's work, while comprehensive, is also readily consumable in bite-sizes. Second, this particular volume really stands on its own for anyone who would like to understand the "why" of World War II.

Admittedly, on that "why" question, Churchill represents a particular point of view, but it is a point of view which, with hindsight, seems to have been dead-on. Had the allies not insisted on squeezing Germany nearly to death at Versailles, or had the allies not failed miserably to enforce the military terms of treaties with Germany or to arm themselves for the emerging conflict, the whole history of the twentieth century would have been very different.

My view is that historical reading is almost always best when it comes from the hand of a participant in the events; and Churchill's role in the war and in the runup to the war was important indeed. This volume covers the span of time from the end of WWI through the invasions of Poland and Norway (and the eve of the German invasion of France), and the most interesting aspect is not the military, but the political, aspect of the story. The validity of Churchill's point of view as a military historian has been the subject of much debate, but his political understanding of the factors leading up to the war is deep and detailed. No one was more aware of the threat Germany posed, and when Norway fell, no one was a more obvious choice to replace Chamberlain as PM than Churchill.

I bought this book because I wanted to understand how and why the war began, and I had no intention of reading all six volumes of Churchill's war history. But this book was so gripping and intense that I couldn't stop, and I proceeded to read the whole darned thing. Highly recomended.

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones believed that Christians should be joyful. "Unhappy Christians are, to say the least, a poor recommendation for the Christian faith; and there can be little doubt but that the exuberant joy of the early Christians was one of the most potent factors in the spread of Christianity." But being the pastor of one of London's largest churches, he knew that unhappy Christians were all too common.

In Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure, the Doctor has given us twenty-one sermons originally preached in a series at Westminster Chapel. Each chapter deals with a specific, common source of unhappiness in Christians. Being a true medical doctor, the author does not ignore the fact that there are physical problems and dispositions that lead to depression. Spiritual depression, however, is different, and can be overcome by applying Biblical teaching.

Christians must, Lloyd-Jones says, apply to themselves the truths that they already know--they must preach to themselves. "You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself....say to yourself: `Hope thou in God,' instead of muttering in this depressed, unhappy way."

The advice is practical and Biblical--each sermon flows from the exposition of a Scripture passage. In every chapter the author's reasoning is based upon the gospel and what Christ has already accomplished for the believer. Dr. Lloyd-Jones' sermons were preached to the common man; they are clear, direct, and easy to follow.

This book is not just for the unhappy Christian. It is solid, edifying, and comforting teaching that can benefit anyone. It would be of great use to one who is helping a friend or family member; it is essential for pastors who desire to be Biblical counselors.

Great insight to the real cause of depression. Years ago this book was the catalyst for my recognition and subsequent fight against one of the enemy's most effective tools. I have now purchased multiple copies to give away to those I encounter who suffer under the same attack.

Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure

An excellent book for those who struggle with depression. Especially for those who have grown up in religious or Christian environments. If you want good sound doctrine and understanding this is one place to find it. Lloyd-Jones speaks from his personal experience which is unparalleled.

James 4:9 "Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom"

For some of us we tend to lean in the direction of depression and "worm theology" (feeling worthless), and this book really gives spiritual and Biblical counsel to those who are trying to figure out where and how they take verses like this too far through the misuse and misunderstanding of the Bible as a whole. I only quote this verse to show that the attitude of mourning and depression is to an extent very Biblical and fits in to our life in a particular way. We get caught in a trap though and sometimes cannot dig ourselves out. This book teaches us how to preach to ourselves the beautiful truth we find in order that we can let the truth of God bring us joy (in its completeness) and not rely on some drug, psychology, or even entertainments.

Chapter 10 was one of my favorite chapters :-)

That said, this book is not for everyone. If you are struggling with serious depression you should also seek a counselor

Do not let the name fool you, this book is awesome and can help you wherever you are in your walk with Jesus.

Perhaps it just happens to be where I am at in my spiritual life, but every single day while reading this book, I get something relevant and valuable to use in my daily walk and growth in Christ. I am a Bible college graduate and have served in various roles in ministry for nearly 20 years. Nevertheless this book opened up new ways of looking at common life problems and issues and how to help resolve those with the proper focus on God's truth.

I think the title of the book could be "Finding and keeping joy in your life by learning to follow God the way he designed" On second thought that seems a little long....:)

Buy this book regardless of the title.

This is the best account I have ever read about the events leading up to the Civil War. Mr. Potter does an excellent job presenting the information and carefully analyzing it without taking sides. Whether you sympathize with the Union or the Confederacy, if you have an interest in the Civil War, you will enjoy this book.

This is without a doubt, one of the greatest books on the Ante-bellum period. I read this book when I was in college in 1991 and was impressed with it. It remains one of my favorite books to this day on the Ante-bellum period. Your library is truly not complete without this work.

Potter's insightful history leading up to the Civil War is a must. He explains the culture, the split, the issue of slavery in easy to understand language to edify the reader's understanding of the things leading up to the secession as soon as Lincoln was nominated yet before he took office. Anyone interested in the history of this time period, it is the best book I have read on the subject. Potter not only discusses the politics, but also gives us a look into Lincoln and his actions to prevent the war.

Abraham Lincoln's 1860 election as President of the United States was the catalyst that set off the American Civil War, but this book traces the political processes that led to that result during the just over a decade between the end of the Mexican War in 1848 and the start of the Civil War with the firing on Fort Sumner in 1861.

Today it is easy to look back and regard the entire process as inevitable. What David Potter does in this classic, first published in 1976, is present the politics behind each step that pushed the sections of the country apart over the slavery issue. One apparent mystery has been what drove the astute politician Stephen Douglas to force through legislation tearing up the Compromise of 1820, which had extended a line from Missouri westward, north of which slavery would not be permitted. It was a colossal blunder that opened what had been a more or less settled issue, fanning the flames of sectionalism needlessly.

His Kansas-Nebraska Act opened those territories, north of the line, to a concept of popular sovereignty, in which those supposedly living in the territories would be allowed to vote on the issue. This may have sounded democratic, but it led to a wave of Abolitionist settlers from New England, and pro-slavery visitors from neighboring Missouri, resulting in "Bleeding Kansas", with attacks and massacres from both sides, and very little democracy. Potter shows that Douglas started from a powerful need to organize the territories so a Pacific railroad could be built, preferably from Chicago in his home state of Illinois. That simple point of departure led him into a series of moves that only deepened the sectional divide.

Potter describes how the southern slaveholders won a whole series of meaningless victories that did nothing to extend the slave territories but did intensify feelings against slavery in the North, from the Mexican War and Kansas-Nebraska to the Dred Scott decision and the hanging of John Brown. He traces the rise of the Republican party out of the ruins of the Whigs and the Freesoil Party, and exposes the latter not as advocates of rights for black people, but driven rather by a deep-seated racism aimed at keeping blacks out of the territories. Complicating the 1850's political map of America was the American, or "Know Nothing" party, dedicated to stopping the recent flood of mainly Catholic immigrants from Europe.

He also demonstrates that the Unionist candidates did better than generally believed in the four-sided presidential election of 1860, and that the voting system itself gave the secessionists of late 1860 and early 1861 far greater strength than their actual numbers.

If you want to get deep into the politics that split the powerful Democratic Party and ultimately the nation, this book has what you are looking for.

Written in the 1970's, and finished by a colleague, David Potter's depiction of the 1848-1861 timeframe is a finely researched book on the subject. Most importantly though, unlike other writers and historians (in particular James McPherson) who look back on this time with modern day hindsight, Potter writes a book which follows this time as it was, with all the issues and ebbs and flows of that era. Potter gives us refreshing perspectives such as:

- The Republican Party, upon rising to prominence in the mid-1850's, were fellow travellers in many ways with the nativist "Know-Nothing" Party.

- Not only was 1860 a sectionally divided presidential election, but so was the 1856 contest. The Republican John Fremont was a non-factor in the southern states, while Millard Fillmore (with the Know-Nothings) ran strongly in that region. The opposite was true in the northern states (which allowed James Buchanan to win the election).

- The reputations of Buchanan and Stephen Douglas fare much better in this book. Douglas in particular is portrayed as one of the few people who could see how the electoral divisions were going to lead to secession, unlike the Lincoln/Seward Republicans.

- The South's tactical victories in the Compromise of 1850, Kansas-Nebraska Act and Dred Scott decisions were actually strategic defeats. The South became more isolated as a result of these events, and less powerful.

Many books on this subject present the Civil War as an inevitable result of the 1850's, yet Potter illustrates many examples where the middle ground may have prevailed and possibly prevented the conflict. Other issues were important in this day, particularly the tariff issue which created the same sectional rivalries that slavery did.

Overall it's a refreshing, well-researched book that I would highly recommend to anyone interested in this era.