General Practice Books

I am currently reading this book as part of my Lenten spiritual reading. Although I'm only on lesson three, I feel confident in recommending this book to anyone, regardless if you have someone you need to forgive or not. With this book, it is easy to see how to apply the lessons to your own life, and to think about where you might be more merciful towards others, or to "offer up" your suffering to Christ on the cross.

I've read other books on the beatitudes, but through Sheen's comparison to how Jesus lived the beatitudes on the cross, I really came to understand them much more deeply. This is a quick read and will help anyone grow spiritually and understand how to apply the Beatitudes to his or her life.

This helps me to become a better Christian. The dedication is even timeless: "To Mary, who through the Cross, leads us to the Beatitudes."

Archbishop Sheen's short series of meditations on the Seven Last Words and the Seven Beatitudes is a good read for anyone who wishes to meditate further on Our Lord's Passion. Though he claims there is no connection between the two subjects other than his artificial construction, I believe that he saw a real connection that exists between the two. Some of his written information is contextual (such as the "mailed fist of Communism"), but when one spends time in contemplation, one will realize that his information is not as dated as it seems. A good read any time of the year, but recommended especially for Holy Week.

This is an extremely well-written book that will appeal to all! Harper's story of one man (the author's father) reminds us of what really matters in one's life - being true to who you are. In the telling of his father's intriguing story, the author illustrates to us that we need not be afraid of life's setbacks and obstacles for they can be used to build personal strength, character,and wisdom, and expand our empathy, acceptance and love of others. Harper's exceptional writing style results in one of those rare books that leaves you feeling like you were there -- "But by the grace of God go I...." And regardless of the dark places our life's journey might take us, it is never too late to leave our legacy --especially when it is built on on love and honor. A fascinating and moving true story --a must-read.

A very riveting book that drips with a son's respect and admiration for his father's crusade for reform in a notorious and corrupt Teamster chapter. The author's father stands toe-to-toe with Hoffa and risks all.

Great reading as the author, with his litigation experience, puts the pieces togethet of the story so that all the facts are represented and the story flows. Even though I knew the outcome, I was still pulling for the dad to muscle out and be the victor against Mr. Hoffa. Besides the story about his father, what a wonderful way to remember your childhood thru the eyes of your father.

This is a very well written book that tells a compelling story of two men's lives and how they intersect. It has the feel of a good mystery novel and, even though the phrase is trite, really is hard to put down. The reader gets drawn into the story immediately and is carried along from page to page in anticipation of what will happen next. If you enjoy reading any subject matter at all, you'll enjoy this book.

Flor serious Christians who see Holy Week and the Triduum as the most imnportant time of the year, this book is a must. For those who keep the Holy Thursday Vigil it will guide their thoughts into a deeper appreciation of Christ's death and passion.

In brief, Fr. Brown's collection of essays (based on his larger work, "The Death of the Messiah") is an excellent introduction to an obvious question of exegesis raised every year during the Easter season. Each liturgical year, Catholics are exposed to an important anomaly in the passion narratives of the Gospels as a synoptic Passion account is read on Palm Sunday and the Johannine Passion account is read on Good Friday. Through this lens, Fr. Brown approaches each narrative in order to shed light on its own specific characteristics.

In brief form, Fr. Brown analyzes the heart of each narrative, casting its varied events into the light of that heart. While the brief text does not allow for much exegetical depth, it does allow for a general relief to be given to each narrative. He also extrapolates possible community orientations which led to the presentation in each narrative. While this remains somewhat peripheral in the short book, it is of utmost importance to the final synthesis which stresses the importance of the multiple facets of the narratives. In addition to this, Fr. Brown attempts to relate the passion narratives to their larger place in their given Gospels but fails to find much room to do so within the confines of each brief essay.

Overall, the text is an excellent, brief read for all looking to more fully understand the multiple faces of the Passion accounts and the beauty of the reflections off each of those faces.

These are not my views, I must admit, but rather those of Rev. Mark Stanger, an Episcopal priest at San Francisco's Grace Cathedral. In an interview published at salon.com in January 2004, he said,

'If people want to read something sensible about this whole thing, Raymond E. Brown -- he died about a year ago -- was a great, great Catholic scripture scholar. He wrote a mega-work called "The Death of the Messiah" in 1994 -- two volumes, 1,600 pages. But then he digested [it] down and did a little tiny popular work, a $5 paperback, 71 pages, called "A Crucified Christ in Holy Week." I think that would be the sanest possible book anyone could ever read.'

A CRUCIFIED CHRIST IN HOLY WEEK is a small summary of the late Father Raymond Brown's two volume THE DEATH OF THE MESSIAH. While such a book, a booklet in comparison cannot be more than just a summary of what the two volume set includes, it is perfect for the student who wishes top be introduced to Brown's major thoughts regarding the death of Jesus or for the preacher trying to recall Brown's salient points while preparing a sermon or homily. The book is divided into four chapters which tell of each evangelist's focus in the Passion narrative and concludes with some thoughts regarding the Passion itself, and the strengths and weaknesses of the composite view of the Passion we are accustomed to when we combine the four Gospel passion accounts and make them into one story as well as concerns regarding the misinterpretation of the passion and its connection to anti-Semitism.

As I mentioned earlier, this volume will be perfect for a student or a person involved in preaching. It could also be used my Bible study groups that are looking at the Passion narratives. Browns observations could certainly lead to lively discussions. It would also be a great guide for anyone who may be taking a closer look at the passion, especially during lent, and help the reader enter into a deeper understanding of Jesus'' Passion and its meaning for us today.

The 3 principles explained in this book are the basis of any consistent philosophy of school leadership.

As a masters student in a leadership program I have been reading the current literature around leadership for the past two years. Donaldson's book is by far in my top five. Easy to read and accessible, this book offers hope for the future of our schools. The model that he proposes for school leadership is both practical and filled with great ideals...anyone who has worked in a school will know that the author "knows his stuff."

I highly recommend the book.

Deborah Meier wrote:

"Wonderful, wise, and well said... This book lays out a way of thinking about what leadership might entail, alongside the details of why it doesn't happen and what it would require for it to become a reality." Meier is Principal, Mission Hill Elementary School, Boston; Founder, Central Park East High School, NYC

Tom Sergiovanni wrote:

"Few books will teach you more about leadership, how it works, and how it can slip into the nooks and crannies of a school. Donaldson sets a new standard for timeliness and relevance. A must read for school faculties who want to come together to work more effectively with kids." Sergiovanni is Professor, Center for Educational Leadership at Trinity University, San Antonio TX

Roland Barth wrote:

In this volume, Gordon Donaldson demonstrates that he is the ultimate `reflective practitioner'. Like a good academic, his gift to the reader is a refreshing model of school leadership.; But like a good practitioner, he offers a model based on the realities of the school culture.... I wish I had had Cultivating Leadership in Schools as my partner during my own turbulent days as a school principal." Barth is author of Improving Schools from Within, the founder of the Harvard Principals' Center and a former professor at Harvard

Gayle Moller wrote:

This book clearly and concisely explains why school leaders are frustrated in their jobs. In this book, practitioners will find a friend in the author who explains the obstacles to leading in schools, yet offers practical solutions through a leadership model that more closely reflects a school's organization." Moller is the former director of the South Florida Center for Educational Leadership and currently teaches at Western Carolina

This little volume scrapes away the layers of thinking and strategies that have built up over the years and have been proferred to school principals. It begins with the simple, underlying question: "How is it that schools can be lead?"

And it begins with a simple goal: to develop a practical model of school leadership that promises to address the two most pressing issues facing school leadership today: 1) serve the learning needs of children and their communities and 2) prove practicable and fulfilling to leaders themselves.

From this point of origin, Gordon Donaldson casts a fresh eye on what he calls "the everyday realities" that surround people who seek to lead. He finds in his chapters entitled "The Conspiracy of Busyness" and "The Planetary Culture of Schools" that if people approach leadership in the classical paradigm of "one organization, one leader", they are destined to fail in schools.

Donaldson then generates a provocative new model that he argues is "congruent with the everyday realities of schools". Building from the work of Barth, Rost, Heifetz, Helgesen, Sergiovanni, and Darling-Hammond, he proposes a relational model in which leadership is "plural" - blended among people with diverse roles, talents, and responsibilities but who share a common purpose and a disposition for action. Leadership, he claims, engages three intertwining "streams" of a school's life: relationships among adults and between adults and children; purposes and commitments to them; and the belief that "we act in common" to attain our purposes.

The bulk of Gordon Donaldson's book explores what principals and teacher leaders can do to participate in leadership in the three streams. In doing so, he helps us distinguish between these two roles (both of which he claims are absolutely essential to a strong school). He goes on to examine, then, what particular skills and dispositions stand principals and teacher leaders in good stead as they go about this important work. Here, he calls upon the work of Daniel Goleman, Nel Noddings, Robert Evans, and Peter Senge among others.

The book's grounding in "realities" gives it resonance for teachers, principals, counselors, and even citizen leaders. Its descriptions of leader activities and the skills necessary for them makes it useful to people intent on learning to lead and searching for a more useful model for their own leadership experience.

Curing the Heart is a wonderful, concise overview of the methodology of counseling that is biblical. This work outlines the process of helping people with the struggles of life from the perspective of God's Word. This process includes coming alongside, giving hope, gathering data, defining the problem biblically, teaching the truth of the Word, seeking a commitment, giving good homework, and helping people become a functioning member of the body of Christ. This book is a great read and a handy reference!

"Curing the Heart" by Howard Eyrich presents a truly biblical model of counseling, and does so in a comprehensive, comprehendible manner. It is detailed and packed with data, while also well-written and user-friendly.

Section one presents the need for a biblical approach, arguing for the development of a biblical psychology where the Creator informs us about the nature of the creature. Eyrich's biblical psychology presents the Bible's message about humanity in a living and dynamic way, and shows how to use the Bible as a counseling tool that targets the heart.

In section two, he shifts from a biblical counseling model to the biblical counselor. Here he highlights the content, character, and competence of the biblical counselor.

Section three overviews the counseling process. Here we have a plethora of counseling intervention methods, each explained biblically and practically.

This excellent manual is made even better by the inclusion of four appendices with practical helps for actually ministry.

"Curing the Heart" should be mandatory reading for lay leaders, pastors, counselors, and students interested in understanding and developing their model of biblical counseling and their skillfulness as a biblical counselor.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of "Soul Physicians," "Spiritual Friends," "Biblical Counseling," "Martin Luther's Counseling," and "Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction."

"Curing the Heart" is an excellent primer for Biblical Counseling. This book demonstrates that, for the Christian, the Bible is an adequate source for counseling totally apart from any secular psyhological methods, especially since the fields of psychology and psychiatry are in direct opposition to the Christian faith. Those who counsel Christians will find this book to be an excellent resource.

As a new student to Christian Counseling this was one of the first books I had to read as an assignment. Not only did I read it but I could not put it down. I wound up reading it four times, and each time I felt that my knowledge base doubled. Even though the book was written several years ago, its principles will hold true forever.

Daily Light on the Daily Path has served for centuries as a wonderful, uplifting morning and evening devotional. In the 1800s, Samuel Bagster would lead his family in morning and evening devotions (something all too lacking in most contemporary households) by compiling scripture references along central themes. His son Jonathan, remembering the power of his father's devotions, published the compiled verses years later as Daily Light on the Daily Path. Originally in the King James Version, Crossway has now published an edition using the English Standard Version, whose accuracy and literary beauty do justice to the original, and whose readability brings the 19th century classic into the 21st century.

I was initially highly skeptical about using this work as a means of daily devotion. I have never been one in favor of taking verses out of their immediate context. However, Bagster's work is a marvel. It is an inspirational work that carefully compiles the selections so that they are harmonized, yet their original intent is not lost. He made sure, as a good father should, to not twist the scriptures to his own meaning, but represent them to his family as they were meant to be read all along.

In some ways, it is not unlike using your bible's cross-reference system as a means of daily reading. The carefully selected verses around central themes are an enrichment, letting Scripture speak to Scripture. I have found this book to be just the start I need in the morning to begin my day in a mode of worship, as well as an equally positive reflection after a day of joy or toil. Now incorporating the ESV (my personal favorite for devotion, study, teaching, and preaching), Daily Light continues to serve the Christian in the beginning and end of his or her day in the Lord. This ranks alongside Charles H. Spurgeon's Morning and Evening and John Piper's Taste and See in my favorite devotional books, but Daily Light will always have a particularly special place for being exclusively and beautifully rendered in Scripture itself.

A morning and evening collection of verses around a central theme. I like it because it is well thought out. And I can be quickly edified while I'm waiting for the morning coffee to kick in so I can have my regular quiet time. :-)

I needed a quick way to read the Bible in the mornings before my day started. I have more time for deeper, lengthier Bible studies during afternoon naptimes and after the kids are asleep at night...but in the mornings, my time is limited. The way the Scripture is broken into themes/topics is wonderful. The translation is beautiful and true to the original (from what I've researched and read about it), and the book is just the right size to sit onto a side table or nightstand.

Cannot recommend this enough!

An excellent update to a timeless classic---especially for those of us in the Reformed or Lutheran traditions.

'Daily Readings with St Isaac of Syria' ISBN 0-87243-173-8.

For those coming to St. Isaac for the first time, this is a wonderful place to start. The interesting and useful brief Introduction by A. M. Allchin is a minor masterpiece. The translations, by Syriac scholar Sebastian Brock, read beautifully and succeed brilliantly in capturing something of the profound humanity and gigantic spirituality of St. Isaac. Each of the selected readings takes up only a single page or less, and all are worth returning to often. Of them, Allchin writes:

"For myself I can only say that there are words here which once heard are never forgotten, words which speak with the clarity and vigour which we find in the Gospels themselves:

'Like a handful of dust thrown into the sea are the sins of all mankind compared with the mercy and providence of God'."

At a time when public Christendom is more a cause of chagrin than it is of delight, here is a timely corrective to "pious" habits of glib zeal and judgemental finger-pointing. Here is a selection from the saint's writings, the fruits of a holy life of prayer and compassion. "Someone who has tasted the truth is not contentious for truth. Someone who is considered among men to be zealous for truth has not yet learnt what truth is really like: once he has learnt it he will cease from zealousness on its behalf."

St. Isaac of Syria provides a rare glimpse into the truly beautiful depths of Christianity. There are words of insight and wisdom here that draw you right into the very heart of God. A must read.

Sixty clear, lucid meditations from a magnanimous theologian of the early church -- it is prose that reads like poetry, salutary and salvific. Meditations that could, in fact, be used as material for lectio divina. (We keep a bookmark on page 62, a page entitled "Do not despair.") This selection of readings is lucky enough to have an introduction by the great Anglican scholar A M Allchin.

A book that might prove similarly inspiring, from the Western tradition, is "Love Without Measure: Extracts from the Writings of St Bernard of Clairvaux," introduced and arranged by Paul Diemer, OCSO (Kalamazoo, Cistercian Publications, 1990, No. 127 in the Cistercian Studies series).

If you are not ready to hear cold hard facts. I mean the whole truth and nothing but. Don't read this book...YET. But think everyone who calls themselves a true christain should. I'm not going to tell you what's in the book. It's something that you are going to have to go throug and experience for yourself. Maybe you've been told some of the things that is in it, or all. But this Author puts it plan and straight, no sugar coating. Enjoy!

Dean Merrill's book is a wonderful reminder of not only who we are but a sometimes sobering tale of how badly we reflect Christ from time to time. Through several stories, a few of them rather powerful, and thoughtful biblical application he makes the case for being the right kinds of ambassadors for Christ. The final section is where the argument turns into corrective and will be of great benefit to pastors and concerned Christians alike.

One of the primary struggles within the evangelical church today is relevance. While this book does not expressly tackle that issue, it will provide a great deal to think over when it comes to addressing our world in a winsome and effective way. I recommend this book not only for pastors and leaders, but for all Christians who would like to reflect on Christ's church reaching culture.

If the American church followed the widsom and insight contained in "Damage Control, How to stop making Jesus look bad," I think unbelievers would be even more compelled to accept Christ. In this book, Dean Merrill provides us with a candid look at how those from the outside of Christendom may see those of us on the inside. It's time someone stepped up to the plate and preached this message to the choir. I was challenged, encouraged, and convicted while reading "Damage Control." If you are serious about reaching the lost, this is a must read. I enthusiastically recommend this book.

No one does more damage to the message and image of Christianity than Christians themselves. Damage Control: How To Stop Making Jesus Look Bad by Dean Merrill offers an intriguing interpretation of societal perspectives which so frequently render Christ in poor view and how Christians might assist as His earthly ambassadors to improve His image and redeem His position with respect to the broader world. Introducing the reader to a remarkable understanding of what might be the cause of people's interpretive and illusive vision of Christ, Damage Control reminds its readers that each individual can validly make a difference in the minds of others and their often negative view. Damage Control is very strongly recommended to all Christians, regardless of their denominational affiliation, who witness the pains of noting the declining popularity of their faith and Savior, and wishing to help as much as possible to remedy that loss of stature and status through becoming a positive influence.

As a Reform rabbi, Karyn Kedar is undoubtedly aware of Reform Judaism's historic tension between the particularistic and the universalistic - the focus on things Jewish versus the things that relate to all of humankind. As befits a rabbi's book, Dance of the Dolphin is dominated by material from Jewish sources - Biblical, Talmudic, anecdotes of life in Israel. It is Kedar's great accomplishment that from these particularistic roots, a thoroughly universal message has blossomed. You don't have to be Jewish ... to be moved and challenged by her insight into the search for meaning in our lives, nor to recognize the wisdom in her admonition not to live in the past, but to build on the past. Dance of the Dolphin is easy enough to read, but difficult to come to grips with; the author makes clear that connecting with the Divine is not something that comes to us readily, but that rewards those who pursue it with diligence. The new book reveals, as did its predecessor, God Whispers, her uncanny ability to find the spiritual in the commonplace.

One can hear her voice when reading the soulful words of Rabbi Karyn Kedar in The Dance of the Dolphin. Yet Rabbi Kedar also gives a voice to us, those who walk the path of our real world while searching for ways of making it our holy world as well. She proves her thesis that this can be done when she relates everyday events in everyday words and then interprets this same, mundane experience as a connection to the Divine. Here her words soar, reinforcing the joy that comes from from one who, recognizing that connection, wants to share it with others. She does so with passion and clarity. Rabbi Kedar's writing also sends the message that there is a joy in undertaking the search, thereby giving strength and comfort to those less learned than is she. The Dance of the Dolphin is the work of a gifted writer but more importantly, that of a master teacher.

The Dance of the Dolphin is a gift of love, beauty, and spirituality that Karyn Kedar has shared with her readers. Like God Whispers,it evoked many soulful emotions and tears. When I first began reading it, I carried the book around with me everywhere I went. It just felt good to have it next to me...in my drawer at work, next to me in my car, or sitting on my night table. I never wanted it to end. I will treasure the Dance of the Dolphin, and continue to read it over and over again. Karen has put into words the kind of person I strive to become and delicately demonstrates how one can develop their own relationship with G-d.

Karyn Kedar's first book, God Whispers, had this magical quality that brought the eternal and the spiritual into everyday life, and now Dance of the Dolphin has matched - actually surpassed - the first book. Dance of the Dolphin is a book you will want to linger with. It is not long, but don't plan to plow through it fast. At every step you will see your life in new ways, and you will find yourself lost in thought, pondering the insights that the book has helped you see. Like a dolphin that needs to breathe air as it lives in the water, Kedar shows us how to breathe spirituality into every moment of our lives. She helps you see magic in the mundane, and reading her books is a rich, rewarding experience. As with God Whispers, she does this by weaving in stories, many from her own life, and seamlessly weaving them into greater truths about life, people and God. Read this book. Savor it. Think of it, like the dolphin does, as a breath of fresh air.

To God be the glory for the goood things he has done to my beloved Sis. Elder Lenora Artis; She has walked through what she is teaching others about how The Lord God of gods...The Lord God of gods!! is wanting to bring anyone through or out of the dark times if they are willing to walk with Him and IF....IF...you are breathing and are living in this life of Faith you will face these dark times. This book "DARK BLESSINGS" is one of the must have books for any one who is looking for answers to life's dark nights!!!!!!

Rosa...representing The Rose of Sharon.

I purchased this as a Christmas gift for my daughter. The book arrived promptly and my daughter was pleased with her gift.

This young author is amazing!!! This book has taught me about FAITH! As I journey into 2008 I will reflect on this wonderful book...anything that tries to hinder my walk with the Lord Jesus Christ I don't care what it is I will always remember the reading and the teaching I receive from this wonderful book Dark Blessing!
To the author....WELL DONE! AN EXCELLENT READ! BRAVO! YOUR WRITING IS AMAZING!! THIS SHOULD BE A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER NO QUESTION! GOD BLESS YOU

This book has blessed & inspired me to hold on to my faith in God. It has given me hope through the dark times in my life--now and in the future--that through God all things are possible.