B Books

As a pastor, I am privy to many commentaries and sources of information. I have found Withterington's commentary on Acts to be the best.

Witherington does the job every good interpreter should do: he asks, "How would the original audience have understood what was written?" His strength is his extensive understanding of the culture and era in which Acts was penned.

Witherington takes an evangelical perspective and interacts (in the footnotes--where interaction belongs) with liberal or alternative viewpoints.

Straightforward, thorough, scholarly, addresses the questions that arise -- a great job indeed. His "closer look" articles (for example, "Multiple Pentecosts") address topics or controversies that arise from Acts and are often interesting and relevant.

Few of us would probably agree with Witherington on every point, but it doesn't get much better than this.

From the point of view of a professor of Bible, this is a great commentary. Witherington's discussion fo the genre of first century history is remarkably helpful. I have followed up on his secondary and primary research, and it seems sound. His control of the primary literature is remarkable. After twenty years of teaching, it is the first book taht gave me a big picture by which to understand the book of Acts.

This is very detailed for a person without a vast seminary education but it is a very readable book. The "closer look" sections are filled with information that makes certain issues in Acts much more understandable. Just an excellent book.

You don't know "Acts" until you've read through it with Witherington. Money well spent. The best of the wonderful, newer commentaries quote this book--extensively. That's a reminder that you need to read this one.

`The Acts of the Apostles, A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary' by the distinguished and prolific professor, Ben Witherington III may be one of the most readable Bible commentaries I have found. For that and several other reasons, it may be the very best commentary for any reader who approaches the Christian scriptures as literature rather than as Gospel.
The author's subtitle emphasizes the fact that unlike so many other commentaries, such as the superior volumes from Luke Timothy Johnson (Sacra Pagina series) and Joseph Fitzmyer (Anchor Bible series) as well as Pastoral aids such as the Robert W. Wall contribution on `Acts' in `The New Interpreter's Bible', this volume is far less dedicated to linguistic studies or theological interpretation. One symptom of this emphasis is that the book does NOT include either the author's own translation of the text, or anyone else's translation. You need a copy of the Bible open to `Acts' as you read Witheringtons book. This is especially true since much of Witheringtons text is a verse by verse commentary on the text. But, unlike Johnson, Fitzmyer, and others, the text flows in one continuous narrative rather than being broken up into different sections on `interpretation', `exegesis', and `commentary'. The other side of the coin is that unlike Robert Tannehill's widely quoted `The Narrative Unity of Luke - Acts', Witherington deals with the text from beginning to end, rather than dealing with topics, with common material taken from different parts of the text, making it a difficult resource when one is studying the text chapter by chapter.
In addition to these organizational aspects, Witherington's text is simply better written than many commentaries, and therefore, it yields its insights far more readily than those texts weighed down with references to every scholarly work on `Acts' since Eusebius. That is not to say there are no scholarly references. It's just that Witherington integrates them into his writing in a far smoother manner.
It also helps in that Witherington is dealing with his subject's (Luke) writing style and social and historical context. This adds to the interest to a lay reader. To highlight this emphasis, Witherington often digresses into historical asides to aid in understanding the context. Witherington also discusses certain aspects in depth that other commentators may ignore or pass over with the briefest comment. One example is the occurrence of the `we' passages which pop up in parts of the narration of Paul's missionary journeys. These have no theological or linguistic significance, but they are fascinating evidence for the fact that either author Luke accompanied Paul on some of his trips or Luke was copying material verbatim from another travel companion's journals.
Overall, Witherington's works are a real breath of fresh air when compared to many other Biblical commentary writers. I have seen other commentaries on `Acts' and some Hebrew scriptures which are simply one scholarly reference piled upon the next, making them unreadable except to someone doing a dissertation on the subject.
Witherington does not ignore comments on Luke's Greek, but his reflections seem to have more substance than most. The problem is that one needs a second volume to see the Greek in context. One is best served by having an interlinear text open as you read Witherington's linguistic comments.
If you are doing a Lay Bible study of `Acts', Witherington's book should really be one of your sources, but you should supplement it with Johnson, Fitzmyer, or F. F. Bruce's `The Book of the Acts'.

I'm a high school student and just LOVE this book. I enjoy reading Captain Underpants and things like that, so I picked this up and laughed the whole way through! I passed it on to my two little sisters (who also loved it) and they actually handed it off to my mom, who got quite a kick out of it. This book is a great read for kids and amusing for everyone!

It used to be difficult to entice my third grade son to read - until now. I am grateful to H. B. Homzie for creating a series that my son found interesting enough to read instead of watching t.v. or playing Gameboy. I actually had to pull it out of his hands because it was past his bed time and he did not want to put this book down! WOW! My son was totally engrossed and was laughing out loud. Of course, I was curious, so I read it after he was asleep... and I was impressed that I enjoyed it, too! Move over J.K. Rowling -- H.B. Homzie has created a great series that appeals to reluctant readers without being scary! She demonstrates a great ability to relate to this age and my son confirmed it by asking when he could get the next book in the series! Thank you, H.B. I would definitely recommend this for everyone's home library.

Abby had the flu, they were picking science fair partners. Casey, her partner was sick also. They couldn't decide what project to do. SO they took a vote on it. You should read this book because there was a problem, so you need to read to find it and you can figure it out. The thing I like most about this book was when they did the project. The thing I liked the least was when the problem happen. I like this activy because it helps me learn to type.

I read my son Two Heads Are Better Than One and he loved it! In fact, we are now reading it for the third time. It is so funny that I'm enjoying it as much as he is. Our favorite character is Beta, the alien. My son is going around saying Zaptopkaka! Otto is a fun character, too. A good old-fashioned villain. I can't wait to go out and buy the next book in this series.

I read this book with my children (6 and 4 years old) over the course of several bedtimes, and they really enjoyed it. "Alien Clones From Outer Space" is entertaining and funny, and it was an enjoyable book to read. Highly recommended.

Like many non-Americans I have a strange attraction to the United States. Having neither the means nor the time to explore this vast continent on my own I am looking for substitutes to get intimately familiar with the different corners of America. This is what I was hoping to find in Torre B Isaksen's "America: A Love Story".

The author, Mr. Isaksen, a Norwegian-born sea captain, spent half a year traveling from Alaska to Florida, using his car. His travels took him through many states and he writes about the people and places he saw. Quite a few exciting events happened to him during the trip, but that is not what makes this book interesting. Where Mr. Isaksen really shines is in his narrative of all the original people he met on his travels, sometimes old friends, but most of the time just random encounters on his journey.

As the book title hints, Mr. Isaksen's unrelenting love for the US is ever-present throughout the pages, and often this is too much for the reader to swallow. While he keeps referring back to the vast amount of places he visited during his travels by sea, he always uses this information to point out the superiority of the American way, regardless of subject. His story often strays off on a tangent, and more often than not, this leads to the Vietnam war, which a significant number of fragments in the book is dedicated to.

As a travelogue throughout the US, the book contains a fair amount of memorable episodes and you get a feeling for the place and the people living there. However, the constant backtracking to Vietnam, the many romantic encounters on the road, and a few grammatical and spelling errors reduce the enjoyment from what could have been a great read. Despite these issues I still enjoyed the book and felt that I got a deeper and more intimate understanding of the US' geography and people without actually being there.

I bought this book from an airport book store in Europe,the cover caught my eye,it stood out,the beautiful Stars and Stripes flew proudly on the cover,i have always wanted to go and visit America,that big and powerful country so close as an allied and friendly nation but so far to travel to visit.I figure a book travel might be the next best thing and what a book!it rivited me to the pages,here unfolds life before my eyes so vivid and so exceptionally personally depicted,man and nature,the full life,the high and low,the good the bad and the ugly,all is there in Torre's grand book as he takes us down the whole of North America from Alaska to Florida and from coast to coast!What really got to me was the very upbeat and positiveness of the book and the people he met and the nature and land he travelled thru.Torre is and author that is at his most powerful when meeting and describing people of all walks of life!I loved it.Now,the next is I must get a ticket and travel to see America for myself.A book to be glad for!The book is an eyeopener!

hello to all readers out there.I must tell all about this fine book,no, this super good book I found at the Amazon internet store.How did I find it among the thousand titles,well I was recommended it by someone,and wow,what a read.Where have this writer been before? The spot on powerful rendering of all in his way is just great and very moving,'america a love story'his truly epic trip down the north american continent is unique,nothing less,and the nature around him comes alive as does the everyday people he meets,here is a REAL book,with REAL people from REAL life,nothing less than AMERICANA,it surges in you when you read this book,pride in our nation,warts and all,Torre I think,has written a beautiful and realistic book,spot on with all of us americans,and non americans might also definiteley learn a thing or two about'the American Soul'...
I am bertrand from Holland.

I got the book at the internet store of Amazon.com.the reason why i bought it was the titel and the cover,both so strikingly.i started reading the book one late evening and i just couldn't put it down,and lost a lot of sleep that nite,however,it was worth it,wow,what a book,the action moves along smoothly as Torre,the author drives down the great continent of America,and what a drive he does,and the beauty of this book is that it's so sharing,Torre meets and talk and mingle and really describe so vividly his encounters,it is like we are with him all the time, we the readers are his companion on this epic trip,i never heard of anyone doing this before,quite unique.And the positiveness and upbeat tone is there all the time,even though the author meets with both violence and muggings on his year long trip,from Alaska to Florida,coast to coast,and that's what makes the book such a good read, this is a great story about the American society in general.the author dedicates his book to ALL Americans,and that's a perfect gesture.I loved this book,I cried and laughed along the road.Where have this talented writer been in the past?Anyway,this is the book of the year for me,for sure.

I read this book with great pleasure,it had everything,the great american outdoor,the personal description of the people that the author meets along the route from Alaska to Florida.And it's like you have been there yourself,travelling with Torre in his pickup,and the dialogue it's out of this world,this is far more than a trip down the road,believe me.I will describe the book as a real glimpse'into the american soul',the people are so fantastically and colorful depicted and very personal,it feels like you KNOW many of the persons he meet.That and the strength and variety of events is what makes this book a very good read,and the grandeur nature is described so well,in short it's a mighty entertaining book,'AMERICA: A Love Story' is one of the best books I have read in a long while.Period.I purchased it from the Internet shopping,at a good value.I live in Ireland,and work in the book industry myself.best rgds Mr.Paul/Ireland

Excellent book, I purchased this book and it lead me to once again pick up the Kybalion. Wayne Chandler is very thorough in his research and what I love most about was it was very detailed and show direct connection with historical facts and the Hermetic Laws, this book certainly made an impact on my life and Mr Chandler excels in every area of his book, he simplified ancient knowledge into a format anyone from the novice to the adepts can understand. this book is simply a must for anyone who desires a change in their outlook and life, I have been touched by the wisdom put forth in this gem of a book. this is one book I will never lend out but will always recommend to everyone I meet.

Enjoyed this book and its format. Excellent presentation of the Hermetic principles and historical and contemporary insight. None of its concept was new to me but it provided a interesting and ionformative perspective.

This is a most excellent book. The author excels in every way of bringing a vast body of knowledge together in one place, distilling the wisdom of the ancients into a small easy to read book. Thank you so much Mr Chandler for writing this book. May you write many more!

Kudos to Mr. Chandler on his excellent research and format regarding the ancient Hermetic Laws. Newcomers to the studies of esoteric wisdom will find this book extremely helpful because its extensive research and Mr. Chandler's outstanding writing skills. He definitely has a gift of writing. It's Not Over Yet

I am surprised to see so few reviews here, as this book has had such an influence on my life. I do not know how to begin to adequately express its significance, and perhaps that is appropriate. Those who are ready for the knowledge will be drawn to it in a time and manner which is right for them.

"When the ears of the student are ready to hear, then cometh the lips to fill them with Wisdom." -- The Kybalion

Ancient Future is a "modern" approach to the ancient wisdom of Kemet, which was passed from lips to ear since pre-diluvian days and then more recently (about a hundred years ago), was recorded in a book entitled "Kybalion". Kybalion has been out of print for a long time, but can be found if you diligently seek it.

This is an inspriring book. I highly recommend this book for young scientists and anyone who is thinking about a life of research. This should be recommended reading for CS students everywhere.

"The Art of Scientific Innovations" by Professor Syed Ahamed and Dr. Lawrence provides invaluable insights into the great minds and history behind key innovations that continue to greatly impact our lives today. I had the pleasure of meting authors on a number of occasions and have great respect for their vision and dedication to help advance knowledge with a view to improve the quality and well being of our existence as a humanity overall. I can not think of a more inspiring and motivating book than the "The Art of Scientific Innovations" for Doctoral students and alike for whom this book has been dedicated to. Written in a clear and concise manner, the book enables appreciation of the efforts spent in the advancement of science as well as understanding of the characteristics and common threads of great scientific innovations.

I always think that how the artistic ppl think about the things, how they comes up with the new ideas.This is true that the way we looked up the thing is different from the ppl who are scientist.This book help me a lot to improve my creativity skills.

Ideas presented in this book, "The Art of Scientific Innovation: Cases of Classic Creativity", and taught by the author Professor Syed Ahamed in class are proven fruitful for many of his students including myself. The book actually leads "from realization of a concept to the development of a device intended to serve a commercial or social need". It helped a great deal to successfully finish my research on a subject (financial networks), defend my dissertation, implement my ideas in industry and keep working on a patent.
The broad audience of researchers will greatly benefit from this book.

The Art of Scientific Innovation by Professor Syed V Ahamed and Dr Victor Lawrence is a contribution to graduate education not readily found in other scientific text material. What the authors have done is to share their personal experience with guiding Ph.D. students in graduate dissertation work. They elicit the essential ingredients of performing seminal contributions to the field of endeavor. They have created a stream of outstanding flow of scientific creativity by researchers who have made some of the largest contributions to the art of scientific innovation. This report of these contributions combined with their personal analysis of the dissertation process make this a work that should be read by all Ph.D students.

"...Christmas is such a special time that very special, almost magical things can happen. And the most magical thing of all is Santa Bear: I'd say he has the best job in the whole world, because the joy of giving is what Christmas is all about." -- From the book

This lovely book by Stan and Jan Berenstain follows the Bear family as they navigate through the trappings of Christmas: making lists, feeling the tug of store-front windows loaded with toys, kids worrying if they've been good enough to merit Santa Bear's visit, the spirit of giving and more.

I love that this book doesn't demonize wanting things (like The Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmies), and shows kids deciding to spend their own money to buy their parents special gifts from Christmas.

One adorable scene in this book is when the kids encounter a bell ringing Santa outside the mall, standing in front of a pot that says "Help the Needy". Paper Bear explains "His job is to collect money to help the needy--birds who need seed, squirrels who didn't put enough aside for the winter".

Especially good for Christmastime, The Berenstain Bears Meet Santa Bear is a heartwarming story with an uplifting message that children will no doubt enjoy.

This is such a cute book! This one has the Bear family going to the mall two days after Thanksgiving and finding that it's all decorated for Christmas. Mama thinks it's too early, but Papa thinks that the kids will be fine and they will be able to handle it. Then the next page shows the cubs jumping up and down in front of the toy store way too excited for the season to begin. Sister has a ton of questions about Santa, like how does he get down our skinny chimney, how does he drive his sleigh when there's no snow, etc., etc. Just the same questions just about every child has at one time or another. It also goes through how hard it is to wait until Christmas Eve and all the things a kid goes through waiting for that wonderful event. Lastly, it shows the cubs buying thoughtful gifts for their parents and being very excited when they open them on Christmas. The book closes with Papa explaining all of Sister's questions on Christmas Eve while they are looking up into the sky, waiting for Santa Bear to come. Then, it starts to snow and blankets the entire town with Christmas snow.

This is such a great little book - it shows all the joys of Christmas through a child's eyes but also teaches about giving. When Sister says that Santa Bear has the hardest job in the world making all those presents and then delivering them, Papa counters with the fact that he thinks that Santa Bear has the best job because he gets to give all those gifts to so many cubs. That's the last sentence in the book too - when the cubs give their gifts to their parents, they realize that Papa was right - Santa Bear did have the best job in the whole world because it feels better to give than to receive.

We LOVE this book in our house and I just can't recommend it enough!

I got this book as a christmas present in 1990 and really enjoyed it. All the toys looked exciting to me and I really loved the illustrations.

I gave this book four stars because it is a great book for children dealing with questions about Santa Claus. Papa Bear answers all these questions with a simple answer, "Christmas is such a special time of year that very special, almost magical things can happen. And the most magical thing of all is Santa Bear."

This book is about how the cubs start wanting their presents for Christmas. Brother bear wants just a couple of things and makes a small Christmas list, while sister bear makes a really long one. Sister gets thiknking and she realizes she's being greedy.

I reccomend this book to any child who is havinbg a want problem. The point of this story is don't be greedy. This is for children 5-8 yrs. of age.

I cannot say enough good things about this wonderful book. This is my 19 month old son's favorite. I found this at a yard sale, and upon seeing it for the first time, my son said "OOOOOOOH!" and started flipping through the pages excitedly. The illustrations are soft and intersting to toddlers and even though it is an alphabet book, the story hold anticipation and facination. We love it!

This is a fun book. My two-year old asks me to read this book to him all the time.

My four year old loves all things construction. This book was perfect for him, both for the text and pictures. It captures common types of equipment, paired with great illustrations. I would definitely recommend.

I'm going to order this book for my truck-crazy niece and godsons! Wanted to point people to another favorite that's not linked here, called "Hush Little Digger," a version of the lullabye "Hush Little Baby," but all about construction trucks. It's a current favorite and a must for truck-loving kids. Fun to sing aloud!

I got this book for my son who is in love with construction vehicles thinking it would be another way to teach the alphabet. The illustrations are terrific - lots of things to see, name and tell the color of. The story, while it rhymes, uses lots of words, not just the same simple ones over and over. (I didn't know it rhymed until I read it on my own without stopping to comment on every little thing on the page!) My son has since incorporated some of the "big" words from this book into his every day lexicon.

If you love B*Witched and to know everything about them this is the book for you. It tells you about there History OF there life and there hopes and dreams for the future. There are plenty of pitures which are great.There are facts on B*Witched and even a quiz to test your knowledge. If you wanna know more about B*Witched this is most certaintly the book for you. Adam

I love this book SO much. B*Witched is my favourite band, and this book gave me SO much info on the girls and wicked pics...I REALLY suggest getting this book if you like B,

This book is must for big B*Witched fans like me. It has great pics, fab facts, and interesting stories on B*Witched. Definatly 5 stars!

The official book is a must for the true B*Witched fan ,such as myself. The book provides a delightfully fun yet informative insight about the girls, by the girls. The book doesn't take on the form of a stuffy autobiography, but rather takes on a fun narration of the story of the best group around. Simply said, a great book.

I loved this book and I am a huge fan of B*witched. There are tons of great pictures and loads of info on the group.

This book is a somewhat usefull knot tying book from a big mid-west hospital. However medical students and surgeons need to know more than just how to tie knots. This book addresses none of the basic science or humaritanian skills that a good surgeons needs. I work as a proctologist working mainly with the gay community. This book would be better if the authors added a chapter on the science of wound heaing and something on compassionate care that is a "basic surgical skill".

Dr. Sherris and Dr. Kern have written a masterful book on the essentials of surgery. I am going to medical school next fall, but I am spending this year in a surgical research laboratory. New techniques and products are tested on a daily basis in the lab and I needed a basic understanding of surgery to be helpful to my co-workers. Sherris and Kern provide a comprehensive, yet easy way to learn about surgery. Everything from the names of surgical instruments, to tieing technqiues to suturing is covered. It is a true testament to their teaching that I was able to pick up on despite limited training. I am now a contributing member of my research team and continue to amaze my mentors with my surgical knowledge. Thank you Dr. Sherris and Dr. Kern. This book should be a requirement for anyone thinking about surgery.

For medical students interested in surgery, I recommend two things: get into the O.R. as much as possible before your third year surgical rotation and BUY THIS BOOK! I am a first year medical student and was fortunate to participate in a preceptorship in Otolaryngology during my first year. Without any prior experience in the O.R., I learned an excellent instrument tie from "Basic Surgical Skills" and was invited to close on a mastoidectomy.

Stepping into the operating room for the first time is a very intimidating experience for a medical student. Not only does this manual explicate the various kinds of sutures and knot tying in a simple and clear manner, but it thoroughly prepares the medical student for ALL aspects of the operating room experience in a way that makes it much less intimidating. For example: How does one scrub in? What is a hemostat? What is cautery? What are the underlying factors of wound healing, closure and post-operative wound care? These are just a few of the questions addressed in the manual and demonstrated thoroughly in the corresponding CD ROM.

I found this book very helpful and plan to use it throughout my four years of med school, before and during my surgical rotation. It is an excellent informative and entertaining preparation for the operating room!

Dr. Kern and Dr. Sherris have created a comprehensive yet simple introduction to surgery. Their book will be beneficial for anyone entering or returning to the surgical field. The Basic Surgical Skills book and accompanying CD-ROM have been an integral part of my training as a surgical assistant at the Mayo Medical Center. Very limited training is available for people in my position, and this book granted me the confidence and knowledge I needed to perform well in the O.R. My position requires versatility with many surgical procedures, most of which are covered in this book. The manual is brilliantly designed and organized. Each chapter containes detailed information regarding proper O.R. techniques and skills. Technical material is well illustrated and the accompanying CD-ROM beautifully presents the procedures included in the manual. Unlike most books written on the topic, "Basic Surgical Skills" leads the reader to answers rather than questions. I found this book extremely helpful and recommend it to medical students, residents, O.R. technicians, nurses, and anyone else involved in surgery.

Finally, there is a surgical techniques guide that is easy to read and understandable even for those not going into surgical fields. I found that this book was so clear and concise that I immediately took it to my medical school's dean to try to incorporate it as a standard text during our introduction to the clinical years course. I highly recommend it for all students and residents to use before entering the OR. You will look like pros!

Cute book. A nice way to plant big ideas into little minds. It is a good sized book and colorful.

Nice sentiment but not as good as "someday". This focuses on peace in the word and how it only takes one person to make a difference.

I've read this book to my son since he was an infant and he's now 3. It shows your child how important he is in this world and what he can do to change it -- without being too preachy.

Great for everyone, young and old!

What a sweet, positive message for little ones. I love that this book drives home the idea that a happy, peaceful world can start with a little child. The illustrations are beautiful and the message important. I have already bought another as a baby gift. If you like this one, you'll also enjoy "My Book of Thanks" by the same author and illustrator.

I know this book is for kids, but I received it as a grownup's gift and was in tears before I got to the third page. The message this book imparts gives a gentle reminder that we all bring something to the world and our very existence is something to be treasured. It also reminds the reader that we have the potential to bring positive action to our world and the people in it. These are valuable thoughts for readers of any age. It's the core message of Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" but in a far more accessible story.

The next time I'm having a bad day or I feel discouraged about my life, I will turn to this little book with a very profound message and read it again and again.

This a keeper--for life.