G Books

This is probably the best book ever written on the subject of waterbaptism. Thorough, complete, liberating.
A minor comment one could make is the confusion with baptism with the Spirit at some points, but the writer's monumental explanation of the sacramental value of believer's baptism makes up for it for sure.
In short the writer is saying that baptism is a expression of saving faith that perfects that same saving faith - with all the wonderful blessings of salvation! (James 2:22)

I came to this book needing questions answered about biblical baptism. I got that and so much more. The author not only deals with the issue in a comprehensive way, but in the wider context of the church and the Holy Spirit, and in doing so deals with many other issues aound confirmation, laying on of hands, and the work of the Holy Spirit in the church. Essential reading for anyone pondering the complexities of such matters.

G. R. Beasely-Murray (B-M) set out to write a book on his full understadning of baptism, and the results are amazing. I would warn you that this book is not easy reading, but is necissary reading for those who are truely interested in God's word. It seems like B-M did not leave any stones unturned in his quest to understand baptism. He brings anthropology, history, literature, theology and many years of knowledge out in this book.

B-M starts with a pre-christian history of baptism and cerimonial washing, including the Baptisms of the essenes, John, and the baptism of Jesus. He then looks at the formation of Christians baptism in the bible (broken down into each book starting with acts). Then he does a topical look at what Christian baptism means and theology about baptism: icluding grace, repentence, and faith which are almost always overlooked in modern discussion of baptism. The book ends with a look at infant baptism.

B-M is thorough in his quest to figure out baptism. He rest his arguments on facts and logical conclussions instead of assumptions (normally a problem with modern theologins). Instead of writing a book to support his denominations theology, he has the courage to challenge it (and other denominations as well).

Although this in not meant to be an "easy reading" book on the vast subject of baptism, "Baptism in the New Testament" is well worth a careful read by the serious Bible student. This scholarly book is written by a Baptist, but as the back cover says (and I agree), "his discussion transcends denominational lines." Baptism is a vital part of the Christian experience, yet it is so often misunderstood, especially when it comes to any possible role baptism has with salvation (specifically, justification). Beasley-Murray concentrates much attention on the historical aspect of the doctrine and shows how baptism has been practiced and believed in the last 20 centuries. I would heartily recommend this book to the person who is serious about his/her study.

I found the author while trying to research Baptist views on baptism, and found Beasley-Murray far different from the faith-only Calvinism I was expecting. Later in a seminar, he spoke of undertaking a project to address the Eschatological Discourse of Mark 13, saying that scholars had for too long "played ducks and drakes" with the passage. Surely the same applies to this subject!

I found many of my own views supported (baptism has a salvific role) and had other views thoroughly changed and elevated by this important book. His understanding of the "baptism of the Holy Spirit" was enlightening and convincing, causing me to depart from the dominant view in my fellowship.

Other reviewers have, however, noted the author's inconsistency on some points. Most disturbing was the treatment of infant baptism which was upheld in spite of earlier insistence on the sole suitability for believer's baptism as an application of Scripture on the subject of baptism. In his seminar, the author also attributed salvation to non-baptized, wrongly-baptized among the denominations on the visible activity of the Holy Spirit among them. Could not a similarly false argument be made for non-Christian religions?

In the seminar he also addressed the puzzling matter of why many evangelicals dodge the plain meaning of Scriptures relevant to baptism. He suprised me again by declaring that Baptists of Europe differ from their American counterparts by upholding baptism's role in salvation. Why not in America? He suggests the current standoff goes back to debates with Alexander Campbell and others from the 18th century on who were intent on throwing off denominational entanglements and restoring the NT church. Many evangelical scholars are now acknowledging the error and accepting the truth, even if filtering this down into their churches remains problematic.

Baptism's salvific role should cause no affront to Reformed believers. We see nothing meritorious, and have no pretentions of saving ourselves or adding to the finished cross-work of Jesus. Baptism is salvific along with other required "works" (believing, repentance, confession of Jesus's Lordship, calling on the Name, etc.) only because they are the means of ushering people into relationship with Him. Salvation is found in Jesus, and in the relationship with Him.

I highly recommend the Black Dog opera books. They're the perfect way to learn about an opera: They include cd's of the opera by outstanding singers, photos of performances, historical and critical commentary, a scene-by-scene summary of the plot, and the complete libretto in both English and the original language, so you can play around with the translation if you're interested. They can't be beat.

This is a wonderful study score to Rossini's wonderful masterpiece. The story of a Barber named Figaro, who is the person that everyone comes to seeking advice.
It's easy to read and the size is standard (9in x 12in). It lies easily on a music stand or desk. It's low price is great for the starving music student. I highly reccommend this for professionals and opera-goers alike.

Be aware that the book shown when you take a "Look Inside" is NOT the book you get. What they show is a bound copy of the musical score with the libretto added. What you get is the libretto described in the written review, no musical score. That having been said, the book you get is useful and of interest, and the CD is a great recording.

One of Rossini's best operas, the Barber of Seville, is immortalized here in another one of Dover's fine scores. From the fast-paced overture to the "Figaro" aria (both made famous in old Bugs Bunny cartoons), this opera is nonstop greatness.

As usual, Dover has provided us with a book of the highest quality: they sew their books instead of gluing them so as for them to stay bound and be flexible, and they print legibly. Unfortunately, legible print is becoming disappointingly rare in modern scores, but Dover is the exception.

For a great score of a great opera at a great price, you can't go wrong with Rossini's Barber of Seville.

This book and CD set are the perfect combination for those who are new to the world of opera and not fluent in foreign language. Better than just a synopsis, the libretto in English lets you read every word so you won't miss the humor or pathos. As a homeschooling mom, I really appreciated this set as a teaching tool. I hope to increase my collection of The Black Dog Opera Library series.

I read this book in the summer of 2006 with every intention to post my thoughts here. Alas, now almost 2008.
At the risk of diminutizing this book's breadth and beauty, I would call this an excellent beach book; it's an amazingly fast read. Everyone in my household and most guests of longer than a couple days have read it. And loved it.
When reading I usually get into my zone by the 2nd or 3rd chapter of a given book; the kind of zone where one becomes irritable if interrupted. With this story, it was almost immediate.
The characters all have endearing qualities and no matter how fantastic something appears, it is believable- which to me is a sign of excellent writing whether in film, television or books.
The characters, the scenes, the mood of a conversation, the weather, the timelines- all composed with wonderful imagery.
When I finished reading it I wanted more but knew a sequel would only sully the package. But who knows, I'm not a writer by trade nor a qualified critic of things non-existent.
I heartily recommend this book to people of all walks of reading preferences.
Rating books is hard for me because all books I've read, even if about the same topic, appeal to different emotions or to different levels of objectivity.
Why only four stars? Like most things subjective, I don't subscribe to various creativities being able to attain a 100% grade. To me, it's PASS or FAIL; plus or minus.
My grade should be obvious.

I absolutly LOVE this book! I couldn't put it down. I read it in one day from start to finish! Miller has a way of drawing you into his work that you begin to feel the emotions of the characters! At times I squirmed in my seat at the emotions reading this book evoked! This is a must read for everyone. You truly will NOT be disappointed!

This is one of my all time favorite books. It is an amazing story of love and hate. Forgiveness and Revenge. You will not be able to put it down. It is a story you will never forget, or want to. A complete original.

You will not want to say goodbye to these characters. Bayou Jesus is a story of faith, love, redemption and in some ways revenge. Frank Potter and his life will cause you to think about your own dreams and ideals. M.G. Miller writes with a honest, lyrical style that leaves the reader spellbound.

I was spellbound with Bayou Jesus from beginning to end. M.G. Miller writes with such flowing detail, once I started reading, I couldn't put the book down. You will come to love the main character, Frank Potter, a young black man who feels he has been blessed by Jesus, and loathe Samson Boudreax, a political white man who has no compassion for Frank. The other characters (mostly women) in the book are just as compelling. M.G. Miller's writing is gripping and persuasive. I look forward to years of writing from this new author!

Love the book!!
Our granddaughter had this book memorized when she was 3 or 4. It's a very good book for kids and grannys too!!

When my brother and I were three and five either our mother or father would read this book to us everynight. We had hundreds of books but this one was our favorite. As the years have a tendency wear on books, our copy was in very sad shape when my daughter came along nearly 20 years later. I bought a new copy of "The Beast in the Bathtub" and gave it to my mother for christmas with a note saying it was from my daughter. The happy memories of hearing mom read the book to my little brother and I were brought back in a rush when my daughter climbed up onto her Granny's lap and heard the story for the first time. It was a real tear jerker.

I loved this book when I was a kid and now my son loves it. A silly and fun read :)

This story is about a boy named Lewis, he is terrified of the bathtub because he thinks there is a monster or Beast in the tub. His mother insists that he take a bath. All the way through the story one thing leads to another. I think the illustrator did a great job of making the pictures describe what was going on in the story. This is a great book for all children to read.

I bought this book in 1987 for my then 6 year old. It quickly became his favorite. The friendly green monster helped him to conquer his own fear of bed time monsters, and it became our joke that 'the beast' was under his bed guarding him! He is now a U.S. Marine and the book has become a favorite of his 2 and 4 year old little brothers who love it not only because 'Big brother Dave' loves it (still), but because they love to join in the pillow fight at bedtime and imagine stealing apples from the kitchen when the sheriff and deputy are watching t.v. They love to call out the final sentence with me as I read.... "OF COURSE there's no beast in the bathtub.... he's under my bed!!!"

This book is truly inspiring. When I was younger my brother Eric (who is mentioned in the book) was diagnosed with a brain tumor and later passed away. This book helped me understand what cancer did to him. This book helped me cope with the loss of my brother! This book also helped me cope with the loss of the other children mentioned in this book! Thank you very much Mara for writing this book & helping me get through this! I highly recommend anyone who has lost a loved one to cancer to read this book!

Mara expresses the same hurts, disappointments, fears, and anger that the rest of the world does when their world is ripped apart, but she tempers it with her knowledge of God's word and His neverending mercy and compassion. She is able to continue to live and give when the rest of the world might give up..... Truly inspirational!

I am probably a biased reviewer knowing the Alexander-Azlin family for about 4 years, but this book is very emotionally moving. I was teary eyed at some points, which should say a lot about the book coming from a guy who usually is an emotionless stone. I am a slow reader and usually it takes me three months to read a book, I read this 500+ page book in just over a week. You will not regret buying this book.

This book was hard to put down. Make sure you have the laundry done and the phone turned off to read this awesome book because once you start reading you won't want to stop! This tragic story of a normal American family's fight against cancer holds on to one thought from beginning to end - God will never abandon us nor stop loving us - ever! Mara's outstanding book includes her inner dialogue along with diary entries that enlighten the reader into feeling they are there with her every step of the way - the highs and the lows; the good and the bad days. This book is beautifully written and an inspiration - filled with information on the National Bone Marrow Donor Foundation as well as an account of the modern day heroes and heroines that pulled together in a time of tragedy.

When you pick up this book, you'll have a hard time putting it down. Mara is an inspirational woman and after you read her story, you will feel like you can get through anything as she has. Although it is a heartbreaking story when you finish you will have an uplifting feeling and believe as she does that God is always there for us no matter what happens to us.

I have shot a bare bow nearly all my life. When I finally decided to buy a new bow with all the accessories, I wasn't sure where to start and how to use all the new stuff. This book was excellent in helping me become familiar with my new bow. The pictures are great and the text very educational. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn or re-learn about the bow and arrow.

This book is great for highlighting many aspects of archery and providing information that is useful for a beginner and experienced archer. It is a nice text that compiles information that would be useful to have as a reference. There are tuning methods, suggestions for shooting form, tips on how to fix your bow and add accessories. A very solid book with plenty of pictures for any archery fan.

I very much enjoyed this book. It was a great refresher since I haven't shot a bow in quite a few years. It also had lots of great information I didn't know, such as paper tuning, in depth information on arrows and arrow selection. I highly recommend this book.

i cant say i have any bow hunting skill whatsoever but this book has taught my what to look for in equipment and to practice my posture. i recomend this for people looking for a vague idea on equipment to buy, but not for the specifics.

EVERYTHING you always wanted to know about Bow Hunting but were too intimidated to ask. Being a woman just picking up the sport of bow hunting at age 37 I would walk into sporting goods and archery stores and be overwhelmed by the amount of information I needed to know before I ever purchased a bow. This book helped me know what equipment I needed and what equipment was just smoke and mirrors. It also prepared me for "target panic" and explained in detail about every other facet that I could have ever thought of and even some I didn't consider. Great for anyone just picking up the sport.

You can hear the creak of the rigging and smell the gunpowder in this time machine of a novel that takes you back to the War of 1812. Wallace makes you understand what an important time in American history it was, and brings you near with a love story that could break your heart. Its people and times come clear in Wallace's knowledgeable descriptions of love and loss--and an important victory--in this 19th century tale.

Willis Holm, NYC

Here is a story of history, romance, suspense, and exciting battle scenes from the War of 1812. The reader is presented with a novel that is hard to put down.

Jonathan Coyne and the love of his life Liz Wade provide the reader with a humanistic love story of separation, loneliness, but never-failing love for each other. Phil Wallace ranks with many fine authors whose books I have read, including DeMille, Wood,Patterson, Sheldon and Grisham.

Mr Wallace has combined touching romance and swashbuckling adventure with page-turning intense momentum, and done it all in a highly accurate historical setting. A fast read but very memorable.

As a sailor myself, I appreciated Mr. Wallace's expert handling of the sea scenes and work on board ship in his "Call of the Sea." The storyline was engrossing and historically interesting and the protagonist was a person you would really like to meet--I found myself pulling for him and for the eventual reunion with his fair lady. A good read.

The answer is unequivocally "indeed!" It is an easy read by an apparent Renaissance Man (read the bio). He has created a fascinating high-seas drama with a strong love interest. Fiction and actual history work especially well together as Washington burns and Baltimore is besieged during the War of 1812. The book is not just for lovers of sailing, the sea and naval history although it will appeal to them especially. It is for lovers of adventure, romance and the drama of life in general. Like Merrill Streep in my favorite movie, Out of Africa, Phil Wallace simply knows how to tell a good story. You will be engaged, engrossed, enchanted and entertained. Do NOT miss this one!

Matthews does not only a great job describing just about every part of northwest nature, but does it with a sense of humor. This guide is not the most in-depth out there, but it covers a LOT of different areas of ecology, geology, zoology, and botany. I consider myself more of a plant person, but sometimes I'd not only like to be able to identify a plant, but also what the name of the bug is that's eating it or the rock that it's growing on, or even the rodent that stealing all the food out of my campsite.

In addition to being a great field guide, this book is great just for casual reading. It carries a lot of standard textbook information, but doesn't put me to sleep. I actually found myself laughing out loud at a few tidbits.

Even if I never took it out into the field, this book would have been worth the purchase.

This is a great guide for anyone tromping about in the Northwest. It combines several other guides into one that is easy to carry and easy to use. The book covers almost anything you'll venture across from plant to animal. It even includes a short section on regional geography and minerals. Must have for the backpack

Most of us who enjoy nature have relied upon "bird books" or other guides to the species at one time or another as we inquire about our surroundings. These dull but thorough reference books often make their topics LESS interesting, quelling the interests that they're supposed to serve. We look up our bird, animal or plant and then move on having learned little more than its Latin name. Ugh.

This book shines like a beacon to future nature writers as it uses every description as the basis for a prosaic mini-essay; rewarding curiosity with enlightenment, fascination and delight. Imagine a reference book so enticing to read that you can't stop reading with just one description. Instead, the object of your curiosity serves as a mere starting point in the book; the first page of what often becomes a genuine sit-down-and-read-it experience.

If every nature writer put this much love into their topics, the trails would be overrun with enthusiastic hikers. Here's hoping that the author visits your neck of the woods soon, and provides you with the same exuberant writing he's given us here in the Pacific Northwest.

I also have ordered this as a gift for several this year, including the revised edition for myself. Definitely not just a reference book but a great read also. I actually read the whole book,rather than just saving for information on specifics, when I got my first copy years ago.

Most of us who enjoy nature have relied upon "bird books" or other guides to the species at one time or another as we inquire about our surroundings. These dull but thorough reference books often make their topics LESS interesting, quelling the interests that they're supposed to serve. We look up our bird, animal or plant and then move on having learned little more than its Latin name. Ugh.

This book shines like a beacon to future nature writers as it uses every description as the basis for a prosaic mini-essay; rewarding curiosity with enlightenment, fascination and delight. Imagine a reference book so enticing to read that you can't stop reading with just one description. Instead, the object of your curiosity serves as a mere starting point in the book; the first page of what often becomes a genuine sit-down-and-read-it experience.

If every nature writer put this much love into their topics, the trails would be overrun with enthusiastic hikers. Here's hoping that the author visits your neck of the woods soon, and provides you with the same exuberant writing he's given us here in the Pacific Northwest.

I was only recently introduced to Harry Crews, but this memoir should be required prior to reading any of his compelling fiction. One does not need to know about Mr. Crews to enjoy his fiction, but to read this book first is to build an affinity for the author. His memories of southern Georgia during the great depression and war years are the most accurate in tone of any non-fiction that has come out of the South. He has been linked to Flannery O'Connor, but to me he seems to be a more existential William Faulkner.

Although this book is not a typical work by the literate master of the hard South, it is a testament to his talent. This book made me see and feel the life of a 6 year old dirt farmer in Bacon Co, Georgia, and also give some insight into the basis of characters in Crews' fictional works. This is one of the best quasi-memoirs ever written, and even has a slight belief in human goodness not seen in his other work. Mr. Crews' more typical works (such as Feast of Snakes or All We Need of Hell) are very good novels in their own right, yet Childhood stands apart and above all of his other books combined. If you read nothing else by Harry Crews (which is not a good idea--you should read many of his books), this is the one to choose.

I would suggest this book to anyone who has ever read anything published by Harry Crews; specifically to those who haven't read anything by him, but who are interested in this magnificent author. After reading it, I found myself wondering how Crews was able to escape childhood, much less become of the the greatest Southern authors since Faulkner. Truly a fantastic book that will stand the test of time and inevitably cast Crews as one of the greatest authors of the 20th century!

Several associations, as I was born in Bacon County in the unincorporated community of ScuffleTown.I have never written A review of a book before. I really enjoyed the book because of all the associations of the area of my birth. My qeestion in my review would be. "How does one get from Bacon County to becoming A Professor at the UF?"

I was assigned this book in a tutorial class on the "mind of the south" by a professor during my senior year of college. I was immediately drawn to the author's experiences with tenant farming; being the son of a mother whose own father was a farmer that oversaw several tenents to his own farming operation prior to, and shortly after WWII. Crew's accurate depection of tenant farmer life was valididated, to this reader at least, by his portrayal of an agricultural system that was difficult to not only rural agricultural African Americans, but their white supervisors. Crews has done a wonderful job of incorporating the distinctly southern phrases and dialogue of the rural, agrarian south. I though my own mother was the only person who pronounced "hurricane" as "harrakin". Charachters such as Willalee Bookatee and his family were strikingly similar to those poor blacks, and whites, described in my mother's stories of working in the tobacco fields of rural NC. This book will shed some much needed light on the fact that the hard-core, rural south is not so far removed from the remodeled "New South".

I had read several of Alistair Maclean's novels, and had an 8 year break when I got a hold of this. This novel is a prime exhibit of why I enjoy him so much. A mystery, revealing tid-bits here and there, leaving you guessing who the good guys are and who are the bad guys.

If you want to be on the edge of your seat for a while, this book will do it.

To recommand for all readers to buy, read, and re-read for n number of times. fantastic book

There are lots of surprising twists in this story including a final surprise in the last sentence. MacLean did a very good job when he wrote this book.

I'm not a fan of the circus and I hate clowns. Being a MacLean fan, but with my current mentality, I figured he had finally run out of ideas (at this point in his life). But the cover of the 1975 Fawcett Crest edition (see "customer images" for the paperback edition) was intriguing: a man falling off a high-wire, the bicycle tumbling after him. Is someone killing off circus people? I had to read.

It turns out that the circus plays as a backdrop for a secret CIA mission. Believe it or not, but the agenda in this tale is about an incredible circus performer recruited by the CIA to break into a prison (that the circus "moves" next to) to steal -- as the back of the book explains -- "a formula capable of annihilating the earth itself." Sure enough, MacLean was like the Crichton of the 70s and managed to weave an entertaining yarn around the idea of anti-matter (certainly not new in 1975).

MacLean refrains from delving too deeply into describing anti-matter or how this formula will end up being used. His somewhat amusing approach to it takes place as a discussion between semi-ignorant CIA agents and Bruno, the acquired circus performer, all of whom are frightened by the power of anti-particles.

As the title may suggest, the book is a slight deviant from other MacLean adventure tales, but I rank it up there among his best works. The book is full of extremely original death scenes that, despite being accustomed to MacLean's formulas, took me completely by surprise. There are more twists in the last chapter than there are in some of his better books, and MacLean pulls it off realistically, and without creating a convoluted mess.

Keep an eye out for Carter. While no first name is ever given, he is the doppelganger cameo of Chief Officer John Carter of MacLean's "The Golden Rendezvous." (MacLean has done this with other characters throughout his novels.)

Another great MacLean classic. In this book the hero is an American athlete, an immigrant from eastern Europe. He is recruited by the CIA and is to undertake and unimaginable mission. He, of course, succeeds, but not without the extreme difficulties that macLean's heroes always face. The story twists are awesome and the ending is both expected and surprising. A great read.