Book Description
Drawing from his thirty years of entrepreneurial experience, his friendship with Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and years of self-motivated study, Jack Kahl reveals the true spirit of leadership.
In 1971, Kahl made the investment of a lifetime: he bought a small, Cleveland company with revenues of just $800,000, renamed the company Manco, Inc., and began creating one of the most exciting business stories ever. By the time Kahl retired in 2000, the company was selling consumer products to the best retailers around the globe and had achieved revenues of more than $300 million. He sold the company in 1998, sharing 30% of the wealth - some $27 million - with his "partners," a title long held by every Manco employee. With Leading From the Heart, Kahl brings a unique and powerful lesson to all aspiring leaders: leadership begins with a choice - a choice to serve others that comes from the heart. But this choice is only the beginning. The servant leader must be of strong character and seek knowledge endlessly. Today's leaders must be creative, passionate, disciplined, and courageous people who still make the time to care for others. Like a coach calling from the sidelines, urging you to push your hardest and achieve your best, Kahl, with the aid of co-author Tom Donelan, has written a truly remarkable and inspiring book. Leading From the Heart is a succinct lesson - a must read for anyone who aspires to realize his or her potential as a leader, and for all who seek to unite ethics, integrity, and business savvy with the bottom line.
Customer Reviews:
An important balance.......2006-10-26
As the CEO of Manco, Inc., Jack Kahl is a very successful businessman. Now he can add accomplished author to his list, because Leading from the Heart is a great read that enlightened me to many effective leadership tactics. His idea of a servant leader is inspiring and provides leadership techniques that make people WANT to follow you. This book would be a great guide for any entrepreneur that wants to build a successful business based on good values. Everything in Leading from the Heart is relevant and applicable to real life situations. Kahl's ideas can lead you to a successful career and a happier life as well.
Impressive Book, I'd Reccommed It To Anyone.......2006-10-17
This is a great book. I've been a student of leadership for the past few years, always reading about historically significant men and women and how they were able to impact the world. Then I picked up Kahl's book, and I couldn't put it down. Servant leadership isn't a new concept, many of the powerful leaders I've studied employed this technique. However, in today's society, we rarely focus on a servant leadership technique. Kahl does a great job of outlining what real leadership looks like and how one can implement it in his everyday life. He makes the case that being a servant leader isn't "weak" or "sweet." No, it's the most effective way to influence others, reach your goals, and make sure you AND your team are successful. Whether you are a CEO, business owner, or simply in charge of leading your family, you will find relevant advice and concepts to think about in this book.
Changed my thinking in the workplace.......2006-10-14
When my boyfriend first handed me this book and said I had to check it out, I was honestly a little offended. I've never been one to read life-coaching books in any area, especially not in my job. As a young assistant DA, I thought I did a pretty good job of managing myself and my employees, and I didn't need a book to tell me how to do that. But as soon as I read the first chapter, I realized why he had given me the book, which he got from a friend. Kahl takes a different approach to the role of leadership, championing the idea of acting as a "servant" to those around you in order to get the best out of them. The idea sounded crazy to me at first, but as I starting practicing some of his suggestions, I saw such an increase in productivity and a general uplift in the attitude around the office! I can't believe a simple book could make such a difference, but it sure did. I recommend this book for anyone who is in a position of leadership, no matter how high or low in the company, because you could learn a lot from Kahl.
Sometimes, the worst thing about being on top is that you're standing alone........2006-10-03
As a small business owner, I am always looking for good leadership and business books; Leadership From the Heart is one of the best books I've found in a very long time. Jack Kahl shares how he mananged to build a business worth more than $300 million, Manco Inc., and still maintain an ethical, character-driven leadership style. Kahl makes it clear that you can unite ethics and a bottom line, while still being successfull. The best thing about this book is that Kahl's leadership style isn't a gimmic. He really wants to be successful, but he knows that those accomplishments are more lucrative, and feel better, if the people around him are successful too. This book teaches you to be a better leader, better business person, and a better human being.
Average customer rating:
- "The survival of the coffeehouse depends upon its ability to meet present day needs..."
- Can Great Good Places exist in today's world? (4.2 *s)
- Think, eat, drink, act, buy local....
- Finding a Great Good Place
- Rebuttal to Lance Mertz's Review
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The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community
Ray Oldenburg
Manufacturer: Marlowe & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Popular Culture | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Rural | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1569246815 |
Book Description
The Great Good Place argues that "third places" - where people can gather, put aside the concerns of work and home, and hang out simply for the pleasures of good company and lively conversation - are the heart of a community's social vitality and the grassroots of democracy.
Customer Reviews:
"The survival of the coffeehouse depends upon its ability to meet present day needs...".......2007-04-06
The project of The Great Good Place is to demonstrate why public spaces-- particularly gathering spaces-- are essential to the health of the community. It is an interesting and attractive thesis-- one that will speak clearly to most of his intended audience. Who does not harbor a nostalgia (even if an inherited nostalgia) for the town pub or the "place where everybody knows your name"?
Oldenburg does a good job building his case. He looks at characteristics and benefits of third places and then chooses examples from history and other cultures to illustrate the ideas.
A friend of mine remarked that The Great Good Place was one good idea repeated over and over again for 300 page. Not entirely fair, but there is some truth to it. The book also suffers from being oversold. For instance, the publisher's subtitle implies that hair salons are part of the topics that are covered. In fact, they are barely even mentioned. I suppose that the publicity that this relatively academic text made it nearly irrestistible for the publishing house to try to spice things up for the average reader.
Honestly, three stars might be the most fair rating for the book. In addition to what feels like some occasionally thin material, I feel that the author elides or ignores the potential negatives of his third places. All the same, I ended up rating it four stars because I generally agreed with his ideas. That agreement made me predisposed to enjoy it. So for me, the fourth star is because I found it pleasant to read.
Recommended for people with an interest in the social value of public spaces.
Can Great Good Places exist in today's world? (4.2 *s).......2006-08-09
This book is a heartfelt and nostalgic lament at the loss of vibrant local communities and the disappearance and exclusion of the various shops and places that facilitate the spontaneous, daily neighborhood interactions that are essential for viable communities. As the author notes, American society has undergone tremendous changes since WWII: sprawling suburbanization, an automobile culture, and reliance on home entertainment, mainly television. The isolating tendency of these developments is reinforced by planners and zoning commissions that do not permit neighborhood hangouts like taverns, cafes, and the like to be located near developments of "dream" homes with their sculpted lawns.
He calls community enhancing places "third" places because they fall just behind the home and workplaces in terms of time spent, though in his estimation are no less important. They are a necessary complement to domestic and work lives. He discusses the general nature of "third" places, as well as specific examples, including European pubs, sidewalk cafes, and coffee houses. Several characteristics are generally found in "third" places. The places are inclusive; titles and status are checked at the door. They are usually unpretentious buildings without a lot of distractions that detract from conversation and camaraderie. The same-sex nature of most such places eliminates self-conscious formalities of dress and behavior. According to the author, one could hardly exaggerate the benefits that both individuals and communities derive from gathering in "third" places. The enhancements to a viable democracy are especially noted.
Virtually all "third" places have disappeared from the American scene; they have not been a part of new development since WWII. The German beer gardens and vibrant small town streets long ago vanished. Now taverns, coffee shops, and the like, often located in strip malls, are populated with strangers having arrived via automobile, not to mention the prevalence of loud music and other diversions that further inhibit conversation. A larger social tendency is to simply remain encapsulated at home surrounded by technical gadgetry like HDTVs, DVD players, computers, iPods, CD players, etc. This circumscribed, isolated world must bring smiles of joy to the automotive, oil, real estate, finance, and construction industries as well as the huge consumer goods suppliers. It's difficult to see how broader democratic views necessary for our society will be developed in these restricted, lonely environments with only the simplistic, if not misinforming, patter of the corporate media available.
The notion of close communities is hardly an unequivocal good. The author scarcely acknowledges that communities can be highly coercive, requiring strict adherence to prevailing community practice, and exclusionary to those who differ in some manner. It is doubtful that the open-minded, gregarious men of the author's communities are as ubiquitous as he implies. However, there is no doubt of the severe ramifications to both individuals and the larger society in the near total absence of active communities. Furthermore, the author's forays into the psychology of the sexes and the desirability of separation in relation to his third places seem flawed.
There will be no return to main streets in small towns and urban neighborhoods associated with manufacturing where the residents worked and associated with each other on and off the job. Today's reality is the complete divorce of place of residence from workplace locales, not to mention the 24/7 nature of work with extended hours. Workplaces can and do take on some of the characteristics of the author's "third" places, though his caution concerning power differentials in workplaces is not to be taken lightly. Likewise, voluntary associations, including churches, and the vast array of activities associated with raising children afford opportunities for socialization, though generally falling well short of the open ideal that the author postulates.
The residents of the communities of the past were not wiser than we are today. They did not plan their communities. The communities were a result of population size, and the co-location of homes and work. They had no political power to define their communities, but it was not particularly needed. But that lack of or eschewing of political power is entirely inadequate in this era of vast trans-national corporations dominating nearly every facet of our lives, including those aspects that define communities or the lack thereof. It is a fallacious claim that we do not have a "planned" economy, as though that happens only under socialism - the fact is, we do. The suburbanization of America, the vast highway network, the rise of the gasoline-powered automobile, and dominance of vast media empires supported by gadget manufacturers are due to the private planning of huge corporations. But these private acts have profound public and social consequences, yet citizen input is never requested or in some cases is suppressed by various means. Community enhancing measures will never again just happen. The exercise of political power will be required. But of course that assumes that a sizeable percentage of the citizenry understands what community requires, actually wants community, understands the obstacles, and is willing to back candidates in sufficient numbers and locations to effect change. In today's propagandistic and free-market capitalistic world that is a very high hurdle indeed. More likely, pseudo-communities will continue to be built, drawing upon the language but not the substance of community.
The book is thought-provoking. The author captures well that we are encapsulated in our private worlds with only marginal means to connect with others, unlike the easy sociability that once existed in some places. However, his emphasis on looking longingly at communities of the past will help little without accompanying suggestions about how to turn around our social structure. The author really does little of this. In a democracy, it is through political power that social change driven by citizens can occur. We can all see how change occurs that is dictated by huge private entities; that is the principal reason that "great good places" have essentially disappeared. It is even possible, though again most unlikely, that empowered citizens could create better and broader communities than those described by the author.
Think, eat, drink, act, buy local...........2006-02-06
Drawn by the concept of a "third place" as described by this book and referenced elsewhere, I thought I'd read to find out what this was about. In the end, this was a fascinating and thought provoking book. Mr. Oldenburg posits that much of our societal ills today are resultant from a lack of free association. That is, the places where people congregate / hang-out are disappearing because of urbanization, industrialization, etc. One example, the German beer garden (and its descendant in the US with early German immigrants) as a family affair - as, economically, there didn't seem to be any reason for such an institution in an "American" community, this venue slowly disappeared or devolved into the bars we know today - focused on serving alcohol to the subservient and willing. In fact, Oldenburg points out, the beer served in the beer garden was weaker than what we know today because the point was not the beer - the point was the association and conversation within the community, among families.
As we move towards a "private property society" and focus on "property rights" as we seem to understand them, the ability to be social, without prior planning, is slowly eroding. Simultaneously, the places to "hang out" are disappearing as a consumer driven market seems desirous of generating the most profit for the fewest people (corporations). Because of a desire for inexpensive goods, a local business, owned and operated by nearby residents, is next to impossible - especially in the face of the mass market competition from large corporations.
I think Oldenburg hits the nail squarely on the head. As I drive around (in a car-based economy), it's increasingly difficult to find a place to "hang out" and/or become a regular. (1) Restaurants are driven towards specific time limit for customers in hopes of turning a larger profit by serving more customers; (2) American bars are not conducive because service deteriorates if you choose not to imbibe and those that also serve food follow (1); and (3) the notion of coffee shops not driven by 1 or 2 are few and far between. Even assuming that there are such places of the "third place" variety, it more often than not requires a car to get there (not to mention paying to simply park near a place).
Anyone interested in property rights, humans as a social animal, and the notion of a "community," should read this book.
Finding a Great Good Place.......2005-12-28
I discovered this book after reading Willaim Raspberry (Washington Post Writers Group) commenting on his retirement. He found the newsroom served as the Great Good Place for him and rued that Americans don't have "informal gathering spots where one finds not just escape but camaraderie, conversation, friendly argument and pleasant conversation with regulars."
The civic solidarity and building of community that such a place fosters is sorely needed in America. I think that is one of the reasons for the dedication Rotarians give to their service organization. The weekly lunch meetings are structured, rather than informal, but otherwise fill the need for a Great Good Place.
I'd also suggest to those seeking a such a place, to check out their public library. Particularly in a small town, it can be the place where regulars run into each other and fall into discussion. Finding a spot where one can sit and chat without bothering students and readers depends on each library's layout.
Rebuttal to Lance Mertz's Review.......2004-07-22
I'm fascinated by your review of Ray Oldenburg's book _The Great Good Place_ without have read it. That's rather like a child saying he doesn't like spinach without having tried it.
I first had the pleasure of meeting Ray when I was editor of _The World of Beer_ out of Milan, Italy, when Alan Eames ("The Beer King"), who damned well lived in a small town - 300 - in New Hampshire, recommend the book to me. After reading a copy I made a point to meet Ray upon my next trip back to the United States.
Ray is indeed from small town America. He began his teaching career in Round Rock, Texas, back when the population was about 2,500. Today he makes his home near Pensacola, Florida. And has lived in a succession of small towns.
Ray's premise is that CITIES in America have lost their third places and we're the worse off for it.
Fabulous book, interesting man.....
Joel Jacobs
Commerce, Texas
US Navy, retired
Book Description
“It’s over. Now what?”
Suffering from a broken heart? Afraid you’ll never get over this feeling of emptiness and loss? You can, and with the help of this easy-to-follow program of action, you will.
Follow Howard Bronson and Mike Riley as they lead you through their thirty-day plan for recovering from your broken heart. They will guide you through a brief period of mourning for your loss, and then the process of rebuilding yourself and your life. You are encouraged to enjoy good memories of the relationship that’s just ended, while remembering the reasons for the breakup. You will learn to take responsibility for your own emotions, face your fears, and ultimately to seek new people and new experiences. Find out:
·How and why to cry ’til dry
·Good ways to beat loneliness
·Why it pays to forgive your ex
·How to "let go" of old memories and resentments
How to Heal a Broken Heart in 30 Days prescribes a wide array of tested and proven insights and exercises. After thirty days of active self-restoration, your heart will be healed and whole again–and you’ll be ready for anything. Of course, your feelings of grief, hurt, or shame may come and go. But in less than a month, you can be ready to deal with life's new challenges with a positive sense of emotional balance you may never have had before.
Download Description
"It's over. Now what?"
Suffering from a broken heart? Afraid you'll never get over this feeling of emptiness and loss? You can, and with the help of this easy-to-follow program of action, you will.
Follow Howard Bronson and Mike Riley as they lead you through their thirty-day plan for recovering from your broken heart. They will guide you through a brief period of mourning for your loss, and then the process of rebuilding yourself and your life. You are encouraged to enjoy good memories of the relationship that's just ended, while remembering the reasons for the breakup. You will learn to take responsibility for your own emotions, face your fears, and ultimately to seek new people and new experiences. Find out:
- How and why to cry 'til dry
- Good ways to beat loneliness
- Why it pays to forgive your ex
- How to "let go" of old memories and resentments
How to Heal a Broken Heart in 30 Days prescribes a wide array of tested and proven insights and exercises. After thirty days of active self-restoration, your heart will be healed and whole again-and you'll be ready for anything. Of course, your feelings of grief, hurt, or shame may come and go. But in less than a month, you can be ready to deal with life's new challenges with a positive sense of emotional balance you may never have had before.
Customer Reviews:
IT MADE ME HAPPY!.......2007-10-03
I was left at the altar with nowhere to turn. Then one of the bridesmaids - or a gal who was supposed to be a bridesmaid I should say - gave me a copy of this book. Literally it changed my life. Bronson delivers from page one. The book made me want to forget old...what's his name now? My BIG MISTAKE let's call him. Anyhow, I want to thank everyone involved in How To heal A Broken Heart in 30 Days. It was, all hyperbole aside, a lifesaver.
Never thought I'd do this..........2007-04-19
First I never thought I'd buy a book like this, and second, I never thought I'd write a review. I've read 2/3 of the book, but that is enough to tell me this book is a gift to my soul.
Every single page is full of love, compassion and realistic advice. Thank you for skipping the platitudes and triteness and for getting to the heart of the matter. (no pun intended) The end of a relationship hurts whether you end it, she ends it or you mutually agree to end it. It hurts whether you are at fault or she is at fault or you both are at fault. It just hurts and this book teaches first that you must give up your pride and admit that it hurts. The pain can vary, but for me I found out something I didn't even know was there.
The relationship I thought I was hurting over was not the one causing me the most pain. It was the one before. I was married for 17 years and ended up divorced. I remarried my college girlfriend who I thought was the love of my life. That marriage lasted (legally) 2 years and 9 months. After that I dated around some and then fell for a woman who I thought was the opposite of every woman I had ever fallen for - but that turned out not to be true... she was the same in many ways.
When I ended that relationship (I ended it, and I was mean when I did it, but there was no other way to make sure the door was shut tight.) I mourned her for weeks. Then I realized that I was in mourning and lonely for weeks before I actually ended the relationship. When I read this book and really looked at myself I realized that I was mourning this relationship AND my second marriage. A double whammy.
This book has helped me uncover some ugly truths about myself and the patterns I keep repeating. There comes a time when grief is over and you move on, but if you move on too fast you don't learn and grow. If you linger too long you get stuck. This book's prescription is just right. Treat yourself well, be kind to yourself, understand and let yourself feel and then let yourself heal.
I am learning to let go of what my heart keeps saying what was, and what might have been, but probably never really was or would have been, both with the second wife and the rebound girlfriend. Now I am beginning to see that it IS POSSIBLE that the next time can be better.
Thank you Howard and Mike.
A great companion through the healing process.......2006-07-31
I bought this book not that long after my ex and I broke up, and I have to say that it has helped my tremendously with the healing process. The day-by-day guide provided a lot of food-for-thought that would serve me well during my counselling sessions as my thearpist and I would talk about the different tips and insights from the book. I recommend it to anyone with a broken heart.
Like A Supportive Father.......2006-02-10
I gave this book four out of five stars, not because it isn't a very helpful book but because a book can only do just so much. You have to create the final star yourself. I did read this book over the 30 days prescribed and followed its advisements as carefully as anyone could. I do feel much much better now because the book helped me understand why he wasn't for me, how separation experiences of the past can come into play and,I learnt how I could make more sensible choices as I stood up and learnt who 'me' is. I also learnt about so many things I could do immediately to help myself feel better both in action and general understanding of myself. I still miss the comfort of him but I suppose that's only natural. This just happened six weeks ago and now with St. Valentine's Day peaking around the corner, one day after my birthday, I might add, it's very hard and I just wish the right one would come along. Thirty days ago, I didn't think anything would help me in the slightest. Now after reading this book, I have hope and some positive feelings about myself once again. I wonder if the authors have found love in their own lives or, if they wrote simply out of their own experiences. I say this because it feels like they had to have survived hard losses to have this kind of unique wisdom. The book has an honest quality without ramming advise down your throat, like a supportive father. I never knew my own dad but I think I've discovered two brilliant surrogates here.
A Book with Personal Support.......2006-02-04
I'm gonna blog a little bit so if anyone doesn't like it, too bad. It's the way it is. I found this book from their really impressive byebyelove.com website which directed me here. Out of pride, I waited two months to buy the book but when I did, I emailed them at the email address provided in the book, even before finishing the book. I never expected to hear from them and, I never expected any book to ease my very real pain. But they each replied to my situation with personal emails and different but complimentary perspectives. They are real people, Mike and Howard and they really care about their readers. So this is a 'ya also get' email. Not only is the book excellent, sympathetic and abundant with real recovery tips that work, ya also get Mikey and Howard. Just thought everyone should know that you get a lot more than just a book. My only regret is that I waited two months. Otherwise, I would've been two months farther along! If this book doesn't help you, you probably have six heads, are covered with deadly green fungus and, have a closed mind.
Amazon.com
Biblical studies have historically been consigned to theological schools and church groups. In The Good Book, Peter Gomes, pastor of Harvard University's Memorial Church and a professor of theology, has written a vivid, common sense and wise analysis of what the Bible means for us today. As an African American gay man, Gomes is interested in re-viewing the biblical passages on sexuality and race, but The Good Book is much more than a revisionist look at controversial biblical passages. Gomes is interested in rediscovering how the Bible can find a place in our emotional and political lives, as well as in our religious beliefs.
Book Description
Why is the Bible so often used as a tool for division and exclusion? And why are so many intelligent and compassionate people embarrassed to say they find wisdom and comfort in the Bible? In this groundbreaking book, the man Time magazine called one of the seven best preachers in America provides answers to these questions and shows what the Bible says about topics that concern Lis all, including joy, suffering, evil, and goodness. With compassion, humor, and insight, lie gives readers the tools and understanding they need to make the ancient wisdom of the Bible a dynamic part of their modern lives.
Download Description
Why is the Bible so often used as a tool for division and exclusion? And why are so many intelligent and compassionate people embarrassed to say they find wisdom and comfort in the Bible? In this groundbreaking book, the man Time magazine called one of the seven best preachers in America provides answers to these questions and shows what the Bible says about topics that concern Lis all, including joy, suffering, evil, and goodness. With compassion, humor, and insight, lie gives readers the tools and understanding they need to make the ancient wisdom of the Bible a dynamic part of their modern lives.
Customer Reviews:
This book is very well written................2007-09-06
....and I'm sure that Dr. Gomes is a decent man, who loves God, and The Bible. Still, I think he misses the mark. He holds that The Bible is a great book, worthy of study, but not necessarily the infallible Word of God; some of us disagree.
The main controversy centers around Dr. Gomes' defense of homosexuality, asserting that The Bible is merely condemning non-consensual sex; numerous denominations, including Dr. Gomes' own, hold homosexual conduct to be a mortal sin, with the sinner in need of Christ's forgiveness. The Bible speaks against some forms of consensual heterosexual sex, too [Exodus 20:14]. Of course, EVERYBODY is against rape; Dr. Gomes is setting up a straw man. A good friend and co-worker is a Christian Conservative Republican lesbian [life is filled with contradictions]; she holds that a close reading of The Bible only condemns male homosexuality.
I gave this book two stars, instead of one; as I said, it is very well written, and well organized. Also, Dr Gomes is quite right about some things; people in this country are possessed of Biblical ignorance to an absolutely appalling degree...in some of my other reviews, I've spoken about historical ignorance; this is FAR worse. In fact, there will be hell to pay someday. The main good point is Dr. Gomes frequent encouragement to read The Bible, and learn for ourselves; to that, I can but say AMEN.
Great insight!.......2007-07-14
Being a person who is very much bothered by the idea that the Bible should be read literally, with no attention paid to the time, place, and culture in which it was written and in which it is being read, this book gave me hope. The author really encourages us to pay attention to the spirit (and the Spirit) and not necessarily "the letter". It was not exactly a breeze for me to read because there was so much I wanted to note and remember. I plan to reread the book with a highlighter pen in hand. I highly recommend the book to anyone who is interested in understanding what the Bible really has to say. The Bible is not static. In fact, if it is not a "living" word for us today, in our culture, there's not much point in reading it more than once. But if you're looking for the spirit in which it was written, you may wish to continue studying the Bible, as well as "The Good Book: Reading...".
The Bible and Homosexuality.......2007-05-21
If you want to understand what the Bible says about homosexuality, this reference book will explain it in the context of today's society.
A Bible reference for intelligent people.......2007-02-14
Dubbed by Times magazine as one of America's seven best preache's, Harvard professor of Christian Morals and pastor of the school's University's Memorial Church, Rev. Gomes' latest work, The Good Book, is a bestseller selection of the Book of the Month and Quality Paperback Book Clubs. This well-written, compassionate and thoughtful book is written for the general public to entice them back to reading the Bible through new eyes, paying more attention to its moral principles than the social practices.
Rev. Gomes asserts that Biblical literacy in this country is extremely rare. Among a thousand people polled in the US by the Barna Research Group 10 percent said that Joan of Arc was Noah's wife, 16 percent were convinced that the New Testament contained the Gospel of Thomas, and 38 percent believed the Old and New Testaments were written a few years after Jesus' death. Gomes observed humorously that, "These replies are worthy of the old Sunday school howler in which the epistles are defined as the wives of the apostles." (p. 5)
The Good Book is divided into three sections: "Opening the Bible" wherein Gomes warns against three dangerous and common temptations on Biblical interpretation: (1) bibliolatry, "the worship of the Bible, making it an object of veneration and ascribing to it the glory belonging to God," (2) literalism, "the worship of the text, in which the letter is given inappropriate superiority over the spirit, and (3) culturalism, "the worship of the culture in which the Bible is forced to conform to the norms of the prevailing culture." Section two, "The Use and Abuse of the Bible" is a historical account of how the Bible has been used to oppress certain groups: Jews, women, homosexuals, and minorities. Section three, "The True and Lively Word" explores what the Bible has to say about the good life, evil, suffering, temptation, wealth, science, mystery and joy."
In an interview about the book with the Harvard University Gazette, Gomes commented "I would say, one, the Bible is accessible. Two, it takes work. The Bible is not a Reader's Digest sort of enterprise, and you can't simply open it up, as 90 percent of religious people do, and just hope that inspiration oozes out of the page or that you can just figure it out because you're a reasonably intelligent person. But, three, the work pays off because the Bible has to do with issues, both great and small, that are as relevant as tomorrow's headlines."
The Good Book is filled with scholarship and imagination, with wit and wisdom sufficient to serve as a road map back to and through the Bible. I join with the former Archbishop of Canterbury, The Right Reverend Lord Runcie, who hailed The Book as "easily the best contemporary book on the Bible for thoughtful people."
Homosexuality and other issues clarified with integrity. .......2006-11-06
A book that should be read by anyone wanting to understand how to read the Bible with an understanding of it in both the context of the time it was put together by various scholars, and in the context of today's society. The author is a notable scholar himself and yet writes in a style that is asscesible. The whole book is splendidly presented but the best chapter, and one that whould be mandatory reading, is his chapter on homosexuality. He carefully, respectfully and profoundly lays to rest the many misconceptions and misinterpretaions about this issue. If you don't read anything else in this book, read this chapter and share it with everyone you know.
Book Description
Nationwide, more and more entrepreneurs are committing themselves to creating and running “third places,” also known as “great good places.” In his landmark work, The Great Good Place, Ray Oldenburg identified, portrayed, and promoted those third places. Now, more than ten years after the original publication of that book, the time has come to celebrate the many third places that dot the American landscape and foster civic life. With 20 black-and-white photographs, Celebrating the Third Place brings together fifteen firsthand accounts by proprietors of third places, as well as appreciations by fans who have made spending time at these hangouts a regular part of their lives. Among the establishments profiled are a shopping center in Seattle, a three-hundred-year-old tavern in Washington, D.C., a garden shop in Amherst, Massachusetts, a coffeehouse in Raleigh, North Carolina, a bookstore in Traverse City, Michigan, and a restaurant in San Francisco.
Book Description
Where has the church been, and what has it become? According to Robert Farrar Capon, the answers to these questions are in many ways dispiriting. Although the church has done much good, it has also made numerous blunders in its checkered history. Chief among them is that it has lost its astonishment over the Good News of the gospel - the gift of salvation we receive from Christ. By taking readers on an illuminating ramble through the history of the church, Capon shows how we have lost this sense of astonishment by making Christianity into a religion that focuses on requirements and restrictions rather than on the Good News, and by turning the church, which should be a body of believers, into an institution that emphasizes its corporate functions to the detriment of its gospel message. After exploring all the ways in which the church has mis-embodied itself over the centuries, Capon explains how the church today might re-create itself. The key, according to Capon, is recovering the gift of astonishment with which it began. Capon is fully alert to both the tragedy and the comedy of church history, and he covers this uneven ground with great heart and great humor - and genuine hope for the future of the church.
Customer Reviews:
A great--and slightly salty--perspective on Christianity.......2000-07-19
I love this author. He is literally salt and light--sometimes salt in the wound and light shed on dark places--but always offering a profound perspective on the Christian faith. The Astonished Heart shows the evolution of the Christian church and how various cultural models have affected the way Christians understand their faith. From the beginnings of the church to the medieval model of Christendom to the modern corporate model, Capon helps readers understand the dynamics of the development of the church and how it relates to their faith (or disillusionment, as the case may be). But beyond historical models, he shows (as he does in all of his books) that Christianity is an incarnational religion of grace and that we lose sight of that to our peril. This book is not so much a church history as an argument drawn from church history to illustrate that God's grace is greater than our legalism and that our relationship with God is always perceived in a particular historical context. Anyone who is jaded with church hierarchies and institutionalism will find refreshing perspectives in this witty and slightly cantankerous book. Any book by Robert Farrar Capon is a treasure and The Astonished Heart is no exception. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Book Description
Building Character is written for leaders who understand their responsibility to develop authentic leaders within their organizations. Without presenting an overarching moral code or a prescriptive code of behavior, this book offers leaders and managers a practical model complete with the tools, information, and processes to develop character in leaders at all levels. The author explains the role character plays in leadership success and effectiveness and outlines how character can be developed through the Five E's—Example, Education, Experience, Evaluation, and Environment.
Book Description
Have a heart, in fact, have hundreds! Hearts Aplenty is full of quilts that make the perfect gift for any loved one. With 19 new quilt patterns ranging in size from wall hangings to full-sized bed quilts, you are sure to find one to warm your heart.
Inside, you'll find quilts using a variety of styles, techniques, and skill levels. There is something for everyone! We've added 8 small bonus projects for you to make and share. They include pillows, jewelry and Plate Charmers. Use your creativity to make them special!
Customer Reviews:
Hearts Aplenty.......2002-08-12
Service was excellent, book was in the condition listed. Also the little "extras" were a deliteful surprise. Would order again from Sandy.
Book Description
Developed by Dr. Steven A. Schnur, founder of the largest cardiology practice in south Florida, this breakthrough program is the only diet that keeps the fat off forever. Not a low-carb, low-fat, or high protein diet plan, The Reality Diet is rich with delicious foods from all food groups and high in one key fat-fighting ingredient-fiber. Fiber not only stops hunger, but it also significantly lowers the risk of heart disease, colon cancer, and a host of other conditions.
By following The Reality Diet you will:
- learn and apply the 2:90 Rule-the key to choosing nutritious carbs with the right fiber content
- enjoy mouthwatering meals using more than 200 quick, easy recipes designed by a top recipe developer and a registered dietician
- eat all the foods you love and have been told to avoid-pasta, rice, waffles, potatoes, bananas, watermelon, corn-on-the-cob
- lose 2 pounds a week and 30 pounds in 3 months
- learn proven strategies for maintaining your weight loss-for life
Flexible and forgiving, this program is for real people living in the real world. With eight weeks of Action plan menus for men and women, tips for eating in restaurants, as well as an effective exercise program, The Reality Diet is both a comprehensive weight-loss plan and a blueprint for lifelong health.
Customer Reviews:
A Diet That You Really WILL Want to Stay On .......2007-08-08
I'm not a dieter and I tend to cheat before the diet really gets started. This diet provides menus for incredible meals that even my kids enjoyed. They are easy to medium hard to make and all have an intense, incredible flavor, even my picky husband loves them!! Every recipe we've tried has been a huge success and I can't wait to try more. I hope everyone who buys this enjoys it as much as we do.
S. Kimmel
N. Miami Beach, FL
Good ideas, lots of work.......2007-06-11
I found the eating ideas interesting, and maybe they will help me. BUT the recipes are very time consuming. The book tells you that you can eat out, but does not give very clear guidelines. I think it is much too time consuming a program to follow, and I wish I had know over half of the book was recipes, not ideas and guidelines like I was looking for. I wish I would have save my $20+.
Finally a long term "real" solution to weightloss.......2007-05-25
Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (5/07)
Over the past 15 years I have tried many diet plans and found that most of them did not work over the long-term. They either were too restricting, too complicated or too time-consuming. Dr. Schnur's approach to weight loss is a simple, commonsense approach. "The Reality Diet" is not a fad diet for people who want to drop the weight overnight. It is a long-term lifestyle change.
As a cardiologist, Dr. Schnur was alarmed at how many unhealthy diet plans are available. As he tried to help people who had significant damage from unhealthy lifestyles, he knew there had to be a better way. He began studying everything he could about the subject and came up with a simple, healthy approach to weight loss. Dr. Schnur explains in the beginning of the book that "...you will lose eight to ten pounds, mostly fat, in the first month - no water or lean muscle, but that weight will stay off. "The Reality Diet ensures that you eat the right carbohydrates, the right proteins, and the right fats and, unlike any other diet out there, plenty of satisfying, healthy fiber." His premise is that fiber is very filling so we eat less of it and don't feel the hunger pangs during the weight loss process.
The plan is based on eating the right food, portion control and exercise. He completely disagrees with the diet plans that say you do not have to exercise. Exercise helps raise your metabolism, increase your energy and you will burn calories by exercising. The quality of pounds that a person burns are much more likely to be fat than lean muscle mass.
"The Reality Diet" is broken down into chapters and starts with Dr. Schnur debunking many of the diet and exercise myths out there. He spends several chapters explaining in a lay person's terms the reasoning behind the "Reality Diet." The last section of the book includes a meal plan and recipes for 8 weeks worth of the plan. I have been sampling the recipes and I almost feel guilty eating them because they are so tasty. And the directions are simple enough that a novice cook would be able to tackle this diet plan. Imagine a diet plan where you can have caramelized banana and peanut butter toast for breakfast, Maryland crab cake salad for dinner and strawberry shortcake napoleon for dessert? I am sold!
The Reality Diet.......2006-11-04
This book was purchased for my husband. He has had very good luck following the suggestions in this book. He has lost approx. 20 pounds.
An easier diet to follow than most.......2006-09-05
There are so many diet books on the market that there hardly seems room for yet another but The Reality Diet: Lose The Pounds For Good With A Cardiologist's Simple, Healthy, Proven Plan is truly different: it comes from a president of one of Florida's largest cardiology practices, it's designed to include foods you like such as pasta and waffles, and it provides separate exercise routines for men and women, along with tips on handling restaurants and holidays. The result's an easier diet to follow than most, and comes with the authority of a M.D. specializing in heart care.
Customer Reviews:
A Great Story With Many Different Layers!.......2004-02-22
LIke many, I picked this book up from an interest in anthropology. Like most of those same people, when I finished it, it felt as if i'd ended a great novel. To be completely honest, there are a severely limited number of times I (a twenty-six year old male graduate student in politics) have read a book only to have tears roll down my cheeks. Seriously, this is a glorious story as well as a fascinating anthropological commentary.
Here's the context: Ken Good was a graduate student under Napoleon Chagnon who was one of the first to do work with the Yanomamo indians. Chagnon wanted Good to do some research (field work) that might help supplement Chagnon's thesis that that Yanomamo are violent more by nature than culture. No matter the reasons, Good ends up not only abandoning Chagnon and his research, but finds the Yanomamo significantly less violent (by nature or culture) than Chagnon did. This may, in part, have been due to the fact that where Chagnon always remained the detached observer (his book is full of graphs, charts, and statistics), Good's got very personal (no stats here, for better or worse).
...Which brings us to the next layer of the story. Beyond being an anthropological perspective on the Yanomama, it is a fantastic - FANTASTIC! - love story. After a few years of living in the Yanomama community, good was offered a wife according to tradition. It took him a while to warm to it (and her even longer, given that he had strange habits like writing in notebooks and wearing 'foot coverings' Who would do such things?!). Their love blossomed, though, and the second half of the book is much about a host of difficulties: his struggle to 'hold on to her' when obligation took him out of the village for months at a time, the struggle to get a legal marriage to a woman who has no birth records, and later, how to get her out of the village with him.
The only problem i had with the book has less to do with the book and more with its circumstances. Good comments that Chagnon, in painting the Yanomama to be 'fierce people' overexaggerated (rather than fabricated) their ferocity. My guess, after reading both books, is that Good did the same thing by possibly underexaggerating. Good, for instance, will speak of some of the heinous things that Yanomama do, speak of it as a ancillary side-note, and wrap it up in two sentences, only returning to the topic chapters down the road. Truth be told, I think the truth lies betwixt Chagnon's and Good's accounts and I can't fault either book, but when one reads the two together, one gets the impression that BOTH authors completely missed (or ignored) things that the other got. How else could such different accounts come to pass?
For all that I strongly recommend this read both for education in anthropology and as one of the best love stories around.
Moving piece of work.......2003-11-29
I was lucky enough to have Dr. Good for a class one semester at NJCU where he teaches. This book is an insightful look into a world far removed from ours. If one had read this book without meeting Professor Good, one would wonder what type of man he is given the difficulties he faced in the Amazon. Ken is one of the most down to earth professors I've ever had and opened my eyes to a new culture while teaching me to put aside ethnocentrism. If you attend NJCU, I suggest taking him for an anthropology class. Be prepared to have your cultural horizons broadened.
Into the Heart and Into My Heart.......2001-06-10
Good's work is a participant observation study of a primitive group of Indians who live along the Orinoco river in the Amazon. These people live communally and have a different world view than most of us are familiar with. As a result, the Yanomama normative structure is based on their world and culture. As I tell my sociology students, certain patterns may be considered universal, but the content of culture varies. For example, the Yanomama have no concept of privacy. Everything they did according to Good was public, except for sex and defecation. This is similar to the south African !Kung (Bushmen) who have no word for stranger. (Lee, 1969, !Kung Bushmen Subsistence...) They lived in large circular houses called shapono. There were no walls in these structures, and people arranged themselves by kinship and lineage so that the social organization of the families in the village is reflected in the placement of hearths and hammocks. It is within this structure and the central plaza that nearly all domestic activity takes place: child rearing, food distribution and preparation, trading and feasting, curing and cremation, drug taking of the men, singing and dancing of the women. (p. 33)
Good referred to the Yanomama as the pain in the neck people instead of the fierce people as Napoleon Chagnon did in his original work of the same title. Good found the Yanomama's lack of concern for privacy somewhat difficult to deal with. In our culture, privacy and independence are the expected norm. We even have terms for behaviors that violate such norms such as invasion of privacy and, of course, trespassing. The Yanomama are not viewed as violent or aggressive but rather as highly emotional and acting without (social) constraints. We might call this behavior impulsive.
Good believed that "... the best way to study the Yanomama was to understand the entire cultural context, rather than concentrate solely on the quantitative measurements...wanted to understand them--and I wanted them to understand me...not simply to record what they were doing, but to comprehend what it meant in the context of their lives." (p. 47)
The Yanomama never use their names in public...they call each other by the appropriate kinship term (father, mother, son, daughter) (p. 52) With a numeric system that stops at two, the Yanomama do not reckon years or ages; instead they categorize people according to general age groups: infants, children, adolescents, adults, elders. (p. 66) Their sense of self (women) included lack of concern for the way they appeared to others. Judgments about another person were not based on how they looked/appeared. Although skills in hunting and shamanism were valued, still every person was on the same level as every other one. There was minimal concern with vanity. (p. 80).
Among the Indians, a visit is never just a visit...and trade is always involved. (p. 97) Normally, the Indians don't like to have their pictures taken since they believe that the image (soul-noreshi) is captured. They were especially irritated when the German scientist Eibel-Eibesfeldt set up a video camera in the middle of the village all day. (p. 137)
I certainly empathize with Kenneth Good's comments about Chagnon's work. Unfortunately, I have never been to the Amazon, or lived with the Yanomamo. I do envy his experiences. In addition, I give complete credibility to his comments and find them most interesting. In the past, I assigned his book as required reading for my Sociology classes. I also list Chagnon's work as supplementary reading as well.
A Bible-based love.......2001-01-21
Book review
I have found the book "Into The Heart" by Kenneth Good very appealing both from a woman's point of view and from a Scriptural aspect. When reading the Bible about how a husband ought to love his wife: Ephesians chapter 5 verses 25, 28, 29, 31, 33, is very clear on that. In Kenneth Good's book I could sense the genuine love this man had for his wife which he had demonstrated in so many ways.
In the jungle, he tried to protect her from harm. During an imminent miscarriage, he insisted on carrying her heavy basket, while they were trekking in the rainforest. Husbands in that culture did not carry women's baskets even if these women were at death's door. Later, when the miscarriage was in progress, he was at her side in the dark of night, trying to comfort her. To shield her from insect bites he sprayed her back with mosquito repellent. A woman is obviously not at her attractive best during a miscarriage or childbirth, but this author was not turned off by her appearance. He did what he could to minimize her suffering. These were acts of kindness out of love. All he wanted to do was to ease her suffering, discomfort and fear. How many men in our Western civilized society would do this? A few but not all!
He further demonstrated his love for his wife when he took her back to the United States. By marrying her, he had made a statement to the WORLD: This is the woman I love, she is the one I have chosen to be the mother of my children. He knew full well that by this interracial cross cultural marriage he would face some criticism. Racism after all is alive and well in our Western Societies. But this author stood by his wife, was never ashamed to be seen with her. Financial sacrifices were made to return for a visit to his wife's tribe and family. It was during such a trip that their second child was born in a jungle hut. It is obvious that every thought of the author was to please his wife, to make her happy, to make her isolation and separation from her family bearable. This is a poignant love story, a story of endurance, a story of sacrifice, a story of one man's unselfish love for his wife. Albeit he lost his wife, but I concur with the saying: " It is better to have loved and lost than not to have loved at all".
A reader in Canada. macska@christiancanada.com
An honest perspective--with whine and roses........1999-12-25
This book is mixed. On the one hand, we obtain the perspective of a student of one of the more eminent anthropologists of the field, Napoleon Chagnon. He describes in detail the so-called Great Protein debate between Marvin Harris (who argues that competition for game leads to warfare) and his own mentor (who claims that abduction of women is the flashpoint for war), and, by measuring the weight of game brought into "his" village, concludes that Harris wins the debate in this instance. His attempt to explain why he is weighing all those porcupines to a people whose vocabulary contains no numbers exceeding "more than two" is hilarious.
I have no problem with his sex and marriage with a locally defined adult woman--even if she was only 13 years at first contact. We have a rigid view of sex that would put him in the slammer if he did it in New Jersey or even in Caracas--but this was Yanomamo territory. I have no truck with the bluenoses who cry ethics--unless he raped or otherwise coerced her. If the attraction was mutual, then their relationship is neither your business nor mine. (And they tell us that anthropologists are not ethnocentric!)
On the other hand, I do have a problem with all that whining and paranoia attending his falling out with Chagnon. What does he expect? Of course there is going to be friction. It may be that Chagnon is so rigid in his thinking that he tolerates no dissent--an anti-academic attitude if there ever was one, but what else is new? Tolerance of different opinions is the exception, not standard practice, in academia. If Good dissents from Massa Napoleon, he should prepare to take the consequences from the Stalins of academia.
For the record, I think Chagnon's view is closer to the mark, inasmuch as Good never reports an actual battle arising between two bands meeting at a contested game site. Indeed, affirming the protein weight as expected in Harris's hypothesis, in and of itself alone, does not settle the issue.)
All in all, not a bad book--if he cuts out all that self-pity.
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- Listening for the Heartbeat of God: A Celtic Spirituality
- Locked Rooms (Mary Russell Novels)
- Maximum Ride #3: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports (Maximum Ride)
- My Sister's Keeper: A Novel
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- Photo Finish: The Digital Photographer's Guide to Printing, Showing, and Selling Images
- Photoshop Elements 3 Down & Dirty Tricks
- Preparing Your Daughter for Every Woman's Battle: Creative Conversations about Sexual and Emotional Integrity (The Every Man Series)
- Relic
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