Book Description
An Unstoppable Force will excite and inspire readers about being part of the Church that God had in mind! A "force" created to change the world. A Church that is engaged with its community, daring to cut itself free from atrophied practices and programs to flourish in creative and compelling worship. A Church that risks reaching out to our jaded culture with "outside the box" expressions of faith and love.
Customer Reviews:
Everything I expected.......2007-10-05
The writer has exceptional skills with the use of metaphor to communicate about a difficult subject, the emerging church, in ways that help the changes occuring within Christianity make sense. Without this approach in communications, what he has to say from a content standpoint, would probably be rejected. He breaks through the artificiality of Jesus-speak with a freshness that gets to the heart of the real gospel I believe Jesus brought us. I enjoyed, but was challenged, by this work.
A Must-Read.......2007-01-19
Read this book - it will energize and focus you if you are a believer. If you are not, it will cause you to rethink what your perceptions are about church.
An Unstoppable Force.......2007-01-09
Excellent book with many challenging statements about the role of believers in the world today.
A light in the darkness.......2006-07-01
It seems, from time to time, God raises up visionaries to nudge the church toward His divine directives. The book of Revelations carries letters to the churches reminding them, correcting them, and showing them that even at that early age the church had the potential to stray a bit from the path we are to follow. And throughout our history, there have been others to bring this message to His bride.
Erwin Mcmanus is one of those messengers. He speaks with clarity on the issues that many of us have been wrestling with for some time. To quote the great theologian Morpheus, "you know something is wrong, like a splinter in your mind". (paraphrased)
As I read this book, I cried aloud many times, "Yes!" when I would read another statement laying bare the topic of the generally handicapped state many of our churches is in. Not in the pointless fashion of criticism but with direct counterpoints to many of the tired and stale positions the church has taken on the topics relating to, in all reality, the foundational reasons the church exists. My wife must have thought me crazy during these outbursts.
If you have forgotten your first love-READ THIS BOOK
If you are walking the "narrow path" and would like a trail map-READ THIS BOOK
If you feel your walk is becoming more of a trudge-READ THIS BOOK
If you are involved in ministry in any way. Pastor, teacher, prophet, elder, greeter, parking lot attendant. I beseech you, PLEASE READ THIS BOOK.
This is not a "here's how to fill up those empty seats in your church" book. What this is, is a picture of the heart of the church, laid bare.
I rarely recommend books to folks because I believe all truth is available in the Holy Bible, and we are pushed constantly to spend our money on an endless train of Christiana. Or to send our money to others so that they can do God's work for us. I have no issue whatsoever with any ministry doing valid Christian work. My point is we are ALL called to do the stuff. As the late John Wimber said, "everybody get's to play".
With that said, I do recommend this book wholeheartedly for anyone desiring to pursue a closer walk with Thee.
it will change the way you look at church.......2006-04-06
Loaded with many fresh, new perspectives on churches and pastoring, McManus brings many forgotten aspects of what the church is to the fore.
My favorite is the "pastor as spiritual environmentalist" where he talks about the work of pastoring being like farming. It's all about the soil around the plant, not actually making the plant grow itself.
Many other great insights in this book. It's great if you're currently out of a church or are rethinking the roles of pastors and churches in the world today.
Book Description
Hidden away in foggy, uncharted rain forest valleys in Northern California are the largest and tallest organisms the world has ever sustained–the coast redwood trees,
Sequoia sempervirens. Ninety-six percent of the ancient redwood forests have been destroyed by logging, but the untouched fragments that remain are among the great wonders of nature. The biggest redwoods have trunks up to thirty feet wide and can rise more than thirty-five stories above the ground, forming cathedral-like structures in the air. Until recently, redwoods were thought to be virtually impossible to ascend, and the canopy at the tops of these majestic trees was undiscovered. In The Wild Trees, Richard Preston unfolds the spellbinding story of Steve Sillett, Marie Antoine, and the tiny group of daring botanists and amateur naturalists that found a lost world above California, a world that is dangerous, hauntingly beautiful, and unexplored.
The canopy
voyagers are young–just college students when they start their quest–and they share a passion for these trees, persevering in spite of sometimes crushing personal obstacles and failings. They take big risks, they ignore common wisdom (such as the notion that there’s nothing left to discover in North America), and they even make love in hammocks stretched between branches three hundred feet in the air.
The deep redwood canopy is a vertical Eden filled with mosses, lichens, spotted salamanders, hanging gardens of ferns, and thickets of huckleberry bushes, all growing out of massive trunk systems that have fused and formed flying buttresses, sometimes carved into blackened chambers, hollowed out by fire, called “fire caves.” Thick layers of soil sitting on limbs harbor animal and plant life that is unknown to science. Humans move through the deep canopy suspended on ropes, far out of sight of the ground, knowing that the price of a small mistake can be a plunge to one’s death.
Preston’s account of this amazing world, by turns terrifying, moving, and fascinating, is an adventure story told in novelistic detail by a master of nonfiction narrative. The author shares his protagonists’ passion for tall trees, and he mastered the techniques of tall-tree climbing to tell the story in The Wild Trees–the story of the fate of the world’s most splendid forests and of the imperiled biosphere itself.
Customer Reviews:
Outstanding!.......2007-09-18
I am an avid reader of adventure books, and this ranks very high on my list. I was so engrossed in the story, it simply pained me to put this book it down. Preston beautifully weaves together many themes in this book - the adventure of climbing trees, the almost spiritual beauty of ancient Redwoods, the sciences of botany and ecology, a bit of romance, and most of all, people following their passions in spite of obstacles and fulfilling their dreams.
My interest in the book was originally inspired by a trip to Redwood National Park, and the book has now inspired me to pursue recreational tree climbing as a hobby. Don't be surprised if you are similarly inspired.
A great read - highly recommended.
Oldest living things on earth.?.......2007-09-10
If you have ever wanted to see or have seen the California redwoods, you will enjoy this book. Richard Preston got so interested in the trees that he learned to climb them--a feat equal to mountain climbing and just as dangerous, so he could experience them first hand. These ancient plants, thought to be between 2,000 and 3,000 years old, are a world apart from any other plants living today. Because they are so unusual, individual trees have been named, climbed, measured, and thoroughly explored from the ground to the tip. The exact location of the tallest specimens is a well kept secret by the botanists who have studied them. Richard Preston's book, which reads like an adventure novel, is a very good read about a most unusual subject.
trees & more.......2007-09-08
A book truly about finding one's passion and calling. Who said that there was nothing left to explore for our generation? Highly recommended.
A nice adventure.......2007-09-01
Read the other opinions and learn the specifics if you must, but for me a book about unexplored woods and the adventure of climbing them were enough. The book is a nice read - AND - you will be rewarded on the last two pages of the story. With three words - go online, search, and you will "see". Thank you Mr. Preston for the history and the new images I have of one of the best parts of life on this world - the woods.
The Wild Trees, a pleasant surprise........2007-08-24
This was a fascinating book. I wasn't sure I would like it, wrong! Loved it. So much in it about Redwoods I never knew or imagined.
It is made of stories about a dozen or so individuals who have a fascination (Obsession) with the Redwood trees and spend a lot of their time looking for the tallest or biggest tree. There is a lot of information about the trees and their habitat that will surprise you. Highly recommended. It is not dull or dry at all.
Book Description
We all know that the rules by which business is conducted have changed. But by how much? The dot.commers who threw out the playbook and tried to reinvent everything crashed and burned. "Back-to-basics" and "execution" are refrains reverberating down corporate hallways. And yet there is still a sense of unease. "Playing it safe" could just be another phrase for "heading toward business oblivion." Jonas Ridderstrale and Kjell Nordstrom, the outspoken authors of the international besteller, Funky Business, are at it again, with a provocative analysis of the social and cultural forces that are defining the business landscape--in particular, the fundamental relationships between employers and employees and between companies and customers. Covering a huge terrain--from the impact of high tech to the ever-widening gaps between the haves and the have-nots, and with references from Adam Smith to Janis Joplin--the authors bring into focus the challenges of business leadership in a world increasingly defined by individualism. "Karaoke" capitalism refers to the philosophy of imitiation, engrained into the corporate mindset by such popular concepts as benchmarking and best practice. For Ridderstrale and Nordstrom, the only way to survive is to chuck convention, to embrace your company's individual personality and promote it through everything you do, constantly honing what works and abandoning what doesn't. Ultimately, the authors argue that armed with imagination it is possible to sustain profitable businesses while contributing to the well-being of customers, communities, and the society at large. Visit the authors' Web sites at www.karaokecapitalism.com and www.funkybusiness.com.
Book Description
In a small village outside of Phnom Pehn, little children as young as five years old were forced to live as sex slaves. Day after day their hope was slipping away. Tireless workers from International Justice Mission (IJM) infiltrated the ring of brothels and gathered evidence to free the children. Headed up by former war-crimes investigator Gary Haugen, IJM faced impossible odds-police corruption, death threats, and mission-thwarting tip-offs. But they used their expert legal finesse and high-tech investigative techniques to save the lives of 37 young girls and secured the arrest and conviction of several perpetrators. Terrify No More focuses on this dramatic rescue story, and uses flashbacks to tell those of many other victims who were given a second chance at life by this amazing organization.
Readers of John Grisham and Ted Dekker novels will appreciate the suspense, plot twists, and relentless pursuit of justice found in the true story of Terrify No More.
Customer Reviews:
Disappointment.......2007-09-06
This book is a great disappointment. Buying this book I thought to obtain some serious information on the subject. I didn't expect to buy some superficial nonsence of a local U.S. sect. To European standards Gary Haugen's prostelitizing is appalling obscene and self serving and in this IJM is to be considered a dangerous sect. Don't buy this book.
Painful, powerful book -- may change your life.......2007-08-19
Sometimes enlightenment comes like a cold slap in the face. That's what this book delivers -- stories of abuse and oppression that most people don't know exist in our world today. I didn't. But Haugen and Hunter, in a style that is smooth and suspenseful, tell the stories of numerous victims of slavery and oppression who were helped through brave undercover operations by true-life heroes. At times heart-breaking and painful, at others joyful and celebretory, this book is hard to put down. You won't want to, but you will want to give copies to your friends. Nicely done. Thanks for helping me to understand the world just a little bit better outside my own whitewashed life.
Julia L. Truelove Needs to Get a Life.......2006-12-29
The review by Julia L. Truelove is one of the most ridiculous and unintelligible rants that I have ever read. It is clear that the reader approached this book with a strong bias of quasi-christian hatred and had already made up her mind before she got passed the cover. The author of this book has a Harvard law degree and previously worked for the U.S. Department of Justice. Thus, if he wanted to attain distinction and/or accumulate wealth for himself, there were many avenues at his disposal that would have been far easier and yielded greater returns then starting an organization to stand up for forgotten children of third world countries. Her attack that the author has created the International Justice Mission (which has rescued hundreds of children from underground commercialized rape and prosecuted their aggressors) only to garner prestige and money for himself is completely asinine. Her extremely thoughtful and innovative solution at the beginning of her diatribe is to simply inform the U.S. government and put things in the hands of politicians because, as we all know, that is usually the most effective way to fix any problem. First of all, the author of the book talks extensively in chapter 25 about how he and others have put pressure on the U.S. government to substantively confront these problems. He mentions how the American public needs to be made aware of the evil that lives in this world in order that they too might take it up with their government. Also, mentioned in Haugen's other book, Good News About Injustice, is the forced child prostitution that has existed, and does exist, in the United States. (I believe that this is mentioned in Terrify No More as well, but I am not 100% certain.) The author's purpose in writing this book was obviously awareness, not literary distinction, and I give him kudos for it. Gary Haugen saw the aftermath of a terrible genocide in Rwanda and decided to do something tangible and effective to confront the injustice and the abuses of power that run rampant in this world. Why is this so disturbing to Julia L. Truelove? I guess it's because the guy is a christian, a christian of the worst kind, one that actually does something with his convictions to help and love other people besides just going to church on Sundays. I don't understand why it is such a deeply troubling idea to tell a child that has had the concepts of love and affection perverted in the most despicable of ways that there is a God that cares about her with a perfect holy love. Julie's allocations that Haugen condemns Vietnam as a sinful nation because it is non-christian is ludicrous, especially since the book is centered around an operation that takes place in CAMBODIA. One of the main parts of IJM's whole mission is to get the honorable people of a certain country to uphold honorable laws that by and large already exist but are not being enforced. She goes on to mention President Bush, the Iraq War, and mistreatment of Native Americans to try and bolster her argument but forgets that they have no relevance to the work she is commenting on. Terrify No More really is a compelling book about a terrific and successful organization that has committed itself to stand up and fight for the oppressed who would otherwise have no voice. IJM is a christian ministry that truly lives out Christ's example in a bold, loving, and tangible way and has brought hope to many. This should not be something to be feared or ridiculed, but rather embraced and supported. Those who actually read the book, and at least have one foot in reality, will see what I'm talking about.
Terrible yet captivating.......2006-11-28
Haugen, Gary A. Terrify No More. Nashville, TN. W Publishing Group. 2005.
This riveting book by Gary A. Haugen, founder and president of the International Justice Mission(IJM), first-handedly tells the story of a mission proposed by members of IJM, to rescue child sex slaves from Savy Pak, a city in Cambodia that is infamous for its sex trafficking and sex tourism. IJM is a non-profit organization that fights for justice in a world riddled with injustice. This book is amazing as the reader is placed in the middle of the action. However, the content of the book can be extremely disturbing as one reads of the conditions and terrors that these young children face; but there is an amazing sense of hope that comes through to let the reader know that this is not a hopeless case, there is something that is being done. This book traces chronologically the path that IJM took to rescue a few of the millions of children that are trapped in the sex trade. Photos of the children and the conditions help the reader grasp reality through pictures. The book is geared towards those of the college age and older; an easy read that emphasizes the cause of justice in an unjust world. This book gave me a first hand account of the fight against sex trafficking which is what my senior thesis is discussing, I used this book as a basis to understnd more about the sex trade, and those who fight against it.
Excellent book.......2006-09-03
Excellent book! The subject matter is tough to handle at times, but I've bought this book for a few friends because it is so good.
Amazon.com
That Others May Live is the story of one of America's most elite military units. The PJs--pararescue jumpers--are to the air force what the Green Berets are to the army and the SEALs are to the navy, even though they are less well known. There are only about 300 of them, and their main function is to rescue downed pilots, often behind enemy lines. They also perform civilian rescues. "There are no more capable rescuers than the PJs," writes Jack Brehm, a 20-year PJ veteran who penned this book with journalist Pete Nelson. "No one else knows how to fall five miles from the sky to rescue somebody. No one else trains to make rescues in such a wide variety of circumstances and conditions on a mountaintop, in the middle of the Sahara, or 1,000 miles out from shore in hurricane-tossed seas." Some readers will recall the PJs' minor role in Sebastian Junger's harrowing bookThe Perfect Storm; Brehm actually coordinated that PJ operation, and he tells his side of the story on these pages.
Most of That Others May Live (the title is a PJ motto) is told in the third person--an odd choice for a book that labels itself "autobiography" on the jacket. But it works well as Brehm describes everything from PJ training school (about 90 percent of enrollees quit) to family life (divorce rates are very high, even though Brehm is blessed with a supportive wife and five kids). The best parts of the book focus on daring PJ missions and include vivid accounts of, for instance, what free fall is like after jumping from a plane at 26,000 feet ("It's nothing like holding your arm out the window of a car moving at 125 mph. It's more like lying on a pillow of air, so restful you could almost fall asleep"). Brehm also reveals the startling low pay PJs receive: after a few promotions and a dozen years experience, he writes, they make "about what a high school graduate temping in an office can earn if she's really good at alphabetizing." Yet the job has plenty of other rewards for a certain type of person: "The stereotypical pararescueman gets a testosterone high from being physically fit, and an endorphin high from exercising, and then he gets an adrenaline high from parachuting out of an airplane to a victim in need of medical assistance, and then he gets a spiritual, godlike feeling of omnipotence from saving somebody's life, and then he goes to a bar after the mission and has a few shots of tequila to celebrate." Brehm assures readers that every PJ "will deviate" from this description, but the whole of his book reveals it to be a pretty good one-sentence sketch of PJ life. --John J. Miller
Book Description
THESE THINGS WE DO,
THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE.
--PJ MOTTO
They are the military's most elite force, a highly trained group of men serving the Air Force and National Guard with a mandate to fly behind enemy lines during war and rescue downed pilots. They are pararescue jumpers, or PJs for short, the most radically fit, mentally tough men in the armed forces. During peacetime, PJs keep their skills sharp with daring civilian rescues, recovering victims from scorching deserts, treacherous mountaintops, or raging seas. Most people learned of the PJs in
The Perfect Storm, with its riveting account of how a helicopter of PJs from a squadron on Long Island plunged into the Atlantic during a rescue.
Senior Master Sergeant Jack Brehm was the PJ supervisor that night and coordinated the dramatic rescue efforts. Life-and-death situations are all in a day's work for the PJs, who are always on call, ready to put their own lives on the line so "that others may live." In an age seemingly devoid of heroes, these men are the real deal, a close-knit unit bound together by bravery and guts, selflessness and sacrifice, and the intense desire to both serve their country and live life on the edge.
That Others May Live is the thrilling story of Jack Brehm and his love affair with two things: the PJ way of life, and his wife, Peggy, the mother of his five children. In 1977, twenty-year-old Jack, an aimless kid from Long Island, made a decision that would alter the course of his life--he decided to become a PJ. He entered "Superman School," the indoctrination program where PJs are made. It is the toughest program in the military, more difficult than what the Navy SEALs or Army Special Ops go through. No one flunks out--it just gets harder and harder until most guys eliminate themselves. In other programs candidates might say, "They can beat me, but they can't kill me." In Superman School, the candidates say, "They can kill me, but they can't eat me."
Jack Brehm was transformed from a kid without a clue into a man with a purpose. He and nine other men graduated in the class of '78-03--they had the right stuff. More than eighty others in their class didn't.
That Others May Live is a vivid, compelling account of Jack's twenty years as a PJ. We see him and his fellow PJs climb mountains and battle storms to save lives, struggle with their emotions as PJ friends die, wait anxiously to hear if they are called to war in a place such as Kosovo or the Persian Gulf, and try to keep their families together despite the enormous pressure of the job. Jack is luckier than most PJs, for he has Peggy and his five kids. In the end, it becomes clear who the real hero is in Jack's life: his rock-solid wife. Jack may wear the parachute, but Peggy wears the pants.
Customer Reviews:
General Story.......2006-08-31
This book was far more of a story in my mind than a matter-of-fact documentary. If you are looking to really read about PJ's and what they do I would consider looking elsewhere. The author takes numerous artistic licenses' in writing this book leaving me feeling like I've just read a story but by no means an accurate account.
Additionally, the editing of this book was quite poor. Numerous gramatically errors, which I am not accustomed to finding in a book, left me feeling like the factual content of the book must also be questioned.
Interesting Story-Melodramatically Told.......2005-01-04
This book tells the story of Jack Brehm, a career pararescue jumper or PJ. After graduating from high school in the mid-1970s, Brehm answered an ad in the paper for men interested in learning how to jump from airplanes. The ad had been placed by the local PJ recruiter on Long Island. After talking with the recruiter, and learning the kinds of tasks PJs undertake, Brehm decided he was interested in signing up. He proceeded to basic training and then to the pipeline, a series of training schools starting with "Superman School", designed not only to build skills and physical abilities, but also to weed out anyone not possessed of superhuman strength, endurance, and motivation to put their lives on the line for others. Brehm made it through the pipeline and became a full-fledged PJ in the early 1980s. At the same time that he started flying missions, he also became a father to twins, and this story is as much his family's story as it is his.
Brehm describes for us the risks that PJs take on stormy seas or windy mountain tops. Over the course of his 20-year career, Brehm saved many lives but lost many of his friends in job-related accidents. He was also injured himself on several occasions. The one tour of duty that he wanted most of all to complete his career was a military rescue. The stories can be quite interesting; however, their melodrama is played out to the fullest extent. At times details are blown completely out of proportion, such as when Brehm is faced with the decision between following his PJ mentor to Alaska or applying to be the NCO in charge of his unit when his mentor leaves. This episode is presented as being extremely momentous. Certainly, it was an important time in Brehm's life, but not that remarkable compared with similar decisions that people with more sedentary jobs must make routinely. Other details are similarly exaggerated, and the level of melodrama makes the book read at times as if it were straight out of Reader's Digest. Nevertheless, Brehm's story is very engaging and informative about a branch of the services that many people have never heard of.
Informative.......2004-08-10
This is a good book, especially if you are a family member and want to know the PJ's perspective. As a mom of a pararescueman in training, I was enlightened by this point of view and the support system the families developed to sustain each other during emergencies. I enjoyed this book, read it from cover to cover as soon as it arrived. I have loaned it to several other family members who are also interested in knowing what our son may be called upon to do.
Quick interesting read, bio of pararescue jumper.......2003-06-17
Apparently this book is a retitled version of _That Others May Live: The True Story of the PJs, Real Life Heroes of the Perfect Storm_. If so, the current title is more accurate: the book focuses on "a PJ," coincidentally the author, not PJ's in general. And it's NOT about the Perfect Storm, except in passing, though that incident was particularly relevant to the author. As to the PJ's (Air Force Pararescue Jumpers) being "real life heroes of the Perfect Storm," there's no indication they rescued anyone during that storm. In fact, the Coast Guard ship had to come out and rescue THEM. Yes, you can be a hero for an attempt, but let's not go overboard in naming our book after one failed rescue attempt.
The book is interesting. Jack, of course, makes almost no mistakes, and his wife is a perfect angel. She understands when he says, "yes, I went to the strip bar, but that's where the debriefing session was held."
The unexamined assumption that OF COURSE men who work hard have to relax by drinking all night, having bar fights, and visiting strip joints is overdone.
The book does provide information about a little-understood group of airmen who put their lives on the line to rescue others in what can be very difficult situations, much like the Coast Guard rescue jumpers. Their main purpose is to rescue downed pilots and personnel in need of medical help, on land or sea, but they're also available to help civilians when civilian rescue agencies don't have the resources available.
There is some understanding of the mentality of repeatedly putting your life on the line -- you might as well die doing something you love, while helping others.
The book could have argued for better equipment for the PJ's -- although the author repeatedly recounts stories of how difficult it is for helicopters to refuel from tankers during rough weather, the author doesn't argue for a better, heavier, longer, wider (or whatever) fueling drogue design.
The Perfect Storm part of the book takes 30 pages, IF you include the soap opera parts about the PJ wives calling each other for news. A pararescue helicopter and tanker were dispatched during the Perfect Storm to rescue a civilian sailor alone on his boat. The rescue was aborted due to heavy seas, and the rescue helicopter itself ditched on the way back to base, with the loss of one airman, because the helicopter was unable to refuel with the existing drogue design. The author, in charge at the base, grounded rescue attempts of this airman due to his orders and impossible conditions. Yet his men took their anger out at him, sometimes in petty ways. They stole his jacket, and snuck a bottle of booze into his luggage as he was about to fly into a Muslim country, which if discovered would have caused Jack serious consequences. There's so much talk of the "teamwork" ethos in the book -- where did it go when his men were angry at Jack, and caused him to have to leave command of the unit?
Quick interesting read, bio of pararescue jumper.......2003-06-13
Apparently this book is a retitled version of _That Others May Live: The True Story of the PJs, Real Life Heroes of the Perfect Storm_. If so, the current title is more accurate: the book focuses on "a PJ," coincidentally the author, not PJ's in general. And it's NOT about the Perfect Storm, except in passing, though particularly relevant to the author. As to the PJ's (Air Force Pararescue Jumpers) being "real life heroes of the perfect storm," there's no indication they rescued anyone during that storm. In fact, the Coast Guard ship had to come out and rescue THEM. Yes, you can be a hero for an attempt, but let's not go overboard in naming our book after one rescue attempt in a much bigger event.
The book is interesting. Jack, of course, makes almost no mistakes, and his wife is a perfect angel. She understands when he says, "yes, I went to the strip bar, but that's where the debriefing session was held."
The unexamined assumption that OF COURSE men who work hard have to relax by drinking all night, having bar fights, and visiting strip joints is overdone.
The book does provide information about a little-understood group of airmen who put their lives on the line to rescue others in what can be very difficult situations, much like the Coast Guard rescue jumpers. Their main purpose is to rescue downed pilots and personnel in need of medical help, on land or sea, but they're also available to help civilians when civilian rescue agencies don't have the resources available.
There is some understanding of the mentality of repeatedly putting your life on the line -- you might as well die doing something you love, while helping others.
The book could have argued for better equipment -- although the author repeatedly recounts stories of how difficult it is for helicopters to refuel from tankers during rough weather, the author doesn't argue for a better, heavier, longer, wider (or whatever) fueling drogue design.
The Perfect Storm part takes 30 pages, IF you include the soap opera parts about the wives calling each other for news. A pararescue helicopter and tanker was dispatched during the Perfect Storm to rescue a sailor doing a solo trip around the world. The rescue was aborted due to heavy seas, and the rescue helicopter itself ditched on the way back to base, with the loss of one airman. The helicopter ditched because it was unable to refuel with the existing drogue design. The author, in charge at the base, grounded rescue attempts of this airman due to his orders and impossible conditions. Yet his men took their anger out of him, sometimes in petty ways. They stole his jacket, and snuck a bottle of booze into his luggage as he was about to fly into a Muslim country, which if discovered would have gotten Jack in enormous trouble. There's so much talk of the "teamwork" ethos in the book -- where did it go when his men were angry at Jack, and caused him to have to leave command of the unit?
Amazon.com
Bruce Feiler's latest book combines now familiar elements into his own peculiar, delightful alchemy. Any particular page may be found effortlessly weaving together strands of theology, biblical exegesis, physical exploration, history and personal reflection as Feiler continues his journey of discovery, looking at the common roots of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. The Middle East has become a more dangerous place since the writing of his first book in this vein, Walking the Bible. But Feiler is impelled to answer his continued call, even when a flak jacket is necessary. He explores tunnels under Jerusalem. Goes to where David may have slain Goliath. Even looks for the Garden of Eden in Iraq while acknowledging that "the garden would never be found." It is this externalization of searches typically only made in the heart that fascinates us and brings power to Feiler's narrative. In one of the more compelling sections of the book, a meditation on Jonah, Feiler makes a persuasive argument that "God cares only that you conduct yourself in a moral way… And what might come across as preaching in another context is instead organic; Feiler's ideas seem to grow as much out of his travel and present-day experience as they do from Scripture and history. Of particular interest is his writing on King Cyrus II. He travels to Persepolis, in modern-day Iran, and finds an ancient precedent for religious tolerance in this king who helped the Jews build the Second Temple. Feiler provokes us to reflect that if the Bible itself can sing the praises of a king who accepted the various religions of those he ruled, perhaps there is hope we can find room for more tolerance in our own time. Highly recommended.--Ed Dobeas
Book Description
In WHERE GOD WAS BORN, Bruce Feiler continues his physical and spiritual journey to retrace the great stories of the Bible and to understand what they can mean in our lives today. The book is very much a personal quest through the unseen sites of the Bible, beginning in Genesis, continuing through the Prophets, and ending just before the birth of Jesus. Along the way, we encounter some of the greatest stories ever told––David battling Goliath, Nebuchadnezzer sacking Jerusalem, Jonah finding God in the whale––and many of the greatest characters of the Bible––Joshua, Solomon, Jeremiah, Esther.
For most of the last twenty–five years, biblical sites in much of the Middle East, notably Iraq and Iran, have been almost entirely closed to the West. WHERE GOD WAS BORN unveils these holy sites to most readers for the first time, including the Garden of Eden, the birthplace of Abraham, the rivers of Babylon, and the stronghold of Nineveh. In addition, Feiler retraces Joshua's conquest of the Promised Land, David's showdown with Goliath, Solomon's building of the Temple, Queen Esther's face–off with the King of Persia, and Judah Maccabe's triumphant Hanukkah miracle.
Download Description
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At a time when America debates its values and the world braces for religious war,
Bruce Feiler, author of the New York Times bestsellers
Walking the Bible and
Abraham, travels ten thousand miles through the heart of the Middle East -- Israel, Iraq, and Iran -- and examines the question: Is religion tearing us apart ... or can it bring us together?
Where God Was Born combines the adventure of a wartime chronicle, the excitement of an archaeological detective story, and the insight of personal spiritual exploration. Taking readers to biblical sites not seen by Westerners for decades, Feiler's journey uncovers little-known details about the common roots of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and affirms the importance of the Bible in today's world.
In his intimate, accessible style, Feiler invites readers on a never-in-a-lifetime experience:
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Israel Feiler takes a perilous helicopter dive over Jerusalem, treks through secret underground tunnels, and locates the spot where David toppled Goliath.
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Iraq After being airlifted into Baghdad, Feiler visits the Garden of Eden and the birthplace of Abraham, and makes a life-threatening trip to the rivers of Babylon.
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Iran Feiler explores the home of the Bible's first messiah and uncovers the secret burial place of Queen Esther.
In
Where God Was Born, Feiler discovers that at the birth of Western religion, all faiths drew from one another and were open to coexistence. Feiler's bold realization is that the Bible argues for interfaith harmony. It cannot be ceded to one side in the debate over values. Feiler urges moderates to take back the Bible and use its powerful voice as a beacon of shared ideals.
In his most ambitious work to date,
Bruce Feiler has written a brave, uplifting story that stirs the deepest chords of our time.
Where God Was Born offers a rare, universal vision of God that can inspire different faiths to an allegiance of hope.
"
Customer Reviews:
Great physical & spiritual walk, but in the end reverts to the secular.......2007-06-27
Bruce does an amazing job of making the Bible and its lands and history real. While he doesn't fall prey to the all too often use of analysis to subtley, but irrevovably trash religion and God, he does in the end lean to the secular, all the while proclaiming his Jewishness. Despite his spiritual longings, he seems to think Judaism is flexible and what you make of it--rather than a pilgrimage to find ultimate truth--a concept he runs from. In the end it seems his greatest joy is that no matter where he goes, he effectively has a built in network of cultural chums to hang with. In short his Jewishness feels more ethnic than religious--a conclusion that I can only hope he did not intend.
A greater criticism is that all too often he sees "fundamentalism", regardless of the faith as a level, morally regrettable and destructive playing field. There is no sense of disproportion. Christian fundamentals are seen in the same light as Muslim, ignoring that even disagreeable Christians don't coerce their flocks into repression and worse, weapons of terror and death.
Still the book is highly readable, providing insights and a deeper understanding that I simply didn't expect. So despite my misgivings, my greater disappointment is that Bruce is unlikely to continue this journey into the foundations of Christianity. I can only hope I find another author of his caliber to do the same for my faith.
where god was born.......2007-03-23
Very much second best to his earlier book, walking the bible. seems like the author thought he had to write another book on the same topic, which is too bad.
If You Want to Understand the Bible.......2007-01-10
Very informative. The Lord has blessed Bruce Feiler. I've read his other books Walking the Bible, and Abraham, and it was difficult to put them down.
Illuminating History.......2006-08-10
Enlarged my understanding of Biblical history and provided background for todays problems in that part of the country. Everyone needs to read.
Sign of our times.......2006-07-15
Today, our culture scoffs at believing the Bible, as a result it is not at all fashionable to actually read it. So, unsurprisingly, it is a sign of our times that this book's many mistakes would go unnoticed by the vast majority.
Feiler's book is an engrossing travelogue. He takes us to many of the sites referenced in the Bible and helps make them come alive with his narrative. However, even as a newcomer to Bible study, I caught several errors just in the first few chapters.
Had this book been written 50 years ago, I think even the most secular editor would have sent the book back for a rewrite. How can we take Feiler's points seriously, when he can't get even the basic facts straight?
Book Description
The exciting, first-hand account of heroism and daring sabotage during the Nazi occupation of Norway. The outcome of World War II could very possibly have been much different if Knut Haukelid and his small, but courageous band of Norwegian soldiers had not been successful in sabotaging the Nazis supply of heavy water. The heavy water produced at a facility in occupied Norway was vital to Hitlers race with the United States to develop the atomic bomb. Knut Haukelids Skis Against The Atom gives the reader an intimate account of the valiant and self-sacrificing service that the not-to-be-subdued Norwegians performed for the whole free world.
Customer Reviews:
Amazing the selfless sacrfice made by Norwegian Heros.......2007-09-10
Haukelid's personal account of his actions around the destruction of the heavy Water stocks and subsequently the Hydro ferry read like a James Bond novel. Bravo to these Norwegian heros and bravo to Mr. Haukelid for giving us such a personal account for posterity.
A Personal Account of the Norwegian Resistance.......2006-07-17
"Skis Against The Atom" is the personal account of the experiences of Norwegian resistance fighter Knut Haukelid during the German occupation of Norway 1940-1945. Haukelid was a Norwegian soldier who escaped to Britain in 1940 and was trained and returned to Norway by the British Special Operations Executive.
The centerpiece of the account is the British-Norwegian effort to sabotage the production of Heavy Water at Vemork for use in the Nazi atom bomb program. This heroic effort was the basis of the 1965 movie "The Heroes of Telemark" starring Kirk Douglas and Richard Harris. The rest of the story is, if anything, even more heroic than the movie. Haukelind and his companions hid for months on the remote Hardanger plateau, dodging Nazi patrols and enduring harsh weather and skimpy rations while waiting for their opportunity to sabotage the Vemork facility. Their sabotage of the heavy water production also required the sinking of a ferry carrying surviving supplies of heavy water, a heart-breaking decision that caused the deaths of Norwegian civilians.
Haukelid's account also covers the efforts to organize the resistance in Norway after German occupation, and the preparation for Allied liberation in 1945. The Norwegian resistance, lightly armed and heavily outnumbered, undertook to bluff the Nazis into surrender to prevent massacres of Norwegian civilians or the destruction of the Norwegian economy by desperate German forces in the dying days of the Third Reich.
Haukelid writes candidly in the first person. His account is told very much from his point of view. This book is a translation from the original Norwegian to English; the syntax may seem stilted or formal in places to American readers. Those interested in a larger perspective can consult a decent of body of work on the Norwegian resistance by other participants and by a number of British and Norwegian scholars.
This book is highly recommended to those interested in the Norwegian resistance.
Assault In Norway Is Better.......2006-06-24
A great story by a true hero, but Thomas Gallagher is a better
writer & Assault In Norway is a better book. Having said that,
if you have not read either book, Do It Now!!!! If not for these
brave and hearty men, we all might be speaking German now...
More heroic than Telemark.......2001-01-30
This book proves that "Heroes of Telemark" is not an exagerration. First hand documentary account of Norvegian underground against Nazis prove during WW II. It is actually very modest account of the coreougeous soldiers to deny Hitler to build atomic bomb. It is somehow overlooked to the one of the reasons of Nazi failure to build the bomb. But thanks to these heroes whom some of them lost their lives for the cause. Even the writing sometimes gets into some details I feel it is necessary for the documentation. I don't hold it against.
Norwegian Resistance saves the world from a German A-bomb.......1999-11-15
True story of how the Norwegian Resistance, with the help of Britain, stops the Germans from acquiring enough heavy water to make their own A-bomb. Exciting first hand account of skiing and avoiding the Nazis. Begin to understand the sacrifice made by the Norwegian people in their resistance to the Nazis. Made into a movie starring Kirk Douglas in 1968. I recommend reading Blood and Water to get another take on this exciting story.
Book Description
At some point during the inhumanly cold Himalayan winter straddling 1965 and 1966, a peculiar collection of box-shaped objects — one sprouting a six-foot, insect-like antenna — plummets nine thousand feet down the sheer flanks of a remote peak. Ripped from its moorings by an avalanche, the jumbled apparatus slides down a funnel-shaped hourglass of hard snow and shoots over a black cliff band, careening a vertical distance six times the height of the Empire State building. The boxes come to rest on the glacier at the mountain's base. One, an olive-drab casing the size of a personal computer, begins to sink. Then, trailing a robotic dogtail of torn wires, it slowly burns through the snow, melting into solid blue glacial ice, eventually disappearing beneath the surface, and never seen again.
No one actually witnessed this event. But as you read these words, nearly four pounds of plutonium — locked in the glacier's dark unknowable heart — are almost certainly moving ever closer to the source of the Ganges River.
Eye at the Top of the World, provides a harrowing present-day account of Takeda’s expedition to solve the mystery of Nanda Devi.
Customer Reviews:
Misleading title; really just a medicore climb journal.......2007-10-08
Quite disappointing. I was expecting a documentary about the CIA missions, instead it is a journal of a modern climb along the same route. Unfortunately, the story is poorly told: the characters could be compelling (they're real people!), but the writing just never develops them as the author just dumps detail on us leaving us with an impression of cardboard cutouts. The story could be compelling (high altitude climbing is tough and tricky), but again, the author choses the wrong details. Combine the poor telling with with poor fact checking by the editor (e.g., Padilla was not a dirty bomb maker, a fact known in 2005 whereas this book's copyright is 2006, etc) and numerous spell-checker induced spelling errors and low quality photo reproductions...
Apparently I wanted Spies in the Himalayas: Secret Missions and Perilous Climbs (Modern War Studies) by M.S. Kohli and Kenneth Conboy. Perhaps you do as well.
Gripping Read; Chilling Historical Event; Modern Day Adventure.......2006-12-21
This book is a rare breed--a story that blends the recounting of a gripping and alarmingly serious historical event with a fascinating 1st person story of personal discovery and adventure. For anyone from history buffs to armchair mountaineers to concerned citizens, this book has something to offer. If anything, I'm surprised that the book hasn't garnered more attention, especially considering that the environmental crisis that may result from the botched CIA mission in the 1960s could become a chillingly deadly and vicious situation for one of the world's most populous nations.
Read the book, you won't be disappointed!
An Eye At The Top Of The World wins 2007 HIMALAYAN LITERATURE AWARD........2006-10-23
An Eye At The Top Of The World has jointly received the first prize from the 2007 Kekoo Naoroji Memorial Himalayan Literature Award.
The Himalayan Club, based in New Delhi, awards the Kekoo Naoroji Award in association with Naoroji family and Godrej Industries for the best book on mountains of Himalaya published during a year.
JURY VERDICT:
"Well written with crisp authority on both scientific and mountaineering matters Peter Takeda`s AN EYE AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD is a survey of secret climbing expeditions to Uttarakhand in the 1960`s crafted with considerable skill. It combines in an expedition narrative the details of earlier clandestine climbs where American and Indian operatives placed and lost on Nanda Devi a nuclear powered spying device and replaced it with another (later recovered) on Nanda Kot. Radical in its concept, Takeda tracks down convincingly the planning and execution of this startling CIA operation, and has written a mountaineering thriller into the bargain. For years rumours have floated around the mountaineering fraternity and it is fascinating to have a good many of them confirmed though their sequence may have been mixed up. Despite being written for a lay American readership and from an American point of view, this a sensitive enquiry and the author`s feelings for the Nanda Devi region come across as both intimate and real. Bound to be controversial, the book`s sober tone guarantees its uncomfortable disclosures and their presumed fallout on the environment will find a lasting audience. The jury is unanimous in according joint first place to this compelling story."
Amazon.com
Set in Monterey, California, this first novel in the Dream trilogy features Margo Sullivan, the feisty and beautiful daughter of a wealthy family's housekeeper. She's been offered the same privileges as the Templeton children, but Margo resents handouts. She feels she has much to prove to herself, her surrogate family, and her mother. Margo dreams big--she wants wealth, fame, and success--but she doesn't want anyone else's help. Her plan is to go as far away from home as possible, so she starts with Hollywood and then moves on to Europe, where she finds fame as a supermodel. But when her world comes crashing down around her, Margo discovers that reaching out for help--especially to your family--can be just as challenging and rewarding as solving your problems on your own.
Book Description
Margo Sullivan had everything she could ask for. The daughter of the Templetons' stern housekeeper, she was treated like a member of the family. But money could not buy the thing she craved most-her mother's acceptance...
Download Description
First in a dramatic trilogy about three young sisters, the grandeur of Templeton House, and far away dreams
Customer Reviews:
Perfect for close sisters.......2007-07-04
This book is about how sisters stick together and it is a very uplifting story. I recommend you check it out and see for yourself.
Romantic.......2006-02-10
This book is magnificent. I found myself so encrossed in the story. I am just amazed at how Nora Roberts can make you feel. The romantic scenes with Margo and Josh were so powerful. The passion, desire and love between the two of them was so strong. You could only wish you had that type of love in a lifetime. Bravo Nora you are magnificent.
must read.......2005-12-30
I have to say I love this book, I could not put it down!!
Good start.......................2005-10-22
This is my third trilogy by Nora and so far so good. I like Margo, the main character and her relationship with Josh. She is fiesty and fun. The friendship between the women is also nice to read about. It will be interesting to find out if the dowry really does exist. I look forward to learning more about the other two women, especially Laura!
A wonderful book.......2005-07-17
Daring to Dream is the first story in the Dream Trilogy. It focuses on Margo Sullivan, the daughter of the Templeton's housekeeper. Margo's best friends are her two "sisters" whose stories are told in the other books. Margo is beautiful and has always had plans to see the world and be famous.
Margo gets her wish, becoming a famous model in Europe, but a scandal involving her agent takes it all away. With nothing left, she returns home to Templeton House. Josh Templeton, the heir of the fortune, has had a crush on Margo since they were kids. He jokingly gives her the idea of opening a store, which of course, she takes seriously. With the help of her sisters, she finds a building near Fisherman's Wharf and opens Pretenses, a store that customers can purchase high-end second hand items. Margo sells a lot of her own things that are no longer needed to get things going.
Josh and Margo go the usual route in a romance relationship, but I enjoyed reading it tremendously. Josh is not the spoiled heir, he's a lawyer for the Templeton Hotel chain, and actually goes to work. He sees a new side of Margo when she starts her store, which draws him to her even more.
Intertwined in this story is the one of Seraphina, a young girl who killed herself when the love of her life died. She left behind a treasure buried somewhere in the cliffs by Templeton House, and the girls hope to someday find it.
This is also a great story of the love and friendship between Margo, Kate and Laura. They have completely different personalities, but together, they make a great team. They are there for each other no matter what, no questions asked. We should all be that lucky in our lives.
This was a great start to the series. I recommend it to anyone. If you've read Nora Roberts before, you know you won't be disappointed. If you've never read one of her books, this is a great one to start with.
Book Description
Natasha Kogan dares any woman to use this book as a springboard to launch herself into a life that is more rewarding, exciting, interesting, and fun. On every page of her lively guide you will find a shot of energy and inspiration encouraging you to escape your hectic schedules, endless errands, and growing to-do lists, and find the time to do the things that make life more fulfilling. In 30 short chapters containing practical and refreshing dares, checklists, and inspirational sidebars, The Daring Female's Guide to Ecstatic Living will turn any woman into a daring female.
Customer Reviews:
Makes a fun gift.......2006-12-27
I bought this for myself in October. When I started to read it, I knew it was going to be the gift I gave to all my girlfriends for Christmas. It's written in a friendly manner and the author has done many things in her life by rising to the challenge, so she is credible. My girlfriends all loved the book.
A Wonderful Way to Get Started on Living a More Daring Life.......2006-07-28
This lovely book takes you by the hand and shows you how to make your life a more daring and fulfilling journey. For the person who is a little risk-shy but wants to live large I highly recommend you to buy this book and begin living with more passion, purpose, joy and excitement than you ever have. Before you know it you'll be living way out of the box and enjoying every moment.
Keep it on your Nightstand...........2006-05-20
I flip through the book every morning and find myself ideas to start the day! The book gives ideas, big and small, on how to be an exciting, daring, and FUN female! I love it so much that I just bought copies for my friends and had it shipped to them! Get it! You'll love it!
How to break out the box you call 'my life'.......2006-05-19
This book is great! It starts with mild dares and then they go up the daring scale from there. You can choose your dare, you don't have to start at the beginning.
I really liked that she told her own story. I have more respect for authors that tell us readers what it was like/how it felt when they went through it.
Thumbs up! And I like her newsletter!
Take This Dare!.......2006-05-16
The title of this book grabbed me from the start. The Daring Females Guide to Ecstatic Living is just the right tool to get any woman, at any age or stage, thinking about living a bigger life. Each of the six sections offers five dares to try. With a fun Dare-Meter at the start of each dare, the reader knows if they are looking at a "Daring", "Ultra-Daring", or "Ultra-Gutsy Daring" topic. Dare to have a life wish list ranked at an ultra dare and really spoke to me. Thinking of a few things to wish for in life is normal, but writing them down and crossing one off each year is gusty. The author shares how she actually accomplished the dares with her own stories. The short chapters end with a few helpful tips or inspirations to carry out your dare. This is a great book for anyone in a life transition or just feeling a need for inspiration.
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- Andrew Wyeth: The Helga Pictures
- Arousing Suspicions (Avon Romance)
- At Play in the Fields of the Lord
- Baby Bargains: Secrets To Saving 20% To 50% On Baby Furniture, Equipment, Clothes, Toys, Maternity Wear, And Much, Much More! (Baby Bargains)
- Biggest Brother : The Life of Major Dick Winters, The Man Who Led the Band of Brothers
- Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army
- Buddhism for Mothers: A Calm Approach to Caring for Yourself and Your Children
- Caribbean Elegance
- Chocolate Covered Forbidden Fruit
- Chosen Soldier: The Making of a Special Forces Warrior
Books Index
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General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
The Barbarian Way: Unleash the Untamed Faith Within
Uprising: A Revolution of the Soul
Chasing Daylight: Seize the Power of Every Moment
Stand Against the Wind: Fuel for the Revolution of Your Soul
Soul Cravings
