Amazon.com
Are Christianity and science incompatible? If there is a God, is he only an impersonal starter force? An introductory high school biology class first propelled Lee Strobel toward a life of atheism. God and science, he reasoned, were mutually exclusive. When the former legal editor of the Chicago Tribune converted to Christianity, he decided to investigate the science he had once accepted as truth. Did science point toward or away from God? As Strobel interviews a variety of scientists on everything from debunking evolutionary icons to the implications of the Big Bang to the existence of the human soul, he builds his case: scientific evidence points toward Intelligent Design.
Although the discussion often veers into the academic, Strobel works hard to make it accessible to those without scientific training. Throughout the book, he salts interview transcript information with interesting personal stories of his own spiritual and scientific quest for knowledge, as well as sometimes over-detailed descriptions of the actual interviews (right down to the type of beverages consumed). Each chapter contains suggestions for further reading on particular issues of science and faith.
Strobel concludes that, when correctly interpreted, science and biblical teaching support each other. He quotes physicist Paul Davies, "…science offers a surer path to God than religion." Open-minded readers will find that this book, and its questions for reflection and group study, invites conversation and investigation.--Cindy Crosby
Book Description
Lee Strobel investigates the latest scientific discoveries to see whether they form a solid basis for believing in God.
Customer Reviews:
Solid Introduction to Scientific Evidences For God.......2007-09-23
This is a solid introduction to the scientific evidences for the existence of God.
It contains numerous arguments from various disciplines inluding physics, astronomy, cosmology, and biochemistry. The author does a masterful job of poking holes in evolutionary theory and naturalistic explanations of the origins of the universe, life, etc. This is summed up by former Texas A&M University professor Walter Bradley, who said: 'I think people who believe that life emerged naturalistically need to have a great deal more faith than people who reasonably infer that there's an Intelligent Designer.' The truth of this becomes abundantly clear throughout the text of this book.
Although this is basically a general introduction to the topic, Lee Strobel has made a strong case for those who are open minded enough to consider it. It is certainly a reinforcer for those who already believe that God exists and is the Creator. It is a good starting point for open minded skeptics. For those who are steeped in the religiosity of Darwinism and naturalistic beginnings, it may help open their eyes a bit. I recommend it.
Pared down version.......2007-09-21
Stroebel makes some really good points in this book and changed some of my thinking about evolution, and it was a quick read, so I wasn't dissatisfied with it until I saw the non-student version at a book store. Maybe I should have done some more research on the differences between editions, but I really think anyone high school age or above could handle the 300-some pages of the "adult" version, which must contain a lot more information. So I'd recommend this particular version only to younger students or to someone who really just wants a small taste of the evidence.
Good Introductory Material.......2007-09-19
Lee Strobel has made another accessible and fascinating introductory apologetics book. By interviewing leading Christian scholars, including William Lane Craig, J.P. Moreland, and Michael Behe, Strobel lays a solid foundation for belief in a Creator of the universe.
Due to the nature of the material, this book is more technical than "The Case for Christ" and "The Case for Faith." Nevertheless, Strobel makes the book enjoyable and easy to read with his excellent writing style.
This book covers a large scope of issues, mostly dealing with scientific evidence for the existence of God. Craig gives a great defense of the Cosmological Argument while Robin Collins provides an excellent defense of the Teleological Argument (also known as the Design Argument)- including a brilliant refutation of the so-called "multi-verse" theory. Stephen Meyer demonstrates that the origin of life is strong evidence for a Creator, and J.P. Moreland shows that philosophical reasoning and scientific studies support the idea of a soul, which is inconsistent with the materialist philosophy espoused by almost all atheists.
As with all the other books in the "Case" series, Strobel offers some excellent recommended further reading at the end of each chapter for those who wish to pursue the issues further.
The only problem I had with the book was that I felt it focused too much on the issue of evolution. In many cases it seemed that Strobel was equating "Darwinism" and atheism- concepts which are certainly not interchangeable. By implying that evolution entails atheism, Strobel puts an unnecessary stumbling block in front of any person who believes that there is strong evidence for evolutionary theory, yet who could still be convinced on the basis of other evidence that God exists. I think it is unwise to spread the notion that Christianity and evolution are directly incompatible.
Despite this flaw, The Case for a Creator is an excellent resource and a recommended read for everyone.
An eye opening book.......2007-08-31
I would recommend this book for everyone. It deals with the creationism vs. evolution/science debate in a new and fascinating way. He uses science to discredit many of its own theories. Lee Strobel never falls into the trap many creationists do - start with the Bible, and build a scientific theory around it. Instead he uses science, discredits many of the assumptions used today, and shows how science actually supports Biblical principles. I am still excited about this book even though I finished reading it over a month ago.
Repels Reason.......2007-08-29
I have read a number of the prior reviews and agree with many of them so I will not restate their good points. I would only like to say that (having also sat in sermons by Lee Strobel) I found the author's smug approach (he does not realize that the standards of science are vastly more rigorous than either journalism or law) to the subject insufferably frustrating. Instead of approaching the subject humbly and seeking out a balanced set of arguments, he instead relies exclusively (with one exception who's biological irreducibility claims has been discredited in other books such as, Finding Darwin's God, a book written by an actual biologist) on either his close friends or representatives of the Discovery Institute-a known PAC (I encourage you to look up the Discovery Institute on Wikipedia).
I have been a high tech engineer for more than 15 years and I would not recommend this book if you are someone who is sincerely seeking God in truth. I would instead recommend that you first read Finding Darwin's God by Kenneth Miller. Lee Strobel's book only convinced me that most of the people who believe in intelligent design are either ignorant fools or are seeking power for themselves over others.
Book Description
In this follow-up to her marvelous book, Mother God, Sylvia gives us many insights into our often-misunderstood Father God and the viewpoints about Him. From His history as put forth by humankind in the early days of organized religion to how we view Him today, Sylvia reveals His true attributes in a logical and truthful manner to give us a better understanding of our Father in heaven. Using her uncanny psychic skills and her ability to communicate with the Other Side, Sylvia dispels many of the false and traditional beliefs about the Father God and helps us to embrace Him more deeply and fully.
Sylvia helps us see Father God in a different way . . . one in which everyone can gain a deeper understanding and love for this often-maligned Entity. If anyone wants to commune more closely with their Creator and to share His unmitigated and unconditional love, this fascinating book is the answer . . . for it not only shows us Sylvia’s tremendous insight and love for Him, but also tells us how we can enjoy that same intimacy in our everyday lives. In her own indomitable style, Sylvia again shows us that she goes against many conventional beliefs in presenting a God that is truly all-loving, merciful, and forgiving . . . one Whom she has dedicated her life and work to in what she would say is . . . âa labor of love.â
Customer Reviews:
One view, anyway.......2007-10-05
Was disappointed that Ms Browne kept to 'the God--He' issue so much instead of being more open.
Father God : Co-Creator to Mother God.......2007-05-13
Father God: Co-creator to Mother God
Again, Sylvia has it right. A must read along with Mother God.
Sylvia Browne - The Dependable.......2007-05-13
I loved this book. It is quick reading but full of valuable information about the world's religions; each having their own perceptions and originations of one God. Well worth reading; much information repeated as in most of Sylvia's books but I find that by repeating it enough, I do remember and finally digest it.
Just Like All Her Books.......2007-04-01
This is a terrific book to go along with her others. She just seems to keep on putting them out here for us to enjoy.
Another Must Read, Must Own.......2007-03-24
Sylvia Browne is a genius and reaches the intellect with her thought-provoking literary skills. Get yourself a copy soon.
Average customer rating:
- "Do you see in this life how one must never be discouraged?"
- Fond Memories!!!
- Great fun for the whole family
- "Original" art? Ha!
- A GREAT CHILDREN'S BOOK!
|
Bonjour, Babar!: The Six Unabridged Classics by the Creator of Babar
Jean De Brunhoff
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Fiction | Elephants | Animals | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
De Brunhoff, Jean | ( D ) | Authors & Illustrators, A-Z | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Henkes, Kevin | ( H ) | Authors & Illustrators, A-Z | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Hardcover | Henkes, Kevin | ( H ) | Authors & Illustrators, A-Z | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Babar | Book Characters | Popular Characters | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0375810609
Release Date: 2000-09-26 |
Amazon.com
Seven decades after Babar was born, the world is still very much in love with the noble elephant. Before his untimely death at age 37, Jean de Brunhoff wrote and illustrated six stories about Babar and his friends and family. In this exquisite gift edition, every one of these stories is included, with not a word or picture left out. From The Story of Babar--in which the elephant is born, loses his mother, runs off to Paris, and returns to be crowned king--through The Travels of Babar, Babar the King, Babar and Zephir, Babar and His Children, and Babar and Father Christmas, the beloved pachyderm's incredible life adventures are chronicled for our reading pleasure. In his introduction, picture book author-illustrator Kevin Henkes writes, "Where else could one find a balloon accident, a deadly poison mushroom, a runaway carriage, an extraordinary flying machine, a snake attack, fire, war, death, birth? These books are full of adventure and fantasy, but they also deal with the stuff of real life. And I'm convinced children long to see both the dark and the light sides of human experience reflected in their books just as much as adults do, perhaps more." Adults who truly wish to share the joys of the classics with the children in their lives could do no better than to present them with this grand collection. (Ages 4 and older) --Emilie Coulter
Book Description
In 1931 Jean de Brunhoff created Babar, a little elephant who walked out of the jungle and into the hearts of civilized readers the world over. Widely recognized as the father of the picture book, Jean de Brunhoff wrote and illustrated six Babar stories before his early death in 1937. Every word and every picture of these classics is included in this big, inviting gift edition.
Customer Reviews:
"Do you see in this life how one must never be discouraged?".......2006-12-20
This one volume contains all six Babar stories written and illustrated by Jean de Brunhoff between 1931 and 1937, when the author died prematurely of tuberculosis. After seven decades, Babar the elephant is still beloved by young and old alike. Included are: "The Story of Babar"; "The Travels of Babar"; "Babar the King"; "Babar and Zephir"; "Babar and His Children"; and "Babar and Father Christmas".
From his earliest days, when his mother is shot by a hunter and he is left to fend for himself in the world, Babar is a curious and independent spirit. He makes his way to the city, where a kindly old lady gives him her purse; he purchases "a shirt with a collar and tie, a suit of a becoming shade of green, then a handsome derby hat and also shoes with spats". All decked out in new clothes, Babar is ready for whatever awaits, as he mixes with society, entertaining all with tales of his life in the forest. Later, when two of Babar's cousins arrive in the city, Babar outfits them both in new clothes. Returning with his cousins to the forest in the old lady's elegant roadster, Babar is so impressive that he is crowned King, his new fiancé, Celeste, the new Queen.
On their honeymoon, Babar and Celeste enjoy many adventures and misadventures all over the globe, returning to discover that the herd has gone to war with the rhinoceroses, a situation requiring careful strategy for success. Finally victorious, Babar promises to rule the kingdom wisely, and so he does in the following stories. In "Babar the King", the herd builds a city where all the animals peacefully coexist. There are schools, parks, automobiles; everything is perfect, save those few strokes of bad luck to remind Babar that we must never be discouraged in the face of adversity.
Each story is filled with realism, encouragement and hope in the face of difficulties, magical adventures touched with the give and take of life and the need to overcome challenges with a good heart. With a gallery of friends, Babar's life is defined by enthusiasm, a willingness to care for others and joy in simple things, family and community. Born in 1899, the author created an alternative universe in a country soon to face the First World War, his artistic vision come to fruition in Babar, a character beloved by generation after generation. Luan Gaines/2006.
Fond Memories!!!.......2006-12-08
As a toddler, my mom read to me at bedtime. My favorite books as a small child were of Babar, so I always had my mom read me the Babar books at bedtime and loved them.
A few years ago at Christmas, my mom gave me the "Bonjour Babar!" book which has six unabridged stories by the author! This book is very cute and brings back a lot of memories! It is nice to have 6 books in one collection and recommend this book to all parent with small children. Especially if their children love elephants!
Great fun for the whole family.......2003-03-25
My husband and I grew up on Babar. So when we saw this book we bought for our 4 month old son. He loves to hear our voices as we read to him and he also loves the bright colored pictures. We enjoy the memories that the stories bring back to us. A great addition to anyones collection.
TIP: We take the dust cover of any of his books that have dust covers and put them in plastic sleeves for later when we are sure he will not rip them up. That way when he is older the book looks like new even though it really is old.
"Original" art? Ha!.......2003-01-11
I was so thrilled to get this book as a gift, especially since it includes the long out-of-print "Babar and Zephir." When I began to leaf through it, being very familiar with the older editions, I grew sicker with every page. Jean de Brunhoff's stunning artwork has been absolutely destroyed.
Do you know how you feel when watching an old black-and-white movie that you have long loved which has been "colorized"? Yes, your favorite golden age actress now has pink skin, fucshia lips too big for her face and what color are her eyes supposed to be, exactly? The Babar art has been colorized in the most grotesque and garish sense of the word--which is really horrid when you consider that most of Brunhoff's original illustrations were already in color to begin with. Random House has decided, apparently, that Brunhoff's colors are not bright enough. Where Brunhoff shaded, Random House has plastered one uniform cartoonish shade from line to line. Babar's green suit ranges from merely loud green to splitting-headache green. The suit which he wears while playing trumpet in the circus defies description. Suffice it to say it is very blue and very red.
The beautiful scene in which the Celesteville residents bring gifts to infants Pom, Flora, and Alexander has lost its pastoral sweetness and is positively grotesque. The babies lie in their pram, which looks as though my kindergartener re-outlined it in black magic marker, under glaring green palms and flowers with a turquoise blanket scarcely dimmer than the book's cover (see above), while royal blue butterflies flit nearby. Babar is standing in a suit that is (if possible) even greener than the greenery directly behind him. A uniformly orange cow and dromedary are in the reception line. Think Fisher Price.
Does your child really need to know that the mermaid Eleanore's sisters are peeking out of the water when Zephir captures Eleanore? Due to the paint job the sea has suffered, you may need to point this out, as Brunhoff's few lines are no longer recognizable as the tops of mermaid heads. Somebody overdid the brown on the faces of General Huc and Colonel Aristobald, these brave and clever monkeys no longer have visible eyes, mouths, or hairlines.
The subtlety, the grace, the old-world patina of the gorgeous Babar art is gone. In its place, we have. . .well, they do say that bright colors are good for babies' development.
I want to cry.
A GREAT CHILDREN'S BOOK!.......2002-06-05
We have a 3 year old and a 2 year old and they both really love Babar and the gang. They love the book and Babar videos. We've had this book for over a year, and our children continue to ask us to read it to them. This book is wonderfully illustrated and humorous. Enjoyable even for adults.
Amazon.com
The richly illustrated At Home with Beatrix Potter will delight the many admirers of the artist and writer of children's books. Her beloved characters--Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck, and their whimsical friends--were inspired by the English countryside, which she grew to love during summer vacations as a girl. In 1905, at the age of 40, Potter bought Hill Top Farm overlooking Esthwaite Water in the Lake District, a region of hills and lakes famous for its glorious landscapes. She continued to buy property in the area with her royalties, and by the time she died 37 years later, she had amassed over 4,000 acres. She fought vigorously to preserve the beauty of the Lake District and its rural ways, leaving her estate to the National Trust, Britain's leading conservation agency. This book, written by an official of the Trust, is a tribute to the jewel of the estate, 17th-century Hill Top Farm. Potter restored and furnished it as a showcase of English country ways, though she actually lived in a large cottage nearby. Her substantial collection of Lake District antiques reflected the influential Arts & Crafts movement, which emphasized the integrity of handmade objects in a period of increasing mechanization. The book takes us on a tour of the farm, alternating the artist's original photographs and watercolors with photographs of the building and countryside as they look today. Several two-page spreads of the garden in early summer and the Lake District in late autumn are especially beautiful. Unpretentious, solid, charming, understated: At Home with Beatrix Potter embodies the rustic virtues that Beatrix loved. --John Stevenson
Book Description
The creator of Peter Rabbit, Samuel Whiskers, and Jemima Puddle-Duck, Beatrix Potter (1866-1942) is one of the best-loved children's book authors of all time. Yet few in America are aware of the role she played in protecting some of England's most beautiful landscapes and in designing romantic interiors and a lovely garden at Hill Top, her beloved Lake District farmhouse.
Taking the reader through her picturesque house and the breathtaking scenery around it that inspired many of her famous stories, this charming book is the first to look at the intimate connection between the English countryside and Potter's work. Her own exquisite sketches and watercolors, as well as personal ephemera, appear alongside specially commissioned full-color photographs, revealing a home filled with treasured old furniture and beautiful objects and celebrating an artist-storyteller whose legacy as a conservationist at last receives the attention it deserves.
Customer Reviews:
A place I'd like to visit.......2007-08-24
What a beautiful book. Clear, inviting photos, and interesting information. A book you will enjoy reading and sharing.
Ten stars.......2003-01-05
Being the big fan of Beatrox Potter, the woman and not just the author I was overjoyed to get this as a gift recently and the book is a treat for the eyes. While it has pages and pages of stunning photographs as well as her own water colours, it is the text and complete history of her farms that is awesome.
That and reading and seeing photographs of her as well as her farms and reading why she bought each property and the breeds of sheep she raised was of special interest to me. I loved seeing the inside of her farms, although I had seen the inside of a few, via the National Land Trust to whom she left her properties.
I loved the photographs of Beatrix and how she was so eccentric, kind yet firm and a woman ahead of her time. And it was nice to read that she was a true homestead style woman who had the waste not want not mentality, as well as a deep appreciation for quality and hated to see old bridges torn down for modern ones, although she was quick to make sure the stones and plants, wood and other things being discarded by some, didn't end up in some dump area but were recycled into new walls and buildings and plantings on her property.
This is a book a cottage gardener, keeper of sheep. painters, stone masons and anyone who loves working with their hands will love. As well as sincere environmentalists and organic gardeners and farmers.
A DELIGHT FOR THOSE WHO LOVE BEATRIX POTTER'S BOOKS.......2000-04-07
AT HOME WITH BEATRIX POTTER is a delight to the eye and the spirit for those who love this children's author and her "little books." It is written by Susan Denyer of Britain's National Trust. (Potter's property was left to the National Trust.) The focus of the book is Hilltop Farm, the first farm Beatrix Potter acquired. Although she lived across the road in Castle Cottage, Potter often used Hilltop for its library, guestroom, and workplaces. She also used it to display her "treasures." This book reveals her love of nature, the English Lake District, and of old things--carved dressers, chests, spinning wheels are a few of the "gems" portrayed. Two-page color spreads convey the beauty of the Lake Area, where Potter became a major landowner, sheepfarmer, and a happily married woman. It is wonderful to see the original places, buildings, and objects that she incorporated into her books (examples are shown side by side). The book's layout, photographs, and design are first-rate. Reading this book reminded me of THE PRIVATE WORLD OF TASHA TUDOR and its wonderful photographs by Richard Brown. Like Tudor, Potter drew what she knew and preferred country to city life. (Tudor also was a working farmer in New Hampshire.) Finally, this book presents information about Beatrix Potter and the things and people she loved in an informative and respectful way. This book is not a biography, and Denyer avoids the biographer's temptation to "sum up" or "explain" Beatrix Potter. Rather, we draw our own conclusions after being exposed to the things Potter loved. The select bibliography at the book's end provides a list of works on and by Potter (her journals and letters have been published) that is very helpful to those who want to know more about this author. This is a book to treasure.
Blend of Biography, Original Sketches and Scenic Photography.......2000-04-04
This book is a balanced combination of biographical information, Beatrix Potter's sketches and paintings, and exceptional scenic photography of the Lake District she helped preserve. It also details the exterior and interior of a house she owned which provided the backgrounds for many of her book illustrations. The side-by-side comparisons were interesting, even though the house seemed to be more of a showpiece than her actual residence. (Thus, the book title is somewhat misleading.) I found this book to be of exceptional quality and, although the text was sometimes overwrought with property, town and house names, the book includes many captioned photos and a map that allow the reader to appreciate the area in which she lived.
Book Description
In The Four Agreements don Miguel Ruiz touched the lives of millions of people with his four guided principles for life transformation. In Prayers he introduces his favorite prayers and meditations. Don Miguel begins each of his lectures and classes with a prayer or guided meditation to inspire and invoke a receptive frame of mind and to reinforce the concepts being introduced. Similarly, readers can use this book as a source of inspiration in times of need or as daily encouragement. The prayers address such topics as wisdom, healing, courage, love, self-love, forgiveness, integrity, freedom, happiness, and truth.
Customer Reviews:
How does one rate true prayer?.......2007-03-10
With reverence, at the very least! I came to this book after the author's 4 Agreements and found the prayers and guided meditations here very effective as I learned meditation and began to deepen my spiritual practice. It doesn't matter which denomination or religion you claim to belong to, because these truthful, poetic insights and encouragements transcend labels and unnatural boundaries. It is as if Ruiz discovered a coven of saintly horses who taught him these golden words. Read and recite these prayers and meditations like that, like you're reading and reciting poetry, and you will feel it, yes. You will feel transformed as your skin tingles, as all of your senses awaken to the wonderful world we share!
--Robert McDowell, author of the forthcoming Poetry In Spiritual Practice
Prayers:A Communion with Our Creator.......2007-02-27
This is a beautifully written book. I have read alot of spiritual books. This one I couldn't put down, read it in one sitting. The Prayers at the end of the chapters are wonderful and the Circle of Fire Prayer is life changing. Some books I read and then recycled, but this one is a keeper. Thank you Don Miguel Ruiz for another great book!! Love and Blessings to all!
Meditation .......2005-08-03
If you read "The Four Agreements", you will enjoy this book. It's a good one to sit down with at any time you need some quiet time for meditation.
A little book of Peace .......2005-04-01
I really recommend any book written by this great man. This book truly gets to the essence of what praying is all about. I was touched by these prayers, reading them was like a peaceful meditation.
Thank You Miguel...Paul
Even Better than the Four Agreements!.......2004-10-26
"Prayers" is even a better book than the Four Agreements, though the Four Agreements build you a foundation. It is meant to be a book we will read when at the quest of love and peace. The book is meant to be read when you are angry, sad, experiencing fear and judgment. Of course you still need to find other ways to work on your anger, this book simply have the power to help you let go of those nasty thoughts. This book is not meant to be used to suppress/deny the existence of anger and fear, for, we need to accept human has all ranges of emotions. There is no right and wrong for whatever and however we feel things. At the end of the day, we are just saying prayers to let go of the emotional poisons. That is the essence of this book. The words of the book can only be experienced and felt. You cannot use your judgmental mind to think and to understand nor can you try to rush finishing the book. Some books, for example this one, just are not meant for speed reading because you cannot experience the peace the author wants to give you. When you open your heart and feel the power of the words, you experience lots of love and compassion to yourself and others. That is how you want to use this book to open your spiritual eyes and stay there. This book is easy to understand. It is meant to be read again and again, especially during turbulent times where we are most easily to slip back to the judgmental self. I definitely recommend this book to someone who is experiencing some sort of a significant loss in life (whether it is a loved one's death, a lost of job or a loss of marriage). May we all come out from the turbulent times and experience love and care, which help us return to our authentic self - with love and care and without judgment about self and others?
Book Description
Let Barb Schwarz——the creator of the Home Staging concept——show you what it takes to make it in the Home Staging industry.
In 1972, Barb Schwarz coined the term "Staging" to refer to the process of preparing a home for sale, and turned her idea into a brand new industry. Today, thanks to Schwarz's pioneering efforts, Home Staging has become a big business with enormous profit potential.
If you are thinking about starting a Home Staging business of your own or just want to improve upon an existing one, then Building a Successful Home Staging Business is the book for you. Written in a straightforward and accessible style, this practical guide will show you exactly how to set up a Home Staging business, and help you run and maintain the business as it grows. Some of the issues outlined throughout these pages include:
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How to write a business plan, market your company, and make the most of your resources
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How to work through the consulting, bidding, and Staging processes
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How to establish solid relationships with real estate agents and brokers
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How to obtain your Accredited Staging Professional (ASP) designation
Filled with in-depth insights, expert advice, and proven strategies that Schwarz has developed over the course of her stellar career, Building a Successful Home Staging Business will put you in the perfect position to profit from the many opportunities that exist in this dynamic market.
Customer Reviews:
Great Reading.......2007-08-11
I was trully inspired by this book to start thinking of ways to create my own business. Great book.
Less than expected...........2007-07-09
I waited with excitement for this book. Unfortunately I am so disappointed, the book is so self-promoting. I skipped much of the content searching for something, rich, creative and new - it just isn't there.
Needs more content.......2007-06-28
I want to start the review by disclosing that I am an Accredited Staging Professional trained by Barb Schwarz's company Staged Homes.
I can sum up the book by dividing it into three parts.
The book is about 1/3 self promotion about Barb Schwarz and taking her classes. Even though I have taken her class, I know other excellent home stagers that have taken other classes or some that have not taken training classes at all.
About 1/3 of the book is about starting a business. This is a critical part of success. I think other more indepth books on starting a business and marketing it would give you more detailed information.
The other 1/3 is helpful home staging industry specific tips. Most of them are common sense. If you do not know you need to form relationships with real estate agents - this is not a business for you. I think the sample documents in the back of the book are helpful for a new home stager.
So, Yes parts of this book are helpful but it is not the only resource you need.
Disappointing.......2007-06-02
Although there are some good tips that the average person may not consider, I found this book to be more of a membership drive for the author's "professional designation". We are told over and over again that the home staging concept was the author's original idea, almost every page she reminds us of this. She even goes so far as to claim the invention of the professional portfolio by renaming it a "career book". She also lays claim to the invention of several phrases she uses, commonly used phrases like "let me tell you how I work". It's too bad that she did not spend as much time focusing on her readers than she did on tooting her own horn. It also makes one wonder how valid any "designation" is when all it takes is a 3 day course and the author's blessing to earn her coveted "ASP" designation. Who regulates this field? If there is no regulatory body, it's just tacking some initials after one's name to sound important. For those unfortunate enough to buy into it, they get a worthless designation, but I'm sure the author is profiting well!
Book Description
Modern science has uncovered a design that is surprisingly compatible with the biblical account of creation. Learn how scientific discoveries reveal the nature of God.
Customer Reviews:
another awesome one from Dr. Ross.......2007-10-05
My only complaint is that it's a wee bit technical for the lay reader...but fabulous none-the-less... this is the 4th Hugh Ross book i own and even though i don't understand all the nuances of redshift velocities and special relativity, I thoroughly enjoy his apologetics.
Anyone interested in God and discovering truth should check out Dr. Ross' organization at www.reasons.org
Desperate pleading.......2007-09-19
Ross claims science has revealed the truth of God and the Bible, but his book doesn't read that way. Ross does a fair job of exposing people to the wonders of an esoteric branch of physics but never is he able to show science reveals God. He ends up doing the only thing such endeavors allow - simply saying so. His support? A mass of scientific reference that he hopes - through association - will give religion the cache of scientific credibility. His goal is to give faith, which requires no evidence, evidence. Revealing that long-standing insecurity about faith in the face of science since the Enlightenment.
From the outset Ross establishes the usual illogical arguments, "... if the universe is not created [by a creator]... it has no objective meaning... consequently human life has no meaning". Why? Imagine the billions of humans to come and go before Christianity [Ross's only allowed option] or today who follow something else - they've had no meaning. Even atheists have meaning. "The Creator's character defines morality," says Ross. Recall this is the creator that kills all first born of Egypt - innocent boys, girls, toddlers, infants, to "harden Pharaoh's heart". Morality? "If it [the universe] had a beginning, it must have had a Beginner." Why? Recall, humans used to credit God with wind, rain and the solar eclipse, while Ross pushes divine cause back to the more nebulous and safer (for now) Big Bang itself. Each of these "pronouncements" may satisfy perspectives derived from human experience, needs or desires, but we're only 5 pages into the book and with profuse clarity Ross has violated the most fundamental practice of scientists, which Ross claims to be. He has woven his underlying assumptions into what to some may sound like obvious conclusions, though none of it is falsifiable, not even reasonably connected nor logically credible.
Ross, in the stock story of hard skeptic (at age 15), finds through his analysis of the Bible not a single inconsistency nor contradiction. Ross never read Thomas Paine's, Age Of Reason. He argues that historical references support the Bible. But what good novel does not insert factual historical reference? Doing so doesn't make the novel a true story. For Ross other religions are vague, but parables are obvious. And again, as so often, probability arguments are employed to blind the ignorant, with nothing whatsoever to do with anything other than finding other avenues through which to hoodwink statistical novices. Ross makes mileage over hyperbolic remarks from scientists, historians and newsmen to dramatize their discovery or sell papers, all making positive reference to God. And so what? Like a witness, these carry weight for Ross. But while witnesses count for something in religion and a court of law, they count for nothing in science. If they did, science would declare abundant proof of particularly congenial aliens zipping about earth in their UFOs. Revisionist tellings of the Bible are everywhere. "...so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible." (Hebrews 11:3). Ross then revises this, "Hebrews 11:3 states that the universe we can detect was made through that which we cannot possibly detect." But Ross (as a scientist) should know the visible range is but a tiny sliver of the electromagnetic spectrum, from radio to gamma rays, none of them visible but quite detectable. Ross then goes a step further to suit his cosmological connection: The universe "came from a source independent of matter, energy, length, height, and time." But that that's not what Hebrews said. The long worn question of literal or figurative interpretation arises and what gives Ross this insight into what God really meant?
As Ross describes recent (though outdated) cosmological progress to laymen, he ties scientific results separate from religion to religion usually capping each chapter with a reminder. Astronomers have verified the Big Bang "concluding God is the power and intelligence behind it all." Yes, and, almost never. But, so what if they did? Would a scientist claiming God does not exist, prove it by saying so? Then why does a scientist's claim that God does exist matter? This repetitious reminder that what we're doing here is providing evidence for God rings of theological pleadings at the funeral, trying to assuage our grief with mock authority that our loved ones really, absolutely, truly, "trust me", still live and so will we.
For all of Ross's apparent good intensions (hopefully he's not simply cashing in on religious readers), faith does not require the sanction of science. Trying to force science into granting such approval is not only an embarrassing failure but reduces the importance of faith residing in a wholly different arena however Ross and others may wish otherwise.
This is an excellent book on Old-Earth Creationism.......2006-12-23
In the world today there are basically three views regarding creation:
1. On the one extreme is the view that there is no God, and that the world was created by natural causes. In this view, science holds the only answers. We must use our inquiring minds to learn the truth, and there is a constant search for better answers.
2. At the other extreme is the Young Earth Creations (YEC). They believe that all scriptures must be interpreted literally, and any science that contradicts a literal interpretation must be wrong, and they therefore dismiss all of science as incorrect, and attempt to define an alternative science where the speed of light changes.
3. There is the middle ground between these two. Proponents, such as Ross, take the view that the Bible is true, but that being men, our knowledge is never complete, and that therefore, while the Bible is never wrong, we must occasionally be flexible in changing our understanding of it. These people believe that God does not lie, and that therefore as we use science to learn about his creation, what we find will also be true, and consistent with his word. Therefore they attempt to reconcile science and the Bible, finding common ground in an old-earth creation (OEC) interpretation.
Typically YEC do not get along with either group, viewing both as the enemy. According to their view, you are forced to choose to accept the Bible according to their entirely literal reading, or you must reject the Bible entirely. Faced with this choice many thinking people are driven away from Christianity, or at least are forced to deal with cognitive dissonance - On Sunday the Bible is true and science is ignored, but the rest of the week science is true and the Bible is to be ignored.
By contrast there is typically more constructive dialogue and respect between the scientists and the OEC group. In the world today, most people believe that science is true. OEC provides an interpretation of the Bible that rconciles Science and the Bible. In my personal experience, when I attempt to evalgelize people with any level of scientific sophistication, they immediately prepare to attack and ridicule the YEC view. When I take the OEC perspective, they are always quite surprised to hear that the biblical account written 3000 years ago is consistent with science not discovered until recently. As a result, this book by Ross is an outstanding evangelical tool - it permits thinking people to be reached who reject YEC out of hand. This approach doesn't necessarily convert them, because in most cases their disrespect for YEC has led them to a hard-core atheistic view, but it does eliminate the major obstacle to their ultimate acceptance of the Bible.
Basically, in evaluting this book, you have to ask - does this book lay out its view is a clear, convincing way. The answer is that it does. I'm not here to attack or defend one of the views above, but I can tell you that as a scientist, I am delighted to read books like this which help to clarify that the Bible is consistent with Science. I can tell you that this book has reinforced my Christian beliefs, and that it has also been a powerful evangelical tool. I highly recommend it.
A serious, straightfoward approach to the logical implications of Big Bang cosmology .......2006-02-20
Hugh Ross takes the reader on an exciting tour de force of the most recent discoveries in astronomy and enlightens the reader on the logical implications of these discoveries. This book devestates the too often repeated canard that science and religion are (as the late Stephen Gould termed) "non-overlapping magesteria." A must read for anyone who is asking themselves the deepest questions a human can ask: "Why am I here? and Where did I come from?"
Very interesting.......2006-02-10
I recommend this as a must-read book to just about everyone. Not because I agree with everything Ross says (because I don't) but because it opens up a completely new and refreshing perspective on the whole cosmology, religion, and the meaning of the universe topic. I especially liked the part describing just what conditions must be met for human life to develop in the universe.
His arguments are quite reaching in many places, but that does not disqualify his valid points, of which there are many, and it is worth it to the reader to hear them in a society increasingly being indoctrinated by a secular, politically correct elite.
Very interesting book.
Book Description
Bring your gaming visions to life with Microsoft XNA Game Studio Express
Create complete 3D games using Microsoft XNA Game Studio Express and this hands-on guide. Written by experienced game developers,
Microsoft XNA Game Studio Creator's Guide details the fundamentals of great game programming and offers detailed examples.
Inside, you'll learn to program a game engine, write shader code, create and animate 3D models, and add fluid motion and special effects. You'll also find out how to launch ballistics, add realistic scenery and terrain, and integrate lighting and textures. Step-by-step tutorials on underlying C# code and explanations of vector and matrix techniques are included.
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Build and dynamically update XNA game windows and custom 3D objects
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Learn scintillating animation techniques
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Create lifelike skyboxes, textures, lighting, and shading effects
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Program shaders using high-level shader language
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Develop single- and multi-player games
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Generate and code terrain with height detection
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Construct impressive graphics using sprites, multi-texturing, and blending
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Integrate audio, game dashboards, and score tracking
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Develop realistic collision detection, ballistics, and particle effects
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HaHHhhndle keyboard, mouse, and game controller input
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Create static *.fbx and animated Quake 2 models and control them in code
Customer Reviews:
Basics of XNA.......2007-07-18
This is a good book as an introduction to programming XNA. I have tested the examples code in all chapters and they all work fine. The code is very easy to understand but not that much commented. I wish there should been at least one complete game programmed by the end of this book. The author shows us loading a Quake model which does some crazy things when we press "space" key multiple times on your keyboard, i am not sure what the problem would be, but loading a animated mesh is done perfectly no issues about that. It would have been better if the book describes how to load a animated mesh file in .fbx format or a .x format which are supported by XNA framework. Overall the book gives a good introduction to the XNA Framework and many other topics like billboards, particle effects, cameras, shaders etc. I would recommend this book to all beginners who wish to start learning XNA framework. This is a good resource to start game programming.
Good Introduction to Game Programming with XNA.......2007-07-17
I was excited to see this book arrive from Amazon so quickly and couldn't wait to look at the newest XNA game programming book. Although, I was somewhat disappointed when I first opened the box from Amazon and did a quick look through pages. Realizing this book was far more basic than what the description on Amazon lead me to believe. However, as I read through the book and ran the example downloaded code I realized this really was a good introduction to game programming.
Pros
* Provides a good introduction to many fundamental game programming concepts
* Doesn't jump right into 3D mathematics as many intro game programming books do, I feel this gives the reader a better grasp for how to apply 3D math later in the book
* Good examples of the 3D math concepts provided in example code, not many programming books do this
* Chapters are short, easy to read and understand
* Covers some of the more basic tools a beginning game programmer will use
* Provides a lot of example code that compiles and runs without troubles
* Book does cover some more advanced concepts that will certainly be useful to any level of user
Cons
* Wish the example code was highlighted a little better in the books text
* Example code uses some dated conventions (Hungarian notation) which somewhat date the code
* Would have liked to see some more detailed examples and a game or two that brought the concepts together
* Some of the chapters are a little too short for my liking considering some of the concepts this book covers
If you are looking for a good introduction to game programming with XNA I would recommend this book. Those with some game programming experience looking for an introduction to XNA may be a little disappointed but overall I feel this is a good title for any novice.
Amazon.com
Historian Daniel J. Boorstin brings his customary depth and range to this compelling book on Western art, taking on everything from European megaliths (Stonehenge, for example) to Benjamin Franklin's autobiography ("the first American addition to world literature"). Boorstin does not aim at being comprehensive--he much prefers to linger over certain "heroes of the imagination" as he surveys human accomplishment in the fields of architecture, music, painting, sculpting, and writing--yet The Creators certainly feels comprehensive, as Boorstin carefully places everything he describes within a grand tradition of aesthetic achievement.
Boorstin knows that good history demands good writing, and his prose makes this big book easy to absorb. "This is a story," he writes, "of how creators in all the arts have enlarged, embellished, fantasized, and filigreed our experience"--an apt description of the role art plays in our life and an equally apt description of the way Boorstin interprets it for readers. (The Creators also is the second volume of a trilogy that starts with The Discoverers and concludes with The Seekers, although none of these books requires any knowledge of the others.) --John J. Miller
Book Description
By piecing the lives of selected individuals into a grand mosaic, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Daniel J. Boorstin explores the development of artistic innovation over 3,000 years. A hugely ambitious chronicle of the arts that Boorstin delivers with the scope that made his Discoverers a national bestseller.
Customer Reviews:
A splendid distillation of a liberal education.......2006-11-23
Question: I read well enough, but don't feel all that well educated. I am too busy or too broke to take college
classes in the evening or whatever. Can acquire a fair bit of liberal education by reading in my spare time?
Answer: Yes. Read Boorstin's "The Creators" and "The Discoverers," and Barzun's "From Dawn to Decadence." You will thereby encounter what is glorious about us humans.
The Discoverers for the more artistically minded.......2006-06-16
The Creators by Daniel Boorstin is an excellant read. This book was more reader friendly then The Discoverers and just as well researched. As Boorstin does in the Discoverers, each chapter tells the life story of an artist/musician/architech and while doing this goes in depth on this person's works.
The areas of focus for this book are:
1. "The Riddle of Creation" (creation stories in differant cultures)
a. Worlds without beginnings (eastern religions)
b. A creator-god (mostly western religions)
2."Creator Man" (stone age through middle ages)
a. The Power of Stone (early monuments)
b. The Magic of Images (writing)
c. The Immortal Word (the first books)
3."Re-Creating the World" (middle ages to 1920's)
a. Otherworldly Elements (religous art)
b. The Human Comedy (books of the late middle ages to more modern books)
c. From Craftsman to Artist (Paintings)
d. Conjuring with time and space (light, buildings, etc.)
4. "Creating the self" (modern times)
a. The Vanguard Word (famous books)
b. The Wilderness Within (authors and painters who excluded themselves from society)
These differant areas cover the main areas of the arts through the ages.
The only problem with this book was the music sections. For some one with no musical experiance, the book was a little over my head. This is about 50-100 pages of the book.
I would suggest this book to others.
one of the greats.......2006-05-21
Most books I read, I think, are on an intellectual level commensurate with my own. Usually I think, "I could probably write this, if I took the time to learn enough."
This book is not one of those. Sure, maybe Daniel didn't pull every bit directly out of his head- he was the Librarian of Congress, which gave him access to plenty of source material.
I don't think I could ever come close to matching this, or any other of Boorstin's achievements. Read this book! It's not as engaging as some- I got through it by making it my permanent bathroom book. It took forever to read it, but it was well worth it.
A must have!.......2006-02-12
I read "The Creators" years ago as a teenager and rediscovered it when cleaning out the old book chest. I highly suggest opening ones mind with this work. "The Creators" is a how-to manual of human thought. It is not meant to be a thrilling adventure story. Boorstin takes you step by step through the imagery and imagination that dawned civilization. "The Creators" is for anyone who ever asked, "Why?"
Explores Great Minds From The Arts.......2005-12-21
Boorstin's amazing series about the greatest achievers in the human species continues in this superlative volume. While I loved his previous works, this one is easily my favorite, because it shows how the arts, especially literature, rank as humankind's grandest accomplishment: our species' proudest step away from its beastly nature and into the realm of creator. I am convinced that no other living person could examine these rarefied figures (Dante, Shakespeare, Michelangelo, others) and give us quite the same sort of overview. I love how Daniel Boorstin reasons. He is one of the great thinkers of this time, and this is him at his finest.
Book Description
The more you learn about quantum physics, the more you wonder: who is really creating your reality? Fear not: Dr. Quantum, superhero of spiritual science, is here to help you Meet the Real Creator—You! Join this champion of modern thought (sometimes known by his alter ego, Dr. Fred Alan Wolf) on a quest for truth through the strange reality of quantum physics. Listeners will discover how we participate in the manifestation of each moment, why the universe only seems to be beyond our ability to control, and how we can use the principles of cutting-edge science to truly take charge of our lives. On this four-part journey into understanding, Dr. Quantum will unravel such mysteries as: • Your "spiritual elephant"—who is really in control of your life from a quantum perspective? • Quantum heaven, quantum hell—if we create our own reality, why do things happen that we don't want? • "If I have a soul, why doesn't it do something?" How to open a dialogue between your "self" and "soul." • Is there one soul, or are there many? A quantum perspective on the nature of self and other. Whether he's rescuing listeners from confusion about subatomic subtleties or breaking down the barriers between science and spirit, Dr. Wolf sets the standard for bringing quantum physics down to earth—and into our lives.
Customer Reviews:
Very Good Book........2007-02-25
I liked this book. Fred Alan Wolf is a exuberant speaker. I wish i would have had him as a teacher.
Don't miss this one!.......2006-08-28
I listen each day. I am enjoying listening and learning more about the world and myself.
Awesome!.......2005-12-30
I really enjoyed listening to Dr. Quantum discuss his ideas about soul, heaven and hell, how we create our reality, and what Quantum Physics has to do with it all. I discovered Dr. Quantum from the wonderful "What the Bleep Do We Know?" movie, and ever since then I have become interested in what he has to say (as well as what the other people in the movie have to say). I find him easy to understand and actually quite entertaining. I found myself laughing out loud at times. He really kept my attention throughout the entire presentation. In fact, I have listened to this audio book about 3 times now (I've only had it about a week), and I am taking notes! I am also researching some of the people and experiments that he mentions (i.e.: Benjamin Libet and his work on neural adequacy). I am considering purchasing his other audio presentation: A User's Guide to Your Universe.
I had no prior knowledge of Quantum Physics until I watched the "What the Bleep" movie, so all this stuff is new to me. I am glad that I started my study of the mystery with Dr. Quantum as a guide.
Complete waste of time.......2005-12-22
While Dr. Wolf has written some compelling books, this work is complete nonsense. If you are looking for anything interesting about quantum physics, do not look here. If you are looking for stream-of-consciousness nonsense psycho-babble about the "real you" then this is for you. Doesn't appear that he actually prepared anything for this recording; he just blathers on and on without any coherence. Complete nonsense and a waste of time and money. Deserves zero stars but I am forced to give one star as the minimum allowed here.
Books:
- The Chaos Curse (Forgotten Realms: The Cleric Quintet, Book 5)
- The Children of Húrin
- The City of Falling Angels
- The Complete Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales, Deluxe Edition (Literary Classics (Gramercy Books))
- The Dark Sleep (Vampire Files)
- The Dragon's Son (Dragonvarld Trilogy, Book 2)
- The Enchanted Forest Chronicles: Dealing with Dragons / Searching for Dragons / Calling on Dragons / Talking to Dragons
- The Fred Factor: How passion in your work and life can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary
- The High Blood Pressure Solution: Natural Prevention and Cure With the K Factor
- The Immortal Game: A History of Chess, or How 32 Carved Pieces on a Board Illuminated Our Understanding of War, Art, Science and the Human Brain
Books Index
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