Book Description
A PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
The first simple guide to understanding the real estate closing process
Closing and escrow are among the most importantand least understoodcomponents of a real estate transaction. The Complete Guide to Your Real Estate Closing takes the mystery out of the confusing, expensive process by giving real estate professionals, investors, and consumers a step-by-step explanation. In simple, everyday language, the book explains closing documents and paperwork, what to do when something goes wrong, mortgage options, how to save money on title insurance, problems that can occur on a title report,
and much more. With sample forms, work sheets, and more, this sophisticated but accessible book covers:
- Insider tips on how to save moneyfrom a closing professional
- Who does what: the real estate agent, lender, title company, closing officer, attorney
- State-specific information for all 50 states
Book Description
What price victory? The war with the Republic of Haven has resumed . . . disastrously for the Star Kingdom of Manticore. Admiral Lady Dame Honor Harrington, Steadholder and Duchess Harrington, the single victorious Allied commander of the opening phase of the new war, has been recalled from the Sidemore System to command Eighth Fleet. Everyone knows Eighth Fleet is the Alliance's primary offensive command, which makes it the natural assignment for the woman the media calls "the Salamander." But what most of the public DOESN'T know is that not only are the Star Kingdom and its Allies badly outnumbered by the Republic's new fleet, but that the odds are going to get steadily worse. Eighth Fleet's job is to somehow prevent those odds from crushing the Alliance before the Star Kingdom can regain its strategic balance. It's a job which won't be done cheaply. Honor Harrington must meet her formidable responsibilities with inferior forces even as she copes with tumultuous changes in her personal and public life. The alternative to victory is total defeat, yet this time the COST of victory will be agonizingly high.
Customer Reviews:
Another fine chapter in the Honor Harrington saga.......2007-10-10
I have enjoyed this series since "On Basilisk Station". It's a fine space opera that is a fun change from some of the other subjects I like to read about. I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a long series set in insterstellar space.
Boring, bloated, poorly written.......2007-10-08
I have read the entire Honor Harrington series and was swept away by the first six or seven. However, they have tended to become longer and longer and to be filled with distracting subplots and scenes that contribute nothing to the development of the story. Furthermore, they seem to become less and less creative as the series goes on, and the main character becomes less and less sympathetic. This novel brings all these unfortunate tendencies to their greatest extreme.
Here is an example of the scinitllating dialogue you will find in this novel: "Do you believe all the articles of the Christian Faith, as contained in the Apostle's Creed?" "I do." ... "Will you obediently keep God's holy will and commandments...?" "I will, by God's help." (page 617). This dialogue is just an excerpt of a five page scene that reproduces, line for line, a baptism ceremony for Honor's son. Why the reader should be subjected to this, I don't know. It has nothing to do with the ongoing Haven-Manticore war, nor with the Mesan involvement in said war, nor with any part of the main storyline. I present this merely as one example; the book is chock full of lengthy scenes that contribute nothing to the story. As a matter of fact, at the beginning of chapter 15--page 190--when Mercedes Brigham says "Well, it's about time ... I was beginning to think we'd never get this fleet activated!", the reader is in full agreement, for that is how long it takes Weber to get to anything remotely resembling military action. Yes, the first 190 out of 852 pages--nearly a quarter of the book--contain no military action whatsoever except for a brief Havenite raid in the prologue. Instead, we are treated to such exciting scenes as Honor reading a story to the children in a nursery on Grayson; Honor discussing her feelings about pregnancy with her parents, with Hamish, with Emily--all of these conversations occupying tens of pages and having their own scenes or even chapters; the shady Mesans going about their plotting; and on, and on, and on until you wonder if there is going to be any action at all in the novel. The plotline involving Honor's pregnancy and motherhood is boring, irrelevant to the main story, and has way too many pages devoted to it.
To be quite blunt, this is not merely poor writing, it is poor editing. Someone needs to tell Weber to streamline his novels and make them exciting once again.
The second half of the book contains some of the vintage space battles that Weber is known for, and these are well done, written with good pacing, and showing that Weber has once again sat down to consider tactics and counter-tactics, putting himself in the minds of the various fighters in the war. It is made more exciting by the subplot involving a Mesan conspiracy; something that is surely setting up a future novel (there are hints of an upcoming Haven-Manticore alliance and foreshadowings of a war against the Solarian league). But quite frankly, this would have been a much better novel at 450 pages than at 850. If you are a big Honor fan, prepare to wade through hundreds of pages of boring stuff to get to the meat of this novel. If you are not an Honor fan, start from the beginning--On Basilisk Station. Unfortunately, by the time you get to this novel you will probably be hooked, and, like me, you will subject yourself to the extreme boredom of this novel just to find out what happens.
Hoping for more.......2007-10-02
For a serious sci-fi reader, this book is fantastic. I must point out that the ending of this novel left me totally empty. There was no resolution of any kind here. It seemed to take FOREVER for this novel to come out in paperback. I will not put myself through the wait for a sequel even if Weber writes one. I liked the Honorverse but it is now on the bottom of my reading food chain
wonderful! best honorverse novel to date!.......2007-09-18
I have read all of the honor harrington books to date and some grabed you from the begininng and others you just had to keep wading thru the story but you knew it would be worth it in the end. This book however is the best so far. A great story line with interesting twists and all I can say to David Weber is write FASTER!
Not Bad.......2007-08-16
Decent Read. A little slow in pacing but I get the feeling he's finally got all the pieces in place for the reconciliation between Manticore and Haven so they can join forces against Mesa.
I look forward to the next Novel with great anticipation.
Book Description
In this gripping, page-turning account, Sam Moses has told a story in the tradition of Sebastian Junger’s A Perfect Storm, Robert Kurson’s Shadow Divers, and Hampton Sides’s Ghost Soldiers. It’s a story about the heroism of two men in battle at sea during World War II, and one woman fleeing Nazi Norway with her child. It’s about how courage can change the course of history.
AT ALL COSTS: How a Crippled Ship and Two American Merchant Marines Turned the Tide of World War II is the astonishing untold account, with original historical reporting, of how two men faced unfathomable danger to help save the island of Malta, Churchill’s crux of the war.
In 1942, the tiny island of Malta was the most heavily bombed place on earth. Hitler needed Malta as a stepping-stone to get to the oil in Iraq and Iran (Persia at the time). Blockaded by sea, Malta was running on empty, in food, fuel and ammunition. Axis U-boats and dive-bombers made supply convoys to Malta more like suicide missions. In this last-hope convoy, 50 warships escorted 13 freighters carrying aviation fuel, and a single critical tanker, the SS Ohio, with 107,000 barrels of oil from Texas. Winston Churchill had traveled to Washington and asked FDR for the tanker–his prime ministership was at stake over this mission to Malta.
Relentlessly dive-bombed and repeatedly torpedoed, the Ohio suffered huge hits and was abandoned. Two young American merchant mariners–pulled from the sea after their own ship went down in flames–boarded the ravaged tanker, repaired her guns and fought off German and Italian dive-bombers, as the sinking Ohio was towed at 4 knots toward Malta with a tiny crew of volunteers.
Sam Moses’ AT ALL COSTS is a triumphant story of human bravery: fearless, selfless acts by men determined to save a ship and win a war; profound communal courage from an island under brutal siege; and leaders who understood the cause of freedom.
Kirkus (starred review)
A historical footnote provides a riveting tale of true American grit during World War II.
In 1942, the island of Malta was the primary launching point in the Mediterranean for Allied
aircraft and submarine attacks against Axis supply convoys. At the height of the North African
campaign, Rommel’s tanks prepared to sweep into Egypt, Iran and Iraq. The only thing they lacked was
the fuel to get there, and the shortage was equally desperate on Malta. The Allies launched Operation
Pedestal, a last-ditch effort to re-supply the base by sending a convoy from Britain through the Gibraltar
Strait to the beleaguered island. The convoy, which included the American tanker Ohio and the U.S.
freighter Santa Elisa, was anything but a milk run. Vietnam vet Moses (Fast Guys, Rich Guys and
Idiots, not reviewed) crafts a thrilling adventure on the high seas, though it takes a while to get started.
The book’s first third juxtaposes Malta’s plight against the stories of two American merchant seamen
on the Santa Elisa: Lonnie Dales and Fred Larsen, through whose eyes the battle will be viewed in bluecollar
detail. Once Operation Pedestal begins, the narrative is all action. The convoy comes under
repeated attack, lives are lost, the Santa Elisa is sunk. Dales and Larsen find themselves aboard the
wounded Ohio, full to the brim with Texas crude. If they can hold off Nazi attacks and keep their new
ship afloat long enough to reach Malta, the operation will be a success. Moses takes readers directly
into the heat of battle, demonstrating a strong command of historical detail.
Highly recommended for fans of naval adventure. (Agent: Peter Riva/International Transactions, Inc.)
"At All Costs is an extraordinary work of research and an exciting read that pays tribute to a crucial enterprise taken against incredible odds. Sam Moses has brought the ghastliness of war and the beauty of heroism together, in jarring union." –Frank Deford
“This book tells a great story. But Sam Moses is not just sharing a gripping tale. He is sharing an important and oft neglected story about a battle that played a decisive role in shaping the outcome of WW II. You will meet people who will linger in memory for their bravery, foolishness, or wisdom.” –Ken Auletta, author of Backstory
“Thrillingly told and beautifully researched, At All Costs is not just the against-all-odds story of the saving of Malta, but also of how the fate of nations can turn on the personal bravery of two ordinary men.”
–Robert Kurson, author of Shadow Divers
“Sam Moses has skillfully blended the vivid recollections of many eyewitnesses with a wealth of original documentary research to produce an immensely readable and authoritative account of this crucial operation.” –Mark Whitmore, Director of Collections, Imperial War Museum, London, England
Customer Reviews:
How the ship got through.......2007-08-14
This is quite a good and interesting book about the convoy runs to Malta and in particular the voyage of the tanker OHIO. Having read the first half, I was however expecting to find the two American hero's personally swatting Axis planes out of the sky with their caps by the end. Instead while they act with supreme bravery, that bravery and guts is shared by a whole lot of other men too.
The build up is therefore almost a let down. The two main characters end up doing the same amazingly heroic deeds as the other people they share the story with, so that one is left wondering why the author didnt concentrate on the heroism of the entire bunch. It was certainly well deserved. Or was he specifically writing for an American audience and needed to show how, as the cover suggests, these two intredid heroes won WW2? I think the American flag may have slipped over the computer screen a little too often while he was writing.
What ever the reason for concentrating so much praise on these two men, nothing can diminish their heroism. Their dedication and sheer guts. In a crisis situation many people will rise to the occasion, and others will fail. In this story a few do fail, but the majority rise to deal with the terrible ordeal they must go through.
The research information is amazing. The author has travelled widely and written many letters to survivors in order to tell his story. He is to be commended for that. But there are some very silly editorial mistakes that diminish the research. On one hand he is telling us that the lack of fuel kept the Italian Battleships in port, and on another he twice describes one of the Italian cruisers as a battleship. British destroyers with 5" guns? I think not. There are other silly little mistakes that an editor should have picked up if he thoroughly read what the author had written.
Overall, the author does deserve praise for telling a good story and telling it well.
The thrust of historical research is of a very high standard that is only slightly marred by the silly mistakes described. I'm a little surprised an ex-Navy man would have made some of the errors of detail.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in knowing more about the incredible voyage of the tanker OHIO. Its a good read and an entertainingly written one.
Fun read but.......2007-06-23
Ok is this great book, no. Is it a good read, well yes? The problem is that there are too many little mistakes that were made, pp 192 he refers to the battleship, Trieste. The Trieste was a Heavy Cruiser. The photograph identified as a JU-88 twin engine passing over a cruiser, is actually a tri-motor Italian bomber, you can even see the Italian markings on the planes wings. I don't even know what to do with this statement, pp 184, "German historians have long wondered how Churchill managed to persuade Stalin to join the allies." Hmm that little thing of Germany invading Russia may have had something to do with it, yah think. There are odd little statements throughout the book which has no basis in historic fact, the Swedes allowed the Germans to enter Norway through the backdoor. ????? Weak on sources, most are dated; there are far better histories of the Italian Navy then the ones used.
With all that this is still a great read and the guts that many of these men, not all, is truly remarkable. Would make a great film.
A great story, told pretty well.......2007-03-31
There's a lot to like about this book. Moses tells a great story. As other readers have pointed out, this is a tale of epic heroism and sacrifice, and you don't see many books that tell of WWII as it was fought by the merchant marine. Moses did his research, and makes liberal use of the recollections of those who fought this battle.
But "At All Costs" falls short of five stars for a couple reasons. At times it's hard to follow the action and the sequence of events, or to understand how events relate. Moses puts you in the moment and it can be tough to step back and understand the big picture.
And the subtitle, "How a crippled ship and two American merchant mariners turned the tide of World War II," shows how the book overreaches. I'm not discounting the importance of Malta, but you can't hang the outcome of the second world war on any one battle or event -- the allies would not have lost the war if Malta had fallen. Greater forces were at work, such as the economic strength of the United States, Hitler's failure as strategist, and Russia's vast territory and manpower (and willingness to sacrifice that manpower). This overreach hurts the book's credibility. The statement, noted by another reviewer, that German historians have always wondered how Churchill persuaded Stalin to join the Allies, doesn't help credibility either.
Finally, the two merchant seamen of the subtitle are featured prominently. This gets the book off to a slow start, as Moses tries too hard to inject human interest into a story that doesn't need it. Don't get me wrong -- those guys were heroes, but virtually everyone on that convoy was a hero.
If you're into naval history, I recommend this book. Just treat it as a great read and not necessarily great history.
Incredible Bravery and Sacrifice!.......2007-03-30
"At All Costs" is the story of a "do-or-die" resupply effort for British-held Malta in the Mediterranean that was key to its aircraft and submarines continuing to block oil to Rommel in Africa, then allowing the launching of the Eisenhower-led invasion of Africa. The authenticity of this resupply importance is born out by British P.M. Churchill's making a special trip to President Roosevelt to request borrowing the tanker Ohio to participate, sister ship of the already lost Kentucky in a prior effort, and one of the few tankers available - most fuel to this point was carried in limited quantities (sometimes in submarines) in 5-gallon cans or 45-gallon barrels. In addition, Churchill closely followed the convoy's progress, even while meeting with Stalin.
Despite an escort of 2 battleships, 4-5 aircraft carriers, 7 cruisers, 25 destroyers, plus minesweepers, etc. only 5 cargo ships out of the original 14 made it. Fortunately, this included the most important of all Ohio - though it was in imminent danger of sinking. Three-hundred and fifty men died and many more were seriously wounded in less than a week, as the Axis powers attacked with 500-1,000 aircraft, an estimated 200 submarines, and an unknown number of large surface ships and PT boats.
Both sides made serious errors - fortunately, the Italians made the biggest - keeping their heaviest ships in port when they probably could have finished the convoy off.
Experts believe this convoy turned the tide of the war, and months later two more convoys successfully brought in 9 more cargo ships, without a loss. Regardless, there is no doubt whatsoever that the bravery and sacrifice exhibited by the American and British sailors during this operation was incredible! We all owe them so much!
A True Story of a WW II Convoy.......2007-03-19
During World War II Malta was an 'unsinkable air craft carrier.' It stood astride the German/Italian shipping lanes to North Africa. Malta is the place from which the planes attacking Rommel's supply ships took off. In turn, Malta was probably the most bombed small area of the war.
If Malta's job was stopping Rommel's re-supply, it was the job of the Germans and Italians to stop the resupply of Malta. This is the story of one re-supply convoy with a heavy emphasis on the story of the USS Ohio.
The book is well researched and reads almost like a novel. As I listened to the CD I was reminded of the fictional book 'H.M.S. Ulysses,' by Alistair MacLean. The poor Ohio, barely two years old at the time was torpedoed, bombed and even had a German plane crash into her. But she made it.
The recording is made by Michael Prichard. He has a long background of recording mystery stories, and perhaps that's why he reads this one so well. There was also a movie, 'Malta Story' about the defense of Malta and is available from Amazon.
Book Description
Finding the right college-from filling out applications to getting accepted-should be one of the most thrilling times of your life. But it won't be if you're still figuring out how to pay for it come Labor Day. Whether you're a graduating high-school senior, a parent making financial investments for your child's future, or an adult returning to school, The Everything Paying for College Book is a valuable resource that provides the information you need to face the challenge of college tuition. With appendices listing organizations and other resources, you'll find smart ways to save and find extra cash for books and class.
The Everything Paying for College Book helps you learn about:
The difference between loans and grants
Conditional cash
Options for long-term investing
When and how to fill out the forms
Qualification guidelines
Whom you should approach for money
Easily accessible and highly informative, The Everything Paying for College Book takes the mystery out of myriad money sources, where to find grants and loans, and how to fill out the endless paper trail of forms so that you can spend less time thinking about your finances and more time hitting the books!
Book Description
he College Board College Cost Financial Aid Handbook 2006 provides easy-to-understand answers for all the questions students and parents have about financing a college degree. This time-saving, stress-relieving guide provides the facts and figures needed to calculate the true costs, after factoring in financial aid, at more than 3,000 four- and two-year colleges. Entries for each college include itemized tuition and fee information; itemized charts of all student expenses; and payment-plan information. Also included are useful indexes, articles on the financial-aid process, and worksheets.
Customer Reviews:
College Costs Handbook.......2006-03-27
This has been a very informative book. It was a great help with assisting us with our budgets for the upcoming school year. I would recommend it highly.
Book Description
In this provocative, witty, and revealing polemic, Daniel Brook argues that the exploding income gapa product of the conservative ascendanceis systematically dismantling the American dream, as debt-laden, well-educated young people are torn between their passions and the pressure to earn six-figure incomes. Rising education, housing, and health-care costs have made it virtually impossible for all but the corporate elite to enjoy what were once considered middle-class comforts. Thousands are afflicted with a wrenching choice: take up residence on Americas financial and social margins or sell out. And its not just impoverished teachers and social workers, struggling to pay their rent, who are hurt. From the activist who works to give others a living wage but isnt paid one himself, to the universal health-care advocate who becomes a management consultant for Big Pharma, Brook presents a damning indictment of the economic and political landscape that traps young Americans. When the best and the brightest cannot afford to serve the public good, Brook asks, what are we selling out: an individuals career, or the very promise of American democracy?
Customer Reviews:
Toward an American Meritocracy.......2007-08-17
For me, the main point of this book is to support a meritocracy of creative people in America at a crucial point in history when it should be a national imperative. Brook clearly outlines the systemic economic, and political barriers to creativity that impede America's single strategic and global advantage - good ole' Yankee ingenuity. While freedom vs. equality is an important debate- and essential to a real meritocracy - the larger debate now is about promoting American innovation and international relationships in a global context. American leadership needs a full strategic audit that requires a good look at our national social contract to promote creative merit. Rich kids getting richer on inheritence and conventional thinking (like our current commander-in-chief) is not the answer. I don't mind at all that Brook seems to have a chip on his shoulder. We all should. Look around! It's a new world. We need a new strategic America. Achieve that, and it just may become a more humane America too.
Dont listen to the disingenious detractors, this book makes a lot of sense.......2007-08-02
Many of the things mentioned in this book are enough to anger most conservative defenders of the status quo in America. And honestly, they have a right to oppose these claims. The thought that the values in america have changed from hard work and doing an important job like teaching equating to decent (or at the very least livable) pay, to the new neocon standard of 'The job is worth whatever the market will give it, regardless of its value to society' is a tough sell to a lot of people. Especially the well off people who could care less about their kids education, or the healthcare of the poor, or even how many police officers protect their homes. The message of this book is lost to them. But then, its not they who need to pay attention to this. Its the younger generation. The millions of college graduates who are entering a market were no educated person wants to teach, or be a police officer or health care provider (whos not a well paid doctor) because the pay isnt worth it. The young people above all should read this book and see how bad the extreme-right self-proclaimed-libertarians have made life in this country. This is now a place where the same people who complain about illegal immigrants taking their jobs applaud the outsourcing of their families careers, where the value of a person is determined on their income, regardless of whether they are putting the fires out on your house, treating your wounds in the hospital, or teaching your kids.
I recommend this book to anyone entering or preparing for entering the job market in america. IGNORE the critics on these pages. Much like many on the right nowadays in america, they blindly support their political mentality to the bain of their and their childrens futures. A metaphor for what this book is telling.
Trumpets the reasons US is in dire danger!.......2007-07-30
The US is losing to China, India, et al because our bright kids cannot make it to engineering, the sciences, mathematics, teaching, etc. If they are to have a decent family life, they must go into business and then will hasten the day when the world's only source of strength comes from overseas. We are the losers today and the only chance our children will have to stay out of penury is to hear and heed thinkers like Daniel Brook. This is the best analysis of our society and the damage conservatism has done to it that I have yet to read. Thank you Daniel.
The Elusive American Dream.......2007-07-23
It is evident that a number of these reviewers have not read the book. The Trap is not about the selfish rants of idealistic recent college grads seeking a life of starving activism. It is about a pervasive crisis facing America, where it is becoming ever harder to live a comfortable middle-class lifestyle and pursue a meaningful career, even after graduating from a top-class college and holding a steady professional job.
The book begins discussing a national PR director who took a job she doesn't enjoy in order to make enough money just to raise a family, "feel comfortable and have a sense of security." Chapter one profiles a computer programmer with a six-figure income who qualified for affordable housing in the town where he works. We also meet a teacher who, like many, can no longer afford to live in his own school district.
Chapter two features a "master's degree-toting professional married to a Harvard-educated lawyer" in Washington D.C. who is worried about how she will afford to have a house and raise a family in the nation's hyper-gentrified capital. Born in Denmark she "grew up thinking that part of social justice is you can...afford some pretty basic things like decent schooling."
In Chapter five we meet an aspiring tech industry entrepreneur in California, a government-hands-off libertarian, who is finding the path of starting his own business (the bread an butter of a free-market economy) almost impossible because of the high costs of entry including prohibitively expensive health insurance.
The Trap also discusses lawyers and investment bankers, many of whom hoped to do more productive things with their lives, finding no other way to raise a family and pay off their colossal college loans than to join a corporate firm. There they work as essentially glorified secretaries doing menial tasks, working every waking hour in a job they hate, unable to enjoy their lives.
The Trap explains, with substantive data, that today's struggles of all but the wealthy is a pervasive problem. Today's America makes entrepreneurship ever more difficult, and forces the nation's best and brightest into a select few professions where their skills, intellect and creativity are barely put to use.
But it was not always this way, The Trap explains. Our current crisis is the result of generations of new tax policy, reducing the burden of the wealthy, and putting greater and greater burden upon the middle class. College tuition, healthcare, home prices and other basic expenses have risen exponentially, while middle-class incomes have been simultaneously falling.
The Trap also discusses how this crisis does not just affect the middle class. Understanding the nature of the crisis raises critical concerns about how we can even begin to think that America can provide opportunity for those born into poverty if those privileged enough to attain a good education and professional career have trouble making ends meet. After reading The Trap, it becomes clear that the solutions of reversing the failed tax policies of recent generations will be necessary to bring the American dream back within reach of all hard-working Americans.
This book struck a strong chord for me personally. I have plenty of friends in this position, trapped in the "golden handcuffs." I also find myself in "the trap," having graduated from a US News and World Report top-ten college, holding a professional job with a decent salary and benefits, and yet living in an efficiency apartment, finding it difficult just to pay my bills each month, including exorbitant college loans. I come from a middle-class family, I do not have a trust fund, and in my mid-twenties I see no economic feasibility in the near future of buying a house or raising a family.
The Trap is for all the members of my generation who cannot figure out why the American dream is eluding us. It is also for the boomer generation, like my friends' parents, who cannot figure out why their children are making decent incomes and cannot afford a home--why it is so much harder today than it was for them.
The Trap is surely one of the most important pieces of social criticism to be written in the past decade. I hope it is only the beginning of a true discussion about the crisis imposed on America by now several generations of failed social and economic policies. I also hope it starts us on the road to rethinking those policies and ushering in a new and more hopeful era.
Our Middle Class has shot itself in the foot........2007-07-22
What some reviewers have missed is the main point of The Trap; It should be possible for a salary to cover a comfortable lifestyle, medical coverage, education and security in old age. Now, thanks to the corporate takeover of our society (unlike other first world societies) we are loosing ground faster than we can recover it. Our middle class has been under persistent siege and has been flattened. Our children face a bleak future while too many Americans have been blinded by rightwing rhetoric about American individualism. Americans were community based barn-builders.
Get a job? Where? All our jobs have been sold to the lowest bidder overseas.
Book Description
America's most successful companies have begun to redirect their product pricing and cost-cutting efforts from merely trying to get the best price from their suppliers to a more rigorous and all-emcompassing new concept called Zero Based Pricing.
This new approach, based on the all-in-costs approach to purchasing management, addresses all the phases of a product's manufacturing process, including it's design, the procurement of raw materials and/or the component parts or sub-assemblies, the labor and production equipment and plant used to manufacture it and its quality. The breadth of Zero Based Pricing even extends to the firm's relationships with it's unions and outside suppliers, the goal of which is to create a partnership to produce the best product at the lowest possible price.
Book Description
Imprisoned and eventually executed for his opposition to Hitler's regime, the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer continues to fascinate and inspire Christians across the world. His life epitomizes authenticity, commitment, and sacrifice. Devine writes, "When a man willingly exposes himself to suffering and death for his faith and for others, we take notice and with good reason. While martyrdom neither proves nor produces a spiritual giant, the possibility does arise, and this piques a distinctive longing common to followers of Jesus Christ."
This book is published to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's birth in 1906. It allows Bonhoeffer to speak to today's believer in the following areas: knowing and doing the will of God, the importance and role of the Church, the call to witness, and the role of suffering and the path to hope.
Customer Reviews:
Why We Need Bonhoeffer Today.......2006-08-14
What does it mean to follow Christ at all costs? For Dietrich Bonheoffer, it ultimately meant losing his life for being part of an attempt to assassinate Adolph Hitler. Six decades later, Bonhoeffer's writings are still influence individuals and whole churches. Professor and former pastor Mark Devine asks of these writings, what does Bonhoeffer might say to us today?
Dr. Devine begins Bonhoeffer Speaks Today with a thorough biography of the German theologian's life. The following four chapters cover various aspects of Bonhoeffer's theology. Chapter two address the will of God and how we know it. Dr. Devine uses the Bonhoeffer's work to criticize the contemporary elevation of personal experience to practically the same authority of Scripture.
In Chapter Three, Dr. Devine expounds on Bonhoeffer's doctrine of community. He concludes that we must return to Christ as the center of our communities, recognize its spiritual existence, and fulfill priesthood toward one another through confession and brotherhood. In the fourth chapter, issues of the Christian witness of relevance of the Gospel are addressed to the point of defending the Gospel against liberal compromise to the culture. Finally, Dr. Devine reflects on what Bonhoeffer can teach us about freedom, suffering, and the eternal hope.
Having no previous experience with Bonhoeffer's work, I found Bonhoeffer Speaks Today to be an enlightening read. Mark Devine sticks to issues that are relevant without watering anything down. Perhaps because Bonhoeffer's theology is so practical, the book is insightful without being academically demanding. At no point, however, was there any real disagreement with the German theologian. This leaves me wondering what might have been left out of the book. Regardless, I learned much from this book and I believe it will be useful to every person who picks it up.
Good Interpretation of Bonhoeffer.......2006-06-29
I recently used this book for a class my wife and I taught on Bonhoeffer for our church. I found it quite helpful because it is more than a biography of him but an interpretation and explantion of his life and ideas. Divine presents good insights in to DB's views on christian community, monasticism, grace, and is especailly good on making Bonhoeffer relavant for today. An easy and informative read. The authors also shares a fair amount of him own thinking and experience on issues as a Southern Baptist Pastor.
Emerging Historically?.......2006-05-15
Dietrich Bonhoeffer stands historically as one of the more misunderstood characters of the past century. In Bonhoeffer Speaks Today, Mark Devine, Professor of Christian Theology at Midwestern Seminary in Kansas City, MO does an excellent job at helping to wade through the morass of misinformation that is in circulation regarding Bonhoeffer today.
I have often been fascinated by Bonhoeffer and his commitment to his particular understanding of faith in the the face of much opposition, both from his church, his family and his government. Devine does a fantastic job, in this book, of allowing us to glimpse the personal struggles of Bonhoeffer as he progressed through his life to the point where he would lay down his life for his commitment to God and country.
What struck me as particularly interesting about this volume was the message that it communicates to us today. We stand at a place, theologically, where we are battling with the tension that exists between biblical integrity and cultural relativity. We see this evidenced in many streams of the "Emerging Church Movement." As I was reading this book it occured to me that Bonhoeffer was an early precursor to this very same movement. Bonhoeffer's concern for community, transparency, relevance, etc. are all characteristics of much of our struggle in the church today.
This book is an excellent read! It is both enjoyable and very instructional. I would highly recommend it as a tool in understanding both historical precedent and practical application for our situation today. Devine is to be commended for familiarizing us with this wonderful character from our theological history. I think as you read this book, you will find Bonhoeffer standing beside you guiding you towards Christ and His word.
A great work on Bonhoeffer for reading by Evangelicals (at least).......2006-05-01
A book may inform. A book may delight. When a book achieves both goals there is great joy in the reading of it. Bonhoeffer Speaks Today: Following Jesus at All Costs is just such a book. Written by Dr. Mark DeVine, professor of Christian theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, this new release from Broadman & Holman shows the significance of the life and theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The publication coincides with the 100th anniversary of the birth of the German theologian.
Bonhoeffer wrote the popular works The Cost of Discipleship and Ethics. However, he is best known for his role in opposing Nazism and conspiring to help assassinate Adolf Hitler. In a day when the vast majority of the German church acquiesced to Hitler, Bonhoeffer led an opposition group known as "the Confessing Church". Near the end of the war, he was arrested and executed in a concentration camp.
The first chapter of DeVine's work is worth the price of the book because of the lively biographical account of Bonhoeffer. DeVine is a master story-teller, showing the difficult times in which Bonhoeffer lived out his short thirty-nine years.
DeVine does not attempt to cover all of Bonhoeffer's thought. Rather, he shows the relevance of Bonhoeffer to current evangelical Christianity by focusing on four areas of concern.
First, Bonhoeffer wrote a great deal about knowing and doing the will of God. Rather than waiting for a direct divine word from God, he argued for submissive obedience to written Scripture. Bonhoeffer said, "Do not get into the habit of interpreting Scripture in light of personal experience. Do not measure God's word. Let it measure my word, my life." DeVine contrasts this with much of evangelical piety:
"As a Southern Baptist, I rarely encounter a sermon or participate in a Bible study or small-group session without hearing claims of divine leading and guidance. These claims are shared as though the experience of such daily guidance is a matter of course for speaker and hearer alike."
Without neglecting the reality of Holy Spirit guidance, Bonhoeffer and DeVine challenge us to move beyond the murky elusiveness of seeking individualized revelation. God does not play hide-and-seek with His will.
Second, living through the day of a compromised church, Bonhoeffer spoke often on the nature and mission of the true church. Rather than giving up on a church which disappointed him, Bonhoeffer saw that true communion with Christ does not exist apart from our relationships with one another in the body. DeVine says that some modern church practice keeps us from this type of true interaction with one another.
Third, Bonhoeffer emphasized the relationship between the witness and relevance of the church. He said, "The intention should not be to justify Christianity in this present age, but to justify the present age before the Christian message." The church is to be in the world but not of it. Strong proclamation of the Word and a Christ-centered theology is the path of fidelity that avoids cultural accommodation. Again, DeVine draws application from these themes to evangelical practice.
Finally, Bonhoeffer wrote about freedom, suffering, and hope - three themes central to his own story. He exhorts us to "Seek God, not happiness". Unfortunately, many in evangelicalism turn this truth around, focusing on personal fulfillment even at the cost of disobedience to God. God's commands are a gracious gift of God that reveal His desires to us. Believing as he did in the imminent return of Jesus, Bonhoeffer expressed urgency in his call for repentance of sin.
In closing, DeVine says of Bonhoeffer, "We are confronted with a follower of Jesus prepared to died rather than abandon his Lord. Dietrich Bonhoeffer has much to teach us, and we evangelicals need not put our heads in the sand to sit at his feet for a spell." DeVine's exceptional book provides us with an enjoyable opportunity to listen to the voice of Bonhoeffer.
Bonhoeffer Speaks to Contemporary Evangelical Church.......2006-04-28
In the author's introduction, DeVine qualifies the title by specifying that his work is an attempt to apply certain aspects of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's thought to the contemporary religious life of evangelical Christians. He acknowledges that this specificity is somewhat problematic in itself. This is due to the difficulties of defining evangelical in today's church environment. In fact, I would further qualify his intent by saying that it seems pointed most directly toward certain "popular" elements of contemporary American evangelical Christian life. In the end, DeVine accomplishes much of what he sets out to do. Most importantly, he does so in a way that is accessible not only to well read clergy but the serious lay audience as well.
The first chapter consists of a brief overview of the life and work of Bonhoeffer as a way of giving historical context to the application in the following chapters. This reader found the chronology a bit confusing at times. It left me wanting a fuller treatment of his life, particularly the last decade when Bonhoeffer found himself increasingly entangled in German church struggles and state intrigue. Perhaps this was due to the limitations of space in such a work as this. At any rate, this is not a major impediment to grasping the critique that Bonhoeffer's work brings to popular American evangelicalism.
A key to understanding DeVine's work is the way he uses Bonhoeffer's views of the will of God and reality as a critique of contemporary evangicalism in its popular American expression. Bonhoeffer's passionate attention to the will of God expressed itself in a particular view of reality. For him reality was revealed in all of God's historical activity and especially in His self revelation in Christ. The follower of Christ knows the will of God as it is revealed. Furthermore, the moral direction of the disciple's life ought to be centered on knowing the will of God rather than striving to be good or do good. This is so, because striving for goodness itself can become an act of self-justification. From this understanding of the will of God and reality, DeVine rightly points out that much of the popular evangelical obsession with the immediacy of spiritual experience now borders on just such a self-centered attitude.
DeVine goes on to make other important application of Bonhoeffer's thought to the contemporary evangelical scene. For instance, he demonstrates how Bonheffer' sense of Christian community speaks powerfully to the popular evangelical conception of church as "consumer" product. In true Christian community the church never becomes something that one shops for as with buying a new home or automobile. In reality, rather than being a product itself the church is that special place that produces in the disciple the qualities of Christlike living. Another example is the manner in which DeVine brings Bonhoeffer's idea of "worldly" Christianity to bear on the contemporary evangelical church's identification with partisan political expression. Too close an identification can become detrimental to establishing an independent and credible prophetic voice in the public square. In today's political arena we often see certain faith traditions within the larger evangelical community too closely wedded to particular political parties or ideas. This happens both on the left and the right. A final example is DeVine's use of Bonhoeffer's conception of freedom and happiness as a critique of ideas now prevailing in much of American evangelical church life. For Bonhoeffer the life of the true disciple is marked by the suffering of the cross and obedience to the will of God. Fulfillment finds its end in self-denial rather than concern for personal happiness. Freedom is discovered in becoming a servant rather then self expression. This runs counter to much of the contemporary evangelical concern for individual expression and experiential fulfillment.
One potential problem in DeVine's analysis is its heavy dependence on Bonhoeffer's sympathetic biographer, Eberhard Bethge. This may have unintentionally narrowed the scope of his application. A more broad reading of the Bonhoeffer literature might allow for further application of his thought to an even broader range of evangelical expression; whether it be right of center or left of center, popular or traditional, Calvinist or Arminian, free or ordered. Having said this, it must be acknowledged that DeVine has done the popular American evangelical church a large favor by pointing out several flaws in its present state.
Customer Reviews:
a surprising end.......2003-03-04
The novel At All Costs by J. Gilstrap deals with the pretty topical subjects of international warfare/ arms trafficking and the corruption of FBI. Gilstrap combines those subjects in a very interesting way. The novel is a thrilling page-turner with growing suspense and a real surprising end.
The way the characters are presented is logical, detailed and very realistic, thus makes them rather interesting and gives the reader the possibility to identify with the main characters.
In our opinion the beginning is a little long - winding, but it turns out to be a stylistic device aimed at building up suspense. This "normal life" beginning makes it unputdownable.
Unfortunately the novel gets very violent and even a little artificial in the end, so Gilstrap is kind of breaking the mood.
But all in all we would say that At All Costs is a book worth reading especially because of the surprise of finding out who the guy is who pulls the strings in the background and why.
Thrilling stuff!!!!.......2003-03-04
If you want my opinion, I think that the novel At All Costs written by John Gilstrap is really exciting in so far as the opening is pretty thrilling and suspenseful. The rest of the novel is a bit too longwinded so the reading sometimes gets very boring. The ending is very nice and also a bit surprising to find out who the guy is that pulls the strings in the background and what exactly his reasons are. Moreover, it is a bit shocking that the state is that powerful in manipulating facts. The novel also is so thrilling because sometimes you don't really know what exactly is going on in some passages.
Throughout the whole book you canýt help sympathizing with Jake and Carolyn Brighton if they will ever manage to prove their innocence and to make the best of the situation and to make their little son Travis, who is only thriteen years old and really the most innocent person of the novel, feel comfortable. There are many moments when the little family is very close to getting caught by the FBI. These unexpexted twists arouse the readersý tension.
So all in all you can say that although some chapters are a bit complex John Gilstrap has a very special way of writing which makes it easy for everybody to understand and sympathize, because the characters speak the language you know from the ýnormalý people surrounding you every day.
At All Costs.......2003-03-04
If you want my opinion, I would say that the novel At All Costs by John Gilstrap is not really thrilling, in so far as the beginning is pretty suspenseful but the rest is a bit long-winded. The ending is rather good ,though, because it is very surprising to find out who the guy is who pulls the strings in the background and what his reasons are. In addition to that, it is very well illustrated how powerful the state is in manipulating facts and how unscrupulous. But to me the novel does not seem plausible in so far as it is impossible to escape like they do and I think the plot is too exaggerated. All in all, you can say that John Gilstrap writes in such a way that everybody can easily understand but I would prefer the plot to be a little clearer (there is to much detail). If you want to read a book about misjudgement by the state or arms trafficking it is the right thing for you.
A Get Up and Go Kind of Book.......2002-04-10
Overall this is just a fun book, it moves fast and is easy to read. The characters are Mr. and Mrs. everybody thus you identify with them easily. The story is fun if not a little on the "yea right" side of the bench. Ok so some of the actions the lead characters pull off are really not in keeping with a clean cut pair of middle Americans, but hey it's a fiction book. The plot is a little light, there really is not much going on except the main story line and the writing could give us more depth and details, bur becuase it was exciting I let it pass. It reminds me of the movie "Airplane", everyone enjoys watching it but it is not going to be on the AFI top 100 movies list anytime soon. Go into this book not expecting a lot and you will enjoy it.
........2002-02-26
I read this book after reading the numerous good reviews this book received. But, I believe some of the negative reviews more accurately represent the numerous problems this book has. The author does an excellent job making this book a quick, mindless read, but the author sacrifices realism to keep the plot moving at a frenetic pace. There are several points in the book where I just scratched my head and thought that there is no way the character would act that way. In fact, the reason the good guys are on the run is far-fetched and laughable and could have easily been prevented by the good guys talking to the police right after the incident happened instead of finding excuse after implausible excuse to do the wrong thing. I am now in the middle of a far superior novel called "The Trial" by Clifford Irving, which is a true example of fine, fast paced writing.
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The College Board Cost & Financial Aid 2004: All-New 24th Annual Edition
The College Board
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Book Description
he College Board College Cost Financial Aid Handbook 2004 provides answers for all the questions students and parents have about financing a college degree in easy-to-understand language. This time-saving and stress-relieving guide provides the facts and figures needed to calculate the true costs, after factoring in financial aid, at over 2,700 four- and two-year colleges. It includes itemized tuition and fee information; itemized charts of all student expenses; payment plan information; indexes of colleges offering merit, academic, and athletic scholarships; and much more!
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