Customer Reviews:
It never Fails.......2007-05-27
Nora Roberts never fails to write a wonderfully creative and entertaining story that sweeps the reader into another world full of wit, humor, romance and love. These two emotionally packed novels show that Nora will always be able to catch a readers heart in the first few lines. With her obvious love of anything Irish, Nora takes the reader on a journey with a single mother of two trying to support herself and her family in the midst of question of he supposed wealth from her late husband in "The Last Honest Woman". Following is an account of a stage actress in "Dance to the Piper" who finds love in an unknown man who may ultimately be responsible for the success or failure of her current acting project. These two come highly recommended and if you are a fan of Nora's family stories, be sure not to miss the two other stories in this series Skin Deep and Without a Trace (found in O'Hurley's Return).
Oldie But Goodie.......2006-10-21
This book contains the first 2 out of 4 stories about the dynamic O'Hurley family.
In the first book, Last Honest Woman, we meet Abby the middle triplet. She is a widow of many years raising two sons on a struggling horse farm. She has consented to let writer Dylan Crosby stay on her farm and write her deceased husbands biography in order to make some money. First Dylan has to decipher whats fact and whats fiction. A good start to the series.
In the second story, Dance To The Piper, we meet the youngest triplet, Maddy. She is a broadway star who is falling for her shows money man, Reed Valentine. These two couldn't be more opposite but you will be rooting for them all the way.
You will fall in love with the O'Hurley's and look forward to the next book that contains oldest triplet Chantel and big brother Trace's stories. This is old Nora, but a great read.
Loved it!.......2006-08-15
In the book "The Last Honest Woman" we meet Abby, the middle triplet, who has had a rough marriage, and is now ready to talk about it. She agrees to be intreviewed on a book being written on her ex-husband who was killed in a race car accident. She opens her home, and the story of her life to sexy, hot Dylan Crosby. Abby is surprised when she starts feeling attracted to him because even though she agreed to tell Dylan Crosby about her rough marriage doesn't mean she's willing to tell the whole truth. As Dylan pushes Abby to tell him her darkest secret she starts to fall in love with him, and Dylan realizes he wont be able to type up the whole truth about Abby's life, for the reasons that he loves her, and can't bare to hurt her sons. This book was amazing, I loved how Nora kept you guessing as to what was Abby's secret, and why she didn't want anyone to find it out.
In the book "Dance to the Piper" we meet Maddy the youngest tripplet, whose is at the top of her career, about to star in a big, hit Broadway production thats being backed by Valentine records, Reed Valentine. Throughout the book, Maddy and Reed develop a relationship, that Reed doesn't want to be any part of. As Maddy falls in love with Reed, Reed has a difficult time believing that love is a real thing. As Maddy stuggles to be patient with Reed, and wonders why he doesn't believe in love, Reed tries to distant himself, not wanting to trust her. The problem with Reed is that he can't trust women after the betrayal he faced as a young kid. The story keeps you captivated and wondering what happen to Reed as a child, that he cant trust women. It also keep you guessing if Reed is ever going to realize he is in love and just accept it, or ruin everything between him and Maddy by pushing her away.
I definitely recomend you read these books, I thought they were great stories and I cant wait to read the other two, because throughout these books Nora dropped hints that Chantel had being recieving creepy calls, and I'm wondering what is going to happen in the third book. Hope you enjoy reading them.
Born O'Hurley.......2006-07-01
I actually read the 2nd set of books 1st & then wanted to read the 1st set. These are really good books. Make sure you get all 4 of the O'Hurley's stories there great.
A complete mockery and repitition.......2006-06-09
if you've read old nora robert book's then you know what i'm talking about, it's not just this book, but all her books together, they have the same ultimate plot. it's basically like this; Either the hero or heroine know each other or they are introduced, then they act like they aren't attracted to each other, then the guy does something to make the gal go to bed with him, then they face some trials, like a killer coming closer or people opposed to heir love, then there's talk about marriage, and la-di-da, the nora roberts novel is complete!
i tried at least 16 of her books before i was convinced of this, i actually thought she could change so i kept buying and buying, i'm basically tired of the same plot and i've decided that i'll either burn these books or sell em, nora needs more imagination, wait lemme rephrase that, she needs a "LOT MORE IMAGINATION AND A LIFE".
So please nora, go watch more harry potter or something, even billy and mandy would give you a beautiful lesson in magination, most of your books are about sex.
Book Description
John Shelby Spong, bestselling author and Episcopal bishop of Newark, NJ, challenges the doctrine of the virgin birth, tracing its development in the early Christian church and revealing its legacy in our contemporary attitudes toward women and female sexuality.
Customer Reviews:
Scholarly, Provocative, and Informative.......2006-08-08
John Shelby Spong's 1992 book is subtitled "A Bishop rethinks the birth of Jesus" and in it he hopes to concentrate exclusively on the birth of Jesus. Needless to say the good bishop manages to devote only about 50% of the book to the issue of Jesus' birth, but don't let that detract from the value of the book. Spong's discussion of the gospels in general and the resurrection in particular only add to the value of the book.
The book is divided into 5 basic parts. Chapters 1 and 2 are general in nature and discuss biblical scholarship. Chapters 3 to 5 discuss the Pauline and pre Gospel traditions. Chapters 6 to 10 are devoted to Matthew and Luke. Chapter 11 deals with Mark and John, and the remaining chapters discuss the two Marys. The notes are limited, as is the bibliography.
Throughout the book Spong continues to hammer his point that the gospels are neither history nor biography, and must be understood within their theological and symbolic contexts. Spong is right in this regard, although his own context is relatively narrow and he rarely discusses the broader issues (e.g., the astronomical background to much of the gospel texts, the influence of mystery religions, the roman/jewish interface, etc.). He can rarely be faulted for what he does say, although one might have wished that he perused some areas in more detail.
The section on Matthew covers several issues:
- On the four (sinful, foreign) women, Spong believes that "irregular sexual activity initiated by the action of the Spirit [that] enabled the promise of Israel to move forward" is what unites these women's stories and links them to Mary.
- He believes that Matthew's midrash tradition of prophesy was mistaken by later Christians to be literalized.
- The story of the star and the magi is thoroughly researched by Spong, who identifies the Old Testament as well as contemporary events that contributed to these passages.
Luke's section begins with an excellent discussion about who "Luke" was and presents sound arguments for the fact that the same writers did not pen Luke and Acts. It's a minority position, but one I subscribe to as well. He also points out that Luke's gospel is presented in the format of a play, and other authors have theorized that Luke's gospel was drawn from a pre-existing early Christian play. Spong then proceeds to block out the gospel in play form, and this is an amazing exercise that is truly instructive.
Some of the interesting elements from Spong's discussion of Luke include:
- John the Baptist's father's name is Zechariah, the name of the next to last of the minor prophets in the Old Testament. Zechariah preceded Malaci (the messanger), possibly a clue to the naming. John's mother's name, Elizabeth, is only found in the Old Testament in Aaron's wife (Aaron was the brother of Moses), and Aaron's sister's name was Mary. Hence Elizabeth and Mary were related and their children would have been cousins. Intriguing stuff!
- Spong raises the interesting question of why Mary says "I have no husband " (Luke 1:34) when in fact, by Jewish law and customs, as a betrothed woman Joseph was her husband.
In his brief section on Mark and John, and in his discussion of the likelihood that Jesus and Mary were married, Spong continues his ability to critically examine the gospel texts. Some of the interesting findings here are:
- Angels appeared and Mary said she was crying because "they have taken away my Lord..." These words were spoken before anyone knew that Jesus had risen, and hence he was still merely a dead prophet, not the risen Lord. Yet Mary called him "lord", a term commonly used by first Century Jewish women to speak about their husbands.
- When the gardener appears, Mary claims the body ("I will take him away"), an act only the nearest of kin could perform.
- Mary addresses Jesus as "Rabboni" (an affectionate term) and then tries to embrace him. Jesus cautions: "Do not touch me..." Yet in First Century Jewish society, only a wife (or mother) was permitted to touch a man.
The final two chapters discuss Mary Magdalene and the continuing image of Jesus' mother Mary. Although not directly involved in the birth issues, both these chapters are excellent supplements.
This is not a perfect book. Spong makes several errors. For example:
- He claims in Luke 3 that "John the Baptist was engaged in a conversation with his Jewish detractors on the meaning of one's origins (p. 126)" when in fact the comments are made to the people he is baptizing, not his distractors.
- He claims Luke's authorship when in fact, many parts of the Gopspel of Luke are simply copies from other people's works (e.g., Josephus, Judges, 1 Samuel, etc).
- He makes the common error of concluding that Mark 3:20 refers to Jesus' relatives wanting to seize him and thinking he is mad (the original reference is to the disciples, not the family).
- He claims that Jesus reference in the Gospel of John to the adulteress (8:10) and his mother by the same name "woman" (2:4, 9:26) is significant. However, Jesus also addresses the Samaritan by the well as "woman" (4:21), a fact not mentioned by Sprong, which substantially lessens the significance of the usage he identifies.
These errors are few and far in between. Bottom line, this is a provocative, informative, scholarly account of Jesus' birth, and probably the best single source on the subject available. It will appeal to beginning students as well as the most advanced scholars.
Very thought-provoking.......2005-03-11
This book was very enlightening without being too like a catechism, giving all the answers. Spong makes no pretense that he has all the answers; many of his conclusions are unpretentiously hypothetical. One should read the entire book with an open mind before judging it. The subject matter is certainly challenging, not to mention his verbose style, but it is refreshing to read the opinions and conclusions of a true intellectual, an all too uncommon thing in this day and age.
3 Stars for Engagement; But Seriously Flawed Thesis 1 Star.......2004-06-23
Retired Bishop John Shelby Spong's book is written extremely well with his usual flare and accessible reading style - too bad the scholarship is average at best and he resorts to his broad swipes and tired polemics. Spong often says things like, "Indeed, the concept of virgin birth itself...is today quickly dismissed in scholarly circles." (p.45) Repeating phrases like this does not make it so - while many scholars do consider the virgin birth narratives to be either false, a myth, or something of the kind, many other scholars do not. Spong must know this, but like his previous works, only seems to throw the name scholar around based on naturalistic presuppositions.
While there are passages in the Bible that many fundamentalists and other Christians often do not wrestle with because of the apparent contradictions or other dilemmas, Spong uses many such passages without placing them in the proper context because many of these contradictions have been answered by other theologians and philosophers. Further, he forgets, or more than likely, intentionally hides the fact that some passages in scripture are used with an anthropomorphic idiom such as Joshua's sun stopping in the sky. Spong claims this cannot be true because the sun does not evolve around the earth, demonstrating here that the Bible is incorrect because a divine book got the structure of the universe wrong. I wonder if he is this hard on our modern weather man or woman who nightly, all across Western Civilization, provides the times the sun will set and raise each day. His analyses of Greek mythical writing infused with early Hebrew writing is spurious at best and has been handled elsewhere by more competent scholars than Spong and so I refer one to Ronald Nash's book on the "Greeks and the Gospels" here at Amazon to show the true influence and lack there of in regards to the New Testament.
Further, Spong either received a poor graduate education in theology or is distorting the historic and current development of doctrine. For example, he asserts that earliest interpretations of the Christ death in purely an Anselmian doctrine when stating that "God send his emissary, and through the son's divine sacrifice the justice of God had been satisfied (p. 36)." But this is just false; the righteousness/justice of God was developed in the 12th Century by St. Anselm in his famous "Why God Became Man" (this writing can also be bought by Amazon with "The Selected Writings of Saint Anselm" by Brian Davies) as an apologetic. The early Church had many different interpretations on Christ death (atonement/ransom/victory,etc).
Lastly, to keep this review short, it must be stated that Spong is unconvincing in trying to convince the reader that the gospels are midrash; they are not, but instead economian (biographic style writing popular at the time) writings and in addition, the gospels added to the worth of women, not their degradation. Women are considered equal witness to Christ resurrection (one could argue superior witnesses than to the apostles) as are men. The Catholic and Orthodox Churches have held Mary, the Theotokos (Barer of God or Mother of God), to such high esteem, that she is the model of obedience and holiness for the entire human race. I wish I could answer in this small format all the false propagnada Spong assert, but space limits us here. Spong once again is just wrong, but entertainingly so.
It keeps getting better and better.......2004-01-06
Spong's book and perspective on the virgin birth is just way to good. I never read any of his books without being skeptical to what he says, but the fact is, I can't find any other legitimate way around it. By presenting hard-fact evidence about the virgin birth and considering the society's male-dominated ego driven in the lifetime of Jesus, one just throws the all-comforting traditional idea of Mary being a virgin and the like. This book makes the reader face the Virgin birth in its logical sense, while on the side refuting the traditional nonsense taught by the christian churches for centuries.
APOSTASY IN A BOOK.......2003-12-22
Apostasy is a word that comes from the Greek, "apostasia", meaning a falling away from what is established.
Bishop Spong is entitled to his beliefs as much as any other person is. But he is mistaken in trying to couch those beliefs as Christian because they are clearly not. It's not a matter of
fundamentalist Biblical interpretation versus his Biblical interpretation, but a matter of sound reasoning and scholarship.
The New Testament record tells us that Jesus was Divinely conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit. And that she was a virgin when she gave him birth. Bishop Spong would have us believe that these accounts of Jesus' conception and birth are metaphors or allegories. And that the writers of these stories were giving us a "midrash" interpretation of events.
Midrash is a Hebrew word that means study or more accurately "interpretation". In Rabbinic Judaism it is used to mean an on-going exposition and ever evolving commentary on the Hebrew Scriptures that particularly examines the meaning of
difficult to understand passages.
That's all fine and well. But there are problems with applying this interpretative method to the New Testament. Midrash is an invention of Jewish Rabbis for use on the "Tanakh"-the Hebrew Old Testament - not the New Testament. Additionally, Hebrew is a picture language and midrash is much better suited for it than it is for the koine Greek of the New Testament.
The Greek language is built on lexical roots. It provides a much larger vocabulary and has greater accuracy and precision in it's word meanings than Hebrew does. There is very little ambiguity to be found in it. If anything, Greek gives more insight into what is being said than perhaps any other language on the planet. Believe it, Greek is that unique! And midrash is not suited for it.
Case and Point:
The prophet Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah of the World would be born of a Virgin. (Isaiah 7:14). The original Hebrew uses the word "almah" that can mean but does not necessarily imply "virgin". When the 72 scholars translated the original Hebrew of Isaiah into the Greek of the Septuagint, occurring long BEFORE Christ's birth, they all used the Greek word "parthenos" for this passage. Parthenos most definitely
means virgin. After Christ's life on earth, the Jews abandoned the use of the Septuagint. And the Old Testament was re-translated from Hebrew and Aramaic into Greek. Aquila who made one of these translations, used the Greek word "neanis" in
Isaiah 7:14 meaning young woman or girl to blunt the point of Christian prophecy pertaining to the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.
It is a mistake to believe that the Septuagint scholars were themselves not inspired by God when they translated Isaiah from Hebrew into Greek. They most assuredly were.
Could a man conceived by sperm and an egg and having the propensity to sin like the rest of us; take the punishment of billions of people and bring them redemption like Jesus and the apostles alleged? (Mat 20:28; I John 2:2) Common sense tells us that, NO MERE MORTAL was/is good enough to do that. No matter how ethically or morally good they are. How can one possibly redeem billions through their death and resurrection? It can ONLY happen if that ONE was/is God the Son himself in human form - the Supernatural Christ of all Eternity. And that is EXACTLY who Jesus claimed to be again and again . (John 17:5)
Jesus' apostles who were eyewitnesses to his life, freely gave their lives for the Gospel message, proving their faith and conviction that their master was who he said he was - God the Son in human form. And if he was God in human form, he came from
above and thus could not have been conceived by a sperm and an egg but by the Holy Spirit in a virgin. Just as the Scriptures say. But if Mary wasn't a virgin, when she conceived and gave birth to Jesus; it would mean that he was conceived by a sperm
and egg. And if Jesus was conceived by a sperm and egg it would mean that he was not the Creator but a Creation like the rest of us. And if he was a creation rather than the Creator in
human form; then he cannot be the Redeemer of the world. Because only God would be good enough to take the punishment for all of humanity's sins. Only God could have been good enough to pay the price and wipe the slate clean for all sinners.
Not according to Bishop Spong's work however.
Think about it. What makes more sense; the traditional Christian view or Bishop Spong's ideas?
Christianity demands that it be accepted or rejected on ITS TERMS, as it has been laid out for us from its beginning by Jesus, his apostles and the Old Testament prophecies that Christ fulfilled. Take it or leave it. It's not a pick and choose at the bargain basement. What Bishop Spong has done with this book is re-write central Christian doctrines into illogical and unscholarly nonsense.
My humble advice, Read F.F. Bruce instead.
Book Description
Women in positions of leadership in our society are often forced to choose between professional and personal relationships. Some men are intimidated or affronted by these women's power and accomplishments, while leading women can themselves show poor discernment, choosing male partners who insist on dominating and controlling their relationships. Author Barbara Wright Abernathy says that a new understanding of gender is the answer. Stepping away from patriarchal Old World Conventions, she draws on Native American traditions for her exciting premise: four out of five women are Earth Mothers--nurturing and others-oriented--while the remaining fifth is a Star Woman whose nature is to lead and inspire. Both types of women are valid, but neither will have happy romances or relationships if they do not find the right kind of men to compliment their distinctly different personalities and needs. "Venus On Top" will help each woman discover her own inner Earth Mother or Star Woman, teaching her how to discern, attract and keep the man who is right for her.
Customer Reviews:
New Age Dominance?.......2007-01-11
This book is interesting. The author's personal tale of her life journey is much more fascinanting than the description of the different types of women and how this affects their abilities to lead those around them. I did find some useful ideas; however there is a chapter in the book about the men's perspective that does not give the first person account but rather a generalization. I would have preferred to read what drew a man to the powerful woman (or women) in his life. Maybe the author, Barbara Wright Abernathy, will one day write a follow-up......
A thought provoking guide to exploring your feminine power .. .......2006-07-30
Barbara, thank you for writing with those new to FLR's in mind. Having been raised around female-led relationships, "Venus On Top" reads as a common sense outline for those interested in finding out more about the rewards and possibilities a female-led relationship has to offer.
Some women fail to realize their personal power, unnecessarily resorting to manipulation or deceit to get what they want. This book can help replace these negative tendencies with mutually acceptable ways of communicating needs/desires. Most men crave to make their women happy anyway, and need nothing more than for her to start taking ownership of her desires and then sharing them with him in a healthy way. Rewarding him well as a result of his unconditional support doesn't hurt either ;). So thanks again for this entertaining, thought-provoking book.
For those of us who march to the beat of a different drummer.........2006-06-06
This book was given to me as a gift. A male friend had heard Barbara Wright Abernathy at a speaking engagement and told me "She says the same things you've been thinking". With the book in hand I also took the time to visit the authors website.
Have you ever heard someone say "She wears the pants in that family", or "She's one bossy/powerful/in control woman"? Well, that is the type of woman this book was written for. Barbara had failed relationships and didn't know why. This book details her experience and what she and her husband, Stephen, learned together. Relationships like this aren't for everyone, but there are a lot of us who needed someone to put the idea into writing.
No one talks about power levels between partners. Some partners argue all the time about finances, even though one is clearly more adept at managing money than the other. With help from this book, I can see where it's possible to have a relationship with clearly defined roles. Perhaps I get an extra vote when we're tied on a decision. Or he agrees to always check the 'Honey-Do-List' first thing on a Saturday morning. If you're a strong woman, it helps you figure out how you and your partner can simply clearly define your roles in the relationship.
It's been my experience that men love to please their women. This book just brings certain aspects to light and helps women to see and acknowledge the power we DO have..and how to use it in a healthy way for creating happiness in our relationship.
This book isn't about living with a Female Dominatrix or involving heavy 'kink' into your home life. If that's your choice, fine. But this book is more for the average folks - of which I am one - who would simply like to have their relationship be closer and more loving.
There are more of us powerful women out here than you would think! This book gives me food for thought .. and action. Thanks Barbara and Stephen!
Philosophical Ramblings of a Rodent-brained Moron .......2005-12-20
[...]
So let's get this straight. Either a man dominantes a woman and basically has her serving him at home or he then essentially runs a buisness and is the work horse while his "working" wife "runs" the buisness but proves more a show horse than anything else and then the man suddenly swtiches over from being "cooperative" (i.e. submissive) to running off with what Mitchell calls a submissive wife.
Yeah this makes lots of sense. A woman is either a bossy twit that doesn't see it coming or a guy is a boorish brute or a milquetoast.
Please this book is not a serious academic or analytical take on a supposed natural inclination of leadership--regardless of gender. Rather it is clearly a fantasia catering to the female domination fetish. Any author or idiotic reviewer with such a black and white view of human interaction is fundamentally jaded, narrow-minded, and nearsighted.
Mitchell, for example, sounds like a man with much want to have the opportunity to run off with any woman and most likely has had little interaction with the opposite sex to know anything of value to pass along to a reader.
The bottom line is that leaders are more made than born. There are an endless supply of people with raw talent. The world is overflowing with them. What it lacks is those with the discipline and not just the "drive," which is so often chimed as a great attribute. The dedication to grooming oneself and staying focus on long-term goals that can literally take many years to attain is a requirement few with all the talent in the world are ready to undertake.
In our me-me, show-me-the-results-right-now demanding, impatient, immediacy, few men--or women--have what it takes to be a leader. Men have suffered from this for decades, namely believing that they can do anything simply because they think it. It takes work though more than anything to make it. Women today, however, have caught up with male ego and vanity in that now women genuinely beleive this is "their time" and they have an inherent right to claim the future without actually doing what is required to truly make it and have earned that right. Birth and gender and all that glorious talent alone do not make it in the world.
This book only caters to the the insecure and delussional.
Serious Advice for Dominant Women Seeking Cooperative Men.......2005-04-18
In the franchising business, franchisors have long known to look for husband-and-wife teams where the wife runs the marriage and the business . . . and keeps the books while the man follows her orders ungrudgingly until he drops from fatigue. If you recruit dominant males instead, the wife stays at home . . . and you get only one person working on the business rather than two. The only downside to these hard-working couples is that when the men hit their 50s, they often run off with a submissive female employee and stop working on the business. Smart franchisors help these couples sell their franchise businesses at that point to pay for the divorce settlement.
What's that story got to do with Venus on Top? More than you would expect. Many women are born to lead in their work, their businesses and in their marriages. Pair those women with men who want to lead in the same ways . . . and you have one leader too many. Pair them with a man who wants to follow and please them, and you can have a recipe for more successful marriages.
I decided to read this book to gain more perspective on my great grandparents and parents . . . where in both generations the women led. The men followed silently in their wake . . . but not always happily. This book echoed one phrase the males all learned early in our family, "When the women are happy, the men are happy."
Ms. Abernathy describes her experiences with three failed marriages and her conclusions about how women who want to lead at work and at home can find compatible males who will enjoy that kind of relationship. She also provides advice for those who are willing to be a woman who follows her husband's lead . . . but the primary value of this book comes for those who want to know how to get what they want . . . and know what that is.
Much of the book is based on Jung, studies of ancient goddess-based religions, positive thinking and self-help methods. If you are familiar with those subjects, you won't find anything new in those sections. If you would like to learn a little in those areas, the material is accessible.
Most women I know would call this a five-star book just for chapter 10, Training Your Man or Why Real Women Don't Do Housework. That section provides the best explanation I've ever seen of how to help men take on household chores in ways that will be pleasing to women. The essence of the advice is to provide hands-on demonstrations, answer questions, observe, correct and provide encouragement. Now, was that so hard? Men can learn. Every household chore that I do now was learned through that process.
The book veers off in a few places that can be misunderstood by being too literal about what she says. Ms. Abernathy, like a large percentage of women, has a thing about men leaving the toilet seat up. She does go on in addressing that problem which really bugs her. This is a litmus test of a man's devotion to her. She also makes it sound like giving or withholding sexual favors in some random fashion is great for a marriage. On closer reading, I think her message is a little different from her words. The real message, I think, is to create a positive relationship through personal warmth and mutual sexual gratification that relies as much on flirting and surprise as it does on accommodating men's desire for sex.
Overall, I found the tone of the book to be refreshing coming from a woman in her 50s. If something's important to a woman in a relationship . . . why shouldn't she be on top (which Ms. Abernathy means both literally and psychologically) in the relationship?
I suspect that many younger women will wonder what all the fuss is about.
Ms. Abernathy describes her philosophy with enthusiasm. I suspect she would be an entertaining speaker on this subject.
Customer Reviews:
Time for a Shift from Victim to Victor Consciousness.......2005-05-12
I am troubled by the deep levels of victim consciousness in this book. How sad that Adrienne Rich, given the gift of three children, could remember little of the experience "except anxiety, physical weariness, anger, self blame, boredom and divisions within myself." I feel pity not only for Rich but for the millions of women who suffer similar experiences and see no options other than checking out with depression or acting out through rage, both of which are counterproductive and generally treated with pharmaceutical drugs. Clearly it's time for more empowering alternatives, starting with nutrition. As a Clinical Nutritionist, I have seen many depressed and/or angry women dramatically improve their physical and mental health by giving up junk foods and so-called "health foods"in favor of traditional foods rich in protein and fat. In other words, we must assert our right to eat the life-giving whole food gifts from Mother Nature, not the fractionated, packaged and dead food-like products built by Father Technology. Although nutrition is but the first step, it will take well-fed women to tap into victor consciousness and to find creative ways to overcome the crippling obstacles, long-standing abuses and self-destructive patterns that continue to incapacitate so many gifted women.
Life Changing Book.......2005-01-16
When I first read OF WOMAN BORN, in the mid-seventies, it was a Godsend. Rich's feminist critique of the institution of motherhood elucidates the source of so many of the world's problems. When women, the source of life, the life givers, the ones who bear each one of us into the world, whether man or woman, are denigrated, oppressed, abused, imprisoned, and exploited by governments, religions, and cultures - everything is off-kilter. Rich accurately describes the state of motherhood in the mid-20th century and the toll it took on mothers and children. She helped me understand that the pressures mothers put on their daughters to conform to sexist stereotypes were part of the oppression they themselves were enduring. Re-reading this book over the decades, I've seen that while some things have improved for women since Rich wrote OF WOMAN BORN, we still have a long way to go before women are treated equally or given the respect they deserve for their role as life givers and nurturers. The worldwide upsurge in the revival of Fundamentalist religions that institutionalize the oppression and second-class status of mothers and their daughters is frightening, as is the rage expressed by some reviewers of this book. People who are threatened by the ideas in OF WOMAN BORN want to return to the days when women were chattel and children were seen but not heard. In the 21st century, don't we owe our children, grandchildren and the world more than the tired, worn-out worldviews that brought women and families so much pain?
An important book.......2004-01-19
Those who have criticized this book thus far here are women who derive their sole identity and sense of importance, sadly, from their role as mothers. I know women who thoroughly enjoy being mothers, but they are few and their circumstances are unique. And even some of them still have a clear need to have another identity and a life of the mind they aren't permitted within the "institution" of motherhood. I myself, and most other mothers I know, struggle with the impossible expectations placed upon us to be perfect mothers/providers/etc., struggle to create a new and healthy understanding of motherhood, struggle to do right by our children and yet hold on to our own personhood, thinking, humor,... finding ourselves too often battling with self-hatred, resentment and guilt, knowing inside that no matter what, someone will criticize us for doing it all wrong. This book exposes this unfair situation in which many women who are mothers find themselves in. If to some Rich comes off as "angry," well of course she is. It's a righteous anger. My only criticism of this book is the lack of attention it gives to the experiences of women of color and working-class women.
Right subject, wrong author.......2002-10-24
Adrienne Rich's experience as a mother is what propelled her to write this depressing look at motherhood as an institution and at the the patriarchial society that imposes its restrictions and encourages its oppression. It is her own negative experience as a mother that compells her to condemn the entire history of womanhood and its accomplishments. Did Adrienne Rich ever think that perhaps she is projecting her own experiences onto the lives of the general public? A selfish, unloving mother who felt "depressed" throughout her entire experience raising children is certainly not the one to be writing about the experience of motherhood as the general public sees it. Rather than giving practical advice in terms of empowering women, she emasculates men, choosing this as the best method to raise women. Her suggestions as to how women can overcome their "oppression" are buried somewhere underneath poetic phrases relating to her own miserable experiences as a mother. If her kids, aren't in therapy, they should be!
A Sad Book And Sad Comment on Modernity.......2001-03-18
I was forced to read this book in a class recently by the usual suspect, my feminist professor, and was very sad to see that this piece of lesbian hatred of the family was being pushed upon young women in my class at a vulnerable time of their lives. The usual atmosphere in universities now, in which young women are asked either to agree with feminist diatribes of this sort or be labelled weak and a tool of men, was so plainly at work here. I'm older than the others in my class, and a father and husband, and the book was so plainly the product of a neurotic, unhappy person that I was having difficulty understanding why we were reading it. The vast majority of women want families and to be mothers and wives, and they need help to do it better, not to be force-fed this sort of weak broth. When Rich says of her pregnancy and motherhood, "I only knew that I had lived through something which was considered central to the lives of women... a key to the meaning of life; and that I could remember little except anxiety, physical weariness, anger, self-blame, boredom, and divisions within myself," she admits to something sad, not hoepful, and demeans her children and their worth. Poor, sad, neurotic woman. I think young women would be best served to view this book as something to avoid -- or at least as something to view with pity, and not permit your professors force you to agree with it.
Customer Reviews:
A Must for Feminist & Literary Theory.......2004-03-04
This amazing books gives readers the ability to scrutinize literary texts from a feminist perspective. Cixous clearly lays out her arguments and offers a unique perspective on the struggle of woman and how she is seen by the rest of the world. This book is a must for any Women's Studies or English major.
Book Description
Told with humor and flair, this is the autobiography of one transsexual's wild ride from boyhood as Alfred Brevard ("Buddy") Crenshaw in rural Tennessee to voluptuous female entertainer in Hollywood. Aleshia Brevard, as she is now known, underwent transitional surgery in Los Angeles in 1962, one of the first such operations in the United States. (The famous sexual surgery pioneer Harry Benjamin himself broke the news to Brevard's parents.)
Under the stage name Lee Shaw, Brevard worked as a drag queen at Finocchio's, a San Francisco club, doing Marilyn Monroe impersonations. (Like Marilyn, she sought romance all the time and had a string of entanglements with men.) Later, she worked as a stripper in Reno and as a Playboy Bunny at the Sunset Strip hutch.
After playing opposite Don Knotts in the movie The Love God, Brevard appeared in other films and broke into TV as a regular on the Red Skelton Show. She created the role of Tex on the daytime soap opera One Life To Live. As a woman, Brevard returned to teach theater at East Tennessee State, the same university she had attended as a boy.
This memoir is a rare pre-Women's Movement account of coming to terms with gender identity. Brevard writes frankly about the degree to which she organized her life around pleasing men, and how absurd it all seems to her now.
Customer Reviews:
F!uff!.......2007-08-05
Like the Jorgensen story, another transsexual fairy tale, only racier with a jumbled (Sixties) chronology. Again, we have passability-as-destiny, fem passivity, good parents, waiting for the man, with showbiz elements. Hey, featured in Don Knots' Love God; is that camp cool, or what? Unlike Jorgensen, however, Brevard comes clean about the physical pain of SRS and the slimebags T-girls suffer to legitimate themselves. Nevertheless, her tale is told upbeat and shallow (like most TS memoirs).
Mature and Happy TS Auto.......2005-08-12
For anyone following any phase of the (MtF)TG/TS path Aleshia's story is very encouraging as it's begining is so early, or long ago, in the developement of TS/MtF transition and surgical methods and yet this fantastic individual persists and succeeds.
Aleshia's performer "fame" and film star background and experiences provide additional and enjoyable reading.
The Woman I Was Not Born to Be: A Transsexual Journey.......2004-02-01
What can i say about this book. Well It's very rare for me to read any book from cover to cover but this one had me gripped its funny and its also very sad in places. As you read the book you begin to feel like your part of what is taking place you feel like you're in the book especially if you are trans gender or you just like gender related books.
Don't pass this book because the subject of trans-gender doesn't appeal to you buy it and read it and you might find out what it is like on the other side.
I fully applaud Ms. Brevard!.......2004-01-31
I'm not even completely finished with this book, but feel compelled to post a `review.' I've been fascinated with transsexuals stories since I discovered Canary Conn's (born Danny O'Connor) autobiography when in college. I guess I've been searching for better understanding as to what would cause a person to make the ultimate, surgical, decision. Well, I can honestly say that after reading most of Aleshia Brevard's honest autobiography, I am not only fairly close to understanding, but have the utmost respect for those who have to correct a birth defect in their gender (to paraphrase Ms. Brevard). But, this book isn't merely a transsexual's story - it's a human story about feeling different, and how to correct that difference. I fully applaud Ms. Brevard, not only for her integrity and grit to make that ultimate corrective action, but also for this wonderfully human account that's now shared with the world (and, she's got a great sense of humor). Let's hope that more people, no matter what their gender, read and appreciate this book. To Ms. Brevard I say, BRAVA!
Absolutely Fabulous!.......2003-10-14
I can't remember the last time I've had such fun with a book. Reading Aleshia's story is like peeking into the diary of 1960's-70's sex kitten - which in fact you are!
Aleshia is a such a gifted story teller, I feel that I know all the people in this book. And judging by the celebrities she names, we all do.
This is one book I'm sure to read over again.
Customer Reviews:
Journey to Intimacy with God in Muslim South Asia.......2007-07-05
Bilquis Sheikh describes her journey, beginning with her initial interest in spirituality. She tells of her search for the truth, studying her Koran and the Bible she had requested, and struggling to know which book was God's. She humbled herself to visit a missionary to ask questions. She knew how to pray; prayer had been a ritual performed five times a day. However, she was startled by the new thought of praying to God as a father. In which of the two holy books was God a father? She decided to accept the Bible. She studied it, and began to spend time with the missionaries. She listened to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and became convicted about so many things: baptism, her temper, her responses to other people. Christ gave her the strength to defy her family when they insisted she have nothing to do with Christians, as well as the courage to live calmly when her life was threatened. It was such a hard decision, even after she knew in her heart that she believed, and had become a Christian. Her family was close, and she enjoyed so many tender relationships cut off by her choice to follow Jesus. Her family, who had shared such love with her, even tried to kill her for rejecting Islam.
In this book, she chronicles this process. It is precious to see the Lord at work in hard places, like South Asia. We see that He is not limited, only we are. She also gives us insights into her own culture, and values of family and community which are remote from the individualism of the West. It is enlightening to glimpse into a Muslim family, and how she continued to live among her relatives after her conversion. Most of all, it is encouraging to read of another sister's journey to live before God in communion with Him as He has called us all to do. It brings reflection on our own lives, and the depth and closeness of our own relationship with our heavenly Father.
Written in an easy manner, this book can be read in an afternoon. Bilquis was open and honest about matters of the heart, and I did not find her to by dry at all. Who should read it? Those interested in this kind of conversion and culture, those wanting to know how God can be a Father, and Christians who want to understand this sister and those like her, and Christians who want to deepen their own relationship with our heavenly Father.
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- A short masterpiece of clarity and sense.
- Jesus is All Things to All People.
- Still Relevant Expose of Bogus Scholars
- Lemonaide from lemons.
- debunking the debunkers
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Who Was Jesus?
N. T. Wright
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Customer Reviews:
A short masterpiece of clarity and sense........2006-12-11
I cannot praise this little book highly enough. Do not be put off by its brevity. Though short - about 100 pages - it contains more substance than many a larger volume, and though written in popular style, never compromises on the quality of content. After summarising the Jesus Quests of the past, Wright brings his discussion into the contemporary scene, brilliantly demonstrating how unlikely are the reconstructions of Jesus by the likes of A. N. Wilson, Barbara Thiering and Bishop John Shelby Spong. He ends by sketching a more plausible picture of Jesus, based on the new appreciation of Jesus' essential Jewishness. Thank you N. T. Wright, this is a gem.
Jesus is All Things to All People........2006-11-13
Jesus set an example no one else could duplicate, as he was one in a hundred million, the Son of God. This character almost made it in the modern day era as a Christ-like figure. Auburn is a small hamlet in this ficitonal parable about a man of God, or one who was close to it. There were six churches in that small place, predominately Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian, which you will find everywhere and anywhere. It was a tightly knit community which did not accept strangers in their midst. Most had been there since childhood and had nice relationships with each other. You had to have lived there more than fifteen years not be to classified as a stranger.
Thus, this unassuming man named Joshua moved into a small cottage on the outskirts of the town and was the focus of everyone's opinion and the talk of the village. The mailman was the first to enter the workshop to see the exquisite wood carvings and statues which Joshua mastered. He mad a wood statue of Moses for a synagogue. His carvings of the apostel Peter for the Episcopal and Pentecostal churches were admired, and made him an icon of sorts. Joshua made a lot of people happy with his good sense of humor, and that was a wonderful thing. He kept to himself with his work; everyone has a right to live in peace. Until, he tried to be a modern Christ but did not succeed. He tried to unify the different congregations including the Catholic and Lutheran, which anyone with any sense knows is impossible. He didn't put on airs or act like a snob, just an ordinary person who seemed to have miraculous powers like the Joshua in the Bible.
It was well known that Joshua frequented the liquor store, which caused some consternation. He seemed religious but why the need for spirits of that sort to create his magic religious symbols and to keep on an even keel. Joshu was told that his attitude lacked the docility and humanity which befits a Christian layman, that in the future he would do well to cultivate virtues for the benefit of the soul and the edification of his fellow Christians. Word spread of the final days of Joshua and the hearts of many were soothed or grieved at the end of that summer he spent among them.
Joshua's memory would linger in their lives as a marvelous messenger of God. Though this novel is fictional, it is moving and feels very Biblical. He went as he came as a mystery who'd touched all of their lives in one way or another. We need more "real" Joshuas in our world of constant turmoil. There are such people in our lives who are truly compassionate and hold no grudges, but we should all strive to follow their example as much as we can. We're all different, with different beliefs, religious and otherwise, but need to learn to live in peace -- not just in Auburn. Nothing can match this first and most important introduction to a modern apostle.
Still Relevant Expose of Bogus Scholars.......2005-08-05
Let's be clear that in this book evangelical Anglican theologian N.T. Wright exposes the absurd concocted fantasies of three writers who in 1992 published works on Jesus. The common thread in all three writers is their willingness to invent fantastical portraits of Jesus with no basis in history or Scripture. In the process of his devastating critique of these bogus writers, Wright gives us telling theological insights, especially concerning the relation of first century Jewish monotheism and the emerging Christian belief in the divinity of Jesus and concerning the proper perspective with which to approach the question of the virginal conception of Jesus. In addition, Wright provides an initial chapter that gives the general reader an historical overview of Jesus scholarship and a final chapter that ties Wright's insights together. Reading this small book is like being treated to lunch or dinner with an insightful and witty professor who is generously willing to share his best insights.
Lemonaide from lemons........2004-02-23
At first glance, this seems a rather odd book. What is a first-class historian like N. T. Wright doing, refuting the likes of Spong and Thiering? Does one need a bulldozer to squash ants? (Wilson, I personally find more intelligent, and thus perhaps rising to the dignity of being run over.) Yet Wright gives their arguments a fair hearing, then a fair and gentle hanging.
But there seems to be method to Wright's mildness. As an alternative to the fumbling and bumbling of his protagonists, he offers a simple and readable description of who he has found the historical Jesus to be. Their errors prove a useful foil for explaining the methods and conclusions of legitimate New Testament scholarship. Wright's critiques of those with whom he disagrees are always a delight -- he shows a sincere appreciation for what is worthwhile, then refutes errors with wit and the gentle precision that comes of great intellectual power matched to thorough knowledge of the subject.
The subject here is Jesus, a fox in pursuit of whom academic hounds have banged their heads on many trees. Wright rightly follows him to the cross. "The Christian doctrine is all about a different kind of God -- a God who was so different to normal expectations that he could, completely appropriately, become human . . . To say that Jesus is in some sense God is of course to make a startling statement about Jesus. It is also to make a stupendous claim about God."
I think Wright over-emphasizes the genius of Biblical scholarship. He tends to give the impression that nobody knew anything worth knowing about Jesus, until the question was brought to the attention of modern academics. Having read many "Jesus Seminar" books, I think credentialed scholars like Crossan, Borg, Mack, and Pagels, are often as foolish as Wilson -- and less truly knowledgeable about the historical Jesus than the average Pentacostal grandmother.
Wright also knocks C. S. Lewis for his "odd" criticism of the "quest for Jesus" as "the work of the devil," in the Screwtape Letters. Aside from the unfairness of ignoring the humor in a satire, I think the substance of Lewis' arguments, made more seriously in Fernseed and Elephants, is entirely sound, and makes an excellent critique of many recent historical Jesus reconstructions. I think Wright's historical reconstruction, and Lewis' literary critique of shoddy skeptical arguments, complement one another nicely.
In sum, I recommend this book both for people who have been bamboozled by the particular works it refutes, and also as an antidote to recent works of a similar nature, like the Da Vinci Code, Jesus Mysteries, The Jesus Puzzle, or perhaps Elaine Pagel's new book, Beyond Belief. I am working on a book that will combine Wright and Lewis' approaches, to answer recent attacks on the Gospels.
author, Jesus and the Religions of Man /
christthetao@msn.com
debunking the debunkers.......2003-09-09
Wright, one of the world's leading biblical scholars, takes a close look at the writings of three popular debunkers of the Gospel image of Christ. The works of Barbara Thiering, A.N. Wilson, and Shelby Spong (Mr. I-am-a-bishop-who-believes-nothing-of-the-Gospel) are reviewed through the lenses of logic and scholarship, with results that should give the Jesus Seminar folks (or at least their readers) pause to think if whether or not the whole enterprise is anything more than a publicity stunt geared at eliminating traditional Christian morality by undercutting its founder, Jesus Christ.
The other reviewers have said what needs to be mentioned, but I will just add that this little book is a fantastic introduction to the both sides of the argument. Anyone familiar with Wright's style will at once agree that he is a very fair author when he deals with those who hold views other than his own. Even so, he is also a rather humorous writer and I have found myself laughing aloud when he exposes the idiocy of someone like Thiering who claims, with absolute seriousness and zero textual support even from other scholars, that Jesus was married and had a few kids. Is that what St Luke meant when he said that the Word grew? Uh, I think not. It was like the man who claimed that had Jesus lived just a bit longer his whole view on the God issue would have matured. Nonsense in the guise of reason.
You may also want to check out Wright's other books. The thiker volumes are detailed and quite thik to read, but still worth the effort. In connection to the question of the reliability of the Gospels, his work on St Paul is valuable and clear. Luke Timothy Johnson's "The real Jesus" is also a very fun read about the farce known as the Jesus Seminar.
Read it all for yourself and you will see that the search for the historical Jesus is little more than a money-making industry set out to come up with new and exciting theories about the REAL and TRUE history of the Church with the ultimate end in mind of changing the ethics of the culture without the guilt (Spong's apparent raison d'etre).
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Of Woman Born
Eileen Townsend
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