Book Description
Discover magazine recently called Richard Dawkins "Darwin's Rottweiler" for his fierce and effective defense of evolution. Prospect magazine voted him among the top three public intellectuals in the world (along with Umberto Eco and Noam Chomsky). Now Dawkins turns his considerable intellect on religion, denouncing its faulty logic and the suffering it causes. He critiques God in all his forms, from the sex-obsessed tyrant of the Old Testament to the more benign (but still illogical) Celestial Watchmaker favored by some Enlightenment thinkers. He eviscerates the major arguments for religion and demonstrates the supreme improbability of a supreme being. He shows how religion fuels war, foments bigotry, and abuses children, buttressing his points with historical and contemporary evidence. In so doing, he makes a compelling case that belief in God is not just irrational, but potentially deadly. Dawkins has fashioned an impassioned, rigorous rebuttal to religion, to be embraced by anyone who sputters at the inconsistencies and cruelties that riddle the Bible, bristles at the inanity of "intelligent design," or agonizes over fundamentalism in the Middle East—or Middle America.
Customer Reviews:
Enron prez Jeff Skilling's favorite author pens another one!.......2007-10-12
Unfortunately, millions of us have had to suffer with how Richard Dawkins' pathetic ideas get propagated through society (as in the case of "The Selfish Gene," which the white-collar criminal mastermind Jeff Skilling used to justify his ruthless ambitions as he helped a Fortune 500 firm become insolvent in the largest bankruptcy in world history, destroying the lives of thousands of people, and erasing billions of dollars in market capitalization). I can only wonder how many other equally greedy misanthropes are out there, now, devouring Dawkins' latest cynical monologue that condemns religiosity for the repeated pains it allegely has caused mankind. Ultimately, Dawkins does not have an answer, and all his arguments ultimately are philosophical tautologies (but thankfully, he restrains himself from again attacking the Bush administration, as he did in the plodding "Ancestors Tale"). Given that the Bush administration was the biggest beneficiary of Enron's political giving, let's hope that the "God Delusion" isn't inspiring another white-collar criminal in America to do evil.
Very good book.......2007-10-11
Often funny, always honest, and damn hard to refute. Thank you, Mr. Dawkins, for stating in so enjoyable a form what still, alas, takes courage to publicly say.
The Review.......2007-10-11
Absolutely excellent. A must read for those of strong faith , agnostics and atheists. This treatise will help you set yourself free of the yoke of early childhood indoctrination that foists upon us a fairytale of religious faith. This is a thorough exploration of the rationale for and against the concept of a supreme entity - god.
The best of its breed.......2007-10-10
I've read a few books of this ilk (God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, Letter to a Christian Nation, The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason, The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 (Vintage)) and if you have time to read just one of them, make it The God Delusion. It covers more arguments for the existence and non-existence of God than I've seen in a range of philosophy books on theism over the years. And his sense of humor makes it a pleasure to read.
Then read the other books! The Looming Tower documents much that you will not have been aware of.
Brilliant, frightening and a compelling read!.......2007-10-09
At times hilarious, at others downright frightening - Dawkins argues quite effectively that religion is in fact counter productive to human development. While seemingly dark in parts (and occassionaly very scientific), I think his last words in the final chapter (encompassed beautifuly in his documentary based on this book, "The Root Of All Evil?"), really do speak volumes on how it is in fact religion itself that takes us away from true inner harmony and understanding, and not the other way around as argued by those with 'faith'!
Book Description
Have you ever wondered why some relationships are wonderful and others are just catastrophic and tragic? Why do we get along with some people and with others just seem to constantly engage in bitter fighting? In this fascinating and helpful book, internationally renowned psychic
Sylvia Browne examines why we form our relationships with certain individuals . . . for better or for worse. From the lifelong connection of a loving marriage to the short and bitter agony of a brief encounter leading to divorce and heartache, she reveals why we have joyful and happy relationships on the one hand and chaotic, hateful and painful ones on the other.
Sylvia takes us on a remarkable excursion that covers all the different types of relationships we’ll encounter in life. From our childhood experiences to our golden years, she helps us see why we form both good and bad unions, and she also explores how our themes and charts of life can interact with others in both positive and negative ways—creating either lifelong love or friendship or a situation doomed for disaster. Sylvia enables us to come to a true understanding of why we have certain compulsions and attractions for some people while being totally repulsed by others. By utilizing Sylvia’s marvelous insights, we can all learn how to cultivate our relationships (and sift the wheat from the chaff) in order to live a happier and more fulfilling life.
Customer Reviews:
It was just okay........2007-10-04
Sylvia's books these days seem to be more full of, "fluff," than anything else. There is no more original content. This book seems to be more of her ramblings about the people she knows or meets in her life. There is of course a purpose and you need to read through all the, "fluff," to get to the point. I guess if she just flat out told you the point there would be 200 blank pages to fill.
I dont love this one as much as her other books.......2007-10-03
While I always get a good feeling of having learned something after reading her books, this one left me hanging. I was waiting for more.
Enlightening Book on Spiritual Relationships.......2007-09-05
As Sylvia Browne asserts many books have been written on having a better sex life, staying married or how to have a friendly divorce. This is one of the few books available on spiritual meaning of relationships in our lives.
Sylvia shows how to bring spiritual understanding to our relationships - that our relationships have a deeper meaning. The people in our life have been selected by our soul before our birth for our spiritual development. So each person in our life teaches us something and we in turn teach them something. Even people we meet casually such as the grocery store clerk, bank teller or the person delivering our mail all are part of spiritual connections in our lives.
Connection with family and close friends is often taken for granted but these relationships are particularly conducive for our growth. Browne even contends that the annoying co-worker or boss can teach us important lessons for our soul growth. The best part of the book is the exploration of the 47 life themes, which have a higher and lower expression.
The book has a warm tone because Sylvia shares her own relationship challenges. This book is worth reading just for the Life Themes and fans of Sylvia Browne will be most satisfied with this book, since it gives a lot of depth to her ideas previously stated elsewhere.
(***If you're interested in other books about relationships check out "Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential" by Caroline Myss or "Nexus: A Neo Novel" by Deborah Morrison and Arvind Singh***)
No one knows more about yourself than you do.......2007-08-19
Who are these people giving this book 4 and 5 stars and do they really know about Sylvia Browne? Even the few bad reviews are from fans who claim to "love" her and sound rather apologetic for giving her anything but the highest praise. What's going on? Someone please tell me, did I just enter the Twilight Zone...?
I have always been fascinated with Sylvia Browne because she is probably the most famous psychic of any first-world country. So, I decided to read this book with an open mind. But I wasn't at all happy with it. It seems shoddy, choppy and thrown together quickly. And Sylvia doesn't offer up anything (in the way of literary references) to back up her claims. I suppose some could say that this is based on "blind faith." But should faith also be deaf, dumb and stupid?
For years, I have watched Sylvia on the Montel Show and she always arrogantly seems so cocky when she doles out her "readings." For example, someone could tell her that such and such happened to them and Sylvia will quickly reply, "oh I know" as if she really does know. But if she knew, why didn't she volunteer this info up front, first? I have also noticed that she almost always exclusively only gives detailed info about past lives, the "after world," and other deceased "spirits." But Sylvia Browne is never overly explicit or detailed when she is talking about the here and now. Why is that? Also, one more thing I have noticed about Sylvia; she always seems incredibly cold, condescending, downright rude, pushy, bored, and incredibly belittling when she gives her "readings." Shouldn't a spiritual advisor be welcoming, loving, warm and inviting? Has Sylvia ever comforted any of the grieving parents on Montel or has she ever given any of them a gratis reading after the show when the cameras weren't rolling? No she has not. That is a fact. I can remember a lady once kept pressing her with specific questions on the show, and Sylvia became very aggravated and said something to the effect of, "this is what I 'see' and that's that." Talk about being a wolf in wolf's clothing. Maybe that's better because she would be easier to spot? You'd think so, but people still adore her and worship her and follow her advice to the letter.
When is the last time a corporation also referred to their organization as a church? Sylvia Browne does it. But her "corporation" and "church" are more like a cult because it's all about money and profit; not about adding some happiness and spirituality into someone's life (free of charge.) And if in fact she is a leader of a church, why should she charge her parishioners that want to seek her out for advice? At best, this is an oxymoron: Sylvia Browne Corp./Church. Does Sylvia Browne/the Sylvia Browne Corp. pay taxes? Or is she tax-exempt? This is a very valid question.
I decided to do a little research after reading "Spiritual Connections" by Sylvia because I wanted to see if she really was all she was cracked up to be; after all, maybe I am just being super-critical and Sylvia is honest and totally caring and loving? I began my search on Wikipedia.
From there, I found an incredibly informative site, StopSylviaBrowne. I spent more than 3 straight hours on that site reading everything I could about Sylvia. I have never seen a site so professionally laid out that included facts to back up everything the Webmaster stated. Everything that I initially felt about Sylvia was confirmed (and more.) I have since learned that Sylvia Browne is a convicted felon that preys on vulnerable people because these are the ones that are most likely to pay exorbitant moneys for "help", buy her books, go to her events and recommend her. I have also found out that her first husband has totally discredited her and her son (who also claims to be a psychic.) And, I have found out that Sylvia was caught in numerous half-truths, made-up stories and downright lies. The most notable being her higher-education; she has stated that she has a Masters Degree in English. There is zero proof that Sylvia has a Masters Degree in English from any accredited institution.
If you simply think that Sylvia is total entertainment and you watch her on TV or read her books once in a while then that's fine in and of it self. I suppose there's no harm in that. But if you're about to shell out the hundreds of dollars for one of her "telephone readings" or the thousands of dollars for one of her "in-person meetings" then I strongly recommend that you do some research on her first because I don't want you to be taken advantage of. One more thing that Sylvia's followers should keep in mind is that no one knows more about yourself than you do!
Utterly !.......2007-08-09
After reading "Spiritual Connections," I was totally and utterly amazed by Sylvia's profound spiritual insights and fascinating perspectives (especially through her invisible spirit guide Francine, who seems to have come into Sylvia's life in three or five contradictory ways, depending on which Browne tome you read). Her astounding proven accuracy as a psychic, totally verifiable, has convinced me that Sylvia's the real deal, a veritable Goddess on Earth with disturbingly long talons, and she's well worth the mad money she charges for her phone consults! Forget your so-called hifalutin' "science," forget those overeducated quacks with PhDs and researchers with their fancy protocols and let Sylvia be your guide. Humans just want proof, proof, proof. Surrender your power to her, open heart and wallet. No less an authority on psychic matters than Montel endorses her, as do her true believers, so she must be the real deal. By all means, buy this book NOW! Buy a spare, just in case! Get an extra for a friend!
Book Description
The United States is one of the most religious places on earth, but it is also a nation of shocking religious illiteracy.
- Only 10 percent of American teenagers can name all five major world religions and 15 percent cannot name any.
- Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe that the Bible holds the answers to all or most of life's basic questions, yet only half of American adults can name even one of the four gospels and most Americans cannot name the first book of the Bible.
Despite this lack of basic knowledge, politicians and pundits continue to root public policy arguments in religious rhetoric whose meanings are missed—or misinterpreted—by the vast majority of Americans.
"We have a major civic problem on our hands," says religion scholar Stephen Prothero. He makes the provocative case that to remedy this problem, we should return to teaching religion in the public schools. Alongside "reading, writing, and arithmetic," religion ought to become the "Fourth R" of American education.
Many believe that America's descent into religious illiteracy was the doing of activist judges and secularists hell-bent on banishing religion from the public square. Prothero reveals that this is a profound misunderstanding. "In one of the great ironies of American religious history," Prothero writes, "it was the nation's most fervent people of faith who steered us down the road to religious illiteracy. Just how that happened is one of the stories this book has to tell."
Prothero avoids the trap of religious relativism by addressing both the core tenets of the world's major religions and the real differences among them. Complete with a dictionary of the key beliefs, characters, and stories of Christianity, Islam, and other religions, Religious Literacy reveals what every American needs to know in order to confront the domestic and foreign challenges facing this country today.
Customer Reviews:
A misleading book, should have been titled "Christian Literacy".......2007-10-08
I was so upset with this book. Even the cover is misleading. The first half of this work is basically a history of Christianity in AMERICA (and often you feel that the author is waxing nalstalgic for the good 'ol days of "Christian" America) and then the second half is a mediocre dictionary of Religion. Money would be better spend on a cheap dictionary of Eastern or world religion. If this book had been marketed as "Religious Literacy for Christians" I would understand the direction of the book. As it is, I felt like this book was marketed as an attempt to pull in the reader (such as myself) who is interested in expanding their comprehension of WORLD religions, but once having your attention it tries to convice you that we are living in a Christian country and that it has always been so.
Makes the case but never tells us *what* we need to know.......2007-09-27
Despite the lack of religion taught in public schools or the anti-relgion impressions given by the media, America is a very religious nation. It was founded by religious people and it's history is entwined with religon. Even today, politicians frequently invoke religion and cite scriptural references and most Americans will report that they regularly attend religious services and pray. The problem is that not many of those people actually have much religious knowledge (an assertion supported by a just-released Sept 2007 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center). Few can name all Ten Commandments or any Apostles, not to mention even cursory knowledge about Eastern religions. Contrast this with Europeans, who have broad religious knowledge but don't attend church or pray. Mr. Prothero explains how religion factored in early American life, the affects of secularism and how America shifted away from valuing religious knowledge, and clears up the confusion over the legalities of teaching religion. He also makes a case for the need for greater religious literacy without showing any favoritism.
The problem is that the title is terribly misleading: "Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know - and Doesn't" infers that this book will tell us what we NEED to know. It doesn't. It sounds like I know more about scriptures and my own church than most people do about theirs, but I know very little about other churches. I would like to learn some basics about Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, and Christian religions such as the Catholics, Protestants, and Evangelicals and was hoping for summaries to help me better understand. All the book has to offer is a "dictionary" that was nice, but not really what I was hoping for. I already agree with the author that knowledge of religion is lacking - myself included - but the book doesn't really take the next step. Mr. Prothero complains that even many churches today teach only broad "touchy-feely" concepts like "love" and "Jesus" but fail to impart a deeper understanding, but he's guilty of the same sin.
The discussions of religion in Colonial America and how we became a secular nation was interesting, but I think most people who pick up this book will also agree with the author, and as such it ends up being little more than preaching to the choir.
disguised argument.... .......2007-09-13
The title is misleading. I expected to be educated regarding the myriad religions in the world, many of them with a substantial presence in the United States. Instead, the author works to convince the reader The Bible should be required study in America's public schools. The author did place much of the blame for religious illiteracy on religion itself and not so much on secularism. He also did not mention America's woeful failing regarding science literacy, but then this is a book whose emphasis is religion.
Americans most certainly are ignorant regarding religion, even their own, but this book does not live up to the goal stated in its title. The title should have been "My argument for Bible Study in public schools."
Teach ABOUT Religion instead of Teaching Religion ..........2007-09-02
A persuasive argument for teaching about religion, not proselytizing. Author Stephen Prothero traces the degradation in religious knowledge, not necessarily observance, in the United States over the past 150 years.
Nowadays, the gods of Political Correctness must be appeased. People are reluctant to bring up or discuss the topic of religion. As a result, it has largely left the school system. He offers some salient examples of illiteracy and ignorance with regard to basic religious concepts (for example, some people believe that the epistles were the wives of the apostles!!).
Prothero spends more time making his argument than advancing solutions, the chief example of which is restoring education about religion in the public schools and beyond. He makes a salient point and differentiation between teaching about religion and pushing religious beliefs on to people. It is a persuasive case and timely, since so many modern conflicts and foreign-policy issues are shaped by religious belief.
The majority of the book is comprised of a glossary of religious concepts and terms. This alone provides a valuable reference. There is also a quiz in the Appendix so that readers can gauge their own degree of religious literacy.
A thought-provoking and persuasive book!
Important yes -- but a Fourth R?.......2007-09-01
The Professor of Religion effectively proves that we need more religious education. Yes, his department of religion should be more important but is there not a crying need for the more basic Three Rs to be taken care of first before we divert resources?
And what about the lack of Financial Literacy? Not knowing about Whahhabism could certainly hurt us again, but not understanding the dangers to borrowers and the economy contained in the fine print in sub-prime real estate loans could, it turns out, drive us into recession (some economists think recession will hit us next year) and that could even hurt us more.
The application of limited educational resources should be well balanced. It comes down to a question of priorities. And the author of this fine book is overstating the priority of his department and career field.
Book Description
Dr. Francis Collins, head of the Human Genome Project, is one of the world's leading scientists. He works at the cutting edge of the study of DNA, the code of life. Yet he is also a man of unshakable faith in God and scripture. He believes that God cares about us and can intervene in human affairs -- on rare occasions, even miraculously. Collins has personally discovered some of the scientific evidence for the common descent of all living creatures, even though he repudiates the materialist, atheistic worldview argued by many prominent Darwinists.
In short, Dr. Collins provides a satisfying solution for the dilemma that haunts everyone who believes in God and respects science. Faith in God and faith in science can be harmonious -- combined into one worldview. The God that he believes in is a God who can listen to prayers and cares about our souls. The biological science he has advanced is compatible with such a God. For Collins, science does not conflict with the Bible, science enhances it.
For many years Dr. Collins kept his views largely to himself, as he helped oversee the Human Genome Project's stunning sequencing of the code of life. Now, in what may be the most important melding of reason and revelation since C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity, Dr. Collins explains himself in detail. The Language of God makes the case for God and for science. Dr. Collins considers and rejects several positions along the spectrum from atheism to young-earth creationism -- including agnosticism and Intelligent Design. Instead, he proposes a new synthesis, a new way to think about an active, caring God who created humankind through evolutionary processes.
He has heard every argument against faith from scientists, and he can refute them. He has also heard the needless rejection of scientific truths by some people of faith, and he can counter that, too. He explains his own journey from atheism to faith, and then takes readers on a stunning tour of modern science to show that physics, chemistry, and biology can all fit together with belief in God and the Bible. The Language of God is essential reading for anyone who wonders about the deepest questions of all: Why are we here? How did we get here? And what does life mean?
Customer Reviews:
No Tower of Babel Here.......2007-10-10
The Language of God is genius in Dr. Collins' skill in conveying the complexity of science and the wonder of the divine in easy-to-understand language. No polemics, no rhetoric, just the facts and they logically point to the existence of God. At last, a credible read for both the science-minded and the evangelicals among us.
Suzette Martinez Standring
Believing in God Not a Problem for Scientists and Engineers.......2007-10-08
Having heard Francis Collins speak on this topic several years ago, I eagerly awaited the chance to read this book. I was not disappointed.
This book is one which will be appreciated by every scientist and engineer as being genuine. There is no white-washing science, or diminishing its importance in our world. Collins is a scientist and it is clear that he loves his life's work. And at the same time, he recounts his personal journey to faith in God. He does not leave his intellect behind when he searches for God. Every person's journey is different, but it is fascinating to read an account of how a smart, clear thinker fully reconciles his faith in God with the incredible world that God created, while also recognizing that neither diminishes the other.
As an engineer who also has worked for the Catholic Church, I most enjoyed the parallels that he made between scientific developments and his belief in God. I've found many parallels of my own during my journey and it was a pleasure to read about the connections Collins has discovered.
On the negative side, I found the part on evolution a bit too long. Evolution is a hot button for many people, however, which is probably why he dwelled on it for so many pages. Also, the Appendix had some opinions that were counter to Catholic teaching. But despite these shortcomings, this is a book that will bring much good in helping people realize that God and the world are not "opposites" but rather both co-exist extremely well together! This may be obvious to many of us since God created the world, but not to everyone, yet.
appeals to logical fallacies at key points.......2007-09-30
This book attempts to create a bridge between evolution and the Bible by arguing for theistic evolution, but falls flat through its use of logical fallacies in defense of evolution. Here is a sampling:
p. 99 "No serious biologist today doubts the theory of evolution..." p. 174 "for anyone familiar with the scientific evidence..." This is the "poisoning the well" fallacy, where people who disagree with him are mocked as amateurs or ignorant.
p.199 "Theistic evolution is the dominant position of serious biologists who are also serious believers." Poisoning the well, and Ad Populum. There was a time when 'the earth is flat" was the dominant position of serious people. Did that make it true?
p. 99 "... it is difficult to imagine how one would study life without it (evolution)." Arguing from lack of evidence. I can't imagine it, therefore it cannot exist.
p. 146 "evolution is so overwhelmingly supported by scientific evidence". Tautology, due to the ground rules of science. Science allows only natural causes for observed effects, which rules out supernatural causes, therefore in science the only possible cause of life is evolution.
p. 96 "while there are many imperfections in the fossil record, and many puzzles remain to be solved, virtually all the findings are consistent with the concept of a tree of life of related organisms" (evolution). Aside from the data that disagrees with my view, all the data agrees with my view. The ancient astronomers observed that planets occasionally seemed to reverse direction, which they viewed as an imperfection in their orbits. Scientists later discovered that the imperfections were not in the orbits of the planets, or their data - it was in their wrong framework (geocentric) for interpreting the data. Could evolution be the wrong framework for interpreting the fossil record?
I would not note the logical fallacies, except they are essential to Collins' arguments, and therefore essential to his conclusions.
Thought provoking.......2007-09-28
For years I have struggled with the divisions caused by Creationist, Evolutionists, and Intelligent Design advocates among Christians. This book unabashedly developes a clear defense of Evolutionary theory while at the same time articulating a strong apologetic of Christianity. It is refreshing to see a brilliant scientist invite others into belief based not on a literal view of the Creation narrative but a glimpse into the grandeur of God as seen in Evolutionary theory.
Evolution from a Religious Scientist's Perspective.......2007-09-28
Francis Collins argues in this book that the conflict between evolution and religion is largely artificial and that it causes unnecessary damage to both science and faith. Collins speaks from the perspective of a highly-respected scientist and a self-described evangelical who is concerned with both the integrity of science and the integrity of religion. He refutes Creationism and Intelligent Design on both scientific and theological grounds. I found this book to be similar to Michael Shermer's Why Darwin Matters: The Case Against Intelligent Design with the important distinction that Collins is a man of faith whereas Shermer is not (though both books are polite and seem geared towards a similar audience). Given Collins' religious credentials, this book might have greater potential than Shermer's book for positively influencing its intended audience.
Collins addresses some common anti-evolution fallacies in this book such as the perceived violation of the second law of thermodynamics and the habitual misunderstanding of the term "scientific theory." I thought that the points Collins raised regarding the psychological bias generated by the terms "creationism" and "intelligent design" were spot on. If one believes that God set evolution in motion to create life then evolution logically becomes the theory of an intelligently-designed creation, regardless of the clever naming practices of various anti-evolution hypotheses.
In the interest of full disclosure, I am not a believer, yet I was raised both as a Christian and as a Creationist; the damage that many religious are doing to their children and to the future of their faith by forcing people to make an artificial choice between God and science can hardly be overstated. As Collins points out, "Faced with incomplete understanding about the natural world, believers should be cautious about invoking the divine in areas of current mystery, lest they build an unnecessary theological argument that is doomed to later destruction." In fairness, some secularists also share in the blame for the equating of evolution with atheism when the two are evidently not mutually inclusive simply based on a cursory glance at religious polls taken of the scientific community.
The theology presented in this book is very similar to that found in C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity (in fact, Collins quotes Lewis heavily); therefore, I imagine that any fan of C.S. Lewis' theological writings should also be right at home with Collins' theological viewpoint. I think that The Language of God is mainly geared towards the religious but I would also recommend it to secularists as an example of how religion and modern science can coexist in relative harmony (ignoring the potential conflict between sociobiology and the notion of a divine Moral Law). I found the bioethical discussion concerning stem cell research, cloning, etc., in the appendix to be rather interesting as well.
I liked this book because I thought it provided a fair discussion on evolution in what I am cautiously optimistic is an accessible manner for many people of faith. Dawkins is one of my favorite popular science authors but I am under no illusion regarding the reception his books would receive, for example, from my religious family (i.e., a highly negative and divisive one). The actual science in The Language of God is rather light such that people who are interested in learning about evolution should likely look to authors such as Stephen Jay Gould or Ernst Mayr for more detail. Dawkins is another excellent writer for those who are not religious or who will not mind the occasional religious sucker-punch. I think that The Language of God is a good attempt at harmonizing modern science and religion and I would recommend it to all who are interested in this occasionally divisive discussion.
Average customer rating:
- Funny and profound
- Grace (Eventually) thoughts on Faith
- Not her best, but still brilliant
- No thank you, no good.
- She's the Best
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Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith
Anne Lamott
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ASIN: 1594489424
Release Date: 2007-03-20 |
Amazon.com
Through Anne Lamott's many books (including six novels, her bestselling parenting memoir, Operating Instructions, and her popular guide to writing, Bird by Bird) the subject she keeps returning to is her faith, her deeply personal--"erratic," she says--journey in Christianity. Her latest book, Grace (Eventually), is her third collection of her "thoughts on faith," and she took the time to answer a few of our questions.
Questions for Anne Lamott
Amazon.com: This is your third book on faith. How has your perspective changed since you wrote your first one?
Lamott: I wrote my first book on faith when Bill Clinton was president, and I was in a much better mood. I wrote Plan B during the run-up to war in Iraq, and the ensuing catastrophe, so I was very angry, but trying to reconcile that pain and hostility to Jesus's insistence that we are made of love, to love, and be loved, to forgive and be forgiven. Some days went better than others. Also, my son Sam was in his early teens, and that was a LOT easier than when he turned 16 and 17, his ages when I was writing the pieces in Grace (Eventually).
In general, I think Grace (Eventually) is a less angry book. I like how I'm aging, except that my back hurts more often, my knees crack like twigs when I squat, and my memory fails more frequently, in more public and therefore humiliating ways. But I think I complain less. As my best friend said when she was dying, and I was obsessing about my butt, "You just don't have that kind of time."
Amazon.com: What does grace mean for you? How can we better communicate it to each other?
Lamott: Grace is that extra bit of help when you think you are really doomed; also, not coincidentally, when you have finally run out of good ideas on how to proceed, and on how better to control the people or circumstances that are frustrating or defeating you. I experience Grace as a cool ribbon of fresh air when I feel spiritually claustrophobic. Sometimes I experience it as water-wings, something holding me up when I am afraid that I'm going down, or the tide is carrying me away. I know that Grace meets us whereever we are, but does not leave us where it found us. Sometimes it is so small--a couple of seconds relief here, several extra inches there. I wish it were big and obvious, like sky-writing. Oh, well. Grace is not something I DO, or can chase down; but it is something I can receive, when I stop trying to be in charge.
We communicate grace to one another by holding space for people when they are hurt or terrified, instead of trying to fix them, or manage their emotions for them. We offer ourselves as silent companionship, or gentle listening when someone feels very alone. We get people glasses of water when they are thirsty.
Amazon.com: Many of the essays in Grace (Eventually) first appeared in Salon, the online magazine, and that's the way that many readers first found you. How do you see the Internet changing the way people read and write?
Lamott: The Internet makes everything so immediate and spontaneous, which I totally love--UNLESS it has to do with the immediacy of people's negative response to me. Several of the Salon pieces in Grace--for instance, the story about the horrible fight with my son, and the piece about turning the other cheek while being ripped off by The Carpet Guy--generated a couple hundred letters, many of them extremely hostile. Perhaps "spewy" would be a better description. I also sometimes get knee-jerk responses to my mentions of Jesus in my Salon pieces that seem to lump me in the same tradition as Jerry Falwell. But for the most part, I love the populism and egalitarian nature of the Internet: everyone counts the same.
Amazon.com: What stories do people tell you, when they've read your books or know you are a writer?
Lamott: People tell me how relieved they are that I try to tell the truth about how hard it can be to be a mother, or a daughter, or an American in these times. They tell me stories about how awful their own teenagers can be, or how awful they themselves behaved towards their kids or parents; how hard it was to finally be able to adore their mothers, or to forgive their fathers. They tell me their sobriety dates. They whisper to me that they are Christians, too.
Also, they ask if I am able to read their manuscripts, and the name of my agent, and my e-mail address. They ask if we are going to survive the current political difficulties--and I promise them we are. They ask how old my son is now--17 and a half--and how he is doing, which is fantastically, after some of the hard months I wrote about in Grace.
Amazon.com:What lessons do you think you can pass on to others: to your readers, to your son? What lessons does it seem like people have to learn for themselves?
Lamott: All I have to offer is my own truth, my own experience, strength and hope. I can pass on the tool of a God Box, and how for 20 years I have been putting tiny notes in mine and promising God I will keep my sticky fingers off the controls until I hear God's wisdom: sometimes I get an answer because the phone rings, or the mail comes, but at any rate, during every single terrible problem and tragedy, I have been given enough guidance and stamina and even humor to bear up, and be transformed, for the good. I always tell Sam that if you want to make God laugh, tell Her your plans. I tell Sam that if he listens to his best thinking, he will suffer: and to listen to his heart instead, to listen in the silence, and to seek wise counsel.
Amazon.com: You've written nearly a dozen books (including an incredibly popular guide to writing): does writing get any easier? Does it get harder?
Lamott: In a very important way, writing gets easier, because I've been doing it full time now for thirty-plus years, and just as you would get better and better if you practiced your scales on a piano, I've gotten better, and can try harder and harder pieces. But writing is always hard. It does not come naturally to me at all. I sit down at the same time every day, which lets my subconscious realize it's time to get to work. I give myself very short assignments, and let myself write really terrible first drafts. But I grapple with the exact same problems every writer does, which is having equal proportions of self-loathing and grandiosity. I sort of live by the Nike ads: Just Do It. So I sit down. I show up. I do it by pre-arrangement with myself, because I know I'll feel sad and terrible if I shirk on that days writing. I do it as a debt of honor, to myself, and to whatever it is that has given me this gift of being able to tell stories, and to make people laugh. Laughter is carbonated holiness. Other people's good writing is medicine for me, and I hope mine is too, for my readers.
Book Description
The sharp, funny, and heartfelt follow-up to her bestselling Plan B, Anne Lamott's newest collection is a personal exploration of the faith and grace all around us.
In Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith, Lamott examines the ways we're caught in life's most daunting predicaments: love, mothering, work, politics, and maybe toughest of all, evolving from who we are to who we were meant to be. This is a complicated process for most of us, and Lamott turns her wit and honesty inward to describe her own intimate, bumpy, and unconventional road to grace and faith.
"I wish grace and healing were more abracadabra kinds of things," she writes in one of her essays, "that delicate silver bells would ring to announce grace's arrival. But no, it's clog and slog and scootch, on the floor, in silence, in the dark."
Whether she's writing about her unsuccessful efforts to get her money back from an obstinate carpet salesman, grappling with the tectonic shifts in her relationship with her son as he matures, trying to maintain her faith and humor during politically challenging times, or helping a close friend die with dignity, Lamott seeks out both the divinity and the humanity in herself and everything around her. Throughout these essays, she writes of her struggle to find the essence of her faith, which she uncovers in the unlikeliest places. By turns insightful and hilarious, pointed and poignant, Grace (Eventually) is Anne Lamott at her perceptive and irreverent best.
Customer Reviews:
Funny and profound.......2007-08-12
Anne Lamott is honest and engaging. This book is a beautiful testament to a real life lived in faith and hope in the midst of inevitable disappointments and hardships.
Grace (Eventually) thoughts on Faith.......2007-08-08
I bought this book thinking I would get an inspiritial read. Instead I found that the title totally misrepresented the book. This is nothing but a self-centered, self-indulgent, whiny bunch of writings from a drug user/alcoholic, over age hippy, feeling (what?). Certainaly not faith!
Title should read "Poor Me, I can't Think Straight"
Not her best, but still brilliant.......2007-08-01
One of the most popular voices in contemporary spirituality, Anne Lamott has a remarkable gift at handling serious and unfunny topics - religion, motherhood, eating disorders, death - in a witty and disarming way.
Lamott's new book, "Grace Eventually: Further Thoughts On Faith," is a collection of essays, many of which Lamott wrote as a columnist for Salon.com. If you haven't read anything by Lamott before, the best places to start would be "Traveling Mercies" (her bestselling memoir), and "Bird by Bird," (one of the best guide to writing anywhere, another bestseller). But the two things you should know before reading Anne Lamott is that 1) she is an incredible prose artist, quirky and profound, with a style that seems all her own. And 2) she is almost completely neurotic.
"Grace Eventually," is a special book in that Lamott's description of ordinary events make them feel sacred. She is a writer with an ability to make the reader pay attention, feel present, and tune in to the story taking place around them. Although she refers to Jesus consistently, there is little that seems orthodox about Lamott's spiritual journey, and perhaps that is one of the reasons she has such a wide readership.
You'd have to be made out of granite not to find something that moves you in this unique collection of essays. You would also need to adhere to Lamott's precise and strident political positions not to find at least one portion of this book infuriating. Either way, "Grace Eventually" is a provocative and unique read, and any avid reader owes it to themselves to become familiar with one of the country's top writers.
No thank you, no good........2007-07-25
I read another one of Anne's books. The first one I did not like much, and really did not want to read this one, but when you already own it, you feel you must with 16 dollars into the book. It was some repeating of stories I really did not like in the first place, there were a few highlights or good moments, but not enough. I still feel bad for her, but most times I was like "get over it." Now I loved Donald Miller's book, which was along the same mindset, but he seemed deep or maybe just a man. Sorry Anne, you are twice if not more the writer that I am, but I was just not into the book.
She's the Best.......2007-07-25
Her words are equivalent to the phrase "A sight for sore eyes." My copy now has so many underlines and dog ears that I just don't know where to start with quotable quotes--
"IT FEELS AS IF SOMEONE FINALLY CRACKED OPEN A WINDOW THAT HAD BEEN JAMMED."
"...taught me a willingness to help clean up the mess we've made is a crucial part of adult living; that our scary, selfish, damging behavior litters the planet."
"...we get mad at each other, over and over, then we apologize, become friends again: I see how each time this is redemption. How amazing it is to share that."
"Joy is the best makeup."
"Prayer is not asking for what you think you want, but asking to be changed in ways you can't imagine."
I use this like a Bible when I need to be called to a higher place. It soothes me, calms me down, and calls me to a (much) higher place. Buy this, Bird By Bird, and the other two from this series. They are GIFTS.
Book Description
Every little girl has dreams of being swept up into a great adventure, of being the beautiful princess. Sadly, when women grow up, they are often swept up into a life filled merely with duty and demands. Many Christian women are tired, struggling under the weight of the pressure to be a "good servant," a nurturing caregiver, or a capable home manager.
What Wild at Heart did for men, Captivating is doing for women. Setting their hearts free. This groundbreaking book shows readers the glorious design of women before the fall, describes how the feminine heart can be restored, and casts a vision for the power, freedom, and beauty of a woman released to be all she was meant to be. By revealing the core desires every woman shares-to be romanced, to play an irreplaceable role in a grand adventure, and to unveil beauty-John and Stasi Eldredge invite women to recover their feminine hearts, created in the image of an intimate and passionate God. Further, they encourage men to discover the secret of a woman's soul and to delight in the beauty and strength women were created to offer.
Customer Reviews:
Good insight to the real us.........2007-10-11
This book has been pretty good so far. I kind read through it pretty quickly and learned a bit from it, now I'm going back with a study guide and the journal to make the most of it and I'm taking slowly to be able to really focus and apply some of the material.
Amazing.......2007-10-03
This book is the best christian book that I've ever read. It really hit home with me and I could relate to all the things it talked about. I truly believe all teenage and young adult girls should read this book!
Practice discernment with this book.......2007-09-29
The Eldredges have a penchant for writing pop culture into their books rather than stating what is Biblical. Much of their Scriptural quotations are deliberately picked and chosen to back up their personal opinions and experiences. Any true student of the Bible would be able to discern the poor exegesis right away. They read into the Scriptures their personal biases, rather than gleaning from the Scriptures what was truly meant.
Aside from that, contrary to what Eldredge has written, every woman's greatest longing and desire is not "to be a beauty." Every woman's (and man's) greatest need is to know that they are God's -- valued and accepted by Him. Sadly, many women have found that their only source of validation, from the time they were little girls, came from their external appearance. When they wore pretty dresses, had cute ribbons in their hair and looked pretty, they were complimented. This taught and reinforced for them that their value comes from their beauty. It then follows that many women long to 'unveil beauty' (as Eldredge writes) because that's the only way they know validation. Women, this is not what we should be teaching our younger women nor should this be what we believe. What we are all seeking is to be valued, and we can be valued by God simply because we belong to Him -- not because of how we look or what we've done. Our identity comes from Christ. And our purpose in life is not to be a beauty, to be rescued and romanced or join a man in his adventures -- rather, it is to follow God on the adventures He has us go on. We are not called to just be sidekicks to the hero, we are also called to be heroines. God's call is for both men and women to be 'fishers' of men and women. God's commission is for both men and women to make disciples of all nations. This means both men and women are to go on great adventures with God. Don't settle for a lesser role than God intended for you.
As a final note, we all know and understand from Prov 31:30 that "beauty if fleeting". A woman's greatest call is to be "a woman who fears the Lord." This is what we ought to pursue with passion.
I wouldn't recommend this book to any of my friends. But if you want to see what all the hype is about, I just wanted to encourage you to practice discernment in reading this book. Take their words with a grain of salt. Remember that it is THEIR words and opinions, not biblical words from the Lord.
Validates the importance of womanhood and beauty.......2007-09-29
Being an aesthete, I always considered myself trivial in my need for beauty. I couldn't imagine why it was so important to me, but I figured it must be a dysfunction and I felt shallow for it. I also had trouble with femininity in general because what was feminine was not valued in my childhood home or in the media. That was until I read Captivating. Eldredge did an excellent job breaking down what is critical and powerful about beauty and womanhood, in a way that was impacting and memorable. I consider it a must-read for women.
Wonderful Book Revealing Those Times We Were Broken As Women.......2007-09-25
I had to read this after I read Wild At Heart--This book pointed out so many times, places in my life when I was broken. When my spirit was crushed, when I missed getting something that I truly needed for my life--and it also gave me the strength to say, "Hey, that's okay -- I'm okay -- I'm beautiful." Thank you -- John and Stasi -- for your ministry and honesty!
Book Description
What’s going on in a man’s mind? From their early days, every woman has struggled to understand why males behave the way they do. Even long-married women who think they understand men have only scratched the surface. Beneath a man’s rugged exterior is an even more rugged, unmapped terrain. What bestselling author Shaunti Feldhahn’s research reveals about the inner lives of men will open women’s eyes to what the men in their life—boyfriends, brothers, husbands, and sons—are really thinking and feeling. Men want to be understood, but they’re afraid to “freak out” the women they love by confessing what is happening inside their heads. This book will guide women in how to provide the loving support that modern men want and need.
The Truth About His Inner Life
He Desperately Wants You to Know
What's going on in there? Ever been totally confused by something your man has said or done? Want to understand his secret desires and fears, his daily battles that you know nothing about?
In a woman-to-woman conversation you’ll never forget, Shaunti Feldhahn takes you beneath the surface into the inner lives of men. This book is about the things we just don’t ‘get’ about guys. With findings from a groundbreaking national survey and personal interviews of over one thousand men, For Women Only is full of eye-opening revelations you need to not only understand the man in your life, but to support and love him in the way he needs to be loved. Grounded in biblical hope, you will discover how to love your man for who he really is—not who you think he is.
Story Behind the Book
I had no idea how clueless I was about men until I interviewed a bunch of them for my last novel. Initially, I just wanted a little insight so I could write my main (male) character. But pretty soon I found myself astonished, over and over again blurting out, “That’s what you’re thinking?” So I did more interviews. After the novel hit shelves, dozens of women told me they also had been astonished by what I included. Clearly I wasn’t the only one who needed more insight on this!
To lay the groundwork for this nonfiction book, I wrote out the half-dozen things from these interviews that had most surprised me—things that appeared to be universal to most men—that women desperately needed to know. I conducted a professional national survey of men to test my findings. Yep—the survey substantiated every single one. These findings are fascinating—and they have already changed my life and marriage. I can’t wait to share them!
Customer Reviews:
Revolutionary.......2007-10-11
To begin with, I was blown away by this book. What an impact such a small volume has made in my relationship with my dear fiance' as well as with my brothers and father. So, why is this book so good? Firstly, it is written with the idea of informing about the way men think. How many of us are totally confused about men? Yeah, most of us. And men don't talk a lot about their "feelings" so it is very difficult to get an honest answer. This book is an absolute blessing in that measure. It shows why men have trouble being romantic, why they need women's respect so much and (possibly the most revolutionary chapter) why they want SO MUCH sex.
I will not explain, b/c the book does that, but I will say that once I read the book my eyes were completely opened to why my fiance' reacts the way he does to my actions. And I began changing my actions and... well I will just say that although Caleb and I have always had an incredible relationship, this just made things even more beautiful.
To the reviewer who complained that the book made wives too subservient I would answer, firstly, read her book "For Men Only". Both books are interested in teaching wives and husbands to better serve eachother. Secondly, women are not at all put down in this book. Rather wives are shown to be the one factor in their husbands' lives that really makes the crucial difference between men feeling like a success or a failure. This book really is empowering to women because it is basically like, "You can make the crucial difference... Oh yeah, here's how."
While some points in this book may not be accurate for all men (I am blessed with a man who is the "King of Romance" as my mom says, and who will always talk about his feelings) it really has something for every relationship. If you are working to cultivate a blessed, beautiful marriage, you will find this book to be of great value.
Great things come in small packages.......2007-08-31
I have read a lot of books trying to understand my fellow homosapiens and this did not most terrific job. I relate to my brothers, coworkers, leaders, and men I've dated so much better. I judge less and I find that I'm less insecure around men now.
Shaunti Feldhahn is not just an author, she is an EXCELLENT communicator........2007-08-20
For Women Only is the result of a survey of 400 men across the country who responded to a questionaire about their relationships. This book points out seven areas in which women have a surface understanding of men's needs or desires and delves into each subject in a way that leaves the reader grasping what that statement really means.
For example, the first point is that "men need respect". That seems obvious enough, but Feldhahn brings this into perspective with her survey result that 74% of the men would rather feel "alone & unloved" instead of "inadequate & disrespected", if they had to choose one of the two options. She then elaborates on this with several follow-up examples of ways women can either demonstrate respect or show a lack of respect. Some of which we don't usually connect with showing disrespect. On page 24, she quotes Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, "In a relationship conflict, crying is often a woman's response to feeling unloved, and anger is often a man's response to feeling disrespected."
I would highly recommend this book to any woman who is serious about wanting to improve her relationship with her husband. The author has a way of transforming something you think you know into something you can apply to your everyday life, which isn't always an easy task.
THIS IS A REALLY GOOD BOOK.......2007-08-20
MOST INFORMATIVE. FIND THINGS U MIGHT THINK YOU KNOW AND IF YOU DONT DO A LOT OF RESEARCH ON RELATIONSHIPS THIS IS SOMETHING YOU PROBABLY WOULD NEVER NO OR UNDERSTAND IF YOU DONT READ THE BOOK
Extremely Helpful and Practical!.......2007-08-14
Realizing that there is always room for improvement, my wife and I have made it a practice over our almost 25 years of marriage to read marriage articles and books regularly. Nothing that we know of comes close to the helpful and pracitical insight we have received from "For Women Only" and it's companion book, "For Men Only". We strongly recommend it to every married couple. These two books, along with "Sheet MUsic" by Kevin Leman and "The Book of Romance" by Tommy Nelson are at the top of our list.
Book Description
"I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn't resolve. . . . I used to not like God because God didn't resolve. But that was before any of this happened." In Donald Miller's early years, he was vaguely familiar with a distant God. But when he came to know Jesus Christ, he pursued the Christian life with great zeal. Within a few years he had a successful ministry that ultimately left him feeling empty, burned out, and, once again, far away from God. In this intimate, soul-searching account, Miller describes his remarkable journey back to a culturally relevant, infinitely loving God.
Customer Reviews:
Good, but hypocrytical . . ........2007-10-11
As a Christian who frequently finds sustaining spirutuality in more resources than just the bible, I enjoyed this book some of the time.
Miller is dead on in his assertion that "the Church" and from that really all Christians, need to re-connect with the example of Christ's love, especially with regards to those whom Christians don't mingle with on a daily basis (at least my "daily basis" anyway).
His hypocrisy ruins it for me, though. It seemed like every time things were warming up about "loving others", Miller would drop some hugely critical comment about Republicans, fundamentalists, evangelicals, etc. I get it that these people aren't necessarily his cup of tea. However, if we are to accept, and adopt, Christ's example of love, it's all inclusive.
Loving only the less fortunate doesn't count; Christ loves all of us. And if Miller is going to write with integrity about emulating and expanding that love in our own lives, he can't pick and choose whom to love and not to love. In short, he falls in to the very trap he accuses "the Church" of living in.
And the hypocrisy of that makes it difficult to take his message seriously, at least for me.
With all that said, I am sending a copy of the book to an atheistic friend. You never know!
Miller's faith perspective rings true.......2007-10-10
Get Real: a spiritual journey for men
Blue Like Jazz is a beautifully written book that requires the reader to think honestly about issues of faith. Miller has moved well beyond the posturing and pretense that characterize too much of Christian apologetics. It's impossible to read Miller without being struck by his disarming candor and honest self-examination. Rather than introduce doubt, Miller makes sense, and he makes a strong case for a Jesus who is real and interactive in the world today. Like journalist Derek Maul's "Get Real: a spiritual journey for men," (2007) Blue like Jazz presents the Gospel as engaging, incisive, and deeply authentic.
Inspired Me to Read His Other Books.......2007-10-08
Blue Like Jazz is a sort of meditation on Don Miller's spiritual life so far (he's in his early 30s), sprinkled with a little Christian apologetic told by narrative rather than by theories or "spiritual laws" (Miller's "Search for God Knows What" is more along the lines of an apologetic though). Miller's writing style is accessible and easy, though he's prone to meditative tangents on the nature of God or faith or creation that may annoy the less religiously-inclined reader. Miller has a lot of credibility in the so-called emerging church movement for his narrative approach (and probably for his decidedly left wing politics), but his religious beliefs themselves come across as pretty standard evangelical Christian, which I was a little surprised by. It's not heavy theology by any means, and there's a lot of raw meat in Miller's book for the internet's theology attack dogs to tear apart, but the books resonated with me. After reading "Blue Like Jazz," I was inspired to read Miller's "Searching for God Knows What" and "Through Painted Deserts." My favorite moment in the book was the "reverse confession booth," where the campus Christians confessed the sins of the church to astonished students. For a new spin on evangelical Christianity, check out "Blue Like Jazz."
Re-thinking my original opinion.......2007-10-06
I am actually re-reading this book because I got so much out of it during my first read. I may have made a mistake by reading all these negative reviews here, but I'm finding I agree with some of them to an extent. It's funny because I am seeing both sides here, both good and bad, about the book. Yes, some of the stuff he wrote about is a little self-obsessed, but some of the stuff he wrote sparked real passion in me and furthered my relationship with God. I think I just had a moment of realization (an epiphany, if you will) that you cannot take ANYONE'S word for anything, except God's. This is just more proof to me that people, no matter who they are or what their intentions or how close to Christ they are, can lead you astray. To conclude; read the book (it has some good stuff in it), take from it what you will, and trust God with all your heart.
Offensive to jazz fans!.......2007-09-30
Donald Miller, I'd like you to take out the sheet music of Mood Indigo, which I'm sure you've studied extensively, and show me where it doesn't resolve--I think that harmonically it's one of the perfect all time pieces of music, and it resolves better than a lot.
Maybe he's talking about free jazz or bop or post bop or modal jazz or something, but I'm not sure he actually knows what those terms mean. It sounds to me like he's heard a couple of jazz songs at some point and decided that this makes him an expert. Yeah, man, he was turned on to this stuff by Tony, his beat poet buddy, man. Oh, that is so hip!
But even if you're saying on a technical level that jazz music, in some of its more far-flung explorations, abandons established notions of harmony, melody, rhythm and tonality, it can always be explained. You can always notate it, analyze it, study it, and explain it. You can break it down to vibrations traveling through the air and you can know exactly what those vibrations are doing.
You can't do that with Christian spiritual notions, because they're based on assertions of faith that require you to abandon the desire for statements of fact to be proved. It's cute, Donald Miller, for you to say that you're just not interested anymore in the intellectual/theological aspects of Christianity, but it's stupid and ignorant for you to use jazz as a point of comparison. Jazz musicians know exactly what they're doing and they can explain it to you in minute detail, and yes, they could write it down if they wanted to. It's not just getting up in front of people and blowing some BS through your instrument. That's what YOU are doing in your spirituality. Jazz music requires training, education, rigorous practice and relentless creativity. What you do requires a huge capacity for BS and evasive, circular arguments. Guess which one I respect more.
Any jazz solo can be studied note for note, analyzed, and explained. And the person who performed that solo can you tell what choices they made at every point and why, and they can base that on established musical concepts. Once you get to that point, it isn't mysterious anymore, but it is beautiful and special in a way that your unfounded, frightened faith can never be.
Book Description
As he is driving home from a minister's conference, Baptist minister Don Piper collides with a semi-truck that crosses into his lane. He is pronounced dead at the scene. For the next 90 minutes, Piper experiences heaven where he is greeted by those who had influenced him spiritually. He hears beautiful music and feels true peace. Back on earth, a passing minister who had also been at the conference is led to pray for Don even though he knows the man is dead. Piper miraculously comes back to life and the bliss of heaven is replaced by a long and painful recovery. For years Piper kept his heavenly experience to himself. Finally, however, friends and family convinced him to share his remarkable story.
Customer Reviews:
90 Minutes in Heaven.......2007-10-11
Whine, whine, whine! This book was very boring and spent 90% of the time whining about his accident and "poor me". OK.....I understand a serious acciednt and can sympathize with the person. BUT this was way overdone! The title is very misleading. Mabey 5 minutes was dedicated to being in heaven for a couple minutes. I think this author used the title to sell his book. SORRY I bought it and would not recommend it to anyone.
Good Book, Title Misleading.......2007-10-09
First I want to qualify this review by saying that this was a good book, a book that I enjoyed and learned from, however it wasnt really what the title made it seem that it was, a book on heaven. Sure Mr. Piper explains his experiance in heaven, well at least at the gates of heaven, in the first chapter and it does paint a picture of heaven that I cant wait to experiance, but there are maybe 2 chapters on heaven in this 17 chapter book. The rest of the story is about how Don Piper came back to life from a terrible auto accident and how he was able to find passion again and regain a sense of Gods Purpose in his life, which is a great read, not just what the Title premises.
That being said. I did enjoy the book and the story, it is uplifting and enspiring for anyone who has gone through illness or any tragedy in their life for that matter and I would recommend it to anyone needing new perspective. I just would have titled it "Back from the Dead" or Glimpses of Heaven: One Mans Journey to Heaven, Back Through Hell and on to Purpose" or something of that like.
A disappointment!.......2007-10-05
Truly a disappointment. I should have known better than to purchase this book. How can an entire book be written about a 90 minute experience? However, I did not expect a blow by blow of medical treatments and his healing process.
90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN.......2007-10-05
I found it believable and an amazing description of his experience of seeing heaven's gates,etc., but after that, the long drug-out story of the author's recovery was somewhat tedious.
Book title is misleading.......2007-10-03
After the 90 second replay of Heaven, the rest of the book was just reading about his stay in the hospital and his slow recovery. I was disappointed.
Amazon.com
Why do some people consistently inspire others to follow their lead? According to John C. Maxwell, author of 24 books and a regular speaker on the topic, it's the "character qualities" they possess. In The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, Maxwell identifies these top traits as character, charisma, commitment, communication, competence, courage, discernment, focus, generosity, initiative, listening, passion, positive attitude, problem-solving, relationships, responsibility, security, self-discipline, servanthood, teachability, and vision--and then defines them in ways that readers can absorb and utilize. Each is covered in a separate chapter opening with a high-concept definition and continuing with relevant anecdotes, details on its meaning, suggestions for further reflection, and exercises for improvement. For example, in the section on vision ("You can seize only what you can see"), Maxwell describes how Walt Disney initially developed the theme-park concept after accompanying his daughters to a fun-filled but rather shabby amusement park. He then analyzes how Disney's resultant projects drew on his personal history while meeting other's needs, and explains how readers must "listen to several voices" to develop successful foresight in a similar way. Finally, Maxwell suggests methods to articulate these visions and measure their implementation. --Howard Rothman
Book Description
In the tradition of his CBA bestseller The 21 Irrefutable laws of Leadership and his sell-out seminars, author John C. Maxwell now provides a concise, accessible leadership book that helps readers become more effective leaders from the inside out. Daily readings highlight twenty-one essential leadership qualities and include "Reflecting On It" and "Bringing It Home" sections which help readers integrate and apply each day's material.
Customer Reviews:
Easy Reading.......2007-06-28
If you are looking to define those special charateristics that are displayed by great leaders, this book covers 21 impactful leader qualities. The book is "easy reading" and makes a good gift for a new leader.
A Book for Leaders.......2007-05-13
This book helps to refresh and install new ideas which will help you become a better leader.
Abstract puff piece.......2007-05-07
Maxwell might have written the book on Leadership, but this isn't it.
This is a little book -- 156 undersized pages -- containing little information.
It's full of platitudes. "Refocus your attention." "Live your message." "Commitment starts in the heart."
Duh! How is anyone supposed to put these abstract ideas into practice?
The only way to understand leadership is to hear stories about effective leaders. About how, for example, they continued communicating during times of crisis when others would have not communicated. About how they worked overtime to fix their companies and inspired others in their organization. About how during wartime they welcomed input from any source and found a unique person with a unique perspective that allowed them to redraw their war plans and win.
But the only anecdotes in this book come at the start of each of the 21 brief chapters on a quality (like communication or dedication) that a leader needs. The other 80% of each chapter is a bunch of abstract rules like Communicate! Show Dedication! Passion Increases Your Willpower! This is all motherhood and apple pie. Only more abstract. And it's impossible to absorb or remember what Maxwell is talking about because he's just listing things you should do to be a leader.
Tell me one good story about a great leader like Winston Churchill, FDR, or JFK, and it would be worth another hundred pages of Maxwell's abstract thought.
The only reason I give this any stars is that I sense Maxwell has more to say and knows his stuff. But he's certainly not strutting it in this book. Try something else by Maxwell. Not this book, for this reader.
This is the kind of book I would purchase for a gift grab bag at the office. It won't offend anyone, but it won't change anyone either.
Good 'beginner's leadership book' --- didnt excite me;-(.......2007-04-21
This is the first leadership book I read. I like the way the author validates each of the 21 qualities of a leader by providing real-life stories of leaders.
Pros: short, easy-to-read, concise
Cons: not much substance, some of the exercises for the reader are far-fetched
Overall, a good read for a beginner to novice 'leadership' book reader.
Short and Sweet: an unbeatable combination.......2007-04-01
As a professor in Business and Management, this book is an often chosen title in my management and leadership courses. Perhaps initially because it is small, but all students inevitably end up commenting that they really appreciated the contents and learned a lot from it.
Leadership qualities are interesting phenomena, which can be replenished to an infinite degree. However, John Maxwell managed to highlight those qualities that are truly crucial toward leadership that will appeal to all categories of followers.
Encouraged by this book and many others, I published "The Awakened Leader: One Simple Leadership Style That Works Every Time, Everywhere." Readers who liked John Maxwell's works, and who want to remain informed of appropriate leadership in a time where globalization has become a part of our everyday life and has ignited increasing interdependency, multiplicity of mindsets and approaches, and multi-faceted workplaces, should take a look at this book.
"The Awakened Leader" presents a meta-leadership approach, which will guide you toward implementing the appropriate leadership style once you've assessed the situation, the followers, and the environment at hand. It is based on flexibility through open-mindedness, or wakefulness. And it completes the perspectives that Maxwell and other great leadership authors have presented us in the past decade: successful leadership of the self and others, based on proven trends of the past, the now, and the future.
Books:
- The Gospel According to Jesus: What Does Jesus Mean When He Says, "Follow Me"?
- The Hero with a Thousand Faces (Mythos Books)
- The Kebra Negast: The Lost Bible of Rastafarian Wisdom and Faith from Ethiopia and Jamaica
- The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth
- The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil
- The Mystery Method: How to Get Beautiful Women Into Bed
- The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge: An easy-to-use one-volume library for Bible study and lesson preparation.
- The Place We Call Home: Exploring the Soul's Existence after Death
- The Practice of Dzogchen
- The Quest
Books Index
Books Home
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- Natasha: The Biography of Natalie Wood
- Physics of Sound, The
- Mysteries of the Bizarre Animals and Freaks of Nature
- Fishers at Work, Workers at Sea: A Puerto Rican Journey Through Labor and Refuge
- Intellectual Capital: How to Build It, Enhance It, Use It
- Fao Trade Yearbook, 1998
Letter to a Christian Nation
God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything
The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason
Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon
God: The Failed Hypothesis. How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist
