Book Description
What makes good people do bad things? How can moral people be seduced to act immorally? Where is the line separating good from evil, and who is in danger of crossing it?
Renowned social psychologist Philip Zimbardo has the answers, and in The Lucifer Effect he explains how–and the myriad reasons why–we are all susceptible to the lure of “the dark side.” Drawing on examples from history as well as his own trailblazing research, Zimbardo details how situational forces and group dynamics can work in concert to make monsters out of decent men and women.
Zimbardo is perhaps best known as the creator of the Stanford Prison Experiment. Here, for the first time and in detail, he tells the full story of this landmark study, in which a group of college-student volunteers was randomly divided into “guards” and “inmates” and then placed in a mock prison environment. Within a week the study was abandoned, as ordinary college students were transformed into either brutal, sadistic guards or emotionally broken prisoners.
By illuminating the psychological causes behind such disturbing metamorphoses, Zimbardo enables us to better understand a variety of harrowing phenomena, from corporate malfeasance to organized genocide to how once upstanding American soldiers came to abuse and torture Iraqi detainees in Abu Ghraib. He replaces the long-held notion of the “bad apple” with that of the “bad barrel”–the idea that the social setting and the system contaminate the individual, rather than the other way around.
This is a book that dares to hold a mirror up to mankind, showing us that we might not be who we think we are. While forcing us to reexamine what we are capable of doing when caught up in the crucible of behavioral dynamics, though, Zimbardo also offers hope. We are capable of resisting evil, he argues, and can even teach ourselves to act heroically. Like Hannah Arendt’s Eichmann in Jerusalem and Steven Pinker’s The Blank Slate, The Lucifer Effect is a shocking, engrossing study that will change the way we view human behavior.
Customer Reviews:
it depends what you expect..........2007-09-26
There is no question that Zimbardo is a great scholar and that he had spent years, decades, studying this subject. Yet, good scholarship doesn't always translate to good writing. This is a thick (literary and otherwise) book. The overall argument presented by Zimbardo is clear, but it feels that it is bogged down by so many details. There are pages after pages of transcripts from the original study. And here is the point. It all depends what you expect. If you want very detailed account of the 1971 study, that's what you get. Clear, detailed, well-supported and well-explained. If you look mainly for straightfoward answers to the question how good people turn evil, this book could be a difficult read.
The Stanford Prison Experiment and Onward to Others.......2007-09-23
Well worth the read just to recapture the fascination of the students involved in the Staford Experiment. In 1971 I was new to college and later heard of the experiment in class lectures. The reactions of the student prisoners and guards, even down to the despondency and controlling behaviors that emerged, was intriguing. The Stanford Prison Experiment has now taken its place as a psychological and sociological cornerstone.
Disaster after disaster is addressed, all having the thread of decent people succumbing to psychological situations. Results are dire in each. Excellent discussion on tendencies of social scientists' to explain poor behaviors on personality traits, while underestimating the situational forces at play.
A fascinating plunge into the dark side of man.......2007-09-17
Zimbardos book is exceptional in both scientific and entertaining terms. He is surprisingly eloquent writer for a scholar and has a great sense of humour which makes the description of the Stanford Prison Experiment he conducted, a delightful plunge into the dark side of man.
Not Exactly Honest.......2007-09-12
I purchased this book with the intention on learning about how situation can influence a person's actions. Do that extent, this book does an excellent job. What I did not like is this overwhelming sense that this book was written as a way to use Abu Ghraib as a way to attack the Bush Administration, of which the author is obviously opposed. Don't get me wrong, I am not opposed to criticizing the president and I do believe he has accountability for his actions. My issue is that the author threw his bias into a book that appeared to offer an unbiased view of social behavior as it relates to situational forces.
As long as he brought it up, I disagree with the author's views on responsibilty in Iraq. The author attempted to make Mr. Bush's office ultimately responsible for this awful situation; but wasn't it really the cumulative voice of the American people. I am not saying majority, but I am saying the loudest. I, for one, have always felt that we should take the war to the enemy and keep it from my front door. I was more interested in result than I was with how they were gotten (ie. if you torture them, don't tell me). I really did not have a problem (okay, a slight concern) with the Patriot Act or with the wiretapping of our phones. I supported the idea of not treating terrorists as POW's, though I believe it did get out of hand. My point is the president is not ultimately to blame, though he does have some culpability. The ultimate responsibility lies in the hands of each and every citizen. But in what I feel was a biased view, the author stopped at Bush.
Again, this book would have been fine had I known what I was buying. Unfortunately, it used wonderful research to present a distorted and partial view of the Iraq situation. I would have thought that Mr. Zimbardo would have learned from his SPE experiment that not only can you not be researcher and warden and get good results; you also can't be researcher and political analyst either. What you end up with is invalidated ideas.
Mr. Zimbardo, you are thought highly of in the world of social psychology. Why would you attempt such a poorly veiled attack?
A Plea for Ordinary Heroes.......2007-08-30
Having always been fascinated by psychology, I was excited to read that Prof. Zimbardo had finally written a book about the 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE). The first 200 pages go into great detail about the six days the experiment lasted (though it had been planned to last two weeks) before being cut short due to the drastic changes in both "prisoners" and "guards." The next 100 pages present his detailed examination of the different variables in the experiment, their implications then and now, the nature of good and evil, and what makes people change. The last 200 pages cover the Abu Ghraib abuses, their frightening similarity to the SPE on many levels, the call for bringing the military and governmental brass to some accountability for creating the "bad barrel" that led normal soldiers to become abusers. He ends with a description of heroism and how we can avoid being coerced by the situations and systems that surround us to act for a better world. A terrific book! Much needed.
Average customer rating:
- The Great Divorce
- A dash of fantasy, a dash of truth, vintage C.S. Lewis
- An Intriguing Story
- Yet, it IS a plausible picture of the afterlife...
- Entertaining, but don't try and take too much theology from it.
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The Great Divorce
C. S. Lewis
Manufacturer: HarperOne
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ASIN: 0060652950
Release Date: 2001-02-05 |
Amazon.com
The Great Divorce is C.S. Lewis's Divine Comedy: the narrator bears strong resemblance to Lewis (by way of Dante); his Virgil is the fantasy writer George MacDonald; and upon boarding a bus in a nondescript neighborhood, the narrator is taken to Heaven and Hell. The book's primary message is presented with almost oblique tidiness--"There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done.'" However, the narrator's descriptions of sin and temptation will hit quite close to home for many readers. Lewis has a genius for describing the intricacies of vanity and self-deception, and this book is tremendously persistent in forcing its reader to consider the ultimate consequences of everyday pettiness. --Michael Joseph Gross
Book Description
C. S. Lewis takes us on a profound journey through both heaven and hell in this engaging allegorical tale. Using his extraordinary descriptive powers, Lewis introduces us to supernatural beings who will change the way we think about good and evil.
Customer Reviews:
The Great Divorce.......2007-09-30
This is one of my favorite books. I've read it several times and I've had to buy new copies because I keep giving it away. The Great Divorce starts off a little slowly, but you have to hang in there through the first couple of chapters. It is NOT a book about marital divorce, but rather about letting go of the things you think you want or need in order to gain that which is of much greater value.
A dash of fantasy, a dash of truth, vintage C.S. Lewis.......2007-09-26
As one reviewer noted, many readers will not pick up a C.S. Lewis creation beyond "Chronicles of Narnia," "Mere Christianity," and "The Screwtape Letters." I was one of them, but I'm very thankful for having to check out a copy of Lewis' "The Great Divorce." Like his Narnia tales, there is a dash of both fantasy and truth in this volume, and the mix is delicate but profound. Built as a story of a bus ride to Heaven and Hell, "The Great Divorce" weaves a tapestry of assorted characters, facing immortal choices about their own harrowing predicaments. While Lewis' landscape visualizing the realities of Heaven and Hell are of course conjectural, each character's scene and dialogue with the Solid Spirits of Heaven are assuredly not. It's like looking in the mirror - there is someone who looks exactly like you, warts and all. It's a small book, something you can finish within a day. I still thought it was like a smack in the face, something we need in our materialistic and fickle lives now and again.
Pride, lust, idolatry, SIN, it's all represented here in the great style of Lewis' magical blend of imagination and vivid imagery. The book, of course, ends in hope, in salvation. As the mystical Teacher who advises the main character Lewis says, Hell would not be big enough to do any harm to the Real World, or the Truth.
An Intriguing Story.......2007-09-19
C.S. Lewis' very short book is a fictional work that follows the journey of a group of people in Hell who take a trip to Heaven. Like his "Screwtape Letters," this book provides some excellent insights into the psychology of humankind.
During this trip to Heaven, the inhabitants of Hell are given a chance to repent and enter the kingdom of God. Each person upon arrival is eventually greeted by a person from Heaven who tries to convince the unrepentant to receive salvation. It is almost painful to read as these inhabitants of Hell steadfastly refuse to repent. It is painful to see the characters accept Hell and reject Heaven, but it is even more painful because it is easy for us to see our own flaws represented by these unrepentant people.
Lewis' construction of Hell as a place where the unrepentant wander around and never achieve satisfaction or fulfillment is conspicuously lacking searing flames and torturing demons. And although Lewis may not have meant for "The Great Divorce" to be a systematic description of the nature of Heaven and Hell, I think that he is certainly on to something. The vision of Hell found in this book is, I think, closer to the reality of Hell than the traditional Dante-esque version of torture and pain. But the primary accomplishment of "The Great Divorce" is that it shows us the psychology of unbelief, even when manifested in ourselves.
Yet, it IS a plausible picture of the afterlife..........2007-09-08
This little book is a total joy to read. I know that the author makes it very clear that one should not suppose that he is factually presenting details of the afterlife, yet, in the end he has created a most satisfying image of a plausible afterlife. As for the title, he is referring to the poet-mystic William Blake's Marriage of Heaven and Hell. He points out that this is a synthesis that can never be, for to do so would compromise the absolute Goodness of Heaven, thereby making a Hell of both. Perhaps there can one day be a marriage of Heaven and Earth (thereby showing both to really have been Heaven all along), but never of Heaven and Hell.
I loved the imagery of Hell being very much like a never-ending city on Earth where it is always twilight and eternal night always on the verge. Yet, it is not a crowded city for people keep moving apart because they cannot stand each other's presence. That's just it. People dwell in Hell by their own choice. It is the obsessions that separate them from God and the highest reality that keep them from leaving. It is even shown that such higher impulses as love and pity, if unhealthily indulged in for their own sake and for nothing higher or transcendent, can keep you in Hell. Yet, this Hell is also Purgatory for those who workout their obsessions. In fact, there is a regular bus service to Heaven for fieldtrips that serve just that purpose (I always suspected that the omnibus originated in Hades.)
As for Heaven, it is perpetually just the moment before dawn and eternal day. The idea that Heaven is actually more substantial than Hell, or Earth, is reasonable, since it is after all the more Real of the two being closer to the Creator. Indeed, the visitors from Hell appear as pale and insubstantial deformed ghosts who find the adamantine hardness and density of the higher plane physically painful (even walking upon the grass.) The residents of the realm however are radiant spirits who do everything that they can to point out the mistakes and illusions that the ghostly visitors still cling to- and which are the only thing keeping them from traveling higher up and farther in to the one true goal. The most detailed and believable of these tutelary spirits is Lewis' own spriritual mentor, George Macdonald.
Entertaining, but don't try and take too much theology from it........2007-08-16
I gave this book three stars because while it is entertaining, there is a significant potential for people to try and get theology from it, which for the most part I don't recommend. The author makes sure to make that point at the end of the book, though. But I'm sure it's too late for a lot of people by then.
The primary theological point that C.S. Lewis is actually intending to make is that one goes to hell as a consequence of rejecting God and "loving" self. It is the person's rejection of God, not the other way around. However, in trying to make this point in a novel, a lot of the theology seems to get messed up.
Amazon.com
John Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil has been heralded as a "lyrical work of nonfiction," and the book's extremely graceful prose depictions of some of Savannah, Georgia's most colorful eccentrics--remarkable characters who could have once prospered in a William Faulkner novel or Eudora Welty short story--were certainly a critical factor in its tremendous success. (One resident into whose orbit Berendt fell, the Lady Chablis, went on to become a minor celebrity in her own right.) But equally important was Berendt's depiction of Savannah socialite Jim Williams as he stands trial for the murder of Danny Hansford, a moody, violence-prone hustler--and sometime companion to Williams--characterized by locals as a "walking streak of sex." So feel free to call it a "true crime classic" without a trace of shame.
Book Description
Shots rang out in Savannah's grandest mansion in the misty,early morning hours of May 2, 1981. Was it murder or self-defense? For nearly a decade, the shooting and its aftermath reverberated throughout this hauntingly beautiful city of moss-hung oaks and shaded squares. John Berendt's sharply observed, suspenseful, and witty narrative reads like a thoroughly engrossing novel, and yet it is a work of nonfiction. Berendt skillfully interweaves a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South with the unpredictable twists and turns of a landmark murder case.
It is a spellbinding story peopled by a gallery of remarkable characters: the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman's Card Club; the turbulent young redneck gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the "soul of pampered self-absorption"; the uproariously funny black drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young blacks dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight. These and other Savannahians act as a Greek chorus, with Berendt revealing the alliances, hostilities, and intrigues that thrive in a town where everyone knows everyone else.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a sublime and seductive reading experience. Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city has become a modern classic.
Customer Reviews:
oustanding read.......2007-09-21
This was a very well written and funny historical book. Inspired my recent trip to Savannah Georiga, to actualy visit some of the places described in the book.
Hello Savannah!.......2007-09-18
One of my favorite books. I am one of the few that actually liked the movie as well as the book. The book goes into great detail much more then the movie. The characters are so crazy I actually considered moving to Savannah...seriouly! An excellent read, highly recommended!
Nothing special.......2007-09-03
First, the characters are somewhat interesting in the way that many alcoholic, affluent types are, but the storyline never weaves them together in a way that makes the book itself intersting. Second, the author is trying to strike a balance between 1. historic integrity and theme, 2. his first account experiences, and 3. what might make for an interesting read. I think he relies heavily on his first account experinces at the expense of history and an interesting story. My real motivation for finishing the book was to see if I knew any of the characters - I grew up not far from Savannah.
Non Fiction.......2007-09-03
Truth is stranger than fiction.
The bizarre cast of characters in Savannah, Geporgia, or thereabouts has to be seen to be believed. This is probably why it makes a decent book, as any novelist would have been happy to come up with stuff as whacky as guys walking invisible dogs, and other oddities, as well as having an interesting murder mystery in the middle of it.
Plenty of Evil, but "Good?".......2007-09-03
So, having survived my 10 and 11 year old daughters' recent Girl Scvout trip to Savannah for the pilgrimage to visit the Juliette Low birthplace, the troop leader(one of my best friends)and I decided to revisit the book we read a few years ago for our book group. I didn't really like it much the first time. I enjoy nonfiction, but I've come to since learn this book isn't all "non fiction" anyway. Lots of artistic license taken here!
Savannah is a beautiful old city, very historic and charming. I usually first think of Ellen O'Hara when I think of Savannah, being a big GWTW fan. BUt while on my first trip to Savannah, the Mercer name and Jim Williams' name as well is mentioned over and over on various tours of the city and local cemetaries. You can't help but be reminded of the book, especially if you've read it before your visit. It had been a few years though, so not all the locations/squares of the various famous homes mentioned in the book were very fresh in my mind.
The book itself is a montage of "Life in Savannah." Jim Williams, the "Lady" Chablis, Danny Hansford, Lee Adler, Minerva, Jim Odom and Mandy, Luther Driggers and Serrena Dawes, The Married Ladies' Club and Sonny Seiler are interesting enough characters. My problem with the whole story was really that I didn't like or feel any sympathy with any of these characters. Except maybe Uga. I'm partial to English Bulldogs. But really, there was no plot, except for the killing of Hansford and the subsequent trials of Jim Williams. I found little to laugh at concerning Chablis; in fact I was not a little repulsed by her behavior. I can handle a drag queen, but so ill mannered and ill behaved! I wouldn't want to be aquainted with anyone like that! I didn't really like John Berendt's "character" either. I guess the voyeuristic tone was supposed to be engaging, but I really had a difficult time getting through this book for a second time without falling asleep.
Every city has its characters and intrigues, even small historical ones, like Savannah. If you go, visit Bonaventure Cemetary--it truly is a beautiful and haunting place. Forget about Williams and Hansford and the "Lady" Chablis, though. Don't let their spirits ruin your visit to a lovely historical city. The intrigues that went on in the founding and growth of the city (i.e. the ban on liquor, lawyers and Catholics, the pirates, the Gordon and Low families, literary greats Flannery O'Conner and Conrad Aiken, [who did get cursory mention in the book] the Civil War history as the gift the city became to save itself, etc.) are much more interesting than the Peyton Place soap opera presented in this rather sullying book. Not bad writing, but a little dull, if you ask me. I just wasn't all that interested in these folks and their problems. They seemed to be dedicated to creating them.
Average customer rating:
- Ran away with my heart
- The Way To Go
- Superb
- Being teenagers is rough enough without having super villains for parents
- Fantastic
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Runaways, Vol. 1
Brian K Vaughan
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0785118764 |
Book Description
In Pride & Joy, six young friends discover their parents are all secretly super-powered villains! Finding strength in one another, the shocked teens run away from home and straight into the adventure of their lives - vowing to turn the tables on their evil legacy. In Teenage Wasteland, the Runaways find a kindred spirit in a daring young stranger and welcome him into their fold. But will this dashing young man help the teenagers defeat their villainous parents... or tear them apart? Plus: who do you send to catch a group of missing, runaway teenage super-heroes? Marvel's original teen runaway crimefighters, Cloak and Dagger, make their first major appearance in years! In The Good Die Young, the world as we know it is about to end, and the Runaways are the only hope to prevent it! Our fledgling teenage heroes have learned how their parents' criminal organization began, and now they must decide how it should end. As the Runaways' epic battle against their evil parents reaches its shocking conclusion, the team's mole stands revealed, and blood must be shed. Which kids will still be standing when the smoke finally clears?
Customer Reviews:
Ran away with my heart.......2007-10-07
This hardcover trade collects the entire first run of the series Runaways, created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Adrian Alphona.
Included are issues #1-18 of the first run of Runaways.
The story arcs:
Pride and Joy (issues 1-6)
Teenage Wasteland (issues 7-10)
Lost and Found (issues 11-12)
The Good Die Young (issues 13-17)
Eighteen (issue 18)
If you've never read Runaways, this is the place to start. The beginning of the story. Brian K. Vaughan has an amazing talent for creating characters that you care about.
If you enjoy this book, continue reading the series with Runaways, Vol. 2 and Runaways, Vol. 3, as well as Civil War: Young Avengers & Runaways.
The Way To Go.......2007-09-27
For Runaways Fans: This is THE way to read Runaways. Under the attractive dust jacket, the cover is made up of a soft black vinyl material that is extremely durable. The book itself is huge, letting you appreciate the art in a way that it may not have been able to be appreciated in the original comics and the infinitely smaller digest trade paperbacks. Plus, the book is loaded with extras. We've got an introduction, sketches, a letter from Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Serenity, and the man who eventually takes over the writing duties of Runaways himself), and the actual proposal for the series by Brian K. Vaughan. Whether you're buying this because you want to get the most you can out of the series or because you're a fan wanting to own a true collectors item, this is more than worth the $[...]. Forget those tiny, manga-looking digests. THIS is the way to go.
For New Comers: Not too long ago, I was one of you. I'll help you make your decision. Have you read any of Brian K. Vaughan's previous work? Do you like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Veronica Mars, Heroes, Supernatural, YA lit, or comics in general? Do you like quirk? How about a bit of geekery? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, give this book a try. It's a comic series worth getting into.
For Nay Sayers: The biggest complaint I'm hearing is that "Runaways" is 'too young' or 'too immature' for them. I say unto thee: the first issue left that impression on me as well. But read past it. Read between the lines, and a complex story will emerge through what seems simplistic. The mythology of the story (and the villainous "Pride") will grow, and the characters will have a sort of endearing depth to them. Give it another try, will you?
For Me: I loved this book. Eighteen issues of quirky, Young Adult, fantasy-drama written, pencilled, and colored beautifully is precisely what I was looking for when I purchased this book. My reviews for the individual six-issue arcs found in this book can be found HERE (Runaways Vol. 1: Pride and Joy, (No Link Here For #2, So Here's The URL:) [...], and Runaways Vol. 3: The Good Die Young). The only problem I had with this book was finding a shelf big enough for it to fit in!
9/10
Superb.......2007-09-12
This is one of the best comics series I've ever read (I'm 34 and a longtime comics reader). It is simply great. If you are familiar with the Marvel universe, you should like it even more.
Being teenagers is rough enough without having super villains for parents.......2007-05-14
I picked up this collection of the original eighteen issues of "Runaways" because on a recent visit to my local comic book store I learned that Joss Whedon was now scripting the title. I had never read "Runaways," but since I was already reading "Astonishing X-Men" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight," the other two comics that Whedon was scripting for Marvel, I picked up issue #25 of the title. The problem, of course, is that I have never read "Runaways," even though it was the 2006 Harvey Award Winner for Best Continuing Series. Marvel published a one-shot comic "Runaways Saga," obviously intended for readers like me who have come late to the party, that recaps all of the 42-issues by Brian K. Vaughn and Adrian Alphona (Volumes 2 and 3 of "Runaways" has the next two dozen issues). But "Saga" is like a string of 42 "previous on 'Runaways'" segments and since it is relatively easy to get the entire run of pre-Whedon "Runaways" that was what I decided to do (Besides, I read "Saga" and apparently retained none of it by the time I got Volume 1 and read it).
The Runaways are six teenagers who meet each year at an annual gathering of their parents, only this time they manage to spy on what is happening and see the ritual sacrifice of a young girl. Figuring out that their parents must be super villains of some type, calling themselves the Pride, the teenagers run away, discovering in the process their unique abilities, which they then plan to use to bring their parents to justice. Finding out about the kids and their powers is half the fun, so there is no reason to give everything away. Suffice it to say that some of the powers are relatively basic, but a couple are quite interesting, especially the one with the mystical Staff of One. There is an interesting wrinkle is that the parents of each of the Runaways are unique, from time-travelers, aliens and criminal bosses to mutants, mad scientists, and dark wizards, which has significant implications for the Runaways.
Actually, it seems nobody calls them the Runaways; at this point they are simply the children of the Pride, and my biggest reservation about this story is when we find out what is up with Pride. That "deal" is strange enough, but then the Pride's twist on the original deal is where I started rolling my eyes and asking myself a lot of questions: Would the Gibborim allow this reinterpretation of the deal? Do humans, mutants, and aliens granted immortality age or do they stay the same age--adult or teenager--forever? Are they prohibited from being fruitful and multiplying? Do not ask me what this has to do with the Celestials, Galactus, the dread Dormammu and every other extraordinarily powerful creature in the Marvel Universe, because it would only make my head explode, and realize that these questions will not make sense until you read these stories.
Ultimately, the problems with the back story on the Pride does not matter because the big appeal with these comic books is that this is a group of teenage superheroes. This makes them distinct from both the pre-adolescents of Power Pack and because they are going after their "rents" they are devoid of a mentor like the X-Men had with Professor X. Being mentored matter because these kids are still a step away from being novices, as opposed to the Teen Titans, who at least in their original instantiation were all superhero sidekicks. The Runaways squabble a lot more than the Merry Mutants ever did (although I suppose a lot of what they do is better qualified as whining). When Stan Lee and Jack Kirby came up with the Fantastic Four the idea of a bickering group of superheroes was a radical notion, but Vaughn and Alphona get to deal with puberty, hormones, and a telepathic velociraptor. The genesis for the Runaways was the idea that while superheroes from Superman to Spider-Man had total respect for their (foster) parents, most teenagers are playing out some primordial death match with their parents (Pick your complex: Oedipus, Elektra, or mix and match as necessary). Besides, the Runaways have a pretty good excuse for disobeying their parents.
"Runaways" is also different in two other significant ways from your regular superhero comic books. The first is that it takes place in Malibu, which means this is off the beaten path when it comes to superheroes. Cloak and Dagger show up, not because this is their turf, but because being a runaway is something that they know about. So this comic takes place in the Marvel Universe in much the same way as "Tomb of Dracula" and "Man-Thing," where a superhero might show up from time to time, but that is the exception rather than the rule. The second difference is that the pacing of these comics is similar to the television show "24." Issue #1 starts at 6:01 p.m. on Day One and by issue #12 we are at 12:26 a.m. on Day Four; so that initial story takes place over the span of 54 hours. Issue #9 takes place over the span of 22 minutes. Issue #13 jumps ahead a week, and then #14-17 covers an evening and night of the same day, and then #18 is an epilogue that takes place later. I am not totally enamored with the results, but there is enough here that is intriguing enough to justify rounding up, and I think that with the different situation that will present the Runaways in Volume 2 things can only get better, which would explain the aforementioned Harvey Award. Plus, Joss Whedon likes it enough to do six issues.
Fantastic.......2007-05-06
Brian K Vaughan has done it again. Just when you thought he couldn't get any better, he does, and he gives us Runaways. This 18 issue volume is quite the page turner, filled with plot twists, comic book cliches (which are humorously made fun of to no end), and the freshest group of characters in the Marvel Universe. Six teenagers (Alex, Nico, Karolina, Chase, Gert, and 11 year old Molly) discover that their parents are actually evil crimelords who control almost all of LA. They decide to Runaway and put a stop to their parents evildoings. BKV cleverly plays off classic teenager attitudes and puts them in a comic book world. The art is also amazing. Adrian Alphona has a unique and attractive style that can be summed up as simply beautiful. And his teenagers actually look like teenagers, which is rare for comic books, where most characters are adults. Part of the draw to this book is that it is set in LA, a place in the Marvel Universe that doesn't have many super heroes or villains. So we get a fresh setting, fresh art, fresh characters, fresh stories, and an amazing time overall.
Customer Reviews:
The devil is your own animal side or ego not an outside force.......2007-09-29
This book sadly is the diametric opposite of Peck's first classic book, A Road Less Traveled. I believe that his first book stated it correctly, evil is not an outside force or external locus of control. Evil is not an outside force of an anthropomorphic "devil" as this book suggests. Instead, evil is symbolized by the metaphoric stories of devils which in reality were employed by Manifestations of God or Prophets to describe our own narcissism, ego, "satanic self" or animal side versus our angelic or spiritual side. Our "free will" makes the choice between our animal or spiritual sides. Evil is best described by the works of Gary L. Matthews. There can be collective evil egos or animalistic intents as well. Alas, People of the Lie is problably the worst book I have ever read, while his first book is among the best I have read, the sales differences between the two tell the story.
Evil is as Evil does.......2007-08-25
I have often thought that the word "evil" was a bit strong. Over time I have come to understand more about it as a concept and behavior.
I enjoy understanding the etemology of words- it helps me to understand what a word really means. Here is an interesting etymology of the word "evil."
The modern English word 'evil' (Old English Yell) and its cognates such as the German 'Übel' are widely considered to come from a Proto-Germanic reconstructed form *Ubilaz, comparable to the Hittite huwapp- ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European form *wap- and suffixed zero-grade form *up-elo-. Other later Germanic forms include Middle English evel, ifel, ufel Old Frisian evel (adjective & noun), Old Saxon ubil, Old High German ubil, and Gothic ubils. The root meaning is of obscure origin though shown to be akin to modern English 'over' and modern German 'über' (OE ofer) and 'up' (OE up, upp) with the basic idea of "transgressing". (from wikipedia)
The concept that Peck puts forth of Evil it is fundamentally the transgression over the will of others; interfering with freedom of other; imposing ones will over others - all by the mechanism of ego. This book is a wakeup call for the many millions of people in this world who simply feel they must exert their selves over others. It begins with our current Politicians, moves through our Religious institutions, and descends into our business and relational world. It means that we suffer from one- upmanship, power plays, power lunches, excessive competition, and the list goes on... All of this for the sake of the out of control ego.
I'm not into the exorcism thing - different strokes for different folks- but Peck did a good thing by writing this book.
For anyone who has suffered at the hands of others........2007-08-23
This book is for all those wrestling with the pain of personal betrayals by people who should love and protect them. Those who are struggling to understand why others keep hurting them will find solace in this book. It offers an unflinching look at the ugly truth behind many people's motivations. It is simply not realistic to pretend that "normal everyday people" are incapable of monstrous, though subtle evil. Subtle indeed. This subtle, insidious kind of evil can occur continuously behind the thinnest facades of any family or organization without ever being acknowledged for what it is. The fact that it is often not overt enough to be openly identified as evil often leaves victims without a way to cope or understand. The covert cloak of obscurity and denial under which this kind of evil operates is perhaps one of its most damaging and confounding aspects.
This book was a page turner for me. Dr. Peck's style is direct, straight-forward, and to-the-point while still being entertaining and colorful. He confronts his patients the same way in the book. I found myself saying "yup," "exactly!" and "Uh-HUH!" often and at times burst out laughing. The book is also heartbreaking in describing some of the evils Dr. Peck illustrates.
I'm glad I read this book. It has given me that "missing piece of the puzzle" that had prevented me for so long from letting go of some past abusive relationships. I could finally admit, yes, those relationships were just as bad as they seemed. People did treat me with malicious intent. They did wish to harm me. The past was exactly what it looked like and there definitely is such a thing as evil. Thank you Dr. Peck for giving the world a much needed light on this truth.
Overall, A Herculean feat.......2007-08-11
In this book, Dr. Peck begins the Herculean feat of charting a course for the recognition, analysis, and healing of evil. In essence, he clears away some of the brush and thistle along humanity's winding ingress to understanding why we commit and are affected by diabolical behaviors. Other than the exquisite writing style that unfolds throughout the book, I found the subject matter covered a brave foray by its author. Admittedly, the subject of evil (i.e., of what it is comprised, its prevalence and characteristics, etc.) is an uncomfortable one to dissect and analyze, much less discuss. When doing so, we essentially confront our own fallacious, entropic tendencies. Due to the fact that Dr. Peck walks the tightrope in attempting to fuse nosology (science) with theology (a lofty task, indeed), he defiantly places his own reputation on the line. This is nothing greater or less than sublime. As a scientist and writer, I can certainly appreciate such bravado. Indubitably, most great thinkers must question the status quo in order to disengage assumed barriers of knowledge and truth. Though a Christian, Dr. Peck demonstrates a patulous attitude to all belief systems that bespeak the virtues of clemency (e.g., he reveals details of exorcisms of which he partook, alongside "loving" atheists and agnostics). Often deferring to other experts (e.g., philosophers, writers, priests, saints, shamans, and all who have taken keen notice of "evil"), Dr. Peck does anything but place himself on a pedestal. Rather, he perceives himself as one of many, who is merely attempting to enable a paradigm shift in the field of psychiatry. Beyond this, however, his greater mission is to break some ground in the realm of human love.
As Dr. Peck defines it, "Evil is in opposition to life. It is that which opposes the life force." In other words, it is not just that which is linked to murder of the corporeal body, but destruction of the spirit, as well. "Evil is that force, residing either inside or outside of human beings, that seeks to kill life or liveliness. And goodness is its opposite."
Unlike some other reviewers, I do not believe the case studies he features are meant to influence readers to submit to a brazen concept of evil. If the latter was true, he could have chosen more dramatic examples of patients with whom he has worked. Additionally, he could have described high-profile cases (e.g., those regurgitated a million times over in the media). Rather, I feel that he painstakingly chose muted examples, to demonstrate the insidious, covert, deceptive, confounding, and prevalent nature of evil in seemingly "normal", "healthy" and "law-abiding" people. In most societies, many people who are (overwhelmingly) evil (or who are influenced by evil) are never caught in the midst of the atrocious acts they commit. Most parents who are devious and abusive to their children do not have criminal records; in fact, many of them are model citizens in their communities. Most child predators will live their chronological lives, without conviction (both literally and metaphorically). Amidst personal and professional stomping grounds, many maleficent manipulators and sadists are so adept at combining surreptitious with deceptive natures, they leave their abused victims scratching their own heads and asking themselves, "What just happened here?" In fact, as Peck notes, evil has freer reign (and is more difficult to pinpoint) when committed by groups. Although I found Peck's chapter on Mylai (as an example of group evil) a bit overwrought, I also perceived it as apropos, considering the war we are fighting in Iraq, 24+ years post publication of this book. NOTE: Although Dr. Peck did not mention it, one of the best novels (my favorite, in fact!) that describes the highly influential and powerful nature of evil on both individuals and groups is Bulgakov's work, Master and Margarita.
Most of the time when we are initially confronted with evil (in other people), we just "feel" that things are remiss. I agree with Peck, that in time, repulsion serves as a natural reaction to those who are evil. I also concur that the study of evil can be dangerous, as a certain faction of the population can employ measures of ostracism to justify their own concepts of what is repulsive. Perhaps, this is what Peck meant by "...the end does not justify the means. If we kill those who are evil, we will become evil ourselves. If we attempt to deal with evil by destroying it, we will also end up destroying ourselves, spiritually, if not physically." As Peck describes, the latter premise is a Strangelovian (Peck's favorite word, by the way), nihilistic vacuum, from which one, who not only wishes to recognize and understand, but also eradicate evil, can never escape. Beyond hope and faith, only love can truly serve to annihilate evil, and keep it at bay. At first bite, this tastes very Christian (1 Corinthians 13), which may seem offputting to non-Christian readers. Yet, most leaders of great religions have admonished the same. My personal conviction is that when enough people speak in cacophony, in order to hone in on that which is true, one should find where the harmonies occur. Therein, the divine will be found.
To be perceptive is to be TRULY SHARP.......2007-07-25
The one thing that I pride myself on are my keen perceptions. You know when you meet someone for the first time, but there is an aura that puts you ill at ease. You try to put your finger on it, yet you remain baffled. Well this book explains those "gut feelings", if you will. I was aware enough throughout my life to know it wrong to ignore my center senses. This book will teach beyond this primitive awareness. Pay attention to what this book teaches, choose wisely, and pass on your wisdom to those you value.
ELRoe
Book Description
Evil is more serious than either our culture or our theology has supposed. How might Jesus' death be the culmination of the Old Testament solution to evil but on a wider and deeper scale than most imagine? Can we possibly envision a world in which we are delivered from evil? How might we work toward such a future through prayer and justice in the present?
These are the powerful and pressing themes that N. T. Wright addresses in this book that is atonce timely and timeless.
Endorsements
"From now on, [Evil and the Justice of God] should be the first work consulted by Christian philosophers and theologians working on the problem of evil, and pastors, laypeople and Christian workers should read and internalize the perspective of the book to insure a distinctively biblical approach in ministering to people in the face of evil." J. P. Moreland, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Talbot School of Theology, and co-author (with Klaus Issler) of The Lost Virtue of Happiness
"This is a book that every thoughtful Christian should read." John Wilson, editor, Books and Culture
Features and Benefits
- Comes to grips with the reality of evil in the world.
- Does not minimize pain, suffering or wrongdoing.
- Looks at modern views of evil, what they have to contribute and where they fall short.
- Considers the biblical story through the whole of the Old and New Testaments.
- Offers tangible ways forward that we can respond to evil and work toward defeating it.
Customer Reviews:
Looking for Paul's View on the Demonic.......2007-09-14
This book was helpful in researching Paul's view of the Demonic. I have, in the past, found N.T. Wright a little glib in his writing, with words too quickly flowing off the fingers (yet another book rolling off the press) rather than evidence of 'laboured over sentences'. The book did give me insights into Paul's conviction that we 'wrestle not against flesh and blood', that we cannot palm off accountability for sin onto the demonic, (we are individually accountable for our shortcomings), and that Paul's preoccupation was with his adoration of Jesus Christ and not a predilection with the demonic.
In Heaven (Everything is Fine).......2007-08-17
When I reviewed Alister McGrath's Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life, Amazonians recommended the works of N.T. Wright, a British Christian theologian, for answers to the skeptical questions I raised about McGrath's book and theism generally.
In "Evil and the Justice of God" Wright offers a critique of contemporary approaches to evil, and suggests that Christianity's approach is better.
Alas, Wright's book casts great doubts on his capacity to solve any problem, let alone such grand complicated issues as Good, Evil and the existence of God. Wright's book is incoherent, obfuscatory, intellectually empty and morally bankrupt.
The main question about Evil and God is why bad things happen to good people? If God is just, how come the world isn't? I believe that theologians have wrestled with this question for centuries. Wright offers a unique, two phase approach to this problem: 1. refuse to answer it. 2. blame those who even ask.
Wright candidly admits that "I have ruled out... any immediate prospect of finding an answer to the question of where evil came from in the first place and what it's doing in God's good world." (p. 136). OK, so he chickens out from answering the tough questions. But then, he has the Chutzpah of attacking those who do: "much of the agonizing over evil as a problem in philosophy or theology is exposed as displacement activity, as moaning over spilt milk instead of mopping it" (p. 150).
For Wright, the solution to the problem of evil is God as, literally, the ultimate dues ex machine. "The Ultimate answer to the problem of evil is in God's creation of a new world, new heavens and new Earth, with redeemed, renewed human beings ruling over it and bringing to it God's wise, healing order". Makes you wonder why God couldn't get it right the first time.
But, Wright is concedes that he's open to the attack that, if everything is gonna be just fine in the new world, we shouldn't worry too much about this one. Deus Ex Machine comes to the rescue again: We should care about the here-and-now because God wants us to. If only God addressed the world's problems as effectively as he does the theologian's.
Add to Wright's confusions in general his confusion about a specific thing - namely, what do we call evil. When Wright talks about Evil, he's not being metaphorical. He really believes in Satan, supernatural powers, all that "exorcist" stuff. "The Gospels tell the story of the deeper, darker forces which operate at a superpersonal level, forces for which the language of the demonic, despite all its problems, is still the least inadequate" (p. 81).
But should we really look at evil as a "non human being"? (p. 108). Personally, I cannot think about the concentration camps, Mao's Giant Leap Forward or the 9/11 attacks without the word "evil". And yet, "evil" is mostly not a very useful term for thinking about things. What does it mean to say, for example, that the Iraq war is evil? Is George W. Bush evil? I find that the terminology is unhelpful in either case. I don't think the questions of whether some things are evil or not lead to any real insight as to what to do about them.
As if to illustrate my point, Wright offers a reading of the Old Testament as a narrative of God's continues engagement with, and judgment of, evil. When the people misbehave, he sends the Flood. When Pharaoh refuses to "let my people go", he sends the plague. When the Midyanites sin, he sends the Israelites to wipe `em out.
This is a very forced reading. How can the murder of countless innocent first born be called "the Justice of God"? How can Genocide correspond to any concept of good that we would find palatable? What did the animals do to warrant their execution along with humankind in the flood?
Now, we shouldn't expect the bible to embody the morality we hold today. It was written thousands of years ago in a completely different cultural context. But pretending that it does speak to questions of Evil and Justice in a way that's recognizable to us is just that - pretending.
After this unconvincing spin on the Old Testament, Wright tries to discern the qualities of Heaven from a close reading of the book of Revelations. I will spare you the details - suffice to say that it would consist of a very beautiful, but physical place. "An incorruptible, unkillable physical world" (p. 116).
Wright also offers some advice as to how to improve the world we live in today. He's not much of a political philosopher. He chastises the "Modern" view on the superiority of Democracy to other Governments. "Are we really so sure that Western style government is the only or even the best type?" And yet, immediately after that., he says "I still agree with Churchill that democracy is the worst possible form of government, except for all those other forms of government that are tried from time to time." Well, that ought to settle it, then, right? Apparently not "I find myself increasingly wonder[ing] ... [is it] right to expect Afghanistan or Iraq to adopt a version of [democracy?]" (pp. 35-36). Now I'm all confused. What form of government does Wright suggest would be better for Afghanistan or Iraq? A clerical theology? Another Saddam-esque dictatorship?
Although he's not too high on democracy, Wright does like the United Nations and the International Criminal Court (p.125). This is not the place to discuss the merits of these bodies, but I would like to know what biblical authority Wright Marshalls to support either. When the Israelites wanted to enter Israel, they did not call an assembly of the Nations and argued their case peacefully. No International Court judged Moses, Saul or David. It's nice that Wright has faith in the International Community, but this faith does not come from my bible.
Wright respone to evil.......2007-08-07
N.T Wright is one of the best biblical scholars of our times, and this book continues his tradition of insightful and thoughtful writings. Evil and the justice of God is not neccesarily just for those looking to understand the presence of evil in the world but, almost more so for those Christians reading it, how we should respond to it.
Small but Elaborate.......2007-08-02
Well written, but I would have to -slightly- agree with (although not entirely) another reviewer about this book being verbose... it is at times hard to follow, and I have found myself rereading a paragraph 2 or 3 times. Perhaps he intended this book to be much larger and in-depth but decided to condense it to 160-some pages.
I would have to commend Wright on his viewpoints on Evil, and he does manage to point out the problem of 'dualism' that is so common in our culture: that we see evil as an outside force, a clear yin and yang, an us and them. The clarity he brings, is that evil runs through all of us, on some level (not in the horror movie or politician derived evil).
Do not mistake this as Wright trying to say that evil is always there, so just accept it... or as an excuse or explanation... rather he points out our connection (each one of us) to evil, and therefore our responsibility to be aware of it and counter it.
Excerpt:
"...it is a problem if and when a `Christian' empire seeks to impose its will dualistically on the world by labeling other parts of the world "evil" while seeing itself as the avenging army of God. That is more or less exactly what Jesus found in the Israel of his day. The cross was and remains a call to a different vocation, a new way of dealing with evil and ultimately a new vision of God.
What, after all, would it look like if the true God came to deal with evil? Would he come in a blaze of glory, in a pillar of cloud and fire, surrounded by legions of angels? Jesus of Nazareth took the total risk of speaking as if the answer to the question were this: when the true God comes back to deal with evil, he will look like a young Jewish prophet journeying at Passover time, celebrating the kingdom, confronting the corrupt authorities, feasting with his friends, succumbing in prayer and agony to a cruel and unjust fate, taking upon himself the weight of Israel's sin, the world's sin: Evil with a capital E. When we look at Jesus in this way, we discover that the cross has become for us the new temple, the place where we go to meet the true God and know him as Savior and Redeemer. The cross becomes the place of pilgrimage, where we stand and gaze at what was done for each one of us. The cross becomes the sign that pagan empire, symbolized in the might and power of sheer brutal force, has been decisively challenged by a different power, the power of love, the power that shall win the day."
There's much more to it than I have explained... and it is a very creative intriguing work. Other than the problem with ease of understanding, the reason I gave it 4 stars is how he condensed this work so small, and the way (although he admits it) he brushes over so quickly so many passages from the Old and New Testaments.
I recommend this for anyone, not just Christians, if just for his concept on evil if anything.
book review: Evil and the Justice of God.......2007-06-11
Using book for discussion in one our church's adult Sunday School classes
Average customer rating:
- A Simple but Poweful Argument
- "The full acting out of the self's surrender to God therefore demands pain"
- Problem of Pain
- The Problem of Pain in its Right Context
- Absolutely Amazing Tackling of the Issue
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The Problem of Pain
C. S. Lewis
Manufacturer: HarperOne
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ASIN: 0060652969
Release Date: 2001-02-05 |
Amazon.com
The Problem of Pain answers the universal question, "Why would an all-loving, all-knowing God allow people to experience pain and suffering?" Master Christian apologist C.S. Lewis asserts that pain is a problem because our finite, human minds selfishly believe that pain-free lives would prove that God loves us. In truth, by asking for this, we want God to love us less, not more than he does. "Love, in its own nature, demands the perfecting of the beloved; that the mere 'kindness' which tolerates anything except suffering in its object is, in that respect at the opposite pole from Love." In addressing "Divine Omnipotence," "Human Wickedness," "Human Pain," and "Heaven," Lewis succeeds in lifting the reader from his frame of reference by artfully capitulating these topics into a conversational tone, which makes his assertions easy to swallow and even easier to digest. Lewis is straightforward in aim as well as honest about his impediments, saying, "I am not arguing that pain is not painful. Pain hurts. I am only trying to show that the old Christian doctrine that being made perfect through suffering is not incredible. To prove it palatable is beyond my design." The mind is expanded, God is magnified, and the reader is reminded that he is not the center of the universe as Lewis carefully rolls through the dissertation that suffering is God's will in preparing the believer for heaven and for the full weight of glory that awaits him there. While many of us naively wish that God had designed a "less glorious and less arduous destiny" for his children, the fortune lies in Lewis's inclination to set us straight with his charming wit and pious mind. --Jill Heatherly
Book Description
Why must humanity suffer? In this elegant and thoughtful work, C. S. Lewis questions the pain and suffering that occur everyday and how this contrasts with the notion of a God that is both omnipotent and good. An answer to this critical theological problem is found within these pages.
Customer Reviews:
A Simple but Poweful Argument.......2007-09-19
C.S. Lewis offers a brilliant defense of Christian theism despite the pain in the world in this brief book. Combining sharp thinking and excellent prose, this book is highly recommended for Christians and non-Christians alike.
Lewis's arguments are similar to many theodicies (defenses of God's existence despite suffering) developed by great Christian thinkers past and present. Man's suffering is in fact a result of free will, not an original creation of God. And suffering continues to result due to the evil wills and deeds of men. As Lewis observes, "When souls become wicked they will certainly use this possibility to hurt one another; and this, perhaps, accounts for four-fifths of the sufferings of men." If men are to have any significant free will at all, the bad consequences of evil deeds must be allowed.
This, of course, leaves the problem of so-called natural evil. Lewis contends that such evil and pain are necessary for our own repentance. In order to recognize our sins and ask God for forgiveness (and thus restore the proper relationship between created and Creator) we humans must be awoken with pain and suffering. Pain shatters the notion that what we have is ours and is good enough.
The Problem of Pain, despite its brevity, covers a great deal of ground, including a defense of the doctrine of the fall and the doctrines of heaven and hell. All throughout, Lewis's writing style is accessible and convincing. For a powerful defense of Christian theism in the face of a cruel world, "The Problem of Pain" is highly recommended.
"The full acting out of the self's surrender to God therefore demands pain".......2007-07-13
"Try to exclude the possibility of suffering which the order of nature and the existence of free wills involve, and you find that you have excluded life itself."
Another serious and powerful work in a long series by C.S. Lewis: why must we suffer, mentally and physically? He hits on subjects we all struggle with. Lewis detests the doctrine of hell, but it is written, so it must be discussed. The chapter on animal suffering is fascinating. The only chapter that led me to question his words is on man's fall.
On human wickedness: "A God who did not regard this with unappeasable distaste would not be a good being. We cannot even wish for such a God----it is like wishing that every nose in the universe were abolished, that smell of hay or roses or the sea should never again delight any creature, because our own breath happens to stink."
On saving grace: "The dangers of apparent self-sufficiency explain why Our Lord regards the vices of the feckless and dissipated so much more leniently than the vices that lead to worldly success. Prostitutes are in no danger of finding their present life so satisfactory that they cannot turn to God: the proud, the avaricious, the self-righteous, are in that danger."
By the Lord's love we suffer; this strengthens, and it also keeps us on the straight and narrow. If we are to look for easiness, then we are to look for less love. It is for our sake.
"The full acting out of the self's surrender to God therefore demands pain: this action, to be perfect, must be done from the pure will to obey, in the absence, or in the teeth, of inclination. How impossible it is to enact the surrender of the self by doing what we like,..........."
After finishing the book, a thought on heaven came to my mind:
The differences are what makes up a community whether here or in heaven: God has created us after a time where all was God (but that is no more!); we are all unique parts to a puzzle. He needs us all back to complete it----to rejoin our family in heaven; it pangs Him that many will not make it, and choose to ignore their created purpose, because they have surrendered to the self and not to the Lord. Once all was God, but after the creation all has changed; we are asked to be with God because we are of God. We are distinct here on earth, but the maximum distinction awaits us in heaven, to be reunited with our Creator.
Wish you well
Scott
Problem of Pain.......2007-05-30
Excellent book by C. S. Lewis. Used for adult Bible Study discussion group.
The Problem of Pain in its Right Context.......2007-05-01
Pain is real, just as sorrow, death, and wickedness. Your becoming a Christian will not encapsulate you away from it. Christ did not promise that in the first place. But there are reasons why pain happens, as much to Christians as non Christians, and we should reach a better understanding of the circumstances in which we live, so that we can apprehend the promises that are envolved through that pain. Everyone is to pick up a cross at childbirth, but whether you follow Christ with it depends only on you.
This book won't be the treat that 'Mere Christianity' was. It's more philosophical; it assumes the reader is a Christian and has some knowledge of Scripture. But nevertheless, everyone can follow his thinking and it will all make sense. About 160 pages, it has chapters of between 10 and 20 pages, and frames the problem in its right context before reaching his conclusion at the end of the book. This is not a make-you-feel-good (dumb) self-help book. It's a make you understand book.
Absolutely Amazing Tackling of the Issue.......2007-04-15
The first book of CS Lewis I read was "Mere Christianity" and I was profoundly stunned by how effective and witty he could be in his explanation of Christianity and Christian doctrine. So it was with eagerness that I devoted myself to the reading of this book.
And I was not disappointed in the least. The problem of pain is tightly linked with that of evil, in a world supposedly created and led by God. This is one of the most common, and most important, issues in theology, and I dare say, in everybody's life, provided they're somewhat curious about the world they live in. Justifying God on the counts of evil and pain is called theodicy, if I'm not mistaken, and that is what Lewis does in this book, but he does much more.
He deals with the basic problem I just mentioned, how could there be a good God when we live in such a wretched world, but he goes further and treats the human nature as "fallen", and that in a very interesting manner, not your silly Adam & Eve story taken literally (and by "silly" I don't mean the actual myth of Adam & Eve, just the literal taking of it).
Lewis tackles even such a complicated issue as animal pain and the condition of animals in Christianity. That shows quite some bravery.
One chapter is devoted to Hell, and another to Heaven, and either are really amazing prowess of theology. I'm no specialist of theology, but Lewis has a true gift in explaining of all this in a very clear fashion. He truly makes theology a thrilling matter!
After having read "Mere Christianity" and "The Problem of Pain", I'm absolutely convinced that I will get to read everything he wrote on theology, Christianity, and the likes. Regardless of your actual faith or lack thereof, you will find this book (or these books) worth your while. If you're interested in such things, please do yourself a favour and purchase those profoundly marvelous books.
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- It bogged down in the middle
- If Al Gore wrote fanrasy, this is what he would write...
- Great Reading
- Fantastic
- Armaggedon's Children - The Genesis of Shannara book 1
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Armageddon's Children (The Genesis of Shannara, Book 1)
Terry Brooks
Manufacturer: Del Rey
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Binding: Hardcover
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Shannara
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| Brooks, Terry
| ( B )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
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| Books
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ASIN: 0345484088
Release Date: 2006-08-29 |
Amazon.com
If you have never read anything by beloved fantasy writer Terry Brooks, take your chance with Armageddon's Children, a rich and absorbing epic in which the world lies in ruins as the powers of darkness and light battle for control. Want to learn more? Watch our video featuring Terry Brooks:
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Book Description
Terry Brooks is one of a handful of writers whose work defines modern fantasy fiction. His twenty-three international bestsellers have ranged from the beloved Shannara series to stories that tread a much darker path. Armageddon’s Children is a new creation–the perfect opportunity for readers unfamiliar with Brooks’s previous work to experience an author at the height of his considerable storytelling powers. It is a gripping chronicle of a once-familiar world now spun shockingly out of control, in which an extraordinary few struggle to salvage hope in the face of terrifying chaos.
Logan Tom is doomed to remember the past and determined to rescue the future. Far behind him lies a boyhood cut violently short by his family’s slaughter, when the forces of madness and hate swept our world after decadent excesses led to civilization’s downfall. Somewhere ahead of him rests the only chance to beat back the minions of evil that are systematically killing and enslaving the last remnants of humanity. Navigating the scarred and poisoned landscape that once was America and guided by a powerful talisman, Logan has sworn an oath to seek out a remarkable being born of magic, possessed of untold abilities, and destined to lead the final fight against darkness.
Across the country, Angel Perez, herself a survivor of the malevolent, death-dealing forces combing the land, has also been chosen for an uncanny mission in the name of her ruined world’s salvation. From the devastated streets of Los Angeles, she will journey to find a place–and a people–shrouded in mystery, celebrated in legend, and vital to the cause of humankind . . . even as a relentless foe follows close behind, bent on her extermination. While in the nearly forsaken city of Seattle, a makeshift family of refugees has carved out a tenuous existence among the street gangs, mutants, and marauders fighting to stay alive against mounting odds–and something unspeakable that has come from the shadows in search of prey.
In time, all their paths will cross. Their common purpose will draw them together. Their courage and convictions will be tested and their fates will be decided, as their singular crusade begins: to take back, or lose forever, the only world they have.
In Armageddon’s Children, Brooks brings his gifts as a mythmaker to the timeless theme of the unending, essential conflict between darkness and light–and carries his unique imaginative vision to a stunning new level. Prepare for a breathtaking tour de force. To those who are new to Terry Brooks, welcome. And to those who have read him for many years: prepare for a dramatic surprise.
Customer Reviews:
It bogged down in the middle.......2007-10-04
Getting very tired of volumes that bog down in the middle with battle scenes that go on and on. The beginning and first few chapters were excellent, but then it was if the author ran out of steam. Sorry. It just didn't keep my interest.
If Al Gore wrote fanrasy, this is what he would write..........2007-10-02
I wanted to read a fantasy book, not have someone attempt to indoctrinate the evils of our modern civilization. According to this author, we'd all be better off living in tribes, worshiping nature. Meanwhile, people like Al Gore and this guy are among the earths heaviest consumers.
Great Reading.......2007-09-27
This was certainly Terry Brooks at his best -- great reading - went on to the 2nd in the trilogy and can't wait for the 3rd.
Fantastic.......2007-09-24
Loved this book. It is the first book I have read written by Terry Brooks, I have already purchased the next book. It is inventive and original. Kept me spellbound from beginning to end.
Armaggedon's Children - The Genesis of Shannara book 1.......2007-09-03
Terry Brooks has become one of my favorite authors. The first book I read of his was Knight of the Word. I loved the book and quickly read "Running with the Demon" and "Angel Fire East". I have been waiting for this sequel for a long time and I was not disappointed. I'm looking forward to the remaining two books to complete this trilogy.
Book Description
Working with the Shadow is not working with evil, per se. It is working toward the possibility of greater wholeness. We will never experience healing until we can come to love our unlovable places, for they, too, ask love of us.
How is it that good people do bad things? Why is our personal story and our societal history so bloody, so repetitive, so injurious to self and others?
How do we make sense of the discrepancies between who we think we are—or who we show to the outside world—versus our everyday behaviors? Why are otherwise ordinary people driven to addictions and compulsions, whether alcohol, drugs, food, shopping, infidelity, or the Internet? Why are interpersonal relationships so often filled with strife?
Exploring Jung's concept of the Shadow—the unconscious parts of our self that contradict the image of the self we hope to project--Why Good People Do Bad Things guides you through all the ways in which many of our seemingly unexplainable behaviors are manifestations of the Shadow. In addition to its presence in our personal lives, Hollis looks at the larger picture of the Shadow at work in our culture—from organized religion to the suffering and injustice that abounds in our modern world. Accepting and examining the Shadow as part of one's self, Hollis suggests, is the first step toward wholeness. Revealing a new way of understanding our darker selves, Hollis offers wisdom to help you to acquire a more conscious conduct of your life and bring a new level of awareness to your daily actions and choices.
Customer Reviews:
Hollis hits a home-run...AGAIN!.......2007-09-14
Well Hollis does it again...intrepidly going where no human dares to go and shedding light on much material that most of us would rather not examine.
(Don't mind the previous reviewer's dissatisfaction with the God's Shadow chapter. After all, what does the author of a book about increasing impulse buying in supermarkets know about his own shadow, other than the fact that it's already running his life!!)
Good Read for the summer.......2007-05-28
An Interesting read how we are so uncontrolled within ourselves. A really nice reading for the summer. Author goes little far in GOD's Shadow chapter, but overall it is a good book to have
No easy answers.......2007-03-15
Hollis always tackles the hard stuff. He offers you the opportunity of awareness without easy standard "self-help" answers. All of his books are worth reading. This one is outstanding.
In-depth, thought-provoking, illuminating.......2007-02-25
The title might lead a casual reader to dismiss this as just one more lightweight self-help book -- but that's not the case, not in the least! As with Hollis' earlier books, it's a psychologically & philosophically rich examination of the human soul, offering no easy answers, no magic solutions, no simplistic aphorisms in place of real insight. If you truly want to understand your life & its choices, then you have to be willing to do some difficult & often painful emotional work. And that's something few of us are eager to do.
Which leads us to the question: do you want to grow, to become more fully conscious, to strive towards wholeness? If so, you'll have to discard protective illusions, stop expecting someone else to solve everything for you, and apply an almost ruthless honesty to yourself. You won't like a lot of what you see in that dark mirror, and you'll try to fend it off, explain it away ... but that's our mistake. If we can acknowledge the part we unconsciously play in our own suffering, we may well learn how to alleviate some of it & live with what remains.
Mind you, Hollis never promises an end to suffering, a wondrous makeover that does away with every ugly scar & thought! He has too much respect for the tragic view of human life to hold up an illusion of perfect happiness, no matter how golden & comforting. He's very clear on this: what we need isn't happiness, but meaning. And to find it, we have to be willing to grapple with the Shadow, all that we fear & despise about ourselves, all that we reject & often project onto others.
I feel that this is one of Hollis' finest books, in that it possesses an extra depth & richness of insight. It made me look at my own life more deeply than I have in the past, and encouraged me to confront many of its uncomfortable & frightening aspects. At the very least, it will make you think long & hard about yourself. At the most, it may set you forth upon a fascinating & revealing journey. Most highly recommended!
Book Description
The popular unabridged recordings of The Chronicles of Narnia, previously released, are now repackaged and rejacketed with adult art in time for the first Narnia film coming from Disney at Christmastime 2005!
Customer Reviews:
CS Lewis CD collection of 4 great books.......2007-09-06
The reading of each book was complete and well done. I had started 2 of these as books, "Mere Christianity" and "The Great Divorce", but I never seemed to find time to read them. I can listen to the CDs working around the house or in the car. "The Screwtape Letters" were great. A real reminder how clever satan is at making you think that the issue is solely yourself or others. He is called the deceiver for a very good reason. "Mere Christianity" is a very thoughtful book and one worth discussing with others (Book Club, Book study etc.) "The Great Divorce" has nothing to do with marriage, but our divorce from God and how he wants the best for us and we settle for so much less. After listening to this book you will make decisions differently. "The Problem with Pain" is intense. C.S. Lewis is indeed a critical thinker. Pain is the result of the fall from grace and about how grace restores you (much different from curing you). Each time you listen to one of these CDs you will learn more about yourself, God and your relationship with Him. If you are not certain of who God is and is satan is real these CDs will be very helpful.
An outstanding and challenging series.......2007-08-23
There are few books that make you stop and take an accounting of who you are, what you're about and how you fit into time and the universe more than Mere Christianity. While it was originally a radio series (BBC) broadcast during WWII, it's approach is as applicable now as it was then or at any point in time.
If you have any doubts, concerns or interests regarding the existance of God and/or how we relate to Him; if you're searching for Truth (with a capital "T") you will find some of your answers here.
The approach is non-denominational and non- doctrinal. CS Lewis speaks of basic easy to grasp universal concepts rather than lofty dogma. Mere Christianity is and has been a modern classic that can be read and re-read with passion not only for they who search but also for they who have found answers to basic questions we all pose while here on earth
Incredible.......2007-03-29
Of course Lewis' books are great (we all know that) but the narrators in this package of books are spectacular. The narrator for The Screwtape Letters is uncanny (and eerie) in his reading.
The narrators truly make this a first class product. I highly recommend!
excellent.......2007-03-19
Some readers obviously don't understand the material. Others deliver it well enough, but don't sound authentic. Not this time. If I didn't know better, I would say C.S. Lewis himself was reading this book. It has been a pure delight to revisit these classics in audio form. I strongly recommend it.
Outstanding Audio Series - Worth the time........2007-01-11
I like to read, but I found this audio collection to be outstanding. I felt I got more out of his books listening to them, then actually reading them. He is very deep and concentrated in his thoughts and ideas, and it helped me immensely in my understanding and appreciation for who CS Lewis is and how he write.
I am a seminary student, and consider CS Lewis to be a modern day Apostle Paul. If you find reading CS Lewis difficult, I suggest you try the audio books, there is something about having someone read to you, and being able to comprehend it better.
Thanks Amazon for providing this series!
Books:
- 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
- The Secret
- The Seduction of Christianity
- The Simplest Path to Personal and Planetary Awakening, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND: 10 Keys for Unlocking Your Personal Potential, Achieving Spiritual Awakening, ... of Humanity's Ultimate Cosmic Destiny
- The Sixty-Second Motivator
- The Strategy Concept and Process: A Pragmatic Approach (2nd Edition)
Books Index
Books Home
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Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts
Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View (Perennial Classics)
God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything
Cultural Amnesia: Necessary Memories from History and the Arts
Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know--And Doesn't
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