I have several of Max Lucado's books, and have never been disappointed. This book puts Jesus death and resurrection in language and thoughts we can under today without losing the biblical meaning. He creates a clear picture and stirs up emotion. Most of the time he brings in someone else's point of view that maybe you hadn't thought of. I highly recommend this book, I read it every Easter.

A classic from 1989 this book tells Christians how much God loves them. With the big idea of our lives are not futile. Our failures are not fatal and our deaths are not final. Each chapter of this book begins with an personal illustration from the author and then moves into the life of Christ. I have read this book at least three times. Each time I read it this book stirs me. I don't know how many tears have fallen while reading this book. If you have never read this book I strongly encourage you to do so. You will not be disappointed.

I bought the book as a gift, but decided to read it first to see if it was ok to give...I was certainly surprised, I was even brought to tears in a lot of chapters...especially when Max does a re-telling of the ruler's daughter in a modern setting. Wow!

Makes a great gift, for others & one's self!

"Material World" is one of those books that EVERYONE should read. It really is beyond description...deceptively simply yet incredibly moving in its stark simplicity. In these pages about families across the globe, we see scenes from their everyday life. When we glance at the pictures of each family on their lawn surrounded by all of their material goods, the difference between the average American family and the average Ethiopian family couldn't be plainer. We look at the faces on these pages, hear their thoughts on the future, and compare their lives to our own...and suddenly the people in other countries seem real to us, and the faceless people of the news suddenly have faces and thoughts and homes and families. Peter Menzel and all of the others who have worked on this book have done a brilliant and wonderful thing when they created "Material World". They have done what no "You should be grateful..." or "Think of those people in other countries..." could have done...they have made the world real to us.

This book was a required "textbook" in a high school "Science and Sustainability" pilot class my school did in junior year. I remember we generally used the books in class but could check them out to take home if we wanted. I checked one out and din't want to give it back. I think I skipped two classes that day just sitting in the student lounge poring over it, and I think the people reading over my shoulder probably had other things to do as well, but I couldn't put it down, it was so fascinating. So of course I bought my own and I can still pick it up and pore over it for another three hours with the same fascination. It's real life, and the families are real people that you feel somehow close to after reading this. I love this book and show it to everyone. This book will change the way you look at things. Also, for those who think that this book is primarily about material goods around the world, you couldn't be more wrong. Each chapter shows an incredibly detailed portrait of life in another country, and is as wonderful for introducing kids to other cultures as it is for opening their eyes to economic realities. Enjoy.

What does the average Ethiopian home look like? What is the average Cuban family's hope for the future? How much does a carrot cost on the black Market in Bosnia? Which country has the highest fish consumption per capita? What does the average Japanese father have for breakfast?

It may seem trivial, but these are the questions that Peter Menzel and the creators of "Material World" have tried to answer. And the answers they found are more profound than you might think. 30 very different countries, and 16 excellent photographers, trying to show through images, statistics and interviews how the world's average families live. The differences are astonishing: the financially average Abdullah family in Kuwait is both literally and figuratively a world removed from the Cakonis in Albania.

In this book, created to celebrate the United Nations International Year Of The Family, sumptuous photographs, show each family with their material possessions spread around them outside their homes: while one family's material wealth seems to consist almost entirely of carpets, another's is made up of animals and cooking pots. One family has four cars, another a single and ragged looking donkey. More photographs show each family in the course of the average day, and coupled with data based on interviews, they answer questions such as: do the children go to school? Where does their food come from? What does their house look like? And most tellingly, what is their most treasured possession? More light hearted sections, which explore average televisions, toilets and meals across the world, show at once how alike and different we are.

The creators of "Material World" have sought, and achieved a fine balance. They contrast not only those countries which we know to be rich or poor, but also look at how other factors, such as war and technology, affect families. The information is implicit rather than explicit, conveyed only through the images and words of each family; while the photographers' impressions are expressed in small "photographer's notes" sections, their main function is simply to show us the real lives of their subjects. No judgements are passed, nor opinions given. The reader is left to examine the evidence for themselves.

"Material World" works on many levels. The quality of photography and the compilation of each section make it beautiful to look at - a smart and very PC coffee table book. The statistical information and photographs together provide a wealth of material for use in schools. Flipping backwards and forwards to explore the differences yourself is as much fun as "Where's Waldo", and the writing is so good that "Material World" is a great book to snuggle up with and read. I can only pick one fault with this book: the more trivial statistical data is not always consistent. For example, data on percentages of income spent on food is only available for some families, making comparison impossible. However, this is a small fault. "Material World" is a fantastic book, original, interesting and well put together. Highly recommended to anyone with even a slight interest in the subject.

No other book I have ever read connected me emotionally to Jesus the way "No Wonder They Call Him Savior" did. Tears came fast and furious, but they were mostly tears of awe and powerful love in response to His revealed love for me. My commitment to my very committed Lord was deepened tremendously. The message is short and to the point and it pierces the heart with accuracy. This is the book I routinely buy for new babes in Christ and those who are struggling in their walk. As far as I'm concerned, this is a MUST READ for all Christians

Is it ever a wonder that Max Lucado is truly anointed by the Lord to touch your heart? In 'No Wonder They Call Him the Savior: Chronicles from the Cross', Lucado gets to the heart of the matter. Even to his Irish friend, Ian who had been there and done that. Tired of religion and theology. When everything else seems empty. What really mattered? He wanted treasure. The answer: The Cross.

As it is written, from Paul in I Corithians, chapter 15.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures....

From the Cross comes Words spoken in the Lord's final acts. The words come from Luke, chapter 23. He spoke to all of us through time. He saw each one of us. From His suffering, His pain and His shame to our sickness, our sin and our doubt. His cry, "Father, forgive them." [Luke 23:34] was enough. To all the Bernhard Goetz's who lash out in anger for injustice. There is justice. To the criminal who died on the Cross next to the Savior there is hope. For those finding a way out there is pardon and forgiveness. To the solider or missionary who leaves loved ones behind. For Love is built NOT on passion and romance but on mission and sacrifice. That eternity is closer than any Good-bye, but in reality 'see you soon.' To all the Judith Bucknell's who cry in loneliness. He reached out from the Cross to your lonely heart. It was Jesus in his hour of abandonment, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' [Matthew 27:46]. When no one else loves you. He is going to love you. He always has. He was fulfilling prophecy. When you're tired and thrist. He knows that, too. God became flesh and dwelt with us to know everything we have ever done with compassion He carried it with Him to the Cross.

The witnesses who were there and saw the miracle of salvation. Even those who ran away. There was a great price paid. He sacrified His life. We all know what had happened that day. The message is in our tears. No education, maturity or religion can separate us from His passion. From the Cross' wisdom comes the open arms of undying Love and a place to come home to. Only that wisdom lies NOT as men sees it, but in Faith in the Power of God. The evidence in an empty tomb. So what does really matter to you? I'd say a living God in the flesh, making the most important decision in your life, to spread the news 'in an information age, NOT regeneration.' In Jesus' words, 'Will you tell them?' 'Will you tell them I came back and that I'm coming back again.' Will you?

NOTE: Contains a Study Guide at the end for each chapter for further study plus added notes. To Max, May God continually Bless you as you Bless us with your gift. In the Love of Jesus.

Max continues to inspire his readers with this superb work, No wonder they call Him the Savior. He writes with such simplistic, concise style that this book is wonderful for all ages.

Lucado captures the reader with superb imagery, as the reader is transported back into time to consider the most wonderful facts of the ages. Then Max brings you back to the here and now with his anecdotes.

All who are Christians, and those who simply desire to know more of the Christian religion, should give serious consideration to reading this book. You'll be glad you did.

Helene Hanff was a New York writer and Frank Doel was a London bookseller. This book chronicles the letters they wrote over a period of many years to one another. Although they never met, they became true friends bonded by their love of literature.

Having read this tiny little gem, I can tell you that I'm not even sure why I liked it so much. Maybe it was because I loved seeing a warm friendship develop between two total strangers. Maybe it was because I loved the dry wit of Helene and the staunch Britishness of Frank. Maybe it was because I liked hearing about the WWII years, how the people of Britain sacrificed, and how one caring American woman made a difference to this small group of Britishers.

One note: this is the only book I have ever read that is truly enhanced by the video. Read the book, then rent the movie. Anne Bancroft is the perfect Helene and Anthony Hopkins is brilliant as Frank.

This is the story of an American writer (the author of the book) who strikes up a friendship by mail with a bookseller in England. The entire book is a series of unedited and un-commented-on letters exchanged between Hanff and the Marks & Co. booksellers at 84 Charing Cross Road. Her primary pen pal is a man named Frank Doel, with whom she shares a love of old books. [Perhaps this is the point where I should say that I flatly disagree, without reservation, with the previous reviewers who believe there was a potential romantic attachment between the two of them.]

The correspondence runs from 1949 until 1969, during which time Helene and the people at 84 Charing Cross Road exchange Christmas gifts and news of their families, but never meet. At least in the early years of the correspondence, almost every year Ms. Hanff states her intention to come over to visit England, but something always comes up to prevent the trip.

In 1969, one of Hanff's letters to Frank Doel is answered by another member of the firm, informing her that Frank Doel has died.

This is a beautiful book, which can be read in 45 minutes. I suppose every reader will take his or her own lessons from the book, but here is mine: If there is something you really want to do in your life, then DO IT when the opportunity arises. Time is finite. If you keep saying, "Maybe next year," there will eventually come a time when there IS no next year. It is a painful tragedy that Helene Hanff never got to England to meet Frank Doer and the other people at Marks & Company, and that poignant sadness is what stayed with me after I had closed the book.

...The book is comprised of letters exchanged by a New York-based American television script writer and various personnel at a small London bookshop where she prefers to buy all her books. The bookseller tolerates her insistance on paying in US currency and stoically endures her teasing and scolding when they send her a book that doesn't quite come up to her expectations. What comes across in this twenty year exchange of letters is the ease with which making and keeping friends is possible--if one only makes the effort. In the years immediately following World War II, Hanff saw that rationed food stuffs were sent to the shop so that they could be shared among the staff. The letters of thanks sent to Hanff and the enthusiasm with which the booksellers greeted friends of the author who happened to visit the shop when taking their vacations in England shows that their affection for their American friend was sincere and deep.

Don't read this collection with the expectation that you will get an in-depth view of the characters' lives. Read it as a way of discovering how simple it is for human beings to drop their defenses and treat one another with respect, civility, humor, and openness. Read it when your hope for humanity is at its lowest.

"84, Charing Cross Road" reminded me of Jan Struther's "Mrs. Miniver." I believe "Mrs. Miniver" was originally published as a series of newspaper articles. When collected into a book, it was rightly or wrongly perceived as a novel. Readers who see it as a novel usually have complaints about it's structure and seeming lack of plot (if this is what you desire, you can always rent the movie). Read as a collection of finely crafted observations of daily life in England during World War II, it's a moving tribute to the strength and durability of the human spirit. "Miniver" and "84, Charing Cross Road" make great back-to-back reads.

Cross Creek is located just south of Gainesville, Florida, and in spite of the urban sprawl the community is today almost as isolated as it was in 1928, when Marjorie Kennan Rawlings and her first husband Charles Rawlings purchased a farm house and citrus grove in the area. At the time of the purchase, Rawlings was a failed novelist in a bad marriage, and both farm house and grove were neglected. A decade later she was a respected writer on the eve of her most popular novel and happily divorced, and the farm and its citrus groves were very much going concerns.

Rawlings would eventually remarry, and both her second marriage and her literary success would gradually lead her away from both her farm and the Cross Creek community--but she would never leave them entirely, always returning for the inspiration that fed her best works. The property was still in her possession and still in use as both a citrus grove and occasional residence at the time of her sudden death of cerebral hemorrhage in 1953. Rawlings left the it to the University of Florida, and in 1970 the property was turned over to the State of Florida for restoration and management. Restoration was completed in 1996, and while the large citrus grove that once surrounded the farm house has been reduced to a representative portion, visitors can now see the property as it existed in the 1930s and 1940s.

Although Rawlings won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel THE YEARLING and would publish several other novels and short story collections, today her literary reputation rests largely on the book CROSS CREEK, in which she details both her own struggle on the land the lives of the community as she knew it during the 1930s. While the book is clearly autobiographical, it is not autobiography per se; she gives little attention to her personal history, preferring to focus instead on the landscape and the individuals that surround her. The stories she offers are by turns funny, sad, thoughtful, each informed by an intensely felt observation of her environment. And while critics may accuse her of having been excessively sentimental in her fiction, no such sentimentality besets this particular work. It is brilliant from start to finish.

CROSS CREEK was published in 1942, and while it is very much of its era in its depiction of rural society and racial considerations, it also proved very much ahead of its time. It is profoundly concerned with ecology long before the term was popularized, and not only are its characters vividly alive, they move against a landscape that is as alive as they, a landscape that at once harsh and nurturing, at once giving and indifferent, and throughout the text (and most particularly in its final chapter) Rawlings repeatedly takes the point of view that we are not the owners of the earth, but its trustees; its care is in our hands.

I have read CROSS CREEK several times, and I returned to it in the wake of a visit to the Rawlings farm in 2003--and while it is not necessary to actually visit Cross Creek in order to fall in love with this book, they each inform the other. The book is somewhat obscure; the community of Cross Creek is difficult to find on the map and awkward to reach, hardly a place you would stumble upon by accident. It must be reached in deliberation. The guide at the Rawlings farm told me that in spite of this they received some forty thousand visitors from around the world each year--visitors drawn by the power of Rawlings' work and a determination to share in the environment she so loved. That is both testament and recommendation enough.

--GFT (Amazon Reviewer)--

Cross Creek is one of the finest memoirs ever written, filled with the grace and beauty of fine writing from one of America's greatest writers, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. Perhaps no other writer has so perfectly and honestly captured a place and time like Rawlings did in Cross Creek. It will transport you to that small acreage of backwoods Florida and cause you to wish for a life such as this.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings purchased a seventy-two acre orange grove in this remote area and fled her aristocratic life in the city to perfect her craft and get published. It is here all her beloved books would be born, including this memoir covering the years of hardships and beauty at the creek. Rawlings herself would become a part of the earth and land as she was reborn here in Cross Creek and would leave behind literary achievements such as South Moon Under, Golden Apples, When the Whipporwll, Cross Creek Cookery, and of course, her Pulitzer winner, The Yearling.

Her close relationships with her neighbors at the creek, both black and white, are told with humor and humanity. Their lives were often filled with hardships but serenity as well, for all of them had chosen to live this kind of life rather than conform to society. Especially poignant are Rawlings's observations of a young destitute (even for the creek) couple who would be portrayed so movingly in her short story, Jacob's Ladder.

Rawlings's recollections of her friendship with Moe and his daughter Mary, who was his reason for living and the only one in his family, including his wife, who cared when he came or went, are told with such beauty we feel pain ourselves when he takes his last breath at the creek. Her deep friendships over the years with Tom and Old Martha are told with humor, honesty and a gift for description few have ever had. Tinged with sadness is Rawlings's relationship both as employer and friend to 'Geechee. Rawlings would attempt to help her to no avail as this sweet personality slowly became an unemployable alcoholic, her mistreatment at the hands of a womanizer unworthy of her love at the heart of her problem. It is perhaps at the bottom of a few bitter comments from Rawlins.

But Cross Creek is about the earth and our relationship to it. When we stray from it we become less because it is a part of us. Rawlings came to believe over time that when we lose this connection to the earth, we lose a part of ourselves. The great and wondrous beauty of nature, from magnolia blossoms and rare herbs to Hayden mangos and papaya, are as much a part of this memoir as the people. Particularly hilarious are Rawlings's descriptions of a 'pet' racoon of mischievious nature and such cantankerous disposition as to almost seem human. Rawlings's world at the creek is perhaps her legacy, a gift given to the reader we can never forget.

In order to enjoy this memoir, however, one must read the entire book, taking into consideration a number of factors. Published in 1942 and covering many years prior in a backwoods area of Florida, at a time when racial equality was a distant dream, some may be offended by Rawlings's casual, though never mean spirited observations. Rawlings honestly relates actual conversations from this time and place between blacks and whites, and blacks to other blacks. Rawlings treated everyone fairly but a long string of farmhands prone to drink and violence, including the one who would destroy her friend and employee 'Geechee, prompted her to lump an entire race into one group, her friends at the creek being exceptions.

Her thoughts on the matter, which are included in one of the 23 chapters, do not really fit in with the rest of this memoir. Having first read this over twenty years ago I did not recall it, and it certainly gave me pause. It is only proof, that even someone as intelligent and literate as Rawlings, can intellectualize a misguided view until it sounds right. Taking everything into consideration I do not feel it should keep anyone from reading this most beautiful and heartwarming of memoirs. But others may feel differently, and have a right to do so.

Rawlings's graceful prose, whether describing a chorus of frogs singing at night as a Brahms waltz, the scent of hibiscus drifting through the air at dusk, or a myraid of dishes meticulously prepared and labored over for hours, is delightful and unforgettable. Cross Creek will make you hungry for succulent fruits, cornbread an hot biscuits with wild plum jelly, and most of all, life. Reading this lovingly written memoir will leave you with a wistful desire to walk away from society as Rawlings did and live the life we crave in our very being, even if it is not possible, and can only be lived in our hearts.....

"Cross Creek belongs to the wind and the rain, to the sun and the seasons, to the cosmic secrecy of seed, and beyond all, to time."
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
(1896-1953)

As a native Floridian (although transplanted now to South Carolina), I have found the works of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings to be a welcomed homecoming and a delightful insight into the "frontier" Florida life of the 1930s and '40s. Rawlings' words are timeless because they animate a timeless period in Florida history--when things were still largely rural, natural, and undisturbed by capital investment and the tourism boon of the last thirty-plus years. "Cross Creek," moreover, is the perfect introduction to Rawlings for the uninitiated, a moving narrative of her life and career amid the backwoods and streams of a bygone Florida. Yet "Cross Creek" is not simply an autobiography; it is a lavish tale in itself. I highly recommend it.

I also suggest the motion picture version of "Cross Creek," starring Mary Steenburgen and Peter Coyote (1982?). It has recently been re-released, so you should be able to find a copy easily. The movie is perhaps "even better" than the book, with its stunning cinematography of the natural beauties of Florida woods, creeks, rivers, and swamps. It stays fairly true to the book, as well, and Steenburgen and Coyote are endearing as Rawlings and Norton Baskin. Rip Torn is another wonderful addition to the cast.

Pick both of these up today!

I consider the book a complete overview of the design history of the Star Wars Univers. The drawings detail is just great and there is a wealth of information too that bring us back to the origins of many of the familiar vehicles and ships of the original trilogy. The fold-out of the Droid Control Ship is amazing but the other drawings are no less impresive. I strongly recomend this book to everyone interested in technical detail even if you are not a Star Wars fan.

Just like the first Incredible Cross Sections, this book amazes with page after page of intricate cutaways of almost every ship in Episode 1. The foldout of the Droid Control Ship, much like the foldout of the Death Star in the origionl, is great. Definitely recommeded, even if your not a Star Wars fantaic

The artwork and detail in this book is mind blowing. However, since few of the Episode 1 vehicles are as intriguing as the ships in the original trilogy, this book is slightly less interesting, in my view. That is not to say it isn't essential if you're into technical artwork or Star Wars as a whole. It's probably best to get them both, the older book and this new one. I have one question to DK, however: Where's the Star Trek cross sections book?

Whether you create global advertisements, businesses, or Web sites, you should read this book.

Author Simon Anholt writes about the challenges of creating successful global advertising campaigns. Most companies fail miserably in this department, and he outlines the reasons why. He also provides a model for "smart centralization," which he believes international advertising agencies should follow. This model also makes a great deal of sense for the development and management of global Web sites, which is one reason I enjoyed this book. I also liked how Anholt explained the inherent tension of trying to be both global and local at the same time. Here's an excerpt:

The fundamental challenges of international marketing communications are about preserving the perfect balance between sensitivity to the culture of the brand and sensitivity to the culture of the consumers around the world. If you abandon or relax your grip on the first sensitivity, you end up with fragmentation, loss of identity, and loss of control. Abandon or relax your grip on the second, and you fail to communicate effectively, and fail to build a global brand.

I also liked what he had to say about the importance of translation:

So when the question comes up, why can't we just use English? I always ask this question: do you think that consumers should make the effort to understand us, or should we be making the effort to be understood by them? Are we more interested in being respected, or showing respect?

Author Simon Anholt, an international advertising consultant, says that the dangers of globalization can be just as formidable as the opportunities - if you fail to research the culture of your new markets. We've all heard the marketing legends of companies that embarrassed themselves by launching products into foreign markets without checking the translation of their brand names. Anholt retells several of these tales to illustrate the perils that await global firms that don't take culture into account. Meshing advertising and marketing strategy, he presents a systemic approach to cross-border product expansion. We [...] recommend this book not only for its insightful, culturally adaptive marketing methodology, but also for the genuinely entertaining examples that might just make you laugh out loud.

Simon Anholt has carved an impressive niche for himself in international marketing circles as a regular sage at conferences and seminars.

Another One Bites The Grass is, however, even more pithy than usual. Both witty and penetrating it lays bare the successes and failures of some famous international campaigns. The essence, and the reason for these 5 stars, is not for his being an excellent raconteur. Instead his philosophy of dynamic, multi-lingual, multi-cultural teams must make sense to those marcomms exec's who try to scale the translation mountain.

This is a book that is a MUST for those who have responsibility for putting out attractive messages internationally. Furthermore, it is an enlightening and instructive read for anyone in business, large or small, about the perils of communication on a global scale if one thinks only within one's home environment.

Buy this book - you will be entertained and educated in the best possible way.

Attend the next conference that Simon Anholt speaks at - you will be wiser for it.

I read this book 25 years ago and I still recommend it to everyone. Times may change, but through the ages women face the same trials, heartbreaks, and responsibilities that are unique in our roles as daughters, mothers, and wives. Reading this book as a young woman, I received insights into my own life and future. I highly recommend this book.

I've purchased this book 2 years ago, and 9 years have passed since I first read it. I tend to re-read it at least once per year, especially when the first buds of depression appear or I doubt the purpose of human life.

The book is profound and epic in handling the storyline, it's well worth the Nobel prize. It's not a silly bodice-ripper or the story unnecessary embellished by descriptions of sumptuous feasts, glittering costumes, erotic scenes etc. Though, the descriptions of Norway's astute yet breathtaking nature are lavish. The author also expertly describes aspects of social and religious traditions of Norway in 14th century, way of living and thinking, standards of behavior and culture. It's the book where musings and inner conversations of the characters occupy paragraphs.

If you've read this review so far you probably start thinking it's a boring and moralizing book. But behold this: the book spans the life story of Kristiin, daughter of noble parents, and her happy childhood, involves forbidden illicit passion, murder, her stormy and controversial marriage, pride in seeing her sons growing, estrangements and reunions, family feuds, a royal conspiracy, constant choice between earthly chores and consolation in God, heroic and mundane. We see the world as it has been through eyes of the three main characters, their joy, hatred, secret sorrow and passion.

I've read quite a few excellent historical novels by modern writers (such as Zoe Oldenbourg, Margaret George, Sharon K Penmann), but this book is different. Read it and make sure yourself! Subject of the book is eternal. The choices the characters face and hardships they have to overcome are as old as humankind. The ultimate gift of the author, what makes this book different is that the reader feels both close and wrenching sympathy for Kristiin and her kind, but still they remain remote for their rhythm of life, way of thinking and world perception is 600 years old. But the thread of life spins through the pages and binds past and future and we feel tenderness of a caress, warmth of fire and pain from losses. For technology and traditions change, not the human nature itself.

I found this trilogy in a college bookstore some 25 years ago and was captivated by both the story and the Undset's background (writing these elaborate, intricate tales by oil lamp). When a good friend asked if she could borrow something to read on a cross-country plane trip, I handed her this book--and never got it back. I wanted to reread it, but couldn't remember the title or the author's name. Fifteen years later, I found a selection Undset novels while on vacation in Norway, and, appropriately, rediscovered Kristin as I toured the Norwegian coast in a mail boat. I brought the books (three individual paperbacks) home and placed them on the shelf of my rental house, so others could discover Undset's world for the first time. Then I sold the house furnished, and neglected to retrieve the books (which I hope are still entertaining summer vacationers!). So, I'm buying Kristin Lavransdatter again, because she and her family haunts me, and every 10 to 15 years I want to meet her once more...

The story of how David Wilkerson came to found Teen Challenge should be a must read for anyone who follows Jesus Christ. The Cross and the Switchblade describes how Wilkerson put feet on his faith that took him from rural Pennsylvania to the streets of New York City. It's the story of how a pastor followed the leading of the Holy Spirit and reached out to minister to people with whom the churches would not associate.

Wilkerson describes in his book how essential it is to meet the unloved where they are, rather than waiting for them to show up in church all dressed up and ready to worship within the ranks of the clean and respectable. He also rightly emphasizes the importance of follow up, how one can't just expect to go out and distribute tracts or preach from street corners without also developing real, loving relationships with people and ministering to their needs, both spiritually and physically.

Now that Teen Challenge International has grown to over 200 centers around the world, it is interesting to note that the struggle in recovery ministry continues to be much the same: It's extremely difficult to get people to reach out in love to those who have never been loved, and it's nearly impossible to get church members to venture outside their doors to love their neighbors as they love themselves.

I praise God for Rev. Wilkerson and the way that he listened to God and ventured out in faith. I thank him for sharing the story of his work.

A powerful book that will send God-bumps down your spine! Even if you are not a fan of David Wilkerson's later writings, this book is truly a God send. Read this book if you want to learn of the power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of others.

What a tremendous message this book has to give. Miracles happen right in the worst parts of New York, away from the glamourous bits, right in the middle of the hard, the tough, the smelly and the nasty - and it actually keeps on happening.

These days, so much has changed. A local pentecostal preacher once told me that he went to Leeds one Saturday; that he was so disgusted by the beggars, and used to see the same ones all the time, how awful that they should always be there; and once he got real close up to one, who was (from what he told me) probably very weak, maybe even dying, lying on the ground, got about six inches away from their ear, and shouted at the top of his voice, "GET A JOB!!!"

Stand this in contrast with the Wilkerson man. This guy, realizing that the zonkos and beggars know that they're sinners, possibly scarcely realizing anything else at all, goes and gives them a bed for the night - feeds them - gives them a bath and warm clothes. The tells them that God knows them and has already fixed up a plan for them - that to the God who made the sun and the outer planets, THEY matter - "whosoever will" can come and drink from the waters of life, that they can repent, and be made blameless before the king of kings.

[Life isn't cheap to this man.]

Then the guy fixes up this organisation called "teen challenge", held together by almost no money at all, but lots of prayer, who pulls loads of dropouts and folks who are very nearly dead from all over the place and stands them on the the higher ground...

Man, this book is so good. I know that these days, many of the big churches... (I used to be in Perth, Western Australia) and there was this huge church near to the Casino. The car park was full of BMWs, and all the evidence was that the church was really inwards looking, far too concerned with "signs and wonders" to remember about the plan of Salvation at all. So much for the lost, no place for them. When I went to Yorkshire, I was amazed how the church had similarly split along these lines - those who preached the gospel, the same one as David Wilkerson preached - to the lost sheep - (go and READ this, will you) and those who prayed for (and maybe got) bigger houses, fatter share options, sports cars, foreign holidays, etc. The contrast is huge.

Read this book and find out what the cost of discipleship to Christ really means - how many days and nights of prayer it really takes to move those mountains - and what faith is REALLY about. And the failures, when Sonny does not come back, and all the disappointments when it doesn't seem to go to plan and they're just about to get kicked out of the building...

I was brought up with this book, and as far as I can remember, I have worn out probably six copies. Time I got myself a new one....

The Cross Country Quilters are 5 people who meet at Elm Creek quilt camp and become friends. Donna and Megan have been internet friends for a few years but this is their first time meeting in person. Julia is an actress who needs to learn how to quilt for an upcoming role in a feature film. Grace is an accomplished African-American quilter who has lost her muse due to a personal matter that she wishes to keep secret. My favorite character is Vinnie, an 82 year old quilter who celebrates her birthday at Elm Creek every year. Each character has a conflict in their life that they need to face. At the end of quilt camp, they decide to make a challenge quilt--each participant contributing one block. One restriction is that they can't start their block until they have dealt with their personal conflicts. They agree to stay in touch and to meet at quilt camp the following year to put together the blocks they have made. This plot is very similar to what we read in "Round Robin". The main differences being that we are introduced to 5 new characters facing new sets of personal problems and they are making a challenge quilt instead of a round robin quilt.

My only complaints with this book are the proof reading and some minor inconsistencies. For example, I just get a little annoyed when I see things like "her Mother her Mother's". One of the inconsistencies is that Megan knows that Donna has a weight problem. But when they meet, Donna wonders if Megan thought she would be skinny. How can that be if Megan knew through their email that she fought with her weight for years. Overall, though, it was a really good book and I highly recommend it to all quilters.

It was wonderful!! My sister, Susie, told me about the books by Jennifer Chiaverini, said they were so special. She was right! I have just finished the Quilters Apprentice and have just this minute ordered Round Robin!! I can't wait to get it and dive right in. I have been quilting for about 15 years and it was exciting to read a book that named a lot of the squares I have used in my own quilts. Keep the great books coming!! I will have them all for my own collection!

The Cross Country Quilters is the first book by Jennifer Chiaverini I have read. I also know nothing about quilting. Quilting knowledge is not a prerequisit to reading and enjoying this book. Much like Julia, the newest quilter at Elm Creek Quilt Camp, I was slowly drawn into the world of material,color, and design. During a summer session of quilt camp a unlikely grouping of friends takes root, and they promise to continue their friendship through designing and completing their own block of a challange quilt. They plan to meet the following summer to piece the blocks together. The five women, Julia, Vinnie, Megan, Grace and Donna return home not only to face the challanges of the quilt blocks. They also must face the continuing challanges of their busy lives with work, family, careers, and illness. At times it seems that each woman has too much to deal with, without worrying about the planned meeting the following summer. Just as quilting combines materials which don't seem to have much in common, Jennifer Chiaverini, using the theme of quilting and friendship, intertwines these women's varied lives with warmth and believability. I look forward to reading the other books by this author.