I'm not exactly sure why I decided to order this book, but I'm definnitely glad I did. It's a scholarly exposition of Jesus' message in light of the written record and the times in which he lived. I tend to be skeptical of books and research on the so-called "historical Jesus" (such as the Jesus Seminar), partly because they seem to exalt factual accuracy over faith rather than melding them. I don't have a clear idea how to do that, but the author of this book did.

There's so much to like about this book. If you want to know what a pharisee did, or what it meant to be a carpenter in the Roman Empire 2000 years ago, this book tells you. If the Gospels give clear evidence of what Jesus did or thought, Kent explains why; if they didn't, he leaves the paradoxes unresolved. He's not interested in false reconciliations or idiosyncratic interpretations; everything is solid (or at least it seems that way to me). The book was originally published nearly a century ago, but most of it reads as if it just came out for the first time yesterday.

Kent was clearly a devout Christian, and his work must be read in that light. Other Christians, regardless of where they are on the spectrum of Christian faith, will value this book the most, for he speaks directly to them. But the book has a great deal to offer anyone who wants to understand Jesus' times and teachings. I don't agree with everything written in it (for one, Kent sees Jesus' message as more individualistic and less communitarian than I do), but that doesn't take away anything from the value of the book to me. I'm sure others will feel the same way.

A fine and very satisfying collection of stories with a strong sense of place (southern Minnesota) and the people who inhabit it. Meyers' stories represent the narrative tradition found in "Winesburg, Ohio" and "The Spoon River Anthology." He has a gift for capturing the way rural Midwesterners speak, and each of the stories is a dramatic monologue in a distinctly different voice. He also has a remarkable ability to evoke in words the experience of physical sensations -- qualities of air and movement, nuances of deeply felt emotion and memory.

There are frequent references to the topography of the land and the traces left behind of geological ages past. This awareness of prehistory and the cycles of seasons, migratory birds, and extremes of weather, frame the lives of characters who live and work in rural communities and on family farms. A young man is struck by lightning while operating a combine. A crew boss at a corn processing plant must deflect the mounting rage of an itinerant employee. A young woman struggles with her father to hang onto a farm he no longer wants. A young farmer restores a section of his cornfields to wetlands, so geese will stop again on their seasonal flights. Two bored teenagers invent a death-defying game played out nightly on country roads.

Although often haunted by isolation, loss, and regret, these are richly experienced lives, lived by people reminded daily of their vulnerability by the vast, open land around them and their dependence on one another.

This splendid book is a must for anyone interested in Spanish-German relations over the last several hundred years. Since Spain was long part of the Habsburg Empire, and since Franco's Spain was allied with Hitler's Germany, those relations are both complex and significant. The book's 21 essays cover three periods: The Middle Ages and Habsburg years, the Enlightenment, and from the Spanish Civil War to the present. Most are well written and contain useful bibliography. In addition, 38 pages are devoted to bibliography on German-Spanish relations and there are good onomastic and subject indices. I was particularly taken by the essays linking literary traditions (Kabbala and mysticism, Calderón and German theater, Schlegel and Cervantes, Heine, Unamuno, Neruda, etc.), and by Conrad Kent's well-illustrated essay on the Spanish Civil War as interpreted by German photographers.



The Listening Hand touched me in more ways then one. Ilana Rubenfeld, the creator and "mother-master" of the Rubenfeld Synergy Method, is a clear stand that traditional talk therapies, while effective, are incomplete without the power of touch. Not just any touch, but the Rubenfeld Synergy Method, which she developed over many years, working with an impressive list of mainstream therapists. The book uses many illustrations from her professional practice, but is not so filled with second hand accounts that they become tedious. It is written in such a manner that it is easily understood by lay persons and those not in the field, yet in no way does it feel condescending in tone nor over simplified in its explanation of the nature of the method nor its efficacy. Rubenfeld's writing tone, her clearly constructed sentences, even her picture on the jacket cover, all led me to a space where I could identify with her unique combination of touch and talk. I could imagine her touch, and realize her personal warmth in this book. This was particularly helpful, as you are transported to a safe space while you are reading. Many of the examples from her patients are followed by exercises which can be done either solo or with a partner. Not normally an interactive reader, I found that I was "feeling" through the exercises as I read them.. Even if you are not plagued by physical ailments, nor emotional upsets, there appears to be extreme value in reading The Listening Hand, solo or with a partner with whom you would like to reach a new and highly sensitized level of communication.

Jack Kent writes wonderful books for children, and this is one of my favorites. You are sure to get giggles from your children if you are willing to crow like a rooster, or a cow, or ... Little Peep is a great book for preschoolers with a simple lesson in humility.

This book is an amazing story. It is about a 15 year old girl who has diabetes. After ending up in the hospital for writing false glucose numbers her parents baby her and treat her like she is little. She decided to work at a sleep-a-way camp for diebetic children where she meets this really cute guy, Jason. The only thing with Camp Caribou is that she is the only counselor who has diebetes and she intends to keep it a secret until her secret is revealed. All of ehr friends and Jason feel diapointed that she didn't trust them... If you like this book read- WHY ME? THE COURAGE TO LIVE, also by Debroah Kent.

So many Bible commentaries are dry, dull and difficult. You may find the information you're looking for, but you have to wade through an enormous amount of theological verbiage just to find the one statement or thought that could help you to understand a verse.

This commentary (and the other volumes in this series, for that matter) is refreshingly different. R. Kent Hughes has a wonderful ability of teaching the Bible in a practical way that in no way waters down the passage, and this comes through in nearly every page of this book. Whether you're a pastor looking for sermon help, or you're a Bible study leader looking for fresh insights, or a Sunday school teaching looking for stimulating thoughts, this is the book (and series) for you. I have heard it said that R. Kent Hughes' commentaries on the books of the Bible is to the modern day church what Matthew Henry and Barclay's commentaries were to previous generations, and I agree. In fact, I think they are better.

This book covered so many more areas of my life than I was expecting. The chapters are each very short and easy to read either one at a time or straight through.

What suprised me the most was how their ideas and suggestions could be used in all areas of my life - personal, business and spiritual. The book shows you entirely different ways to approach changes which all of us must encounter in life. One example of this that I particularly liked was "When disasters strike, we can either get bitter or get better - the secret, of course, is attitude."

They also give a lot of valuable information for management to use in the workplace which they have proven tried and true with the details included.

I highly recommend this book to everyone. It will provide many important strategies for you to use in every aspect of your life.

Great detail on the author's beliefs, backed up by research on the publicity and the cover ups. This book brings pulsing excitement to a topic which has been too covered with hokerstism. I'm excited about the possibility about this author's next book. Really Inspiring.

I found this to be a surprisingly deep but easy to read book - Kent is a very insightful author and has a talent for getting his points across. His analysis of the morale consequences - from an unbias perspective - were excellent and really made me think about both the good and evil man is capable of.