I read this book along with Frank Viola's book "Rethinking The Wineskins" and I found this book to be a bit more easier to follow and more practical. While Viola's book seem to have an heir about it that said "I'm ticked off at the established church and here is why" this book simply offers the reader a candid look at the New Testament model of house churches and how the Bank's are seeking to follow the NT pattern. Bank's is a scholar. You will find in this book a man who loves God, loves people, and teaches the truth of Scripture clearly. If you have read books on house churches and have walked away with a bit of skepticism (as I have at times) than buy this book and you will find that Bank's is truly a brother in Christ who only desires to be like Jesus.

A practical survey of the house church movement. Without bitterness toward traditional models of church, Banks introduces a refreshing model for the household of faith which has its roots in the first century. It is a radical concept for many American Christians because it stands in such stark contrast with the more individualistic, consumer driven model for church which has taken center stage in Western Culture.

Robert and Julia shared from experience when they wrote this book. It is so refreshing to read a book that is about real life, rather than just the theory and doctrine of how house church ought to be. The various testimonies are really insightful.

If you are contemplating leaving the institutionalized church, this book would be a good place to start your journey toward relational fellowship in the home setting.

A landmark book, Coastal Waters reflects the creative genius of a natural photographer in complete harmony with his world. Not since Ansel Adams's indepth studies of the dynamic and ever-changing landscape of the West has another artist been so in touch with the life and images in his daily world. Please give us more of this talented young man's work.

His best work since "Seashells of North Carolina." A talented photographic tribute to a treasured coastal area.

A "picture book" of the highest calibre. This is one of the most calming and beautiful books I've ever purchased. Mr. Taylor's hauntingly insightful photographs portray the true nature of Coastal Carolina and give the reader/viewer a true insight into the ways of life "Downeast." The Introduction and Forward are as comforting and peaceful as the photos. A book to dream through after a harried day. I'd move there in a minte if it weren't for the fact that (I'm proud to say) I already have. Heaven is truly closer here by North Carolina's "Coastal Waters."

This book explains the SCAM! The federal tax code book says that income taxes are collected as a voluntary contribution, then why are we "forced" to pay, this book is the door way to freedom!!!

This book describes the insidious threats undertaken by a select group of moneyed powers to destroy our Constitutional rights given to Congress in the control of money, regulating its value, and the right of the country's money supply belonging to its citizens.

The author does an excellent analysis of the British intent to destroy America's fledgling financial dreams of a money system for the people and created by the people. Through its agents of Jay Cooke & Co., the Rothschilds and the traitorous Senator from Ohio John Sherman (brother of Gen. Wm. T. Sherman) the rise of the national banks and their sole intent to destroy the Constitution by controlling and regulating the supply and value of the country's money. Drawing on numerous 'hidden' sources -- memos, letters, etc. -- the book describes exceedingly well the worst in political and financial corruption encountered in the 19th Century.

This book explains the dialectics of money power eloquently and scholarly. Concentrating mainly on the 19th Century (it is a little weak on the Hamilton, Jefferson and Morris discussions first exposing the differences in financial power prior to 1792 and the discussions in determing what a dollar or 'unit' consists) nevertheless, it rightfully places Andrew Jackson as perhaps the greatest president in exposing the corruption of the (Second) Bank of the United States and the seditious acts of those associated with it (or instance its president Nicholas Biddle, et al.) and most importantly, providing the clarion warning call to all 19th, 20th and 21st Century sons of liberty that giving away the people's control of the money system is the primary constitutional threat to sovereignty this country faces.

The state banking era (1837 to 1862) however is not properly addressed (perhaps the author believed this was the era in which decentralized banking practices were in accord with the intent of those who framed the Constitution -- we will never know), and neither is there a full expose of those individual interests in forming the power basis of national banks with the exception of the secret meetings of John Sherman (in 1867) with British financiers. Obviously, at the time the book was written, the national banks had completely corrupted the financial system to the point where so much of the system's weaknesses were blatantly noticable by all (debters and creditors alike) but those very few who derived maximum benefit. The state banking era was but a temporary memory between the interlude between the collapse of the corrupt (second) Bank of the US and the rise of the corrupt national banking system (which was in guise a reincarnation at a tempt at a central banking system -- the National Banking Association in NY called the shots much like today's Fed. Res. system).

The 1862 to 1875 period is rightfully exposed as the most politically and financially corrupt period of the national banking era. Until 1873 gold and silver bullion was freely coined into money on account of the depositer at the mint, thereafter, on the account of the US Treasury. The mysterious circumstances surrounding the congressional passage of the Act of Feb. 12, 1873 is exposed and evidence is presented on why so many in Congress changed their voting records to promote passage of this act. Furthermore, the big mystery of why the silver dollar was deleted from the list of coins to be made on the final draft of the bill remains today. The effects of this would shape the debate between the silver and gold interests until 1900. Thereby, 1873 is rightfully exposed by the author as the last year the US could be a creditor nation, thereafter it was indebted to those interests who controlled politics and finances. With most of the later quarter of the 19th century the moneyed interests attempted to destroy the greenbacks (Resumption Act of 1875) and government financial instruments in hopes to promoting a debt based financial system where the money does not belong to the people but must be had through the banks at high rates of interest.

To a great extent the national banking system brought about a system that succeeded in creating a central banking power controlling the political and financial system in the country. While the forms change with time, legal prowess and the vagaries of the Supreme Court, the insidious greed of the heart finds new modes of concentrating money and power.

In summation, the book is an excellent scholarly written overview on the rise of the banking system of this country. Numismatic researchers of both coin and financial paper too will find it highly rewarding. It is highly recommended.

"The world is governed by far different personages than what is imagined by those not behind the scenes"--Benjamin Disraeli "Those unaware are unaware of being unaware"--Merrill Jenkins, Monetary Realist. For nearlyone-half century, the news industry strove to keep us fearful of a being enslaved by a country that we were feeding and financing and this was absurd! President James A. Garfield (1831-1881) stated:"Whoever controls the volume of money in any country is absolute master of all commerce and industry"( including the news industry) He was shot. It is apparent that the total effort of those in power is to control the volume of money by all means fair and foul so that they will remain our absolute masters. This message concerns the controlling of the volume of money. There were people who hated the U.S. Constitution as it was being written and there has always been such people since it was ratified over 200 years ago. Congress was granted the power to provide penalties for counterfeiting. Naturally, counterfeiters don't want either interference or penalties. Nevertheless, in the Mint Act of April 2, 1792, Congress provided a penalty of death for officers of the mint who might participate in debasing our gold and silver coinage. This harsh penalty was deemed necessary because those wise men knew that unrestrained counterfeiters could overthrow the republic. Where are we now? FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF RICHMOND, KEYNES ON INFLATION, PG.6 KEYNES IS QUOTED FROM HIS BOOK, ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF PEACE. " LENIN IS SAID TO HAVE DECLARED THAT THE BEST WAY TO DESTROY THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM WAS TO DEBAUCH THE CURRENCY. BY A CONTINUING PROCESS OF INFLATION, GOVERNMENTS CAN CONFISCATE SECRETLY AND UNOBSERVED, AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE WEALTH OF THEIR CITIZENS. BY THIS METHOD THEY NOT ONLY CONFISCATE, BUT THEY CONFISCATE ARBITRARILY. AND WHILE THE PROCESS IMPOVERISHES MANY, IT ACTUALLY ENRICHES SOME. LENIN WAS CERTAINLY RIGHT. THERE IS NO SUBTLER, NO SURER MEANS OF OVERTURNING THE EXISTING BASIS IF SOCIETY THAN TO DEBAUCH THE CURRENCY. THE PROCESS ENGAGES ALL THE HIDDEN FORCES OF ECONOMIC LAW ON THE SIDE OF DESTRUCTION, AND DOES IT IN A MANER IN WHICH NOT ONE MAN IN A MILLION IS ABLE TO DIAGNOSE." FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF RICHMOND, KEYNES ON INFLATION, PG.10 KEYNES IS QUOTED FROM HIS BOOK, TRACT "Keynes argues that inflation is a method of taxation, which the government uses to secure the command over real resources. Resources just as real as those obtained by ordinary taxation. What is raised by printing notes is just as much taken from the public as is a beer duty or an income tax. A government can live by this means when it can live by no other. It is a form of taxation which the public finds hardest to evade and even the weakest government can enforce when it can enforce nothing else."

I feel that this book has been the most outstanding work ever done in the financial services sector. I recommend this highly especially for people involved in the financial services business. I have used this book immensely in my business too. My heartiest congratulations to all the four authors of this book. I look forward to another book from them in the future.

It is a superb book which has a total grip of the latest in the financial services sector globally.

A "MUST READ" for all financial services participants and strategists. I have read the book three times over and everytime I read this book I find a new angle which I could apply to my business.

A very useful book describing a variety of approaches to creating value, such as strategy, products, technology, logical and mathematical modeling frameworks for analyzing a firm's strategy, technology, and process choices.

A must read for managers of financial service firms, and consultants as well as researchers who work in the area of strategic planning, technology choice, process design and process re-engineering.

Six months ago I was faced with the reality that I had Crohn's Disease. At that point I wanted to get my hands on as much reading material as I could on the subject (because when you are sick about all you can do is sit and read anyway). Out of all the books I have read on the subject I can honestly say that this book is one of the best overall books on the subject.

This book is devided in three major sections. The first part is about The Nature of the disease. In this section the book discusses basic definitions, who gets the diseases, what causes them, how it is diagnosed, and systemic manifestations.

The next section is about Treating the Diseases. This section covers medications and their side effects, nutritional complications, surgery, and the threat of cancer.

The last section covers Living with the Diseases. This talks about diseases in children, pregnancy, older people, emotions, hospitalization, life insurance and medical insurance, what to do if you become disabled.

I recommend this book for anyone who suffers with either of these diseases. This book is a fantastic handbook/reference book for people who are sick with these illnesses. It has helped me unterstand my Crohn's disease better then I ever thought possible. I wish you all the best!!

It used to be that this was the only 'laypersons' book out there for people suffering from IBD. Newly diagnosed with ulcerative colitis 10 years ago, I found this book to be enlightening and informative. It helped me to get a handle on things when I felt my life spiraling out of control due to a disease I had never even heard of before. Today those suffering from ulcerative colitis and Chrohn's Disease have more reading material at their disposal, but this book remains as the staple for any person suffering from IBD. It can also serve as an invaluable resource to friends and family of IBD survivors who also feel confused and helpless. Anyone who has ever taken prednisone for IBD knows the symptoms and treatments for these diseases can make articulate and unemotional explanations almost impossible to formulate. Handing over a copy of this to your siblings, parents, spouse, or even your roommate is the best thing you can do for them, and for yourself.

I found this book was a god send for me when I was newly diagnosed 10 years ago. I was feeling incredibly confused & overwhelmed with many, many questions I needed answered. It was very well organized & comprehendable to the average person dealing with these diseases. I highly recomment it to those who feel that the answers that they got from their Physicians were.t quite enough. It is also great for family members.

In this little book, a wise and humorous old gardener converses with four psychologists about the nature of life. In spite of the fact that his views go against all their training and beliefs, the therapists find themselves intrigued and captivated.
Reading these conversations, I am often stopped in my tracks by a sentence or a phrase that suddenly brings a profound feeling or a deep insight. At that point, there is no need to read further; I put the book aside for a time, feeling full and grateful.
I recommend The Enlightened Gardener to anyone looking for a deeper understanding of the connection between spirit and psychology, or anyone just hoping to find a deeper understanding of life. Beneath the simplicity of style lie hidden treasures, appearing when you may least expect them.

In the novel The Enlightened Gardner we are whisked away to the charm and beauty of the English countryside, while being offered a chance to catch glimpses of our true spiritual nature. Through the words of the main character, in his conversations with a small group of professionals, we are given the opportunity to experience peace and contentment beyond what we thought possible. This book will draw you back for more than one reading, and have you continually looking at life from a fresher and more positive perspective.

Wow!

The first chapter or two are a bit on the fluffy side, but when you get to the discussions with "the gardner," things get philosophically deep, real deep. What a refreshing take on how the mind and our thoughts interplay to make who we are. I've read Banks's other books, and this is by far the best and most successful attempt that Sydney has made in relating his understanding of how mind, consciousness, and thought affect and direct our lives. I also enjoyed his previous book "The Missing Link," but a couple of my colleagues that read it found it to be like popcorn...it tastes great while your eating it, but it doesn't fill you up. I disagree with their opinion on "The Missing Link" to a certain extent, and also agree with them to a certain extent, but I can honestly say that the enlightened gardner isn't popcorn--this is a full pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream (Double Chocolate Fudge Brownie flavor). Banks has clearly gone to another level of conveying his unique perspective on life through analogies that are simply perfect (Ugh!, I can't stand using that word, but I can't think of a better synonym right now). For those who may have had trouble grasping the paradox of the concurrent simplicity and complexity of his message in the past, this book is hard to argue with--it's that convincing. I'm already passing this around the office, but enough sugar...

As I've mentioned before, one of the things that makes Iain Banks so great is his refusal to repeat himself, all of his novels, SF or not (and this one is not), are different animals, tackling different subjects in various ways. Yet all of them are clearly written by the same person. This is one of his less brutal novels, describing the rise and fall of a extremely popular fictional rock band as seen through the eyes of their bass player and principle song writer. And while there are the typical things that you'd seen on the usual rock biopics, the drugs and sex and drinking, Banks doesn't focus on those all that much and looks at the price of fame, at the interaction between the band members, and takes some well-deserved stabs at the music industry while he's at it. The book is told in the first person by Daniel Weir (or "Weird") and while he's a bit mopey he has a keen sense of humor and his observations of the madness going on around him (even as he willingly throws himself into the madness) are perceptive and the situations the characters find themselves in are often bizarre but strangely funny and oddly realistic. Banks also makes a good decision to continue to follow Daniel after the band inevitably breaks up, interspersing his recollections of the band years with his life living in Scotland (he does an excellent job of portraying the city and people, giving the place a distinctive flair, his gift with the accents is well done, although that coupled with the local slang can make some conversations a bit hard to follow or understand . . .) and the people he meets, many of whom don't realize that he has more money than he can figure out what to do with and he's trying to decide what the heck to do with his life in general. All of this actually does lead somewhere and Banks gets credit for giving the reader a definite ending while leaving it open at the same time so that we never know for sure how it goes . . . double credit goes to not making it some kind of sappy, "It's a Wonderful Life" sort of ending either. In the end, the characters, major and minor, all come across as real people and Daniel feels like an oddball friend who has been telling you the story of his life while you sit there. Possessed of a humanity Banks' book sometimes lack, this remains one of his most charming novels.

Having recently read Espedair Street and seen Almost Famous (directed by Cameron Crowe) in the movies, it's kinda logical to compare those two pieces. As a start I gotta say first, that I liked both handiworks and it's tough to tell if one was better than the other.

Both works accompany a rock band on their way to famedom. And in both works the author picks one leading character to tell the story from his viewpoint. While Crowe uses the young reporter William Miller as an outside observer, who acts basically as the band's mascot, Iain Banks features Daniel Weir as the band's base player and genius mind behind their songs. The stories unfolding are quite amusing, and the band members and all the different egos involved are displayed quite honestly, giving diversified insights to the life of a rock band behind the curtains. Yeah, it's all glimmer and glamour, but the people behind are no gods (though they might wanna believe they are), but they are ppl like you and me with positive and negative traits alike.

But while Crowe's message ends here, Banks goes a bit further, as he creates a second plot around Daniel Weir after the band has split up. While Danny recalls his bands' story, his current life as the queer hermit residing in his remote church runs parallel and is described in quite colorful details, featuring just another group of freaky people and very comic-style situations, with some of them resulting from his former life as a rock star, and some just odd emanations of the weirdness of daily life.

But just when you start wondering if all this is leading somewhere at all, and whether Danny Weir, who has already left behind his life as a rock star, will also give up for good, a last twist in the plot changes everything, and Banks opens a final chapter which brings all story plots together, blending them nicely into each other.

With this novel Iain Banks just proves once again his special touch to describe the magic of life in all its variations, and his touch for the magic of words used to describe the events unfolding around his leading character. No event is weird enough not to be plausible, and Banks lets us believe that everything can be possible: You just gotta look and watch: Not only with your eyes, but also with your heart and imagination.

This book opens quite well and finishes in spectacular fashion. I have read it several times. Unfortunately, however, I continue to loan my copy to friends who lose or destroy it (hence I have bought at least 4 copies to date). Nevertheless, all were money well spent.

The character development of Daniel Wier throughout the book is not quite as well done as Banks managed to do with the hero of the Crow Road. However, he still manages to come to life. The tall, ugly, maladroite superstar who has the midas touch with all that it entails is a lot more real than some of the other characters Banks has developed in his books.

The atmosphere of the book is enthrawling. The contrast between the faux (or should that be fou) church where Wier now spends his days, and the tropical islands, recording studios, mansions, etc that were his playground, contributes to the characters sense of loss.

The humour of the book is its main asset. Chasing drunken hounds around a false alter, cocaine conversations, champagne hedgehogs, etc. Brilliant!!!!!!!!!

Favorite scene with Kate-
Telling Michael she fell in love with him because of cookies.

Favorite scene with Michael-
Realizing only his wife and baby are important.

Favorite scene together-
Discussing his childhood photos.

Self-made millionaires Michael Hawkins, Dylan Barrow, and Justin Langdon are all products of the Granger Home for Boys, a place for orphans. After winning an award from their former home, the trio discusses their successes, futures, and giving something back to the community by quietly forming the "Millionaire's Club" to help needy people. Michael's project involves unwed teen moms.

Meanwhile, Michael has problems on the professional and personal front. After winning a major contract, he and his trusted assistant Kate Adams celebrate with a few drinks that lead to lovemaking. Kate has loved her boss for quite a while, but he remains the "Tin Man" and tries to write off their evening of passion. However, a now pregnant Kate quits. When Michael realizes she is carrying his baby, he wants the child to have a name and security unlike his own childhood. He blackmails her into marriage using her mom's heart condition as a weapon. Even for the sake of their child, Kate wonders how she can live a lifetime with unrequited love?

The first "Millionaire's Club" story is a warm relationship tale that will please fans of contemporary romance. The story line is fun due to the lead characters, especially Kate who gains reader empathy. The support cast provides depth to an engaging novel that will send readers to seek books two and three, as they will know that they can take this author to the bank.

Harriet Klausner

Expecting was a real treat for me I really enjoyed getting to know Michael Hawkins and Kate Adams. The secondary characters, friends of Michaels' from his time in a orphanage, Granger Home for Boys, also added to the mix. Michael never expected to find the woman of his dreams right under his nose, and Kate never expected to be the recipient of someone's attention as intensley driven as Michael. They both bring preconceived notions into the relationship and sorting those notions out and dealing with them makes this an enjoyeable read. I have to admit the character Justin is not one of my favorites but I have a feeling he will get his due in future books. The sincerity with which Michael and Kate try to relate to each other in this book is what drew me into it. Kate is an open book compared to Michael and their different ways of dealing with life's problems is what makes this book great. By trying to understand where the other is coming from and accepting their differences they are on their way to a beautiful relationship.

The book is very good and it starts describing the special nature of financial institutions and the industry. Then, in the second part you have complete chapters relating to every risk management: interest rate risk (maturity, repricing gaps and duration focuses, liquidity (e.g.maturity ladder), market risk (standarized Basel Committee and VaR approaches) credit risk (including Basel Committe standarized approach, defalult risk models like credit scoring), operating costs and technology risk, FX risk, sovereign risk.

In the last part there is a good section which describes how to manage risks , including liabilty and liquidity management,deposit insurance, capital adequacy, geographic diversification, derivatives, the new credit risk management techniques and securitization.

I had the chance to have Profesor Saunders as a risk management teacher and I only say that as his classes, his book is great. It shows you the best introduction to risk management. It discusses about financial institutions (banks, insurance and securities). That book just helped me to see financial institutions under the risk focus. I really recommend this book to understand risk management.

This is probably the best book in risk management available today. This is due to the combination of breadth and depth of the text. The author gently introduces the student to an important subject and explains with pains how to manage each and every kind of risk. The two chapters on Interest rate risk are absolutely fabulous. There is a sense of continuity because the concepts you learn in one chapter has applications in another. The problems at the end of the chapters are are also challenging and will require an in-depth understanding of the subject. This book is the ultimate.

I have read the second edition and this edition is better than the other. The tratment of market and financial rsk is simply and complete. I reccomend it, is one of the best books in this financial field.

Free thinking economists such as Mr Chossudovsky are few and far between. Please take the time to read about the reality of what we have been lured into.

These are some wonderful thougts that have stimulated my mind into asking the question "CanAfricansThink?".This book exposes the disguise of mainstream economics which leaves human society's precious values at the hands of economic lust.All Africans need to know about this big con job being operated under the disguise of macro economics.

Looking at case studies from around the developing world, backed up with a strong theoretical analysis of the IMF and World Bank's role in the international economy, the globalisation of poverty brings the reader to one stark conclusion: 'Poverty is an input on the supply side, (of the global economy.)' Particularly interesting is Chossudovsky's explanation of the economic 'miracle' of Vietnam, while his analysis of the Yugoslav disaster, co-sponsored by the IMF and international financial investors, is very timely indeed. As Chossudovsky explains, the IMF and World Bank reforms have not merely suppressed populist and socialist economic measures and achievements; they have also prevented the development of national capitalisms, by creating economies directed towards the needs of the capitalist core states, rather than to the national market. For those harbouring any illusions about the economic order which governs humanity at the end of this century, this book is a necessary read. It's a pity that Chossudovsky works at the University of Ottawa and not the LSE, an institution that definitely needs realistic economists like him.