Heroism and the Christian Life is an in-depth sampling of the literature of heroism in its classical, Christian, and modern forms. From the figure of Achilles in the Iliad to the twentieth-century "antiheroism" of Camus and Bonhoeffer, this literary tour is intended to "tune the ear" to the various possibilities, both literary and actual, for heroes and heroism. These include Achilles, the hero who surpasses conventional standards of heroic achievement and reward; Socrates, who challenges the imagination even while defying imitation; Saint Anthony, who achieves greatness even while reflecting the greatness of another; and others in the Western literary tradition. Although written from a Christian perspective, the book is much broader in scope than the title might indicate. Drawing from without as well as from within the Christian tradition, the authors survey and compare the various concepts of heroism as they are presented in a broad spectrum of Western literature.

Hook and Reno succeed in parsing the ancient and modern language of heroism for an audience largely unaccustomed to the very idea of the heroic. This reviewer was indeed "bitten by the ambition to reclaim excellence." The book's primary drawback is its lack of a conclusion. After such a close and expert reading of the texts, one would expect Hook and Reno to conclude with a coherent and compelling vision for heroism in the postmodern age. While the analysis of texts both ancient and modern successfully sensitizes the reader to the possibilities of heroic character and enactment, the final chapter left this reviewer wondering how the authors intend for heroism to be worked out in an antiheroic society. Although the final chapter correctly diagnoses Western society's objections to the concept of the heroic, the authors fall short of providing the expected prescription.

Nonetheless, Heroism and the Christian Life successfully alerts and inspires the patient reader to the possibilities of a life of "surpassing excellence."

Classical literature isn't what it used to be. But then again, neither am I. There was a time when all good Southerners were expected to understand and conform to classical standards of heroism. Of course, that was largely impossible. Just speaking for myself, I had little opportunity to slay my enemies on the field of battle, and little inclination to do so. Given the great gap between expectation and ability, it's little wonder that so many Southerners turn from Homer to Marcus Aurelius, with his rather sad embracing of death so opposite to Achilles' tendency to embrace the death of others.

The great irony of the Christian version of heroism described by Hook and Reno in Heroism and the Christian Life is that it is both more accessible and more demanding than classical heroism. According to Hook and Reno, we are called to identify with and participate in a form of heroism much grander than individual glory. But that participation is not so easy or obvious as you might at first think. Hook and Reno use an impressive spectrum of Western literature to point out our shifting ability and inability as a culture to get our minds around this participation. Homer, Socrates, Vergil, Jesus, Paul, Spenser, Milton, Bonhoeffer, Camus, and even a few semi-obscure martyr wannabes: You're in for a treat.

Be warned. This is a challenging work, both intellectually and personally. Take this important statement about half-way through the book: "Jesus is like Socrates. Both are absorptive in their singularity." You'll have to read the book to understand why this insight is brilliant and worth the effort. But you can immediately see why it IS effort. Who but a pair of classical scholars would talk like that? But by all means, buy and read this book, especially if you appreciate works of great scope, vigor, and humanity. I mean this in the best possible way: This book will burn a hole in your brain.

The definitive biography of Janet Renos tenure as the firstwoman US attorney-general has yet to be written. Hopefully it will bewritten by the lady herself before she succumbs to the parkinsons disease which has been her close companion these last few years. The inside facts on the Waco debacle and of course the Elian Gonzales incident. Give this one a miss or else give it to the kids.

Good information for any age. Brief yet entertaining. Plenty of photos, rich texture of content. Inspiring for young girls. Reno, is presented as a plain old, every day woman. The old, she can do it, so can you, message comes across.

Simple and informative. A good source, for inspiration and information on our Attorney General.

I had used the Insider guide to New Orleans and loved it. So when an opportunity for a trip to Lake Tahoe came up I jumped at the chance to use another book from this publisher.

Unfortunately this book disappoints. Lake Tahoe is a big body of water, right? And bodies of water have beaches. Perhaps you might want to sit on the shore of one of those beaches and relax, read, watch the sun set? Not if you're using this book. I found better guides to the beaches around the lake in the giveway newspaper I picked up ata 7-11 than this book.

Or maybe you'd like to take a hike? Look at that beautiful lake, the georgeous hills, and so on? Again, not from this book. The hiking entries were so skimpy I went down to the chamber of commerce booth in I50 and got handouts for free that were more informative.

I could go on and on, but this book was a real disappointment to me, especially after the New Orleans book that showed me neighborhoods and places I was delighted to find. My advice: if you're going to Tahoe, pick another book!

well, as far as a listing of hotels and properties, okay, this book will do that .. but for "insider" information, you'd do better to ask anyone you meet on the street .. there is no help as far as "what's best" or good deals .. the supposedly "inside" secrets tell visitors to be sure to register for casino slot clubs, but not which one is best. It gives buffet prices, but doesn't direct visitors to the best one.

there's little information about what to expect as far a snowfall goes at the lake, nothing to tell you about driving conditions .. there really is just nothing more than a list of properties. And the photographs aren't even original or helpful, they're all provided by outside sources, such as the visitors bureau or even the resorts themselves. The maps are even less helpful .. c'mon, at least pretend like you care!

I bought this book because I had used other Insiders' guides before and this was by far one of the best. I found that this guide had more Insider info than the two others I had purchased. The authors give readers places to go off the beaten path. I especially liked the Kidstuff chapter since I vacationed with my entire family. This guide is well worth the money.

My first Kerry Newcomb read, but definitely won't be my last. Thoroughly enjoyed the book. Once I started, I didn't want to put the book down - I wanted to find out what happened next. Character development was great. A good story of Texas and the cowboy way of life.Highly recommend.

A great read. Better than most western writers of the old school. Brings out the reality of the way life must have been for our forefathers that helped to bring Texas to what it is today. Great character depiction. I could picture them standing in front of me as the story moves along at a good pace. I look forward to enjoying more books by Newcomb in the days to come as well as searching back for some good missed reading.

We were disappointed in the pictures because many of them are out of date. We travel to Lake Tahoe often, and know the area well. The 'current' picture of Stateline, for example, did not even have Harvey's casino on it. We recently purchased 'Above Chicago' and loved it. The old pictures were great, and the 'current' views of those old pictures were up to date. We expected the Above Tahoe to be similar. It wasn't.

Here is a somewhat fanciful look at the life of Warren Nelson. Mr. Nelson had a superb career in the Nevada gaming industry, and his life story is fun, easy reading. His account of his experiences as a partner at the Club Cal Neva and Palace Club are good reading.

This is one of a series produced during the Second World War, when the U.S. government hired the best linguists available to turn out materials that would teach foreign languages to soldiers fast. It is the same methodology now used to teach languages to U.S. diplomats.

In spite of the publication date given above, this book was first published in 1944 or 1945 and the content is dated. Sound recordings are available, but I have heard criticism from Brazilians of the pronunciation.

Excellent books and recordings have been published since The War, and they will be more congenial to most students.

This book was first published in 1944 or 1945 for the Army, and its content is dated. I have heard Brazilians criticize the pronunciation used. See the review[s] for the first volume.

Better books with sound recordings are now available

This book was not written by Janet Reno the Attorney General, its another JReno who resides in D.C. Don't order this book if you are expecting to read about the thoughts of our head of Justice.

Maybe not a bad book, but close. There are much better histories of Nevada and even of Reno (William Rowley's, for instance).
There is a map of the original town plan, or I would have given it but one star. The authors seem to have based their research on a book they were too shy to include in their bibliography, Gilman Ostrander's "Nevada, the Great Rotten Borough."