This 3-book series is an extensive update of the classic Pritchard ANET (ancient near-eastern texts). Though some of the texts are shortened from Pritchard's volume, the new texts, number of texts, and more up to date translations and notes more than make this book worthwhile... if you can afford it :-) Otherwise, the 2 Pritchard paperbacks are quite reasonable.

It is Outstanding, it is on level with Prichards' ANE Texts -- though there is some repeatition of material. This Volume is an interesting read, diffentantly not an one nighter :-) A four day weekend should do it -- Though you will hate taking sleep breaks.

This book took me a while to get into. But I highly recommend you read it. It makes you think. The authors write valuable articles from a mainly Covenant Theology or Dispensationalist point of view, but often you will find very valuable ideas coming from both sides. For instance, in the articles on The Law of Moses and The Law of Christ, both Chamblin and Moo make excellent points. I find it hard to see how you could align yourself with one side, without admitting that many of the points the other side makes are also important and must be also taken into account.

It also shows that the Dispensationalist camp has much more in it than a quirky take on the Second Coming. No Left Behind nonsense here!
Great book.

This book has to hit the top of the list when it comes to the topic of continuity and discontinuity between the OT and NT. The authors come from predominantly two theological backgrounds: Reformed (covenant) or dispensational (though D. Moo and W. Kaiser who side on the discontinuity side are not dispensationalists themselves). There are in total 7 parts to the book. Section 1 deals with introduction of the issues involved from a historical perspective (R. Peterson). Section 2 deals with systems of continuity (W. VanGemeren) and discontinuity (J. Feinberg). Section 3 deals with hermeneutics of continuity (O. Robertson) and discontinuity (P. Feinberg). Section 4 deals with salvation from a continuity perspective (F. Klooster) and discontinuity perspective (A. Ross). Section 5 deals with the Mosaic Law and its relationship to the NT (L. Chamblin and D. Moo). Section 6 deals with peoples of God between the Testaments (M. Woudstra and R. Saucy). Finally, section 7 deals with whether the Kingdom is spiritual (B. Waltke) or spiritual/material (W. Kaiser).
All the essays presented are well written and good. However, Chamblin's essay inadvertantly leads the Gospel of Grace to a Gospel of Law. One can see by some of the statements he makes that (pp. 187-200) the "Gospel" he presents is a type of works-righteousness ethic. This is the problem of attaching the Law to the Gospel. Also, Waltke essay's could use some humility and Christian courtesy on the way he interacts with those who oppose his view. Overall, though, an excellent book contributed by many fine evangelical scholars.

This book was thoroughly fascinating. As I was reading it I felt as if I was being given a guided tour through the world's great museums and their collections of Egyptian, Hittite, and Mesopotamian artifacts. Admittedly, at first I was a little daunted since it appeared very specialized. I was delighted to discover that the author (Starbuck) has done a wonderful job of summarizing and explaining the complexities of the royal psalms for an avid reader of the scriptures. His own translations of court oracles as well as sections of Isaiah and 2 Samuel, together with detailed commentary, made these texts come alive in new and amazing ways. Prior to reading Court Oracles in the Psalms I had always found these texts confusing and distant. I can't wait to get to them now! Most exciting is the way in which the author explains the reappropriation of royal materials for common people, especially women! Why have we missed this for so many years?

Court Oracles in the Psalms is the most exhaustive and thorough treatment of the royal psalms in many decades. Its method of presentation is lively, yet concise; incisive, while judicious. Extremely well written, this volume will prove to be essential reading and study for the scholar as well as the student of the biblical psalms. The author cuts through a labyrinth of previous scholarly opinion and then offers a new definition of a "royal psalm" that is certain to become the new standard.

Enthusiastically recommended for scholars, teachers, pastors, and enterprising students.

I bought this book after getting reacquainted with western dinnerware, specificially Wallace China's Rodeo and Boots & Saddles series. I'd seen them in restaurants when my parents took me on vacation in the West in the 1950s and now I was rediscovering them through online auctions.
The plates, cups, saucers, bowls and platters are ringed with cattle brands and I turned to Amazon.com for a reference book to help me with this distinctively American form of communication.
The language of brands - and it is a language or sorts - is simple and follows logical rules, clearly laid out in The Cowboy's Own Brand Book. It's an easy read and a quick introduction to something that's part of our heritage.

As a teacher this book is very helpful in discussing the different cattle brands in America.

As a teacher of ten years in Physical education and movement and now with a three year old of my own I have found that I use this book every week without fail for lesson plans and ideas. The book includes prop designs for the lesson (which you can make yourself), music and reading references (which are wellknown and easily obtained) as well as the dance notation and sequential lessons. The themes and ideas are just delightful and having seen them put to practice, it is a book well worth obtaining if you are a classroom teacher, a homeschooler or an interested parent.

REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK, VERY WELL ORGANIZED AND GREAT WAY TO TEACH YOUNGER CHILDREN THE BASICS.

Charles Rosen is a leading performer of the most difficult works of the 20th century avant-garde on piano (Elliot Carter, Anton Webern), as well as the classical repertory (Beethoven, Chopin), so he brings unique insight to his scholarship and writing on music. I enjoyed several of these essays tremendously, including "Radical, Conventional Mozart," and the piece on the problems with performing Carter's "Double Concerto" for piano and harpsichord.

The essay "The Irrelevance of Serious Music," though, is not only brilliant, but should be widely popularized. The key is that Rosen writes from the perspective of the musician! He emphasizes that musicians will play music they are inspired by, even if only for one another. He presents many examples of music and musicians now established in the repertory that were initially rejected as "too difficult." But he also argues that an attempt to appeal to the lowest common denominator will not satisfy the serious listeners either -- they want to be challenged, at least up to a point. The reductio ad absurdum of commercialism, of course, is to eliminate "classical" music altogether, as the market is too small for a huge corporation to justify. (Rosen had a recording cancelled by Sony when he wrote a portion of this essay in the NYT criticizing the head of Sony for his obtuse commercialism.) Rosen concludes that "[a] work that ten people love passionately is more important than one that ten thousand do not mind hearing." Rosen provides support for my contention that books such as Libbey's "NPR Guide" do the public a disservice by excluding the leaders of the late 20th century avant-garde, including instead works that continue in the Romantic tradition.

In Rosen's essay on Beethoven, he critiques a book by a sociologist. While I don't disagree with much here, I do think Rosen mainly takes on a strawman version of sociology. In the introduction he criticizes "[s]ociologists who believe that the history of music can be entirely elucidated by its social functions and the classes that support it without any reference to the music itself..." What I think Rosen misses is that the very process he describes so eloquently, the process of musicians shaping the reception of advanced works, is itself sociological! Becker's "Art Worlds" is a basic reference here, but the best book elaborating how music acquires meaning is Peter J. Martin's "Sounds and Society." Simon Frith's "Performing Rites" is good on how we make artistic judgements.

Rosen is a graceful and compelling writer, and I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys serious music!

To give a worthy review of this wonderful book would be to write 18 reviews, because every chapter deals with a different subject. There is something here for anyone and everyone who loves Classical music, including professional musicians, music scholars, and the general public. As always with this author, his impeccable music scholarship and insights are coupled with a clear prose style and commentary that is completely accessible to anyone. Topics range the full gamut of musical eras from Gregorian Chant through Baroque, Classical, Romantic, to Contemporary. The informative and aesthetically chosen chapter titles "speak for themselves": The Aesthetics of Stage Fright; The Discipline of Philology: Oliver Strunk; Keyboard Music of Bach and Handel; The Rediscovering of Haydn; Describing Mozart; Beaumarchais; Inventor of Modern Opera; Radical, Conventional Mozart; Beethoven's Career; Brahms: Influence, Plagiarism, and Inspiration; Brahms the Subversive; Brahms: Classicism and the Inspiration of Awkwardness; The Benefits of Authenticity; Dictionaries: the Old Harvard; Dictionaries: The New Grove's; The New Musicology; Schoenberg: The Possibilities of Disquiet; The Performance of Contemporary Music: Carter's Double Concerto; The Irrelevance of Serious Music. Each chapter in this book is filled with new and fascinating information that, although usually discussing music of the past, is also relevant to the 21st Century in which we now live. Charles Rosen's unique personal insights come from a life time of experience both performing and studying music that is exceptional in contemporary times. I found discussions of the careers and/or music of Bach, Handel, Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Schoenberg, and Carter very unique. The chapter concerning Brahms use of specific passages in pieces by Chopin and Beethoven as models for his own music was one of my favorites. The books concludes with a chapter about the state of serious music today relative to the negative influence shared by many directors of the record industry in their pursuit of fast profits without any concern for the future. I can't say enough about this wonderful book. Most highly recommended!

I loved this book. The illustrations are incredibly beautiful, which is why I bought the book, but I've also read the story over and over. The excerpt about crows in the back is delightful. I'm so taken with the beauty of the illustrations that I plan to paint a select few on my granddaughter's nursery wall.

CROWS combines masterful pictures with a clever counting poem that will delight children and adults alike - a wonderful gift for parents or as a coffee table book! I have one my nephew gave me and it sits on my living room table in Autumn! The kids know only very special books go there and this is one of my favorites!

Early book by the great western writer Robert Utley provides a brief description of the Indian situation that evolved before the LBH and then he provides an abbreviated but well described sequence of battle events. Utley then describes the press' role in developing the story that caught General Sherman and Sheridan off guard as Sherman provides Terry's second controversial report to a reporter by accident. Utley describes the fireworks that arises between Custer supporters such as his old classmate Confederate Rosser and Reno and other military men such as Colonel Hughes, Terry's adjutant and relative. The controversy is even made even more complex by the chapter spent on the Indian's version of events that has elements of truth combined with confusing facts or half truths perhaps aggravated by poor translations and the Indians unique individualistic versions of battle that lack time and spatial realities. Finally, Utley tackles a number of the mythical stories about Custer and the LBH including Frederick Whitacker's quick print and fanciful book on Custer that became a best seller. The best part of this chapter is the discussion about the last four crow scouts to see Custer particularly the debate over when Curley departed from Custer. An excellent book that frames the controversies about Custer's battle which also explains the fascination, nothing is totally certian but amongst all the testimony and physical evidence, somewhere lies the truth.

Good reading offers some good insight into the whole Custer and Little Bighorn 'fiasco'! I'm more prepared now to find out what possibly happened on that fateful day. The case has been well made that there may 'never' be a definitive conclusion?

Written in a unique voice that combines gentle oberservational humor with a keenly sharp wit and knowing eye, Ms. Levine has created a wonderful character and hilarious book. Tackling today's technology with warmth and wisdom, "Cyber Yenta" shares her funny and touching views and opinions on just about everything--and it all rings so very true. Torn between nodding my head in agreement and laughing hysterically, I easily imagined having "CyberYenta" in the kitchen for tea and wished for more of her common-sense guidance and pointers.

I found this book extremely funny, touching and authentic. Not only did it help demystify confusing technological advances but served as a very funny and warm antidote to modern complexities.

Funny, knowing, down to earth, and out in space, CyberYenta's Old Fashioned Wisdon for New Fangled Times really hit the spot with me. She talks like my grandmother did, with the wierd combination of common sense and quirky point of view that grandmothers - of most any ethnicity - have.

The high point of the book is the conversation that takes place when Microsoft takes over the ice business (for ice boxes) and the simple interface of hanging a card out the window to tell the iceman how much you needed is changed.

The balabusta (Jewish homemaker) now has to call Microsoft Ice (TM) Support, and you can probably guess who ends up with spoiled food.

From time to time I just plain burst out into laughter - out loud - while reading this book. That's not easy to do.

And hey, if Dan Greenburg's mother liked it (he wrote the best seller "How To Be a Jewish Mother"), who am I to argue.

If you enjoy humor with a yiddish accent, if you both love and hate the technological toys of our age, and if you like a good laugh, I think you'll enjoy this book. My friends like it too. I think this would make a great one woman play as well...