I found this book to be very useful, providing clear background and easy to follow steps to order, plan and install a network either at home or in a small office. It covers both the DSL and cable flavors of broadband internet service, wired and wireless networks and security and virus protection -- everything one needs to setup a safe and sound home or small office network. It even provides straightforward directions for setting up computers to share printers!

I found the figures and troubleshooting tips to be especially helpful. In particular, showing how to recover when my DSL provider goes on the fritz (which, unfortunately does happen from time to time).

I highly recommend this book for readers looking for a practical, no nonsense, easy to follow guide for setting up home and small office networks and safely and securely connecting them to the internet.

"Networks in a Flash" is a great book on home networking that is easy to follow! There are easy to follow "recipes" for almost any home situation. I connected all my computers on the second floor of my home and the basement to a wireless D-Link router. The book covers versions of Microsoft Windows from 98 through XP. I created a network with old and new computers. My latest addition was a Windows XP laptop that was very easy to add in both a wired and wireless access mode to my network. The book emphasizes security and easy of use. I recommend it.

This book has been my "answer guide". I used it to network my Windows ME and Windows XP computers using a Linksys wireless router. I found the instructions in this book easy to follow. I was able to set the security settings on the wireless router to keep my home network safe from intruders. I was also capable of using a USB wireless adapter to quickly connect a desktop computer in another room to the Internet. In addition, I was also able to figure out how to share my printer with two computers! GREAT BOOK AND EXTREMELY EASY TO FOLLOW!...

The New Interpreter's Bible is a twelve-volume series, updating the popular Interpreter's Bible from a few decades ago. There are several key features common to all of the volumes of this series. First, each includes a two-column, double translation of the Biblical text (NIV - New International Version, and NRSV - New Revised Standard Version) arranged by topical unit or story. Then, they provide commentaries that look at the passages as a whole, as well as verse-by-verse. Third, interesting Reflection pieces that relate the passages to each other, to history, and to current concerns occur at the conclusion of each passage. Fourth, introductory articles for each book are provided that discuss transmission, historical background, cultural setting, literary concerns, and current scholarship. Finally, there are general articles about the Bible, each Testament, and various types of literature (Narrative, Gospel, Wisdom Literature, etc.) are provided to give general placement and knowledge about the text overall.

The list of contributors, editors, and consultants on the project is a veritable Who's Who of biblical and theological scholarship, representing all major traditions and schools of thought liberal and conservative. Leander Keck, of the Yale Divinity School, is the primary editor of the series.

The volumes were published individually, and can be purchased individually, which is a good thing, given that they are a bit expensive. But for any serious biblical scholar, preacher, student, or enthusiast, they are invaluable.

--Volume II--

The second volume of the New Interpreter's Bible completes the Torah with Numbers and Deuteronomy, and begins a look at the 'histories', more precisely termed in the NIB as Narrative Literature, with the books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I and II Samuel.

The book of Numbers is addressed by Thomas Dozeman of United Theological Seminary, Dayton. Ronald Clements of King's College, London, looks at the book of Deuteronomy, a book upon which he has published another commentary. Robert Coote of San Francisco Theological Seminary, takes Joshua. Dennis Olson of Princeton Theological Seminary looks at the book of Judges. Kathleen Robertson Farmer, also at United Theological in Dayton, addresses the book of Ruth. Bruce Birch, Dean of Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC, completes the volume with the two books of Samuel.

Perhaps of special note here is the book of Ruth (why is it that the task of this book is given to a woman, and all other book of this volume to men?). In her commentary, Kathleen Roberton Farmer wrote, 'Reading history through the lens of Ruth is more like looking through a kaleidoscope than a microscope. While the dominant themes of redemption and insider/outsider dynamics remain constant within the story, every rotation of the proposed background against which the story is read causes these themes to fall into a different pattern.' Something similar could be said by many of the commentators about the way the texts are addressed here.

Peter Miscall of the Illiff School of Theology provides a general article discussing Narrative Literature, looking at the relationship of narrative and history, narrative and author/storyteller, and the importance of components such as character, plot, theme and style. Miscall also examines some of the shifting emphases over the past generation of biblical scholarship generally, exploring in a little detail newer theories and methods of literary analysis.

High praise goes to the general editorial staff for working with such strong authors/scholars, that their work fits together well as part of this set while retaining their individual characteristics (much like the writers of the Bible itself!).

--Other volumes available--

The following is a list of each volume in this twelve-volume set, and the contents of each.

Volume I: General Articles on the Bible; General Articles on the Old Testament; Genesis; Exodus; Leviticus

Volume II: Numbers; Deuteronomy; Introduction to Narrative Literature; Joshua; Judges; Ruth; I & II Samuel

Volume III: I & II Kings; I & II Chronicles; Ezra, Nehemiah; Esther; Additions to Esther; Tobit; Judith

Volume IV: I & II Maccabees; Introduction to Hebrew Poetry; Job; Psalms

Volume V: Introduction to Wisdom Literature; Proverbs; Ecclesiastes; Song of Songs; Book of Wisdom; Sirach

Volume VI: Introduction to Prophetic Literature; Isaiah; Jeremiah; Baruch; Letter of Jeremiah; Lamentations; Ezekiel

Volume VII: Introduction to Apocalyptic Literature; Daniel; Additions to Daniel; Hosea; Joel; Amos; Obadiah; Johan; Micah; Nahum; Habakkuk; Zephaniah; Haggai; Zechariah; Malachi

Volume VIII: General Articles on the New Testament; Matthew; Mark

Volume IX: Luke; John

Volume X: Acts; Introduction to Epistolary Literature; Romans, I Corinthians

Volume XI: II Corinthians; Galatians; Ephesians; Philippians; Colossians; I & II Thessalonians; I & II Timothy; Titus; Philemon

Volume XII: Hebrews; James; I & II Peter; I, II & III John; Jude; Revelation

Most people understand that the study of Scripture is an enormous task; and that there is a considerable theological heritage to even the most benign of passages. Unfortunately, it is sometimes difficult to translate that understanding into a willingness to genuinely delve into the vast pool of material out there. In addition, it's hard to know who to trust.

You can trust the New Interpreter's Bible series. All of the scholars who contributed are the best in their field. In addition, the layout (which includes two complete translations - the NIV and the NRSV) is conducive to both scholarly and spiritual study of the texts.

Each text is broken down into discret units (i.e. the Tower of Babel) followed by general commentary on the passage, verse by vers analysis of key issues, and then an overview of study questions. The commentators address issues of authorship, historical setting, translation, theological history, and personal application. In addition, they graciously point to excellent sources for further reading.

Speaking as a pastor, it is my strong opinion that every English-speaking Christian who is serious about Bible study should own the complete set.

I am writing a paper concerning Flood stories throughout the early Hebrew and Sumerian regions. This one book had all the information I needed! The other volumes are equally expansive and illuminating. You get not only commentary but thoughful reflection as well. After reading any of these volumes you will walk away with a much better feel for the Biblical material.

I challenge anybody to read this book, which is entertaining, carefully argued and original, and believe the established orthodoxy in Western society (really feminist propaganda) that there exists a "patriachy". Hypocrisy in social,legal, economic and sexual matters is so deep-rooted in us and socialized at such an early stage that even recognizing that hypocrisy deserves an award. Ought to be essential reading in all college courses and for anybody interested in hearing someone finally tell it like it is and still retain his humour (take a lesson from this feminists!). But it won't for reasons Thomas knows only to well; nobody will have heard of it due to the feminist orthodoxy's unwarranted self-righteousness and old male fools outdated chivalrous beliefs (described expertly). Can't say it changed my life as I've never swallowed the established British/American orthodoxy but if most people read it with an open mind it would change their understanding of fundamental issues immensely and for the better.

Like the other reviewers here, I too can't praise this book enough. And like the previous reviewer, I also wouldn't be at all surprised if this was one of the top three best books written about men during the 1990's, perhaps edging out Jack Kammer's "Good Will Toward Men" and maybe being on par with Warren Farrell's books: "The Myth of Male Power" and "Women Can't Hear What Men Don't Say". Like Farrell, Thomas is more of a liberal than a conservative, and is also compassionate and tries hard to be considerate of everyone's feelings. (Except he uses foul language from time to time.)

Overall, I found this a highly entertaining and fun read, packed full of fascinating insights and research which I found enlightening. One particular section I liked was that on transvestites and transsexuals. Quotes Thomas: "Following a gender-reassignment operation, dull, mousey Keith became the flamboyant Stephanie-Anne." And one of Stephanie's quotes is: "...Career-wise, work-wise, it may be much easier in most professions for a man. But on an emotional level, life is much, much richer for a woman. Women can let down barriers and can get much closer to people. Men have to maintain barriers. As a man, you can't go and cry on a best friend's shoulder when things go wrong. The first thing he'd do is edge away if you touch him." Thomas also says: "Celia Bradford, living temporarily as a man while on assignment for YOU magazine, found that the male world gave its inhabitants greater respect, but exacted a heavy toll in return." She says: "... I felt cut off from other people, distanced from them simply by the assumptions they made about manhood. As a person I had a sense of pitching from further back, needing to be louder and tougher in order to be acknowledged."

He starts the conclusion of another chapter as follows: "A Martian who landed on earth and observed the behavior of the male sex would note that:
1. Male life expectancy is diminished by work.
2. A Man's powers of attraction are largely determined by his
job status, which is, in turn, largely dependent on the
degree to which he is prepared to devote his life to work.
3. Once married, he can expect to lose control of the majority
of his income.

I would say that if a typical man were to read this book, it would likely have a strong life-changing impact on him -- such is the power of this subject which gets shockingly little public attention in relation to what it deserves. I wish I had read this book right when it came out back in 1993. It would have made some things a lot clearer to me. I got the sense that he cares deeply about men's issues, and I hope he will write more books on this topic in the future.

Well done, David!

Being a long-time fan of Warren Farrell's (and other's) work in this area, I've known of this book for quite awhile. It took me several years to get around to scaring up a copy, but it was well worth it. This is one really great book! My only regret was that it was nearly a decade old by the time I got to it, not that things have changed that much. For me, it's one of the three best men's books of the 90's ("Myth of Male Power" and "A Man's World" being the other two).

The Kirkus review above is pretty much right on the money with its description of the book. I'd add that there's a quite interesting chapter on images of masculinity in the media (John Wayne to Clint Eastwood to WWF), in which Thomas even works in some very interesting ideas on the real meaning cross-dressing. The book is that wide-ranging and philosophical at times -- the powerful insights snuck up on me all the way through the book. I really liked Thomas's writing style: very understated, and all the more convincing because of that.

I might also add that even though Thomas is a Brit, the book is balanced fairly evenly between this side of the Atlantic and the other. So other American readers shouldn't fear irrelevancy.

This is a gem of a book. Highly recommended for those interested in the topic.

Thomas Jefferson's " Notes on the State of Virginia" is a brilliant piece of history, sociology, law, geology, government,and science. This work, Jefferson's only book, shows his powerful, brilliant mind at it's best. Jefferson shows the depth of his knowledge, not just on his own beautiful state, but on human nature itself. Some of the gems in this work are his views on education, advocating free public education for all, free government, advocating a revisal of the defective original Virginia Constitution. His knowledge of slavery, and the Indian races before his eyes are from personal experience and observation. Although painted by the deconstuctionist left as a "racist" Jefferson was a dangerous radical to the Virginia gentry due to his advocacy of emacipation and deportation of slaves. His views on black inferiority are exaggerated since he placed them forth as a scientific hypothesis based on personal observation. Jefferson could not see a "multicultural" society in America made up of former masters and slaves with resentment and prejudice still in the hearts of both. Many of his predictions about race relations have come true: hate, resentment, power struggles, and a continuing obsession which he forsaw would destroy the America Republic.

The best edited version of the is Koch and Peden's edited on in "The Life and Selected Writings of Thomas Jefferson", but the full Notes is very good, but the reader must be prepared for numerous charts and tables. Overall a great book, and buy!

The book is written much like an epic poem- with lists of river, towns, economic conditions etc in 1780s. But also much more: His feeling on race. He obviously did not hate blacks, proposed a theory that they were less intelligent, had an aesthetic view of man akin to Gulliver's Travels and the horses. Theory of education is much akin to European model of today, much better than current theories in use. He opposed multiculturalism and opposed teaching children religion in schools or anyplace else, preferring Greek, Roman and European histories and philosophy for guidance of children. The difference between the America he wanted and the reality of today is striking. Which is better? Each must judge, but this is a must read book.

I recomend The book which was edited with an introduction and notes by William Peden. I have an orginal copy of "Notes on the State of Virginia" Second Amarican edition Printed in 1797, on loan to the Monticello, (of which I am welling to part with at the right price). This was a hard book to understand, once I read the one edited by William Peden, I had a much better understanding of what Mr. Jefferson wrote, as well as the history of Mr. Jefferson's efforts in acheaving it's final contents.

This book is full of fun action and adventure. I like the space battle and the part in the cave, and when Jesse got dressed up a a girl. That was funny.

I liked Orfin Bob and the Thomas Twins because every chapter ends with an exciting ending. I read the whole book in two days, and now my brother is reading it too.

This book is full of imagination...great for your kids. My kids loved this book...It's full of adventure, imagnation, and is exciting for not only your kids, but for the whole family to read together. This book is a must have!

"Paddy's Lament" tells the story of those who lived through and died in the Irish Potato Famine of 1846-1847. Throughout the book I kept wondering if my ancestors lived through the horrors described.

The economic setting of Ireland is laid out as that of an island of tenant farmers and large, often absentee, landlords. Agriculture produced wheat and beef for export to England. A small proportion of the land was planted in potatoes, the only food which could feed the population on such small acreage. With the advent of the textile industry in England, wool became a more profitable crop than the traditional ones, if only the native population could be done away with.

A fungus led to the destruction of the potato crop in 1846. Relief was available through the prohibition of the exportation of grain, a step which had previously been taken in other famine stricken countries. The control of Ireland's destiny was within the control of the British Lords who regarded the Irish as a subhuman species of which they would prefer to be rid. The aid extended by foreign nations, particularly the U.S., was a sharp indictment of British indifference. The Famine would not have occurred in a country in control of its own fate.

The famine cause tenants to fall behind in their rents. Massive evictions and destruction of homes followed. Many Irish were forced from their home villages to travel across the land. Is this why Mary McKeever's two brothers were born in the East, but she was born in the West?

Relief came in bits and spurts. The British Lords commissioned the chef of the Reform Club, their gathering place, to create an economical recipe for Irish soup kitchens. Emphasizing economy, he created a soup which was easy on the British exchequer, but provided little nutrition to the Irish. Did William Casey eat this greasy water?

The famine led to widespread starvation. The vivid description of the appearance of the victims is grotesque. Did Matthew Gallen's parents die this death?

Privation forced the Irish to abandon their homes in search of a new life beyond the hated British Empire. The practice of the American wake, in which the family mourned the loss of the son or daughter who was to leave forever was a heart rending affair for all involved. Many sought to avoid the wake by running away. Is this why Thomas English and his brother ran away from home?

The reader accompanies a group of immigrants on a voyage in the stinking, rocking, wretched steerage section of a British ship. The inferiority of the British ships as opposed to American is explained. The sailor's grim prediction that there would be more room the further out they got became hauntingly true. Again the details are presented in such detail as to turn the stomach of the readers even after all of these years. Is this the type of voyage on which Johanna Lynch chose a crewman for her husband?

A new life started for the survivors upon arrival in New York. The contrast between the lethargy of the Irish in Ireland and their industry in America spoke eloquently of the altered prospects for reward for their labors. Although many stayed in New York, others moved out to rural environments more reminiscent of Ireland. Is this how Patrick Nealon got to Bath, Maine?

The British realized that, as they ridded Ireland of its excess population, they were creating an America which was becoming Irish and anti-British. The failure of the potato crop was an act of God. The famine was an Act of Parliament. This perception turned the Irish dissatisfaction with the British into an intense hatred.

This book helps us understand our past and what made us they way we are.

This book is important for all of us to read. We must learn from our past, but how do we do this if we are kept in the dark about such history? Why were we not taught this in school? It is too important and in reading, I feel I am paying my respects, empathy, and honor to all those who suffered such a tragic period in Irish history.

It's sad that it is now out of print. I was able to get it here last year, just before the publisher stopped printing it. It is full of valuable information on famine facts, and, as a writer doing research for a novel, I especially found helpful the actual narrative accounts used in this book. Stories and facts passed on from famine survivors to their children and granchildren are used in this book, along with the author's smooth writing style. It is easy to read, and paints a vivid historical picture of this bleak period of Irish history.

This is a great book for laying to rest some orthodox but wrong ideas about our mental health. Szasz shows us that the orthodox way is not necessarily the right way. Certainly our own doctors are not going to blow the whistle on themselves, are they? This revolutionary psychiatrist shows us the real path to health, pointing us away from the wrong direction that the pharmaceutical companies have been leading us, and unfortunately, leading our doctors as well. It's a case of the fox guarding the henhouse.
Do you care that a psychiatrist is a doctor who prescribes drugs to change people's brains without ever actually examining those people's brains? Do you worry that nobody knows exactly what the long-term effect of these drugs are that we are now being given for bi-polar disorder, for attention deficit disorder, for depression or for anxiety; or even if they are really doing us more harm than good? Do you know how doctors today are becoming more and more controlled and subverted by the pharmaceutical industry? Do you think that unwanted behavior and unwanted feelings like anxiety and depression are diseases that can be cured by drugs? If you do, you should read the latest book by this world renowned psychiatrist.
"Psychiatrists have a long history of systematically validating fake diseases as real diseases, and getting away with it," says Szasz. They can get away with it because it serves everybody: the family whose medical insurance will pay only for certain diagnoses and not for others; the government officials who can allocate more and more federal funds for their universities and laboratories; and the doctors who can service many more patients in the "service station" atmosphere that has us all believing that everything can be made right with the right pill. The only person whom fake diagnoses and powerful drugs are not serving is the health of the individual who is having his birthright sold for a pharmaceutical mess of pottage.
We are confusing, warns Szasz, bodily diseases which are physiochemical phenomena located in the body and understood by cellular pathology with unwanted personal habits or behaviors which are located in the social context of society and understood by the interconnecting relationships. We are confusing the mind with the brain. And finally, we are confusing medicine with politics and social agenda. In so doing we are becoming less and less the land of the free and the brave and more and more the land of the mentally ill and deluded. Szasz makes a good case for a new look at the insidious subversion of our medical care by the politics of pharmaceutical managed care.

Pharmacracy

Do you care that a psychiatrist is a doctor who prescribes drugs to change people's brains without ever actually examining those people's brains? Do you worry that nobody knows exactly what the long-term effect of these drugs are that we are now being given for bi-polar disorder, for attention deficit disorder, for depression or for anxiety; or even if they are really doing us more harm than good? Do you know how doctors today are becoming more and more controlled and subverted by the pharmaceutical industry? Are unwanted behavior and unwanted feelings like anxiety and depression diseases that can be cured by drugs? If you think they are, please run as fast as you can and get this book. It could save your life.

This is one of the best books Szasz has written up to date. One of its most important points is his answer to the claim that biologic psychiatry, imaging tecniques and so on have proved that mental illness is an organic illness. It could not be so since in spite of cute pictures of synapses and neurotransmitters in Psichiatry manuals, what psychiatrists really DO is to jugde behaviors, ideas and social situations, attaching their labels not to any physical condition discovered by imaging tecniques but to persons who display or are considered to display those -indeed- "problems in living".

He rigorously delves into the question of what disease, illness or disorder really is. The growing army of "mental health professionals" hate to pose that question. When forced to answer their stataments are ambiguous and elusive.

The questions raised not only by this book but by the whole of Szasz's important work are crucial for contemporary man. Some ideas, behaviors, social situacions are covertly forbidden. Then, there is less room for freedom than it seems to be. To take some substances, kill oneself, engage in certain religious activities -"sects"-, sexual acts, etc. is prohibited by calling those "diseases" and precluding any chance of legitimate debate. Some are not content leaving people alone when they engage in actions that concern only themselves or others who consent in voluntary exchanges, even is it harms them according to OUR views. But the right to make the wrong choice IS freedom, as it is the need of bearing its consequences,on health, reputation or financial status. That is why some patients do not care much for Ssasz' criticisms. As long as psychiatrists wear white robes and are doctors we are not permitted even to discuss those topics, lest this in itself could be a symptom of some illness -from the incredible list in the DSM IV-. But is this science or morality of even religion in disguise?

This book is important, first for the "mental health professionals" who have heard of Szasz work and believe that it is overcome by recent developments. They should ponder upon it, even if they are not able to set up a private practice with voluntary clients like any other professional, for the sake of their conscience. Second, possible patients must be aware that their strategy -taking the role of a mental patient- can be deleterious for their social and even physical well-being. And any person who tries to understand the world in which he or she lives must read Szasz, who is a sage of our day. "Phamacratic" ideology blurrs the contours of real problems which dimension is moral, and not scientific.

Szasz' premise is that each individual is the best judge of his or her interest. Others think that coercion, fraud and lies are good procedures to save people from themselves. I quote from a horror movie of Vicent Price: "Here thousands of men and women were tortured and killed... to save their souls" (in a torture chamber of the Inquisition).

"Pharmacratic" ideology betrays basic Western values, and does it successfully decked out in "scientific" attire. One of Szasz' most important teachings has been to distinguish between science as such an ritual and pseudoreligions claiming to be "science". Bad news for orthodox psychiatry: Szasz is still standing and his arguments have sharpened their subtlety, scope and comprehensiveness.

As a Business Executive and recent EMBA graduate, I tremendously enjoyed reading Dr. Stellato's book, A Physician's Odyssey to an MBA. Although I am not a Physician, reading Dr. Stellato's personal experience with the program was enlightening because it reminded me of the challenges we each go through and overcome while working full-time and attending school at any level.

The book does a great job of outlining Dr. Stellato's personal challenges with the program while maintaining a family life and busy medical practice. The journal format makes book a very easy and interesting read. A must for anyone considering an MBA program while employed.

I have loaned this book to several family members and friends and they now have a much better idea and awe of the courseload I went through in completing this program. In retrospect, it has also made me realize what an incredible feat this EMBA journey was. Don't let the book scare you away from an EMBA program. Is it hard work? You bet, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

In this book, Tom Stellato captures the issues, emotions, and sacrifices involved in graduate education for working professionals, especially health care providers. Stellato details not only his personal trials, but also documents specifics about the actual courses and course content. After reading Stellato's fascinating. humble, and often humorous account of his "odyssey", the reader is left wondering whether he is a super-husband, super-dad, super-surgeon, or super-student, or simply a super individual that requires little rest. As more and more physicians determine their need for advanced training in management, finance, and other business topics, this book is a must-read for those considering entering into a graduate management program.

An Exective MBA is an enviable educational goal, but until I read Dr. Stellato's excellent account of his experience, I had no idea just how arduous such a program could be. And while most people enrolled in MBA programs probably don't have to simultaneously maintain the rigors of a top level academic surgical career (as Dr Stellato did), anyone contemplating an MBA would be wise to read this book. The term Odyssey is an apt description, but the odyssey is anything but easy.The book conveys the high volume and accelerated pace of the course work as well as the complexity of at least some of the subjects, especially for people with non-business backgrounds. Dr Stellato is obviously accustomed to success in his past education and surgical career but his anxieties and uncertainties about his ability to master the MBA courses are very well described in this book. He is brave to have put these and the insecurities which they produced down on paper for all to read. It was reassuring to see his level of stress decrease and his confidence increase as he adapted to the workload, and his great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction by the time of graduation. I have long thought about enrolling in an MBA program but after reading this book I am no longer so inclined. I am, however, left with great admirtion and respect for those who have or are.

I really enjoyed the uncluttered, honest and open style that allows the reader to accompany Dr. Stellato on his difficult but ultimately satisfying and successful odyssey. He is to be congratulated for both his academic as well as literary success.

Good arguments for drug legalization (and deregulation of prescription drugs), but a little outdated as far as some of his allusions and political terminology go, and not precise enough in his use of the term "legalizers".

He ignores the distinctions between "decriminalization" and "legalization", and lumps all "legalizers" into a single category, as not being "good enough". He does not seem to realize that there is a wide spectrum of beliefs on drugs, ranging from his position, to the position that all drugs should be banned everywhere.

He is uncompromising, and this is politically defeating. Nonetheless, his position is admirable, and his idea of drugs as a "right" similiar to all other "rights" bandied about in political discourse today, is a good one.

Nice philosophy, and one I wish more accepted it, but he's too radical for today's politicians, who are still in the dark ages of social medicine.

Fear of people committing suicide easily, is Szasz's main hypothesis for why we regulate prescription and illicit drugs the way we do in America today.

This book is good for convincing one that drugs should be legalized, but it is no help for accomplishing that feat politically.

This book is a supremely courageous and truthful book written by one of the great luminaries of the age(s).
This book "cuts to the chase" as regards fundamental constitutional issues raised by laws regulating
the procurement, possession, sale, and use of drugs.

The book's most striking charge (a correct one, at that!) is that a fundamental tyranny overtook this nation about
90 years ago when "Americans" lost their property rights over their own bodies--all in the name of governmentally-controlled "truth in advertising" for drug sales.

However, this "seemingly benign" governmental goal created untold danger for the very people it was meant to
protect. Szasz rightfully puts America's so-called "drug problem" in proper perspective by suggesting that the
admonition "buyer beware" should have sufficed--for drugs, as for almost everything else.

In the most general terms, this book demonstrates that there are no shortcuts to a thorough-going approach to American Liberty and Freedom. Dr. Szasz very clearly, and effectively, corrects those who claim that drug laws be summarily repealed for any reasons other than their moral unacceptability in a free state.

Making proper analogy to the wrongful justification of the slavery of blacks in America (owing to their mischaracterization as property), Szasz makes it clear that the infringement of property rights (both of your body, and substances you might possess) lies at the heart of America's despotic and tyrannical so-called "War on Drugs."

Although he does not (if memory serves me correctly) directly cite the 9th Amendment in defense of all those who would fight this indigenous, governmentally-sponsored terrorism, he could have:

"THE ENUMERATION OF CERTAIN RIGHTS, IN THE CONSTITUTION, SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED TO DENY OR DISPARAGE OTHERS RETAINED BY THE PEOPLE."

"What country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms, remedy is set them right as to facts, pardon & pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is nature's manure." Thomas Jefferson

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When I got a copy of this book - having forgotten about Dr. Szasz's breadth of outlook and singular erudition - I thought I was going to read a nice little political tract condemning the current American Drug Prohibition. "Our Right to Drugs" is that, of course, but it is so much more - it is a call to intellectual and political arms.

The War on Drugs, as Dr. Szasz so carefully shows, is nothing less than a Jihad, a Holy War waged by the forces of reaction and restriction in our society against all those who think that there should be peaceful choice, or self-ownership, or genuine free thought. And like all Holy Wars, this one permits the worst atrocities to be visited on the unbelieving because they are not just wrong - they are evil.

Like many libertarians, Dr. Szasz has little use for compromise; in this case, by those who favor "decriminalization" or "medicalization" of psychoactive drugs. Such people, the author shows, will only end up replacing the current Ayatollahs (cops and ex-generals) with a new Inquisition lead by doctors and psychologists. In the world of physician-monitored drug usage, instead of being evil, anyone who wants to alter his or her own mood will be labeled as "sick" - and instead of being sent to jail, they will be forced into "treatment".

In trying to think of some literary comparison to "Our Right to Drugs", I can only think of Plato's records of certain iconoclastic dialogues about ancient Athenian closemindedness. Truely, Dr. Szasz is our Socrates.

Those of you who want a good Pauline theology textbook from a generally Reformed and Baptistic perspective should look here. However, even though Schreiner is Reformed and Baptistic in his general understanding of major Pauline themes, his soteriological understanding of Paul is Anabaptistic. Many people in the traditional Reformed and Baptist circles would disagree with some of Schreiner's conclusions regarding justification, sanctification, and the Final Judgment. Schreiner's main thesis, however, is that Paul's "center" was not justification by faith alone (traditional Protestantism) or the mystical union in Christ (some modern theologians), but God's glory revealed through the redemptive work of Christ. He described Paul's theology as a house with many parts instead of concentric circles (of course, God being the foundation of "the house"). The chapters and themes are neatly set out and there is a logical flow throughout the book. One will not find confusion and irraticism in Schreiner's book. Some of the discussions in Schreiner's book are excellent (especially on Romans 9 and the future salvation of Israel). However, there needs to be a word of caution to those who are thinking of purchasing this book. Schreiner departs from the traditional Protestant view of salvation. In many places throughout the book he states that good works are necessary for obtaining salvation (not merely as evidential proof of salvation). On p. 286, he states that women will be saved eternally if they live according to their gender; on p. 328, he states that children who obey their parents will receive the eschatological reward of eternal life; on p. 437, he states that slaves will receive eternal life if they obey their masters; and on p. 438, he states that those who live generously will "reap" eternal life. There are many more similar sayings throughout the book and this should raise alarm bells for traditional evangelical Protestants. Also, another criticism is that Schreiner's view of the Jew-Gentile dichotomy is influenced by the New Perspective. Instead of the Jew-Gentile dichotomy being about works-grace dichotomy it is primarily about the exclusivism-inclusivism dichotomy according to Schreiner. Many traditionalists will probably not accept Schreiner's interpretations quite easily. Schreiner's view of Paul's soteriology should not be considered traditional Protestant, but Anabaptistic. Regardless of the criticisms, this book is very scholarly and is a good overview of Paul's theology

Schreiner has given us an outstanding study on the theology and mission of the Apostle Paul in this easy-to-read yet thorough volume. While not exhaustive, Schreiner does wrestle with the most important issues. He simply avoids the wearisome type of New Testament scholarship that spends more time on extrabiblical sources than on the inspired text itself.

Schreiner's stance is decidedly conservative and Reformed, yet not to the point of Scripture twisting or skewing exegesis. There is a real freshness to this book, in that it avoids flattening Paul's theology into an emphasis on only one theme (such as justification, union with Christ, or reconciliation), but rather emphasizes all of these themes in relation to the central motif of God's glory as revealed in Christ. The glory of God in Christ is the sun in Paul's theological solar system and the planets of justification, union with Christ, reconciliation, et cetera all orbit around this one glorious center.

While Schreiner's exegesis is fresh, it is not a departure from historic Protestantism. Schreiner does NOT teach justification by works. But he does understand the already/not yet nature of God's salvific work. There are dimensions of salvation that are yet to be realized by God's people and the Scriptures represent perseverance in faith and obedience as a necessary corollary to final deliverance. But even our perseverance in faith and obedience are the direct result of God's effectual work within us, so all is of grace.

Another unique feature in Schreiner's work is his emphasis on Paul's suffering as a crucial means of fulfilling his mission. In fact, Schreiner does a wonderful job of weaving Paul's theology into the missionary context in which it was originally framed. This adds a personal dimension to the book and will help students avoid the danger of abstracting Paul's theology from real life.

This is an excellent book that I heartily recommend. The Christian church should thank the Lord for such gifted scholars as Thomas Schreiner and both scholars and pastors should take advantage of this labor of love.

Schreiner has given us another excellent work-- this time a full Pauline theology. Though not as exhaustive as some theologies (e.g., J. Dunn's), Schreiner's is still highly recommended for the following reasons.

First, Schreiner avoids centering Pauline theology on just one reductionistic theme-- like justification, or life "in Christ", etc. Rather, Schreiner argues convincingly that the broad, multifacted nature of Paul's theology is best expressed as the glory of God in Christ. The pursuit of God's glory in Christ undergirds Paul's missionary zeal, the nature of human salvation, and everything else in the Pauline corpus. But this is not a simple theme-- it is broad and varied, and leaves room for considerable variation of focus in the Pauline epistles. Schreiner expresses dependence on John Piper for his focus.

Second, Schreiner offers a unique and informative chapter on the role of suffering in Paul's missionary work. This is an important theme that is often overlooked, but is necessary for a proper understanding of Paul's thought.

Third, this book is very clearly written. In fact, it is one of the clearest theology books I have read.

Overall, this book is highy recommended to anyone who is interested in Paul's theology.