This was very interesting to read, as well as a terrific photographic reference for the California missions. The landscape-page layout lent depth to photos of the beautiful colonnades and porches these missions are famous for. I am proud that my native state of California has done such an outstanding job of restoring these missions, and enjoyed the skill Young and Levick used in crafting this volume.

I've looked and I've looked, but I still haven't found a better pictorial representation of California's missions. If you appreciate architecture, you'll love this wonderful, definitive reference source. Bravos to Melba Levick for her terrific photos - they capture the very essence of each mission in a way I've never seen. Minor quibble - earlier editions were elegantly art directed and printed on glossy stock. The design work on this edition is heavy-handed and the photo reproduction on matte stock isn't nearly as brilliant or as sharp. Ah, but those gloriously composed photos! Nothing can deter their splendor.

First, I am a non-denominational Christian. I am not a Mormon who goes to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Therefore, I am not writing to defend LDS' doctrine. Don't be misled. I am just writing to point out some error in this book.

In "This We Believe" on page 289 in Chapter 11 which titled "The Evangelical Family: Its Blessings and Boundaries", Joseph M. Stowell wrote:

"Sometime ago, a friend was telling me about her Mormon neighbor. She rejoiced in their friendship and said how much she appreciated the times they prayed together. She asked me, "Have you ever prayed with a Mormon?" The inference was that she and her friend were wonderfully one in prayer. While one could cultivate a friendship with Mormons, praying with them would be quite another issue. Because they deny the doctrine that Christ is God, spiritual oneness with them is not only wrong but impossible, according to the Bible. Historically the church has persistently held to the fundamental realities of truth about Christ as a test of faith: his virgin birth, divinity, resurrection, and return."

The phrase "[Mormons] deny the doctrine that Christ is God" is blunt falsehood. LDS affirms that Christ Jesus is God. They might have their Trinity doctrine varied from the one confessed by the mainstream churches but they DO affirm the deity or "Godship" Christ. This is what I'd term "unchristian apology" - affirming the importance of truth on one hand but telling "untruth" on the other (not necessarily lying but by, perhaps, a big careless mistake).

i think the beliefnet review is very useful. i think there are wide diversity within evangelicalism. somehow the american types and the british type are already not exactly the same. and beyond the evangelical tradition, the Christian Church has even more diversity. to me the bottom line being all of us confessing christians who participate in the life of the church share the same faith.

to be honest, i haven't read through the whole book. but as an editor of the publisher who will publish the book's chinese version, i'll rate it 4-star. and i am looking forward to read kevin vanhoozer's piece on jesus. he is a theologian that has depth.

In a world that resisits truth and pays the price in growing irrationality, fragmentation, and evil, Jesus says we are to be "salt" and "light"--- radiating centers of Gospel light amidst a world utterly consumed by darkness.

But how well do we understand the Gospel? A group of prominent church leaders and scholars did more than just ask that question. They drafted a clear, definitive statement of the essentials of the Gospel titled "The Gospel of Jesus Christ: An Evangelical Celebration." Leaders from across the denominational landscape have endorsed it, and the list of names, already impressive, continues to grow. This remarkable show of unity affirms the core beliefs about our salvation that evangelicals hold in common. In the face of our differences, these are what bind us together as the church of Jesus Christ and make Gospel the Good News of Great Joy.

___

OUR OPINION:

Every Christian should read and commit themselves wholly to this profound affirmation of the Biblical Gospel. The fact that the reviewer at BeliefNet takes issue with it simply underscores that organization's committment to "the broad way that leads to destruction."

And that is a great tragedy... one that should move us to tears.

And to pray...

-- The Discerning Reader (@Amazon zShops)

San Francisco is a city with a long and unique history. With this history comes a wide variety of interesting and sometimes stunningly beautiful buildings. Wandering the streets of San Francisco, and noticing these buildings, one frequently wants to learn more about them. And that is why I bought this book.

However, I was disappointed by the fact that most of the houses featured in this volume only have the year it was built, who built it, and a very brief description. Often there is only one sentence saying this house was built in Queen Anne style and that it has a tower (self-evident from the picture, or once you actually see the building). The book says very little about the history of each house, why it was built like it was, notable persons that lived there, etc. It also does very little to put the houses in the context of the surrounding neighborhood.

The book features "tours" that you can take to view the described houses, but it doesn't quite pull it off, and the end result is a strange mix of tourist guide and architectural reference that performs mediocre at both.

San Francisco desperately needs a good book to picture, describe and catalog its unique architecture, but alas, this book is not it. It would have been better if the author concentrated the book on San Francisco houses only, instead of the entire Bay Area, and offered fewer houses with a better description of each. Still, it is the best I have been able to find, and it is better than nothing, hence the three stars.

You can look-up just about any noteworthy San Francisco building in this guide to the best. My own choice is the historic Monadnock Building at 685 Market Street. It was being constructed in 1906, but before its west wall was even completed the Great Earthquake and Fire struck. Somehow the building managed to survive not only those calamities but two separate attempts by the army to destroy it with dynamite (hoping to create a firebreak that was intended to save the original Palace Hotel). After the Monadnock was completed in 1907 it was casually referred to as "the railroad building," because it housed so many offices in that business. By 1985 it was thoroughly renovated, however, and the tenants inhabiting it became almost exclusively those involved in either art or law pursuits. As the book recommends, be sure to ask the guard in the lobby for the free leaflet by Hamilton Barrett, the building's own historian. When we went for our copy the guard even contributed a few additional details about one of the ghosts known to frequent the first floor at night. A "Lady in White," she wears a long turn of the century style dress and likes to silently float toward the guard's desk from the west hallway. She then touches anyone who would dare sleep.

Solid collection of essays in honor of Carl F. Henry. They address the church of Christ in its cultural setting, with facets on law, literature, art, history, media, science, environment, bioethics, etc.

Scholars such as D.A. Carson, Geoffrey Bromiley, Edmund Clowney, etc., all contribute well in an academia minded way.

Of particular interest and enlightenment was the very well done essays by Spitz on "The Historian and the Ancient of Days" as well as "Phillp Johnson's "Modernist Impasse in Law."

Some revolve around classic Niebuhr's grid while others burn new cultural analysis paths.

Good read and reference.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable book. Leatherland spins...well, I would say "a good yarn," but this is a collection of quiet and compelling vignettes from the town of Woodbridge, about the people who lived there. There's a sort of understated tone to the writing; you don't get hammered with superlatives, 'cause that's not the way things are DONE in a small town. The characters are loveable (Arlee's a hoot), some moments are deeply touching, and the book leaves you wanting to know more about their lives. Maybe a sequel's on the way? Anyway, don't read it all in a sitting; you've gotta soak in it. It's worth spending the time!

First of all this book undoubtably uncovers the REAL events at Bentwaters 1980! I do however sense there is more to come from this in the near future! We also need to remeber who was at this incident, Larry Warren. Peter Robbins is the researcher of this incident. To state in public that this man is a liar and con artist is a testimony of ones ignorance and in ability to see the forest for the trees! We cannot embark on this subject with a closed mind and ignore EVIDENCE that would be acceptable in any court of law. We should be thankful to Mr. Warren for having the courage to uncover this incident, for without him we would have no clue what happened in December 1980. I have the sense after reading this book that what would be considered UFO researchers are all behind the wall of denial and have only hindered the full dislosure of the Bentwaters incident. Larry is undoubtably the Frank Serpico of Ufology, bar none! Others who are hell bent to disparage Mr. Warrens character, should read more Bigfoot novels and leave the serious UFO research to the many people who are commited to uncovering the truth and not Character assasination. I believe his work in this book is brilliant and should be read worlwide! My hat is off to Larry, Peter I am sure is being well rewarded for his brilliant research ...no kudos needed there.

Well written and interesting throughout. I was working in the WSA at Bentwaters on D Flight during the UFO sightings. I remember the radio transmissions and most of the people working during that time. Warren and Robbins clarify what were only rumours during the those strange nights following Christmas, 1980. Since reading the book, I've contacted several former D Flight members and encouraged them to buy 'Left at East Gate'.

I was scanning the library shelves here in Manhattan for something to read for a wintry weekend. Wow! This book scared the hell out of me. For some of the detractors I've read here, were you reading the same book? What chilled me is that Larry Warren is such a down-to-earth guy. He could have sought fame and fortune some other way than baring his experiences here. And for doing so, he has fought a war against the military, the powerful federal agents who hide the secrets and hypocritical politicians and vicious old military officials. That something really did happen at Bentwaters-Woodbridge is no longer in question. Even some of Larry's enemies admit something incredible happened at the base. This has been documented in numerous documentaries and articles. I hope Larry and his terrific co-author, Peter Robbins, write a sequel and go more into detail about the nightmarish world beneath the military site. Larry has definitely showed enough guts and bravery to receive an award of some kind. I hereby create the UFO Hero of the Year Award to be presented to Larry Warren!

Nathaniel Hawthorne's "House of the Seven Gables" is an enjoyable read for anyone interested in classic American literature. Some readers consider Hawthorne's meticulous style of describing settings and characters frustrating, but they fail to realize that the story "The House of the Seven Gables" is in fact, settings and characters. The reader must realize that this book was written in 1851, so it lacks the showmanship of explosions and flying poltergeists, but if properly embraced, "The House of the Seven Gables" is a very enjoyable read. As I read this book, I felt that Hepzibah and Clifford were not the only characters attempting to rid themselves of a family curse. I felt that Hawthorne himself was attempting to exorcise the guilt brought on by his ancestor, John Hawthorne, who had presided over the Salem Witch Trials, hundred of years prior.

This book is really good. Very deep mystery about a dying witch's curse. It's not a fast-moving thriller, by a slow and methodical one. Every word is chosen so carefully by Hawthorne, that it is fun to read and a challenge for the mind to find the hidden meaning. The novel starts with a discription of the house- the house with human attributes and ends with a lone cat watching the fulfillment of a witch's curse. Really excellent. There's plenty of characterization, hints of incest, and omenious surrounding to keep the reader entertained. Love love loved it, read it in a college American literature class.

The story of "The House of Seven Gables" begins in the midst of Puritan New England (which Hawthorne paints characteristically, and forgiveably, quite bleak) with the fantastic tale of a severe dispute between stern Colonel Pyncheon and alleged wizard Matthew Maule over a piece of land. Maule is conveniently executed (while cursing Pyncheon) for his "crimes", and Pyncheon builds Seven Gables on the aforesaid land. Several years later, the colonel dies suddenly, supposedly the mark of Maule's curse, which is to forever haunt the Pyncheon mansion.

Several generations of Pyncheons come and go, and the family decays and whithers until it can boast only four remaining members, two of which are old and frail. But one, a Judge Pyncheon, rotten under his trim exterior, is up to unsurfaced mischief.

The story tends to move slowly (much of the meat of the plot is not encountered until nearly half-way through!), but every word bears weight. Hawthorne weaves his story in such a way that every moment spent getting to know the characters is crucial. Neither is the slow development boring: far from it! Relax, enjoy the pace, and allow yourself to feast on Hawthorne's brilliant prose. As Henry James once stated, "The House of Seven Gables" is "the closest approach we are likely to have to the Great American Novel."

This 1988 book compiled by John D. Woodbridge contains 65 mini biographies of Christian leaders that cover the 2,000 years of Church history from Peter to Billy Graham. Each is written by authors including J.I. Packer and D.A. Carson This is not the type of book you have to read from cover to cover. You can pick and choose depending on what your interested in since each entry is for the most part self contained. I do argue with the inclusion of Soren Kierkeaard in this book. Though my favorite philosopher, he does not deserve to be put in the ranks of Luther,Calvin, and Tyndale;Although not the best book I've ever read,if you are intersted in Christian History and wanta biography of a great Christian leader that will only take a matter of minutes, this is the book to get.