Thomas was given access to the church archives when researching this book, but then he was denied permission to quote from anything he read there. (At least according to a letter the author published later in response to an unfavorable review--Thomas ought to have clarified this issue in his preface to the book.)

The result is a book full of broad claims resting precariously on slender evidence. Thomas' overly vague descriptions of archival material cannot support his conclusions.

If you're interested in learning more about Eddy (as opposed to learning more about what Thomas *thinks* about Eddy based on secret information), don't waste your money on this book.

This book is supposed to be a psychoanalytic study of Mary Baker Eddy. It is anything but that.

The authors appear to be non-Christian Scientists have looked into Christian Science and decided that it is the correct explanation of Jesus's works and teachings. Although this book offers some wonderful intellectual insights into Mrs. Eddy's life and career, it is far more praiseworthy than antagonistic.

Strongly recommended, whether or not you're a Christian Scientist.

I am one of relatively few people who have had the enormous privelige of being taught by Robert Thomas - "Doc Thomas", as he was universally known. He is a man with an extraordinary and profound intellect, and an unparalleled ability to illuminate complex and intricate issues. If you desire an intellectual thrill, buy the book. Better still would be to take a class from him, an experience which in the course of nine months taught me how to think and write. He could sell tickets to his dissection of Dr. Strangelove. It was truly that fascinating.

Doc, if you read this, I want to say now that you are unequivocally the most brilliant, effective and entertaining teacher I have ever had the privelige of learning from. You have taught me more than any person ever has, and given to me the art of analysis. Thank you, thank you, thank you. My only regret is that you didn't stay one more year. I know dozens of us would have been lining up for Am Cult, myself included.

-David (no, not Big Hands who forgot his notes for the final)

More recent scolarship has shown this biography to be a polemic not a biography. See more scholarly work by Gillian Gill especially her comments on page 563 about Milmine's work.

In 1906 Georgine Milmine, a newspaperwoman who had spent years assembling an enormous collection of material about Mary Baker Eddy but doubted her own ability to write on the subject, sold it to McClures Magazine. Interest in Christian Science was at its height at the time, and McClure's turned the project over to Willa Cather, who was 32 years old and had 32 published short stories to her credit, but whose days as a great novelist still lay in the future.

Although Ms. Cather publicly disclaimed credit for the resulting series of articles which form the basis of this book, the editors provide convincing proof that she wrote it.

In addition to being a highly entertaining account of the rise of one of the more fascinating characters in American religious history and the church she founded, the book provides extensive factual detail to anyone seriously interested in the history of either. While it is critical of Mrs. Eddy, it is also complimentary. Factually accurate and extensively documented., it is perhaps the most objective account available of a truly remarkable woman and her church.

Although the book was the subject of favorable reviews when it was published in 1910, the response of the church was, predictably, less enthusiastic. According to the afterword, even before it was published, "three spokesmen for the Christian Science church visited the McClure's office and tried to suppress the series of articles. Christian Scientists were said to have later bought and destroyed most copies of the book, and library copies were said to be kept out of general circulation through constant borrowings by church members... The copyright for the Milmine book was purchased by a friend of Christian Science, the plates from which the book was printed were destroyed, and the manuscript also acquired. That this happened is supported by the fact that the manuscripts for the 'Milmine' book are held in the Archives and Library of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston." (pp. 497-498)

Perhaps the most important contribution that this book makes is to present Mrs. Eddy and her church in the context of their time. There is a tendency today to present her as an early oppressed feminist. That interpretation should be compared with Ms. Cather's hard-nosed assessment:: "The result of Mrs. Eddy's planning and training and pruning is that she has built up the largest and most powerful organization ever founded by any woman in America. Probably no other woman so handicapped-so limited in intellect, so uncertain in conduct, so tortured by hatred and hampered by petty animosities-has ever risen from a state of helplessness and dependence to a position of such power and authority... The growth of her power has been extensive as well as intensive." (p. 480)

In fact, the only complaint in an otherwise favorable review by a student of nervous disorders in the American Historical Review (Vol 15, July 1910), was that the author did "not do enough to explain the abnormal psychology of the founder of Christian Science-the record of hysteria, hypochondria, and the delusion of persecution." (p.498)

Well worth reading

Take the gaseous denunciation by the true believer as an endorsement of this timeless debunking biography. (CS complaints about this book are always based on "new information" kept under lock and key by the church so it can't be checked by any unbiased researcher.) Christian Science malarkey sentenced my sister to a needless early death.

The chapters on object -> RDBMS mapping and implementation using non-OO languages are worth the whole book!

It's outdated because it uses the OMT, I would really thanks Rambaugh if he could write a new edition!

Lets face it, this is the best book to get started on Object Oriented Programming. An object is still an object, whether you show it in a cloud or in a box. Plus this book has some valuable tips on programming the right way, and puts reusability in perspective. Its written in extremely readable fashion, quite unlike some of the UML documents out there. The only thing that bothers me is the price tag, which seems to be a bit high.

A landmark in OO literature: always was and always will be. Taking things from step zero to discussing very advanced issues. The notation used is the one where UML has borrowed most of its elements (especially the class diagrams). The process it describes has become the typical process for OO development (especially 2nd generation OMT as described through a series of articles in JOOP by Rumbaugh). In all, a book that leaves nothing uncovered from notation to process and more importantly in depth discussions on OO concepts and techniques that will always be true. Finally, this is one of the few books that discuss how to implement an OO design into a non-OO language such as C, Pascal, Fortran etc. END

The Gillian Gill biography, Mary Baker Eddy, is eminently worthwhile reading for any student of Christian Science, of historical figures, or of the art of writing. Gillian Gill is not a Christian Scientist. Moreover, the book was sponsored by Radcliffe College as part of its Radcliffe Biography Series. Radcliffe's president characterizes the Series as "an expression of the value we see in documenting and understanding the varied lives of women." The resulting feminist gloss evident in this book, presented from the viewpoint of one outside the Christian Science movement, provides a very different perspective on Mary Baker Eddy's life from that offered by other Eddy biographies.

Gill approaches her task with a thoroughly sincere, perhaps even reverent respect for her subject. As if to illustrate why such respect is both deserved and overdue, Gill notes in her Preface that Mary Baker Eddy is not even mentioned in the 1993 essay of feminist historian Gerda Lerner, "One Thousand Years of Feminist Bible Criticism." Even the casual observer will recognize the absurdity of omitting, from such an essay, a woman who founded an international religious movement based on reinterpretation of the Bible. Lerner's essay notwithstanding, feminism, as a philosophical ally of liberalism, has routinely given religion short shrift, and Gill's Eddy biography thus helps to fill this gaping void in feminist scholarship.

Gill's feminist perspective is an occasional distraction, but she more than compensates with her paramount emphasis on careful scholarship, and a fluid prose that leaves one almost unaware of the reading. The mix of feminism and the viewpoint of a non-Christian Scientist is frequently evident. Usually, but not always, the mix produces entirely appropriate results. Thus, when Gill describes the original 1894 Church she speaks of a "womblike structure" that "seems to gather [her] in." It strikes her as "a deeply female space." These are perceptive observations which it seems unlikely would occur one whose intellectual moorings were in traditional culture rather than in feminist theory.

On the other hand, when Gill speaks of widowhood, not Mary Glover's widowhood but widowhood in general terms, her concern is solely that it leaves women "uncomfortably dependent on the goodwill of [their] family," and she notes that Mary Baker Eddy was fortunate to have received an important "lesson in survival" from her grandmother's many years of widowhood. Gill's feminist inclinations apparently blind her to a broader context of widowhood: although in some cases it leaves a woman "uncomfortably dependent," in all cases it leaves a man dead. Unless one is prepared to argue that death is preferable to uncomfortable dependence as a state of being, one would have to acknowledge that it was the men of the 19th century, moreso than the women, who needed but were denied "lessons in survival." While much more in a similar vein could be cited, the obviously careful scholarship behind this book, and its admirably readable prose, more than compensate for minor distractions.

One of the more interesting and informative aspects of Gill's work is the careful attention given to other Eddy biographers and commentators. Gill is forthright and thorough in discussing them, and pulls no punches in disagreements with them, especially those who are hostile to Mary Baker Eddy. From Milmine/Cather to Clemens to Peel, all come under Gill's careful and unflinching scrutiny. Gill herself is not uniformly kind to Eddy; however, from all appearances she does strive to be true to the historical record. She is completely justified in suggesting one cannot say that in good conscience about several other Eddy biographers.

Beginning, as one would expect, with the birth of Mary Baker in Bow, New Hampshire, Gill ends her story describing the view from the site of Mrs. Eddy's New Hampshire home, Pleasant View, looking toward the Bow hills. She thus encloses and gathers in her subject in a distinctly maternal way, perhaps not unlike what she experienced on visiting the Mother Church. Just as the product of Mary Baker Eddy's work, coming down through the years, had enveloped Gill, the product of Gill's work similarly envlopes Eddy. It may be saying too much to suggest that this mutuality, a seeming flow of respect and esteem coursing between the author and her historical subject, is an important dynamic of the book. Such mutuality is consistent, however, with a central theme of equity-feminist scholarship: paying homage to female historical figures who, in their time and through their work, similarly paid homage to the generations of women who would come after them.

Between the beginning and end, Gill is no less a nurturing and caring mother to her historical subject, protective, proud and understanding, and in the end willing to acknowledge its faults as she sees them, and yet grant it unconditional acceptance. These are among the qualities that make this a biography well worth reading, and then rereading.

This is not a light book--in tone or weight! However, it gave me a rich, deep, understanding of Mary Baker Eddy as a person and as a figure in history--plus many hours of reading pleasure.

Most well-researched biographies are dry and factual. Ms. Gill has managed to organize an unusual life into chapters that are more than chronological slices. Step by step, she takes the reader through the development of Ms. Eddy's thought and philosophy. At the same time, we learn a huge amount of Ms. Eddy as a literary, spiritual, and political leader.

If you buy this book, please don't neglect to read the footnotes. Ms. Gill has packed them with tons of interesting trivia that otherwise would have cluttered up her well-turned prose. This is a rare and valuable work--one that should become the standard starting place for any serious student of either the Christian Science movement or of women's role in the late 19th century. I hope that Ms. Gill will receive the time and resources to complete other projects, such as this one.

I was so impressed by this book. In a way, it changed my life. I've read many, many biographies of Eddy, from Tomlinson to Peel to the newest one authorized by her church (Mary Baker Eddy: Christian Healer), and this was the first I could relate to directly. Others have been less than completely frank about Eddy's early life-they either idolize her or mock her. I was also fascinated to learn more details about Eddy's parents and siblings-with all their foibles and weaknesses. Gill's biography comes up to my standard of straightforward honesty, without either the apologetics of a follower or the sarcasm of a detractor. Gill weaves contextual information about life in the 1800s throughout her work, yet as a woman of the late 20th century, I found myself relating to Eddy and her struggle in so many ways. She was a single mom. She wrote romantic fiction and poetry. She lived through both widowhood and divorce. She had financial struggles, and, for a long time, no place to call home. She would get angry on occasion, yet she was also sublimely loving. She retained a girlish pleasure in clothes and fashion-she loved ice cream! Her life was not perfect, nor was she a perfect human being, yet she still rose to the heights of spiritual healer and religious leader-all in the face of intense opposition that would be difficult for anyone today, let alone a woman of her time period. Each challenge she faced was turned into an opportunity; each relationship that ended was grist for the mill of her own spiritual growth. As someone who is learning to practice spiritual healing, I found it inspiring to know that, if Eddy is any example, I don't have to be a perfect human being in order to get started. This shouldn't be the only biography one reads to get a complete composite of Mary Baker Eddy, but it's certainly an excellent foundation against which other information can be juxtaposed and evaluated. Of course, reading her seminal work, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, gets to the heart of her mission the fastest way of all.

I love this book. Rather than say what I thought of the words in this book, I'd like to say what those words did to change my life.

Through reading this book, Science & Health by Mary Baker Eddy, I gained an understanding of the richness and depth of the Holy Bible.

As I worked my way through Science and Health, I found myself using less medicine, enjoying better health and above all *ABOVE ALL*, I found a sense of peace I'd never known. The peace that passeth all understanding.

What a sweet and blessed relief that was for me and my family.

Since childhood, I'd suffered from frequent bouts of sinus troubles and sore throats. About two years after I began reading Mrs. Eddy's book, those troubles simply disappeared and never recurred.

Ever since I was young, a felt an intense, even insatiable longing to know "the meaning of life". I read countless books on countless religions and belief systems, but when I studied Science & Health, I remembered thinking, "This woman has got something here..." That longing to know more about life was satisfied by reading her book and digging into the Bible with new understanding.

Thomas Moore said "Earth has no sorrow, that heaven cannot heal." Science and Health proves Moore's statement and shows how heaven [God] *does* heal.

Rose Thornton

Science and Health isn't a quick read, by any means, but it is worth every ounce of effort to dig through each paragraph and chapter. My life has changed tremendously since I started reading and studying this textbook on healing, and I'm sure yours will too. The healing that takes place in thought as we read through each paragraph is FOR REAL!! The last 100 pages of this 700 page book, are stories and testimonies of healing, from those that read the book. Many of these individuals were completely written-off by the medical profession. There are healings from accidents, tumors, depression, stomach problems, blindness, you name it. No herbs, no massage, no witchcraft, all they did was read the book. Their understanding changed, and so did the physical manifestations. This book also gives us some wonderful wisdom about relationships and marriage, in the chapter titled, "Marriage". I especially love the first chapter of the book, "Prayer". It is a step by step instruction in how to pray more effectively, and can be helpful to anyone in search of a greater daily connection to God. As you can tell, I highly recommend this book, and also its companion, the Bible.

It is interesting how Mrs. Eddy answers some intriguing questions regarding Christian Science.

Have Christian Scientists any religious creed?
Mary Baker Eddy answers the question in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures p.496-97.
Her answer - They have not, if by that term is meant doctrinal beliefs. The following is a brief exposition of the important points, or religious tenets, of Christian Science: -

1. As adherents of Truth, we take the inspired Word of the Bible as our sufficient guide to eternal Life.
2. We acknowledge and adore one supreme and infinite God. We acknowledge His Son, one Christ; the Holy Ghost or divine Comforter; and man in God's image and likeness.
3. We acknowledge God's forgiveness of sin in the destruction of sin and the spiritual understanding that casts out evil as unreal. But the belief in sin is punished so long as the belief lasts.
4. We acknowledge Jesus' atonement as the evidence of divine, efficacious Love, unfolding man's unity with God through Christ Jesus the Way-shower; and we acknowledge that man is saved through Christ, through Truth, Life, and Love as demonstrated by the Galilean Prophet in healing the sick and overcoming sin and death.
5. We acknowledge that the crucifixion of Jesus and his resurrection served to uplift faith to understand eternal Life, even the allness of Soul, Spirit, and the nothingness of matter.
6. And we solemnly promise to watch, and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus; to do unto others as we would have them do unto us; and to be merciful, just, and pure.

Grace Flint is a detective inspector for the London Metropolitan Police. She is most often used as a decoy or undercover operative. When one of her assignments goes bad, her partner is killed and she is terribly wounded - both physically and mentally. From that point, the book takes off on a wild ride spanning three continents.
There is something that doesn't ring true with Eddy's Flint. Is it because he's tried to make her both SuperWoman and vulnerable, sane and slightly not, reckless and conservative? Whatever it is, Flint is flawed. There is very little character development in the book - the book is not about character development - but the plot is outstanding - the book's strong point. I agree that the book is hard to put down, you may want to read it one sitting. But don't. This book needs to be read slowly lest you miss one of the subtleties the author throws randomly throws in.

both physically and psychologically. The brittle, cold heroine of Paul Eddy's first fiction thriller is worth more than a glance. It is hard to know what makes Flint tick, even though the book explores her life from the viewpoint of an outsider, in
retrospect. Flint's a British operative, gone awol after she is caught in the crossfire of an international plot.

Harry Cohen, trying to find her, gives us the retrospective. Unlike Flint, Harry's almost too real, too wounded, to be given the task. His character, the best developed in the book, sees every issue from both sides; he's devoted to finding Flint, helping her, and righting the wrong that's been done her.

Meanwhile, Flint uses her powers of deception and persuasion to seek her revenge on an international criminal. The reader is absorbed in her risk-taking, all the while learning what makes her tick. Think Marg Helgenberger for the film or the TV movie.

Not a big fan of spy thrillers, I found Flint engaging, well-written, with a few forgiveable flaws. Looking forward to more from Paul Eddy, he has a new and crisp voice.

A foul windy and wet day and 700 odd miles before me was not conducive to a happy day. So I put the first Flint cassette in to the car player. The day took on a new meaning. I was gripped by this extraordinary exciting story. I had already read the book it made no difference to the excitement.The miles fell away even idiot drivers were an irrelevance as I became immersed in the world of Grace Flint, a British under cover detective inspector, who is so real but goes through the kind of reality no one in their right mind would want to experience. It is a very special story and the plot is cunningly crafted by Paul Eddy. I thought ahead but each time the story proved me wrong as I was lead from one direction to another. The story has pathos and incites rage(not traffic) then laughter then satisfaction. It is a very stimulating story with a heroine of courage and beauty, the latter from the delicate hands of a plastic surgeon's scapel as a result of a savage beating. One word -terrific.

This book paints Mary Baker Eddy much larger than life. It bombards the reader with her healing work and love while glossing over problems that I have seen more fairly treated in other Eddy biographies. It also perpetuates the traditions and myths taught to Christian Science children, such as the myth that Eddy experienced an immediate and lasting healing three days after her famous fall on the ice. (Several MONTHS after the accident she tried to extract monetary damages for her injuries, on the grounds that she was STILL SUFFERING.)

Von Fettweis and Warneck had access to over 21,000 of Eddy's unpublished letters and writings; what a shame they chose to perpetuate myths rather than using the documents to present a realistic and fair view of their spiritual leader.

Some books bring inspiration by the very import of their subject. The warmly historical, first-hand accounts of witnessing the restoration of wells, the calming of storms, and the raising of people from the dead, to list but a few examples of the remarkable healing ministry of this profoundly Christian woman, Mary Baker Eddy, do just that. One's inner child or soul-sense rejoices in the sweet sense of the loving Deity's ever-presence, as demonstrated through this woman, and marvels that such works are indeed available to the pure in heart who give such fervent, effectual prayer. Her great reflection of "this Mind which was also in Christ Jesus," namely "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," is an open door of loving, principled teaching to this goal-fittedness, and a logical progressive choice for those desiring to go and do likewise, i.e. to walk in the way shown by the Messiah. "Mary Baker Eddy: Christian Healer" presents a warmly victorious example of what man, reflecting his Creator and doing His Will, may reasonably expect to demonstrate.

An understanding of the Leader and Founder of Christian Science in her capacity to heal is an uplifting experience so inspiring that the reader can hardly put this book down.

An appreciation of Mary Baker Eddy's contribution to us, enable the reader to obtain deeper understanding of the spiritual meaning of her well-known masterwork: Science and Health.

AND WHEN I FIRST STARTED READING THIS BOOK IT REMINDED ME OF LANGSTON HUGHES POEM "THE WEARY BLUES" BECAUSE IN THE WEARY BLUES HE TALKES ABOUT HARLEM(DOWN ON LENOX AVENUR THE OTHER NIGHT) AND WHAT HE HEARD AND FELT WHEN HE WALKED THE STREATS OF HARLEM(125TH STREET)

"Still Life in Harlem" was a very good written book that opened your eyes on the problems facing urban cities in America. It also brilliantly put in great detail what the author saw in the everyday life of people in Harlem,how he felt about what Harlem has become, and what connection he still has with the place he grew up in, for awhile. The only thing that I disliked was how the author seemed to give excuses on why the people, in Harlem, live in the bad condition they are in. I felt that these people (in Harlem), like many other people, who are in the same situation, can make a positive change for themselves and their community if they put in some effort to make that change. Other than that, I really enjoyed the book and I truly feel that this is a book that everyone, who live in a Harlem, should read, so that maybe it can help them realize the destruction that is going on in their community and try to do something positive about it, instead of ignoring it.

Reminded me of the things about my heritage that is seen everytime a non-African American sees me on the street; the things about myself that society wants me to forget if I want to "make it". Illustrated the point that we could never assimilate into American society because our skin color will always remind folks of the history of exclusion, inequity, and distruction of the Black race. Finally, rekindled the desire to put something back into society - Black society.

As any golfer knows, at least 100 different parts of the golf swing have to be working in concert for the mythical perfect shot to happen--sometimes it does, more often it doesn't.
Puett and Apfelbaum make golf's secrets a bit more accessible to the average player by providing a handy reference book for reviewing the basics of all shots and explaining away some of the mysteries. Straightforward information, broken down into understandable components and accompanied by good drawings and some helpful swing thoughts, offers a frustrated golfer the chance to review the "rights" of the swing before s/he becomes too frustrated. Too comprehensive and detailed to be read as a text, it's the perfect book to use as a refresher, to pick up and put down as the need arises, and I've never failed to find some helpful reminder here which makes a difference after a less than wonderful round.

Barbara Puett's only teacher was the legendary Harvey Penick, so positive in his approach that she "never knew [she] ever did anything wrong in the golf swing." By accentuating the positive and reinforcing the fundamentals, she aims to continue his legacy and is largely successful in this book. The one thing that this positive philosophy does not address, however, is the fact that golf is a mental game, too, and not all of us are gifted with this inherently upbeat outlook. A chapter on how to deal with the emotional funk which sometimes accompanies a day spent hitting worm balls out of the weeds would also be welcome. Mary Whipple

I enjoyed the book for its "down home" approach to golf. It didn't fill my head with unnecessary swing thoughts and ideas. Simple, straight forward with great visual keys to help both on the range and on the course. Great job...Barbara, Jim and Eddy!!!.

I enjoyed reading the book and using the visual keys to help reinforce what I had read. Barbara and Jim have made an enjoyable golf read that doesn't bog down the mind. After reading the book, I went out and used the keys they suggested...they work!!..and its so simple..study the basics...study the basics..this book shows you how. I loved the classic illustration work as well.

This is an excellent book for your library. It describes you all the recent HTML (including 4.0) tags in plain english, with a brief explanation of when, where, why and how to use them. HTML tags are grouped in catagories (e.g, Frames or Tables etc.). If an attribute is only supported by Netscape or MSIE browser, it's description is preceded with as icon. The note section tells you the origin and history of the tag (HTML 2.0 or HTML 4.0 etc.). If you are planning to code HTML by hand, or you simply save source for an HTML to understand how it works, this is an excellent source. It is also for people who simply want the tags they need, when they need them. It is a one-stop HTML reference for headers to meta to java script to cascading style sheets and everything in between and beyond. Appendix - A contain a complete list of elements by HTML version and activity including Netscape and Microsoft extensions. This book is definitely a must for anyone working with Web Pages.

This book does exactly what it says. It gives you all the recent HTML (3.2) tags in plain english, with a brief explanation of how to use them, when, where and why. It's perfect for those who like coding their own pages, but don't want to learn off every HTML tag in existence. It's for people who simply want the tags they need, when they need them (with a small explanation to refresh the memory). This book is definitely a must for anyone coding a web page. It's a one-stop HTML 3.2 tag reference manual (from headers to meta tags to java applets to cascading style sheets and beyond), that will quickly and easily provide you with the information you want, without throwing in a headache for free

I am a professional web application developer. Since I often forget the details of HTML attributes and format, this book comes in handy for me. I can easily find everything I need and can easily put the information to use. The book is logically divided into sections on general, table, form and frame elemnts. It also has sections on the Microsoft and Nescape extensions, plus cascading style sheets.

Since I got the book, other developers are coming to my desk and asking to use it. If you need to know every little detail about every HTML tag, this is the reference book for you.

Note that this is NOT a book for beginners to use to learn how to write HTML. That is evident if you look inside, but some may be fooled by the title.