While admittedly not a formal scholar of Chinese history, I was drawn to read this book by a lifelong interest and association with China, and found it quite interesting and well-argued, if somewhat technical.

The book argues that a textual analysis of older Chinese literature, using the "Seven Military Classics" (historically important Chinese military texts), leads to the conclusion that the Chinese have essentially two distinct mentalities regarding the use of violence. On the one hand is the traditional view -- here termed the Confucian-Mencian view -- of a cultural aversity to the use of force. Johnston claims that this view, while perhaps a valid perspective in Chinese history, is nevertheless exaggerated in the face of actual historical evidence.

Johnston, a professor at Harvard, makes extensive citations of previous research, and his arguments are generally speaking, logically well-structured. He is very careful to draw conclusions on the basis of evidence he has previously provided in a step-by-step, almost connect the dots manner.

My only criticisms relate to two factors: First, some of the language used seems somewhat overblown. I understand that this is an academic text, and I am not taking issue with the necessary complications that such texts entail. However, on a whole the work is somewhat difficult to read, sometimes unnecessarily. I was stopped on several instances by words which had simply been fabricated, more complex versions of already pre-existing and less obscure terminology.

My last point is admittedly a somewhat weak one, since I do not have the exposure to purely academic work with which Johnston assumes familiarity. However, the bulk of the book relies on, as mentioned above, an analysis of the Seven Military Classics, whereupon Johnston concludes that none of the texts display an adversity to violence. This conclusion is often drawn from the lack of other potential methods of conflict resolution in the texts. Yet from my familiarity with the Classics, they are essentially war manuals, books for providing knowledge of military situations. Thus it strikes me as somewhat leading to assume that these works should include such alternate methodology, in the same sense that one would not expect a dissertation on the bioethics from a surgical machine's instruction manual. If you required the information from these books, it is possible that other methods of resolution had been tried and had failed. This possibility was as far as I can tell either not mentioned in the book, or disregarded.

I set about several years ago to improve my understanding of China. I have previously submitted reviews with China as subject, "The Coming Conflict with China" and "Year of the Rat: How Bill Clinton Compromised U.S. Security for Chinese Cash". I will soon add a review of " Betrayal: How the Clinton Administration Undermined American Security " by Bill Gertz. However, "Cultural Realism: Strategic Culture and Grand Strategy in Chinese History" is perhaps most important for providing that historic foundation of Chinese culture that makes these other books immensely more understandable and frightening in the light they shed.

Cultures do not change dramatically over time, especially a culture as old as is China's. One of the widely held beliefs about Chinese culture is that in it's strategic thinking; how to handle conflicts with other nation-states, the use of force, and the nature of the enemy, China has been largely passive and defensive. Not so contends Johnston. By a systematic and painstaking review of the "Seven Military Classics", a compilation of the military writings of ancient China, Johnston satisfactory demonstrates the realpolitik found in Chinese thinking. A set of operational strategic maxims that "argues that the best way of dealing with security threats is to eliminate them through the use of Force". This of course based on gaining the abilities and upper hand to do so.

Taken as a whole this book argues for a reassessment of the Western world's view of China as something of a gentle giant. Far from being gentle, this book argues for a China ready to use force to protect it's national interest. And a certain sensitivity to what may be constituted as a threat to national interest. For the United States, this book offers a clear blueprint for China's actions to date as our presumed "strategic partner". This book is a must read for our current crop of the China lobby, and should have been a must read for Bill Clinton before he threw open the barn door of U.S. security.

This is one of Lynn Johnston's earlier works before she became famous for her cartoon strip "For Better or Worse".

Unlike the strip "For Better or Worse" which is centred around the Patterson family and usually has a continuing story line this book contains one panel gags (101 in total) and has a variety of characters in it. Although for those who have followed her cartoons you may be able to find a young Elly & Michael Patterson in the book.

The book has a lot of funny gags told from a variety of perspectives including from the first time parents, expectant mothers, fathers, siblings etc.

It would make the ideal present for someone who is expecting or for someone who is a Lynn Johnston fan.

Throw away the Brazelton. Throw away the Spock. Buy the set of Johnston books on pregnancy, childbirth, and early parenthood. You will gain far more wisdom. Well, maybe not wisdom. Certainly perspective! Lynn helped me and many other incipient/new parents put the whole "kid thing" into perspective. You gotta laugh at the whole situation from time-to-time.

This book is a very in-depth look at how to read scriptures. It has a lot of helpful information, but it's also somewhat boring. However, it is written for the general population and does not read like a textbook. The author suggests reading it with a bible at hand, and that is helpful. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to learn a lot about how to really read scripture in depth.

This book, written primarily for Anglicans/Episcopalians, is a concise and wonderful answer to Christians who give the Bible too much prominence in their faith-life, those who are perhaps guilty of practicing "Bibliolatry." Without disrespecting the Good Book, Johnston speaks about the importance of reading the Bible within the context of a community of faith, and like communities of faith, the Bible is a living and ever-changing thing. I especially appreciated the distinction he draws between reading the Bible literally, historically, and prophetically. And anyone who considers the Bible to be a sacred text needs to read it in all three senses. Reading the Bible literally means to read exactly what's on the page (not to read into it things you remember for Sunday School or Christmas pageants)--to see it with fresh eyes. To read it historically means to be reasonably curious about the story behind the scene and to be willing to do a little background research to better understand the context of these ancient texts. And to explore the Bible in its prophetic sense is to be willing to understand what the text has to say about the way we apply the lessons of the Bible and live out our own lives today. One statement Johnston makes that I will continue to ponder for some time is, "Bible readers in Christian communities do not so much need experts as they do adepts, skilled readers who can both instruct and inspire with their own passion for the Bible" (p. 40).

The last three chapters ("Who is the God of the Bible?", "Who is the Jesus of the Bible?", and "The Word as Sacrament") are especially thought-provoking. ENGAGING THE WORD is volume three in a twelve-part series called "The New Church's Teaching Series." Volume 2, OPENING THE BIBLE by Robert Ferlo, is also worth reading and deals with more practical issues about what Christians should know in order to begin a meaningful and satisfying practice of reading the Bible.

I am fascinated by war novels. ("All Quiet on the Western Front" is one of my favorites.) And this book was very good. I've just finished reading it once through, and I immediately went back to read it a second time. When I first got it, I opened it up, read the first paragraph, and then stopped to say "Wow." There have been many (translated) foreign novels that I've read that are somewhat halting and broken as far as the language is concerned. ("All Quiet on the Western Front" included.) That was not the case with this novel. It was very fluid and smooth . . . very much like the river of the title. I originally checked this book out from a library, and liked it so much that I've come online to try and purchase it. I hope you like it as much as I did.

After completing my reading of the Faithful River by Zeromski I am reminded of "The English Patient", the movie starring Ralph Fiennes from several years back. Zeromski does a magnificant job of setting the ambience for this work and the reader is transported into the mind of the Soldier as he struggles to live. This book is exremely well transalated by Bill Johnston and is a pleasure for any one to read.

I have three young boys and they always fine this story fun to read or have read to them. They like to see the tables turned and the BOY giving the goblin, imp and scalawag their owen medicine. Good for Halloween or anytime of year. If you like this you might also try the "Vanishing Pumpkin" from the duo of Tony Johnson and Tomie Depaola.

There are few books that my kids remember as fondly as "Four Scary Stories", but it is a keeper that everyone loves ~ a pleasure for adults to read and fun for kids to listen to....

Most new parents don't think the first 12 months of parenthood is a laughing matter...till they read this collection of 101 cartoons by Lynn Johnston. There's something about sleepless nights and babbling days that seems a lot funnier in a cartoon book.

This is a very fuuny book. It makes you see the lighter side of parenthood. I laughed through and through. What makes it more appealing is that over 20 years later I have experienced the same things that Lynn Johnston wrote about then.

Those of you who want a good understanding of the role modern Israel plays in God's redemptive-history should consult this book. It is a collection of essays written by non-dispensationalists arguing that the modern Israelite state is not part of God's redemptive program since the New Covenant inaugurated by Christ "universalizes" the land promises of the Old Testament. The majority of the essays written are good (especially essays written by T. Desmond Alexander, Deryck Sheriffs, Peter Walker, and Colin Chapman). However, some essays could have been written much more better. For instance, Stephen Sizer's essay is not much help in forging dialogue and unity between non-dispensationalists and dispensationalists. I found his essay to be more of an emotional "attack" rather than a carefully laid out critique of the system. This book may challenge many dispensationalists on their approaches to interpretation and prophecy. As someone who holds to a system between dispensationalism and non-dispensationalism, I found much to be in agreement with some of the authors (some of the authors stated that they believe physical Israel still has a role to play in God's redemptive program based on Romans 11). However, the only criticism I have of the views of the authors is that dispensational premillennialism is NOT the same as historic premillennialism as held by reputable scholars like George Ladd, Walter Kaiser, and Wayne Grudem. Also, a non-Israelite approach to the land does not necessarily rule out a future Millennial Kingdom. One must interpret Revelation 20 as it is without any twists and turns even if the Biblical text demonstrates that the land promises in the Old Testament has been "spiritualized" and universalized in Christ. I believe the better approach is to see the land promises spiritualized in the New Covenant, but will be realized in its fullest in the Millennial Kingdom.

The Land Of Promise is an outstanding selection of essays aptly chosen to help Christians better understand and come to terms with the contemporary meaning of God's biblical promise to Abraham. Contributions to The Land Of Promise come from different parts of the world, including the Middle East, and embody a variety of contrasting theological stances. Yet all the writings featured within share a burning desire to understand Scripture and how it applies today. Edited by two teachers of Biblical Studies at Wycliffe Hall in Oxford, England, The Land Of Promise is a sober, thought-provoking collection highly recommended for any Christian studies reading list or church library collection.

It was good reading. It also makes you hope that she will write something in the future relating to the three remaining bachelor brothers.

I really enjoyed this book. Both stories were great but I especially loved the story of Corrigan and Dorie. I really hope Diana Palmer writes the story of the remaining brothers.

As most fans of "Little Women" know, author Louisa May Alcott based the story on the lives of herself and her three sisters, Anna (the sweet mothering one), Elizabeth (the musical one), and May (the artist). "Louisa May" is a wonderful way to discover how Louisa turned a sometimes very difficult childhood into something magical that has stood the test of time. Photographs of Louisa, her family and their many homes were especially interesting to see. I couldn't help looking at those without thinking, "Ah, so that's what Meg, Beth and Amy looked like."

Louisa May Alcott was born in 1832 to a freethinking teacher, Bronson Alcott, and a Boston blueblood, Abigail May Alcott. Although Abigail (known as Abba) came from a wealthy family, she received little inheritance, and her family soon grew tired of bailing out Bronson from his financial problems. For much of Louisa's early childhood, the family lived in abject poverty. Both parents worked in the abolition movement and in other attempts at social reform. Their friends included many famous transcendentalist thinkers of the day, such as Emerson and Thoreau. Johnston briefly describes transcendentalism, but not in enough detail that the reader will wind up with a lasting understanding of this nature-based philosophy.

Sections of this biography dealing with Bronson's unconventional teaching ideas and techniques and his struggles to maintain a teaching post were perhaps the most fascinating. The most recent film adaptation of "Little Women" alludes to some of these problems when one of Meg's society friends comments that her father's school had to close because he admitted a black girl as a student. "Louisa May" provides a few further details on this incident, which actually occurred, noting that the child may have been the daughter of free blacks who knew the Alcotts through the abolition work. Bronson also found himself out of a teaching job for focusing on philosophy rather than the three Rs, including sex education in his curriculum, and preaching his own religious beliefs to his students.

While Bronson's educational approach cost him jobs in America, a book published by his assistant made him famous in England. Following a visit to that country, he returned to Massachusetts with several like-minded hangers-on and decided to found a utopian farm. Charles Lane, his chief ally in this effort, encouraged Bronson to a life of abstinence. Lane's monk-like approach to life included rigid lessons for the Alcott girls, meals consisting mostly of bread, potatoes, and water eaten without plates (the Alcotts already were vegetarians), and ultimately an attempt to separate Bronson from his family.

Johnston's description of how Abba managed to turn things around for the family is inspiring and contradicts stereotypes that many have about 19th century women's submissiveness to their husbands. Reading "Louisa May" left me longing for more information about Bronson and Abba Alcott, and their unconventional lives.

Like Jo in "Little Women," Louisa sought to help support her family as she got older. She did sewing, cleaned houses, taught children and, despite discouraging publishers, sold short stories. When the Civil War broke out, Louisa volunteered as a nurse. Her nursing experience proved pivotal in her life in several ways: "Hospital Sketches," based on her letters home, established her as a writer. Her hard work as a nurse, however, destroyed her health. Although not clear from "Louisa May," Louisa worked only three weeks as a nurse before going home sick.

The sections about her writing her famous children's books are less fascinating than the chapters on her early life, perhaps because it's hard to read about Louisa's struggles with poor health. At this point, Johnston briefly describes the plots, mentions which publisher the book was written for, and a few other details about what was going on in Louisa's life during its writing. Johnston could have given better context to Louisa's financial success. Stating that she earned $1,000 a year seems like an improvement over the $30 a year the family struggled to survive on during her childhood, but for readers unfamiliar with mid-19th century wages, it would be hard to see this sum as representing financial security.

I was surprised at how quickly I read "Louisa May." It had sat on my shelf for years before I finally picked it up, and then I read it practically nonstop. My primary disappointment was its lack of footnotes and its lack of a broader bibliography. I wanted to know more and I wanted Johnston's help in pointing me in that direction. Then I noticed that the biography was written for "11 & Up" and understood. I certainly didn't get the impression from the writing style, that the book was geared to younger readers.

Overall, I enjoyed "Louisa May" very much, and have new respect for her as an independent woman who set out to accomplish goals and lead a life that would have been somewhat unusual for women in her day-and did everything she set out to do!

I wasn't looking forward to starting this novel-sized biography to gather information for my research paper, but once I began it, it was hard to put it down! It shows how truly interesting and amazing and difficult Louisa May Alcott's life was. It's longer than most of the other Louisa bios I have seen, and it contains a wealth of information and details while remaining easy to read. It also includes background information on the May and Alcott families, as well as pictures sprinkled throughout the book. I highly recommend it for research or pleasure reading!

Johnston's Book "Mystical Theology" explains in a succinct and readable way the history of Western Christian mysticism and correlates it with Eastern mysticism and modern Western psychological understandings. It is well-written and answers questions that the average student of mysticism would understand in a coherent way. It is good for spiritual directors and pastoral leaders who are trying to understand the spiritual life of those entrusted to their care. It is NOT a book for beginners. It will be best understood by those who have some working knowledge of Christian, but especially Catholic Western or Eastern Mysticism. A knowledge of the works of St. John of the Cross or Teresa of Avila is most helpful.

Johnston's primary contribution to this field is his updating the understandings of centuries and placing them in a modern context. For example, he takes the three traditional ways of spiritual growth, purgative, illuminative and unitive ways and correlates his experience of Eastern mysticism, the call to non-violence, and modern psychology with them. The language is clear, the meanings precise, and the index is thorough. You can use this book as a basic research tool for mysticism or contemplation. I wished I had had this book before I wrote a published article last year. It would have formed a backbone to my article that other resources do not have.

Johnston's book is broad-based and has great depth. It could easily become the "Bible" and the "dictionary, if not encyclopedia" in its field. Its only weakness (and probably because it would have made it overly long)is that it does not trace the history of Western or Eastern Christian mysticism in great depth. However, its theological underpinnings are very strong. I highly reccommend this book not only to scholars but to all those seeking a greater understanding of mystical theology as well as those guiding our contemporary mystics.

I studied Pascal's Pensees at Notre Dame in 1989, and my life changed. A few years later I discovered Simone Weil's works at Emory University. A few years ago I was given Johnston's book, and am still working thru it. I'm a layman, not a genius, and for me the things in this book, tied to Pascal, Weil, and the Gospel of John, surely make a lot of sense. I'd like nothing more than to study this book at a seminar taught by William Johnston. For the layman who is seeking to make sense of this world, while developing a deeper relationship with God, this is the book to read.