I bought this book used off of the internet in 2000 (I became interested in this book when a friend had given me The Message New Testament as a gift). I enjoyed this version of the Bible more than any other I've read. Let me explain why.
I'm an ordained minister and have also been a daily Bible reader since April of 1993. To this day, I still enjoy reading the Bible. However, there are some versions that I don't really enjoy as much as others. This one I like because it's in simple layman's terms, or what is sometimes referred as "Wal-Mart English." That makes it easier for me to explain passages from the Bible, especially the Old Testament. This version takes away a lot of the stuffiness that people often associate with the Old Testament.
My favorite book in the Entire Old Testament has always been the Psalms. Since I'm not a natural prayer warrior, the Psalms has been helpful with my prayer life. My own prayer life has grown and changed over the years. This version of the Psalms has given me an understanding of God and prayer that I never had previously. And incidently, my prayer life is still growing and changing, too. I hope my prayer life never stays the same, either!
Thanks again to Eugene Peterson for this version of the Old Testament books of wisdom. This book should be a must for every Christian prayer warrior!

In Christ,
Pastor Roger

Every Christian should read the book of Job from this translation when he/she feels like their world is coming to an end. Also, Ecclesiastes is the perfect preparation for the good news that will come later in the new testament.

Think the Bible is boring, you need to read this.

Once again Peterson gives a fresh and current paraphrase of scripture. He puts the pith back into the pithy sayings of Proverbs. You can identify all the more with the writers of the Psalms. This is an outstanding paraphrase to use with youth who have never heard the wisdom books before, as well as with adults who have herd the passages so many times that can not hear the meaning anymore.

I have heard Eugene Schwartz lecture in many settings, and I always assumed that his remarkable combination of erudition and hipness, intensity and humor, could never be captured in a book. That is, until I read "Millennial Child." This is a book that places the "alternative" Waldorf schooling method squarely in the modern world. The first part of this book is a powerful and insightful critique of twentieth-century childrearing theories, with a look to the cascading damage they have done our children. The rest of the book examines the contributions that Waldorf schools may make towards the healing of today's children.
If you can read only one book on Waldorf -- or on education in general - this is the one!

This is a brilliant book that provides an answer to our pressing educational crisis. Anyone who has been teaching for ten years or more recognizes two things: that standardized tests are putting more pressure on kids, teachers, and parents; and that the kids coming into classrooms these days are different than they used to be. There ar more and more books being written today about how to deal with "the spirited child" emphasize the will, more than thinking or feeling. At the heart of our crisis is our failure to recognize the differences between thinking, feeling and willing. And that our stress on intellectual development, depriving children of their childhood, actually does more harm than good in the long run. He proposes a new curriculum based on doing, rather than passively absorbing intellectual material at an early age. The children play, do handwork, and listen to stories when young, and then move through a cogent and age-appropriate curriculum as they grow older, nurturing each level of development before passing on to the next. This is a kind of organic education, based on the insights of Rudolf Steiner, who developed the Waldorf system of education, among many other things. Every page lights up with insight after insight. But these are not merely theoretical. Schwartz backs up his insights with dozens of practical examples taken from his long expereince as a Waldorf teacher. This book could be for education what "The Silent Spring" was for the environment.

This book is essential reading for anyone seriously interested in understanding the crisis in education today and what to do about it. However, the book requires an open mind because the educational philosophy presented runs counter to the mindset controlling today's school systems and the proposals dominating the political races. Schwartz sees that the path to educational reform is not to teach to fulfill centralized testing requirements but to recognize that children need something far more comprehensive. Schwartz's thesis is based on the pedagogy of Rudolf Steiner which is relatively unknown or misunderstood in the United States today. This educatinal philosophy is based on a very deep understanding of childhood development and the appropriate curriculum and methods for each stage. There has been very little study of his "Waldorf" method on the university or teaching-college level in spite of the rapid growth of Waldorf and Steiner schools in North America.

The book is part anecdotal and part scholarly so as to be able to describe the "education as art" methods suggested. Nothing less is needed to prepare our children for the future in the increasingly technological age.

I bought this as a present for my parents because they like to do crossword puzzles together. The large print crossword puzzles make it easier for two people to work on a crossword puzzle at the same time. And, of course, the NY times puzzles are excellent.

I bought this for my 91 year old Grandmother for Christmas. She has always enjoyed reading, and loves word games to keep her mind active. Even though she needs to write down that I visited so she can remember to tell others who came to the house, she can still do a mean crossword puzzle! She said she'd be doing them all year until next Christmas!

I purchased this book as a gift that fills a certain need. My mother-in-law LOVES crossword puzzles. Recently, however, she has had a serious loss of vision. This book gives her the challenge of newspaper crosswords while providing her with the fun of maintaining a passion. Bravo!

The Book Peter Pan is probable my favorite childrens book of all. Peter Pan is about a young boy named, of course, Peter Pan. Peter lives in a place far away called Neverland. In Neverland no one there can get older. The only adults in Neverland happen to be pirates, and although Peter is just a boy all of the pirates are scared of him because he is the only person who can fly. The book is jam packed with adventure, Peter even has a friend fairy. Peter Pan also has friends called the lost boys. This book is a definate must get book for your child. I recommend this book to all ages, because every kid needs Peter Pan

If kids like Peter Pan, then this is a book for them. With illustrations and the vocabulary the kids can understand, this book provides an easy way for the kids to understand the story. It is a must for any children's book collection.

A wonderful version of this classic Walt Disney story! With beautiful illustrations, it is the perfect addition to your book collection for your children.

This author has created a masterpiece! Well written, Unbelievably thoughtout, I could not put it down for a minute. My family and I have now read this book over a thousand times. The Research done in this book makes me think of one person only "Albert Einstein". Everyone Should buy this book because it was written by a GOD! If only I could meet this genius, it would be all I need before i die!! "I rate this book an 11"

The author very well described that he knew what he was talking about. It was very well written and the set up of the book was incredible. The "acknowledgments" was perfect, it well detailed out who he gave his deepest gratitude too. In closing i would just like to say that this book was perfect! you should get one for the whole family.

I am not a psychology major or even a psychology buff. But I picked up the book at a friends house and couldn't put it down. It was so radically different from what you would normally expect from someone in the social SCIENCES (and possibly from a human being) that I found myself intellectually challenged to stay with it. What is a human being? What is anxiety? What is the nature/nurture debate really about? How about the unconscious? The only reason I gave it a nine was because when I felt I was having some difficulty hanging in there, I wnated more

SCOPE is more than a fantastic contribution to the growing list of military geography books; it is simply the best text available! SCOPE is leaps and bounds better than the Collins text. The approach of the authors is easily accessible. The combination of military history and military geography went over very well with my students who were mostly aspiring historians. Thanks to this text my students finished the semester with an understanding of how geography impacts military events and planning. I look forward to using this text in future classes and as a desk reference for myself.

A fresh approach to the study of Military Geography. Palka and Galgano truly understand the impact of geographic information on the conduct of military operations! Moreover, they clearly appreciate the changing nature of conflict and as a result have addressed the effect of geographic conditions across the full spectrum of military operations. From peacekeeping to small scale contingencies to all out war, they precisely address the range of geographic challenges encountered by military commanders in the past and the anticipated challenges of the future. The vignettes address key issues that the military leader must understand to make timely and accurate decisions.

Overall, this book is essential reading for the military leader and a must add to his professional library. Although this is a great military book, the geographic community and public in general would most certainly enjoy looking at classic military operations through a geographic lens. Additionally, all will benefit from the information presented as the traditional lines between peace and war continue to blur.

This is an essential book, for professional stewards and for students of our national and international responsibilities. It focuses our attention to the fundamentals of our current and forward conditions, all of which geography determines.

If we would understand the inner meaning of anything, we will start with the view of it by Military Geography -- and this book challenges us to achieve accurate, active understanding.

I think that students, no later than their twelfth year, should be offered this book for their basic development. For professionals in all fields it is an essential tool. The authors are top professionals, professors at our United States Military Academy, the world's premier institution for leader development.

This powerful book thrusts you into the mental conflict of integrity versus duty. The love that seems so vulnerable carries Captain David Barfield through the entanglments of dealing with his own vulnerability.

Gene Baldwin's Lt. Col. Douglas Patrick Norwood and Herman Melville's Captain Ahab are indistinguishable: evil. Baldwin lets the Great White Whale aka David Barfield narrate. Barfield with supporting cast do so in a superb manner, especially through ingenious dialog which carries this poignant story of the War in Vietnam. Leslie Herrinton Barfield is surely descended from James Joyce's Mrs. Bloom. This is a compelling account of a time when honesty, intergrity, and other qualities of leadership were viewed and advocated by the media as subordinate to political correctitude and denial of life's realities, of a turning point in America's existence as a world power---well written, awesome, spellbinding.

GENE BALDWIN HAS DONE IT AGAIN. WHILE "A MATTER OF DESTINY" WAS GREAT, THIS NEW BOOK IS EVEN BETTER. WITH THE FOCUS BEING ON THE WAR IN VIET-NAM, THE READER IS CAUGHT UP IN THE INTRIGUE AND POLITICS FOUND IN THE ARMED SERVICES. EXPERIENCE IN THE AIR IS MEANINGLESS WHEN FACED WITH A COMMANDING OFFICER WHOSE EGO IS ALL CONSUMING. PILOTS ARE FORCED TO EMBARK ON MISSIONS WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THEY ARE ALMOST CERTAIN TO FAIL. THE UNDERCURRENT THEME OF PERSONAL PROBLEMS LEFT AT HOME CONTINUES TO PLAGUE THE MAIN CHARACTER. HE STRUGGLES TO WALK THE LINE BETWEEN EXPECTED MILITARY ADHERENCE TO COMMAND AND THE INCREASING REALIZATION THAT THOSE IN CHARGE ARE INCOMPETENT AND EVEN DANGEROUS. WELL WRITTEN WITH A MATURE THEME OF INTEREST TO ANYONE WHO HAS EVER SERVED IN THE ARMED FORCES OR HAS A LOVED ONE WHO HAS ANSWERED THE CALL TO ARMS.

Dr. Larry Rivers has really put together a wonderful research on the institution of slavery. A lot of the information that he provides about slavery is not necessarily new information. What makes this research so good and so important is that he puts it against the background of Florida. Whenever the institution of slavery is discussed, the state of Florida is not the first or the last state that is mention in the discussion. However, with this book Dr. Rivers has made Florida one of the most important states in terms of the developments of the institutions of slavery.
The scope of this book ranges from the year 1500- 1865. This study begins with Florida when it was still a territory of Spain. It is here that the author tries to piece together the African presents in Florida before the institution of slavery is established. The author uses a wide range of sources to his point. He utilizes a lot of researched that focuses on Africans who were free when they first set foot in Florida. He uses sources from historians who have done extensive research in Florida such as Jane L. Landers of Vanderbilt University and Canter Brown of Florida A&M University. This to me adds validity to this book and this study.
The rest of the chapters of this book provide a lot of information that is not nessccary new information in terms of slavery. There have been many studies conducted on slave resistance, on slave condition, slave families, etc. However, there has never been such a study done in regards to Florida and slavery. I am a Floridian by birth and a historian by profession and the way that this booked flowed had me on the edge of my seat at all times. I knew about slavery and about slave conditions, but to read about slavery and slave condition in an area that I am familiar with was very riveting. The information provided about Gadsden and Jackson counties were very valuable to me because I grew-up in those counties. I am sure anyone that has looked at this research and has family ties to Florida would feel the same way.
The sources that he uses throughout this book I think are very appropriate. Each one is used to magnify his point. I really love the slave narratives because they reflect a truth that is not tainted by modern society need to be politically correct. The author uses several quotes from a former Jackson County bondswoman by the name of Margrett Nickerson. Her quotes to me are beautiful because they reflect her grammar of speech and you can almost feel her tone of voice as she reflects about her experiences as a bondservant. Since the author uses so many different sources, it is hard to say if he neglected any appropriate sources. I would think that he used so many different sources because he did not want to be accused of not using enough sources.
Overall, I think that this is an excellent book. As a Floridian, I really appreciate this book because it helps me to better understand the environment that I grew up.

A study of this magnitude can only be described as ground breaking and powerful. Larry Eugene Rivers interprets and analyzes the Florida slave's experience in startling, inspiring, and rewarding ways. The author certainly raises the bar for future state studies of slavery. A model study that should be emulated by other scholars seeking to update and revise studies of slavery in those states that had enslaved blacks during the antebellum period.

Rivers presents his work in a scholarly, readable, and evenhanded manner. The author named names; he treated enslaved blacks as human beings. The voices and humanity of enslaved blacks come through loud and clear in this study. The reviewer can see why "Slavery In Florida" is the fourth most purchased book in Tallahassee, Florida through AMAZON.COM. and why it has already won a national book award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association in the notification category. "Slavery In Florida" is a highly original and stimulating interpretation of the contact between Native Americans (Seminoles), enslaved blacks, and Anglo Americans during the period from 1821 to 1865. Read this gracefully written book and judge for yourself.

I found this book, Slavery In Florida: Territorial Days To Emancipation, to be a deeply researched, beautifully written, and well grounded book on the peculiar institution in Florida from 1821 to 1865. This study presents the story of slavery from both the perspective of the bond servant and the master. The book covers every aspect of slavery in Florida. Among the chapters are those that focus on the slave family, religion and community, physical treatment of bond servants, slave resistance, and the participation of enslaved blacks in the Civil War. Rivers presents an engaging analysis of race relations during the territorial and statehood periods in Florida. Particulary, he discusses the relationship between enslaved blacks, Native Americans, and whites in an even-handed yet critical manner.

Readers will find the voices of slave men, women, and children throughout this study. Rivers used the Federal Writers Project WPA interviews of former slaves as well as other newspaper interviews with former bond servants to described "what slavery was like" in Florida from the viewpoint of the enslaved black. From the extensive endnotes, the author apparently used hundreds if not thousands of probate records, appraisals, and inventories to describe the slave family. Given the cruelty of slavery, Rivers argues that enslaved blacks were still able to carve out some semblance of family, connected with generations of kinfolk. Rivers presents convincing evidence that bond servants were far from being passive victims. They were sometimes successful in getting concessions from masters concerning family matters, work routines, and religious worship.

Some readers might find insightful Rivers' suggestion that the largest slave rebellion in the antebellum South was not the Nat Turner insurrection, but the Second Seminole War (1835-1842), where the majority of the warriors consisted of runaway slaves from Florida and state to the north. Apparently this is what General Thomas Jesup thought when he declared this battle to be "a negro and not an Indian War" (p. 204).

In describing enslaved blacks and whites, Rivers further gives a balanced assessment of the human frailties as well as strenghts of both groups. I found this refreshing since most studies paint all whites as the bad guys and all blacks without a blemish.

Anyone knowledgeable of the historiography of the antebellum South will quickly notice that Rivers includes the latest scholarship on slavery. As an avid reader of books on slavery, this is, in fact, one of the best books I have read on the topic in years. It should serve as a model for other state studies. I hope someone will read Rivers' book and use it as a guide to do a study of antebellum slavery in my state of Delaware (which has yet to be done). Slavery In Florida is a gripping read, and I give it five stars.

Thank you, Mr. Sloane, for another great text. As has been the case for twenty some years now, Sloane's dialogue is relevant, funny, highly knowledgeable and infinitely useful. After reading Sloane, I know what makes the best bikes the best and, more importantly, what makes the best bike for me. Mr. Sloane's books have always been THE reference source for me as I purchase and maintain my bikes.

When I started my adventure to buy a bike, one enthusiast's first piece of advice was to get this book. Then, before doing business with a shop, he recommended I "ask one of the mechanics (not the person working the register) if they sell Sloane. Don't ask for it by title, just ask if they sell Sloane. If they don't know immediately what you're talking about, there's a good chance they don't do good work. Tell them you forgot to put change in the meter and walk out and don't come back." I found this to be good advice.

The other reviewer has pretty much said it, but I got more from my time spent reading this book than talking with any shop personnel (no question) or almost any bike owners. Considering the cost of investing in a bicycle, and the cost of this book, there's no excuse for any bicycle owner to not own this book.

Sloane's book is the most complete and authoritative book on cycling in print anywhere in the world today or any other day.

If you only buy two books on cycling, make this one your first.

I came across this book by accident several years ago and it was one of the most unusual I have read. I don't have it and I'm reviewing it from memory.

It is all about termites in (? South) Africa. How termites will always make their nests close to a water source. How to find the queen termite. How you can destroy a termite colony by removing the queen, and how this is like removing the brain of the colony. How the queen appears to feel pain when giving birth. The author surmises that the function of pain at delivery is in order to make the mother notice her progeny, identify them, and bond emotionally in some way.

The author also surmises that a termite colony is like a single organism composed of different organs, as we humans are, with the difference that the cells of the organs and most of the organs themselves are not restricted within such a small envelope as the bodies of most animals, including ourselves.

I could relate this to the movement of blood cells and immune defence cells around our bodies.

This beautifully written book gives one the impression that the author is close by and communicates very directly, emotionally and intellectually.

I seem to recollect that the author, who was educated in at least two professions, had a tragic problem, which was mentioned on the dust jacket. In this light I was amazed that he had been able to produce such lucid work. I think he had written another book, possibly about deer.

The cellular relationship between vegetable and animal is explained by the research Marais did in the wilds of Africa in the first part of the last century. It links creation of all multi cellular life and allows us to understand why clonning is possible. The presentation of the material is keen and incisive and will be one of those books that will remain as a beacon of revelation along any readers path. I cannot understand why this book is not compulsory reading in every education programme.

Continues and finishes where Darwin left off. An absolutely fabulous book! Why this book is out of print is a mystery - it should be compulsory reading for every member of the human race interested in why we're on the planet and how we've managed to stay on it... and what to do next.