I like the format of this commentary very much. It seems to have just the right balance of technical information and spiritual insight. While it comments on each and every verse, it is not written for heavy-duty scholars. Written in a easy-to-read style, it clues you into the history and culture that were unique to each situation, and the thought process that was taking place in the minds of the participants in the accounts. It gives you a lot of information that you will simply not get from the gospel account alone, but that is essential to arrive a more informed understanding of the text.

One of the main premises of this commentary is the notion that there is progression of belief. The author does a good job in demonstrating this while at the same time maintaining the continuity of interpretation and focus on each passage. The book also provides a detailed outline of each chapter and homiletical suggestions to aid those who teach or preach. The author is also conscious to convey practical application so as not to let the book become just an intellectual exercise. This is a good reference for the layman who may need just a little bit more technical information than a strictly inspirational commentary will give him, but who also does not need the frustration of trying to decipher the exegetical tangents of some theological giant.

This book is scholarly and technical -- and thoroughly enjoyable! It is written to be thoroughly accessible without any background, yet this book is of value to scholars as well as laymen. What's the relationship of John to the synoptics? Did the author of the fourth gospel use Mark, or maybe Luke, and what about Matthew? D. Moody Smith accurately recounts the historical debate from the nineteenth century down to today. Smith catalogues the various solutions that have been proposed and represents the arguments of every position most fairly. I came away from this book with a much better understanding of the issues involved and a desire to learn more -- to that end, Smith provides a bibliography for further research. Thus, the book presents a "road map" to the Johannine problem that, in the end, allows the reader to go his or her own way.

I will quote the review made by Raymond E. Brown: "Among Johannine scholars Moody Smith has gained the highest respect for his knowledge of the literature on John, the fairness and perceptivity of his judgments, and the good sense of his own contributions to what has gone before. The relation of John to the Synoptic Gospels is a most complex issue, and I know of no one I would rather have as a guide in this field. This is a book from which all will learn and which will advance scholarship."

Another nightstand selection by Jim Cymbala. Having read his two previous books, I find his writings to be both educational and spiritually uplifting. A must for every Christian, every pastor and for those searching for answers.

Not knowing anything about agoraphobia (Avery's Panic)when I began reading, I found some of my own feelings and attitudes in the reflections and verse. The little fears and uncertainties that we all have can sometimes build and grow to become overwhelming and terrifying "things that cry out in the night". An excellent read and a warm insight into managing fear and doubt.

My daughter asks me every night to read this book to her over and over. The pictures are beautiful, and the repetitive lines help my daughter to participate in the reading. This is a Christmas book every family would enjoy!

The projects in this book are wonderful for beginner crafters, or experienced crafters looking for inspiration to make some gorgeous hair accessories. A variety of techniques are used, including:Using polymer clay Setting and gluing rhinestonesSimple beading techniques Embroidering with beadsUsing feathers and ribbons Painting techniquesCutting and using metal sheet Projects include hair clips (barrettes) & combs, headbands, and slides. What makes this book truly a stand-out in the world of crafting books is the fine photography (beautiful color photographs on almost every page), the excellent step-by-step instructions, the wide variety of designs, and the fact that many of the projects can be made with items you already own. Other items can be easily found at your local craft store. The projects could be completed by older children with adult supervision, or as joint parent-child projects. Such fun!I've used many craft books, and this is one of the very best.

The authors have traveled almost everywhere in Crete, observing at first hand vegetation, landform, and human effects on the landscape. They have also studied a vast body of literature, ranging from archaeological reports to Venetian archives to travelers' accounts. They have presented their knowledge in a very insightful, often original way, exploding older received wisdom such as the "ruined landscape theory" that regards long-inhabited places such as Crete to have begun as virgin forest and to have been gradually degraded to a semidesert. (In fact, many parts of Crete are sprouting new trees very nicely!) Learn about earthquakes altering the landscape, prehistoric and historic vegetation, the pygmy hippos and elephants that roamed in Paleolithic times, and the effects of the first human inhabitants from the Neolithic up to the 20th century. The book also gives a useful foundation for understanding more specialized aspects of Crete such as botany, forestry, agriculture, anthropology, etc. Moreover, the book is a good read. You can appreciate it equally by reading from cover to cover, or by choosing a chapter that particularly interests you. If you are curious to learn why Crete looks like it does, then this book is for you.

The 'Little Britches' series is every bit as exciting, historical, and fascinating as the 'Little House on the Prarie' series, and Moody has even outdone Laura Wilder in his characterization of great American values like hard work, independence, and respect.

Continuing on after the death of father in 'Little Britches', the second book in the series tells how the Moody family pulled together to survive in turn-of-the century Littleton, Colorado. From using stilts to become the best fruit pickers in town, to outsmarting the manager of the finest hotel in Denver, to trading free coal for a Christmas goose, Moody brings the reader right into this frontier family.

My children, ages 4 to 14, all sat in rapt attention as I read from this book, and every chapter was ended with cries of "just one more, Dad, please!"

This book describes the marine life of the Gulf of Mexico with numerous color photos and paintings by artist Larry Foster. This is a well-written and highly-recommended reference guide that will be particularly useful to readers or travelers visiting the Gulf.

Included in the book is a set of drawings of the skulls of Gulf species allow readers who find beached animals to identify the animal. Sketches provide dorsal, ventral and lateral views.

The authors discuss the environmental problems of the Gulf as they affect marine mammals, concluding: "Suffice it to say that our love for these creatures has the capacity of being turned into a positive conservation force, not for just them but also for their fragile environments worldwide." This is a recommended title!

Martha Moody is definitely a book I'll be reading again. It's a keeper.

It's kind of an unusual book. The main character, Amanda, is given to rather fantastic type daydreams and musings.

She is wed to a somewhat taciturn man named John Linger, but neither of them appear to be in love with the other.

She becomes quite captived by Martha Moody, a woman who runs the general store in town. She takes her cow, Alice's butter into town to sell to Martha.

Amanda at first secretly ... in which Martha becomes a .... that takes on the traits of a ....

Then the stories ... and Martha becomes ....

The book is written in a delightful, captivating style, and the women in it are quite unique and interesting characters.