I used this book as a textbook for a class on "Christianity and the Cults" at Denver Seminary. This book covers a wide variety of new religious groups, both ones that claim to Christian, like Mormons and JWs, and New Age type groups like Hare Krishnas and Baha'i. The professor preferred this volume to Walter Martin's "Kingdom of the Cults." I believe the reason why is this book is less "harsh" in its evaluations of the teachings of these groups than Martin's.

When this book evaluates each group's teachings, it is more with the attitude of, "This is something that should be considered" than Martins' "I'm right, you're wrong, that settles it" attitude.

For each group, Tucker gives a rather extensive review of its background and history, including a short biography of the group's founder and other important figures in its history. The "distinctive doctrines" of the group are then explained. And lastly, she provides what she calls "challenges" to these doctrines. But she emphasis that this should be done in a respectful manner. She is correct is saying that false teachings do need to be confronted, but it is possible to do so in a loving a respectful manner (1Peter 3:15). However, one deficiency of this book is it does not have that many Scripture references in it. Tucker seems to assume that the reader knows the Biblical basis for such basic Christian doctrines as the Trinity. And she generally provides logical not Biblical refutations of each group's teachings.

To study what the Bible has to say on such doctrines, one would need to consult a book like my "Scripture Workbook: For Personal Bible Study and Teaching the Bible." It presents hundreds of verses supporting basic Christian doctrines, such as the nature of God and the Trinity, and it provides rebuttals to interpretations these groups place on verses they quote in trying to support their doctrines.

Tucker's book is very helpful for the background information on these groups and the respectful attitude she presents. Christians need to have a basic knowledge of what such groups teach or at least a good references like this around this around to consult. But for a Biblical study on such topics, you'll need to consult a book like my "Scripture Workbook."

This book was assigned reading in my Seminary, and is an excellent reference guide for anyone desiring to understand people with other religious points of view and how to share the Gospel with them. It is a good investment you will refer to for years to come.

CONTENTS:

1. Cults, Sects, Denominations, World Religions: Definition of Terms; 2. Historical Heresy: Unorthodox Movements of Past Centuries; 3. Mormonism: The Legacy of Joseph Smith; 4. Seventh-Day Adventism: Eschatological Confusion; 5. Jehovah's Witnesses: A Religion of Protest; 6. Christian Science: A Denial of the Material World; 7. New Thought and Unity: Health and Happiness; 8. The Worldwide Church of God: Reinterpreting Israel and the Law; 9. The Way International: Denying the Deity of Christ; 10. The Children of God: Evangelism and Sex Perversion; 11. The Unification Church: Proclaiming a New Messiah; 12. Hare Krishnas: Transplanted Hinduism; 13. Baha'i: A Peace and Unity Movement out of Islam;

14. Scientology: Mind-Altering Pseudo-Psychology; 15. The New Age Movement: The Occult Made Respectable; APPENDIX A: Lesser-Known Cultic Movements; APPENDIX B: Cultic Statements of Belief; APPENDIX C: Major Tenets of Orthodox Christianity.

This book has a great deal of information on major religious groups (Russelites, Mormons, Bahai) as well as some info on smaller groups. It is a great tool for those who wish to learn more about the beliefs of alternative religions which are springing up and growing.

This book is a defibrillator for the soul. I have read it about 5 times, and I check the website every night. This book made me realize all the fun I was missing with every day that I felt like sheep rather than like a sheppard, trapped in a marriage and a job when I couldn't stand either. I am having more sex than I have had in years, and its all thanks to your inspiration. The stories shocked and inspired me until my pulse started again. Tucker - you saved my life. Thank you.

i've been a follower of Tucker ever since I saw him on MTV. His stories are absolutely hilarious and i recommend them to anyone who enjoys stories of drunken humor, womanizing and/or drunken humorous womanizing. i suggest taking a look at his website before buying the book because he is sort of a love/hate kind of write. he is a tremendously funny and i hope to see more from him in the future.

There are "extreme" sports and then there is "extreme" recreation. Tucker Max practices the latter, which is the alcoholic equivalent of strapping on a snowboard and jumping out of a helicopter. There are forty-seven stories in "Belligerence and Debauchery" and they are all hilarious. Some are horrifying and hilarious. Some are disgusting and hilarious. But there is some consistency.

It's been said elsewhere, but Tucker Max is a bit like Hunter S. Thompson meets the MTV show "Jackass." His level of debauchery is impressive. A must-read book for the belligerent bachelor in your life. If you've ever so much as chuckled at Howard Stern, you'll love this book.

Don't get me wrong, this is a cute little book but I feel that the story goes on a little too long. My son, who has DS, gets bored with the search for Chimpy pretty quickly. The love and affection between father and daughter are very apparant and it's possible that he just prefers "boy things" like Russ and the Firehouse. But I felt this book could have been better. The indoor pictures lack spark and have a somewhat dated appearance. I found myself wondering how old the little girl in this story is now, instead of feeling that it was timeless.

I thought when I bought the book this weekend that I would read it once. However, I found myself reading it three or four times. The author captured the day in the life of a child. The fact that Misty is portrayed as a child and not a child with Down Syndrome makes the book unique. The photographer did a masterful job of capturing the many expressions on Misty's face. Because of the wonderful relationship between father and daughter, the book has depth beyond the cute story about the search for the lost toy.

I thought this book was wonderful! It shows how a day in the life of a little girl with Down Syndrome can be like a day in the life of ANY child. I have read this book to my children many times and it is one of their favorites. My 2-year-old daughter (with Down Syndrome) loves the beautiful photos and pretends to read the book to us! I donated a copy to my 7-year-old's classroom--I think it is a great book for teachers, as well as families.

I have always liked this book and have given a couple out to pastors who are friends. If you are a pastor or church leaders and don't know what to do to make your church more inviting, you will want this book. It has 44 practical ideas that all churches need to look at. You won't implement them all but all of them make improvements to the quality of your ministry.

I've been able to use many of the ideas Schaller presents here quite successfully in my parish. Another book that I'd recommend as a companion to this one is Entertaining Angels: Hospitality Programs for the Caring Church by Elizabeth Rankin Geitz. It contains a great 6-session workshop to introduce the biblical reasons for church growth as well as the practical tools to do it. Geitz's book is a great companion to Schaller's, giving more ideas than any one church can use.

FIRST. The book is great in presenting a variety of good ideas that many times are forgotten by congregations as time goes by, and these ideas hold the key for the initial and continuous growth of a congregation. Is a book that applies to any faith or Christian denomination. SECOND. This book presents more than wonderful ideas. Brings the concept of status quo. Are we really interested in growing? Do we really mean this? Or do we say this but are really happy and confortable the way things are. THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING POINT, A POSSIBLE REALITY. Something to think about. THIRD. Finally, the book presents suggestions in what to do next. One thing is to identify ideas, but selling those to a group, happy in the status of current affairs is difficult. What to do, so that ideas will not be simply set aside again. In summary: Great book, don't think twice, buy one for you, your pastor and the management group. We need to take literally and seriously the Great Commission of the Lord (Matt 28:19-20).

"As One Dead", named for the line in "Romeo and Juliet": "As one dead in the bottom of a tomb", is based on the role-playing game, Vampire: The Masquerade. Like the Shakespearean play the title of this book is cited from, there is a forbidden love that blossoms against the Gothic Toronto setting. The Juliet character is an 11th-century vampire named Bianka, born into darkness by two different makers, one is Toreador and the other Brujah. She's come to Toronto with her pet raven (Ravena)--to the Box, to be more exact, a small section in the city where a stubborn group of Camarilla are confined by the Sabbat, a ruthless bunch of bloodsuckers. Bianka's purpose is to help free the imprisoned Kindred from the Sabbat's hold, but her mission is conflicted when she falls for the enemy (Lot).

While having some knowledge about The Masquerade storytelling game is useful, it's not really necessary. There are some terms that may be confusing, but a lot of it is self-explanatory, and most people shouldn't have any trouble reading this book. It happens to be one of my all-time favorite vampire novels, and I highly recommend it to anyone who's interested in vampire fiction. Pretty much anything published by White Wolf is worth checking out as well.

Being a White wolf buff and a vampire fanatic, As One Dead was true to it all. I found the book interesting, non-linear, and a real eye catcher. If you love vampire books then you'll love this one. it has everything you could possibly want from a vampire book.

I hold no allusions that vampire novels in many and most cases are pretty much brain candy. but this book was not only entertaining but containg aslo a complex political subplot that interwove with the tribal activities of the sabbat and the self indugent attitudes of the camirilla towards the masquerade. this vamp book is an intriging love story as well that ranks up there with the Sonja Blue stories.

We picked this book for my daughter's book report based on reviews we had read. She is a strong 4th grade reader, but found this book difficult to follow. I read portions of the book with my daughter in mind. I found it contained long descriptive sentences, and did not flow well. I would not recommend this book for report purposes for the younger readers in this age group. We will try to read it for pleasure after the report is completed.

I have read several books about Juliette Low, founder of the Girl Scouts. My daughter, who at the time was a Junior Girl Scout in 4th grade, chose Juliette Low as the subject for her school boigraphy assignment. I was SO lucky to find this book for her to read! It is very interesting, written for the older child - not babyish like some other books are. It is long enough to qualify as an acceptable book to use for a report - approximately 100 pages. It tells about Daisy's entire life, not just about when she formed the Girl Scouts. It's a terrific book for children 3rd grade and up (but I enjoyed reading it, too!)

I read this book for my biography book report because I am a Brownie. It was very interesting to read about Juliette Low's life.

I have read, and re-read this book about 4 times. Each new season coming off a bad previous tournament season, I re-read it and find it to be a grounding factor in my goal setting for the coming year. I feel like I know Joe personally at this point. His insight into what really happens in Competitive Fishing is exceptional, and details the real world responsibilities of what it takes to be a National Touring Bass Pro. The financial part of it may be a little outdated, because the sport and payouts of Full Time Tournament Fishing have increased greatly since 1996, but the content and mental aspects of this book make it one that needs to be in any serious bass tournament anglers library.

This diary of one angler (Joe Thomas) for a year in high profile professional tournament fishing offers something to everyone from the weekend fisherman to the local tournament trail angler. I not only enjoyed reading about the competition of the tournaments themselves, but also the attention to detail and preparation that is involved in being a pro angler. The book made it clear that these guys work hard for their money both on and off the water. Most days' entries would include "I'm exhausted and going to bed early" but would be followed by "Worked on my tackle before hitting the rack". These guys really have their priorities in line. Joe must have taken the oath of "Be Prepared" seriously in the scouts (even to the point of carrying an extra trolling motor with him in the boat). I was able to draw a few parallels with Joe's experiences as I have fished local tournaments over the past years. Even they have bad days, but not nearly as many as I do. The book also offers up strategies he employs both on practice days and competition days. It was informative to know why he made the moves and choices he made. There are also short by lines with tips and tactics that all of us can use to avoid those bad days.

All and all the book is an informative and an easy read. It is one I will pull out again and again to get me thru the winter months waiting on spring fishing to arrive.

As a former touring Bass pro myself, I have to say that Thomas & Tucker capture what it is really like out on the professional fishing circuit. Perhaps the only thing missing or in error related to the book vs. the tour today is simply one of a forgiving level of competition. The book was written in the early 90's when a competator could have a bad tournament and still make the classic. Such is not the case these days in most situations. A single stumble can ruin a year's chance at the classic.

Otherwise, a great look inside a much mis-understood and little seen side of the sport.

Dominique "Dot" Thomas has big plans for her relationship with her boyfriend of six years. She's certain that Jeff will propose to her, and she has a feeling it will be sooner rather than later. But when she finds two U.S. Marshalls on the other side of her front door asking about Jeff, her dreams are caught in a tangled web of lies. The Marshalls tell Dot that Jeff isn't really Jeff McDaniels, but Jon B. Sanders, a man who escaped from federal prison eleven years ago. Dot's world begins to spiral out of control when the authorities come to seize the belongings of a man named Jeff McDaniels, a man that doesn't really exist. Dot must learn to survive on her own.

Pat Tucker has come up with a very original plot line in her novel WHEN LOVED ONES LIE. It isn't the usual relationship novel, but it is laced with drama, deceit, and self-discovery. There were a few places where I thought an editor's touch would have complemented the book, but overall, this was a fast paced read that kept me turning the pages to find out what happened WHEN LOVED ONES LIE.

Reviewed by CandaceK
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

This book was incredibly intense! I really loved how the author depicted the detail of all of the characters - it was as though I'd crossed each of their paths at one time or another in my own life. I was impressed with the way the book opened by detailing the situation of the main characters lives, but the further I got in the book the story just unfolded mounds and mounds of mysteries and surprises! I loved the continuous surprises towards the end and how the author builded the reader up for the suspense. I felt so many different emotions in reading this book; anger, happiness, disappointment, satisfaction sadness and surprised! I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves drama, entertainment and suspense! Keep em coming Pat!

I found this first novel by Ms. Tucker to be both intriguing and well written. The plot has enough twist and turns to keep you riveted to each page with anticipation. It also has an ultra urban flavor which allows the reader to identify with the charcters and ask the question, "What would I do in this situation?"

Bravo Ms. Tucker, you slammed this one home!

The major contribution of this book is listing and describing metabolic markers for heart disease other than cholesterol.
The major flaw of the book is that he recommends pretty much the standard AHA diet of 30% fat for those persons whose markers (other than cholesterol) are normal. That diet will not stop continued stenosis of the coronary arteries (plaque buildup). The only way to stop plaque buildup in the coronary arteries, as demonstrated by angiographic evidence (the gold standard that looks at flow in the arteries) is the very low fat diet, plus high fiber, low sugar, that reduces cholesterol below 150. The experimental evidence that is persuasive has been done by Dean Ornish, MD, and Caldwell Esselstyn, MD. Of course, Nathan Pritikin (a chemist) was the grandfather of this diet. His autopsy showed his arteries were clear of plaque.
The author states that a very low fat diet for some people will bring about LDL Pattern B. First, that will not happen with all people. Second, the evidence of the benefits of a very low fat, low sugar, high fiber diet, is far stronger than the studies on the danger of LDL Pattern B with such a diet.

I've been looking for this kind of book for years. With a family history, high cholesterol and adverse reaction to statin's I needed help in understanding what's going on in detail and what are my non-invasive treatment alternative's.
This book helps you find the answers by giving you a short basic test and then providing simple instruction of how to take it to the next level for an individualized "cardiac fingerprint". Instead of just the basic cholesterol exam it explains in layman's terms the most important tests to request and their meaning.
I plan to share this one with my doctor as well as the entire family.

This book is filled with nutritional information, exercise information, diet plans and medication plans. Everything you need to know to keep your heart healthy. I also recommend "The Power of Positive Habits" which shows you how to change your lifestyle to improve your heart health and overall health automatically.

Following on the heels of THE MATRIX by the same author, we find our hero's on holiday and in danger again. Ultimate weapons, a waterlogged world,intelligent dolphins and underground cities mixed with a juggernaut of a hurricane bearing down on them all... this is one busy book, and when creatures are not attacking the city, and Ace is not on the run, and the Doctor isn't hatching one escape after the next... it does take time to build on the relationship between the Doctor and Ace. Few Doctor Who books do this, and when they do I like to point them out. The Doctor and Ace share both an intelligent and adult relationship here, and it's in these moments that the book shines through the standard (and overly used) plot. For fans of the series, not for first time buyers...

The Doctor takes Ace to the water world of Coralee, intent on having a holiday (and given the previous events in 'Matrix', this seems like a good plan). But there is something under the water, and another something in orbit around the planet, which will together add up to a potentially world-destroying threat...

The third consecutive Seventh Doctor and Ace story from the writing partnership of Robert Perry and Mike Tucker, this is a relatively simple but nevertheless effective traditional Doctor Who story. In that I mean a story with a human base (in this case, the holiday resort) under threat from a mysterious menace, the nature of which becomes apparent as the story progresses.

The world of Coralee is an effectively realised one - humans and dolphins are the dominant species, and the dolphins are better depicted in a book than they would be on TV. The cooperative nature of the two races in sharing the society seems, to me, quite believable.

One of the things that is common in Doctor Who on TV is the buildup of tension until the climax of the story. With the control of events and the periods of time they happen in, this is fairly easy to accomplish (although somewhat undone by video and DVD technology!). With the reader's control over pace in reading a book, the same feeling of claustrophobic fear is not so easily achieved in a novel. For me, this book managed to do that, which is to be commended.

And, as one would expect, the portrayal of the Doctor and Ace are very true to their televised versions.

Overall, this book has no major defects and gives us a novel that is true to Doctor Who, the TV series, as we know it.

The team of Mike Tucker and Robert Perry have fused together to bring us another fantastic 7th Doctor novel. Looking for a holiday from their previous adventure, the Doctor and Ace arrive on the colony planet Corralee. Their peace is soon shattered as a series of vicious attacks on underwater divers and ships occur which leads to an almost unstoppable attack onto the colony itself. Very well written, you can feel undertones of the JAWS and ALIENS movies throughout, plus there is more of a connection between the Doctor and Ace occuring. This is another story that would have been excellent on screen. RECOMMENDED to everyone.