Visions Beyond the Veil: Visions of Heaven, Angels, Satan, Hell and the End of the Age
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Visions Beyond the Vail
  • Essential read!
  • Inspiring and confiming
  • Visions Beyond the Veil
  • Visions Beyong the Veil
Visions Beyond the Veil: Visions of Heaven, Angels, Satan, Hell and the End of the Age
H. A. Baker
Manufacturer: Whitaker House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0883687860

Book Description

Originally published many years ago, this outstanding book, now revised, is still fresh and challenging to us today. It tells the story of a group of children—mostly street beggars and orphans—living in the Adullam Rescue Mission in Yunan Province, China, under the care of missionaries H. A. Baker and his wife —the grandparents of Rolland Baker, founder of IRIS Ministries in Mozambique.

These children experienced an immense and incredible outpouring of the Holy Spirit—so great that they literally "experienced Heaven" through visions, were aware of the presence of angels, and were able to describe in great detail what they saw. The result of these experiences of God was fervent passion for worship, the Word of God, and prayer.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Visions Beyond the Vail.......2007-09-19

My wife and I found this book to be very exciting as it depicts how orphan children in China where provided with a home in an orphanage; how they were fed and clothes and taken care of. This - in and of itself - is a dynamic testimony of how Jesus Christ brings victory into the lives of these children. However, their experience of seeing visions and dreams of Heaven, of God, of Jesus and of angels is one to be envied. We strongly encourage you to read this book. You will not be able to put it down.
Sincerely, Rev. Richard and Holly Lang

5 out of 5 stars Essential read!.......2007-09-01

This is an essential read for those who want more of God.

Story of these Chinese orphans who experience a radical outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The book documents their experiences and visions which will stretch your brain and wreck your heart.

It's a short read that should be in all believers libraries.

5 out of 5 stars Inspiring and confiming.......2007-08-26

I rate this book very high as it offers hope for the Christian and even greater hope for the Christian missionaries. H.A. Baker's journal account of what the children in his orphanage experienced just confirms many of the testimonies of others in different parts of the world, even as recent as 2007. God is alive and He still reigns! Books like Visions Beyone the Veil are inspiring to motivate anyone with a desire, to Ask, Seek and Knock knowing that God will answer, you will find and He will open the door to understanding.

5 out of 5 stars Visions Beyond the Veil.......2007-05-12

EXCELLENT.....10 Stars. If one reads with thirst for the Truth, with an open mind, the reader will be excited as they read through this non-fictional account of the experiences of a missionary and his wife to China in the early 1900s. If the reader has wondered what Heaven will truly be like, to read the spiritual accounts, experiences through the eyes of simple, x-street children, will bring the reader joy and encouragement. The accounts of what the children were seeing regarding Hades, will also encourage and motivate the Christian reader to be an active witness for Christ daily.

5 out of 5 stars Visions Beyong the Veil.......2007-03-09

Awesome eye opener. If you're hungry to know more of the ways God deals with us here on earth, don't miss this one. I've met the Bakers on a mission trip to Mozambique & know them to to be very strong, hard working missionaries that you can trust. They love Jesus and the kids and it comes through when reading this book, how true they are to the calling God has given them.
Light in Darkness: Hans Urs von Balthasar and the Catholic Doctrine of Christ's Descent into Hell
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • HVB's hangups on Hell
Light in Darkness: Hans Urs von Balthasar and the Catholic Doctrine of Christ's Descent into Hell
Alyssa Lyra Pitstick
Manufacturer: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0802840396

Book Description

He descended into hell. Hans Urs von Balthasar, one of the most influential theologians of the twentieth-century, placed this affirmation of the Nicene Creed at the heart of his reflection on the world-altering events of Holy Week, asserting that this identification of God with the human experience is at the "absolute center" of the Christian faith.

Alyssa Lyra Pitstick's Light in Darkness — the first comprehensive treatment of Balthasar's theology of Holy Saturday — draws on the multiple yet unified resources of authoritative Catholic thinking on Christ's descent to challenge Balthasar's influential conclusions. This carefully argued, contrarian work is sure to spur debate across the theological spectrum.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars HVB's hangups on Hell.......2007-03-18

HVB was a master stylist of rhetoric and literature, and a brilliant theologian. He came to the fore at a time when liberals were dismantling the orthodox foundations of Vatican II's ambiguously-spun final decrees. Cleaving to tradtion as he did, he became a lifeline to arising generation of seminarians seeking to be true to Catholicism. Along with DeLubac and Congar, he managed to champion Biblical fidelity while also fostering forward-looking theological explorations.

In many ways von Balthasar was a Catholic counterpart to that great if stange Protestant watershed figure Karl Barth. And like Barth, despite essential soundess on most points, he could not escape being a child of his age and hoping towards a theology of Universalism. This tendency was stoked by his passionate vision of God's all-conquering love on the cross. In a sense he became a reverse Calvinist: if Jesus' mission did not result in the successful application of that love to every soul intended, how could it be termed a success? The logic of limited atonement was transposed and became the 'theo-logic' of an all-encompassing atonement.

Which of course is wishful thinking at best, skewed exegsis and heresy at worst. Pitstick gives a good, succinct autopsy of the problems. Many HvB groupies have railed unsuccessfully (see the edgy arguments at the First Things website), but impressive endorsements for Pitstick come from heavyweight HvB afficionados and RC literati including Neuhaus, Nichols, Saward, and Thomas Hoaward... all of which makes you respect these men that much more. She is a precise and unornamental prose writer, and I'd wager Pitstick's ripples will be felt for years. Given the clergy's ongoing avoidance of Hell as theological subject matter, Pitstick's dissection is saluatory.

CS Lewis' literary inspiration George MacDonald harbored similar fancies about damnation, but like HvB managed to compose a crackerjack corpus despite such novelties. It all points to a healthy reminder: there is no such thing as the infallible theologian. For a counterpoint to Pitstick and tour of HVBs strengths, for starters check out his "Three Garlands," "Primer for Unsettled Laymen," "Anxiety," and "Prayer." Edward T. Oake's primer on the guy's theology is a necessary clarifier given HvB's staggeringly prolific output. And not to be forgotten is the tributes to HvB from the ultimate fans, JP II and B XVI, at the Vatican website.
Love Is a Dog from Hell: Poems, 1974-1977
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • at his best
  • Ain't that the truth~
  • The laughter of the mutilated who still need love
  • Raw and accessible
  • Buk at his Best
Love Is a Dog from Hell: Poems, 1974-1977
Charles Bukowski
Manufacturer: Black Sparrow Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0876853629

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars at his best.......2007-08-26

this is, by far, my favorite collection of poetry from bukowski. it is worth the price alone for one of the poems (i forget the name of it right now) but one thing's for sure......... this will inspire you to write. in general bukowski style, it's crude, crass and beautiful.

4 out of 5 stars Ain't that the truth~.......2007-03-09

Love really is a dog from hell. This writing is very real, very ugly, and very soothing to the sufferer.

5 out of 5 stars The laughter of the mutilated who still need love.......2006-11-21

It's hard to think of a person less likely to
achieve posthumous fame than Charles Bukowski.
His poems don't scan or rhyme, they're imposs-
ible to memorize and the stories that they
tell repeat themselves like a whisky drinker
around 1:30 in the morning. In fact, you could
write a decent-sized essay on why nobody
should ever remember Bukowsky.

And yet. . .

There have been two movies based on his life
and work. His name hasn't exactly become an
adjective: 'Bukowskian' doesn't scan any
better than his poems, but he is certainly a
reference point in the literary imagination of
our time. If someone says "he's a Charles
Bukowski kind of guy" you get an image, bright
and clear like it came from cable TV.

So why? Why hasn't this guy been consigned to
the trash heap of misanthropic/misogynistic,
narcissistic drunks with no sense of rhythm?

Well, for staters, look at the title of this
review. There are enough people who see them-
selves as 'the mutilated who still need love'
to forgive any poet who came up with a line
like that.
Then there's this, from a poem about people
who call him asking for advice about a
literary career:

...they think I have held back my
secret.

I don't write out of
knowledge.
when the phone rings
I too would like to hear words
that might ease
some of this.

that's why my number's
listed.

Now that last poem, called 462-0614
is the one with the bookmark in my copy
of Love is a Dog. Little stuff like that,
small marks of compassion and vulnerability
that you have to dig for, that's a big
part of why we're still reading him today.

In a more general, story-telling sense he is,
like Billy Collins, the master of the double-
back and bite-you-on-the-butt technique of
spinning a very short tale and that's a very
addictive quality in a poet.

Of course, another reason that we're
reading Bukowsky today is that John
Martin out of Santa Rosa, CA sold his
collection of first editions and founded
Black Sparrow Press to publish guys like
this.

So, if you keep a few volumes of poetry
beside the bed, here's one to keep whenever
you need to be reminded that mutilation
leaves scars and that under the scars, the
mutilated need love too.


--Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE and
the forthcoming novel bang BANG from Kunati Books.

5 out of 5 stars Raw and accessible.......2006-07-08

There is no craft here, they say. The poetry flows from Bukowski's hand with such ease that it's akin to that thing they said about Kerouac: "it's just typing." And it's half true, both in Kerouac and Bukowski there's a beautiful measure of rawness and learnedness. Erudition? Bah! We want nothing to do with it, after Hank dispells the greats, and works through them like he does preteen mexican girls. Every poem is accessible, like a Pinsky or Collins, but it goes further because it pushes us to consider ourselves, more than a stroll through Central Park and a statue, but ourselves dirty and drunk with blood on our hands, f***ing that same statue.

To read more reviews check out Void Magazine's website.

5 out of 5 stars Buk at his Best.......2006-04-21

This is my favorite book of poetry by Bukowski. It is an absolute masterpiece filled with excellent poem after excellent poem. Horses, Beer, and Women.
Hope in Hell: Inside the World of Doctors Without Borders
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • I couldn't put this book down
  • MSF brings hope tot he most unimagineable Hell
  • Very Good Book
  • impersonal and repetitive
Hope in Hell: Inside the World of Doctors Without Borders
Dan Bortolotti
Manufacturer: Firefly Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1554071429

Book Description

A fascinating and harrowing account of the men and women who struggle to improve the lives of people in desperate need.

Doctors Without Borders (also known as Médecins Sans Frontières, or MSF) is arguably the best known humanitarian organization in the world. These professional men and women deliver emergency aid to victims of armed conflict, epidemics and natural disasters as well as to many others who lack reliable health care. Each year, more than 2,500 volunteer doctors, nurses and other professionals join locally hired staff to provide medical aid and health care in more than 80 countries.

At the forefront of this organization and its work are the volunteer doctors and other health professionals who risk their lives to perform surgery, establish or rehabilitate hospitals and clinics, run nutrition and sanitation programs, and train local medical personnel. This book follows these men and women on location as they risk their own health, well-being and lives to treat patients in desperate need.

These engaging true stories with dramatic color photographs examine the lives of individual volunteer medical professionals from around the world who:

This new paperback edition is updated to include events that occurred following publication of the hardcover.

Hope in Hell chronicles the raucous founding of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the organization. If there is a horrific event, MSF will be there. This book tells why and how.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars I couldn't put this book down.......2007-09-06

This is an AMAZING book. It takes alot for a book to really captivate me, and Hope in Hell did so about a page into it. I recomend this book to everyone, whether your an avid reader into good stories, or wether your like myself and considering a career with the MSF.

The book makes sure to cover all jobs that you could fill with the organization, with the execption of working for one of their western offices. It covers job descroptions for water sanitation workers, Logistians (excuse my spelling), Nurses, Doctors, and Surgeons. I feel it is great for people considering work with the MSF because it gives you the full story through acounts from actual volunteers, not only does it tell you the nature of the feild work, but also the effect it has on people pschologically when they return home, and how they react once back in their "homes" (and how they realize their only home is with the MSF).

The book also spends time discussing the structural aspect of the organization as well as politics and Drug research.

I bought the book and couldn't put it down, a great read.

5 out of 5 stars MSF brings hope tot he most unimagineable Hell.......2006-01-10

I am a grade 10 student who recently used this book for an english project. I found this book to be highly insightful of MSF thoughts, goals and ideas. The book painted a bold picture that sends a impactful image of our world. It sheds lights on many projects MSF is currently working on and also makes you think of these people who give their lives for strangers in order to provide life.
Technically, the book follows an understandable format and remains interesting throughout while covering a lot of information. Many perspectives are covered which gives the book added depth.

5 out of 5 stars Very Good Book.......2005-08-02

This book really helped putting the finishing touches on my sister's research projects about doctors without borders, especially since many books don't offer as many insights and pictures as this one.

3 out of 5 stars impersonal and repetitive.......2005-02-05

I would say that Hope in Hell is a good read and an interesting book but I have to say that the style is very impersonal, very repetitive, very introductory and does not do justice to the many MSF volunteers who were interviewed for the book.
It is impersonal because there is little more than a name and perhaps the country of origin given as the stories of volunteers are told. I read this book right after reading the Fast Food Nation in which the writer describes his interview subjects in a manner that enables the reader to have a mental picutre and develop a deep relationship with them.
Hope in Hell reads as an introductory piece of writting. Half way through the book I still thought I was reading the introductory chapter.
The sotries in this book were tragic and could've and should've been written in a heart wrenching style but the writer failed to write it so.
I would recommend it as a book to skim through but not a book worth purchasing and adding to your collection.
Mad as Hell:: The Life and Work of Paddy Chayefsky
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • The life of one of America's most gifted writers
  • Mad as Hell and Still a Genius
Mad as Hell:: The Life and Work of Paddy Chayefsky
Shaun Considine
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0679408924
Release Date: 1994-07-26

Book Description

Fierce and exciting, this is the biography of American playwright and screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky, the finest writer to emerge from the golden age of television, and the only individual to win three Academy Awards for Marty, Hospital and Network.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars The life of one of America's most gifted writers.......2006-10-07

Shaun Considine has done us all a favor by writing an outstanding biography of Paddy Chayefsky, the brilliant television, play and screen writer whose legacy includes "Marty", "The Hospital" and "Network". In addition to his writing, Chayevsky is also remembered for his withering response to Vanessa Redgrave's anti-Semitic tirade at the Academy Awards ("A simple thank you would have sufficed.") Fascinating from start to finish, the book contains a plethora of lively anecodates, and is populated by a large cast of notable characters from the 50's, '60's & '70's -- Burt Lancaster, Bob Fosse, Kim Novak, Arthur Miller, Marilyn Monroe, George C. Scott, Sidney Lumet, George C. Scott, and Nancy Marchant, to name a few.

In many ways Chayefsky lived a sad and angry life -- he was chronically depressed, his wife Susan was reclusive to the point of agoraphobia,and his son Dan emotionally troubled. Yet Chayevsky life's was also exciting, productive and successful. Surrounded by devoted and talented friends, he lived large -- full of spit and vinegar, wit, egotism and brilliance.

Chayevksy knew his own worth as a writer; he didn't lack for confidence and he wasn't humble. Despite frustration after frustration, disappointment and betrayal, Chayevksy kept coming back with new ideas and projects. His failures are as interesting as his successes. After finishing the book, I want to go back and read the scripts that never made it to the screen.

Chaveysky was passionate about his writing and demanded artistic control over his work. In a world where writers were seen as paid lackeys, Chayevsky stood up for the rights of the screenwriter as no one else has. He was just good enough to get the concessions he demanded and in so doing, he paved the way for the writers who followed him. And as screenwriters go, I don't think anyone has ever surpassed him. Chayevsky remains the best example of "The Schreiber Theory", a belief that truly great films are created not by the directors or actors, who play supportive roles, but by the auteur.

In this book, Chayevsky comes across as a man of strong, immoveable convictions and towering humanity. His moral compass made him immune to the political flights of fantasy of his generation. An avowed critic of communism and political extremism of any ilk, he remained a defender of human rights and proud supporter of Israel.

You can't read "Mad As Hell" without concluding that Chayevsky was deeply flawed. He was self absorbed, controlling and prone to temper tantrums. And yet, having read this absorbing biography, I respect and love the man even more. He was both insightful and brutally honest with himself. As he said in his deathbed note to his wife Susan: "I tried...I really tried." (Note: They is a special circle in hell for director Ken Russell for his despicable treatment of Chayevksy during the filming of "Altered States", which may well have contributed to Chayevksy's premature death.)

Considine does a wonderful job of letting Chayevsky's family members, friends and colleagues tell the story of his remarkable life.

5 out of 5 stars Mad as Hell and Still a Genius.......2003-10-02

"...(Chayesfky) called a trusted friend at NBC, John Chancellor. He asked Chancellor if it was possible for an anchorman to go nuts on TV. 'Every day,' replied Chancellor."

Paddy Chayefsky wrote NETWORK. That would've been enough to put him in the top grade of all Hollywood screenwriters by itself. Twenty-five years after NETWORK hit the screens, there were dozens of articles that his script wasn't just a satire of the media, it was a genuine prophecy.
But Chayefsky has also done what no other writer has yet to do: he's won three Oscars for screenwriting (the other films were MARTY and THE HOSPITAL).
The man is definitely work reading about. Even if I didn't have an interest in screenwriting, I believe I would still find this book interesting for its look into the "Golden Age of Television" and the behind-the-scenes stories of Chayefsky's film career. The author has done a wonderful job of coming up with a lot of great details and fascinating anecdotes about everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Sam Peckinpah to Bob Fosse to Burt Lancaster.

Paddy Chayefsky was the real deal as a writer and I know his work will be praised and studied for decades to come. Shaun Considine has done everyone a favor by giving us a look into Chayefsky's life.
Work Is Hell
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • More great comix
  • Funny, but not the best Groening
  • Work IS hell.
  • a funny book
  • Hello '80s!
Work Is Hell
Matt Groening
Manufacturer: Pantheon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0394748646
Release Date: 1986-07-12

Book Description

Find out the astonishing answer in...

Work Is Hell

Another Mini-Jumbo Compendium of Hellish Cartons by That Darn Matt Groening

This Massive Behemoth Of A Book Contains Dozens Of Peculiar Yet Insightful Comic Strips -- many of which will make you laugh out loud no matter how lousy your job is.

Work is Hell contains a full 48 of the funniest, side-splittingest, tickle-boniest cartoons from Matt Groaning's "Life in Hell" "RM" comic strip (seen weekly in newspapers from coast to coast), printed in a deluxe. easy-to-read, 9-inch-by-9-inch format. Not only do you get all 10 chapters of the overstuffed "Work is Hell" miniseries, you also get more than 3 dozen bonus cartoons -- at no additional cost. Act now. This offer may not be repeated. Work is Hell is presented in stunning, unpretentious black-and-white, and will make you look hip if you leave it lying around casually on the coffee table. Act now. This offer may not be repeated. Act now.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars More great comix.......2007-09-23

I love this book, but then I love the whole Life in Hell series. More truth-telling in comic form from Matt Groening. Love the different types of bosses, the magazine covers, the whole thing. Great fun.

3 out of 5 stars Funny, but not the best Groening.......2007-08-07

I tried to keep an open mind while reading it, I really did. I think part of the problem is that I was a young kid in the 80's and don't have the nostalgic connection that a lot of readers do to this series. Despite my best efforts, I didn't find myself laughing at all. In fact, I managed merely a chuckle or two from cover-to-cover.

Keep in mind, I was never expecting a masterpiece. I was simply looking for an early glimpse into one of the arguably funniest minds in history. I have a dark sense of humor, so it didn't bother me that the taste was rather dry. I knew it was a beginning work, so I wasn't put off by the rough illustrations throughout either.

What did get me was the fact that there was very little within the pages I could identify with. I've been in the working force for a long time and have had all sorts of different bosses, but nothing struck me as familiar. The characters were very bland and the whole book struck me as something that could've been written by a smart kid poking fun at his school. I was disappointed, to say the least.

Like I said, this low opinion may be because I was born too late to enjoy the series as it was published, so I gave it 3 stars in faith that I might just be missing some of the subtle humor that's so well buried within. On the other hand, maybe the humor was just too obvious and so I missed it completely. In any case, I would've given it 2 stars if I were judging it without any knowledge of how truly funny Matt Groening could be.

I managed to find a seller who offered it for .01 plus cheap shipping, so I only paid $3.50 for it. Had I bought it new, I would consider it a waste of money. My advice to those who are jumping into this series with fresh eyes (like me): BUY USED.

5 out of 5 stars Work IS hell........2004-06-15

Sometimes stating the obvious is necessary. Matt Groening, with his cartoon characters that are this close to exploding, has reached deep into the black heart of manager/worker relationships and created this hilarious masterpiece. Anyone who has a job anywhere has got to find something in here that pertains to their job. Sadistic bosses, stupid co-workers, toe-the-line mid-managers, bad coffee, unrealistic demands and so much else is compacted into this overworked little book. Some of the bosses in this book make The Simpsons' Mr. Burns look like a boy scout. And that is hell indeed!

5 out of 5 stars a funny book.......2004-06-14

This iS A REAL FUNNY BOOK about life in the workplace. It makes Dilbert look like a wimp!

5 out of 5 stars Hello '80s!.......2003-05-19

I'm not trying to date the book as it's lessons about work defy the passing of time, but I remember encountering "Life is Hell" in the L.A. Weekly back in the mid-eighties and I was dumbfounded at how these simple little cartoons could pack so much weariness and cynicism.
If you have trouble identifying with the themes and characters in Groening's work it might be time to step outside the mansion, put the Trust Fund aside and join the real world. Let this be your guide!
Heaven and Hell
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • This is for real
  • Been there myself.
  • A Wiccan's view on Swedenborg
  • Why would God create hell?
  • insensate drivel
Heaven and Hell
Emanuel Swedenborg
Manufacturer: Swedenborg Foundation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

GeneralGeneral | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0877854769

Book Description

Published in 1758, best-known of Swedenborg's works; describes the nature of life after death and of the internal state, or "ruling love," of the individual that determines his or her situation in the afterlife.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars This is for real.......2006-05-17

If you really want to know what Heaven and Hell are like, sit down and read this. He talks about Heaven like he is visiting a foreign country. It is very matter of fact, very practical and tangible. In regard to spiritual truth, it's as rich as cheesecake. Angels and devils are seen simply as people who have passed on to the other side and chosen Heaven or Hell. Hell is not seen as a place of punishment, but one chosen by those who love evil. Similarly, Heaven is chosen by those who have loved goodness. It's very simple and profound. He speaks of marriage as an eternal union of true love. In fact, everyone in Heaven is supposedly married. Heaven is seen as a place where people are still people, who continue to work and do what they love. Hell is seen as a place where people spend their time alone in fantasy. Since they are not allowed to act out, this is what they end up doing. There's so much in here that you've got to read. Have you ever asked, "why hasn't anyone come back and told us about it." Well, this guy claims he's been there, and it makes lots of sense. Everyone who plans on dying some day will find lots of comfort in this book.

5 out of 5 stars Been there myself........2006-01-27

I throughly enjoyed this book by Emanuel Swedenborg. I myself had an NDE like experience and visited Heaven and Hell. I found enough similarity in this book to know that the author has made a genuine attempt to truthfully convey his experiences.

I recommend this book for anyone who might be in search of a guidebook in this life for the next life. Don't be swayed by bad reviews because as Swedenborg says in the last paragraph.."What has been said in this work about heaven, the world of spirits, and hell, will be obscure to those who have no interest in learning about spiritual truths, but will be clear to those who have such an interest"

I was agnostic before my experience but I cannot now deny that Heaven and Hell do exist.

5 out of 5 stars A Wiccan's view on Swedenborg.......2005-10-22

As A Wiccan, I found Swedenborg's work quite inspiring and beautiful. It very much helped my own faith grow, and also showed the link between both my faith and Christianity. Like all Wiccans, I believe that all mystical texts have merit, and this one certaintly has alot of merit. I reccommend this to people of all faiths.

5 out of 5 stars Why would God create hell?.......2005-08-08

This book offers the only logical explanation for hell. Hell exists because it is the only place where evil people are comfortable. In heaven they would suffocate because of the sphere of love and goodness. The creation of hell was an act not of punishment but of Divine Mercy. Learn what life is actually like in the other world. Swedenborg recounts first-hand of his experiences in both heaven and hell.

1 out of 5 stars insensate drivel.......2004-06-03

This book is a collection of arbitrary "observations" by Swedenborg on the nature of creation, the structure of Heaven & Hell, and the soul. While there are some interesting ideas here, they are very few & far between, and the object of the book seems to be not to enlighten but to comfort. I would rescind this review in a heartbeat, and give him the five stars I'd like to, if a single thing he said was verifiable; but as it turns out, most of the book is in direct contradiction to simple logic.

Instead, I recommend reading something that will provide a toolkit for the establishment of the insight necessary for personally verifiable results, like Vivekananda's Raja yoga, or any meditation manual, at all, ever. Not this turgid, puerile work that even it's own preface suggests be placed in Airport bookstores.
Playing with Fire
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Playing with fire
  • Seeking TRUTH about Eternity? Try this book by Jay Carty
  • Should be beside the Bible in every hotel and motel.
  • Powerfull!
Playing with Fire
Jay Carty
Manufacturer: Multnomah
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Missions & Missionary WorkMissions & Missionary Work | Evangelism | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
EschatologyEschatology | Theology | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0880704942
Release Date: 1992-10-01

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Playing with fire.......2006-02-05

Having read several of Jay Carty's books now I have to say he is an incredibly inspiring writer and person to say the least. I am so excited each month as I check for new "stuff" from Jay Carty as it is always refreshing and different yet always connected to God with a three stranded cord. If you haven't been a reader of his books for long there are many to choose from and this writer never stops searching for Gods will in his daily efforts to continue to provide hearty reading material for all groups and all stages from salvation, and growth to a mature level of one's spiritual walk. I highly recommend anything he puts his hands on because I know the hand of God is on him. Some of what I have read and or listened to on tape are:"Discovering your natural talents", "Counter Attack: taking back ground lost to sin", "Playing with fire", "Something's fishy Getting rid of the carp in your life","Coach Wooden One on One", "Coach Wooden's Piramid of success", Darrell Waltrip - One on One, "Mike Singletary- One on One" all keeping me captivated from cover to cover!

Dora Wolfe - CA

5 out of 5 stars Seeking TRUTH about Eternity? Try this book by Jay Carty.......2002-02-12

Do your eyes glaze over when important issues are discussed by theologians, even though you REALLY DO want to know the Truth. In "Playing With Fire," Jay Carty gets to the heart of the issue of our eternal destiny without transporting the reader into the seminary classroom. At the same time, he is biblically accurate and pulls no punches. He is non-offensive with this subject that can so easily offend. If the non-Christian is wanting to intellectually pursue an understanding of basic Christian motives, this book will move him or her a good way down the road; it is foundational in many ways. For Christians yearning for solid answers on Heaven and Hell, but are confused by mushy, non-answers (or total avoidance of the subject) coming from the pulpit, give this book a try. I am disappointed that the book is out of print and could only find one in the Amazon Used Book Section; it should be made available to a dying World by everyone who has a copy and is finished reading it.

5 out of 5 stars Should be beside the Bible in every hotel and motel........1999-06-21

This is a book for Believers. This is a book for Non-believers. Almost believers, just about believers and wish I could believeres are the main targets. The ammo? Gems right from the Word. This is a book for anyone that may not feel uncomfortable finding themselves knelling beside the bed(I like to read in bed). It's a book you'll want to give to a fiend,it's a book you'll have to give. I know, I've given three copies.

5 out of 5 stars Powerfull!.......1999-06-07

This book is a must read for every part-time Christian. It has biblical references and uses many great analogies. The writer uses his since of humor which adds to this informative and interesting book. I will be buying this book for many of my friends; it is a great gift for any Christian.
When Going Through Hell... Don't Stop! A Survivor's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety and Clinical Depression
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Excellent book on Depression & Anxiety
  • Thank God For This Book
  • Very comprehensive and compassionate
  • An Invaluable Resource
  • A powerful healing resource
When Going Through Hell... Don't Stop! A Survivor's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety and Clinical Depression
Douglas Bloch
Manufacturer: Pallas Communications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

GeneralGeneral | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0929671023

Book Description

In this groundbreaking book, self-help author Douglas Bloch shares his struggle with and ultimate recovery from a life-threatening depressive illness. Although the managed care mental health system failed to provide him with adequate treatment, Mr. Bloch devised a daily survival plan for living in hell which he adopted until the power of spirit, acting through a group of committed, loving people, brought about his recovery.

In addition to his compelling story, Mr. Bloch outlines a fourteen point brain maintenance programa holistic approach to the treatment of anxiety and depression that includes: diet; nutrition; exercise; stress-reduction; medication; vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements; and the importance of creating strong bonds of social support (social isolation is both a cause and consequence of depression).

The book also includes a comprehensive 130 page self-help section on treating depression, including a 10 page listing of Internet sites for on-line healing assistance.

Moreover, the narrative is complemented by paintings from historys great artists that visually depict the various states of mind that the author experienced. In receiving words and images that stimulate both sides of the brain, the reader is given a complete picture of the journey from depression to recovery.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Excellent book on Depression & Anxiety.......2005-09-06

This book was very easy to read. It was helpful to know how the author felt during his depressive episodes and how he managed his symptoms. I learned a lot about the different Depressions (and its symptoms). And how to find help and support while I am battling my Major Depression and Anxiety. I feel that I am not the only one who suffers from Depression. The Depression and Anxiety rating chart is an excellent idea and it helps me track my moods on a daily basis.

5 out of 5 stars Thank God For This Book.......2005-06-13

Thank God for this book. I am going through hell with anxiety and clinical depression. This book has coping strategies. I think most readers know something about clinical depression. Yet it is the combination of clinical depression and anxiety that is so devestating. This book attacks the combination.

The hardest part is that one can't stop when in this sickness. The only solution is to keep going. Hence, the perfect title for this book which is "When Going Through Hell, Don't Stop." If one stops, then one drowns in the condition.

5 out of 5 stars Very comprehensive and compassionate.......2001-01-26

I appreciated his thoroughness. Lots of web sites to contact for all types of depression. Also a strong focus on spirituality. It gives everyday help.

5 out of 5 stars An Invaluable Resource.......2000-07-28

Since reading When Going Through Hell...Don't Stop I have put its coping strategies to use in helping a good friend recover from depression and anxiety. So far, there has been definite improvement in his depression. Everyone involved is thankful for Mr. Bloch's sound words of advice. This book has a wellspring of information to offer for anyone who is suffering from depression or their friends and caregivers.

5 out of 5 stars A powerful healing resource.......2000-01-21

When Going Through Hell...Don't Stop! is a monumental work. It offers a compelling story of one person's valiant struggle against a life-threatening depressive illness as well as a comprehensive self-help manual on treating depression. What I liked most is that the book is so accessible. It lays out practical coping strategies that a person suffering from depression or their caregiver can use on a daily basis. I also like that the author was healed by spiritual intervention, showing that alternatives do exist when drugs don't work. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with depression or anxiety, or to anyone who wants to give a loved one with a depressive disorder the gift of hope.
The Divine Comedy: Hell (Penguin Classics)
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Golden Oldies
  • Sayers Meets Dante: Interpreting the Poet's Voice...
  • A readable translation with helpful notes and introduction
  • A very outdated translation
  • Perfection
The Divine Comedy: Hell (Penguin Classics)
Dante Alighieri
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140440062

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Golden Oldies.......2004-04-12

First of all, a warning: the "Comedy" is a complex work, and we are constantly updating our understanding of it. However, once one has finished whatever annotated and/or translated version is currently at the apex of knowledge, it is well worth going back to Sayers. I would dare to say that this is one of the classic translations, one of the best from that phase of Dante studies (for example, though she is obviously tempted towards a Freudian reading, she actually tries to resist its more absurd results). Its funny how many Danteans still do not get beyond the Inferno...

4 out of 5 stars Sayers Meets Dante: Interpreting the Poet's Voice..........2004-02-21

This review relates to the volume 1 of Dante Alighieri's
-The Divine Comedy-, Hell; Translated by Dorothy L. Sayers,
Penguin Classics, 1949. 346 pp.
Other reviewers have spoken to the perceived weaknesses
and problems with this particular translation and
volume, with Ms. Sayers' "Introduction" and "Notes."
Perhaps one should be warned before entering its portals,
as constructed by Ms. Sayers, that this is not an "easy"
Hell to assimilate.
Yet, at the beginning of her "Introduction," she presents
the offering in an inviting fashion: "The ideal way of
reading -The Divine Comedy- would be to start at the first
line and go straight through to the end, surrendering to
the vigour of the story-telling and the swift movement
of the verse, and not bothering about any historical
allusions or theological explanatios which do not occur
in the text itself. That is how Dante himself tackles
his subject."
Some readers may not find Ms. Sayers' translation to be
one that lends itself to "swift movement of the verse."
The value here, however, is the wealth of information
provided in both the "Introduction", the Notes, and
in the map drawings which clearly help the mind's eye
understand the "lay-out" of Hell as depicted by Dante.
The value of Ms. Sayer's "Introduction" is its clear
presentation of HER view of Dante, his work, his value,
his meaning, and his emphases.
She concentrates on the Images of Hell and on the Christian
doctrine implicit in the work. This translation is in
keeping with that emphasis, for it is structured,
somewhat restricted, and presents "Dante's" voice
as more attuned to the didactic and lecturing. Even the
voices of the denizens of Hell have the tones of
stern lesson-learning rather than evoking pity for
their failed virtue and blind human proclivities.
The problem with some readers, and some viewers of
Christianity, is trying to reconcile the idea of
stern, unrelenting, eternal Judgment and damnation
for sins with the idea of God's eternal Love, or as
Ms. Sayers translates the second tercet of Dante's
*terza rima* on the lintel of the entrance to Hell:
Justice Moved My Great Maker; God Eternal
Wrought Me: The Power, And The Unsearchably
High Wisdom, And The Primal Love Supernal.
Ms. Sayers will have no human shilly-shallying with
Dante's intent or the purpose of Hell. And that,
though it may appall some readers, is to the good;
for it forces the reader to confront whether or not
he or she accepts or does not the Christian doctrinal
views -- and helps the reader to understand the
serious nature of choosing one's faith and one's
religion, or not.
After each Canto, Ms. Sayers uses the same very
helpful devices for explaining the preceding Canto:
first, she discusses the main Images to be found in
that particular Canto in a very clear, full, doctrinal
way -- and then, she has the numbered notes which
explain allusions and phrases which Dante uses in
the work.
For instance, after Canto I, we find: "The Images.
-The Dark Wood- is the image of Sin or Error -- not so
much of any specific act of sin or intellectual perversion
as of that spiritual condition called "hardness of heart",
in which sinfulness has so taken possession of the soul as
to render it incapable of turning to God, or even knowing
which way to turn." Similarly, after Canto III, we find
this note concerning the phrase "the good of intellect":
"In the -Convivio- Dante quotes Aristotle as saying:
'truth is the good of the intellect'. What the lost souls
have lost is not the intellect itself, which still functions
mechanically, but the -good- of the intellect: i.e., the
knowledge of God, who is Truth."
This is an excellent edition for the scope of Ms. Sayers'
medieval scholarship and doctrinal insights. Though it
may be hard sledding for the tender-hearted. There
have always been several ways of seeing the road to
Hell -- in this version, once one strays from the
straight and narrow, there is only the crooked and
pit-full, not pitiful.
-- Robert Kilgore.

3 out of 5 stars A readable translation with helpful notes and introduction.......2002-01-05

Having wanted to read Inferno for a long time, I was glad to find Dorothy Sayers' translation since I value her own writing. I'm no scholar, so I can't compare this critically to the numerous other translations available. I just come looking to enjoy reading and understanding great classic literature on occasion. It takes a great deal of background information to appreciate this work. The Divine Comedy can be examined from many different angles: Poetry, allegory, theology, a spiritual journey, a love story. Sayers' introduction and notes, and the diagrams and drawings in this book were a great help to me. Some may argue that the scholarship is a bit dated, but Sayers clearly loved The Divine Comedy and wanted her readers to appreciate it also. The result of her work was a very interesting reading experience for me, better than I expected. I particularly enjoyed the insights she incorporated into the notes from Charles Williams' book, The Figure of Beatrice. (Sayers dedicated her translation of The Divine Comedy to Williams.) The verse might make it a little more difficult to get the meaning until you get used to it, but I think it's worth the effort. Once I found a good reading pace, I didn't find the rhyming forced as some readers have. (It might seem that way if you look for it.) It must be a difficult thing to try to give readers of English the same experience that Dante's Italian readers had and I think that was Dorothy Sayers' goal. She got me interested enough to take seriously her claim that readers of Dante are cheating themselves if they stop after Inferno. On through Purgatory to Paradise ... It must only get better from here.

2 out of 5 stars A very outdated translation.......2001-04-09

Dorothy Sayers was a fine mystery author and a knowledgable scholar of medieval literature. And once upon a time, this *was* one of the best available translations in English. Times change, however, and new English translations have come along that do a far better job than Sayers' does.

The biggest problem with Sayers translation, in my humble opinion, is her attempt to preserve Dante's rhyme scheme. In her introduction, The fact of that matter is that Italian is a language in which rhymes are frequent, easy, and melodious. In English, having every other line rhyme just sounds cloying and contrived. It also makes the reading more difficult, because of the inverted syntax, archaic vocabulary, and awkward rhythmsand that Sayers has to use in order force the rhymes in there. Oh sure, the fact that she was able to it at all is impressive. But it still doesn't make for a palatable rendition Dante's supple language (which, even to modern Italians reads smoothly and vernacularly, and not at all awkward.) Those who really want some retention of Dante's rhymes would do far better with Robert Pinsky's translation (which uses 'soft rhymes' and doesn't force them when they won't fit). Alan Mandelbaum's and John Ciardi's translations are good too.

Another problem with Sayers edition are the notes. While, on the one hand, they can very helpful to a first-time reader, they are also outdated. If you want to know what Oxford scholars thought about Dante a half-century ago, Sayers notes are great for that. And I don't say that to be dismissive, those 1940's Oxford medievalists had a lot of very good things to say. However, the fact of the matter is that Dante studies-- and medieval scholarship have changed a lot in the past half-century-- and reading her notes is something like reading a half-century old textbook of American history. They leave out a lot of things that probably ought to be discussed.

An even bigger problem with the notes here, I think, is that the author too readily presents her notes as "The Truth" (with a capital "T") about the poem-- as if there were only one correct way to interpret it and its details. Her interpretations are often insightful, suggestive, and they will greatly help the first-time reader-- but they are so didactic in their style that they may overlyy contrain the reader's freedom of interpretation. It's more like she's trying to use her notes to tell you, "The poem means this", rather than using them to background information and context so that you can figure out what *you* think it means on your own.

And, at the risk of sounding like I'm "politically correct", the fact of the matter is that there also are some biases in her notes that, to me, seem rather glaring today. This is particularly evident where she explains why Dante places Mohammed in the part of Hell with the schismatics. Rather than simply pointing out that medieval Christians erroneously believed that Islam began from a schism within Christianity, Sayers uses the occasion to make a few denigrating comments about Islam (which she insists upon referring to as "Mohammedism"). Again, I don't hold this against Sayers per se... She wrote this book among and for a coz y community of Oxford Christians over a half-century ago.... and it's naturally going to be show its colors in that regard. But, for us folks who are reading it today, in the 21st century, well... maybe the notes just need to be updated a bit.

Anyway, when all's said and done, Dante's work is masterful, and even Sayers' awkward translation and outdated notes can't completely conceal that. However, I really think readers would be better off sticking to the Ciardi, Mandelbaum, or Pinsky translations of the _Inferno_. (My preference is for the Pinksy, but to each his own...)

5 out of 5 stars Perfection.......2001-03-06

If Shakespeare's moral is love, Dante's is also. We must not read Divine Comedy with simplicity, even the episode of the sodomites (homosexuals) is ambiguous: Dante praises his master the most. Wasn't it a critic on his time prejudices? Dante holds Middle Ages and surpasses all.

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