Book Description
The horrors of the Tribulation are over, and Jesus Christ has set up his perfect kingdom on earth. Believers all around the world enjoy a newly perfected relationship with their Lord, and the earth itself is transformed. Yet evil still lurks in the hearts of the unbelieving. As the Millennium draws to a close, the final generation of the unrepentant prepares to mount a new offensive against the Lord Himself--sparking the final and ultimate conflict from which only one side will emerge the eternal victor.
Customer Reviews:
Just one more book in the all-encompassing, enthralling, and utterly absorbing Left Behind Series.......2007-09-13
From the very first letter of the alphabet that my eyes looked upon inside this series of books, until the very last period of the very last sentence, I was hooked. Each one of these books absorbed my attention like no other book has ever done in my life. Biblically sound, theatrically entertaining, and brilliantly written, the Left Behind books will inspire you to dig into God's word and take the pieces of news from your T.V. screen and match them right smack-dab up with the prophecies of the Bible. Your hair will stand up, your heart will race, and you will find yourself helplessly caught in the suspense. Once you finish one of these books, you will desperately race to your computer screen or your local library to pick up the next one!
Carrie Lynn Jones
Author of It All Began... When Jesus Gave Me Sneakers
Kingdom Come - worth reading.......2007-09-11
I enjoyed this book. I read the entire series over the past few months, and this was the way to end it. It's more of a bible study than the other books in the series. Not as exciting, but if you read the story up until now, you should read this. Gives a good description of the last days.
Potter is Hotter!.......2007-08-29
As a work of fantasy, the Left Behind series is third-rate. It lacks the humor and exuberance of the Harry Potter books; the magical acts it portrays are quite simply boring. It lacks the sparkling darkness of language that makes the His Dark Materials books a delight to read. It lacks the sweep and grandeur of the Lord of the Rings series. Note please that I'm reviewing Left Behind merely as escapist fantasy literature. As theology, it's too contemptible to need reviewing. As a morality tale, it's even more contemptible, an interminable drone of bigotry, sexism, self-righteousness, and exploitation of the decent folk who congregate in America's churches.
Final Stand.......2007-08-18
The entire series was written in such a way that every new book had its own plot. A series well done. Thank you for the eye opener.
great transaction.......2007-08-14
My husband loved the book and has already finished it. The item came quickly and in great condition as promised
Book Description
The long-awaited final volume of Chalmers Johnson’s bestselling
Blowback trilogy confronts the overreaching of the American empire and the threat it poses to the republic
In his prophetic book Blowback, Chalmers Johnson linked the CIA’s clandestine activities abroad to disaster at home. In The Sorrows of Empire, he explored the ways in which the growth of American militarism and the garrisoning of the planet have jeopardized our stability. Now, in Nemesis, he shows how imperial overstretch is undermining the republic itself, both economically and politically.
Delving into new areas—from plans to militarize outer space to Constitution-breaking presidential activities at home and the devastating corruption of a toothless Congress—Nemesis offers a striking description of the trap into which the dreams of America’s leaders have taken us. Drawing comparisons to empires past, Johnson explores in vivid detail just what the unintended consequences of our dependence on a permanent war economy are likely to be. What does it mean when a nation’s main intelligence organization becomes the president’s secret army? Or when the globe’s sole “hyperpower,” no longer capable of paying for the vaulting ambitions of its leaders, becomes the greatest hyper-debtor of all times?
In his stunning conclusion, Johnson suggests that financial bankruptcy could herald the breakdown of constitutional government in America—a crisis that may ultimately prove to be the only path to a renewed nation.
Customer Reviews:
Crossing the Rubicon.......2007-09-08
This book answers Michael Moore's question, "Where's my country?" The author's scholarly and carefully reasoned answer is that the constitutional republic we once had has evolved into an empire. Johnson traces the rise of militarism, the hidden and often ill-conceived interventions of the CIA and the devastating "blowback" from them, and the enormous power the United States projects through its hundreds of overseas military bases, as well as our plans to militarize space.
I found that the book explained many events that are extremely puzzling if one continues to believe that the United States is a high-minded democracy, but make perfect sense from the point of view of empire.
Johnson's conlusion, that we are on the cusp of a choice between the path taken by Rome into empire and dictatorship vs. that chosen by Great Britain to dissolve its empire but preserve its democracy, was compelling and sobering.
I would recommend Nemesis to anyone, regardless of political slant, who seriously wants to make sense of the role the United States plays in the world today, and the world's reaction to it.
On the brink of a military dictatorship.......2007-08-12
Chalmers Johnson is deeply pessimistic about the future of the US and its citizens. He sees at the horizon `a collapse of constitutional government, perpetual war, endemic official lying and disinformation and finally bankruptcy. We are at the cusp of losing our democracy for the sake of keeping our empire.'
For him, the heart of the matter is `military Keynesianism' (the US economy is mightily based on weapon manufacturing) and the goal of the military-intelligence community (full spectrum dominance over the world and in space).
But this imperial adventure is far too costly. The US spends more on armed forces than all other nations on earth combined, for more than 737 military bases in more than 130 countries. Also, space weapons are pure waste. A space shield doesn't work, because weapons cannot make a distinction between warheads and free floating space debris. `The neoconservative lobbyists are only interested in the staggering sums required.'
The US enormous military budget (of which 40 % is secret) is not paid by US taxpayers, but by foreign investors in US debt.
In the meantime, democracy is undermined. Chalmers Johnson doesn't see `any president or Congress standing up to the powerful vested interests of the Pentagon, the secret intelligence agencies and the military-industrial complex.' The separation of powers is becoming a dead letter. The legislative and the judicial branches have lost their independence.
The author is extremely hard for the current government, calling members of the Administration `desk-murderers'. For him, `putting the ruler above the law is the very definition of dictatorship.' Its TIA (Total Information Awareness) program `is the perfect US computer version of Gestapo and KGB files.' He is extremely angry with the US media, calling them `Pravda-like mouthpieces of the powerful.'
For him, what Congress really should do is abolish the CIA and remove all purely military functions from the Pentagon.
This hard-hitting book is more than a very solid warning. It is a must read for all those interested in the future of mankind.
For a view from the South, I highly recommend `Dilemmas of Domination' by Walden Bello.
Mandatory Foreign Policy Reading.......2007-07-28
If you want to read an unvarnished assessment of America's foreign policy by a scholar and former insider this book will more than suffice. Johnson evaluates the military-industrial complex, foreign policy tactics, and the imperialistic tendencies of contemporary America and how they are all contributing to our very real ongoing downfall. Johnson is not afraid to prove how our own covert and overt policies have contributed to the war and terror that plague our nation.
Nemesis by Chalmers Johnson.......2007-07-18
All who are interested in the Bush-inspired quagmire that we are in today should read this to understand the psychology and sociology that historically has led to the end of a society. There are some implications and assumptions that are made to compare past "empires" and some political and economic sections are a bit esoteric, but overall it's quite intriguing. If you think this is for you make sure you read "Blowback" before "Nemesis" which was the first of Johnson's trilogy.
Nemesis--an indispensible education.......2007-07-12
Nemesis is the last book in a trilogy. I have read them all and believe I am much more aware of what is really going on in our country. The negative way the world sees us finally makes sense. Chalmers Johnson has done an enormous amount of research and explains the issues in a clear and interesting manner. I've had trouble putting the books down.
Book Description
Bestselling authors and Jesus experts John Dominic Crossan and Marcus Borg come together to explore the last seven days of Jesus's life. Using the best of biblical and historical scholarship, they rediscover a new way of understanding the Passion Week and its monumental events. True to form, they turn the traditional understaning of Passion Week on its head to reveal its true significance in history and for faith.
Jesus's kingdom message was revolutionary in that it questioned people's basic loyalties at a time when those loyalties were jealously guarded by the Roman Empire. Jesus knowingly entered his last week knowing he'd be directly challenging the Romans. For example, the first day of the last week of Jesus's life (Palm Sunday), there were two triumphal entrance parades that occurred. One was a peasant rabbi with a revolutionary message, the second an imperial Roman army escorting the Roman governor to Jerusalem to oversee the holiday festivities. This initiated a week of growing tension in which people were asked to chose which way they would follow – the current Roman empire, or Jesus's revolutionary way of love, forgiveness, and grace.
These brilliant authors reveal the moving story of someone who dared to face imperial wrath to bring a new way of life.
Customer Reviews:
What the Gospels Really Say About Holy Week.......2007-07-06
Borg and Crossan, in this slim readable volume, set out a simple proposition: to understand Jesus and what was important to him, it is vital to understand the week leading up to his crucifixion and resurrection. And the only way to really understand that week is to read what the Gospels actually say, not what we've been told they ought to say.
In some ways Borg and Crossan are biblical literalists. They try to sweep away traditional interpretations that have accrued to the Bible stories and instead try to read them in the context for which they were written. To do this they bring to bear a knowledge of biblical history that makes clear some parts of the Gospel story, which appear opaque to modern readers who don't know the milieu. Especially when Jesus is preaching in the temple, this explication really helps clear up common misunderstandings associated with Christian teaching.
There are times when the authors veer from the strictly literal, however. This is most apparent when they write about the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter. Since the Gospels slide over that day with only a fleeting mention, the authors fall back on legends of the Harrowing of Hell. There's nothing wrong with this in principle, but when the authors bring in references to the Gospel of Peter, which is little more than a late anti-Semitic forgery, they risk descending into silliness.
Also, many readers may object to the strongly political aspect of this book. Though the authors don't blow their noses on the spiritual importance of Jesus and his teachings, their emphasis in this writing lies on his anti-imperial politics. Some readers may balk and think the authors are devaluing the spiritual teachings; I think the authors are just shining a spotlight on a theme they believe has been neglected.
On balance this book is, for the most part, eye-opening. By peeling away later doctrine to couch the Holy Week story in its historical context, this book makes it possible to cast a clear eye on the spiritual and the social importance of Holy Week. For instance, I've never had anybody previously explain that Jesus' peaceful entry into Jerusalem on a donkey was a deliberate contrast to Pilate's military entry on the same day from the other direction. But I have seen many preachers who wrongly think the worshipful crowd on Palm Sunday is the same bloody-minded crowd on Good Friday.
This book is not without its flaws. The authors sometimes get caught up in trivia and lose sight of their central thread. And the authors' liberal politics may put off some potential members of their audience. But this book is definitely worth reading for both clergy and a lay audience. Not only is it a concise overview of Christian theology, it is also helpful to peel back the myth and obfuscation that has fallen over what the Gospels really say about Holy Week.
Contradictions, Assumtions, False Statements, Omissions.........2007-05-27
Here is my main objection: The authors first adopt an idea and then reconstruct their story to fit that idea. I divided the authors' "misdeeds" into four classes: Contradictions, Assumptions, False statements and Omissions.
A) Contradictions:
1)In preface pVIII we read: ..."We intend [a much simpler task:] to tell and explain, against the background of Jewish high-priestly collaboration with Roman imperial control, the last week of Jesus's life on earth as given in the Gospel According to Mark.
1a) However in a subtitle is printed: "What the Gospels REALLY Teach About Jesus' Final Days in Jerusalem".This "deceit" allows them to use other Gospels when the authors can support their claims. But it is worse, when they omit the passages in Mark which do not support their claims.
2)Throughout the book Pilate is described as a sovereign ruler having the Jewish hierarchy
under his control.
2a) However in Mk15:9 we read: "Pilate answered, " "Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?"" and in v.12 "... Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?" These perplexed questions are NOT what one would expect from a supreme commander...
2b) If Pilate were convinced about Jesus' role as a leader of an actual political insurgency, he
would have executed at least some of his disciples.
B) Assumptions:
On p.2 we read :"Two processions entered Jerusalem on a spring day in the year 30".
However Mark's gospel says NOTHING about this coincidence or a planned thing. Moreover, there is NO support elsewhere that it happened the same day
On p.4 authors write about "...a planned political demonstration."
The only scientific support is the following sentence: "As one of our professors in graduate school said about forty years ago,.."
C) False statements:
1) p.144 reads "Both Barabbas and Jesus are revolutionaries. Both defied authority. But the first
advocated violent revolution and the second advocated nonviolence."
1a) From the other reliable historical documents we learned that Romans were rather tolerant
occupants with regards to the religious beliefs; they even accepted Greek gods. Therefore
we can assume that only violent uprisings were recognized and considered dangerous for
the Romans. The itinerant rabbis proclaiming nonviolent utopias were probably taken
for "religious cranks" and to the Romans posed no danger.
D) Omissions:
1) Mk 14 chapter tells the story about Jesus being anointed by an unknown woman, about apostles complaints of wasting money. But Jesus answered in Mk 14:7 (p.85)."....For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me..."
We ought to agree that Jesus's answer deserves a deeper analysis.
2)On p.150-151 the authors regard imperial centurion's words "Truly this man was God's Son"
simply as an "empire testifying against itself"..
2a) However, this centurion entrusted to lead the execution squad must have had a very
deep spiritual awakening besides a simple change of political view.
3) p.154 "It is common to refer to Martin Luther King, Jr., Mohandas Gandi , Oscar Romeo, and
Dietrich Bonhoffer as sacrificing their lives for the causes they were devoted ."
3a) Ignoring the heroes fighting the "domination system" of communism is more than a
simple omission.
Conclusion: The authors proposed to discuss the last Jesus's week according to Mark's Gospel. However, by focusing on the Jewish high-priestly collaboration with Roman imperial control they lead us to see Jesus mainly as an earthly revolutionary, although a non-violent one. This is in my view a dishonest simplification and selling Jesus short. We know that according to the MARXIST philosophy we were born into two certain antagonist social ranks, rich and poor and the history is progressing through this irreconcilable class struggle. However, Jesus gave us an example NOT to follow so called "history necessity", but to "die to ourselves", to be "born again" and that way to transcend that class awareness and to build the "Kingdom of God " regardless of the class, race, nationality AND religious differences.
A Holy Week Reader.......2007-04-09
I just finished reading The Last Week as a daily reader during Holy Week. Unlike some readers, I really did not find it to be great. Borg and Crossan do a great job in unearthing the political tensions behind the events of Holy Week. This sheds a new light on Jesus' final week in Jerusalem. However, I kept wondering why a rebel against the Roman authority should be the center of our Christian belief. In overemphasizing the political Jesus, I really felt that Borg and Crossan de-emphasized the spiritual Jesus to too great a degree. If Jesus was no more than he is made out to be in The Last Week, he is not worth following.
I am glad to have a deeper understanding of the political Jesus, but am equally glad to experience the spiritual Jesus in the services of Holy Week - Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the great Easter Vigil and finally Easter Sunday. These act as a counterweight to The Last Week.
The book is worth reading, but it is limited by the fact that it only speaks to a part of What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus's Final Days in Jerusalem (the subtitle of the book).
Excellent Book.......2007-04-06
The authors bring a new light to the Gospel of Mark. What did the Gospel of Mark say to the people in 90 C.E.? Jesus' story becomes even more powerful when studied in the time period it occurred.
Jesus is reduced to a Jewish Che Guevara.......2007-04-03
I am in full agreement with the main premise of this book:
Jesus' last week was laden with the tension between 'The Kingdom of God' and Empire's Domination System.
On this point, the book is a good one. What is most disappointing about it is the writers' aversion to the miraculous.
The multi-dimensional Jesus is flattened out in order to fit their political-historical-rational mindset:
Jesus is reduced to being no more than a Jewish Che Guevara.
Jesus did/does embody the full spectrum of being-human, and that includes
his opposition and resistance to power-over-the-other; be it political, religious or personal.
By stoping there, the book falls short;
there is a lot more to this story and thus it is lamentable
that so much of that is left out or just simplistically explained away!
Good history, weak theology, nothing mystical.
For the whole story of the 'Politics of the Cross':
Jacques Ellul (The Politics of God & The Politics of Man) and William Stringfellow (Conscience & Obedience);
Dorothee Soelle (The Silent Cry) and John Howard Yoder (The Politics of Jesus);
Richard Rohr (Hope Against Darkness) and Walter Brueggemann (Peace);
Simone Weil (Gravity and Grace) and Christopher Blumhardt (Salt and Light), to name just a few.
Book Description
Top Jesus scholars Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan join together to reveal a radical and little-known Jesus. As both authors reacted to and responded to questions about Mel Gibson's blockbuster The Passion of the Christ, they discovered that many Christians are unclear on the details of events during the week leading up to Jesus's crucifixion.
Using the gospel of Mark as their guide, Borg and Crossan present a day-by-day account of Jesus's final week of life. They begin their story on Palm Sunday with two triumphal entries into Jerusalem. The first entry, that of Roman governor Pontius Pilate leading Roman soldiers into the city, symbolized military strength. The second heralded a new kind of moral hero who was praised by the people as he rode in on a humble donkey. The Jesus introduced by Borg and Crossan is this new moral hero, a more dangerous Jesus than the one enshrined in the church's traditional teachings.
The Last Week depicts Jesus giving up his life to protest power without justice and to condemn the rich who lack concern for the poor. In this vein, at the end of the week Jesus marches up Calvary, offering himself as a model for others to do the same when they are confronted by similar issues. Informed, challenged, and inspired, we not only meet the historical Jesus, but meet a new Jesus who engages us and invites us to follow him.
Download Description
"
Top Jesus scholars Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan join together to reveal a radical and little-known Jesus. As both authors reacted to and responded to questions about Mel Gibson's blockbuster The Passion of the Christ, they discovered that many Christians are unclear on the details of events during the week leading up to Jesus's crucifixion.
Using the gospel of Mark as their guide, Borg and Crossan present a day-by-day account of Jesus's final week of life. They begin their story on Palm Sunday with two triumphal entries into Jerusalem. The first entry, that of Roman governor Pontius Pilate leading Roman soldiers into the city, symbolized military strength. The second heralded a new kind of moral hero who was praised by the people as he rode in on a humble donkey. The Jesus introduced by Borg and Crossan is this new moral hero, a more dangerous Jesus than the one enshrined in the church's traditional teachings.
The Last Week depicts Jesus giving up his life to protest power without justice and to condemn the rich who lack concern for the poor. In this vein, at the end of the week Jesus marches up Calvary, offering himself as a model for others to do the same when they are confronted by similar issues. Informed, challenged, and inspired, we not only meet the historical Jesus, but meet a new Jesus who engages us and invites us to follow him.
"
Customer Reviews:
Not be confused with the facts..........2007-05-28
My main objection: The authors first adopt an idea and then reconstruct their story to fit that idea. I am aware that we are dealing with a popular, NOT an academic book, but still I consider that unfair, since most of us are learning from such books.The authors made several contradictions, assumptions, false statements and omissions. They contradict themselves by writing in the preface that they will use Mark's Gospel only and they present good reasons for it. However, in the subtitle it is printed: "What the Gospels REALLY Teach About Jesus'...".This contradiction allows them to use other Gospels when the authors can support their objectives. What is worse, they omit the passages in Mark which do not support their objectives. Throughout the book Pilate is described as a sovereign ruler having the Jewish hierarchy under his control. However, even from the authors' quotes taken from the Mark's Gospel the Pilate's questions to Jesus are NOT what one would expect from a supreme commander. Furthermore if Pilate were convinced about Jesus' role as a leader of an actual political insurgency, he would have executed at least some of his disciples. Among the farfetched assumptions: :"Two processions entered Jerusalem on a spring day in the year 30". However, Mark's gospel says NOTHING about this coincidence or a planned thing. Moreover, there is NO support elsewhere that it happened the same day. Among the false statements I would classify the authors' conclusion that Jesus had to be executed since he was a revolutionary, although a non violent one. It is well established truth from the other reliable historical documents that the Romans were rather tolerant occupants with regards to the religious beliefs; they even accepted Greek gods. Therefore one can assume that only violent uprisings were recognized and considered dangerous for the Romans. The itinerant rabbis proclaiming nonviolent utopias were probably taken for "religious cranks" and posed no danger to the Romans.Indeed such a view was taken by Pilate at the beggining of the trial, as recorded by all four Gospels.
In conclusion one can say that the authors by focusing on the Jewish high-priestly collaboration with Roman imperial control lead us to regard Jesus as an earthly revolutionary, although a non-violent one. This is in my view a dishonest simplification and selling Jesus short. It is well known that according to the MARXIST philosophy we were born into two certain antagonist social ranks, rich and poor and the history is progressing through this irreconcilable class struggle. However, Jesus gave us an example NOT to follow so called "history necessity", but to "die to ourselves", to be "born again" and that way to transcend that class awareness and to build the "Kingdom of God " regardless of the class, race, nationality AND religious differences.
.
Useful for Bible teaching, preaching.......2007-05-13
A scholarly, but accessible treatment of the biblical account of Holy Week. Well worth it: either to read straight through, or to use it as a reference book.
A Loving account by non-believers.......2007-05-07
Two deep friends and New Testament scholars combine to review this last week of Jesus. Both have previously written extensive scholarly works clarifying their non-belief in the supernatural story of Jesus. In this work they are not challenging the main account in Mark, but adding simply written expansions of what happened. While denying the divinity of Jesus, they clearly love the man and are advocates for his intent to establish "The Kingdom" on earth--a wish for fairness and justice.
Interactive Christianity: transcendence through service and justice.......2007-04-08
"The Last Week" by Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan address several problem areas in the traditional interpretations of the Passion of Jesus Christ and the events of Easter Week. Rather than seeing his teachings and purposeful orchestration of his last week as metaphor, most Christians have come to accept Jesus himself as metaphor. His suffering, death and resurrection have become a "passion" sacrifice or atonement for the failings of humankind. Crossan and Borg re-examine this metaphor. These authors describe the passion as an intensely and profoundly fundamental belief that the current, normal societal norm of political and economic dominance of government (legitimized by religious authority) be challenged and replaced. What Jesus offers in its place is human compassion and human service -- resulting in a transcendence of humanity itself. It is a solution that replaces man's kingdom and priorities with those of God and his kingdom, stressing that the work is not done by Jesus alone, but by Jesus as he inspires and transforms others to be him. As transformed, humans recognize "the dominant life of human normalcy versus the servant life of human transcendence." Focusing on Mark as the earliest and "cleanest" version (before the elaborations added by Matthew, Luke and John), Crossan and Borg stress a second theme: to quote St. Augustine, "We without God cannot, and God without us will not." The key to the mystery of Easter Week is identification of God as within humans and the acceptance of responsibility by humans to take on Jesus' role. No doubt, this is a radical interpretation and one that requires the most of our time and effort on this earth. The one drawback of the text (why it rates a four and not a five star standing) is that points made are often repeated. Perhaps, however, they need to be restated to bring full attention to them.
Jesus's last eight days.......2007-03-15
In this simple exposition written for a general audience, two leading New Testament scholars use the Gospel of Mark to explain what happened to Jesus during his final week. They use Mark because most scholars consider it the earliest of the four Gospels, the primary source for Matthew and Luke, and because when you read carefully you see that Mark details the last eight days of Holy Week, from Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday. He even specifies "morning" and "evening" for three of these days:
Palm Sunday: "When they were approaching Jerusalem" (11:1)
Monday: "On the following day" (11:12)
Tuesday: "In the morning" (11:20)
Wednesday: "It was two days before the Passover" (14:1)
Maundy Thursday: "On the first day of Unleavened Bread" (14:12)
Good Friday: "As soon as it was morning" (15:1)
Holy Saturday: "The Sabbath" (15:42, 16:1)
Easter Sunday: "Very early on the first day of the week" (16:2).
Mark even describes what happened at five three-hour intervals on Good Friday (pp. ix-x). The book, then, consists of eight chapters, one for each day of Holy Week.
For Borg and Crossan the gospels are not records of straightforward historical facts remembered by the author, but stylized interpretations of the believing community. There's an element of truth in this, of course; you could say the same about nearly all written history. But I'm sometimes dubious about historical reconstructions two millennia after the events that claim to know more and to know better than the first witnesses, or that do not give compelling explanations about how and why the first recorders got things so badly wrong and yet attracted the allegiance of so many converts (who must have known they were "wrong" about the literal facts).
Borg and Crossan do a wonderful job of illuminating the religious background of first century Judaism and especially the centrality of the temple, and the cultural and political background of the Roman empire, showing how the Biblical texts and these two contexts interact. If you've read any of Borg's many books, it will come as no surprise that the authors understand the "passion" of Jesus not as a sacrifice or substitution (as it has been understood by much if not most of Christendom), but as an incarnation of God's justice which subverts the status quo of political oppression, economic exploitation, and religious legitimation. The 2007 edition of this book has the sensational sub-title What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus's Final Days in Jerusalem.
Book Description
Olson turns her razor sharp vision on the Clintons' shocking excesses in their final days of office: the outrageous pardons to political cronies and friends, the looting of the White House, the executive orders that were sheer abuses of presidential power, the presidential library that is becoming a massive boondoogle of vanity more appropriate for a Third World dictator, and much more.
Customer Reviews:
What politicians will do to cling onto power.......2006-12-10
Conservative commentator Barbara Olson, who perished when the hijacked Flight 77 dove into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, reminds us with "The Final Days" precisely what sort of leeching parasites politicians can be. This is not a strict "Republican" or "Democrat" kind of thing, nor is it an issue pertaining to just "conservatives" or just "liberals." The book is not biased just because it reports only the Clinton wrongdoings, even though the author is a self-proclaimed conservative. In fact, the flip side to Olson's coin is the recently released "State of Denial" by Bob Woodward, who similarly documents the slime coursing through the current Bush administration and the ongoing war in Iraq. No, "The Final Days: The Last, Desperate Abuses of Power by the Clinton White House" merely reiterates a well-worn fact of life dominant in today's world: Power corrupts.
Olson's final account about the closing of doors in the Clinton administration should send alarm bells screeching through the minds of the American electorate, especially in a time where a Hillary Clinton run for the presidency seems almost inevitable. Olson reveals with painstaking accuracy the core tenets of Clintonism: Deny the accusations, play the helpless victim, and attack the enemy with relentless savagery. And, of course, it is permissible to lie whenever the chance arrives. When many liberal Democrats pressured him truthfully to explain everything behind the pardon of Marc Rich and his associates, President Clinton acknowledged that those he pardoned, who evaded millions in taxes and maintained connections with the Castro and Gaddafi regimes, simply had been wrongfully persecuted by the Justice Department. It is a classic example of the `victim hood' phenomenon so popularly paraded by the Clintons. Everyone seems to be a poor, pitiable victim, especially if their names end with "Clinton" and the persecutor is that dang "right-wing conspiracy." I'm afraid the term you're looking for, Mr. and Mrs. President, is "vast critical-thinking conspiracy." Or perhaps the "concerned American citizen conspiracy."
Like "State of Denial," "The Final Days" wields sharp facts to counter the myths surrounding popular politicians. Clinton may have presided over the largest economic expansion in U.S. history, but the shameless "For Sale" sign dangling around his neck during the closing days of his administration calls into question his serious character and moral flaws. Similarly, Bush may have stated "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq, but the fact that we are still there waging a failing campaign at the expense of American and Iraqi blood does not make his acts justifiable. I highly recommend both books to spark in your head the idea that maybe we need to rethink seriously the decision of putting these kinds of people in power.
A book about two topics: pardon and donation........2006-05-26
I listened to the audio version of this book. While most of the things said in this book may be true, it appears a bit biased. In addition to facts, the author uses some adjectives which show her personal dislike of the famous couple.
In the end, I had an impression that this book grew out of author's frustration upon Mark Rich pardon. Many chapters are dedicated to that case.
A disproportionately large portion of the book is devoted to two topics: pardon and donations. At one point the audio book spends a large amount of time only listing names of who donated what item. It goes on and on and on with names that make no sense and contribute nothing much to the story. That could have been moved to the appendix to keep the flow going.
I was hoping to find details about mischievious behavior by Clinton staff during the last days. There was no mention of that.
FAILING TO CROSSOVER.......2006-04-15
"The much talked about Marc Rich pardon has become an appropriate symbol of the entire eight years, but Mrs. Olson does a commendable service by clearly detailing the effrontery of his (Rich's) misdeeds, and an even more skillful demonstration of the President's specious and insulting attempt to justify this shocking act. To add fuel to her raging fire, she quotes former President Jimmy Carter who openly stated "I don't think there is any doubt that some of the factors in his pardon were attributable to his large gifts. In my opinion that was disgraceful."
Naturally, given her neo-con bent, Ms. Olsen failed to mention the extremely salient point that the attorney representing Marc Rich's pardon application was none other than Scooter Libby, Dick Cheney's aide.
Excellent and bloody right!.......2006-03-18
All of you Clinton lovers should actually learn to not turn the blind eye on many of these things Clinton did during his presidency. The last few minutes before he was impeached.
I can admit George Bush is a bad president himself but I can also admit what Bill clinton stood for. Corruption!
See the pardons such as the nationalistic terrorist group from Puerto Rico plus the tax cheat and a whole list of other losers that Clinton pardoned.
A Catalogue of Iniquities. .......2004-07-28
The last days of the Clintons were an occasion for the country to witness just how corrupt this two for the price of one team actually was. They took furniture and gifts that were not their's for the taking, and appeared to be granting pardons on the basis of what law breakers held the most influence within their circle of friends and family. From arsenic to Mark Rich, the whole squalid tale is recounted by the superlative Barbara Olso, who sadly is no longer with us.
Average customer rating:
- Just one more book in the all-encompassing, enthralling, and utterly absorbing Left Behind Series
- The best of the 3 prequels, by far!
- GOOD
- Big disappointment
- El Rapto
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The Rapture: In the Twinkling of an Eye--Countdown to the Earth's Last Days (Before They Were Left Behind, Book 3)
Tim LaHaye , and
Jerry B. Jenkins
Manufacturer: Tyndale House Publishers
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Similar Items:
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The Rising: Antichrist Is Born (Before They Were Left Behind, Book 1)
-
Kingdom Come: The Final Victory: The Final Victory (Left Behind #13)
-
Babylon Rising: The Edge of Darkness (Babylon Rising)
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Glorious Appearing (Left Behind)
-
Desecration: Antichrist Takes the Throne (Left Behind No. 9)
ASIN: 1414305818 |
Book Description
The final prequel will have the Rapture three-quarters of the way through the book and then following characters such as Irene and Raymie (and others) up to heaven and being able to see events in the Tribulation from heaven’s perspective. The book will alternate between focusing on events on earth immediately after the Rapture (covering lots of things the authors wished they could have covered in the original volumes) and focusing on characters in heaven and how they view the chaotic events on earth. Now available in trade paper.
Customer Reviews:
Just one more book in the all-encompassing, enthralling, and utterly absorbing Left Behind Series.......2007-09-14
From the very first letter of the alphabet that my eyes looked upon inside this series of books, until the very last period of the very last sentence, I was hooked. Each one of these books absorbed my attention like no other book has ever done in my life. Biblically sound, theatrically entertaining, and brilliantly written, the Left Behind books will inspire you to dig into God's word and take the pieces of news from your T.V. screen and match them right smack-dab up with the prophecies of the Bible. Your hair will stand up, your heart will race, and you will find yourself helplessly caught in the suspense. Once you finish one of these books, you will desperately race to your computer screen or your local library to pick up the next one!
Carrie Lynn Jones
Author of It All Began... When Jesus Gave Me Sneakers
The best of the 3 prequels, by far!.......2007-09-10
I picked this book up expecting to be disappointed; however, that was far from what actually happened! I feel that Mr's LaHaye and Jenkins redeemed themselves with this book, after the travesties that were the first two prequels and Kingdom Come. The Rapture actually drew me back into the Left Behind series--I literally couldn't put it down--and I found it moving in a way the aforementioned installments completely lacked.
I definitely suggest that even if you disliked the first two prequels, you read this one. Although it does get a bit annoying in that, toward the end, it repeats a lot of what happened in the beginning of the original Left Behind, if you have not read the first book in the series in quite a while the repetition really isn't so bad.
GOOD.......2007-07-22
I have not yet read this book because my son is reading it first, but if it is as good as the rest of this series, it is bound to be great.
Big disappointment.......2007-07-10
This third prequel to the Left Behind series moves the story up to the time of "Left Behind," the first in the original series. Jenkins is creative in his description of what life is like in heaven, but this novel is extremely padded - he could have covered the same ground in 100 pages less, and probably should have.
El Rapto.......2007-06-13
The Book arrived in very good conditions and the date of delivery was correct
Book Description
With over 400,000 copies in print, this New York Times best-seller opens with White House advisors Jon Bennett and Erin McCoy heading into Gaza when their convoy is attacked by a massive explosion. Soon, Yassir Arafat is dead, Islamic radicals are trying to take over the West Bank and Gaza, Iraqi terrorists are targeting Americans, and Bennett begins to wonder if he is witnessing signs of the last days before the return of Christ. Since The Last Days was first published, Arafat has died and Hamas has taken over the Palestinian Authority.
Customer Reviews:
Involvement at Every Level.......2007-08-23
This book is amazingly on-track with current affairs and technology. It is action-packed in a Clancey-esque style. Laced throughout the storyline is a blooming romance for those who like the softer side. The development of a spiritual comprehension and conversion in a man who lived only for money is subtle and invites readers to think about such matters. The only detractor I found was the author's detailing of modern weaponry, military forces and strategies. When the action is going at a fast pace, I don't like to be slowed down to understand the technicalities that make this book so authentic.
Attention grabbing to the last page.......2007-07-25
The author seems to have finger on the pulse of world events. An excellent read. So many things in the book have happened that it's premise is hard to ignore
Another fabulous Rosenberg book!.......2007-05-12
I love all the Joel Rosenberg books! Great reading, interesting, thought-provoking, and suspenseful. Makes you wonder...
the last days book.......2007-05-07
wonderful book. It is like you are there with the characters. Face paced. hard to put down.
another winner for Rosenberg.......2007-04-17
Wow!!! couldn't put this one down, better than the Last Jihad. This guy is able to weave non-fiction and ficton and devise wonderful plots leading to awesome endings.
I will read everything he publishes. Great writer.
Book Description
The Last Jihad:
Jon Bennett is a top Wall Street strategist turned senior White House advisor. But nothing has prepared him for the terror that he will face. Only a solid Arab-Israeli coalition against Iraq can keep the U.S. and other Western nations from certain devastation. And only Bennett and his beautiful partner, Erin McCoy, can make that happen.
The Last Days:
Osama bin Laden is dead. Saddam Hussein is buried. Baghdad lies in ruins. Now the eyes of the world are on Jerusalem as Jon Bennett - a Wall Street strategist turned senior White House advisor - his beautiful CIA partner Erin McCoy, and the U.S. Secretary of State arrive in the Middle East to meet with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. But in the shadows lie men whose hearts are filled with evil.
The Ezekiel Option:
With Saddam Hussein and Yasser Arafat out of the way, a dazzling era of security and prosperity seems to have come to the Middle East. With the help of an American president trying to spread freedom and democracy, the Israelis and the Palestinians have signed a historic peace agreement. But a new evil looms on the horizon. And Jon Bennett and Erin McCoy - two senior White House advisors - find themselves facing the most chilling question of their lives: Is the world rushing to the brink of an apocalypse prophesied more than 2,500 years ago?
Customer Reviews:
The Last Jihad, The Last Days & The Ezekiel Option.......2007-09-11
Movies should be made of all of Joel Rosenberg's books. They would be box office smash hits...though fiction when he wrote them, fiction often became fact. Read his latest book, Epicenter,(non-fiction)to find out how he did it.
Loved the books, but........................2007-07-11
I really enjoyed the 3 books, however I did feel that the first 2 books could have been put into one. My favorite was the Ezekiel Option because of the connection to prophecy. I am looking forward to purchasing the Copper Scroll next.
Much better than expected.......2007-04-09
Joel has stayed true to the integrity of Biblical prophecy which is what his objective was as he wrote these works of fiction. He more than accomplished this - read Epicenter to see where the authors heart is; his work is relevant and it opens many hearts!
I totally disagree with the first review! I understand a desire to protect a child from language that is not encouraged. However, Joel has lived and worked in the real world and understands that words like 'shucks' and 'gee whiz batman' probably would not be realistic when penning a story that is believable. His passion for people exceeds his desire to meet some neat little requirements that the Christian culture would slap upon him.
I applaud his efforts and deeply appreciate his gifts. I hope most readers/listeners will share his stories others. His stories can be enjoyed by those who do not live in worlds that seem to be safely insulated from the world that we live in.
disappointed.......2007-02-20
My family enjoyed the plot lines and the Biblical connections that came about from time to time. I originally bought all of Joel's books (5) on audio cds so we could listen to during drive times in the car. I wanted my family to hear some background and achieve another level of understanding with regards to Iraq, Iran, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, the European Union, Israel, and the prophetic possibilties in the Holy Scriptures we call the Bible. We want them to understand why things are happening/playing out the way they are, and why which parties are involved.
Joel's books do this, giving you ideas of possible scenarios with regards to actual Biblical Prophecy. HOWEVER, as soon as we finish each audiobook, we will throw them away. Why? Brother Joel obviously is using the flawed undertaking that in order to reach the "lost" in the world (i.e. non-Believers), we need to put a little sin into something Biblical in order to make it palatible. Sadly, he ignores the Bible's direct explanations that a little leaven leavens the whole loaf. For years we've watched people fall out of the God of Israel's Holiness and play fake Christianity because they were "brought into the fold" by mixed modes of worldy/secular verions of Christianity. People are brought into the fold with a little leaven, and they live their "faith" out with leaven continually existing in various areas of their lives, having no problem with the sins, having no desire to be set-apart/kadosh/holy. Everybody's a Christian, just as long as they profess to be....
The violent content is a bit too discriptive at times for entertainment, though not unthinkable. FREQUENT use of the "hell" swear-word-fashion is quite uncomfortable. Finally, taking the use of "God" as slang term and in emphasis mode for emotive moments that obviously don't involve talking TO or ABOUT God Himself, is unnerving. "Hell" and "God" are used in completely unBiblical manners. Sometimes you'll "hear" both a professing Believer as WELL AS a non-Believer using these terms. Neither is acceptable in books written by Believers. I was quite embarased when it began happening over and over, and so was my family when we heard these books on audio cds. Un-charateristic for a Godly-man, such as Brother Joel professes to be.
Don't buy...violence and swearing/slang/blasphemy are frequent or inappropriate.
Amazon.com
The Gospel narratives may suggest that Jesus was divine, but they do not insist upon it. Hundreds of years after Jesus' death, the Church councils made Jesus' divinity a central tenet of belief among many of his followers. When Jesus Became God: The Epic Fight over Christ's Divinity in the Last Days of Rome by Richard Rubenstein is a narrative history of Christians' early efforts to define Christianity by convening councils and writing creeds. Rubenstein is most interested in the battle between Arius, Presbyter of Alexandria, and Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria. Arius said that Christ did not share God's nature but was the first creature God created. Athanasius said that Christ was fully God. At the Council of Nicea in 325, the Church Fathers came down on Athanasius's side and made Arius's belief a heresy.
Rubenstein's brisk, incisive prose brings the councils' 4th-century Roman setting fully alive, with riots, civil strife, and spectacular public debates. Rubenstein is also personally invested in the meaning of these councils for religious life today: he wrote this book, in part, because he grew up in a mixed Jewish Catholic neighborhood and was bewildered by animosity between the religious groups on his block. Digging back in history, Rubenstein learns that before the Arian controversy, "Jews and Christians could talk to each other and argue among themselves about crucial issues like the divinity of Jesus.... They disagreed strongly about many things, but there was still a closeness between them." But when the controversy was settled, Rubenstein notes, "that closeness faded. To Christians, God became a Trinity and heresy became a crime. Judaism became a form of infidelity. And Jews living in Christian countries learned not to think very much about Jesus and his message." --Michael Joseph Gross
Book Description
The story of Jesus is well known, as is the story of Christian persecutions during the Roman Empire. The history of fervent debate, civil strife, and bloody riots within the Christian community as it was coming into being, however, is a side of ancient history rarely described. Richard E. Rubenstein takes the reader to the streets of the Roman Empire during the fourth century, when a fateful debate over the divinity of Jesus Christ is being fought. Ruled by a Christian emperor, followers of Jesus no longer fear for the survival of their monotheistic faith but break into two camps regarding the direction of their worship. Is Jesus the son of God and therefore not the same as God? Or is Jesus precisely God on earth and therefore equal to Him? The vicious debate is led by two charismatic priests. Arius, an Alexandrian priest and poet, preaches that Jesus, though holy, is less than God. Athanasius, a brilliant and violent bishop, sees any diminution of Jesus' godhead as the work of the devil. Between them stands Alexander, the powerful Bishop of Alexandria, who must find a resolution that will keep the empire united and the Christian faith alive. With thorough historical, religious, and social research, Rubenstein vividly recreates one of the most critical moments in the history of religion.
Customer Reviews:
Arius-centric Part of a Big Story.......2007-08-16
Rubenstein's engaging history of the subject is very readable and approachable by anyone with an interest in early Christianity. It is easy for a history book to become dry and 'slow down,' but this one does not suffer from that defect.
As you might guess from the title, the work's focus is Christological in nature the events described swirl around a handful of personalities relating to the Arian heresy, and the efforts of early Christian thinkers and leaders to spell out just who this Jesus guy was. The picture painted by Rubenstein is one of a controversy that was just as political as it was theological.
If Christology is your interest, then "When Jesus Became God" is an excellent choice, but this is not an exhaustive history that gives you speculations on the particular sects that have died out and all of the personalities involved, nor does it pretend to be such.
faith.......2007-08-13
I'm reading several books simultaneously therefore am only two thirds thru this book. If you like history as well as christianity discussion you will enjoy this book. What a wild time the early centuries of christianity were!
Great book.......2007-05-23
This is a wonderful read. It delves into the socio-political machinations of how Jesus of Nazereth became what we call the "Son of God". It pits the Arians vs the Athanasians in a heated battle to determine whether Jesus is made of God, or whether Jesus IS God. It spans several generations from the Council of Nicaea to the end of the fourth century. Is Jesus the Son of God as the Gospel states? Is Jesus made from the same stuff as God but not equal to God? Read this book and decide for yourself. Do not blindly follow the Gospels. Read the Gospels, read this book, then decide for yourself.
A history of split between Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christianity.......2007-02-02
This book relates in detail the history of transformation of Jesus from just beeing a Son of God to God himself through the concept of Trinity. This concept for six centuries saved Christianity from split related to the disagreements regarding the degree of sameness between Jesus and God . The deep lingering disagreements within Christian Religion regarding this question finally led to a monumental split into Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox. The best book on history of Christianity from Jewish cult to an independent monotheistic religion which had to fit Jesus as God into a monotheistic religious foundation based on Holy Spirit concept of God.
The Nature of Jesus.......2007-01-31
This is a dramatic history of defining events as they unfolded in the establishment of early Christian doctrine. I once believed that Jesus was 'True God of True God'. Readers of this book will surely appreciate, as I now do, that there were from the beginning other beliefs on the nature of Jesus than those assiduously promoted today by many mainline churches.
Book Description
Set on the high ground at the heart of Cape Ann, the village of Dogtown is peopled by widows, orphans, spinsters, scoundrels, whores, free Africans, and "witches." Among the inhabitants of this hamlet are Black Ruth, who dresses as a man and works as a stonemason; Mrs. Stanley, an imperious madam whose grandson, Sammy, comes of age in her brothel; Oliver Younger, who survives a miserable childhood at the hands of his aunt; and Cornelius Finson, a freed slave. At the center of it all is Judy Rhines, a fiercely independent soul, deeply lonely, who nonetheless builds a life for herself against all imaginable odds.
Rendered in stunning, haunting detail, with Diamant's keen ear for language and profound compassion for her characters, The Last Days of Dogtown is an extraordinary retelling of a long-forgotten chapter of early American life.
Customer Reviews:
GREAT Story..........2007-08-12
This was my first Anita Diamant book, and I absolutely loved it. I loved the flow of the story, and the diversity of the characters, and how many of them looked after one another, knowing that everyone else was against them.
Upon finishing this book, I googled Dogtown, Ma, and saw that it's only 2 hours from my house...so I'm in the process of trying to convince my husband to take a trip up there with me so I can see the now deserted little ghost town, along with Gloucester. While Dogtown was an actual town, gossiped to be inhabited by witches and prostitutes, this is a fiction book, based very loosely on what's know to be it's last days.
If you like somewhat historic novels with eccentric and down-on-their-luck characters, then you'll love this book. It opens in 1814 with the death of Abraham Wharf, and follows the dwindling residents of Dogtown for the next 30 or so years. While this was my first book from Ms. Diamant, it most definitely will not be my last. I highly recommend this :)
Easy Read.......2007-08-07
This is a easy book to read. The characters are interesting. Overall its a good book, but not a great book.
Not bad, but didn't really grab me.......2007-06-20
This book is a fictional imagining of what life must have been for the last inhabitants of Dogtown, a settlement outside of Gloucester, MA. Those inhabitants were mostly widows, single women, freed slaves, some shady male characters, and a couple of families. The town and townspeople are looked down upon as misfits, rogues, and, to put it bluntly, losers. The settlement is dying, literally.
I finished the book, and I thought it was OK, but only OK. I'm trying to figure out why it didn't grab me, and it's a struggle. Maybe it's because the characters do not always seem to deserve our sympathy -- they seem so over-the-top pathetic, eccentric, or victimized that you just want to shake them. Or maybe it's the way the characters are drawn -- sometimes they seem more like caricatures. Too many plot threads going on at once? Could be. Like I said, I can't quite put my finger on it.
Still, it's decent historical fiction, and it's got me looking forward to visiting the site of Dogtown, where you can hike and yes, bring your dog.
I liked it better as I got into the book.......2007-05-24
Although the book starts slowly, it got very interesting as I got into it and began to become involved in the lives of the characters. Very well written and I can encouraged others to read the book.
Diamant is a Diamond writer.......2007-05-13
As always, Anita expresses is clear detail one story weaving a tribe together. She's amazing. I loved
The Red Tent as well.
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- Midaresomenishi: A Legend of Samurai Love
- Moby-Dick (Bantam Classics)
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- National Electrical Code 2005 Softcover Version (National Fire Protection Association National Electrical Code)
- Neon Genesis Evangelion, Vol. 9
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Books Index
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The Rapture: In the Twinkling of an Eye--Countdown to the Earth's Last Days (Before They Were Left Behind, Book 3)
Armageddon (Left Behind #11)
