Book Description
"Irwin Kula shows us how to to live our humanness -- the pleasures and the challenges, the messiness and the triumphs -- with a profound acceptance of our desires and foibles and a joy that can only come from understanding." --Deepak Chopra
"Yearning. After twenty-three years as a rabbi, I can think of no more defining human experience."
Life can be messy and imperfect. We're all looking for answers. And yet, as renowned rabbi Irwin Kula points out, the yearning for answers is no different now than it was in the times that gave rise to Moses, Buddha, and Jesus. Far from being a burden, however, these yearnings can themselves become a path to blessing, prompting questions and insights, resulting in new ways of being and believing. In this, his first book, Rabbi Kula takes us on an excursion into the depths of our desires, applying ancient Jewish tradition to seven of our most wonderful yearnings. Merging ancient wisdom with contemporary insights, Rabbi Kula shows how traditional practices can inform and enrich our own search for meaning. More importantly, he invites us to embrace the messiness and complexities of the human experience in order to fully embrace the endless and glorious project of life.
Customer Reviews:
A Voice for Everyone.......2007-01-31
Rabbi Kula is a special breed of spiritual leader whose voice transcends the boundaries between religions. His book reveals a gift of communicating in a different way than typically comes down from the pulpit. In spreading his perspective of "wisdom", he is not afraid to challenge conventional wisdom and traditional interpretations; in fact he is at his best when looks inside these axioms that most of us take for granted. His willingness to share his personal experiences and his own transgressions lend credibility and humility to his stories and observations. This book serves as encouragement to look inside ourselves without judgment and look outward with a healthier perspective.
Embracing the messiness of life.......2007-01-10
One of the best books I've ever read. Made me feel good!!
A gentle wake up.......2007-01-10
I was so taken with the positive energy in Irwin Kula's book that I immediately gave a copy to each of my kids and to a friend who is dealing with a load of messiness as am I. Kula's interpretive take on several stories in the Bible is refreshing and helps me to use my own messiness to better advantage.
Yearnings: Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life.......2007-01-04
I love this volume. I bought both the book and the audio version. Rabbi's voice and words are so soothing and he has the ability to impart so much truth and meaning into a few words. I recommend this work to anyone seeking wisdom. You will be richly rewarded by both the book and the audio cd!!!
Stunning revelations for the agnostic!.......2007-01-03
With journalistic skepticism and scientific training carefully guarding any religious conclusions, I nonetheless am drawn to seek better understanding of spirituality, as experienced world-wide throughout the ages, taking wisdom wherever I find it, as long as it applies broadly. This book takes the stories that shaped our civilization as well as touches on others civilizations also, to help us understand where we came from. It suggests what we can take from those stories to live better, richer lives, regardless of whether or not the stories are precisely true. It explains how rituals developed and what they mean, and how they can be relevant today. Although Kula is a Jewish Rabbi, his insights are relevant to all beliefs. As a non-Jewish person myself, I never for a moment felt the book was written for Jewish people; on the contrary, I think his goal was to include everyone in a common understanding . . . an understanding of the differences of mankind.
Product Description
This book explores the history of mathematics from the perspective of the creative tension between common sense and the "impossible" as the author follows the discovery or invention of new concepts that have marked mathematical progress: - Irrational and Imaginary Numbers - The Fourth Dimension - Curved Space - Infinity and others The author puts these creations into a broader context involving related "impossibilities" from art, literature, philosophy, and physics. By imbedding mathematics into a broader cultural context and through his clever and enthusiastic explication of mathematical ideas the author broadens the horizon of students beyond the narrow confines of rote memorization and engages those who are curious about the place of mathematics in our intellectual landscape.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent overview of many less "traditional" topics.......2007-08-12
It is very nice to see a book that treats topics other than irrational and complex numbers (though they are important to understand first, of course!) like quaternions and prime ideals, not to mention all the geometrical connections. This book gives a great historical and motivational perspective; the author may be augmenting the personalities in the book to add to the suspense and mystery, but overall the effect is beautiful.
I would recommend this book for anyone interested in Mathematics, including advanced students (I am a PhD student hovering near the border of Computer Science and Math). It is a welcome inspirational supplement to the tragedy of axioms and formalism that is modern mathematics education.
Excellent.......2007-07-18
This book, which can be viewed as a prequel to Stillwell's "History of mathematics", is an excellent resource for someone who wishes to get a view of mathematics as a field of inquiry driven by the need to solve problems as much as by creative desire to uncover connections between seemingly unrelated ideas by people who made mathematics, such as Gauss, Hamilton, Abel, Euler, Riemann. There are lively short essays about these and other great mathematicians. When read along with regular (good) textbooks on, e.g., complex variables, geometry, the two Stillwell's books will lead to a much better understanding of mathematical ideas.
Beyond Common Sense.......2007-05-30
I liked this book. I particularly liked Chapter 1, The Irrational, Chapter 5, Curved Space, and Chapter 6, The Fourth Dimension.
Chapter 7, The Ideal, is also excellent and alone worth the purchase price, albeit the reader needs to follow closely the notational details and diagrams. In fact Chapter 7 is the reason I bought the book in the first place. I had always struggled with this important concept and was pleasantely surprised upon finding a book--Stillwell's--that devoted a whole chapter to the subject at an introductory as well as historical level. The author follows the development of the notion of the ideal concept from Gauss, to Kummer, to Dedekind's final generalization, where the payoff comes in Section 7.8. "Ideals, or Unique Prime Factorization Regained".
Short but Sweet.......2007-05-02
Very helpful for a person, such as myself, who wants a clear understanding of mathematics especially geometry and how it relates to modern Cosmology.
Beautiful, substantial, unusual topics.......2006-10-16
The chapters on geometry---projective geometry and hyperbolic geometry in particular---are extremely beautiful. We study many picturesque ideas, wonderful in themselves, that arise as "impossibly" neat solutions to interesting problems (perspective drawing, axiomatisation of geometry, shape of the universe, etc.), and then pay off by supplying unexpected insights elsewhere (e.g., the connection between projectively generated arithmetic and hypercomplex number systems that deserves to be better known). The chapters on complex numbers and quaternions are also very interesting. There are "unrecognised appearances" of complex numbers in already in Diophantus's number theory, namely the equivalent of complex multiplication in the context of sums of two squares. Thousands of years later, when the geometry of complex numbers was established, the search for a three dimensional analog failed and one had to settle for the analog in four dimensions. The historical circle closed beautifully when Graves noted with surprise and satisfaction that this state of affairs is precisely mirrored in classical number theory where Diophantus's theorem on sums of two squares generalises to four squares but not three. Stemming from the same roots in classical number theory, there is also an excellent chapter on algebraic number theory. Just as in his proof of the non-existence of three dimensional hypercomplex numbers in the quaternion chapter, Stillwell here takes on some very serious mathematics that many mathematicians would tell you require plenty of abstract algebra. But Stillwell knows better, cutting to the core of things with beautifully clear geometric arguments in both these cases. The other chapters are less innovative, although we are happy with the initiative to derive the infinite series for pi (essentially by the power series for the arctangent) only ten pages after the idea of infinitesimals is introduced (again relying on geometric methods rather than, as others would have it, abstract theories like Taylor's theorem). The role of the impossible in mathematics is pointed out along the way, and Stillwell offers some rewarding reflections on this subject; these are highly retrospective, however, and if we were to take this topic seriously we would have wished for greater insights into the historical mathematicians' thoughts on these supposedly impossible things.
Amazon.com
John O'Donohue (Anam Cara), a Celtic poet, scholar, and philosopher with an Irish brogue, speaks to the deepest calling of our soul: the longing to belong. "To be human is to belong," he explains. "Belonging is a circle that embraces everything; if we reject it, we damage our nature. The word 'belonging' holds together the two fundamental aspects of life: Being and Longing, the longing of our Being and the being of our Longing." Although this may sound like an elaborate Celtic circle knot, O'Donohue has nevertheless woven a solid and easy-to-grasp book that speaks to the soul's constant yearning. Every passage is a delight for the senses, as O'Donohue shares his lilting poetic language, his Celtic imagery and stories, and his fireside-chat wisdom. This is a broad-reaching yet highly focused book that dares to explore the realm of legitimate angels, the meaning of suffering, and, most poignantly, how life on earth may never quench the soul's thirst for belonging. --Gail Hudson
Book Description
There is a divine restlessness in the human heart, our eternal echo of longing that lives deep within us and never lets us settle for what we have or where we are. In this exquisitely crafted and inspirational book, John O'Donohue, author of the bestseller Anam Cara, explores the most basic of human desires - the desire to belong, a desire that constantly draws us toward new possibilities of self-discovery, friendship, and creativity.
Customer Reviews:
dont buy.......2007-03-26
My goodness this book droned on and on about belonging and longing without any real wisdom coming through. I will never buy a book again because someone else said it was good I lost money on this one.
Eternal Echoes: Celtic Reflections.......2007-01-11
Not being familiar with this author I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of Celtic Spirituality I encountered. I was captured from the first few paragraphs of the Prolog. Having such a complete list of the contents was extremly helpful.I will be exploring future books by this author in the future.
Touches the soul.......2006-12-28
This book is from the soul, and we all need soul food every now and again. I picked it up in Ireland while chilling out from a broken marriage and it spoke to me like no other book has ever done. With prose like exquisite poetry, John O' Donohue touches the soul with a true taste of spirituality.
Very inspirational, it's wonderful to read a work of art that is so "biblical" in it's ability to motivate. It speaks metaphorically,pragmatically and is grounded in common sense. I'm looking forward to reading it again, and then sometime later, again.
Scholar with a Poet's Eyes.......2006-12-22
This is a wonderful book to read along with The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, The Celtic Spirit by Caitlin Matthews. O'Donohue brings deep insight into such topics as belonging, alienation, kinship, fear... all the basics. His scholarship and sense of poetry help us create a new language out of the depths of our experiences, so that we see ourselves in new light. The author began his journey with the book Anam Cara, which contains a wonderful friendship blessing I say often. Eternal Echoes is even more on point, if not equally so. Slainte, Mr. O'Donohue.
Silver prose as golden spirituality........2004-10-22
I can sympathize with the reviewer who found this book to be "vague, wordy, ambiguous, contradictory, and or no practical help." If you turn to John O'Donohue for a practicum on Celtic spirituality you will be similarly confounded.
All of O'Donohue's books are image-intensive lyrics for the songs of our souls. They are not meant to be discursive or systematic, nor are they in any way beholden to canons of Anglo-Saxon verb-driven prose. Perhaps the best way to appreciate this or any of his books is to sit in your garden with a cup of strong tea, a thick slice of toasted bread with butter or marmalade, and a copy of this book, and take small mouthfuls of each allowing time between to savor and digest.
Average customer rating:
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Yearning for Beauty (Emanating)
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Book Description
The Wiener Werkstatte, founded in Vienna in 1903 by Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser, became the international trademark for art as well as arts-and-crafts in the twentieth century. The fascinating history of the Wiener Werkstatte is told in this beautifully designed volume, which features historic photographs (some of them published for the first time here), documents and original texts selected by experts from the MAK (where the Wiener Werkstatte archives have been housed since 1955). Full-page illustrations feature outstanding examples of Wiener Werkstatte objects, covering architecture, furniture, ceramics, glass, books, posters, postcards, carpets, jewelry, fashion and print design. The book also focuses on the innovative "total concept" used by this avant-garde association to establish an early "consumer culture," since the Werkstatte was one of the first organizations to develop a corporate identity that followed a product through every stage from concept and development to marketing. This exceptionally well designed and executed book features a deeply embossed monochromatic silver cover and matching edge pages, as well as a richly illustrated special section on Josef Hoffmann's Stoclet House.
Book Description
Throughout the ages, shamans and mystics have recognized that all created things share some level of consciousness, and that ordinary and nonordinary realities interact at some point. This book by a well-known Celtic American shaman explores those interactions and interconnected pathways, looking at the interdependence of our material life with our inner life and that of nature. Each chapter is a small window into the mysteries of nature and soul as they infuse daily life. Cowan draws on the teachings of medieval mystics, fairy legends, Celtic songs, present-day poets and seekers, Native American stories, and other traditions. From these strands he weaves a Celtic knot of spirit that is both beautiful and strong.
Customer Reviews:
charming collection.......2007-08-05
Delightful reading - and now we're taking turns reading it aloud to each other in the evening. A very positive book - just what we need right now.
An absolutely wonderful little book.......2007-06-01
This book is a true delight! Full of the light and magic of the world all around us, Tom Cowan's words are sure to make you think and to move your soul.
Sound advice.......2007-05-13
Tom Cowan's Celtic Reflections is a wonderful read. Every chapter contains pearls of wisdom. The book is also written in a way that builds on concepts presented earlier to make the point later in the book. The reflections draw on Celtic traditions and myth, as well as Cowan's personal life. His explanation of spirit and living "in the spirit" was particuarly poignant. I plan read sections again to try to pull out individual practices and meditations. Although they are presented in almost every chapter, I wish there had been a summary or methodology to the techniques that were presented. Overall, though, an excellent book worthy of reading and study, whether you are into Celtic traditions or simply want to experience another way look of seeing the world.
An Absolutely Inspiring Text That Gives Great Insight Into The Heart of Celtic Theology........2005-11-27
I found "Yearning for the Wind" to be an absolutely inspiring text that gives great insight into the heart of Celtic Theology. Of particular interest to me, and something I hold as a personal belief is the Celtic mystery tradition, going back to the time of Plato, that all created things share in the divine life of the Creator (pp. 56). I believe that the spirit of God is in each of us.
Some may ask how the spirit of the divine can be found in those who are not godly, yet we find this too explained in "Yearning for the Wind" and in Celtic Theology in general. In the text a story is related of two groups of sheep. One group being white and the other being black. From time to time one of the white sheep would wander over to the group of black sheep and would itself turn black. And, later a black sheep would wander into the white flock and would thereafter turn white. I took this to mean that we tend to take on the likeness of those with who we associate. So... when we associate with those lacking an abundance of the divine spirit we ourselves show a lack of this spirit too. Yet, the divine spirit that is in us will grow when given an environment that is nurturing to the spirit.
Along this same line however, we are never completely black, nor are we ever completely white. In "Yearning for the Wind" we see this reflected in the story of the tree, half of which is on fire, the flames blazing up to the top of tree; while the other half of the tree is green, leafy and beautiful. Although not explained in great detail I found the story of the burning tree to be similar to the Chinese theory of yin and yang. Each is the opposite of the other, yet yin flow into yang and yang flows into yin, and at the heart of each is the essence of its own opposite. In each person we can find the rage and flames of the burning half of the Celtic tree and at the same time we can find the shade, and leafy beauty of a tree in the fullness of its bloom.
I believe it is what we do with that that is found within each of us that dictates the course of our lives, and how brightly the spirit of the divine is reflected in us. In Celtic Theology we read the story of Dagda's harp, the music of which affected the soul of man. It is the music of sleep that brings us to that state beyond joy. The Buddhists call it `satori' and the Hindus call it `nirvana', but in each case it is simply realizing the spirit of the divine living within each of us. When we reach a state where we realize that inner divine spirit we can thereafter use that spirit to aid others ~ as with the Celtic songs of healing, which heal those who hear them as well as those who sing them.
We must not think however that Celtic Theology is all mystery and hidden spirit. Those of the Celtic faith are very much in tune with life in this world. We see this reflected in the reply of one of Finn MacCool's men when asked by St. Patrick what had sustained him before the `Gospels'. "The warrior-hunter answered `The truth in our hearts, the strength in our arms, and the promise on our lips'." This clearly summarizes the Celtic Moral Code: "To live from the deep inner knowledge of the heart and soul, to manifest it by physical action, and to be true to one's word." (pp. 83)
Although every religion attempts to offer a code or commandments to guide the moral lives of the faithful, I believe that this Celtic insight into morality says it best. For if a man follows the deep inner knowledge of his heart and soul, does he not draw upon the spirit of the divine that is within us all? And, by drawing upon this inner spirit of the divine a man's physical actions with be brave and right and strong. With strength of spirit, and strength of deed, our word will surely be honorable and true.
A journey to understand the wind and soul.......2005-02-21
Tom Cowan's Yearning of the Wind: Celtic Reflections on Nature is truly wonderful. I imagine that I will reread sections of this book time and time again--each time taking something different with me, each time seeing it from a different perspective. His writing is easy. Flowing from word to word and thought to thought, he takes you on a journey of the soul. It's deceptively simplistic and easy to read--but the depth is tremendous. In a few pages, his words convey universal meanings that strike a chord deep within me.
Cowan writes "Live courageously even though circumstances frighten you. Push through fear, knowing that ultimately nothing can harm your soul."
Wise words from an eloquent man.
Book Description
"It is about time a thoroughly biblical and Christian perspective on immigration is put in book form. The author's views are not for the fainthearted or the 'weak sisters' of this land, but they are true and need to be carefully read by every serious-minded person who thinks logically and rationally in this illogical and irrational world. Lest we forget, the war that rages is not just against America, but ultimately against biblical and saving Christianity; the earthly spring from which all good and blessing flows. Rev. David Dykstra has done all citizens of the United States of America and those of every free country a great service. The President, every member of his Cabinet and staff, every member of Congress, and every member of the Supreme Court should be given a free copy." - Earl M. Blackburn, Heritage Baptist Church, Shreveport, LA
Customer Reviews:
Proud to be American and Baptist.......2007-07-06
I just finished reading Yearning to Breathe Free and it left me feeling very proud to be an American and it left me cherishing even more the ideals of the Baptist heritage I have embraced for many years.
This book has correctly diagnosed the real problem with the "war on terror." That is, that this is really a war against radical Islam that has no place for the five freedoms put forth in the First Amendment: Free speech, a free press, a free church in a free state, free assembly, and the right to petition the government without reprisal. This is what America was founded upon and it is for these freedoms that I thank God I am an American and truly hope that these freedoms will spread throughout the world, especially in the Muslim world.
Of related interest are eight distinctives of Baptist doctrine. I was born a Roman Catholic, was converted in the ministry of a Pentecostal church, became a baptist by conviction. These eight distinctives are, to me, what makes a Baptist church the most ideal and biblical of all denominations.
What Are the Eight Baptist Distinctives?
These teachings may be remembered by associating them with the letters that form the word "BAPTISTS."
Biblical Authority
The Bible is the final authority in all matters of belief and practice because the Bible is inspired by God and bears the absolute authority of God Himself. Whatever the Bible affirms, Baptists accept as true. No human opinion or decree of any church group can override the Bible. Even creeds and confessions of faith, which attempt to articulate the theology of Scripture, do not carry Scripture's inherent authority.
2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:20, 21
Autonomy of the Local Church
The local church is an independent body accountable to the Lord Jesus Christ, the head of the church. All human authority for governing the local church resides within the local church itself. Thus the church is autonomous, or self-governing. No religious hierarchy outside the local church may dictate a church's beliefs or practices. Autonomy does not mean isolation. A Baptist church may fellowship with other churches around mutual interests and in an associational tie, but a Baptist church cannot be a "member" of any other body.
Colossians 1:18; 2 Corinthians 8:1-5, 19, 23
Priesthood of the Believer
"Priest" is defined as "one authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and God." Every believer today is a priest of God and may enter into His presence in prayer directly through our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ. No other mediator is needed between God and people. As priests, we can study God's Word, pray for others, and offer spiritual worship to God. We all have equal access to God--whether we are a preacher or not.
1 Peter 2:5, 9; Revelation 5:9, 10
Two Ordinances
The local church should practice two ordinances: (1) baptism of believers by immersion in water, identifying the individual with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection, and (2) the Lord's Supper, or communion, commemorating His death for our sins.
Matthew 28:19, 20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32
Individual Soul Liberty
Every individual, whether a believer or an unbeliever, has the liberty to choose what he believes is right in the religious realm. No one should be forced to assent to any belief against his will. Baptists have always opposed religious persecution. However, this liberty does not exempt one from responsibility to the Word of God or from accountability to God Himself.
Romans 14:5, 12; 2 Corinthians 4:2; Titus 1:9
Saved, Baptized Church Membership (aka "regenerate membership")
Local church membership is restricted to individuals who give a believable testimony of personal faith in Christ and have publicly identified themselves with Him in believer's baptism. When the members of a local church are believers, a oneness in Christ exists, and the members can endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Acts 2:41-47; 1 Corinthians 12:12; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Ephesians 4:3
Two Offices
The Bible mandates only two offices in the church--pastor and deacon. The three terms--"pastor," "elder," and "bishop," or "overseer"--all refer to the same office. The two offices of pastor and deacon exist within the local church, not as a hierarchy outside or over the local church.
1 Timothy 3:1-13; Acts 20:17-38; Philippians 1:1
Separation of Church and State
God established both the church and the civil government, and He gave each its own distinct sphere of operation. The government's purposes are outlined in Romans 13:1-7 and the church's purposes in Matthew 28:19 and 20. Neither should control the other, nor should there be an alliance between the two. Christians in a free society can properly influence government toward righteousness, which is not the same as a denomination or group of churches controlling the
government. Matthew 22:15-22; Acts 15:17-29
Yearning to Breathe Free.......2007-01-04
This is excellent reading. I highly recommend this book. I must say I learned a few things.
What the Nation needs to hear about Islam.......2006-08-28
Here is a plainly written book that reveals the basic teachings of Islam. Teachings that have produced violence for many centuries. From the first battle of the newly formed United States Marines at Tripoli, to 9/11, to both Gulf Wars, this book, with clarity, shows that socities and governments act upon what they believe. When our president said, "the terrorists have hi-jacked a peaceful religion", his metaphor was not simply poorly chosen, but blatently untrue.
There is no unity, for instance, between Christians and Jews. Their beliefs are mutually exclusive of each other. Yet, they do not kill each other. Islam, on the other hand, teaches from the Koran that all societies must be brought to "surrender" and "submission" and are blatently inferior to Islamic society. When Islamic soldiers fight and lose, the hatred of the West grows. When 9/11 hit, thousands upon thousands of Muslims, from New Jersey to the Middle East, poured into the streets to celebrate "Allah's victory over the infidels". There was no voice from the Muslim community condemning violence. Why? Because the Koran itself teaches the violent conquest of the world. Both the Koran and history clearly show Jews and Christians that Islam is anything but peaceful. From "God bless Hitler" to "Europe will have its 9/11", right up to "Freedom Go to Hell!", Islamic teaching, funding in the United States by the Saudi governement, is an enemy of freedom.
Here in America, Muslims can be citizens. In Islamic countries, no Jew or Christian can be a citizen. Many nations have the death penalty for a Muslim who converts to another religion. Americans simply do not understand the pathological hatred of the West, in particular, of the Jews, and Israel. There is only one nation in the Middle East where a Muslim can have citizenship in a non-Muslim country: Israel.
We have come to cherish freedom of religion, but that freedom must not be a license to kill in the name of religion.
Hopefully, this book will be that wake up call to this dangerous "religion" and culture that seeks domination over Israel, the United States, Europe, and the rest of the world. Immigration policies are only assisting the Islamic movement, and funding the Islamic War in which we are now engaged.
Soldiers in Iraq and other places are not dying for the price of a barrel of oil; they are sacrificing their lives for freedom.
Give this book a chance. Although I may not agree with some of its content in regard to interpreting history, its chapters on Islam are must reads for all of us. This is why I gave it 5 stars. I could not put it down.
Yearning to breath free.......2006-08-14
"Yearning to be Free" is a very lucid treatise on a vital and timely topic. Dykstra shows how interrelated are the subjects of immigration, Islam, and the quest for true freedom. Every American aught to be aware of the present dangers and to protect the freedom known to and defended by our forefathers.
Book Description
Does God want us fulfilled?Popular psychology says we should be fulfilled. Advertisements tease us with dozens of ways we can be fulfilled. Many preachers and book promise Christian fulfillment.But in this surprising (and surprisingly liberating) book, Craig Barnes suggests we weren't created to be whole or complete. With a fresh reading of the early chapters of Genesis, he says that much of our pain and disillusionment arises from wrong expectations of the gospel and of life.Echoing comedian Bob Newhart, Barnes "would like to make a motion that we face reality." He candidly draws from his own experience asa son, a student, a husband, a father and a pastor to help us see what we all know but are so reluctant to say aloud--that biblical living will not save us from crises or unfulfillment.Barnes writes for anyone who knows that faith must be tough enough to "hold up in the emergency rooms of life." But he doesn't merely help us face reality. He helps us see how our needs and limitations are gifts, the best opportunities we have to receive God's grace. Because of that, Yearning may be the most honest and the most helpful book you'll read this year.
Customer Reviews:
Tim's Titles.......2007-07-12
Yearning: Living Between How It Is and How It Ought to Be Yearning is a "must read" for the person who is serious about living for God. One thing that stands out is his question: "Do we love God for who He is or for what He does for us?" Drink from the well of the author's compassionate wisdom. Read and re-read this book.
Are you a frustrated idealistic Christian?.......2002-10-06
This book "tells it like it is"--the author is incredibly honest about what the Christian life really looks like. I am at a point in my life where I see how Christian community really is and I long for something better. It's hard to reconcile the two---this book discusses this yearning, and doesn't necessarily give any nice neat solutions, but it is comforting to know that this is something that other Christians struggle with.
Youýll either love or hate this book.......2001-11-20
I've been having a lot of problems of late. So my pastor gave me this book to read. When he did, he said that some people he had given it to loved it while others hated it. And I can understand why there is such a diverse reaction to it.
Basically, I can sum up this book in two sentences:
1. God never promised you a rose garden.
2. What God has promised you is Himself.
More specifically, it is Barnes thesis the God has never promised that those who trust in Him will have happy, fulfilled lives. He does not promise that things will go well with you. He does not promise that your health will remain good, that your finances will not fail, that if you're single you won't be lonely, that if you're married, your marriage will not fail, or that He will protect you from any of the other myriad of things that can go wrong in life. Problems will come to the Christian just as they do to the non-Christian.
What makes this book particularly discouraging is that Martin is saying that when things go wrong you cannot trust God that "things will work out." They just might not work out. Things might just keep getting worse. So Martin completely disagrees with the "health and wealth gospel" that is preached by many.
Even more, Martin disagrees with the "self-fulfillment gospel" that is also often preached. As the Gospel is presented today, it often is given as a way for people to find meaning, purpose, or fulfillment in life. But Martin says that this is a misconstruing of the Gospel. In this fallen world, a lack of fulfillment is "normal," and becoming a Christian is not going to change this.
As the back cover of the book states, "In this book, Barnes suggests we weren't created to be whole or complete. With a fresh reading of the early chapters of Genesis, he says that much of our pain and disillusionment arises from wrong expectations of the gospel and of life."
However, Martin states that when we suffer, God Himself is our only "hope." In fact, it is only when we are suffering that we can really experience God's grace. Quoting again from the back cover, "[Martin] helps us see how our needs and limitations are gifts, the best opportunities we have to receive God's grace."
Some quotes from the book will help to bring this idea out:
"Our hope is ultimately rooted in God, not in what he can do for us" (p.131).
"Our saving hope is not that we are spared from experiencing the pain of loss. Jesus never hurries to save us from that. Our hope is simply in Jesus himself, who is greater than that for which we had hoped" (p.134).
The last two pages sum up the book very well:
"Now, return with me to the long line of broken lives waiting to receive Communion on Christmas Eve. In holding up the body of Christ, what hope do I give them for next year? Does the broken body promise that things will get better if they just hang on? In the moment in which my eye catches theirs, do I wink as if to say, "Yes, but soon God will fix it all if you only have faith? No. Absolutely not....
What I hold up that night is the hope that God has found them. If they can see that, if even for a moment, it is enough. Then everything has changed. Nothing may be different, but those who have realized that they journey with God perceive everything differently. A bit more of the unpredictable light of Christ has broken into the darkness that surrounds us all" (pp. 180, 181).
So what is my opinion of this book? I like the reference in the last sentence quoted above to Christ's "light" shining in the "darkness" given I direct a ministry called "Darkness to Light." But beyond that, I'm not really sure.
In a way this book is depressing. I would like to think that as my life crumbles around me I can trust God to turn things around. But this book is saying that's not the case. Things just might get worse, not better. My health, finances, and other aspects of my life just might continue to get worse.
I would like to think that I can trust God to give me some direction or meaning in life. But again, this book is saying that's not the case. My life just might continue to be directionless and meaningless.
To say that God is my "hope" sounds good, but it is really difficult to grab onto such a nebulous concept in the mist of struggles. But when everything is going wrong, such a nebulous hope is about all that is left.
To trust in Christ Himself and not in what He can do for me is a struggle, but it is all the only secure hope that the suffering person can grasp onto. Everything and anything else provides no secure foundation. Anything else a person trusts in can fail or be taken away. Only Christ Himself is a secure refuge for the suffering person.
If the reader is looking for help in trusting God to "work things out," then I wouldn't recommend this book. It will be just be a discouragement. But if you're looking for help in trusting in God Himself as your only hope in life, then this Book will be very worthwhile.
Book Description
In this analysis of three generations of women in a Chinese silk factory, Lisa Rofel brilliantly interweaves the intimate details of her observations with a broad-ranging critique of the meaning of modernity in a postmodern age.
The author based her study at a silk factory in the city of Hangzhou in eastern China. She compares the lives of three generations of women workers: those who entered the factory right around the Communist revolution in 1949, those who were youths during the Cultural Revolution of the 1970s, and those who have come of age in the Deng era. Exploring attitudes toward work, marriage, society, and culture, she convincingly connects the changing meanings of the modern in official discourse to the stories women tell about themselves and what they make of their lives.
One of the first studies to take up theoretically sophisticated issues about gender, modernity, and power based on a solid ethnographic ground, this much-needed cross-generational study will be a model for future anthropological work around the world.
Customer Reviews:
Jargon PoMo Fluff.......2003-05-29
But lacking substance and a forcefully argued coherent thesis. Journalistic and useful ethnography, but without much substance.
Too much useless jargon & outdated theoretical framework.......2003-01-23
Rofel, a feminist herself, justifies her own subjectivity by framing her research subjects' testimonies within her politically-charged gender/modernity framework. She does not propose a coherent thesis, but merely attempts to debunk the modernity paradigm that other scholars have done decades ago. There is too much social science jargon that doesn't serve to legitimize her research but only serves to mask the inadequecies of her method and her ill-conceived theories and biased interpretations.
Case studies.......1999-12-12
It was not a bad book if in politics you like to read about one area and one factory. If you like this it is a very good book; however, I do not like this kind of politics I like the bigger picture and to get a better overall understanding of the country or even city. This book through only gave me an understanding of the dinamics of one factory and I do not think that is effective for a whole book. Another major problem with the book was that it seemed like two books that where writen at different times and then put together in other words she wrote her disertation and then whent back got some more stuff and turned it into a book withou trying to make it flow better. So I did not really like this book.
Book Description
A beautiful, meditative memoir mixed with travel and history, this unique book is the story of one American’s search for a deeper connection to the land. Drawn by a sense that he is missing a critical link to his home in suburban Ohio, John W. Simpson heads for rural Scotland, where he encounters his own family history as well as estate owners and tenant farmers who have centuries-long ties to their land.
As he travels, he meditates on the legacy of the great 19th century conservationist John Muir, who himself developed a complex love of the land when he immigrated from Scotland’s North Sea coast to the fields and forests of Wisconsin. As Simpson physically retraces Muir’s journey he wonders what sense of belonging Muir found on the frontier that modern America, with its strip malls and housing developments, has forgotten. A fascinating story of changing perceptions and values from the Old World to the New,
Yearning for the Land shows us just how much roots matter—both in our own lives, and in the many ways time and history, landscape and community are tightly intertwined.
Book Description
Daniel Clinton's affair with his best friend's beautiful widow, Rebecca, yields more than love. Nearly torn apart by guilt and deceit, both yield to their over-whelming desires and love for each other, forever.
Customer Reviews:
Gentle Yearning.......2006-10-06
Somehow I missed the first printing of this book and could hardly wait to read this one when I found it on the shelf. Ms Alers being one of my favorite authors, means put others aside and get into it.
I enjoyed Rebecca and Daniel's story and the fact that after nine years they ended up with their first love. Although, one could pretty much figure the outcome as well as who the father of the baby was, the story kept my interest. Never fully understood about the stranger on the beach that Rebecca thought seemed familiar to her. Still a good romance.
This was a second printing and therefore the grammatical errors should have been corrected. Ms Alers should "check" her editor.
Great Love Story.......2004-02-29
This is a great book about two people who have loved each other for years, some of those years they were apart and this book deals with loss and rekindling a love too strong to deny.
Gentle Yearning.......2003-07-08
Well once again here's another AA Romance, where the female character is just beyond gorgeous, continues to grow even more gorgeous as her pregnancy evolves and because of an early childhood trauma can't stand to be alone. The leading male character is larger than life because he's so damn perfect, takes a vow to protect her no matter what. Give me a break! I found the story to be weak and the characters to be totally unbelievable and annoying. Rebecca, is supposed to be the wife of a decorated NYC Narcotics Detective and she's written as whiney, clingy, silly and incapable of handling any serious situation that she's confronted with unless Daniel tells her what to do, case in point when Internal Affairs tries to pay her a visit to discuss the possibility of her recently killed husband (murdered in the line of duty) of being a dirty cop, she refuses to open the door to let them in. PLEEEZE!!! I'm sure Ms. Alers' intent was to have all of us female readers longing for a Daniel Clinton of our own but, he just got on my nerves, he was over-bearing, over protective and dim-witted. Who couldn't figure out Rebecca's baby was his. Rebecca obviously couldn't figure it out either. May I have just a little bit of realism. Although, I suffered through it, I ended up throwing this book on the floor a few times. I even relayed the story to a friend of mine and she thought I was kidding. This is definitely not one to read! Sorry Rochelle
DA BOMB!!.......1999-07-14
NOW I KNOW WHAT THE KIDS MEAN WHEN THEY COIN THAT PHRASE!!.
COULDN'T PUT THIS ONE DOWN AND FINISHED WITHIN 4 HOURS.
GIRLFRIEND ALERS CERTAINLY KNOWS HOW TO GET THE HEART PUMPING. SHE HAS THE ABILITY TO MAKE YOU BOND SO MUCH WITH THE CHARACTERS THAT YOU RIDE THE ROLLER COASTER OF EMOTIONS WITH THEM.
HER LOVE SCENES ARE INCREDIBLE, AND SHE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT US IN THIS ONE. DANIEL IS THE MAN TO DIE FOR. HE SURELY KNOWS HOW TO MAKE A WOMAN OUT OF A GIRL.
KEEP IT UP MS ALERS AND GIVE US SOME MORE!!
I expect it to be sensational.......1999-07-06
All of the other books I've read by Ms. Alers have been sensational. I haven't read this one yet, but I expect it to be UP THERE with the others. I disagree with the story-bashing by certain others. As for the review from the model on the book's cover...you got a paycheck didn't you...Please show some class...you never know if or when you'll need Mrs. Alers. Love your books Ms. Alers!
Books:
- A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
- A Midsummer Night's Dream (New Folger Library Shakespeare)
- A One-Man Show? The Construction and Deconstruction of a Patriarchal Image in the Reagan Era: Reading the Audio-Visual Poetics of Miami Vice
- After the Affair: Healing the Pain and Rebuilding Trust When a Partner Has Been Unfaithful
- After The Rain
- Alpha Flight Classic, Vol. 1 (Uncanny X-Men)
- Armadillo Rodeo
- Bambi vs. Godzilla: On the Nature, Purpose, and Practice of the Movie Business
- Blood Done Sign My Name: A True Story
- Chance and Circumstance: Twenty Years with Cage and Cunningham
Books Index
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