Napoleon's Pyramids

Napoleon's Pyramids
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Can't Decide about this book

A leap into history

Move over Clive Cussler and Bernard Cornwell

A pleasant mixture of fact and fiction

Heavy on History

Napoleon's Pyramids
William Dietrich
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060848324
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Book Description

Ethan Gage, assistant to Ben Franklin and expatriate American in post–Revolutionary France, wins an ancient––and possibly cursed––medallion in a card game. Covered in seemingly undecipherable symbols, the medallion seems linked to an ancient Masonic mystery. That night, Ethan is framed for a prostitute's murder and barely escapes France his life.

Faced with either prison or death, Gage is offered a third choice––to accompany the new Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, as France sails to conquer Egypt, closely followed by Lord Nelson's British fleet. Incredible surprises await Gage once he arrives, in the form of both a beautiful Macedonian slave and in the dawning knowledge that the medallion may answer one of the greatest riddles of history––who built the Great Pyramids, and why––and reveal an answer more shocking and revelatory than anyone could imagine.

Customer Reviews:

Can't Decide about this book.......2007-09-25

The book was everything the following reviews have stated. Some of it was truely enjoyable and thriling, at times dull and confusing.

I have to admit that I really didn't get a lot of character building that I thought Ethan Gage should have had. Some character traces were introduced to us but somehow they didn't stick to the protagonist much. It was like certain character points had to be restated in order to move the plot forward. For instance: was Gage a gambling prostitue visiting vagabond? A scholar under the likes of Franklin? (He really turned out quite dumb on the scholarly endevors). Is he a disgruntled Mason looking for the roots of Masonry? A battle hardened warrior from the French and Indian wars? This guy is all over the place we don't get established enough care about him, then to top it off, set beside Napoleon as a character he washes out even more. I liked Napoleon better than Gage, as he was brought to life better than many treatises I have read.

Cheaply ended at the end of the story, quite rightly set up for a sequel but could have been done so much more cleaverly. Historical facts, some well researched some-not.

All in all a good read, pacing and plot points were well done but these atributes didn't make the novel great. It could have been so much better. I think that this guy was writing a screenplay that turned into a novel, or a novel that he wants to option on a screenplay. It was too much like "National Treasure" to be coincidence.

A leap into history.......2007-09-24

This fast moving novel takes the reader into the time of Napolean and his quest to dominate the world through conquering Egypt, but the story is not really about Napolean. Rather, we follow this adventure through the actions of a man caught up in something much larger than himself or even the pyramids - the quest for knowledge. Those of you who love knowledge, seek knowledge, and respect knowledge will particularly appreciate the internal struggle of good and evil, where the distinction is often unclear. In the end we all must make choices about what is truly important to us, and live with the consequences of those choices.

Move over Clive Cussler and Bernard Cornwell.......2007-09-10

Move over Clive Cussler and Bernard Cornwell, here comes William Dietrich!!! Dietrich makes a light-speed jump from his past novels Hadrian's Wall and Scourge of God with Napoleon's Pyramids. It's not only Dietrich's best work so far, it is one of the best in the genre this year. It is a pulse-pounding thriller that is tough to put down. Ethan Gage, the stories protagonist, is a great, likable, adventurer - one that I hope we will see in subsequent Dietrich novels. He manages to stay just one step ahead of the bad guys in this epic. This hair raising historical adventure has it all; Templars, Freemasons, Egyptian Rite, and Napoleon's excursion into Egypt that uncovers the mysteries of the Great Pyramid. Ethan also strikes up a romance with the exotic and mysterious Astiza - a beautiful Egyptian priestess. The book ends with a surprising thrill ride. Gage solves the dual mysteries of the Great Pyramid and the lovely Astiza. I highly recommend this book!

A pleasant mixture of fact and fiction.......2007-08-04

This is the first book I have read by William Dietrich after my local library put it on their recommended reading list. It is clear that Dietrich has done his research. Not only capturing Naploean's character as a person but also the sights and sounds of battle in 18th century Egypt.
It is a nice blend of historical fact and fiction. However, not only was Napolean larger than life in history, he is also in this book. At times, Napolean becomes the central character instead of Ethan, the fictional character whom this story is centered upon. Ethan comes across as shallow almost naive and portrayed as a playboy with no care in the world still trying to find his place. Dietirch writes him as a supporting character and maybe even a sub plot. You will fell as you are reading a Clive Clusser novel.
The ending is a let down, with the obvious hint that a sequel will come. Refer to the main page for confirmation of this. Despite this, it is wonderful and easy read.

Heavy on History.......2007-06-22

William Dietrich is a historian, and it shows. There are enough dates and facts in this novel to excite any historian. Unfortunately, it also reads like a history text at times. And therein lies my problem with this book.

While the ultimate story was good, even intriguing at certain points, there were several things that put me off this book. The first was the use of first person point of view. Though not unusual, it seemed limiting and forceful in this story. I have read many books written in first person and enjoyed them, but it did not work for me in this one.

The second problem was Dietrich's tendency toward lengthy diatribes dumping dry information on the unsuspecting reader. These passages reminded me uncomfortably of a dry history lecture. I was forced to sit through them in my college years; I don't want to have to do that when reading a book for enjoyment.

The third problem for me was the ending. No, I will not reveal the outcome, but the ending chapter made it quite obvious there will be a sequel. The lack of a conclusive end is something I loathe in modern books. It is a marketing ploy thought up by bean counters. While it forces readers to purchase the next book in the series, it does not generate fans. Though the ending here was very good, it was not satisfying.

Now, all that being said, I did enjoy parts of this story. It is reminiscent of Indiana Jones stories in that it concerns an adventurous American, a mysterious medallion and a beautiful woman and is set against the mystical background of Egypt. Throw in Napoleon and his attempt to conquer Egypt and Africa and you have the basis for a good adventure.

I will honestly admit that I did enjoy the ending much more than I did the beginning. If I hadn't been forced to read this book for review, I would probably have stopped after the first chapter. But I did read on. It took me a month to read the first five chapters and less than an evening to read the last five. If you can get through the history lessons in the beginning, you may actually enjoy this book.

If you don't mind lectures and books that will lead you to the next in the series, by all means pick this one up. If you want an adventure and action, you might be disappointed with the beginning, but the ending is well worth the read.

Reviewed by Vicky Burkholder
06/22/2007

Average customer rating:

Lays Down The Gauntlet
A book to be read more than once
Hearty Spiritual Nourishment That Will Satisfy Your Soul.
***WARNING! DO NOT READ THIS BOOK***
Bonhoeffer tells it like it is.

The Cost of Discipleship
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Manufacturer: Touchstone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0684815001

Amazon.com

"When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." With these words, in The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer gave powerful voice to the millions of Christians who believe personal sacrifice is an essential component of faith. Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor and theologian, was an exemplar of sacrificial faith: he opposed the Nazis from the first and was eventually imprisoned in Buchenwald and hung by the Gestapo in 1945. The Cost of Discipleship, first published in German in 1937, was Bonhoeffer's answer to the questions, "What did Jesus mean to say to us? What is his will for us to-day?" Bonhoeffer's answers are rooted in Lutheran grace and derived from Christian scripture (almost a third of the book consists of an extended meditation on the Sermon on the Mount). The book builds to a stunning conclusion: its closing chapter, "The Image of Christ," describes the believer's spiritual life as participation in Christ's incarnation, with a rare and epigrammatic confidence: "Through fellowship and communion with the incarnate Lord," Bonhoeffer writes, "we recover our true humanity, and at the same time we are delivered from that individualism which is the consequence of sin, and retrieve our solidarity with the whole human race." --Michael Joseph Gross

Book Description

One of the most important theologians of the twentieth century illuminates the relationship between ourselves and the teachings of Jesus

What can the call to discipleship, the adherence to the word of Jesus, mean today to the businessman, the soldier, the laborer, or the aristocrat? What did Jesus mean to say to us? What is his will for us today? Drawing on the Sermon on the Mount, Dietrich Bonhoeffer answers these timeless questions by providing a seminal reading of the dichotomy between "cheap grace" and "costly grace." "Cheap grace," Bonhoeffer wrote, "is the grace we bestow on ourselves...grace without discipleship....Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the girl which must be asked for, the door at which a man must know....It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life."

The Cost of Discipleship is a compelling statement of the demands of sacrifice and ethical consistency from a man whose life and thought were exemplary articulations of a new type of leadership inspired by the Gospel, and imbued with the spirit of Christian humanism and a creative sense of civic duty.

Customer Reviews:

Lays Down The Gauntlet.......2007-09-22

Bonhoeffer was a real-life hero. He was a modern-day martyr.
Get the book and join the fan-club.

A book to be read more than once.......2007-09-18

I have just finished reading "The Cost of Discipleship" for the third time. It seems I pick it up about once a decade. I found it as convicting this last time as I did the first time. If Bonhoeffer wrote this in the midst of a church culture that was making room for the rise of Nazism, it makes one wonder what lies ahead for our own culture. In an age in which so-called Christianity has grown progressively more self-centered - from the prosperity gospel to the free grace movement which requires no change in the individual - "The Cost of Discipleship" is a book that should be revisited often and thoroughly digested upon each visit.

Hearty Spiritual Nourishment That Will Satisfy Your Soul. .......2007-09-02

There are not too many works that you can say, with the obvious exception of the Bible, that provide hearty spiritual nourishment that will satisfy your soul.

The Cost of Discipleship is one of those rare works of classical Christian writing that points the reader to what it means to be a true follower of Christ. I use the word "true" because in today's modern church the false doctines of "decisionism" and/or "acceptionism" have taken hold; meaning one "makes a decision to accept Jesus" or one "accepts Christ." But "from the beginning it was not so." Both Jesus and John the Baptist preached a doctrine of repentance.

This remarkable young Lutheran Pastor who was martyred during World War II makes a compelling statement of what the difference is between the "cheap grace" that is all too prevalent in so-called christendom and true Bible-based "costly-Grace." Bonhoeffer uses the term "costly" because Jesus Himself demands our all; "If any man will follow me, let him deny himself daily and follow me."

If you are looking for something that will nourish you to the very depths of your soul; if you are tired of the hype, the fluff, and the non-sense of today's seeker friendly gospel, then I urge you to get this book today and begin your quest to "earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints." You will not be sorry as Jesus more than satifies the hungry soul.

***WARNING! DO NOT READ THIS BOOK***.......2007-07-25

In a day and age, especially in America but even now around the globe, when elements of the church are preaching a prosperity gospel of "health and wealth," Bonhoeffer's Cost of Discipleship serves as an excellent challenge, a warning and an encouragment all within this book.
Bonhoeffer challenges the church to not be contented in merely dispensing religious and spiritual activities as if it were handing out candy at a fair or carnival. Bonhoeffer warns against the type of preaching and teaching that is lukewarm and calls for no sacrifice or commitment. Bonhoeffer's words also serve as an encouragement to those within the church that are paying a price for their faith.
Interestingly, Bonhoeffer acknowledges that there will be an inequality in terms of the cost - for some it may mean even death, for others it may mean something less, but regardless, each one is asked to bear the cost that God gives them.
If the Christian life is a social network for you. If the Christian life is an obligation or tradition for you. If the Christian life is just the latest and greatest thing in your quest for spirtuality. Then, I would strongly warn you against reading this book because you will be struck with conviction. Each person that has read this book that I have known have seen dramatic change in the way they think, feel, experience, and live the Christian life...so be warned!

Bonhoeffer tells it like it is........2007-05-21

In a time when we are constantly bombarded with the idea that being a Christian means telling others how to live and living warrior ideals for our beliefs, a true hero of the Christian faith shows us that it's not that easy. Living for Christ means really loving our neighbors, and we don't get to say that those bad folks aren't our neighbors.

This book is not easy to read. It's difficult, not just to take in (although you may sometimes need to read a paragraph two or three times to really comprehend its meaning), but to accept, because it's hard to imagine who can really live up to what Bonhoeffer shows us Christ is really asking of us. Nevertheless, I recommend making the effort in both areas.

The Logic of Failure: Recognizing and Avoiding Error in Complex Situations

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Interesting
Meh.
good so far
A Must Read for the Serious Investigator
"On S'engage Et Puis On Voit!"

The Logic of Failure: Recognizing and Avoiding Error in Complex Situations
Dietrich Dorner
Manufacturer: Perseus Books Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Human Error

ASIN: 0201479486

Customer Reviews:

Interesting.......2007-07-04

Dense, detailed and often fascinating. Fluid writing despite translation from German. Those who are used to jumping to conclusions will find much to learn here regardless of the overall malfunction. Unfortunately, the promise shown initially is not fully delivered for several reasons. The author makes frequent use of his simulations, tests, and models and asks much of the reader who has only read a brief introduction to them. In the later chapters, it's more tedious to follow along with his constant references; furthermore, the book essentially becomes an argument for the use of computer-simulated research rather than a distilled analysis of failure. The last chapter feigns a comprehensive summary, but drifts away as the author ponders the process of determining the point of failure. I could take it, then, as either (i) a technical, interesting but inconclusive study of the reasons for failure which focuses on a mere handful of examples; or (ii) an outdated, abstract examination of the process for examining failure, which does not consider alternative approaches and isn't thorough enough to be worthwhile.

If you're interested in note-taking and then drawing your own conclusions, then this book should be an excellent read as it's filled with detail. For others, it delivers a few very fascinating chapters about our cognitive biases and then fails to draw them together cogently.

Meh........2007-05-27

Things are complex. Watch the behaviors of items in a system closely. Get a computer to model the cause and effect relationships. Things don't always respond like you would expect. That's the book in a nutshell... I ended up speed reading the book instead of word for word because I couldn't handle all of the excessive examples, nor the continued reference back to his computer simulation "real" models (and I *like* computers!).

good so far.......2007-01-10

This was recommended to me at work. Interesting analysis of why problem-solving approaches to social problems so often fail, and why they so often fail so miserably. Basically, there are two types of problem-solvers. Successful problem solvers make one small change, then observe the result. Unsuccessful problem solvers decide on a strategy ahead of time, implement all changes at once, and either stick to their strategy no matter how badly it is failing or scrap their strategy entirely and introduce a brand new one, without transition. Interesting case studies to illustrate the point that logic without logical use of empiricism is ineffective, and common.

A Must Read for the Serious Investigator.......2007-01-04

Dorner provides great insights into why we humans are not as smart as we think we are. He shows how our slowness in thinking, our inability to process large amounts of information at any one time, our arrogance, and short sightedness all contribute to ineffective problem solving. While he attempts to provide ways to avoid these stumbling blocks, he falls short on this mission. A much better read for how to avoid these pitfalls can be found in Apollo Root Cause Analysis.

"On S'engage Et Puis On Voit!".......2006-12-22

Napoleon said "On s'engage et puis on voit!" Loosely translated that means "One jumps into the fray, then figures out what to do next," a common human approach to planning. This discussion (page 161) takes on the adaptability of thought and cautions decision makers about the risks of overplanning in a dynamic, multivariate system. Using examples from Napoleon as well as more concrete examples such as the quotation about soccer strategy (also on page 161,) Dietrich Dörner, the brilliant German behavioral psychologist (University of Bamberg) has created a masterwork on decision making skills in complex systems; I find it to be highly complimentary to Perrow's work and also highly recommend his equally brilliant "Normal Accidents."

A strength of this work is that Dörner takes examples from so many areas including his own computer simulations which show the near-universal applicability of his concepts. One of Dörner's main themes is the failure to think in temporal configurations (page 198): in other words, humans are good at dealing with problems they currently have, but avoid dealing with and tend to ignore problems they don't have (page 189): potential outcomes of decisions are not foreseen, sometimes with tragic consequences. In one computer simulation (page 18) Dörner had a group of hypereducated academics attempt to manage farmland in Africa: they failed miserably. In this experiment Dörner made observations about the decision makers which revealed that they had: "acted without prior analysis of the situation; failed to anticipate side effects and long-term repercussions; assumed the absence of immediately negative effects meant that correct measures had been taken; and let overinvolvement in 'projects' blind them to emerging needs and changes in the situation." (How many governmental bodies the world over does this remind you of?)

I am a safety professional, and am especially interested in time-critical decision making skills. Dörner's treatment of the Chernobyl accident is the most insightful summation I have seen. He makes the point that the entire accident was due to human failings, and points out the lack of risk analysis (and managerial pressure) and fundamental lack of appreciation for the reactivity instability at low power levels (and more importantly how operators grossly underestimated the danger that changes in production levels made, page 30.) Dörner's grasp here meshes the psychology and engineering disciplines (engineers like stasis; any change in reactivity increases hazards.) Another vital point Dörner makes is that the Chernobyl operators knowingly violated safety regulations, but that violations are normally positively reinforced (i.e. you normally "get away with it," page 31.) The discussion about operating techniques on pages 33 and 34 is insightful: the operators were operating the Chernobyl Four reactor intuitively and not analytically. While there is room for experiential decision making in complex systems, analysis of future potential problems is vital.

In most complex situations the nature of the problems are intransparent (page 37): not all information we would like to see is available. Dörner's explanation of the interactions between complexity, intransparence, internal dynamics (and developmental tendencies,) and incomplete (or incorrect) understanding of the system involved shows many potential pitfalls in dynamic decision making skills. One of the most important of all decision making criteria Dörner discusses is the importance of setting well defined goals. He is especially critical of negative goal setting (intention to avoid something) and has chosen a perfect illustrative quote from Georg Christoph Lichtenberg on page 50: "Whether things will be better if they are different I do not know, but that they will have to be different if they are to become better, that I do know." A bigger problem regarding goals occurs when "we don't even know that we don't understand," a situation that is alarmingly common in upper management charged with supervising technical matters (page 60.)

Fortunately Dörner does have some practical solutions to these problems, most in chapter six, "Planning." One of the basics (page 154) is the three step model in any planning decision (condition element, action element, and result element) and how they fit into large, dynamic systems. This is extremely well formulated and should be required reading for every politician and engineer. These concepts are discussed in conjunction with "reverse planning" (page 155) in which plans are contrived backwards from the goal. I have always found this a very useful method of planning or design, but Dörner finds that is rare. Dörner argues that in extremely complex systems (Apollo 13 is a perfect example) that intermediate goals are sometimes required as decision trees are enormous. This sometimes relies on history and analogies (what has happened in similar situations before) but it may be required to stabilize a situation to enable further critical actions. This leads back to the quote that titles this review: 'adaptability of thought' (my term) is vital to actions taken in extremely complex situations. Rigid operating procedures and historical problems may not always work: a full understanding of the choices being made is vital, although no one person is likely to have this understanding; for this reason Dörner recommends there be a "redundancy of potential command" (page 161) which is to say a group of highly trained leaders able to carry out leadership tasks within their areas of specialty (again, NASA during Apollo 13) reportable in a clear leadership structure which values their input. Dörner then points out that nonexperts may hold key answers (page 168); though notes that experts should be in charge as they best understand the thought processes applicable in a given scenario (pages 190-193.) This ultimately argues for more oversight by technicians and less by politicians: I believe (and I am guessing Dörner would concur) that we need more inter- and intra-industry safety monitoring, and fewer congressional investigations and grandstanding.

This is a superb book; I recommend it highly to any safety professional as mandatory reading, and to the general public for an interesting discussion of decision making skills.

Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community

Average customer rating:

A legitimate classic...
Insightful book into life in the Christian Church
Sanctorum Communio - the "Communion of Saints"
True Christian Community
Short and Powerful

Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Manufacturer: HarperOne
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060608528

Book Description

After his martyrdom at the hands of the Gestapo in 1945, Dietrich Bonhoeffer continued his witness in the hearts of Christians around the world. His Letters and Papers from Prison became a prized testimony to Christian faith and courage, read by thousands. Now in Life Together we have Pastor Bonhoeffer's experience of Christian community. This story of a unique fellowship in an underground seminary during the Nazi years reads like one of Paul's letters. It gives practical advice on how life together in Christ can be sustained in families and groups. The role of personal prayer, worship in common, everyday work, and Christian service is treated in simple, almost biblical, words. Life Together is bread for all who are hungry for the real life of Christian fellowship.

Customer Reviews:

A legitimate classic..........2007-05-29

I have been wanting to read this book for several years, having become increasingly fascinated with the life and thoughts of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. His story is truly remarkable, and this seemed like a good place to start reading his work. I probably had unrealistic expectations, given the language and culture gap between us. Nonetheless, it is a substantial and worthwhile book to read.

The strength of this book is its depth. While only 100+ pages long, it is meaty. Bonhoeffer is full of big ideas with profound implications. He tackles big issues in Christian community, spending inordinate amounts of time discussing topics like confession with great sincerity and significance.

My primary critique of "Life Together" (and this may be partially attributed to translation issues) is that Bonhoeffer seems to be unnecessarily dogmatic on some rather peripheral issues. For instance, he suggests that unison singing is an essential part of Christian worship, somehow equating vocal harmony with disunity. This idea seems like a stretch, at best. More broadly, the chapters "The Day with Others" and "The Day Alone" seem to be almost like Bonhoeffer's Rule, a contemporary and Protestant version of the earlier rules of monastic life. Though filled with great ideas and describing a life that would surely please God, he sets up his schedule as a spiritual necessity, rather than one option among many.

Overall, this book is definitely worth reading. When he gets bogged down in describing the minutiae of life in Christian community, it gets a bit laborious. But when Bonhoeffer focuses on the main ideas of ministry, confession, and communion in the final half of the book, the endurance of this book as a classic becomes evident. I would recommend it to both seasoned and new believers as a way to further develop of understanding of how we should rightly do "life together."

Insightful book into life in the Christian Church.......2007-02-17

I found this book very enlightening. Those small in size, it is not an easy read. Very thought provoking, I found myself studying and pondering it instead of just read through it. Information on the duties of pastors and how much responsiblity is carried out by the pastor was informative. I felt a compelling to empliment some of these teachings into my own personal life. Daily devotions, not new to me, were suggested for the whole family -- which used to be common practice in many Christian homes, was discussed. Confessing ones sins to other Christians vs. a therapists was discussed. Overall I would recommend this book to ones Christian library.

Sanctorum Communio - the "Communion of Saints".......2007-02-07

Life Together

INTRODUCTION:
This has been my "introductory" book to the wonderful writings of this saint, this mystic Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It made a radical change in my spiritual life, specifically it lit up my soul's hidden and unknown yearning for the fellowship of believers on Sunday, the communion of saints, the beautiful and divine liturgy (aka worship service) - something that my beloved Baptist parents criticized, since it was a book other than the Holy Writ that created in me this yearning. For too many years I dabbled in man's philosophies, being next to "the Way," ... at one point believing in Christian spirituality, but not in "organized religion." Brother Dietrich, this saint clarified for me, elucidated, explained and imprinted on my heart the importance of "Sanctorum Communio" - the fellowship of beliviers, the communion of saints. ("Sanctorum Communio: A Theological Study of the Sociology of the Church (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works)" is the title of his PhD dissertation which he finished at 21; see book by Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 1998).

I recently purchased this book for a coworker (Christian brother, who goes to church once in a while) and wrote him "May you always see the church as the Sanctorum Communion, the communion of saints, the ekklesia of God, where we draw strength from one another's company as we worship the Holy Trinity."

EDITION:
This translation is not the most faithful the original language (German). "Life Together and Prayerbook of the Bible (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, vol. 5)" offers a better English translation, plus the added bonus of the editors notes with regards to the history and language terms used by Bonhoeffer - not to mention one of his other writings (on the Psalms).

AUTHOR:
The 6th of 8 children intellectual German turn-of-the-20th-century family, Lutheran theologian, a pastor, a renewed child of God, a pacifist, a collaborator, A martyr for Christ at the hands of the Nazis. Today he is remembered, as an inspiration for Christians and non-Christians - a testament to the power of the Gospel lived out in every stage and trial of life. Up there with C.S. Lewis, he seems to be one of the most widely read and known modern Christian writer. For me, he is my favorite theologian (a pragmatist at heart). One whose love to pastor the local parish and lead youth groups did hinder him from contemplatively writing about his struggles and God's "costly Grace" (to use one of his expressions).

CONTENT:
I think THE KEY to understanding and getting more out of this book (and some of the advice that Bonhoeffer offers - section about music), is to know that Bonhoeffer WROTE THIS BOOK IN 1 DAY, in Berlin at his parents house after the Finkenwalde seminary of the Confessing Church had been discovere by the Gestapo and as a consequence of the experienced gained being a professor, teacher, and fellow believer in that isolated community.

Chapters:
1) Community
2) The Day with Others
3) The Day Alone
4) The Ministry
5) Confession and Communion

Chapter 5) is the chapter that I learned the most from since in my Baptist upbringing experience in the church, there was not theological concept of Confession - in contrary to the NT evidence, and Communion was nothing seen as deep as Bonhoeffer explains).

CONCLUSION:
* Do you have a yearning to spend time in the house of God (Psalm 118:24), to be a living stone in the holy temple of God (1 Peter 2:4), to be a "sinner and saint" (using Martin Luther's terminology) as Christ feeds you and you edify your fellow brothers and sisters in "Word and Sacrament" (Lutheran theological phrase) ?
* Do you find church boring, devoid of spirit ?
* Do you seek more from your local church ?

As an answer, I can only say this "Do not ask what the Church can do for you, but ask, plead, contemplate, on what you thru Christ can do for His local church!"

I highly recommend this book for anyone who faces lethargy, disinterest, non-commitment to be actively involved in a local church and thus participate in the Church of God.

True Christian Community.......2007-01-25

Bonhoeffer's "Life Together" is a classic expression of life in the community of believers!

I found my second read of this book to be more helpful in understanding the kind of life that should be celebrated within the sanctorum communio. I believe Bonhoeffer's book holds more meaning and influence in the context of a first-century styled "house church" than any other religious setting. (I use "house church" to separate our thought from the traditonally accepted "institutional church" and the religious systems of man.)

I remember reading this book several years ago when all I knew of church life was from within the institutional confines of religious rigorism. I believe Bonhoeffer's words have more depth and meaning when they are applied and understood within more of a small familial setting. Frankly, I have come to believe it is the only way this kind of community can be achieved. In Bonhoeffer's words, "In the spiritual realm the Spirit governs; in human community, psychological techniques and methods."

I benefited greatly from Bonhoeffer's plea for believers to be thankful for the Christian fellowship in which we have been placed. When we focus on what our community isn't... we hinder God from letting our fellowship grow as it ought. We are bound to one another. We have no choice but to get along and learn to manifest Christ in our midst! Bonhoeffer makes plain that our actions, good or evil, in sight or in secret... effects the body life. This is not theory... it is reality.

The only way this kind of fellowship works is by embracing Christ's love instead of human love. "Human love has little regard for truth... human love cannot love an enemy." I believe this exposes the kind of love that many in the church have settled for. Bonhoeffer's own actions prove we are all capable of settling for human love and justifying our actions to get our way.

Overall, the reader will find Bonhoeffer's book (as his many others) to be Christocentric. The whole purpose of life in the community is to see our Lord manifested and glorified in our presence. In "Life Together," Bonhoeffer successfully pulls away the empty ritual and the religious ceremony to reveal a simple and clear understanding of life in the Body of Christ!

*My only points of disagreement with Bonhoeffer are at those places where his committment to reformed theology come to the surface. I know this about Bonhoeffer and simply move past it to hear his wonderful words of wisdom and insight.

Short and Powerful.......2007-01-19

Bonhoeffer's classic is short and powerful. His insights on the church community and the faith of Christians living together are very powerful. This book is fairly simple to read and very short but will have lasting impacts on your life.

I have only recently (within the past year) been introduced to Bonhoeffer and have thoroughly enjoyed what I have been studying. His perspectives on Christianity have had lasting impacts on me and my ministry.

Grace allows us to live in community and this book helps the readers to embrace that. It will touch everyone's life in special ways.

Uncertainty, Calibration and Probability: The Statistics of Scientific and Industrial Measurement (The Adam Hilger Series on Measurement Science and)

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Uncertainty, Calibration and Probability: The Statistics of Scientific and Industrial Measurement (The Adam Hilger Series on Measurement Science and)
C.F Dietrich
Manufacturer: Taylor & Francis
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0750300604

Book Description

All measurements are subject to error because no quantity can be known exactly; hence, any measurement has a probability of lying within a certain range. The more precise the measurement, the smaller the range of uncertainty. Uncertainty, Calibration and Probability is a comprehensive treatment of the statistics and methods of estimating these calibration uncertainties. The book features the general theory of uncertainty involving the combination (convolution) of non-Gaussian, student t, and Gaussian distributions; the use of rectangular distributions to represent systematic uncertainties; and measurable and nonmeasurable uncertainties that require estimation. The author also discusses sources of measurement errors and curve fitting with numerous examples of uncertainty case studies. Many useful tables and computational formulae are included as well. All formulations are discussed and demonstrated with the minimum of mathematical knowledge assumed. This second edition offers additional examples in each chapter, and detailed additions and alterations made to the text. New chapters consist of the general theory of uncertainty and applications to industry and a new section discusses the use of orthogonal polynomials in curve fitting. Focusing on practical problems of measurement, Uncertainty, Calibration and Probability is an invaluable reference tool for R&D laboratories in the engineering/manufacturing industries and for undergraduate and graduate students in physics, engineering, and metrology.

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Good book despite inaccuracies and racial bias
A wonderful gift for anyone interested in Sudan or the Nile
A wonderful gift for anyone interested in Sudan or the Nile

Sudan: Ancient Kingdom of the Nile

Manufacturer: Flammarion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Nubian Pharaohs: Black Kings on the Nile

ASIN: 2080136372
Release Date: 1997-04-15

Book Description

In association with the Institute du Monde Arabe, Paris, and the Kunsthalle, Munich.

The culture of the ancient Sudanese and Nubian Kingdoms is chronicled in this groundbreaking exhibition catalog.

Customer Reviews:

Good book despite inaccuracies and racial bias.......2004-02-11

The book convers a vast history from the beginning of the Khartoum Mesolithic and Neolithic to the unfolding of the Arab invasion of the Sudan. Through each chapter readers will find out more information about Sudanese history. All the leading experts in the field of historical and archeological reserch from Charles Bonnet to Timothy Kendal.
Not only does this book cover Sudanese history,but also accomplishments of the Nubians. In the past various books have tried to overshawdow Nubia with using the ''Eurocentric'' implications of strictly Egyptian influce. In this book,however,it shows indigenous relgious existed well before the absorption of Egyptian relgious deities like Amun. In fact,there is proper evidence that the deity Amun,itself,might have been based off a Nubian deity called Amani.

Despite the shinning qualities of the book,many bias of long dead scholarship seems to rear it's ugly head. Jean Lecant tries his hardest to argue based off tomb scenes of Huy that the figures depicted are not streotypical ''true negroes'' Lecant fails to observe the diversity of Africans and that phenotypical traits like noses are influced by adaptation of climes not intermixture with caucasoids. Lecant unfortunatley still clings on to old outdated anthropology that clearly demonstrates his ignorance.

A wonderful gift for anyone interested in Sudan or the Nile.......1999-01-29

This beautiful `coffeetable' book is something every Sudan scholar should take a look at, perhaps once a month? The book illustrates and catalogs an exhibit at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, and goes from Neolithic gravesites to the Christian era of Meroe. Anyone who doubted the complexity of prehistoric Nubian society will be convinced that here was an extremely interesting and complex society. The artisanship evident in the jewelry, construction of temples, and pottery, is stunningly skilled. If you can't justify buying it for yourself, give it as a gift to a friend.

A wonderful gift for anyone interested in Sudan or the Nile.......1999-01-28

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Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible
Praying with Christ
How to pray the psalms with confidence and love

Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Manufacturer: Augsburg Fortress Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Reflections on the Psalms (Harvest Book)
The Cost of Discipleship
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The Message of the Psalms: A Theological Commentary (Augsberg Old Testament Studies)
Letter and Papers from Prison

ASIN: 0806614390

Customer Reviews:

Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible.......2005-07-15

An amazing way to read and understant the Psalms.

Praying with Christ.......2003-11-18

In this beautiful little book, Bonhoeffer guides the Christian to the Scriptures for lessons in how to pray. He affirms that the Lord's Prayer is the primary prayer of the Christian, which he asserts contains every prayer that a Christian ought to pray. Bonhoeffer also makes a startling but wise claim that jolts us out of the narrowness of our focus in prayer: "The richness of the Word of God ought to determine our prayer, not the poverty of our heart." Thus we find the book of Psalms to be a rich treasury of prayers that are part of God's inspired word, and therefore a true place to learn how God would have us pray.

The book proceeds to give some general background on the history and use of the Psalms as the prayer book of the Bible. In the main part of the book he presents one possible system of categorizing the Psalms according to their petitions, and also points out that they can be organized according to the petitions of the Lord's Prayer. But the most valuable part of the book, in my opinion, is how he shows us how the Psalms are to be prayed in Christ, of whom the Psalms also testify (Luke 24:44). As Bonhoeffer says, "It is the incarnate Son of God, who has borne every human weakness in his own flesh, who here pours out the heart of all humanity before God, and who stands in our place and prays for us."

This is a fine book for the devotional/prayer life of the Christian.

How to pray the psalms with confidence and love.......2000-01-04

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, hung by the Nazis for his principled resistance to perversion of Christian life, leads us through the themes and value of psalms. These song-prayers, brought forth from thousands of years of human longing for connection with God, are just as powerful in their meaning of human life, today. Use this tiny volume as a study guide to psalm themes for better prayer life.

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Atlas of Plastics Additives
Dietrich O. Hummel
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 3540424148

Book Description

Instrumental, especially spectrometric methods are widely used in analytical laboratories for identification and quantitative determination of complex organic systems. The author has shown this in earlier works for polymeric materials of all kind. In this book he describes the application of vibrational (FTIR, UV, Raman) and mass spectrometries and of other instrumental techniques for identification and structure elucidation of plastics additives, e.g., antioxidants, stabilisers, plasticisers, pigments, rubber chemicals. The state of the art is compressed in numerous tables and figures; these also allow the interpretation of spectra. Especially remarkable is a collection of the FTIR spectra of 780 selected additives, together with structures and legends. This book is especially useful for the practitioner in plastics processing and production as well as plastics additives industry for the quality control of educts.

Photoshop CS at Your Fingertips: Get In, Get Out, Get Exactly What You Need

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Good way to find out how to work Photoshop CS
Easy to use and comprehensive

Photoshop CS at Your Fingertips: Get In, Get Out, Get Exactly What You Need
Jason Cranford Teague , and Walt Dietrich
Manufacturer: Sybex
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Photoshop CS Savvy
The Hidden Power of Photoshop CS
Adobe Photoshop CS in 10 Simple Steps or Less
Photoshop CS A-Z: The essential visual reference guide
50 Fast Photoshop CS Techniques

ASIN: 0782142893

Book Description

Fast Answers at Your Fingertips

Photoshop CS at Your Fingertips is the first ever task-based reference to Photoshop. Every page of this critically acclaimed guide is focused on giving you immediate access to the information you need to get your work done. Inside you'll find:

* Complete coverage of every aspect of Photoshop CS, from image correction and manipulation to printing to web design
* An intuitive organization that lets you search according to what you want to do
* Clear, step-by-step instructions
* At-a-glance shortcuts and time-saving tips
* A visual reference to the Photoshop CS interface
This groundbreaking book was written by expert authors who share inside knowledge accumulated over years of intensive Photoshop use. Whatever your field or level of experience, you've found the Photoshop reference you've been waiting for.

Customer Reviews:

Good way to find out how to work Photoshop CS.......2005-08-03

I like this book's task approach. Many times I just want to know how to do a specific thing. I can look up that task in this book and see exactly how to do it. Photoshop is very difficult to learn, but this book does a good job of simplifying the most common tasks. Thanks!

Easy to use and comprehensive.......2004-03-05

Are you the type that doesn't want to read an entire book just to get a quick answer? Do you like step by step instructions? Normally step by step instructions means that you need to do the entire book in order. This is great when you are learning to use an application and actually make something as well. But for the times when you want a quick answer AND get it step by step, this book fits the bill.

This book is a step by step reference. It is laid out in a very logical manner and covers the huge range of subjects for Photoshop CS. You can even use it if you have previous versions of Photoshop. The appendix lists all the new features of Photoshop CS and Image Ready CS.

I always love good quality paper in a book and this one not only has great paper but the layout is clean and crisp. Each task includes features such as tips, keyboard shortcuts and cross references. Another feature I particularly like is the interface images have letters in the image to match the description. This makes it easier for you to match the feature in writing to the feature in the interface. This is also done for many of the dialog boxes. There are also PC and MAC screen shots. When the MAC is different, a screen shot is included to show the difference.

Chapters 1-5 includes tasks covering the interface and tools.

Chapters 6-18 has tasks that are universal, such as opening, saving, working with color, canvas, selections, layers, masks, fills, filters, styles, paths, typography and automation. As you can see this covers a huge amount of information and tasks required to tap into the power of Photoshop.

Chapters 19-22 covers photos and videos.

Chapters 23-25 covers print tasks.

Chapters 26-29 covers web tasks.

If you want an answer fast or simply need to brush up on a new technique or tool then this book is the perfect step by step Photoshop CS reference book! When I want to get a quick answer, I reach for this book. I can easily use the index to locate the tool/task I need, go to it, do, it and get out.

The World of Disgaea: Character Collection (Disgaea)
Average customer rating:

An Okay Fan Book

Almost like a strategy guide

Love the art

The World of Disgaea: Character Collection (Disgaea)
Tadanobu Isono , Yoji Kameishi , and Shosuke Masuda
Manufacturer: Broccoli Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Disgaea 2: Volume 1: Cursed Memories (Disgaea)

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ASIN: 1597411124

Book Description

Disgaea’s witty storyline and challenging, enjoyable gameplay have made it a cult hit with gamers all over the world. This gorgeous full-color illustration book features Takehito Harada’s original concept art, sketches, and lush promotional artwork for the game. Packed with the kind of behind-the-scenes info that hard-core video game fans crave, The World of Disgaea also includes interviews with the game designers and voice actors and even game secrets.

Customer Reviews:

An Okay Fan Book.......2007-06-10

The World of Disgaea is a standard Japanese fan book. It contains a few promotional images and an assortment of character designs, animation sketches and backgrounds. The images were a bit too small for me (thumbnail size - 1/4 of the page). The page layouts was done well.

One-third of the book is dedicated in detailing facts that can be found in a game guide. It lists the status of different character classes and monsters, as well as equipment. There is also a summary of the plot and describes the multiple endings. All these things doesn't overpower the artwork though.

I find myself opening it once and a while, so I like it. Compared to the average costs of these sort of books, its a good deal.

Almost like a strategy guide.......2007-05-02

Almost. Very Informative. Spoilers of course, but a fan of Disgaea would love this.

Love the art.......2007-03-26

This book has some great Disgaea art. I wish there's more of it. The beginning of the book are poster and concept art of Disgaea. Then its more of the chacater development art in the back of everyone in the game. I found the character part of the book to be boring. The beginning of it with all those art are nice. This book also has some infos on the game.

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