With the sure hand of a seasoned writer, Aryn Kyle has crafted a brilliant debut with her novel, The God of Animals. Alice Winston, living on the family horse ranch, a marginal enterprise in Desert Valley, Colorado, is a 12-year-old girl with more than she can handle and no one to help her cope. Polly, a classmate of hers, drowned in the nearby canal and was carried out by Alice's father, Joe, a member of the volunteer posse. Her older sister, 16-year-old Nona, eloped with a rodeo cowboy. Her mother never leaves her bedroom, a case of clinical depression. "My mother had spent nearly my whole life in her bedroom... Nona said that one day, while I was still a baby, our mother had handed me to her, said she was tired, and gone upstairs to rest. She never came back down."
Joe has little time for Alice, other than counting on her to muck out the stalls and be polite to the paying customers. He doesn't even notice that she has outgrown her clothes. What Kyle does with this scenario is never predictable or clichéd. She writes beautifully of landscapes, interior and exterior, ravaged by extremes: the hottest summer in years, followed by a deluge; a lonely, isolated girl reaching out to a teacher, Mr. Delmar, equally alienated.
Alice starts telling lies, weaving bits and pieces of other people's lives into the tales she tells the teacher. What we eventually find out about her family is more poignant and tragic than anything she can make up. Horse lore is a large part of what explains each of the people in the novel: separating mares from their foals, the way a stud is treated, breaking a horse, ordinary everyday contact. This bond is explored in depth and each person: Alice, Nona, Joe, Joe's father, Alice's mother, is affected by this closeness in a different, unique way, revelatory of each individual's character. Much more than a coming-of-age tale, Kyle told a story of compromises and dreams that will never come true. --Valerie Ryan
Book Description
From an award-winning and talented young novelist comes one of the most exciting fiction debuts in years: a breathtaking and beautiful novel set on a horse ranch in small-town Colorado.
When her older sister runs away to marry a rodeo cowboy, Alice Winston is left to bear the brunt of her family's troubles -- a depressed, bedridden mother; a reticent, overworked father; and a run-down horse ranch. As the hottest summer in fifteen years unfolds and bills pile up, Alice is torn between dreams of escaping the loneliness of her duty-filled life and a longing to help her father mend their family and the ranch.
To make ends meet, the Winstons board the pampered horses of rich neighbors, and for the first time Alice confronts the power and security that class and wealth provide. As her family and their well-being become intertwined with the lives of their clients, Alice is drawn into an adult world of secrets and hard truths, and soon discovers that people -- including herself -- can be cruel, can lie and cheat, and every once in a while, can do something heartbreaking and selfless. Ultimately, Alice and her family must weather a devastating betrayal and a shocking, violent series of events that will test their love and prove the power of forgiveness.
A wise and astonishing novel about the different guises of love and the often steep tolls on the road to adulthood, The God of Animals is a haunting, unforgettable debut.
Customer Reviews:
Ok, maybe the horse issues are off..........2007-10-01
but as someone from a city who knows nothing about horses, I cannot think of a single detractor in this book. The language stays with you like lines from poetry, and the disappointments and harsh developments aren't over the top - they happen rapidly and without pause as they sometimes do in life. I would recommend this book to anyone, except maybe those so familiar with horse raising/training that the story and the beautifully human characters wouldn't be the focus.
Relationships 101.......2007-09-30
This is a fascinating novel. What is not covered in the other reviews is Alice's understanding of what motivates people, what looks good at the start and then turns sour, what is worth it. Love both dissapoints and endures in this novel, and this lesson is delivered beautifully. Do the animals endure fates better or worse than our own messes? I look forward to her next novel.
The God of Animals.......2007-09-19
While Aryn Kyle's writing skills are superb, she's no better than James Frey in writing incorrect or exaggerated information as FACT. She writes of raising horses. I've been raising horses for 15 years and what she writes is just plain NONSENSE. Folks, it's not true. It doesn't happen. She made it up for dramatic effect, I suppose, but I became so disgusted with the absurd scenes that I stopped reading the book.
Good writing, okay plot.......2007-09-12
Clearly a talented writer, Aryn Kyle gives a vivid portrait of a 12 year old growing up in an alienated/alienating environment. I'm not a fan of horses, but I'm a Westerner, believed in the world of this ranch and appreciated the author's obvious knowledge of the setting. But I've seen this type of coming-of-age story so often before, and the "tragic" moments other reviewers mention struck me not as shocking, but as a dramatic way to solve narrative problems. I didn't feel much sympathy for Alice by the end, just weariness that the story was dissolving under its own weight. Wait for the paperback.
Coming of Age.......2007-09-02
Aryn Kyle---for a first write you have outdone some of the best. I happen to be horse savvy and found the descriptive nature of your novel to catch my breath and take it away..The descriptions of the foaling, weaning, breeding and breaking of a colt...oh so real...And then we get to Alice who will forever stay in my heart...her life on a horse ranch in Colorado and how she deals with her lonliness... Alice is so complex and really has no one her age on her level with whom to communicate. She makes up stories to feel important and gain attention wherever she is at the moment and because of the lack of parental stability turns to a once a night phone call to a teacher who also lacks guidance...This write opens a lot of doors that could have been taken and had me guessing of the real outcome of Polly...even questioning the teacher...This book puts it all out there for one to take in, digest and read on in interest...If this is your first write...I am anxiously awaiting your next write as you had me to the very last page. Well, done!
Customer Reviews:
Flat out amazing.......2007-09-26
Rob Bell really connects with his readers in this book and I would recommend it for people of any age
Fabulous perspective with an easy approach.......2007-09-09
With it's provocative title, this book can seem like something to be afraid of. on the contrary, Rob Bell does an excellent job at not only sharing a fair perspective of sex and spirituality both with and without Christian orientation, but he also walks the reader through it quite easily. With an almost Socratic approach, the reader can realize meanings and derive personal conclusions through the authors suggestive questioning (much more pleasant than if the auther were to share an epiphany and use the rest of the book as means of persuasion, especially with such a bold subject)
Sex Is Not The Answer.......2007-09-07
This was an excellent book if you are looking to understand why sex is so prevalent in this day and age when we all seem to be ever more so disconnected from reality.
Let's Talk About Sex.......2007-08-29
I can't say enough good things about this book. It is completely unique. It compares sex to spirituality. Specifically, it compares sex to having an intimate relationship with God. Bell says you can't talk about one without talking about the other. He makes a strong case, although it is not written in a linear style. He meanders from stories to conversations to scenes from the Bible to secular quotes. His writing style is very Eastern. By that, I mean it does not go in a straight line. Instead the writing goes in circles and comes back on itself, allowing your mind to digest Bell's thoughts.
This is what I got out of this book: Our extreme desire for sex is really a desire for a relationship with God. Now, I can just hear people saying right now: "No, uh, I really want sex." Bell is not saying we should do without sex, but rather, sex is a physical expression of our truest desire: to be completely naked in front of someone and be unashamed; to be unconditionally loved and swallowed whole; to be connected with someone in the deepest way possible. In his chapter, Make Whoopee Forever, Bell says he thinks of heaven as one big orgy, where we are all the swallowed into Christ's complete and utter love. The joy and agony of sex, according to Bell, is that you come together but are then torn apart. In heaven, the tearing apart won't happen. It will be connection with all beings around you.
Bell covers all sorts of topics: pornography, male/female relationships, why marriages fail. And he does it in his signature writing style. Short paragraphs, some of them only lasting a sentence. The result is a book that flows and reads quickly.
It is also just a beautiful book to look at and hold. The cover is very smooth and soothing, with stripes in different colors. It kind of reminded me of a desert. The pages have a crisp feel. It is one of those books when you open it and you smell that really good book smell. Lastly, there is a small cracking noise when you open the cover. The pages are a soft pink color. I read a chapter a night and finished it in about a week.
Whether you are Christian or not, I think this book is a winner. It brings a unique perspective to the topic of spirituality. And you may never look at sex the same way again. I think you could give these to age 17 through adult. There is nothing inappropriate in it, but the concepts would be difficult to understand without some mental maturity.
People You Have To Get A Clue.......2007-08-27
It is amazing to read the reviews posted by most people on the topic of this book. "Rob Bell is a genious. I love this book. It is good to know that we were all made in the image of God, and that we all have a higher purpose." A. Nuebert,
"I admire thinkers who are able to distill ideas and express them simply and clearly--a skill that is far more impressive (to me) than pontificating, page after page, about concepts only ten percent of readers will ultimately grasp. Rob Bell is among the most gifted communicators I have read. In EVERY chapter of this book I found a concept that I had not thought of or considered. Downright profound."
"Not what you would expect from a book about sex and God. It will revolutionize the way you view the two."-Julie Bennett
"This is such a spiritual book w/o being preachy. I believe it should be required reading for anyone embarking on a relationship. I plan on giving it to my kids, all grown up, for Christmas." R. Torgensen
"Rob Bell is an excellent communicator. This is his second published book and it is just as good as Velvet Elvis, his first book. I wish I had heard someone talk about spirituality and sexuality like this when I was younger. Instead all I hear about was abstinence stance and no real reason why. This book goes beyond abstinence and looks at our relationship with God and with each other and challenges us to respond." -Ryan T. Samples
Okay, so I know that Rob Bell is an excellent communicator, I have known him since his college days. So was James Jones, Joe Smith, David Karesh, Hitler...But they all lead to the demise of truth. I believe Rob had some good things to say in both Sex God and Velvet Elvis, it is too bad that he didn't mean to say those things. As far as the rest of the ramblings of self-doubt that he displays, it is a tragedy. It amazes me how people (see quotes) can't pick up a BIBLE and see the same things. It amazes me how people are substituting books such as SEX GOD, for the Truth of the Bible. It is the emergent way though. Test everything---whatever you believe as long as God fits in somewhere your Golden. The thing that amazes me is when Rob says that he is not part of the "Emergent Movement" but that is all he is, and all he has ever been. Please don't make the mistake of walking on the very breath of Rob Bell. He is human---he has made and will continue to make mistakes (this book is one of them). 2 Peter 2- But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. they will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying th sovereign Lord who bought them- bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2Peter 2:18 they mouth empty boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful deisres of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping form those who live in error. They promise freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity-for man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. In this case it is Rob Bell himself. When asked where he was living, he said "downtown among the sinners, in a not so nice neighborhood", and that is why he lives in a half-million dollar condo. Alright book, but doesn't replace the Bible, and Rob doesn't replace God.
Book Description
Internationally renowned motivational teacher, spiritual instructor, and popular theologian Caroline Myss has created a transcendent work of unique insight and revelation in Entering the Castle. This exciting new teaching of contemporary mysticism is also a brilliant synthesis of the psychology of consciousness and of Eastern and Western mystical traditions. Myss provides a highly original inner path to self-knowledge -- which is also the road into a spiritual knowledge of God and your own soul -- as she reveals a necessary external path, one that takes you out into the world to serve God and others as a mystic without a monastery -- without having to retreat into total silence, self-denial, or isolation.
As her main template for this extraordinary, modern spiritual journey, Myss uses the beloved, revered writings of The Interior Castle by Teresa of Ávila. Adapting Teresa's vision of the soul as a beautiful crystal castle with many floors, or mansions, and many rooms within those mansions, Myss guides us from room to room, helping us meet different aspects of our self, our soul, and our spirit -- preparing us for the ultimate encounter with God and our own divinity. Through intense practices and methods of spiritual inquiry adapted for contemporary life, she helps us to develop our personal powers of prayer, contemplation, and intuition and to ascend the seven levels of soul knowledge that build an ever stronger interior castle of our own -- a soul of strength and stamina.
As in all her books, Myss also recounts stories of profoundly moving real-life experiences -- of her own, as well as of her students and of renowned spiritual figures -- that bring home the universal truth of her insights. Presiding over the entire book and journey are the great mystics, ancient and contemporary, of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism with their inspiring lives and discerning spirits. And over all, the benevolence, truth, and gentle and tough love of Teresa of Ávila shine through.
Doubtless Myss's most deeply personal, revealing, compassionate, and transforming book yet, Entering the Castle is a comprehensive guidebook for the journey of your life -- a journey into the center of your soul. There, peace, God, and a fearless bliss wait for you to discover them...and claim them for your own.
Customer Reviews:
Carry this book with you on your spiritual journey..........2007-09-12
Carolyn Myss coined the phrase, "We are becoming mystics without monasteries", which is the essence of this wonderful book, based on St. Teresa of Avila's seven interior mansions. However, the book is not meant to be a quick read - it is a roadmap that each one of us may take into the interior place of our soul, our castle, where we can purify, blend, and distill the gold from within, so that we may shine our light out into the world. Take this along on your journey of spiritual growth and service.
Caroline Myss at her best.......2007-08-25
If you've enjoyed and benefitted from any of Caroline Myss' previous work, then definitely get a hold of this. I've always found her voice particularly reassuring and inspiring, so the CD is probably your best bet if you're like me. Entering the Castle is a fascinating modern interpretation of Teresa of Avila's most creative work. Myss's psychological and spiritual adaptation and her explanations and instructions cannot be underrated. I hesitated on this, but am glad now that I've taken the next step on the Myss journey.
Good for some.......2007-08-14
I did not care for this book, but I am giving it 3 stars because I think that it might be a valuable book for some people, especially if you are Catholic or Christian, as this really forms the basis for this book. Carolyn makes an attempt to draw in other faiths by mentioning Buddhism now and then, but she makes it clear that practices such as meditation and repeating mantras just doesn't cut it as a mystical practice. I'm sure the Buddhists & Hindus worldwide are supprised to know that they aren't *really* doing a spiritual practice. Also, if you are New Age or New Thought then you know darn well that you don't want to keep focusing on "the dark night of the soul" and all the other fearsome stuff that Myss dwells on or you're going to attract it and who wants that?
Anyway, I think there are many other ways to get closer to your God than this, but if you've already got that focus on sin, humility, surrender, redemption and such and love to journal and do lots of exercises then this might be your cup of tea.
Lost in Translation.......2007-07-29
It takes 100 pages before you enter the first mansion. Some of the material in the beginning is important, but I'm sorry, I just could not connect with the author's own personal experiences. Some of them just sounded to "new age" to me. Superficial is the word that comes to mind although I do not want to to discredit the author's experiences.
The author brings up a good point about the need for deeply spiritual people in the world. The author uses the term "monks without monasteries". It is a catchy phrase, but it confuses the purposes of different vocations. Both vocations call for personal sacrifices (a word not much used in this book), but they are directed toward different goals. The author belittles, or does not recognize the secondary function of monasteries as a conveyor belt to drive and supplement, to support and re-energize the spirituality of those working in the world. (The primary function of monasteries is beyond the book and this book review.)
It seems like the author is specifically looking for some kind of extraordinary experience of God. We all are. But St. John of the Cross and even St. Teresa of Avila herself, along with many other genuine mystics, urge not to seek, or even hope for, these kinds of *extraordinary* experiences. Although they can and do reinforce faith, they become distractions and obstacles for "the one thing necessary"--to love God for God, not for God's consolations and gifts.
There was also an alarming tone of lack of poverty of spirit throughout the book. The author waits too late to address humility in the book, and then it was a bit shallow. The author treats it almost as a drawback or turnoff to reading any further in the book. In too many places I wrote in the margin, "What about grace?" (One definition of grace, avoiding much Christian connotation, is the gift to see old things in a new way. It is a gift and not something that can be self-manufactured.) The author makes it sound like *you* yourself are responsible for working your way through all the mansions of the castle. Yes, the first couple mansions require *work* on your part, but even through these, God is still doing the *real work*. You have to show up and choose to cooperate. Yes, you have to do your homework, but only grace (energy, power, or whatever term one uses) from God will empower you to do so, not your own volition. Without sincere, deep, and total humility, St. Teresa said that it is impossible to progress through the mansions regardless of how much one wants. (Read Johannes Baptist Metz's small book, Poverty of Spirit if you really want to understand humility and realize/live true poverty of spirit.)
In a spirit of ecumenical/all-faiths dialog, the author has sacrificed the beauty and depth of St. Teresa's original, albeit Christian, metaphors and symbols. The author decides to use the word "reptiles" instead of St. Teresa's word "snakes" for evils and worldly temptations. The word "love", although loaded with connotations, seems to be used very sparingly by the author. St. Teresa's word for God, the object of her total desire and commitment, was her "Beloved". This one missing word makes entering the Interior Castle more of an abstraction or exercise of improving ones self-esteem instead of the infinitely more personal and real seeking union with God.
The questions the author asks within each mansions do assist one along the proper path as outlined by St. Teresa. One should be aware that there are many other questions (and rooms) within each mansion that have not *yet* been explored by the book. It is also important to remember that it is not a sequential, linear progression as the author notes.
The detailed imagery the author uses to describe each room and mansion may help many people, but remember the whole idea of the Interior Castle was to be a metaphor/symbol for the *real* journey. Each room and mansion is just a signpost to where you are suppose to go, to some place to visit within. Do not get attached to the signposts, to the imagery of symbols and metaphors. Since St. Teresa was an apophatic mystic, all of the words and imagery themselves will eventually have to be left behind any way in order to seek union with the God above all concepts.
If this book gives you some insight, great. But I recommend reading the original from St. Teresa. Although this author adds much helpful psychology (which is different in many ways than spirituality), too much is lost and sacrificed in the translation.
get to know yourself.......2007-07-28
this has wonderful exercises to delve into your soul. an enchanting read full of great information. a must for someone on the spiritual path!
Book Description
Giants. We must face them. Yet, we need not face them alone.
This profound look at the life of David digs deeply into the defeats he suffered, and the victories he won, as he faced the giants in his life. When David focused on God, giants tumbled. But when David focused on giants…
he stumbled.
Goliaths still roam in our world. Debt. Disaster. Dialysis. Divorce. Deceit. Disease. Depression. These super-sized challenges swagger and strut into our lives, pilfering our sleep, embezzling our peace and robbing us of our joy. And while these giants try to dominate our lives, we know what to do! We've learned what David learned, and we do what David did. We become God focused. We pick up five stones. We make five decisions. And we take a swing.
Customer Reviews:
Overcoming circumstances.......2007-09-29
I was given this book, it was a good read, but the information wasn't anything new, nor was it very impressive. It was a smooth reader, but almost to the point of beating a dead horse. Now, I am not putting down the work of the Cross or Jesus or the Holy Spirit or even King David. It's just the same ole story with a different author. I did find some of Max's antedotes and case histories of his own family interesting and the view of the Rainbow, that was most interesting.
Would I buy the book, no. Would I recommend someone else to buy the book? Not really. There are better books for the money.
Here are some examples: They Smell Like Sheep by Dr. Lynn Anderson
True Discipleship by Kossler, The Holiest of All by Andrew Murray, Power Filled Living by R.A. Torrey. These are just a few.
I've found when we are facing the giants, if we focus on God, Center ourself on Him, in Him and then look outside the box, so-to-speak and allow the Spirit of God to lead us to someone else that is hurting more than ourselves, God will work out our problems usually by the interaction of our neighbors.
In Christ we pray. Amen.
Learning from David's Triumphs and Mistakes.......2007-09-21
Max Lucado is known for his encouraging books, and this book is no exception. Here, he studies King David, both the good and the bad, to show us how to face the giants in our lives.
The ultimate lesson is simple, when your focus is on God, giants fall. Yet he uses stories from first and second Samuel, both the good and the bad, to show us how this played out in David's life.
The book works as a biography, showing us the events in David's life as they happened. While most chapters are a self contained lesson, it does allow us to see how one event often led to another.
Obviously, we see David fighting Goliath. But we also see him hiding from Saul, his friendship with Jonathan, hiding with the enemy, keeping his promises, falling into adultery and murder with Bathsheba, and watching his own children spin out of control. From this we learn the importance of friends and family, but ultimately the importance of putting our focus on God.
Max Lucado very rarely brings anything new to the table. That's certainly the case here. There is very little I haven't heard before. But he always puts such a fresh, encouraging spin on things, I always see things in a new light. And even when admonishing us, he still does it gently.
I set this book down reluctantly when I finished. My heart was encouraged, and my focus was where it needed to be, God. If you need some help remembering where your focus needs to be, this book is for you.
Max's Best .......2007-09-17
This is absolutely the most enlightening and funny book I've ever read from a Christian author.
This wonderful book is deep enough for an elephant to swim in, yet shallow enough for a child to wade in.
That describes Facing Your Giants to a T.
Like all Lucado books, awesome.......2007-09-06
An insightful tie to old testament events around Davids life and life for us today.
Wonderful book!.......2007-08-26
Story of King David's successes and failures confronting the giants in his life, and how we can learn from them. Many challenging question in study guide at the end of book.
Average customer rating:
- Contradictions are good
- Can you think of a Better way to live?
- Divinely Beautiful
- Read the excerpt before purchasing!
- Time to wake up
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Conversations with God : An Uncommon Dialogue (Book 1)
Neale Donald Walsch
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Blasphemy! Heresy! Who does this man think he is, claiming to speak directly to God?! Jesus did it, Muhammad did it, the Jewish prophets did it, but none of their Gods had the sardonic wit or raw verve of Prophet Walsch's God. Neale Donald Walsch isn't claiming to be the Messiah of a new religion, just a frustrated man who sat down one day with pen in his hand and some tough questions in his heart. As he wrote his questions to God, he realized that God was answering them... directly... through Walsch's pen. The result, far from the apocalyptic predictions or cultic eccentricities you might expect, turns out to be matter-fact, in-your-face wisdom on how to get by in life while remaining true to yourself and your spirituality.
Book Description
Conversations with God Book 1 began a series that has been changing millions of lives for more than ten years. Finally, the bestselling series is now a movie, starring Henry Czerny (The Pink Panther and Clear and Present Danger) and Ingrid Boulting (The Last Tycoon). Produced and directed by Stephen Simon (producer of Somewhere in Time and What Dreams May Come) and distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films and Fox Home Entertainment, the theatrical release is set for October 27, 2006. The movie is the true account of Walsch (played by Cierny), who went from an unemployed homeless man to an "accidental spiritual messenger" and author of the bestselling book
Customer Reviews:
Contradictions are good.......2007-09-27
The book is an excellent source of information that contradicts everything you have learned about God and about your spiritual reality. It gives you a completely different point of view, which quit possibly, could be as true as anything else you believe in now. I can't say I agree with everything I read but I do believe that a great deal of it did click with my way of seeing our connection with this physical world and the spiritual aspect.
David
Can you think of a Better way to live?.......2007-09-26
The answer is no. Even if you don't buy into all that the book offers, you have to simply ask yourself the question of, is there a better way to live? Than without fear? I personally can't, and this book has been a revelation to me. The journey is not just reading, but living.
Great book I would recommend it to any and all who have any interest!
Divinely Beautiful.......2007-09-22
I love this book, it infuses peace.
I have the audio version which I listen to over and over because it's inspiring. Just when you start getting bogged down by something, Conversations with God offers so many tips on how to jump over any hurdle--and have fun doing it!
Read the excerpt before purchasing!.......2007-09-22
This book doesn't even deserve one star, but that's the lowest rating I could give it. Just reading the excerpt above was enough to steer me far away from this book. The author claims to have been given a revelation from God that is more accurate than the Bible and urges us to go by our experiences and feelings rather than the Word of God. Christians, Beware!!!
Time to wake up.......2007-09-18
You people who keep disregarding this book and anything that goes against the BIBLE or any other piece of accepted knowledge, need to wake up. Already with books such as these, we are seeing those who will not surive the transition into the new Earth. The FACT is that your governments, institutions and RELIGIONS have all been controlled by dimensional beings from other star systems. Mostly, the reptilians from the Draco constellation. The time for fence sitting is over. There will be those who accept the new understanding of everything they have been taught, including GOD, and there will be those telling us we are sinners and blasphemers who are all damned to hell while clenching ever strongly their own beliefs. Its time to wake up.
Book Description
Throughout history, arguments for and against the existence of God have been largely confined to philosophy and theology. In the meantime, science has sat on the sidelines and quietly watched this game of words march up and down the field. Despite the fact that science has revolutionized every aspect of human life and greatly clarified our understanding of the world, somehow the notion has arisen that it has nothing to say about the possibility of a supreme being, which much of humanity worships as the source of all reality. Physicist Victor J. Stenger contends that, if God exists, some evidence for this existence should be detectable by scientific means, especially considering the central role that God is alleged to play in the operation of the universe and the lives of humans. Treating the traditional God concept, as conventionally presented in the Judeo-Christian and Islamic traditions, like any other scientific hypothesis, Stenger examines all of the claims made for God's existence. He considers the latest Intelligent Design arguments as evidence of God's influence in biology. He looks at human behavior for evidence of immaterial souls and the possible effects of prayer. He discusses the findings of physics and astronomy in weighing the suggestions that the universe is the work of a creator and that humans are God's special creation. After evaluating all the scientific evidence, Stenger concludes that beyond a reasonable doubt the universe and life appear exactly as we might expect if there were no God.
Customer Reviews:
The Right Approach, the Wrong Conclusions.......2007-09-19
Victor Stenger tries to demonstrate that, far from confirming theism as some (myself included) have claimed, science actually demonstrates positively that God does not exist. Although considered by many commentators to be part of the `new atheist movement,' along with books from atheists Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris, Stenger's book is much better than those by Dawkins and Harris because he actually attempts to deal with the evidence for and against God's existence rather than complain about the supposed social problems that religion creates. Stenger is straight to the point, for which he should be commended.
In the book, Stenger tries very hard to limit his discussion to issues of science, trying to leave out considerations of philosophy. However, while I understand his desire to approach the topic of God's existence from a unique angle, I think that this decoupling of science from philosophy raises several problems.
For example, in chapter 3, Stenger discusses scientific evidence from the field of neuroscience. He contends that evidence linking conscious states with brain states demonstrates that there is no soul, or, as he puts it, `world beyond matter.' Such a demonstration might be convincing if we are restricted to analyzing science alone. However, as many scientists have recognized, finding a link between brain states and conscious states is not the end of the game. Steven Pinker, a prominent psychologist, distinguishes between the `easy' and `hard' problem of consciousness. The easy problem is trying to identify the link between certain brain states and certain conscious experiences. As Stenger points out, science has made tremendous headway on this problem, and progress will likely continue. But, the hard problem will not go away, because the hard problem of consciousness deals figuring out why there is a first-person, subjective experience of consciousness. This hard problem of consciousness will not go away no matter how much science works on the easy problem. So, in my view, the evidence Stenger raises does little or nothing to challenge the idea that there is a soul. The existence of a soul is necessary to solve the hard problem of consciousness. Thus, in this case, Stenger's reliance on only science has led him, I think, to conclusions that are false and irrelevant.
Stenger runs into the same problem when he discusses morality. He attempts to use science to show that moral ideas come from our evolutionary history, and that religious believers are no better behaved then nonbelieving counterparts anyways. But these questions do not address the philosophical question "are moral values objective, and if so, then where do they come from?" Stenger can argue till he is blue in the face about the gradual development of moral instincts through evolution, but this is simply not relevant to the moral argument for God's existence.
Stenger's lack of philosophical reflection also allow him to reach absurd conclusions while trying to undermine theistic arguments. One particularly potent example in found on page 133, where he tries to answer the question, "Why is there something rather than nothing?" He says,
"...Many simple systems of particles are unstable, that is, have limited lifetimes as they undergo spontaneous phase transitions to more complex structures of lower energy. Since `nothing' is as simple as it gets, we cannot expect it to be very stable. It would likely undergo a spontaneous phase transition to something more complicated, like a universe containing matter."
This view, however, is clearly metaphysically absurd. True nothingness cannot have any properties whatsoever, including the property of instability.
Other than a lack of sound philosophical thinking, the main problem with Stenger's book is the lack of depth. Each chapter is very short and Stenger simply tries to cover too much material in the space he allots. Many of his arguments are left with no support except for a footnote directing the reader to another one of his books.
Unfortunately, it is this lack of depth that ultimately diminishes the value of the book greatly. Although Stenger, unlike some of his atheist comrades, does at least look at the evidence for and against the existence of God, the treatment of the different subjects is too shallow. Moreover, by overlooking a consideration of philosophy, Stenger makes several errors in thinking and overlooks some powerful evidences for God's existence.
Long Live Stenger.......2007-09-16
This is not a Science book. One has to admire Stenger's courage to take on a "supreme being (the one "beyond matter, space, and time") that much of humanity worships. "Learning an enormous amount from this splendid book" (Richard Dawkins) will not be easy for the average reader, who selects this report (by a former physicist and astronomer) of a trial subjecting the God hypothesis to scientific study. The reader has the benefit of learning how scientific methods (as presently understood) are utilized to arrive at the conclusion that God does not exist.
Stenger's excellent and plentiful NOTES and extensive BIBLIGRAPHY are a signal that it takes a so-called scientific inclination (attitude or mind) to master and ultimately enjoy this book.In a 2003 book Stenger found claims of scientific evidence FOR God to be "inadequate". The present book now promises (and mostly succeeds) how "Science shows that God does not exist". Readers, not already having "committed themselves to God as an act of Faith" or "still practicing their religion out of respect for their heritage", who learn to handle the first two Chapters ("Models and Methods" and "The illusion of Design") will with less difficulty follow the evidence as presented by Stenger in nine wonderfully titled Chapters (each with an epigraph - several by David Hume - quite wisely selected). I certainly welcomed Stenger's claim that "if scientific arguments for the existence of God are to be allowed into intellectual discourse, then those against his evidence also have a legitimate place". He ends his book with a refreshing Chapter on "Living in the Godless Universe". Stenger is there to help whenever we are confronted by the never-ending religious onslaught as enjoyed and practiced by many militant believers.
Never forgetting - throughout the book - that the hypothesis to be tested is the existence of God, the reader will find this "journey" to be enjoyable (Stenger's style of writing helps a lot) and probably convincing.
The physics of faith.......2007-09-15
A number of years ago, the late [great?] Stephen J. Gould produced "Rocks of Ages". The work was designed as a peace offering between those relying on reason and those relying on faith to view the cosmos. Gould, like some others of the time, was willing to let "moral" issues remain in the hands of religious leaders. Science, he declared, was a separate "magisterium". Victor Stenger declares that such a separation is false and misleading. He argues that gods, particularly that of the "three great monotheisms" is a fit subject for scientific study. In this captivating and skillful analysis, he does just that. The results, ably presented in fluent language, are devastating to the notion that any supernatural being, especially the Judeo-Christian-Islamic deity, has substance. If such a thing could exist, it would be too remote from human conditions to have any meaning.
Although Stenger credits Galileo and Darwin with significant contributions to pushing a god away from human affairs, it's his own field of physics that provide the most compelling evidence, or lack of it, for any gods. As with any research subject, the author formulates hypotheses explaining why a god should exist, then tests them for valid evidence. To apply scientific methods to examining the evidence for the supernatural, he explains that ideas about the world are observed and models derived to explain their workings. Those models must be tested by valid methods, comprehensive and definitive. His examination of intercessory prayer as a healing mechanism [Chap. 3] demonstrates how flawed methods skew evidence. Ignoring real evidence, as his examination of the "Illusion of Design" demonstrates, has allowed such commentators as Michael Behe and William Dembski to forward untestable concepts of how life's processes work.
Perhaps the most compelling section [Chap. 4 "Cosmic Evidence"] in this book is his discussion of the big bang. How often have we heard the challenge: "What caused the Big Bang?" by believers who need a deity to initiate the cosmos, even if it clearly has no role in it. Stenger takes us back to the first instance of the universe's beginning. He notes that the actual origins may be debated: the universe may recycle itself or have come from another universe, for example. Ours, however, began in chaos, but quickly followed the laws of physics the author has studied for so long. From that point, there's no role for a deity to play - Nature's own rules are in command. Physics, not gods, gave us stars, galaxies, the heavy elements needed to form life and a place where conditions were conducive to that result. As a conclusion to this segment, he even asks why there should be a universe at all - the ancient philosophical question: "Why is there something rather than nothing?" His answer clarifies the question from a physicist's empirical stance.
As he progresses through the book, the author postulates questions about what justifies a god - particularly that of the Judeo-Christian-Islamic traditions. The roles assigned to the deity, one whose adherents declare it to be "omniscient, omnipotent, and omnibenevolent [at least to humans]" fail every empirical test. It is certainly not "all-knowing" or it would prevent some events that go against its own dicta. It is clearly not "completely powerful" since too many phenomena cannot be attributed to it. The "benevolent" argument was destroyed by Charles Darwin, and the history of its own actions belie that contention. A god demanding genocide or acts such as the destruction of the World Trade Center, can hardly claim "benevolence". To attribute to such a deity the origin or definition of "morals" is false, and Stenger rebukes Gould and others for making such an attribution. Morality, as Stenger shows, is widespread across the animal kingdom, a product of natural selection, not divine ordinance or declaration. This fact, he contends, is important for us all to understand in order not to fall prey to leaders who inflict arbitrary decisions on us claiming divine inspiration.
It is difficult to praise this book highly enough. Although there have been many books recently published to show why belief in the supernatural is misplaced, few have taken a hard scientific path to make their case. Stenger's book, although the latest in a string by this author, is his most outstanding effort. Readable and informative, it should be taken up by any who make arguments for faith in deities and who declare religion should guide our lives. Even the dedicated non-theists will find it useful. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
Must Reading for the Unbelievers.......2007-09-11
Stenger brings a brilliant analysis to the fundamental questions of the non existence of the Judeo-Christian-Muslim deity, with additional comments on the Eastern religions. His analysis is based on a rational inquiry into the intellectual basis of religion, finding that God is not only an unnessary concept, it is infact destructive.
The best of the recent Atheist books.......2007-09-10
I have read about 20 books on God, Atheism, Evolution and Intelligent Design since coming "out of the confessional" as a full-fledged Atheist/Humanist about 4 months ago after a life time of agnosticism (and some superstition). I've read the latest and greatest by Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennet, Sam Harris, Bart Ehrman, Chris Hitchens and David Mills, and I think they have all have made valuable contributions. Stenger is different. Stenger seems to me like the quiet guy in the room that listens attentively to a raging debate, quietly listening and taking notes but with intelligent eyes trying to find meaning (and the meaning behind the meaning) in the debate. After all is said (and little done) he then quietly goes to the board and draws a picture or writes a statement or proof that gets everybody's head nodding.
In "God: The Failed Hypthesis" Victor Stenger quietly and methodically pulls apart any rational belief in God. (He, along with everybody else, is powerless against the much more popular and virulent strain known as "irrational belief in God", also known as "I beleive in God because I beleive in God!" or "The Bible is the true word of God because it says it is!"
Now, do you see what I've done there? I made a few condenscending remarks meant to show that I am intellectually superior to believers. As a point of fact, that is something that Stenger never does in this book, and it is why it is so refreshing! He doesn't disdain believers. He just wants those that say they have proof to show their proof so it can be tested like proofs for all other extraordinary claims.
He is particularly convincing when discussing the particularities of particles (or quantum particles, I think). He even goes so far as to say the laws of the universe were not violated at the incredibly small fraction of a second that started the Big Bang because the laws of physics and thermodynamics (conservation of energy and entropy) have never been violated. He even claims that the "net weight" (actually, net energy) of the universe is ZERO because all of the matter in the universe is EXACTLY counterbalanced by the "dark matter" and other gravitational forces.
This book is a perfect antidote to books like the horribly written and bereft of logic work of Hugh Ross Creation As Science: A Testable Model Approach to End the Creation/evolution Wars and other "Creation Scientists" of that ilk. While I can spot the obvious flaws in their logic, I am not a scientist so I cannot debate which facts they claim have or haven't been proven. Victor Stenger CAN debate them, and does, citing credible reference throughout. It is well organized and concise, and makes a repeating refrain at the end of each chapter: The universe looks exactly as we might expect it to look if there were no god.
Amen!
Book Description
Beth Moore wants readers to know if God could lift her out of the pit, He can get ANYONE out! She admits she wasn't just a visitor; this former pit-dweller had to be delivered from acres of life-accumulated dirt, bone-chilling darkness, spirit-deadening anger, heart-breaking desperation and mind-numbing confusion. The permanent lessons she learned in her desperation-shared in this very personal book-are lessons of hope for all of us. While she deeply empathizes with the hows and whys of life in the "pit," she continually points readers to the deliverance that awaits. Deliverance is for everyone, she proclaims-no matter how you got stuck, no matter how long you've been down, whether you think you deserve it or not. And in her straight-talking but loving style, she reminds readers that deliverance can begin for them this very day.
Customer Reviews:
First Beth Moore Book? It was mine..........2007-09-27
Before reading this book, I had never read anything by Beth Moore. Although talented and driven in her call, her style of writing is conversational and, at times, confrontational. As I was reading this book as a member of a club, I did not put it back on the shelf and suffered through becoming comfortable with a one-sided conversation. I am quite happy that I did.
If you have not read Beth Moore before, give her a chance. Let her "Talk at you", and respond with prayer - He is the one you are looking for a conversation with!
A Bit of a Disappointment.......2007-09-12
I was hoping this book would have some solid answers for me to get out of my own personal pit but all it did was describe many different types of pits without alot of specific sure fire help and ways to be free. I think it's great that so many of you found help with Beth's book, but if "I" had to do it over again, I wouldn't buy it.
What a blessing!.......2007-09-09
Whether you are currently in a pit of your own making or have been tossed in a pit via the wrongs of someone else or just difficult life circumstances, this book is such a wonderful tool to help keep your eyes on God through it all and to "get out of that pit". This is the third Beth Moore book I have read (the first was When Godly People do Ungodly Things and I am ongoingly reading Praying God's Word Day by Day)and she is such a blessing--accessible and solid.
Beth is at her best!.......2007-09-05
I read this book when I was in a pit, myself. Beth's bubbly personality came shining through in this book and made me laugh when I didn't especially feel like laughing. She has the ability to make you feel as if she's talking to you like a true girlfriend and you come away with the feeling that, "Yeah, she's been in a pit too and came out victorious." I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs a good pick-me-up and a catalyst to turning to God for guidance in those times in your life when things seem overwhelming.
Becky Hester (Eastman, Ga)
Former Pit Dweller.......2007-09-02
This book helped me to change my life for the better. If things don't seem "quite right" in your life, you need to read this book. It can help you too! I have heard that Beth Moore is a good writer and speaker, now I can agree.
Books:
- The Great Shark Hunt: Strange Tales from a Strange Time
- The Healing Path: How the Hurts in Your Past Can Lead You to a More Abundant Life
- The Hiding Place
- The Inner Game of Chess: How to Calculate and Win (Chess)
- The Inner Game of Chess: How to Calculate and Win (
Letter to a Christian Nation
God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything
The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason
Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon
God: The Failed Hypothesis. How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist
Q: In 2004, your short story "Foaling Season," the first chapter of The God of Animals, won a National Magazine Award for Fiction for The Atlantic Monthly. Did you have the idea for your book at the time you wrote the short story, or did the novel develop over time?
