Amazon.com
The spiritual premise in The Purpose-Driven Life is that there are no accidents---God planned everything and everyone. Therefore, every human has a divine purpose, according to God's master plan. Like a twist on John F. Kennedy's famous inaugural address, this book could be summed up like this: "So my fellow Christians, ask not what God can do for your life plan, ask what your life can do for God's plan." Those who are looking for advice on finding one's calling through career choice, creative expression, or any form of self-discovery should go elsewhere. This is not about self-exploration; it is about purposeful devotion to a Christian God. The book is set up to be a 40-day immersion plan, recognizing that the Bible favors the number 40 as a "spiritually significant time," according to author Rick Warren, the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, touted as one of the nation largest congregations. Warren's hope is that readers will "interact" with the 40 chapters, reading them one day at a time, with extensive underlining and writing in the margins. As an inspirational manifesto for creating a more worshipful, church-driven life, this book delivers. Every page is laden with references to scripture or dogma. But it does not do much to address the challenges of modern Christian living, with its competing material, professional, and financial distractions. Nonetheless, this is probably an excellent resource for devout Christians who crave a jumpstart back to worshipfulness. --Gail Hudson
Book Description
The most basic question everyone faces in life is "Why am I here?". What is my purpose? Self-help books suggest that people should look within, at their own desires and dreams, but Rick Warren says the starting place must be with God—and His eternal purpose for each life. Real meaning and significance comes from understanding and fulfilling God’s purposes for putting us on earth.
"The Purpose-Driven Life" takes the groundbreaking message of the award-winning "Purpose-Driven Church" and goes deeper, applying it to the lifestyle of individual Christians. This book helps readers understand God’s incredible plan for their lives. Warren enables them to see “the big picture” of what life is all about and begin to live the life God created them to live.
Download Description
Another Landmark Book by Rick Warren. You are not an accident. Even before the universe was created, God had you in mind, and he planned you for his purposes. These purposes will extend far beyond the few years you will spend on earth. You were made to last forever! Self-help books often suggest that you try to discover the meaning and purpose of your life by looking within yourself, but Rick Warren says that is the wrong place to start. You must begin with God, your Creator, and his reasons for creating you. You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense. This book will help you understand why you are alive and God's amazing plan for you-both here and now, and for eternity. Rick Warren will guide you through a personal 40-day spiritual journey that will transform your answer to life's most important question: What on earth am I here for? Knowing God's purpose for creating you will reduce your stress, focus your energy, simplify your decisions, give meaning to your life, and, most importantly, prepare you for eternity. The Purpose-DrivenT Life is a blueprint for Christian living in the 21st century-a lifestyle based on God's eternal purposes, not cultural values. Using over 1,200 scriptural quotes and references, it challenges the conventional definitions of worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism. In the tradition of Oswald Chambers, Rick Warren offers distilled wisdom on the essence of what life is all about. This is a book of hope and challenge that you will read and re-read, and it will be a classic treasured by generations to come.
Customer Reviews:
insightful, filled with truth.......2007-10-02
this book is full of quotes from the Bible, telling how God wants us to live. i especially appreciated the use of several different translations and paraphrases- it really firmed up my understanding of passages i had just heard many times, but not totally grasped.
Great Book!.......2007-09-29
If your willing to devote a few minutes a day for 40 days, Rick Warren can lead you to a better life. Other than the Bible this is the best book I have ever read. If you feel your life is missing something this may be your answer. This book shows that it's all about God, no one is an accident, we were made to be part of God's family, we are shaped for God's service, we have a mission and only through seeking God can we know why we are on this planet. Rick Warren is uplifting, comforting, and this book changed my life. I hope 40 days from now you can say the same.
Purpose Driven Life.......2007-09-04
This cd was purchased as a gift. The cd is well formatted and enjoyed by my mother.
ONE OF THE BEST!!.......2007-08-28
"Everything happens for a purpose..." "Glorify God...." This book strengthened my faith in God. After the Bible, this book is the best. Thanks God for giving me the oppurtunity to read this book =)
Outstanding.......2007-08-24
Rick Warren has hit the nail on the head. The question for every believer is whether or not they are "doing" what they were created to "do." What is the purpose of each individual. The Purpose Driven Life advances that in a great way.
Book Description
For modern spiritual seekers and yoga students alike, here is an irreverent yet profound guide to the most sophisticated teachings of the yoga wisdom tradition–now brought to contemporary life by a celebrated author, psychotherapist, and leading American yoga instructor.
While many Westerners still think of yoga as an invigorating series of postures and breathing exercises, these physical practices are only part of a vast and ancient spiritual science. For more than three millennia, yoga sages systematically explored the essential questions of our human existence: What are the root causes of suffering, and how can we achieve freedom and happiness? What would it be like to function at the maximum potential of our minds, bodies, and spirits? What is an optimal human life?
Nowhere have their discoveries been more brilliantly distilled than in a short–but famously difficult–treatise called the Yogasutra. This revered text lays out the entire path of inner development in remarkable detail–ranging from practices that build character and mental power to the highest reaches of spiritual realization.
Now Stephen Cope unlocks the teachings of the Yogasutra by showing them at work in the lives of a group of friends and fellow yoga students who are confronting the full modern catastrophe of careers, relationships, and dysfunctional family dynamics. Interweaving their daily dilemmas with insights from modern psychology, neuroscience, religion, and philosophy, he shows the astonishing relevance and practicality of this timeless psychology of awakening.
Leavened with wit and passion,
The Wisdom of Yoga is a superb companion and guide for anyone seeking enhanced creativity, better relationships, and a more ethical and graceful way of living in the world.
Customer Reviews:
A real mind opener.......2007-09-28
I had read this and the companion book on Yoga published in 1995 by Stephen Cope. The two books together opened my mind to its own working, the importance of Patanjali's Yoga Sutra even for today's seeker ( after the Maharishi wrote it 2,000 years back), and above all clarified some of the aspects of Raja Yoga through recent psychological research. Together, they would even convince a skeptic about the need to stop (Nirodha), and become a seeker ( Sramana) in his own way to get the benefit of yoga, as he interprets it.
Finally! An easy to read interpretation of the sutras. Not a copy of the sutras, but rather it's use in life........2007-09-21
If you've found the yoga sutras and yoga philosophy to be very esoteric and hard to understand, you're not alone. This book does what I've yet to see in any other format: the use of sutras and yogic philosophy in real day to day practice. The first few chapters cover briefly the history and ideas of yoga philosophy, but the rest of the book follows actual yogis on their quest for understanding. More like a mix between a novel and a serious interprative work on the sutras, this book is well written, easy to understand and inspiring.
accessible and well-written.......2007-02-07
I would love to someday take a class in person from Stephen Cope. I can only imagine how well he could impart information in person, given how well he can write. His discussion of complicated yogic philosophies is easy to read and absorb the first time through. This book is an excellent place to begin one's studies of the Yoga Sutras.
Excellent Tales of Yoginis.......2007-01-10
This book is about the transformations that can occur thru the practice of yoga. It is an easy read, but has true depth and soul that true practitioners can relate to. I enjoyed this book even more than Stephen Cope's previous book which is also a good read. I recommend this book to anyone who is dedicated and wishes to achieve a deeper understanding of how to use their body and mind to evolve spiritually.
Some answers to a few of life's persistant questions.......2007-01-08
In his book, "The Wisdom of Yoga," Stephen Cope has created a small masterpiece. He has not tried to answer questions about man's place in the universe or or the existence of an external world. He has, however, by means of telling vignettes from the lives of people he knows well and insightful comments about what must be one of the most gnomic series of insights into the practice of Yoga, given the average reader a sence of what it is to become involved in the practice of Yoga and some of its life-changing potential. In addition to this, he has included illustrations from other belief systems, specifically Buddhist thought and Christianity that provide a wider context for his practice. The Yoga practioner, as well as the average person who would like to learn a little about Yoga, could both benefit from the wonderful book.
Product Description
Books one through ten of the popular Roswell High series written by Melinda Metz.
Book Description
Ilene is a captivatingly beautiful supermodel, Faye is an award-winning advertising executive and Alana is a brilliant editor for today's hottest fashion magazine. Now all three women are caught in the whirlwind of the super rich and famous. They find themselves the objects of the desires of every man--from movie stars, politicians, CEOs and rock stars to European royalty--men for whom there are no limits, nothing is too expensive, nothing is forbidden.
From Manhattan to Paris to Southampton, their new worlds are a torrent of sensual delights and unlimited luxuries. But ultimately they realize that there's only one thing more satisfying than money and power…love.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome Read.......2007-09-10
I picked up this book not expecting anything spectacular, but was pleasantly surprised how great a read it was. The characters were well thought out and seemed "real" instead if being a stereotypical portrayal of African-American women.
U GOTTA READ THIS ONE!!!! I LOVED IT .......2007-07-10
Faye and Bart- Faye is in adverting and Bart was this big time architect and multibillionaire, rumor was that he had more money than Donald Trump (smile) anyways when Faye started working for PS Inc Bart wanted her. Faye is this Petite beauty with short gold curly hair to her scalp and golden eyes, anyways they hit it off, and by the way Bart is white and 50 years old, but I loved their love story anyways Bart laid it down and they got married and Faye made Bart a father of two.
Ilene- She is the ex-super model that all the men wanted. Tall model body beautiful face. Ilene wanted money and a husband and some kids, but men just was not acting right. She was sent to Pine Cay island feel in love with a women I think her name was Amelia anyways her lover gave her all the things she needed. A three years agreement, a ,million dollars a year. Half ownership of the island and she could get with a man to have a child or artificially insinuated, and she was.
Alana- Beautiful as ever. Long hair and commanding body, Alana was the sweetheart. A magazine editor she was the emotionally unstable one. The fact that her mother loved a man so such without getting married to him, bearing his children and than him leaving to marry a younger women, really drove her in wanting to be married in a committed relationship, that's why she put up with her live in boyfriend Calvin. Alana found out Calvin's true feelings when he left for Europe to tour with his band. Alana realized that Calvin wanted stardom instead of marriage. Long story short she became real good friends with her client big time rap mogul Derrick Warren. He would have been the man for her but he was on the DL. Anyways during a Labor Day party Alana had to much to drink and was raped. Outcome was that she got pregnant and decided to keep the baby and moved back to her home town to help take care of her mother. At the end she was dating some friend from high school .
Enid and Marcus- business partners during the day and lovers at night Enid and Marcus was an inspiring couple. Enid a beautiful women in her late fifties with blonde ash like hair with skin so light she passed as being white, and only acknowledged that she was black if asked, owned and operated PS Inc with her partner Marcus, a 34 year old accountant who was known to others as her boy toy. The love that these two had for each other surpass all the flaws and insecurities that these two had . The sex was great and they both where making money, I loved their love story.
Rochelle Alers I LOVED WHAT YOU DID IT WAS GREAT A MUST READ
An exciting and pleasurable read.......2007-07-03
I am an avid reader of Rochelle Alers books, and I must say that once again she has earned my praise. I absolutely positively adored this book. The Pleasure Seekers is filled with romance, exotic trips, and enough twists and turns to keep anyone's attention. I have already read this book at least 3-4 times and everytime I read it, I find something else to like about it. All of the characters were interesting, but my absolute favorites were Bart and Faye. Their relationship began out of a business transaction that quickly became so much more. It was fun and exciting to see how their relationship evolved and they came to depend on each other. Of course there were others in the book who had good stories too, and a few surprises that I wasn't expecting. All in all, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to all who are Rochelle Alers fan and anyone who hasn't had a chance yet to read any of her books. If you start with this one, you won't be disappointed.
Suprisingly I really enjoyed this book!.......2007-05-30
I have never read this author before and I decided to try her because the title caught my attention. Once I started the novel, I could not put it down, I started it on a Friday evening, read all night long and continued reading until I was done Sunday morning. I loved the story of Bart and Faye, one of unexpected love, Ilene was on her own tangent, I'm not mad at her, and Marcus and Enid were fabulous! I became absorbed by the characters and their lives as if I knew them. I was disappointed with Alana's story, because she had no vindication or justice and no happily ever after, maybe Ms. Allers can use that as a basis for a new book Alana's story! But all in all fabulous!
MUST READ!!!!!!!!.......2007-05-22
Pleasure Seekers is absolutely a MUST READ! Rochelle Alers was at the top of her pen game on this novel. I loved this novel and hope there is a part 2. It is very classy and tasteful, gripping the reader until the wee hours of the morning. This is the first novel I have read by this author, but it won't be my last!!!!!
Amazon.com
Renowned historian Daniel J. Boorstin completes the trilogy he began with The Discoverers and The Creators. The first volume covered explorers, scientists, and historians in their quest for raw knowledge, while the second book describes writers, painters, and composers in their pursuit of inspiring art; The Seekers describes people searching for an understanding of human existence--"Man is the asking animal," notes Boorstin. It's a big, bold theme, and although The Seekers is the shortest work in the trilogy, it's still vintage Boorstin: incredibly learned, richly anecdotal, and casually profound. It begins with the prophets of the Holy Land and the philosophers of ancient Greece, continues through the Renaissance, and concludes with the modern era of the social sciences. "In this long quest [for understanding], Western culture has turned from seeking the end or purpose to seeking causes--from the Why to the How," writes Boorstin. That's a neat summary of Western intellectual development over several thousand years. What other author could put it so succinctly? Boorstin is generally stronger with material that is more recent and more secular, but this is an accomplished book and a worthy capstone to an outstanding three-volume effort. --John J. Miller
Book Description
A New York Times Notable Book of the Year
From the author of
The Discoverers and
The Creators, an incomparable history of man's essential questions: "Who are we?" and "Why are we here?"
Daniel J. Boorstin, the bestselling and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of
The Americans, introduces us to some of the great pioneering seekers whose faith and thought have for centuries led man's search for meaning.
Moses sought truth in God above while Sophocles looked to reason. Thomas More and Machiavelli pursued truth through social change. And in the modern age, Marx and Einstein found meaning in the sciences. In this epic intellectual adventure story, Boorstin follows the great seekers from the heroic age of prophets and philosophers to the present age of skepticism as they grapple with the great questions that have always challenged man.
Download Description
Throughout history, from the time of Socrates to our own modern age, the human race has sought the answers to fundamental questions of life: Who are we? Why are we here? The Seekers in history of our great Western heritage of ideas, told through the lives of the speakers who still speak to us: from Moses and Aristotle and Plato through Thucydides, Thomas Moore, Machiavelli, and Voltaire to Karl Marx, Carlyle, Emerson, and Einstein -- to mention only a few.
Daniel Boorstin once again shows that his ability to present challenging ideas, coupled with sharp portraits of great writers and thinkers, remains unparalleled.
Customer Reviews:
OH.......2007-06-01
The Seekers by Daniel J. Boorstin
`The story of Man's Counting Quest to Understand His World'
We all have this question, who am I? Where am I? What is the world? We use our eyes to see the world, we use our mind to observe the world, and try to find the meaning of life. Generation to generation, our ancient give us some ways to get closer the wisdom. This book `the seekers' is a story of civilization. Other than seriously academic research, Daniel introduces you an easy and funny story to approach the history of the world. The seekers on their days lead the world progress. They think deeply how to make the world better. The special part of `the seeker' is Daniel tell you lots of interesting episode about the seekers. The book just give you a brief introduce about the seekers and their books. That's not enough. I write down a booklist. I hope I understand them more advanced.
OH.......2007-06-01
The Seekers by Daniel J. Boorstin
`The story of Man's Counting Quest to Understand His World'
We all have this question, who am I? Where am I? What is the world? We use our eyes to see the world, we use our mind to observe the world, and try to find the meaning of life. Generation to generation, our ancient give us some ways to get closer the wisdom. This book `the seekers' is a story of civilization. Other than seriously academic research, Daniel introduces you an easy and funny story to approach the history of the world. The seekers on their days lead the world progress. They think deeply how to make the world better. The special part of `the seeker' is Daniel tell you lots of interesting episode about the seekers. The book just give you a brief introduce about the seekers and their books. That's not enough. I write down a booklist. I hope I understand them more advanced.
Not About seeking the meaning of life .......2006-09-22
I thought this book would lend insight into humanity's quest to understand the meaning of life but it doesn't do this. There are some tiny allusions to this but for the most part the book is about some of the larger figures in history (from Socrates to Kant)and how their search for meaning in their lives had an impact on the flow of civilization.
One interesting insight that is shown but never said is how each person was driven to his view of our world based on what situation the world was currently in and what he did to bring about change in the world. It gives a sense of malleability to what life is all about. It almost says that life is about whatever is going on right now. I was hoping for an insight into an underlying truth to it all but there was none and none of the figures portrayed in the book even hinted at trying to find one.
The Basic premise of the book is about the cultural changes we have made over the centuries from God Fearing, to self examination, to simple living, the growth of science as a belief system, and so on.
Overall an interesting read but it is a history through short bios of a variety of people and an interesting analysis of how general thought has changed over time. If you are a seeker yourself you will get little insight here.
Seeking the Elusive Makes A Grand Hunt.......2004-01-19
Boorstin's third book of his trilogy follows a chronological format on man's search for the reasons of life. "We are all seekers," he writes. "We all want to know why."
The book follows three grand epics of seeking. The first begins with Hebrew prophets and Greek philosophers. The former seeking from a higher authority, and the latter seeking from within. He moves on to the formation of communal experiences of the early church and the Reformation. The last epic is the age of the social sciences. Many stories of many exceptional men are told: their complexities, their understanding of past seekers, and their mistakes made mostly due to being ruled by history.
From the prophets and matchless Grecian trilogy seeking understanding of man's place; to Thomas Moore and Machiavelli pursuing the civil, liberal spirit; to Marx, Spengler, Emerson and Einstein who hone in on their own specialized areas of seeking, The Seekers captures the meaning of its namesake: the ever-elusive definition of life.
If the book has a short-coming, it would be Boorstin's inability to retrieve and contain the many more Seekers of modern thought. However, to include modern-day theorists, philosophers and other seekers would add chapters, getting us nowhere closer to our most coveted definition.
The journey is the reward.......2003-07-04
Boorstin is a master story teller. I felt like I was sitting with a friend by a comfortable fire, being challenged to think, but regularly regaled with irony, satire and laughter. The motto of the book might be "The road is always better than the end." Another theme is that seeking brings us together, that fulfills us. The people who think they have found the final answer are the menace to our humanity, because there is no answer to find. Of course, this is the puzzle. How can one maintain their interest in 'seeking' if they realize the danger of 'finding'? Boorstin doesn't provide simple answers.
Boorstin starts with the Biblical conversations with God recorded by the Jewish tradition. To summarize these discussion, Boorstin spends a fair amount of time with the story of Job and the omnipresent fact that bad things happen to innocent people. He concludes that the ancient Hebrews taught their children that no one knows what God knows, so the innocent must push on, must keep the faith.
With this said, he poses the same question (do you know what God knows?) to the Greek tradition, starting with Socrates. Socrates became famous for demonstrating much the same point, interviewing those who claim to know truth, then proving their knowledge was an illusion. Plato, Socrates admirer and evangelist, tried to answer Socrates with his utopian Republic. In Plato's view, no one but philosophers knew the 'truth.' Showing no respect for his elders, Aristotle, a student of Socrates and Plato, chose something of a middle road: scientists know a few things that are true. In this triad of forceful personalities, the rest of the book finds it's structure.
Following Gibbon's outline of history, Boorstin then builds a bridge (Part II) between the ancient and modern world, quickly reviewing 1000 years of dialog between empiricists (the scientists who know at least one thing) and fundamentalists (those that know what God knows). This bridge involves Greek, then Christian evangelists, scholars and reformers until about 1500, when Hobbes, St. Thomas More and Descartes renew the Socratic debate.
Boorstin makes a case for the pivotal role Descartes plays, bridging the intuition and empiricist in his famous 'I think therefore I [know I] exist'. Descartes is followed by the evangelists of this synthesis: Voltaire (the civilized know) and Rousseau (the uncivilized know). The section on Rousseau is hilarious and well worth the price of the book (The section on Kirkegaard is equally funny.)
Avoiding the temptation to side with any particular advocate, Part III describes a variety of utopian enthusiasts. For a while, I thought the title should have been the 'utopians'. In these utopias, the old question about "God allowing bad thing to happen to innocent people" is solved by banishing suffering. In Utopia, society is so perfected that nothing can upset the universal joy. The luminaries for this post 1800 era include Marx (historians know how to accomplish this), Kierkegaard (we will regret knowing), Lord Acton (joy through revolutionary discontinuities) and William James (knowledge is a river, impossible to divide). The last three personalities Boorstin mentions, Malraux, Bergson and Einstein seem to be Boorstin's personal favorites. They were all active during and after World War I & II and probably had an impact on his life. Only Voltaire gets similar approval.
Boorstin's favorable review of materialists like Voltaire, Marx and Malraux was a bit hard to swallow.. . He ignores the Scottish Enlightenment and Hume, where his hero Voltaire got the ideas which made him famous. Additionally, he tersely dismisses the contributions of Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist and Confucian philosophers, all of whom greatly enriched Europe. It would have been better to ignore the subject. But, the story telling is wonderful. Maybe a logical 'whole' isn't all that important.
Book Description
Who is Jesus?
What was his life like?
Why was he so unconventional in his day?
Why is he still so controversial now?
What does his life have to do with ours?Rebecca Manley Pippert creates a safe place to explore these and other questions you may have about Jesus on your own or with a group. In this disucssion guide you'll take a closer look at John's narrative to discover more about who Jesus was, how he lived, and what his life may mean for you. Each study is packed with historical information, challenging questions and thought-provoking quotes, but it won't answer all your questions. In fact it may bring up new ones! But, no matter what, it will help get you started on your journey toward faith.Use Looking at the Life of Jesus with other Saltshaker Resources, How to Lead a Seeker Bible Discussion (a step-by-step guide for leaders), Talking About Jesus Without Sounding Religious (a how-to book on sharing your faith with confidence), The Way of Jesus (a book to give away to seekers) and People Who Met Jesus and Spirituality According to Jesus (both seeker-oriented Bible discussion guides).
Book Description
"An introductory survey of biblical scholarship, [Understanding the Bible] says that you don't have to believe in the supernatural to appreciate the wisdom of the Bible." - Rich Barlow, Boston Globe This warm, straightforward guide invites readers to rediscover our culture's central religious and spiritual text and makes accessible some of the best contemporary historical, literary, political, and feminist readings of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. "[Buehrens] demonstrates that it is both intellectually respectable and politically savvy to know your Bible well." -Joyce Smothers, Library Journal "Forsaking the Bible means forsaking the best-selling book of all time . . . It is difficult to understand much of Western literature and culture without knowing Scripture . . . [Buehrens's] book is a readable, salient introduction to biblical study and history." -Religion News Service
Customer Reviews:
The Perfect Fit.......2007-05-18
Buehrens claims to have written his book for 'Skeptics, Seekers, and Religious Liberals', and I fit into all three categoies. Having had a religious upbringing that required blind faith in the Church's teachings without any room for questioning and interpreting on one's own, it is wonderful to read Buehrens' statements that it is necessary to read and interpret the Bible through one's own personal experience. Buehrens writes simply and understandably without making the reader feel that he is 'talking down' to someone of lesser intelligence. Thank you, John Buehrens, for opening the door to an adult understanding of scripture that doesn't make me feel silly or inadequate.
Very Relevant.......2006-11-12
This is an excellent and easy to understand book for anyone with an open mind about the origins and interpretations of the Bible. As a skeptic I now have a better appreciation for the Bible as an important work of literature in spite the baggage of my fundamentalist upbringing.
A Bare-Bones Introduction.......2005-08-19
I've come to believe that expectations matter a lot when you pick up a book to read. For me, this book fell short of my expectation, but then again, my expectations were probably unreasonable.
I attended a Christian liberal arts college, majoring in English, and decided to take quite a few Bible classes as electives. I knew that there would never be another time like then to explore the issues raised by the biblical text. My professors were fantastic (language experts, brilliant people, and progressive Christians), so my understanding of the Bible flourished there.
Fast forward one and a half years, and I find myself forgetting much of what I learned. Buehren's book, however, did little to help me regain my intellectual footing. Had I skimmed a bit before leaving the library, I would have seen that he planned, excepting the first couple chapters, to summarize the entire Bible. There was scant analysis or interpretation.
If you haven't read the Bible through and desire a sense of narrative (what happens and when), this would be a great starting point for study. However, if you are looking more for help understanding and appreciating the stories of the Bible, I'd point you towards a topical study instead. Buehrens would do well to take his abilities and understanding and apply them to a book-length study of a book of the Bible, say, Exodus, instead of wrangling with the whole massive thing in one short book.
Everyone should read this book!.......2005-05-27
I recommend this book to everyone I know, no matter what their religion or lack there of! Rev. Buehrens helps open up the Bible and educate you enough to read it and come to your own conclusions, whether you agree with everything he says or not. I'm a new Muslim and highly recommend this to all people because the Bible truly is part of literature and history and should be read and known by all. I was actually recommended this book by a rabbi friend who believes that despite it covering the ENTIRE Bible (Old and New Testaments), he points out that it shows the literary importance and historical importance of the work as a whole, no matter what your
(dis)beliefs are.
Take the time and READ THIS BOOK!
Great Book!.......2003-08-23
If you consider yourself a traditionalist or a modernist or neither, you will find this book a tremendous aid in interpreting Hebrew and Christian scriptures. I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to wrest the bible from the pejorative ranks of literalism.
If you've ever lived in a place where people use the bible to justify ever action, and you do not have knowledge of the bible, you may have found that you had arrived at a battle and you were unarmed. If you've ever been to a place where people use the bible as a cookbook, applying the letter of its content, but not the spirit, and do authoritative damage to others, then you will find John Buehrens' book, Understanding the Bible, a refreshing, easy-to-read book that captures the spirit of the bible while providing the reader with the necessary armor to shield them against any biblical interpretation that is based in disguised fear rather than compassion.
John Buehren looks at the bible through a modern-day lens that includes both Jewish and feminist perspectives that enables us to unchain the bible from the past and make it relevant and useful for the 21st Century.
Whether you consider yourself to be a skeptic, seeker, or religious liberal, neglecting the rich rhetoric and iconic power of the bible is to ignore the impact that it has had on western Society and continues to have. Buehrens looks at historical aspects, original intent, and how tradition has reshaped the historical literature of the bible. Understanding the bible is key to our being interpreters of our common Judaeo-Christian heritage and is key to taking responsibility for our own spiritual maturation. Rather than preach about the bible, Buehrens eloquently writes of the bible and explores its narrative as metaphor so that we may transcend any arbitrary boundaries or creedal beliefs and enter into a relationship with others by finding common ground for which to begin conversations so that we may live together in harmony.
For anyone who wishes to understand the bible and apply its content to today's world, John Buehrens' book, Understanding the Bible, is a must read.
Average customer rating:
- a rocking book
- A World that you can believe in
- Slow at first but worth rereading
- Hodgell Rocks!
- Usual Superb writing, just not about Jaime and her brother
|
Seeker's Mask
P. C. Hodgell
Manufacturer: Meisha Merlin Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Graphic Novels
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Epic
| Fantasy
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Fantasy
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Blood And Ivory: A Tapestry
-
To Ride A Rathorn
-
Dark of the Gods
-
Dark Of The Moon
-
God Stalk
ASIN: 1892065347 |
Amazon.com
Seeker's Mask is the sequel to P.C. Hodgell's classic high fantasy novels God Stalk and Dark of the Moon (collected in the omnibus volume Dark of the Gods). Fast-paced, fascinating, and skillfully written, Seeker's Mask continues the story of Jame the Talisman, the noblewoman/thief who possesses (or is possessed by) dangerous magical talents.
Jame has finally been reunited with her twin brother, the Highlord Torisen. But the joy of reunion doesn't last long. Jame is banished to the purdah-like Women's Halls as her brother's noblemen argue over who will marry her. When assassins slip into the segregated quarters, Jame must flee for her life, alone save for her blind, mind-linked cub, Jorin. But her attempt to rejoin her brother is complicated by court intrigues; by the ghost of her cruel half- brother Bane; by the conquered Merikit, who assault Jame's people with unknown magic; and by the weirding-mist, a mysterious fog that magically moves individuals, armies, and even castles to new and sometimes unidentifiable locations in the Riverland and beyond. And there are other problems. Jame's little-understood magical abilities are growing not only stronger, but more destructive. She bears the Ivory Knife and the Book Bound in Pale Leather, monstrously dangerous magic tools. The lost memories of her adolescence are returning, and they reveal that Jame may be a servant of the archenemy of her people, the worlds-destroying Perimal Darkling. --Cynthia Ward
Book Description
Meisha Merlin is proud to announce the continuing adventures of Jame in P. C. Hodgell's Seeker's Mask, the third book of the Kencyrath. This edition will contain a new introduction by Charles de Lint, the novel Seeker's Mask, and the maps that P. C. has created for the book. Jame has found and been reunited with her ten year older twin brother Tori. Now all she has to do is find a place for herself among the Kencyrs that are following her brother. This is not quite as easy as it sounds. For, if you remember, Jame has not grown up in the normal Kencyr lifestyle. When she is placed in the Women's Halls and is expected to change and become a normal quiet Kencyr lady, it is the Women's Halls that undergo the changes. For when you have Shadow Guild Assassins, ghosts, strange beings, and other characters from your past after you, it is rather difficult not to want a weapon, instead of a sewing needle, in your hand. Soon Jame and Jorin, her blind ounce, are on the run again, trying to stay one step ahead of the danger.
Customer Reviews:
a rocking book.......2006-03-15
i read the second book and i find that it continue flawlessly into this book.I lov the way Jame had been potrayed and i can understand Torisen apprehension at finding Jame.But i think their relationship will grow better in the next book as i think that Jame,Torisen and Kindrie formed the three faced God.Each one of them represent a different aspect of their God.Toriesen and Jame shared a connection that strong enough that those bind to Torisen are bind to Jame and vice versa.I probably had read the book a couple of times since i had it.
I find that every line convey a certain richness and i had my favourite lines and scenes.But the best scene for me is when TOrisen disowned Kallystine not only for what she tried to do to him but to what had happened to Jame.Jame'presence had freed Torisen from Kallystine influence so i think the twins nwill slowly but surely rely on each other strengths.Torisen will learn to trust Jame and Jame will be the rock in Torisen life.I do think this is one of the best book that i have read.
A World that you can believe in.......2005-01-03
The whole Jame series is so good. I love them. They are so good because the plot is so original, there are so many books out there that should be sued for stealing plot lines. These books are such a refreshing read and amazingly enough, our main characters aren't omnipotent gods. While Jame has a great deal of power as a Shanir (aka, Kencyr Highborn with supernatural abilities) she is haunted by her abusive childhood and adolescence that she is only starting to remember. She makes terrible mistakes and is tempted to make selfish decisions. Torisen, her brother is the Highlord of the Kencyrath, and also has great power. But unlike Jame Torisen tries to deny his heritage as one of the Shanir (once again, thanks to an abusive childhood). One of his abilities is farseeing, particularly in his sleep, and so he is an insomniac, haunted by the voice of their insane, dead father. The Lords he governs with on the High Council at best try to minipulate him, and at worst would love to see him dead. It doesn't help anything that in the first book Jame made the Kencyr High Priest stationed in the city of Tai-Tastigon, Ishtier, hate her either. And our other protagonist is Kindrie, a Shanir Priest with a awsome gift of healing, but has been locked out of his own soul by Ishtier and his allies which greatly limits his powers. He is also troubled and as result of his priestly upbringing in the luxurious Priest's College is completely unprepared for the journey with Jame that he embarks on, especially now that his healing powers are nearly nonexistent. Jame must also deal with responsibility for her semi-demonic half brother. Turned into an undead shadow being that was killed and then forced to keep on existing by a freak mistake, precipitated by Jame who had without knowing blood bound him through another one of her unknown Shanir abilities. This means that his sould is bound to her to death and maybe beyond, and now he must perforce consume other souls to remain in the world. Jame has to deal with the guilt of creating this thing and putting her half brother through such pain. Not to mention the fact that since she had blood bound him she was now resposible for him. Obviously Jame and Tori go through some awsome trials and yet do make mistakes. Everyone should read this book.
Slow at first but worth rereading.......2003-03-01
It is not as fluid as the first two but still an excellent story.
Really intriguing characters and development. Great job, Patricia!
Hodgell Rocks!.......2003-01-24
This is an absolute must-have for any fantasy reader. I have read and re-read her books and eagerly anticipate the arrival of the next ones to find out what happens.
The characters within have a depth to them that is really pretty impressive. The detail in the cultures and the world has astounded me. Can you tell that I am a Hodgell fan yet? I won't go into the details on the storyline, you owe it to yourself to buy the book and find out for yourself.
Every fantasy lover owes it to themselves to do that
Usual Superb writing, just not about Jaime and her brother.......2003-01-24
I was oh-so-excited when the book finally became available and I was able to purchase it. When I received the book I discovered that maybe half of the short stories contained within involved Jaime and her family. Hodgell's writing is excellent, of course, but I was expecting to spend the day feasting on unread tales of the adventures of my favorite heroine. I had no interest in the other stories that were included. What is there is good, but I would not have purchased the book if I had actually known what was contained. Borrowed it, absolutely, but not bought it. I guess I will just have to wait until her next book to get my Jaime fix. *grins*
Book Description
The Health and Performing Artsbooks are the most recent additions to the exciting ten-volume Aboriginal Issues Blackline Master Series. This resource has been designed in consultation with the Aboriginal community, to provide teachers with information and teaching material on various Aboriginal issues applicable to Human Society and Its Environment programs. Performing Arts looks at Aboriginal performing arts in the context of pre-contact Aboriginal performing arts, the impact of invasion on Aboriginal cultural expression and the revitalisation and popularity of Aboriginal performing arts today. It covers information on Aboriginal music, dance and theatre and identifies exciting websites for students to explore these areas further.
Customer Reviews:
The Sponsorship Seeker's Toolkit.......2007-07-11
This is the definitive guide for anyone looking for a corporate sponsor. It was enjoyable to read and I find myself reaching for it time and again. The concepts were easy to grasp and the tools were especially useful. It is a great source of information for beginners as well as seasoned sponsorship seekers. It's a great read and well worth purchasing.
An essential publication.......2007-05-31
Content was relevant and definitive. Great examples and templates and every aspect clearly explained and expounded where necessary. An essential piece of reading.
Excellent resource.......2005-09-21
This book is an excellent resource for anyone attempting to obtain sponsorships. It is well written and easy to follow with many useful tools.
The Sponsorship Seeker's Toolkit.......2005-07-21
This book is very useful and practical thanks to its suggestions in a matter which is at the same time delicate and fundamental. Besides it is well-organized and clear in its contents
Great book, Very helpful tool.......2004-01-16
If you are seeking a sponsor, this is the book for you. In a step by step format, in great DETAIL, the authors take you through all aspects of sponsorship: how to prepare if you are seeking a sponsor, what you have to offer, how sponsors see the world and what they look for, creating a marketing plan and how to write a proposal.
This was the dream book I was looking for. It is an invaluable guide and, I think, the gold standard for those seeking sponsorship.
Average customer rating:
- Seeker Academy Hits the Mark
- Thoughtful and introspective story.
- Where are we to find wisdom?
- A Smorgasbord of Ideas
- Recovering, Re-connecting and Re-Awakening: A Novel of Hope
|
The Seeker Academy
L. D. Gussin
Manufacturer: 4361 Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Literary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0978917006 |
Book Description
Using the tools of literary fiction, The Seeker Academy explores the holistic healing (mind-body-spirit) movement, which has its roots in the beat-hippie counterculture and, earlier, in a romantic movement dating back three centuries. Author L. D. Gussin populates the story with characters struggling with how to live their lives. At local centers and retreats, they engage in wellness and spiritual practices, some which go beyond current Western norms. While middle class, their anxiety in the face of modern culture makes them, or some of them, seekers after purity, almost like religious fundamentalists. Yet, they tend to be social liberals¿even when they find the levers of social change to be beyond their reach and so a distraction. With drama, dislocation, hope, and longing, the novel's characters are striving for connection. "With exquisite facility of language, L. D. Gussin takes us on a very real spiritual journey; the ups, the downs, the all arounds. I've been there. L. D. Gussin nails it!" ¿ Nancy Slonim Aronie (Aronie is an author, NPR commentator, and holistic retreat workshop leader who, with Robert Coles, teaches Literature for Social Reflection at Harvard.)
Customer Reviews:
Seeker Academy Hits the Mark.......2007-09-13
For those people who care about the eternal questions of life, this book, written with delicacy, strength, humor, and compassion, will be a wonderful guide and an emotionally satisfying read.
Larry Gussin is a writer of extraordinary power; his language has a compelling beauty that creates an atmosphere reminiscent of The Magic Mountain. At the same time, as with The Magic Mountain, Gussin tackles emotional and philosophical questions that many of us grapple with at some point in our lives, while helping us honor and accept the pain of facing questions that cannot be answered.
Thoughtful and introspective story........2007-08-07
The Seeker Academy is novel that examines the mind-body-spirit holistic healing movement, and its roots in the beat-hippie counterculture, through the experiences of ordinary characters coming to grips with how to live their lives. Though secure materially, each is seeking purity with a virtually fundamentalist zeal; as social liberals, they tend to push societal boundaries in their quest. The yearning for connection and understanding is a central theme in this thoughtful and introspective story.
Where are we to find wisdom?.......2007-07-18
The review's title is the last part of a relevant question posed some years ago by renowned literary critic Harold Bloom. As far as I remember, the question was something like this: In this age in which we can access so much information, where are we to find wisdom? I think it expresses the central subject of this timely book.
Grace is a fortysomething woman with a husband and an 11 year-old kid. She passes through an emotionally exhausting experience after weeks of worrying and taking care of her niece, sick with cancer. During the long, tiresome hours in the hospital, she gets in contact with other sick kids and their families. At some point, she discovers a deep anguish about life, sickness and death, and decides to take a break. Somehow she is informed of one Seeker Academy, where she expects to find some peace and think things over, in a new light.
The academy is a big rural estate where a very diverse array of people go to find answers to their deep questions. All sorts of "philosophies" and New age rituals take place there, from simple yoga to the most diverse "spiritual workshops", of the type "Get in touch with your inner self" or holistic movements. The kind of people who attend is easy to imagine: the bald, bearded, pony-tailed guy who plays the guitar in front of a fire; the rich, snobbish sixty-somethings, and so on. Grace engages in different activities, meets many people, thinks deeply, but somehow she feels disturbed, like something is missing. True, these people are sincerely searching for peace, for answers to the complex and stressing problems of life, but the atmosphere feels fake, empty. I can't give away the ending, but I can say that finally the experience is in fact not totally useless. The isolation from her everyday life, the opportunity to learn about these things, the chance to meet new and different people, leave her renewed, willing to look at her life in a different light.
This is not so much a novel, but the story serves as a vehicle to illustrate and reflect on extremely relevant issues for today and for the future: What is to be done before the apparently inevitable degeneration and decline of traditional institutionalized religions as a shelter and source of answers? How to deal with the agitation and the pressure posed by fear of old age, sickness, and death? Is there a life beyond the insatiable search for social success, money, things, and sexual satisfaction? Serious philosophy demands study, concentration, hard intellectual work, and above all time. And in the end you'll leave more puzzled than you entered, anyway. Scientific discoveries expand knowledge and understanding, but they tend to be more disturbing than comforting. So?
These book has the great merit of not trying to offer answers. That would go against its very spirit. But it does illustrate the current emotional state of societies, like the American, torn between contradictory impulses, who bring about only anguish and a feeling of emptiness. Books about self-help and spiritual healing are side by side with books about how to get instantly rich or have better orgasms. And many people read both. Certainly there are no ready-made answers. What seems to work for one person won't work for antoher. But maybe, just maybe, we could start by recovering common sense and appreciate the immense opportunities provided by our everyday lives, work, family, friends and intellectual interests. Maybe we should live in a way that promotes our having good memories. It may be little, but it's what there is.
A Smorgasbord of Ideas.......2007-05-29
In L. D. Gussin's novel THE SEEKER ACADEMY, Grace Hudson is a wife and mother who becomes overwhelmed while making many visits to the hospital to see her beloved twelve-year-old niece Alicia who has been diagnosed with leukemia. She comes face to face with the age-old dilemma of illness in children. Grace in her distress and pain--is she aptly named?-- leaves her family and goes for a three-week holistic retreat to Seeker Academy where she is inundated with classes on yoga, meditation, drumming, past-life regression, dance, tai chi, career guidance, Buddhism, tarot, and something Grace "summed up as 'gender-bending,'" etc. She meets many other people, many of whom are much younger than she and are from all over the world. Each person brings his or her own sorrow and disappointment to the academy; and while they make take different paths, they are earnest in what they are seeking. They are fleeing the greed of capitalism, escaping what the character Trumpeter calls "brainwashed society," the world of shopping malls, and seeking "deeper connections."
The fact that THE SEEKER ACADEMY is a novel of ideas presents the greatest challenge for the author. He must make these characters flesh and blood so that the novel does not degenerate into an extended essay on new age philosophy. Although if you aren't careful, you will get bogged down with all the talk-- you must read the novel slowly-- Mr. Gussin does manage to make most of the characters believable and sympathetic. Grace is completely likeable with her sometime skepticism as she comes in contact with so many different people and new ideas. Monk is one of my favorite characters. I even like the Golds--Anton and Deb, who at first seem caricatures and reminded me of a friend's description of Shirley MacLaine several years ago, that she had too much money and too much free time on her hands; but late in the novel we learn that they are at Seeker in part because of their unhappiness over a son who is not fulfilling his potential.
I am no authority on the holistic movement. From my limited knowledge of yoga, however, Mr. Gussin is right on point on that subject. I suspect that he has done his research in other areas as well. As a matter of fact, he lists sources in his acknowledgements. Having a character quote the beautiful poetry of Rumi is a nice touch as well.
Mr. Russin is good with words. The character Anton has a "layered smile." Grace sees herself in the rather Spartan atmosphere at the academy as having a "tented life." Gussin describes another character in one word as "cushiony." We know exactly what he means. Finally, in a scene near the end of the novel when Grace questions some of Trumpeter's beliefs, "I pulled a thread, she thought."
The novel asks more questions than it answers, but then there are no easy answers on how to live a life worth living.
Recovering, Re-connecting and Re-Awakening: A Novel of Hope.......2007-05-27
The book is deceptive. When I was asked if I would be interested in reviewing it, I expected a novel about holistic medicine and the spiritual path that I would polish off in an evening. Instead it has taken me three weeks to read. Not because it is badly written: far from it. After a slightly clumsy prologue, the book uses a story as a skeleton around which to wrap a careful examination of some very important ideas. Gussin is a very good writer and some of the prose and the images that they conjure up are luminous.
Grace is a forty-something woman whose twelve year-old niece has been going through the ups and downs of chemotherapy for leukemia. Grace is a former actress who is still acting her way through life. After the turmoil of her niece's illness and days spent with other sick children, she is emotionally and spiritually drained. Not because of what has happened or what she has experienced, but rather that the events have uncovered a deep existential yearning.
So it is that she finds her way to the Seeker Academy, which could be any one of a hundred personal growth centers that I have visited. Here she meets an interesting and insightful group of people who are among the estimated thirty million Americans who describe themselves as spiritual seekers. The book does a superb job of describing the spiritual and emotional hunger of so many of us. How many of us have an uncomfortable feeling that there is something missing in our lives? That there is something important that we have all forgotten?
The characters have all brought their own emotional baggage, and amidst all the love and peace we still see people who can be mean and defend their positions and beliefs with religious fervor. Gussin captures the narcissism and spiritual elitism that can crop up amongst spiritual seekers and so disappoint people when they meet this world. There are the anti-science counter-culture folk who believe that to reason is to lie, and representatives of an array of beliefs and positions, including those who refuse any help from conventional medicine, even when in serious trouble. Grace samples classes, therapies and ideas like a person who is starving and stumbles into a five star restaurant.
There are discussions of Karma; survival after death; whether there is a purpose and a meaning to life that we sometimes miss because we have to focus on the mundane world; whether it is possible to have a spiritual life and to remain engaged in the material world; the advantages of controlling our reactions to, rather than escaping from the world; romanticism, reason and tragedy; the nature of reality and much more besides.
Grace learns at first hand how emotions can be stored in the body, and how skilled bodywork can release them. She also discovers that the seekers at the Academy are there for a dozen reasons. They are not just trying to heal some ill defined something, recover from trauma or find enlightenment. Most are just trying to re-connect with another human.
A car crash involving some of the characters sharpens the beliefs and actions of the cast, and leads into scenes where concepts and ideas are explored with rare intensity.
Gussin is clearly writing from experience. In the course of the book Grace discovers that real change is possible, and sometimes in a short space of time. But she then realizes that she no longer wants to change. She has a world to go back to. Yet despite her reluctance to change, it is giving nothing away to say that the experiences do change her beliefs and perceptions. Despite some of the difficulties that people bring with them to places like the Seeker Academy, for the person who arrives at the right time in his or her life, the experience can be life changing.
Teaching stories, parables and analogies have been used since the beginning of time, and in expert hands can be an extremely effective way of communicating difficult ideas. I have read some books in which characters discuss abstruse ideas and have sometimes come away scratching my head, thinking that even the most earnest angst-ridden undergraduates don't talk like that! Gussin, though, succeeds very well indeed. The characters are lively, the ideas clear and the dialogue does not feel contrived. The format allows the author to talk about some complex and important ideas, without the formalism of a book about philosophy.
The best books, movies, articles and scientific papers do not give you all the answers, but make suggestions, challenge us and suggest new questions. More than once I saw parallels with the classic "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." Both books suggest answers, challenge assumptions and pose a great many questions.
It was those questions that forced me to read the book far more slowly than I would normally. Despite the apparent certainties of some of the characters, the author does not pretend to have all the answers, and the book is the stronger for it.
If you are interested in some of the big questions in life, or if you feel that hunger that I described above, this is an excellent, well-written and engaging book.
Highly recommended.
Books:
- The Red Dragon Cast Down: A Redemptive Approach to the Occult and Satanism
- The Sociopath Next Door
- The Three Battlegrounds: An In-Depth View of the Three Arenas of Spiritual Warfare: The Mind, the Church and the Heavenly Places
- The Woman and The Raven
- The Zion Covenant: Vienna Prelude/Prague Counterpoint/Munich Signature/Jerusalem Interlude/Danzig Passage/Warsaw Requiem (Zion Chronicles)
- Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival (Survival School Handbooks / Tom Brown, Jr)
- Tomb Raider: Legend: The Complete Official Guide
- Typography 27 (Typography)
- Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues
- Unorthodox Chess Openings (Cardoza Publishing's Essential Opening Repertoire Series)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Employment Law for Business
- Baby Minds: Brain-Building Games Your Baby Will Love
- The I Was a Teenage Juvenile Delinquent Rock'N'Roll Horror Beach Party Movie Book: A Complete Guide
- The Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt
- The War for Talent
- A Time to Die
- Wooden
- Advances in Environmental Accounting and Management, Volume 2
- The Political Economy of the World Trading System: The WTO and Beyond
- Things Unspoken
Daily Inspiration for the Purpose Driven® Life: Scriptures and Reflections from the 40 Days of Purpose (Purpose Driven Life)
The Purpose-Driven Life Journal
The Purpose-Driven Life Deluxe Journal
Meditations on the Purpose Driven® Life
Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential
