Book Description
Because participants in our workshop series, Instruction for All Students, often ask, "Why didn't we learn this in college?" that question provided the inspiration for the title of this new book for teachers new to the classroom. This title is in no way meant to condemn those who direct our collegiate experiences. The realities are that we may well have studied these topics and earned a good grade on a test over the theoretical aspects of this information but had no classroom teaching experiences on which to hook the information, that we took an alternative approach to entering the profession, that our focus was elsewhere at the time or perhaps, in fact, it was not taught. Whatever the case may be, teachers new to the classroom clearly need support and a repertoire of effective teaching strategies during their first years of classroom work.
Why Didn't I Learn This in College? is based on the constructs that:
+ the best management program is a good instructional program,
+ if the end we have in mind is student learning, we do not want to concentrate on control and compliance but rather on building learning centered environments, and
+ we need efficient and effective organizational systems for ourselves, our students, and our classroom.
Customer Reviews:
Very Basic .......2007-05-15
This book did not meet my expectations. The information is extremely basic and is a review of college education courses. Although this book would be helpful, it could very easily be replaced with college texts.
Hidden Gem!.......2006-01-13
I happened to find this book while browsing the teaching section. It has truly been a great resource that every (new) teacher should have. Unlike most of our teacher ed. programs, this book gives practical information about how to run a classroom. You won't regret buying this book, it is a wonderful resource!
A great resource for any teacher!.......2004-09-30
My school district gave every new teacher a copy of this book. The new teacher that I am mentoring shared it with me. After reading through it I was excited to find a book that focuses on instruction instead of some silver-bullet discipline plan. The instructional strategies are written clearly and consisely. Both of us bring our copies of Why Didn't I Learn This in College? and use them as we plan our units and lessons every Monday for the following week. I highly recommend this book to any teacher.
An ESSENTIAL for All Educators!.......2002-09-15
Practical, positive, and pure Paula! WHY DIDN'T I LEARN THIS IS COLLEGE? is an ESSENTIAL professional resource for educators at all levels of experience! Paula Rutherford applies her 30 years of teaching and educational leadership to create this book of research-based teaching tips and user-friendly tools that will help increase student achievement in our classrooms. She offers a logical framework for creating learning-centered environments, planning "with the 'end' in mind", and organizing learners and professional tasks for positive results for students, parents, and teachers.
As a veteran teacher and coach for novice teachers, I use this resource as my NUMBER ONE traveling companion and "virtual" collaborator. Paula's pro-active and positive voice resonates through its pages as my teachers and I use this information to bring all students quality instructional programs and opportunities for maximum learning. Thank you, Paula, for being my constant "ride-along" learning buddy!
THE Best new teacher book ever!.......2002-08-28
As a long time mentor for new teachers, I have read many books for teachers new to the classroom. There are a lot of books out there that focus on everything but teaching. This book is all about helping teachers with great teaching strategies that they can use throughout their entire career. New teachers can try a new strategy every day. I am now buying this book for all of my new teachers!
Book Description
Since applying the tools I learned in Brooke's program to my everyday life, I have already released 35 pounds of fat from my body. I no longer struggle with food and exercising has become a joy that I look forward to doing every day. Shopping in the stores I once used to walk by fills me with great delight, because I can finally wear the kinds of cute clothes that better fit my personality. Once I was able to create a new mind set that I am worth taking great care of myself, I experienced more happiness than I have ever known. For me, freedom from the weight struggle has been worth taking the risk to try again just one more time." Suyin N. Client San Mateo, CA
Customer Reviews:
New Look at Old Problem.......2007-10-05
I've read a lot of books on how to lose weight. This is the first one that deals with the underlying emotional issues and not just controling the food. As a health care professional, I highl recommend this book.
excellent book.......2007-10-04
This book has had a life changing effect on me. I am so glad I bought it.
More than just a weight-loss book!.......2007-08-17
There are SO many books on this subject to choose from. If I had to choose just one, this would be it. It comes from a very loving place and offers some very real advice about why you are overweight and some real suggestions about what you can do about it. It goes deep at times, but once you realize that the outside is just a symptom, you can start focusing on what really matters and make changes that will last. The author suggests that you eat when you are hungry and stop when you're full, from -2 to 2 on a scale from -10 to 10 (so about every 2 or 3 hours). She encourages you to really pay attention to your body because it will let you know what it wants and needs. She asks you to commit to exercising at least 3 times a week for 5 minutes, and not eating or doing anything else to avoid your feelings. She wants her clients and readers to work with their bodies and no longer against them. It sounds simple, and it is, it's just that the whole subject has gotten so complicated we feel that there needs to be an elaborate answer. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book:
~"We have been trained not to waste food in the garbage, but to waste it on our bodies. Either way it is wasted. In one way, we just carry the waste with us."
~"Fat is merely tissue, stored potential energy."
****~If you believe that you will always be overweight, it will be very difficult to lose weight permanently. Beliefs and reality like to be reflective of each other. When reality starts to contradict a belief, a tension is created in our life and this tension makes us uncomfortable...At this point, we have two choices to reduce the tension: change the belief system or change the reality...to sabotage our reality and gain our weight back in order to be back in line with what we believe...It's not until we get hold of the belief and change it that we find any permanent weight-loss results."****
This would explain why most "diets" fail, because they are just treating the symptom and not the underlying problem.
This book is amazing and it was a total surprise, since I stumbled on it "accidentally." It works from the inside out, which is the best way to go about a permanent change. There are a lot of great exercises and suggestions. It was definitely worth my time and money, and I've already made a lot of the changes suggested in this book, and I feel more in control of my life and healthier already. A paradigm shift and a Fabulous book! =)
Very pleased.......2007-08-06
I almost cancelled my order for this book because I was very skeptical but I am so glad I received this book! I read over the entire book in a weekend and now re-reading it and doing the exercises. The exercises are an important part of the book. This is not just a book you should read but also need to work through the worksheets she includes. I've been overweight my entire life and for me this is the best book I've followed for losing weight. I do think this is a lot more than just about weight loss. By following the book will find greater joy in life. A lot of the info in the book can be used by everyone, not just those trying to lose weight. Highly recommend. Wish this book had been written 25 years ago!
A happy surprise.......2007-07-04
I have to admit I was skeptical, but this book does a great job of explaining eating in a healthy way. Forget trying to remember the proper portion size, because the way Castillo does it is way more simple and more attuned to your body. I go back to this book when I find myself starting to overeat or craving unhealthy food. It was definately worth the purchase!
Average customer rating:
- Finally a book for me and my family!
- Worth it
- Important read if you've been unsuccessfully treated for depression...
- Nothing New In Spite of Title
- Fantastic
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Why Am I Still Depressed? Recognizing and Managing the Ups and Downs of Bipolar II and Soft Bipolar Disorder
Jim Phelps
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
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Soft Bipolar: Vivid Thoughts, Mood Shifts and Swings, Depression, and Anxiety of the Mild Mood Disorders Affecting Millions of Americans
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Living Well with Depression and Bipolar Disorder: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You...That You Need to Know (Living Well)
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The Bipolar Workbook: Tools for Controlling Your Mood Swings
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Bipolar II: Enhance Your Highs, Boost Your Creativity, and Escape the Cycles of Recurrent Depression--The Essential Guide to Recognize and Treat the Mood Swings of This Increasingly Common Disorder
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The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide: What You and Your Family Need to Know
ASIN: 0071462376 |
Book Description
Tried everything but still not feeling better?
If your depression keeps coming back or is even getting worse, then you may be suffering from bipolar II or “soft” bipolar disorder. Commonly misdiagnosed, these mood disorders are characterized by recurring bouts of depression along with anxiety, irritability, mood swings, sleep problems, or intrusive thoughts.
Why Am I Still Depressed? shows you how to identify if you have a nonmanic form of bipolar disorder and how to work with your doctor to safely and effectively treat it.
Author James R. Phelps, M.D., gives you the latest tools and knowledge so you can:
- Understand the Mood Spectrum, a powerful new tool for diagnosis
- Know all your treatment options, including mood-stabilizing medications and research-tested psychotherapies
- Examine the potential hazards of taking antidepressant medications
- Manage your condition with exercise and lifestyle changes
- Help family and friends with this condition understand their diagnosis and find treatment
Customer Reviews:
Finally a book for me and my family!.......2007-08-24
I read this book at the suggestion of my doctor, who is a genius with bipolar 2. It addressed many of my concerns, misconceptions, and questions in a very reader-friendly way. It's a relatively easy read, considering the subject matter. Dr. Phelps has written in a comprehensive way about this often misunderstood subject, and he managed to make me laugh along the way. After my husband read it, he said he had a much better understanding of the way bipolar 2 works. Don't let the word "bipolar" scare you! I was misdiagnosed for most of my life because I never had "highs." Please read this book if you are not sure you have been diagnosed correctly or if your treatment is not working for you. I hope you will find it as helpful as I have.
Worth it.......2007-07-21
This was the first book my psych recommended when we first began toying around with the idea of Bipolar II vs. Major Depressive Disorder. It is an amazing book, especially for those people who just can't seem to shake their depression. Not every person who has treatment-resistant depression is bipolar, but this book helps delve into the topic. I have over 20 books about Bipolar II, and this is in my top 5.
Important read if you've been unsuccessfully treated for depression..........2007-07-20
My doctor suggested this book as good reading to familiarize myself with the various treatments for depression. Perhaps his recommendation was off, but clearly, this book IS about bipolar disorders. While I didn't gain much for myself, it did open my eyes about someone close to me and why various treatments have failed to improve that situation.
Phelps is very good with helping the layreader understand neuro/psyche disorders that are classified as depression and/or bipolar disorder. He gets a little 'out there' as far as splitting hairs; I concluded that most of the population, according to Phelps, must have some degree of mood disorder. But, I DO strongly recommend this book for anyone who has been diagnosed with depression but failed to respond to the many good medications developed to treat common depression. Phelps also offers a very good explanation as to why some anti-depressants have caused suicidal thoughts/actions in some. Very likely, they have bipoar disorder and the type of chemical support provided by this class of drug was just wrong.
If you've struggled with "depression" and its related treatments, trust your doctor and can take the time to read this book, you might find you don't really have depression, after all. Bipolar disorder and it's cousins are more common in society than we know. There are excellent drug and cognitive therapies available to help people who haven't been able to find the light at the end of their tunnel. Possible a different diagnosis will help them.
Nothing New In Spite of Title.......2007-06-12
If you're already diagnosed bipolar 2, you're better off getting The Bipolar Workbook or a better basic bipolar book than this. So much of it is directed at people who don't even know if they have bipolar 2 or soft bipolar disorder, it was a total waste of my money because I KNOW I have bipolar 2. The section on treatments doesn't cover some of the best medications I have experienced, gives the same old "walk" exercise advice, and has many chapters based on ruling out bipolar altogether. I think the author just wanted to say he wrote something new, when this is really a long-winded rehash on what we already know if we are already diagnosed correctly. I was terribly disappointed as I thought there would be some helpful, new information on treatments just for us with bipolar 2 that is different from bipolar 1. Boring.
Fantastic.......2007-06-09
I've suffered with anxiety and depression for many years, only to discover recently (through an astute doc) that I'm BP II. I decided to buy this book to further my understanding and I felt like I was reading my lifestory! It's an excellent read.
Book Description
One woman's story of why she left the culture of Islamic Jihad to support American liberty and tolerance
Why are so many Muslims embracing jihad and cheering for al-Qaeda and Hamas? Why are even the modern, secularized Arab states such as Egypt producing a generation of angry young extremists?
Nonie Darwish knows why. When she was eight, her father died while leading Fedayeen raids into Israel. Her family moved from Gaza back to Cairo, where they were honored as survivors of a shahida martyr for jihad. She grew up learning the same lessons as millions of Muslim children: to hate Jews, destroy Israel, oppose America, and submit to dictatorship.
But Darwish became increasingly appalled by the anger and hatred in her culture, and in 1978 she emigrated to America. Since 9/11 she has been lecturing and writing on behalf of moderate Arabs and Arab-Americans. Extremists have denounced her as an infidel and threatened her life.
In this fascinating book, she speaks out against the dark side of her native culturewomen abused by Islamic traditions; the poor and uneducated mistreated by the elites; bribery and corruption as a way of life. Her former friends and neighbors blamed all the their troubles on Jews and Americans, but Darwish rejects their bigotry and calls for the Arab world to make peace with the West.
The only hope for the future, she writes, is for America to continue waging its War on Terror, seeding the Middle East with the values of democracy, respect for women, and tolerance for all religions.
Customer Reviews:
An Informative Perspective.......2007-09-15
If you're like me, you might know very little about Mideastern culture and life. This book is a highly readable and personal account of one woman's life, experiences and views on Muslim culture. I'm enjoying it; she puts a "human face" on this part of the world and it's issues.
Eye-opening insights into the causes of Islamic extremism........2007-09-11
The author grew up in Egypt under Nasser's dictatorship, but later moved to America. Her father was an Egyptian military officer killed in Gaza by Israel because he organized raids to cause mayhem inside Israel. She reports on the problems in Egypt and Gaza, and on the government and religious propaganda which is polarizing the Islamic world to the point of Jihad. This is an eye-opening read, and it gives insight into how difficult it will be to ever correct this problem.
EXCELLENT BOOK.......2007-09-01
THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO TRULY UNDERSTAND HOW THE MIDDLE EAST FEALS ABOUT AMERICA AND WHY. NONIE DARWISH IS A VERY BRAVE WOMAN AND I THANK GOD SHE HAD THE GUTS TO WRITE THE TRUTH.
Now They Call Me Infidel: Why I renounced Jihad for America, Israel and the War on Terror.......2007-08-25
This is an excellen book for those seeking to understand Arab Muslim perspectives. The culture is based on a background, history and value system entirely foreign to our way of thinking. The author relates her life from early childhood, through her school years and early adulthood living first in Gaza then Cairo. She is from the upper middle class, the daughter of a high ranking military officer who is martyred. She describes what it is like to be a woman in the arab muslim world. She raises the issuesleading to a lack of trust both within the society and in relation to other societies. She discusses the inner thinking and the daily propaganda regarding Israel. She also gives important information on the Arab view of Palestines role in the conflict. She distinguishes between the radical Islamic movements and moderate Islam. She notes the purpose and intent of fundalmentalist Islam is the eventual overtaking the world. She discusses how this is being taken to countries throughout the world to bring about this change. We need to understand those with whom we are dealing. This is a book that is easy to read, direct and highly informative.
Demonstrating the Power of Love.......2007-08-15
Now They Call me Infidel: Why I Renounced Jihad for America,
Israel, and the War on Terror, by Nonie Darwish.
Sentinel, Penguin Books, 2006, 258 pp
From our first encounter with Nonie Darwish, through her articles and first web site, we felt that she was someone special. We were attracted by her open and obvious love for America. That web site disappeared, only to reappear as [..] , with this unique opening statement:
To Muslims and Arabs across the globe: Reject hate, embrace love. Bring out the best in Islam by showing your compassion, gratitude and forgiveness. Make the holy land truly holy by giving Israel and the Jewish people the respect they deserve in their tiny little country. This is not a crisis over land. It is a crisis of the soul; a crisis in our faith, judgement and self confidence. Israel should not be regarded as an enemy, but as a blessing to our neighborhood. We need not fear peace, but embrace it.
These are remarkable words to be coming from the daughter of a "shahid" (a martyr for jihad) who was assassinated while serving as a high-ranking Egyptian military officer stationed in Gaza specifically to be of assistance to the Palestinians.
The September 2001 attack on the twin towers in New York was life-changing for many people. From that moment on Nonie Darwish felt compelled to take a stand. It led her to write her life story "Now They Call Me Infidel" which is a pure gift to all of us. She also stepped out into public life with all its demands of speaking engagements, and the disapproval she was bound to experience.
After reading her book with eagerness, I would suggest that it is the perfect book for supplemental reading by all High School students. Let them hear about Islam from someone who has experienced it fully from birth and has turned to Christianity and America for a better life. Let them sense her loyalty and love for her new country. As she describes it--"Many immigrants come to this great nation in search of material gain, which is fine; however, the biggest prize I gained was my religious freedom and learning to love. For me it was nothing short of cataclysmic. I had turned from a culture of hatred to one of love."
In her book she describes her impressions of America. We Americans need to see our country through someone else's eyes, so that we can withstand the propaganda that insinuates that we are the culprit and instigator of all the troubles of the world. It is eye-opening to read through the chapter "A New Beginning in America" and find out why the following words are in italics; and learn just how much our culture differs from the Muslim culture in Egypt. This is specially applicable to the difficult life programmed for women. She considers "friendliness and helpfulness"," courtesy", "diversity and multiculturalism", "self-sufficiency, pride in labor", "generous, honest, and open", "informality", "women's relationships", and "child rearing".
Gradually, to Ms. Darwish's horror, she discovers that her beloved land of refuge, her America which means so much to her, is being attacked from within. She is painfully aware of those old patterns of hatred, as they eminate from mosque after mosque.
She lashes out at terrorists who are invading the Western countries: "America's Islamic enemies and critics--even those who love living in the United States - are nothing more than pirates. That's what Islamic terrorists are - pirates. Instead of building their own society as a model of what Islam should be, they leave it in ruins and look to conquer hard-working successful lands.....They cannot stand to live in a Muslim culture, and they have their eyes set on beautiful and welcoming democracies, not to blend in, but to rob those democracies of their soul and ruin the value system and culture that made them great...." p. 185. You need to get hold of this book and sense the depth of Ms. Darwish's feeling as she begs you to save our precious country from the onslaught she sees coming.
She describes her shock at the Arab world's response to 9/11. They dared to rejoice over the tragedy. When she phoned family members and close friends, whose opinions she had formerly trusted, she could not believe that many thought America deserved to suffer.
The last chapter is "Jihad Comes to America". Nonie dismisses the popular and over-used definition of jihad as merely spiritual pursuit: "there is only one meaning for jihad, and that is: a religious holy war against infidels." p. 201. She remarks that she is shocked by the radicalism she encounters on the American campus. "I am stunned to see them choose to revive the worst of Islamic culture in America rather than be part of America and demonstrate the best of Islamic culture."
On page 159 there is a moving description of Nonie's introduction to Christian worship when she and her husband and family attended a church and "listened to a message of compassion, love, acceptance, tolerance, and prayer for all humanity." There had been some violence in the Middle East and the pastor prayed for everyone--"Muslims, Jews, and Christians. It was very different message from the prayers to `destroy the infidels' that I grew up with....I learned the most important command in scripture was `Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Nonie had found what she was hungering for: "In this church, that day, my soul was revived and nourished with the love of a tolerant and forgiving God." Knowingly she was willing to be called an infidel.
After a remarkable experience of visiting Israel Nonie explains: "I now fully understand why the United States supports Israel and rightfully so. My love of America now extends to Israel." Hence the name of her new web site!
We salute another brave woman, and heartily recommend that you read this extremely important book.
Average customer rating:
- An excellent vision of a Christian orthodoxy
- a few good bits
- The Best of All Worlds
- A repentant look at Christianity
- McLaren the theologian?
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A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I am a missional, evangelical, post/protestant, liberal/conservative, mystical/poetic, biblical, charismatic/contemplative, fundamentalist/calvinist, ... anabaptist/anglican, metho (Emergentys)
Brian D. McLaren
Manufacturer: Zondervan/Youth Specialties
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The Secret Message of Jesus: Uncovering the Truth that Could Change Everything
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Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith (Cover Image May Vary)
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A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I Am a Missional, Evangelical, Post/Protestant, Liberal/Conservative, Mystical/Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/Contemplative, Fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Green, Incarnational, Depressed-yet-Hopeful, Emergent, Unfinished CHRISTIAN
ASIN: 0310258030 |
Book Description
By celebrating strengths of many traditions in the church (and beyond), this book will seek to communicate a “generous orthodoxy.”
Customer Reviews:
An excellent vision of a Christian orthodoxy.......2007-09-29
I absolutely loved Brian McLaren's "A New Kind of Christian", a book that opened up a whole new world for me of possibilities of staying within the Christian faith, something on which I had almost given up. Rob Bell's "Velvet Elvis", in a different way, did the same. So I approached this next book by McLaren feeling exceptionally positive towards him and his writing.
I wasn't disappointed. However this book is very different than "A New Kind of Christian". Once you get past the amusingly-titled but a little wordy Chapter 0 McLaren goes on a tour through different denominations and styles within Christianity, highlighting the good points about them (as well as looking at the bad), showing what we can all learn from this part of the church, and taking those good parts in order to build them into a new 'generous' orthodoxy. It's a great idea and it's also good to read a book which is very positive about so many denominations.
Of course there are the negatives, and Brian says that he is from a particular part of the church and so perhaps he gives them a harder time (the conservative evangelical/fundamentalist wing). As this coincides very much with how I feel about that branch of Christianity that's no problem for me but I suppose readers from that tradition might find it uncomfortable reading at times. We're left in no doubt that McLaren is not a big fan of televangelists but he is a strong supporter of the green movement, that he is learning more to value the Roman catholic and Anglican ideas about liturgy and the mystical side of the church.
What works very well is that each of the different elements in the book (missional, evangelical, post/protestant, liberal/conservative, mystical/poetical, biblical etc) get their own chapter where he delves into that tradition/idea and often gives the history of the movement which was fascinating for me with many of these. He seems able to see the bigger picture with many of these denominations and, as usual in his style, he is positive about many things within them. It was good to read an upbeat book although there were also parts where, with Brian, I almost despaired. The chapter arrangement meant that I read this book over a couple of weeks, dipping into a chapter here and there, and it gave me time to mull over what he was saying and to think about the overall point.
I salute Brian McLaren for this excellent look at a generous orthodoxy (or at least working towards creating one), a church for our 21st century which learns from the mistakes of the past but also doesn't throw out the baby with the bathwater but picks up those good aspects of the traditions and incorporates them into our postmodern world. This was an excellent read, a book I am sure I will return to many times, and of course the author's humble writing style is, as always, appealing.
a few good bits.......2007-08-25
Its hard to pin this guy down. he doesn't seem to want to take a stand on much that is not PC. That does make him controversial.
His point about the Bible being narrative theology was well done, though I've thought about the Hebrew taking of the promise land in quite the terms he described. He seems to be open to evolution as an idea, which may bother some, but he doesn't really dwell on this. At one points he mentions that the substitutionary atonement was not in the original creeds and seems to infer that perhaps shouldn't be among our fundamentals (though he doesn't say this directly). Many others, including myself, see this as one of the very foundations of Christian belief and how one can practice the presence of God (which he calls us to) without experiencing this truth atonement puzzles me. I also am not sure what he has against the Patriarchs in the Bible bt he apologises for the fact that patriarchy is there.
His presentation of the Anabaptists was great. So was his presentation of Pentecostals and contemplatives, two groups that aren't often associated. He does sight the reformed faith as being a creed which led to slavery in the new world or at least justified it. As far as I know, it was the Northern part of America which tended to be of the reformed faith and the south (especially the rich slave owning ones) tended to adhere mostly to the Anglican Church. (I am neither)
I would disagree with one of his presuppositions, namely, that we need to change our message because we live in a dynamic context. I disagree. There is nothing new under the sun. The problems of sin, immorality, evil, depression that faced my parent's (and McLaren's) generation are the same today. Our reaction to them maybe different and our culture may be different, but our problems are the same and we need the eternal gospel preached to us, though perhaps in a different form, we need the same message.
The Best of All Worlds.......2007-08-22
Instead of criticizing and bashing those believers and sects of the Christain Faith who see and beleive things differently than he does, Brian McLaren takes a new and novel approach.
Instead of concentrating on and ferreting out things, views and perspectives that divide, sometimes little and insignifican things, he chooses instead to concentrate on things, views, perspectives, beliefs and actions that unite.
He seeks out and finds common ground of Christians of different persuasions...an impressive piece of work, as most of his books are.
Fresh, novel approach...a good addition to Christian thought and literature. An especially good book for those who are beginning to doubt and question the faith as a whole because of the actions of a fanatic few.
A repentant look at Christianity.......2007-06-06
So I had purposely put this book off in my "emerging/emergent" reading list until now because I was afraid of it. I was afraid of it because I heard all sorts of stuff about McLaren's views of scripture, atonement, doctrine, ec --- and I had heard that those views wouldn't jive with a good ole Lutheran boy such as myself.
They were partially right. There are some things in this book that I patently don't agree with because they're not really Scriptural. The whole idea of the Anonymous Christian is one of those ideas that I don't agree with that keep on popping up (an 'Anonymous Christian' is a Christian who doesn't know he/she is a Christian but is a 'Christian' by proxy through being led to do good works --- Click here for an explanation of the Anonymous Christian by Karl Rahner, one of the idea's main proponents) Part of that problem is alleviated for McLaren because he has a different view of Scripture than what I do, one that would be very comfortable in some of the more liberal branches of mainline protestantism.
Liberal theology is no new thing, however. Even the title of this brand of theology that tends to deemphasize Scripture and overemphasize acceptance shows its age. Putting "Liberal" and "Conservative" on opposite ends of a spectrum anymore is like putting "Communist" and "American" on opposite ends --- it still may be true, but it's missing the crux of the argument.
A Generous Orthodoxy seeks to momentarily deprive the reader of their security in their "spectrum opposite" thinking. It shows up on the cover --- an amalgamation of words that seek to explain who Brian McLaren is while being careful not to put him on a spectrum between "Liberal Protestant" and "Fundie" or "Heretic" and "Doctor of the Church."
Some have called this work by McLaren, "a manifesto of the emergent church." That's not what it is. It's a call to repentance that we should maybe pay some attention to no matter if we agree with McLaren on the atonement or not.
Manifestos and heresies often contain one thing that this book is very short on: answers. Don't read this book if you want "5 steps to a better church." First of all - answers don't sell nearly as well as questions do, which McLaren clearly identified when he put out his other book "The Secret Message of Jesus" alongside the DaVinci Code blow up. Instead, read this book if you're one of two kinds of people:
1. You're pretty sure that most everything your church body does and says is without error...even if you wouldn't agree to that sentence in public.
2. You would like to know what kinds of questions are fueling a national drop in church attendance across the United States.
Also - don't read this book if you're trying to figure out what Lutherans believe, because in the 3 or 4 times he mentions us - he gets us way wrong (i.e. McLaren says Lutherans go back and forth in between believing Baptism is a saving work of God instead of a human rite. Wrongo. Lutherans believe Baptism is God's Saving work, period.)
McLaren never went to a seminary. He's kind of a hack when it comes to some of this theological stuff.....ok, maybe amateur is a better way to put it than "hack." What McLaren is good at pointing out, however, is the dissatisfaction with "boomer-churchism" that has given us Emergent Village, Shane Claiborne, and Open Source Theology.
Oh...and no, I wouldn't give this book to an 11 year old to read because it has some glaring problems theologically - but it is hardly the "we're-gonna-burn-this-one-at-the-stake" kind of heretical work that everyone told me it was. Take heart, you're not going to go to hell if you read it as some might tell you, just don't swallow everything you read.
This book doesn't offer answers, but a call to repent. Honestly, that mirrors our own faith lives. We are called to repent because we know something is right. We know that we're not good enough inside to know what the right answer is. For answers we look to God. For questions, sometimes it helps to look at people we disagree with.
McLaren the theologian?.......2007-05-04
This reads like a theological autobiography with McLaren exploring the positive contributions of various theological perspectives. This is the main point of the book and as such it kind of leaves me wondering: What was the point? People who are generous probably already appreciate various perpectives, and those who are not generous will find in this book ample opportunity to attack McLaren on theological grounds - they have plenty of room to do so, because McLaren merely skates over many complex theological and historical issues.
That is why I was bored for the first 215 pages. I have mixed feelings about McLaren's appreciation for various viewpoints of Orthodoxy (and other religions, crf. chpt. 17). On the one hand Christians need to be generous and charitable. On the other hand, I fear that by appreciating all perspectives I wonder if we risk losing the real distinctives of any perspective. This feeds into our current culture's fascination for buffet style religion and doctrine: Take a little of this and a little of that and mix and match to suit your tastes. Fact: McLaren, himself, does not endorse this approach. But this goes back to my above question about what this book accomplishes.
But there is real genius in McLaren's writing and thinking, and this book is no exception. This first reveals itself at page 215:
"Each of these new challenges and opportunities requires Christian leaders to create new forms, new methods, new structures - and it requires them to find new content, new ideas, new truths, new meaning to bring to bear on the new challenges. These new messages are not incompatible with the gospel of the kingdom Jesus taught. No, they are inherent in it, but previously undiscovered, unexpressed, perhaps unimagined."
To conservative theological watchdogs this seems very threatening. However, the faith must be expressed anew in each generation. We can never be satisfied to pass down a doctrinal statement that is devoid of meaning and significance. This is all the more true in this generation where culture is moving at the speed of light. Frankly, I think most conservative theologians simply don't get it. They either are deficient in their understanding of postmodern culture or postmodern theory or both. But McLaren thinks outside of the box and understands the need to radically rethink how we express the Christian faith in the 21st Century. Unfortunately, as he himself would confess, he is no theologian. So, the more he wades into theological waters the more he is out of his element.
Average customer rating:
- Why can't I stop eating?
- Disappointing!
- Traditional 12 step approach
- A disappointment
- So right, it scared me
|
Why Can't I Stop Eating?: Recognizing, Understanding, and Overcoming Food Addiction
Ph.D., Debbie Danowski , and
Pedro Lazaro M.D.
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ASIN: 1568383657 |
Book Description
For more products found within this products catagory click here. Why can't I stop eating? If, like millions of others, you often ask yourself this question, you may be addicted to food. The food you eat may be precisely what makes you crave more . . . and more. This straight-talking book puts the widespread problem of food addiction into clear perspective and points the way to a life free of the obsession with food. Debbie Danowski, whose food addiction nearly ruined her life, and Peter Lazaro combine forces to give readers a full understanding of this debilitating condition: its sources, patterns, consequences, and physiological underpinnings. Unlike fad diets and drugs with their side effects, hidden costs, and infamous failure rates, the program outlined in this book goes to the root cause of chronic overeating and puts the tools for a lifelong cure into the hands of anyone willing to accept responsibility for a healthy, happy future. Debbie Danowski is a recovering food addict who has maintained a weight loss of 150 pounds for more than ten years. A nationally renowned speaker, she is an instructor of media studies at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut. Pedro Lazro, M.D., is a former medical director of three addiction hospitals. He currently maintains his private practice in Tampa, Florida.
Customer Reviews:
Why can't I stop eating? .......2007-01-19
Informative on theory of food addiction. Explains physical and emotional aspects of food addiction. Easy to read with information based on scholarly research.
Disappointing!.......2004-10-10
I was really disappointed when I read this book. If you've read the 12 steps of compulsive overeating, then you've pretty much read this book. It tells you the same thing. It takes forever to get you to the place where you can create your own meal plan...and what a joke! There's no way I can stick to something like that. I would starve too death!
In conclusion, I do NOT recommend buying this book. It did not help me at all.
Traditional 12 step approach.......2003-10-12
After I read the book and was very disappointed, I went on-line to write this review. I find myself agreeing completely with the reviews that gave this book a low rating. It is yet another attempt to espouse the virtues of the 12 step Overeaters Anonymous program. While I think there are good aspects of the 12 step program and that it may help some, there are many that the program simply wouldn't work for, including myself. Mainly, I think, because it mandates that you cut flour, sugar, and other foods completely from your diet. I feel that this sets a person up to fail because one ends up feeling deprived, which leads to binging. In fact there is a whole chapter in the book that talks about case studies and nearly every person mentioned has relapsed and is valiantly trying to get back to abstinence and lose the weight yet again. I would suggest that instead of working a program that obviously isn't working, they should perhaps seek another solution, maybe in the form of professional counseling. I would recommend "The Solution" by Laurel Mellin, which is a comprehensive support solution with groups and pyschologists around the country practicing the methods given in the book. I have found this method much more helpful than Overeaters Anonymous ever was. If OA is working for you, then I think that is great, but if you are like me and do not find that it fits you, I encourage you to look elsewhere. The Solution is a great place to start, and if you want to check out the website go to WWW.Sweetestfruit.com.
A disappointment.......2003-08-12
What a disappointment! The authors answer to binge-eating is simply eliminating all sugar, flour, fat, caffeine, or whatever your trigger foods are from your diet. Not only that, but they insist you must weigh and measure your food all the time for the rest of your life. Thats hardly what I consider freeing yourself from obsessing about food. They actually recommend keeping an emergency food kit in your car to be sure you always have measuring cups, a food scale, and several cans of safe food available to you at all times. Perhaps this is wise advice for people who are morbidly obese, but for those of us who are at a normal weight, or only slightly over, and are looking for some insight and realistic advice on dealing with compulsive/binge eating, this book is NOT the answer!
So right, it scared me.......2003-08-12
The more I read this book, the more I find out about myself and my addiction. It has been so much more helpful than any of the several books I have read previously. If you know you have a binging disorder, or even just think you do, reading this book will help you find peace with it...and maybe a road to recovery from it.
Book Description
First and foremost, this is virtually an exclusive story that few media outlets or the American public know about. Hard to believe when you read the below summary, but lucky for us:
In addition to being the vehicle for the author to become a major media force in the national debate on the war, this remarkable memoir will introduce the public to Captain Robert McGovern's inspirational rise as a boy who was one of nine children who rose to become a New Jersey high school football phenom and then a major NFL star as a linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the New England Patriots. Following this success, McGovern chose to leave football and receive his law degree from Fordham University in order to work in the New York City district attorney's office in the late 90s. Subsequently, he was a witness of the WTC attack on New York, which led to his decision to leave public life and join the U.S. Army as a prosecuting attorney for the military, resulting last year in his conviction (and death penalty sentencing) of the Middle Eastern but American–born Army Sergeant Hasan Akbar, who threw live grenades into the commissary tent of his fellow soldiers fighting the war in Kuwait.
Customer Reviews:
a moron for the ages.......2007-09-23
This simpleton of a jerk-off & his ilk are EXACTLY what is wrong with my country. I cannot f+cking wait to leave this country & never return. Enjoy your fascism.
Autobiography and Apologetic.......2007-09-20
Several reviews I have read have come down hard on the author for his stand on the war in Iraq. But this is his autobiography, the story of his life, and his opinion of the war is just one part of it. It is a well-written account of his childhood, his family, his education and his aspirations, and continues into his adulthood to the present time. He lets us know how he was trained by his parents to be unselfish and give back to the community some form of service, and this was undoubtedly the motivation for joining the Army Reserve, and eventually finding himself on active duty in Iraq.
A good part of his story comes before that. He was competing with his older brothers in athletics, trying to be as good as they had been in high school football, and then in college football. He received an athletic scholarship from Holy Cross, an enormous accomplishment in his eyes, and he was grateful for the opportunity. And then came pro football, four years of it on three different teams. He was pretty good at it, but not outstanding. He simply was not big enough (hefty, bulky) to be a great linebacker. He was thankful for this chance to make the big league, but took the advice of one of his coaches to give it up. From there he decided to study law and with his law degree took a job as an Assistant DA in New York City. Then came 9/11, to which he was an eyewitness. In his role as a US Army Reserve officer he volunteered to help. Immediately following, he applied for active duty, leaving his job as assistant DA, and became a prosecutor for the Judge Advocate General Corps, and then deployed to Afghanistan and later to Iraq. His experiences there were extraordinary because he was involved in the trial of Hasan Akbar, the US Army Sergeant who killed two Army officers and wounded a number of others when he threw hand grenades into the tents of the soldiers.
This is a well-written account of the life of a man who became a soldier in the US Army. Why would anyone find it strange that he has strong opinions in favor of the war in Iraq ? It is his contention that we are there as part of the war on terrorism. The patriotic feeling that he had on 9/11 was something that almost all of us shared at that time. For him it continued; for many of us it disappeared.
Should we still be in Iraq? That is a matter for debate, which has been ongoing for some time now. Captain McGovern feels that we are making a difference, and that is why we are still there.
This book is certainly worth reading, if only to gain some insight from a different perspective.
RICK SHAQ GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "YOU AND I ARE THE "ALL-AMERICAN'S" THAT CAPTAIN McGOVERN IS TALKING ABOUT!".......2007-07-25
The life story of Captain Robert McGovern, is almost "Forrest Gump" like. Rob is one of nine Irish Catholic children, born to Howard and Terry McGovern in New Jersey. Though born in New Jersey, if I were to describe his morals, character, and upbringing, I would describe it in the highest of terms, that most Americans would consider as "mid-western". One of the many, emotionally uplifting themes in this book, is the absolute, enduring, love, and respect, that Rob, constantly proclaims for his parents. He was raised from the beginning, to have high goals, and his older brothers got football scholarships to Holy Cross, as Rob also did later on, but with less fanfare. Just as importantly, he and his siblings were raised to "service" the community. To give something back, and Rob continued this process in college at Holy Cross and while in the National Football League, with outreach programs. When Rob graduated college, no one gave him a chance of making it in the NFL. But he was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs, as an undersized, underdog, linebacker, and special team's player. He lasted a few years with numerous teams, making the most of his non-star ability. The way he accomplished this, is with dogged, determination and dedication. To quote Rob: "Being the best at what you do has to be more important to you than partying or chasing girls or hanging out with your buddies. It has to be worth sacrificing the comforts and pleasures of an undirected life and replacing them with long hours of sweat and tears. In football, it also helps to be one tough character." At the end of Rob's short NFL career, he attended law school, and upon graduation, became an assistant D.A. in Manhattan. In keeping with his personal goal, of giving service to his community/country, he also joined the Army Reserves.
Then, on the forever-fateful day, of September 11, 2001, Rob was on the way to work in Manhattan, when he saw the smoke, and the planes, at the World Trade Center. He couldn't get to work, so he went home and put on the TV, and heard an announcement, that military men were needed at "ground-zero" to help look for bodies. Even though he was in the reserves, he donned his uniform, and went to "ground-zero", and helped recover the remains of victims for days. Rob, happened to be there, when President Bush arrived, and shook the Commander In Chief's hand, and was so moved, he decided he wanted to go on active duty and help America fight back. Because Rob was 38 years old, they wouldn't let him go on active duty. He persisted in every way possible, and was finally accepted as a Judge Advocate General. (JAG) He proceeded to go to Afghanistan and Iraq and assisted in "Rules Of Engagement" (ROE) enforcement. From there, he went in to criminal prosecution. He wound up on the successful prosecution team, that convicted Sergeant Hasan Akbar, probably the worst, United States Military criminal, in the last 30-40 years. To refresh your memory, Akbar, was the traitor, who the night before, we were going to launch Operation Iraqi Freedom, attacked his comrades, with grenades and small-arms fire. He wounded more than a dozen troops. Two were dead.
There is much more, to the life story, of a man who loves his country, loves his family, loves God, and has dedicated his life to enforcing freedom throughout the world, but let me conclude my review, by having Rob tell you why he named his book "All American". "You might wonder about the use of "All-American" in the title. First of all, let me say off the bat that I'm not talking about myself here. What is an "All-American" anyway? I've met some real "All-Americans- quiet, unassuming, heroic people who inspire students, protect us from crime, and defend our values. They are "All-American" in every sense of the phrase. I chose this title in part to pay tribute to these "All-American", I've been lucky enough to meet and work with through the years. I also chose it to pay special tribute to the men and women of our armed forces, especially those in the 82nd Airborne Division. That famous unit happens to be called the All-American Division."
Extraordinary.......2007-06-08
An extraordinary account of one good man standing tall for the best of American values.
I wanted to like this book, but..........2007-04-29
I am also a Captain in the Army, so I was excited to come across a written account of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan written by one of my peers. I thought this book would be interesting and relevant to my own experiences in Iraq. However, I was very quickly disappointed by the book's one-sidedness and lack of insight.
One of McGovern's main themes is that the positive stories from Iraq and Afghanistan are seldom reported, while violence and strife always make the nightly news. While there is truth to this, McGovern takes the opposite approach to the extreme. He cites children waving at soldiers and Iraqis voting as proof that US policies in Iraq are working and progress is being made, but he completely ignores any and all evidence to the contrary (worsening violence, Iraqi political ineffectiveness, millions of refugees fleeing the country, a steady decline of electricity and other services, children throwing rocks, etc).
By far, the biggest flaw in this book is that McGovern never addresses or acknowledges the negative impact of having an occupying army living and operating for years within a civilian population. In the effort to catch the terrorists, soldiers kick in doors, round up detainees, seize and destroy private property, create collateral damage and civilian deaths, etc. These are the unavoidable side effects of fighting a war. Add to that the unscrupulous actions of the soldiers at Abu Ghraib and Haditha, and you'll find that the longer we stay, the less popular we become, and the more support the insurgency receives from the local population. A recent poll indicated that over half of Iraqis now support attacks against American soldiers. By ignoring half of the issue, McGovern abandons a reasoned, balanced appraisal in favor of blind ideology and wishful thinking.
I haven't mentioned McGovern's career in the NFL or as an attorney, because the autobiographical aspect of this book is actually rather secondary to his promotion of US policy in executing the War on Terror. In this regard, none of his points are new, original, or insightful. Conservative ideology is haphazardly sprinkled throughout the book whether or not it is relevant to the ongoing story. For example, here is a quote from the NFL portion: "Of course, the hate [Vince] Lombardi was talking about was the football kind, not the hate that drives people to fly airplanes into buildings." By the time you reach the end of the book, it starts to sound like a White House press release from 2003. If you are primarily looking for a good inside account of the NFL, life in Iraq/Afghanistan, or the DA's office, this isn't the right book for you. If you're hells bells behind the war in Iraq and want to read something you're sure to agree with, then you might want to pick this up.
Book Description
"Mary Oliver continues to tutor us in attention, gratitude, and reverence in this new collection of forty-seven poems."âFrederick and Mary Brussat, Spirituality and Health
Praise for Owls and Other Fantasies:
"Mary Oliver is beautiful and accurate in this book of poetry and prose about birdsâ¦all rendered with the precision of a line-drawing of a single feather that puts the entire wing into perspective."
âOrion
Praise for Mary Oliver's poetry:
"These are life enhancing and redemptive poems that coax the sublime from the subliminal."
âSally Connolly, Poetry
"Mary Oliver's poems are natural growths out of a loam of perception and feeling, and instinctive skill with language makes them seem effortless. Reading them is a sensual delight."
âMay Swenson
"The gift of Oliver's poetry is that she communicates the beauty she finds in the world and makes it unforgettable"
âMiami Herald
Customer Reviews:
Life is better with poetry.......2007-05-29
It's Mary Oliver. What else can I say? Her poems, along with those of David Whyte, provide comfort, consolation, encouragement, and thrills as I meander through my days.
" Why I Wake Early: New Poems.......2007-05-13
Mary Oliver newer fails her fans ! Everyone should read this lovely, earthy poet. " The Poet goes to Indiana" was a favorite for me....Sent the poem to a friend that grew up in Indiana and he returned with a rememberaces of a horse nuzzeling him in his youth....he had forgotten all about that beautiful time. Isn't what poetry is all about ! Thank you Mary O
diane
Beautiful.......2007-04-06
Mary Oliver's keenly-observed descriptions of nature rekindle the joy of living, even in times of sorrow and loss.
The Poetry of Presence.......2007-03-17
This is what I'm talking about...
There are things you can't reach. But
you can reach out to them, and all day long.
The wind, the bird flying away. The idea of God.
And it can keep you as busy as anything else, and happier.
From Where Does the Temple Begin, Where Does It End?
Certainly, Mary Oliver knows this haiku by Zen poet, Basho?
The temple bell stops
but I still hear the sound coming
out of the flowers.
What poem could you write?
Connections woven in language.......2006-02-19
Mary Oliver not only observes the natural world around here but finds language to express its many moods and meanings, linking them to her outer and inner life. The "simple" cadences of her lines carry a hidden depth to them. Well worth reading and meditating upon.
Amazon.com
In his entertaining adventure-in-whale-researching, Fluke, or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings, Nathan Quinn, a prominent marine biologist, has been conducting studies in Hawaii for years trying to unravel the secret of why humpback whales sing. During a typical day of data gathering, Nate believes his mind is failing: the subject whale has "Bite Me" scrawled across its tail. Events become even stranger as the self-proclaimed "action nerds," Nate, photographer Clay, their research assistant Amy, and Kona, a white Rasta (a Jewish kid from New Jersey), encounter sabotage to their data and equipment. They also observe increasingly bizarre whale behavior, including a phone call from the whale to their wealthy sponsor to ask that Nate bring it a hot pastrami and Swiss on rye, and discover both a thriving underwater city and the secret to what happened to Amelia Earhart.
Thoughtful, irreverent, and often hilarious, Moore has crafted a tale that contains a bit of the saga of declining whale populations due to hunting and habitat destruction, as well as his over-the-top, decadent wit as applied to scientific methodology and professional jealousies. Moore notes a pasty, rival scientist "looked like Death out for his after-dinner stroll before a busy night of e-mailing heart attacks and tumors to a few million lucky winners," and that killer whales (which are all named Kevin), are "just four tons of doofus dressed up like a police car." Smart, sincere, and a whale of a story, Fluke is terrific. --Michael Ferch
Book Description
Just why do humpback whales sing? That's the question that has marine behavioral biologist Nate Quinn and his crew poking, charting, recording, and photographing very big, wet, gray marine mammals. Until the extraordinary day when a whale lifts its tail into the air to display a cryptic message spelled out in foot-high letters: Bite me.
Trouble is, Nate's beginning to wonder if he hasn't spent just a little too much time in the sun. 'Cause no one else on his team saw a thing -- not his longtime partner, Clay Demodocus; not their saucy young research assistant; not even the spliff-puffing white-boy Rastaman Kona (né Preston Applebaum). But later, when a roll of film returns from the lab missing the crucial tail shot -- and his research facility is trashed -- Nate realizes something very fishy indeed is going on.
By turns witty, irreverent, fascinating, puzzling, and surprising, Fluke is Christopher Moore at his outrageous best.
Download Description
"
Just why do humpback whales sing? That's the question that has marine behavioral biologist Nate Quinn and his crew poking, charting, recording, and photographing very big, wet, gray marine mammals. Until the extraordinary day when a whale lifts its tail into the air to display a cryptic message spelled out in foot-high letters: Bite me.
Trouble is, Nate's beginning to wonder if he hasn't spent just a little too much time in the sun. 'Cause no one else on his team saw a thing -- not his longtime partner, Clay Demodocus; not their saucy young research assistant; not even the spliff-puffing white-boy Rastaman Kona (né Preston Applebaum). But later, when a roll of film returns from the lab missing the crucial tail shot -- and his research facility is trashed -- Nate realizes something very fishy indeed is going on.
By turns witty, irreverent, fascinating, puzzling, and surprising, Fluke is Christopher Moore at his outrageous best.
"
Customer Reviews:
What a weird strange trip.......2007-08-01
I've only recently discovered the writings of Christopher Moore, but I'm now on a quest to read all of his books, and I can't tell you why. They are all uniquely quirky and funny. Each of his novels is a fairly quick read with a love story, a mystery, and some sort of paranormal element thrown in for good measure.
His style of writing makes his books so easy to digest. You don't have to think, just giggle.
I started out by reading "LAMB" and actually 'learned' some religous history. I found his account fascinating and exciting. It led me to want to read more of his writings, and I've been glad that I have.
Fluke is a great book, but its premise starts to get a little strange. If I want to start thinking about my impact on the planet, I stick to "ISHMAEL".
I recommend Christopher Moore as an author and this book as a second or third book of his to pick-up. To get a flavor for his work, start out with "YOU SUCK - A LOVE STORY" and then either this or "LAMB".
Laugh and learn about sea mammals.......2007-07-28
Christopher Moore cracks me up.
His absurd humor is addicting.
Get the audio book and you can laugh while driving.
3 1/2 stars would be more accurate.......2007-05-30
For anyone looking for a break from the mundane, cliche novels that are out there, then Christopher Moore will certainly fit the bill; and Fluke is no exception. The story is of a whale biologist and his eventful (and unbelievable) research in Hawaii. Of course, Moore's insane and inane plot devolves from there.
Although this book delivered a few laughs, I did not find it nearly as funny as "A Dirty Job" (although Moore's comments on "advanced poop-chute technology" should not be missed).
The plot overall is as crazy and unexpected as you would expect from Moore, but seems to drag a little toward the end. Also, I was not terribly happy with the resolution of everything.
The characters are very likeable, but do not seem to do much growing over the course of the novel.
Fluke is worth checking out if you are a fan of Moore's, or if you have some free time on your hands, but you may be better off getting it at the library.
Fluke.......2007-04-12
My husband and I listened to this on vacation in San Diego. We spent alot of time on the freeways. Fluke kept us laughing and entertained the whole time!
great.......2007-03-31
I liked this book so much I've now read several more of his. This one is still the best so far. Clever, fun, fast paced, unpredictable! I recommend it highly.
Book Description
Susan Page’s bestselling relationship book has been translated into 18 languages, is being read in more than 25 countries, and its mass-market edition has sold more than 158,000 copies. At the heart of this book are Page’s famed 10 strategies for readers to better self-understanding and ultimately a fulfilling relationship. Filled with revealing anecdotes, case studies, and quizzes, the book’s down-to- earth guidance will appeal to everyone who devoured books like Mars and Venus on a Date and Getting the Love You Want, and anyone who wants a fulfilling intimate relationship.
"Behold a wonder–a romantic self-help book that is intelligent, upbeat, practical, useful, winning, and even wise." –Kirkus Reviews
Customer Reviews:
Very interesting and useable helpful hints.......2007-09-27
Very interesting hints and points how to meet people who match with your intrests and needs.
Step one, find a huge group of availble partners .......2007-07-05
If you really don't know how to attract a mate, are subconsciously avoiding finding one, or tend to make poor choices....this book is for you. On the other hand, if you would love to find the perfect life partner but are limited by the number of available people of the same sexual orientation, age, attractiveness or social class, this book will not help you. It depends heavily on your having a reasonably large dating pool. She makes it sound like everyone has enough people in their social circle to create an endless reject list if necessary.
Non-sentimental, good advice.......2007-05-18
It will probably make you want to break up with the person you are dating...which may be why you are reading the book. I thought the first half of the book was the best part and had some very good points and was insightful. The second half of the book--less interesting. But I did buy it for a few girlfriends who needed to read it.
OUTSTANDING!.......2007-01-30
I bought this book in 1990 and still have my copy with multi-layers of highlighting. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I learned so much and, to this day, I still use the term "psuedo intimacy" in discussions about relationships. (I also refer to "psuedo love" which SP does not use in her book but which is clearly inspired by her and inferred.)
From Chapter 6: "Understanding the distinction between pseudo-intimate games and real intimacy is the best defense against getting deeply involved with a person who cannot open up to you, become vulnerable, and share closely in the way a lifetime of living together demands." "...now, a relationship can move from formal to friendly to sexual in the course of one evening. ... The (Closeness Game) game looks and feels like genuine intimacy but leaves you feeling empty in the end."
From Chapter 10: "...if you are still single because of a lack of self-awareness and self-acceptance, then all the strategies and techniques in the world won't be very useful to you. A good relationship with yourself is a prerequisite for a successful relationship with the person you love. If you don't love yourself, you will place an unfair and impossible burden on your partner: you will try to get him or her to make you feel good about yourself. ...self awareness is an ongoing, ever expanding process."
That and much, much more is contained within the pages of this book. Highly, highly, highly recommended. Life-changing (for the better).
Wonderful.......2006-11-13
I am a Christian, and although this book is not written from a Chrsitian viewpoint, the advice is hopeful and excellent!
I read a lot, and this is a substantial (not fluffy) book. Buy it!
Books:
- WICKED: THE GRIMMERIE, A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT THE HIT BROADWAY MUSICAL
- You Don't Have to Take it Anymore: Turn Your Resentful, Angry, or Emotionally Abusive Relationship into a Compassionate, Loving One
- A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature
- Active Matrix Liquid Crystal Displays: Fundamentals and Applications
- Aim for the Heart
- Aim for the Heart
- Alaska: A Light in the Window/Destiny's Road/Iditarod Dream/Christmas Dream (Heartsong Novella Collection)
- All the Pretty Horses
- AP Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law (Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law)
- As Seen on TV: The Visual Culture of Everyday Life in the 1950s
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Recommended Books
- MCAT Complete Study Package, Sixth Edition
- First Responder Handbook: Fire Service Edition
- Women's Films in Print
- A Mother's Rule of Life: How to Bring Order to Your Home and Peace to Your Soul
- Business: A Changing World
- D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths
- Cruising the Chesapeake: A Gunkholer's Guide
- Computer Assisted Analytical Review System
- World Economy: Global Trade Policy 2004
- Carambola: Vidas En El Jazz Latino