Subjects Books

Glenn Beck's Common Sense: The Case Against an Out-of-Control Government, Inspired by Thomas Paine

Glenn Beck

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 173 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

"If you believe it's time to put principles above parties, character above campaign promises, and Common Sense above all -- then I ask you to read this book...."

In any era, great Americans inspire us to reach our full potential. They know with conviction what they believe within themselves. They understand that all actions have consequences. And they find commonsense solutions to the nation's problems.

One such American, Thomas Paine, was an ordinary man who changed the course of history by penning Common Sense, the concise 1776 masterpiece in which, through extraordinarily straightforward and indisputable arguments, he encouraged his fellow citizens to take control of America's future -- and, ultimately, her freedom.

Nearly two and a half centuries later, those very freedoms once again hang in the balance. And now, Glenn Beck revisits Paine's powerful treatise with one purpose: to galvanize Americans to see past government's easy solutions, two-part monopoly, and illogical methods and take back our great country.

Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto

Mark R. Levin

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1648 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Conservative talk radio's fastest-growing superstar is also a New York Times bestselling phenomenon: the author of the groundbreaking critique of the Supreme Court, Men in Black, and the deeply personal dog lover's memoir Rescuing Sprite, Mark R. Levin now delivers the book that characterizes both his devotion to his more than 5 million listeners and his love of our country and the legacy of our Founding Fathers: Liberty and Tyranny is Mark R. Levin's clarion call to conservative America, a new manifesto for the conservative movement for the 21st century.

In the face of the modern liberal assault on Constitution-based values, an attack that has steadily snowballed since President Roosevelt's New Deal of the 1930s and resulted in a federal government that is a massive, unaccountable conglomerate, the time for re-enforcing the intellectual and practical case for conservatism is now. Conservative beliefs in individual freedoms do in the end stand for liberty for all Americans, while liberal dictates lead to the breakdown of civilized society -- in short, tyranny. Looking back to look to the future, Levin writes "conservatism is the antidote to tyranny precisely because its principles are our founding principles." And in a series of powerful essays, Levin lays out how conservatives can counter the liberal corrosion that has filtered into every timely issue affecting our daily lives, from the economy to health care, global warming, immigration, and more -- and illustrates how change, as seen through the conservative lens, is always prudent, and always an enhancement to individual freedom.

As provocative, well-reasoned, robust, and informed as his on-air commentary, Levin's narrative will galvanize readers to begin a new era in conservative thinking and action. Liberty and Tyranny provides a philosophical, historical, and practical framework for revitalizing the conservative vision and ensuring the preservation of American society.

The Shack

William P. Young

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3405 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Pleasant Tasting Poison 1 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

As I read "The Shack" I am confronted with a fear of mine that Christians are too quick to buy into something because they find it comforting without checking first to see if it is true. I regularly read books by those opposed to the faith and by cultists and go through them circling items that need to be addressed which will be done later on on my own blog, www.deeperwaters.wordpress.com.

My pen went into overdrive on this one.

There is just too much that is wrong with this book and if you felt any rumbles while reading, that would be the sound of the early church fathers rolling in their graves. For an example, consider how "Papa" in the story has scars on his arms. He speaks of how he suffered on the cross, an unorthodox view known as patripassianism.

When he speaks of the Trinity, I'm not sure if he's really modalistic or tri-theistic in his perception of the Trinity. It's definitely faulty however the way he portrays it. If you want a good understanding of the Trinity, don't go to this book.

When the Trinity talks to Mack and asks him about his kids, I was stunned by the idea that God was limiting his knowledge. That would be a change in the nature of God and at that point, it is definitely no longer the God of the Bible.

The Bible. There's another point. Where do you see the Bible cited at all in this work? Not once. It seems the basis for Young's doctrine is his own experience and emotions. I see no reason to think of anything beyond a Sunday School faith for this one. However, it is interesting what he does say on pages 65-66.

"In seminary he had been taught that God had completely stopped any overt communication with moderns, preferring to have them only listen to and follow sacred Scripture, properly interpreted, of course. God's voice had been reduced to paper, and even that paper had to be moderated and deciphered by the proper authorities and intellects."

Yes. Down with education and further study of the Bible. However, the Seminary training is right. Hearing the voice of God is a new phenomenon and unfortunately, Young's book will help more people think it's normative and then when things don't go away, we have fresh apostates.

There's also the way each person was presented. God is presented as a black female. Now I'm not against blacks or women of course, but it would be best to go with God the way he has presented himself. The Father is not incarnate and not of any race and when portrayed it is most often as male and it is that way for a reason.

The appearance of Wisdom is also confusing. I hold that Wisdom is actually Christ, as I believe the early church did. Wisdom seems to be connected to God in The Shack and being eternal with the attributes of God but somehow not being God. I really don't know Young's stance on this and he doesn't give enough information to tell.

As for his answer to the Problem of Evil, I do not find it convincing. Now I'm not really swayed too much by this objection, but many people are. I do not think Young really gives much of an answer as I've seen many and I didn't think Young really added anything.

My conclusion. I am concerned about the Christian love of this book. I believe it is pulling us into a mindset of we determine the nature of God by feeling and experience and what's important is how we are seen by God instead of how he sees us. It might seem pleasant to many, but I see it as poisonous.

Editorial Review:

Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever. In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant "The Shack" wrestles with the timeless question, "Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?" The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You'll want everyone you know to read this book!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Random House Reader's Circle)

Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 673 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Just OK 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I read this book because of all the great reviews. It wasn't a bad book -it covered an interesting, but sad era and some of the characters were entertaining, with a nice story line, but I found it hard to read in epistolary form - all those letters, all those characters became confusing. And the end seemed a little rushed.

Appealing and informative of a llittle known story 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

How did the Gurnsey Islanders manage during WWII, since they were occupied by Nazi troops. This book charms you and relates the story at the same time.Easy, quick read. A page turner. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Loved this Book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I read a borrowed copy of this book but I liked it so much that I purchased a copy to keep to read again. The story is told in a unique style and the characters are developed so well that you feel they are your friends. I recommend this book to men and women. It is a great story about human spirit.

Editorial Review:

January 1946: writer Juliet Ashton receives a letter from a stranger, a founding member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. And so begins a remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name.

New Moon (The Twilight Saga, Book 2)

Stephenie Meyer

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1937 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Excellent 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Very good condition, pretty grand new to me. I had the books in very short period of time.

Twilight Saga 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is the best story ever written. I only wish I could communicate my delight to the author personally. Please finish MIDNIGHT SUN soon!!! I want to read more. I've read the story 3 times and I'm on my to starting my 4th time through.... I am almost 50 years old, and I am completely obsessed with this story!!! and I love spending time with the characters. It does not matter that I know what is coming, I read it with great trepidation and anticipation every time!!!

Editorial Review:

Legions of readers entranced by Twilight are hungry for more and they won't be disappointed. In New Moon, Stephenie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural twist. The "star-crossed" lovers theme continues as Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously sinister encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires, the Volturi. Passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.

The Scarecrow

Michael Connelly

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Total reviews: 110 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Not Dazzling 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This was not a bad book, nor did it offer the depth and sharpness that Connelly has brought in his other writing. Too long, too predictable and while the cyber hacker intrigue was a timely piece, it could not make up for the limited plot and character development. I actually found the commentary on the changes in news gathering and reporting to be more engaging than the whole criminal pursuit and wonder if that is not what Connelly really wanted to write about in the first place. Harry Bosch is definitely a stronger, more complex and more engaging character.

Editorial Review:

Forced out of the Los Angeles Times amid the latest budget cuts, newspaperman Jack McEvoy decides to go out with a bang, using his final days at the paperto write the definitive murder story of his career.

He focuses on Alonzo Winslow, a 16-year-old drug dealer in jail after confessing to a brutal murder. But as he delves into the story, Jack realizes that Winslow's so-called confession is bogus. The kid might actually be innocent.

Jack is soon running with his biggest story since The Poetmade his career years ago. He is tracking a killer who operates completely below police radar--and with perfect knowledge of any move against him. Including Jack's.

Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4)

Stephenie Meyer

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Total reviews: 4557 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

When you loved the one who was killing you, it left you no options. How could you run, how could you fight, when doing so would hurt that beloved one? If your life was all you had to give, how could you not give it? If it was someone you truly loved?

To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, a tumultuous year of temptation, loss, and strife have led her to the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or to pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fates of two tribes hangs.

Now that Bella has made her decision, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating, and unfathomable, consequences. Just when the frayed strands of Bella's life--first discovered in Twilight, then scattered and torn in New Moon and Eclipse--seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed... forever?

The astonishing, breathlessly anticipated conclusion to the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn illuminates the secrets and mysteries of this spellbinding romantic epic that has entranced millions.

Catastrophe

Dick Morris, Eileen Mcgann

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Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

It's time to take back our country. Now. It's that simple. It's that urgent. So begins Dick Morris and Eileen McGann's latest and most important book. They say that we must act before President Barack Obama fully implements his radical political agenda. Because after Obama has won his war on prosperity and canceled the war on terror, it will be too late to regain our liberty or our security. At a time when we needed a pragmatic centrist to lead us out of recession, we got a doctrinaire socialist who wants to use the crisis to put the government in charge of the economy and enact European socialism here in the United States. Cars, banks-what's next? He will keep at it until Washington governs every major business in America and sets all our salaries. It's a catastrophe. Dick Morris and Eileen McGann saw the meltdown coming. In their book Outrage, they called out the house of cards that was Fannie Mae. In Fleeced, they went after the credit card companies, the subprime mortgage lenders, and the hedge fund billionaires who conspired to wreck the economy-and Barack Obama, whose policies, they predicted last summer, would "trigger a stock market crash." Now, in Catastrophe, Morris and McGann take a hard look at America in free fall-and at how Obama is transforming a vulnerable America into a socialist state. They tell the truth about Obama and his radical policies: He will destroy our health care system so that no one gets adequate care. He designed his bank rescue plan to pave the way for nation-alization of the banks and socialization of the economy. He firmly believes in government control of our major industries-he's already commandeered the banks and the automobile industry. He plans to reshape the political landscape to keep the left in power for decades by cooking the census, enfranchising illegal immigrants, muzzling talk radio, and coercing workers into unions. He is attacking those who fight terrorism while letting the terrorists go free. He gives aid to Hamas while Shariah Law threatens to take over America. He has repealed the Declaration of Independence and put us under a worldwide, European-dominated financial regulatory system. But Obama is not working alone. Morris and McGann spell out how Congress is complicit: How Senator Chris Dodd and Congressman Charlie Rangel use special interests and special friends for their own enrichment and glorification. How Ted Kennedy Jr. is exploiting his father's health care power. "This is no time for apathy or alienation or hopelessness," Morris and McGann remind us. "It's a time for action." And that action must begin now-before it's too late.

Eclipse (The Twilight Saga)

Stephenie Meyer

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1647 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Eclipse 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Eclipse (The Twilight Saga)Extremely interesting. This was a very good book. I couldn't put it down.

Psychoanalysis needed 2 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Bella's need to make everyone else happy is grating on the nerves.
However, it's understandable. She was her mother's caretaker and then on the move to Forks, went into the caretaker role for her father easily. This is the way she is...she thinks she doesn't deserve to be loved for herself and goes overboard. Her obsession with not drawing attention to herself fits this caretaker role perfectly.
How sad.
Edward is not controlling. He is on a mission to see her happy however much she fights against this. He also feels the need to protect her. His inability to read her thoughts is a crucial plot element. What fun would it be if nothing was a surprise?
Her self flagellation over Jacob is nerve racking and something I thought could have been shortened extensively. I am not a Jacob fan.
Too much emotional pain to be good.

Editorial Review:

Readers captivated by Twilight and New Moon will eagerly devour the paperback edition Eclipse, the third book in Stephenie Meyer's riveting vampire love saga. As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob --- knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

Outliers: The Story of Success

Malcolm Gladwell

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Total reviews: 613 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Excellent, but you might first read "Talent is Overrated," by Geoff Colvin 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I liked it. I try to read each of Gladwell's new books, and so each new one doesn't seem like a new book per se, but a continuation of a saga of learning. In this book, Gladwell mainly addresses the influence of culture on performance. While I found it interesting, I can't make much practical use of the book, because I cannot change my cultural background, for better or worse, and probably am not wise enough to do so if I could. I can try to leverage my culture's strengths and guard against its weaknesses, which Gladwell advises, but I endeavor to do that already.

So, while I liked the book, I don't see much potential for impact to my life, beyond making me better-read. In contrast, "Talent is Overrated," by Geoff Colvin, addresses the `IQ problem,' and from Colvin's book I could see some life applications - - in terms of implementing `deliberate practice.'

So, as a long-time Gladwell fan, my advice is: read "Outliers," but after reading "Talent is Overrated," by Geoff Colvin.

Editorial Review:

In this stunning new book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers"--the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different? His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing. Along the way he explains the secrets of software billionaires, what it takes to be a great soccer player, why Asians are good at math, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band.


Brilliant and entertaining, OUTLIERS is a landmark work that will simultaneously delight and illuminate.