General Books - Page 5

Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul

John Eldredge, Stasi Eldredge

Amazon Price: $10.19 List Price: $14.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Thomas Nelson Amazon Marketplace: 78 new & used starting at $6.19

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Christian Living -> Women's Issues
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Christian Living -> General
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Christian Living -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 303 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Every little girl has dreams of being swept up into a great adventure, of being the beautiful princess. Sadly, when women grow up, they are often swept up into a life filled merely with duty and demands. Many Christian women are tired, struggling under the weight of the pressure to be a "good servant," a nurturing caregiver, or a capable home manager.

What Wild at Heart did for men, Captivating can do for women. This groundbreaking book shows readers the glorious design of women before the fall, describes how the feminine heart can be restored, and casts a vision for the power, freedom, and beauty of a woman released to be all she was meant to be. By revealing the core desires every woman shares-to be romanced, to play an irreplaceable role in a grand adventure, and to unveil beauty-John and Stasi Eldredge invite women to recover their feminine hearts, created in the image of an intimate and passionate God. Further, they encourage men to discover the secret of a woman's soul and to delight in the beauty and strength women were created to offer.

Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church

N. T. Wright

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: HarperOne Amazon Marketplace: 53 new & used starting at $12.83

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Authors, A-Z -> ( W ) -> Wright, N.T.
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Theology -> Eschatology
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 39 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

For years Christians have been asking, "If you died tonight, do you know where you would go?" It turns out that many believers have been giving the wrong answer. It is not heaven.

Award-winning author N. T. Wright outlines the present confusion about a Christian's future hope and shows how it is deeply intertwined with how we live today. Wright, who is one of today's premier Bible scholars, asserts that Christianity's most distinctive idea is bodily resurrection. He provides a magisterial defense for a literal resurrection of Jesus and shows how this became the cornerstone for the Christian community's hope in the bodily resurrection of all people at the end of the age. Wright then explores our expectation of "new heavens and a new earth," revealing what happens to the dead until then and what will happen with the "second coming" of Jesus. For many, including many Christians, all this will come as a great surprise.

Wright convincingly argues that what we believe about life after death directly affects what we believe about life before death. For if God intends to renew the whole creation—and if this has already begun in Jesus's resurrection—the church cannot stop at "saving souls" but must anticipate the eventual renewal by working for God's kingdom in the wider world, bringing healing and hope in the present life.

Lively and accessible, this book will surprise and excite all who are interested in the meaning of life, not only after death but before it.

Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life

Marshall B. Rosenberg

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Puddledancer Press Amazon Marketplace: 77 new & used starting at $7.93

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> General
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> General AAS
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Relationships -> Interpersonal Relations

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 67 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Do you hunger for skills to improve the quality of your relationships, to deepen your sense of personal empowerment or to simply communicate more effectively? Unfortunately, for centuries our culture has taught us to think and speak in ways that can actually perpetuate conflict, internal pain and even violence. Nonviolent Communication partners practical skills with a powerful consciousness and vocabulary to help you get what you want peacefully.

In this internationally acclaimed text, Marshall Rosenberg offers insightful stories, anecdotes, practical exercises and role-plays that will dramatically change your approach to communication for the better. Discover how the language you use can strengthen your relationships, build trust, prevent conflicts and heal pain. Revolutionary, yet simple, NVC offers you the most effective tools to reduce violence and create peace in your life—one interaction at a time.

Over 150,000 copies sold and now available in 20 languages around the world. More than 250,000 people each year from all walks of life are learning these life-changing skills.

The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical

Shane Claiborne

Amazon Price: $10.19 List Price: $14.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Zondervan Amazon Marketplace: 80 new & used starting at $7.50

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Philosophy -> Political
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Politics -> Ideologies -> General AAS
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Social Sciences -> Political Science -> Political Doctrines -> Radicalism

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 135 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Shane Claiborne's Manifesto 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Love him or hate him, you can't say that Shane Claiborne doesn't make you think. In "The Irresistible Revolution," Claiborne challenges the Church to think differently about poverty, materialism, and love. Part memoir, part manifesto, the book follows Claiborne from his Tennessee childhood to working with Mother Teresa to starting the Simple Way in Philadelphia. While I don't agree with all of his statements (a few times he considers "military intelligence" to be an oxymoron), Claiborne has definitely inspired me to think differently about how I can help make the world a better place.

getting back to the basics 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I really enjoyed Shane's view on making things simple. Love each other, share with each other, love Jesus. His way of life is not easy for people to take, and hard to follow... but by making small changes, this book and its philosophy can help guide your life to a great new place!!!

Editorial Review:

Using unconventional examples from his own life, Shane Claiborne stirs up questions about the church and the world, and challenges readers to truly live out their Christian faith.

Great Emergence, The: How Christianity Is Changing and Why (emersion: Emergent Village resources for communities of faith)

Phyllis Tickle

Amazon Price: $12.23 List Price: $17.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Baker Books Amazon Marketplace: 17 new & used starting at $11.65

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Theology -> General
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Theology -> General AAS
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The Great Emergence 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Up until a few months ago I'd never heard of Phyllis Tickle, but a few weeks ago I ordered her latest book The Great Emergence; How Christianity is Changing and Why

It arrived from the US on Friday; it's only a short book (162pages) so I read most of it the following day.

Tickle (refreshingly) is not an academic or theologian, but is recognized by CNN, USA TODAY, NEWSWEEK, TIME and The NEW YORK TIMES as one of the most respected authorities on religion in the US, she is also the founding editor of the religion department of Publishers Weekly, she is also a lay Eucharistic minister of the Episcopalian Church and a senior fellow of Cathedral College, so she is well credentialed to make these observations.

In the opening pages of the book she makes a timely but also disturbing observation (at least to some!) She says; "every five hundred years or so, the Church cleans out its attic and has a giant rummage sale"

She articulates the challenges facing the Church in a way that few others have, she takes us right back into the early days of Christendom and points out with great accuracy starting with Gregory the great in 500AD and in a brief yet comprehensive fashion creates a broad picture of the issues (and what would appear) and unrelated facets in this period of history and shows with some conviction the factors that contributed to the demise of the first "Great" re-formation. This was followed by a similar tectonic shift around 1000AD and of course the Great Reformation of Luther, Calvin and co in 1517.

Tickle points out in each instance that the great unrest started in years and in many cases sometimes even centuries before the event was officially recognized, and in may cases as pointed out earlier these co-contributors were not religious in nature, a good example of this was the first printing press by Gothenburg, it started its production within a short time of the famous "Wittenberg Door" and the nailing of the thesis to the same, this reformation owes its so called success in no small way to the arrival of the printing press. This fuelled the state, national and international debate and discussion on a level unprecedented in history.

In our own case the end of modernity and the painful dawning of a new era called post-modernism has challenged to the very core all that we hold dear, this in itself has created untold anxiety, fear and uncertainty, we are by nature (not all of us thankfully!) Creatures of habit and the Church more than any other institution has been woefully unprepared for change on any level. Not only do we want things to stay the same, but we will move heaven and earth to make sure that it does, and woe betide anyone who has the temerity to even think of doing this, as one minister once pointed out when taking over a church with a very conservative congregation, `how do you move the organ in a church...inch by inch, week by week'

The emerging Church has attempted over the last few years to move the church with what would appear to be great haste, and the old warhorses of modernity have had much to say about this, most of it scathing in nature. When looking at the different eras of the church over the last 2000years modernity has brought its own unique challenges, its obsession with black and white absolutes, its manic need to have everything reduced to quantifiable outcomes and then bringing out the old black and white plans to see if everything measures up to the millimeter, this has made things difficult indeed, the old guard in terms of all things theological, has mostly produced Christians that are `sentry guards' or `boundary keepers'

McLaren has rightly pointed out that this is a conversation not a blue print for the final model. Unfortunately modernity has for far to long turned any conversation into a monologue, wanting to monopolize the end result, conversation brings with it the suggestion of a mutual exchange of ideas, not the old model where the defense of a worn out theology that has long had its day. The rummage sale will always be stressful, when moving house one will always feel that everything is sacred, it is no longer about what to keep but what to let go of, and the reasons (within this context) will more than likely contain elements of co-dependency. To let go is to feel that one will not be caught and so plummet into the depths. Modernity has finally come to the cross roads, it is time to put aside its adolescent angst, and realize that is time to `grow up and grow out' of its obsession with not only a theology that was systematic but a whole lifestyle, the emerging church as an observer over many years is declaring that this is now problematic. Tickle brings two new words to the table and the conversation, "orthonomy" and "theonomy" these words are a good description of what the `great emergence' are endeavoring to do;

* Orthonomy:

This is a difficult word to describe; it was used in the Septuagint and the New Testament it is best understood as meaning the employment of aesthetic or harmonic purity as a tool for discerning the truth, this word presents a great challenge for those who are steeped in doctrine and or practice.

* Theonomy

It means to say or name the principle that only God can be the source of perfection in action and thought...As is patently clear, the burden of the argument of theonomy is still the principle of sola scriptura, albeit in more modish and culturally attractive clothes.

These new words also describe in more comprehensive fashion the new model;

The old model looked a little like this, it could be described as `the quadrilateral' this was simple divided into four boxes that looked like this;

* Liturgicals
* Renewalists
* Social justice Christians
* Conservatives


These four categories are well defined by four square boxes, this model will never lend itself to any sort of mergence, the boundaries are too well defined, within this old model one was forced to guard the boundaries for fear of theological contamination, this in itself and by its very nature created friction, this was and will always be divisive, forcing people into one camp or the other, and one would be challenged when the pressure was on to declare ones `colors' little wonder that we have more than 20,000 denominations always looking for an edge, this model bordered on compulsive-obsessive, like the man who washed his hands dozens of times a day, never wanting to suffer any contamination, and so with this model theological purity at all costs leads one to break away again and again, pride will always seek to express itself in elitist language, will always major on the minors, never wishing to see that as a body of Christ we will always have much more in common that not.

The new model looks more like a `rose' with the petals interwoven towards the center, indeed as one gets closer to the center the greater cohesion where each petal compliments and supports the other, the goal of this new model is nothing short of miraculous, since when and where has the body of Christ ever worked in harmony every sought to compliment and support those with different ideas and views. This new model is seeking to create a dynamic where for the first time the boundaries (which have always bordered on the level of autistic in the sense that there has been a repulsion of any and all intimacy and contact) are removed and we are encouraged to embrace for the first time. The real need here is for a fresh understanding a more informed view of the bigger picture. Only the spirit of God is capable of creating this sort of cohesion

Editorial Review:

Rooted in the observation that massive transitions in the church happen about every 500 years, Phyllis Tickle shows readers that we live in such a time right now. She compares the Great Emergence to other "Greats" in the history of Christianity, including the Great Transformation (when God walked among us), the time of Gregory the Great, the Great Schism, and the Great Reformation. Combining history, a look at the causes of social upheaval, and current events, The Great Emergence shows readers what the Great Emergence in church and culture is, how it came to be, and where it is going. Anyone who is interested in the future of the church in America, no matter what their personal affiliation, will find this book a fascinating exploration.

When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times

Pema Chodron

Amazon Price: $6.99 List Price: $6.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Shambhala Amazon Marketplace: 66 new & used starting at $2.32

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Authors, A-Z -> ( C ) -> Chodron, Pema
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Buddhism -> Tibetan
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Buddhism -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 129 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

esoteric drivel 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 13 people found this review helpful.

It is an indication that something is wrong if you have to go read another book or two on history and philosophy of Buddhism in order to understand the esoteric dogma she is talking about.

Now to put all this in simple terms the jest of the book seams to be:

We are all going to die and we should think about it all the time.
There is no hope and we should not even try
All is suffering and we should not try to do anything about it
All is pain and we should try to find more pain.
We do not have a soul and if you think you do you are deluded

These are not good messages for someone who is really in a state of depression or flux
I can not see what anyone gets out of this book

Her point if there is one is almost un-understandable through all the esoteric drivel

Editorial Review:

Much like Zen, Pema Chodron's interpretation of Tibetan Buddhism takes the form of a nontheistic spiritualism. In When Things Fall Apart this head of a Tibetan monastery in Canada outlines some relevant and deceptively profound terms of Tibetan Buddhism that are germane to modern issues. The key to all of these terms is accepting that in the final analysis, life is groundless. By letting go, we free ourselves to face fear and obstacles and offer ourselves unflinchingly to others. The graceful, conversational tone of Chodron's writing gives the impression of sitting on a pillow across from her, listening to her everyday examples of Buddhist wisdom.

Mindfulness for Beginners

Jon Kabat-Zinn

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Sounds True, Incorporated Amazon Marketplace: 49 new & used starting at $10.00

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Self-Help -> Personal Transformation
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Self-Help -> Stress Management
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Self-Help -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Excellent introduction to mindfulness and meditation 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Jon Kabat-Zinn gives a most complete introduction to appreciating the now and quieting your mind. I highly recommend these cd's for the beginner.

Fantastic resource for beginners 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This product was just what I was looking for. I am a therapist and use a mindfulness approach with my patients. Having access to such a welldone resource that is easy to use and understand for beginners has been very helpful.

Mindfullness for beginers 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Nice... the audio book can get you deep into the mind and soul. Just sit back and feel the stress float away.

Editorial Review:

Perhaps no other person in America has done more to bring mindfulness meditation into the mainstream than Jon Kabat-Zinn. Through many research studies and his pioneering work at the University of Massachusetts where he is founder of its world renowned Stress Reduction Clinic, Kabat-Zinn has served as a recognized bridge between science and meditation. With Mindfulness for Beginners, he offers the definitive course designed specifically to introduce new students to the proven benefits of mindfulness practice, including: stress reduction, alleviation of depression, chronic pain relief, and more.

The Richest Man in Babylon

George S. Clason

Amazon Price: $6.99 List Price: $6.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Signet Amazon Marketplace: 104 new & used starting at $2.29

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Business Life -> Ethics
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Management & Leadership -> Motivational
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Personal Finance -> Money & Values

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 407 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Babylon sounds a lot like Bakersfield 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The Richest Man in Babylon was first published in 1929 by George S. Clayson, but written as if it had been translated from tablets taken from the ancient city of Babylon. Though the device is similar to something H.P. Lovecraft would use to establish credibility in a horror story, here it lends weight to his lessons and principles about how to create wealth. The basic principle boils down to save a dime from every dollar, but there are more nuggets of useful advice that would work wonders if you would but follow them faithfully.

It is a bit jarring to the modern ear when Clayson talks of slaves and slavery, but when you think of it, being in debt instead of saving and having your savings and investments working for you is a kind of financial slavery. Like the 'drinking gourd' in the sky, if you follow the principles set forth in 'The Richest Man in Babylon' it will free you from the shackles of debt.

I liked the last part where it described how Babylon was able to flourish despite not being a major port and not even having lots of natural resources such as forests or minerals. Through an ingenious system of irrigation and hard work, as well as systems of writing and record keeping, Babylon became a center of commerce. Kind of like Bakersfield, I'm thinking.

10 Books for Further Study on Wealth Building and Personal Success

How to Be Rich

The Millionaire Next Door

As A Man Thinketh

Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph

The Way to Wealth

The Art Of War

Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money--That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!

Gold Ahead by George S. Clason (the author of The Richest Man in Babylon)

Think and Grow Rich

The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America, Second Edition

Editorial Review:

OVER 2 MILION IN PRINT

The success secrets of the Ancients-the most inspiring book on wealth ever written

Mere Christianity

C. S. Lewis

Amazon Price: $10.36 List Price: $12.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: HarperOne Amazon Marketplace: 247 new & used starting at $2.46

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Christian Living -> General
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Christian Living -> General AAS
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Literature & Fiction -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 445 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Disappointing Defense 2 out of 5 stars.
3 of 5 people found this review helpful.

C.S. Lewis presents a disappointing defense of Christianity and Christian Ethics. The primary advantage of this work is that it is clearly written, and uses many analogies to help illustrate its points to the reader. The major disadvantage, however, is that these analogies and analysis are far too simplistic. By introducing an analogy Lewis merely assumes it as proof of the very thing he is trying to argue. Page after page is filled with analogy and reasoning which seems to rest on an undefended assumption. His argument that Christ was either "Divine or a Madman" for calling himself the Son of God, and that therefore we must believe the former is really ludicrous. Any number of persons have been false prophets and made false claims, but because the claims are outrageous doesn't mean we must accept them. If Christ is any different, he has not shown how Christ's ideas were different, which is where he should have gone. I write this from the perspective of one friendly to the Christian religion and its ethics, and simply don't think Lewis has done a very good job in arguing for the Christian religion. Too many of his arguments are really thinly veiled theological assumptions that are uncritically presented in two-dimensional depth.

Editorial Review:

A forceful and accessible discussion of Christian belief that has become one of the most popular introductions to Christianity and one of the most popular of Lewis's books. Uncovers common ground upon which all Christians can stand together.

Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence

Sarah Young

Amazon Price: $10.97 List Price: $13.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Thomas Nelson Amazon Marketplace: 43 new & used starting at $7.60

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Worship & Devotion -> Devotionals
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Spirituality -> Devotionals
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Spirituality -> Inspirational

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 70 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

We have read several devotional books but this one, we think, is one of the best. It is as if Jesus is sitting next to you and visiting with you. My husband and I liked it so much that we purchased several to give to our family and friends; they also purchashed this little wonderful book to give as gifts. Enjoy!

Editorial Review:

Uniquely inspired treasures from heaven for every day of the year by missionary Sarah Young.

Jesus Calling is a devotional filled with uniquely inspired treasures from heaven for every day of the year.  After many years of writing in her prayer journal, missionary Sarah Young decided to listen to God with pen in hand, writing down whatever she believed He was saying to her.  It was awkward at first, but gradually her journaling changed from monologue to dialogue.  She knew her writings were not inspired as Scripture is, but journaling helped her grow closer to God.  Others were blessed as she shared her writings, until people all over the world were using her messages.  They are written from Jesus' point of view, thus the title Jesus Calling.  It is Sarah's fervent prayer that our Savior may bless readers with His presence and His peace in ever deeper measure.