( G ) Books

The Prophet

Kahlil Gibran

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 263 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

hideous piffle for dimwits 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 9 people found this review helpful.

This book is a sort of Hallmark Greeting card compilation of the type of vacuous garbage-thought that made the 1970s a cultural disaster. Are you a sentimental pacifist who thinks Gandhi was swell, but never heard of the Moriori? Do you think of love as some sort of emotional flatulence that comes and goes the way weather does? Do you think evil is only a result of people being insufficiently nice to one another? Are your views on child rearing that you should let the kids do what they want because they're individuals? Do you think business is evil and soul destroying, and hurts the world more than it helps? Do you think religion is bad, but spiiiiirituality is good? Do you think criminals shouldn't be punished, because it's not really their fault? Do you think a mindless pursuit of pleasure is necessary for a healthy life? Well, if you believe any of these things, and enjoy saccharine sweet sing-songey prose, this book is for you. It comes in an attractive hard cover, making it appear to be a very serious book, on the same level as Jonathan Livingston Seagull, but with more naked lady pictures inside. It will provide you with many prim moments of doltish piety in your cloud cuckoo land. You may even be able to use this tome to pick up on people who are as morally defective as you are.

Personally, I prefer my wisdom to be, you know, at least vaguely wise. If I want florid saccharine language, I'll go read some Browning or other Victorian poetry. You can pick up antique volumes of such stuff for cheap, since books which required effort to write or read are unfashionable these days. They also look nicer on your bookshelf. As a bonus, it might actually be good for you to read Browning, whereas reading Gibran is sort of like giving yourself a mental venereal disease.

Please, humanity, restore my faith in basic human decency: stop reading this book. This book destroys souls and stunts aesthetics. If you must give copies of the book to people, give it to people you don't like. Give this book in the same spirit the British sold Opium to the Chinese. The end result will be much the same if they take the precepts of this silly book seriously.

Editorial Review:

In a distant, timeless place, a mysterious prophet walks the sands. At the moment of his departure, he wishes to offer the people gifts but possesses nothing. The people gather round, each asks a question of the heart, and the man's wisdom is his gift. It is Gibran's gift to us, as well, for Gibran's prophet is rivaled in his wisdom only by the founders of the world's great religions. On the most basic topics--marriage, children, friendship, work, pleasure--his words have a power and lucidity that in another era would surely have provoked the description "divinely inspired." Free of dogma, free of power structures and metaphysics, consider these poetic, moving aphorisms a 20th-century supplement to all sacred traditions--as millions of other readers already have. --Brian Bruya

The Secret Language of Birthdays (reissue)

Gary Goldschneider, Joost Elffers

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 53 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

it's great! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book is great, i bought it for my sister, as i already have one of my own, and considering it had to travel from america, it got here very fast!

Best Book Ever... Read Barack Obama's Birthday 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

On page 352 and 353... born August 4. Interesting.......

Anyway, this is now my reference for anything I want to know about a person. The Secret Language Of Relationships is just as good. Definitely get it if you don't own either already!

Decent Book on Astrology 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book was pretty good in explaining the different "pieces" that make up the science of astrology. The accuracy of each day was also about 75% correct, for the most part. It's not as vague as some astrology books, that's for sure. Not a bad book for the money.

Editorial Review:

Combining astrology, numerology, and pure psychic intuition, The Secret Language of Birthdays is a wholly unique compilation that reveals one's strengths, weaknesses, and major issues while providing practical advice on spiritual guidance. It is a must have for every library and anyone even remotely interested in the dynamics of personality.

Gandhi An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments With Truth

Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) Gandhi, Mahadev H. Desai

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 73 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Gandhi's nonviolent struggles in South Africa and India had already brought him to such a level of notoriety, adulation, and controversy that when asked to write an autobiography midway through his career, he took it as an opportunity to explain himself. Although accepting of his status as a great innovator in the struggle against racism, violence, and, just then, colonialism, Gandhi feared that enthusiasm for his ideas tended to exceed a deeper understanding. He says that he was after truth rooted in devotion to God and attributed the turning points, successes, and challenges in his life to the will of God. His attempts to get closer to this divine power led him to seek purity through simple living, dietary practices (he called himself a fruitarian), celibacy, and ahimsa, a life without violence. It is in this sense that he calls his book The Story of My Experiments with Truth, offering it also as a reference for those who would follow in his footsteps. A reader expecting a complete accounting of his actions, however, will be sorely disappointed.

Although Gandhi presents his episodes chronologically, he happily leaves wide gaps, such as the entire satyagraha struggle in South Africa, for which he refers the reader to another of his books. And writing for his contemporaries, he takes it for granted that the reader is familiar with the major events of his life and of the political milieu of early 20th-century India. For the objective story, try Yogesh Chadha's Gandhi: A Life. For the inner world of a man held as a criminal by the British, a hero by Muslims, and a holy man by Hindus, look no further than these experiments. --Brian Bruya

Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life (Gawain, Shakti)

Shakti Gawain

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 100 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

When it comes to creating the life you want, Shakti Gawain literally wrote the book. Now considered a classic, Creative Visualization teaches readers how to use their imaginations to manifest their deepest desires. In a straight-talking narrative, Gawain uses the first part to cover the basics, with chapters such as "How to Visualize," "Affirmations," and "Creative Visualization Only Works for the Good." Once she shows readers how visualization actually works, Gawain moves on to loftier discussions, such as "Contacting Your Higher Self," "Meeting Your Guide," "Setting Goals," and "Treasure Maps."

Fear not; this isn't a spiritual-lightweight book for people with a severe case of the "gimmes." Gawain has her priorities in the right place, and she cautions readers that creative visualization will not serve greed or shallow-minded thinking. For example, she discourages the cycle of trying to have more money, so you can do what you want in life, so you will be happier. "The way it actually works is the reverse," she explains. "You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you want." Yet she also writes an excellent chapter on letting go of the misguided guilt that inhibits readers from becoming truly prosperous. --Gail Hudson

The Secret Language of Relationships (reissue) (Secret Language)

Gary Goldschneider, Joost Elffers

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 50 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Secret Language of Relationships adopts the format of its bestselling predecessor, The Secret Language of Birthdays, and the compendious collection of combinations that follows proves the book's assertion that "A relationship is a rather mysterious and amazing third entity, one that can come to lead an existence independent of the will or desire of its two partners.... in certain cases a relationship can prove far stronger than either individual, leading us to believe that a certain kind of synergy is at work."

Well-organized, packed with fascinating "personality" information, and replete with snapshots (on every page) of famous couples--whether colleagues, spouses, or lovers--The Secret Language of Relationships is also simple to use. A glance at the two-page chart at the beginning of the book determines your birthday "period." Next, find the period of the person who interests you--friend, parent, child, lover, or mate. The ensuing relationship dynamics are named colorfully and aptly: "Peas in a Pod," "Uncommon Intimacy," "Flexible Structures," "Few Dull Moments," and "Few Antipathies."

Describing 1,176 possibilities, The Secret Language of Relationships sheds light on the classic questions--the hows and whys of chemistry in relationships. Is there a prime ingredient for love at first sight, a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers of it all? An entertaining exploration of the very thing we cannot do without--each other--this wonderful volume explains why we feel the way we do about the people in our lives, and how--if necessary--to make it better.

Linda Goodman's Sun Signs

Linda Goodman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 87 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

An oldie but a goodie! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I first read this book years ago when I was in high school (won't tell you how long ago that was!). I think everyone goes through phases in their life where they investigate astrology, then usually forget about it after a while. Recently talking to a friend, he mentioned about certain traits of a particular sign and I remembered this book and how dead on it seemed in describing zodiac personalities. I got on Amazon and ordered a copy and was once again astounded at how well it described people I knew. My eleven year old daughter got her first look at it and was also quite intrigued by the accurate descriptions of people she knew. I would definitely recommend this book, (despite it's age!) to anyone who would like to understand someone a little better and to perhaps realize that there just may be something to this astrology stuff after all! This book is timeless and is an asset to ANYONE'S library!

Editorial Review:

Find out what's really happening in your life and the lives of those around you. Is he really unstable beneath that placid exterior? Is she marrying you for your money alone? When should you give a wayward spouse the benefit of the doubt? How can you adjust your inner moods to your best advantage, knowing when to push and when to pull back, when to speak up and when to shut up? What is the best time to ask your boss for that raise, your girl for her heart and hand, your brother-in-law for a loan? Learn all this and much, much more from the world-famous astrologer who has helped millions divine their way to happiness, love, and profit by studying the sun signs. Amaze your friends and yourself with your insight into their most hidden characteristics. Be the best that you can possibly be with -- Sun Signs.

The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus: What's So Good About the Good News?

Peter J. Gomes

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Not For the Fainthearted Christian...What's More Important? "Worshiping" Jesus or Living the Life Jesus Said to Live? 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 12 people found this review helpful.

Orthodox believers, the strictly Orthodox, don't need to go here. Or maybe you should--if you are willing to think--to do what the Bible said do, "Worship the Lord Thy God with all thy heart, MIND, and strength.

For those who want to think and aren't afraid to delve into new areas of thought in an effort to make the faith come alive, truly alive, this is a good book, a very good book. But for those who want to read more of what they already believe, for those who want to stay in the cocoon of their faith, never asking or considering the tough questions, this is not the book for you. For Job, yes; for you, no.

The premise of this book is simply this: Is the church--Christians of today--"worshiping" Jesus to the point that they ignore or forget His message, what He said do, the lives He said to lead?

Most likely Christians of today really don't want to hear what Jesus said, they would prefer to worship him as Christ and Lord without letting him really be Christ and Lord. For many Christians--I hope not most--the message of Jesus would be as scandalous today as it was when he first spoke it. It caused him to be put to death before and it would cause many church people, good, well meaning church people, to want to put him to death again today. The church might well lead the charge for his second death as the church led the charge for his first death...

It is a lot easier and a lot more comfortable to worship Jesus on a pedestal as "Christ and Lord" than it is to hear his message and lead the lives He said live.

It brings to mind words from an old country gospel song, "Sorry, I never knew you..." Most Christians "know" who Jesus is, but they don't want to really know him. It would be too difficult on their lives of comfort and ease..." It would be scandalous...

Perhaps we should remember what Jesus said about being "lukewarm...."

Editorial Review:

How the Church Domesticated Jesus

With his unique blend of eloquence and insight, the esteemed Harvard minister Peter J. Gomes invites us to hear anew the radical nature of Jesus' message of hope and change. Using examples from ancient times as well as from modern pop culture, The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus shows us why the good news is every bit as relevant today as when it was first preached.

The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life

Os Guinness

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 36 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The Call -- time to answer -- well worth it 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I have been reading "The Call" by Os Guinness; a 26 day devotional has taken me from Saturday, August 19, 2006 to Tuesday, November 20, 2008 to finish. I know it should have never taken me so long to read and yet it is a very thought provoking and challenging book.
The main point and question of this book is this... "Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life." In which in a nut shell living for Christ and serving him in whichever way he has called you to do. There is no division of the secular and spiritual work load here. As we see on this book, the spiritual work can be secular and the secular work can be spiritual - it all depends on why and for whom or to whom we are doing the work.
So many times throughout this book you must stop and grapple with what is written. This is not your normal daily devotional by which I mean it will cause you to question a lot of preconceived ideas and beliefs. You might just find your calling is not what you thought it was or what you wanted it to be.
I know a lot of people love the book "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren and it has helped a lot of people throughout the years. But if I was to choose between these two books I would have to choose Os Guinness' "The Call" hands down. In my humble opinion "The Call" is a more challenging call to discipleship and look at what the Christian life and what is meant by the "Call of Jesus" than the "Purpose Driven Life" even comes close to.
In closing the question stands... how are you to run the race well - if you don't know to which race you have been called to race? How are you to finish well - without the proper practice and training? This book will help you find you call and to help you follow His call - the call of Jesus.

Editorial Review:

The Call continues to stand as a classic, reflective work on life's purpose. Best-selling author Os Guinness goes beyond our surface understanding of God's call and addresses the fact that God has a specific calling for our individual lives.

Why am I here? What is God's call in my life? How do I fit God's call with my own individuality? How should God's calling affect my career, my plans for the future, my concepts of success? Guinness now helps the reader discover answers to these questions, and more, through a corresponding workbook - perfect for individual or group study.

According to Guinness, No idea short of God's call can ground and fulfill the truest human desire for purpose and fulfillment. With tens of thousands of readers to date, The Call is for all who desire a purposeful, intentional life of faith.

Also availbale in audio format, narrated by Os Guinness.

The Essential Gandhi: An Anthology of His Writings on His Life, Work, and Ideas

Mahatma Gandhi, M.K.Gandhi, Gandhi

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Mohandas K. Gandhi, called Mahatma (“great soul”), was the father of modern India, but his influence has spread well beyond the subcontinent and is as important today as it was in the first part of the twentieth century and during this nation’s own civil rights movement. Taken from Gandhi’s writings throughout his life, The Essential Gandhi introduces us to his thoughts on politics, spirituality, poverty, suffering, love, non-violence, civil disobedience, and his own life. The pieces collected here, with explanatory head notes by Gandhi biographer Louis Fischer, offer the clearest, most thorough portrait of one of the greatest spiritual leaders the world has known.
“Gandhi was inevitable. If humanity is to progress, Gandhi is inescapable. . . . We may ignore him at our own risk.” –Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

With a new Preface drawn from the writings of Eknath Easwaran

In the annals of spirituality certain books stand out both for their historical importance and for their continued relevance. The Vintage Spiritual Classics series offers the greatest of these works in authoritative new editions, with specially commissioned essays by noted contemporary commentators. Filled with eloquence and fresh insight, encouragement and solace, Vintage Spiritual Classics are incomparable resources for all readers who seek a more substantive understanding of mankind's relation to the divine.

One Wintry Night

Ruth Bell, Graham

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Wonderful illustrations & story tell the meaning of Christmas 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This is a great Christmas read that gives an overview of the gospel, from creation to Christ's resurrection. A boy is injured and must seek refuge with an older widow during a snowstorm. As he recuperates and waits for the storm to settle down, she tells him the story of man's fall and redemption through Christ Jesus.

This book does a good job of sticking to the true facts of the Bible without a lot of added fluff. I've read this aloud to my children a couple of times. It takes us a few sittings as it is fairly lengthy but it keeps them engaged.

The best part of the book is the illustrations. They are gorgeous! These are some of the most believable Biblical portrayals I have seen - not the stylized Italian sort or the comical characters which abound in Christian books for children. For instance, Adam and Eve are not lily white but look as if they could truly be the father and mother of us all. The portrait of Goliath is my favorite as he looks like a giant warrior might. His thighs are massive! And David is a young man, not a child, as Scripture would suppport.

I would only take issue with the picture of the angel guarding the garden of Eden. First, according to Genesis, there are angels (plural) placed at the gate. Secondly, although the American Indian woman is lovely, angels are only described as men and never as women in the Bible. Moreover, they always seem to invite dread (first words from angels are typically, "Don't be afraid") so I think a pretty angel lady is somewhat unlikely.

I highly recommend this book as a lavish picture book to be read at Christmas, or any time of the year. It helps children understand why the birth of Christ matters to them.

Editorial Review:

A classic Christmas picture book, One Wintry Night tells the story of a mountain boy who is injured in a snowstorm and seeks refuge in a cabin. While he waits out the storm, the woman who lives there tells him the Christmas story. Starting with the very creation of the world and ending with the resurrection, the boy discovers the big picture of God's plan for his people and situates the nativity within the scope of history. Breathtakingly illustrated by renowned artist and author Richard Jesse Watson, One Wintry Night is the perfect gift for the young and the young-at-heart.