As a newcomer to the works of C. S. Lewis, I'm thrilled with "The Magic Never Ends". Recently, I've read "A Grief Observed", "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe", and
"The Screwtape Letters", three very diverse examples of Lewis's ability to offer spiritual magic to all age groups. John R. Duncan said it best in his introduction: "The greatness of C. S. Lewis's writing comes from his ability to simplify an intellectual or philosophical concept and to assist readers on a spiritual journey of their own." With input from other Lewis scholars, Douglas Gresham, Walter Hooper, Dr. Dabney Hart, Dr. Lyle Dorsett, Dr. Christopher W. Mitchell, and Colin Manlove,"The Magic Never Ends" provides a "rainbow overview" of one of the 20th Century's most influential writers, C. S. Lewis.

This book is magical. I have been reading C.S. Lewis for quite a few years now. The authors have captured something of why Lewis' books have never gone out of print. The chapter title "The True Myth" alone is more than worth the price of the book.

I must say I never expected this to be such a stunner. I have read it twice but confess that I am sitting down again. This has to be the 'Matrix' of the 1800's as it certainly turns conventional thinking on its head...

The introduction by Clive Wilmer is extremely enlightening as it provides a background against which the book can be thoroughly enjoyed. This book cleared a lot of doubts I had for a long time on many things and I must say raised twice as many questions about what I thought right :-)

Ruskin has been praised by many people as being the vioce of truth. He starts his main essay from a story in the Bible and then blows the reader away with his acute judgements and impeccable logic. In the end all you can do is but agreee that 'There is no Wealth but Life'

Also recommend 'The Kingdom of God is Within You' by Tolstoy.

_Unto This Last_ is a series of four essays on political economy, which were originally designed to be published in Cornhill Magazine. The essays caused so much contemporary anger and scorn, however, that their publication was discontinued.

Ruskin began as an art critic, who wrote in favor of a naturalism based in the imagination rather than the eye. His works discussed the moral and political dimensions of art and architecture, and it was probably natural that this would lead him into his interest in socialism and the powerful writing found in _Unto This Last_. He was passionately arguing against the Utilitarianism of writers such as John Stuart Mill and others who saw immutable laws of economy which were rooted in anything except justice. His assertion was that the accumulation of money was in fact an accumulation of power rather than wealth, and necessarily resulted in an imbalance which adversely affected society. For instance, he said that a successful factory which polluted the environment could not be termed profitable because of the resulting damage to society itself.

This collection of Ruskin's works (edited and with commentary by Clive Wilmer) contains the whole of _Unto This Last_ and enough of a selection of his other works to give a sense of the chronological position of the essays in Ruskin's career.

The book features an early fairy tale by Ruskin which was written for his wife, an excerpt from _The Stones of Venice_ which discusses the nature of Gothic architecture, excerpts from _the Two Paths_ and _Modern Painters_, two lectures which were published as parts of _The Crown of Wild Olive_ and _Sesame and Lilies_, and finally ends with letters 7 and 10 from _Fors Clavigera_.

Ghandi credited _Unto This Last_ with providing part of the impetus behind his transformation. And it would not be ridiculous for me to say that the book forced a radical reexamination of many of my own assumptions and ideas. It's also a pleasure to read, with beautiful as well as thought-provoking prose. Worthwhile reading for more than students of Victoriana.

of English actors, this is the book for you. Clive Francis (one of my favorite actors - Masada, The Piglet Files, Poldark) has drawn caricatures of dozens of actors - who give their own verbal tributes to Sir John Gielgud.

This book was highly recommended to me by various people, and it blew me away within minutes of receiving it. I was starting to design the suspension for our solar car and skipped straight to that chapter where it explained at just the right level all the terms and details needed, and discussed in more depth many of the different solutions and materials used by various teams. The book is extreemely well written and easy to read. This is a must have for anyone interested in solar cars, and even most anyone interested in how things work or cars in general.

This book takes paper craft beyond the ordinary cut and paste projects. Clearly written techniques are described step-by-step. The book includes 6 pages of templates which can be traced. All projects produce 3-D results. Great to teach 'focus on task" and techniques which can be used to create other 3-D items.

Christian Mythmakers is a good overview of some of the thoughts and ideas of various Christian fantasy writers. While the chapter on John Bunyan is basically little more than a summary of Pilgrim's Progress, the rest of the book is interesting and thought provoking. The chapter on Charles Williams is a "must read" for anyone interested in or confused by Williams' work.

This book is a fascinating look at ten Christian mythmakers, that is authors who have used the power of myth to convey Christian truths in a new way. The narrative begins with John Bunyan and his seminal Pilgrim's Progress, continues through George Macdonald, G.K. Chesterton, Charles Williams, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and finishes up with Madeleine L'Engle, Walter Wangerin, Robert Siegel, and Hannah Hurnard.

Professor Hein begins with a short biography of the author, and then proceeds to explain the author's work, examining its theology and significance. I found this book to be quite fascinating, with the author giving me a look at these masterpieces of Christian literature in a way that I had never thought of before. If you are a fan of any of the authors above, then I highly recommend that you get this book!

I had the privilege of taking courses under Dr Hein in the early 90's at Wheaton. He is a very knowledgeable teacher and has great affection for the people he is writing about in this book. If you have any interest in these authors, this book is a must read. I wasn't aware that he had written this book when I came across it looking for books on George MacDonald and C.S. Lewis. As an Economics major, I somehow ended up taking four Lit. classes from Dr Hein because he is such a good instructor and passionate about his subject matter.

The Thief of Always was the first novel by Clive Barker I ever read, having before known of him only as the man behind such movie greats as Hellraiser (which was a Barker book first). Anyway, it totally blew me away, and Barker is now one of my top authors, and the book is now one of my favorites (which is saying a lot because I'm quite an avid reader). The story centers around a ten-year-old boy named Harvey Swick, who becomes bored with his life and begins to wish the days away. In answer to his prayers, he is taken to a mysterious place called the Holiday House, supposedly built for children who want to have fun. Questions come up in Harvey's mind about what is really going on behind the House's happy-go-lucky exterior, and he is pulled into a horrific adventure beyond his wildest dreams (or nightmares).

I won't give anything more about the story away, you'll just have to read it for yourselves. But there are many pros in this novel, and not one con as far as I see it. The plot is unique and interesting, so much so that you won't want to put it down. It is certainly not slow-paced, and although it is almost 300 pages long it is almost over as soon as it begins, which is really the only bad thing about it. But as soon as you finish you can't help but want to read it again.

The characters are in depth and believeable, the bad guys are majorly cool, unique, and interesting. And they aren't the kind of villians that are super-strong and seemingly impossible to beat, even the worst of them has believeable weaknesses and vulnerabilities.

I recommend this book to anyone and everyone, and I can assure you that it won't be a disappointment.

I love Clive Barker's works: his books, his art, his movies. OK, now with that said let me try to give an unbiased review of this book. I loved it!! Once started I could not put it down. The whole story was interesting and fun and very exciting to read. The book is meant to appeal to all ages and for the most part it does. It is a tale involving magic, fantasy, fun, and children. Harvey, our ten year old hero, finds himself whisked away to the Holiday House where all the solutions to a bored afternoon are given to him. He later discovers the price he is paying and bravely proceeds to battle with the House. A good tale told in the vein of a fairy tale but in modern, magical times. It also comes with illustrations as done by Clive himself which perfectly match the story. They add to the wonder of discovery as you read. In case you are worried, the illustrations are pretty tame compared to a lot of his other work. The illustrations from The Thief of Always do not come close to the graphic nature of the pictures found in Clive Barker Illustrator. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone, including young children.

Clive Barker is known as the master of Horror and Fantasy. The Thief of Always proves it. The story is non stop from the beginning. A ten year old boy named Harvey Swick is bored and tired of the same old routine. So when the opportunity arises to do something different, he does what most ten year olds would do, take it! But where Harvey is going is not what it seems. Is the Holiday House and all of it's joys real or an evil illusion? As Harvey makes friends, things begin to spark his doubts about this place. Fearing for his safety and missing is parents, he tries to go home, or can he? You will have to read the book and discover what happens to Harvey. I truly feel this is Clive's best. The story would make a very suspenseful and exciting movie. This book is not graphic and does not contain foul language, therefore making it a book even teens can read. I highly recommend this novel!

In this work, Peter Kreeft portrays a meeting of C.S. Lewis, John F. Kennedy and Aldous Huxley in the afterlife (all three died on November 22, l963). C.S. Lewis engages first Kennedy and then Huxley in a debate on the divinity of Christ. The conversation goes on for 114 pages with C.S. Lewis clearly making his points -- that Christ was either divine or a charlatan or insane. Lewis goes on to debunk any possibility of Christ being a charlatan or insane, ergo Christ is God. Kreeft has wonderful ideas and constructs nice logical proofs. However, I was expecting something deeper than an argument that could be summarized in two sentences.

My strongest criticism of this book is that it completely misses the point where the real-life Lewis's teachings overlap with those of the real-life Huxley: that the one true God is no respecter of persons and that God is equally accessible to all, regardless of culture, upbringing or background. Both men taught that all of mankind comes to God on equal footing; that no religion, culture or class of men has an advantage over the others. At one point in BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL, Kreeft's Lewis actually shoots down arguments that the real-life Lewis propounded.

I felt that Kreeft glossed over some of the greatest religious controversies faced by modern man. In doing so, Kreeft unwittingly undercut the points he was trying to make. I'm turning back to my studies of C.S. Lewis and Aldous Huxley. I strongly recommend Lewis's MERE CHRISTIANITY (upon which Kreeft based his Lewis arguments) and a collection of 28 essays by Huxley called HUXLEY AND GOD. By the way, Kreeft's Kennedy has very little to offer either intellectually or where matters of faith are concerned in this book.

One final note: the last page and a half of this book is stunning in its beauty and truth. Kreeft's epilogue is also worth reading.

John F. Kennedy, C. S. Lewis, and Aldous Huxley all died on November 22, 1963. What if they all met after death, somewhere between heaven and hell? That's the premise of this engaging and intriguing book by philosophy professor Peter Kreeft.

Written in the form of a Socratic dialogue, Kreeft's book casts Lewis as a Christian theist, Kennedy as a modern humanist and Huxley as an Eastern pantheist. The three interact and challenge one another's worldviews, examining and testing each other's beliefs to see what is true about life after death and the meaning of life.

This book is ideal to read with a few other friends, be they believers, skeptics or seekers. It will provide lively discussion and ample food for thought.

I have only recently been interested in Peter Kreeft's work. This book, was recommended to me by all people, my husband. And I'm glad I read it. It is easy to understand, while at the same time dealing with polemic issues that affect us all.

The book opens with C.S Lewis, John F. Kennedy, and Aldous Huxley meeting in a "limbo" place before going to their finale destination. This allows the three to debate the most important issue of all: Who is Jesus Christ? The dialogue is witty and the book helps to point out how one can dialogue to our more secular friends.

Further, the book is easy to read and can be read in one setting without much effort. This is the strength of this book is that Kreeft has not sacraficed teaching us for simplicity. The book works on both levels.

Completely enjoyable.

In 1926, the Barren Lands of the Canadian Northwest Territories were rightly regarded as an inhospitable region of appalling weather coupled with the threat of starvation, accident, and loneliness, a place where men (meaning Europeans) would be tested to the limit. Jack Hornsby, a troubled veteran of WWI, drifter, and adventurer, had been there, and liked it. He put together an expedition with Harold Adler and Edgar Christian, two young and inexperienced friends, with the intention of wintering north of the Great Slave Lake. They would hunt and trap to support themselves and pay for the expedition, and Hornsby would collect scientific data. Hornsby was knowledgeable about the region, but apparently was unable to organize effectively and failed to make basic preparations despite warnings. After many hardships and colossal mistakes in judgment, all three died. Mounties found their bodies, letters to parents, and the detailed diary kept by Christian, two years later. The author has used the diary and a number of surviving letters to reconstruct the adventurers' trip in great detail. Counterpoint to stories of survival under harsh conditions, but rather depressing. An absorbing read for anyone interested in arctic exploration, and a thought-provoking sidelight on Canadian history

In recent months there have been several books written about polar exploration, and their success indicates that the reading public seems to have a continuing fascination with these expeditions. This spring, the A and E cable network produced "Shackleton", a cold-country-frontier saga. In this tradition, Clive Powell-Williams has written "Cold Burial."

This book is an engrossing page-turner and a quick read. You will be caught up in the tale of 18 year old Edgar Christian and his mother's double-cousin, Jack Hornby, an experienced Canadian-Northwest Territories outdoorsman. Experienced he may be, but seasoned he is not. Impulsive, improvident, and arrogant to boot, he takes his cousin on what will be their first and final adventure together. Having relied heavily upon luck and upon the help of natives, Jack finds his luck has run out. He does try to spare his young cousin, but events proceed inevitably
to a tragic end. Powell-Williams relies upon the diaries of young Edgar to put together a chilling story of their days in a climate hostile to human life. Female readers may be tempted to ask, "Why would they want to do that?" The only answer is the famous one, "Because it's there!" Apparently that insouciant reply makes sense to males; but to a mother, it rings hollow.

For anybody that has read and enjoyed some of the adventurer books released in the last few years (Into Thin Air, etc.), Cold Burial is a must.

75 years ago, 3 British men set out on a journey up the Thelon River (in Northern Alberta) and into the Canadian Arctic. None of them made it back alive. When their bodies were discovered by the RCMP, the investigators also found a diary. This diary, written by the youngest member of the party (Edgar Christian, age 18) chronicled the shift from courageous optimism in the early days of the voyage, into hopeless abandon as the 3 men starved and froze to death.

Clive Powell-Williams has taken this diary and researched the history behind the 3 adventurers. In Cold Burial, he tells the whole story; from their original meetings at school in Britain, to Edgar's last days, alone in the cabin.

Cold Burial is a tremendously well-written account that will certainy rank with the top adventure/disaster books of all time. An extremely good read. Highly recommended.

The dissapearance of the ship Cyclops in 1918 sparks the beginning of this adventure for Mr. TCOB, Inc., Dirk Pitt. A search for the ship's lost treasure takes the diver/adventurer from a Caribbean hurricane to a secret Russian base to a plot to assassinate Castro. Thrown into the mix is a secret base on the moon built by a clandestine group of government and business people that the Soviets are about to attack.

A pretty good Pitt adventure. Lots of impossible escapes for Dirk. Jessie LeBaron made a good female interest for Pitt. She starts off as your typical stuck-up rich woman, but later shows she's not afraid to get her hands dirty and can endure a lot of suffering. And I LOVED their first scene together where Pitt puts her in her place. That was legend! I was dissapointed there wasn't as much interaction between Pitt and his best friend, Al Giordino, as in most Cussler novels. Really liked Ira Hagen, the President's man trying to get to the bottom of the moonbase conspiracy. Comes off as an average looking guy, but has a first-rate investigative mind and a tenacious attitude. Some good action scenes at the Russian base and with the battle on the moon, though I did question some of the technical accuracy, like people only coming away wounded when their spacesuit is ripped open.

All in all, a good Dirk Pitt adventure.

Clive Cussler is one of my favourite writers.
I would like to thank my friend who introduced me to this author. She recommended his Sahara but i laid my hands on Cyclops first and now wont let go of Cussler.
I however didn't like his The Serpent, which was a total washout. I dont blame him when almost everybody has faltered at some time or the other.
this book is a real roller coaster ride and you will thoroughly enjoy this book.
It crackles at a fast pace and will leave you gasping for more.
The hero Drik Pitt is almost a leged for all Cussler fans....
In me Cussler has his biggest fan.......

This contains all the important elements of an enjoyable book. It's got the action, adventure and typical near impossible and impossibe scenarios that make Cussler's books so great. I have read nine of Cussler's "Dirk Pitt adventures" they are all excellent, and completly enjoyable books, this is no exception.

This adventure has battles on military compounds in Cuba to battles on the moon. And as always Dirk Pitt is suave, fearless, and inventive. And for anyone out there who loves classic cars, you'll enjoy brief descriptions of Pitt's collection. So go ahead and help yourself, I'm sure you will enjoy it and many others as well.