I have been peripherally aware of the Sonship movement for over a decade, through the writings of Jack Miller, and through personal contact with several missionaries and staff members of World Harvest Mission (including the current executive director). Although I am very grateful for them, for their work, and for the increased attention on the doctrine of adoption that Sonship has engendered, I have sometimes had the sort of vague uneasiness about Sonship as a movement that Adams said he initially experienced and by which he was ultimately compelled to write this book.

The book first examines the personal background of the Millers (Jack Miller and Adams were on staff at WTS at the same time). Adams says he does so reluctantly and only because of the Sonship materials' dependence on personal anecdotes by the Millers.

The real meat of his argument is that the language of the Sonship materials is vague, that it uses Scripture to backup preconceived notions based on the Millers' experience rather than treating scripture exegetically, that it appropriates the methods of modern psychology, and that the theology of justification, sanctification, and adoption presented in the Sonship material is errant. Footnoted examples of each are provided, along with a brief analysis of how the error is lived out by movement participants. Adams has a tendency to overstate his case about the language used in Sonship. It is difficult to square his preference for precise technical language with the use of language in scripture itself. Similarly, one wonders if his concerns about Miller's doctrine is not at least to some extent the result of Miller using the terms in a less than strictly technical sense.

The greatest flaw in the book is that Adams does not make a positive statement of the doctrines about which he claims the Millers are in error. Adams says only that he holds to the historic Reformed position, but most Sonship advocates would make the same claim. The target of the book seems to be pastors and teachers rather than individual Christians curious about Sonship.

Additionally, I have concerns about the applicability of the book. Since its publication, the WTJ has published a briefer critique. I have not seen any responses from Sonship or WHM, but the materials have been revised in 2002. All in all, I found my concern increased, but my questions unanswered. I believe that it will still be necessary for me to attend a Sonship course to have an informed opinion.

The Horseclan series could be more accurately described as an epic narative of the history of the ficticous world Robert Adams has created. There are often times several completely unrelated events going on during any given book and these plots might not get resolved until a few books later in the series.

This book really had three different short stories going on at the same time. The main story was a flashback to the younger days of Bili the Axe. The backdrop for this story was actually begun in "Horseclan Odyssey" (HC #8) and it was in my opinion the most intriguing . After an good build up the climax was glossed over which I found dissappointing. RA did however put into motion some subplots in this part of the book that are played out in later novels.

The second plot concerns the 20th Century survivors known as the Withcmen and is a continuation of the events of "Savage Mountains" (HC #5) and does not reach any sort of ending, but I'm sure will be addressed somewhere later in the series. It's an interesting story line, but it's hard to keep straight when it's only addressed intermittenly throughout the series.

Lastly, there was a plot with the savage Ganiks that just kinda stopped... not really sure if this has any future potential. This was also an interesting plot, although, I was at a loss to see how it fit into the big picture. The Ganiks are a barbarian people and RA does a good job of illustrating that fact.

Despite the lack of closure on the plots, the book was well written and as always in this series, the charachters are interesting. The key piece of data for anyone thinking of picking up the Horseclan books is that it's not the type of series you just pick up a book here or there, but you've got to read 'em all to get the full enjoyment and impact out of Mr. Adams work.

This book reminds me of my childhood. It is a fun-short-simple-colorful book. The pages have small cut-outs in the shape of ghosts that turn out to be real things like laundry, and kittens, and even smog from a factory. They are not ghost at all. Basic reading with bold and colorful graphics that will appeal to every child.

I used this book for research on Yeats' Byzantium poems, & I must admit that Adams presents many wonderful ideas about WBY, but he does so in a way that is so difficult to decipher, it hardly seems worth the effort. I am by no means a literary mastermind, but neither am I a terribly "slow" individual, & I found this book to be fairly difficult reading. I had to read several passages over, & very slowly, to decipher Adams' "academese." He could very easily have expressed the same ideas without such pretentious jargon and structure. All in all-- it is filled good ideas which are rendered virtually incomprehensible by their presentation. I suspect that most people who make an attempt at it won't last very long (I dredged through it solely out of neccessity). What a waste :o(

The book is about real people from diverse cultures facing an ancient and un-believeable evil that few others will believe in. Slightly slow in pace, the depth of the characters and the richness of the setting more than make up. Stands on it's own, yet hints at a bigger picture. Not a cliff-hanger, a teaser. Got me interested in the diversity of the Indian tribes I have always seen as a background. I am looking forward to the next 12 books.

it gave a focus on all the china towns in a global perspective. the words were alittle hard to comprehend with the text but it was very imformative.

Written from a very biased "look down the nose" british point of view. Look at the pictures but don't read the text if you are American! Buy it for the pictures. A few pictures of the stone age british way of building a car, might be worth seeing for you ancient history buffs.

This book is both comprehensive and opinionated. Its views reflect the author's, now rather old-fashioned, perspective emerging from 1950's British social anthropology, and should be read with that in mind. In particular, I found Kuper's treatment of Geertz, and the post-modern school, to be particularly off key. For someone trained in social theory this will be easy to spot, and the book can be read keeping the context of the author's training in mind. For someone coming to the subject cold, I would urge that it be read in conjunction with classics such as Geertz's "Interpretation of Cultures" and "Writing Culture" edited by Clifford and Marcus. Given this caveat, Kuper clearly knows his stuff, writes well, and does not hesitate to state his biases clearly.

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For four years now I have used the first two sections of the book (literal and critical comprehension) to teach college prep Reading Development classes and the last section (affective) comprehension for the AA degree students. It was a very useful text and I particularly enjoyed the affective comprehension part. "Story of An Hour", "Salvation" "The Somebody" and "Indian Education" were the best stories for me and for the students. I enjoyed the "A & P" and the Whore of Mensa found in the older edition as well.

I found it fell short of a few things. Firstly the poems were not very interesting. Secondly I would have liked more cartoons and advertisements in the affective comprehension section. The text seems unbalanced, too much in section 1 and not enough in section 3. Finally I would have liked to see more challenging questions especially in the affective comprehension section.

Loved the text but for me some improvements need to be made to make it a truly 5 star text.