"The Rock 'n Roll Rebellion" changed my perspective on Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). Not all CCM is good quality, yet paradoxically groups that actually strive to influence through excellence often find themselves preaching to the choir because their CDs have been relegated to dusty Christian bookstores. However, as the CD selection currently available at Tower Records in downtown Tokyo demonstrates, "pop music culture is becoming more...open to songs with strong spiritual messages". It is time for people of faith with musical talent to take advantage of this trend and be heard by a larger audience because of their quality sound and thought-provoking lyrics. Joseph's book presents a challenge that is well-grounded in research and the personal experiences of those who have grappled with this issue; it is a must-read for all who aren't afraid of a changed perspective.

Excellent Book! A must read for all musicians, people in the music industry and Christians. Interesting, riveting and honest perspective about the integration of faith, religion, music ministry and entertainment. Our American culture needs to have a better understanding of how all of our spiritual roots play a part in our musical preferences. Contemporary Christian music is not a separate genre of music. It should never have been thought of as such and marketed as such. Mark Joseph gives clear history and reasoning behind what is and what should be contemporary Christian music. FULL of useful information and insight. Keeps the reader interested so they can't and don't want to put it down!

Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) is a genre that, unlike other musical genres, is defined solely by its lyrical content, as opposed to musical style. Thus, it has been relegated to the evangelical subculture, which is tantamount to locking it in the basement of the entertainment world. Mark Joseph takes a very opinionated view that the "ghettoizing" of Christian music into the CCM substratum has had a severely detrimental effect on Christianity's influence in the wider marketplace. Some artists have been content to remain in the subculture, relying on the evangelizing efforts of their fans to bring the unchurched to their concerts and to spread the word to the mainstream. Others have longed to break out of CCM straightjacket into the world at large, to bring positive values to pop culture. Some have succeeded at this, with varying degrees of success. And some never were in the "straightjacket" to begin with. This book gives an excellent overview of artists in all these camps.

Joseph never tries to hide his opinion about CCM. He believes that, in its present form, it basically shouldn't exist. He believes that there should be about 20% of these musicians ministering in churches and to youth groups, and about 80% out in the mainstream, and he has some practical solutions to bring Christian music to that point. Will it ever happen? It's doubtful that it will, or that it even should. After all, to me, CCM is valuable as wholesome entertainment to the modern and post-modern generations who would have no interest in, say, Southern gospel. I think 50-50 is a better, more realistic ratio. He does address the problem of Christian musicians going out into the world and "backsliding" by the proposal of creating a "traveling pastor" ministry to go on tour with the musicians. All in all, a very thought-provoking book.

Axel Heyst, the protagonist in Conrad's novel, Victory, makes a final statement to Davidson, a fellow seaman, just before he dies: "...woe to the man whose heart has not learned while young to hope, to love--and to put its trust in life!" This statement coming from a man whose whole life has been lived in isolation is remarkable. His father taught him that life was a Great Joke, that it was an illusion; that the best way to survive was to drift oneself into oblivion. But he found love in the person of Lena and it changed his perspective on living and was responsible for his change of heart as represented in the above-quoted statement. It's too bad that the novel could not have had a happy ending, but Conrad's view of the world probably would not permit it. I found the novel engrossing, somewhat melodramatic, yet vintage Conrad in its depiction of good and evil battling each other on the island of Samburan.

Victory is the story of a man named Heyst who leads an isolated life in the South Pacific. However, he is drawn out of his isolation when he brings a woman to his island home. A chance encounter between a dishonest German who dislikes Heyst and two criminals sets up the dramatic ending. Conrad's style is as fluid as in his better known books, such as Lord Jim, and it is amazing that someone could write English so well who did not learn it until later in life and who always spoke it with a heavy Polish accent. Victory is similar to Conrad's other works in that the plot flirts with melodrama, but always is rooted in realism. Those who read the book will find the title apt.

Victory is the best of the handful of Conrad novels I have read (for reference sake, the others are Lord Jim, The Secret Agent, Heart of Darkness, and Nostromo). For one thing, the other novels were much heavier in their narrative and descriptive content. As a result, I often suffered from mental imagery overload when plodding through a page-long paragraph. Victory has more dialogue, making it an easier read. Conrad's characters are always great, and the ones in this book are no exception. I also really liked the correlation between these characters and their environment. Heyst living in a serene yet isolated island matched his aloofness perfectly. As the book reaches its climax and tensions reach a boiling point, Conrad adds to this tension in godlike fashion, as the storm evinces the internal and external struggles occurring in Heyst. Of course, Conrad don't write no happy tales (sic), but in the end, I think that the title Victory was still very appropriate. This was an excellent read and one of the best novels I have read in a long time.

This book is a must at any stage of research for students (and professors) of all levels. The book offers examples from diverse disciplines (English, Chemistry, Sociology) and offers advice applicable to all fields. It's an incredibly simple read. Some parts are less useful than others, but overall, the publication is very helpful.

Very elegantly written, this book covers the research process in detail. I think this book is so important, unless a researcher for 20 years, everyone involved in research must master this book carefully, re-reading it several times if necessary. The authors do an excellent job of condensing in this book what would be learned in 20 years of research with trial and error techniques.

This book will fill in all the gaps about research that your professors assume you already know. Clear and concise, it lays out best practice for this essential scholarly skill without academic hyperbole. It's also oddly reassuring in its tone. The writers/professors admit that they've made some embarrassing mistakes in their own research -- and have lived to tell the tale. They emphasize that good research skills are not necessarily innate, but that they can be learned and applied. Just an invaluable resource - highly recommend this book!

On the first level, this book is about the women who married Joseph Smith. Beyond that, though, this is a book about the early psychology of the Mormon Church, and the power of the prophetic and apostolic paradigm that the Mormon people lived under during those early, charismatic years.

At first blush, the reader is amazed at the number of women Joseph Smith married. Traditional Mormon mythology teaches that J.S., Brigham Young, Heber Kimball, et al, mostly married elderly women and widows who needed to be taken care of in "the kingdom," or that most were sealed to them posthumously. Many Mormans will be surprised to find out that Joseph was polygamous at all, since Emma is the only wife we ever hear about in "authorized" church history. But to learn of the nature of those relationships, including the fact that most were wives in consumated relationships with the prophet while many had "first husbands" is truly a myth buster.

These women, however, were not just starry-eyed groupies of the charismatic prophet. These were remarkable women of great charisma, leadership and personal power that they possessed of their own, not merely borrowed from their husbands. Their lives are tributes to the spirit of early Mormon faith and endurance.

The second layer of this book is a psycho-social study of the early mormon community, particularly from the perspective of the female leadership. These were women who participated in priesthood administrations, healings, speaking in tongues, visions and the administration of temple ordinances. These were women who found a way to create a sisterhood of wives when their husbands were so largely removed from the day-to-day affairs of their enormous families. These were often self-sustaining frontierswomen who played a courageous and unsung role in settling the Great Basin region of the intermountain west.

Lastly, I believe this book provides the necessary insight to understand why polygamy failed: it was too psychologically and physically taxing on its participants. Todd Compton does not make any judgement along these lines...the reader is free to come to this conclusion on their own. But to read of the sadness, the loneliness, and the heartache, such a conclusion is inevitable.

Compton does the world of history a great favor by bringing together this collection of stories and insights about the leading ladies of early Mormondom. It is an essential counter-balance to the traditional patriarchal authorized history, and is often the history that later Church leaders must have deemed "unwelcome" or at least "unimportant," because you won't find this history in "church approved" manuscripts. It will, however, assist the seeker in determining for themselves the spirit, and culture, out of which sprung the church we know today.

It is hard to find a book about early Mormonism that does not focus almost exclusively on Joseph Smith. As founder of the Mormon religion, this may not seem surprising, but it's refreshing just the same to read Todd Compton's book with its almost exclusive focus on Joseph's wives, and comparatively little focus on the Mormon prophet.

Compton's book consists of 30 chapters; each written as a biography of the various women Joseph Smith married, with the conspicuous absence of Emma Smith. This highlights and emphasizes the fact that, though Joseph had many wives, they were all rejected by Emma who vigorously opposed polygamy and the intrusions it brought into her home.

Studying Mormon history has become a mixed blessing. On one hand, historical scholarship of the subject has advanced greatly since Bodie's landmark "No man knows my History." On the other hand, excommunication of prominent historians (such as Quinn and Brodie) by the Mormon Church has resulted in much fear and distrust. For most Mormons, Todd Compton's book probably falls outside the designation of "faith promoting," and may be uncomfortable for many active members of the church.

Growing up in the Mormon Church, I learned several myths about early Mormon polygamy such as: 1. A man's wife had to approve the marriage to plural wives. 2. Most plural wives were older women whose husbands had died, and for whom polygamy represented safe heaven from a brutal world. 3. Most of Joseph's plural wives were sealed to him, but had no sexual relationship with him. 4. Joseph's plural wives never became pregnant from him. 5. There was never any admission or even mention of polyandry.

Through the biographies he has constructed, Compton exposes each of these myths. Chapter 1 discusses Fanny Alger, who married Joseph when she was only sixteen and he was twenty-seven. Emma didn't know about the marriage, and when she learned of it (by seeing Fanny and Joseph together, by one account, and noticing Fanny's pregnancy by another account - see pages 34-35) drove Fanny from their house. Oliver Cowdery (one of the Book-of-Mormon witnesses) described Joseph's relationship with Fanny as a sexual affair, and accused Joseph of adultery - resulting in Oliver's excommunication in 1838 (see pages 38-39).

Compton spends considerable effort reconciling Cowdery's description of Fanny Alger as an affair, and others who clearly describe a marriage relationship (though without the approval or knowledge of Emma). As I read the book I kept expecting Compton to draw the obvious conclusion, that Joseph had an affair with Fanny and then invented polygamy (which he may have been contemplating anyway) to save his presidency and justify his actions. Compton, however, never draws this conclusion, and ends still contemplating the two possible scenarios as mutually exclusive.

I found particular interest in this book because one of Joseph Smith's plural wives, Melissa Lott, was my great, great, great grandmother (see chapter 28). Like many of his other plural wives, Melissa was young (only 19) when she married Joseph Smith. Growing up Mormon, my parents taught me that Melissa had been a "spiritual" wife of Joseph Smith, having been sealed to Joseph only after his death (a common occurrence). During an interview with Joseph Smith's son, and President of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, however, Melissa stated that she had been a wife indeed, with full benefit of a sexual relationship with the prophet. Melissa married Joseph less than a year before he was murdered and later married my great, great, great grandfather. Both lived hard lives, and her second husband died (along with their young son) when the wagon he was driving turned over with its load of firewood and drowned them in a creek. It was a touching chapter for me, the more so because Melissa is my ancestor, and illustrates the central theme of all Joseph's plural wives: sacred loneliness and lives of hard work and toil.

Passionately written through the eyes of those who knew him, loved him, followed him, and counted on him for salvation, Compton's book is a must for anyone interested in Mormon history and the personal lives that launched this twentieth-century American religion. Meticulously researched and well written, I highly recommend it.

Duwayne Anderson

I am sure many people will comment on this book for religious reasons, originally Mormon social history was the reason that I read In Sacred Loneliness, and religion seems to breed ridiculous arguments where no grounds for arguments really exist. I found the book particularly even - at different times in the book I thought he was shamelessly praising the church and other times too harsh, soon though the sway of the characters took over, and the emotional involvement with the lives of such powerful, pitiful and human women really pulls you in.

Regardless of what you think about polygamy, this book gives you an appriciation for the dedication of the integrity of some of these people to follow it, and for some a deep respect for those who chose to leave it. I really had a hard time with this book as some of these character really are heroic, like Patty Sessions, and Zina Huntington. I think that Compton leaves the reader to decide about polygamy, or Mormonism - right or wrong the story of the women involved is needed, useful and inspirational.

For those who want to argue about religion there is alot here to mull over, but I really think that you miss the point.

I really loved this book! Bina Kiyonaga, and her story, are an inspiration. The book is an incredible account of her journey through life as a mother of five and as the wife of a complex - and compelling -- CIA operative. From country to country, she tells what it was like to live a lie for husband and country. And throughout all the trials and tribulations of the Cold War, they managed to show real humor and courage. There is also great poignancy in this love story, as she describes the true partnership she forged with her husband in his fight against cancer. This book is truly amazing and will appeal to readers of all ages. I highly recomend this book and have been sharing my excitement for it with everyone I know.

This is an interesting book about the marriage of a middle class woman of Irish descent to a Hawaiian man of Japanese descent. Aside from the differences in their backgrounds, their lives were further complicated by Joe Kiyonaga's career as a CIA agent. Throw in several children, add tours of duty to Japan, Central and South America and you have a lifetime of various adventures. The author, Bina Cady Kiyonaga writes with feeling, and tells the story of her marriage to Joe Kiyonaga with a great deal of candor, even describing the racial prejudice that her husband had to endure. Her rich descriptions of the various places that the family lived really enhance the story and give it an extra dimension.

Bina has an easy style of writing and describes her life with a great deal of wit and humor. I recommend the book to anyone who might be interested in what it was like for the wife and family of a CIA operative.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I bought this book. However, after the first chapter, I was hooked. Bina Kiyonaga has effectively portrayed the difficulties of trying to strike the delicate balance between maintaining a semblance of normalcy for her family, while supporting her husband's career as an officer of the CIA. Having lived overseas, I can certainly appreciate Bina's problems of having to raise a family without the normality and convenience of life in the United States (not to mention having to raise 5 children in this environment!).

While the details surrounding much of what her husband accomplished during his tenure at the CIA will never be disclosed, Bina has done an excellent job of providing background to lend a certain aura to what her husband was all about. I was awestruck by the devotion she lavished on her husband during good times and in bad. Her faith and her family certainly allowed her to become the women she is today. And is portrayed in the book in a very effective manner.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Despite the minor redundancies throughout the narrative, I think this is a remarkable story...truly something in this book for everyone!

In checking back on reviews of some books I've loved over the years, I laughed aloud when I read "A reader from Santa Fe" 3/11/00 review of Jaidar's book. And my second reaction was sadness for that person.

Never was there a clearer example of the necessity of having the eyes to see and the ears to hear!

Readers, take a look at what some of our best thinkers and researchers in the fields of consciousness studies and spirituality have to say about this book:

Larry Dossey, M.D.: "All truly great and enduring spiritual documents are jewellike - luminously clear and radiant....Anyone who reads THE SOUL will have found a precious gem, a treasure of immense worth. This book is about the Great Constants - those insights that have changed lives throughout human history."

Joseph Chilton Pearce: "For generations we have needed a new framework and lexicon for talking about the human spirit, and HERE IT IS. Everything that I (and others of similar bent) have written has only groped, at best, toward what is spelled out here. With the power and assurance of personal knowing, rather than conjecture, and with an admirable simplicity and clarity of style, George Jaidar shares with us a revelation he experienced nearly a quarter of a century ago..."

Professor Charles Tart: "....George Jaidar's book is one of the clearest, most sensible guides I've seen to real development. I strongly recommend THE SOUL to those seriously interested in finding and growing that deeper self."

Read through the other reader reviews. Don't miss this book. For those who do have the eyes to see and the ears to hear, and who are ready, THE SOUL holds the keys to transformation - not just thinking about it, or reading about it - but actually living out this unfolding new mutation in human consciousness.

I am so grateful that George Jaidar has written THE SOUL, AN OWNER'S MANUAL. This book is for people like me who have found that all religion and therefore life, had lost its meaning. If you have the courage to embark on the journey into the unknown that he describes, rather than seeking the comfortably familiar, you will be delightfully astonished.

George Jaidar's book inspires, in those who are ready, a deeper experience of their own unique spiritual journey. I've bought the book for many like-minded friends, and we each have our own description of why and how it works. That's the beauty of it: it's not a one-size-fits-all remedy for what ails you. Rather, it's an invitation to recognize and commit to the uniqueness and beauty of yourself as experienced through the search for a life of fullness, or the soul. Heady stuff, yeah, but well worth the time and effort required to complete the book. Try it, you'll like it.

I gave this book to my mother on her 75th birthday - she will be eighty soon, and refers to the title everytime she does something out of the ordinary, like gardening in the rain, line-dancing, wearing jeans while watching the sun set in Key West, riding in my convertible with the top down right after she had her hair "done", etc. I just bought two copies for my aunts who are in their eighties, and would never dream of doing what their "baby sister" does. Maybe they'll lighten up and enjoy life while they are still able and healthy. This book encourages women of all ages to enjoy life to the fullest.

This book is a great gift for that woman (or sensitive guy) who is celebrating one of the Big Birthdays - whether 30, 40, 50, 60 or more.

Along with the usual boring gifts that joke about being over the hill, this gift is a welcome and much needed aid to the transition that birthdays mark. The well-loved poem encourages the reader to appreciate each moment of life while it is happening.

I have received this as a gift, loaned out mine, given copies as gifts. It always seems to be appreciated. Its a nice gift by itself. For someone really special to you - mother, sister, friend, lover - it could be given with a small piece of purple - a scarf, tie, t-shirt, flowers, earrings. Everytime the purple gift is worn, the gift and the poem will be remembered, and the moment will linger....

This little (?) book, tells so much and teaches such a great lesson of life. In so few pages, aging and what it means is addressed. Live life each moment.

Living in a retirement community for over 11 years, I have found so much truth to the stories. Some make you laugh, some make you cry. Some might depress you, others are so uplifting. It is difficult to read without having any emotion at all. Now at age 55 I am a member of AARP, but not ready to stop living, that is for sure!

So what that this is the "down" side ..... the freedom and wisdom to chose and chose more wisely at that..... means so much more than a date!

What is the old expression about you start to die from the moment you are born? That is true, so you might as well get the most out of the ride, yes?

hmmmmmmmm I think I see a new scarf awaiting me... and yes, it is purple.

...I needed this book in my life, It really does show one that there are people who do watch out for us...that care for us... The authors use of verbal imaging...is incredible. You can visually see all that is happening in the story. I have only begun the book... only a few chapters in...and yet...I am spellbound, hooked, I fell in love....with Jack and Fred. I highly recommend this book to all who believe in angels...and to those that don't...There is more than enough action in this book to keep your interest.

"My Guardian Angels Jack and Fred" is a heart warming story of two angels and a young boy named Henry. Many emotions are displayed throughout the book. The author adds some comedy to lift your spirits. The love and pain the parents have for their son Henry you can't help but share with them. The relationship the angels have amongst themselves you relate to when you think of a dear life long friend. And of course the relationship Jack and Fred have with Henry is immeasurable. If you could do for a young boy what the angels do for Henry you would in a heart beat. The author is discriptive enough throughout the whole story you understand at all times what is taking place.He also manages to make it appear as he is telling you the story instead of you reading his words. While reading the book you can't help but feel your spirits lifted and smile. I myself was able to imagine what was being said to me and caught myself giggling in many sections of the book. If you believe in angels and miracles already this story helps confirm your belief. If infact you border on the side of being unsure or not believing at all this offers you hope that wonderful things like angels do exsist. I can sincerely say I enjoyed every page of the story. I strongly recommend anyone of any age group to buy "My Guardian Angels Jack and Fred". I know your heart will grow to love the characters in the novel as much as mine did.

My Guardian Angels Jack & Fred is a very imaginatively written novel that successfully blends many elements such as spirituality, romance, comedy, and adventure among others. On a whole, I felt that the novel seems to have different episodes or sections that read like different acts of a play. And it is throughout these episodes that the author continually develops the creative characters as the book moves towards its climax. What stands out in my mind about the book is the witty and colorful dialogue filled with clever quips and one-liners that runs throughout the story. I ended up feeling I was involved in a conversation and could hear the words and see the characters expressions rather than reading them off the page. Even after serious moments, I soon found myself smiling or laughing again over the humorous dialogue or character actions that followed in the next parts. My Guardian Angels Jack & Fred - a very uniquely written and very enjoyable novel!!!

This book will make you think. It should inspire you to act now. It is certainly not like any other book you've read lately. Joseph Farah actually lays out a plan for regaining the liberties we have already lost. It is a radical plan but considering the breathtaking loss of liberties we as a nation have already suffered at the hands of our government, it willl take a radical plan to get us back on track. I could hardly put it down and have already started to reread it.

A previous reviewer called it "fascism wrapped in an American flag". I don't see how that person could have even read the book at all. The dictionary defines fascism as "A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism." This entire book is about empowering the people to begin to take back power that's already been lost to the government. It exalts individual rights
and personal responsibility. Calling it "fascism wrapped in a flag" is just inflammatory and is exactly the opposite of Farah's vision for this country.

I only hope that Farah's book in fact does spark a revolution in people. One that will embolden us to fight to regain the liberties we've already lost. Sadly I think what Farah suggests is just too much work for the average American who likes to talk freely about what's wrong with the country but when it comes to taking any action well... that's another story.

the author is obviously convicted in his beliefs. you have to score him a 10 on his passion for "revitalizing" our country. what sets him apart from other conservative authors is the fact that, based on his thoughts, he has not yet been "spoiled" by the liberalization of america and, most importantly, he has a specific plan for cleaning up uncle sam. his notions are radical, especially to a near numb american populace who have been desensitized to moral indecency and political outrage. if you want to sicken yourself, get yourself some strong coffee and read this and tammy bruce's new book (the death of right and wrong)back to back over a three day stretch. it would take some strong shields to walk away without a strong concern for what kind of country we are preparing for our children. its amazing how these two authors - so perfectly opposed in most every other way - agree so symetrically on social/political matters. anyway, i digress. this is a good read. it entertains as it frightens. it is a provocative critique of our society's decay. farah says its not too late to get us back on track. i'm more cynical, but i hope he is right.

This is a must read book. Do you love America? Do you Hate what the Liberal hordes have done to this Country? If, yes then read this book. The whole book is nothing but TRUTH, If anybody says any different, they are a liar. Thank you Mr. Farah!