Contrary to widespread opinion, the evangelical Reformation of the 16th century did not find its primary driving force in the court of Charles V or in the academic halls of the university of Elector Friedrich the Wise. It was driven rather by the creative energies of common people who suddenly discovered the freedom of the gospel through the letters, prayers, songs and sermons that found their way from the pens of the Reformers to the printing shop of Lukas Cranach, and from there into the homes of people all over Europe. What won the hearts of the common people was not so much the erudite theological treatises - as important as these were - but the concrete expressions of the proclaimed Word through devotional literature, stories, hymns, puppet dramas and plays that brought delight to the masses, especially to the children. It is in this powerful tradition that this most recent book of sermons for children by Ruth Gilmore finds its place.

To understand the heart of the evangelical Reformation one must seek to catch a glimpse of the family gathered around the hearth to listen to father or mother read from the Small Catechism or pray a prayer from Luther's equally popular, A Very Good and Useful Book of Prayers It is to follow evangelical theologian Argula von Grumback as she traveled to villages in Bavaria, telling stories, encouraging the role of mother as „house preacher" and speaking about the power of baptism to eradicate the barriers of gender and class. It is to listen in on the conversation of the women who gathered with their children in the sewing rooms to read the latest pamphlet and talk about the meaning of the gospel for their daily lives.

The children's sermons by Ruth Gilmore's represent a genre that fits nicely within the grass-roots movement that swept through Europe in the 16th century. The ability to capture the meaning of faith for daily life is her very special gift to the church. If the book has a weakness, it lies in an occasional lapse into sentimentality and moralizing. But the overwhelming majority of sermons are filled with realism, surprise and sheer delight, allowing the living Word to take flesh, not only in the lives of children, but in the lives of the adults who listen in. An Advent sermon, for example, calls for the children to be on "sharp lookout" (Mark 13: 32-37) for the story-teller's return through a door off the chancel. When the children are "distracted" and miss the return, they learn something profound about the watchful attitude of Advent. The meaning of repentance as "turning around" (Mark 1, 4-11) is illustrated by a walk down the aisle and an abrupt about-face, while the tearing of a sheet provides immediate insight into the meaning of a difficult passage (Heb. 10: 19-25) about the high priestly role of Jesus. The children will not soon forget their discovery of God's "precious gift" (Ps. 127) when they open the lid of the box and see themselves in a mirror.

Although Sitting on the Rainbow is designed for the children's sermon time in the worship service of the congregation, there is no reason why it might not also be used in the home. Such a practice, it might be recalled, was well known in the household of Katharina and Martin Luther. It contributed in fact to one of the most powerful movements of evangelical renewal in the history of the church.

Durand's advice is built on a solid foundation of research, but written clearly and without jargon. He's also not out to "sell" a particular method or program as the cure-all: he describes a number of different methods, giving the pros and cons of each, so that parents can make an informed decision about what is likely to work with their child.

Incidentally, the information in the book might also help an adult (disabled or non-disabled) sort out any sleep problems of theirs as a free bonus.

"Slowhand" traces Eric Clapton's life story from his first guitar, a Spanish Hoya purchased for him by his grandparents in the mid 1950's, to his spectacular "24 Nights" at the Royal Albert Hall in 1991. The narrative deftly highlights major events in Clapton's life, as well as his constantly shifting and changing musical direction. Swept up by the psycheadelic sixties, propelled into the 1970's on a wave of drugs and unrequieted love, lost to the world through two years of isolation, Clapton skipped from wave to wave following his brave musical instincts. And though he helped change the face of rock music during his years with Cream, Blind Faith, and Derek and the Dominos, he never strayed too far from his blues roots. During his solo years in the 1970's, he incorporated reggae and country into his style, with songs like "I Shot the Sheriff" and "Tulsa Time". Along the way, he recorded songs by blues legends such as Robert Johnson ("Crossroads Blues"), Willie Dixon ("Evil"), and Jimmy Reed ("Ain't That Lovin' You").

Roberty includes discographies from each phase of Clapton's career, as well as listing his tours and session appearances. He includes information about guitars and instruments Clapton used. And he lists major videos Clapton has appeared in. The book is also full of photographs and art reproductions. Not a single page is dull.

Eric Clapton received six Grammys in 1992, for his "Unplugged" album. In 1994 he released a long awaited blues-only album. And in 1998 he continues his musical journey with a new album, appropriately titled "Pilgrim". "Slowhand: The Life and Music of Eric Clapton" traces his formulative steps toward the pinnacle he has achieved, today.

"... a stimulating and interesting anthology that covers the first decade of Ran research"

"As a whole the book also serves as an excellent reference source because virtually all available data on Ran are covered somewhere in the book. In general, the chapters are very well written and provide valuable background information."

"In conclusion, I found this book an enjoyable and instructive read and will certainly use it often as a reference in the future."

I am sure that by the size of it and the way it reads this is a text book for a college class somewhere. IT does read a little bit dry, but I'm not sure how much more exciting you can get with law, legalities, procedures and such.

Good information.

I've written Smart Medicine for a Healthy Prostate for men since most men, if they live long enough, will be affected by prostate disease; and women, since women also need to know how to help their loved ones prevent and treat prostate disease. To put matters in perspective, prostate cancer - the leading cause of cancer in men - begins as early as puberty and affects nearly every man if he lives long enough. Prostate enlargement, another common condition, affects half the men over the age of sixty, one third of whom need treatment. Finally, prostatitis accounts for more than two million doctor visits yearly. In fact, prostatitis is the most frequent reason that men under the age of fifty see a urologist.

That's the bad news. Now for the good news. Men don't have to become one of these statistics. Based upon information that I've gathered from scientific research, coupled with over twenty years of personal experience as a physician, urologic surgeon, and practitioner of conventional and alternative medicine, Smart Medicine for a Healthy Prostate will help men blessed with a healthy prostate keep it that way, and teach men challenged with prostate disease how to overcome it.

The book is organized into four chapters.

vThe first chapter gives an overview of the prostate and pertinent male anatomy.
vEach succeeding chapter guides readers through a different prostate disease. The first half of each chapter provides information about the natural history, evaluation, and state-of-the-art conventional therapies for the condition.
vThe second half of each chapter provides proven alternative therapies and teaches readers how to apply them.
vThe appendices contain a concise overview of nutritional and herbal supplements and the resource section provides additional valuable information.

I hope you enjoy reading my book. May you be blessed with abundant health and happiness.

Dr. McClure