The book approaches the Text from a narrative point of view, and focuses mostly on how the plot is developped. He divided the chapters according to the major characters of the Gospels: Jesus, the Authorities and the Disciples. I found it easy to read and right to the point. I consider it to be a good way to start to deepen the understanding of the gospel. I would read this one BEFORE reading any commentary.

As a boy growing up in Sunderland I was always was aware of the weeds growing amid the rubble of derelict building sites and on visits to my grandparents in the local countryside I would pass the multi-coloured fields replete with cows and sheep. Mostly I remember the many shapes and sizes of butterflies who were very abundant. Forty or so years later on a recent visit I discovered the air being full of the heavy odour of the oil-seed rape who'se colour is like a giant highlighter marked across the land. And few butterflies!

Mark Pennington narrates a tale of a power struggle between those living and working on the land and on the other hand government as well as pressure groups supposedly concerned with the countryside and the Ramblers Association who want to trample the whole of Britain underfoot.

It is a fascinating tale which traces the gradual extinction of individual rights of ownership under both Conservative and Labour governments which extend to almost every aspect of life. Houses cannot be built, fields cannot be sown, trespassers can roam anywhere strewing refuse without challenge. Over all of this presides the distant European Union which has followed disastrous agricultural policies almost since it's inception in the 1950's and continues to do so today.

The English countryside is often portrayed as an unchanging familiar landscape where the natural features have been preserved for the general population over the years. The propaganda of England's pleasant lands is a powerful resonant force in the country. Pennington shows how successive government policies have shaped and changed that countryside over the years and not always in the best possible way. The worst example is the rise and spread of the sitka spruce at the expense of the traditional broadleaf a spread which has decimated the Scottish countryside at the cost of millions to the taxpayer and for little obvious benefit to anyone.

Pennington articulates a strong case for privatisation. Privatisation in the sense of restoring rights to individual farmers and landowners who are often castigated for their errors by the same politicians and pressure groups who have devastated the countryside to such a great extent. Their errors and mistakes pale into insignificance but were contained by their relatively small scales.

British politicians gather votes by campaigning to save the rural post offices or some other relatively slight issue while pursuing policies which cause the biggest impact. After over fifty years you might expect some politicians to realise that the answer is not big overbearing government but small scale individual ownership and accountability. Mark Pennington has done an excellent service in bringing these issues to public scruting.

On a final note I cannot help but state my final observation about the English landscape from my last visit. There were hardly any butterflies!

This is a excellent guide to what is often NOT written about in east coast periodicals. Filled with beautiful reproductions of current work. The writing is a bit uneven, but is generally very readable and not filled with art jargon. A very good overview for anyone who goes to galleries and/or is interested in any form of contemporary art.

Full of information on all aspects of lodging security. Very easy to read, to the point, and practical. I personally have used much of it's content to share with upper management for re-enforcement to why we need to improve in certain areas. This is a must read for ownwers,directors, and officers alike. My hat is of to Mr. Beaudry! Looking forward to more on Lodging Security....

Contmporary Politaical Ideas is a great reading if you re looking for current beliefs like Marxism, Communist, Capitalist. Written in a very interesting style it provides reader with quite brief knowledge about the different ideoligies of the current world we live in.

Are you always cool under pressure? No? Than you're in good company-Moses, Joseph, Joshua, Paul. . . It's easy to forget that they were regular people just like you. They got nervous when they faced tough challenges too. They had second thoughts just like you. They were tempted to back down, but they didn't. They trusted God to give them strength and boldness when the heat was on. You can have that same kind of strength. From the examples of these and other Bible people, you will discover how not to back down. You'll gain dramatic new confidence to boldly face trying situations and hang on to what you believe - even when your palms are sweaty. Can easily be applied to every day problems. Has cute drawings too!

An alternate and awesome approach to Math. If u can teach your kid using these books right from the age of 9 or 10 then he is sure to develop very very strong and powerful mental skills in maths. Ever thought you could do 57823423/21345 in a single line ?? With the techniques from this book your kid would do it in seconds( maybe without touching a pen or a peice of paper!!) Just make your kid work with this book for a couple of hours every week and in a few years time he'll be a mathematical genius!!

I bought this book for my mother and brother-in-law and now I think I'll get me a copy. Dean's photographs capture some of the counters that I grew up at, but I've only been to one of the places represented in the book. The wonderful thing about this book is that, even if your local drug store of cafe is not in it, there's a place just like it. The thesis, that there is a distinct culture around the counters of Texas, is interesting and well developed. A hardcover version would earn the 5th star.

After having the opportunity to eat baby back ribs cooked in the Spicy Chipotle Tolect Barbecue Glaze, I tried the receipe myself. While the prep time is long, it is well worth the effort. The only confusing instructions is the receipe for chile puree (page 120). The receipe does not tell you how many chiles to use. I prepared baby back ribs for a family/friend barbecue. Everyone including the guests from Massachusetts raved about the ribs!

We have all seen the pictures of the teenage black students walking through the rows of U.S. Army soldiers as they entered the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. In "Cracking the Wall; The Struggles of the Little Rock Nine," Eileen Lucas tells the story behind those famous pictures. Illustrated by Mark Anthony, this book not only tells us the names of these nine students but takes us inside the school so we can find out what happened when the cameras were not around. While these students were allowed to attend Central, despite the wishes of the Governor Fabus and other segregationists, they were not allowed to participate in any activities. Young readers will learn how the governor used National Guardsmen to keep the blacks from attending class until President Eisenhower sent different soldiers to ensure the law was obeyed. In an Afterword, Lucas explains what happened after the soldiers left and how Fabus actually closed all the public high schools in Arkansas rather than let black and white students be together. Today we look back on these events and cannot believe adults could be such idiots, but then prejudice is not exactly textbook rational thinking. Students will find this story fascinating, although I would imagine they would have a hard time imagining what it was really like for these nine brave students. As Lucas reminds her young readers, while "The Little Rock Nine helped to crack the wall" of segregation, "it is up to each of us to continue to tear down the walls that keep people apart."