Frank's book is interesting, insightful and even helpful for those who find their vocation in the church. However, the title of his work is very misleading. Rather than writing about the soul of the congregation, he spends his energy discussing a congregation's history and personality...which is still helpful, but not a discussion of the soul. For those looking for a book to dig more deeply into what makes their local churches tick, this volume will provide a good resource. However, those seeking a discussion of the corporate soul (as in Acts 4) should look elsewhere.

In a sea of books focusing on church growth to megachurch proportions, "The Soul of the Congregation" reminds us of the human element - the individual - that is an integral part of all churches. Dr. Frank presents episodes of real life congregations to which all pastors can relate. He provides a model for pastors and church leaders to connect their stories with those of the congregation - thus finding the soul. The pastoral voice of the book can renew disilliusioned young ministers as well as revive persons who have served many years of ministry.

Favorably reviewed by Murray J. Evans (University of Winnipeg) in _Envoi: A Review Journal of Medieval Literature_ vol. 6 no. 1 (Spring 1997).
This notice was submitted by Envoi.

Although some claim you can't find a decent one volume Bible commentary, I've got an accredited B.A. in Theology, and I say you certainly can. The contributors of this commentary are from the highest levels of academia and present material worthy for the pulpit and pew alike.

This book is written in an accessible and practical format. It assumes nothing but at the same time treats the reader as an intelligent participant on the journey to understanding evidence based practice.

It is up to date and I was especially impressed with the web address it gives to ensure the reader is kept abreast of any changes since publication.

It systematically explains the need and use of 'evidence', how to find it (the search advice is comprehensive and includes details such as search terms and the best search engines aswell as web addresses) how to evaluate it and also how to act on it.

All in all this book was great, and I would reccomend it to anyone involved in evidence based healthcare practice as it will guide you through the thorniest problems.

I've been using the photos in this book with elementary art students for several years. We do value studies with black and white tempera paints, looking for the progression of values, and nature's shapes, patterns and textures (like rippling and branching). Then we compare our paintings with some by Georgia O'Keeffe and other artists. While I've never actually read the text, the photos have been a good springboard for discussions of aerial perspective, and erosion by wind and water, too.

This is the story of the renowned poet Edward Thomas's last four years, told by Eleanor Farjeon, a wealthy woman who loved him very much, but who never told him so. Farjeon, a poet herself and writer of books for children, met Thomas in 1912. He was already married and had three children. They became very close friends, but, you know, in that discreet and rigid British-Victorian way (they, for example, kissed cheeks only once, when he was going to war).

Eleanor became also a close friend of Thomas's wife Helen. She knew Eleanor loved his husband, but she was assured that would never be a problem. In fact, Thomas's relationship with his wife was surprisingly "modern" and unconventional, even by today's standards. The story is full of repressed passions, interesting side-stories, intimate aspects of other famous poets' lives, including of course Robert Frost, the main influence in Edward Thomas's life, Walter de la Mare, and others.

The text makes full use of Thomas's letters to Eleanor, a glimpse into his intimate family life. It will be interesting to specialists, but also for those who want to have a close flavor of what life in those years was like in England. In the end, it's a wonderful love story, because it contains the elements of an impossible love and a tragic ending. Very tragic indeed. A plus is contained in the additional essays, where Eleanor remembers his beloved one, forty years after his death.

Carlos Schwantes, Pacific Northwest Historian at University of Idaho, and G. Thomas Edwards, American West Historian at Whitman University have co-edited this valuable book. Experiences in a Promised Land explores topics related to the states of Washington and Oregon,from the time of discovery to the modern age. Twenty-three scholarly articles in the book cover a wide range of subjects, including American Indians, women in the West, labor, and the environment. Six of the essays were written specifically for this project; the others have been reprinted from journals. With the exception of a few old classics, the collection of articles represents current scholarship of the region, and a conscious effort to move past the traditional reliance on political and ecoomic history,

The author is faced with the difficult task of showing that T.E. Lawrence embellished his own deeds without taking away from what he did accomplish. While the myths about the man are interesting (the classic Lawrence of Arabia movie) the real story is far more interesting. A great book.

This is a collection of ten-years worth of letters that illuminate the amazing loyalty of Wolfe's editor Edward Aswell and biographer & literary agent Elizabeth Nowell. Though book sounds academic, letters give a lively, personal, very human look at the two writers & at Wolfe & his family, including some never-before-published information. Both Aswell & Nowell died in 1958 within months of Nowell's completion of biography. Book edited by their daughters.

History is usually written by the victor, or at least from the victor's perspective. To some extent this is unfortunate, since historical "truth" requires a balanced perspective. If one is truly interested in understanding the American Revolutionary War, then one must actively seek out the perspective of the losing side. That is why books like, Piers Mackesy's The War For America, 1775-1783, David Syrett's The Royal Navy in American Waters, 1775-1783 & Edward Cashin's The King's Ranger are so important. The first two put our revolution in overall geopolitical perspective from the British point of view. The latter focuses exclusively on the often neglected "southern campaign". With the excitement generated by the 1999 movie, "The Patriot", this book is re-released at an opportune moment. While the beginning and ending portions focusing on Thomas Brown's pre- and post-american life, respectively, are somewhat dry and could stand more judicious editing, the central meat of the book is an excellent and scholarly contribution to the study of the American Revolutionary period. In this book we gain insight into the significant role of tories in America as well as the american indian contribution to the campaign in the south. We learn what happened to most tories after their cause was lost and come to realize just how close we came to being on the losing side. This is a scholarly work of history, portions require concerted effort and concentration to wade through. However, the "pearls" contained within, particularly in the central portion, are well worth the effort.