Paul J. Ciolino is the investigator who saved Anthony Porter from the death penalty by securing a confession from the real killer. It follows that a book written by Mr. Ciolino and Grace Elting Castle would be excellent It is.

This important book belongs in every investigator's office and in the libary of every courthouse.

Sheila M. Murphy Retired Presiding Judge Sixth District, Cook County, IL

The primary reason I took the time to read Advanced Forensic Criminal Investigations was because I am familiar with all of the authors, and felt an obligation to do so. I was also curious about what this book could possibly offer that hasn't been covered time and again in countless books, "hot-to" guides, articles and conferences.

From start to finish, this book makes you feel as if each author is talking directly to you, educating you, taking you under his or her wing, so to speak. Imagine if you could have a mentor, the opportunity to pick their brain, the chance to shadow an investigator who has an absolute understanding of the methods and techniques, and the ability to answer all of your questions.

So many books, manuals and articles are chock full of "how-tos" and helpful hints, but the real heart of the matter is not explored. The authors provide the secrets, the insights, the total package from A to Z. This book does not gloss over the subjects. It deals with all the aspects of the investigative steps, and provides relevant examples.

This book also makes you think. I found myself contemplating the many options I should have explored in the past which were so clearly explained in each and every chapter. I recalled techniques I had forgotten, and learned so many more new ones. I got an insight into the way that other fellow professional investigators handle their investigations. I may never become an expert in the areas covered in the book, but I now have an understanding of the methods and sciences covered in this publication, an understanding that can only make me a better educated, and knowledgeable, professional investigator.

This book is broken down into fifteen (15) chapters, written by some of the best investigators in the country. All of the chapters are very well written, concise, informative and jam packed with the techniques, and insights of hundreds of years of investigative experience. I consider each and every chapter an individual tool in my investigator's bag of tools. This book is not overwhelming, or a hard read, but draws you in from start to finish, like a good novel.

This is not a book that is once read and then used as a paper weight, or dust collector. Mine is on my desk, and I have and shall continue to refer to it often. There's a feeling you sometimes get when you finish a good novel, you want to tell your friends and share the experience with others. Few textbooks evoke that feeling. This one does.

Paul J. Ciolino & Grace E. Castle have dedicated thenselves to working for those who are unfortunate, wrongly convicted and incarcerated. Usually they are poor as well and unable to hire people to help them. As criminal defense investigators, they are not in the most popular of occupations. Against great odds they have enjoyed, or rather improperly convicted defendants have enjoyed, great successes.

Thier most recent contribution, Advanced Forensic Criminal Defense Investigations, is a wonderful work, one both investigators and criminal defense lawyers will want in thier libary. The topics covered are important and the contributing authors have all done well.

Terence F. MacCarthy, Director, Federal Defender Program, Chicago, IL.

I sing and Amazing Grace is one of my favorite hymns. I'm also a nontheist. I'm pretty comfortable with those two seemingly incongruous facts, but I thought I'd read Steve Turner's book Amazing Grace to see if other folks like me had made it into the text. I'm also an Arlo Guthrie fan and I figured I'd do some fact checking on the version of John Newton's story Arlo tells when singing Amazing Grace in concert. Folks like me show up towards the end of the second part of the book and Turner indicates that Arlo is aware that his version is condensed and inaccurate.

The first part of Amazing Grace is the story of John Newton and how he came to write the words to what is now America's favorite hymn. I learned a lot of history, especially of the slave trade in the 1700's, while getting the non-Arlo, complicated version of Mr. Newton's life. The second part of the book follows the history of the hymn post-Newton. Turner has done his homework and I especially enjoyed learning about the history of the hymn in the 1800's, including how Amazing Grace picked up the tune we now sing it to.

I highly recommend Amazing Grace to fans of history, music, and, of course, the hymn Amazing Grace.

I just led a church service about "Amazing Grace," and Steve Turner's book served as my main resource. I read it cover to cover during the process, and found it highly intelligent and interesting, with far too many "tidbits" that I wanted to include in the service and couldn't! I encourage the reading of this book AS a "pleasure read," not just as research material.

I particularly appreciated the section on contemporary versions of "Amazing Grace" and its impact on the secular community. As a Unitarian Universalist, I was greatly cheered to find one of our ministers quoted on the impact of the hymn on those who don't necessarily believe in a divine presence.

The discography of AG recordings included as an appendix was also hugely valuable, as I compiled a CD of recorded versions as a "party favor" for my (small) congregation. Turner's correct when he says it's a "select" discography, but he got most of the really good ones!

I love Steve Turner books, and I love the song Amazing Grace. What a combination!...a work of history that reads like a good mystery novel! I couldn't put it down until I'd read it from cover to cover. This book has everything...a great redemption story, both for the man, Newton--and his song, which didn't really take off until someone put the perfect tune with it a hundred years later. Turner manages to present the context of Newton's theology in a scholarly way that will be informative, but not off-putting to those who are not into reformed theology. The secular life of the song is fascinating...to see how this song was popularized, and now touches millions. To me this song has what we wan't all music to have...something that touches our insides in a way we can't describe, but we know that it makes our lives more complete. And the biggest surprise of the book?...Newton became a slave-trader AFTER his conversion, and only opposed slavery much later in life. Considering how slowly America has repented of it's historic racism, there may be a lesson for us all as we see the sanctification that occurred over time in Newton's life.

This book is great! I have already made 3 of the menus and it was incredible each time. The book tells you everything from what type of wine, how to set the table and most importantly, what you can make ahead and how to have everything ready at the same time. For once I was drinking wine with my husband, waiting for the guests instead of rushing around at the last minute. Did I mention the meals are incredible?

In "Entertaining 101," the authors present recipes for a whole meal: appetizer, wines, entree, and dessert, so you don't have to bother figuring out what goes with what! They are themed for the holidays, and turn out tasting delicious and looking great! I have very little cooking experience, but their directions are easy to follow and very clear. Also, their food is healthy and fat-conscious without being bland or boring. This book is fantastic!

This book is an entertainers dream come true. No more backbreaking work, no more sore feet, and above all, no more feeling like I'm going to fall asleep during the party. Why does entertaining have to be so exhausting? There is no need to spend 8 hours in the kitchen getting ready for your guests to spend 3 hours enjoying. Why not just spend one hour, and enjoy yourself? This is the book for you! The recipes are easy, quick and excellent. With 52 different menus to choose from, you're set for the entire year. I found myself wishing the summer away because some of the winter menus looked so great! Now all I need to do is figure out who to invite over and enjoy myself.

If you have Chronic Fatique Syndrome or anything like it, READ THIS BOOK!! Excellent!!

This book is the best book I've ever read on parenting. I'm so excited about how I will parent now, and I am not intimidated by its truths. They are freeing, and have given me so much hope for being a better parent! If you are a parent, this is a MUST read. This book will help you love your child and bring him up in a healthy way that will enable him or her to be a strong person of character. I also recommend the book "Tired of Trying to Measure Up" by the same author. I read it before I read this book, and it really helped set the stage for me as a person before trying to be a good parent. I can't say enough good things about it. I'd rate it 20 stars if I could!

This is an outstanding book. Now I really know what a shame-based family is. OUCH! But I also now know how I can change to make my life better. To become more gracious in my relationships. It was so good, I ran a workshop at our church to share the excellent information to others. No one can afford to spray shame on our spouse and children. This may just be what you are looking for if you are READY TO CHANGE.

I WAS LOOKING FOR A GIFT FOR MY 2 YR OLD DAUGHTER AND I ENDED UP BUYING THIS FOR MYSELF. IT IS LYRICAL AND INSPIRATIONAL. IT REALLY SPOKE TO ME PERSONALLY BUT ITS ELEGANT AND DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE WOULD MAKE A GREAT GIFT.

I love this book. My family uses it at dinnertime for prayers!!
...

I love reading this book to all of our children: from the 4 year old to the newborn. It has a rich text with wonderful images for each day of the week. I think everyone should end and begin their day with the kind, welcoming thoughts this book evokes. Highly recommended.

An excellent follow-up to her previous, "10 Bad Choices that Ruin Black Women's Lives." Dr. Cornish gives excellent advice on excelling in your personal and spiritual lives. I highly recommend it!

Most of the 10 items in Dr. Cornish's book, I have been applying to my life. I trust God and try to apply Biblical principles to my everyday life. However, it seemed hard to maintain a balance between the spiritual and everyday life (some of you church folks know what I mean). In reading "10 Good Choices That Empower Black Women's Lives," I have finally seized the balance that I've been seeking. The message in Good Choice #4 of God being the owner and I am the manager of my life, helped bring all that I have and am trying to accomplish into perspective. I bought the book over a year ago and have just recently read it -- right when I needed it the most! Thank you, Dr. Cornish, for your godly spirit (it exudes throughout the entire book), insightful life-changing message, and your love for the Black woman!!!

She's done it again-telling it like it is! As always, Dr. Cornish gives it to you straight, no chaser. In "10 Good Choices" she challenges black women to take back their power and their lives from the bad relationships, bad careers, bad investments, bad companies, and bad memories. It is clear that she has a personal interest in putting her fellow sisters (and keeping them) on the path to becoming their best selves, living their best lives-something we ALL were put on this planet to do.

In life, we have choices to make, she explains, and Cornish's 'good choices' are sweet, ones that will bring the reader joy and abundance-if she (or he, because, fellas, this nongender-specific, practical and timely advice is applicable to you too!) is willing to uncross the arms, open the mind and embrace life-change. From 'Accepting Better Love' and 'Making Money Work for You,' to 'Giving Stress a Perpetual Rest' and 'Rewriting Your Life's Script,' there is something to be gotten here by all--young or "seasoned."

The author's consistent theme of self-love and -care (based on the foundation of empowering one to having a strong sense of self, value, direction, humor, belonging and being) is reminiscent of--at the risk of making comparisons--"Dr. Phil (as in "Tell-It-Like-It-Is" McGraw of "The Oprah Winfrey Show). "In many ways, life is like a lottery-you've got to play to win," she says. "But unlike the game of chance, YOU CAN control the draw." Some powerful stuff here, folks! The author pleads with the reader to choose to win, and enjoy every moment of life, because it's precious and should be valued.

Through Dr. Grace's voice of both conviction and compassion, her words will inspire you to effect positive change in every area of your life. Thumbs up to a book written by the spirited life coach who wants nothing short of the best lives for her people!

The ultimate hymn story resource- has almost hymns form every tradition. Must read! Only thing you might want is a volume 2!

Kenneth Osbeck has compiled a collection of background stories on some wonderful hymns. In reading the story as well as the accompanying Bible verses, you get a solid sense of the message that the hymn is trying to convey. This is a great devotional book, whether you're familiar with these hymns or not. You don't have to be a musician or even know the hymns really well to enjoy this book.

This devotional is unique because it gives the hymn's author and composer and some encouraging background information. I read it to my wife in the morning, and then we sing the hymn if we know it, then read the Scripture portions and then I pray. What a glorious way to begin the day. I highly recommend it.

Boise really explains Calvinistic views well in this book. He draws off of scripture and not just philosophy. My main problem with the book is that Boise tries to go beyond what needs to be covered. If he would just stick with verses that are plane spoken he'd do good. But he takes a lot of verses that are kind of gray, and tries to force them into his Calvinistic views. This is not good exegesis. It really weakens a Calvinists argument when you try to fit verses into your theology. Boise would be better again, by just sticking with the verses that clearly point to the doctrines of grace. Overall this book is adequate, but if you come at it from a mind seeking truth you will see where he does force his meaning onto verses. If you come at this book as a Calvinist, you'll cheer as he uses all verses to support his argument. If you come to it as a Arminian, you'll be swayed when he shows the clear cut verses that show how God elects, but you'll be repulsed when he forces his belief on the not so clear verses.

I bought this book with a desire to understand more of Calvinism. I came at it with, I believe, an objective view. Boice expounds convincingly the Calvinist texts, redefines the TULIP acronym so that it is more clear and precise, and gives direction on how a Calvinist lives.

As other reveiwers mentioned, Boice does a good job on the easy texts and leaves some wanting on the hard texts (see Michael Horton instead). Also Helpful are the verses of the hymns that Boice composed before each chapter. In the final chapters Boice (and Ryken) attempt to refute the claim that Calvinists are the "Frozen Chose" and points to history and the example of 10th Presbyterian Church as signs of a lively Reformed faith.

Final Analysis.
If one is a seasoned Calvinist or Arminian, then this book probably will not be anything new for you. However, for a new Reformed or an Arminian wishing a debate, this book will be interesting. For those more seasoned, try Michael Horton's Putting Amazing Back into Grace.

James Boice and Philip Ryken present a cogent, easy to understand
presentation of the Reformed faith. The church today generally does not read church history and are therefore not aware of the doctrines that were preached and died for. This effort plainly
expounds the profound deep truths of the Bible without losing its
audience. I highly recommend this as the beginning book for anyone dealing with the issue of God's sovereignty. The question truly is "Who birthed you into the kingom; yourself or Jehovah God?" If "every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of Lights", salvation is one of those gifts and comes "from" God and not ourselves. The question that this book helps answer is this: is man TOTALLY depraved or partially wounded? Ephesians 2:1,5 says "you who were dead, God made alive". This book explains in simple language one of the deepest truths of the Word of God.

This is my favorite Grace Livinston Hill book, close tie with "Marcia Schuyler." You can find this story also in Collection Number 5, enter "Grace Livingston Hill, 5" to search on Amazon.com to find it in one paperback book with three other stories. That is the collection I own.

In this story, Shirley Hollister is the oldest daughter, supporting her ill mother and younger siblings after her father passed away. They are being evicted from their city home as it is to be torn down for bigger buildings, and Shirley does not know what to do. She uses her spare dime to take the longest city train ride she can find in hopes of spotting a place to live, which takes her out into the country where she spots a beautiful old stone barn surrounded by trees, a stream, and beautiful landscape. She decides to see if they could live there for the summer, and goes to talk to the wealthy young owner, Sydney Graham, to see if it can be rented. Sydney makes many improvements on the barn prior to the arrival of his new tenants, including adding partitions, a fireplace, windows, a pay phone, and running water, while being sensitive to Shirley's pride and her desire not to be an object of charity. Shirley and her siblings then fix the barn up with their old furniture, and surprise their ailing mother with a story of moving into a "shanty." The mother is overwhelmed with joy when she finds herself surrounded by such a lovely home in the country, and she begins to grow stronger. The children enjoy playing in the country after being shut up in the city, the youngest boy is separated from friends who were starting to be a bad influence on him, and the baby Doris endearingly watches the birdies. Things are going well until Shirley is called to Washington DC to assist with some important governmental papers for her employer, and a group of evil men kidnap her. You will have to read the story for yourself to discover the rather predictable happy ending. I love the part of fixing up the barn, and the sweet idealism of the story.

This is the first GLH book I ever read and it remains my favorite, after having read most of the others. Again, we have a poor family--father deceased, mother very ill, numerous children--being taken care of by the oldest daughter on her small stenographer's salary. The dilemma is that their cheap rented house is about to be torn down so they must move in a few weeks. But how can they do this without money? Taking her only savings (10 cents), the oldest daughter takes advantage of an unexpected afternoon off from work to ride the train out to the country in the faint hope of finding something suitable and affordable. Once well out in the country, she overhears a conversation between other travelers about a barn in sight from the train tracks, and decides to get a closer look. Impossible though it seems to her at first, the lovely setting seems to be just what is needed to regain her mother's health and provide the children with space to play outdoors. Quickly tracking down the owner, she meets with his handsome son and timidly proposes the rental of the barn for their home. He is immediately sensitive to her dignity and hesitancy and need, and goes out of his way to help her and her family. The description of the barn remodeling is fun, with several side stories and characters. The romance is slow in developing, but results in the usual GLH happy ending.

This is my favorite GHL bookI have read it five times ormore the story is just as fresh as it was the first timeI read it. It is a wonderful story of family life and how they stick together in the time of adversity, even if they have to live in a barn. Their faith in God and each other makes it a very heartwarming story in the style that GHL is famous for.

This is a beautiful devotional, and a glimpse of the way a brilliant mind works at something we all aspire to: understanding God. It is refreshing to read something that doesn't pretend to have all the answers about Him, but encourages us to "learn to love the mysteries". I don't know about you, but that is what I am trying to do. Instead of simplifying who God is and reducing him to the level of an idol, the author encourages us to see him as Omnipotent God, Creator & Sustainer. It is a breath of fresh air to me, and a wonderful encouragement.

I read the Crosswick Journal series before being buying this treasure as a Christmas gift to myself a few years ago. I was already a fan of Ms L'Engle. However, this book brought her into a new realm. I followed the readings quite faithfully during two yearly cycles. I must say that they provided my those glimpses of grace that were needed during that very difficult time of my life. These are only glimpses because they are relatively short and easy to digest over breakfast. However, as so often happens, glimpses open doors that reveal so much more. My faith in the God of Creation was reaffirmed through this book. This God accepted me as I was (and am) and affirmed me as good. What more can one ask from a book of daily reflections?

Thank you Ms L'Engle. I'm proud to call you a fellow Episcopalian!

L'Engle does something here that few devotional authors dare. She not only supplies answers and inspirations, she poses questions. Questions without easy answers. Questions that penetrate to the heart of true faith in God.

Does she qualify as a mystic? Yes, in that she moves outside the world of pure rationalism.

Is she a Christian? Yes, in the sense that she believes upon Jesus Christ as the savior and as the only begotten Son of God.

Is she an agnostic? Yes, by her own definition. She says that by confessing agnosticism, she is only confessing that she doesn't know everything. She refuses to lie or pretend otherwise. Yet, in the midst of not knowing, she still believes in the God that created the universe.

This devotional breathes life into a sometimes stale genre. L'Engle's openness might challenge, even offend, some. But for those on the limits of faith, those hanging in amidst life's tragedies and unexpected miracles, "Glimpses of Grace" gives a little more grace to move on. This is classic and poignant writing. One closes the pages filled with a greater awe and greater mystery regarding the love of God.