Eerie, unexplained happenings occur that make this a true page-turner, culminating with a murder that took me by surprise. I couldn't put it down. There are enough red herrings and suspense to satisfy even the most fussy mystery buffs. The writing is also a breath of fresh air. The characters are well-developed, the plot is tight and the setting for the story fired my imagination.

Now this book doesn't solve any problems per se, but it does put them into context and it avoids the unhelpful, silly, and unscholarly straw man arguments that the cheaper scholarship throws out as to why we should be Catholic or Protestant or Orthodox or "Protholidox"! WHile it is a great book for those interested in reunion, it is certainly a must-read for those who have read Ut Unum Sint, "that all may be one".

See my review of Brian Tierney's "Origins of Papal Infallibility" for a great selection of books that deal indepth with the subject of reunion between east and west as it relates to the papacy. Enjoy!

First elected to Parliament in the last days of Queen Victoria's reign, Churchill served until the time of the current Monarch. Addison covers all those years thoroughly, not only shedding new light on well-known incidents like Tonypandy, the General Strike, and Sidney Street, but also on less visible (but arguably more important) topics like Churchill's ongoing commitment to prison reform.

Like it was for his nation, World War II was Churchill's Finest Hour. But it was only about one-tenth of his storied career. Anyone who would have a well-rounded understanding of this well-rounded man needs to have Addison's book on his shelves.

Senator Mark Hatfield writes:
"City Streets, City People affirms the biblical truth that the poor, sick and suffering are truly blessed, and that we will be judged by our response to them."

Bob Lupton, President of FCS Urban Ministries, writes:
"...captures the fundamentals or urban ministry more concisely and comprehensively than anyone I have read or listened to..."

Ron Benefiel, President of Nazarene Theological Seminary, writes: "a practical, helpful manual in the day-to-day how to's of ministry in the city. I highly recommend this book for anyone ministering in the urban context."

City Streets, City People is both a book of stories about homeless persons and a "user-friendly" guide that outlines how people of goodwill--volunteers, clergy, students and professionals--can respond compassionately and effectively to outcast groups in society. Christensen draws on his own experience in working with the homeless and persons with AIDS on the streets of New York, San Franscisco and Calcutta. He also shares how active urban workers can cultivate their own "inner garden of contemplative spirituality" and avoid burn-out so common in urban ministry.

Nominated for the 1989 Book of the Year Award, sponsored by Campus Life Ministries, and was selected by the United Methodist Church as official denominational curriculum. Widely used by colleges, seminaries and church groups as a handbook on urban ministry.

A classic urban ministry text from a broadly evangelical Christian perspective.

"I undertook this study of the civic architecture of the French emigre Paul Cret (1876-1945) as an effort to understand better the complex relation between design of public buildings and the interests of the institutions that commissioned them. Cret's work has proved well suited to such an investigation for a number of reasons. Not only is it extremely well documented, but as a foreigner Cret had an outsider's perspective on America, which highlights the distinctions between the client's interests and the architect's assumptions. Furthermore, in the competitions that mark his career, his work differs sufficiently from that of his American colleagues to allow consideration of the diverse conceptions that shaped civic architecture in the United States in the first third of the twentieth century"

Rigorously holding herself to this self-imposed limitation she has produced a truly first rate work. Cret's early life an education are presented, followed by chapters devoted to 8 projects that are discribed, both in substance and in creation, and carefully analyzed. Three of the projects: the Pan American Union, the Folger Shakespeare Library, and the Federal Reserve Board are justifiably famous, several others including the Indianapolis Public Library and his loosing entry to the Nebraska State Capitol Competition are little known works of true architectural genius. The author's writing style is sometimes dense but it is always clear and well crafted, her research is obviously exhaustive, her arguements carefully reasoned. The selection of illustrations is very good.

Except for Wright, Cret is arguably the greatest American architect. Like wright he was a master of composition who could creat remarkably elegant and original architectural solutions to unique problems. Unlike wright he had a wide and deep knowledge and understanding of the western architectual tradition. Unlike Wright he was a man of truly good charactor.

I have two criticisms of the book. First, I beleave it is much too expensive (but worth every penny). Second I wish the author had chosen to include additional chaptors devoted to his work for American Battle Monuments Commission and the Pennsylvania Battle Monuments Commission, as well as to his work providing architectural design for bridges etc., both of which I believe could have been included under the umbrella of Civic Architecture. Still, I do not wish to criticize the author, it is rare to find such a good book on any architect, there is very little written on Cret, we are unusually fortunate to have this work that will be valued for decades to come.