Pope John Paul II has given us one of the best (if not the best) books of modern theology today. This book is a compilation of many weekly addresses the Pope gave in the early 80's. Now compiled into this one work, we can view the absolute genius of the mind of Pope JPII. His insights into humanity, creation, the human person and the body are without equal. In fact, he may be known for this work more than any other when history judges him in the future. He has given the Church new insights into the dignity of the human person, marriage,... and made it challenging to all of us.

If you haven't read any of the Pope's writings, I suggest you start with his encyclicals, and study them hard, before jumping into this work. The Theology of the Body has already started several grass-roots evangelism projects and my guess is that we are only starting to see the fruit this book will bear.

The Theology of the Body is comparable in depth of thought to the works of Augustine and Aquinas.

The writings speak to a reader at numerous levels: the personal, the organizational, global, sacramental, familial, paternal, maternal, fraternal, vocational, scriptural, anthropological and many others. The beauty is the integration of teachings at and across each level!

The teachings encapsulated within this work synthesize many truths about humanity and Catholic Christianity.

The book's writings shed light on the fullness of Truth revealed in and over the fullness of time. What was implied in the truth of the Gospel is revealed in a more explicit way in the Pope's analysis.

Topics of interest include: the dignity of the human person, the human body in art versus pornography, the intended relationship between man and woman from the beginning - in the present - and future, what the physical human body reveals about the nature of the person and God, the call to Chastity and Modesty, the universal call to holiness, the mystery of Body of Christ, the mystery of the priesthood, celibacy, and the mystery of the Eucharist and much, much more.

The book is a difficult read if you are not familiar with the Pope's method... but well worth it!!

Those with a philosophical background may regard JPII's leaning toward phenomenology as either a peripheral "quirk" or a departure from traditional (i.e., Aristotelian-Thomist) realism. "Theology of the Body" should dissuade of either conclusion. JPII's approach to phenomenology is foundational to his celebration of human personhood, and totally realist and thus thoroughly compatible with traditional Christian philosophy. The theological significance of JPII's philosophical approach is clearly demonstrated in his phenomenological exegesis of the existential signficance of man's transition from "original solitude" (before Eve's creation) to "original nakedness" (Adam's encounter with Eve). JPII's meditation on how man's personal self-awareness - and thus his personhood - is fulfilled through the bodily disclosure of another person literally "fleshes out" the teaching of the universal Catechism: God is an eternal exchange of Love, in which man is destined to participate (CCC 221). I only regret that the Pope did not develop the analogy implicit in his meditation between the purely relational Personhood of the Blessed Trinity and the nuptial meaning of the human body.

Under the Influence is an overview of Western Civilization from the first century onwards with an emphasis on bringing in the aspects of history and culture as influenced by Christianity. As such, it is indispensible for home schoolers as well as for students who want a complete picture of the development of our civilization. This is because most modern textbooks do not mention the spiritual aspects of history. Mention of God, Christianity, and prayer are erased from the textbooks. If you were to read the original writings of people such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Isaac Newton, George Washington Carver and many others, you'll find that they have a deep abiding faith in God. Lord Kelvin: "If you think strongly enough, you will be forced by science to the belief in God." Sir Isaac Newton: "God governs the world invisibly, and he has commanded us to worship him, and no other God... he has revived Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who has gone into the heavens to receive and prepare a place for us, and ... will at length return and reign over us...till he has raised up and judged all the dead." Musicians such as Bach, Handel, Beethoven, Mendelssohn composed to the Glory of God. Beethoven: "I have no friend. I must live by myself. I know, however, that God is nearer to me than others; I go without fear to Him."

Areas covered: Morality, Women's Rights, Charity, Hospitals, Health Care, Education, Labor and Economics, Science, Politics, Art, Music, Literature. Very comprehensive and leads to further study.

In this well-documented volume of over 400 pages, Schmidt marshals the evidence for the transforming power of the Christian faith. He shows how Jesus has the power to transform men, who in turn are able to transform society. And on every level, that is exactly what has happened. Several specific examples can be mentioned.

In spite the claims of some today that Christianity oppresses women, the historical record shows just the opposite. Women were oppressed in almost every culture prior to the coming of Christianity. By elevating sexual morality, and by conferring upon women a much higher status, the Christian religion revolutionised the place and prestige of women.

The way Jesus treated women was in stark contrast to the surrounding culture. In Roman law a man's wife and children were little more than slaves, often treated like animals. Women had no property rights and faced severe social restrictions. Jesus of course changed all that. The way he treated the Samaritan woman was one remarkable example. And this was not lost on the early disciples. We know from the New Testament documents that many women exercised various leadership roles in the early church. Indeed, during this period Christian women actually outnumbered Christian men.

Admittedly there were some anomalies later in the church's history, when chauvinistic and anti-feminine views were allowed to re-enter parts of the church. But such aberrations must not detract from the truly revolutionary elevation of the status of women achieved by Christianity.

Consider also the issue of health care. Prior to Christianity, the Greeks and Romans had little or no interest in the poor, the sick and the dying. But the early Christians, following the example of their master, ministered to the needs of the whole person. Soon thereafter the institutonalisation of health care began in earnest.

For example, the first ecumenical council at Nicea in 325 directed bishops to establish hospices in every city that had a cathedral. The first hospital was built by St Basil in Caesarea in 369. By the Middle Ages hospitals covered all of Europe and even beyond. In fact, "Christian hospitals were the world's first voluntary charitable institutions".

Care for the mentally ill was also a Christian initiative. Nursing also sprang from Christian concerns for the sick, and many Christians have given their lives to such tasks. One thinks of Florence Nightingale, for example, and the formation of the Red Cross.

Education, while important in Greek and Roman culture, really took off institutionally under the influence of Christianity. The early Greeks and Romans had no public libraries or educational institutions - it was Christianity that established these. As discipleship was important for the first believers (and those to follow), early formal education arose from Christian catechetical schools. Unique to Christian education was the teaching of both sexes.

Also a Christian distinctive, individuals from all social and ethnic groups were included. There was no bias based on ethnicity or class. And the concept of public education first came from the Protestant Reformers. Moreover, the rise of the modern university is largely the result of Christian educational endeavors.

As another example of the Christian influence, consider the issue of work and economic life. The Greeks and Romans had a very low view of manual labor, and so it was mainly the slaves and lower classes that were forced to toil with their hands. The non-slave population lived chiefly for personal pleasure. In these early cultures slaves usually greatly outnumbered freemen.

Thus there was no such thing as the dignity of labor in these cultures, and economic freedom was only for a select few. The early church changed all this. Jesus of course was a carpenter's son. Paul was a tentmaker. And the early admonition, "If a man will not work, he shall not eat" was taken seriously by the early believers. Thus work was seen as an honorable and God-given calling. Laziness and idleness were seen as sinful.

The idea of labor as a calling, and the idea spoken by Jesus that the laborer is worthy of his wages, revolutionised the workplace. The dignity of labor, the value of hard work, and the sense of vocation, soon changed the surrounding society; the development of a middle class being one of the outcomes. The development of unions is another result. Indeed, the works of Weber and Tawney, among others, records the profound effect the Protestant Reformation has had on work and modern capitalism..

Other impacts can be noted. The commandment against stealing of course redefined the concept of private property and property rights. And the protection of workers and workers' rights also flows directly from the biblical worldview. The early unionists were Christians, and concerns for social justice in the workplace and beyond derive from the Judeo-Christian tradition.

Other great achievements might be mentioned. The Western political experience, including genuine democracy at all levels of society, equality, human rights and various freedoms, all stem from the Christian religion, along with its Hebrew forebear. The rise of modern science has been directly linked with the biblical understanding of the world. The many great achievements in art, literature and music also deserve mention. For example, how much poorer would the world be without the Christian artistry of da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Bach, Handel, Brahms, Dante, Milton, Bunyan, and countless others?

The bottom line, as Schmidt notes, is that if Jesus Christ had never been born, to speak of Western civilisation would be incomprehensible. Indeed, there may never have been such a civilisation. The freedoms and benefits we enjoy in many modern cultures are directly due to the influence of this one man. Schmidt deserves an enormous amount of gratitude for this sterling collection of information and inspiration. Christians have made many mistakes. But they have also achieved many great things, all because of the one whom they follow.

One cannot have a complete understanding of world history of the history of Christianity without having read this book. Schmidt pulls together the much-neglected cohesion of Christian contributions to world history. At a time when Christianity-bashing is a favorite sport within the pluralistic/relativist/ political correct crowd, one must not let the ignorance of this important aspect of history die of neglect. Schmidt also goes on to correct many myths that have been perpectuated regarding Christian history. By placing them into their proper historical context, the final outcome isn't as strange as we've been led to believe. This is one book that I couldn't put down.

All right, here's the scan. VRII (as we wizzer console cowboys like to call Virtual Realities 2.0) is a must have for surveillance and intrusion deckers alike. It has it all, though the technobabble can get a little annoying, the reduction in run-time is a superb bonus. If you are tired of waiting those pesky hours to sleaze into your friendly-neighborhood LTG then this is definately the book for you. If you were happy with the old slow-as-a-sedated-turtle rules then you STILL need this book for three words... Otaku... are... FUN! Hate to Slot and run but scan ya' later Chummski.

The Smiling Bandit (Still Striking/Ha Ha Ha)

Think you know it all about the 'trix cummer, guess again. You dont know drek but this book could change that. "Virtual Realities 2.0" is the most extinsive matrix suplament published by fasa. A great addition to any deckers library.

There are three books that are "must haves" in the SR world, and this is one of them, with the other two being the main rule-book and Rigger2.

Sure, you can run a campaign with just the BBB (Big Black Book, aka main rulebook) but why? Add in the spice of the decker, give him a place in the group. Combine this with the Rigger book and you have a well matched system. GMs! Give your deckers a reason to exist, buy this book and scare them out of the matrix!

As a fifth grader, one of my favorite teachers read this book aloud to our class once a week. Today, as a high school junior, I still remember every word and story from the Weighty Word Book. Recently I took the PSAT and SAT, and between the two tests words from this book showed up 4 or 5 times. It has been an extremely beneficial part of my education.

...Who never to the world has said
I love this book, this children's book...

Adults read children's books to children, but seldom pick one up for their own pleasure. They miss a lot by the omission. THE WEIGHTY WORD BOOK is an example of a book written for children that is delightful for adults, at least adults who love words.

It's written by three University of Colorado English professors and consists of a series of whimsical and enchanting stories about words -- selected words, useful and syllabic.

In the first story, for example, Benjamin Van Der Bellows, a bear "who did not know the things he was supposed to know" is moved each time he makes a mistake to an office on a lower floor. Predictably, he winds up in the basement. "So, whenever a person has been lowered in position or rank or office, we say that person has suffered an abasement."

There's an imaginative and articulate story about each letter of the alphabet. Don't miss this one -- it's for all ages and it's loads of fun.

I have used The Weighty Word Book for 10 years in my third and fifth grade classrooms. The vocabulary words are excellent and the stories that help show the meaning are entertaining and meaningful. The students ask for me to read the book to them and they often not only remember the words, but also the stories for years. This is a wonderful book to show kids that they can have fun learning new "hard" vocabulary words. Try it, you'll find that you'll improve your own vocabulary.

My husband and I always turn to this book while on the internet. When ever we want to explore the internet, we just open the book. There are so many quality web sites it will take months to visit them all. I love the game section and have found many fun crossword puzzle sites. My husband likes the travel and military sites. I plan on buying more for friends.

Good book to have. Very straight forward. No fat, just meat. Nothing but nicely organized web addresses that lead to great internet sites you can really use. Very helpful. I got this seniors book for Christmas and am now shopping for some of the others. Kids book the grand kids, Golf book for my sons, womens book for my daughter. Great idea.

I am somewhat of a novice when it comes to the internet but I am able to use this book to find many excellent web sites. I had no idea some of these sites even existed and would have never even thought to look for them, but thanks to 300 Incredible, I've found them. I use the book just about every day. My wife has to kick me off the computer so she can call her friends and vica-versa. I guess it may be time for a second phone line. I will buy other books from the series and hope they are all as helpful and well organized as "Seniors".

It should be known that this book is not for new Access users. However, it can make a beginner into a professional developer.

If you are at the point where you would like to start manipulating the controls without using Access' built-in functions and wizards, this book will serve you well.

Prior to using this book, I have only had a little experience with VB/VBA. After having used this book for a couple of months, I have gone from being fully dependant on Access' built-in queries/controls. Now, I do almost everything in the code-window. My code is no longer "spaghetti".

I like this book because it is not organized like an encyclopedia where the controls are given an over-simplified explaination in alphebetical order, nothing is left out- it's not a beginner's manual; however, little time is spent reviewing the basics. It is clearly written, everything is well spelled out for any learning ability. This is way better than all of the "Complete" editions.

You might consider yourself an advanced user until you see this book. It is humbling, you will realize how much more there is to learn. When you have read it over, you will be surprised how powerful of a tool Access can be.

It is hard to describe the elation you feel as you read through this book. It is not just the content, the style and delivery are such that it cuts clutter and clarifies a number of concepts that would otherwise be very difficult to grasp.

My copy is 6 months old and already so dogeared I will need to replace it this year for fear of losing pages.

Excellent work. Highly recommended.

I think this book is really great. I have been looking for something like that for a long time. I am one of those users who are tired of using Wizards, and feel like writing their own code, and I know there is so much possible, this book is my true helper! Now only one problem is left, lack of time.

Thanks,
nile

a lot of pictures that shows all the things that could break down (pcs, backbones, hard drives, your blender) and then shows reasons why all of us will survive. Sort of a "life WILL go on" book in pics. Actually a pretty funny read (quick).

Messrs Kendall and Arbogast approach to the Y2K issue is right on the money. The pictures and ancedotal commentary are hillarious. A great gift for those who are stocking up food and water for their New Years Eve party!!!

if you ever saw "separated at birth," and liked it, you'll like this. Each page has two pictures: one side is of something from everyday pre-Y2K life, like a copier. The other side is another picture depicting WHY everything will be cool in 2K...like a monk making copies on a stone tablet.

Some pics are real baaaaad humor. But that's helps make this one work. Recommended

I read this years ago when I was in Junior High. I am so glad they are reprinting it. As I remember I was the only one who bothered to read it and I felt as if I had found a treasure. This is a great gift for a boy that he will remember for life. I look forward to reading it again myself.

I was thirty when I picked up this book and I can tell you truely it was one of the best reads I have ever had.

The story is compelling, the characters are real and it just works on every level.

Fathers out there, are you looking for a good series for your sons to read? Then this is it. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten the girls but I just think boys will get very valuable lessons from this book about courage, comraderie and how adversity builds character.

Buy this series!!

With the Eagles was a great book, and it was great because this past school year we learned about Latin, Rome, Etc. The book takes place in B.C. 54. It's about Mandorix, an Aeduan, whose parents were killed, and his brother ans sister killed or enslaved. He joins Caesar's army and rises through the ranks gaining respect and the friendship of the lowest decurion to even the great Caesar. There are some great battle narrations, diagrams of roman bases, and tons of latin words and phrases. Have a good time reading it!

If you only buy one Christian book in your lifetime (apart from a regular bible of course), this is the one! This is the most unbelievably useful study tool I've ever come across, and without any doubt, by far the best interlinear ever made.

The text is United Bible Societies 3rd Edition (which BTW, is exactly the same to the word as the latest 4th Edition). NRSV is in the margin. (BTW, the NRSV is an ok translation, it matches the UBS4 text quite well, even though I prefer either NASB95 or ESV).

Strongs numbers are above the word and a complete concordance in the back based on Strongs number.

Each word is always translated the same way in the interlinear no matter how appropriate that may or may not be. This is good and bad of course. In my opinion it is good because it highlights when the same word is being used in different contexts and is very useful for making an unbiased translation of your own.

It is a big bulky book. If you need something compact go with the Personal Size Edition of the Brown/Comfort/Douglas Greek/English interlinear. It's no where near as good without Strongs and concordance but it is very compact.

This is a great buy! The amount of info you get in this volume for the price is unbelievable. McReynold's is a very literal translation, with Strong's number above every greek word, and a great word study in the back of the book.

Another great interlinear is Comfort's, that one is much more handy (small & compact) -- a nice little hard cover, great for quick reference.

With McReynold's you get the most bang for your buck, but with comfort you get a more readable/understandable translation in a much more compact size.

I would suggest getting both McReynold's and Comfort's......they work well together, and both choose many differnt words when translating the greek (it's nice to see the difference)

I prefer both of these over Marshall's and Zane Hodges interlinears. (I have them both but use Comfort's and McReynold's much more often than those two).

...

A review below covered the strengths of this interlinear very thoroughly. I would want to add/re-emphasize that it includes the exhaustive concordance, NSRV translation in the margins, and an easy to grasp system to understand the case/number/gender et cetera. A complete work.

This book is solid and helps you in many different areas that you will need when staying home and pursuing an in home business. I was very satisfied with this book and would recommend it to anyone in this situation. Thank you!

If you want an all-in-one comprehensive work at home reference this is the book to buy. It contains useful information necessary for beginning and experience home workers. Almost everything you must consider before starting or operating your own self-employment venture is included. Covers topics such as marketing, finance, insurance, taxes, legal matters, motivation, organization, setting goals, time management, psychology, equipment and family considerations. Includes checklists, worksheets, diagrams, money saving tips, resources and interviews of people who work at home for a living. I thought this book was easy to read and understand. I can see why Paul and Sarah Edwards are considered experts on the subject of working from home.

This is the first Paul and Sarah Edwards book that I read and it is still my favorite. This complete update of the premier guide to home-based employment features complete and easy-to-follow advice on equipping and computerizing the up-to-date home office; funding your venture--and staying out of debt; keeping your work and personal life separate and making cyberspace work for your individual business needs, and much more.