When this book was first released, I gave a copy to my 75-year-old mother, who has osteoarthritis. Over and over, she's told me about consulting this book when trying to decide whether or not to try some remedy that a friend has suggested. She feels that it has kept her from spending a fortune on snake oil, and has made her bold enough to try alternative approaches that have been helpful, such as glucosamine-chondroitin supplements. Obviously it was the perfect gift.

I found this book very helpful in making sense out of the confusing array of alternative therapies out there these days. Ms. Horstman provides a no-nonsense overview of many traditional healing techniques, together with a comprehensive bibliography and medical references. The organization of the book makes it very easy to use, too. Overall, this book shows a high level of quality on all levels, and is a valuable resource for those of us in search of health and healing!

Overall, a finely-written and much needed compendium of arthritis information. Judith Horstman did a wonderful job of sifting through the medical literature to produce an easy-to-access resource for the (often) confusing world of alternative arthritis treatments.

A recent survey found that the death of a pet is one of the times when children most want to talk to clergy---rivalled only by divorce. This book asks some difficult questions (what is the church? how do we deal with death?) and offers, in return, God's love. Churches which celebrate the Feast of St. Francis could have someone read it out loud after the service and lead a discussion. This lovely story will appeal to all ages.

This book is wonderful for anyone who's ever had and loved a cat. It does deal with death, and is very sad at the end. A great way to help a child deal with the death of a pet.

My Grade three class thoroughly enjoyed the story of Leo. We were doing a unit on cats and Leo's story was one of the highlights. An excellent book.

'The Old Catholic Missal and Ritual' is a primary text for worship developed by one of the earliest figures in Old Catholicism in the English-speaking world, Archbishop Arnold Harris Mathew. Mathew had a quite colourful history, recounted by many as well as by his own autobiography, candidly entitled 'Episcopal Odyssey'. Whether Mathew was more sinned against than sinner in his travels through Christendom is a debate better engaged elsewhere; suffice it to say that many Old Catholic jurisdictions trace their lines back to him directly or indirectly, and his work toward establishing standards, including the standards of worship contained in the 'Old Catholic Missal and Ritual', remains a primary cornerstone of Old Catholic history.

A missal is a guidebook or instruction book for leading and participating in worship. Catholics, Anglicans and other high-liturgical traditions have missals; it is a more formal text than the BCP or other such primary liturgical sources. During the medieval period, liturgical worship books included the Sacramentary, used by the celebrant of a service; the antiphonale missarum, for use during mass; the lectionary, a set of readings from scripture for the service; and the missal, which was a fusion of the earlier three.

The 'Westminster Dictionary of Worship' states, regarding Old Catholic worship:

'The liturgy is meant to be celebrated in a clear and pure form, bringing the Christological element, in particular, to the fore. Thus the Old Catholic churches play a lively part in the liturgical renewal that is taking place in both Roman Catholic and Protestant churches.'

Mathew's development is very traditional, particularly by today's standard. It was developed at a time of increasing mistrust between Anglicans and Roman Catholics, which is part of the difficulty with Anglican acceptance of Mathew or the churches derived from his bishopric consecrations. This edition is more in the manner of reprint than update, to make the historic text available to the various Old Catholic jurisdictions in the English-speaking world. Minor editing has been done, but for the most part this edition preserves the 1909 text of Mathew intact.

The first pages contain the calendar, with saints and feast/fast days, major and minor distinguished, and instructions for fast and abstinence days. The chart of abbreviations shows the history of the liturgy -- there is still an Emp. abbreviation for the Emperor. Various directions follow, including directions on how to use the calendar, how to hear mass, creeds and prayers, and instructions taken from St. Francis de Sales of what to expect in and from the mass.

The missal proper then begins, first the primary service of the Christian worship, the ordinary of the mass. Many of the elements here are familiar, if in somewhat less elaborate and somewhat different order, to most Christians of any denomination. The ordinary of the mass includes communion for the sick, vespers, and solemn benediction, things that are generally extra or supplemental to the ordinary of most denominations today.

Following this are the propers -- the texts, collects and other liturgical pieces that fit with each particular week. These are arranged according to the liturgical calendar, beginning with Advent. The propers also include the texts for the commons of saints, votive masses, propers of particular saints, and occasional prayers for topics, events and special intentions.

Then follow the more occasional offices -- burial of the dead, baptism, confirmation, marriage, confession, extreme unction, and ordination. The instructions and rituals for confession, to take an example, are quite developed -- there is an examination of conscience that begins with prayer and self-directed questions that place the penitent in relation to God, neighbour, and himself or herself. There are prayers for an act of contrition, thanksgivings for after confession, aspirations and absolutions.

Ordination also contains more traditional forms -- rather than just the three-fold ordained clergy of deacon, priest and bishop, clerical orders take on the more elaborate forms of major and minor orders, including orders of doorkeepers, lectors, exorcists, acolyths, and subdeacons in addition to the three major orders. The instructions for conferring orders not only include liturgical direction, but also the development of clergy instruction, character, and other considerations not often followed today.

'The Minor Orders shall be given to such only as understand Latin at least, observing the appointed intervals between each Order, unless the Bishop shall deem it more expedient to act otherwise; that so they may be the more accurately taught how great is the obligation of this their state in life, and may be exercised in each office, according to the appointment of the Bishop.'

Many Old Catholics leapfrog from layperson to bishop in one giant step; there is much wisdom to be gained by holding an interval between appointments.

Of course, some regulations seem strange to us today:

'Such as are not born in lawful wedlock may not be promoted to the Major Orders without an Episcopal dispensation; neither shall insane persons, slaves, man-slayers, such as are irregular, disfigured by some bodily defect, or maimed, take Orders.'

The language contained in the 1909 Mathew missal is, as one would expect, fairly traditional. It reads in many places like the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. This will appeal to certain people, but may be off-putting to those who seek a more modern and accessible language for their worship.

This book is a bit difficult to use for regular devotional practice. Photocopying the relevant pages or using the text in the printing of liturgical bulletins would be advisable, as a 652-page book is hard to hold, particularly when the pages are not thin.

Bishop Elijah, through the Dry Bones Press, has done a great service to the Old Catholic community by making this volume available. It will be of interest to liturgical scholars of many denominations, and a crucial volume for the library of any Old or Independent Catholic to have another anchor to the history of the movement.

Arnold Harris Mathew, an Archbishop in the Old Catholic tradition, translated the Latin Rite services of the Western Church into English in 1909. Archbishop Mathew wished to faithfully preserve Catholic theology and worship but present it to worshipers in a language they could understand--he did so admirably. This text contains almost all of the major services of the Western Church, in English, from the Mass to the Blessing of Baptismal Waters. Clergy and laity of the Roman and Anglican Churches should have this text in order to know what has been lost in Christian worship over the last several decades.

Joseph Urban was primarily responsible for bringing the influence of the Vienese Secessionist Movement and Modernism to the theatre of America near the turn of the 20th century. Sure, he wasn't the only one and this book doesn't try to over-state Urban's influence. The text lets the designs do the work.
The book is nothing more than a catalogue but what an extraordinary catalogue it is! The photos of the renderings and models are top quality and really good choices by the author and editors. One can really see the watercolor techniques in the renderings along with the development of the design ideas Uban went through in his varied and prolific life as a designer. I really enjoyed the ddesigns and written text associated with the New School of Social Research. His work seems to be a precurser to Mondrian without the sterility of some of the Bauhaus concepts. His theatrical work really enlivened his architectural work.
His designs for the theatre were outrageous and vital.
I rate this book so very high because Urban's work is so important to stage design in America. As I said earlier, this book is a catalogue - but what a body of inspired and fantastical work to catalogue!

This is an excellent guidebook for practitioners. It includes a well-written chapter on the collaborative approach to assessing families and giving feedback. It also describes skills and strategies to help parents learn to handle their children more effectively. The authors have not only shown this approach is effective for aggressive and disruptive children, they have also pioneered the adaptation of the approach to anxious children as well as children with medical problems. For another good book, see Webster-Stratton & Hebert (1994): Troubled Families Problem Children: Working with Parents, a Collaborative Approach.

Fr. Gabriele Amorth's revealing portrait of demonic possession and exorcism casts detailed, spiritual light on this dark area of inquiry which is fraught--more often than not--with controversy and misunderstanding. It also supplements other pertinent texts such as Father Malachi Martin's classic study HOSTAGE TO THE DEVIL, and Bob Larson's IN THE NAME OF SATAN.

Fr. Amorth covers critical ground by exposing the dangers of magic and sorcery (namely spells, hexes, incantations and curses) and their ability to adversely effect a recipient individual psychologically, physically, and spiritually, even to the point of inducing demonic possession. Conversely, he details the various remedies that the Church offers to the afflicted--in the form of Sacramentals--such as blessed oil, water, and salt, that can supplement the solemn rite of exorcism, ensuring an easier liberation from the fetters of and shackles to the Devil.

He also examines those tell-tale, mental and physical signs (he calls them 'negativities') that often confirm the presence of a possessing demon. Attention is also paid to the numerous forms of bizarre behaviour that the unfortunate victims of possession exhibit--both prior to and during an exorcism--and how these capital signs authenticate the source of their existential torment as evil spirit, and not merely psychophysical malady as the genesis.

The author effectively concludes the book with a look at the new attitude (pastoral directives) of Vatican II toward possession, demons and--as the good Father says--'...the influence that they can exert on single individuals, on communities, on entire societies, or on events...(as)...very important...

In the final analysis, Fr. Amorth's objective, straight-forward presentation of the complexities of demonic possession and exorcism facilitates a terra firma of understanding--partially unravelling the ageless mystery of good versus evil--thereby, providing a solid addition to anyone's private library on the topic.

Father Amorth's purpose in this book was to give practical help to the faithful in recognizing the physical evil of demonic oppression, obsession, and possession. Father Amorth's other purpose is to call all bishops and priests to take up their pastoral duty of gaining the knowledge which would allow them to recognize the signs of demonic activity as compared to psychological problems which may be handled medically. Father Amorth points out that the problem in today's Church is with bishops who do not appoint exorcists and priests who do not believe in the office of exorcist.

Father Amorth argues that to deny the reality of Satan is, in essence, making the redemptive death of God's Son on the cross meaningless. If the devil is not real and does not actively seek the ruin of souls, Christ's mission was for naught.

Of course, this is not the Christian, and particularly Catholic, faith. Father Amorth reminds all the faithful of the primary truth that Satan exists and must be fought with all available means and by all persons within their vocation (i.e., religious, laity). Exorcism, the subject of this book, is one tool to combat Satan.

Father Amorth accurately asserts the problem with many of today's Christian; many will assert the existence of demons because they do not wish to be perceived as holding to some kind of false belief or heresy when, in reality, they do not believe because at the practical level all they believe is natural science.

Of course, this book is sprinkled with practical examples of those physically possessed by the devil. The approach is balanced. To that end, don't expect the accounts to be as titillating as you would find in a Hollywood exorcism (i.e., the Exorcist). Father Amorth does not write for the purpose of sensationalizing the devil. All the same, truth can be stranger than fiction.

Father Amorth, at the time of publishing this book, had been an exorcist in the Diocese of Rome for 9 years. Of the 30,000 people he has personally exorcised, 93 of them have been possessed by demons.

This book reads well. It is highly informative. Buy the book.

Fr. Gabriele Amorth's portrait of demonic possession and exorcism casts detailed light on this dark area of inquiry which is fraught--more often than not--with controversy and misunderstanding.

Though less poetic or descriptively-gripping than the late Fr. Malachi Martin's classic study on the topic HOSTAGE TO THE DEVIL, Fr. Amorth's book manages to patch up some of the existing knowledge gaps left in the wake of several other pertinent works like Dr. M. Scott Peck's THE PEOPLE OF THE LIE (a psychiatrist's view of evil based on the case histories of his patients), and Bob Larson's IN THE NAME OF SATAN (Tales of a Protestant exorcist).

Fr. Amorth covers critical, new ground by exposing the dangers of Magic and Sorcery (namely spells, hexes, incantations, and curses) and their ability to adversely affect an individual psychologically, physically, and spiritually, even to the point of inducing demonic possession.

Conversely, Fr. Amorth details the various remedies that the Catholic Church offers to the afflicted--in the form of Sacramentals--such as blessed oil, water, and salt, which can be effectively applied--in conjunction with the solemn rite of exorcism--to facilitate an easier and quicker liberation from the fetters of and attachments to the Devil.

Examination is also given to those tell tale, mental and physical signs (Fr. Amorth calls them 'negativities') that often confirm the presence of a possessing demon. Attention is paid to the various forms of bizarre behavior that unfortunate victims of possession exhibit--both prior to and during an exorcism--and how these capital signs authenticate the source of existential torment as evil spirit, and not merely psychophysical malady as the genesis of their suffering.

The author effectively concludes the book with a look at the new attitude (pastoral directives) of Vatican II toward possession, demons, and--as Fr. Amorth says--'the influence that they can exert on single individuals, on communities, on entire societies, or on events,...(as)...very important...for Catholic doctrine.' And how, by calling attention to the ever-present danger posed by these evil entities, the Catholic Church can better assert itself--in the name of Jesus--as the leading organization with the designated spiritual authority to most effectively route the wickedness and snares of the Devil.

In the final analysis, Fr. Amorth's straight-forward, no frills, 'meat and potatos' examination of demonic possession and exorcism succeeds where other fail, providing a terra firma of understanding and solid addition to anyone's private library on the topic.

Trendy revisionist garbage as to be expected from the Yale imprimature. This edition is strictly for collegial faculty club bores. Get the edition edited by Stefan Collini instead he's less interested in himself.

[From the Plains of Troy...
awakened from the dream]

[in his own words...]

"The whole scope of the essay is to recommend
culture as the great help out of our present
difficulties; culture being a pursuit of our
total perfection by means of getting to know,
on all matters which most concern us, the best
which has been thought and said in the world,
and, through this knowledge, turning a stream
of fresh and free thought upon our stock
notions and habits, which we now follow

staunchly but mechanically, vainly imagining
that there is a virtue in following them
staunchly which makes up for the mischief
of following them mechanically."
* * * * * * * * *

"Culture, which is the study of perfection,
leads us, as we in the following pages have
shown, to conceive of true human perfection
as a HARMONIOUS perfection, developing all
sides of our humanity; and as a GENERAL
perfection, developing all parts of our
society. For if one member suffer, the
other members must suffer with it; and
the fewer there are that follow the true
way of salvation, the harder that way is
to find."
* * * * * * * * *

"Now, and for us, it is a time to Hellenise,
and to praise KNOWING; for we have Hebraised
too much, and have over-valued DOING. But the
habits and discipline received from Hebraism
remain for our race an eternal possession;
and, as humanity is constituted, one must never
assign them the second rank to-day, without
being ready to restore them to the first rank
to-morrow. To walk staunchly by the best
light one has, to be strict and sincere
with oneself, not to be of the number of
those who say -- and do not; to be in
earnest, -- this is the discipline by which
alone man is enabled to rescue his life
from thraldom to the passing moment and
to his bodily senses, to ennoble it, and
to make it eternal."
* * * * * * * * *

This edition is preferable to the gimmicky version published by Yale, where the original text is lost beneath the imposition of leftist ideologues.

This is probably the most important work of an important English social critic. Cambridge University does an admirable job with the text. Arnold lives today as a grotesque caricature. He is the bone-headed Neanderthal Terry Eagleton digs up just to bury again for a generation of English majors. This image could not possibly be more wrong. In his day, Arnold was known almost as well for his good-humor as for the critical phrases he coined. Arnold was a three dimensional human being, deeply afraid that materialism was breeding crassness, and that crassness would destroy the best in everything worth being and knowing in every culture in the world. Unlike Ruskin and Morris and Swinburne and others of the Victorian world, Arnold worked hard for a living, and yet still cared deeply for things beyond his daily bread. Students assigned this text shouldn't grumble. They might learn something very close to their own hearts.

I am reviewing this poem for a college literary analysis course. Arnold's use of personification, similes, and metaphors, attack the senses and demonstrate that this story of a beach in England, is actually a heart-wrenching love poem.

Matthew Arnold is one of my favourite poets and I think that this collection showcases some of his best work. The poems are mostly his older and longer works, so I wouldn't recommend this for someone who likes short poems; some in here are pages long! I was disappointed by the fact that "A Question: To Fausta" wasn't printed in this volume, though.