read one of the short pieces in this anthology. They are also incredibly uplifting too. A brilliant bedside companion for any dog lover.

Although each of the pieces in this book was inspired by the loss of a much beloved dog, this is really a book about vibrant, fully-alive dogs: family pets, fellow hunters, soul mates, and best friends. And while none of the dogs remembered so fondly here still lives, Old Dogs affirms the remarkably special place in the heart we reserve for our dogs. My own dog is sturdy in her middle-age, but reading the eulogies and odes in this moving anthology has made me appreciate more all the quirky habits I take for granted, like how she can't resist running off with one of my Reeboks when I'm shoeing up for our evening walk--the little prance she performs when I tell her, "Bring the shoe back!" Not a sad read but a celebratory one, required for every dog owner!

This is a remarkable anthology of stories and poems by outstanding authors of the past, as well as more recent times. Although these moving remembrances are only of beloved dogs, the lovers of any species of pet will find identical sentiments for their own losses. Whatever kind of companion animal you had, you will find your own bereavement and healing tears reflected here, as well.

Care was taken to avoid over-sentimentality, in this assortment of loving reflections of dogs, celebrated here. These accounts are full of love, and are sometimes even funny - and we are thrust into the realization that perhaps that is the most wonderful kind of living memorials we can have for a beloved pet. Too often, we lose this perspective, while trying to keep from drowning in our own bereavement and sorrows.

Rather than being a collection of sad literary memorials Old Dogs Remembered is a joyful celebration of life with pets. This inspires healthy new points of view and adjustments to moving on into our new lives, without them.

Here we are treated to many different outlooks on how they permanently enriched the lives of their owners. Reading these heartwarming pages will broaden the understanding of each reader, concerning his/her own personal bereavement. Here, we are offered the collective wisdom of others, who reminisce on their honored pets. There is much to be shared and learned here, as well as enjoyed.

With so many different authors, one must appreciate that references and styles have changed drastically, through the ages. As an example of this, some might find the essay by the dramatist John Galsworthy to be interesting, but a bit troublesome to read. And, as with any anthology, there may be some accounts not everyone would appreciate. But all pet lovers will readily identify with the overall shared remembrances, here. This is a heartwarming collection, which can be enjoyed comfortably, in several installments.

There will be many an uplifting tear shed in its reading, and we suggest it for your reading pleasure.

My personal theology is considerably more liberal than Dr. Brown's. Nevertheless, I think that he does a good job of explaining what many Christians believe about the divinity of Jesus and why. I also believe that his scholarship is thourough and honest, albeit not always impartial. But then again, I doubt that anyone's scholarship is totally impartial.

i guess this will be just another five star review for father brown! raymond brown (now deceased) was a catholic priest and a moderately critical new testament theologian PAR EXCELLENCE. this, like his other works, is well-reasoned, thorough, and essentially impartial. probably the best overall introduction to Christology (which one might define as the study of not only of Jesus, but of His relationship to His surroundings). father brown concentrates on subjects such as Jesus' preception of Himself and His purpose, the probable reaction of His comtemporaries to His teachings, and the overall picture we get from the gospels. this is tremendous scholarship distilled into a brief readable capsule! you will respect this work whether you are fundamentalist or pagan!

I am currently using this book while enrolled in a course in Cristology in graduate school. I have found it to be very helpful and fact filled. The author is very staitforward and does not stray from the subject matter.

The late Ray Brown is one of the most highly respected Christian scholars of our time. Although he was Roman Catholic his work is regarded very highly among non-Catholic scholars and he was a passionate but fearlessly clear thinker with a lucid and beautiful writing style.

This work is the culmination of a lifetime of serious study and contemplation of the four canonical Gospels. In it he contrasts and compares in great detail the passion stories as they play out in the three so-called synoptic gospels and the fourth, the Gospel of John.

This two-volume work is certainly not an "easy read" but is indeed rewarding and manageable by any general layperson with the will to perservere in study. For example, unlike some works of no greater scholarly attainment, it does not presuppose a knowledge of ancient languages, and can be read in isolation (with occasional use of a Bible), not sending you round to find background studies to try to make sense of what you are reading. I would recommend this work highly to anyone seeking a better understanding of the Passion of Christ.

The late Fr. Raymond Brown,S.S.,of blessed memory, was the greatest scripture scholar this country has produced. Eriudite,brilliant,evenhanded,he searched for the truth,not easy answers. His BIRTH OF THE MESSIAH{which I still have as a $5.95 trade paperback from 1978},set the tsandard of modern american scripture scholarship. In this, the first of 2 volumes{as part of the magnificent ANCHOR BIBLE LIBRARY},Fr. Brown begins his passions study from the moment the Last supper begins. He open each section with a literal translation of the 4 gospels, then gives his commentary. With the massive footnotes,{and Brown's footnotes are more interesting then most studies},literally hundreds of pages of Bibliography,Fr. Brown dissects line by line,the content of each passage. Some of his insights are casually stunning{in all the scriptures there is only one other suicide besides Juds mentioned, that in II Samuel},his belief in the HISTORICAL accuracy of John's gospel,his hundreds of casual asides{the difference in the conjugation of certain verbs,one leaving Jesus passive, the other suggesting a proactive Jesus] These are just minor nuggets. This study will take one a long time to read,to digest. It is NOT an easy read.It is INFINITELY REWARDING. Raymond Browns scholarship far exceeds my ability to praise.Taken together, these two volumes are a testament to the faith and scholarship and brilliance of this man. BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!!!

It's hard to believe that a guy could write 1500 some pages on 36 hours of a person's life. Yet it makes for fascinating reading, and Father Brown leaves few stones unturned in his penetrating look at the final hours of Jesus' earthly ministry. In volume one, he discusses the relationships between the first three gospels and the gospel of John, and then he proceesed on to a discussion of each gospel's passion narrative. Father Brown's main agenda is to get at the meaning of the biblical text as it stands. This is not to say that Brown shys away from discussing the historicity of a particular passage. Sometimes, he swims against the stream by leaving open the possibility of the historicity of a story (eg. that there really was a Jewish and a Roman trial of Jesus). And occasionally, he sees the passion stories as powerful metaphors rather than something that actually happened (cf John 18, when the crowd falls to the ground when Jesus says 'I am He.") Yet He is also rightfully skeptical about modern attempts to reconstruct what actually happened 1970 years ago. He prefers to let the text of scripture speak for itself.

This book is a huge, academic tome, and as rich and informative as it is, the reader better be prepared to make heavy weather of it. You could spend lots of extra time mining extra information out of all the footnotes and bibliographical references that Brown cites. But I could hardly recommend any other source for people who want to know more about the passion of Christ.

I have not read the book (but had to give a rating), but Brown's world ("BuildNet," et al)crashed and burned in 2001 with tens of millions of debt, bankruptcy, liquidation and lawsuits against the officers, directors and others -- much of which is about this strategy. Use your own judgement on where this book leads you.

Need a good guidebook to B2B? Here it is. This is how to make your .com a investment succcess story. Sometimes hard to follow without a lot of college but OK if you are a computer whiz. Four stars up!

I have read the book. It give me impression that it is like a future story book, but in the near future. In my opinion, timeframe will be within 5 years in US, but 10 years in foreign countries. What will happens like the book describes will be based on the infrastructure of high-bandwith internet and online purchasing peoples up to the critical numbers. I am not an expert on these, but I believe it will come very soon. Anyway, it is worth to read. English is not my mother tongue, but I read it just like I read a novel, no reading problems. worth it.

This book was one of my references for a course in the Religion of Biblical Israel. It was pretty helpful as one of a collection of resources.

E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776-1822) was an early exponent of stories imbued with a supernatural twist. His career encompassed several significant endeavors, from music and painting to practicing law. While working in the Prussian civil service, Hoffmann continued to work as a musical instructor. Eventually, he left the service to pursue his first love, working as a music critic, director, and conductor (he changed one of his names to Amadeus in tribute to the famous composer). When Hoffmann realized he would never create great works of music he turned to writing. Within a short time, his short stories gained much attention, eventually influencing later writers such as Edgar Allan Poe, Franz Kafka, and Robert Louis Stevenson. Tchaikovsky's 'The Nutcracker' is based on one of Hoffmann's stories.

This Hoffmann story issued by Hesperus Press, entitled 'Mademoiselle de Scuderi,' does not contain an overtly supernatural theme. Instead, the reader finds within these pages a cracking good murder mystery set in Paris during the reign of Louis XIV. A knock at the door of the Scuderi residence in the middle of the night serves as the impetus for an investigation into a series of murders occurring within the city limits. The murders involve some of the wealthiest people of the time, and the king himself is eager to find out who is responsible for the crimes. Moreover, the murderer is stealing jewelry from the victims, jewelry made by one of the top craftsmen in the country named Rene Cardillac. This jeweler is one odd duck, a man who possesses a fierce jealously about all of the ornaments he creates. As more and more people fall victim to the unknown killer (or killers), Louis creates a special commission called the 'chambre ardente' to investigate this blatant crime spree. Will the people responsible be brought to justice or will the killings continue unabated? What will happen if an innocent man is unjustly accused of the crime?

Enter Mlle. de Scuderi, an aging woman who moves in the top circles of Parisian society. The aforementioned knock on her door brings her into the center of the intrigue. This good lady who writes novels and poetry that even the king enjoys immensely finds herself approached by Olivier Brusson, an apprentice to Cardillac who has a strange story to tell. For Brusson, Mlle. de Scuderi is the only hope he has if he wishes to remain among the living. What seems to be a simple case of murder and greed soon blossoms into a tragic love story that will require the assistance of none other than Louis XIV if it is to survive.

The foreword to this version of the story, written by Gilbert Adair, argues that Hoffmann's little tale of murder constitutes the first detective story in western literature, predating Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue' by many years. The problem with this claim involves the role of Mlle. de Scuderi. Adair attempts to invest this figure with shrewd deductive powers, even comparing her with Agatha Christie's Miss Marple. Regrettably, the story does not bear this argument out. Mlle. de Scuderi does little in the way of concrete investigation. Rather, people come to her in order to relate events because of the influence she carries with Louis. More than once she is not even sure who is guilty or innocent. In short, it would seem that Poe's reputation is safe.

Since the story is only eighty-two pages long, further divulgence of plot points or characters will probably ruin the story. If you have any interest in reading Hoffmann's work, buy a collection of his stories so you get more bang for your buck.