A Prayer For Burma is the personal reflections of Burmese expatriate Kenneth Wong upon returning to his homeland after living in the U.S. for more than a decade. Offering an informative assessment of Burmese life and culture from inside-out perspective, enhanced with bittersweet memories and reflections of this politically and socially troubled nation, A Prayer For Burma is very highly recommended reading.

This is a very engaging book, full of lots of quirky humor and insights into Burma as it is now. The author's role as an expat returning to Burma as a visitor give him a rare perspective, understanding local culture and language, yet feeling an outsider and being treated as one. It is more up to date than most literature on Burma, being based on visits during the last 2-3 years. Highly recommended.

Even if you have no interest whatsoever in Burma, you still need to read this book. This is a book for people who love beautiful writing. It's about exploring personal identity; it's about culture, about being human, about revisitng and reflecting on one's past, on roots, on time and on what it means to exist on this complex planet of ours.

But if you do have an interest in Burma, then you'll get quite a bonus with this book. Mr. Wong takes you with him as he walks the street's of today's Rangoon gone modern and reflects on the Rangoon gone mad of the 80s and the movement for democracy.

Employing a rapier wit and self-deprecating humor throughout, Mr. Wong will have you laughing and yet realizing at the same time the poignant sadness of the kalaidescopic Burmese culture--sad, beautiful, joyful, and endearing all at the same time. A Prayer for Burma is a sensitive, extended essay on what it means to be multicultural, intelligent, and human.

Read it; you'll be glad you did.

Bishop Untener goes straight to the heart of what a preacher should be doing. He makes his readers take account of genuine feedback from 'folk in the pew' and offers practical solutions which respond to their comments but which also encourage the preacher to grow, develop and improve.

The material is set out in short punchy chapters which are easy to read but difficult to forget. Above all, the reader will come away sharing the author's deep admiration for the flow of God's Word through a well-prepared preacher in full control of a well-prepared homily.

This short book can upturn the bad habits of even the most experienced preacher and can teach the novice preacher some early profound principles. I cannot commend it too highly.

If you belong to a tradition where a ten minute homily is more appreciated than a two hour one, you should buy this book. It belongs on the desk of every preacher And if you don't preach yourself consider sending it to your pastor, anonymously if need be. When Untener was assigned to teach homiletics at Saint John's Seminary near Detroit, he began to ask people what they liked and disliked about the homilies they heard. He collected thousands of comments and boiled these down to the 25 that are the heart of this book. Later, as bishop of Saginaw, he began the Saginaw Program: a series of very small groups where his priests and deacons could critique each other's homilies. All of his clergy eventually took part in one or another group, and he took part in them all. Such are the sources for this book. It is clear, concise, practical, impressive. It is short enough to be read at a sitting and important enough to be reread at least every year.. It is to preaching what Strunk's Elements of Style is to writing.

This book is great for those just beginning to preach, those who have had a few classes in homiletics as well as for seasoned preachers. Bishop Untener, in concise, clear, and pointed terms, offers insights into every basic element of homily writing. Busy parish clergy and ministers will find this a great help for improving their preaching.

Just as James Agee (deceased) and Pauline Kael (alive, but retired) remain the best writers on the Art of Film, so Kenneth Tynan (again, deceased) is still the best writer on the Art of Theatre. Tynan wrote so beautifully and wittily and lovingly about the stage and the people who inhabit it and he was also responsible in a major way for the success of the National Theatre of Great Britain along with his friend and professional partner, Laurence Olivier. (an essay on Olivier is one of the high-points of this book.) It was Tynan who "discovered" Harold Pinter, who "made the career" of John Osbourne and was a major factor in reviving the career of Noel Coward, after years of neglect: as Literary Manager of the National, it was Tynan who urged a revival of Coward's classic "Hay Fever."

This collection of 50 essays is absolutely essential reading for anyone who has a love of theatre or simply of celebrity and star power. No one writing today writes as well as Tynan did nor consistently shows his affection for Show Business. If you regularly read today's so-called critics, you come away with the feeling that they become INSULTED that plays they dislike were actually produced!

I highly recommend this book. It is passionate, charming and, at times, really funny stuff. But, please, do yourself a favor and haunt every used book shop you know to find a copy of Tynan's out-of-print collected theatre reviews from the U.S. (he wrote for "The New Yorker") and England called CURTAINS. It is absolutely the best book of criticism you'll ever read.

Tynan was one of the century's great journalists, capable of capturing a performer in two paragraphs, yet equally adept at longer essays, several of which are collected here. The pieces on Stoppard and Louise Brooks are particularly fine. The reviewer below is right: the writing is to die for; but, compared to Epstein, Tynan is a super-hevyweight, with ten times the force and prose-potency.

Enormously entertaining and the writing is to die for. Epstein regards Tynan as a lightweight and in a way I guess he is, but a skilled lightweight is still a thing of beauty and Tynan IS skilled. I stared underlining favorite passages but had to stop because I was underlining almost everything.

I met Rev. Ken Fong at Intervarsity's Urbana 2000. I was at all 4 of his large group Bible studies and also at his small lecture as well. His speaking ability is very well. He's an excellent oral communicator.
Now for the book. This book does a very slick job of addressing ministry issues along with cross cultural issues, too. If you've ever wondered A)How to minister to Asian Americans B)Why Asian churches are growing so fast or C)How to reach out to Asian Christians, then this book is for you. It will tell you everything you need to know on how to deal with these issues while also living within the western culture.
I must admit, I'm not Asian(I'm Irish, English and Native American of 2 tribes). But I worship and minister with and to Asian Americans here in Chicago. Books like this have been very helpful to me.

This is an essential landmark breakthrough long-overdue type of book that pioneers through the landscape of America, particularly among Asian Americans. In this climate that is increasingly pluralistic, diverse, and propelled by change, there are more and more Asian Americans that are untouched by the traditional model and stereotypical methods of doing church, and this book is willing to look beyond the past and the here and now, and into the postmodern landscape, anticipating with a prophetic voice, and sharing some real life stories of what is happening at his own church (Evergreen of LA). The book makes a great effort to work on both the theoretical and practical side, and those of us who are willing to work with the ethnic diversity at hand would do well to wrestle with the thoughts presented in this book.

The Asian and Pacific Islander population, is estimated to more than triple, from 10.9 million in 1999 to 37.6 million in 2050. Its percentage of the total population would rise from 4 percent now to 9 percent in 2050. It's time to get busy!

How do I reach for Christ the fastest growing ethnic group in America? How do I reach for Christ ANY person disaffected with the traditional American Church? Dr. Fong lucidly proposes radical principles for ministry that already bear fruit in his California church. He challenges us to color outside the lines as we face a new millenium and an American culture that looks nothing like the one on which we have built our traditional models for Christian ministry.

Stimulating reading. Excellent grasp of history, demographics and Biblical mandate.

I bought this book back in 1992 when I first became a Queen fanatic. There are some great pictures and quotes, along with kind of an abbreviated history of the band. It concludes with a list of all of Queen's music releases up until 1992. It is a beautiful book that is well worth the money. You will look at it again and again.

This Queen book is absolutely fabulous! It is perfect in nearly every way. It is basically a visual timeline of the band, from its subtle beginnings to its flashy end (or is it?). The pictures alone are worth the price, but the ingenius quotes from band members simply makes this one of the best Queen books available. Look for Freddie in his Superman shirt!

This book brings you right along side the band and their legendary music. If you like queen, this is a must have for your library!

I really can begain to pick up this bible and have a hard time putting it down, it puts a clear prosective of the word of God into text that I understand!! Recomended for every new Christian.

The "NIV Study Bible" is by far my favorite study Bible because the notes and references are detailed, but not too "pushy". The "Reflecting God Study" Bible is better. It is almost a duplicate of the "NIV Study Bible", but the notes are from a "holiness" or Wesleyan perspective and the inserts are good reading.(Although they are like ads in a magazine which mess with the pages turning)

An example of the note differences between the two Bibles:

REFLECTING--2 Thes. 2:13 "Salvation is available by God's grace but must be freely embraced. "through belief in the truth" One must respond to the calling of God.

Regular NIV STUDY BIBLE: 2 Thes. 2:13 "loved by the Lord...God chose" For the connection between God's love and election see Col. 3:12; I Thes 1:4 "from the beginning" Election is from eternity. "Sanctifying work" A necessary aspect of salvation, not something reserved for special Christians.

This is a MAJOR difference if a person is of the "holiness" persuasion. Personally, I would not have purchased the "NIV Study Bible" if I had seen the "Reflecting God Study Bible" first. It's great to have this Bible available!

This is a must for all Christians who are wanting to reflect the Holiness of God. This Wesleyan study bible has excellent study helps and has been compiled by Nazarenes, Wesleyans, Salvation Army USA, and the Christian Holiness Partnership. If you love God - You'll love this study bible and the message of Holiness proclaimed within!

This book is unlike any other Travel Planning Book. It is descriptive and puts you right in the heart of the atmosphere! I picked this up on a whim with my traditional Frommers Travel Guide. I hardly have used Frommers at all for this upcoming trip. This book is all I need!!!! My husband and I have been reading the "itineraries" aloud to each other in anticipation of our trip. That way we can pop a post-it flag on the activities that spark our interest and plan out our own custom itinerary a few days before leaving. I love this book and guarantee our weekend trip will be more memorable because of this book!!! If you are planning a trip to New Orleans, buy it - you won't regret it!!!

This book turned a stroke of bad luck on our honeymoon into a honeymoon we will remember. Our original plans were to do a 7-day cruise, but after flying to Miami and getting an hour out to sea, the engine on our ship broke and the whole cruise was cancelled. We flew back home the next day and decided we would drive to New Orleans. We picked this book up that night and it helped us plan an entire new honeymoon at the last minute. We stayed at the Hampton Inn as described in Itinerary 16, which is just a block and a half from the French Quarter. Thursday morning we took the excellent Cemetery and Voodoo walking tour found in Itinerary 6. That afternoon we had our own perfumes and colognes created for us at Bourbon French Parfums (Itinerary 3). Friday we attempted to follow Day Two of Itinerary 16. The Zoo is gorgeous and very romantic, but don't get fooled into taking the timeshare tour that they will offer you at the harbor where you get your zoo\aquarium tickets. Saturday we stayed at the Victoria Inn from Itinerary 27. What a great place! It's beautiful and moderately priced. The Bayou boat tour (also Itinerary 27) was the highlight of the trip. We got to see dolphins swimming right along the boat! That night's dinner at Restaurant Des Familles was very good too. All of these ideas came from this book and helped make our honeymoon a romantic and memorable one. If you ever plan on going to New Orleans, or returning, this is the book to have.

We are new to the area and too busy to explore without something too reference. This has made exploring our new town very easy and exciting. I recommend this book for people coming to New Orleans for a long weekend.

Kenneth Conn's book "Settlement Conference" is a brilliant and succinct guide for anyone from law students to laymen facing litigation. Conn is clearly a pioneer of the settlement court movement, and he shares his knowledge of the courthouse maze in such common sense fashion that even the most intimidated reader will feel comfortable. There's also plenty here for sharp pros who are tired of seeing their cases languish, and perhaps can be most highly recommended as a great "reality check" for anyone about to enter the treacherous realm of civil litigation. Conn's twenty+ years on the bench come shining through as he quietly establishes himself as a master of the subject. Highly recommended!

Superior Court Judge Kenneth E. Conn takes a complex legal situation and reduces it to a level that the layman can understand. A masterful book from a pioneer in the field of settlement conferences. As someone who has seen his share of settlements, I highly recommend this book. Great for any attorney or person headed to a settlement conference. Five stars and two thumbs up!

Superior Court Judge Kenneth E. Conn takes a complex legal situation and reduces to a level that the layman can understand. A masterful book from a pioneer in the field of settlement conferences. As someone who has seen his share of settlements, I highly recommend this book. FOUR STARS and TWO THUMBS UP!

I read this book a couple of years and found it amazing!
It's heartbreaking, bloodchilling, and inspiring, all in one
book. These are stories that often remain untold and hidden in our culture, yet they are a distinct and vital part of
our national experience. I read the first edition, by the way,
and I now plan to buy the second, updated edition, which I
anticipate will deal with the World Trade Center attacks, the
Pentagon attack, and the Shencksville, PA, air crash. If you
buy one book this year, buy this one!

Excellent overview of why we choose to designate tragic events in some cases, and hush-up others shamefully. Poignant, original...no other book so comprehensively covers the geography of painful memorials. An interesting sequel could be written regarding domestic terrorism, not just in America, but regarding other countries' place-memorials of such events.

I haven't read the book yet, but the cover image is amazing!

This is the best book about congenital malformations available for general pediatricians. It is highly accessible and fairly easy to use. It really helps one put together a differential diagnosis for children with dysmorphic features. The price makes it a bargain that should be in every general pediatric clinic.

I do have one suggested improvement: This book is perfect for conversion into a searchable CD-ROM so that one could simply key in the list of features and get back a list of possible syndromes ranked by likelihood.

This is the best book about congenital malformations available for general pediatricians. It is highly accessible and fairly easy to use. It really helps one put together a differential diagnosis for children with dysmorphic features. The price makes it a bargain that should be in every general pediatric clinic.

I do have one suggested improvement: This book is perfect for conversion into a searchable CD-ROM so that one could simply key in the list of features and get back a list of possible syndromes ranked by likelihood.

This is a really outstanding clinical reference. It is of particular relevance to genetic counselors, pediatric specialists, dermatologists, and other clinicians who frequently encounter patients with congenital anomalies and uncommon syndromes. Although the clinical photos are in black and white (no color), they are well chosen to illustrate the features of the (many) syndromes discussed. I have seen several texts that cover roughly the same subject matter as Smith's Recognizable Patterns of Human Malformation; however, none are as comprehensive or nearly as easy to use. I expect this text will replace MEDLINE as my initial go-to reference when I need to get info regarding patients with uncommon congenital syndromes. This text would be a bargain at twice the price! I recommend it most highly