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Book reviews for "Clive,_John" sorted by average review score:

The Magic Never Ends The Life And Works Of C.s. Lewis
Published in Hardcover by W Publishing Group (20 December, 2001)
Author: John Ryan Duncan
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Spiritual Magic-- for Children and Adults!
As a newcomer to the works of C. S. Lewis, I'm thrilled with "The Magic Never Ends". Recently, I've read "A Grief Observed", "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe", and
"The Screwtape Letters", three very diverse examples of Lewis's ability to offer spiritual magic to all age groups. John R. Duncan said it best in his introduction: "The greatness of C. S. Lewis's writing comes from his ability to simplify an intellectual or philosophical concept and to assist readers on a spiritual journey of their own." With input from other Lewis scholars, Douglas Gresham, Walter Hooper, Dr. Dabney Hart, Dr. Lyle Dorsett, Dr. Christopher W. Mitchell, and Colin Manlove,"The Magic Never Ends" provides a "rainbow overview" of one of the 20th Century's most influential writers, C. S. Lewis.

It really is magic!
This book is magical. I have been reading C.S. Lewis for quite a few years now. The authors have captured something of why Lewis' books have never gone out of print. The chapter title "The True Myth" alone is more than worth the price of the book.


Unto This Last: And Other Writings (Penguin Classics)
Published in Paperback by Penguin USA (Paper) (1986)
Authors: John Ruskin and Clive Wilmer
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Whoa..., What a book!!
I must say I never expected this to be such a stunner. I have read it twice but confess that I am sitting down again. This has to be the 'Matrix' of the 1800's as it certainly turns conventional thinking on its head...

The introduction by Clive Wilmer is extremely enlightening as it provides a background against which the book can be thoroughly enjoyed. This book cleared a lot of doubts I had for a long time on many things and I must say raised twice as many questions about what I thought right :-)

Ruskin has been praised by many people as being the vioce of truth. He starts his main essay from a story in the Bible and then blows the reader away with his acute judgements and impeccable logic. In the end all you can do is but agreee that 'There is no Wealth but Life'

Also recommend 'The Kingdom of God is Within You' by Tolstoy.

"There is no wealth but life."
_Unto This Last_ is a series of four essays on political economy, which were originally designed to be published in Cornhill Magazine. The essays caused so much contemporary anger and scorn, however, that their publication was discontinued.

Ruskin began as an art critic, who wrote in favor of a naturalism based in the imagination rather than the eye. His works discussed the moral and political dimensions of art and architecture, and it was probably natural that this would lead him into his interest in socialism and the powerful writing found in _Unto This Last_. He was passionately arguing against the Utilitarianism of writers such as John Stuart Mill and others who saw immutable laws of economy which were rooted in anything except justice. His assertion was that the accumulation of money was in fact an accumulation of power rather than wealth, and necessarily resulted in an imbalance which adversely affected society. For instance, he said that a successful factory which polluted the environment could not be termed profitable because of the resulting damage to society itself.

This collection of Ruskin's works (edited and with commentary by Clive Wilmer) contains the whole of _Unto This Last_ and enough of a selection of his other works to give a sense of the chronological position of the essays in Ruskin's career.

The book features an early fairy tale by Ruskin which was written for his wife, an excerpt from _The Stones of Venice_ which discusses the nature of Gothic architecture, excerpts from _the Two Paths_ and _Modern Painters_, two lectures which were published as parts of _The Crown of Wild Olive_ and _Sesame and Lilies_, and finally ends with letters 7 and 10 from _Fors Clavigera_.

Ghandi credited _Unto This Last_ with providing part of the impetus behind his transformation. And it would not be ridiculous for me to say that the book forced a radical reexamination of many of my own assumptions and ideas. It's also a pleasure to read, with beautiful as well as thought-provoking prose. Worthwhile reading for more than students of Victoriana.


Sir John: The Many Faces of Gielgud
Published in Hardcover by Robson Book Ltd (1995)
Author: Clive Francis
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If you like Gielgud and if you love caricatures...
of English actors, this is the book for you. Clive Francis (one of my favorite actors - Masada, The Piglet Files, Poldark) has drawn caricatures of dozens of actors - who give their own verbal tributes to Sir John Gielgud.


Speed of Light: The 1996 World Solar Challenge
Published in Paperback by International Specialized Book Services (1998)
Authors: David M. Roche, Antony E. Schinckel, John W. Storey, Clive P. Huphris, and Michelle R. Guelden
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Excellent Book!
This book was highly recommended to me by various people, and it blew me away within minutes of receiving it. I was starting to design the suspension for our solar car and skipped straight to that chapter where it explained at just the right level all the terms and details needed, and discussed in more depth many of the different solutions and materials used by various teams. The book is extreemely well written and easy to read. This is a must have for anyone interested in solar cars, and even most anyone interested in how things work or cars in general.


The Usborne Book of Paper Engineering (How to Make Series)
Published in Library Binding by Edu Dev (1997)
Authors: Clive Gifford, Howard Allman, and John Woodcock
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"Beyond Infinity"
This book takes paper craft beyond the ordinary cut and paste projects. Clearly written techniques are described step-by-step. The book includes 6 pages of templates which can be traced. All projects produce 3-D results. Great to teach 'focus on task" and techniques which can be used to create other 3-D items.


Christian Mythmakers: C. S. Lewis, Madeleine L'Engle, J. R. R. Tolkien, George Macdonald, G. K. Chesterton, Charles Williams, John Bunyan, Walter Wangerin, Robert Siegel, a
Published in Paperback by Cornerstone Press Chicago (1998)
Authors: Rolland Hein and Clyde S. Kilby
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Good overview of ideas of the writers
Christian Mythmakers is a good overview of some of the thoughts and ideas of various Christian fantasy writers. While the chapter on John Bunyan is basically little more than a summary of Pilgrim's Progress, the rest of the book is interesting and thought provoking. The chapter on Charles Williams is a "must read" for anyone interested in or confused by Williams' work.

Fascinating
This book is a fascinating look at ten Christian mythmakers, that is authors who have used the power of myth to convey Christian truths in a new way. The narrative begins with John Bunyan and his seminal Pilgrim's Progress, continues through George Macdonald, G.K. Chesterton, Charles Williams, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and finishes up with Madeleine L'Engle, Walter Wangerin, Robert Siegel, and Hannah Hurnard.

Professor Hein begins with a short biography of the author, and then proceeds to explain the author's work, examining its theology and significance. I found this book to be quite fascinating, with the author giving me a look at these masterpieces of Christian literature in a way that I had never thought of before. If you are a fan of any of the authors above, then I highly recommend that you get this book!

If you enjoy these authors, this book is a must read!
I had the privilege of taking courses under Dr Hein in the early 90's at Wheaton. He is a very knowledgeable teacher and has great affection for the people he is writing about in this book. If you have any interest in these authors, this book is a must read. I wasn't aware that he had written this book when I came across it looking for books on George MacDonald and C.S. Lewis. As an Economics major, I somehow ended up taking four Lit. classes from Dr Hein because he is such a good instructor and passionate about his subject matter.


The Thief of Always
Published in Audio Cassette by Media Books (1996)
Authors: Clive Barker and John Glover
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A great representative of Barker
Ten-year-old Harvey lives the most boring life on Earth; until someone comes and offers him a special room at the Holiday House. Harvey meets several friends there, and seems to enjoy himself, but he soon discovers he can't escape. The only one at the House who knows how to get out advises Harvey, but when he finally exits the terrible dimension, he realizes 30 years has passed in the outside world, when only 30 days passed in the Holiday House. Harvey has to find a way to finally get rid of the House forever. This is one of my favorites. It is Clive Barker's only book for children, and he did an exceptionally good job. It takes a wild imagination to write a work of art like this, and Barker definitely has at least that. This book held me transfixed the whole time, and not for one instant did I have the urge to put it down. I'm very surprised that it's not as popular as I would have thought, but I highly recommend it to anyone who would like to read an excellent book and maybe get a bit of a scare. I hope you enjoy it!

Blown Away
This is the first novel I've ready by Barker, and I plan to read the rest of his books.

This book is incredible! The char are so real, the reader can't help but to care about them.

Young Harry Swick is bored with his life, and wants some exciement. As the old saying goes, becareful what you wish you, you might just get it, and Swick indeed got what he wanted....he just never knew the price would be so high.

Swick was granted access to Mr. Hood's Hoilday House. The house can offer you anything you wish for and your every need and want is met....but it comes at a price. At the house, Swick befrineds two kids named Lulu and Wendell. Together, they try to levae the house, but one of them can't go. That's all I'll say for the plot of the book, b/c I don't want to ruin anything. I'll just say that I loved the char of Lulu. She was incredible.

The reader will be drawn in by Barker's strong writing stlye, and the reader will be glued to the pages to see what happens next.

If you start this book, you wont' be sorry. I can pronmise you that.

Clive Barker for a younger crowd? Yes, its true!
I have always been a fan of horror, and this was the book I actually read to my son that finally started him on his own road of reading for pleasure. A young boy is unhappy with his life; he doesn't like school and doesn't like his parents, and wishes for a place where he can play all day long and have no responsibilities. He finds that place when creepy Rictus leads him through the mists to a place he has always dreamed of. Kindly old Mrs. Griffin runs a quaint little house, cooking marvelous meals for the boys and girls with her cats. Harvey soon finds that this place is magical, every morning is Spring, every afternoon Summer, every evening is Autumn, and every night Winter. The children play in the warmth of summer, have Halloween every evening, and Christmas every night. He makes friends with Wendell and Lulu, and meets some freakish inhabitants. But when he finally finds the lake with the strange fish, and witnesses Lulu changing, that he realizes this wonderful place is a trap and he cannot leave. He seeks a way out, and with the help of Mrs. Griffin's cats he makes it through the misty barrier, only to find that for every day that passes in the House, a year passed in the outside world. Harvey must set things to right again, and that means returning across the misty barrier and confronting the dreaded Mr. Hood. A very enjoyable read, and surprisingly good to read to older children, especially those who may be unhappy with school. Sometimes, you get what you wish for, only to find out its not what you really wanted....


Between Heaven and Hell
Published in Paperback by Intervarsity Press (1982)
Author: Peter Kreeft
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A fascinating "what if?" debate about life and beyond.
John F. Kennedy, C. S. Lewis, and Aldous Huxley all died on November 22, 1963. What if they all met after death, somewhere between heaven and hell? That's the premise of this engaging and intriguing book by philosophy professor Peter Kreeft.

Written in the form of a Socratic dialogue, Kreeft's book casts Lewis as a Christian theist, Kennedy as a modern humanist and Huxley as an Eastern pantheist. The three interact and challenge one another's worldviews, examining and testing each other's beliefs to see what is true about life after death and the meaning of life.

This book is ideal to read with a few other friends, be they believers, skeptics or seekers. It will provide lively discussion and ample food for thought.

Fun and Helpful
I have only recently been interested in Peter Kreeft's work. This book, was recommended to me by all people, my husband. And I'm glad I read it. It is easy to understand, while at the same time dealing with polemic issues that affect us all.

The book opens with C.S Lewis, John F. Kennedy, and Aldous Huxley meeting in a "limbo" place before going to their finale destination. This allows the three to debate the most important issue of all: Who is Jesus Christ? The dialogue is witty and the book helps to point out how one can dialogue to our more secular friends.

Further, the book is easy to read and can be read in one setting without much effort. This is the strength of this book is that Kreeft has not sacraficed teaching us for simplicity. The book works on both levels.

Completely enjoyable.

Loved the argument, the Socratic method and the Humor
Between Heaven & Hell has a subtitle which reads, "A Dialog Somewhere Beyond Death with John F. Kennedy, C.S. Lewis & Aldous Huxley". Yes, this is a fictional trialog in "limbo" of the most important question in human history - Who is Jesus Christ? Many people are unaware that JFK, Lewis and Huxley all died within hours of each other on November 22, 1963. It seems the assassination of President Kennedy from either the grassy knoll or from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository somehow managed to overshadow the deaths of the other two men. Go figure!

Much of the fictional discussion between these three characters revolves around their own writings although Kreeft employs a bit of literary license for the sake of argument. The fact that Kreeft is a Catholic doesn't affect the content of this book since the argument is essentially Lewis' straight, or "mere" Christianity. The position of JFK is that of a humanistic Christian in the sense of emphasizing "horizontal" social activity rather than "vertical" religious experience...religion without revelation. Kennedy portrays his view of Christ as that of a man become god. Huxley doesn't get the air time that Lewis and JFK get, but his contribution is significant. He represents the eastern pantheist position and reinterprets Christianity as a form of the universal philosophy of pantheism. In this view, Jesus was one of the great sages of history along with Buddha, Socrates, Confucius, Mohammed and the rest. Employing the Socratic method of question and answer, Kreeft slowly but surely uses Lewis' arguments to refute the views of Jesus being a lunatic, liar or just a great moral teacher. Once this is done, He argues that Jesus was God in the flesh, just as He claimed to be. Approximately the last third of the book focuses on the reliability of the gospel accounts which record the claims of Christ.

I found this book to be a very enjoyable read, especially the Socratic method that Kreeft employs. Although I don't criticize Kreeft for making the most out of the historical situation, I'll just say that the only theological disagreement I had with this book was the immediate destiny of the three men being "limbo" which I'm sure is only used by Kreeft as a setting for the discussion. The argument from Lewis was very thought-provoking and required honesty with the end result being much clearer thinking concerning the person of Christ, not to mention his inescapable conclusions which were drawn. I found it very interesting how he would ask of the opposition very pointed, yet fair questions. I was glad to find that the rabbit trails were quickly discounted so the reader can follow the arguments more easily. Throughout the discussion, Kreeft continually reminds the reader that as Christians, we don't try to win arguments for ourselves (I use "argument" in the technical sense of presenting evidence in favor of one's position). It doesn't matter who wins or loses. Truth is what we all must submit to, not someone's ability to debate.We present evidence in favor of the truth and truth must win the battle.


Cold Burial: A True Story of Endurance and Disaster
Published in Hardcover by St. Martin's Press (2002)
Author: Clive Powell-Williams
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Endurance and failure
In 1926, the Barren Lands of the Canadian Northwest Territories were rightly regarded as an inhospitable region of appalling weather coupled with the threat of starvation, accident, and loneliness, a place where men (meaning Europeans) would be tested to the limit. Jack Hornsby, a troubled veteran of WWI, drifter, and adventurer, had been there, and liked it. He put together an expedition with Harold Adler and Edgar Christian, two young and inexperienced friends, with the intention of wintering north of the Great Slave Lake. They would hunt and trap to support themselves and pay for the expedition, and Hornsby would collect scientific data. Hornsby was knowledgeable about the region, but apparently was unable to organize effectively and failed to make basic preparations despite warnings. After many hardships and colossal mistakes in judgment, all three died. Mounties found their bodies, letters to parents, and the detailed diary kept by Christian, two years later. The author has used the diary and a number of surviving letters to reconstruct the adventurers' trip in great detail. Counterpoint to stories of survival under harsh conditions, but rather depressing. An absorbing read for anyone interested in arctic exploration, and a thought-provoking sidelight on Canadian history

Cold Country Adventure
In recent months there have been several books written about polar exploration, and their success indicates that the reading public seems to have a continuing fascination with these expeditions. This spring, the A and E cable network produced "Shackleton", a cold-country-frontier saga. In this tradition, Clive Powell-Williams has written "Cold Burial."

This book is an engrossing page-turner and a quick read. You will be caught up in the tale of 18 year old Edgar Christian and his mother's double-cousin, Jack Hornby, an experienced Canadian-Northwest Territories outdoorsman. Experienced he may be, but seasoned he is not. Impulsive, improvident, and arrogant to boot, he takes his cousin on what will be their first and final adventure together. Having relied heavily upon luck and upon the help of natives, Jack finds his luck has run out. He does try to spare his young cousin, but events proceed inevitably
to a tragic end. Powell-Williams relies upon the diaries of young Edgar to put together a chilling story of their days in a climate hostile to human life. Female readers may be tempted to ask, "Why would they want to do that?" The only answer is the famous one, "Because it's there!" Apparently that insouciant reply makes sense to males; but to a mother, it rings hollow.

A hapless adventurer
For anybody that has read and enjoyed some of the adventurer books released in the last few years (Into Thin Air, etc.), Cold Burial is a must.

75 years ago, 3 British men set out on a journey up the Thelon River (in Northern Alberta) and into the Canadian Arctic. None of them made it back alive. When their bodies were discovered by the RCMP, the investigators also found a diary. This diary, written by the youngest member of the party (Edgar Christian, age 18) chronicled the shift from courageous optimism in the early days of the voyage, into hopeless abandon as the 3 men starved and froze to death.

Clive Powell-Williams has taken this diary and researched the history behind the 3 adventurers. In Cold Burial, he tells the whole story; from their original meetings at school in Britain, to Edgar's last days, alone in the cabin.

Cold Burial is a tremendously well-written account that will certainy rank with the top adventure/disaster books of all time. An extremely good read. Highly recommended.


Cyclops
Published in Audio Cassette by S&S audio (1999)
Authors: Clive Cussler and John Rubinstein
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Cyclops
I have read many Dirk Pitt adventures, but this has been the one I enjoyed the most. It is an excellant book for a reader who likes to think. Clive Cussler cleverely creates a plot using suspense and many surprises. In this book you can try and figure out what Cussler is suggesting. It's amazing how Cussler can involve so many places and times to fit into one story of the Cyclops. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoy reading.

ONE OF THE BEST READS
Clive Cussler is one of my favourite writers.
I would like to thank my friend who introduced me to this author. She recommended his Sahara but i laid my hands on Cyclops first and now wont let go of Cussler.
I however didn't like his The Serpent, which was a total washout. I dont blame him when almost everybody has faltered at some time or the other.
this book is a real roller coaster ride and you will thoroughly enjoy this book.
It crackles at a fast pace and will leave you gasping for more.
The hero Drik Pitt is almost a leged for all Cussler fans....
In me Cussler has his biggest fan.......

Another Clive Cussler classic
This contains all the important elements of an enjoyable book. It's got the action, adventure and typical near impossible and impossibe scenarios that make Cussler's books so great. I have read nine of Cussler's "Dirk Pitt adventures" they are all excellent, and completly enjoyable books, this is no exception.

This adventure has battles on military compounds in Cuba to battles on the moon. And as always Dirk Pitt is suave, fearless, and inventive. And for anyone out there who loves classic cars, you'll enjoy brief descriptions of Pitt's collection. So go ahead and help yourself, I'm sure you will enjoy it and many others as well.


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