Dr. Martin Luther King's collection of writings and speeches, "I Have A Dream", brings aspiration to light. The events that surrounded the life and death of this true hero reveals the shameful fact that no matter how great the United States of America is today, it is one country that was nurtured with inhumane machinery: slavery, racism, injustice, Mickey-Mouse freedom, and Mickey-Mouse democracy. I hate to think about it, but it is an honest fact, which we should all come to terms with. Nobody can rewrite history.
The 256 pages that is "I Have A Dream" was enough to highlight the wickedness and the violence that were deliberately sustained in America, for a full century, after a bloody Civil War ended her tenacity on slavery.
One question that will always beg for answer is: How on earth did U.S. Presidents who presided over the ruthless color-bar era qualified for those Nobel Peace Prizes that they received? Knowing what life was like in the U.S.A. just a couple of decades ago melts my heart. "I Have A Dream" is a big eye-opener!

"I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed the World," by Martin Luther King, Jr., is a fine collection of texts by this important figure. The book has been edited by James M. Washington. Coming in at less than 300 pages, this is a concise but meaty book.

Washington includes King's most important texts: the "Letter from Birmingham Jail"; the "I Have a Dream" speech; his Nobel Prize acceptance speech; "My Trip to the Land of Gandhi"; "A Time to Break Silence," his 1967 speech criticizing the United States war in Vietnam, and more. These writings and speeches cover King's great themes: nonviolent resistance, the African-American civil rights movement, etc.

Those seeking a more comprehensive collection of Kings' work should seek out "A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr." also edited by James M. Washington. At more than 700 pages, this is a truly monumental collection, and includes much material not found in "I Have a Dream": the 1965 "Playboy" interview, transcripts of television interviews, and more. But for those who want a shorter text that cuts to the heart of King's life and work, "I Have a Dream" is perfect.

"I Have a Dream" reveals King to be a true Christian prophet, and a man with a global vision. As literature, these texts also show King to be the heir of such American thinkers as Henry David Thoreau and W.E.B. DuBois. Highly recommended.

In his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, Martin Luther King, Jr. used several techniques and devices that were central to the theme of the civil rights movement. One such device was his use of time-sensitive words such as "now" that served as instigators aimed at prompting immediate action. He asked his listeners to seize "the urgency of the moment" because he knew that his cause had garnered enough support to make the push toward total, unrestricted equality. He warned his opponents that they would not see rest until freedom was won; there were far too many people rallying for justice than could be ignored.

King also spoke about the importance of using "soul force" as opposed to physical force. He was determined to be guided in every action by the principles of relentless nonviolent resistance, similar to the ones lived and taught by Gandhi. He knew that his soul force, although seemingly tedious at times, would eventually triumph over every last obstacle of hatred standing in his way. Even though the country was still very much in a state of transition at his passing, King's soul force did indeed lead to the civil rights movement's success. To those members of our society still fighting for freedom even today, that success stands as a powerful testament that no matter how bleak the situation, nonviolent soul force can overcome unjust bias and discrimination. I believe that this is an important lesson, and therefore, I also believe that every American should read King's speech; it is clear that even today, we all still have something to learn.

Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were the 2 most prominent African-American leaders of the 20th Century. In this book Dr. Cone explores how each leader rose to prominence. He also show why they did not win total acceptance from African-Americans. He compares and contrast their ideas and shows their strong and weak points.

Martin and Malcolm and America presents an extraordinary comparison of the two most influential figures of the Civil Rights movement. It is especially enlightening because it presents the sides of each man which the world has forgotten, that is, the militant nature of the later teachings of Dr. King and the more conciliatory nature of the later teachings of Brother Malcolm. James Cone also focuses heavily on the religious aspects of each man's teaching, arguing that neither man's philosophy can be separated from the religious doctrines he espoused.

If I had one critique of this book, it is that Cone relies too heavily on the Autobiography of Malcolm X for his Malcolm information. Almost all of his Malcolm info is quoted directly from that book, and like most autobiographies, Malcolm wrote/dictated with a bit of license. Having read the autobiography twice, it got a bit annoying at times to reread Malcolm's own words about himself. Malcolm was a far more complex (and more interesting) character than he portrayed himself to be, and that part was left out. (For more info, I'd recommend "Malcolm : The Life of the Man Who Changed Black America.")

All in all, though, this is a book that should be on your bookshelf. Highly recommended.

Cone presents an indepth review of how Martin King and Malcolm X complimented and connected in their efforts to address problems of race and class in America. Used as a text in undergraduate courses on "social problems", this work offer students new insight into the lives and visions of these two American leaders and their attempts to confront the problems of our time. Well written and easily understood, Cone's work is a useful and challenging tool for better understanding the issues of race and class in America.

"Man before God," that sums up Luther's resultant reformation in theology. Brecht in this volume of three, takes us into the context of this change and the resultant history thereof.

It is marvelously rich in its scope and depth, and written fairly and with good style. Originially in German, here it is aptly translated by James L. Schaaf.

One will receive fine insights into Luther's theology in this volume from his days at Erfurt through to the Diet of Worms.

Excellent Luther reading for those so inclined. All three volumes highly commended for your persual.

Brecht's biography (3 volumes--this is volume one) was the first comprehensive biography in our century that fully explored the later Luther and is also the only Luther biography that tracks every single thing Luther ever wrote. If you are reading something by Luther and want to know the context, this is the place to look. It's readable and takes a conservative position on all of the major controversies. Beware, though: Brecht simply is not interested in source critique.

We have read a lot of biographies, but this one was different. I don't really know why. My son, 6, was captivated by this book. He now devours EVERYTHING he hears about Martin Luther King, Jr. My son learned about a man like himself in many ways who experienced difficulties and fought unfair laws just because of his color. He also learned about a man named Gandhi and the influence he had on Dr. King. I was so impressed by the impression that this book made on my son. And he recognized scenes from the book when we watched the movie "KING." Rarely does any book have this much impact on a young child. It definitely deserves 5 stars.

This is the perfect biography for kids around 8-12 years old to read. It has lots of information and is a little more advanced than a Martin Luther King biography you would find in a first grade classroom would be.This would also be a great book to read if a child has to do a report.

I had not realized that Julia Child had served in the Office of Strategic Services (the CIA) during WWII. In fact, there is much that I had not realized prior to reading this fascinating book. But wait! It's also a cookbook! The authors were often challenged with new and foreign ingredients and their collection of recipes from around the world is excellent. It seems that our intelligence officers and their families like to eat, and well! Highly recommended.

I have never even had a passport, but for 2 years I have edited some stories and completed all of the nutritional analysis for the recipes in this book. I cried when I read the piece titled "Raincheck", (and I didn't recommend changing a word). There were other stories that needed a little grammatical clean up, but the goal for all of those involved in this project was to maintain the voice of the original author. Some stories are scary, some are hilarious, and all are compelling. The recipes were used mostly for entertaining, so this is NOT a diet cookbook. If you can occasionally part ways with the American Heart Association, you will find most of the recipes tasty, although a few require a sense of adventure. I've tested several recipes myself. Ladda's Yellow Curry is now a staple in my home, and several of the desserts would be if I allowed dessert in the house. I make the desserts to carry to other people's houses. The drawbacks are minor, but annoying. The book is small (so is the type), and there isn't a blank page in the front of the book to prevent the titled page from sticking to the cover. This book is worth reading though. It allows those of us who stay safely in the U.S. to share in the experiences of being a CIA agent's spouse overseas. All of the profits will fund scholarships for CIA dependants. Neither myself, or any of the authors, were paid for their work on this piece. Now that the book is out I am immensely proud it, and of the CIA spouses who made it possible.

This book was interesting because I had no idea of how or why Dr. King was shot. I also think that Jim Haskins is a really great author! Way to go Jim and a big thanks from me!

The John Knox Press INTERPETATION COMMENTARY series provides thoughtful but highly readable insights into the various books of the Bible. I haven't picked up a volume yet which disappointed me. But Carol Bechtel's commentary on ESTHER really goes the extra mile. It's chock full of fresh perspectives well stated. (Although she borrows many of these insights from the recently published commentaries of Adele Berlin and Jon Levenson, she is quick to credit her sources. And she is very selective about what she restates.)

The commentary is directed primarily to Christians, and to Protestants specifically. She raises an interesting point that Christians who "get their Scripture" solely from the lessons that are read aloud as part of Sunday services, are only exposed to a reading from Esther once every three years: Esther 7:1-6,9-10; 9:20-22. This clearly is not the best way to experience a book of the Bible that is a cleverly constructed "novella" with exciting characters, court intrigues, and dizzying plot reversals. She encourages Christians to imitate Jews by reading the book repeatedly, aloud, and in its entirety. As Bechtel points out, "It is a book, after all, about the struggle to be faithful in the midst of an increasingly unfaithful culture. It is a story of courage, faith, and deliverance. It is the story of men and women working together with a God who is not always obvious, but who is always gracious."

To use this commentary most effectively, you need to have a copy of the New Revised Standard Version Bible (preferrably with the Apocrypal/Deuterocanonical books) since the biblical text is not printed in the commentary. You do not need any knowledge of Hebrew (or Greek), however. Where an understanding of the Hebrew is essential, Bechtel provides clear explanations. One example, her explanation of how the Hebrew words for "enslavement" and "destruction" are homophones, serves as a very plausible explanation of why the King could have been so easily duped into signing a death warrant for the Jewish people.

Although Bechtel presents the shorter, Hebrew version of Esther as the "best text," she does examine the Additions to Esther (those passages that are found only in the Greek and Latin versions of the text) in a brief Appendix.

I am a student of Dr. McGoldrick and reading this book was a requirement of his class. It was a rather enlightening book which gave a brief overall picture of the history of the Bible. It starts with pre-Tyndale times and factors in Robert Barnes and Martin Luther and then follows through with Myles Coverdale acquiring permission from King Henry VIII to publish a version of Tyndale's Bible. It is a matter-of-fact book which helps to view the struggles of those early translators of the Bible.

The KJV of the Bible needs no endorsement from me. When selecting an audio book you need to evaluate the actor who does the reading, and Roscoe Lee Browne is one of the best actors alive. He also has one of the most beautiful voices in his profession, which makes all his books on tape treats worth seeking out. He isn't as widely known as he deserves to be, but you may recall some of his work. He narrated the film Babe and provided the voice of the Kingpin in the excellent animated Spiderman TV series which recently completed its run. Amazon also sells an audio Old Testament for which Browne recorded Exodus, Jeremiah, Lamentations and Jonah.

This book is just excellent for all students of the Lutheran Confessions. All these fascinating and relevant sources for the Confessions were out of print, or never published in English before.

As now involved in teaching class on the Formula, fascinated by the Leipzig Interim and Chemnitz' "Judgment on Certain Controversies." He states things so plainly and is not politically correct at all, e.g. "it is of utmost importance to establish what limits are to constitute the defining elements of this harmony. Often in the church not only princes and political advisors, but even theologians have sought harmony on the basis of human judgment which led people away from the purity of the Gospel. Therefore, it is necessary in the church that the rule for such harmony be the Word of God."

Wingert's translation of Luther's catechetical material as well as Melanchthon's Disputation, The Catalog of Testominies, Luther's sermon on descent into hell, and the Saxon Visitation ARticles of 1592.

This is great collection of wealth of background info which we Reformation students will sink our theological teeth into and be well rewarded, having greater perspective on the Confessions.

Translated by renown group of Lutheran scholars. Highly recommended.