Dr. Kraus knows how to keep his readers turning the pages with an intriguing plot and interesting characters. But more than a spellbinding read, The Chairman delivers an important message: each person's value is based on the fact that God loves us, not what we are able to do or not do. Two very different types of "chairmen" learned this invaluable lesson as the events unfold in this medical mystery, bringing the two together for an unexpected ending.

A wonderful premise! Not usually a fan of the medical thriller genre, I have to admit, The Chairman kept me turning pages! Kraus has a way of defining the medical parameters of the premise and developing that plot-line in a way that's descriptive but never dry. He doesn't try to WOW you with an overabundance of medical jargon, instead, chooses to bow to the flow of good story-telling. The diagnosis is clear...The Chairman is a winner! --Lisa Samson, author of The Church Ladies.

This was a gift and as a retired physician I found the book to be medically interesting as well as morally satisfying

Here's a winning fiction--a great story with many nuances.

I found this author did an excellent job at presenting the story in a way that demands your attention while molding the medical aspects of the story in a manner that is palatable to the non-clinical reader. It draws you in with a tempting mix of realism and romance. The characters were rich and interesting; their relationships were beautifully developed.

I was impressed with the author's style in presentation of Huntington's Disease as well as the cultural stigma that surrounds it--a nice blend of the clinical and the emotional. The realistic descriptions of the medical world surrounding the story make this a novel I'll enjoy recommending.

As a retired general surgeon, I felt the author was authentic in the culture of surgical training and it's pitfalls. Very entertaining and suspenseful. Also cleverly done. I liked his recognition of the loss of quiet time and devotions with the stresses and demands of the training program.

This is the first book by Kraus that I have read, and I plan to buy more. I was completely caught up in the story and quite surprised by the ending. A joy to read.

Coca-Cola bean bags are instantly recognizable by their bottle of Coke. But while Polar Bears are obvious, it's harder to distinguish Jaguars from Cheetahs. Luckily, this handsome book contains large, colorful photographs and pertinent details to help a collector manage a wide variety of Coca-Cola bean bags critters. And, the comprehensive list of all Coca-Cola bean bags in Appendix A is a very useful feature to track what's in your collection.

The chapter on tags is especially helpful, with highly readable photos of the in's and out's of the authentic tags. It's too bad the country flags were not similarly illustrated for the International sets so we could learn more about the country each critter came from. Still, it's a great book to show kids what different animals look like in all the countries where Coca-Cola is sold.

As the widely-recognized ambassadors for Coca-Cola, Polar Bears occupy a special spot in my Coca-Cola collection. No doubt about it, these adorable bears and cubs make it all too easy to be smitten with the collector bug. Now I'm delighted to have a handsome hardcover book about these bears to add to my Coca-Cola treasures.

Thanks to this "family scrapbook" with colorful photos and general descriptions, I can now admire and covet the many Coca-Cola Polar Bears in every size, shape and variety. The authors even provided a list of resources that will come in handy. While I would have loved more technical details about how the TV ads were created and animated, overall I'm "beary" happy!

Professor Poe has done a good job in this book at clearly and plainly discussing various orthodox themes of Christianity. Interspersed is enough information about the differences between Christianity and other world religions to be helpful.

Professor Poe discusses topics such as: 1. Creator God 2. Scripture and Fulfillment 3. Son of God/Son of David 4. Death for Sins 5. Resurrection 6. Exaltation 7. The Gift of the Holy Spirit 8. The Return of Christ.

The topics are well ordered, clearly presented and logical in the way they are discussed. Each chapter discusses the topic as viewed in the Old Testament, in the four Gospels, in the apostolic writings, by the early church and as it has developed over the last two thousand years. A good book and recommended reading for anyone interested in the various topics presented in the Good News of Jesus Christ.

This is an excellent book for geneology buffs that was written by a Craighead County native and copyrighted in 1930. It covers the time period before Arkansas was a state and includes sections of Craighead County history that include the people who settled and developed this county up until the time that he wrote the book.

This book also contains chapters of information about the growth of the county and about towns and villages, cemeteries, churches, schools, civil and world wars plus many other informing and amusing stories about Craighead County.

It is an excellent source of information for historians and people searching their ancestry. It also includes a "Who's Who" section of prominent citizens and also has an excellent index that was added in 1977 that allows for easier research of names.

I've never read a book that had such an impact on my life. Harry Lee Kraus' writing style is wonderful, and because he is a doctor, he knows what he is talking about as we follow Sarah Hampton's battle with cancer. As I read through this book, I fell in love with the characters, and I felt like I had known them all my life. Never has an author achieved such a perfect mixture of realism and heart-felt warmth. It's so good to know that our authors today can still write a good story without cursing, sex and unnecessary violence. What a great story and encouragement!

This is an amazing book. I wasn't so much interested in the life of Harry Traver, but the legendary coasters he built. Too bad there aren't any of them around today. I have heard the stories of the great rides they were and my grandparents actually got to ride the legendary Crystal Beach Cyclone. A fabulous peek at the great coasters of days gone by.

The photos and history in this book go beyond any other book in my collection. I had to pay dearly to get this but it was worth it. For a coaster enthusiast who loves the design, construction, and riding of coasters, this book has it all.

Richard Munch has done a wonderful job writing this book about Harry Traver, a man most people have never heard of. However, true coaster/amusement park enthusiasts know how important his name is to the amusement park industry. The book contains a detailed personal and business history of Traver, with information gleaned from family and many other sources. It's hard to figure how the author did all of this, but the proof is within the covers of this outstanding book. Dozens of b/w photos of Traver's legendary coaster creations, complete with track layout plans and thorough descriptions, bring to life his contributions to the advancement of the wooden roller coaster. The book also contains photos of some of Traver's business papers and promotional materials. Munch also weaves into the text the relationship Traver had with the 1920's coaster team of Prior and Church, who are responsible for several historical coasters, including the still-operating San Diego "Giant Dipper". This book is like a trip through time. The only other book like it is Robert Cartmell's "The Incredible Scream Machine" which in itself is the most comprehensive book ever written on the subject of the history of roller coasters. If you're not too interested in coasters, then you'll find the book to be an interesting curiosity, but if you're an enthusiast, you'll love it. (Submitted January 23, 2002)

This is one of the best at getting into the mind of the radically unchurched.

On the downside, this book (like most on the subject) takes a narrative approach to each chapter. Some chapters have useful take-away summaries. What I would have liked but did not find in the chapters were:
1. Discussion or review questions at the end of each chapter
2. Application exercise(s) at the end of each chapter

So, in my view, this book fell short on providing clear, easy to adopt "how to" ways to build effective relationship evangelism habits.

A promising new book that I may use is Evangelism Outside The Box (Rick Richardson, 2000).

Older books that have worked well for me in teaching others are: (roughly in order of preference): Power Evangelism (John Wimber, 1992), Witnessing Without Fear (Bill Bright, 1987), Out of the Salt Shaker (Rebecca Pippert).

When looking only at the title of the book, it could be concluded that this book is only a diatribe against non Christians and what motivates them to stay away from God. But after reading the book, I found that this is not the emphasis of the book at all.

It seemed to me that the book was pretty much addressing two main questions - why are some people suspicious of Christianity and the church, and what can Christians and the church do to respectfully dialogue with these folks and make them feel safe in exploring the claims of Christianity. Because the book is dealing with these two questions, I found Strobel to be very balanced in assessing both sides. His treatment of the attitudes and motivations of the unchurched is done respectfully and is generally absent of condemnation. Having been a self declared atheist for many years, he brings a unique insight into this question and I believe he handles the subject matter with the same respect and gentleness that he would liked to have received from the church during his atheist days. Likewise, when dealing with the question of what the church can be doing better to reach out to these folks, he is very balanced in his assessment. In fact, it seemed to me that if Strobel was being critical of anyone in this whole equation, he reserved his strongest criticism for the church in terms of not doing a good job reaching these folks and being unwilling to move beyond traditional forms of worship to establish a more relevant and safe environment which is still Biblically based for the sincere seeker.

I think that this book is very insightful in its probing of the attitudes of the unchurched, and I would recommend this book purely on that basis. It is important that as Christians, we have some level of understanding for how some folks become either indifferent or hostile to our faith. Having this level of understanding will help us to engage these folks where they are and to hopefully give us an opening to reach a deeper level of understanding on a one on one basis, one person at a time. But I would also highly recommend this book as a pastoral resource. I think the section that discusses what the church response should be in reaching out to these folks should be required reading for every pastor in America who is looking to spread the Good News but is having difficulty finding the right formula for effectively reaching out to the secular community. This is a very good resource.

This is the story many would like to read -- how a self-avowed atheist working as a journalist for the Chicago Tribune not only converted to Christianity, but became a minister. This book -- and particularly Chapter 9 -- provides the answers.

The book is written as a how-to book which allows others to lead their "Unchurched" friends (a term first coined by the Gallup polling agency) down the same path. In this fashion, the author covers all of his former objections to Christianity along with the factors that eventually changed his mind.

The author's journalistic skills are in evidence throughout the book -- the reader will find it difficult to put the book down until it is completely finished. Both Christians and non-Christians will find the book enlightening, interesting and enjoyable.