Great book. The only reason that I did not rate this book a perfect 5-5 is because some of the scripture seemed to be a bit of a strech for idetifying NT demonic activitives for BELEIVERS. Overall, I thought the structure of the book was great, extreamly practical, and did not try to present an air-tight system of inner healing and deliverance. I think that is the strongest point of this book, that it helps the reading, giving them a system to use but also recognizes the fact that situations will differ so they attempe to presents guidelines, not step-by-step, everytime the same, method. A definate read for those seeking to understand the world of inner healing and discipleship! "There is no true discipleship without inner healing and deliverance!"- Pastor Leo Lawson

We in the western church have deceived ourselves into believing that this kind of stuff never really happens. A fabulous toolbox for living the kind of Christian life you were intended to live. If you find yourself plagued by trouble of all sorts despite the fact you are saved this book is for you.

I thought this was the most informative teaching on the area of spiritual warfare I had ever read. I appreciate the clear and concise method in which Dr.Malone wrote. I appreciate the truth that I needed to know about brought forth from the Spirit of God speaking through Dr.Malone. It is my desire to refer and teach from portions of this wonderful book in my Sunday School class.

Suberb! I especially like his sermon on Mary,the Mother of God. I'm a Roman Catholic and lately have lost interest in Mary to some extent, probably due to the cultic practices of Roman Catholicism. It took the insightful Peter Gomes to give me a better understanding and appreciation of Mary's blessedness in her response to God. Thank you. This is a great book for reflection and meditation.

Peter Gomes has earned a reputation as one of America's finest preachers, and this book -- a collection of 40 of his sermons, many of them delivered first to the Harvard College Memorial Church -- proves that his reputation is well earned. A sense of peace and grace will overtake you as you are seduced by his words.

Reading "Beyond Tragedy" I was reminded of the powerful imagery associated with Palm Sunday; reading "When Life Begins" I was comforted by the reminder that Christianity tells us not to fear death; reading "Getting to Yes," I was reminded of the spiritual emphasis placed on changing one's mind. The language Gomes uses is poetic and simple; the ideas he expresses are brilliant musings on the true meaning of many Bible stories.

Above all, it is Gomes's understanding of the Bible, his ability to makes sense of its sometimes inscrutable stories, that makes him such an effective preacher. I can't say I've ever heard a sermon in the variety of churches I've attended that has illuminated Christianity in the way this book does.

The tragedy is most of what they "write" is never written down, it is delivered orally, the great news is that one of the best has written 40 of his, and created "Sermons". Mr. Peter J. Gomes has collected this group of his sermons, and now people outside of his place of speaking may enjoy the words of this great communicator.

I am not suggesting this book because a member of the clergy has written it; religion is an individual and very personal choice. I enjoyed this book as I feel some of the greatest users of our language speak rather than write, or rather speak but with no written record, and this is truly a loss. Whether or not the religious denomination of which Mr. Gomes is a member that you have adopted as your own, is not the reason to read this work. An appreciation of language is all that is required.

Mr. Gomes is considered to be one of the finest "Preachers" speaking today. I have never heard him speak, but if his written words are any indication of his live presentations, they must be special indeed. If you have never had the experience of being amongst those present to hear one of these orators you have not enjoyed a singular experience.

I have had the privilege of enjoying some sermons delivered in tiny churches, in parts of our Country where I was the minority, and a "Yankee" in a good-natured way. I attended what I had been raised to refer to as Church in buildings that were anything but conventional Churches. I was not in massive structures, in one case it was an old converted fire station, in another a school. But the "Preachers" I heard were remarkable, and while they most certainly are in the profession of spreading The Message as their denomination practices it, they are unique purveyors of the spoken, and in this case the written word.

The speeches of Mr. Gomes are excellent reading, and regardless of your faith or lack thereof, you will find more common sense ideas, and more useful information than you will find in a dozen self-help books, be they personal or business. All of these books I refer to can be accurately described as how to conduct yourself as an employer, a manager, a person. None of these books hold any great mysteries; none hold a thought that is not derivative. Being happy with your life, running a company that retains employees because they have no desire to move, being a positive contributor in any manner you choose, all these manners of personal conduct are known to us all, placing them in books that give them new names is just repackaging, it's not new. Want to keep employees, guess what, treat them well. Want to be a better person, listen more, the hundreds of books on how to behave are presentations of what in many cases you already know.

I doubt that Mr. Gomes sets out to create anything more than people who are more cognizant and sensitive to those around them. But then that describes just about every self-help book, personal or professional I have read.

Great reading from a brilliant orator.

I've always loved this book and have read it a few times. What's cool about this book is that it is so understandable and useful to the everyday person while including ample reference to research supporting the "traits" and the "preventive" strategies suggested. It's also intriguing enough to hold the attention of the average mental health professional. If you have any interest in learning more about the "mind-body" connection and how you can use it to your advantage, check out this book!

This is actually a great book. Recent medical discoveries are depicted in lay terms, easy to read and, yes, even groovy. For example, one medical study showed that a 20-minute journal writing exercise, done daily, helped people's immune systems. And Mr. Dreher instructs you how to do it all at home. Following the exercises will help your health, I should think, and certainly your mental help. Fun, but serious; good for inner healing.

This was a great find. It is a fascinating book about the science of mind-body connection, but also a very practical helpful book with exercises and advice that cut much deeper than most of the mind-body books I've read. The scientists discussed are all intriguing characters. Real science, real info on how to enhance your emotional life and immune system at the same time. I can already tell it is helping me with many issues and health problems associated with my immune system. The 7 Traits for immunity are all right on--I was most intrigued by the work on confiding, assertiveness, and self-complexity. A terrific read.

I have worked as a jail chaplain for almost twenty years and this book has been both an inspiration and a clarifier. Not only is it important for me to set clear boundaries in the work place with inmates, but because of the nature of the work on my personal life, I've needed to set countless boundaries in my relationship with people who don't understand my love and concern for the incarcerated. I have asked all of my volunteers to read the book also because we've used it as a teaching tool for inmates, most of whom have never learned how to set boundaries. We have found it most helpful in dealing with battered and abused women, as well as those needing anger management. Because the text is filled with biblical principles, I believe it is in line with what God chooses for us, but allows us to make the choice for ourselves. Personally, I also have children and grandchildren and I'm using the guidelines to create a place of harmony in my home. Thank you, Drs. Cloud and Townsend for giving us a user friendly guide to boundaries and the happiness they give.

Most Christians struggle with the demands and frustrations resulting from their everyday relationships. Cloud and Townsend have produced a true classic in this volume, presenting Biblical concepts that address those demands and frustrations. I have just finished reading this book again for the second time, and chances are good I will read it again in the future.

The authors introduce their work with a short section entitled, "A Day in a Boundaryless Life." Most persons can easily identify with the young woman depicted in this typical life situation. The authors then describe the concept of boundaries in detail, and how boundaries are developed in our lives. They present ten laws of boundaries, and then proceed to describe common myths regarding them. These laws and myths, as well as the rest of the book's content, are very readable and easy to understand.

In the second portion of their work, the authors touch upon the areas of life in which boundaries can be helpful. I cannot think of any area that is unaffected. These areas are: family, friends, spouse, children, work, self, and God.

The authors conclude by describing typical resistance to boundaries. They also summarize the benefits to be gained as persons persevere through that resistance to a more ordered life. Before ending their book, Cloud and Townsend revisit the young woman depicted in the opening section. This time the title is, "A Day in a Life with Boundaries." She now has learned to incorporate boundaries into her own life, and the change for the better is amazing.

This book is a must-read for every Christian believer who wants a wealth of Biblical insight into Christ-honoring relationships. I have recommended it to others in the past, and after this second reading am even more enthusiastic about doing so. Buy it, read it, and allow God to transform your relationships for the better!

The authors state that this book is not for spiritual development but for giving people practical tools for life. Nothing could be more true. This book is very practical and biblically based. How the authors were able to draw such revelation from the scriptures regarding boundaries is remarkable.

This book came highly recommended to me, but I had no idea how useful it would actually be. Most people can identify the major boundary lines that they know others cannot cross. This book teaches the subtle ways that we can be manipulated through our lack of boundaries. The authors describe our boundaries simply as our property lines and they are in place to protect what is ours. The authors really make it clear why it is important to have our own boundaries and explains what their effects can be to ourselves and others.

This book should be read by all Christians because it presents a way for Christians to protect themselves against those that don't honor what they have. It is really too valuable not to have. There are some chapters where it's easy to get lost in the details but it's not too much. The authors give excellent insight as to how to raise children with healthy boundaries that will help them all the way through life and how childhood boundaries affect adult behavior.

Pastors and counsellors cannot afford to go without this book. When you deal with people on a daily basis, you need to understand the principles of this book.

I was intensely interested in Feng Shui and I wanted to know all about it. As a newbie, I didn't know what to look for so I just searched on "Feng Shui" and found this book, _The Feng Shui Handbook_. I also ordered another book by Simon Brown, "Practical Feng Shui", which also has its faults, but not as many as the _Feng Shui Handbook_. In this book there are too many general things mentioned, which don't tell you anything about the unfortunate placements of bathrooms and so forth, or directions at all. The only thing I got out of this book was the story of the turtle, the dragon, the bird Phoenix, the tiger and the snake in the middle, so if you are willing to pay money for just that, then go ahead and buy it. But i think it is just another newbie...Feng Shui wanna-be to gain money off you.

This is just a wonderful intro to Chinese science and philosophy. You see the glory of the Northern Lights or watch a passing thunderstorm and intuitively understand the give-and-take of energy.

Lam Kam Chuen really strives to place Chinese science in the mainstream of Western Einsteinian physics. He isn't concerned with adjusting your dresser to cure corns. He may have an opinion on that, as might Einstein, but if that is what you're seeking, you should read Dr. Scholl's.

This book is effective because of the brushed demonstrations of energy flows in the latter half of the book. You are free to accept or reject this approach, but I believe it is an effective approach to this cross-cultural experience.

This book is really good for anyone who just wants the basics. It also has plenty of illustrations to help train the reader's eyes. Master Lam Kam Chuen does an excellent job explaining energy flow, location of doors, furniture placement, etc. and how it affects us. But this book is not just about houses. He also gives advice for the office, as well as how to break up space if you have a one-room dwelling.

I knew absolutely nothing about Feng Shui before I bought this book, which I admit I bought for the colorwheel. I changed my bedroom around based on the master's advice, and now I sleep like a baby! I'm glad I bought this book BEFORE I redecorated. It really saved me from making some expensive bad choices.

This book is easy to carry around if you are shopping for a new apartment or house. A handbook for sure.

Have you ever sat and thought, man, I wish someone would write a book about living? And possibly loving? Well, Henry Green has gone out and done just that. I had never thought that a book about going to parties might be necessary, but after reading it I think that Mr. Green has indeed performed a valuable service. This wonderful collection of novels is, quite frankly, a comprehensive exploration, and no new books need be written on any of these subjects.

In any case, the writing made my jaw drop in spots, it was so good, and Green way of looking at things is funny and humane while being mercilessly clear-eyed. The only reason I think they've stopped teaching his books in colleges is because they don't have the sort of things one can write papers about: complicated networks of imagery and whatnot that can be dug out of the text and have a title slapped on them. Green's book are too alive to have anything particularly systematic going on in them, while retaining the structure and unity of true works of art. Amazing books, go out and read them.

If John Updike is a writer's writer, Henry Green is a writer's writer's writer! This volume is an excellent introduction to this little known, fascinating, 20th century British writer.

"Loving" reminds one of "Remains of the Day" but even though it was written decades earlier is richer in theme (notice the peacocks in the book).

"Living" is my favorite of Green's novels, a lovely evocation of working class life that contains some of the most beautiful prose of the 20th century (stylisticly, Green eschews the use of articles, and this gives his prose an other-wordly poetic quality).

"Party Going" is at once more existential and more funny... upper class silly young things (kindred spirits of Bertie Wooster) are caught in an Ionesco-esqe fog that traps them in a train station (notice the pigeons in the book).

If you love Green as much as I did after finishing this volume, you'll quickly seek out his other 6 books.

"Loving" is one of the better books of the century. In prose that is singularly musical, Green limns the lives of the English servant class. Somehow, also, the book is about war, honor, and human love. Please read it-- Green is to good a writer to be ignored.

While "How People Grow" concentrates on a small group setting, the book is also valuable for the individual person struggling with spiritual growth.

Among the many interesting points the authors describe include:

1. We have to give up our self-sufficiency and submit to God's rule in our lives.
2. Humility is an essential trait for bearing pain and we are created to be dependent on God and others.
3. We are responsible for submitting our will to God's will.
4. Guilt is inwardly focused while godly sorrow is focused on how we have hurt others.
5. Grief is an essential part of spiritual growth.
6. Psychology is to used only to support, not supplant, the Bible.
7. We need to show people that change is not just for religious reasons, but as the way to a better life.
8. God has a special tenderness towards those who are needy and brokenhearted.
9. Life works much better when we surrender lordship to Jesus.
10. Excellent points on dealing with rebellion and overcoming temptation.

Additionally, the book stresses the importance of being accountable to safe people who are interested in our spiritual growth and are not out to just judge others.

The book is highly recommended for either the individual or small group leader interested in facilitating the spiritual growth of others.

I believe the book would have been even more valuable if more text had been dedicated to developing strategies for finding safe people to confide in and some specific steps to facilitating growth. In other words, many principles were stated but fewer strategies were mentioned. For example, the tips for growers and facilitators at the end of every chapter could have been more specific (what questions to ask, what specific steps can you step to help those hurt by distorted Bible teachings, how can you teach the value of godly sorrow, etc.).

The complaint aside, I highly recommend the book!

Just as popular author and psychiatrist, M. Scott Peck, M.D., (The Road Less Traveled, etc.) contends, Cloud and Townsend resoundingly conclude that "All growth is spiritual growth" (p. 9).

The authors face the classic dilemma of theological and psychological integration: "It seemed to me that there was the spiritual life, where we learned about God and grew in our relationship to him, and then there was the emotional and relational life, where we learned how to solve real-life problems" (p. 19). Cloud and Townsend answered the challenge head-on by seeking the Bible as their sole authority in all of life and behavior and now teach wholeheartedly "the Bible as the source for teaching about growth and healing" (p. 10).

The book, therefore, examines three areas of growth: (1) Knowing God more deeply [what we traditionally have called 'spiritual growth']; (2) Knowing yourself more deeply [emotional growth]; (3) And knowing others more deeply [relational growth].

My wife and I went through "How People Grow" last fall and were energized and encouraged by the fresh and relevant insights revealed in this book about how the bible speaks to personal growth. I grew up with a notion that the bible was not applicable to every day life, and this book has helped to turn that notion on its head. We kicked off a men's ministry group at our local church going through this book and now have as many as 12 men (including one professed atheist) coming together weekly to go through a chapter and "Confess our sins to one another and be healed." (James). I am amazed at what God is doing through the authors and the New Life Live ministries radio program. I have read many of the authors other books and I think this is their best work yet.

This is an interesting book. Being a lawyer specializing in trusts, I am, contrary to public opinion, open to new ideas. Generally, this is a very well researched and written book. Is it a manual for the unlettered? Not at all. Is it a book to be used by the moneyed? Not at all. This book contains many of the fundamentals of trusts, estate taxes, and administration of estates. The technical sections are very well done!

But, I regret to say the book is flawed. For example, the author makes the assumption that the practices of one state are common to all. The average reader will be uncomfortable in the discovery that some of the title practices, public officials, and even terms to which the author alludes or even states are not in use in the reader's locale.

At the same time, the author seems to think that the form is sufficient. Not so! It is the substance of the words, not their form, that is important. I fear that many unskilled readers will prepare their own trusts, leaving out some unconsidered thoughts, only to have the trust fall apart at wrong time, namely after the grantor has died.

Finally, I am pleased that the author has had such a successful business selling...trusts. I wish that the book dealt more with trusts, since their common law inception with the Statute of Uses passed during the reign of Henry VIII, and less with the business.

This book provides a great overview on the smooth an painless trasfer of property through a vehicle known as a Living Trust. Abts has been at it quite a while, and certainly knows the ins and outs of the probate system and establishing a contract that has, time and time again, avoided it.

Reading this will give anyone a solid foundation on the basic principals and mechanisms of a Living Trust. Don't expect to be able to sit down and draw up your own contract after reading this, but do expect to be able to use the education derived from this publication to find a competent individual that can assist you in establishing a Trust.

Contrary to some of the reviews found here - an attorney is not the only person that can provide you with thorough and quality documents (you are free to create your own contract through whatever means) - the Trust Estate can be settled and distributed to the beneficiaries in a matter of weeks or months (depending on the size - I have seen it done many times) - it can be amended after the death of the first Trustor/Trustee, and it cannot be contested the same as a will - both of these depending on IF the Trust is properly worded. IT IS that simple.

Do not fall prey to the individuals that are only interested in the very lucrative and old process of probate. Read this and become informed!

I was interested in getting an living trust about ten years ago. After visiting three living trust seminars,I came to the conclusion that the lawyers making the presentation probably knew less about living trusts than I did, which was not much although I had taken a course in Wills, Trusts and Estates in my undergraduate years. So I came to the conclusion that I'd better get self-educated fast. I didn't want some highly educated lawyer "going to school" on my money. I searched libraries and book stores for months for "how to do it " books and finally discovered Abts book. While a bit on the "wordy" side with side stories, I found it to be what I believed to be a sound common sense approach to the subject. I signed on with Abts Estate Plan and have all my property titled in the trust. I was also delighted to learn that Abts organization sends out a "newsletter" from time to time regarding changes in trust law. I heartly recommend this book.

I was pretty shocked when I opened my box from Amazon and found such a tiny book that promised to tell what what life was like in all decades of this past century. However, once I started reading, I could not stop. When I compared what he wrote about the early years of the 1900's to the fifties, when I could first remember things, Allen's descriptions fit to a T, just what my mother and grandmother had told me. And when I got to the section where I was alive, I felt right at home. He is right on target with the words, phrases and ideas of the way we were. If you are expecting a detailed history of the last century, this is not the book for you. But what this little book does, is capture the essence of each decade concisely and cleverly. And then if you are really interested you can go on and seek out other books on the history of that particular era. I am going to keep mine and one day let grandchildren read it.

Henry Allen has given his readers a whirlwind tour of the 20th Century in a little gem of a book. For convenience he divides the century into ten year periods even though he recognizes that "ages don't match decades." Its amazing how Allen is able to capture the nuances of each time frame in simple easy to read brilliantly effective language. Using a snippet of conversation here, a quick word picture there, or the mention of a major or minor event of the age somewhere else, he pulls the reader so smoothly into the narrative that one actually gets the impression that he or she has a sense of what it actually felt like to be living in America back then. Try it for yourself. Pick out your own personal frame of reference and read through the text. You'll be surprised and delighted at how many memories can be evoked with so few words.

What a masterful book! This book would be a great gift for your children, your grandchildren, or yourself. I'm pretty sure my copy will be worn and dog-eared before long. I imagine I'll buy another copy as a gift for myself.

Have you run across a book that's so good you can read it twice and enjoy it more the second time around than the first? I have. I just re-read my copy of Henry Allen's "What It Felt Like."

I picked up the book after reading Joyce Carol Oates' review of Allen's decathlon through the last century, calling him "a demented Norman Rockwell." (New York Review of Books, 12/00).

Allen's a brilliant writer who hears the song of our language and plays it back virtuoso-style. He even captures the nostalgic smells of the past. He easily makes us believe conversations between characters in the early 1900's. They are real people in real life. I could feel the despair of the Roaring 20s woman lamenting not having a chauffeur. The awakening of a goofy disco couple in polyester. And the fifties...all Eisenhower and Vitalis. Again and again, things I barely remembered from my own childhood decade popped off the pages at me, tying up a lot of loose ends, filling in blank spots in my memories.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes an offbeat view of nostalgia and well-researched, poetic writing. (And for Henry Allen fans, this is a little beauty. Dee-lightful!)

Like most Christian men who purchased this book, I had to be as careful buying and reading this book as I did acquiring pornography. To be a Christian man, and admit to an addiction such as alcohol or drugs, will yield a warm embrace from the Church. They want to help. To admit an addiction in porn however, is to become a modern day leper. I think Henry Rogers is sensitive to the emotional rollercoaster that many men cannot escape, and he approaches the matter Biblically, which is to say, the wisely.

On a critical note, I found that the book sometimes advocated or gave rise to the very feelings I'm trying to conquer. In a chapter on Internet Pornography, he actually listed the top ten keywords used for search engines to find porn. Why give this out? Might as well tell an alcoholic where the nearest bar is at. Likewise, many of the personal accounts of these women, which were offered with the intention of having men experience a change of heart, were written much in the same manner that many erotica based stories are written. If a man struggles with this, and is turned on by the horrific experiences that these women sadly endured, then he will not see the light, but find this material to feed his sexual perversion. His account of strip clubs, which I have never attended, made me want to go. That's not a good thing for someone like me.

Overall, the book was very well written, thoughtfully and respectfully researched (especially with regard to the women), and kept the Bible at its center focus. Will this book utlimately help me overcome my addiction? I will honestly say that it gave me a lot to think about, and has got me back into the Bible. However, like many men, I need divine help to overcome that which has controlled and dominated me for so very long. I believe that God is stronger than Satan, and am prayerful that He will intervene sooner than later. My prayers are with You all as well...

Lately I've noticed an increase in the publication of Christian-based books about sexual addiction. They have been written because there seems to be a growing number of men in the church who are trapped and defeated by sexual issues. This problem is one that needs to be addressed at a basic level, and this book does that in an admirably honest and straightforward fashion. It is well-written, and should be read by anyone involved in this issue. But there is a crucial aspect which should be taken into account when reading this book (and others like it) that I'll expand upon below.

Each individual book within this genre tends to have a similar overall message and methodology - "sin bad, purity good, here's how to stay holy, etc." There's usually a unique slant to them as well, depending on whatever point the author feels the need to make. In the case of "The Silent War," the focus is on the negative consequences of sex addiction and involvement with pornography. Much of the book documents the casualties on all fronts of the "Silent War" - the men who risk everything to fulfill their sex addiction, the family members they devastate, and the women who put their physical, emotional, and spiritual health on the line by their personal involvement in the porn industry. This is particularly effective because it shows the human cost of sexual addiction, and destroys the myth that pornography is a "victimless" crime. It's only in the last couple of chapters that a solution for those in bondage to this sin is offered, and it is along the usual Christian lines of accountability, prayer, fleeing temptation, Scripture meditation/memorization, and so forth.

I liked the book - it's an easy read, the main author is very transparent about his own struggles with pornography, and the message is an important one. However, any Christian who is dealing with sexual addiction and pornography should not rely on this book alone (although it can be said that any single book on this topic is somehow inadequate). While sound, the solutions listed above will only "work" for the reader if they have a growing love relationship with Christ, and a PRIMARY desire to know Him and obey Him. If one simply concentrates on eliminating the sin (the negative) without discovering an acceptable alternative (the positive), then I think eventually they will fall again. Personal holiness is a byproduct of our relationship with God - it's not an end in itself. If that is kept in mind, then "The Silent War" is worth reading as an aid to strengthening one's existing walk with God.

This is one of the best books I have read for quite some time. Pornography is a very sensitive and REAL issue. People normally make fun of it and think it's no big deal as everyone is bound to encounter it at one time or another, that it's alright to play with it. Henry Rogers illustrates the devastating effects it has on people's lives. Their financial, spiritual, even physical lives will rot once trapped in porn's deception.

I am very difficult person to please for I have a very short attention span but this book was like a magnet. I just couldn't put it down. Each chapter is very detailed and the author is not opinionated. Henry Rogers discusses different dimensions of pornography, from phone-sex to the Internet, girlie bars to adult magazines. In fact, a big chunk of the book is composed of stories from actual people who were/is involved in this deceitful industry. Buy this book! Specially if you have a brother or a male friend. Even women will surely realize a lot of things after reading this.

I am currently reading "Affair of the Mind" by Laurie Hall and I'm having a difficult time trying to maintain my interest. That book pales in comparison to this one. This book will surely help anyone who wants to escape or even better, to avoid, the deadly clutches of pornography.