First, a word on Amos -- he may be counted among the "minor" prophets, but his significance is enormous. Amos was the first of the Hebrew prophets to put his message into writing (as far as we know). His message was revolutionary, introducing themes which are standard in the later prophets: e.g., Amos elevates social mores above ritual sacrifices (5:21-25) and transcends the narrow vision his countrymen had of the Lord as the God of Israel only (9:7). Amos's prophecies were fulfilled in a remarkable way. He was particularly remembered for predicting a major earthquake two years in advance (8:8, 1:1); he also seems to have anticipated the rise of the Assyrian empire before there was any clear evidence for it. In sum, Amos is well worth studying either in his own right or as an introduction to prophetic writings in general.

Which brings us to Paul's commentary on Amos. This book is an excellent aid to one's study of the prophet.

Like all the commentators chosen for the Hermenia series, Paul is learned: the book includes a massive bibliography, categorized into numerous areas of inquiry. Because it is a very recent work, Paul is able to take advantage of ongoing advances in scholarship. (Hermenia also publishes an older, standard commentary by Wolff, but decided it was appropriate to provide an update.) Despite Paul's erudition, the commentary is readily intelligible to readers who do not know Hebrew.

Paul is a very clear writer. He summarizes various points of view in the main text but, when he interacts with other scholars in detail, he places that information in footnotes (which are extensive). Thus the reader can follow the exegesis of the text without being unduly distracted by academic minutia, or turn to the footnotes for detailed argumentation where that is desired.

Paul is conservative in his conclusions. Notably, he defends Amos's authorship of various passages which other commentators regard as interpolations: see his excursus on the doxologies in Amos (4:13, 5:8-9, 9:5-6). He also defends the authenticity of the message of hope which concludes the book. (Other commentators believe it was added for comfort only after the people of Israel had been carried off into exile.) Preachers and teachers will particularly appreciate this aspect of Paul's commentary, since their sermons and lessons are based on the text as it is found in the Bible, not on theoretical reconstructions of it.

In sum, the commentary is highly recommended.

This is a book I really liked. It explains almost everything you need to know about horses. It's clear and complete. Approaches every subject you could look for, especially those related to surgery. I borrowed this book from a friend, read it all, but it was not enough, this book has too much information. So, if you are a veterinarian, a student, a horse trainer, a horse owner or just a horse lover, this is a perfect book to have in your personal library to consult it whenever you need.

T. M. Moore's book is a welcome and valuable companion to O. Palmer Robertson's 'Christ of the Covenants'. The book describes well that the Biblical way of life is understood as the covenantal way of life. This book should stimulate our thinking, as well as remind us of our identity as people who belong to Christ's church at the beginning of the 21st century. This books reminds us of the great and precious promises of the Living God toward us in Christ and how we should walk, talk, and live day in and day out in the covenant. The chapters are developed well and biblically informative. There is a chapter on the Covenant of Promise, the Covenant of Glory, the Covenant and the Kingdom, the Church, the Covenant Community, Worship in God's Covenant, and an extrememly practical chapter on Covenant Living in a Postmodern World. For anyone in Christ's church, this book will be the source of much thought, bible studies, and sermons! For those who are studying for ordination, or planning to be a minister, it is an excellent resource for getting a biblical overview of the covenant as well as the practical implications for the Christian life. Read it!

Like her former partner Robert A. Johnson, Helen Luke is a master of rendering the psychological meanings in great literature understandable and relevant to all people wishing to gain a deeper level of understanding about the growtn of the human soul. Having plumbed the depths of her own psycho-spiritual aging process(Such Stuff As Dreams are Made On), Ms. Luke has created a work fusing literary scholarship and personal experience into a guide for all of us to follow towards the inevitable. When the time comes for me to plant my oar (read her interpretation of The Odyssey)and turn towards the life of prayer, song and storytelling I will be eternally grateful to have had this wonderful Wise Woman as my guide. Deserving of a wide readership.

I found this book extraordinarily helpful in my medical school.
This book amazed me again when I found that the author has another embryology text book with additions of miracles about embryology mentioned in the Islamic text 1400 years ago, visit http://islamicbookstore.com/b6147.html.

In bried to say that the book is not only well written and presented it also makes the subject very easy to understand.

Used it for my anatomy and pathophysiology lectures. A very good book indead for someone who has just started studying the subject.

I absolutely agree with Michelle Lee (one of the reviewers above) that it is essential to SEE what is happening when you study Embryology. This book does a great job in that sense and I highly recommend it.

T. M. Moore's new book on Ecclesiastes is a very attractive study guide. Its strengths are that it is a concise study that is formatted to a 13-week series replete with study questions for each chapter. The author has not only provided his own translation but includes his own interpretive paraphrase ajacent to the text. Its weaknesses are that due to format for study (with full footnoting included) it can be sheer tedium to read through the book in one sitting. In addition, perhaps an unintended oversight is found in the introduction where he claims the phrase "under the heavens" occurs only at 1:13 and 3:1. It also appears in 2:3. One last weakness is that, in order to set forth his own interpretive view of Ecclesiastes, his interpretive paraphrase is often too free with the original Hebrew text. However, I still recommend it at the introductory level as a resource for personal or group study.

This little book by T.M. Moore is ideal for personal or small group study. It is one that I will use. Its format makes it ideal for study in that it is succinct and contains study questions for each chapter/lesson. It does have some weaknesses. Since both the translation and paraphrase are footnoted at the end of the text, it makes for lots of tedious flipping back and forth. As for authorship, his argument identifying Solomon as the author is not entirely convincing. His hermeneutic is based on a reading of the phrases "under the heavens" and "under the sun." Unlike, most commentators who view the two phrases as essentially saying the same thing, Moore argues instead that the former is used in contexts where "proper, heaven-oriented motivations, aspirations and conclusions are in view," whereas the latter "always occurs in a context marked by futility, frustration, vanity and 'chasing after the wind.'" While there may be something gained from such a interpretive strategy, he cites "under the heavens" as occuring only twice--in 1:13 and 3:1. For all of his years of teaching and research, how is it that he misses the same phrase in 2:3?

Praying the Psalms has been part of the Christian faith from ancient times and found its most ardent supporters among monastics such as St. Benedict.

99% percent of the book is made of the Psalms in their entirety. Mr. Moore provides some truly useful tips for incorporating and making the most of the Psalms in your daily prayer life and even provides suggested schedules for praying through the Psalms from beginning to end.

One of the most helpful features off this book is the annotations for each of the Psalms that help direct you as you pray the Psalms - this alone is worth the price of the book.

I am truly happy to have run across this work and will be making heavy use of this as a practical reference for prayer. I will be recommend this to everyone!

This book tells the story of Sammy, a shy little boy whose dog runs away. To find Sparky, Sammy asks a number of grownups (people he would ordinarily be too shy to talk to) if they have seen his dog. This pays off, and Sammy finds his pet. The experience of approaching people and asking for help is meant to provide a successful model: The child hearing or reading the story is supposed to learn that talking to people doesn't have terrible consequences. The story and illustrations are appealing, and may be helpful to some shy children. There is also a brief essay to provide adults with information about shyness in children; it includes exercises parents can use. There is, however, one problem with the book: The fact is that talking to grownups DOES sometimes have terrible consequences for children. Kids who are trusting and approach adults are at increased risk of becoming victims of child molesters. (In fact, one tactic molesters use to lure children away is to ask them for help in finding a lost pet-- a situation very close to the one in the story.) There are, in other words, good reasons for children to be wary of adults. Parents will have to ask themselves whether their child's shyness is so severe that they need to intervene, or whether to be glad that the child is behaving in a way that may make him safer in a dangerous world.