If I had bought this book first, I probably would have been happy with the book. But as an owner of four other books relating to Coach Paterno I found this one to be a repeat of the other writings. I really learned nothing new from this book at all. Maybe I expected too much or maybe Paterno's story has already been told.

I have always said that if I had a son worthy of playing big-time college football, I'd send him to Penn State to play for Joe Paterno. My thoughts haven't changed a whip since reading this book. Michael O'Brien does a wonderful job in detailing the life and philosophy of one of the most colorful and downright good people to ever live.

O'Brien pulls no punches. Paterno is brash, at times mean and expects a lot out of his players, but he is also a loving father figure to players and the student body. Paterno is no saint though. If you don't produce, you are in trouble... but isn't that the way of the world. His philosophy, richly detailed in a chapter on Patero's coaching style, should be copied by the Spurriers and the Sabans of the world.

I haven't read any other O'Brien books, but I definitely will be looking for them on my next trip to the book store. This book is a quick read, but it makes you feel good about the world again when you realize that there are still people like Paterno out there that don't compromise themselves for money and fame.

Now I just wish O'Brien would write a book on Coach K because if I had a son that was good at hoops I'd send him to Duke.

There are a lot of biographies out there written by people who assume that simple fame warrants public interest. This is not one of them, because Joe Paterno is a truly fascinating man. Success and prestige don't often go hand in hand, but somehow Joe has made it work, and is the reason that Penn State isn't just another big-money school trying to win football games on the backs of exploited kids. If how he does that in this day and age isn't intriguing, I don't know what is. For anyone who has ever turned on a Saturday football game and wondered what possesses the guy in the nerdy rolled-up pants and coke-bottle glasses to keep going, then you have a valid question which this book can answer in a way that will captivate you, page after page. For once, we have a book about football that isn't about football at all--it's about what an extraordinary person can do to a little agricultural school to put a tiny college town on the map in the greatest way possible.

Put a thermometer to the JoePa sentiments in State College and you may be surprised that a fervent admiration that pervades the town, and for good reason. Hey, there has to be some reason we would like a guy enough to make a bean bag doll out of him...give him his own ice cream flavor (Peachy Paterno)...and put his face on mugs...and golf balls. ("Guaranteed to go up the middle three out of four times.") ...The fact is, the guy has integrity that borders on insanity, and that makes him interesting as heck.

On a final note, this is a dangerous book in that it will feed an obsession born of fandom. Be careful with this book. I have a friend, the daughter of Penn State's president, and every year she obliges me by hand-delivering a batch of Santa Joe cookies to the Paternos at the bowl games. Make sure you don't go as far over the edge as I did.

The Face of Texas stands out within the array of Texas books that have been published in recent years. The photographs by Michael O'Brien--portraits of Texans, both famous and ordinary--are stunning; and the subjects themselves, from celebrities like Earl Campbell and Lady Bird Johnson to regular folks like painter Ran Horn of Van Horn, TX, the self-described "Van Gogh of Van Horn," and Ila Johnston, the beloved, retired Spur, TX high school teacher who just renewed her Texas driver's license at the age of 97, are fascinating individuals. The pictures in The Face of Texas are accompanied by well-written, plainspoken stories by Elizabeth O'Brien about each subject. The text and photographs combine to create a substantial picture of each person that transcends the visual; both writer and photographer treat their subjects with warmth and respect. The book is not meant to be a definitive portrait of Texas; as photographer Michael O'Brien says in his introduction, it is simply a collection of his favorite portraits taken over the years on assignment, primarily for various magazines. Bravo for O'Brien--what a phenomenal photographic journey!

This is a beautifully photographed coffee table book picturing Texans from small towns and large cities all over the state. Photographed by Michael O'Brien, a photographer with a background in photojournalism, the book spotlights Texans as diverse as Willie Nelson, Lady Bird Johnson, ZZ Top, small town chearleaders, ranch families, and Laura and George Bush. Michael's wife, Elizabeth O'Brien, a writer, captures each person in a sensitive, personal interview which describes each Texan in that moment in time. The Face of Texas would be a wonderful gift for anyone who lives in the state of Texas or has friends or relatives there, or for anyone who appreciates beautiful photography or Americana.

This is a beautiful and expressive collection of portraits of a wide variety of Texans, from the famous to unknown, real Texans. O'Brien has a great sense of light and clearly connects with his subjects, who are often pictured in their environment, so that you get a real feeling for the place as well as the people. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in photography or Texas.

I was reading this book alongside O'Brien's _A Landscape with Dragons_. Doing so might have been a mistake, as the "secret formula" of his storywriting stood out too obviously and awkwardly to me in _Strangers and Sojourners_, making it quite tedious. Or maybe it was just the plain old fact that it was slow! I wonder what happened to the literary device of "showing" rather than "telling" that the author used so masterfully in _Elijah_?

Well, maybe with these three "Delaney" (Children of the Last Days) epics out of his system, O'Brien can get back to writing enjoyable novels.

(By the way, although it is not a novel, his _Landscape with Dragons_ is superbly insightful, and subtly transmits the same genuine, deep mystical spirituality of its author, as did _Elijah_. I recommend THAT one to any parent, teacher or pastor.)

It's fun to wonder what genre O'Brien will decide to use in his next novel. Perhaps an historical novel, with an actual Saint or two as its main characters? I, for one, would love to see more of the Elijah type character. Whatever he decides, I surely hope that he keeps that same sense of mystery and Providential foreshadowing that makes Elijah such an enjoyable, (and spiritually inspiring) read and re-read.

As with his previous novel, Father Elijah, O'Brien's Strangers and Sojournors is an instant classic. It is much different from his best-selling debut, however, for it deals with a woman who comes from England in the early part of the 20th century to live in the wilds of northern British Columbia. It is her story, the story of a human being dealing with the mystery of human existence. Hence it is our story, too, for, as the title belies, we are all strangers and sojournors on this earth. With this book, O'Brien shows his artistic side; one can almost hear the music and poetry behind the prose, which will reach deep into the heart of the reader. Noted writer Peter Kreeft has said that "No novel since Dostoyevsky has nourished my soul like Strangers and Sojournors." I agree. O'Brien is a spiritual storyteller of the most extraordinary calibre and this book is his best so far.

In Father Elijah, O'Brien showed us the sword. In Strangers and Sojourners, he shows us the heart. Anne Kingsley Ashton is a character that I will never forget-- in so many ways her struggles are my struggles. She is often overhwhelmed by life, both the daily struggles for existence and the spiritual questions of meaning and purpose. The battle she fights against the temptation of despair defines courage. What tools, if any, can Anne find to fight these feelings? And what is at the root of her discontent? I, too, have wondered these things about myself. O'Brien has given life to the process of healing the emotional and spiritual wounds we accumulate throughout a lifetime. And most of all, shown us the importance of courage. I would recommend this book to anyone.

This book is usefull to birders and listers in delineating how to seek out some of the more unusual avian visitors to the US. At times though you wonder if the information provided would truly help you "get" the bird.

While there is something here for everyone, there is also info that people won't want. The choice of limiting the scope of the book to the lower 48 is interesting. It makes all the locations (relativly) accessable. It also means that some birds which are included (like Ross' Gull) are difficult to pin down in the lower 48 (they can point to no pattern of occurence) but are definitly finadable in North America (Churchill, Canada in this case).

The rarity of the 100 birds varies greatly. There are many birds which are so rare that no pattern of occurence can be given, while others are quite regular in certain areas (ie Pacific Golden-Plover). The book is most usefull for the rare birds which show clear patterns of occurence (like Tuffted Duck in the San Fransico Bay Area or Cook's and Stejneger's Petrels of the California coast). This book is just usefull for listers. Each description includes information on ID, which can be very difficult to find on some of these rare species.

Is this book a must have? No. But for many birders, who seem to lust after every bird book on the planet, this book is a usefull addition to a personal collection.

This book is a very well written review of how most americanist archaeologists approached their subject during most of the 20th century, through the culture history model. The book is a throrough explanation of this model, its assumptions, procedures and consequences. Even if the authors tone can sometimes sound a bit arrogant (the confidence provided by hindsight) its better than the average archaeological theory book, written in a clear, jargon-free language. And whenever there is jargon, it is thoroughly explained. More archaeologists should write like this.

This is a very good book, but not a great one. Vince does well describing Lombardi through his actions and the impact he had on those around him, especially his former players. Everything is written in a clear and easily understood manner, especially his paradoxical nature.

However, it does not clear my threshold as a great book. A great book would have involved me not as a viewer from afar, but as a fly in the locker room. Since O'Brien did not play for Lombardi, I was hoping for more insight of how his players felt. I never got emotional reading this book, and emotion is a large part of what Lombardi was about.

Basically, it reads like an exquisitely written research paper.

This book has wise guidance for parents who suspect that something has gone very wrong in what our culture serves up for consumption by children, but are not quite sure what it is or what to do about it. O'Brien reveals the pagan themes that are increasingly dominant in children's literature and films, discusses why they are destructive, and offers constructive alternatives. Especially illuminating (and entertaining!) are his analyses of the Disney films of the last 25 years. Included at the end is a very extensive list of recommended books for children of all ages. My only complaint is that his analyis is largely limited to the fantasy/science fiction genre of children's literature which is, admittedly, the most popular. But I would have been interested in his analysis of other genres, say historical fiction or (non-fantasy) adventure stories. This complaint is not decisive because O'Brien not only gives examples of dangerous literature, but educates parents to analyze literature for themselves.

O'Brien has issued a wake-up call to conscientious parents in his latest book. We cannot take it for granted anymore that the entertainment aimed at our children is worthy of their attention. In fact, it may be harmful. The classic stories which teach us about good and evil (fairy tales, myths, classical literature) are being replaced or modified. The Dragon, the symbol of evil or chaos, is being tamed, leaving our children's souls in danger. O'Brien cites many examples of this in popular books and movies. I found his take on Disney movies very insightful and a little scary. Disney invariably belittles authority and religion, especially Catholicism. Yet this company is the world leader in feeding our children their steady diet of movies and videos. One only has to watch the Esmeralda dance in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" to question Disney's idea of 'family entertainment.' O'Brien doesn't leave you in the lurch, however, as he helps us discern what is good entertainment for our children. He also provides a comprehensive list of good literature -- and, thankfully, there's a lot of it out there. I hope every parent and educator reads this book. It is too important to be missed.

I found this book to be an eye-opening study on the effect and presence of neo-paganism found in pop culture and children's literature. Especially noteworthy is the section on Disney's animated films, in which O'Brien calmly and rationally analyzes and exposes certain trends in these films. This book will be particularly appreciated by parents, but it is also a fascinating read for students such as myself, and all those interested in culture and media.

When you hear the word 'dragon' what do you think of? A big, evil, fire-breathing monster destroying villages with its fiery breath or devouring virgins chained to rocks. Pure cliche, that's what I would call it. Evil is in the eye of the beholder and just because you believe a dragon is evil doesn't make it so. A dragon has been used far too long as a scapegoat and this book by Michael O'Brien isn't helping much.
Man has the capacity to be far more evil than any dragon yet I do not lump all humans into one group and call them evil. So why are all dragons portrayed as evil? If you were to meet a dragon would your first instinct be to kill it? Of course it would, because human beings have been brainwashed by the church to believe that all dragons are evil.

The prejudicial writings of this author prevent me from recommending this book in any manner what so ever.
There are many books that are better when it comes to dragons. If you have an open mind about dragons, do yourself a favor and seek other literature

This is my favorites source book for an approach for books and reading material for my children. O'Brien's thesis is that children must learn their moral ABC's as well as the letters of the alphabet. The classic tales for children has always been morality tales where "good guys" and "bad guys" are clearly delineated. Evil is not something to be "understood" or "rehabilitated" but conquered - in ourselves and in the world.

The blurry greys of adult fare now infects children's stories, and it leaves them bewildered and ill-equiped for the realities of the world.

"Dragons" refers to the classic figures in old stories - they are to be faced, turned away, killed. Further, O'Brien is speaking to the Christian, and speaks clearly. "The Dragon" would love to have a moral landscape where no one believes in evil. It allows the con-man to creep right in before destroying you. Even those who are not theologically trained, or believers in the Christian faith will welcome O'Brien's logic, and recommendations. And his honesty in laying bare his influences.

He has a very nice list of recommendations in his appendices, and my kids have been eating them up.

This is a wonderful, necessary book for fathers of sons.

While I admit, in our pop-culture world, the marketing of Harry Potter has reached an insane point, this does not take away from the fact the Harry Potter legend is as good as The Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, and many other fantasy tales that take us back to that feeling of childhood wonder. Catholics and other Christians who prefer to avoid Potter mania need to leave the harmless fairy tale alone. Harry Potter will no more destroy or alter a child's religious belief than Cinderella or Star Wars.

I do have to say that I, myself am not a religious person, yet I hold no poor judgements towards people who do choose to follow it. With regards to Harry Potter, it is fiction. It does not dictate to children how to live their lives, or how to denounce their faith in their religion. I may not be a religious person, but I am an educated one, who is able to take fiction as just that; fiction, and i expect nothing more or less than entertainment from it. About all of this religious sceptisism surrounding Harry Potter due to its references to magic, and evil beings, why does the Wizard of Oz not suffer such scrutiny? It also intertwines its plots with witchcrafy, wizardry, and evil forces. I believe everyone who is critical of a piece of fiction, especialy Harry Potter, for portraying what they take to be un-godly, or anti-religion should take a good look at what this story is about. The Harry Potter series is about a boy struggling to fit in as he grows up into an adult, he just happens to be a wizard. What child in the world could ever be harmed by a book which can show kids it is ok to be different when growing up; how is this in any way evil I ask?

Whatever anyone's personal religious beliefs are, it's wonderful to finally have this book as truth in print to counter-point the insidious Harry Potter mania.

If you want a child to get more interested in reading... turn them on to The Hobbit and the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy by Tolkein. Turn them on to The Chronicles of Narnia (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew/The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe/The Horse and His Boy/Prince Caspian/Voyage of the Dawn Treader/The Silver Chair/The Last Battle) by C.S. Lewis. How about A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'engle?

All of these are wonderful alternatives for the imaginative mind.

On the other hand, Harry Potter encourages dangerous bases of thought. I'm glad that this book is here to educate those of us who don't ordinarily think in those terms. Catholic, or not... this book is worth the read!

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There is lots of strongly expressed "messages" in this story. Among them are .... ... Don't think you're too clever ..... Don't be too dissatisfied with your situation.

We are told the fishy facts of life. We are but one of millions and life is very hard and full of dangers.

Using your imagination and acting on you fantasies may take you to very frightening places.

When our little fishy friend takes the trip down the flooded river into the big lake he finds himself faced with "strange monsters of awesome size". He hadn't seen a fisherman's boat before. He becomes very scared and lonely "What use are brains and imagination if you don't have a friend?" His hides away in a tin can to shut out the big bad world.

His escape back to his little pond requires a one in a zillion chance rescue.

Most children and their parents would find the story line of "The Little Fish in a Big Pond" a bit heavy handed. The real saving grace of this book is the illustrations. They are bright, naturalistic and quite appealing.