This is Dickens' tale (and some would say lecture) about selfishness. Dickens' presents characters that embody different aspects of this vice, from the hypocrisy of Pecksniff and Mrs Gamp, to the thoughtlessness of young Martin Chuzzlewit and Mercy Pecksniff, the suspiciousness of old Martin Chuzzlewit, to the vengefulness of Charity Pecksniff, from the villainy of Jonas Chuzzlewit, to the duplicity of Tigg Montague. But Dickens doesn't stop here: the book also explores this theme on the larger institutional and national scales, as well. The American detour can be seen as a condemnation of the hypocrisy of the U-nited States of the early 1800's. And the Life Assurance Co scam is clearly an indictment of selfishness when its ambitions grow to encompass those beyond one's immediate circle. To his credit, Dickens doesn't lay these latter evils at the abstract feet of 'countries' and 'companies', but shows that even in these suprapersonal entities, the original sin lies with individuals.

With this novel, Dickens left behind the shallow characters that sometimes marred his early works, and developed full-fledged people. Pecksniff and his daughters are marvelous creations that make one cringe with embarassment while laughing at their incredible selfishness. Tom Pinch is another character in a distinguished line of "too good to be true" Dickensian personalities, but he is shown to suffer and grow into a believable human being. The American episodes are biting in their satire, but overall they are on the money. Dickens' contempt for American armchair philosophers and "freedom-loving" slave owners fueled some of his most pointed social commentary. As always, there is a happy ending, but the plot is more complex than anything Dickens had written before. I have read Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby, The Old Curiousity Shop, and Barnaby Rudge, and Martin Chuzzlewit ranks right up there with his best.

Martin Chuzzlewit gets its start much like any other Dickens novel--we are introduced to the rather blase main characters and the amusing minor characters, and Dickens slowly--and I mean slooowly--weaves the web of his drama. We meet the Chuzzlewit brothers, Mr Pecksniff and his daughters, and (among others) the lovable Tom Pinch, who is utterly devoted to Mr Pecksniff. "Another middle-period Victorian comedy of manners," we presume, and read a few pages at a time, until BAM! the novel kicks into high gear. I won't spoil the unforgettable final half of the novel for you, but suffice it to say that I read it ALL in one day, spellbound. Any would-be author of pageturners could learn a lot from the story of Jonas Chuzzlewit, masterfully spun by the greatest novelist in the Englsih language. Enjoy it, one and all!

I have read this book, and I would say (not being too familiar with the field of "exit counseling/abusive church counseling" literature, though I read Steve Hassan's book (Jew former-Moonie) - COMBATTING CULT MIND CONTROL - years ago) that it's a pretty good book. If you deal with people who are or were in controlling churches (a lot of the book focuses on the Shepherding/Discipleship movement), or if you yourself were a victim or member of such a group, or even any abusive church, then you should buy this book.

In fact, this book is good to read if you're involved in most conservative Christian denominations/churches/movements, even "good" ones, as it will prompt you to continue to "prove all things [and] hold fast that which is good" as the Scriptures teach us to do, and not just accept leaders' statements or teachings. If you are discipling someone, or if you yourself are being discipled, this book has many good checks and balances and insights that should help you discern between good discipling and abusive or poor discipling. If you are in a small group that is designed to help you and others grow spiritually, this book will also be of value.

We were in a church that had some serious problems, and we finally left it. Skimming through her 6-page checklist at the back of the book of abusive characteristics, I would say that for us at least (I can't speak for the persons in our church who lived together at the "Bible School") we experienced few of these things, at least not in as overt a way as many controlling groups, but I would bet that if I sent Ms. Chrnalogar all my documentation of the things that happened that led to our decision to leave, she would agree that we were in an abusive church situation. She used to be a member of an abusive church or sect or cult (she never names the group) and was rescued by family intervention. She has helped rescue people for 17 years (as of 1997 when the book was written).

She only mentions a few names. She explicitly criticizes several items from the book/workbook EXPERIENCING GOD by Henry Blackaby, a very popular book that my wife and I studied from for at time. She seems to criticize Campus Crusade for Christ, as some of the items she comments on are from their literature (based on the footnotes). One comment, I think, criticizes Navigators literature. She criticizes YWAM at several points. She appears to be an Evangelical Christian (and CCC and Navigators are "favorites" of Evangelicals, so it's interesting that she faults their literature for being unbiblical at points), but I couldn't tell if she is Charismatic.

The Appendix on the history of the Shepherding/Discipleship Movement is fascinating. A particularly relevant item for us these days, as the "Five-Fold Ministries" and "New Apostolic Reformation" movements are continuing to gain adherents, is this one:

"During this same time [i.e., late 1960's and early 10970's], former leaders of the aberrant 1950s Pentecostal 'Latter Rain Movement' taught that the proper church governmental model was the 'Five-Fold Ministries.' The phrase refers to the presumed hierarchical ordering of the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers found in Ephesians 4:11-13. This group taught that the ultimate purpose of these ministries was to unite all believers, and to acquire a divine nature. The Five-Fold Ministries doctrine also held that there are living apostles who are to rule the church and eventually the world."

Chrnalogar's book is such that you could give it to a person in a controlling group and, if they read it, they would be challenged, but not harshly or forcefully or stridently, to examine what their church does and why, and they would be led, if they allow themselves, to do an objective (if that's possible) evaluation of what their group does and teaches - which could result in loosening the hold their group has on them. This book is said to be the foundation of her exit counseling program.

>>... I have read about half-way through the book "Twisted Scriptures" and have recommended the book to no less than a half-a-dozen people. It has been a God-send to me. Ø >>I read "Toxic Faith" about 5 years ago and it helped me to realize that my family and I were in an abusive system. Although the book touched on manipulation of scripture, Mary Alice Chrnalogar's book, "Twisted Scriptures" has really given me new life. The scriptures that used to haunt me no longer do because they are no longer twisted. So much made sense to me. Obeying, sacrificing, not touching God's anointed all now have new meaning because Mary places them in correct context. I pray that someday I will be given the opportunity to teach from this book. .....read the book... you will never, never be the same.

Wow! This is just the book we needed after discovering that our adult children are infact, in a religious cult. We had our suspicions, but thanks to Mary Alice Chrnalogar and the information leading us to this point, we now know with certainty.
This book is a must for active members, former members, relatives and loved ones who have any connection to an abusive church, "the decipleship, shepherding" type of movements.
They have successfully snared so many to a life of bondage and to a never-ending state of works and guilt mentality.
Our heart breaks for our children, as we watch them sacrafice their own personal choices to the whims of a "discipler".
I can not recommend this book highly enough. It is a must read. And I pray that when one who has found themselves deceived and need answers, "Twisted Scriptures" will find it's way into their hands. They will know that they are not crazy or beyond God's grace, but rather find unconditional acceptance and love from a loving and personal God. With correct understanding of the Scriptures, God's word will present freedom and life and the truth will indeed set them free.
Sincerely,
Parents who are praying for their children's deliverance.

I was never a fan of Steve Martini, and, unfortunately or not, I will not be one after having listened to this audio adaptation. Now, sometimes bad audio versions of book can be due to the ineptness of the reader. But Joe Mantegna's reading was full of energy and nuance, what there was available. I believe the problem lies within the source material. Martini has committed the cardinal sin of courtroom thrillers--he's made them boring.

This was my first Steve Martini book. The book is about Paul Madriani, a divorced criminal trial lawyer, who had an affair with Talia, his boss' wife, and was eventually let go from the firm. He is on his own when Ben, his former boss, is brutally murdered and Talia is accused of the crime. He defends her in court.

The storyline behind this courtroom thriller is absolutely fantastic. It took about 100 pages for the book to get really interesting, but once the story took off, I couldn't let go of the book. I can't wait to read one of his other books and I hope you enjoy 'Compelling Evidence' as much as I did.

Paul Madriani, the protagonist, abruptly left the law firm of Potter, Skarpellos three years ago when Ben Potter discovered that Paul was doing motel briefs with Ben's vivacious wife, Talia. As the story opens, Ben, on his initiative, meets with Madriani for the first time since Paul left the firm. First, they discuss the disposition of Paul's terminated affair with Talia, and agree never to mention it again. Then, Ben reveals that his being selected to fill a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court will be announced soon, and invites Paul to take over administration of an important trust fund since Ben will not have time for this responsibility in his new position. Paul accepts and they agree to meet again for dinner the following night to discuss the details.

Shortly before the appointed hour for their next meeting, however, Ben supposedly blows away the top of his head with a shotgun. No one really believes that Ben Potter killed himself though, and sure enough, we learn that not a shotgun, but a small caliper pistol like the one Talia owns was the true murder weapon. Guess what! Talia is charged with murder and Paul Madriani, assisted by "tell it like it is" Harry are her lawyers.

The drama unfolds with manageable twists, turns and surprises. The cops and the DA seemed convinced that Talia did it, but the reader is soon convinced that she's innocent, so the story has a "whodunit" element along with the courtroom drama. Martini sets his story in "Capital City" in an unnamed State, which I suspect allows him to mix and match actual legal rules and proceedings from different jurisdictions to suit his plot and courtroom activity. This is not obtrusive, at least for a non-lawyer.

It's a satisfying read; something to do while your waiting for the next Grisham novel.

To write a review of this book is actually to exercise the very constructivist principles which the Enlightenment bestowed on the humanities. Most of what passes for criticism these days is so de-constructivist that one wonders exactly what qualitative judgement is being passed, and exactly on what subject. These are writings by academics, and so what? They remind me of the early-Christian monks in Ireland, transcribing the surviving wisdom of the ancients and periodically fleeing from barbarian hordes farther and farther West. Well, this is as far West as we can go, folks. It's time to turn and face the barbarians. Unless you're one of those bored citizens who're looking forward to them, like the ones in Cavafy's "Waiting for the Barbarians."

As a history major, and someone who is fed up with post-modernist nonesense at the university, this book was a must-read for me.

I only have two concerns with this otherwise solid title.

1) The text is too academic -- how about a short, readable book for the masses? I propose a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) format that would enable students and others to confront unargued post-modern dogma.

2) I would have loved an examination of the historical roots of post-modernism and other forms of irrationalism. For those who are interested, Wendy Kaminer's book 'Sleeping with Extra-Terrestrials' is a good examination of American irrationalism.

Finally, if anyone else reading this review is a student (or teacher) at a university who is concerned with the stifling of free inquiry in education, please e-mail me and initiate a discussion. Thank you.

To the critics of this book's style rather than content: This is a collection of conference proceedings. This means that the articles are basically transcribed lectures. The slightly awkward style of writing stems from the origins of the articles as speech, not text.

As for the content: superb.

Rather than a biography of Baudelaire or a critical examination of his works, this book (actually more like a lengthy essay) is an exhaustive existential psychoanalysis of the poet by Mr. Sarte, based on images from his poems, correspondence with friends and family, his essays on poetry and art... it's kind of a harsh judgement on the guy, actually, stating in no uncertain terms that Baudelaire was an extremely repressed and control-obsessed individual whose greatest creation and greatest failure was his public persona. While reading this, I couldn't help but wonder what the motivation for behind it all was... I can't say I agree with all of his conclusions (even if I did, should it make me enjoy his poetry any more or less?), but it's thought-provoking in the very least.

I thought this book was difficult to get into to but there are sharp questions to hit on throughtout it.

this book completely changed the way i view myself and others. sartre takes his philosophy and applies it to baudelaire in the form of an existential psychoanalysis, and, more than anything else, reveals more plainly what his philosophy really means.
an existential psychoanalysis, as opposed to a freudian psychoanalysis, attempts to discover the reason behind the choices made in a person's life without positing any sort of subconscious but rather positing that one's choice is entirely uncompelled. in this way, the "style" of an individual's life is revealed.
baudelaire is certainly a very interesting character (to say the least) and you can probably imagine how interesting an existential psychoanalysis of him would be (by sartre of all people!), and, in my case, it was even better than i imagined. sartre reveals baudelaire's perpetual, impossible struggle of wanting to be objectified and transcendent, his abiding by a banal moral code only so he can break it and hold himself up as evil, and so much more. this is one of those books that say so much that no summary would do it justice unless it were as long as the actual book.
this book is a much easier to read than Being and Nothingness, but you do need to know the fundamentals of sartre's philosophy before you read this, since he doesnt go over it in this book. this book not only made a much bigger change in my life than B+N, but it also clarified and gave more relevancy and meaning to the contents of B+N.

very highly recommended

p.s. i dont know how _accurate_ sartres psychoanalysis actually is (at times he does seem to be way too sure of his opinions as to why baudelaire did what he did; and he has unique opinions, to put it kindly), but i advise the reader to just take baudelaire as a fictional character created by sartre and based on his conception of the actual baudelaire.

After going through the first three lessons diligently I was confused as to why I found this book so hard to learn from. Then I re-read the Foreward and figured out why:

"...It was designed with hypertext in mind - that is, an electronic version which would enbale the reader to access from the screen explanations of characters or of grammar points in the displayed text."

In other words, it was created for a MBA course at Kings College and was meant to be used on computers. However, hypertext obviously doesn't work in the book and no CD is included. This means that the lessons start out with a majorly difficult story in Kanji and then you get explanations later on of what the Kanji mean and how they are formed. I personally learn better from flash cards (or just from reading the subway signs). I have lived in Japan for 3+ years, and I personally would not recommend this book.

The only reason I gave it more than 1 star is because the few Kanji explanations I saw (after struggling through the text) were somewhat informative.

Most textbooks designed for English-speaking students of the Japanese language either give their exercises and readings in Rooma-ji (the western alphabet) or else in hiragana and katakana (the syllabaries used in Japan, each with about 50 characters). If someone is aiming at being able to READ as well as speak Japanese, both strategies are less than ideal, since rooma-ji is normally not used in Japan at all, save for occasional street signs or store names, and hiragana and katakana are used only for those words not normally written in kanji (kanji being the 1800 or so characters imported from China -- each of which often has multiple meanings and/or pronunciations). Kanji, as difficult as they are to master, are a fact of life in Japan, and in my opinion there are only two strategies that make sense in regard to them: 1. Dive in all the way, memorize all the common ones and become literate in Japanese; 2. Totally ignore the damn things and get by on the spoken language and the aid of English speaking Japanese (the route I seem to be on). For students of the first path, this is an EXCELLENT book --the readings are well organized, the kanji are thoroughly explained, and there's plenty of supplemental grammar and so forth, so that even a beginning student, with work, can profit from the text. I wouldn't "start" studying Japanese with this book, though -- you should have some basic familiarity with the language, both as a spoken phenomenon and as a grammatical system, before you dig into this book. If you're there, though, and want to commit to the "kanji adventure," this is an excellent text for you, and will serve you, in the long run, much better than studying in either Rooma-ji or the syllaberies will. By the way, it's designed more for self-study than classroom use, and is nicely formatted -- an attractive book, well worth the money.

This book is very well writen. Writes a story first in Kanji (characters) next in romanji (japanese words in english letters) and then finnally in English. A very practical and effective guide.

I acquired this book after enjoying other books in The West and the Wider World Series (Harris' The Sins of the Father, Seaman's Paper Airplanes in the Himalayas). Unlike the other books, The Cloud and the Light provides little insight into the relationships and the interactions between cultures. In part, this is due to the others being written by children of missionaries, authors exposed to both worlds as a child. A large part, however, seems to be Dr. Kawano's desire to be positive and not critical. He speaks against the horrors of radiation poisoning, suicide and smoking, but seems hesitant to criticize any person or cultural group. The absence of comments regarding America's use of the bomb are notable.

The first chapters of this autobiography provide revealing descriptions of what it was like to live and to provide medical care in Nagasaki during and after the bomb. The middle chapters, however, focus on other aspects of his life - his work in neurology and his support of suicide hotline and anti-smoking campaigns. The final chapters provide more wartime background and address how Dr. Kawano became a Christian.

Readers interested in "inspirational" lives may enjoy this book. Those interested in Japan and Japanese medicine during and immediately after the bomb should read the first chapters. Most will probably find the translated prose readable but dry.

THE CLOUD AND THE LIGHT Memoirs of a Japanese Christian Surgeon from Nagasaki

The West and the Wider World Series, Vol. XII By Martin Kawano, M.D.

In an extended memoir, Dr. Martin Kawano reviews his life from the rare perspective of a Protestant inter-denominational surgeon who, while a medical student, survived the bombing of Nagasaki. This intensely personal account casts more light on the bombing and its immediate aftermath than other existing classic works.

Dr. Kawano had studied Protestant theology, but set these pursuits aside to join the army. Following his stint in service, he began medical studies. He has been a surgeon all his professional life and a crusader against smoking. In his world-wide service as a social reformer he worked with many well-known people such as Maria Von Trapp and the daughter and granddaughter of Albert Schweitzer.

"Like my father Albert Schweitzer, who influenced him, Martin Kawano has made his life his argument. From the time when as a medical student he miraculously escaped death from the atomic bomb which fell on Nagasaki, his life has unfolded in steady service to mankind. From his studies in the USA, Germany, Switzerland and Canada, he has brought back to Japan unique capabilities for helping where he sees the greatest needs, without consideration for his career or his personal life. His story is inspiring, the testimony of a man with unwavering faith and dedication." Rhena Schweitzer Miller, 1996

This book gives the reader an excellent coverage of all types and subtypes of non-democratic regimes.It is ideal for scholars and students who already have a basic knowledge of military ,party or personalist dictatorships.I was looking for a book on this field for a lot of time and i must admit that it covered me 100%.

A very comprehensive look at non-democratic regimes. The text covers almost every aspect/characteristic of non-democratic regimes, drawing on a huge range of scholars. It is rather like looking at a complete jigsaw puzzle, the reader is able to see the entire picture, rather than having a few pieces and needing to go and source the rest. The text is not just theory, but draws on concrete cases to back up the examples, and also employs many useful tables and exhibits. Although it is relatively easy to read, I would not recommend the book for people who do not have any background knowledge of dictatorship, but more for scholars and students, in addition to those who possess an interest and general knowledge in the subject. The author is a lecturer in Politics at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand; and has written two other books on dictatorship. If you want to buy a comprehensive book on non-democratic regimes, which you will be able to refer to time and time again, then this is for you.

The title of this book, "Paul Between Damascus and Antioch", is a little misleading. This book is not nearly as much about Paul as it is about earliest Christianity.

Hengel explores the first 15-20 years of the Christian movement in great detail. Unlike many scholars today, Hengel gives the book of Acts a great deal of respect as a reliable source of historical information for this era. This aspect was refreshing.

Unfortunately, I did not come away from this book with the belief that I had learned much of anything about the person of Paul. However, I did learn a great deal about the Christian movement in the 30's and 40's C.E.

A basic knowledge of Greek vocabulary would be beneficial to the reader of this book, but its certainly not necessary. You can know nothing of the Greek language and still learn much.

A much superior book on Paul is by F.F. Bruce entitled, "Paul - Apostle of the Heart Set Free".

Dr. Martin Hengel is currently the top NT historian alive in the eyes of many NT authorities. Here he is at his best. This rich treatment of Pual's early history as a convert has already made a huge impact on Pauline studies around the globe. Hengel's capacity to surface an authentic sketch of earliest Christian history and issues related to first century Judaism sets the standard for leading edge NT scholarship. I recommend this book very highly for anyone serious about the subject matter.

Greek language skills are recommended, but perhaps not necessary.

I wish I had found this book before starting on Heidegger in a class. It is a simple (simplified) overview of the complex and integrated thought of Heidegger. But I believe it will give beginners an overview of what to expect as they dig deeper. Then the digging will be less painful and more profitable.

In our class, it became known as the "Heidegger Coloring Book", but others were eager to borrow my copy.

A good starting point, no matter how serious you are or are not.

Don't kid yourself and pretend you're too good to read these '... For Beginner' books. They're an ideal way to gather together and encapsulate the key ideas of the primary texts to which they refer. They read quickly, have a sense of humor, and are great little summaries of key concepts.

It goes without saying that they're no substitute for the real thing. That's a given. But Heidegger is difficult. (Are as most of the philosophers that these books deal with. Anybody who says otherwise is lying -- or has read so much Heidegger that he/she has started to get brain-blur.)

The great thing about this Heidegger book (and all the books in the series) is that they present the key ideas in simple terms. And bear in mind that there's nothing wrong with simplicity. Good 'simplicity' is a lot more difficult than one might think. Writing simply and thinking critically is what these books are all about -- and for these reasons, I can't recommend them enough.

I'm a few years out of graduate school, so I feel myself 'out of the loop.' These books are a great way to refresh key concepts, get a good solid fix on Heidegger's so-called project, and give you space enough to dive in (or at least poke about) in 'Being and Time'.

Plus, they make Heidegger's difficult ideas ('Being' 'Dasein') accessible -- and, quite frankly, that's what learning (and reading) is all about. Yeah, they're no substitute for the real thing -- and anyone who thinks otherwise is sorely mistaken -- but they're great contextualizers -- and for that reason, they're quite valuable.

Besides, everybody has hang-ups about the 'difficulty' of modern philosophy. What these books do is to say: Look, the ideas *are* difficult -- don't kid yourself -- but just because they're difficult doesn't mean they should be *inaccessible*.

And that's what you want a good teacher to say, right? You want someone to clomp you on the back, tell you not to worry, and assure that if you just keep at it -- keep reading, keep grappling -- you'll do fine. That's what these books do. They're the teacher clomping you on the back, telling you not to worry.

For my American Literature Class, I have to choose a philosopher and then find examples of his ideas throughout 20th Century Noble Prize Winning American authors' novels. Having first read about Heidegger in a World History class while studying nazi Germany, I had always been interested in his ideas. This book served as a nice and entertaining overview of his philosophy and influences. For people just looking to expand their philosophical horizons or learn more information without having to read a boring text, I suggest this and practically any book in the "For Beginner" series.