Most people understand that the study of Scripture is an enormous task; and that there is a considerable theological heritage to even the most benign of passages. Unfortunately, it is sometimes difficult to translate that understanding into a willingness to genuinely delve into the vast pool of material out there. In addition, it's hard to know who to trust.

You can trust the New Interpreter's Bible series. All of the scholars who contributed are the best in their field. In addition, the layout (which includes two complete translations - the NIV and the NRSV) is conducive to both scholarly and spiritual study of the texts.

Each text is broken down into discret units (i.e. the Tower of Babel) followed by general commentary on the passage, verse by vers analysis of key issues, and then an overview of study questions. The commentators address issues of authorship, historical setting, translation, theological history, and personal application. In addition, they graciously point to excellent sources for further reading.

Speaking as a pastor, it is my strong opinion that every English-speaking Christian who is serious about Bible study should own the complete set.

My Bible study group is studying The Psalms this year. This book is wonderful. It gives two interpretations of each Psalm, NIV and NRSV. This makes it much more interesting, since you are given two versions of the poetry. The line-by-line commentaries are suitable for in-depth analysis, and the reflections are truly inspiring. I've been very impressed by this book, and I plan to read the other volumes as well.

I can't believe that no one has written an online review of this book yet! The NIB is the best Bible commentary written. If you are serious about scholarly study of the Bible, you need to buy the entire series. It is expensive to buy 12 volumes at $60-70 each, even if you save 30% through amazon.com like I did ;). In that case, check with your church or library. As a fall-back try Harper's or Jerome's for single volume commentaries. If at all possible, buy the NIB. Forget the earlier version of the IB.

The NIB is the definitive standard for serious Bible scholarship.

Fanny Stevenson was a strong woman but deeply affected by the attitudes of her day. What a strength she had though. Love this book, any woman would appreicate her story, very well written.

it is ashame that this book left store shelves so quickly and has become so hard to find. it is one of those rare gems of biography, seemlessly weaving facts and writings and the many stories of a life into a work with a novel-like quality. the work gracefully unfolds the tale of a powerful, courageous woman. fanny stevenson was a woman ahead of her time and she was of her time. she traveled alone across our continent and to europe at a time when women traveled with companions at the very least. she m

This is the long awaited basic textbook for osteopathic medicine. It is surprisingly complete, covering philosophy, history, research, and manipulative techniques. The beginning osteopathic student may find it most useful for its practical discussion on the techniques--high velocity, myofascial release, etc. I believe it is also helpful in standardizing our terminology, which will make it easier when taking board exams or talking with colleagues from other osteopathic schools. It includes contributors well known within the osteopathic community, including Michael and William Kuchera, Melicien Tettambel, Eileen DiGiovanna, and many others. As a family practice resident I frequently turn to this textbook first when I want to know more about how to treat a patient or when preparing lectures for students and housestaff.

This text is actually required reading for most if not all osteopathic medical students. It is a 'textbook', however, and hence completely (sometimes exhaustively!) comprehensive. But it is easy to read so that anyone with an interest in OMT will get a methodic how-to for myriad techniques, also a thorough history of osteopathic medicine to boot! One of my OMT professors at the University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine wrote or co-wrote a few of the chapters so of course, I think those are the best! If you are looking for an educational approach to learning manipulation and the reasons behind it, this is a valuable resouce.

First of all, since the political campaigns have been raging in the media, we have heard a lot about hate crimes. The category of hate crime however, is restricted to personal violence, as it is commonly understood to mean. This book broadens the concept by globalizing the notion of hate. In lieu of today's developments and some other notable global crimes, such as genocides (i.e., Rwanda, Bosnia) this type of macro approach to the etiology of crime seems highly relevant and necessary. What I found particularly noteworthy is the multiple-point stances and perspectives of the various authors. Such a diverse representation of opinions, I thought, added to the overall purpose and strength of the book.

The chapter on Colin Ferguson approached explanation by using Franz Fanon's theory of violence. The author does successfully incorporate the major tenets of his theory in his explanation, there were some questions I thought would be relevant to the discussion. For example, Sartre, in writing the preface to Fanon's book, concurred with Fanon in stating that the native, repressed in his hatred toward his colonizers, is apt to act more violently against his native man. I was not sure if such was the case with Ferguson. Perhaps, if there had been instances in which he did act out against "his people" it would strengthen the argument more.

Rage, anger, madness as manifestation of creativity and freeing force in the subject's double bind is a topic worthy of further exploration. I am looking forward to the author developing this idea in his further works.

I enjoyed the differing perspective on the nature of hate. By charting the macro origins of conflict, I think the book sheds insight as to the micro dimensions of hate crime as it presently finds form today.

The recent brutal beating and murder of a gay Wyoming student points out but one aspect of the type of hate crimes whuch in most countries of the world. In Hate Crimes: The Global Politics of Polarization professor Jess Maghan and Robert J. Kelly have brought together an excellent collection of essays which hit the problem head-on. The editors contributions add to the book, especially the article on the Ku Klux Klan by Kelly and Maghan's well researched annotated bibliography on the subject. The book includes essays on black rage and victimization; neo-nazis and skinheads; homeless Palestinians and the Arab world; hate crime in India; and the victimization of street children in Colombia. Of particular interest are several pieces on the historical aspects of hate crime, and the development of legislative efforts to cope with what is percived as a growing area of concern in criminal justice. Maghan, who is an associate professor of criminal justice at the university of illinois at chicago, and Kelly, who is a Broeklundian professor of social science at Brooklyn College and a professor of criminal justice at the Graduate School of the City University of New York are well respected authors in the area of hate crime, and in this book they have made a significant contribution to understanding the international dimensions and manifistations of hatred and brutality.

This is a great holiday book for children. I have two children and they love to listen to this story. It teaches them the true meaning of Christmas, rather than the commercialized meaning. It's a must have for a stocking stuffer!!!!!!

This book is a great book. The book explains the birth and life of Jesus, with an emphasis on Peace on Earth. It is written as a poem that is easy to understand, making it very appealing to children.

This book could be used as a bedtime story on Christmas Eve or any other night. Children can also color in the delightful pictures. Every family should have a copy in their house.

This is truly a fantastic field guide for anyone interested in aquatic plant life and nature. Excellent illustrations, descriptions and life cycles, make identification and learning these plants fun and easy. Loaded with other intriguing information.

This book is the one of the best field guides to aquatic plants we have seen. For the professional or the person that just loves learning more about nature. It reviews over 128 aquatic plants in an accurate yet fun and easy to follow style. It focuses on a holistic vision of lakes rivers and the plant comunity. The drawings are spectacular.

The Filmmaker's Handbook is a comprehensive guide to the art & science of filmmaking. Though it is currently falling abit behind with it's coverage of digital technology, as this is moving so fast it's hard for any book to stay current.

It has a lot of excellent information though, and goes into detail many other books lack. It's useful as a reference guide, and not so dry that it doesn't make an interesting read. If you are studying film, or want to get into the industry this book is a must have.

I'm getting into film production but don't have time to attend a real film school. And I'm basically interested in the mechanics of filmmaking - so this book The Filmmkaer's Handbook is perfect.

It gets down to all the basics of filmmaking. If you want to know what a line producer does, how light meters work and the ratio of film stock to projection, this is the book for you.

It's thick but easy to read with nice B&W illustrations. As a novice and somebody who wants to know how a movie is made this book is perfect. I was really impressed by how simple and to the point this book was on the mechanics and made it an easy read. I will keep in hand at all times for reference as well!

Very well done and exactly what I was looking for in a filmmaking book!

As an aspiring young filmmaker, the first thing I was told to do was go out and get a copy of the Filmmaker's Handbook. Imagine my surprise when I found out that the book had been updated in March of 1999, and that now it included all kinds of information about the digital age. I have learned so much from this book. The book goes over the entire film process, and does it in a straight-forward manner. It is a great start for beginners, yet it includes a rich amount of information for the professional. Anyone who has ever thought about a career in film really needs to get a copy of this book. Written in a manner that neither patronizes nor confuses the reader, the Filmmaker's Handbook is the best book I have skimmed or read on film, and believe me, I've looked at a lot.

The 2,000 percent solution is not limited to business! I am in the educational field and I found many factors in the 2,000 percent solution that apply to our schools. The Disbelief Stall and the Communication Stall pervade many of the K-8 schools where I have been a teacher and administrator. Teachers and administrators alike have become more receptive to researching "best practices" and they are beginning to "choose a colleague to coach." Change agents in school settings will gain focus, direction, and a host of important questions to ask as they read this book and plan for the future. After you read the 2,000 percent solution, hand it to another educator. You will learn a lot, laugh often, see some fascinating art, and liven up your faculty meetings when you offer ideas and opinions you have gained from this wonderful book!

In February of 1998, I attended a group work session where we used the process described in this exciting new book to identify where we thought our companies were potentially "stalled." A wide variety of businesses were represented at the session yet each participant could easily identify with common problems or "stalls" we all faced. The ideas generated for me at this meeting were outstanding. And, in fact, the strategy our company followed in 1998 was very much in step with the ideas and action steps created using this process. In 1998 our company successfully completed a Dutch auction that brought back over ten million shares at 65% of today's price; we successfully divested ourselves of a non-core business; we reduced our cost of capital; we completed a major acquisition; and our earnings increased dramatically.

The key message throughout The 2000 Percent Solution is to get rid of your bad habits and embrace change. The book helps suggest how to identify problems that are preventing success. Continual growth and success depends on continual improvement. The 2000 Percent Solution will help you accomplish this. Read it!

How often does a book you purchase get a quick read and then gathers dust and is soon forgotten? "The 2000 Percent Solution" is exactly the opposite. It is a great business book, but the lessons it teaches are more than business lessons, they are life lessons as well. I find myself returning to Mitchell, Coles and Metz for renewed inspiration regularly. Moreover the book is easy to read, and any chapter or part thereof can be read out of order, which makes it a good read for those times when we only have fleeting moment or two. Other reviewers have commented eloquently on the book's excellent content. I will simply say that if you are looking for a book to inspire tour business and personal life in the year 2000, I highly recommend "The 2000 Percent Solution".

"The Ultimate Competitive Advantage" provides business leaders with real-life examples and the rudder necessary to shift the course in a stormy, ever changing environment and find the most direct way to new opportunities. This is a useful toolset necessary to develop a winning business model in a globally competitive environment. The authors of this foremost book understand business models and how to make them a source of adequate competitive advantage. The primary idea of Don Mitchell and Carol Coles is simple and rather practical at the same time: improve the effectiveness of everything you do. The authors show how strategic innovation can emphasize your business from the stack and deliver stronger.

The book is well organized and the writing is clear and concise, all making for an informative and enjoyable read. It is an excellent book for a strategic planning point of view. It is an absolute necessity for the 21st century business owners and CEOs. The book is teaching you about Business Model Innovation and the ideas might become useful as your business direction changes. The book offers help to anyone looking to improve theirs chances for success. And it is quite readable. I highly recommend it for senior and mid-level managers, entrepreneurs, consultants, and business students.

Alexander Petrochenkov

Of all the books I've read on change management this is the most precise in its statement about how corporations need to manage the continuous innovation of their business model in order to survive and thrive in our global, competitive marketplace. Replete with real world examples of successful business model innovation, traps, and pitfalls, this clearly written book provides definitions, case studies, and "rules to live by."

Continually provide more benefits for your customers; ". . . business model obsolescence is the major unperceived opportunity for and threat to all businesses now" is the self-proclaimed "Big Idea" of this book. Indeed it is. From that theme, Mitchell and Coles go on to build an air-tight case for continuous business model improvement. And the business model is simply defined as the: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How, and How Much for your product or service. But the simplicity of this concept of a business model should not mislead the reader. There is a significant amount of introspection and work that a leadership team must go through to really understand the answers to these questions in order to map where they are today and what they might do to positively change the model.

Mitchell and Coles keep our interest through real live case studies as well as tracking the growth of a child's Lemonade Stand business. The book is divided into four major parts: 1 The Most Productive Areas for Business Model Innovation; 2. Provide Sustained Benefits for All Stakeholders; 3. Expand Business Model Innovation; and 4. Pursue Higher-Potential Business Model Improvement. Each of these sections use real life case studies and hypothetical Lemonade Stands to illustrate the business change management principles. Those examples also provide hope and encouragement to leadership teams in all kinds of businesses that they are not alone in keeping change management from becoming an oxymoron!

After reading this book, you will want to keep it handy for reference, ideas for new paths to explore, and to loan to others who seem simply not to "get it!" What I appreciated most was the honest focus on providing what customers and end users really want in a product or service. Starting there, we can drive our companies to greater achievements by continuous business model innovation. Rarely do I rate a book a five on a scale of five, but Mitchell and Coles get that rating for The Ultimate Competitive Advantage!

Dave Kinnear, CEO, dbkAssociates, Inc.

The ultimate competitive advantage is defined as being the best at business model innovation. The winners will be masters of an ongoing business model change as only change is a constant in today's business environment. In fact we already meet some of the winners as the authors came to this conclusion via a ten year research program that looked for a common thread behind successes of 100 top performing companies.

The book offers one of the best sets of real life examples and cases in the recent business literature, all with insightful observations by the authors. The examples range from the smallest of businesses to GM's and Enron's of this world (and from one concise passage I learned about the business model fundamentals of the US steel industry turn-around). Also, there is a new look at the changing virtues of leveraging equity with debt and CAPM.

For me the most valuable in this book is the attention given to rules of dealing with a company's stakeholders. It's high time that stakeholders received this kind of coverage in a work on competitive advantage ! The 100 leading companies' innovations stemmed from deep interest in stakeholders needs. As the authors state - a bad business model will usually favor a few stakeholders at the expense of others thus causing cooperation to decline. If one were to structure the book in another way, alocating one chapter to what can be done for and with each stakeholders' group to enhance business model might be an option for this reader (customers, shareholders, employees, suppliers, lenders).

The book is a call for thinking innovation as an every day job. Clearly, if new business model elements are thought about and tested on a continuous basis there is a better chance that something of a breakthrough calibre will be decided even at annual strategic meetings.

I bought the hard cover edition of this book about a year ago because I am very prone to colds and sinus infections. I read it but did not follow the advice because you seemed to need to buy so much stuff. This past spring and summer (2001), I got an endless and particularly exhausting sinus infection. I was miserable and I remembered the book and went shopping for supplements. I warn you the advice is not cheap to follow, however, the results for me were excellent. It took a few weeks to see results but now I feel better than I have in years--greater physical and mental energy. I caught a chest cold (complete with green mucus) in September and threw it off very quickly (within a week) without antibiotics--a first for me. I would not part with my copy of the book. Olive leaf extract, NAC, coenzyme Q10, alkylglycerol etc.--I take a lot of supplements every day now but they work. I have a huge shelf full of health books and this is undoubtedly the best one that I own. I literally live by it now.

I HIGHLY recommend this book! I had a sinus infection that would not clear up after three rounds of antibiotics-the most severe bout I've ever had, including losing my sense of smell. I followed the doc's reommendations for sinus infections, and within one week, my sense of smell began to return, and the infection finally cleared! Dr. Rountree is a genius! I am very grateful I decided to get this book-it is now my number one health reference. And NAC is a supplement that I will always keep on my shelf. Much gratitude to Dr. Rountree.

The fact that Robert Rountree is an MD who has practiced for quite some time makes me reassured regarding his suggestions. It's also quite relevant not just for general immune function but specific illness issues one might have at present. The first section is a fascinating explanation of how our immune system functions in our body. I have been on his general adult suggested dose of CoEnzyme Q and Cholostrum for almost two months -- I believe I am starting to have energy at the end of the work day! This is a minor miracle as I started to feel tired about 17 years ago ...no thyroid issue, no diabetes ever id'd with repeated tests. I credit these changes to the CoQ and colostrum. This is truly worth the time and expense for the information!