"A Way of Being"

Identity is Destiny transcends business. It is a treatise on potentiality.

The thesis - that corporate entities manifest similar humanistic, value creating characteristics as those of individuals - is wholly unique and is hammered home in each of the lucid case histories presented . In so doing, Ackerman breathes fresh air into what traditionally has been perceived by stakeholders as a "lifeless" arena.

Ackerman's prose is personal and engaging. The author's incisive mind cuts to the heart of what makes organizations tick. His approach to unearthing "the golden nugget" is not only original, but also highly relevant. This reviewer has even been able to put into practice a few of the laws offered up!

Above all, the book is personally enriching. Identity is Destiny amounts to one of those rare business reads that empowers the reader to reflect on his larger self and place in the world.

Identity is Destiny is surprising in several ways. The depth of its business content becomes quickly apparent, challenging the reader's thinking beyond common theories about the importance of identity for organizations. Real-life examples of the Laws of Identity are included with every chapter. The book then touches the reader individually in a surprising and wonderfully unexpected way, creating a connection with the author that feels quite personal--you feel you know Mr. Ackerman in a way not normally associated with such a work. Finally, you get swept-up in the pure prose of the work and realize that Mr. Ackerman's talents do not stop at mastery of business identity but extend to excellent and enjoyable writing as well. An important book for all these reasons, and just plan good to read.

Re: Laurence D. Ackerman's Identity is Destiny...What a brilliant and insightful approach to understanding corporate identity! No more case, name, logo, case, name, logo, blah, blah, blah...I loved it! I've been in this business for nine years and this is refreshing. Ackerman demonstrates the importance of uncovering a company's true identity while at the same time demystifying the process of doing so and still commanding your awe and respect for the mystery and value of every living, unique organization. The "Laws of Identity" ring so true they could have broader applicability than he may even realize (e.g., to the studies of social psychology, organizational behavior, etc.). And the book is so beautifully conceived and written. The parallels to human identity and to Ackerman's own life make the cases easy to comprehend as well as interesting and relevant to any reader. Bravo Ackerman! I'm ready for the next book!

Crime writer Laura Lippman, the winner of every important mystery award (an Edgar, a Shamus, an Anthony, and an Agatha), now pays tribute to the man many consider to be the world's premier mystery writer - Edgar Allen Poe. "In A Strange City," Lippman's sixth novel to feature PI Tess Monaghan is set in Baltimore where in the predawn hours of every January 19th, the anniversary of Poe's birthday, a coterie of the famed author's fans wait to see a mysterious visitor who comes to Poe's tomb bearing 3 blood red roses and a bottle of cognac.

This year, Tess is among those waiting for a glimpse of the mysterious "Poe Visitor." She is surprised to see not one but two cloaked men carrying the appropriate tributes; she is even more surprised to see one murdered as the other escapes into the semi-darkness.

Bobby Hilliard, a 28-year-old gay waiter is the victim. The senseless beating of another gay man some days earlier and Hilliard's death arouse the local gay and lesbian rights group headed by Tess's former friend attorney Cecelia Cesnik. The group insists that a maniacal homophobe is running amok.

Tess soon finds herself enmeshed in a multi-layered swirl of events pulling her in opposite directions. Hammered on by the chief detective who thinks she knows more than she's telling, our heroine is also stalked by an unknown person who leaves cognac and three red roses by her front door.

There's more than mere murder here as Tess suspects a complicated scheme involving priceless antiques and other black marketables begins to emerge.

Ms. Lippman has laced her latest thriller with strains of greed and homophobia, and included such Poe-isms as a victim buried alive and a ticking clock. It makes for a unique and compelling read.

- Gail Cooke

As a mystery writer with my debut novel in its initial release, I genuinely enjoyed Laura Lippman's toast to our genre's founder, Edgar Allan Poe. In her latest novel, IN A STRANGE CITY, Ms. Lippman plants her protagonist, Tess Monaghan, in the middle of a contemporary mystery story that is a pure tribute to Poe. A murder occurs during the observance of Poe's birthday at the great author's tomb when two cloaked Visitors show up with roses and cognac to serve as the Poe Toaster. A shot is fired. One toaster dies. The other flees. Tess witnesses the homicide and soon finds herself involved in other Poe-esque plot elements. The story includes multiple murders, a woman buried alive, and still unanswered questions involving Poe's life. As usual, Lippman's writing is first-rate and her beloved Baltimore is rendered perfectly. IN A STRANGE CITY is Lippman's best book yet. Read it. You won't be disappointed.

'In a Strange City' is my first experience reading Laura Lippman, but I hope to have many more. You should too.

PI Tess Monaghan turns down a would-be client who wants her to unmask the "Poe Toaster," a mysterious person who visits Edgar Allan Poe's gravesite each year with three roses and half a bottle of cognac. Although she refuses to take the case, Tess can't help being curious. On the anniversary of Poe's death, Tess expects to stand at a distance and see a strange caped individual visit the cold Baltimore grave site. But she sees two caped figures. One dies from a bullet, the other escapes. Then things get really creepy when Tess receives cryptic notes at her door...along with three roses and a half bottle of cognac.

'In a Strange City' is a pleasure to read because it works on so many levels. Lippman writes a very smart tale with wonderful descriptions of Baltimore and its people, but that's only part of what makes the book work. She not only knows how to write great characters, she also pens believable dialogue. Her examination of Poe devotees and collectors is nothing short of fascinating. Many excellent mystery writers are capable of presenting readers with an entertaining, intriguing story, but Lippman takes it a step further. When I closed the book, I knew I had finished a great story, but I also knew that I was going to be forced to examine the possessions I cherish and ask myself how far I would go to protect them?

A very satisfying read - 310 pages

While it has been mentioned in other reviews that the plot of this story is somewhat derivative, I would say that all stories work or don't work due to how the story is told. There are only 12 known plots anyway, right?

In this story the female heroine, Caroline Mabry, is dealing both with a serial killer that seems to have made a connection to her, personally, and with her unresolved feelings for her ex-partner. As the body count increases and the police attempts to solve the crime continue to fail, her emotions become more and more frazzled, leading her back to her former partner and mentor.

What I think is most important here is that Jess Walter can write: he develops believable characters, his language is years ahead of most mystery writers and he tackles themes of interest and meaning.

What's more, he does not shy away from the graphic. There's plenty of sex, drugs and violence in this novel, all describe vividly and without cliche. He knows when to describe a scene in detail and when it's more horrific to just describe the characters reaction to it.

The character development in this book was so well done that I KNOW I've met these people before. Jess Walter has clearly done his homework on the intricacies and nuances of police work but more importantly, the depth of introspection in which the characters engage evidences Walter's full grasp of how people really think and feel. I loved the book, identified with the characters and laughed outloud at their insights and anecdotes. I also cringed when I identified with a character's internal dialogue about the similarity between prostitution and 'settling' in marriage. Buy this book, curl up on a couch somewhere and get ready for an exciting ride that has both physical and emotional scenery you can actually SMELL!

Jess Walter does a superior job in charater development. You not only "feel" these characters, you experience their emotions. And where they take you, through the investigative process, leads to a very unpredictable ending. This book also gives an insight to police detective's lives with humor, sarcasm, reality of 'police politics', and the empty, spent feeling a murder investigation has on the detectives and their families. It also reveals the shocking reality of the criminal mind. This is a winning novel and I can't wait for another from Jess Walter!

I have always loved reading mythology of all kinds and though I had dabbled a bit in chinese here and there I didn't take a real interest in it until I read this book. The story is told from the point of veiw of Shimmer, an outcast dragon princess who has lost her home, her family, and everything she ever cared about. At first she seems content to wander the world alone and search for a way to help her lost people, but then she meets Thorn, an orphan human boy, who is also somewhat of an outcast among his people. At first they seem an unlikely match, but gradually they begin to understand they are two of a kind and begin to build a strong caring companionship. This book has excelent character development, and breathtaking discriptions, as well as realistic action scenes. The writing is good and easy to comprehend. I would reccamend this book to any fantasy fan, though people 10 to 15 would probably enjoy it best.

I picked up this book at a second hand store one day when I was about eleven, mainly because it looked like a good book. I was absolutely awestruck. I am now sixteen and it remains one of my favorite fantasies. I have read it at least ten times, and never get bored. The book is all about a dragon princess named Shimmer who is in exile for stealing a magical stone (the dream pearl) and while in exile, a witch steals the sea which is her home. Now she is searching for the witch so she can get back the sea in hopes for redemption, in a sense. She also has to team up with a young human boy named Thorn. This rubs her the wrong way because dragon's have very high egos and are very proud beasts. Well, anyway, the book basically recounts the adventures until she finds Civet (the witch). I know, it sounds like a simple plot, but it is really very good. I recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy books. Also, I'm so stoked! There are sequels! I never knew there were sequels, now I'm happy. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU READ THIS BOOK!! *walks off to read sequels, making odd "squee" noises*

This was a great + awsome book. I first read this book for a book report at school and I read it in a day. I thought Lawrence Yep wrote Shimmer better than any author I've read whos wrote a dragon book. Civet wasn't a bad guy in my eyes, but a lost person. If you listen to her story closly, you could see she was a good person. Thorn was a strong boy. So read this book if you haven't.

This is quite an adventure book, but it has crude humor and the adventure is, well, boring. The beginning got you into it, but at the end Yep slacked off. An excellent book, along with cons.

Have you been searching for a book that helps you learn on what to do to become a man? Look no further because Dragon's Gate is a book that you can't put down!
A teenage Chinese boy named Otter lives with his Mother while his Uncle Foxfire and Father go to "The Land of the Golden Mountain" [also known as America] to help build a transcontinental railroad. When Otter kills a Manchu, he gets in trouble and will not go to America. Somehow, he escapes with strangers and he went there because he wanted to avoid his punishment. He also wanted to see his Father. As Otter progresses in building the railroad, he developes character and really impresses his Father. Otter fights for rights to be able to have less work and larger breaks, but the atrocious Kilroy [the "Master"] does dreadful things. The only way to find out the horrible actions and the rest of the rest of the inspiring story [the consequences of Otter's actions and the way he talks about his Uncle] is to read Dragon's Gate!
I highly recommend kids from grades 5/up to read this book because it is very advanced. The events that I like this are the decisions Otter tried to work out and the hard work Otter demonstrated when he did work. I liked these events because Otter's character really developed. Dragon's Gate is an amazing book. If you want adventure, Dragon's Gate is the specific book to choose!

This truly excellent book, Dragon's Gate by Laurence Yep, is a magnificently written book that most certainly deserves a five star rating. In this adventure filled-book, Otter, a boy from the Middle Kingdom, China, is forced to join his father, Squeaky, and his Uncle Foxfire in America, the Land of the Golden Mountain. Back in China, Otter's father and uncle were always beheld as heros and legends, but Otter soon learns the truth that Squeaky and Foxfire are no greater than the rest of the Chinese laborers working on the enormous task of completing the transcontinental railroad. To make matters worse, Otter has barely any friends, he gains no respect from the other workers, and has had no expirience with physical labor before in his life. In his time of need Otter's own uncle deserts him and refuses to help him in any way.
The headman of this massive project is an almost heartless man named Kilroy. Kilroy pushes the Chinese workers to exaustion and gives them a measly amount of supplies. When Otter's father is blinded by an accident on the job, Otter forces himself to work harder and help out more. Eventually Otter gains more friends, he earns respect from his fellow workers and also ajusts to the backbreaking work that he and the other workers have to do.
In the end, Otter and his uncle take on a mission that will determine the fate of the entire camp and change Otter's life forever in a way that Otter will never forget.
If you like to read adventure-filled, action-packed, stupendously written books, Dragon's Gate by Laurence Yep is the perfect book for you!

I can almost guarantee a lifetime of happiness to any man who reads this book and FOLLOWS ALL OF THE INSTRUCTIONS IN IT TO THE LETTER. I evaluated this book before giving it to my husband to read, and have ended up buying copies to give to most of my male friends, too. Unlike most advice books by "experts," the material in this book is based on questionnaires and interviews with hundreds of women and the scholarship shows. I found myself saying to myself as I read it, "Yep, that's true; I believe that; I feel like that; most of the women I know are like that." Probably 90% of the observations apply to 100% of American women and 100% of the observations apply to 90% of American women. Our wants and needs will no longer be a mystery to any man who reads this book, and wise men will act on its advice. It can also be a real eye-opener for women readers who wonder whether or not their wants and needs are in line with those of other women. For those who want to read further to find out why women are the way that they are, I recommend "Why Men Don't Listen (and Women Can't Read Maps)."

This is the kind of book women want you to read. Any book on this subject should be written where it's the women telling men what they want. Many of your questions will be found between these covers. Learn more on what works with women, by listening to what they want. A good buy.

Perry Rose, author of Women, Sex And Dating, For The Single Man

If you're trying to figure out Sociobiology like I am, the 3 best books on the subject are:

#1 HOW TO MAKE ANYONE FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU by Leil Lowndes, #2 SURVIVAL OF THE PRETTIEST by Nancy Etcoff, and #3 HOW TO SUCCEED WITH WOMEN by Ron Louis and David Copeland. But even though I haven't finished WHAT WOMEN WANT by Larry Stains, Stefan Bechtel, and Laurence Roy Stains, it's already #4!!!

What makes all these books so good is that unlike books like MEN ARE FROM MARS, WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS, this fantastic four of books deals with the real world, and tells us what women--who rule the game of love--really want!

Some readers have criticicized this book as being a copy of HOW TO SUCCEED WITH WOMEN, but what makes WHAT WOMEN WANT different is that the authors not only tell us what women want, but they go into even more details about Sociobiogogy than HOW TO SUCCEED WITH WOMEN, and somehow, the writing is even better organized. The section on first date failures is dynamite, and I love the way the book refers to hundreds of the women the authors interviewed, instead of the usual studies quoted in other books. And like the Top Three, WHAT WOMEN WANT doesn't shy away from the importance of appearance, and emphasizes good grooming.

But WHAT WOMEN WANT does have two weaknesses, as the authors try to downplay the importance of certain aspects of appearance such as hair--they try to use womens' answers to their questions to suggest that women don't care about baldness, while my research indicates hair is very important to women--and the authors overstate the importance of money to women--which my research says is a distant second for women to looks. (Why else are so many women married to guys with no money, or who aren't rich?!) Also, like HOW TO SUCCEED WITH WOMEN, there are no pictures of the authors, and I'm always a little curious to see what the writers of books like these look like!

But WHAT WOMEN WANT is still sensational, and it's the best book of the 21st Century!

Chari Krishnan

Laurence was able to create characters of great depth, all diverse in their personality traits. Morag Gunn carries the story through reflection of her life, skipping back and forth from present time to past. This book takes place in Manawaka, a legendary town in Manitoba. Some secondary (as well as central) characters are also present in Laurence's "The Stone Angel", giving the reader a greater appreciation of the close relation between the books and the characters. A very involving read!

The Manawaka cycle consists of the following books: "A Bird in the House", "A Jest of God", "The Fire Dwellers" "Stone Angel", and "The Diviners". It is truly a portayal the cycle of life for women.

I discovered Margaret Laurence while living in a log cabin in Canada at the height of my feminist awakening in the 1970's. Although steeped in far more radical authors such as Betty Friedan and Virginia Woolf, Laurence's Manawaka series touched me as no others, perhaps because I identified with each and every woman of her books. The startling part was that none of their lives looked anything like mine--not in the slightest. And yet I felt as if I were each character and came away with a bit more insight into myself. I loved the way she chose women who were unlike each other, but all of whom had contact with each other in some way. One was a main character in one book and a minor one in another book. One was a young girl, another a middle-aged woman, and yet another a dying elderly woman. One was the wealthy daughter of a town leader, the other the daughter of the garbage collector. And each woman learned something about herself and her life through the drama of the story. Laurence's solutions for each woman were far from simplistic, but each woman came to some resolution in her life. To read only one misses the eloquence of the series, the portrait of rural Manitoba and of people who inhabit the imaginary town of Manawaka. I wish that the series were published in one volume so that readers did not risk entering the characters from only one person's perpective. I have not read the books since the 1970's and yet hold them very dear. I am now inspired to reread them from the perspective of a 53-year-old. I have little doubt that they will only be that much more intensely felt. Perhaps I will write another review after my rereading of them.

It is understandable that high school students might be unmoved by her books and I agree with the reviewer who suggested they might not be appropriate for mandatory high school reading. They require a bit more life experience than most adolescents have, but I venture to guess that her message is universally understood by women of all ages who are introspective. I think a good introduction of Laurence for youths might be "A Bird in the House", about a child's perspective on a death in the family.

I cannot think of any books that have had a greater influence on my adult life as a woman. I hope that the entire series is republished.

My last year of highschool we had to read The Stone Angel, and it was the only book assigned to me in highschool that I managed to finish ahead of sechduel. I have since been out of school for two years and when I found The Diviners I jumped at the chance to read it. And I loved it and everything about it, unlike the other reveiwers I was neither forced to read it nor was I looking for a book about a middle aged women to relate to. I read this book simply because Laurence is a great storyteller. She manages to wave the past and present flawlessly never losing the reader anywhere in between. I fond that the realisionship between Morag and Pique was much like the realisionship between Deliah and Cissy in Dorthy Alison's Cavedweller. So if you like The Cavedweller then you like this book. The same can be said for if you like Laurence's books you will Alison's books because she is the next step for Women's litature in North America!

HAVING LIVED in Florida all my life, the added spice of this novel being set right down the road (well a long road, I-95, at that) from me, compelled me to go out on a limb and call this one of the best examples of comedy-mystery-mob novels ever written. Joey and Sandra are so incredibly "Noo Yawk" stereotypical that it makes them believable and understandable to readers! I loved this book ever since I started reading it. In a Hiaasen-esque (one must realize the similarities between Shames and Hiaasen...just look at the covers of their books) fashion, Shames tells the story of Joey Goldman and girlfriend Sandra as they seek their promised land; Joey doesn't know how, but he plans to get rich quick in the land of "sun, surf, and sleaze."
But Joey's NYC mob background catches up with him via his half brother Gino. I'll leave the rest of the story to you (I really hate when people just give a little summary of the book, that is NOT a review.).
Filled with lovable characters like Bert The Shirt and Zack, there just aren't enough words of praise to give it. You'll laugh out loud but you can really feel the things these people are going through.
I'm sure this probably isn't one of my better reviews, but this book puts me at quite a loss for words; on one hand funny, on the other poignant, but one word will describe it---excellent! 5 Stars.

The publisher that releasd FLORIDA STRAITS with a paperback cover of stunning green and fluorcent orange may not have done the book a service. It implies HIAASEN! HIASSEN!

That's misleading, but not pejorative. In my opinion, in terms of literary quality, FLORIDA STRAITS, FLORIDA STRAITS ranks up there with, say, Carl Hiaasen's STRIP TEASE, Elmore Leonard's PULP FICTION* or the later Ross McDonald stuff.

But FLORIDA STRAITS has its own voice -- it is no clone; it has its own voice and is well worth reading. All are terrific, all have a voice, but and I have to emphasize.

All the literature I've mentioned above have in common the crime/humor themes of slightly loveable fish-out-of-water oddball protagonists (lead characters),** crazy character side figures, and a mix of danger, huumor and satire.

But in author Larence Shames' FLORIDA STRAITS, not all tourists are uppity jerks, not all bourgeois charcters are Ned Beatty/Ronald cynics who ratify his friends' desire to make money, (looser laws, environmental degradation, etc.) Violence and danger -- of which the strong stuff is relatively free of grisliness or obligatory humor -- nonetheless comes across in intriguing fashion. Fortunately, even though nine years old, FLORIDA STRAITS is enduring enough not to need timlines, excessive camp, or a plenitude of pop-culture refernce. It's hard to define, but the book still has lots of "oomph".

I agree with that perceptive critic whose review appears below, and here I'm praphrasing loosely, that an analogy can certainly be drawn beteen applied to Elmore Leonard (Get Shorty, Pulp fiction).* Hiassen, too, of course, and I would say the later Ross McDonald.

As my students say, "whatver." FLORIDA STRAITS has interestingly loopy charcters -- the lead chacter is a minor mafioso who leave Noo Yawk for Florida. It's the classic duck-out-of-water scenario: Our (anti-)hero is a skankier, far less intelligent or ethical version of clueless Oliver Wendall Douglas in that camp Sixtiessitcom, "Green Acres." That was only an analogy but the sense of culture shock makes for great humor.

So a cliche publicist might put it, "If you liked STRIP TEASE, PULP FICTION or THE DROWNING POOL, you're going to like FLORIDA STRAITS. Shoot, anyone to the left of Miss Marple should take a look at this neglected apotheosis.

WHY, oh why, has the paperback publisher (whose name ryhmes with 'bell,') N-O-T done more to publicise FLORIDA STRAITS this potential classic entry into the Cops and Crooks/Comic-Satiric/ hall of fame? Even though the book is almost nine years old, it holds up remarkably well.

A minor, (or telling) lack is the absence of even a brief author bio, despite all the praise reviews and colorfulness. This leads to bizarre speculation that the book was ghost-written by Joseph Lieberman, Fran Leibowitz, Jeb Bush or Marilyn vos Savant.

I'm just joking, but really -- a brief paragraph of bio, please.

DID SOMEONE PSEUDONMYOUSLY write FLORIDA STRAITS?? C'mon, tell us in the bio.

But do read FLORIDA STRAITS!!

* Please look at the perceptive review below, that establishes a connection betwee FLORIDA STRAITS and Elmore Leonard's work. It was that person's analogy, I agree with it, and so give due credit.

**

This novel was the most thoroughly delightful read I have had in a long, long time. Laurence Shames infuses his characters with so much, well, character, that they are just begging to come to life. You're right there as the mob goons are talking with each other in the writer's mob-phonetically-correct spelling of "whaddaya sayin?" The characters are so well developed that you can't help but be drawn into their world. And it's such a quirky and interesting world that you have no desire to resist. This writer pulls off the strange mix of mob/mystery/comedy so deliciously that you'll want to come back for more. After reading "Florida Straits", I quickly read all of the Lawrence Shames books available. He is truly a joy to read. What a talent for writing. Another book, please, Laurence!

The Norton Anthology of American literature is a great collection of the most prominent and prolific authors in this young nation's history. The Anthology covers the development of authors in the new world, from the early native American folk tales to the works of Toni Morrison and Allen Ginsberg. The anthology spans poetry and prose and gives the reader a great cross sectional view of American society and its problems. The presence of Native American, Black and Hispanic authors presents a complete line up of works of literature, presented in a pleasant chronological order and introduced by a brief and interesting description of the author's life and works. The introductory description of each author facilitates the contextual placement of the text and its comprehension. The anthology contains several novels such as "Howl", "Sula" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". The presence of these complete works makes the anthology more complete, as they are an important part of the American literary tradition. The selection of authors and of their works is a good one, but presents some flaws. Obviously not being able to include all relevant authors in the American literary tradition, the editors selected a large number of authors, and their most important works. Nonetheless several important texts seem to be missing. Texts by less prolific authors, such as the great new classic "To kill a mockingbird" are missing. Although the anthology gives the reader an introduction on the author and his works it does not stimulate sufficiently through interesting points to be discussed and questions which shed light on hidden or obscure aspects of the texts. The anthology is a great tool for any class, or for the passionate reader. It is ideal if accompanied by a class or group/club in which the texts are discussed.

The Norton anthology is the definitive collection of American literature. Its selections range from the letters of Christopher Columbus to quintessential American works like Whitman's "Song of Myself" and inherently American movements such as beat poetry. The collection offers a wide spread selection of works, some of which fall outside of your typical definition of "literature." All, however, have been important parts of our artistic tradition and provide literary examples of the coming of age of America. Literature has truly helped to define the American identity. This book is a history lesson, a journey through some of the most beautiful poetry and prose ever written and a testament to the kind of intelligent, passionate people that have formed our country.

To anyone seeking an encompassing overview of American literature, here is your book. This, the latest edition of the Norton Anthology, not only makes for months of good reading but also acts as a good primer for further pursuits in American letters (academic and otherwise.) Besides the countless number of excellent selections, eleven works appear in their entirety. Among them, Twain's Huckleberry Finn, Whitman's "Song of Myself," and Ginsburg's "Howl."

The anthology also contains several new additions - most notably an intriguing section of Native American trickster tales that provides an interesting counter to Chris Columbus' over-zealous ramblings. As for more contemporary writing, I was pleasantly surprised at the number of deserving writers and poets newly anthologized in this revision: Toni Morrison, Raymond Carver, and Sandra Cisneros just to name a few.

Yet what makes this anthology truly successful is the breadth and depth of the text as a whole. The selections, the organization, the well-written bits of biographical information... IT ALL FITS PERFECTLY! No doubt other readers will find this anthology as informative, provocative and enjoyable as I do. A definite keeper for my permanent collection.

Let me be the first reviewer since 9/11 to weigh in on this valuable book. Every American reacted to the horrors of that day in their own personal way and many reflected on the secular foundations of our constitution but few people know the details of the struggle that went into the conception, the codification and the defense of our first amendment. The separation of church and state is the greatest source of our strength as a country; every American should know the struggle of Roger Williams, the history of the Southern Baptists, and the strong belief of our founding fathers in the freedom of choice regarding personal beliefs. All explained in this simple and scholarly book.

Currently, we don't have an informed discussion of the wall of separation between religion and politics, between faith and law, in the media. Instead, we have shouting matches free of information that might help end some of the disputes.

Karmnick and Moore set out to provide a brief, readable primer on (1) what the Framers had in mind when they separated Church and State, (2) what thinkers or events informed their conclusions, and (3) what relevance all of this has to the current debates on school prayer, tax-exempt status for churches, and other issues.

Their argument is hard to argue with. The "no religious test for public office" clause (and the debate it generated) in the Constitution is their starting point for understanding what Madison, Jefferson, and others had on their minds when they wrote the core documents of American politics, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. And there's a lot more critical background they discuss, such the Lockean view of the secular social contract between citizens and the government they create, and the religious arguments by people like Roger Williams and others in the 17th and 18th centuries against intermingling politics and religion. It's pretty clear what the Framers had in mind, and it was to keep religion and politics separate to the advantage of both.

By the way, Steven Tooley's rebuttals here on Amazon are completely disingenuous and hit not the core of the book's arguments, but peripheral matters. He misunderstands Locke, a man of profound faith who also felt that government was not sanctioned by God, but created by human beings to serve very specific purposes. And for a guy who complains about "ad homein" [sic] attacks, Tooley doesn't hesitate to make comments like, "Are these two professors trying to pull the wool over everyone eyes for a reason, or have they themselves been brainwashed?" Read the book (which contains a lot of quotes from primary sources, by the way) and decide for yourself.

This book is both a polemical argument in favor of church-state separation and a valuable history lesson.As an evangelical who happens to believe in the classic Jeffersonian doctrine as well,it never ceases to amaze me how politically-charged TV preachers argue out of both sides of their mouths.On the one hand,America is a Christian nation.But on the other,we have fallen away from God! So which is it?If America were truly a Christian nation,Las Vegas and Atlantic City would close because no one would go. [Adult] magazines,adult videos, and strip clubs would cease to exist because there would be no market.There would be no need for "blue laws" because almost everyone would be in church all day on Sunday anyway,and no one would shop.However,the authors point out successfully that America was as heathen a nation as one could get in 1787.There is far more interest in Christianity,religion,and general spirituality today than there was in the Founders' America or at any time during the 19th century.The authors do a wonderful job of explaining the pro-Jeffersonian views of many religious people during the election season of 1800.American Baptists were at one time some of the most able defenders of the concept of a religiously neutral state.Kramnick and Moore also explain the importance of separationism to religion as a theological concern.Two of the towering figures in the history of this debate:Roger Williams and John Locke,were profoundly committed Christians.In fact,Williams believed that the notion of separationism flowed quite naturally from a consistent predestinarian Calvinism.I'll end here by saying that this book is a gem,a must-read.It is worth reading over and over.