This book is a beautiful meditation, or perhaps a collection of meditations, on the experience of Divine initiative and human response in genuine relationship. Fr. Shea speaks eloquently and simply, yet his words and stories are a source of complex reflection and challenge, calling for deep reflection on the encounter with Spirit in our traditions and in our lives. As with his other works, Fr. Shea centers his reflections in the stories of Jesus.

John Shea is always a wonderful source of challenge to anyone who seeks both and deeper faith and an intelligent faith. An Experience Named Spirit is one of his best.

For those new to John Shea, this book is followed up by The Spirit Master. Shea has two earlier books, Stories of God, and its sister, Stories of Faith. These books were presentations of the dynamics of narrative theology. An Experience Named Spirit and the Spirit master are expanded meditations on the Christian realities of Spirit and Christ. I highly recommend them all.

I purchased this book in 1978. I have made several of the pieces described in the book by using the measured drawings. I made the "hutch-table chair out of Butternut and several other pieces out of Cherry. I cannot tell you how valuable the book is to a cabinet maker. It shows a picture of the piece and then the blueprints. It also describes the old fashioned joinery used. I have personally kiln dried 200 million feet of hardwoods by conventional forced hot air and also ran a "Vacu-Therm" dry kiln system. I also supervised a planning mill with planers,rip saws. band rip saws, straight-line rip saws, moulders, table saws, and end-trimmers. In my 30 years of hardwood background I have never seen a more useful book than this one.

"Spirituality & Health Care: Reaching toward a Holistic Future" gives a nice theoretical and theological framework to the significance of hope amid illness and pain. Shea's book tries to place spirituality inside the broader context of health care. He advocates patients, health are practitioners, and hospital administrators to deepen their dialogue about the importance of the interplay between spirituality and modern medicine.

This very interesting book speculates how Mozart died... Was he, indeed - Murdered? The book offers circumstancial evidence that perhaps he was. That his skull was recovered from an unmarked grave by the grave digger who had placed a wire around the neck of the corpse.

The book also explains the illness of Beethoven, Paganini, and several other great composers.

This book is quite interesting reading.

An important book, however, deficient in a full translation. Well worth the price if you cannot afford, "Witches, Devils, and Doctors in the Renaissance" in "Medieval & Renaissance texts & studies" Volume 73 which is a full translation. While other works (Malleus Maleficarum, Demonolatry, Daemonologie, Compendium Maleficarum, Saducismus Triumphatus, ect.) dealing with the subject on witchcraft and demonology, taught that the individuals were, "Servants of Satan." Johann Weyer reported that many of these individuals were mentally disturbed as well as having an illness. Weyer believed in demons and hell, however, did not believe that every person accused of witchcraft was in league with the devil. A very important book on the reality witchcraft and demonology. A must read for any occultist, historian, and layman.

"On Witchcraft" is an abridged translation of Johann Weyer's important work "De Praestigiis Daemonum". Weyer was a Dutch physician and a follower of the Renaissance humanist Erasmus and a student of the mystic Cornelius Agrippa. Weyer was deeply concerned with the rise of the belief in the diabolism of witchcraft and the subsequent tortures and executions that followed in the 15th and 16th centuries. His answer to this concern was this present work, first published in 1563. "De Praestigiis Daemonum" argues against the belief, prevalent at the time, that witchcraft was a real and tangible danger and that witches and sorcerers operated through a pact with the Devil. Weyer was a Christian and believed in the existence of demons and the Devil, but argued that witchcraft, as it was popularly believed, could not exist. He argued on medical, legal, and theological grounds that witches were in many cases mentally deluded, senile, or ill, and that in fact they were no more guilty of diabolic crimes than any other mentally ill invalid. He also argues on the grounds of Roman Law that any contract supposedly made with Satan would be impossible and that the Bible says nothing of such pacts. Weyer found himself, like his contemporary anti-witchcraze writer Reginald Scot, beseiged by critics on all sides and was accused of being nothing more than an anti-Catholic heretic. He was singled out particularly by the famous French jurist and demonologist Jean Bodin who contradicted much of what Weyer argued. Weyer has come down through history as being important to the history of psychiatry and rationalism. His work was important at the time as being a lonely voice against the rising tide of the witchcraze and remains important to modern readers as a window on the mind of the 16th century and the contemporary debate on the existence of witchcraft and demonic magic.

On Witchcraft is an abridged translation of Johann Weyer's "De praestigiis daemonum". This seminal antiquarian study by Weyer (1515-1588) was introduced in 1563 at the height of the witchcraft craze and published in its entirety in 1583. Benjamin K. Kohl and H.C. Erik Midelfort are two outstanding Renaissance historians who worked for nearly a quarter of a century to translate and make available this seminal text for contemporary students of medieval and renaissance history, metaphysics, folklore, psychology, religion, and the history of witchcraft.

As someone who has spent their entire professional life in politics, this book did not break any new ground. However, as someone who now teaches democracy in the former Soviet Union, I do like to read these types of books to order my normally scattered thoughts and be able to communicate ideas more effectively.

Shea's update of his orginal 1996 text is a very competent overview of most aspects of modern campaigning and is highly recommended for anyone working in the business or anyone who just wants to know how modern campaigns function. The book is highly modular, you can read various sections independently of each other. Shea pays close attention to research - a topic often given short shrift in many campaigns but deadly necessary in developing strategy. He covers well opposition research, precinct targeting by electoral history and polling (including the differences between different types of polls and why the ballot test is not necessarily the most useful. Something I can't get the Azeris to understand!!!)

Shea and Burton also explain the various aspects of paid and earned media strategy, including the use of "new" media. (I'm not sold on the use of the Net to move message, but it does have excellent fieldwork potential.) Their sections on fundraising and fieldwork are a bit skimpy, but certainly enlightening to people unfamiliar with the campaign operation.

All in all, Campaign Craft is a solid workhorse of a book, dutifully explaining in good detail the various aspects of a modern political operation. It's well recommended to anyone looking for an overview of the biz.

This book made me feel like I back in school (in a good way)! It was very informative and covered all the bases. I am about to begin a career in campaign management, and I think this book is one of my best resources. I got the most out of the section on fundraising.

This book is one of the first books I reccomend whenever anyone asks me for a primer on political campaign strategy. This book is not for true beginners - if you don't know how to run a get out the vote operation or organize your grassroots organization, buy this book AFTER you've read a book geared towards beginners.

If you know the basics though, this book will guide you through Political Campaign Strategy 201 - it is a great, intermediate level work.

I wrote "25 Fundraising Secrets - Raise More Money, Guaranteed" to give political candidates some great advice on fundraising for thier campaigns. I often tell readers of my book to check out Shea's book as well, which has an good fundraising strategy section that gives the basics, and compliments my "secrets" book well.

This interesting, but badly flawed, book provides an in-depth look at one "civil action"; a lawsuit by citizens of Woburn, MA against W.R. Grace and Beatrice Foods, which alleged that TCE (trichloroethylene) dumping at sites owned by the companies contaminated two town wells and caused leukemia in local children.

The entire nation has spent the past decade gripped by one blockbuster case after another (OJ, the Nanny, Monicagate) and having read hundreds of cases in Law School & dozens of legal thrillers & watched numerous trials on Court TV, I can confidently state that the legal system is a unique generator of human drama. There are always good guys and bad guys, victims & perpetrators, oddball lawyers, brilliant jurists, arcane legal machinations, big bucks prizes or maybe a death sentence, and so on. So what A Civil Action cried out for was something to separate it from the pack. Why should this one case interest us? What lessons can it teach?

Sadly, Jonathan Harr does not step up to the plate & accept this challenge. He has provided an excellent narrative of the events in a complex case, filled with human drama, but he conspicuously fails to put it all in context. Here are some of the issues he should have analyzed:

1) The Big Enchilada: should the case ever have been allowed to go forward in the first place?

Let me just start by saying that the behavior of the corporations in Woburn was reprehensible & they should be subject to criminal & civil prosecution for dumping & for attempting to cover up their dumping. However, the case that Schlichtmann & Co. brought alleged that the dumping had specifically caused leukemia.

As Dan Kennedy, a journalist who has written extensively about the case & been quite sympathetic to the plaintiffs, said in a 1998 story for the Boston Phoenix: "The scientific state of the art was (and still is) probably too primitive to allow him to prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that Beatrice and Grace were at least partly responsible for contaminating Wells G and H, and that the contaminants, in turn, caused leukemia and other illnesses."

Or, as renowned quack-science debunker Michael Fumento stated in Forbes: "In 1982, when Schlichtmann sued Grace, information on the solvent TCE was relatively sketchy. Now we have the results of numerous rodent studies in which the animals were dosed with thousands of times the amount of chemical that humans might receive in their drinking water. Of the 35 rodent studies in the Carcinogenic Potency Database developed by U.C. Berkeley biologist Lois Swirsky Gold, none has found a TCE-leukemia connection."

In light of the impossibility of establishing a link between TCE and the leukemia cases, it seems obvious that Judge Skinner should have granted the Rule 11 motion that Beatrice Foods brought & should have sanctioned Schlichtmann for bringing a frivolous suit.

This case was simply not the appropriate vehicle for punishing Grace & Beatrice & vindicating justice.

2) Is a jury capable of dealing with the technical issues raised in such a case & is it appropriate to have a jury deal with the emotional issues raised?

The section of the book on the jury deliberations was especially troubling. The level of confusion displayed throughout the trial by even expert witnesses raises the question whether anyone actually understood what was going on, but the jury clearly had no idea what they were supposed to be doing & ended up rendering a thoroughly confusing verdict in the first stage of the trial. If civil cases this complex are to be brought to trial, which they surely will be, it seems that it would make more sense to have them be bench trials or to appoint Special Masters with the technical background to decide the fact issues.

Luckily we were spared the spectacle of the second portion of the trial, where Schlichtmann would have paraded "victims" before the jury in an attempt to win a big money judgment. Of course, it is a horrible thing when any child develops leukemia. And if there's a local polluter, it's tempting to want to make them pay, but it may not, & in this case would not, be in the best interests of justice to do so.

3) How can we tolerate a legal system which allows the contemptible behavior of virtually every character involved in this trial?

To give just a few examples, & assuming Harr's portrayals are accurate:

Beyond the issue of their continual time-wasting objections and unwarranted motions, it seems clear that the defense parties & attorneys hid evidence from Schlichtmann during discovery.

Schlichtmann appears to have been completely irresponsible in ending pre-trial settlement negotiations with Beatrice Foods.

The judge appears to have allowed his personal feelings about the genuinely annoying Schlichtmann to influence how he handled motions and objections.

Anne Anderson, and a couple other plaintiffs, appear to have been petty, greedy & ungrateful in challenging Schlichtmann's billing after the settlement.

Then there's the attorney who sought a referral fee & Trial Lawyers for Public Justice which sought 800k after bailing from the case.

& people ask me why I don't choose to practice law?

Finally, I have one major problem with the manner in which Harr produced his story. At the end of the book he reveals to the reader that he had virtually continual access to Schlichtmann & company during the trial & only afterward assembled the defense's side. As an initial matter, it seems to me that he should have told us this at the outset. And the reason for this brings up the larger issue; in a case that was as emotionally compelling as this one was, dead kids, bankrupt plaintiff's lawyers, etc.., is it even reasonable to believe that Harr's account is impartial. Shouldn't we assume that someone who was that close to the plaintiff's side throughout would develop some emotional investment in their case?

Ultimately, while I enjoyed the book, I found it's lack of analysis a major flaw and I think that it's greatest value lies in it's exposure of the pathologies that plague the American legal system.

GRADE: C+

The book A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr was definitely one of the best books that I have ever read. The novel was extremely fast paced and factually oriented which made it all the more powerful. This novel brings to light some of the great injustices that go on, unnoticed, in the world around us. It raises the issue of environmental contamination and the power that large companies have over common people. It raises the questions of how many people have to get sick or die before someone will stand up for what is right. The book delves into the complex world of the justice system and how the real issue can get lost or distorted in the mounds of legal rules and regulations. It exposes a corrupt justice system where the real evidence can not be heard and the judges and lawyers try to confuse the jurors into siding with them. "The judge was, in effect, asking the jurors to create a fiction that would in the end stand for the truth." The novel also encompasses the idea of individual change and shows how one man can turn from a selfish, arrogant jerk into a person truly concerned with the welfare of others. By the end of this book the reader is absolutely infuriated with the whole situation. It really makes the reader think about how and where things started to go wrong and why such things are being allowed to take place. This book really opens eyes as to what is going on in the world and makes people think about if it really is possible for one person to make a difference. The issues raised by this book are ones that I will not soon forget. This book has delighted and infuriated me more than any book I have ever read.

A Civil Action is the true story of the case against the W.R. Grace Company and Beatrice Foods regarding water pollution in Woburn Massachusetts in the 1980s. Several children had died from Leukemia and many families had serious health problems.

There's more to a case than just the trial. There are dispositions and fact finding and motions and counter-motions and appeals and financial considerations and constant frustrations. There are things to learn about water, soil, geology, medicine. Facts are not always clear or written in stone. There are experts who disagree. Bills to pay. Worthy combatants. And a judge whose word is God and whose judgment is questionable.

The writer, Johnathan Harr, was with this case from the beginning. He sat in on the meetings with the families whose children had died. He was present at all the dispositions and motions. He researched all technical aspects. And, later, interviewed everyone including the jurors, office staff, opposing attorneys, as well as wives and lovers. He traveled with the lawyer, Jan Schlichtmann and his partners to their negotiation meetings, spent much time in their offices, shared meals and hours of discussion and then more discussion.

He got it all. The personalities. The issues. The facts. And he wrote a book that really makes a difference in the world. Like it or not, the issue of environmental pollution is here to stay. We need to understand it. And his skill at writing made it more fascinating than any novel. Highest accolades to the writer. I give this book my highest recommendation.

Fr. Beck brings the reader along for a journey through 21 touching and highly personal stories about his life experiences in this easy to read book. I absolutely could not put the book down and finished it all in one day. Some stories had me laughing, some crying, and others both at the same time! It's very unusual to find someone with a gift of telling stories such as Fr. Beck's. He is able to use brutal honesty to allow you into his heart and soul and to imagine walking hand-in-hand with him through some really challenging situations. Fr. Beck doesn't try to gloss over the fact that life sometimes challenges us, but he shows the reader that there is a bit of magic in the strangest of places!

God Underneath is a moving, sincere glimpse into the heart and soul of a religious man. Fr. Edward's real life stories evoke deep feelings of joy, fear, and doubt. He bravely reveals the struggles and rewards of being a Catholic priest. Fr Edward allows us to intimately share with him his personal spiritual journey. These heartfelt and inspirational stories demonstrate the presence of God in everyday life. God touches all of us in different ways. To experience God we simply need to open ourselves up to the events and people around us.
I found it refreshing to have a priest put his trust in us by revealing himself so honestly and openly. We are fortunate to have Fr Edward working at God's side.
I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for God in their daily lives.

Father Edward Beck takes the reader on a journey through various incidents in his career as a passionist priest. Begining each chapter with a passage of scripture, Father Edward then uses his own human experience to personally exemplify that passage. Father Edward removes the mystery and uses his very humaness in a variety of situations to show that he is just another man, seeking GOD and trying to apply those teachings in his own life. This book so moved me and has helped me along my own spiritual journey. It brings seeking and experiencing GOD to a place where I understand and feel comfortable. Father Edward is insightful, funny and self depricating; never taking himself too seriously. This book is a must read for anyone on a spiritual quest.

I've read this book twice now and keep thinking, "what a great idea, too bad the med guy didn't farm the idea out to someone who could write!" But he thought he did; wish he'd sent it to me. Ignoring all the trivial errors (misspellings of diseases, "North Ridge earthquake," calling the valley fever org. "cocci" when that term refers to all cocci forms of bacteria, "congenital arthritic hip" of Drew (think they meant congenital dysplasia causing the arthritis, not too many babies born with arthritis!), the faults in writing are amazing: rotten character development (for ex. Byrne is described in such detail at first encounter w/his pony tail, and when he has to cut it off, but do we ever hear about his pony tail again? So much for his Samson anguish), bringing up interesting points only to drop them (Kameron's taping of Byrne's comments at Mia's lecture, mention about doctoring them -- never shows up again), and leaden writing style.

Guess there's going to be another book soon, maybe the Fifth Horseman? Hope these two get a better editor.

Epidemiologists study diseases and their causes and origins, and take the lead in disease investigations. Dr. Marr has a wealth of experience in this area, and he has used much of it to provide a backdrop for this novel. As a result, the science here is reliable, and this alone is refreshing in a work of fiction (compare for example with the movie "Outbreak"). The Eleventh Plague would provide a worthy basis for a popular movie, and as a novel it moves along at a reasonably good pace from one scene to the next. Don't look for Frederick Forsythe; the style is relatively shallow, and the characters are poorly developed, but it's a good commuter pocketbook, with just enough intrigue to get you to re-open it each day on the subway!

If you can avoid all the techno-[material] and long histories of some of the characters, you're in for a frightening look at how easy bioterrorism is. THE ELEVENTH PLAGUE revolves around a madman's plot to mirror the ten plagues of Moses and kill off vast amounts of people all in the name of God. Character-wise, there's no one here we haven't met before, and even the villain is rehashed from Dr. Phibes through Hannibal Lechter. However, the book has some terrifying scenes and some surprises, too. It's a little long in the tooth and is nowhere as realistically frightening as THE HOT ZONE, but it's still a scary read.
RECOMMENDED.

I had recommended this book to my book club to read. It was voted down. (Their loss they missed a good one) So I went ahead and read it on my own. Im so glad I did. It was such a compelling story. I still keep thinking about it. I have tried to put myself in each of the characters place how would I have handle the situation they were in? I cant imagine it, and there are no easy answers. Which comes through in each of the characters. You can feel their pain and struggle. The characters were so well developed even the children. (Emma Sam and Josh) They just werent bystanders in the story. My heart went out to all of them as if they were real people. Yes even the bad guy who did the unthinkable. Even though I think what he did was horrible and cowardly since he didnt stop. I still felt sorry for him. His life even before the accident seemed to be spinning out of control. He just couldnt get it together. Then this happens. I may have hated what he did but I couldnt hate him. It made for a very emotional read. But I loved it. One of the better books I have read. And to think I first saw it on "Good Morning America: recommended by Charlie Gibson. Thank you Charlie. Its a book I wont soon forget.

In a minimum of words and a narrative that flips characters, Reservation Road was a tightly written story that wastes not one word. Mr. Schwartz is a wonderful writer with a no nonsense use of language that pulled the reader in wasting no time setting up its story. It manages to cover loss, grief, madness, recovery, and ultimately redemption in an all to realistic fashion. I highly recommend this book.

I ordered this book after being recommended it by my best friend. He felt it was one of the best he had read, but thought I might have a problem with since I have children. It is a very hard subject and the fact that you are thrown into it within the first pages makes it that much harder. As I was reading, I couldn't believe that I was reading such a great book. I enjoyed the 3 points of view and liked the fact that the 2 men were in first person, while the mother was in third person. It allowed you to look at the husband from his view and his wife's view. Yes, the ending disapointed me when I read it, but thinking about it afterwards, I realized it was the perfect ending. A "hollywood redemption" ending would have ruined it. My friend and I discussed it at length afterwards and through our discussions realized so much more about the book and how good it was. My wife has refused to read it and I don't blame her as it is hard to take the loss. I think of this book often and I know that I'll re-read it soon. It is great on so many levels. I would not recommend this to the casual book reader looking for a simple novel. If you read it, expect to re-visit it often. And for those who read it and were disappointed, I challenge them to really think about it and see how many layers this book has.