Even if you haven't heard Michael W. Smith's album of the same name, you should read this book! I highly recommend this book for everyone, but especially for teens who face the difficult task of trying to grow up in today's mixed-up world.

The title of the book, "This is Your Time", is also the title of a song he wrote after the Columbine tragedy. Michael tells about his experience singing at the memorial service and talking to Cassie Bernall's parents (check out my review of Misty Bernall's book "She Said Yes"). But this book isn't just about Columbine. Michael talks about the death of Rich Mullins (which deeply affected me as well) and Rich's impact on people. Michael also was a good friend of the late Bob Briner (author of Roaring Lambs) and he encourages Christians to get out there and make a difference.

He quotes Hebrews 12:1...

"Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."

Amen!

(You might want to check out my other reviews of Christian books and music)

This was a great book. At some points, very moving. My mom was reading the begining to me and had to stop because she was crying. The main idea of this book is: How Michael W. Smith came up for the idea of the song, THIS IS YOUR TIME. He got it from Rachel Scott after the Columbine shootings. This book also tells of some of MWS's own struggles and triumphs. It is a great book. A somber one at times, but true to the core. Please read this book and pass on its message: THIS IS YOUR TIME! MAKE IT COUNT!

What a great book to read! This is really a good time to evaulate our lives in a modern world with a message to all that the test is yet to come.

May it be the next munute, hour , day or month we should try to do our best work. Smitty does gives some personal highlights of what he is doing to make his moment count, as we should make our time count.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and kept reading until I finished the book (it was a good time reading and getting to know him).

This book gives you a very good taste of all the natural alternative building techniques, and also where to find out more information on them. This is an excellent book for you to start researching all the different alternative building techniques or if your already well read on the subject it may introduce you to some new techniques or be a good refresher on the subject.

This is a great place to start your research if you are interested in natural building. Web sites, resorce books and organizations are listed at the end of each chapter. This book started my career in natural home building.

Today, around 5 million people on Earth work and live in buildings made of adobe, stone, rammed earth, straw bale, cob, wattle and daub and so forth. That is, most of our planetary brothers and sisters live in earthen houses that rely on renewable human labor and local resources like mud, straw, rock and tree. These houses are less energy intensive, more durable, and are often more esthetically pleasing than so-called "modern" homes, as this book shows.

"The Art of Natural Building" questions the environmental responsibility of a 5,000-sq-foot, 500,000-dollar house. As more and more people begin to make the kind of money it takes to buy their own American Dream house, we must question the feasibility our of contemporary building practices. Would it be possible cover the globe with modern homes? Building companies certainly think so, but aside from what a project of this immensity what mean environmentally, the resources are simply not available.

There is simply not enough lumber, brick, cement, and processed material to go around. Our building industry would gladly sell us into oblivion if it meant a buck or two in the short-haul, but we need to get away from this kind of thinking. We also need to consider the environmental impacts of our current practices. What are these impacts?

As this book reminds us, buildings already account for one quarter of the world's wood harvest, two-fifths of its material and energy use, and one-six of its fresh water usage. In the past 100 years the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has risen 27 percent, one-quarter of which has come the burning of fossil fuels just to provide energy for buildings. During the same period, the world lost more than 20 percent of its forest. Quite simply, our building philosophy is not sustainable; and with a populaiton of 6 billion rising at an incredible rate every year, reconstruction of this philosophy becomes all the more timely and important.

We can start by dropping out of the rat race and getting our hands dirty. Natural building is much more affordable, durable, environmentally responsible and estheticly pleasing than the track homes and skyscrapers advancing on the horizon. We can also avoid the loan-mortgage game which weds us to unfulfilling job and Sisyphus-like existence. We can create spaces that are non-toxic, unique, and ecologically sound. And perhaps most importantly, we can reconnect with Earth and the spirit of artisanship.

Along with the philosophy, you will discover a veritable treasure trove of natural building styles and ideas, from the radically new and innovative - like concept "earthship" - to the ancient and elegant, such as the living roof pictured on the cover. Architects need not apply, nor must you be good with your hands to fashion your own natural house. I consider myself very fortunate to have seen this book before investing in a home of my own. Like many people, I might have ended up working the rest of my life to pay for "a house without a clue."

By far and away, this is one of the most important books I have ever read. Philosophers dabble with theories of justice, beauty and truth, but with this book you will discover how all of these ideas can be BUILT into the very structure and fabric of your life. You will discover the ethics and aesthetics of building design and ecological living.

Filled to the brim with great references, links and some amazing photographs to stimulate your right brain, "The Art of Natural Building" is a must for anybody interested in saving the planet and saving a little money at the same time. The ultimate ecological building encyclopedia! A must read for all dwelling creatures.

Awesome book! It was recommended to me by the author through a christian book club. I love the suspense and the thrill of Satan getting what he deserves, a kick back to where he belongs!
The only problem I had was the Catholocism in it, but I guess I can't be too picky. I prefer Christian non-fiction. I don't know if this book is considered that. Oh, well, it's written well. Enjoy!

In a day when there are tons of suspense/mystery/horror/thriller writers, a pearl has been discovered from the deep recesses of the literary ocean. Mr. David Michael Smith's book, The Invitation, is brilliant writing and an engrossing story. I found myself thinking, 'what if...' and that merely added to the build up Smith craftily creates in this book. I would simply say, 'highly recommended' and 'get the book if you want a great, captivating horror story to read', ok?
Seriously, this guy is fantastic and it's just a matter of time before some lucky publisher latches onto his work and signs him to a long term contract.
Again, great book with great characters. I really liked the Chief of Police; reminds me of the guy in my hometown! Bart was a likeable protagonist also. And the female characters, the lead Geri and her mother... very believable relationship between the two. What can I say? Good book for women and men readers. A little nugget of entertainment for all.

Fantastic reading and writing; David Smith is an up and coming author that's for sure. A friend recommended this book to me and I usually don't try out untested new writers, but I am glad my friend insisted. The Invitation was a great book, a little long but I hardly noticed since all I did was read and read until I finished it. Fast moving, great plot, fresh story and fantastic characters and development. Smith writes like a pro and should sign on with a big time publisher if he's smart. Can't wait for the sequel, if there is one! Great book: do yourself a favor and buy it today. You won't regret it. A great read for the beach or quiet vacation in the mountains. But don't dare read it at night; you'll get nightmares for sure!

My response to the material presented in this book when I first encountered it in 1993 was an unqualified "YES!", and time has not diminished my enthusiasm. This is and was the only system that has ever resonated so deeply with me in terms of understanding why "things are the way they are", not only in my own life, but with regard to the human experience in general.

I found the model of the soul experience in the earth plane presented in this book to be intellectually coherent, spiritually satisfying, and emotionally comforting. The book also contains some interactive exercises that were remarkably accurate in helping me determine my own "spiritual profile" based upon the Michael model.

If you have nagging questions that you just can't resolve (e.g., Why is life so unfair? Why do bad things happen to good people?), or if you're just curious about why we're all here, you may find this book to be very enlightening. I sure did!

The book's one weakness: As another reviewer pointed out, the editing could have been a lot better. However, this is a minor issue and does not detract from the quality of the information presented.

The most interesting book explaining why we're here and what we're supposed to do. The book is not easy to figure out but once you "get it" It's cool. This is one of those things that if you're meant to read this book and you've gotten this far, you'll probably read it. Explains why fat people are fat, why you marry the person you marry, have the job you have, why you as an individual think the way you think. Tells where we go when we eventually leave the planet. Does it make any dfference? I don't know. Frankly an old woman told me once, " forget all this stuff and just live your life." Maybe that's what it's all about after all.

This is an excellent book on the Michael teachings, which can serve both as a clear and manageable introduction to newcomers to the Michael information as well as a resource for those already familiar with the Michael system. The book may well have changed my life. Highly recommended.

Smith's text is an excellent introductory text to those you are curious of the details of ASIC design. This was my first book on ASIC design and I still reference it often. A must read if you are an ASIC designer.

This book is EXTREMELY useful to the practicing engineer as a reference, because of it's comprehensive coverage of ASIC design - all the way from device physics, to HDL coding, to Floorplanning and Routing! It even includes discussions about recent FPGA architectures. For this same reason, the book will be useful to a student learning about ASIC or FPGA design for the first time.

Because the book is so large and comprehensive, it is almost CERTAIN that even very experienced engineers will learn something from it.

The author also has a website with additional material that supplements the book!

Highly recommended!

For those who are interested in IC design, and want to know more about the design part, business (cost of implementation) and also the technology available in the market. A very good book for engineers as weel as hobbiest.

There are those among us who are truly evil. Loss of Faith is the best true crime book I've ever read. The reader finds themselves in the midst of nearly unspeakable violence. Loss of Faith reads more like a novel than a true crime book. I suppose this is because a lot of the stories in the book are so horrific, one would not think that one human being could do these things to another. It is an important work. It is a work that needs to be read by every teenage girl in America. Thank you Detective Varnado.

Detective Mike Varnado appears to have put his heart and soul into this book. It's a tough story. I couldn't put the book down. It's been over a week since I read the book and I'm still haunted, thinking about the loss and suffering depicted. Anyone who is at all familiar with Dead Man Walking should read this book. You can see the tears, the compassion, the suffering, and yes, even the anger, on each page. God Bless you Detective Varnado. And Thanks.

This is probably the most horrifying book I've ever read and it
gives you a powerful insight into the life of a police officer and all those who face what the rest of us only hear about on the news or read in the paper. This story will haunt you and definitely give you pause for thought if you ever have qualms about the death penalty. I believe this may be the most accurate depiction of a murder case in print.

This book has it all. It shows what types of materials are needed along with basic techniques. From drawing to mixed media, types of brushes, papers and art history - you can find it in here. A great volume for beginners. Loaded with information and lots of how to pictures.

I am nearly done reading this book and find it excellent, wonderful. I haven't painted in years and am looking forward to starting again. This book is very detailed in explanations of materials and techniques. Perfect for the beginner or intermediate painter. I think an experienced artist would already be aware of these techniques and would have done a great deal of experimentation already, but this is great for the rest of us!

I have wanted to learn more about art techniques for many years so that I could begin painting although I have no instinctual skills. This book provides step-by-step instruction with very good illustrations. For me, someone who could only draw stick men as art, can now paint something that I would hang on a wall. It was a wonderful investment for me and provides so much information that it will be quite some time before I will feel the need to buy another book to take me further - if ever. I hope that if you purchase this book that you will enjoy it as much as I do.

The Greatest Story Never Told: A People's History of the American Empire, 1945-1999 by Michael K. Smith provides hundreds of historical snapshots that you will not find in you local paper. Smith takes a decade-by-decade approach from the end of WWII to the people's victory in Seattle when the World Trade Organization was shut down. Smith focuses on political, social and environmental issues in the U.S. from a progressive prospective. Michael Smith provides a people's prospective reminiscent of Howard Zinn's The People's History, yet with a sometimes sobering sprinkling of Noam Chomsky's analysis. Here's a sample from page 442:

1999: Washington
Portrait of a Clinton Ritual

1993-"I am asking the United State Congress to pass a real campaign reform bill this year." (Cheers)
1994-"I also must now call on you to (pass) tough and meaningful campaign finance reform and lobby reform legislation this year." (Cheers)
1995-"We should also curb the role of big money in elections....this year, let's give the folks at home something to cheer about." (Cheers)
1996-"Now I challenge Congress to go further-to curb special interest influence in politics by passing the first truly bipartisan campaign reform bill in a generation." (Cheers)
1997-"Let's work together to write bipartisan campaign finance reform into law...by the day we celebrate the birth of our democracy-July the fourth." (Cheers)
1998-"I ask you to strengthen our democracy and pass campaign finance reform this year." (Cheers)
1999-"Now we must w3ork to renew our national community as well for the twenty-first century...(by passing) the bipartisan campaign finance reform legislation." (Cheers)

A well-documented historical compilation of short news items you won't find in the "news." Check it out.

This is a realistic appraisal of recent US history, rejecting the idealist illusions that block understanding of reality. Using sources like I. F. Stone, Chomsky, Herman, Parenti, Solomon and Zinn, Smith shows a brutal ruling class that commits crimes at home and abroad in the name of anti-communism. He details the US state's appalling assaults on other countries, from Hiroshima to Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Nicaragua, Panama, Iraq and Yugoslavia.

In 1990, US ambassador Glaspie tells Saddam Hussein, "we have no opinion on Arab-Arab conflicts, like your border disagreement with Kuwait." Bush then double-crosses Iraq by invading. US forces drop fifteen times more explosives on Iraq than it had used in all World War Two. When asked how many Iraqis had been killed, Colin Powell, the liberals' hero, replies, "It's really not a number I'm terribly interested in." He also says that the US invasion of Somalia was 'great public relations'.

The head of the US Information Agency tells a reporter, "the vipers, the bloodsuckers, the middlemen - that's what needs to be rehabilitated in the Soviet Union. That's what makes our kind of country click!"

Smith writes of the USA in 1995, "Profits zoom capital swells, stocks boom, assets consolidate, accident rates and labor hours rise; wages, benefits, and working conditions decline. The Wall Street Journal announces that corporate profits are up 'an enormous 41%' over 1993, a 'colossal success' resulting from a 'sharp' decline in the 'share going to labor'."

The USA is the only industrial nation without a health plan. Consequently 100,000 people a year die from lack of access to treatment. Smith tells how Clinton, so fawned over by last year's Labour Party Conference, ends federal income support for low-paid workers, plunging millions more children into poverty, a step no Republican President ever dared to take. Just like Blair, wrecking the NHS, the Tube, the fire and rail services, in ways that even Thatcher did not dare.

The cheap response is to decry any criticism as 'anti-American'. But it is no more anti-American to oppose the US state than it is anti-British to oppose Thatcher or Blair.

Smith's historical survey of U.S. foreign and domestic policy post-WWII is a must read. His lucid writing, thorough chronology and partiality towards justice will envelope readers seeking to make sense of our politically troubled world. Divided into decades, the book chronicles the misdeeds done by the world's superpower in small capsules making it appealing to even the non-historian or nominally politically inclined. "Greatest Story" should be required reading for all college and high school U.S. history survey courses.

Though not as good as his work "Time to Be Bold" (sp.), Michael does a great job of letting you into his world and showing you what God has done in his life. Michael's books excel at making you feel like he is talking just to you. He makes you feel special. He has great sections on how to deal with hard times and some very practical steps to help you grow in the Lord. He has a great love and belief in the power of God's Word. This is perhaps the genius that undergirds this work and his other books as well.

This is one of my favorite books and I also admire the artist for his music talent. There are many authors in the Christian market who are just in it for the money but its clear that MWS is in it to guide and encourage people. The book is well written and he drives the point home without being preachy while making it seem as if he's right there talking to you.

Its for anyone who wants guidance in their life and to know God's will. There are four parts. The first covers a place to grow, to belong to, to make a difference, its basically about find a place to "bloom." The second is Purpose and about finding purpose in your life, the third is passion in your life. What are you passionate about? Is it music or something else? The last part is about God's plan in your life. If your a Christian seeking God's will then I'd really reccomend this book, I'd definitely reccomend it to all regardless of your age.

I have now bought over a dozen copies of this book by Michael W. Smith. Every person without exception has said the same thing. They all felt it spoke to them. Michael "walks the walk" and it shows. I'm back to buy 3 more copies and Amazon.com, you'd better keep 'em in stock for me! :)

A most excellent book for the unlearned of this subject and the learned. In depth and precise. It is illustrated to inform. It is objective but it is biased towards the mainstream thinking of of what we are all taught in school of how civilisations 'must' have started. Albeit a thoroughly engrossing book.

I'm an engineer, not a historian or archeologist, yet I very much enjoyed this book. It didn't get boring, and made learning about the life of the Aztecs interesting. It was scholarly yet accessible.

This Book is well organized, illustrated and written. The various aspects of Aztec Civilization and History are organized into seperate Chapters, making this Book both, a good Introduction and Reference Book. A look at the Bibliography reaveals all the right sources. Scholarly, yet accessible.