This was a great book and the play was even better!!!

I read this as an outsider of the Catholic Faith, but I found it very intriguing, nonetheless. Ratzinger's perspective on the essence and origin of the Church is impossible to dismiss, and the truth in this book, although it's doubtful that the author intended this, exposes huge problems in the (many) Protestant concepts of "church". Although the contents of this book were not originally intended to be presented in book form, the ideas are fluid and clear. A great book. 4 stars only because I'm not (at least not yet) Catholic, and, therefore, there wasn't much practical wisdom I could take from this book.

Of all Cardinal Ratzinger's works, this is my favorite. It touches upon issues of ecclesiology and sacramental theology. In short, Cardinal Ratzinger ties in the Most Blessed Sacrament, the Holy Eucharist, with the Church. Through it, he explores God's covenant with His people. I have long noticed the various double meanings -- one sacramental, the other ecclesiological -- in much of our theological language. Words like "communion" and "Body of Christ" carry the double significance of our communion with one another, as well as our communion with Christ. This book explores both, tying them together in an easy to read, as well as understandable, format.

This is a little book which was not originally a book by intention. Yet it is held together by the internal theme of ecclesial self-identity. It is a little book with a big message.

In any sphere in order to know how something is to function, it is extremely important to understand its origin and purpose. It is no different with the Church. In a confused and confusing world there is need for such a book as this to re-establish and re-invigorate our ecclesial focus. ...And Christ Jesus is its essence and center.

CALLED TO COMMUNION is not necessarily the easiest read because a good part of it was originally directed at individuals(Bishops) who could be assumed to have had some prior knowledge of the subject matter. Still it is worth the time invested, for even the average reader interested in the Church as well, to search out the pearls of wisdom which are assuredly to be found within its pages.

As always the Cardinal writes from an admirably, profound knowledge and depth of faith.

I'm not sure how to feel about this book. While reading it, I really could not become absorbed by Conrad's dense prose, though, while occasionaly eloquent, is very thick, and, well, British. But now that I am finished with it, I can not get the images the novella invokes out of my head. The conquest of Africa by the Imperialist on the surface, and the corruption of man's very morality underneath. The story is deceptively simple, merely a man working for an Ivory trading company, ominously called "The Company", going up the Congo river to meet up with Kurtz, the archetype of Western Imperialism. During this trip, we are shown the inner workings of man and his heart of darkness. The novella is not perfect though. Conrad's condemnation of Imperialism is uneven. Yes, the only discernable cause of Kurtz's descent into evil and madness is the imperialist ethic of master-slave, and it is fairly clear that Marlowe (conrad) is condemning that ethic, but at the same time, he doesn't work very hard to elevate the view of the African natives any higher in the esteem of his western readers. Anyway, as the novella is only about 100 pages, it is something that can be read in a day. Invest an afternoon in it, and decide for yourself.

Heart of Darkness is a novella that really needs to be read more than just once to fully appreciate Conrad's style of writing. The story is an account of one man's simultaneous journey into the darkness of a river as well as into the shadows of a madman's mind. There is a very brilliant flow of foreshadowing that Conrad brings to his writing that provides the reader with accounts of the time period and the horrible events to come. Through Conrad's illuminating writing style we slowly see how the narrator begins to understand the madness or darkness that surrounds him.

I recommend this particular version of the novella because it contains a variety of essays, which discusses some of the main issues in the reading and historical information. Issues like racism and colonialism are discussed throughout many essays. It also contains essays on the movie inspired by the book Apocalypse Now, which is set against the background of the Vietnam War. I recommend reading Heart of Darkness and then viewing Apocalypse Now, especially in DVD format which contains an interesting directors commentary.

English majors are justly fond of Conrad, who packs his stories with subtlety, symbolism, parallels, and rich imagery. "Heart of Darkness" is a brief and strangely absorbing read. Its plot is simple enough on the surface, about a sailor who guides a steamer up the Congo in search of a vaunted ivory trader. But beneath the surface, in a palpable atmosphere of unease, lie the book's complicated themes. This isn't just a condemnation of European activity in Africa, but a glimpse at the evil within every man. In some ways this book is a precursor to "Lord of the Flies" and other twentieth century books of despair, and yet Conrad does not leave the reader without hope. In skilful, mystical passages about light and dark, black and white, tall and short, jungle and sepulchre, Conrad gives us much food for thought about the nature of humankind and the possibilities for both good and evil. I see this book more as a warning than a simple cry of despair - though it pays ample attention to "the horror" of it all.

I really enjoyed this book a lot. A page turner! It is hard to believe someone could have done so much, seen so much, and accomplished so much in a lifetime. Totally amazing! Mountain man, explorer, trail blazer, and much, much more, from the early 1800's thru the 1870's. A true American icon. I would have given it five stars but, I didn't much care how others in the book such as Jed Smith, Jim Bridger, etc. were belittled by the author. We all have our heroes but cutting down others when it is not really necessary or deserving is, I believe, crude.

This my my favorite book--period. If you love history and western american, and great biography, if you love cowboys, wideopen spaces and GREAT books, then this is IT.

I came across Westering Man while browsing at the library. It's one of the best books I've ever read. Mr. Gilbert unearthed the life of Joseph R. Walker and what he writes about him rings true. If you are an enthusiast for the American West - and not for the phony glory stuff but for the history of the exploration of The West - don't miss this book. Since it was published in 1983 I've wondered if others who have read it have further information to offer-up about Joseph R. Waker and if so if Mr. Gilbert will write another book. It's been two years since I read it, I've missed it and now I'd like to buy my own copy. It's a gem.

A global world is subject that is often pondered and disected at any given moment in time. Ideas and opinions aren't always out of vogue like some issues. In Mansbach/Rhodes 2nd Edition of this Reader, they present the ideas of what the world is, was and should/could be.

This Reader is almost like a history lesson juxtaposed with current affairs to present concepts in international politcs. And because it was printed in 2003 (but really in 2002) there are issues that most people are familiar with that are discussed (i.e. terrorism-9/11, UN, weapons of mass destruction, ethnic/cultural/social/economic changes, etc). Numerous and well known authors in each chapter give their own view. But most importantly, there are also counter arguments that give the reader a well rounded idea of the subject. It's very important to be able to see all sides and not one that is the most popular or the most radical.

Each chapter has a short introduction (in which for some subjects, gives a kind of brief history, and better understanding) as does each article. Lots of examples and references that are clear and concise. It's difficult not to understand.

The author's are w/o bias and are willing to give all sides of the same issue--which doesn't color the subject one way or the other; they leave it to the reader to decide.

I actually loved reading each chapter and all the varied opinions made me think more about my world and how it functions. There are things that most of us are completely unaware of and dont' take the time to read and understand. With this Reader, anyone can get a brief history that they can apply to real life issues. I am a better informed person and more aware of how the system came to be and why. It's a fountain of information that can be used for first time users, as myself, and it's not difficult to follow at all.

this book opens with blackwood's great story: the wendigo. B is the master of the setting, noone can create the background and atmosphere like him. a very well written story from Brennan here. and Meloff's story is also an interesting read. derleth is at his best here. i don''t care that much for the guy, have never considered him to be HPL's great successor or anything, but he knows how to write, and i have always considered his story about Ithaqua to be his best contribution. the rest of the stories are well written. i don't think any of chaosium's anthologies contains of so much good writing than this. but good is not great. and the rest of the stories never turns out to be really good. the suspence killed by irrelevant writing going on for too long, mostly. sad. but the book is still wort reading

This book was a typical biography, good for reports and whatnot, it has some of Turner's Paintings, and it has a lot of information.

This book isn't very good. The Passtrack is better. The best one to get is from Securities Training Corporation. They have 13 practice tests. I did all of the practice tests and got a 95% on the exam.

I had previously disparaged this text as a poor study guide (in my PASSTRACK review), but now realize the book is well worth your attention if you are just beginning to study for the Series 7. The price is incredible. I would recommend this book as a starting point, however. Once your firm decides to sponsor you, you can consult thier much denser texts and go from there. I wouldn't recommend using the Barrons as your ONLY means of preparing for the spectre, I mean seven.

Unfortunately, the Barron's hasn't been updated in 3 years, so beware. Additionally, I found some typos in the exam sections which leave one vexed and pining for clarity. Finally, the index needs to be expanded so as to facilitate "quick searches." Nevertheless, the Barrons needs to be commended for packing in so much material into 300 pages.

I've been teaching the Series 7 exam for quite some time [...] and for the money [...], I believe that this book is well worth the small cost. If you read what other reviewers say, please keep in mind that they are comparing this book to others costing up to 30 times the price. The Securitites Training Corp's material cost almost [price]. But, if you want a concise inexpensive book that will definately bring you enlightenment on most of the important tested topics, then by all means buy this book. Keep in mind that I can recommend any book I like, but for the money this one is well worth it.