As a college art history major, an intern at a house museum, and having worked on the restoration of several early Connecticut homes, I've found this book indespensible and one of my most important resources. It's straight-forward, well-organized, and includes everything from building techniques to decorative hardware to the history behind styles. The detailed illustrations make it especially easy to understand. If there is one book a person interested in early American architecture should buy, it's this one.

Although there are probably as many theodicies as there are people in the world, Stephen Davis does a fine job selecting scholars who represent various, major viewpoints on the classic problem of evil to elucidate their positions. John Roth represents a theodicy of protest whereby it is insinuated that God may not be totally good. God, says Roth, has a dark side and so must be persuaded by human protest and prayer to do what is right. Hick, of course, represents the position of an Irenean theodicy where God is portrayed as simply unable to stop all evil since evil is born our of free will and God cannot contradict the free will He gave us (lest it cease being free will). More than that, however, God has created a world in which trouble and evil exist in order that, by virtue of our free will, we might grow in character through the hardship. God, says Hick, is in the business of soul-making and has an overall plan for us as His creation to grow into spiritual maturity through the joys and sufferings of this life. Davis takes the classic Christian perspective position that evil is the result of human sin, that Jesus died to redeem us of that sin. We are responsible for the evil in the world, but God has created a way to redeem the world by taking sin on Himself in the form of Jesus Christ. By recieving Christ into our lives, not only are we promised a future in eternity without evil, but we are able to grow through the sufferings of life instead of shun them as worthless. He argues that there is no logical contradiction between the Biblical God (omnipotent and omnibenevolent) and the existence of evil in the world. Griffin represents the process theology position that God is evolving with the creation and so is learning as He goes. Matter, says Griffin, is eternal like God and has its own kind of "free will." Complexity in the arrangement of matter, furthermore, is tied to the amount of free will something has. Thus a rock can do less evil and yet God is less able to use it for good, but something as complex (and thus having more free will) as a human is capable of doing much more evil by resisting God and much more good by submitting to God. Finally, Sontag takes a highly skeptical position about God's goodness. God is unpredictable and violent at times and all we can do is hope for the best. We must acknowledge God's existence and power, but Sontag's god is semi-demonic in nature which explains evil in the world and why he doesn't stop it.

Of course, this small review doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the indepth and well written arguments of each of these scholars. The book is complex enough for college and graduate classes but written with the lay-person in mind as well (the writers are careful to define their terms in most cases). Also, I really enjoyed the fact that each contributor has the opportunity to critique the other's theodicies and then the chance to defend against the other's critiques. This point/counterpoint approach was excellent and informative.

My only critique of this book is the subtitle ("Live Options in Theodicy"). While the five views represented in this book are indeed reflective of five major worldviews of the problem of evil, they are not the only *live* options. To suggest so implies that any theodicy significantly different than those represented in the book is not a valid option. But because the problem of evil is more of a mystery and less of a logical problem to be solved with a fancy syllogism, it can be approached in a number of ways -- not just five.

I went to Columbia, with the most prominent 'great books' curriculum still in existence. 25 years later, I'm finding myself re-reading and discussing many of the titles. The Penn Greek Drama series is a handsome library of new translations that give fresh takes on the classics. It's useful to have Euripides on the shelf when you return home from the recent bravura performance by Fiona Shaw as Medea--it settled an argument too on how it 'originally' ended.

This book is an outstanding commentary on the book of Revelation by a talented and knowledgeable author. This is a historical-critical exegesis of the book of Revelation. I found it thorough and remarkable. A must-read for anyone interested in the apocolyptic literature of the New Testament.

The first half of John Passaro's juvenile biography of Frederick Douglass for the "Journey to Freedom" series deals with what it was like growing up in slavery. Douglass's personal experiences are illustrated with graphic photographs and etchings from the early 19th-century that will definitely leave an impression on young readers. Even if a class is studying American slavery in general and not the life of Douglass in particular, this section would be of great use to teachers and students alike. Students will also learn about the Underground Railroad, the Abolitionist Movement, the treatment of black soldiers during the Civil War and the fight for Civil Rights after the war was over. Passaro's biography ends with stories about Douglass's final meeting with his former master and his death after attending a suffragist meeting, a fitting pair of final points to emphasize the idea that Douglass was a strong voice for freedom. This volume covers a lot of ground, providing upper elementary and junior high school students with all of the basics of Douglass's life within an appropriate historical context. Of all the volumes I have read so far in the "Journey to Freedom" series, this is obviously the biography for which the description is literally true.

My Bondage and My Freedom, one of Douglass' several autobiographies, a very important book that should be read by anyone interested in United States history generally, or the crucial and often tragic role race has played in that history. Douglass, a former slave, was one of the few African-Americans who achieved prominence in the largely white, new england abolition movement. Douglass was an eloquent writer and (by historical accounts) speaker. His recounting of his experience as a slave, and his reflections on his role as a black former slave in America, are powerful.

This book, by Guilbert and Park, is the "Bible" for any economic geologist on ore deposits. As a graduate student in geology, I am constantly using it as a reference and use it more frequently than any other book I have. We used another textbook for my economic geology course, but all of us referred to "The Geology of Ore Deposits" when some info was needed. It is also on several professers shelves as well. Well organized and easy to find specific info.

This is the best discussion of still-life work. I use this book as tool for learning and execution of still life in traditional style. Great illustrations and intelligent discussion of the artwork depicted.

A tour de force. Corrigan manages to provide literary, historical, mythological themes and contexts that illuminate current practice and belief.I found the details of this book enlarged my understanding of why and how these religions have many common strains and where they depart from one another.It also explains how the traditions of each,along with the practice,ethics and politics keep each vital enough in different countries and changing times to keep them going. A very weighty and multidimensional subject written with much grace. It's not only excellent as a reference book, it also holds up as a fascinating read.

John the Baptist. Although his career was short was far from a shooting star. His light was not repressed in the dusky dungeon of Herods courtyard, but on the contrary he shone with more brillance and excellency than than the morning sun. JESUS said " Among those born of women none is greater than John the Baptist, save he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he". As always F.B. Meyer and his goldtipped pen retell the story with the beauty and majesty that it deserves. Mr. Meyer sets the backdrop of his early life, the solitary years, the ministry of John, the friendship with CHRIST and finally the demise of this man. He unveils the dusty pathway traveled by John and clearly lightens the interstate for young pilgrims to travel. A delightful book and a must for all readers young and old.