"It Was Good-Making Art to the Glory of God" brings forth many struggling topics and themes that Christian artists are challenged with. These essays are writing by some of the most important Christian artists today (i.e. Makoto Fujimura, Theodore Prescott, and Edward Knippers.) The book discusses issues looking at our fallen world with a realistic point of view. It teaches to face evil head on and to point towards the grace, the hope, and the glory, namely Jesus Christ. As God's children it explains our need for art in the church and in our communities. It also depicts the problems of Christian art, with topics such as GOOD, ("The efforts of most artists who attempt to present a picture of 'good' tend toward dishonest, sugary sweet propaganda. They ignore the implications of the fall and paint the world as a shiny, happy place." -Ned Bustard, "Good"), EVIL, and IDENTITY. It is hard being both Christian and artist. It seems no one understands you in the art world and no one understands you in the Christian world. This book praises our gifts of creativity and imaginations, in which we learn to integrate both our faith and art, and return these gifts to praise Our Father. "It Was Good..." should be essential to your book collection. I once had a discussion with a friend of how we can meditate on a single passage for hours. These essays have been so inspirational that I have spent some nights restless, because I could not wait until the next day to work on my own art. It is such a blessing to know, in this generation (so full of narcissistic and meaningless art,) that this book is out there to help other Christian artists. I personally feel doubly blessed because I am still an undergraduate in art school. I feel a great comfort to apply and develop these ideas into my own critiques. But this book goes way beyond the ordinary art school critique and grows toward my relationship with God and towards his people.

"Compadre, I entreat you to do me the favor of taking my son, Antonio, among your troops, that when he is old he may have a tale to tell." This was a request of a certain Escobedo asking Alonso (the younger) de León to allow his son to join the anticipated entrada into Texas in 1689. Although the expedition was intended as a punative military campaign against the French incursion into Spanish domains, the elder Escobedo sensed its historic nature and wished his son to participate in it. Escobedo was right, for this expedition had historic consequences. The 1689 entrada not only opened up a gateway into Texas, but left its mark by giving landmarks and rivers names that are still in use today, and allowed the establishment of missions, presidios and settlements that firmly secured Texas as a Spanish dominion.

Juan Bautista Chapa, native of Albisola, near Genoa, participated in this entrada and chronicled it among other events in his Historia del Reino de León which traces the history and colonization of northeastern Mexico and Texas in rich detail for the period between 1650-1690. Chapa intended his history to be a follow-on to Alonso (the elder) de León's Discourses which detailed the history of this region prior to 1650. Chapa's Historia demonstrates the author's literary acumen through a mournful poem written as a memorial to the dead French encountered in 1689 at La Salle's settlement. This history has become the key contemporary work from which any historical study of this region must begin.

This volume is the first widely accessible and accurate English translation of Chapa's Historia. Elegantly translated by Ned F. Brierley and annotated by William C. Foster, who is becoming known for his welcomed efforts in bringing to the English-speaking world the chronicles of other Spanish expeditions into Texas, this book is a valuable addition to the historiography of colonial Mexico and Texas. Foster provides a cogent and insightful introduction in which he details the history of Chapa's manuscript and an analysis of the history and puts it in context with De León's Discourses. Foster has added De León's previously unpublished revised diary of his 1690 expedition into Texas as well as a listing of the 80 Indian tribes identified in this book. This book is essential reading for all students and scholars of Mexico's far north frontier and Texas. Additionally, the descriptions of the Indians, vegetation, wildlife, and climate in seventeenth-century Texas, will be of interest to ethnographers, anthropologists, and biogeographers. Genealogists of northeastern Mexico and south Texas will also benefit because the book contains some muster listing of the expeditioners-whose many descendants presently carry their names throughout the region and beyond. So names in genealogical trees and pedigrees get fleshed-out and placed in historical context.

I liked it,I found the way the storys were laid out to be appealing.

The half historical and mythical novel The Greek Gods by Bernard Evslin, and Bernard Evslin tells of the legendary Gods Zeus, Apollo, Aphrodite, Posiden, and Hera. These Gods play a big roll in the book. The Greek mythology had some faith and some common sense. In the book many people defined the Gods making them angry like Arachnie becoming a spider. The Gods were very jealous beings and destroyed the Titans long ago.

Homeschooling is a tough job. This year my daughter is doing Greece. We started on mythology and dumped a lot of books. Then we discovered this one. What a little treasure this turned out to be!! Each god is described clearly ,in an entertaining fashion. Every story was read and remembered with ease by her not yet 10 year old mind. Frankly, it should be in the library of every household....It can be read by all ages because it is entertaining and painless....

Lonely planet has almost become the Bible for budget travellers. This book contiunes the trend - most people in the youth hostels I stayed at in Sacandinavia had a copy ! As ususal, the book provides good information on places to stay and eat as well as suggested sights. If anything, the book is a little light on detail in some areas. This is basically because it trys to cover such a large area. Therefore, travellers are advised to use this book as a guide only. It does not compensate for making your own enquies and going 'off the beaten track'. As usual, the book is well organised and reference making access to information quick and efficient. This is certainly thes best guide for Scandinavia I found and a must for independent travellers. Enjoy your trip ...

I must admit that I got this book because I have fallen in love with the character of Father Mulcahy in the television show M*A*S*H. William Christopher plays the role with a lot of love, intelligence, innocence, and humour, which made the character so close to being real.

Because of this, I was interested in obtaining a bit of a picture into the life of the person behind the character, and therefore I got this book.

This book deals primarily with one of the Christophers' sons, Ned. From the very beginning, Ned was a puzzling child, behaving in somewhat atypical manners. However, at the beginning, much of this could be chalked up to children and their own unique behaviours. Then, as some of the problems became more pronounced, the struggle for a correct diagnosis and a successful treatment was on. Over the years, there are a number of joys and setbacks; times when it seems like Ned is making progress, and times when everything seems to be crashing down again.

The book is written in tandem by William and Barbara Christopher, with them writing alternating chapters, which is a technique that works well telling this story. From what they have written, it is obvious how much they loved this child, each other, and their entire family. And considering the number of autistic children there are, they are not the only parents who have struggled with this. (Though, between their intense dedication and secure financial situation, they were able to try some things that the 'average' person may not have been able to.)

All in all, this was a good read. M*A*S*H does get mentioned here and there, and a couple of Alan Alda quotes make their way in, but if one is looking to get more of a "backstage look" of the television series, this is not the book to do it with. However, if you is looking for a book having to do with a family doing what they can for a child with special needs, this book is up your alley.

This book is an excellent introduction to Greek Mythology. I have used it as a novel study for my sixth graders for several years, and they love the interesting and unusual characters contained in the myths. Perseus shows his courage in slaying Medusa and rescuing Andromeda. Theseus displays quick thinking in destroying many monsters including the Minotaur. Readers learn a new side of Daedalus, the father of Icarus, who invented the labyrinth for King Minos. The final stories of Atalanta, King Midas, and Pygmalion teach children universal themes of love and greed which still abound in modern society. Lots of children go on to read many more myths after finishing this exciting collection.

Good power electronics textbook. I use it for my power electronics course at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. It covers a lot of material well, including switching power converters, thermal and magnetics design. It's a bit thin in some important subjects, such as current mode control.

Marc T. Thompson, Ph.D.