I could not put the book down. I have never read a book of this genre before and I found it absolutely compelling. Whether or not you agree with the intrinsic philosophy, you will find yourself learning a tremendous amount, historically and about current affairs, as well as caring very much about the futures of the various characters. A great read!

I found "The Last Star" to be one of the best books I have ever read in the realm of Christian fiction. It seemed to provide just the right amounts of suspense and credibility. The technical descriptions surrounding the unusual star phenomena were very believable without being overbearing. As a reader who normally likes authors such as Clancy and Ludlum, I was delightfully surprised to find such a suspenseful and riveting novel written in a Christian venue. I couldn't put it down once I started reading it. I do hope that there will be more novels by William Proctor to follow!

I found the enigma of "The Last Star," by William Proctor, so engaging that I couldn't wait to discover the outcome.

If you like mystery and espionage stories, mixed with a Christian theme, you will enjoy "The Last Star." If you think you are not interested in such a story, you'll change your mind after you read this novel.

A special team gathers in a historical land to investigate a strange light that appears in the sky. The puzzle is challenging. As the story of this unusual celestial object unfolds, so does the nature of each person in the group. The characters are very real and it is entertaining to follow their dialog.

From the beginning of the novel, to the last page, Mr. Proctor leads you through a plot filled with interesting scientific, historical and theological information. The setting, which takes place in Israel, enhances the storyline.

So, what is this strange light? What does its appearance mean to the world? Will the research team succeed in finding all the answers to their questions? Who will reveal and stop the villains?

It's worth reading the book to find out!

Fafa Demasio

This was a fun book to read because of the examples of real life situations. The recipes were a big hit with my family. Fiber is a key part of a healthy diet and the recipes were a practical way to help me with my irritable bowel syndrome.

The Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute is a world renowned center for the fine arts. Ably edited by Anna Tobin D'Ambrosio, the Curator of Decorative Arts at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute Museum of Art has compiled essays by herself and other decorative arts scholars on more than 65 finely crafted examples of American furniture encompassing nearly every 19th century style and explores the careers of America's most influential cabinetmakers and shops of the era in Masterpieces of American Furniture From the Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute. Her introductory essays traces the evolution of the museum's decorative arts holdings. The informative text is superbly illustrated with more than 90 color plates, plus detail images from period sources and labels. The outstanding and scholarly presentation is highly recommended for students of 19th century American furniture, cabinetmaking, and home decorative fashions.

I had tried every kind of diet ever published. I lost weight then gained it back. Then as I got older, it was even harder to lose weight no matter how few calories I ate. This book helped to to understand how certain foods make you fat. I've adopted a low-glycemic diet and have lost 8 lbs. in about 6 weeks. It was effortless, and it's a lifestyle and diet I can stay on forever.

If you are desperate to lose weight and maintain a healthy, long-term life lifestyle, you must read this book--then put it into practice! It's easy

The G-Index diet makes weight loss easy. The program is user friendly, simple and very easy to follow. I have been recommending this book to my weight loss clients for many years because of its effectiveness, simplicity and informative style.
The best part is that all of the foods include a wide variety in all food groups and are commonly available in the local grocery store. Most of my clients really like the fact that it also allows for some carbohydrates.

Cheryl A. Beshada, CMHt.

Certified Medical Hypnotherapist
Clinical Care Network
Sterling Heights, Michigan

This book is right on the money. A well balanced diet that is SO EASY to follow. Not only are the meals great to eat, but your full all the time. (I actually started to think that I was overeating!) The meals are pretty easy to make, and the author encloses a weekly grocery list for your convience. The book outlines a complete diet for three weeks including recipes. This can't be made any easier. The G-Index book was recommended on a website for thyroid problems. Losing weight is near to impossible when you have a sluggish thyroid, however, while on this diet I have lost 5 poinds in two weeks! This is one to defintely recommend to all your friends!

I'm a journalist, publisher and Christian, quite concerned about the role of the mass media in the world today. I bought this book hoping for insight into how to respond to the media. Instead, I was dismayed to find a paranoid attack on the Times, which assumes that its leadership, if not entire staff, is consciously promoting an anti-Christian moral code. Proctor endlessly argues his own conclusions, which is ultimately hypocritical, since his words make it clear that he is pushing a conservative agenda and he assumes that anything that disagrees with it is biased.

There are seeds of truth about the media throughout the book, which might inspire critical thinking by mature Christians who have substantial media knowledge. But Proctor is not that sort of deep thinker. He is a cheerleader for those who would swallow simple-minded conclusions, starting with the notion that responsibility for changes in public attitudes over the last few decades "must in large part be laid squarely at the feet of the mass media."

Proctor fundamentally goes astray in his assumption of *intent* on the part of the Times. In fact, no one had to plan to create a moral code; the implicit moral code in the mass media is the result of a society that puts faith in free markets to be an infalliable source of truth. By demonizing the Times, Proctor neglects the reality that human institutions *always* fall short of the truth. In an eagerness to place blame, he fails to see how the mass media could become a force of evil, in which we all share responsibility, unless people consciously chose to make it one. Proctor shows that he worships free speech and free markets -- the mass media's justifications -- more than God.

The subtitle -- "How the world's most powerful news organization shapes your mind and values" -- barely begins to pay tribute to the book's arrogant and often illogical over-simplifications.

Bottom line: Ignore it unless you plan to treat it as Proctor (correctly, I fear) says we should regard the Times: with great skepticism.

This book should be studied by every high-school civics class. It's among the most useful and incisive studies of the print media's "idea" (or intellectual) content.

This book is not so much about familiar "liberal bias" claims; rather, it shows what the New York Times does goes beyond simple bias, to a conscious, deliberate, planned attack on opposing world-views with the goal of substituting its own set of absolute values.

A decision to engage in propaganda often arises from a strong set of beliefs or vested interests. Since the average person today has shallow or non-existent personal philosophies (generally developed by cobbling together beliefs based on what gratifies preconceptions one isn't even aware of), true-believers with convictions can often convince non-believers easily.

But if you understand the propagandists presuppositions -- those things he assumes are true, often without even realizing it -- and can identify and understand links to other organizations and philosophies, you will be in a better position to recognize the pattern, evaluate which assumptions are in play, and thus the correctness of the message.

This book can therefore serve as an excellent guide to fostering critical thinking when it comes to modern media, through its examination of the most powerful news organization in the world, the New York Times. Nearly all journalists determine what is important and 'the angle' from the NYT, thus extending it's influence to the smallest town or largest cable network.

The author shows how the beliefs of a handful of people are able to shape perceptions of reality in hundreds of millions by implanting assumptions in the public via decisions of what types of stories are important, headlines, picture selection, subtly slanted writing and the placement of opinion-shaping stories cloaked as news reports. Sheer persistent repetition is able to completely change the thinking and values of a public lacking intellectual foundations.

30 years ago, who could have even imagined the Boy Scouts would be banned from public schools that now dispense condoms? Or the country would be managing its own dissolution by allowing the importation of 3rd world populations exceeding the size of France in just 10 years? And that criticism of such things is called "controversial" (if not a "hate-crime"!) and can ruin people? Curious about how the complete inversion of right and wrong could be engineered within a single generation? Read this book.

The author also looks at conflicts of interest, giving examples where organizations the New York TImes had a direct undisclosed financial interest in were at the center of its reporting and editorializing to its benefit; the link between the NYT and the Pulitzer Prize committee which returns so many awards to it; the many examples in which Culture Creep techniques were used to alter public morality by using "the opinion piece in disguise", "the editorial blast", "the op-ed hit piece", and "the bombardment".

The author identifies the set of fundamentalist beliefs the New York Times promotes; "The Sin of Religious Certainty", "The Sin of Conservatism", "The Sin of Capital Punishment", "The Sin of Broken Public Trust", "The Second of the Second Amendment", the "Sin of Censorship", "The Sin of Limiting Abortion".

The NYT also defines certain cultural spirits as being positive: globalism, multiculturalism, total sexual freedom, environmentalism, entitlement, scientism and humanism.

The book analyzes coverage of stories ranging from the Columbine shooting to election coverage; both the coverage content, slanting, comparison of stories with the actual events, and statistical studies of the word usage and counts.

The book is well-written. Afterward, one can hardly read the New York Times without laughing, assuming you took it seriously before.

For example, two days ago I read in the NYT that public belief in the existence of absolute right and wrong, jumping to 38% after the Sep 11 attack, had now declined to "normal"; 22%. The message was "religion back to normal". Apparently, this was thought by the NYT a matter needing polling. Those religious leaders who had earlier remarked about the rebirth of religion in America could now be shown as wrong while simultaneously emphasizing how "religious certainty" was once again a declining minority. The effect of the attack, which reawakened patriotic sentiments and threatened the Times belief system, was now waning. Back to business as usual.

Of course, if you read the polling question, results would actually have to be 100% of the public believe in absolutes. If you think there is no absolute right or wrong, that belief itself is a claim to an absolute truth; a claim to be right.

But, two days later, USA Today picked up on the NYT priority, incoherent as it is, and ran it's own piece on the same subject, echoing the marching orders, as did countless other papers around the country and world. In this way, opinions are remolded in a specific direction without regard to reality.

Excellent book. It is amazing how so many people are lead down a predetermined path by the media. Just like the book says, everyone is afraid of being called uneducated or intolerant therefore they mindlessly mouth the same message delivered by the mainstream press. Just like sheep. They blindly follow the leader. Ignore the Media. Think For Yourself. (...)

If this book was finished, I'd give it 4 or 5 stars. Unfortunately, it ends right in the middle of the story, with the majority of the plotlines left unfinished and hardly any loose ends tied. And that's a shame, because up until the last few pages it's a really good book that is hard to put down (other reviewers have done a good job reviewing the actual story, so I won't repeat them here). But the authors either ran out of time in the middle of their story and had to hand something over to the publisher or think it's OK for a story to depend on a sequel rather than building the foundation for one. My recommendation is to wait until the sequel is published then buy both books together so you have a complete story.

I was moderately impressed by Proctor's previous novel, "The Last Star", and so looked forward to this collaborative effort. It turns out to be a sequel of sorts to the earlier work, with the protagonist from "The Last Star" appearing in a supporting role here. The book also leaves itself wide open for a third installment. And that is part of its problem.

The writing quality is definitely improved, but the hook of the novel is delayed until very late, and then left hanging. The idea of the human race coming into possession of information that would result in perfect health and indefinite lifespans is interesting, but not new - it is much better developed in Donald Moffitt's "Genesis Quest" and "Second Genesis" (and the means of getting the information is very similar in Moffitt too). However, the moral and ethical issues deserve close examination and Proctor and Weldon attempt to do this, but fail. Because the introduction of the information comes late in the book, the opportunity to investigate this aspect is limited to a brief discussion between a Christian Russian physicist and an agnostic American doctor on a moon station. Presumably, the ethical issues will be developed further in a third book. Given that the information is left, at the end of the book, in the hands of the Russian Mafia, this seems likely.

Additionally, a miraculous (literally) escape from a shootout at Kennedy Space Center in the closing chapters also rings untrue. It comes over as a very convenient deus ex machina device to get the main character out of a tough situation.

Authors William Proctor and David J. Weldon's novel, MOONGATE, takes place on two settings - the earth and moon. The year is 2017. Scott Andrews, U.S. Representative and Chairman of the House Space Committee, heads a special mission to the moon. The group consists of an international (Russia, Israel, Australia, Japan and Russia) team of scientist-astronauts that will set up a nuclear fusion plant to resolve the earth's energy crises. On the moon, the scientists create a wormhole and mysteriously receive powerful information from an unknown source. It is information that advances human knowledge ten-fold on how to eradicate illnesses, prolong life and enhance genetic engineering. This is a wonderful discovery except that this data in the wrong hands would cause more harm than help. The entire human race could change with unknown consequences. The main characters have to make a decision about what to do with the information. Meanwhile, on earth, several covert activities affecting the moon venture take place. Certain country leaders have a deeper agenda than that of the special energy project and particular people want Andrews out of the way. Colleen Barker, the congressman's chief of staff and Michael James (one of the main characters from Proctor's earlier novel, THE LAST STAR) help investigate.

MOONGATE is a dynamic science fiction, political thriller with Christian themes that add an extra special quality to the book. Each chapter is full of surprises. The storyline gradually unfolds so that all the characters and their actions are believable and hold your attention. The suspense is laid out so well that you can't wait to get to the next chapter. If you choose to read MOONGATE before bedtime, like I did, you may find it hard to get some sleep. You'll be sorely tempted to stay up all night to finish the book. I kept saying to myself, "Just one more chapter, then I'll put the book down. Just one more chapter." I always enjoy reading Proctor's books because they are not only entertaining but also educational.

Publishers Weekly comments that Proctor "shows promise of becoming the Christian Tom Clancy." That's no lie. I look forward to reading more of his books like MOONGATE.

Fafa Demasio

William Proctor may convince true believers that their beliefs are true. That's always an easy task. And from the reviews I've read of The Resurrection Report, he's succeeded in keeping the choir on his side. But theologically sophisticated readers will find this book to be a waste of time.

The combination of Proctor's deep and obvious enmeshment with his subject matter, and his lack of basic theological training, provides some real whoppers. Consider his discussion of why the resurrection narratives in the Synoptic Gospels are each so unique while the pre-resurrection accounts in the same three gospels have so much material in common. For Proctor, the "obvious response" is that the gospel writers "sensed that what they were writing was of supreme importance for the faith." And because of the unique importance of these resurrection narratives, God gave the writers "an extra measure of grace" to enable each to write an "exceptionally strong" account. (Pages 44 to 45.) Now, anyone who has taken Intro to the NT knows, and Proctor himself knows, that in writing their gospels Matthew and Luke relied heavily on Mark as a source, often copying passages verbatim. (This is the view held by the overwhelming majority of biblical scholars, including most evangelicals.) But since Mark contains only the briefest of resurrection accounts, and abruptly ends with the women fleeing from the tomb, Matthew and Luke were forced to find their own sources for their resurrection passages. Hence the diversity. No "extra measure of grace" needed to explain the obvious.

Proctor's willingness to resort to supernatural explanations when obvious literary ones exist, suggests an agenda and a willingness to violate his Rule #4 of First-Rate Reporting, "keep your prejudices out of the story."

More fundamentally, I find Proctor's application of modern journalism principles to the gospel writers to be highly anachronistic, and an essentially useless undetaking. The question of what genre the gospel writers intended their gospels to be is a hotly debated one in theological circles. Did the writers view themselves as historical reporters, ("just the facts, ma'am,") or did they readily employ metaphor as a tool to present the highest truths, as was so common in Greek literature of the era? Proctor's references to Luke as "A True Investigative Reporter," and to John as "The First 'New Journalist,'"and his use of such journalistic terms as "scoop" and "re-write man," are cute, but they skirt the complex issue of genre and give the novice reader a sense of assurance that the theologically astute know is not justifiable.

Proctor seems to genuinely believe that the issues are simple. (He actually titles a three page section of his book "All You Need to know About the Synpotics.) I respectfully suggest he spend a few years in seminary before his next theological undertaking.

Applying the modern-day journalist's standard--point-by-point--to the resurrection of Jesus Christ brings a new perspective.

Proctor uses the test of good journalism to evaluate the resurrection accounts of 2000 years ago. (Click on the "Table of Contents" under "Book Information" in the upper lefthand corner of this screen to see the standards he uses.) This point-by-point evaluation provides new insight to an event that I thought I knew well. Also, by comparing and folding the various accounts into a single "news event" the reader comes to a new appreciation of the breadth of the Biblical information.

Very readable, yet powerful in its comprehensive approach.

This book is so uniquely written. I found it refreshing and highly thought provoking. Even though we are all very familiar with this awesome story, The Resurrection Report allows the reader to look at this story in a brand new light. Words can't express how deeply moved I was by this book. Mr. Proctor did an outstanding job!

It is remarkable what Charles Burchfield could do with what might be considered ordinary subjects, taken from an ordinary Midwestern field or sky or Main Street. He painted the mundane work-a-day life: "Freight Cars Under a Bridge;" "Wires Down," "Return of the Lake Fishermen," "Old Tavern at Hammondsville, Ohio." But I think he will ultimately be remembered for the nature paintings, that he deeply imbued with his personal symbolism of both vision and sound. Check out his "Song of the Telegraph" or "Autumnal Fantasy" if you'd like to see how he incorporated sound into his paintings--they're both shown in this catalogue (unfortunately there are only seventeen color plates. The majority of the illustrations are black and white).

In 1916-18 Burchfield executed a series of imaginative watercolors originating from childhood memories, and based for the most part on nature, e.g. "Dandelion Seed Balls and Trees," "Passing Shower in June," "In the Swamp," and "Insect Chorus" --another of his wonderful 'sound' paintings. In 1921 he moved from Ohio to Buffalo, New York where he became interested in the heartland architecture of the 1870s and 1880s. He began to paint the Mid-Western scene in a more realistic spirit. This is the period when his output consisted of railroad bridges ("Black Iron" 1935), locomotive repair shops, grain elevators, etc.

The latter subject, painted in oils in 1938 seems to have caused an epiphany for Burchfield. He considered it the most disappointing painting of his career and abandoned the oil medium completely. By 1943 he completed his return to the more imaginative and romantic vision of his early work. Some of my favorite watercolors are from this period: "The Sphinx and the Milky Way" (1946); "Hush Before the Storm" (1947); "Orion in December" (1959); "Dandelion Seed Heads and the Moon" (1961 - 65).

This catalogue of Burchfield's paintings (mainly watercolor) segments his work by year, starting with 1911 when he graduated as valedictorian of his high school class, through 1967, when he died of a heart attack on January 10th. There is an extensive bibliography of Burchfield's publications, and works about him, plus an index of his catalogued works (with a page number if the painting is illustrated in this catalogue). The author also includes a short biography, photographs, maps, and a brief summary of each year in Burchfield's career, e.g. 1923: "Birth of first child, Mary Alice. He became interested in Russian [music]...which seemed in harmony..." with what he was trying to express in his paintings.

This catalogue is a must for all serious Burchfield admirers. For more information on this American artist, check out his entries in the online artcyclopedia.

If your serious about wanting to improve your spelling ability this book is for you. The techniques it provides can help poor spellers become much more proficient in using the written language. The methods outlined can also help good spellers overcome the words that might trouble them. It's a short, concise book that's packed with ways to enhance your spelling and well worth the price. I strongly recommend it.

I thought this book would be more, or read like more, to me.... I ended up scanning some passages because of the telling of individuals' stories that permiate the book. I came away with a couple of things to think about, but on balance, I thought there was just too much "filler" and not enought "there"..there. Good concepts, but not enough for a book..... and not so different than what others have proposed in other books. Just a different take. Would have made a nice pamphlet.

NOW I UNDERSTAND why I have bursts of creativity or achieve a "runner's high" (even though I'm just walking briskly) under certain conditions. Benson explains that it's the science--and explains it in a way that I can replicate (he would say "trigger") the Breakout experience at will.

The various applications of the Breakout principle are organized by chapter, allowing the reader to think about each application type and to compare and contrast them. Currently our teenagers are applying the Breakout technique in their respective sports activities with some success. I am curious about applying it in an R&D setting where colleagues need to have a "collective" Breakout to develop new, innovative products.

This book gives you insights (1) to how the brain functions, (2) to better harness its power and (3) to outperform competitors.

THE BREAKOUT PRINCIPLE breaks through to a new understanding of
creativity and productivity. I never realized that there was a biological basis for the generation of ideas and insights -and that this biology could actually be switched on at will. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to increase the odds of achieving peak performance at work or play.