People like author Robert E. Roberts give me hope for the human race. "My Soul Said to Me" is an outstanding book that deserves widespread readership by all segments of society. I highly recommend it to anyone concerned about breaking the horrific cycle of violence that our current prison system perpetuates. It is well established that our prisons are training camps in degradation and corruption and that conventional solutions to crime and violence have failed on all fronts. Robert's personal account of his journey behind the walls of justice and his relationship with inmates demonstrates a bold step forward toward a more humane and enlightened prison system. Excellent companion reading to this book is "Violence: Reflections on a National Epidemic" by James Gilligan, M.D., a prison psychiatrist for 25 years. I hope Oprah invites both these authors on her show and gives these books the exposure they deserve. --Suza Francina, Mayor, City of Ojai, California, author, "The New Yoga for People Over 50" and "Yoga and the Wisdom of Menopause."

This book is fascinating. I read it in a weekend. It's the story of a man who transforms his life. Bob Roberts was a successful dentist in the New Orleans area who had a personal crisis prompt him to change. He gave up a wealthy lifestyle and ended up founding an organization called Project Return that helps ex-cons make the transition to a legitimate life in society. It seems most ex-cons end up committing further crime and returning to jail. The graduates of his program have a huge success rate at staying out of trouble.

The book gives some interesting insight into the "Drug War." One of its inadvertent results is that you have non-violent drug users arrested and sent to jail where they are so brutalized that when they are released, they sometimes turn violent, usually against someone more helpless than them -- a child victim perhaps.

However, this is not a grim book. It's a pleasure to read. There's a lot that is inspiring and hopeful. Parts are funny and triumphant. I really enjoyed it and endorse it wholeheartedly.

I met Bob Roberts at a conference he hosted a few years ago. This book is as compelling and fierce as I expected. In forsaking comfort to find his own soul, Bob also found a way to help society's outcasts -- prisoners -- discover their own dignity and humanity. These stories are the real thing: messy, poignant, energizing. So few people do this work; so many should know that it can, and is, successfully being done. Help yourself to hope by reading this book.

If somebody loves you authentically so much so that you become better person than before, you can't help loving him dearly. It happens. And it can happen even through a book! In this incredable book called "insight", you are invited to a wonderland of a higly diffentiated intelligence, only to find that it is no other than your real self. At first you wonder, you ask, you think hard, and you get it! For the first time you come to know what is understanding. You begin to doubt, you reflect, and finally you judge that you are a knower! Now you are changed. Now you know you are consciously operating in your experiencing, understanding, judging, and deciding. Now you know what knowledge is, what it means to you, and how it means to you. You become a living, knowing, acting subject. And you come to love Lonergan, since he introduced you to yourself. To "read" Insight may take a long time, years or decades. However when you finish it, you will begin to take another long trip to yourself, where no one had gone before...

This is the definitive text of Bernard Lonergan's most important work, Insight, with over 130 revisions, based on the meticulous labor of comparing three texts, line by line, word by word! All students of Lonergan's thought owe a great debt to Frs. Frederick E. Crowe and Robert M. Doran for having executed their task with such thoughtfulness, perfection and devotion. Corresponding pages to the second edition of Insight, which has been the standard one, are given in brackets. My previous review was based on the second edition.

Rev. Bernard Lonergan, S.J.(1904-1984), though still not commonly known, was, talent-wise, certainly one of the top thinkers of the 20th century. It takes time for his thoughts to be appreciated, developed and applied. There are already numerous web-sites and hundreds of books, articles and theses written on his ideas. He might be publicly acknowledged as one of the 100 most influential thinkers by the end of this century. For more than forty years, his works continue to nourish and challenge people, initially in seminary circles, and gradually in different universities. Boston College has been a key base for over 20 years in fostering studies of Lonergan's thought and stimulating dialogue with people in diverse fields. Insight remains one of the basic books that one needs to master if we want to reach up to Lonergan's mind, just as he reached up to the mind of Aquinas. One of the perennial issues underlying human differences is our assumptions about knowing and reality. What is it to know? Is it taking a look out there? Or do we presume that we cannot know reality? Lonergan proposed an arduous journey for all of us to become aware of what we are doing when experiencing, understanding, judging and choosing. The focus is on appropriating or gaining self-knowledge of our recurrent cognitional processes and structures in knowing. "¡Kit is essential that the notion of insight, of the accumulation of insights, of higher viewpoints, and of their heuristic significance and implications, not only should be grasped clearly and distinctly but also, in so far as possible, should be identified in one's own personal intellectual experience." (p.xx) "Thoroughly understand what it is to understand, and not only will you understand the broad lines of all there is to be understood but also you will possess a fixed base, an invariant pattern, opening upon all further developments of understanding." (p.xxviii) This is a difficult, painstaking and challenging task, not achieved just by reading from cover to cover (785 pages plus 30). Lonergan's examples from mathematics, physics, classical and statistical investigations might be a hurdle to those who don't have background in such disciplines. Insight is like the Zen master's finger pointing towards the moon. One must be careful not to get lost in the sweeping and erudite visions and constantly come back to appropriating one's own knowing processes. This is not a book for the faint-hearted. One easier introduction is Terry J. Tekippe's "What is Lonergan Up to in Insight? A Primer". Then one can go on to Flanagan's Quest for Self-Knowledge, and The Lonergan Reader, edited by the Morellis, and finally come to grapple with the full original and Lonergan's later works on Method in Theology and Macroeconomic Dynamics.

Barron draws on religious writings ranging from the Old and New Testament,Augustine, Thomas Aquinas (the subject of one of his previous books),Martin Luther and Dante to more contemporary writers like Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor, Paul Tillich, Hans Kung and Thomas Merton to position the story and meaning of Jesus' life in a profound new way. This book gave me, a lifetime seeker, powerful new insights into why Jesus really is the way, the truth, and the light. The writing style is intelligent, brilliant, yet wholly readable. You'll want to savor and underline many of the thoughts and observations. For example, the succinct interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount is reason enough to get and read this book. Barron, a priest who is a theology professor at Mundelein Seminary in Illinois, provides us with a fresh way of viewing the Trinity which gives new meaning to the divine love it represents and what the Trinity says about how we can make love, and thereby personal fulfillment and happiness, integral aspects of our lives. If your looking for a book that will invigorate your faith and spiritual life, then get and treasure this book. It's a reference manual that you'll go back to often for encouragement and counsel. You'll keep it handy alongside books by Richard Rohr, Anthony DeMello and Thomas Keating. If anything its brilliance, scholarship, and insights exceed any of these authors. This book may well be for you the next best thing to having your own spiritual director. It could be the basis of a turning around, a metanoia, that will change your life!

I picked this book up knowing nothing about its content. As a reward, I received the most readable, sensible and well-supported view of Christianity I have ever read. This is not a religious book in the sense that it does not about Church or religions. (In fact, the author, Catholic Priest, seems to recognize that churchs and religions can be of the most difficult obstacles to understanding Christ.) Rather it is a book that focus on a multi-level interpretation of scripture and its call to transform our view of ourselves and our place in creation. This is done in part by reference to literary works be Dante, Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor and others in a successful effort to show a common search for the real Christ in us and in our midst. This book about transformation can transform the way you view the Bible and your place in and beyond the world. I set it aside to reread in two weeks and will probably do so several times.

As an aside, Barron is very similar to Richard Rohr in many of his views. (He quotes Fr. Rohr's works at least once.) If you find Fr. Rohr interesting, Barron, intentionally or not, follows and expands many of his themes.

I found this book helpful, and enjoyable to read, so much so that I read the whole thing is one sitting! The premise of this book is that the way to "express your anger and still be kind" is to work-out your anger on your own before communicating it to others. this way when you talk to others, they don't get blasted with the full force and intensity of your anger. We've all heard the advice "count to ten when you're angry." This book goes far beyond that and tells you what you REALLY need to know. Not only did Dr. Puff convince me that being passive aggressive or making rude comments ultimately hurts ME more than anyone else, but he also offered the hands-on "here's what to do" advice that I was looking for. I actually tried some of the suggestions, and was able to work through and let go of a long-standing grudge. I enjoyed reading the personal stories, especially the one about Bob in the section People Who Don't Feel Angry, But Have Issues From the Past. I love that quote: "Quick forgiveness is often false forgiveness, and false forgiveness can be detrimental to the health (both mental and physical) of the one who practices it. In that sense, false forgiveness can be worse than no forgiveness." I am an artist myself, so I found it refreshing to see some creative alternatives included with the more classic kick-boxing or punching bag methods. I highly recommend this book. It's good stuff and fast reading.

A practical guide to dealing with the issues in life that keep us from reaching our full potential as human beings. In Dr. Puff's book, he provides straight forward explanations of the causal relationship between what has happened in our past and its connection to the present. His recommendations for managing the stress in our lives revolve around activities that promote healing and health. Dr. Puff's focus on breaking the cycle of abusive behavior towards ourselves and/or others is particularly helpful for those who struggle with feelings of guilt and shame. The information presented gives simple, yet effective recommendations in dealing the situations in life that make us angry. I highly recommend Dr. Puff's book for its pragmatic approach to attaining emotional health through its emphasis on treating ourselves and others with dignity and respect.

It's all a matter of taste of course, but I believe Sam Abell's "Stay This Moment" to be a stunning set of photographs.

The apparent simplicity of his technique and vision is an inspiration to a keen amateur photographer like me. Who needs a bag full of zoom lenses/filters/gadgets etc?

I'm desperately hoping for a reprint so I can buy my own copy of this book - at a reasonable price.

I found the images in this book absolutely delightful and very beautiful. They simply took my breath away. I would love to find a copy to own but haven't had any luck in locating one. Please contact me if you know how to find this book.

Now in a newly updated, revised, and expanded edition, Disinherit The IRS by chartered financial consultant E. Michael Kilbourn (President of Kilbourn Associates and Chairman of the Wealth Protection Network, Naples, Florida) is a very practical and "user friendly" guide to minimizing or eliminating personal estate taxes in order to ensure that the money and possessions left to the people and causes intended is not unfairly or unnecessarily eroded by estate taxes or any other form of taxation. Solid and practical advice for protecting personal finances against claims from lawsuits and divorce actions also fill the pages of this useful and informative compendium. Other chapters address such financial planning issues as life insurance, the usefulness of trusts, and sound steps anyone can take to protect their assets. If you have amassed a lifetime of wealth and wish to lawfully minimize the tax man's demands upon it, then acquire and carefully give a serious reading to Michael Kilbourn's Disinherit The IRS!

It gives an easy overlook over fundamental aspects of human relations at work

Buy this book! Learn to refocus the positive aspects of your type A personality for success. Don't let the title fool you. This is not about sitting back in a rocking chair after your first coronary event. Instead, this cardiologist who's as Type A as the rest of us explains how to know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em in dealing with personal, professional and day-to-day social hassles. A great chapter on self talk and how it can frustrate adult stress. And a great chapter with quizzes on dealing with stresses. Take the quizzes on separate sheets of paper, date them, share them or have your significant other take them the same way as well. Periodic readings of this book got me from my first MI through 15 years of middle age, an angioplasty, and my recent triple bypass. The physical predisposition to coronary problems was genetic. My successful adjustment to the stress factors was all from the book, discovered as part of my original coronary rehabilitation in 1985. Read this book. Lead a better life. Buy copies for friends! Enjoy!

Webber has outlined an evangelism for a new age. We live in a post-modern world where a majority of the people have little or no contact with the Church.

Evangelism in this age is similar to that of the first two centuries of the Christian faith. Instead of handing out tracks, we bring them into the church by forming relationships with them, teaching them what worship is, and by nurturing them in the faith.

This is an excellent book and one that thoughtful missionaries in our culture will turn to again and again.

Along with his book Ancient-Future Faith and the Younger Evangelicals, Webber has set us an agenda and a method.

The faith is taught not caught. The early Christians taught new comers the faith before they made them full members in the community. In our world we make them full members and leave them ignorant far too often.

You will not be sorry you purchased this volume.

This book sounds wonderful--a pictoral view of ferry travel to and from San Juan Island. I was hoping for a coffee-table type book, something that would show out of town friends the beauty and charm of the San Juan Islands and ferry travel. I was very disappointed when the book arrived--it's small, has a low-budget look to it, and has captions that don't explain the photos. Furthermore, the captions themselves are irritating, painful attempts by the writer (the photographer's wife) to sound "artsy". Yuck.

I was also disappointed in the quality of the photos. The Washington State ferrys have some very unique features that would be perfect subjects for some detailed close-ups, with equally detailed explanations/captions, but none of these were included (aside from the cover photo, which was the best one in the book). I wouldn't recommend this book. Bottom line: Disappointing. Doesn't do the subject justice.

Illahee, Nisqually, Kaleetan.
Hyak, Hiyu, Elwha, Chelan.

These are the names of some of the ferries that take people to and between the Pacific Northwest's San Juan Islands. The words evoke an earlier tribal time that can almost be felt while riding on blue-gray salt water between glacier-flattened rocks and evergreen hills. Ferry passengers find themselves grounded to the earth in such a way that water, rock, trees, sky, sun, wind, and rain are no longer backdrops to life, but life itself. Nature dominates awareness, and people respond by visibly relaxing, smiling more, sleeping, meditating, reading, talking with friends, and anticipating adventures to come.

Island resident Robert Demar's beautiful black-and-white photographs capture the elusive, magical atmosphere surrounding these north Puget Sound "Nautical Highways". He pictures foot passengers, commuters from Seattle, cycling and motorcycling weekenders, trucks supplying the needs of island life, kids playing on deck, ferry crews tending to business, and curious and hungry seagulls. Aerial shots place the ferries and their graceful, contoured wakes into a larger but still other-worldly context.

Robin Atkins' impressionistic commentary provides a verbal tone poem that compliments the mood of Robert's artistry. Together, words and pictures recreate a Northwest ferry experience almost as much fun and restorative as the real thing.

I've been a resident of Puget Sound for 30 years and the San Juan Islands for the past 14 years. Looking at the photos of the ferries and island moments brings so many memories to mind. The people, the fog, the water, the gulls, the boats--as we call them--our transportation to the mainland. Robert has captured the images so well. And, Robin's comments, hykiu like, help support the photos. My mother, who can no longer travel from the East Coast, enjoyed the book very much. She always loved the ferry rides. Once you step onto our ferries and begin the trip into the islands, the busyness of the mainland is left behind.
Robert's photos help one to step into island life if only in our memories.