Going to Pieces without Falling Apart

Amazon.com

In the era of self-empowerment and the relentless glorification of self-esteem, Mark Epstein is questioning whether we have it all backward. As a psychiatrist and practicing Buddhist for 25 years, Epstein has come to believe that the self-help movement has encouraged us to spend enormous amounts of time, money, and mental energy on patching up our egos, rather than pursuing true self-awareness. Instead, Epstein suggests we carefully shatter the ego, as if it were a fat piggy bank, to see what's inside--a scary prospect for those who spend their lives in fear of falling apart. But fear not. Epstein artfully shows readers how to patch the pieces together again into a far richer and more meaningful mosaic. --Gail Hudson

Book Description

For decades, Western psychology has promised fulfillment through building and strengthening the ego. We are taught that the ideal is a strong, individuated self, constructed and reinforced over a lifetime. But Buddhist psychiatrist Mark Epstein has found a different way.

Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart shows us that happiness doesn't come from any kind of acquisitiveness, be it material or psychological. Happiness comes from letting go. Weaving together the accumulated wisdom of his two worlds--Buddhism and Western psychotherapy--Epstein shows how "the happiness that we seek depends on our ability to balance the ego's need to do with our inherent capacity to be." He encourages us to relax the ever-vigilant mind in order to experience the freedom that comes only from relinquishing control.

Drawing on events in his own life and stories from his patients, Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart teaches us that only by letting go can we start on the path to a more peaceful and spiritually satisfying life.

Customer Reviews:

Mental Mantra.......2007-09-11

Epstein is so facile and disciplined in the art of deconstructing Eastern and Western thought that he is free of the constraints of any cognitive anxiety incumbant to the marriage of these philosophical contexts. Not always so for the reader.

To find the pieces of Dr. Epstein's deep convictions without falling apart, it is best to resist the temptation to dwell too deeply on every thought, and avoid the frustration that comes when you first realize that this is not a "how to" book. Nonetheless, it is a fine background piece for integrating traditional Western psychological theory (and Eastern religion) into a Bhuddist (Zen) perspective, while addiing a dash of cognitive bgehaviorism for good measure.

I think the appeal is primarily to professionals, because, absent some background in Western psychological theory, it may well be jabborwocky.
Nonetheless, I found it interesting and thought provoking. I am currently looking for a Zen Master to help me unravel the toxic strings that bind me.

Very interesting.......2007-06-22

A very good read for those of us interested in learning about alternatives to the main stream.

Very good start, too wordy mid-way.......2007-04-30

I actually feel a tad guilty for giving this book a three.

The first third to half of the book is excellent, well written and clearly descriptive. I had a few moments of incredible clarity, and would enjoy listening to the author lecture.

Unfortunately, my own reading experience became drab. I was exhausted from this book - and have yet to finish reading it despite purchasing over a year ago. I tend to read books within several days to a week. If it isn't read withint a month, it is unlikely to be finished.

And unfortunately, i felt "burnt out" and cannot even stand to pick this book back up. I have tried several times, but found it, perhaps, whiny...

I think a condensed version would be an ideal substitute...

Going to pieces in a good way.......2007-03-27

As usual I found Epstein's work to be brilliant at capturing concepts from Buddhism and psychotherapy and showing their relevance to everyday life. As I read through this book and integrated the concepts he discussed in it, I found myself pausing more to just feel and let that moment be enough. And that's really what Epstein offers in this book, a chance to pause and mindfully reflect on the moment, a chance to learn that going to pieces doesn't mean you have to fall apart, but that it can be a positive experience.

My only complaint would be that his work is so self intensive sometimes that it doesn't focus much on the mindful interaction that can occur with other people. Given that his background is that of a therapist, this isn't too surprising or unexpected, but some balance would be nice.

Still I feel like I came away from this book with a better knowledge of myself and an awareness of how to be more mindful in my interactions.

What was that? Did "I" just read something?.......2006-01-21

Mark Epstein is much smarter than me, better educated, and knows a lot more than me about Buddhism and psychology.

Why then, did I feel untouched by this book? Every page, every word made sense; his arguments appeared sound and I could sense the earnest passion behind Dr. Epstein's writing. Nevertheless, I came away with little other than the assertion that Eastern Philosophy can inform the practice of Western Psychotherapy.

I suspect many reading this review, looking for books on this union of two great thought traditions, already know of, or suspect, a commonality. Some of his readers have lived within it for years. For these readers, I would guess there is little here other than a reinforcement, and systemization, of these ideas (by means of a pretigious professional training) while others might gain insights that are new to them.

But I do exaggerate. There is another thing that I brought away with me as I lay this book on the "finished" shelf in my basement: a desire to sit with the author, on the couch or on the cushion, and have him communicate his thoughts directly to, and specifically for, me.

Because I suspect Dr. Esptein is more therapist than popularizer and in adjusting his insights for a generic, and collective, reader, rather than a specific and soliary client or patient facing him from across his office, he diminishes them past the point of usefulness. His patients and students are fortunate to have direct access to his perspectives. This reader wanted more.

Jihad vs. McWorld: How the Planet Is Both Falling Apart and Coming Together and What This Means for Democracy

Average customer rating:

interesting, but a little preachy
The unity between religious fundamentalists and big business elites EXPOSED !
An Important but Very Flawed Work on Socio-Economics
Provactative but lacking in substance.
McJihad vs. Reality

Jihad vs. McWorld: How the Planet Is Both Falling Apart and Coming Together and What This Means for Democracy
Benjamin Barber
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

20th Century | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole
Globalization and Its Discontents
The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order
The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization
World-Systems Analysis: An Introduction (A John Hope Franklin Center Book)

ASIN: 0812923502
Release Date: 1995-08-01

Amazon.com

As soon as you hear the conceit of this book--that there are two great opposing forces at work in the world today, border-crossing capitalism and splintering factionalism, and that they are the two biggest threats to democracy--you know it rings true enough to be worth reading. Although capitalism could have only grown to current levels in the soil of democracies, Benjamin Barber argues that global capitalism now tends to work against the very concept of citizenship, of people thinking for themselves and with their neighbors. Too often now, how we think is the product of a transnational corporation (increasingly, a media corporation) with headquarters elsewhere. And although self-determination is one of the most fundamental of democratic principles, unchecked it has lead to a tribalism (think Bosnia, think Rwanda) in which virtually no one besides the local power elite gets a fair shake. The antidote, Barber concludes, is to work everywhere to resuscitate the non-governmental, non-business spaces in life--he calls them "civic spaces" (such as the village green, voluntary associations of every sort, churches, community schools)--where true citizenship thrives.

Book Description

Barber offers a bold lens through which to understand the chaotic events of the post-Cold War world and, in the tradition of Alvin Toffler's Future Shock and Paul Kennedy's The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers, explains the forces at work, why democracy is under siege, and what the consequences are for citizenship.

Customer Reviews:

interesting, but a little preachy.......2007-06-30

First of all, the cover art has been changed. Originally, it was a relatively prosaic cover, full of logos of religious symbols, corporate logos, and military equipment. The picture of the burka-clad lady sipping a Pepsi was undoubtedbly added after 9/11, to capitalize on world events. But the text has not been changed or revised, as far as I can tell....

On to the content. Almost half of the book is taken up by a description of "McWorld" (i.e. the multinational, comsumerist culture that would have us all drinking a Coke, going to McDonalds, wearing Nikes, etc., possibly to the detriment of local culture). Nothing I haven't really heard or read before.

Next, the author tries to describe "Jihad". (As an aside, although I am not a Muslim, I do know that Jihad is a specific Islamic term roughly meaning "struggle", but actually meaning different kinds of struggles, of which the violence that we hear about in the West is only one). In the book, the term "Jihad" is used to mean any opposition to "McWorld", or perhaps modernity or other cultures in general. I'm not sure that's appropriate; maybe another term, such as "neotribalism" (which actually is used in a few places in the book) might be more useful? Only a relatively short chapter talks about religion at all; it mostly tries to compare the Christian right (and far-right) in the US with the Islamic extremists.

A couple of chapters go over the "failure" of post-Communist Russia and East Germany; another describes the effects of "McWorld" on China and Japan. Also described in several places is the intersection of "McWorld" and "Jihad"; as "Jihadists" use the products and technologies of "McWorld" ,not only to propagate their ideas, but also as products for everyday living. (Maybe the new cover with the burka-wearing woman enjoying a Pepsi is more appropriate than I thought at first!)

According to the book, neither "McWorld" nor "Jihad" is a replacement for democracy. There are a number of social goals that are not met by either. Further, the current system of nation-states is no match for the power of the multinational companies; some sort of supra-national, global, democratic institution with power comparable to that of multinational capitalism. (Actually getting to that point, however, would require imposing democratic ideals on countries and communities that are now decidedly anti-democratic--this is not a task done overnight).

What I didn't like is that the book overestimates the power of "McWorld", portraying the multinational corporations worrying that some third-world kid is drinking tea rather than a Coke. Like all stereotypes, there is a kernel of truth in it, but that doesn't make it any less of a stereotype. The author plays favorites; the word "jihad" appears nowhere in the several pages on Hollywood domination of the movie industry in France; yet, right-wing American evangelicals, (rightly or wrongly) questioning changing societal values get dumped on the "Jihad" heap with the neo-Nazis and Islamic terrorists. The FCC gets dinged for not forcing a radio station for keeping its classical format (although setting formats wasn't, and isn't, a function of the FCC to begin with). And so on.

Then there's the out-and-out fingerwagging; the aside on (American) slavery seems to lacks any real tie-in to the theme of "McWorld and Jihad", but more like the author coming out and telling us how we should think. This is true to a lesser extent of the "Bowling Alone"-type material in the "Global Democracy" chapter. (It's a big step from leaving one's comfortable suburban home and joining a bowling league with one's fellow suburbanites, and forming a global government with people halfway around the world who believe in who-knows-what!)

There are also a number of lists; media mergers and top films (relevant, since it shows the domination of multinational over local media) and energy use per country (less so, since equality of energy usage could theoretically be imposed by a non-democratic global system as well as by a democratic one).

To his credit, the author doesn't present "McWorld" as an evil conspiracy, but more like a natural market force that really ought to be checked by some theoretical one-world government. The "Jihad" side, however, is more of a minefield of the author's personal biases and "Things-That-Must-Be-Defended/Derided-At-All Costs".

The unity between religious fundamentalists and big business elites EXPOSED !.......2006-06-23

It's amazing how despite all the tragedies and wars, big business elitists are able to cash in on the damage while religious fundamentalists never get caught, much less held accountable. The idiots who show their hate of this book are from terrorist nations that have a knack of socializing poverty and terrorism while at the same time privatizing wealth. Despite all the big talk about winning the so-called war on terrorism, the ugly truth is wars have not taught us anything. If it weren't for Big Business funding Hitler, Hitler would have had a harder time killing the Jews. Sadly though, even after World War II ended, the Big Business elites that funded and continue to fund dictatorships like Hitler, Stalin, and the modern ones are not only not held accountable but often end up walking away as "heroes". If we're really going to win the war on terrorism and/or poverty, we're going to have to stop supporting big business elite and stop allowing our uber-corrupt politicians from exploiting peoples fears on terrorism even while maximizing poverty.

An Important but Very Flawed Work on Socio-Economics.......2006-04-03

I tried to embrace this book--I really did. It was tempting to want to have at last found a piece of academic writing that deftly encapsulates and explains this clash of titans: jihad and globalism. Barber's main title is, however, more tantalizing than explanatory. This book demonstrates the dangers of allegiance to dichotomies; there are other forces at work in society that grapple with the headline-stealing titans.

This is an important book at least insofar as it captures a growing sentiment among academics interested in the socio-economic forces that compel current events. It is not, therefore, an easy read for the layman (particularly the last part of the book) which is ironic given his call to grassroots citizen action.

Barber asserts--really insists with an uncomfortable brand of academic arrogance--in almost narrowly political overtones that the world is immersed in a battle of opposing ideologies: the corporate, amoral and homogenized one that really is without ideology and the local, or tribal, and rigidly moral and fragmented one that is part ideology, part myth-making.

Unfortunately, in his earnestness to construct and defend his convenient dichotomy, he conforms exceptions to his rule. The jihadists--whether ethnic hatemongers or terrorists--have for Barber retained some residue of moral dignity while the globalist--whether gullible, materialistic and indifferent consumers or manipulative, multinational executives--have altogether lost their moral compass.

His solution (which he fails to outline, thus making his work more of a polemic and manifesto rather than manual for change) is an activist citizenry fully appreciative of their need and ability to shore up the civil sector of modern societies. Here again Barber is remiss, revealing that writing from one's desk rather than the field has its limitations. He fails to acknowledge, for example, the extent to which the lack of a civic tradition in such nations as Russia and China impedes social progress of the sort he pines for. And the following further indicates his lack of awareness of Chinese cultural resiliency: "What is striking is that even here where a native culture might be thought to have its greatest chances against the children of the Western Enlightenment, McWorld seems irresistible."(190)

Aside from this concern, and his lack of concrete solutions and elusive, often inaccessible writing style, Barber tends to exaggerate the extent to which corporate influence is mitigated by both government and civic organizations, especially in the Western democracies. He is undeservedly far too pessimistic in this regard and fails to note the many ways in which a bygone American lacked a collective sense of civic duty. Moreover, his analysis is flawed, as I believe you will also discover, by his apparent aspirations to global citizenship. Nor, as other reviewers have noted, has he given due credit to the government and business sectors in creating a climate for a civic society to exist, must less flourish with some degree of autonomy. The symbolic assault on McDonald's is both tedious and unfair. While guilty of promoting unhealthy diets to some extent, it is a zealous stretch to accuse this and other multinationals of single handedly distorting the cultural landscape of developing nations. And even in the U.S., McDonald's has played a civic role via the Ronald McDonald House, it's management hiring practices and provisions for inner-city employment.

This book, perhaps like this review, could have been thought out more and condensed considerably. For a far better articulated review of this book see Gary Rosen's piece online from the journal First Things.

Provactative but lacking in substance........2006-03-10

I read Barber's book in 1995, shortly after my return from my dissertation research in Indonesia. I was dismayed but what were clear errors in Barber's treatment of Indonesia. He talks about the marketing succes of Coke to sell the sweet syrupy beverage as a substitute to the more "native" tea. What he fails to see is for many if not most ethnic groups of Indonesia tea is served very sweet -- with what I hyperbolically refer to as "equal parts sugar and water." He also bemoan Indonesians taking up blue jeans in favor of saris. Saris? I know of no Indonesians who wear saris -- this is a garment better associated with India. Ok, I know these are perhaps trifiling errors. However, Barbers evidence is composed exclusively of little vignettes and reference like this. I do not know of the accuracy of his specific examples for other countries. However, if the problem he has with understanding the basic facts of Indonesian culture are replicated through all his examples, the argument he tries to support by them must be suspect.

That said, I found the book intriguing. I find the proposition that either the world will become a huge pave parking lot full of McDonald's Hard Rock Cafe's, and discos pumping MTV or it will be torn apart by attempts to assert local identity ludicrous. This idea of Barber's inspired me to write an article specificaly examine McDonald's in the Indonesian cultural landscape. In many important ways, McDonald's Indonesia is more Indonesian than it is anything else. And, it actively seeks to be so.

It came out shortly after the time I had Samual Huntington's Foreign Affairs article "The Clash of Civilizations" pointed out to me by my Indonesian Muslim interlocutors. I find Barber's argument interesting in regard to the Clash of Civilizations debate. Barber does not deal with either Bernard Lewis (who coined "Clash of Civilizations" or Huntington (who popularized it). However, I find in his work, the important corrective that the clash is not limited to Muslims but to all efforts to oppose global capitalism by emphasizing local identity. Also to the degree that there is such a clash, Barber's book can supply an understanding of its mechanism. Again, this was not Barber's point, but it can be drawn from his book.

With my critiques of this book, you might think that I discarded it shortly after reading it. I still have my original copy. I think that the book will make the reader think and if readers actually do that rather than accept it as gospel, then the book is very much worth the read. In fact, I will be assigning it as a test in course I will teach in the Fall of 2006.

Ron Lukens-Bull, PhD
Associate Professor of Anthropology
University of North Florida

McJihad vs. Reality.......2006-02-09

This book is inexplicably influential, probably due to its catchy but ultimately meaningless title. Barber fails to convincingly analyze an interesting thesis, instead delivering an exasperating 300 page-long list of every single thing on Earth that he disagrees with. Barber contends that natural human political behavior results in smaller and smaller ethnic enclaves trying to separate themselves from the larger world, while unchecked global capitalism is erasing ethnic flavor with bowdlerized mass-culture sameness. Interestingly, Barber contends that these two contrary movements are actually in an unholy alliance, using each other's excesses as excuses for their anti-democratic behavior. That is a fascinating thesis, which makes the weaknesses of this book all the more infuriating.

The first part of the book is an interminable tirade of lists within lists, of cultural trends that Barber disdains, in an avalanche of complaints that is not analytical but merely selective and arbitrary. It's all tied together with attempts at "edgy" pop culture references, made-up terminology (like the annoying "infotainment telesector"), and pseudo-intellectual quotations and namedropping. All is lumped together unconvincingly under the anemic term "McWorld," which is so vague and all-inclusive as to become meaningless. In his never-ending examples of how recent cultural trends are damaging the freedom and intelligence of the masses, Barber merely comes across as a condescending snob who thinks his own interests are superior, or a curmudgeon who thinks everything was better back in the good old days, or both. In the second part of the book, Barber proceeds to throw obtuse political science theories at various world hotspots, in which tribalism and separatism are damaging the integrity of nation-states. His umbrella term for this phenomenon is the dangerously loaded term "Jihad." Note that this book was published back in 1995, so that word was not as prevalent in Western discourse as it is now, but Barber still uses the term as a loose descriptor which is likely to offend both devout Muslims and ardent anti-Islamists.

When it comes to the specifics, many reviews here and elsewhere list out the numerous flaws in Barber's arguments, and there are so many of them that a lot of reviews are necessary for the task. You can agree or disagree with various critiques of Barber's contentions based on your own personal politics. But everyone will probably conclude that in this book's final section he does not deliver on the ironic implications of his initially intriguing thesis (embodied in the book's title), and simply forwards borrowed theories on civil society and the public sector. Overall, this book is mostly the longwinded grumblings of a nostalgic know-it-all who portentously predicts doom for every single cultural and political reality of the modern world. [~doomsdayer520~]

Health for Midlife Women: When You Think You Are Falling Apart (Dispatches from the Frontlines of Medicine)

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Excellent
Important Health Facts for Middle-Aged Women

Health for Midlife Women: When You Think You Are Falling Apart (Dispatches from the Frontlines of Medicine)
Kathleen W. Wilson
Manufacturer: Whiskey Hollow Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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The Other Midlife Crisis: Arthritis and Those Other Aches and Pains

ASIN: 0974297623

Book Description

Readers are empowered by understanding their changing bodies. From cosmetic surgery to hormone therapy, concerns midlife women have are presented in a clear, interesting way.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent .......2007-08-23

I enjoyed the book and loaned it to my daughter- in-law and my daughter. Both found the information very informative and also classified it as excellent.

Important Health Facts for Middle-Aged Women.......2004-12-03

This book was loaded with current information I could use about myself. I think it will be as important as Our Body Ourselves and The Wisdom of Menopause in teaching women how their bodies work, how to keep themselves healthy, how to reduce stress, and how to manage in the medical system.

How to Get the Part... Without Falling Apart!: Featuring the Haber Phrase Technique for Actors

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How to Get the Part... Without Falling Apart by Margie Haber
A must read for all actors
Great Audition Book for Actors
Get the book! It will invigorate your auditions!
Beginner's Savior!

How to Get the Part... Without Falling Apart!: Featuring the Haber Phrase Technique for Actors
Margie Haber , and Barbara Babchick
Manufacturer: Lone Eagle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

How Not to Audition: Avoiding the Common Mistakes Most Actors Make
An Agent Tells All
The Intent to Live: Achieving Your True Potential as an Actor
Audition
Self-Management for Actors: Getting Down to (Show) Business

ASIN: 1580650147

Book Description

Gene Hackman, Halle Berry, Heather Locklear, Gabriel Byrne, James Bond's Pierce Bronson, Kelly Preston, most of the cast from Melrose Place and 1000s of actors all take acting classes from Margie Haber. How to Get the Part... gives actors tools to break through their psychological roadblocks to auditioning.

Customer Reviews:

How to Get the Part... Without Falling Apart by Margie Haber.......2007-01-04

This is a very worth while book for anyone studying drama. I purchased it for my 17 year old grandson who has great talent and a strong will and determination to enter the acting profession. He followed it step-by-step and set about passing the tasks presented. We live in a very small town without much offered (except for a high school teacher on her own time, as he graduduated early from high school) that is working with him privately. This book was like being in a class and receiving assignments in his junior year while he homeschooled himself, only better. Pauline Adamson

A must read for all actors.......2005-01-18

As a talent agent, I always recommend this book to both new and working actors. Margie is one of the best acting teachers in LA. Her book is written in a no nonsense manner and the advice is very valuable. It's the next best thing to being in her class. This one's a must have.

Great Audition Book for Actors.......2004-02-29

This book gives alot of practical information about the Audition process and the actors interview. Also in the book is the "The Harber Phrase Technique" specifically created by the author. There is advise on your pictures and resumes and more.
I really liked the real-life stories given by popular actors and actresses about their audition experiences.
This a is a great book for any actor who want to have better auditions and get more call-backs.

Get the book! It will invigorate your auditions!.......2003-07-09

I LOVED this book! We actors all know what it's like to not prepare the way we need to for an audition. In reading Margie's book, I realized it's not just fear (masked as paralysis or procrastination) that keeps us from preparing. It's cause we aren't sure what questions to ask -- questions that will REALLY stimulate and plug us in when we only have 10 minutes, an hour, a day -- at any rate, not 4 nice, long weeks of rehearsal -- to bring life to the role. Just by reading this, I felt like I had taken a course. For seasoned actors as much, if not more, than for beginners. A handbook of what we could all stand to be reminded of. This book has made auditioning FUN again.

Beginner's Savior!.......2001-04-21

I am just entering the film acting business, and I have tried to hold no illusions about how the industry works. Unfortunately, no matter where you live, you'll hear stories about Hollywood, both good and bad ones. It feels so intimidating to even consider acting as a profession, and there seems to be no one willing to guide you in the proper direction. How much does a mentor cost these days? In this book, Margie Haber gives us actors the help we need to feel comfortable and confident at auditions. She helps us understand that the casting director is not an evil monster toying with our fate and our careers, but a harried and tired worker, the same as we are. She also gives us tips and exercises to be a better auditioner. The icing on the cake is the stories, told by established actors, about their own mistakes and successes. Seeing that even well-known and respected actors have their slip-ups helps to bring the green actor more confidence. Whether you are new to auditioning or a seasoned professional, this book will help alleviate the cold reading jitters.

Facing Change: Falling Apart and Coming Together Again in the Teen Years

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Facing Change: Falling Apart and Coming Together Again in the Teen Years
Donna B. O'Toole
Manufacturer: Compassion Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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I Will Remember You: What to do When Someone You Love Dies: A Guidebook through Grief for Teens

ASIN: 1878321110

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A Triology of Translation

Falling Apart: Putus
Titin Lewis
Manufacturer: AuthorHouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Anthologies | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Falling Apart is Lewis's third book of poetry, written in Indonesian language translated in English. This new collection of poems recounts a painful break-up with a dear lover. Lewis's first book of poetry is called Yearning. Her second book of poetry is called Lust.

Customer Reviews:

A Triology of Translation.......2007-07-03

Ms. Lewis provides us with an edition that exceeds the professional and poetic quality of her first two books.

"Falling Apart" (Putus) offers us the anguish and agony of lost love. Each poem is accompanied by Ms. Lewis's native Indonesian language. I wonder how much is lost in translation. What is offered is a vision of what has torn many a lover apart never to be mended.

For those of us who appreciate a poet's disclosure of deep seated joy and rage; "Falling Apart" shares that with us. From "Losing" and "Longing" to "There is Still Love Between Us," Ms. Lewis captures the human heart. At one point in "I Cry" she asks "Why do I always cry?" Indeed a universal sentiment. It hurts and we have the pain to identify and share with Ms. Lewis. Whether it be distance, or culture, that tears us from each other Ms. Lewis reminds us of the risk true love brings. Yet, what if that love is unrequited? We still hurt, we still yearn, and yes, we still fall apart when it is over! Very few of us give up though and I'm sure a person of such deep feeling, experience, and joy as Ms. Lewis, will not either.

Living together in a world falling apart (New leaf library)

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Intentional Christian Community A Quarter Century Ago

Living together in a world falling apart (New leaf library)
Dave Jackson
Manufacturer: Creation House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Customer Reviews:

Intentional Christian Community A Quarter Century Ago.......2002-02-28

This has to be one of the ground-breaking books on the subject of intentional Christian community. Asking and answering almost every conceivable question on the subject, Dave and Neta Jackson provide perspectives from several communities they visited in order to gather information for this book. Openly enthusiastic about Christian community life and perhaps naive at points, the authors still manage to describe what, from the perspective of more than 25 years now, was (and still can be) a manifestation of the work of Christ in the world. I was a member of one of the communities described and return to this book every now and then as a reminder of the glory that once was. Though dated, the book is still highly recommended to those led to pursue Christian community.

Average customer rating:

Plenty of Potential Here
Kudos to Michael
"To never being ordinary."
Stories that will touch your heart

Falling Apart: a short story collection
Michael Crane
Manufacturer: iUniverse, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0595355900

Book Description

With life comes tragedy. Whether it's kids or grown-ups, everyone has to pay a price. A boy in school gets picked on day in and day out until something terrible happens to him. A storeowner hopes to make some quick cash without calculating the consequences of his actions. A drunk and diluted man who has lost everything that ever mattered to him cannot let go of the past. Two teenagers go out to have a fun night only to learn that there's a darker side of life that they have never seen before. And then there's a little girl who is approached by a menacing stranger after she gets out of school.

These are only a few of the stories that lurk in "Falling Apart." In these twenty short stories, characters are tested in ways they have never imagined and could have never foreseen. No matter what the outcomes may be for these people, life will leave its mark upon them.

Customer Reviews:

Plenty of Potential Here.......2006-05-23

It's always great fun to get in on the ground floor, so to speak, of a talented writer's early work. Such is the case with Michael Crane's short story collection entitled FALLING APART. Crane has the ability to get to the core of each story in a succinct, powerful way; the worlds he creates for his characters, and his characters' reactions to those worlds, indicate a writer with a fundamental grasp of storytelling.

While all of his stories are interesting, Crane's forte is first person narrative. From this perspective the author's stories are more engrossing and compelling--stories that include "Johnny," "Losing Ground," and the last story, "Waking Up the Dead," which is riveting.

Michael Crane is a young writer; accordingly, some of his prose is a bit rough around the edges and too dependent on prepositions. Yet this is an author constantly maturing and very much on course in finding his voice; FALLING APART is a solid foundation for a promising young talent.
--D. Mikels, Author, WALK-ON

Kudos to Michael.......2005-09-19

This was an excellent collection of short stories. It is easy to read and the subject matter was very interesting. The author has a lot of talent and insight.

"To never being ordinary.".......2005-07-25

"Falling Apart" is a collection of 20 short stories. Most of the stories focus on dysfunctional and frequently violent relationships. Each story presents a glimpse--a snapshot into the very private--and unhappy lives of its characters. Whether the story concerns a husband who discovers his wife's infidelity, a young man trapped in an abusive relationship with a violent girlfriend, a married couple who squabble over killing rats, or a chronically victimized student, author Michael Crane creates a series of highly authentic and widely varied voices.

Short story collections sometimes suffer from the insistent, intrusive and unchanging voice of the author--some authors simply cannot switch style enough to create a range of authentic voices. Crane suffers from no such difficulty, and his style and competence allows fluid variance between characters. Crane seems just as comfortable writing as a father trying to cope with his son's death and his wife's mental breakdown in "A Better Tomorrow" as he is writing from inside the mind of the unreliable--and incarcerated narrator of "To My Darling Wife."

My favourite story is "Bought Out"--the tale concerns the moral dilemma faced by a hardware shop assistant, and the guilt he faces when he crosses a moral boundary. This is the book's most psychologically complex story. The author maintains a terrific level of suspense and suffocating tension--and this is no easy feat considering the fact that the "action" occurs inside a sleepy hardware shop. The story "Everyday Routine" also deserves honourable mention. It's the ingenious tale of two barflies--Bud and Raymond--who exchange thoughts on what it means to be "ordinary"--displacedhuman

Stories that will touch your heart.......2005-05-31

"Falling Apart" is a collection of twenty remarkable short stories. Each is unique, but they all share a haunting, melancholy quality that makes them very real and poignant.

"Caught in the Headlights" concerns a shy college student who desperately wants to talk to a certain girl, but cannot muster the courage to do it. In "Everyday Routine," a man is driven to the breaking point when he realizes that his life is crushingly ordinary. "A Better Tomorrow" looks at a grieving couple who are trying to go on after their child's death. "Burn" is a terrifying glimpse of evil. In "Bought Out," a man learns too late about right and wrong. A drunk who is trouble with the law explains his side of the story in the amusing, "To My Darling Wife."

The stories are told simply and honestly, usually in the first person. The characters are people you know and care about, and the plots draw on experiences and emotions we are all familiar with. I heartily recommend "Falling Apart;" the stories are touching, often painful, and always memorable.

Kona

If God Is in Control, Why Is My World Falling Apart?

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If God Is in Control, Why Is My World Falling Apart?
Verna Birkey
Manufacturer: Multnomah
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Binding: Paperback

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How Can We Keep Christian Marriages from Falling Apart?

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How Can We Keep Christian Marriages from Falling Apart?
Gerald L. Dahl
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0840731175

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