90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death & Life

90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death & Life
Average customer rating:

Save your money..... only 7-1/2 pages are about heaven

Excellent

Incredible story of a man's faith in God!

Not so much

Could NOT put this book down! Awesome Book!

90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death & Life
Don Piper , and Cecil Murphey
Manufacturer: Revell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Religious | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0800759494
Release Date: 2004-09-01

Book Description

As he is driving home from a minister's conference, Baptist minister Don Piper collides with a semi-truck that crosses into his lane. He is pronounced dead at the scene. For the next 90 minutes, Piper experiences heaven where he is greeted by those who had influenced him spiritually. He hears beautiful music and feels true peace. Back on earth, a passing minister who had also been at the conference is led to pray for Don even though he knows the man is dead. Piper miraculously comes back to life and the bliss of heaven is replaced by a long and painful recovery. For years Piper kept his heavenly experience to himself. Finally, however, friends and family convinced him to share his remarkable story.

Customer Reviews:

Save your money..... only 7-1/2 pages are about heaven.......2007-10-22

This book was an extreme disappointment. The title leads you to believe it is a life after death account. I have read many of these.... and this one is a mere 7-1/2 pages long- about HEAVEN. It is about what you would think a southern Baptist would write about heaven too.... pearlesent gates, bricks of gold streets, great music about Christ, and friends who have died before you meeting you. It is like he had to try way to hard to even stretch a 90 minute account of heaven into less than 8 pages!!!

MOST of the book is about the author's auto accident, and the procedures and painful recovery from that accident.

It reminds me of so very many of the new age books I used to read- that when it came down to it, were written strictly to MAKE MONEY for the author.

I planned to pass this along to friends, who had lost loved ones.... but it really DOES NOT RING TRUE to me.... at least the part about HEAVEN... the part about the accident and recovery seems very real indeed.

Excellent.......2007-10-20

This is a fabulous book for anyone wanting some encouragement about how to deal with life and death.

Incredible story of a man's faith in God!.......2007-10-19

He was pronounced dead, and yet, he was alive! His life returned in another world, heaven, for 90 minutes. This experience changed his life and many others who read or was told about this incredible event. It is a story of faith, of hope for the rest of us. This man was not pain free as he returned to this world, he suffered physically. But his spirit was alive and his faith changed many, many lifes. You won't forget it and it will change your life forever!

Not so much.......2007-10-19

You think you're going to get a BOOK about the afterlife, but no, you get one chapter, and then the rest of the book about his religious beliefs. It was disappointing.

Could NOT put this book down! Awesome Book!.......2007-10-19

I don't really know what led me to reading this book to begin with, but I will tell you that once I started reading it - I couldn't put it down! I expected the description of heaven to be glorious. The scripture at the beginning of each chapter was comforting. I felt like writing each verse down as it's easy to forget! I was pleasantly surprised by all the lessons and the personal account of Don's recovery and the lessons he still had to learn. Any person who is struggling with a terminal illness, has recently lost a loved one or has sustained any big injuries NEEDS TO READ THIS BOOK! I will buy several and hand them out. I finished reading this book this AM and have already lent this book to my BOSS! This book reads well and is written in such a manner as if Don was he's telling you in person! Would recommend this book to anyone - Christian or non-Christian.

Many Lives, Many Masters: The True Story of a Prominent Psychiatrist, His Young Patient, and the Past-Life Therapy That Changed Both Their Lives

Average customer rating:

Absolute BEST book I have ever read, period.
Many Lives Many Masters
Many Lives, Many Masters
Good reading...but I had some problems
Fabulous Insight & Resource

Many Lives, Many Masters: The True Story of a Prominent Psychiatrist, His Young Patient, and the Past-Life Therapy That Changed Both Their Lives
Brian L. Weiss
Manufacturer: Fireside
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0671657860

Amazon.com

Psychiatry and metaphysics blend together in this fascinating book based on a true case history. Dr. Weiss, who was once firmly entrenched in a clinical approach to psychiatry, finds himself reluctantly drawn into past-life therapy when a hypnotized client suddenly reveals details of her previous lives. During one hypnosis session his client introduces the spirit guides who have been her soul therapists in between lives. This is when the story really takes off for Weiss, who discovers that these guides have specific messages about his dead son as well as Weiss's mission in life. No, we cannot verify the truth of this story using the limited scientific tools we have available. However, it is hard to dispute that this well-respected graduate of Columbia University and Yale Medical School has discovered a personal truth that has led him to be an enormously popular speaker, author, and leader in the field of past-life therapy. --Gail Hudson

Book Description

As a traditional psychotherapist, Dr. Brian Weiss was astonished and skeptical when one of his patients began recalling past-life traumas that seemed to hold the key to her recurring nightmares and anxiety attacks. His skepticism was eroded, however, when she began to channel messages from the "space between lives," which contained remarkable revelations about Dr. Weiss' family and his dead son. Using past-life therapy, he was able to cure the patient and embark on a new, more meaningful phase of his own career.

Customer Reviews:

Absolute BEST book I have ever read, period........2007-10-07

Fantastic book! I have given away 10+ copies of this book and each person has been blow away by the content. We would all be better people if we take this information to heart and lead a clean, honest life.

Many Lives Many Masters.......2007-10-04

I am very satisfied with this book on tape! I do past life regression for my clients and it's really nice to have an expert in the field that I can learn more from.

Many Lives, Many Masters.......2007-09-23

It was not so much the regressions into the past lives but the "rest periods" that interested me. The emphasis on teaching and helping spirits learn to change their flawed characters, in preparation for their next lives, confirmed some theories I had. From observation of spirit visits I know there are at least two laws: If you tell unwanted visitors to go away, they must obey. And they do not speak to us living. They do speak among themselves. My husband's spirit visits me at least twice a day. I talk to him but he cannot respond. If he could, I would have everything out of him in ten minutes because there is so much I want to know about the afterlife, and it must remain a mystery. Why, I do not know. He did answer one question: I asked how he was, and he wagged his hand in the comme si, comme ca gesture. According to Brian L. Weiss, Masters help those who are in need of guidance. Perhaps that is what my husband is doing, though I dare not presume he is on a high plane. Still, I might add one more facet to Weiss's thesis. Other, more evolved, spirits and not necessarily Masters, also teach. My husband brings home other spirits, some very primitive types who were probably clueless in life. I know he has befriended them. I found confirmation of my thoughts in Dr. Weiss's book.

Good reading...but I had some problems.......2007-09-23

First I "read" this book via an audio book version. I think Dr. Weiss is totally believable in his honest search to help Catherine. I think his approach will open many minds to explore or widen their religion/spiritual belief systems. Although I have some problems with some details contained in the book, I do think he has been a great help to those who are dying & their families.

The issues that I had problems with: 1. The MALE voice of the Masters...do
the "learned" ones always have to be male!! Perhaps the Masters used a male voice since they told him they were channeling their knowledge for him & not Catherine. With his cultural & belief system, a male voice would be more effective for him to consider the teachings. BUT not for me!! I would be more apt to listen a little more closely to a FEMALE Master; 2. the term "god" is mentioned 2-3 times toward the end of the book...It just seems like it should have been introduced earlier to me and 3. There is no mention of "WHO" or "WHAT" conceived Reincarnation plus its level system. I found that a big omission.

Fabulous Insight & Resource.......2007-09-09

This book has been invaluable to me over the years and I've read it time and again. Weiss lets us into the "inner circle" of therapy and shows us how ordinary people can experience physical and emotional pain from unresolved issues in another lifetime. Read this book and you will never look at your life and challenges in the same way again. It provides hope and courage and is a must-read for anyone seeking wholeness and understanding. Many Masters, Many Lives gave me the insight essential to my own novels of karma and past lives, in particular Field of Destiny.

The Search For Significance: Seeing Your True Worth Through God's Eyes

Average customer rating:

This book is a MUST for anyone pursuing peace in their life.
This book changed my life
Excellent book for spiritual growth
Really Good!
An excellent resource

The Search For Significance: Seeing Your True Worth Through God's Eyes
Robert S. McGee
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0849944244

Book Description

Robert McGee's best-selling book has helped millions of readers learn how to be free to enjoy Christ's love while no longer basing their self-worth on their accomplishments or the opinions of others. In fact, Billy Graham said that it was a book that "should be read by every Christian."

In this re-launch of this timeless classic you will:

Gain new skills for getting off the performance treadmill
Discover how four false beliefs have negatively impacted your life
Learn how to overcome obstacles that prevent you from experiencing the truth that your self-worth is found only in the love, acceptance, and forgiveness of Christ

Discover what two million readers have already discovered: that true significance is found only in Christ.

Customer Reviews:

This book is a MUST for anyone pursuing peace in their life........2007-03-06

I have to say that besides the Bible, this book changed my life. This book defines in a way that is easy to understand and grasp how much Jesus loves us and the truth about who we are to Him.

This book helps you to understand the lie that satan wants us to believe. That our self esteem equals our performance and other people's opinion. Understanding this lie really changed my life.

In addition, the book gives you prayers to memorize in times of the enemy challenging your thinking and behavior. How to not fear rejection, how to overcome the fear of not meeting people's approval. I recommend this book to anyone who is ready to get this burden off their back. The burden of having everyone else's expectations rule your life. Get your freedom back by really understanding, in depth, how much God loves you and get back the peace in your life that you've been missing. I love this book!!!!! A++++++++++++

This book changed my life.......2007-01-23

This is a very inspiring book. Some of us are in bad relationships and we need to know that we do have value and can improve our life simply by understanding that we have value already. This book shows you how to understand that and apply it to your life.

Excellent book for spiritual growth.......2007-01-10

My husband and I are reading it together. I is helping us see the roots of our disagreements. It is helping us be more kind and understanding with one another.

Really Good!.......2007-01-03

This book really makes you take a second look at yourself. Parts of it are almost too in-depth for me, but I still would recommend the book. It would be a great book to study. Lots of knowledge to be gained!

An excellent resource.......2006-08-30

I read this book some years ago. I had been a Christian 6 years at that time, but its contents were earth-shattering. It woke me up to some of the basic truths of the application of Jesus Christ and His word in my life. It opened my eyes to lies I had believed that had literally tormented me for some years. It helped lay a very strong foundation of self-worth and of freedom, and as I now serve God in full time ministry I still draw on the truths that were so powerfully imprinted on my soul through reading the book. Like Billy Graham, I believe every Christian should read this book.

TRUE PROFESSIONALISM : The Courage to Care About Your People, Your Clients, and Your Career

Average customer rating:

True Professionalism
Business people are not professionals.
Maister Raises The Bar....Again!
Essentials Needed To Become a Successful Leader
Excellent Book - Speaks directly to consultants

TRUE PROFESSIONALISM : The Courage to Care About Your People, Your Clients, and Your Career
David H. Maister
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business Life | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0684840049

Book Description

Professional firms are forever trying to get their people to act like professionals -- to do the right things. Though their various incentives may create employee compliance, these don't often encourage excellence. David Maister, the world's premier consultant to professional service firms, vigorously challenges professionals to examine this essential, yet under-addressed question: What is true professionalism? His answer is clear: It is believing passionately in what you do, never compromising your standards and values, and caring about your clients, your people and your own career. In clear and compelling terms, Maister shows that this approach is not only ethical but also conducive to commercial success.

Download Description

Professional firms are forever trying to get their people to act like professionals - to do the right things. Though their various incentives may create employee compliance, these don't often encourage excellence. Taking issue with such methods, David Maister, the world's premier consultant to professional service firms, vigorously challenges professionals to examine this essential, yet under-addressed question: What is true professionalism?

Customer Reviews:

True Professionalism.......2007-10-11

This is a must read for any managing partner of a law firm. I bought 20 copies and gave them to our partners as a must read.

Business people are not professionals........2006-11-04

This is a feel good book attempting to make an argument that people in business can be "professionals." By definition, business people exist to create and manage a business entity inorder to generate a profit. Professionals are licensed individuals. They are mandated by law is to protect the public's health, safety and welfare through the services that they provide to the community. This book is an attempt to corrupt and diminish the definition of professionalism.

Maister Raises The Bar....Again! .......2006-03-04

Should be required reading for anyone aspiring to develop themselves professionally in a professional services firm. Especially pertinent for leaders and managers.

As Maister points out, some of his recommendations require the courage of ones' convictions to be realized. Yet, this book provides inspiration (along with wonderful advice) to achieve its ends.

Maister is simply the best in this niche...and this book, once again, demonstrates that.

Bill Wiersma, Author, The Big AHA

Essentials Needed To Become a Successful Leader.......2004-04-21

David Maister does a great job of explaining the fundamentals essential to anyone that has a job or is looking for a job in consulting. Splitting the book into three sections made it flow well and easy to follow and comprehend. Furthermore, Maister really focuses on the things that you should look for within yourself as well as the firm and clients. He makes you think about what one should really focus on in your career and the benefits you can receive from your job. This book also guides an employee in explaining situations that will probably occur at some point in their working career. David Maister gives you the tools that you need to be successful; all the person has to do is apply it to their everyday life.

The principles that Maister discussed in his book showed me that there is a balance between the client, the firm, and yourself. This balance is important because it dictates how successful you will become. It is also important to value your client as well as engage with them so that you really know who the client is and what their needs and wants are. Even though you must achieve your goals, you should help others to do the same by establishing a relationship, which in turn will make the working environment healthy and successful.

There is so much information you take a way from this book that will help you in your career as well as your life. I advise everyone to buy this book, because it is very beneficial to the success of anyone's career. Through the use of catchy phrases and clear, practical explanations, I feel that anyone can read this book and take something from it to apply to their career.

Excellent Book - Speaks directly to consultants.......2003-03-08

Finally a book that speaks to the heart of what consulting is(or professional services in general), with no hype, no distractions or flavor-of-the-month thoughts. I had heard David Maister at a recent consulting conference and was quite struck by his focus on people and 'execution of strategies' as being the core of successful consulting firms.

This book is pithy without being trite and if you have been in consulting a while, you can directly relate to what the author is referring to. There are many suggestions in this book that are insightful, practical and feel right on the money to a practictioner.

Book Description

From the best-selling author of Route 66 comes this long-awaited biography of one of America's most legendary folk heroes.

Award-winning historian Michael Wallis has spent several years re-creating the rich, anecdotal saga of Billy the Kid (1859-1881), a deeply mythologized young man who became a legend in his own time and yet remains an enigma to this day. With the Gilded Age in full swing and the Industrial Revolution reshaping the American landscape, "the Kid," who was gunned down by Sheriff Pat Garrett in the New Mexico Territory at the age of twenty-one, became a new breed of celebrity outlaw. He arose amid the mystery and myth of the swiftly vanishing frontier and, sensationalized beyond recognition by the tabloids and dime-store romances of the day, emerged as one of the most enduring icons of the American West—not to mention one of Hollywood's most misrepresented characters. This new biography, filled with dozens of rare images and period photographs, separates myth from reality and presents an unforgettable portrait of this brief and violent life. 60 illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

good book.......2007-10-16

A great story with not a lot of facts to bore it down. A easy read.

Billy the Kid.......2007-10-11

This book was a well written examination of Billy the Kid. It clarified much of the myth that still surrounds the man. I appreciated the author addressing some areas of the Kid's life where there is just not enough information to come to a definite conclusion about.

A Commendable Biography Based on Limited Information.......2007-10-01

Several efforts have been made in an attempt to untangle the short and controversial life of Billy the Kid. I would suggest that this book by Michael Wallis is probably the best since he acknowledges when little is known about his subject, and speculates about what may have happened when information is lacking. That may not satisfy some people, but that is the best he can do. Billy the Kid actually did not pick up his charismatic title until the last year of his life. He initially went by the unlikely name of Henry McCarty, then changed it to Henry Antrim when his mother remarried, William H. Bonney, and finally Billy the Kid. Where he pulled out the name of Bonney is unknown. He was a very literate person, enjoyed music, and considered Turkey in the Straw and Silver Threads Among the Gold as his favorite songs. His tuburcular mother moved the family from the eastern part of the country (New York City)? to Indiana, Wichita, Kansas, and then to the southwest into New Mexico territory in hopes of improving her health. Following her death Billy was left to shift for himself. Kid was a common nickname for juveniles at that time, and wirey would probably be the best term to describe his short and slight frame. When the book got around to describing the Lincoln County war between competing factions involving horse thiefs I had difficulty keeping track of all the individuals involved. The Kid sided with an Englishman named John Tunstall who ended up getting murdered. Billy became somewhat of an anti-hero with his dramatic escape from jail in which he killed two guards after being sentenced to death. Kit Carson comes off as a villain with he and his men laying waste to Navajo Indians, their homes, food, horses, and other animals. The remaining Navajos began a 450 mile journey to join the Apaches. This became known as the Long Walk. This brought up reminders of the Cherokee Indians in 1839 under the regime of Andrew Jackson. I believe you will find the book to be enjoyable. The author has done a commendable job based on the information available on his subject.

A very well researched work.......2007-09-01

Michael Wallis has studied his subject well. Unlike many other authors he provides quite an insight not to just Billy the Kid, but many of the other players in his short life. This then gives a complete picture of the corrupt times in which he lived. This book is a must have for Billy the Kid students.

The Life as Well as the Legend.......2007-08-05

"This is the west, sir," the newspaperman tells Jimmy Stewart in _The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance_. "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." And for over a hundred years, that is just what has happened to Billy the Kid, starting in countless dime novels and then historical reviews, a ballet by Aaron Copland, and scores of movies. Obviously the legend has a life of its own. The attraction of _Billy the Kid: The Endless Ride_ (Norton) by Michael Wallis is that the legend is fully appreciated. Wallis mentions but does not detail the many media representations the legend has presented after the Kid's death, but does show much of what the papers had to say about him during his life, and also what people who knew him said years after his death, and how unreliable it all is. There are certainly enough facts within the biography, but it is also a realistic look at the Kid's status as a legend in his own time. There were not only many false reports and representations of the Kid, but there are also voids of his life that no one can do anything but guess at. Wallis presents an enjoyable summary of what we can know as accurate and what is pure myth.

The Kid grew up in a changing masculine culture often known as "The Code of the West", which was a new way of dealing with threats. The tradition from British common law was that a man under threat was obligated to retreat until his back was against the wall and there was no alternative but to use deadly force against his opponent. The Code of the West, often celebrated as part of frontier self-reliance and integrity, merely signified that no such restraint under threat had to be shown; the courts even found that a "true man" did not have to back away from a fight, and it was a given that a man could pursue an adversary even once the threat had been lifted. The Kid was certainly one to stand his ground, and probably was on the offensive more than most, but his homicidal actions have been exaggerated. He has four confirmed killings to his name, some completely in self defense, but even before the end of his short life, the tally was being exaggerated. His enemies had good reason to do so. The Kid was caught up in what is called the Lincoln County War, a complex conflict that Wallis says "had been spawned long before in Ireland and England, in boardrooms and court chambers, in saloons and places of worship." It featured private armies of hired killers attempting to settle the conflict of two competing commercial property interests, with governmental corruption and ethnic clashes thrown in. Neither side represented "The Good Guys", and the Kid as a hired shootist was as culpable as any of the other members of the "banditti", but his opposition used him as a targeted bad boy. His own side didn't lack for corruption or malevolence, but the other side could mask its own corruption and malevolence by deliberately playing up the Kid's outlaw role and making him (despite a limited number of crimes) the most wanted man in the Southwest.

So it was that after an astonishing escape from the jail in Lincoln, the Kid was pursued by a posse including Pat Garrett. None of the legends about the Kid and Garrett being companions, pals, or fellow-outlaws are true. Garrett gunned him down in 1881, and his death was world news. A New York paper didn't start the exaggerations, but merely continued them, when it wrote that the Kid "had built up a criminal organization worthy of the underworld in any of the European capitals." The distortions were present during the Kid's lifetime, and have continued; he is a psychopathic serial killer, or a loner out for justice against the system, or a benefactor of the downtrodden, depending on which version of the legend is favored by times or tellers. Wallis's is a winning account of a small life which popular fascination has insisted on writing large.

No Excuses: The True Story of a Congenital Amputee Who Became a Champion in Wrestling and in Life

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Kyle Maynard
Inspiration
A true champion in life
Incrediable
Fantastic Rise

No Excuses: The True Story of a Congenital Amputee Who Became a Champion in Wrestling and in Life
Kyle Maynard
Manufacturer: Regnery Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1596980109

Book Description

Born without arms or legs below his elbows and knees, Kyle Maynard excels as a champion athlete, inspirational speaker, college student and male model. No Excuses is his inspirational autobiography that shows how a positive can-do attitude gives someone we might see as disadvantaged the advantage over life.

Customer Reviews:

Kyle Maynard.......2007-07-10

Kyle Maynard is such an inspiration. I have recommended this book to several people: a wrestling coach, a parent scared of giving birth to a congenital amputee, a girl with poor self-esteem. Kyle is an amazing young man and a blessing to humanity.

Inspiration.......2007-05-16

When i read the book "No Excusses" i really felt like he was an inspiration to every one who has a disabiliy. He shows real courage and how you can do anything if you set your mind to it.And its really showed me how many people out their complain that their life is not good well thats sucks dosen't it and i think kyle has shown a real insperation to all of us how he shows he got through the rough spots in life and that shows how anybody can do it if they set there minds to it.thanks to Kyle Maynard he has shown inspiration to all of us!!

A true champion in life.......2007-03-09

I just finished this book, and I'm planning on recommending it to everyone! I've never met Kyle personally, but after reading this inspirational biography, he's at the top of my list of people I admire and aspire to be more like. He shows that no matter what limitations you may face in life, you can accomplish anything with faith (in God AND in yourself) and determination. What a class act!

Incrediable.......2007-01-15

I liked this book but had expected a little different. I rate it 4-5 stars just based on this amazing man. It is a excellent gift for someone that is a wrestler. Or maybe a struggling youth that wants to become one. For myself the emphasis was on the struggle to become the best wrestler. I would have like to read that but more emphasis on his personal struggles. His thoughts and ways he inspires himself and others. I have seen this young man on tv and was more inspired by those few moments more so than the book.

Fantastic Rise.......2006-10-30

Kyle Maynard is a boy born without arms and legs. His parents don't allow him the luxury of self-pity, and he learns first to survive, and then to thrive. He learns to be an effective football player, and then a state contending wrestler and champion weight lifter.

The story is less about being a champion in wrestling, than life. It is also about parents supporting a child to face life as it is, to not expect handouts or sympathy. Any non-wrestler can learn from Kyle's no-excuses attitude towards facing adversity.

Chasing Justice: My Story of Freeing Myself After Two Decades on Death Row for a Crime I Didn't Commit

Average customer rating:

You will not be able to sleep until you finish this book
Moving true-life account of perfidious injustice
Justice-Texas style
If you believe in Justice in our court system, read this....
Justice?

Chasing Justice: My Story of Freeing Myself After Two Decades on Death Row for a Crime I Didn't Commit
Kerry Max Cook
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 006057464X
Release Date: 2007-02-27

Book Description

Kerry Cook is an innocent man who wrongly served two decades in Texas's notorious death house for the brutal 1977 rape and murder of 21–year–old Linda Jo Edwards. His struggle for freedom is said to be one of the worst cases of police and prosecutorial misconduct in American history.

In the summer of 1977, Cook was staying in Tyler, TX. He met an attractive young woman named Linda Edwards and was invited back to her apartment for a drink and left his fingerprints on the sliding glass door. Four days later, Ms. Edwards was found brutally murdered. When the police dusted for prints, they found Cook's and immediately arrested him. Edward Jackson ly testified that Cook confessed to the murder during a jailhouse conversation. Jackson was set free, only to kill again several years later. Cook, on the other hand, was convicted and sentenced to death.

He was thrown into a world for which no one could be prepared, and he survived beatings, sexual abuse, and depression; all the while, he fought against a justice system that was determined to keep him quiet and loath to admit a mistake. Through the work of a crusading group of lawyers who forced a series of retrials, his case made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ordered the case be reconsidered.It wasn't until the spring of 1999 that Cook was finally able to put the nightmare behind him: long–suppressed DNA evidence had linked James Mayfield, Linda Edwards's ex–lover, to the crime.

Customer Reviews:

You will not be able to sleep until you finish this book.......2007-06-04

I have read the book twice. This is a first hand account of one of the worst cases of injustice in American History. Kerry Max Cook has brilliantly written his own book about life before and after death row and the scars that he still carries with him from the experience. I highly recommend this book to all. I have already bought copies for all my friends.

Moving true-life account of perfidious injustice.......2007-05-30

There have been a spate of books lately about how poorly the American criminal justice system performs. This is surely among the best, though it is not without fault.

Kerry Max Cook was convicted in 1978 of a brutal rape and murder. He was sentenced to death. Over the course of 21 years with the help of a series of committed criminal defense attorneys and capital punishment opponents, he was able to obtain three re-trials. One resulted in a hung jury, another in guilty verdict and the fourth pending trial led to an agreement that saw him released from prison and death row, still as a convicted murderer.

After 20 years on death row, several appellate court decisions and DNA testing, it is abundantly clear that Kerry Max Cook didn't committ murder, rape or any other crime against Linda Jo Edwards in 1977. It is also clear that a long line of Smith County, Texas prosecutors, police officers and others committed crimes against Cook, the least of which is perjury. Nothing of course happened to those who perpetrated frauds upon the court, violated their canon of professional responsibility or flat out perjured themselves. The man the DNA evidence and early eyewitness account pointed to as the murderer has never been charged. In fact, the Smith County, Texas District Attorney's office still maintains, despite the proverbial mountain of evidence against it, that Cook is guilty.

Cook is literate, but not overly articulate. His tale of unbelievable hardship drags in places, but the message resonates clearly: there are proecutors and cops who lie simply to get a conviction. There are criminals who will conjure up stories with the help of prosecutors and cops to get a good deal for themselves while an innocent person is condemned.

I live in the Chicago area where dozens of convicted murderers have been set free because DNA evidence, unavailable or untested at the time of their trial, has established that they could not have been the perpetrator of the crime. The man who headed the State's Attorney office that secured many of these false convictions, Richard M. Daley, has been repeatedly elected Mayor of Chicago. The media never questions him about how all these innocent men were convicted. The same holds true in Smith County, Texas: the several District Attorneys who used perjured evidence or even perjured themselves go unpunished as does the suspect most likely to have committed the murder.

With the recent case of the three Duke University lacrosse players accused of a non-existent rape by Mike Nifong, dubbed a "rogue prosecutor" by the North Carolina Attorney General, we've seen once again how easy it is for prosecutors with the help of dishonest law enforcement officers to frame totally innocent victims. (The NC Attorney General called the three accused innocent.)These three young men were fortunate in that their families had enough resources to get them good legal help and that mostly conservative bloggers investigated and started poking holes in Nifong's stories. It was months before even parts of the mainstream media began to doubt Nifong and the accuser. Kerry Max Cook and the many other convicted innocents weren't as fortunate.

Kerry Max Cook has written a compelling account of his life. That he can have any hope at all is indeed inspiring. His story is a caution that the guardians, above all, must be guarded. The innocent are, as we learn almost monthly as more convicted murderers are found to be innocent through DNA testing, condemned to lengthy prison terms or even death based upon mistaken or knowingly false testimony.

Jerry

Justice-Texas style.......2007-05-08

In March 2007, I attended a talk by Kerry Cook with a 80+year old nun who asked me to go with her. I did not have a clue the subject, I just went to drive for her. What an eye opening experience hearing Cook talk about his experiences in the small room crowded with college students, some of whom are part of various programs to help those imprisoned who are innocent. I later bought the book and I was angry the entire time I read it and ashamed I am a Texan, but relieved that Texas lawyers were the ones who finally helped Cook get free. Cook's story will change your life; if you are in favor of the death penalty, it will change your mind. If you are on the fence, you will get off it. You know in your heart and by current events that there are many more innocents wrongly on death row, put there by "evil" prosecutors, sheriffs, lawyers, etc., not to mention just sloppy police work. It's a crap shoot how you are treated. Kerry Cook is white, can you imagine how Blacks and Hispanics are treated in the criminal justice system?? I am still reeling and Kerry Max Cook has the rest of his life to have nightmares....

If you believe in Justice in our court system, read this...........2007-03-17

because you won't be a believer for long.

Kerry Max Cook tells us exactly how it is to be on death row in this country. He paints the picture of being wrongly convicted that chills one to the very core of their being.

If your pro death penalty... you won't be so sure of that belief after reading this.

One has to give this man KUDOS for enduring a 20+ year nightmare. As well as the attorney's that stuck by his side and believed in him and worked pro bono. It takes a hell of a belief system to get through what this man survived.

I recommend this book to everyone, pro or anti death penalty. It is very educational on our justice system, prosecutor misconduct, judges who are blind to "real justice" & Investigators who will stop at nothing to gain a conviction.

TRUST THE EVIDENCE, NEVER TRUST THE AUTHORITIES.

Justice?.......2007-03-15

Having just finished reading Chasing Justice I probably should be waiting a few days - or even months - to calm down a bit, but I'm finding that impossible. The anger I feel, not only for what the author somehow managed to endure for over 20 years, but how little has been done by the people of Texas to rid themselves of the continuing menace that infects their legal system makes me wonder what kind of a people we are, to continually put our heads in the sand, ignoring the continuing abuses perpetrated by the police, prosecutors, judges and politicians that are supposed to be serving us.

In one of Cook's final chapters he tells us what most of the main participants are doing today. Aside from a few that have died or retired, all police, prosecutors and judges are still doling out Texas-style justice. The person who all of the legitimate evidence points to as the real murderer is still free. Of course all of the residents of Death Row who were there with Cook have been executed. I realize that this thirst for blood is not just peculiar to Texas - much the rest of our nation isn't that much better - but one would think that if we're going to be handing out the ultimate punishment so frequently, even though it doesn't accomplish anything other than satisfying a savage hunger for revenge, it might be wise to make sure that we get it right and make sure that the innocent don't get flushed down with the guilty. One also has to wonder how the family of the murdered girl managed to go along with the charade all of this time, knowing full well that the wrong man was being persecuted.

It's also interesting that who should make an appearance in this Kafka-like saga other than George W. Bush himself. As Texas Governor between 1995 and 2000 one of the first things he did was to sign off on legislation to make it easier to execute those on Death Row by limiting the appeal process available to them, resulting in him signing off on over 150 executions in 5 years. How many of those men were innocent? Is this where he developed his officials-can-do-no-wrong attitude that he has ruled with since he came into power in 2001? In the case of Texas vs. Kerry Max Cook errors and incompetence led to lies and cover-ups which led to more lies as witnesses were coached into changing stories, forensic evidence misinterpreted and pages from witness accounts "lost." All this so officials in charge of the case wouldn't have to admit that they erred in the first place -something that they've refused to admit to this day. In the case of the Bush Administration vs. the U.S. - or perhaps it should be the World - errors and incompetence made after 9/11, accompanied by a huge dose of arrogance resulted in lies and cover-ups which have led us to where we are today. If those parallels aren't enough and we need more all we have to do is throw in a huge portion of a public that is willing to accept practically anything that is told to them because we must "trust our leaders."

Kerry Max Cook is an example of what a human being is capable of. He's managed to take those 20 years that were stolen from him and make them meaningful to all of us. He shouldn't be ignored.

Average customer rating:

Small, yet powerful...
True Humility: Cross-Centered Humility
Mahaney is a mastermind!
Pursuing an Intimacy With God That Results in Humility
Humbling

Humility: True Greatness
C. J. Mahaney
Manufacturer: Multnomah
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1590523261
Release Date: 2005-09-30

Book Description

Be Transformed by Christ’s Example

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” —1 Peter 5:5

A battle rages within every one of us every day. It’s the clash between our sense of stubborn self-sufficiency and God’s call to recognize that we’re really nothing without Him. It’s pride versus humility. And it’s a fight we can’t win without looking repeatedly to Christ and the cross. C. J. Mahaney raises a battle cry to daily, diligently, and deliberately weaken our greatest enemy (pride) and cultivate our greatest friend (humility). His thorough examination clarifies misconceptions, revealing the truth about why God detests pride and turns His active attention to the humble. Because pride is never passive, defeating it demands an intentional attack. The blessing that follows is God’s abundant favor.

“This is the one to whom I will look:

he who is humble and contrite in spirit.”

—Isaiah 66:2, esv

God clearly states that He is drawn to the humble. He’s also clear that He opposes the proud. These two, humility and pride, cannot coexist. Where one is fostered, the other is defeated.

Which will you pursue?

C. J. Mahaney paints a striking picture of the daily battle quietly raging within every Christian and asks whether you will passively accommodate the enemy of your soul, pride, or actively cultivate your best friend, humility. When you acknowledge the deception of pride and intentionally humble yourself, you become free to savor abundant mercies and unlikely graces. You will find a new life is yours—a life God richly favors. A God-glorifying life you don’t want to miss.

“C. J. Mahaney is not humble. At least, that’s what he’ll tell you. And that’s one reason he’s so well qualified to write this book.”

Mark E. Dever

Senior pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church

Author, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church

“A much-needed wake-up call on this important subject. I highly recommend this book.”

Jerry Bridges

Author of The Pursuit of Holiness

“This is the right book from the right man at the right time.”

R. Albert Mohler, Jr.

President, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Story Behind the Book

“Given pride’s pervasive presence in my life, I come to this book in holy fear, yet inspired by God’s promises to be humble and sobered by his warnings to the proud (Isaiah 66:2b, 1 Peter 5:5b). Scripture reveals to us that, while pride was the first and most serious sin, God is decisively drawn to humility and is specifically supportive of the humble. Only Christ has fully obeyed Isaiah 66:2b (“This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word”), yet He did so as our representative! How marvelous that in our daily battle against pride we can rely on God’s grace, through the gospel, and thus bring honor and glory to God.” —C. J. Mahaney

Customer Reviews:

Small, yet powerful..........2007-10-16

I haven't wanted to read this book for the mere fact that I am selfish and didn't want to be that convicted of my prideful attitudes. It wasn't until one of my elders read the book and told me what impact it had on his thoughts and attitudes of his daily walk, that I decided to pick up the small, but towering book of truth.

CJ Mahaney has put together a very strong book that seems to come from the outworking of his previous works which focus on Christ and His cross. This seems as though it is the natural outflow of his writings on "Christ our Mediator" and also "The Cross Centered Life." CJ comes to this conclusion and outworking by writing the book "Humility: True Greatness."
The book is broken into three parts:

Part I: Our Greatest Friend, Our Greatest Enemy: The Battle of Humility Versus Pride

In this part CJ comes out and helps define what humility is and what pride is. He then walks through the implications, promises and perils of both.

Part II: The Great Reversal: Our Saviour and the Secret of True Greatness

This is classic Mahaney. Pointing us back to our Saviour. It is as although he has "defined" humility and pride in the first part he cannot truly define humility without coming back to the Saviour and the cross. Mahaney shows some ways that the Christ shows humility to his disciples in Mark 10 and also through the great redemptive plan in the cross. This is where you start to simply understand your need of humility to truly walk in the ways of Christ and this is where I started to ask, "give me some ways to understand this practically" and that is what Mahaney delivers in the third part of the book.

Part III: Our Great Pursuit: The Practice of True Humility

Mahaney really lays out some great practical ways to come to an understanding of humility in our lives and ways to see the pride in them as well. He lists out for most of the book, as this is by far the longest part, practical ways to be humble and ways to continually point out prideful parts in our lives.

All in all, this is a very hard book practically to read, as I have found all of Mahaney's books to be, but very easy for any layman to pick up and walk through. Very challenging without being a cry from the high towers of holiness as this book is read and written through the eyes of someone you feel is having the very same struggles you are in the subject that is being written, yet someone who has much knowledge to share on how to "accomplish" the set thesis.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs to understand this subject, and if you feel you don't need to understand this subject...you really need to read this book, cause you are missing the point...

True Humility: Cross-Centered Humility.......2007-10-09

Rather than defining one as humble or not as in binary mode, it is more appropriate to think in terms of degree of humility as some have more than the other. After all, there is no one who is perfect in humility anyway other than the King of kings who is also the king of servants, Jesus Christ. I have not met CJ personally but I have seen him speak at Resolved 2007. My impression from this book, however, he is someone who has biblically and experimentally studied and applied humility. Now to understand humility biblically is critical since there is no such thing as true humility apart from God's definition and the cross-centered foundation of it. This is the meat of this book which I value greatly, because CJ goes from the foundation of true humility without which no one can ever be humble, that is, the death and resurrection of Christ and being born again, to the evil of pride, to the inward applications on how to grow more in humility and less in pride, though I don't completely agree with all the steps he proposes, like playing golf; and outwardly in our treatment to others. The latter particularly sticks to my mind when it comes to seeing the grace of God in others, by which I take it to mean, to study and understand people objectively, to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger. Only then can we know how to speak humbly to encourage or edify.

Mahaney is a mastermind!.......2007-08-23

C.J. Mahaney is such a man of passion. It truly shows in his writing. I could feel the passion with which he was writing and speaking the words from his book. Mahaney offers a lot of good advice for keeping pride out of your life and day to day tasks and reminders that will aid in doing so. I would recommend this book to anyone who is serious about their walk with Christ!

Pursuing an Intimacy With God That Results in Humility.......2007-07-09

C. J. Mahaney in "Humility: True Greatness" compares the physical check up of a physician with the need for a spiritual check up of the same nature. He wields the surgeon's scalpel to the soul of man with his piercing questions for self evaluation.

The Book is divided into three parts. In part one Mahaney discusses the promise of humility and the peril of pride. In part two he redefines greatness and shows how greatness can be demonstrated. Part three deals with the pursuit of humility, the importance of focus, evidences of grace, correction,responding to trials, and leaving a legacy.

This is a book for pastors, church leaders, and individual Christians. It is thought provoking, hard hitting, yet sensitive while pursuing an intimacy with God that produces humility. This is an excellent book for devotional reading and for frequent future reference.

Humbling.......2007-07-05

This truly is a humbling book, in the best and most positive sense of the word.
It helps us see how habitually rooted we are in ourselves.
"Aha" moments include the premises that comparing ourselves to others is pride, and that pride is contesting for supremacy with God.
I breathe a hearty "Amen" to author Mahaney's statement that "True greatness is attained only by emulating the Savior's example--and made possible only by the Savior's sacrifice."

Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia

Average customer rating:

in the sad by true catagory
Excellent Personal Account of Life in Saudi Arabia
"Life Behind the Veil" or "Why Being a Girl in Saudi Arabia Really, Really Sucks"
Wow!
A real life heroin who dares to lift the veil

Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia
Jean P. Sasson
Manufacturer: Windsor-Brooke Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0967673747

Book Description

PRINCES: A TRUE STORY OF LIFE BEHIND THE VEIL IN SAUDI ARABIA describes the life of Princess Sultana Al Sa'ud, a princess in the royal house of Saudi Arabia. Hidden behind her black veil, she is a prisoner, jailed by her father, her husband, and her country.

Sultana tells of appalling oppressions, everyday occurrences that in any other culture would be seen as shocking human rights violations: thirteen-year-old girls forced to marry men five times their age, young women killed by drowning, stoning, or isolation in the "women's room."

PRINCESS is a testimony to a woman of indomitable spirit and courage, and you will never forget her or her Muslim sisters.

Customer Reviews:

in the sad by true catagory .......2007-09-29

I read this book more than 10 years ago and it still haunts me to this day. "Princess" is the most frightening book I have ever read because it is a true story!

In 1992 when this book was first published it became an instant sensation all over the world. This is the first book written about Saudi Arabia that really gives an honest portrayal of what life is really like for the women living in this historically oppressive country. The Saudi government even banned "Princess" because this book candidly "lifts the veil" on the culture surrounding women in their Kingdom.

Ms. Jean Sasson tells the first-hand story of Princess Sultana, a Royal living in the extremely discouraging Saudi Arabia. I have read all of Ms. Sasson's books, but "Princess" is my favorite. I am certain that anyone with a modicum of decency will be outraged and shocked after reading this book.

The book is written in first-person which makes for a very interesting read. Also included in the book is lots of extra info about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, maps, a glossary and even some pictures. This book was both enthralling and educational because Jean Sasson is a rare writer that has a very gifted talent.

In 1948 the United Nations General Assembly came up with a list of human rights which is supposed to be guaranteed for every single human being; all over the world. This very basic list is called the "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights," and countries such as Saudi Arabia have consistently chosen to ignore these basic human rights.

Why is the Middle East and especially Islamic States such as Saudi Arabia so oppressive towards women? I have asked myself this question ever since I first read Princess Sultana's story. I wish the US would do more, but they are already viewed as a "bully" in this region of the world. Maybe the US cares more about oil than about the millions of women that are living in a modern-day Holocaust?

Jean Sasson wrote two other books about Princess Sultana and her family, Princess Sultana's Daughters and Princess Sultana's Circle (Princess Trilogy); both of which are beyond gripping. I really hope there will be more books updating readers about the Princess and about the plight of women's equality in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I'd also love to read a book discussing homosexuality within the Middle East/Islamic States, such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Gay men (and women) are virtually unheard of and are often murdered or imprisoned simply for being homosexual or lesbian. When the Iranian President recently told Columbia University that there are "no homosexuals in Iran" I had to laugh at his blatant homophobia, hatred, and disregard to human life. What a sick and bigoted statement to make. I also recommend picking up Ms. Sasson's latest book, Love in a Torn Land: Joanna of Kurdistan: The True Story of a Freedom Fighter's Escape from Iraqi Vengeance. This is an excellent tome, as well.

To refer to Saudi Arabia simply as "sexist," is, in my humble opinion a kind word for this dictatorship. Because, at least the word "sexist" has some meaning behind it. But as I learned in "Princess," women have no meaning because they are regarded as property. I really commend Ms. Sasson for having the courage to tell the this very disconsolate story. There isn't even a word for "sexist" in the Arabic language. Without say a word, that manages to say it all!

Excellent Personal Account of Life in Saudi Arabia.......2007-08-31

While reading this book, I was impressed with the writing style and verbage that the author used. It was an interesting look at the inside of The Kingdom that many people know little about. This book was tragically sad in many parts but hilariously funny in others. I am admiring of the Sultana and her strength in personality and character; especially when standing up to her brother and husband. She seems to be truly a good person and is someone I wish I could meet in person. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the position of women in Saudi Arabia.

"Life Behind the Veil" or "Why Being a Girl in Saudi Arabia Really, Really Sucks".......2007-08-17

I'm an educated person, and I am very much aware of the basic freedoms that women in Saudi Arabia are lacking. However, reading "Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia" sheds a whole new light on the horrific realities of life for women in this god-forsaken country.

This book is the real story of Princess Sultana, a member of Saudi Arabia's royal family. The name Sultana is an alias: If anyone in her family learned her true identity, she and her children would face deadly consequences. Instead, Sultana tells her story with the help of author Jean Sasson, a writer who befriended the princess while living and working in Saudi Arabia.

"Princess" details Sultana's upbringing in a home where the father had absolutely no regard for any of his daughters and instead catered only to the desires of his wretched son, Ali. Sultana was tormented by her older brother, and she was always determined to figure out a way to build a better life for herself and attain more rights than women are generally allowed in her country.

In Saudi Arabia, women are forced to wear black veils that cover their entire face. They can't drive cars, live independently, or make any decisions for themselves. Women are not valued as individuals, and in many cases Arabian men view women solely as their own sexual outlets. It's common for women and young girls to be raped by just about anyone. Women can even be stoned to death for their so-called "lewd" behavior, but of course men are never punished for their brutal crimes.

Sultana gives many examples of women she has known who met horrible fates, and she describes her own frustrations of being ruled by her father, brother, and eventually her husband. Because Sultana is a member of the royal family, she has a much better life than most women do in Saudi Arabia, and that's a terrifying thought. Sultana also has a strong, feisty spirit, but even her unflinching determination to change things has little effect on the events that unravel around her.

"Princess" is a wonderful book, but it's also extremely sad because it paints such a vivid picture of the horrors that Arabian women endure on a daily basis. It's almost impossible for me to fathom that a country in our modern world still adheres to these archaic practices, but it's true. Now that I've read this book, I'm anxious to learn more about the current state of affairs in Saudi Arabia: Have things improved even the slightest bit in the past 17 years? I'm almost afraid to find out.

Wow!.......2007-07-11

This book was eye-opening. I had the great fortune of reading it about a year ago, after buying it from a second-hand store. After completing it within two days (which is amazing for me), I felt compelled to tell other people about it. My cousin borrowed it, and she loved it, too (so much that I actually had to steal it back from her when I visited). You learn about the thought process of some of the women of Saudi Arabia, and how they can have a love-hate relationship with their placement in society. You become more aware of human rights violations and their effects. It's very interesting, and it makes you want to do something to help her.

A real life heroin who dares to lift the veil.......2007-06-15

This true story reads just like a novel. It's the story of Sultana, a fiery Princess for the ruling house of Al Sa'ud in Saudi Arabia. Throughout her personal experiences we learn a lot on the status of women in the country regardless of their social rank, and it shows how the culture that they cherish and accept to a certain degree is also one that they hate but have very little power over. This is fascinating and I highly recommend the trilogy to anyone who is interested in women in Saudi Arabia. I also recommend another book "Nine parts of desire" by Geraldine Brooks, which covers the same topic.

Average customer rating:

This is how Christianity is Supposed to Work
Touching and profound!
Inspiring, well told, and true story
Hope Makes The Spirit Unbreakable
Moving

To End All Wars
Ernest Gordon
Manufacturer: Zondervan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0007118481

Book Description

The best-selling classic of the power of love and forgiveness in a Japanese prisoner of war camp.

Customer Reviews:

This is how Christianity is Supposed to Work.......2007-10-02

My wife and I had watched the movie a couple months ago (be warned: it is incredibly brutal) and been moved by the power of the story. Unfortunately, as it turned out, the book and the move are not the same story. In fact, other than the similarity of the major premise (a British officer in a Japanese POW camp during WW2), they had almost nothing in common.

However. . .

That was only disappointing insomuch as I kept waiting for certain events from the movie to show up. The movie had colored my expectations for the book, which meant I couldn't take the book on its own merits. Which is too bad, because, upon completing the book, I would say it is as powerful as the movie, perhaps even more so. But you have to let the book speak for itself. The story is truly miraculous, as this band of prisoners devolve into a wild bunch of animals at the hands of their captors, only to be transformed by the Spirit of Christ into a true Community of compassion and care. Somehow, in the midst of hell, these men found the power to love each other, to care for each other, to even forgive their Japanese tormentors. When people ask "Does Christianity work?", the story of this book says "absolutely!" And in a day and age of spiteful attacks, divisive language, polarized religions and selfish money-grubbing politicians and religious leaders, there is a real lesson here about what being a True Follower of Christ is all about.

Touching and profound!.......2007-06-10

This is one of the best books I've read so far... Though it may appear repetitive at times (there's really little else the author could write about beside what's happening in the POW camps along the Kwai), the reflection on the human condition and the supreme virtue of self-sacrifice in the footsteps of Jesus Christ is poignantly and profoundly written. The epilogue is a penetrating tour de force piece of criticism on the 'civilised' society the author returned to after the war. The reverse culture shock he experienced is a haunting reminder of how that still small voice can be so easily drowned out in the cacophony of modern society.

Inspiring, well told, and true story.......2007-01-10

It's a difficult, but true message. The author takes an unflinching look at the evil that men are capable of through his own personal experience in Japanese prison camps and carries you through the experience on to the brilliant hope on the other side of his own personal pain. The underlying truth you discover is the genuine potential to be found in one man's selfless, sacrificial care for another. It's an excellent read.

Hope Makes The Spirit Unbreakable.......2006-11-17

Formally published as "Miracle on the River Kwai" and renamed to coincide with a new movie. This book was written by Ernest Gordon a Scottish Army officer who served in the South Pacific During the war.

Back Story
During that time the Japanese advanced on Singapore, and Gordon and a few other officers try to escape on a chartered sailboat. After being captured at sea, he was incarcerated and sent to a work camp in Thailand, building the infamous railway of death, where nearly 80,000 prisoners lost their life in a little over a year. This railway and the Chungkai prison camp are the real back story to the Oscar winning film "Bridge On the River Kwai."

What the classic movie doesn't tell you is the horrific condition and constant death that the builders of the bridge met with on a daily basis.

The Book
The story is a recount of Ernest Gordon's experiences at the camp and his witness to that camps transformation from what he called "the worst that man could be" to the "best that man could be."

The book starts with Gordon laying in the hospital at Chungkai, called the "Death House" by the prisoners as there was very few he came back from the hospital. Gordon then flashes back to what led him here, and then continues from that point and tells of the camps transformation. Before Gordon wound up in the hospital the camp was very much "every man for himself" animal instinct and the law of the jungle dictated who lived and who died. During Gordon's stay at the hospital while he was suffering and near death with Beriberi, Tropical Ulcers, Malaria, and Amoebic Dysentery, he propped himself up, void of hope, and penned a last letter to his parents. That was his low point. He was nursed back to health by two other POW's Dinty Moore, and Dusty Miller. Both bartered for food and medicine, cleaned his ulcers, massaged his legs to reverse the atrophy and gave him encouragement to give him the hope he needed to recover. These two men became an inspiration to the rest of the camp, and like Ernest Gordon, many started to emulate their kindness willingness to help others. Dusty Miller a devote Christian also read the bible to Gordon which inspired him. Gordon then started to hold bible studies with other in the camp; they often shared bibles that men had smuggled in. This led to a spiritual revival of the camp, where men helped each other to survive. The camp changed from a group of individuals to a community that served each other with the same love that Christ had shown them in the bible. Many more survived the wrath of the Japanese as a result of the selfless acts of the camp members, in one part of the book one enlisted soldier, admits that he stole a shovel (which he didn't) just to save the lives of his co-prisoners, that soldier was immediately beaten to death, but his sacrifice as well as others, were what changed to mood of the camp.

The Legacy
This spiritual revival, not only led to many surviving the camp, but transcended into their life after the war. Gordon's epilogue was probably the best part of the book where he paints his perspective against the backdrop of the post-war error.

"We returned to a world divided by hatreds. We thought we had come home to a world at peace; instead we found a world already preparing for the next war. Having had as much reason to hate as anybody, we had overcome hatred."

"We had seen a vision of far horizons and caught a glimpse of the City of God in all its beauty and this vision seemed to be part of a different world."

Summary
Overall the book is very interesting, and is an intriguing story of suffering and hope. Gordon's style is very easy to read, almost like he's sitting next you telling the story. The descriptions of the people and the camp are genuine and I had no problem understanding and even "knowing" many of the characters in the book.

Editorial
It's one thing read about the word of God and the acts of Jesus, it's an entirely different think to witness it first hand as Gordon does and writes about with stunning detail. If found this to be an inspiring story of the grace of God that is given, by giving up selfishness. I have learned a lot about what true Christian's look like after reading this book. If you want my opinion, Christ looked a lot more like Dusty Miller and Ernest Gordon, than the face of modern evangelical minister today.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to see the how God's Grace can transform the most desperate situations

Moving.......2006-10-21

This is a story of ultimate forgiveness told firsthand by Ernest Gordon. The things he and his fellow prisoners of war experienced are near incomprehensible. ...and out of such despair comes the forever life-changing love they experience through Christ, Who is the example they start to follow in showing similar self-sacrificing love and kindness to their neighbors - even to their enemies.

I saw the movie before watching the book which may have been best, as I would've been disappointed had it been the other way around (ie. The book, as many books do, goes into more detail and describes other people encountered by Ernest. For time and format reason, the movie can't cover all of this.)

Also, the book is proof that such a powerful story can be told without foul language (which is present in the movie version).

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