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The largely blue collar citizens of Kansas can be counted upon to be a "red" state in any election, voting solidly Republican and possessing a deep animosity toward the left. This, according to author Thomas Frank, is a pretty self-defeating phenomenon, given that the policies of the Republican Party benefit the wealthy and powerful at the great expense of the average worker. According to Frank, the conservative establishment has tricked Kansans, playing up the emotional touchstones of conservatism and perpetuating a sense of a vast liberal empire out to crush traditional values while barely ever discussing the Republicans' actual economic policies and what they mean to the working class. Thus the pro-life Kansas factory worker who listens to Rush Limbaugh will repeatedly vote for the party that is less likely to protect his safety, less likely to protect his job, and less likely to benefit him economically. To much of America, Kansas is an abstract, "where Dorothy wants to return. Where Superman grew up." But Frank, a native Kansan, separates reality from myth in What's the Matter with Kansas and tells the state's socio-political history from its early days as a hotbed of leftist activism to a state so entrenched in conservatism that the only political division remaining is between the moderate and more-extreme right wings of the same party. Frank, the founding editor of The Baffler and a contributor to Harper's and The Nation, knows the state and its people. He even includes his own history as a young conservative idealist turned disenchanted college Republican, and his first-hand experience, combined with a sharp wit and thorough reasoning, makes his book more credible than the elites of either the left and right who claim to understand Kansas. --John Moe
Book Description
With a New Afterword by the Author
The New York Times bestseller, praised as "hilariously funny . . . the only way to understand why so many Americans have decided to vote against their own economic and political interests" (Molly Ivins)
Hailed as "dazzlingly insightful and wonderfully sardonic" (Chicago Tribune), "very funny and very painful" (San Francisco Chronicle), and "in a different league from most political books" (The New York Observer), What's the Matter with Kansas? unravels the great political mystery of our day: Why do so many Americans vote against their economic and social interests? With his acclaimed wit and acuity, Thomas Frank answers the riddle by examining his home state, Kansas-a place once famous for its radicalism that now ranks among the nation's most eager participants in the culture wars. Charting what he calls the "thirty-year backlash"-the popular revolt against a supposedly liberal establishment-Frank reveals how conservatism, once a marker of class privilege, became the creed of millions of ordinary Americans.
A brilliant analysis-and funny to boot-What's the Matter with Kansas? is a vivid portrait of an upside-down world where blue-collar patriots recite the Pledge while they strangle their life chances; where small farmers cast their votes for a Wall Street order that will eventually push them off their land; and where a group of frat boys, lawyers, and CEOs has managed to convince the country that it speaks on behalf of the People.
Customer Reviews:
don't have to read the book.......2007-10-09
I don't care what state you live in, a democratic agenda (modern) is the most economically disadvantaged direction you can choose anywhere in the USA. Therefore I do not need to read the book to know that even with the sad state of the republican party today, it is preferable to the democratic party. However i plan on reading this book to understand what can possibly make the author write such a book directed at a state. (know your enemy)
don't waste your money.......2007-09-20
Do not buy this book. I came prepared to love it, I was really looking forward to an insightful, informed, inside view of this remarkable political 180 of our times. That is simply not this book. It may be well researched, but it is so poorly written that it is nearly impossible to find out. Negative, back-biting, harsh, judgemental, bad-mouthing, blame-the-other-guy psuedo "politics" IF you can call it "policits". Politically themed finger pointing is more like it.
The Land of Oz.......2007-09-15
The author writes a somewhat satirical look at middle America 's political affliations. He has two major thesis. The first being that by the Democrats trying to copy Republicans-and money interests have turned their backs on blue collar workers. These workers have only the social issues to make their political choices. The second part of the thesis ,is that the money interests of the backlash movement (as he calls conservative Republicans) have just payed lip service to ending abortion and gay marriage etc.
So the effect of this is to have a reverse French Revolution in which the common man votes Republican and against his/her economic interests. So farming communities shrivel up,unions die,people go without health care.
Frank a native Kansan explores with humor and interviews peeople of the backlash movement.He bemoans the fact that populism -a left wing philospohy born in the mid west is dead. William Jennings Bryan a fundamentalist Christion was a liberal Democratic Senator from Nebraska.He explores this transformation and his diagnosis would make Clinton supportors and free market libertarians both angry. Since he offend both ends of the sprecta his observations should be taken seriously.
Certainly their are flaws in his thesis. if the Republican party is only paying lip service to social issues ,why are Democrats so afraid of their Supreme Court picks. If Clinton was in the pay of moneyied interests why was the right so moblized against Hillary's health care plan ?
This is a provacative book that explains Red and White state differences and the psycholgy of political self delusion (Blue collar people voting for big moneu interests)
thought-provoking, albeit hackneyed, look at America's Third Estate.......2007-08-02
Looking at Kansas today, it seems hard to believe that the archetypal American Heartland was once a hotbed of left-wing populism. "What's the Matter With Kansas?" shows us a bizarre socio-political landscape where a rural-suburban proletariat ardently defends corporate privilege in hopes that there will be an abortion ban or flag-burning amendment in it for them somewhere down the line.
Given Thomas Frank is a native Kansan, the detached tone he takes in his survey is disappointing. At many points, he comes across as preachy and high-minded to the point that you almost understand why the people of Kansas are so wary of "liberal elites". Rather than focusing on the lack of corporate accountability and excess that bring about the layoffs and cutbacks that hurt working class Americans, Frank takes swings at NAFTA and the many other trade policies that helped make the economic salad years of the 1990s possible.
While it becomes clear that in many cases the white Protestant gun-owning Average Joe is making a mistake when he votes Republican, Frank makes a grave mistake when he turns his nose up at the social and religious values this stratum of society holds so dear. He overlooks the fact that liberals are guilty of this same indulgence of principles. If it's so irrational for a churchgoing factory worker in Kansas to vote for a Republican corporate shill in order to protect his Second Amendment rights, why does it make any more sense for a Harvard-educated six-figure-earning professional to vote Democratic and have his taxes hiked up for the sake of protecting the Roe v. Wade decision?
Frank also overlooks the fact that Kansas was reliably Republican for years before the conservative backlash of the 1980s. Kansas was a Red State back when the GOP was still the party of Dwight Eisenhower, Nelson Rockefeller and Gerald Ford (and the people who would eventually make up the neo-conservative Republican coalition were still Conservative Democrats).
As a moderate Republican who happens to support affordable higher education, I was particularly offended by Frank's portrayal of Kansas' "Mod Squad" as arrogant corporatists. All in all, Thomas Frank has raised a lot of important questions, but his survey of the state he grew up in seems sadly detached and out-of-touch.
Well-written, entertaining but fails to live up to the title.......2007-07-08
Thomas Frank stated purpose is to tell how Conservative won the hearts of the working class, the middle class and the rich all at the same time. His answer is that rich, Republican elites throw up red herring issues (abortion and gay marriage are two that he mentions frequently) that bamboozle the working poor and the middle class into supporting them and their greater cause of Free Market Capitalism and International Free Trade even though Capitalism and treaties such as NAFTA inevitably beat the little guy into a pulp (his thought, not mine).
Yep. That's about it, although Mr. Frank says it much better than I just did. He also never goes into detail about why Capitalism and Free Trade are both evil (he just assumes you agree, I suppose), although he is very critical of Bill Clinton for supporting NAFTA throughout the book. Big business, especially Wal-Mart, are also to blame for de-populating the Kansas countryside. Apparantly, Wal-Mart has some larger agenda in which they plan to drive their customers away from the stores they build in the country...
Seriously, the book would have been helped by further explanation as to why Mr. Frank is such an opponent of Capitalism. He has another book on just that subject, according to a tiny bit of research on my part. It might be a help if readers read that book first, especially in light of Mr. Frank's view that all politics is based in economics: "Most of us think of politics as a Machiavellian drama in which actors make alliances and take practical steps to advance their material interests." (p. 121)
Mr. Frank's fails to properly tell us "How conservatives wone the heart of America" because he does not really believe, deep down, that people will vote in ways that he sees that are economically disadvantageous (Free Trade, etc.) unless they are tricked into doing so. People really believing in other issues and voting for them are foreign to his way of thinking.
This teacher gives it a C-. Thomas Frank really fails to adaquately address the thesis of the book, as expressed by the title. Interesting readiing, nonetheless.
Book Description
A Revolution in Estate Planning for Wealthy Families Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time.
Longfellow Family Wealth Counseling: Getting to the Heart of the Matter is an attempt to put into writing the collective wisdom of more than twenty years of working with and learning from hundreds of wealthy families. Over the years, we have helped these affluent families honestly address the important soft issues of life as well as the complex hard issues of wise tax planning. We further have helped these affluent families to effectively integrate these two components into a comprehensive life-plan that produces results-results that continually exceed all expectations. Throughout this book, you will read the stories of how the Family Wealth Counseling process has profoundly impacted Americas wealthy families financially, socially, emotionally and spiritually. The Family Wealth Counseling process has helped many to find the deepest levels of joy, meaning and fulfillment in life. Family Wealth Counseling is a life-planning process whose time has come. It is not only a revolutionary approach to planning-it is the right approach to plan-ning. If you are ready to start thinking beyond . . . you have picked up the right book. Regarding life-planning, this book will challenge you to think about . . .
* the purpose for your life
* the purpose for your wealth
* how to leverage your remaining time, unique talents and accumulated treasures to do the most good for the most people
* how to adequately prepare your heirs for their inheritance, so it will bless them and not ruin them
* how to transition from a life of financial success to a life of personal significance Regarding tax-planning, this book will explain . . .
* that estate taxes are optional
* that capital gains taxes are optional
* how to reduce your current income taxes by opting out of these two taxes
* how to actually increase your net, after-tax annual income by opting out of these taxes
* how to give your estate and capital gains taxes away to charity and actually make a profit
* how to increase the amount of wealth you and your family control This book has the potential to radically change your life and the lives of those you most care about. It all starts with your willingness to begin thinking beyond . . .
Customer Reviews:
Great for Business Owners While in Mid-career, too!.......2005-07-30
I read this book cover to cover looking for sound information that I can pass along to the business owners and non-profit organization leaders that are my management consulting clients.
I was delighted to find the book PACKED with advice that helps wealthy individuals consider the total picture of how the wealth transfer impacts the next generation and not just current tax reprecussions.
I recommend it to the Wealth counselors that I meet. You won't be disappointed.
Excellent for those with net worth > $5Million.......2001-08-12
Most people of wealth make several false starts with comprehensive income and estate planning. This book describes a method of first determining your life purpose and goals by an extensive interview process. Only then can the technical aspects of planning be addressed.
Well written book by the director of the National Assn of Family Wealth Counselors. If you are a person of means this is a safe starting point to a network of highly qualified and competent FWCs.
The author asks: "If you had to choose between giving one million dollars away to the IRS in estate taxes or giving that same one million to your favorite charity, which would you prefer?" Great question. To fail to plan is to give half or more of your estate away to the IRS.
This book will provide good insight if your net worth is $2-5 Million or you are a financial counselor.
Customer Reviews:
Very Informative book concerning the spiritual heart.......2006-07-05
Juaniita Bynum does an excellent job of linking the physical qualities of the human heart to the spiritual heart. She makes a convincing case that our hearts from the inside out matter. The book is heavy on spiritual matters of the heart, however I did find it difficult at times to understand but her analogies about the problems with the human heart is often most simular to the spiritual heart we battle everyday. If you want to know the root of the matter, get this book for every matter that concerns your heart.
this book is powerful to say the least.......2005-11-04
matters of the heart blessed my life tremendously.it was so powerful. God did a spiritual surgery in me.he gave me the new heart and dealt and destroyed alot of things in my life.if you read this book you will know your standing in God and u will never be the same.you will go past the level of sliping and backsliding to a higher level of power and stability in God.The spirit of God will give you a heart that is sensitive to the touch of your God.you will taken to a new level in God and new relationship with God.Woh! it was so powerful and life changing to me.
A word from the Throne Room of God.......2005-02-14
I highly suggest you read this but if and only if you're ready for a higher level in God. This book will open your eyes about the inner you. This book is meat. If you don't take your time and read it you will choke. I have so much respect for this woman of God and I praise God for her life. Along with her husband Bishop Weeks. I'm not one to be stuck on the individual but the word that God has given his man or woman of God. So I challenge you if you are looking for a higher level of God and you are willing to die to your flesh, than this is the book for you. Look pass the individual and grasp the word from the throne room.
If you aren't looking to change, don't read this book.......2004-10-15
This message is definitely needed in this hour. So many people are being controlled by their own choice to go against God's ways and then give in their own fleshly desires and get caught up in strongholds. But what we really need to get up out of these is the new heart. This book had to be prayed over as it was being written, because I promise you it isn't an easy feed. Take your time to digest it, as you digest the scripture that God leads you to read and you are reading this book. I am going to go through the book a second time around now. This is an excellent step to your renewal and spiritual growth.
Compelling.......2004-10-09
MATTERS OF THE HEART by Juanita Bynum delivers a wonderful, right-on-time message concerning walking into the full light of God's love with a "new heart." It speaks to the battle of the mind, which is worldly based, versus the heart, which is soul based. The mind will resist the revolution that the soul is undergoing as the Christian grows in their relationship with Christ. The need for this renewal is paramount because the word of God cannot flourish in a hardened heart. It is imperative that the heart and mind be in line together.
Often times, God will allow us to endure a wilderness experience. During this time, it is a retrospective period where we learn more about our faith and ourselves. This desolate time will help us to begin to examine the contents of our heart and our mind. One key teaching in the book that really stood out to me is that the abundance of what is our hearts will pour out of not only out mouths, but in the manner in which we conduct ourselves.
MATTERS OF THE HEART is not a book which you can take lightly. The message from the pages pour into your consciousness and minister to your soul. It is very well written, easy to read and chock full of Bible scriptures which fortify the message Ms. Bynum is presenting. This is a necessary read for anyone seeking to encourage a change in their life. MATTERS OF THE HEART presented a very timely message for me by really causing me to examine the manner in which I approach situations and taking pause to examine the contents of my heart and responding in a kinder manner. This book does not touch on anything new - more so, it is the manner in which the information is conveyed that challenges the reader into a new operating plan. Personally, MATTERS OF THE HEART has helped me to give pause to reflect on the things that are pleasing to God versus esteeming those that are pleasing to man. With the abundance of scripture and food for thought provided in the book, God's words have been reaffirmed to me and I felt a sense of renewal after mediating upon the message this book conveys.
Reviewed by Nedine
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers
Book Description
"Beattie understands being overboard, which helps her throw best-selling lifelines to those still adrift." ----TIME Since the publication of Melody Beattie's groundbreaking book Codependent No More, millions of people have confronted the demons of codependency. And yet, many in recovery find themselves slipping back into the old ways that brought them such grief. In her newest book, Beattie helps readers understand what drives them back into the grasp of controlling behavior and victimhood--and what it takes to pull themselves out, to return to the healing, faith, and maturity that come with a commitment to recovery. Personal essays, inspiring anecdotes, and prescriptive reminders show readers how to stop acting out their painful obsessions. Marked by compassion and keen insight, Playing It by Heart explores the author's most intense personal lessons and shows readers that, despite setbacks, recovery is a lifelong opportunity for spiritual growth. In her many best-selling books, including Stop Being Mean to Yourself, Codependent No More, and The Language of Letting Go, Melody Beattie draws on the wisdom of Twelve Step healing, Christianity, and Eastern religions. Click here to read a one-to-one conversation with the beloved author of Codependent No More, The Language of Letting Go book and journal, Playing It by Heart, and 52 Weeks of Conscious Contact.
Customer Reviews:
Inspiring Real-life Story.......2004-10-04
It is amazing to read Melody Beattie's life story of her battle with addiction and destructive behaviors. She leads by example showing what she did to overcome her problems. I was truely amazed by what she went through. This is a wonderful Real life story for anyone struggling with addictions to read.
Prostitution, drugs, to fame in codependency research.......2004-01-21
Wow. When a friend lent me a copy of this book, I had to buy myself one. This is such a terrific addition to literature and I am so enlightened to have read it. I read Codependent No More over and over with a 1980s copy, and I never would have guessed what Ms. Beattie went through to get where she's at today. Prostitution so she could get drugs, rape from drugged stupors, her arm being photographed with all its needle marks and used to show school children the horrors of drug use -- the clinicians certainly never thought she'd amount to anything, but she learned codependency is the root of all addiction.
A wonderful read. It will make you cry! It did me. A lot of people, men and women, will see themselves in her story. It really makes a person appreciate how she knows so much about codependency and is such an authority. Personal experience, that's what she has to share. I love her meditation books, too. Such an inspiration and used in Codependents Anonymous meetings everywhere. Her books should be a must-read for high school students. She can help people before it's too late.
Her humor in the book is especially wonderful because with all she went through, it makes one wonder what she could find to laugh about, and her humor just further brings home what an astounding woman Ms. Beattie is!
An incredible story.......2001-08-29
Melody Beattie has a life story that I would never have imagined from Codependent No More. She has a powerful insight into how and why things happen and Playing It by Heart shows how she has truly "been there." This book was impossible to put down. It is one I would sincerely recommend to anyone who struggles with life, especially when addictions are involved. Her story was very encouraging and I am very glad to have found this book.
Inspiring anecdotes and prescriptive reminders.......2001-07-04
In Playing It By Heart: Taking Care Of Yourself No Matter What, Melody Beattie (author of Codependent No More) addresses the issues involved with why people who have struggled so hard to shake off controlling dysfunctional behaviors and victimhood fall back into self-destructive, self-diminishing situations and relationships. Through the use of personal essays, inspiring anecdotes, and prescriptive reminders, Beattie reveals how to stop acting out painful obsessions and shows that despite occasional setbacks, recovery is a lifelong opportunity for spiritual growth and a co-dependency free, gratifying, enjoyable life of accomplishments and relationships. Highly recommended for personal self-help, self-improvement reading lists and community library reference collections.
Too much history. Where's the advice?.......2001-06-05
I learned more than I wanted to about Melody's abused childhood and her life as a junkie. She goes into great detail about the crimes she committed and the miserable effects of her addiction. After painting such strong, striking, emotion-filled pictures time after time I expected her to draw some conclusions and parallels that I could use. No such luck. This is a long, tiring autobiography of a painful life, not a source for new elightenment.
Book Description
At last—a powerful companion volume to A Woman After God’s Own Heart® by Elizabeth George (400,000 copies sold).
Many Christian men want to be a man after God’s own heart...but how do they become one? Author Jim George shows that a heartfelt desire to grow spiritually is all that’s needed. God’s grace does the rest—bringing lasting change to a man’s:
Marriage—leading, loving, and protecting his wife God’s way
Work—cultivating attitudes and actions that make a difference
Witness—putting God on display in his life and words
This book will help men realize the tremendous joy and confidence that comes from pursuing God in every area of their lives.
Customer Reviews:
Refreshing.......2007-06-20
Hi everyone! I actually bought the woman and male version of this text and I gave one to my fiance. I didn't even want to let go of the male version....it was written as well as the female version. I agree with earlier comments...the book is a delicate read and if you are a new born to the christian life you need a word that is inviting, warm with an air of simplicity. I just received a text from my man...he said he loves the book. Ladies by the book for a man that you love...who you know is trying to be a better man.
Christian Man.......2007-02-23
We are using this book in our men's Monday fellowship. We just started but it is a very easy read, short chapters that get straight to the point. Just the way men like it...
being a more Godly man.......2007-01-09
This wonderful book is wholly convicting and gets straight to the heart of the matter. If you have had inklings that you wanted to be a man after God's own heart, but haven't quite been able to get there, this book will lead you in the right direction. I stongly encourage any man who struggles with the day to day life of fatherhood, his world at work, and being a husband to read this book.
Good Christian Advice.......2006-11-23
After having read "A Woman After God's Own Heart", I wanted to read "A Man After God's Own Heart" (even though I am not a man). I loved the "Woman" book so much, I wanted to see what the "Man" book had to say. It told about what a man's priorities should be, using biblical passages for backup.
Even though I am not going to give a lengthy review, I will say that the book told about the important things in a man's life, such as caring for and supporting his wife, spending quality time with his children, etc.
One of my favorite parts of the book: when the author and his wife had small children, they paid a babysitter for 2 hours and had their weekly date across the street at a fast-food restaurant (only drank coffee). That tells you what his priorities were. Instead of saying "I can't afford a date", they made sure they had their date, even though they only had coffee. That precious, quality time was important. That really touched me.
I want to say one thing about Going Fishing. I know the author meant well about it, and that his point was that you are to put God first before fishing and anything else, which I totally agree. So this is not a complaint, and it is not going to take a Star away from my review. I just want to put in my feelings about Going Fishing. When I go fishing, I don't feel as though I am taking time away from God. I feel that the Creek Bank is God's Country, and I actually feel closer to God at the Creek Bank than inside a stuffy house. Reading my Bible on the Creek Bank is wonderful and refreshing.
This book was wonderful. It does not talk about abusing or controlling your wife. Instead, it talks about tenderly taking care of her, and the children. But most of all, putting God first.
An Insightful Look at a Man's Responsibilities.......2003-05-28
My wife is an huge fan of Liz George's popular books for woman. They have helped her spiritual life more than any other woman's books.
Jim George's book is no disapointment. As a bible teacher and scholar, he delivers a warm, easy-going, conversational manual for man seeking to glorify God with their lives.
The book is divided into easy-to-read chapters. He covers all the areas of a man's life and offers a gentle, but firm call for men everywhere to stand up and be counted in the spiritual battle.
A Man After God's Own Heart makes a great devotional read. I read a chapter a day for a month or so and it really helped me. I was challenged to be a better husband and a godly witness.
This is a great read and would make a great gift for the man in your life. It's not hard to read and it doesn't bog down with theological minutia. Jim George is talking to you man to man.
Men, pick up this book and read through it. Woman, get this book for your husbands. It's a great, great read.
Book Description
What would legendary Boston Celtics coach and 16-time NBA champion Red Auerbach say is the most critical quality for a person to be successful? Would his advice differ from 10-time NCAA championship coach John Wooden's? What would each say to a young person just starting out in pursuit of their dreams? What is the best advice they were ever given?
It took author Christian Klemash more than two years of research, persistence, and original interviews, but now he's ready to pass on the best advice you'll ever get. Only the rare individual has had the opportunity to pick the brain of just one legendary sports coach—let alone thirty-four of the best sports coaches of all time. Klemash gives sports fans a once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn valuable life lessons from the most famous, intelligent, and victorious coaches ever. The legends span the sports world, from gold medal-winning gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi and three-time college football championship coach Tom Osborne to four-time World Series-winning baseball manager Joe Torre and hall-of-fame boxing trainer Angelo Dundee.
These coaches know how to teach top athletes about character and winning, how to manage pressure at crunch time, and how to bring out the best in their players when it matters most. How to Succeed in the Game of Life shares their insights into sports, life, and the most vital keys to sustain success.Featuring Exclusive Interviews with:
Red Auerbach, 16-time NBA World Champion
Bobby Bowden, College Football's All-Time Winningest Coach, 2-time National Champion
Scotty Bowman, 9-time Stanley Cup Champion
Bill Cowher, Super Bowl Champion
Tony Dungy, Super Bowl Champion
Dan Gable, 15-time NCCA Champion
April Heinrichs, Gold Medal Winning Coach of the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team
Bela Karolyi, The World’s Greatest Gymnastics Coach
Bill Parcells, 2-time Super Bowl Champion
Emanuel Steward, Boxing Trainer of 30 World Champions
Joe Torre, 4-time World Series Champion
Bill Walsh, 3-time Super Bowl Champion
Lenny Wilkens, NBA’s All-Time Winningest Coach, NBA Champion
John Wooden, 10-time NCAA Champion
And More!
Customer Reviews:
A Great Read.......2007-08-26
Wow!Could not put it down.An extraordinay self help book.Gave it to my kids they loved it.Don't miss this one
What a great read!.......2007-07-25
I took it on vacation with me and I couldn't put it down. A great book for aspiring athletes and coaches as well as your average Joe who works 9-5. The coaches discuss a variety of topics from their childhood to how they motivate their players. Any easy read for all ages.
Game of life.......2007-07-24
I've read through Game of Life and I enjoyed it very much. There are so many things to take from this book, not just into sports, but also some reflections on life. I would recommend this book to everybody.
Coaching advise from athletic coaches.......2007-06-27
A fun read, especially if yoiu're a sports fan. I read it in search of things that would help my own ability as a coach in my company. Much of it is light stuff but the easy read makes it fun nonetheless and there are few golden nuggets laced throughout the book.
Overcome Adversity.......2007-04-12
Anyone looking for inspiration, either for their own life or to share with others, will find a gold mine of quotes here. This book isn't just for sports fans.
Book Description
One secret to marital bliss is for a wife to love her husband the way God designed for her to love him—even with his shortcomings. God hasn’t called a woman to change her husband, but to focus on her calling as a wife. And the rewards for doing so are rich! Elizabeth provides valuable and practical insights on 12 key areas of a marriage, including...
- What it means to be a husband’s helper
- What submission is and isn’t
- Nurturing joy in your home and family
- Excelling in your work...and making time for fun as a couple!
This book can be used alongside A Husband After God’s Own Heart, or as a stand–alone volume.
Customer Reviews:
God's Plan.......2007-01-28
For a godly woman, the "ideas" in this book will not come as a shock or a way "to keep women in their place." It's God's plan that the husband should be the leader and the wife should be the follower. God has simply given us different roles through His word. It's not a big deal for those who hold God's will at the forefront of their lives. Ephesians 5: 22-24 reads "Wives submit to your own husbands , as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is ahead of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything." Then in Ephesians 5: 25, 28-29 reads "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it....So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church." For this Paul has been at times labeled a "woman-hater." However this is God's word as we see in I Timothy 3: 16-17 that "All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." That is God's plan for the marriage, and God's plan does not change with the times. It's absolutely imperative to understand what the Bible teaches not only on this subject, but in all things. Study God's word to know what the will of the Lord is, and please "enter by the narrow gate." Obedience to His word is key. How is your heart?
Checks and balances.......2006-12-06
The outline of the book is outstanding. It's a shame some people may misread and misinterpret much of what George is relating from her own life experiences. She could have spent more time and space reflecting on the Biblical guidelines for a happy marriage, as well as examples or illustrations from other people rather than herself. The whole issue of submission should not overshadow the role of the wife to provide a check and balance for success and happiness in a marriage.
Right On Track.......2006-08-16
I feel the need to defend this book a little bit, as it has been pretty well slammed by some other readers. Elizabeth George has a God-given talent for telling it like it is. The reason why several readers have negative feedback for this book, is that she tells the truth about what Scripture actually says. Wives ARE to submit to their husbands and be obedient them. Husbands are put in authority over their wives. In turn, the husband is to love the wife as Christ loves the Church. Of course husbands are not perfect and have their own flaws. A wife is supposed to be his help-meet, though and offer her own counsel in daily situations. It is not the wife's place to be the spiritual leader of the home, nor should the responsibility of providing for the household fall on her shoulders. Her congregation is her children and her pulpit the kitchen table. She should focus her preaching to the children, not her husband. All the time spent controlling him would be much better spent in prayer. I don't understand why so many women want to be so free of authority in their lives. If you have a problem with obeying your husband, than it's possible that your real beef is with God, since that is the way He designed it all to begin with. Read this book. It will help you get back to the basics of what being a wife is all about.
Find a better book.......2006-07-05
I had heard good things about George, so I though I'd give her book a try, but I could barely make it past the third chapter. I felt like I was reading the Complete Idiot's Guide to an Unrealistic, Cheesy Marriage. I found her tone condescending as I, the reader, was first called her "precious reading friend" and then was accused of having a "sometimes empty brain." And to give my husband a really fabulous day, she suggested I not talk at all the whole day...yes, she really said that. No thanks. There are a lot of other choices out there for books on biblical marriage. I think I'll keep on shopping.
Beware of bad advice.......2006-02-26
Although I am a very modern-thinking woman, I looked into Elizabeth George's work with an open mind, hoping to find insight behind the smiling face in the picture I'd seen so often. I was not only disappointed, but even offended by some of the advice she gave to wives. I believe very strongly that a wife should love, respect, and support her husband; I don't think anyone will disagree there. However, as far as I'm concerned, obedience has no place in a marriage on either side. Marriage should be a democracy, not a monarchy and certainly not a dictatorship.
George seems to believe that a wife's only place is consistently behind her husband, whatever he says. She even said that in order for marriage to be teamwork, the husband must be leader and the wife must be follower. That's not teamwork; that's the role of a sheep and a shepherd. Certainly God wants us to respect our husbands and value their opinions, but the idea of obeying a man and assuming he always knows what's best simply because he IS a man is incorrect. Men are human too, and no matter how great our hubbies are, we all know they're not always right. George has now long given me the impression of someone so caught up in her own bubble that she's forgotten how some things work in the outer world. If she wants to live in particularly heavy submission, that's her choice. What offends me is that she not only assumes that all women should live this way, but that God wants them to live this way.
George is a genuinely sweet woman, but her advice to be utterly submissive could be harmful for some and her sweet nature is partly what keeps people from realizing this. One woman assures us this book will change marriages, but if the change is that the wife obeys the husband 24/7, it's not a good one. There is NO place in the Bible were God says that wives should obey their husbands and submission is clearly meant to be mutual. If one-sided submission works for some couples, fine, but that's not the only way to have a Godly marriage.
As usual, there have been accusations that I and others have a problem with George because she tells the truth about Scripture; nope, not at all. God did not intend for men to control women; that extremely human idea came about only after the Fall when men began to ignore God and make their own rules. I have no problem with God's Word, only with people who twist it (I don't think George has twisted it, just exaggerated it) Making wives obedient followers will not fix the divorce rate in this country.
George is a good writer and many of her other books and works are encouraging to women. However, I obviously don't recommend this book, at least not for women who prefer to have a say in their households, but if you prefer to have your husband be in charge or just want advice on how to be loving, you may very well like it. All I ask is that you take it for what it is: a guidebook, not the Gospel. Obey God's Word; take or leave Elizabeth George's.
Book Description
What is a "Catholic" approach to interpreting the Bible? What makes for good, sound biblical scholarship? What is the "fourfold sense" of Scripture and how does it relate to understanding the Bible? What perspective and insight does Saint Thomas Aquinas provide for studying the Bible? What is the place of Scripture in Church Teaching? Scott Hahn answers these and many more questions, providing a foundation for a Catholic approach to Scripture.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Analytical Resource.......2005-01-24
"Scripture Matters," by Scott Hahn is a collection of essays written on approaches and perspectives that can be used to study the Bible. I was a bit skeptical about the book, when I noted that one of the essays referred to the late founder of Opus Dei, because I have reservations about some of that organization's teaching. However, the essay, was not an exhortation of what one should find in terms of ideas in the Bible, but rather techniques that any one could apply in their Bible study to better reatin the wisdom that God speaks to any particular soul who studies the scripture.
The essay topics are not histories on when the books of the Bible may have been written. Nor do the essays, for the most part (the essay about fathers and the one about the forgiven prostitute do pull meaning from a story and are exceptions), concern themselves with telling people what instruction they should take from any part of the Bible.
Instead, the essays introduce vocabulary related to basic Biblical exegesis and predominantly have topics about techniques that any reader can employ in their personal study; such as typology, dividing the Bible into three time periods (age of patrirachs, age of law, age of spiritual law or Jesus Christ) for reference; and using four senses for discernment of scripture (one literal and three spiritual). None of the analytical frameworks proposed contradict teaching of the Cathechism, and the last device mentioned is straiht from the Cathechism. However, the essays in the book will enlghten any Bible scholar's approach to scripture, particulalry if they are beginning Biblical scholar, regardless if they consider themselves members of the Catholic faith.
Biblical at Heart.......2004-09-11
Once again, Scott Hahn sets out to motivate Catholics to soak long and often in the Word of God. And once again, the popular Steubenville professor excites in his readers a heightened appreciation for the Bible's inextricable link to the Church. Hahn gives an insightful overview of the traditional ways Scripture can be understood, and argues that the Bible must be read with each sense in mind. In addition to the literal sense, the Bible should be read in the allegorical, moral and anagogical senses as well. Hahn insists the Bible is best understood only when one integrates all four of these senses.
In what is perhaps the book's most challenging chapter, Hahn explains what he believes to be a "key that unlocks the mysteries of faith... the family of God." He points out that "the whole of Scripture can be viewed as the story of how God, as Father, repeatedly strives... to draw his wayward children home." Hahn also includes two chapters about the central importance of Scripture in the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas. In another chapter, he provides a moving tribute to the recently canonized St. Josemaria Escriva and the preeminent place he gave to Scripture in the spiritual life. Elsewhere, Hahn explains the importance of Jesus' "hour" in John's Gospel, as the culmination of his saving work, as it is re-presented in the Mass. In another chapter that's particularly helpful in current debates about marriage, celibacy and the male priesthood, Hahn offers an insightful look at the priestly vocation of fatherhood and the fatherly vocation of the priesthood. He ends with a thoughtful critique of currents trends in biblical scholarship.
In each chapter, Hahn's style is accessible to a wide range of readers, yet even seasoned theologians can benefit from his clear and enthusiastic elucidation of the basics of Bible reading for Catholics. "Scripture Matters" is an invitation to penetrate the mysteries of God's Word more deeply, always within the Living Tradition of the Church. If it finds the wide readership it deserves, it will succeed in its aim to help Catholics become Bible Christians and Bible Christians to become Catholics. After all, God's Work is at the heart of the Church; just so, the Church should be at the heart of every Christian.
A very helpful guide for learning how to interpret Scripture.......2004-07-07
In this new volume Professor Scott Hahn has gathered together twelve of his essays on the reading and study of Holy Scripture. The essays are put together in a logical order, even though they were written at different times and for different publications. Professor Hahn stresses the fact that there are many levels of meaning in Scripture. The literal meaning is basic to all the senses of the Bible, but that must not be emphasized to the exclusion of the spiritual and typological meaning that permeates the Scripture. The reason for this is that God is the author of the book.
During the past century many scripture scholars, including many Catholics, have so emphasized the literal sense that they have neglected the spiritual sense. This is especially true of those who rely exclusively on the historical critical methods of interpreting Scripture. Dr. Hahn grants that there is much value in the proper use of the historical critical methods, but at the same time he clearly points out the weaknesses and deficiencies. Professor Hahn reminds us in this fine book that the study of Scripture is the soul of theology. The Bible remains normative for Catholic theology. In short, Dr. Hahn spells out the basic principles for a Catholic interpretation of Scripture, and he also gives us some good examples of how to go about interpreting a few passages the sacred pages. "Scripture Matters," therefore, is a helpful book for those who want to learn how to interpret the Bible in a way that is in agreement with Catholic teaching and tradition. If you read Scott Hahn carefully, you will begin to have a deeper appreciation of the various levels of meaning in the divinely inspired Scriptures.
Hahn succeeds admirably in Catholic biblical scholarship.......2003-12-09
One does not have to agree with Dr. Hahn in all particulars of Scripture Matters to see that he succeeds admirably in stirring things up in the world of contemporary Catholic biblical scholarship. This book should prove to be a useful stimulus for getting all of us who love Scripture to come to terms with it in our lives.
No better introduction to Scripture study for Catholics.......2003-12-09
Scott Hahn has done it again! Through a collection of challenging and fascinating essays on biblical matters, he has prepared our minds and hearts to be open to the Holy Spirit at work in the life-giving Word of God. At Vatican II, the Council Fathers called for a greater access to Sacred Scripture for all the Christian faithful They exhorted all of us to learn "the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 3:8), through the study of Sacred Scripture. I can think of no better introduction to this study than Scott Hahn's Scripture Matters: Essays on Reading the Bible from the Heart of the Church.
Book Description
The closer a husband is to God, the closer he will grow to his wife. That’s why it’s so vital for husbands to pursue God’s heart and get to know His perfect design for the man’s role in the marriage relationship. Husbands will find their marriages growing richer and deeper as they discover how to...
- win a wife’s heart through loving leadership
- enjoy better communication through careful listening
- build a happier home through wise guidance
- encourage the family’s spiritual growth by example
- excel at a career without sacrificing family priorities
Jim George addresses 12 areas of a husband’s life, providing men with powerful and practical applications for becoming a husband after God’s own heart. Includes a helpful study guide.
Customer Reviews:
This Book will change your Life. And marriage!!!.......2006-04-29
If you not just read this but get in the dirt and do the things Jim talks about, it will change your life. This book will give you new looks at things you thought you had under control and give you the tools to make your life much more enjoyable for the glory of God.
God Bless you
Amazon.com
Chris Rice, a columnist for the Christian Sojourner magazine, takes on a memoirist's voice as he builds a dramatic story of racial harmony. Grace Matters begins in the early 1980s as Rice takes on a daunting role--that of a white man working within a predominately black church to help heal racial tension in Jackson, Mississippi. As a new member of the Voice of Calvary Church, Rice attends one of his first meetings. Here is where he meets the man who will eventually become his co-author of the award-winning book More Than Equals:
Then Spencer Perkins rose from his seat at the back of the church ... Spencer's eyes narrowed. His voice was gruff, defiant and confident. "What I want to know," he said, "is, what are all you white people doin' here?" That's all he said.... All lessons about how to win friends and influence people went right out the window. With one quick sentence, Spencer Perkins iced over the sunny land of my racial idealism.
As this memoir unfolds, we are privy to a magnificent friendship between two men of different races and extremely different backgrounds who discover that they each have tough spiritual lessons to teach one another. Eventually the story pans outward from the fiery friendship, as the duo helps to build an inspirational and interracial church community that brings "a culture of grace" to an impoverished inner-city neighborhood. Few would have thought that this kind of racially inclusive Christianity could have been accomplished in the Deep South. Rice not only shows that it's been done, he offers a testament to how it can be done again and again. --Gail Hudson
Book Description
"Here is a real story of real people and real faith. The story of friendship between Chris Rice and my son Spencer and their work of racial reconciliation and healing represents the heart of the Christian witness. My prayer is that the 'seeds' of this story of struggle and hope they planted will spread and bloom and grow in the lives of many people." âJohn Perkins, chairman, Christian Community Development Association and author, Let Justice Roll Down
"Grace is the most potent counter force at work in our violent species, and our only hope. Chris Rice gives a very personal account, at once inspiring and disturbing, of its transforming power." â Philip Yancey, author, What's So Amazing About Grace?
"Chris Rice has a keen eye for detail and a gift for setting a scene. This remarkable, inspiring story he tells reads like a good novel. It is a story of powerful Christian faith, intense personal commitment, and maddening human frailty. But more than anything else, and though it ends in tragedy, this is a story of hope: My encounter with Grace Matters has left me daring to hope that, even at this late date, we Christians might yet live out the true meaning of our radical creed in regard to relations between blacks and whites in the United States." âGlenn C. Loury, director, Institute on Race and Social Division, Boston University
"In a rare and deeply significant way, Chris Rice honestly probes the difficult but essential journey toward genuine racial reconciliation. It is confessional, candid, and even painful as the author bares his soul and his struggles.... This is a book with a fundamental and hopeful message-that grace can become a way of life." âJim Wallis, editor, Sojourners and convener, Call to Renewal
"Grace Matters is an extraordinary love story that is improbable as it was difficult. That a black man and a white man might be joined in a common love of God in Mississippi defies the imagination. But Chris Rice has helped us see that friendshipâindeed a difficult friendshipâis possible just to the extent a community existed in which truth mattered. Hopefully this book will be read and read widely, not simply to inform us about 'race relations' but because the story told here is one of hope and perseverance that hopefully will make more friendships possible." âStanley Hauerwas, author of A Community of Character and named by Time magazine as America's Best Theologian
Customer Reviews:
Grace Matters.......2003-02-20
This is an important book about human relationships and how conditioning must be transcended to allow a new order of humanity to emerge. Chris's honesty is remarkable and refreshing. The forces against human beings coming together are big - the black/white racial issue just further highlights what most of us try to pretend isn't there. Their willingness to trust in God and something bigger than themselves because they know how important it is for the sake of humanity, is very moving and should not be missed. This is an unusual book because although the foundational faith is Christianity, the issues are human and can be appreciated by anyone interested in solving the complex issues of what it means to be a human being.
Grace Matters.......2003-02-20
This is an important book about human relationships and how conditioning must be transcended to allow a new order of humanity to emerge. Chris's honesty is remarkable and refreshing. The forces against human beings coming together are big - the black/white racial issue just further highlights what most of us try to pretend isn't there. Their willingness to trust in God and something bigger than themselves because they know how important it is for the sake of humanity, is very moving and should not be missed. This is an unusual book because although the foundational faith is Christianity, the issues are human and can be appreciated by anyone interested in solving the complex issues of what it means to be a human being.
The path to lasting change.......2002-11-23
Chris Rice is brutally vulnerable and honest about his attempts to achieve the goal of racial reconciliation in partnership with Spencer Perkins. And, while the goal is important, the means of achieving it takes center stage in this poignant and absorbing chronicle of life in an intentional biracial community. Chris and Spencer discover that, when it comes right down to it, the only way they can overcome their own personal hangups and self-centeredness, and achieve true reconciliation between them, is by fully accepting God's grace. As they accept God's grace, they become transformed people who are whole, healed, and capable of truly seeking the best for others. The book clearly documents the work of God in the deep, private recesses of peoples' lives. It should be read by anyone who wants to achieve lasting change in their own life and the world around them.
So Honest a book!!.......2002-11-15
What a tremendously honest book. There are no shortcuts to true racial reconciliation and justice. Attempts at shortcuts usually lead to a perpetuation of racial injustice or merely a reversal of who is oppressed. Reading "Grace Matters" clearly indicates this truism. Most of the books on race relations are dogmatic about the ultimate solutions there are to racial harmonty. This book is a more honest reflection of the struggles we will have to undergo so that racial reconciliation is possible. Rice does not make himself the "hero" of this book. He freely reveals the ugly side of himself. But just as important he does not deify Spencoer Perkins - his best friend in the book who is black - or blacks in general. This is a real book about real people.
If you want to just rely on those who pretend that they know all of the answers to racism, from color-blind whites to afrocentric blacks, then this book is not for you. The answers in this book are not offered through an unrealistic idealism but through the blood, sweat and tears that happen when people of different races really start working at racial healing. So if you want to gain a little sense of the type of struggle that we are going to have to undergo to eliminate racism then go get this book as soon as you can.
At last! the truth about interracial friendship.......2002-10-30
This memoir by Chris Rice is important, not because of the people involved, though they are in the forefront of evangelical ministry with the poor. It is important because for the first time someone is being brutally honest about what real relationships across the black-white chasm will cost and why they are worth the effort. This is no sugary, "Can't we just all get along" picture of the ideal "brotherhood of man." This is a chronicle of misunderstanding, miscommunication, determination, reconciliation and forgiveness. But finally, the story of Antioch Community and the friendship of Spencer Perkins and Christ Rice is about grace--God's grace working through flawed and struggling Christians who are radical enough to take the Sermon on the Mount as a call to lifestyle and mission.
Everybody who is interested in miinistry with the poor, racial reconciliation, Christian community and social justice should read this book.
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Don't Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate--The Essential Guide for Progressives
Moral Politics : How Liberals and Conservatives Think
White House to Your House: Media and Politics in Virtual America
God's Politics LP
The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track (Institutions of American Democracy)
