Religion Books

I loved this book and it has a lot of helpful advice for anyone who is struggling to be happy. It has helped at least two of my friends and myself to focus on what DeMello calls being "aware" or understanding why things make you happy or unhappy and how to overcome the unhappy times.

It has some excellent opinions about love as letting the object be free, rather than what many call love which is really manipulation, control, and covetness.

De Mello's awareness of reality and ability to communicate on a level that all can understand is very refreshing in this age of over-analysis. The art of living in the now, forgetting the past, stop worrying about might or might not come to pass is the key to true happiness that De Mello makes my heart soar.

This is the essence Tony De Mello's writings. I have read his other book 'Love' many years ago and have embraced his insight and wisdom for living. 'Awareness' is a great book to have for quick reference or as as a daily meditation when you want to contemplate an issue that you are facing. It has helped me relax and enjoy life rather than trying to control it.

I was raised Catholic, which is fine, but I never was blessed to meet a single priest who was really aware. Of course, what do I mean by what I just said? Everybody is aware, right?

Wrong...almost no one is aware, because "everybody is thinking that they are somebody" when if they were truly aware they would clearly know that an idea of self is just an idea and nothing more. Please excuse me when I say,"Oh my goodness, the mind has taken over the world and we are all prisoners who are being subjected to brainmaking techniques that are causing us to believe that the things we see and perceive define who we are and what everything is." Nonsense. "I Am" is all that can truly be said about who or what I am or anyone is. Anthony De Mello realized this Truth and he passionately and concisely shares it. Apparently the Vatican wasn't pleased that one of its fellows was awake like Jesus. Can't afford another Jesus running around while the church is busy telling you to wait for his future return to save you.

Does Awareness need to be saved from anything? Is awareness threatened by what it is aware of (the come and go offerings of life experience)? Since you are that essence of knowing power, do you need to be saved? No, unless you would prefer to give up your obvious freedom for something limited that can only be known as such because Awareness Is. Yes Tony, boy are we asleep. I love Anthony's direct uncompromising style of exposition. Why not blurt the truth out directly. The clergy and its followers have missed the boat to reality by living in the mind, the past, the future, the image-nation. Wake up wanna-be holy ones, holiness is right here, right now.

Thank you Anthony for speaking gracefully about the One awareness that loves all beings and their things. After all, how does all of this drama appear in the first place?

Yes, I agree, through the You that is I for all...Awareness. Nothing is more fun than being aware and being That Alone, thus Awareness in any form is the best form that I know, simply because...I know I know etc.etc.etc.eternally

Sundance Burke, Author, Free Spirit: A Guide to Enlightened Being

This book will definately give you a fresh perspective on life and your relationships, with those around you and yourself. The short chapters make it easy to read just a few minutes at a time.

This book is filled with a lot of information that should help couples save or strengthen their marriages. There is great advice and insight on the way men and women think and relate differently. There is an especially good explanation about what marriage really entails: it is not (and can not be) the Hollywood, romantic fantasyland that people are led to believe it should be. It is hard, hard work, with lots of ups and downs. In the end, couples who weather the guaranteed storms of married life end up stronger and happier.

I am ambivalent about Pastor Gungor's use of straight talk when discussing sexual issues. I agree with him that a large part of misinformation comes from the hesitation of churches and families to speak openly and truthfully about what sex is and what it entails. On the other hand, reading a book by a Christian pastor that includes explicit references to private (and sometimes really private) parts - I don't know, it made for awkward reading on the subway. In addition, although Gungor takes the conservative Christian perspective on divorce, pre-marital sex and other related issues, he emphasizes only the secular arguments and stays away from the moral aspects of the discussion, which seems peculiar for a Christian pastor.

Nevertheless, I recommend the book for any married persons who need to improve their situation, and get a few laughs along the way from Pastor Gungor's humor (that's where the laughing part comes in).

Reviewed by Leslie Storey for RebeccasReads (7/08)

This book is about the differences between men and women and how it affects their relationship with each other. The concept is similar to many books out there but the author puts a slightly different spin on the principles by including scriptures when applicable and humor. The author, Mark Gungor, is a pastor at Celebration Church in Wisconsin, a motivational speaker, musician and CEO of Laugh Your Way America.
He includes real life experiences, both his personal experiences and experiences of those that he counsels or attend his seminars.

I will admit that the title is a bit misleading. I'm not sure what I was expecting; maybe how to laugh in your marriage and this book didn't provide that information. It did, however, provide a lot of insight into men and women and how they think or process information and how it will affect their spouse. It gave me a lot to think about when I request things from my husband and how he might act or react. Overall it is a good book and one that was an easy read.

There is a section in the book called Sex, Lies and the Internet that is directed towards men in particular. Sure men may read the whole book but he starts the chapter by welcoming the men and saying that if they are like most guys they flipped to this chapter first. I'd say that he is pretty accurate with that statement. Women will learn from this section too, so don't skip it!

There are a few quotes and passages that really struck me from this book and made me rethink how I view marriage whether it is my own or someone else's.

"...finding someone to journey with in marriage is the slenderest part of a life-long relational journey. Marriage is more about work than about divine luck, more about finding someone to love than about finding someone to meet your own laundry list of personal needs."

"Dare to believe marriage is good, that the one you are in is good. Dare to ask God to help you treasure it, appreciate it, and stay committed to it..."

I would recommend this book to anyone that is looking to strengthen his or her relationship or wants to ensure that it continues to be successful.

Biblical and practical advise for couples... an entertaining read also. A summary of many relationship law/rule/concepts.

The books is an easy read with basic vocabulary. The author is a Christian church pastor who apparently is actively involved with marriage counseling. Although I consider his opinions well intentioned, very little if any of them are based on actual evidence or respected research. There are few references on others authors, but, again, not based on what is considered good research. I also consider the religious references distracting from the main subject, and makes me question about the potential of a hidden agenda.

Overall, I consider this book an entertaining and easy read for those readers with a particularly open mind who are not easily offended by opinions being sold as fact.

Reviewed by Tammy Petty Conrad for Reader Views (5/08)

I enjoyed this book from the lighthearted beginning to the serious ending. The author's relaxed style made me feel as if we were chatting over coffee. His style of handling complicated, emotional concepts with simple and straight-forward language helped me see things in a much clearer way than I ever have before. And I was married twenty-two years!

The book is based on the author's seminar on improving marriage. A funny look at a serious subject, it has proven to be helpful to many, many couples, partially because he addresses topics from both the male and female perspectives.

"We get "much revenue" from being joined to another person..." but as he goes on to say, "There is no such thing as a poo-free marriage." Well maybe this language is a bit too direct, but it does sum up the fact that as beneficial and wonderful as marriage can be, there are always problems to deal with.

There is so much wisdom in this book that I finally got the highlighter out and started marking page after page. I know I will reread sections from time to time just to refresh my memory. And of course there's lots of laughter to be found throughout the pages. One example stands out: "You were smoking marital ganja if you expected marriage to be a life filled with constant waves of joy, where every morning birds sing you awake and little bunnies help you sweep the floors as the chipmunks wash the dishes." Amen.

As a pastor who has counseled many, Mark Gungor uses the Bible as his reference. "The Bible never tells us to find the one God has chosen. It teaches us how to live well with the person we have chosen." A man of strong opinions, some might not agree with everything he has to say. Young couples might doubt some of his wisdom. I on the other hand, a seasoned woman who has been through one marriage, see the wisdom of his words loud and clear. Even though I'm not currently married, I can see the value of the information for my current relationship and will encourage my companion to read the book so we can discuss and implement some of the methods. No matter one's age or experiences, there are loads of valuable ideas to take from the reading.

I believe this book is probably the best overall introduction to the Old Testament. It provides historical context of the Near East. It covers all the bases and goes into scholarly detail. It goes through the Yawehist (Y)/Elohim (E)/Priestly sources and their different contributions to the composite text. It is an easy and enjoyable read as opposed to standard Old Testment "Texbooks". I was also delighted to find that a Professor at Yale uses in her Old Testament class. It is an open source class that you can watch over the Internet.

Overall, this book should be required reading for any introduction to the Old Testament. I highly recommend it.

Excellant resource for Bible study. Historical, cultural and literary analysis. Some author bias evident.

Great book, well written, easy to read, and full of historical information without being tedious or boring.

I am in an Old Testament class, and our professor recommended this book as a useful tag-along to his teaching. It truly is a great text, and I highly recommend it.

My reading of the Bible has had three levels of accompaniment. The first consists of the annotations of the New Oxford Annotated Bible, which tend to be brief explications of bits of the text that might otherwise be difficult to comprehend within the context of the writer. The second is Asimov's Guide to the Bible, which goes into somewhat greater detail and, in particular, is quite good at providing the necessary historical and geographic background.

The third is this book, which goes into considerable depth with not only the basic factual background, but also the cultural and literary background. Though written by a devout believer (a Catholic), he is not someone who believes in the literal truth of the Bible, but follows modern scholarship in teasing out the various strands of text: the J, E, and P source texts, in particular.

The book is divided into two sections and numerous chapters. The first section provides a general overview in four chapters. The first discusses the text itself, why we should read it, and its meaning for us today, and lesser issues such as the merits of various translations. Chapter 2 provides a general geographic and historical overview, discussing the peoples of that time and where and when they lived and prospered. The third chapter discusses Biblical archeology, how it works, and what sort of background it can provide. And Chapter 4 goes into the literary aspects of the writings, from the difficulties translators encounter to how the texts were considered at the time they were written down.

The bulk of the book, however, focuses on key portions of the text in turn, explaining their context and significance, and clarifying aspects that we moderns might find perplexing.

The author considers the book a textbook, and it would certainly be useful as the basis for a one- or two-semester course in the Old Testament. However, I found it very useful to read it on my own, providing a much deeper perspective than I could get just from reading the text, which, if nothing else, makes many assumptions about what I should already know.

Our adult Sunday School program uses this lesson commentary. It is a user-friendly, thought provoking study guide.
Note: Price is lower than buying directly from the publisher, and shipping is very fast!

The authors take an honest and sometimes humorous, no punches pulled, look at many of the major issues and problems facing the United States of America. A great read! I didn't want to put this one down. If we can only encourage Americans and our leaders to use the common sense needed to strengthen our country and unite us once again. Otherwise, some of the scary scenarios in this book could soon be our reality and then, if it isn't already, it will be too late.

The always affable, calm. cool and collected Chuck Norris expresses
his walk-tall-but-carry-a-big-shtick philosophy of life, based on his
Buddhist beliefs and his martial arts training and focus of life.
It is a very appealing book, easy to read.

Enjoyed this book very much
a refreshing break from all the liberal GARBAGE we're bombarded with daily

I hope you take the time to read this terrific book. It won't take very long to read, but I hope you ponder its meaning for a long time to come. In a way it is one of those tests that reveals who you are by your responses to what it says. I found myself deeply in sympathy with what Ben Stein and Phil DeMuth say in these pages and I think that most people who truly love America for its history, traditions, and potential will love this book. Those who see only America's flaws and judge it a failed nation will be on the other side of things. I think it is helpful to know who stands where and why.

The book has six short chapters. Ben Stein's other "How to Ruin" books have many more chapters that range from a paragraph or two to a page or two, but these chapters are 20 to 30 pages each. The authors provide a mix of history, stories, and personal analysis of each topic.

The first chapter shows how banishing God from Public Life is against our long held traditions and how this modern innovation has turned the Founders' intentions on their head. It has not been a matter of progress, but a process of corruption. Our society has become not only coarser and crueler, it has taken on practices as normal that have been seen by humanity as abominations for thousands of years.

The second chapter shows how the mis-education of our youth serves one political agenda and it is not the one that reveres our founding and the original intent of our Declaration and Constitution. When the authors show you the way certain views have turned every subject into a nail for its monomaniacal hammer I hope you get energized to get involved and help America reject the rot of the past several decades.

Chapter three shows us the debasement of American culture. Stein and DeMuth show surveys that demonstrate the majority of us understand that things have gotten worse. They also compare literature and movies from early in the 20th Century to recent decades. The review of television, music, and our obsession with celebrity for celebrity's sake is truly disheartening.

Their discussion of the weakening of our military in chapter four is more important that you might at first realize. Despite the costliness of the War on Terror, we are still not spending enough to replace the equipment being used or enough of our GDP to keep our military as strong as we need it to be to face the looming threats. We need more men and women in the military who need to be paid and cared for better. We need more ships, planes, tanks, and other equipment. And we all need to show more public gratitude to the men and women of our armed forces regardless of how you feel about the tasks they do on our behalf.

Chapter five discusses the immigration problem in a very helpful and informative way. Stein and DeMuth show how the current waves of legal and illegal immigration began in 1965 when the quotas put in place in 1924 were repealed. They assign the blame to Ted Kennedy and that is fine with me, but the courts have also helped create this mess. While it is wrong to blame those coming here to feed their families, we don't need to countenance their lawbreaking nor should those who employ them get off free. These employers are not paying the full freight of their employees because they externalize the costs on us, the taxpayers. We need better policies and we need to seriously enforce our laws. If we need immigrants, we should have them but in a legal and orderly way. We shouldn't let a political agenda to change our society or a desire to create more constituents undermine respect for our laws and our economy.

The last chapter discusses VooDoo Economics. I am in sympathy with what Stein and DeMuth are saying here even if I have a couple of qualms with the way they say it. The problem is America is rapidly spending its great wealth on things that do not create wealth. We are incurring debt to buy baubles from China and oil from people who hate us. I agree with the authors that we must be willing to pay taxes for the things we want the government to do. However, I am less confident than they about the efficacy of raising taxes to curb our deficit spending. Neither party has shown a speck of financial maturity or controlled pork responsibly. Every dollar you give them is simply used to spend more.

Think back to George H. W. Bush and his broken pledge of no new taxes. He raised taxes because he was strongly pressured to "be a statesman" and end deficit spending. The idea was that the tax increase would bring the budget in line with the revenues brought in. However, the Congress piled on something like $1.60 or $1.80 of new spending for every dollar of new taxes. That means that every dollar of the new taxes went to new spending not to deficit reduction. Then Bill Clinton and the New Democrats trashed Bush for breaking the pledge the Democrats (among others) urged him to break, blamed him for budget deficits and more. So, I am very concerned that if we follow Stein and DeMuth in adding new taxes, no matter how well intended, it will just give the Congress a green light to spend more.

Yes, we haven't been able to end any government programs and it is terribly sad that we lack the sense and maturity to limit government and make hard choices, but giving a drunk one last round because he promises that it will be the last drink before he goes on the wagon has a long history of failure. So does giving Congress more billions in the name of fiscal responsibility.

Stein and DeMuth do have a great point about the corrosive effects of social economic inequality. However, I will point out that the great fortunes of Carnegie, Rockefeller and others were not used to indulge in lavish and selfish lifestyles. While they lived very well (and more), they used their great wealth to build libraries and universities, to promote medical research, museums, and much more. Look at the buildings of your state's major universities and see how many of the great ones were built by the fortunes of a former time. In my view, the problem is much less about the fortunes being created than it is about the corrupt social values Stein and DeMuth describe in previous chapters.

I always laugh when I hear people like Warren Buffett complain that they should be taxed more. Nothing is stopping them from giving all their wealth to the government. They are free to tax themselves at any higher marginal rate they choose. If we all leave it to the government to take care of the poor and do our level best to minimize the taxes we pay to do that good, doesn't that invert the idea of charity and giving all you can to help your neighbor? The wealthy know that talk is cheap and mouthing niceties is good PR. Do not mistake wealthy businessmen (and women) for free market capitalists. Many of them are for big government because they want the government to dole out favors to them, protect them from competition, and tax the middle class heavily to pay for social programs and subsidies. I know that Buffett and Gates are giving billions to trusts and charities and good for them. But that does not mean their social prescriptions and comments on taxation are not self serving

This is a terrific book and deserves a large audience.

You might want to look at these books by Stein and DeMuth:

Can America Survive? The Rage of the Left, the Truth, and What to Do About It

The Real Stars: In Today's America, Who Are the True Heroes?

How to Ruin Your Life

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

In "How to Ruin the United States" I expected to see the standard conservative line, given Stein's conservative background. Instead, I was pleased to instead find thoughtful comments, documented with a few facts, as appropriate.

I especially liked his sections on "Voodoo Economics" and immigration. Stein believes our government is engaged in economic malpractice by running large deficits during times of prosperity, pushing the Kool-Aid of supply-side economics that says cutting taxes gives us something for nothing, and persecuting the oil industry - vital to our survival.

Stein reports that the discounted present value of unfunded liabilities from Medicare and Social Security total $88.2 trillion as of 2007 - about $290,000 per citizen, and 6X our annual GDP. He also asserts that the 2006 drug benefit costs are even larger, though I'm not certain I'm on board with that conclusion.

Milton Friedman attributed about 60% of the increase in health care costs to U.S. involvement in Medicare and Medicaid; the proportion of government spending on health care has risen from 1/8 in 1919 to about one-half in 1997.

Turning to our ballooning federal deficits, Stein attributes them largely to Arthur Laffer's theory - introduced without benefit of validity during Reagan's terms. Supposedly, people would work harder if they were taxed less, resulting in an overall increase in collected taxes. Reality, however, is that the number of hours worked/week has barely moved since Bush's tax cuts, and are considerably less than 1959 when the top bracket was nearly 80%. Further, overall labor-forced participation has hardly changed since Bush's cuts.

Almost $1 trillion in personal income taxes was collected in 2000, prior to the cuts; this dropped to $794 billion in 2003, and only returned to $1 trillion in 2006. Meanwhile, our national debt had gone up over $2 trillion. (Stein does concede that corporate profits did increase - on the other hand, what else could they do when tax expenses were decreased?)

Stein is also concerned about increasing income inequality, seeing it as a moral issue. As for those accusing oil companies of price-fixing, Stein easily dismisses their conspiracy theories with long-term data showing inflation-adjusted oil prices (until recently) lower than decades prior.

Stein also considered immigration (especially illegal) to be an important topic. He traces that problem's start to legislation passed by Sen. Kennedy in 1965, along with subsequent amnesty etc. programs. Anchor babies, relatives, sham marriages, etc. acerbate the problem, while their numbers and failure to assimilate clearly undermines American culture.

Interesting, and refreshing!

I love the work book. The only negative thing i have to say is that I ordered the Book and Workbook on the same day in the same order and it took the workbook 2 weeks longer to get here. I think that should be worked on.

One of the most convicting books I've ever read. I've read it more than once and something new jumps out at me each time. I appreciate that it is not "sugar coated" to make me have "warm fuzzy feelings". It's the deep truth from God's word. Many times I've read something from this book that stings. Even thought the "sting" might be there, I've been blessed by that "sting". I've been encouraged through this book to allow myself to be molded by God and strengthened in Christ. This is a book that will ROCK your world. Read it slow. Take it in. Bring it all back to scripture and see that it lines up. This book, through Christ, has made a very large impact in my life. It is a book that keeps giving. It continues to impact my life the more I read it. If you start to read it and have disagreements, first state what your disagreement is. If that sentence has "I" in it, adjust your way of thinking to be God centered instead of self-centered and give it another chance. This is by far my #1 recommended book to any woman alive!

The Excellent Wife may contain some good, valuable information. However, if you are married, you must not buy into the teaching that we, as wives, have Biblical authority over our husbands. There is not gentle rebuking from wife to husband; there is no room for a wife to stand over her husband in any authority whatsoever at any time in a marriage. Our husbands are our covering, our protection, and our authority-blessed by God and used by God to bless us. Please consider turning to Scripture yourself to see all the amazing truths about marriage rather than reading The Excellent Wife. If you must read a book other than the Bible, please consider "Created to Be His Helpmeet". It is more doctrinally true to what the Bible teaches about marriage and offers much deeper teachings.

WOW! Is about all I can say. This is not an easy read. This is an in your face convicting manual on How to be a Godly wife. It is covered with Scripture and Martha Peace does an excellent job in relating the issues to her experiences as a wife. My small group is reading this & it always leads to great discussions. It is also nice to have the accountability of reading when things get to tough to read.

If you are a woman who is looking for spiritual growth, is aching for change in your husband but aren't sure how to get it, and accepts the fact that God's Word is truth, period, then this book can and will help you and your marriage!
For quite some time I have tried (without success) to change my husband. I read Power of a Praying Wife and found it hard to incorporate, but when I did, my marriage prospered. I have immersed myself in Gods Word and experienced much spiritual growth. I have learned to listen to the still small voice and see his miraculous ways of speaking to me. He led me to this book. Now instead of thinking my husband needs to change, and trying to find fault with him, I am using the principles of this book to be the wife God wants me to be by changing me! A lot of times I found that I was so resentful toward my husband that I didn't want to do the things that Power of a Praying Wife said I needed to do. I would make excuses like "Why should I do this or that when he is the one being such a poop?!" This book tells me why. When I don't want to respond to his anger or requests in a Godly way, this book has taught me how to do it anyway and the reasons why I am supposed to do it. I am not doing them to please my husband or because he deserves it, it is because God wants me to do it, and by doing it I am honoring Him. When I honor Him, miraculous things happen. Because I am obedient, my husband changes. I have seen God's hand in the healing of our relationship due to His putting this book in my hands. The principles are hard because they go against every thread of our habits and things that the world teaches us, but if you are a woman of God, than you will want to live as He wants you to, and not like the world tells us is ok. It will challenge you, but if you follow its principles (which are completely backed up by scripture) your marriage will prosper. If you are still stuck in believing the lies of the world, you will need to work on this area first by getting into the Word, or you will see this book as a radical zealots point of view. God's Word is not take and pick, it is 100% true. You need to accept this before you read this book!

I found this book to be wonderfully readable with a huge message that needs to be shared by millions. It is such a profoundly simple way to move to peace. Not only do they share their personal experiences they give guidance as to how each of us can use their model and transform the world!

This book is very informative and gives one good insight into the three faiths and how they compare. It does get a little tedious here and there but is still worth the time it takes to read it.

I read this book as a part of a church book club and then was so impressed with it I decided to buy three more copies to give to friends so they could also realize that many of our pre-conceived ideas about people of other races and religions are wrong and we need to become educated about how they really are. After reading the book many find that a lot of our religions are similar and often have the same root as the beginning.

"Faith Club" successfully blended the voices of three women, who came from very different backgrounds and traditions, showing how friendship and understanding really might be the way around or through our world's tensions. I learned so much about the religious traditions that were not my own, and though none of the three are fundamentalists in their own religions, they were able to really shed light on many of the stereotypes and messages that have been spread by the more rigid believers in each of their religions. The format took some getting used to at first, but then became one of the strengths of the narrative, I think. Each woman was given her own section in each chapter, but they all three commented on the same discussions and events that they were sharing as their relationship evolved. Fascinating and actually pretty funny, at times, too!

I initially read this book for my book club and really enjoyed it. I truly related with Ranya in her universalist beliefs. I was disappointed in my book clubs discussion, because a couple of the women weren't willing to see that other religions besides there could be "right". So, I lead a discussion for a Sunday service for my religion. I am a Unitarian Universalist, so the topic is very relevant to our spiritual search. My second read was all the better as I was able to really get to know the diversity of paths and willingness of these women to step out of their comfort zones and really put themselves on the line with each other and with their peers in their own religious and social groups. I still felt very clost to Ranya, but also started relating with Priscilla much more as a person who speaks her mind, not always to her own benefit. These are 3 women I would like to have dinner with and become a fourth in their group!

My four year old boy and I read this for homeschooling. I do not think he is really understanding the devotions. They say it is for 4 year olds but I think it will be a few years before he will be able to comprehend the contents.

We love this book. I bought it for us to read our 6 year old son for family devotion time. While he enjoys it, and we truly benefit from it, I wish we had discovered it when he was 4 yrs. old because it provides a very good basic foundation for learning verses. The Awana verses he is learning now are more advanced, but he still enjoys the stories that go along with the verses in this book. If you have a 4 year old, it is not too soon to start which we strongly recommend.

I wanted to comment on the quality of this book - the layout, illustrations, format and paper stock are top quality, and this is a book you will want to use for several years. Top drawer. See also Susan and Richie Hunt "Big Truths for Little Kids" which can take up where this book leaves off. I'm glad we found them.

This is a great book! My 4-year-old is memorizing a scripture each day, and with reviewing them nightly, he is retaining them very well. The devotionals are helpful for the children to understand God's will through scripture. They are very optimistic in regards to how others will react when we pursue God's will, but that's okay with me. My son has even rebuked his younger brother with one of the verses! I love that he can see the purpose in context.

I am so glad a friend recommended this book! My 3 1/2 year old daughter loves the stories and is learning the Bible verses too. This is actually the only children's book I have seen that talks about the Holy Spirit and His role in recalling Scripture to mind, prompting us to make right choices, etc. This was a great purchase and I definately feel it is playing a key role in my discipleship of my daughter by making her conscious (as much as she can be at this age) of issues of the heart. The one caveat might be to start with this book early; an older child might find the siblings in most of the stories a little too good to be true. They are portrayed as very sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and almost always immediately sorry when they do something wrong. Overall, I highly recomment it.

Wow this has been great for my 6 and 4 year olds. This is much different from the usual Bible stories for kids that teach events, but this teaches character. The stories and themes build on one another and the book includes recommendations on how to review previous verses. My kids have learned many verses without trying too hard. They engage in the stories and actually pray for Missy and Bill, the kids that illustrate the principles. If you want to empower your children to be like Jesus then this is the book for you.

This is a great book with very practial advice/examples. It is based on the Holy Bible and specific scriptures found on raising children. Based on some of the negative reviews, I'd guess those people don't believe the Bible and may not have even read this book! Otherwise, you wouldn't doubt his intentions or love for children. It has been a huge blessing in our household. Just to be clear, the discipline he advocates is not beating!! We do not, nor ever would beat our children.

Hitting and spanking are two totally different things. The bible says that using the rod should be grievous for both the parent and the child. A parent should never enjoy it. Switching a child at 15 months is training, conditioning. It is only (done right) enough to make the child stop and pay attention, never more than a light sting. It is not punishment. It is telling the child his/her behavior is not acceptable. After tantrums become a habit, it is extremely hard to break and becomes a part of them. Reading more thoroughly with a prayerful heart is recommended and take what you want, leave the rest as my husband and I have.

As a Christian I felt compelled to get this book now that I have a challenging toddler. Dr. Dobson is practically a hero in the
Christian parenting community. I knew that he advocated spanking, which I don't, but thought I could get some other "pearls of wisdom" from the book. This book boils down to, hit your kid if you don't know what else to do. I finally stopped reading it all together when he wrote about hitting his 15 month old daughter with a switch. Yikes, I feel bad for those kids...pick another book.

I read this book and then needed to take a shower. He hates kids. He says he loves them but then advocates beating them again and again and again, all in 'love' of course.

He should read 13 corinthians a few times and stop pandering to those too damaged to know any better.

I have serious doubts as to whether or not many of these reviewers have even read this book. I suspect that they used a link from an anti-corporal punishment webpage called "stoptherod". Dr Dobson recommends giving your children lots of love, and you should read the book yourself before posting a false review.

This book helped me a lot more than all the family counseling sessions I attended!It was well written, easy to understand, and most important of all,gave me my sanity back. I bought copies for a couple of friends (and my counselor) and all were impressed! My friends and I formed our own support group and we refer back to this book again and again!

One day I was sitting in my recliner, not having a pity party, but just evaluating my life. I have a son who is a successful doctor. Another owns his own plumbing company. Another is sought after in the field of computer programming.

I also have two grown children that I sometimes refer to as my "gifts- that just keep on giving". These 'kids' are 32 (my youngest son) and 36 years old (my husband's bipolar daughter who is also on street drugs). If ever the Lord has spoken to me (and I know He has)..it was this day. Thoughts were flowing. "I don't know what NORMAL is. I tried to envision what it would be like to have a family gathering where my functioning kids could interact with the two 'outsiders'. What would it be like to not cringe when the phone rings with the next drama, to plan a vacation for me and my husband where we could just go and have a GREAT TIME without worrying about which one of them were having a crisis! I went on to the realization that "I am all USED UP. There is no more. There is NO joy in my life. No smiles. No laughter. No fun. No hope". Just me, waiting for the next round. My functioning children don't even KNOW me anymore because I have been so consumed with the two that require my time, energy, money and support.

Keep in mind, this was NOT a depressing awakening. It was LIBERATING! But I realized I needed a support system because it wasnt going to be easy to keep from falling back into my routine of "fixing" everything for every one else. I started looking for reading material and am so thankful that I ran across this book. I empathized with the author about her son - she and I shared the same feelings and some of the same experiences. The entire book just clarified to me what I needed to do to REALLY help these children. It reinforced the fact that this is not a selfish thing I am doing- it is the MOST GIVING,MOST LOVING, MOST UN-SELFISH thing I can do for my grown children - to quit trying to protect my grown kids from themselves and their consistent poor choices. I had been giving them just enough leash to see them get close to the fire and then I'd step in and try to salvage their lives. That day, I unhooked the leash and my grown kids are free to go. They know I love them but I am not available for any more drama caused by their irrational behavior and their poor choices. I am starting to live a life where I actually laugh a lot, I smile a lot, I am a fun, kind, thoughtful, interesting person and I have a LOT to give.

This book gives you the reinforcement you need wherever you presently are on your road to 'recovery'. I can honestly say that I have never read a book on this subject that so captivates me - every single page has reinforcement or encouragement or useful suggestions or motivation on how to make life begin again for YOU and also for the grown child who is getting ready to find out that it is time for him/her to grow up and take responsibility for their own decisions. I'm smiling as I write this because I know I'll never go back to those days and I have great hope for my son and step-daughter. They are in the shock stage right now - we're watching for signs that they will catch the next wind and soar like eagles. If they don't soar the first time, we'll be happy with just a flapping of wings. But they're going back to their OWN nest this time.

GREATEST OF GREAT BOOKS FOR THE PARENT WHO IS AGONIZING OVER THEIR GROWN KIDS CHOICES!

I couldn't wait to get this book and I wasn't disappointed. It has helped guide me with decisions I have had to make that I didn't think I could make and follow through with. The reinforcement that the author have given me has helped to make my life easier, knowing I am making the correct decision based on studying the book. If you are living with an enabling situation or are not sure if you are an enabler, you should read this book. I hightly recommend you order Setting Boundraries with Your Adult Children by Allison Bottke as soon as possible to receive the help, peace, and reinforcement you need.

If you can take the truth, this is the book for you. The book can only be helpful if you are ready to hear the author's words and incorporate them into your own personal situation. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has been living with an adult child who refuses to "get it" Excellent.

I was listening to Neil Boran one day and he spoke about giving..I wanted to know as a Christian - when do you "stop" giving - and he highly recommended this book "Bottoke"..sorry just can't think of the name right now and I lent it to my sister. We have had a family crisis for almost 4 years now where we have been supporting our brother (50 years) and it is going nowhere. He continues to be destructive, critical about the world, and does not take responsibility for "his" responsibilities. He continues to make things worse for him and his sisters (6) have been picking up the pieces...this book brought great insight into the situation, it made me realize that I need to trust God for his well being, I am part of the problem..and now sharing with my other sisters who continue to "feel" sorry for our brother. It does not help him and I have now taken a firm stance with the understanding that God does not "expect" me to take on my brother's responsibilities..yes we help, we love, we try guidance and support but enough is enough because when he does not listen - it becomes our fault..and it is true. We enable them to depend on our support and they can do as they please as there are no consequences for their actions. God needs to be his support not me or my sisters..( my brother is a Christian and has been longer then I have). His actions and behaviours were confusing me in my own walk with the Lord and it was scaring me..so this book has brought me guidance, support, comfort and action on how to deal with this. Most of all it helped me deal with my guilt and build my "trust". True love of someone - sometimes will hurt terribly, but ultimately I am trusting the Lord that what ever my brother's ends/situation will be - it is between "him" and God..and I hold on that God always works things to the better..
I highly recommend this book for young parents who are having difficulties with their teenagers,young adult children..even young children..it should be read prior to their children getting older..because as parents "love" and doing is not enough..we have lost the ability to "teach" and sometimes teaching/learning is difficult, painful...nothing worthwhile is without pain and hard work...the Lord has taught us that and that you will find in this book in a manner that is practical and usable in today's world...great stuff...