Religion Books

Great book. I highly recommend it. One of the best parenting books out there. A must read for all parents. It is a very short, quick read.

This book is a follow up to the best seller book for couples, The Five Love Languages, that is awesome and I like to give as a wedding gift. Anyway, it talks about filling a child's love tank by understanding how they like love expressed to them, whether by words of affirmation, physical touch, quality time, gifts, or acts of service. They say that it really isn't possible to detect your child's primary love language until they are about five--so express love in all these ways while they're young and until you find out which way is most meaningful to them. One way to determine their primary love language is just to ask them how they know you (the parent) love them and see whether they describe presents, time together, things you've done for them, etc.

Ordinarily, the follow-on books are kind of flat. The Elizabeth George "After God's Own Heart" books seemed this way, although the first one, "A Woman After God's Own Heart" was excellent.

I was expecting the same sort of flatness from this book. I found a lot to apply in the original Love Languages book, and I'm still sneaking it into my marriage. It's one thing to tell your Quality-Time husband that you are a TOUCH wife, and a whole different thing to gently convince him to touch touch touch touch touch touch. It has brought me to a whole new level of positive reinforcement.

So I figured this one for kids would be a couple of hundred pages of telling parents that kids need *every* love language. And indeed, there was some of that.

But the book was full of clues for how to recognize your child's love language, how it may change over time, and how to communicate.

The book offered a lot. I thought the chapters on conflict were very worthwhile, and even on how to discipline in the different love languages. My kids are so different that I needed all the pointers I could get. And surprise -- thinking about love languages across generations has helped me communicate better with my parents, too -- off to a good start, anyway.

I read this 6 months ago. My eldest started talking more, to me and to other people, NOTICEABLY more, and it's bringing me some relief from one of my biggest parenting worries -- how remote this child has been. That has been the biggest and most immediate change in our family recently, and I can trace it to this book.

I would recommend you read the first Love Languages book first, and then this one to think specifically about your kids.

Oh, and for moms, definitely read A Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George. It's family-enhancing.

A terrific book for all families. You will use this info again and again, not only with your children, but your spouse, family, and yourself.

Very good basic info on how to read your child (or anyone really) and provide the love they need.
I love this book and refer to it often.

This book was recommended to me by a dear friend. Arrived in excellent condition. Can't wait to read it.

'Reposition Yourself - Living Life Without Limits' is a content rich book that is part inspirational and part instructional centered on forging the blessings that life has to offer - that which is due and inherent. Within this book, T.D. Jakes has a stream of conscience flow that in some parts resemble Susan Orman and other times Jack Canfield. Forging even deeper he picks up the reinforcement exercises of Napoleon Hill (at times), and the practical sequence of action leads to results approach of Brian Tracy (take a minute and write this down or before you go any further). Mixed in with the candor and straight forward writing style that is all T. D. Jakes.

Jakes opens this work by introducing us to fictional characters that include the dreamer, the lover, the manager, and the believer in all of us. This sets the framework (somewhat) of the discussion that will take place between Jakes and the reader; however, he does not expound upon the characters so we are disconnected from them at the outset - in other words Jakes leaves it to you to remember and associate with the aforementioned characters - most importantly their traits (our traits) except when he decides to bring them up - he doesn't take them along for the ride. Yet, Jakes doesn't take long to reconnect with us through powerful lessons with the first being the 'five stages of progression,' which include the revelation of opportunity and continues into burn out (not just professionally speaking), or as he writes ". . .when deterioration has taken its toll." This outline of the stages was both innovative and unique because it did not climax with optimal performance, but instead ended with performance taken to far.

Jakes goes on to write about the difficulties that we all will face as a result of living a full life, along with the opportunity to overcome life's challenges with a "go all out" BALANCED approach to living -- where Jakes believe in not only speaking your blessings (as practiced by many men/women of faith), but through measured and deliberate deeds and actions. He has - I dare say it - a "pull yourself up by our bootstraps" philosophy to those discouraged and a "hold your hand out" to those that have prospered.

Chapter 6 entitled 'Shifting Gears and Changing Lanes - Repositioning Yourself for What Around the Corner' is one of the most inspiring chapters. Here, Jakes not only advises, but challenges the reader to throw off limitations that prevented success in the past. Specifically, on page 102 (hardback - May 2007) edition, he captures the content of his message within one paragraph:

"You must stop procrastinating, waiting for others to lead you to where only you can go yourself, or blaming the past. So many times it's much easier to embrace the role of victim, of loser, of the one who's not smart enough, not good enough, not educated enough, not financially sound enough. When you accepted such limitations for yourself, then you don't have to worry about being disappointed. . ."

I don't care how many inspirational/self-help books you have read - that is powerful in and of itself. Within the remainder of Part II, Jakes goes over what many authors have already written about numerous times yet bears repeating (in his view): Importance of paying down debt, managing your finances, working on purpose, leveraging credit to obtain wealth, finding a mentor, etc. with a hard to identify target audience - initially thought by reviewer to be a broad audience of those that are seeking to "reposition" themselves and later thought to be a primarily AA audience; followed by young AA that have lived long enough to experience life, yet still have enough life (and belief) to reposition (25 - 45?) -- followed by women (sometimes all?). That was the weakness of the book. Because it is primarily a stream of conscience flow, Jakes is really speaking to ANYONE that needs to reposition (or desires to) and either forgets to keep the lens wide enough or really doesn't care -- it's his view and lessons that are important.

Part III contains an inward focus on Jakes himself, specifically Chapter 13 'Mail Carriers - Surviving the Labels of Success'. Yet, he offers another series of steps in which one can remain connected (this chapter I think assumes you have repositioned or at least would like you to visualize). It is the balance of those that have arrived, emphasizing the importance of keeping grounded within one success; the you can go alone and be alone or you can involve family and friends while recognizing your roots. In essence, Jakes' message is that success is a team sport.

In conclusion, this book is not eloquently written (the "then-than" rule may irk you from time to time and there are a couple of administrative errors). In addition, he may have lost some of his audience when two chapters were dedicated to "ladies only." That is fine and very important; however, a 'Reposition Yourself for Women' book that addresses their challenges unique to them may have been more appropriate in the opinion of the reviewer. (This prevents alienating your core reader and gives a dedicated work to this important group.)

Yet Jakes does provide a powerful, practical, and sage words to live a fuller and rewarding life. It is not narrow in focus and what's refreshing is that Jakes has a practical view of spirituality - knowing that believing alone is not even half of the battle, but it sure helps!

THIS BOOK WRITTEN BY BISHOP JAKES IS A DIVINE BLESSINGS FROM GOD FOR EVERY CHRISTAIN.I PRAY FOR GOD DIVINE WISDOM AND ANNOINTING OF HOLY SPIRIT TO BE UPON MY BELOVED BISHOP JAKES.THANK GOD FOR USING YOU,YOUR FAMILY AND MINISTRY TO REACH TO LOST SOULS ALL OVER THE GLOBE.

I love Bishop TD jakes but I could not get past Disc 1 track 5 or so of this audiobook. I listen to him on my podcast but it seemed like the book lacked something. It seemed like the Bishop just focused on a particular individual. I could not relate...I hope to listen to all of it one day...I pray so...

I have read several books by Bishop Jakes, but this one by far in my opinion is one of the best one yet. I haven't finished reading it yet, because once I read a particular section I have found myself to go back and reread it. Bishop Jakes is definately annoited by GOD. I just hope and pray that GOD keeps on using him as he sees fit to minister to the world. This book is a real blessing and eye opener.

This is a must read. It covers how to be a person that is true to themselves. This book inspired me to write a poem called falling in love with me and I can't put into words how inspiring this book was. T.D. Jakes covers all the elements on how to grow. I would recommend this book to anyone because it has something in it for everyone.

enjoying c.s. lewis is a recent pasttime. i find these writings to be enlightening and full of life.

The book took a while to get here, and when it did, it was in rough shape for supposedly being brand new. I also discovered I could have bought it for $5 cheaper from another online retailer. Not too impressed with this purchase.

C.S. Lewis was certainly 1 of, if not the most, thought provoking theologist of the last century. As a former atheist/current agnostic, I will say, his is the only sensible argument for Christianity I've ever come across. Of course his prose is as always thoughtful, intelligent, & often humorous.

This is a beautiful book, and from my experience, you will not find it in stores for less than $60. It was delivered on time, in perfect condition, and cost a lot less (including shipping), than it was in stores. This makes a beautiful gift or addition to a personal collection.

To have in one place the works of one of the greatest minds of the Twentieth Century is to have a treasure in ones hands. The logic of Mere Christianity is so close that it leave little wiggle room for the deepest of intellects. The satire of Screwtape Letters is hilarious but pointed and so true to life. Miracles is another apologetic as well as the Great Divorce. One needs this volume at hand and needs to read its content from cover to cover to even start to say that they are an educated person. For me Lewis is one of the greatest writers of all time, and a theologian without all the trappings of obscurantism. Enjoy the exercise of mind and heart in reading these classics.

This book is written for those who don't necessarily indentify as Buddhists, and/or don't practice Buddhist doctrines. That being said, this is a book that has helped many fledling Buddhists come to understand how the mind works, how one can tame the ego, and make friends with all of our thoughts, negative and positive.

She teaches in the tradition of the Shambhala Warrior, a path laid out by the brilliant Buddhist teacher (and Chodron's root teacher), Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.

Her method of writing is down-to-earth, full of kindness and compassion, and accessible to all those looking to find a way to confront mental suffering caused by day-to-day existence, or those who are facing painful situations in their life.

Pema Chodron is one of the finest teachers of finding strength through loving-kindness and gentleness toward one's self. I highly recommend this book.

I found this book amazingly fresh. All the other self-help books tell you how to mask the problems in your life and push them under the rug. Thinking positive is a great thing too, but you do have to deal with reality when things do go bad ... and they always do and always will. Life is a rollercoaster ... always. As this book teaches if you can make friends with your life as it is, you will be much happier and your life will inevitably be better. The main thing I have learned from this book is to be PRESENT for your life and don't spend it wishing and hoping for it to be different. It is what it is and it is your life, so you might as well experience it, appreciate it and enjoy it.

I have been meditating for years and appreciate Pema Chodron's practical wisdom for those with deep tendencies toward doubt and fear. No book can replace a live teacher and practice with others, but this book gives encouragement and clearly points out the way through doubt and fear. Hard as it is, I've learned that the most important teaching and the most vital experience of our lives is right in the midst of suffering. While all the book is insightful, I especially recommend chapters 6, 7, 9, and 18.

This book is so full of beautifully worded advice, using stories from the author's life and is comprised of short chapters, so it's perfect to read one "lesson" and wait to absorb it before reading on. It's great bedtime reading...and the lessons are so rich, yet the author makes them seem possible to include in daily life.

It is an indication that something is wrong if you have to go read another book or two on history and philosophy of Buddhism in order to understand the esoteric dogma she is talking about.

Now to put all this in simple terms the jest of the book seams to be:

We are all going to die and we should think about it all the time.
There is no hope and we should not even try
All is suffering and we should not try to do anything about it
All is pain and we should try to find more pain.
We do not have a soul and if you think you do you are deluded

These are not good messages for someone who is really in a state of depression or flux
I can not see what anyone gets out of this book

Her point if there is one is almost un-understandable through all the esoteric drivel

This is a beautiful book, a treasure! I've purchased additional copies for friends, and I'm certain they will love it.

I absolutely LOVE this book! My husband & I are planning for a family, when I got this book in the mail I opened randomly to a page somewhere in the middle and magically turned right to the blessing for "The Mother-To-Be"! So amazing! My yoga instructor reads us passages from this book sometimes (how I heard about it) and everytime she does, the peaceful, blessed effect is palpable.

John O Donohue introduces the reader to the art of blessing. "It is the modest wish of this book to illuminate the gift that a blessing can be,the doors it can open,the healing and transfiguration it can bring."(ODonohue)
The author poured his heart and soul into creating blessings that speak to the human condition from the cradle to the grave and beyond. He intoduces each of the seven sections of the book with a poetic grace that draws the reader in while linking them to the Source of their own creativity and spirituality.

To open this book and begin to read is to discover a treasure trunk full of words, strung exquisitely together with threads of deep meaning. Poetic blessings for many of life's experiences are mixed with personal yet eternal prose teaching about the nature and power of blessing, and how it functions in the life of the individual and the community. I will always keep this book close at hand.

In his final book before his all-too-early death, John O'Donohue has given us a gift most precious. His exquisite words and images capture an extraordinary range of soulful experience, companioned beautifully by his rare capacity to offer us solace of the deepest sort, to soothe our wounded places so that our spirit might be coaxed to wonder and to hope. Blessed we are to be blessed with such a book, truly a treasure for a lifetime -- one that carries in its pages limitless healing and a wondrous opening to enlightenment and joy.

I like this book because it is principle-driven rather than formula-driven. It focuses on the Christlike character in the heart of both the parents and children. Isn't this the focus we as Christians should be after, rather than simply trying to produce perfect children? I believe it truly captures the heart of God for families. I began applying Tripp's disciplinary principles to my 8 month old son and I'm so glad I did. He knows that my discipline is out of love and now he is a very well adjusted 2 year old. This book gave me more confidence to be a great parent and I look forward to referring back to it as I grow in Christlikeness. FYI: Another good one is "Sacred Parenting" by Gary Thomas.

If you want to read a book that will help you lead your children into a relationship with Christ through your obedience in training them properly, then this is the book for you. I have found that the best parenting tips are those that bring my lack of faith and obedience to my attention. How can I expect my children to obey me when I don't obey my father in heaven? This book teaches a lifestyle of training. Training your children in the way they should go - obedence to their creator. Tedd Tripp speaks clearly and his guidence is very Biblical. However, beware you will not change your children over night. In using Mr. Tripps biblical teaching I have noticed my children's hearts change toward me and their God. It is a blessing to see. It only encourages me to continue on this path. This is a great book. I have copies in paperback and CD. When I see that I am being lazy in my parenting I just put in a CD and I am reminded of my duty as a parent, to shepherd my child's heart.

Not only does this book give you insight for raising Godly children, it challenges you to become a better example to your children and correct the things in your life that are not Christ-like.

The Pearls are Christians that advocate beating children. Tedd Tripp's book is more insidious than that because it seems reasonable, but it's the same idea dressed in sheeps clothing. The theology is basically "beating the sin" out of your child- which isn't Christian at all!! I recommend something more along the lines of "Grace Based Discipline".

I had no idea how many things I was doing wrong!!! And everyone thinks I am a good parent. By the worlds standard, I suppose I am. By Gods standard I was falling way short! Ted Tripp has shown me how to be kind and loving to my children. To explain to them why we do what we do, not just because I want it, but, because God calls up to do it! What a concept! IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN PARENT, THIS IS A MUST READ! I am enjoying parenting so much more, now that I am in line with Gods will!

The following is a review of the Christopher Hitchens book "God is not Great." The setting for the writing of the review is beautiful Door County. The weather turned out to be in the 70's and 80's all week. Each morning I would rise and write a little bit while listening to my Mp3 player and drinking caramel flavored coffee. The first morning I rose at about 7am, stepped out onto the porch and spotted a doe. She was feeding on a plant near the path at the foot of the large deck. A pristine morning was made better by glancing at this miracle of nature and symbol of peace. I stared at her and she at me for at least three or four minutes. After a while she capriciously sauntered on into the woods. I felt that the deer was a symbol for my careful but natural movement through life, being cautious not to hurt any living thing. As I write this review, I hope I am going to be as careful and sensitive as possible to different points of view. As my sister said at age 6, "Everybody is different. I know it and you should know it too." Well said Sarah. I will never forget your pearls of wisdom. :)

Well, on to the subject at hand. The book I have chosen to read while on vacation at Door County is "God is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything." Author Christopher Hitchens seems to revel on controversy and argument. Like a good lawyer he is constantly he is building a better argument for his case.
At the book's beginning, he talks about a teacher he had when he was nine years old who made a poignant impression on him. At that impressionable age, he was imbued with a sense of the sacredness of nature thanks to someone named Mrs. Jean Watts. Hitchens eloquently talks about his disturbing "ah-hah" experience when he realizes Mrs. Watts is teaching about the details of nature but is simultaneously delivering a message of magical thinking---that God created the mountains, the streams the lakes and all of the wonderful creatures. She asks Hitchens about such things as the infinite color variation of the wild flowers and asks how there could not be a God making all of this just for us. Hitchens says he was tempted by ignorance and didn't take the bait. "If Satan chose her to tempt me into error he was much more inventive than the subtle serpent in the Garden of Eden. She never raised her voice or offered violence---which couldn't be said for all of my teachers. " Wow.

In somewhat a related fashion, Hitchens takes some pride in unveiling the late Mother Theresa's humanness. He has written a book about Theresa, who had a private side that was much more flawed and less confident than her public persona. As he saw this poignant cognitive dissonance in his earlier teacher he noticed imperfections after studying the late religious figure. He exposes how Mother Theresa struggled with her faith until her last days. Hitchens with his rapid-fire, William F. Buckley type intellectualism is able to put things in perspective, accepting the vast imperfections even of one who is thought to be God like by some many millions of followers worldwide. This experience of psychologically ingesting Mrs. Watts' ideas on faith led to an epiphany of sorts---confirming to his young strong intellect that he would see many more apparent contradictions that he (and only he) would be able to sort out. Having a strong intellect also carries with it the strong responsibility. With his great propensity towards and aptitude towards logic and learning I believe he knew had the power to sway opinion at an early age.
At this tender age of nine he would continue to critique the Bible. "Why did I have to continue to say in public that I was a miserable sinner?" At 13, he would read Sigmund Freud's "Future of an Illusion," which would give him another totally new intellectual paradigm for assimilating postulates of human good and evil. The Id made more logical sense than some outdated black magic being imposed by non-logical thinkers.

Here are Hitchens' objections to faith in a nutshell:

1. It wholly misrepresents the origins of man and of the cosmos.
2. It combines the maximum of servility with the maximum of solipsism.
3. It is the result and cause of dangerous sexual repression.
4. It is grounded on wish-thinking.

These are hard to argue with.


Hitchens says atheism is less a doctrine and more of a distrust of anything that contradicts science or enrages reason. Wow. The atheist intellectual continues with his insights:

"We are not immune to the love of wonder and mystery and awe; we have music and art and literature, and find serious ethical dilemmas are better handled by Shakespeare and Tolstoy and Schiller and Dostoyevsky and Elliot than in mythical morality tales of the holy books."

As I was reading the book I started thinking about Carl Rogers' term called congruence. It seems to me that the religious crowd may have more problems overcoming contradictions in expression and being honest and direct. Inherent in the scientific method(as Sam Harris aptly puts it) is honest reflection of hypotheses and must have the ability to humbly admit right and wrong. Such humility is scarcely seen in religious circles where minds are already made up. All the answers are known. I saw some of this in Promisekeepers and it made me feel uncomfortable. There is a certain non-intellectual drama inherent in religious ritual it seems that is empty of any objectively meaningful content.

Mighty religious scholars like Aquinas and Augustine "may have written about many evil things and many foolish things, and may have been laughably ignorant of the germ theory of disease or the place of the globe in the solar system, let alone the universe."

So what Hitchens seems to be saying(in his William F. Buckley manner) is that we have been fast asleep like a little children at Christmastime, imbued with magical thinking. As Daniel Dennett aptly puts it, we must courageously break the spell.(Have you seen Dennett's brilliant interview with Bill Moyers. Please google it on Youtube!)

Mr. Hitchens says that people who proclaim answers from belief and tradition alone and not on reason and personal experience should not have the audacity to pretend to know all, arrogantly standing over all non-believers. He says I quote, "Such stupidity, combined with such pride, should be enough on its own to exclude belief from the debate. The person who is certain, and who claims divine warrant for his certainty, belongs now to the infancy of our species. (As Daniel Dennett says, "Playing the faith card is a disqualifying move.")

Hitchens adds that such a farwell should not be protracted. Let's say our goodbyes with a courteous smile and get on with more interesting people. Life is too short to debate with unreasoning individuals.

I cannot help but to think that I may be misrepresenting myself as a "seeker" to my Christian friends, (who by the way are patient with my apparent potential for growth as they see it.)

When Christopher's father died, he read perhaps the most awe inspiring passage from the Bible at this funeral:

"Finally brethen, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things."

Richard Dawkins has proclaimed that religion holds many things we hold near and dear hostage. By this he means it's all knowing presence at weddings, funerals, baptisms, Easter, Christmas, etc. Religion is infused with all of these events with a pious intensity, like they own them and the human feelings and compassion that go with those happenings. The events have a religious context and no other, which leads to a sort of cognitive narrowing. It is simply the one-dimensional paradigm that we are all the most familiar with. To abandon religious tyranny of this kind too quickly, I fear, would be too traumatic of a change on people who are firmly rooted in tradition. How about a marriage without God in it? How about instead of "Amazing Grace" we sing "Amazing Energy of a Higher Power That Has Yet to be Scientifically Proven?" It wouldn't fly. We cling to tradition like a security blanket like to Mommy and Daddy when we were four years of age.

Perhaps my greatest fear is that even though Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens and Dennett are well meaning and make very convincing points, their paradigms require a deep intellectual committment not just taking in information on faith.

My Christian friend Craig seems says he is afraid of the bottom dropping out if we learned that God isn't real. It could be mass kaos in the streets. The foundation would drop out and there would be no reason to be good. This life would be a meaningless contest devoid of any reason to do good---hence the only answer is to follow as many selfish desires as is possible during our finitely but sometimes infinitely troubled lives. Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer believed the same after he converted to Christianity. (I'm in no way comparing my friend Craig with Dahmer, but trying to point out a faulty piece of thinking.) In an interview with Stone Phillips, he said that evil would flourish without this structure and goodness provided by Jesus Christ, the savior of mankind.

This may be most subtly evil idea in the world, that people would be incapable of morality if the paradigm shifts(or as Daniel Dennett calls it 'the Cosmic Shift') The reality is that we live in a world which is changing quickly and if we fail to adapt---we will not survive. This is perhaps Sam Harris's greatest trepidation as well, that he has professed on many occasions. What responsiblity do athiests have once they reasoned believers half way out so they cannot find themselves back in? They are left in the void to search for a messiah they will never be able to reach??



As I read on, I noticing a confrontational mode that Hitchen's ego seems to thrive on---a politically confident tone that could border on unnecessary arrogance. My brother Will saw CH speak in Madison and said he lost respect for him when he got entangled in an argument with anti-war protesters. Will said he felt sorry for the audience because they got shortchanged out of what they came to see, a debate on religion. One of my reasons for reading the book is the investigate this apparent arrogance and to see how it may get in the way of the truth Hitchens wants us to know. How much of his ego is just plain getting in the way??

Hitchens is empathetic to author Salmon Rushdie when he asks why such a "lonely and peaceful individual" would be hunted down by extremist groups. He blames the fanatical mindset for this. True genius is attacked by those who do not understand. That is too bad. There is a quote by Martin Sheen that my mother loved and I believe applies directly to me an my life and Rushie's life,


I do it because I can't seem to live with myself if I do not. I don't know any other way to be. It isn't something you can explain; it is just something that you do; it is something that you are.



I believe that we need to gain the courage to live our own lives as bravely as possible, not afraid of giving our true loving selves to others.

It is up to those with free thinking propensities to shed light on black and white thinking, for example the different between the all or nothing mindsets of pro lifers versus the pro choice thinkers who are able to see the subtle grays. BIG DIFFERENCE!! The black and white thinking of religion says "You believe or else you will experience hell fires for eternity." That is a fairly arrogant claim, don't you think??

Hitchens also offers his thoughts on 9-11. He talks about the rediculous claims of Robertson and Falwell that infer that the terrorist attacks were the result of our moral weaknesses of permitting too much homosexuality and abortion---ant that as then AG John Ashcroft said that America had "no king but Jesus." That is scary. George Bush consults religious leaders before making decisions that could alter the future of the free world. Faith thinking is not the same as thinking based on reason.

CH's book is full of shocking facts about how supposedly learned men are still hanging on to superstition because it gives them more spiritual comfort than science. Timothy Dwight president of Yale University(one of the most respected adults in the country) was opposed forto the smallpox vaccination because he regarded it as an interference with God's design. What about a former first lady who believes in astrology??

Hitchens hits hard again....

"In the city of Jerusalem, there is a special word in the mental hospital for those who represent a special danger to themselves and others. These deluded patients are often sufferers from the "Jerusalem Syndrome." Police and security officers are trained to recognize them through their mania. Their mania is sometimes concealed behind a mask of deceptively beautific calm. They have came to the holy city in order to convince themselves as Messiah and to proclaim the end of days."

Religion is not rational.


"The holy book is the largest continuous use, the Talmud, commands the observant one to thank his maker every day that he is not woman." Hitchens goes on to say, "Throughout all religious texts there is a primitive fear that half the human race is simultaneously defiled and unclean, and yet is a a temptation to sin that is impossible to resist."

Why does religion carry with it the fatalistic belief in armagedeon? In this age of nuclear weapons why resign oneself to destruction just because the Bible says it's so? There will fire on the planet, then Jesus will come? Don't bet on it. I think we are responsible for our own survival. Hitchens talks about the death wish which "may be secretly present in all of us." He continues...."When the earthquake hits, or the tsunami inundates or the twin towers ignite, you can see and hear the secret satisfaction of the faithful. Gleefully they strike up, " You see---this is what happens when you don't listen to us. With an unctious smile they offer redemption that is not theirs to bestow and when questioned, put on the menacing scowl that says, 'Oh, so you reject our offer of paradise? Well, in that case, we have quite another fate in store for you.' Such love, such care."

it comes to no surprise that these anti-religious loons are trying to convert as many people to atheism and humanism when events like 9/11 were sparked by religious fundamentalism. It is fundamentalism that is the problem, not religion itself. However, these people who have limited understanding of God seek to do damage which is not supposed to be the role of individuals but rather a collective of people who seek to prove that they are right and everyone else who is not like them is wrong. These secular fundamentalists are no different nor any better than their religious counterpart, I find it interesting how much they have in common yet they hate each other.

This war on religion should be more so focused upon the war against fundamentalism, not religion, nor God. These inspired texts have caused much conflict, no one can deny it, but they have also cause people to reach potentials never before reached. Could it be that fundamentalism is the problem being that fundamentalism is what has caused religion to be used for war and personal gain? These critics of religion should be willing to help their religious heretical counterparts in breaking down dogmatic fundamentalism. Instead they dont, they attack all of religiosity as if it was the full problem. These books and others like them are based on ignorance.

Hitchens does an excellent job of laying out, in very simple terms and concepts, the real role of religion in our society.

From his analisys of the origins of religion to his very interesting examples of failed religions or some amazing facts about religious celebrities like Mother Theresa, Hitchens presents a face of religion that many people may never have seen.

It is not a frontal attack on Christianity; it has a very good chapter on Islam that christians will love.

Now, to all those who have rated this book without reading it. Stop making fools of yourselves. If you had actually read the book you would at least give it three stars. It's that good.

Whatever this book is about, it's not about God. It's about the author, first and foremost, which is perhaps a very exciting subject for the author himself, but not necessarily for his intended audience. It is also about the religion, primarily about the organized religion. I would suggest that an appropriate title for this book should be either 'Christopher Hitchens Is Great' or 'Organized Religion Is Not Great'.
Boring, inconsequential and meaningless is all I can say about this book.

Hitchens is an extremely sharp, erudite, and well-qualified author on the subject of religion. Having had several encounters with different faiths in his life, he is a journalist who has witnessed first-hand the effects of religious belief around the world. He also has intimate knowledge of religious traditions through history, as well as of important thinkers. In this book he chronicles how throughout human history, religion has been the bringer of more suffering, fear, and misery than any other force. What's sad is that most of what he says is obvious, yet most everyone is afraid to admit it. At one point Hitchens gets a bit carried away, arguing that Stalin's regime showed many characteristics of a monotheistic religion. That may be true, but there's a logical fallacy at work: just because religious institutions tend to be totalitarian in nature, and Stalinism was totalitarian, doesn't make Stalinism a religion. It's important to realize that it's religious institutions that are responsible for the considerable damage catalogued in the book. The faithful don't tend to be any more or less moral than the nonfaithful, but the power of religion as a means of dominance and control gives them a whole lot of leverage.

Though seemingly humorous in style, there is an intense sense of sobriety behind every scene that C.S. Lewis depicts to illustrate how the devil operates to tempt us. The background is World War II England. The object that the devil preys on is a young Christian. The circumstances of temptation; all of which are something we can relate to everyday, vary from personal devotional time, personal relationships, romance, and vocation to culture, worldviews and the war itself which the readers would discover to be the means to a happy ending for the young Christian, not a usual one, however. The appendix entitled, "Screwtape Proposes a Toast" deals with a more general strategy that the realm of evil formulates in their quest to ruin mankind by pushing them to the deepest abyss their depravity is capable of, "to harden these choices of the Hell-ward roads into a habit by steady repetition, ... to turn habit into a principle." Another interesting strategy is to wreck havoc in the culture by twisting the meaning of the word "democracy" from a narrow strict sense to a broad one.

The reason why Lewis does an excellent job in giving us the insights on the operation of the realm of the devil is because he understands human beings and culture well, which makes this book deeply personal, worth reading and learning from.

Of all of the fanciful worlds C.S. Lewis has created, this classic dealing with the realities of faith, Church, and the struggle between good and evil takes the prize. Often humorous, too-often right on target, The Screwtape Letters explores the journey of faith from the perspective of two demons. Wormwood, the novice demon, has taken on a new 'client' and receives advice from senior demon Screwtape. Lewis challenges the church's status quo and makes us think about whether we 'Christians' are really 'demons' at heart. Sometimes, it's hard to tell! You'll laugh and then you'll say 'hmmmmm'.

This is the second time that I have read this book. The first time was as a youth a very long time ago and it had a positive impact on me. I decided to reread it and see what additional insights it would bring into my life. It was clearly worth the few hours of my time it took to read this book. The device Lewis uses is very clever and forces one to look at sin, pride, and mediocrity from a totally different viewpoint. It becomes clear that it's not the big mistakes we make in life that really hurts us; sometimes those are the things that cause us to reevaluate our lives and repent. The things that really hurt us are the pride and the accumulation of little sins. Lewis seem to really be pushing for greatness of soul. Bottom line is this little book made me think about my life. That is what a good book should do.

The book also includes the essay, "Screwtape Proposes a Toast". This was written much later and instead of Screwtape writing letters advising Wormwood, he is at an awards ceremony at the school for tempters proposing a toast to future and past successes. It is basically a vehicle to complain about how the modern education system focuses on mediocrity. It also brings out some very good points to ponder.

I highly recommend this book to everyone. The principles espoused here apply to all people, religious or not.

With so many books to read and so little time, I rarely go back to re-read even my favorite works. Years ago, I discovered The Screwtape Letters and was blown away. The other day I found myself skimming through it again, then settling down to dig deeply through this treasure trove of misinformation.

A senior demon, Screwtape, is writing letters to an underling and giving advice in the ways of bringing down mankind one person at a time. He speaks with disturbing clarity, marked insight, and insidious desire. He wants to feast upon the souls of all of us, while serving Our Father Below. In this twisted world, we see life from the side of evil. From this framework, God is the Enemy, and so the reading requires a constant attention to the subtle lies Screwtape is mixing in with his letters.

The insights we discover through this flipped script are unsettling and important. We see the follies of self-righteousness and even unselfishness. We see through the schemes used to divide man and woman, the ploys of twisted pleasure, and the cyclical trap of pride/humility/pride. Every page brings revelation in this ultimate cautionary tale.

I'm a fan of Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, Space Trilogy, Mere Christianity, and The Great Divorce, but this title is still one of the most mind-blowing, yet accessible, books I've ever read. And re-read. And, most likely, will read again.

I don't know how well this great book translates to agnostic readers, but for me it was a very enlightening and concrete way to understand what it means to try to be a good man in a world of temptation.

In keeping with the time period, I believe it was Winston Churchill who said "All evil needs to triumph is for good men to do nothing". In the Screwtape Letters the senior tempter, tells his apprentice, it is just as affective to get a man to stare into a fire until it turns to ash, as to get him to commit some great sin, because either keeps him from doing what he should. I wonder what Mr. Lewis would have thought of digital cable television? I am as guilty as anyone of staring at that box instead of doing good.

So here's the deal.

This is an excellent book for any believer from High School on up, that wants to be good and avoid evil.

But that's just me.

This book written by Eckhart Tolle is a beautiful and astounding read. That's it. There's nothing else more to say about it.

A very inspirational book, in fact, read it twice and bought 5 copies to give away....

I have so enjoyed these CDs. The material is fascinating to me. Easy to understand - but it takes practice to be able to do. I will listen to these over and over!

really, this is amazing. A little deep and maybe hard to grasp if you (or your ego) are not ready for the message but it is life changing. Really

This book changed the way I looked at life. I will recommend this book to anyone who are looking for answers. Keep an open mind and keep on reading even if the idea seems very strange.

I'll sum this book up for you in one sentence, "put 10% of everything you make in savings and then make your money earn you more money that doesn't require additional effort from you." The rest of the book just repeats this moto. The book does supply a fun story about Babylon, but if you are strictly interested in financial advice, the book doesn't go beyond the basics of saving. A good read for most Americans who have been entranced by credit card companies and over look the piggy bank, but for the financially responsible, I wouldn't recommend unless you want a good story about Babylon.

The book is a quick and enjoyable read. A lot of the financial advice in this book seems pretty obvious, but many people have no concept of saving money, working hard, and living frugally. The book also mentions that you should invest your money under the advice of wiser men so that it is working for you.

Overall, the book delivered its message very clearly. I would also recommend it for teenagers, since it contains excellent principles to build a good financial mindset upon.

This book is a great, easy read for anyone looking to learn the main concepts of creating wealth.

I just finished this one. I think this is one of those little books I'll be referring to over and over again. Clason's book is one of those that you can read in an evening and remember most of the key ideas. You can put these principles to work in your life immediately. This is probably the best 6.99 you can spend.

Here's the bottom line. This book is one of many books on principles on how to control your finances. If you can control what you eat, how much you exercise, what educational degree to go after, when you wake up, when you sleep, etc., there's no difference in deciding how much you spend and how much you save (must know for what purpose!). All you need to do is read this book along with all the other informational books out there and apply the principles as it fits your current situation. It doesn't matter how much you make. It's all about the "principle" and how to apply it. The part that many, like myself in the past, seem to overlook is that you need to control and detach yourself emotionally from money. If you can understand how much you make, when it is due you, and how much it takes to meet your minimum required needs (now come on, let's not be too greedy), then think, think, think, plan and execute and do it all over if you fail. I think it worked well for me because I took the "emotional" part out of the equation and handle money objectively. So did this book help? Definitely. Every ounce of education is worth a ton of happiness. I think it important to keep the perspective realistic but yet with a steadfast attitude without ignoring all the help that is out there. The book cost as much as, if not lesser, than a fast food plate. Why not get it instead of wasting on junk food?