engage Books

Michael Cook's book is a great introduction for Jews interested in the New Testament and the study of Christianity. Speaking for an average Jewish reader, and a beginning student of comparative religions, I feel this book provides a great starting point to begin a study of the New Testament. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the relationship between Christianity and Judaism, and especially to Jewish and Christian lay leaders interested in starting interfaith dialogue.

The Jewish and Christian faiths share a common origin, and have been bound closely through the ages. "Modern Jews Engage the New Testament: Enhancing Jewish Well-Being in a Christian Environment" shows how several rabbis and other Jewish leaders view the Holy Bible's New Testament. Touching on New Testament topics that are critically important to the Jewish people, such as how Jewish traditions are entwined within Christianity, and how the New Testament regards the Jewish people, "Modern Jews Engage the New Testament" is a thoroughly accessible work of scholarship. "Modern Jews Engage the New Testament" is highly recommended for anyone interested in a look at the New Testament from another perspective.

Rabbi Michael Cook's book, Modern Jews Engage the New Testament: Enhancing Jewish Well-being in a Christian Environment, is a wonderful, very readable insight into the New Testament. He rightly explains why Jews have shied away from reading the Christian's New Testament, but his book allows all Jews to read it, and understand it from a truly Jewish viewpoint, one of respect for the text of another faith, but that it is not our Holy Scripture. In this day and age, when Jews are asked questions about our faith in comparison with that of Christianity, Jews need to know the issues, and have a familiarity with the Christian's New Testament to be able to discuss those issues intelligently. The Talmud teaches us, "Da mah l'hasheev," to know how to respond to such questions. Rabbi Cook's book enables all Jewish readers to do just that. On the other hand, Christians who read this book will find very interesting how Jews can come to understand Christian Scriptures in light of history, and how it has been used, and misused, through the history of Jewish and Christian relations. Rabbi Cook truly wrote this book in a way that makes all people of all backgrounds and faiths feel welcome to read it.

Rabbi Cook uses plenty of graphs and diagrams to explain the New Testament that help the reader understand how it was constructed. Of equal importance, there are words that both Jews and Christians use that have different meanings to each group. Rabbi Cook goes out of his way to explain the different uses of these words. Jews and Christians cannot really communicate when they use words that they each think the other understands the same way, when we do not understand them in the same way. At the end of each chapter, Rabbi Cook has a summary which he titled, 'The Most Valuable Ideas In This Chapter May Be:' This means that the reader can use this summary to help understand the chapter, and go back and re-read the chapter looking for the original explanation of these main important points. Furthermore, at the end of each chapter is another section which Rabbi Cook titled, 'Loose Ends Worth Tying:' in which he further explains issues raised in the chapter. Finally, Rabbi Cook includes different indexes of his book that are quite useful. They dont appear to be computer generated, and they appear to give every citation of the use of the indexed words or ideas. One is an index of other authors cited or quoted and where they are cited or quoted, an impressive list of scholars. Other indexes are of the Biblical verses used in his book, an index of the subjects covered in his book of course, as well as an index of the concepts he is trying to convey, the core of his book. Each one helps the reader to better understand the Christian's New Testament, and to better and more easily grasp the points Rabbi Cook makes.

This book is an important book because it covers information that all Jews need to live in a world where our paths cross more and more with Christians, and when Christianity influences many things with which we come in contact. And I believe all Christians need this book, too. On the back cover of the book, the text reads, "While written primarily with Jews in mind, this groundbreaking volume will also help Christians understand issues involved in the origin of the New Testament, the portrayal of Judaism in it, and why for centuries their 'Good News' has been a source of fear and mistrust among Jews." I could not agree more, and, frankly, it is about time that a book like this was available.

Modern Jews Engage the New Testament: Enhancing Jewish Well-being in a Christian Environment

Rabbi Michael Cook's new book, Modern Jews Engage the New Testament is a fantastic introduction to some of the most valuable information in the field. It not only contains some of the basic information in the field of New Testament study, but it also offers an abundance of new ideas and insights. Gospel Dynamics is perhaps the most creative and appropriate term for the approach that Rabbi Cook takes in dealing with this sensitive subject matter.

My 30-year rabbinate has been filled with so many conversations of meaningful and respectful dialogue with people of other faiths that focused on the topics of this book long before it was written. Those conversations would have been so much richer had I had this as a resource then. I am grateful that it will inform future discussions.

This book is intended not only for Jews or for rabbis. Cook makes it easy to use his writings in a variety of settings. The layout and helpful directions makes this accessible for Gentiles as well as Jews, lay readers in addition to scholars, secularists and religionists, young and old. The book has multidirectional reading options. Those for whom this is a first venture into these subjects will find it easy to navigate from the beginning, while those who have ample background can select those chapters that most interest them to read first. My guess is that any reader will eventually read it from cover to cover again and again.

Our synagogue is planning a joint adult education program with a neighboring church. We have done a variety of things with them over the past two decades. Rabbi Cook's writings will enable us to do some serious study and dialogue about a subject that is too often avoided because of fear and anxiety. It is a process that promises ample rewards. Michael Cook has provided a welcoming doorway through which those who enter will be changed forever for the better.

I am purchasing this book two and three at a time. There are many people to whom I want to give it as a gift. But the real gift is the one that Rabbi Cook has provided for all people who care about knowledgeable interfaith dialogue and respect.

over all this book was a good light read. but i do feel the author missed alot of opportunities to develope her ideas and elongate her story. it almost felt like this book was rushed and that is why the majority of the details are skewed. but the over all encompass of the story was good...i am interested in reading the third and final installment to the Royal sisters trilogy.

I too was looking forward to the release of this book. The first in this trilogy was quite good. But, I was very disappointed with this book. There really wasn't a lot of romance, which would have been a helpful and much needed lead into the lack luster love scenes. Maybe the third in this series will pick up where the first one left off.

What a useless bit of fluff. I was bored out of my mind within the first 1/3 of the book. I forced myself to finish in the hopes that the book would improve. It did not. Don't waste your time or money on this.

How to Engage an Earl by Kathryn Caskie is Anne Royle and Laird Allan, the Earl of MacLaren story. Anne goes to Liard bedroom in search of letter to prove she is a princess. Liard is in the bedroom and they get caught and end up engaged. Just not my favorite - always a bad sign when I am in the middle of a novel and my house gets cleaned....Royle sisters trilogy series How to Seduce a Duke (1), How to Engage an Earl (2) and
How to Propose to a Prince (3) Coming March 2008.

Triplet Anne Royle has spent her entire life honing one skill - to be invisible. She can be at any tea or ball and blend in with the occupants of a drawing room so easily and effortlessly that she has been known to take drinks out of people's hands without them ever having noticed. Anne views this particular talent of hers as both a curse and a blessing because while it seems as if the ton doesn't think she exists and they ignore her, it also frees her from the constraints of society and gives her a tiny bit more freedom than her two siblings. It is on a night when she puts her talent to the test that the unthinkable happens--she is noticed by Laird Allen, the Earl of MacLaren. What happens next lands Anne in more hot water than she bargained for; a betrothal.

The Earl of MacLaren, Laird Allen, has spent his entire life whimsically going from woman to woman seducing everything in sight. It is when he is given his title that he finally sits back and realizes that he might need to become a bit more responsible. That's all good when he isn't being tempted, and women tempt him daily. For a year he has been responsible and upstanding, but not tonight. Tonight he wants to drown his sorrows and mourn the loss of a brother and the gaining of a title that he never really wanted. Watching the ballroom, an angel passes before his eyes and captures his attention. He watches her free the party goers of drinks without their noticing and when she tries the same with him, he lets her know she isn't invisible. Before he knows it, however, his angel is gone and so is his glass. Looking for her the rest of the night, MacLaren is confounded to find her in his bedroom. With seduction on his mind, he heads that way with the hopes of his angel allowing him to forget for a little while his sadness. His family, on the other hand, has different plans.

I loved the premise of How To Engage An Earl. It is highly romantic to have three young ladies searching for the truth to their parentage. Since this book is the second in the series and I didn't read the first one, I found myself at a loss with the plot at the very beginning, but was soon able to figure out what was going on. Anne's characterization was somewhat plainer than what I think her character actually was. I found her to be intelligent, loyal, and very brazen. As for MacLaren? His naughtiness and almost brassy sensuality made me smile and melted my bones. While he did not want a wife, and I almost could have choked him, he redeemed himself in my eyes with one simple but meaningful statement.

How To Engage An Earl is a magnificent historical, and since reading it, I have gone back and read the first of the series, How To Seduce A Duke. If I had the third installment, How To Propose To A Prince, my life would be complete!

Talia
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I bought the following books as one complete package:

1. Activators: Activity Structures to Engage Students' Thinking Before Instruction;
2. Summarisers: Activity Structures to Support Integration & retention of New Learning;

Both books are written by Jon Saphier & Mary Haley from the Research for Better Teaching, Inc., formed by a group of educators. Essentially, they are great tools for English & reading teachers!

I am very impressed by their work, even though their books are spring-bound & stretching only from 40 to 60 odd pages. Content-wise, they share some similarities with the work of Rick Wormeli, who wrote 'Summarisation in Any Subject', which I have reviewed earlier. Nevertheless, there are still more different tools & strategies not covered at all in Rick's book.

I believe these two books can serve as companions to Rick's book. I did not realise that these books were written much earlier.

Undoubtedly, Activating (i.e. getting students mind active & engaged) & summarising (i.e. getting them active in discerning what is important, what they have learned, how it is important &/or how it fits with what they already know) are important part of effective study skills. I will go on to say that they will serve as powerful life skills for the students in the long term.

I like the authors' fundamental premise: There is no one right way or best way. There exists a repertoire of ways. Hence the many tools & strategies outlined in these two books, plus Rick Wormeli's book, will continue to expand your teaching repertoires.

In this respect, I am still quite intrigued by an earlier negative review from a Masters in Education graduate.

I have a masters degree in education and this book is way overpriced. It is only 43 pages long and paperback, so the price is inflated. The graphics and ideas in it are also fairly common, so there was nothing new about these ideas. If you are a college student, buy this book used because it is not worth $20, it is a very thin book with few good ideas.

This book does have some good ideas regarding how to get a meeting to be more active.

This book is the best I have seen (and I've seen several) for a quick reference to meeting activities. Moreover, the activities are incredibly easy to understand and implement and are, in a word, fun! This is a great reference to have on any facilitator's desk, or for the person who leads meetings for his/her company.