The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

Amazon.com

Trisha McFarland is a plucky 9-year-old hiking with her brother and mom, who is grimly determined to give the kids a good time on their weekends together. Trisha's mom is recently divorced, and her brother is feuding with her for moving from Boston to small-town Maine, where classmates razz him. Trisha steps off the trail for a pee and a respite from the bickering. And gets lost.

Trisha's odyssey succeeds on several levels. King renders her consciousness of increasing peril beautifully, from the "first minnowy flutter of disquiet" in her guts to her into-the-wild tumbles to her descent into hallucinations, the nicest being her beloved Red Sox baseball pitcher Tom Gordon, whose exploits she listens to on her Walkman. The nature writing is accurate, tense, and sometimes lyrical, from the maddening whine of the no-see-um mosquito to the profound obbligato of the "Subaudible" (Trisha's dad's term for nature's intimations of God). Our identification with Trisha deepens as we learn about her loved ones: Dad, a dreamboat whose beer habit could sink him; loving but stubborn Mom; Trisha's best pal, Pepsi Robichaud, vividly evoked by her colorful sayings ("Don't go all GIRLY on me, McFarland!"). The personal associations triggered by a full moon, the running monologue with which she stays sane--we who have been lost in woods will recognize these things.

In King's revealing Amazon.com interview, he said the one book he wishes he'd written was Lord of the Flies. When Trisha confronts a vision of buzzing horror in the middle of the woods, King creates his strongest echo yet of the central passage of Golding's novel. --Tim Appelo

Amazon.com Audiobook Review

With a convincing mix of youthful optimism and world-weary resignation, reader Anne Heche adds resonance to this unabridged recording. Heche is especially effective as the 9-year-old heroine, Trisha McFarland, who makes a fateful decision during an afternoon hike with her dysfunctional family. "The paths had forked in a 'Y.' She would simply walk across the gap and rejoin the main trail. Piece of cake. There was no chance of getting lost." As one might suspect, there is every chance she'll get lost--or worse--and taking the shortcut turns out to be a very bad choice indeed. At times Heche's reading may be too measured, but her narration is generally quite good and her steady portrayal of a young girl lost renders this tale all the more frightening. (Running time: 6.5 hours, 6 cassettes) --George Laney

Book Description

On a six-mile hike on the Maine-New Hampshire branch of the Appalachian Trail, nine-year-old Trisha McFarland quickly tires of the constant bickering between her older brother, Pete, and her recently divorced mother. But when she wanders off by herself, and then tries to catch up by attempting a shortcut, she becomes lost in a wilderness maze full of peril and terror.

As night falls, Trisha has only her ingenuity as a defense against the elements, and only her courage and faith to withstand her mounting fears. For solace she tunes her Walkman to broadcasts of Boston Red Sox baseball games and follows the gritty performances of her hero, relief pitcher Tom Gordon. And when her radio's reception begins to fade, Trisha imagines that Tom Gordon is with her -- protecting her from an all-too-real enemy who has left a trail of slaughtered animals and mangled trees in the dense, dark woods....

Download Description

Set in New England, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is the gripping tale of nine-year-old Trisha, who wanders off the beaten path of the Appalachian Trail to escape the bickering of her family. When she tries to catch up to them, Trisha strays deeper into a wilderness which, in the hands of America's most frightening writer, becomes a place of primordial terror. Especially when night fails. Trisha has only her wits for navigation, only her ingenuity as a defense against the elements, only her courage and faith to withstand her mounting fear. For solace, she tunes her Walkman to broadcasts of Boston Red Sox games and the gritty performances of her hero, relief pitcher Tom Gordon. And when her radio's batteries die, Trisha begins to imagine that Tom Gordon is with her -- her key to surviving an enemy known only by the slaughtered animals and mangled trees it leaves in its wake. A classic story that engages our emotions at the most primal level, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon explores our deepest fears of the unknown and the extent to which faith can conquer them. It is a fairy tale grimmer than Grimm but aglow with a girl's indomitable spirit.

Customer Reviews:

The Girl who loved to bore you for 260+ Pages!.......2007-09-07

"The girl who loved Tom Gordon" By Stephen King.

In June of 1998 Trisha McFarland has gone on a hike on the Maine branch of the Appalachian Trail with her brother and recently divorced Mother. As usual her mother and brother are arguing. Trisha has to pee so she leaves the trail and low and behold becomes lost in the woods......

This has to be one of the worst books Kings has written and I have read quite a few of them. The story as mentioned revolves around Trisha over a period of 9 days as she tries to find her way out of the woods. There are no other immediate characters and therefore no interaction, almost no dialogue, and almost nothing interesting happening for 260+ pages.

The Good: Nothing really comes to mind

The bad: As mentioned this story is completely boring. You are essentially reading the daily goings on of a 9 year old girl lost in the woods which is not interesting in the least. To make a bad story worse the main character Trisha is not believable as a 9 year old and hence doesn't work. I noticed that she constantly thinks and talks (to herself of course) about things I don't think most 9 year olds in 1998 would know about or think about. She mentions "MASH" the TV show, she mentions "I love Lucy". How many 9 year olds have seen these shows? She mentions V.C. Andrews. How many 9 year olds in 1998 have viewed "Flowers in the Attic" or read the book? She makes reference to a "Serta Perfect Sleeper" mattress and also to receiving junk mail. I just didn't get the since that this was a 9 year old girl. It seemed more like the memories of a 50-60 something writer were slipping into the story.

Overall: Skip this at all cost. If the Author's name wasn't "Stephen King" I don't think this would have ever been published. Try something else.

Stephen King Fan? Must Have!!.......2007-08-15

This book is absolutely beautiful. Any King fan MUST HAVE this, and at such a great price. Don't buy it to read The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, buy it to have an amazing piece of work done entirely by the greatest author of my time, Stephen King.

A Five-Star Short Novel.......2007-07-11

I can't believe that the other reviews didn't give this novel five stars. It's not the blood-and-guts scary we're used to with Steven King, but it is scary. A nine-year-old girl becomes lost in the woods of Maine for days and days. What an adventure! And what's following her! I don't want to give anything away, but this story is only lightly supernatural.

It's one of King's best stories in my opinion. The book-on-tape version is also fantastic.

Your comments--positive or negative--are appreciated.

I Don't Particularly care for baseball..........2007-06-10

and i could care even less about the Red Sox, but somehow King found a way to make me care about Trisha McFarland, the heart wrenching and gutsy 9 yearold of, the Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. She is lost in the woods, seperated from her bickering and broken family. As our heroine bravely fights the elements of the forests, something imagined or real is after her, it goal to be her demise.

Never a dull moment in this King novel. I just had to finish it in two days because I couldn't put it down. Just the right amount of action and blurbs from outside the forest that Trisha struggles to find a way out off.

Five stars. You will enjoy this short, exciting read.

Well told story, but really not in King's TOP 10..........2007-05-18

I've read quite a few of King's greatest books and this one is very different. First, it is a short novel, so even if you don't love it you may get through it quickly (like I did...).

Second, it is not really scary, the story seems endless and after 150 pages I was tired of the Tom Gordon intrigue. So, why is it not that bad ?!? Well, the main character (Trisha, a little girl lost in the woods) is very attaching and the story is well told by King. The description of the woods and Trisha's feelings is intense and keeps you turning the pages.

So, if you like King's long descriptions and you are in for a short relax read, this book is still a good choice.

Average customer rating:

great weekend read
A great read!

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
Stephen King
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1416524290

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

great weekend read.......2007-02-21

I picked up this book on a Saturday afternoon and read it overnight. It is definitely entertaining and interesting. I expected it to be scarier, but then again if it was, you'd be quickly leading down the path of Blair Witch...which I'm actually glad it wasn't. The outcome was pretty predictable and it's very short for a King book, but I'm glad I bought it. I agree it keeps you on the edge of your seat.

A great read!.......2006-05-11

I was on the edge of my seat during this read. I loved it. King lived up to his name on this one.

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The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
Stephen King
Manufacturer: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0340765585

La Chica Que Amaba a Tom Gordon / the Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

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No pierdan su tiempo
Es buena

La Chica Que Amaba a Tom Gordon / the Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
Stephen King
Manufacturer: Debolsillo
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Foreign Language Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books

Contemporáneo | Romance | Libros en español | Formats | Books
ASIN: 9871138946

Customer Reviews:

No pierdan su tiempo.......2004-12-22

Este libro tiene que ser el peor que e leido. No pierdan su tiempo.

Es buena.......2001-03-23

En realidad este fue mi primer libro de Stephen King es bastante bueno e interesante, te mantiene siempre alerta, describe muy bien los personajes y el ambiente te da una muy clara idea del lugar y de los hechos, le doy solamente 4 porque en realidad este no es el mejor libro que he leido pero es bastante buena se la recomiendo. Es la historia de una chica que se pierde en el bosque y tiene que tratar de sobre vivir, y durante ese momento le sucede muchas cosas que te mantiene siempre alerta y no sabes que es lo que puede suceder ya que es bastante espontanea, es un libro bastante fresco diria yo.

Bag of Bones/the Green Mile/the Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (set of 3)

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Bag of Bones/the Green Mile/the Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (set of 3)
Stephen King
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0743413873

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The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
Stephen King
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OAGG18

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GIRL WHO LOVED TOM GORDON

Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HU0PN0

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The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

Manufacturer: Recorded Books, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

Horror | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
Similar Items:

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

ASIN: 0788751530

Product Description

From Stephen King, one of the best-selling authors of all time, comes this gripping tale of a young girls frightening adventure deep into the New England woods. While hiking the Appalachian Trail, nine-year-old Trisha tires of the constant bickering between her mother and brother and decides to wander off. Lost in the forest, she draws comfort from tuning her radio to Boston Red Sox broadcasts and following her hero, relief pitcher Tom Gordon. When the reception fades, she imagines Tom is with her. He is her key to surviving the unseen enemy leaving slaughtered animals and mangled trees in its wake. A classic story that engages our emotions at the most primal level, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon explores our deep dread of the unknown and the extent to which faith can conquer it

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Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

Manufacturer: NEW ENGLISH LIBRARY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000H9NJMU

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The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
Stephen King
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NXYGZO

Customer Reviews:

Great New Orleans intrigue.......2006-05-31

After living abroad several years, Alyssa's jewelry company is bought by TriTech, a large conglomerate based in her former hometown of New Orleans. Jake Williams is the CEO, and the acquisition (which does not fit into their corporate portfolio), was negotiated while he was out of the country. Suspicious of the merger, he flies to Florence to meet Alyssa. Her strong resemblance to Phoebe makes Jake suspect that Clay did not have TriTech's best interests at heart when he authorized the merger. He is immediately attracted to Alyssa, but she thinks that he is a bit too pushy.

Alyssa returns to the US not realizing that her former lover, Clay Duvall, who dumped her to marry her pregnant debutante cousin, was behind the deal. Orphaned at seven, she went to live with Phoebe's family and was subsequently treated like the hired help. She left the country shortly after being accused of the child's abduction. Clay is tired of his regular mistresses. What he really wants is the only woman he has ever loved, so he feels he is justified in bringing Alyssa back. What he does not count on is the instant attraction between Jake and Alyssa, which throws a wrench into his well constructed plans. Alyssa still must live with the stares and innuendo of New Orleans society, but on Jake's arm, they are kept to a minimum.

While waiting for Alyssa to come back to him, Clay continues with an illicit dalliance and shady dealings with a former lover and her Caribbean psychic, while his wife Phoebe finally is ready for a divorce, which for Clay is out of the question since his entire fortune would be up for scrutiny. Meanwhile, Jake and Alyssa fall even deeper for each other, as he provides an anchor for her when secrets are revealed and tragedy strikes her family, and once again the spotlight falls on Alyssa.

Old rivalries, half-truths, jealousy, and mistrust fuel this exciting and suspenseful story. Loaded with lots of memorable secondary characters with storylines that all intersect in the end, you will find yourself glued to the pages to find out how it all plays out. Rest assured, the baddies get what is coming to them eventually, and in some pretty clever ways.

Not very close to a true romance.......2003-06-04

This is my second Meryl Sawyer book. Since I found that first one so fascinating, I expected the same from Closer Than She Thinks. However, this novel in my opinion, fails to deliver romance. We instead learn enough about the hero and heroine to realize they are the leads but so many secondary characters are given a lot of time and attention as well that I could only say this book was supposed to be about the leads, Alyssa and Jake, but was only a little.

Alyssa Rossi is coming back to New Orleans after living in Italy a number of years. A conglomerate based in New Orleans has purchased her successful company and Alyssa is looking forward to the cash injection into her business that was made possible by its purchase.

Jake Williams is the CEO of TriTech, the conglomerate that has purchased Alyssa's business. It was done without his knowledge and her company does not fit TriTech's profile for purchases. He begins to investigate because he suspects TriTech is being ill used by one of its officers and he visits the small jewelry business while in Europe prior to the company's relocation to New Orleans. Jake meets the owner, Alyssa and the ground is set for what had the potential to be a great romance.

This book was about one-tenth romance and nine-tenths mystery. If this were written as a mystery instead of a romance, it still would not have fared well in my rating. The mystery is just not that well written and is actually weak if we are to compare it to other mystery novels. I could hardly believe what I was reading as I read page after page about secondary characters. Sometimes, one of the leads was involved in one of these scenes. And on occasion, both leads were involved with these scenes centering on secondary characters. But when it comes to scenes with just Jake and Alyssa, those are few and far between. As their relationship develops, we wonder how because we certainly have gotten to read little about it. This is not romance writing.

This is a three star rating because it had great possibilities and my respect for Sawyer as a writer. However, I would call the book a disappointment. It was difficult to keep my interest in a slow moving plot with so many diversions into all of these other people's lives. We yearn to know more about Jake and Alyssa's individual characters as well as their relationship. The sensual scenes were infrequent and were one of the few times we got to see them together. These scenes rated no more than a 3.0 to 3.5 out of 5.0 (see More About Me for rating guidelines).

I wanted to be fair so I did finish reading this book but found it very simple to just skim the final 60 pages and not miss a thing. The ending only made my opinion worse. No additional percentage of time is given the leads. Other characters keep yapping along as the leads are in the background. It's beginning potential fell flat in the end.

Great Hero! Fun and sexy read........2002-05-16

The suspense story is pretty good. The characters were predictable but still well described and enjoyable. Jake, the book's hero, is what escalates this book to a keeper. Smart, sexy and a tad bit rebellious (not to mention rich and powerful), Jake is the Alpha Male and then some. If Jake sounds like the kind of hero you just can't resist then you'd do well to pick up this book.

A Fast Read.......2002-04-16

It is my 1st Meryl Sawyer book and I enjoyed it. It didn't go where I expected it to go and the story had many levels. The main characters were charming and likable. I'd recommend this book and I look forward to trying another MS book.

Closer Than She Thinks.......2002-03-12

Although the story had great potential, I found the writing to be unrealistic and cliched. It seemed as though the author wrote this with the hope that it would be made into a movie. It wasn't so bad that I gave up on it, but I wouldn't reccomend spending any money on it.

4 Titles By Meryl Sawyer - Half Moon Bay - Lady Killer - Every Waking Moment - Closer Than She Thinks

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4 Titles By Meryl Sawyer - Half Moon Bay - Lady Killer - Every Waking Moment - Closer Than She Thinks
Merly Sawyer
Manufacturer: Zebra Romantic Suspense
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000MOFDK6

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4 Romantic Suspense massmarket paperback Titles By Meryl Sawyer - Half Moon Bay - Lady Killer - Every Waking Moment - Closer Than She Thinks

3 Titles By Meryl Sawyer : Trust No One - Closer Than She Thinks - Lady Killer

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3 Titles By Meryl Sawyer : Trust No One - Closer Than She Thinks - Lady Killer
Meryl Sawyer
Manufacturer: Zebra Romantic Suspense
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000W4NUAQ

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multiple books ship as one item. save on shipping/handling charges.

Book Description

Tarl Cabot has always believed himself to be a citizen of earth. He has no inkling that his destiny is far greater than the small planet he has inhabited for the first twenty-odd years of his life. One frosty winter night in the New England woods, he finds himself transported to the planet of Gor, also known as counter-earth, where everything is dramatically different from anything he has ever experienced. It emerges that Tarl is to be trained as a Tarnsman, one of the most honored positions in the rigid, caste-bound Gorian society. He is disciplined by the best teachers and warriors that Gor has to offer. . . but to what end?

Customer Reviews:

Interesting revelation about Tarnsman of Gor (Book 1).......2007-09-08

I've been a follower of John Norman's Gor series for some time. While I'm thrilled to see them in print again I have to admit when I read the description provided it appeared whoever had written it hadn't actually read the book.

" When Tarnsman of Gor was first published in 1966, author John Norman introduced the world to Tarl Cabot, a man ripped from his homeland and cast across space into the savage world of Gor. A world of magic and mystery, where the kidnapped prisoners numbering in the thousands were slaves, and power was wielded by a jealous few known as the Priest-Kings, their will enforced amongst men and women through torture, bondage and often brutal sexual rites."

Which series and/or book was that? Certainly not this one.
If that's what the readers are looking for their sure to be sadly disappointed. The book description is misleading at best.

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Fantasy bondage fantasy. With Robert E. Howard style fade to black no sex, so basically completely pointless. Unless you were looking for something racy in 1928 perhaps. Tarl Cabot is a man from earth, and ends up on another world.

Here, men are manly men, women are tools to be used, and quite often they enjoy it.

Tarnsman of Gor 1966.......2007-08-28

Book 1 of the Gor series.

Plot Kernel - Tarl Cabot, a young professor of English history from a small American college, is abducted in a spaceship while camping in the wilderness. He awakens on the planet Gor, where he unaccountably meets his long-lost father, and is instructed in Gorean language, culture, and politics.

Gor is a caste structured, slave owning society comprised of independent city-states; and the elder Cabot is a high ranking civil official of the City of Ko-ro-ba. This city has a hereditary enemy, the City of Ar, controlled by Marlenus, who intends to subdue and rule all of Gor. Tarl Cabot is trained to fight with bow and arrow, blade and spear, then placed within the High Caste of Warriors and sent on a mission: to ride upon a tarn - a gigantic bird trained for warfighting - and steal the highly symbolic Home Stone of Ar and bring it to Ko-ro-ba.

The theft of the Home Stone of Ar throws the city into chaos and anarchy; but in his escape from Ar, Tarl Cabot is knocked from his tarn by Talena, the High Caste daughter of Marlenus, and the Home Stone of Ar is carried away in the saddle pack as the bird flies off with Talena on its back. Later, Talena shows up on foot without the Stone, and for her own safety, she poses as Tarl's collared slave as he travels back, he supposes, to Ko-ro-ba.

Note: The Gor series (25 volumes in the original series, ending in 1988) is famous for its submissive, enslaved females. There are few, and only brief, references to that aspect of the Gorean world in this, the first book of the series.

fun read.......2007-08-23

it was a fun, fast read. if you are into gorean role play, such as on second life, you are likely to feel almost like you are in your second life when you read the book.

too sci-fi.......2007-01-09

I expected this book to be much more on the erotic side than the sci-fi. I thought it would be more focused on the master/slave relationships, mainly because I know many people out there have developed lifestyles based on Gorean culture. Maybe this book, as the first book of a very long series, had to set the scene and give a lot more background information than some of the later books. Anyway, as a non-reader of sci-fi, I found this book a little boring. However, it was very well-written, and if you do like sci-fi then you will most likely enjoy it. If you're looking for a more erotic read, then you might just want to try to skip right into a book further into the series.

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Tarnsman of Gor 1
John Norman
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0345024850

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Tarnsman of Gor
John Norman
Manufacturer: Ballantine U6071
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KBNO98

GOR SERIES: Tarnsman; Outlaw; Priest Kings; Nomads; Assassin; Raiders; Captive; Hunters; Marauders; Tribesmen

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GOR SERIES: Tarnsman; Outlaw; Priest Kings; Nomads; Assassin; Raiders; Captive; Hunters; Marauders; Tribesmen
John (pen name of John Lange Jr.) Norman
Manufacturer: Del Rey - Ballantine Books; Daw Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PBQYAE

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Tarnsman of Gor
John Norman
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000KIV5RY

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Tarnsman of Gor
John Norman
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000JFNTFO

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Tarnsman of Gor
John Norman
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVRTNG

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Tarnsman of Gor
John Norman
Manufacturer: Sidgwick & Jackson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000M67WGM

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Tarnsman of Gor
John Norman
Manufacturer: Ballantine
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000PAYQ96

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Tarnsman of Gor
John Norman
Manufacturer: Star Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GU8I62

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Misleading Title

Guinness pulls no punches with this one!

The sin of thoughtlessness

Not just for people with religious beliefs

Moss-backed fundamentalist

Fit Bodies Fat Minds: Why Evangelicals Don't Think and What to Do About It (Hourglass Books)
Os Guinness
Manufacturer: Baker Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Church History | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Evangelism | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Guinness, Os | ( G ) | Authors, A-Z | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Prophetic Untimeliness: A Challenge to the Idol of Relevance

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God in the Dark: The Assurance of Faith Beyond a Shadow of Doubt

ASIN: 0801038707

Customer Reviews:

Misleading Title.......2006-10-14

This book is not about what the title implies. The part of the title, "Why Evangelicals Don't Think", implies that the book will address why evangelicals are so against science and Biblical criticism (both of which bring a fuller understanding of how God and Jesus work and think). It is not an attempt to reconcile science and Christianity. This book is actually a critique of evangelicals by an evangelical for being too caught up in popular culture to the point where they either don't practice their faith or become ignorant of their own faith and holy books.

The author follows the history of how evangelicals became absorbed in popular culture and pleads for evangelicals to return to the roots of evangelical Christianity and studying the Bible.

I am giving it 2 stars because of the misleading title. I didn't give it 1 star because studying the roots of Christianity and the Bible is one way to address "Why Evangelicals Don't Think."

Guinness pulls no punches with this one!.......2006-06-13

Os Guinness is probably my favorite contemporary author and cultural critic with such outstanding works as The Call, The American Hour, The Great Experiment, Prophetic Untimeliness and The Long Journey Home just to name a few. But Fit Bodies, Fat Minds is an excellent beginning for the simple fact that today's youth are the primary audience for this book.

Guinness argues that Christians have a responsibility to use and develop their minds as part of their walk with the Lord. As he examines our current cultural chaos, Guinness points out eight hurdles to developing a "Christian mind" - all eight begin with the letter "p" obviously indicating that Guinness is attempting to relate to Baptist readers! Guinness presents the claim that the wave of anti-intellectualism that swept across this country following the Civil War has had damaging effects on the relevancy of the gospel to our culture and that efforts to reclaim the Christian mind are critically important to reclaiming our culture for Christ.

Of course, Guinness points out, that reclaiming our culture for Christ won't be easy - we must first reclaim the importance of the word taken captive by our image-obsessed society. It will take study - reading in particular - for the development of the Christian mind. Guinness quotes Oswald Chambers who wrote, "God will not make me think like Jesus, I have to do it myself; I have to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."

If you are interested in bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, or if you've ever wondered why reading and your studies as a student are important to your Christian walk, you need to read Fit Bodies, Fat Minds. Tipping the scales at only 152 pages, this book is perfect suited to begin exercising your brain and building your intellectual prowess to match your muscular physique.

The sin of thoughtlessness.......2005-08-13

This is an important book but we must realize that it is written for a popular audience. Thus, what we essentially have is 152 pages of Os Guinness' conclussions not 550 pages of his conclussions and a through discussion for the reasoning behind them. There are times when I was not fully convinced by some of his arguements and I believe a large part of that is due to the abbreviated format.

That said he in general makes excellent conclussions and gives and accessible outline for the current state of evangelical thought. I believe the greatest point of this book is the reminder that not thinking... not loving God with all of our mind is sin. This is hardly ever talked about by most Christians since most Christians are complacent in this sin. But, it is at the heart of our faith and an essential topic of discussion.

What keeps thisbook from receiving 5 stars is the last part of the title. "And What to Do About It". If the title had simply been "Fit Bodies Fat Minds: Why Evangelicals Don't Think" I would have given the book five stars. The proposed sollutions only took up 20 pages of this book and while what he wrote was true I finished it feeling convinced that the solutions were only part of the solution. That in and of themselves they would change nothing. But, that said I do not know the full solution or I would have written my own book.

Not just for people with religious beliefs.......2005-07-19

This book applies to all people, religious or not. It describes the historic causes of 250 years of declining intellectual capacity of members of the general public. One disappointing aspect of the book is that it does not give any cures to this process for the general public. His cures are for a subset of the people with certain religious beliefs who are presently more dumbed down than the general public.

Moss-backed fundamentalist.......2004-08-08

Good book that shows how temporal distractions can distract us from those eternal things that should be our focus. It is a quick read, broken down into short chapters. In perhaps one of the most convincing proofs for the necessity of the book, I actually found it in the "diet & exercise" section of my local Christian bookstore.

Fit Bodies, Fat Minds : Why Evangelicals Don't Think & What to Do about It (Hourglass Ser.)

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Fit Bodies, Fat Minds : Why Evangelicals Don't Think & What to Do about It (Hourglass Ser.)
Os Guinness
Manufacturer: Baker Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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