Unfinished Tales: The Lost Lore of Middle-earth

Book Description

An extraordinary discovery is waiting for you on these pages. Mythic lore and forgotten legends unearthed by Christopher Tolkien from his father's archives unveil never-before-told stories of the three ages of ancient Middle-earth.

Customer Reviews:

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

Unfinished tales is a hodge-podge of stuff. There are bits and pieces
of lots of things, and it is not all fiction. You get notes, backstory,
comments, the odd essay type piece of writing, and other stuff. You
really want to be a pretty hardcore Tolkien type to want to buy this,
rather than borrow to flip through. A lot of people will find it very
dull.

Simply breathtaking.......2007-08-14

...because breathtaking is the one word I would use to describe this work. People who have already read the Hobbit, Lord of the Rings and most especially the Silmarillion will have great appreciation for the further insight and mythology offered in the Unfinished Tales.

My favourite part has to be the story of Numenor; this is also the only collection of stories that contains a map of Numenor. It's my favourite because it ties in very nicely with the ending of the main section in the Silmarillion. I get the impression that Tolkien was figuratively "singing" of this fabulous and blessed kingdom of men which is referenced very often in the Lord of the Rings. So from the backward-looking perspective, it is very interesting as it gives the reader a much deeper, complex understanding of Aragorn, Elrond and the kindgom of Gondor in the Lord of the Rings. From the forward-looking perspective, however, it tells the story of a middle earth that has only just recovered from the ravages of the first age and the great wars therein.

Like other reviewers have mentioned, the other stories also serve to augment a Tolkien reader's existing knowledge of middle earth and the forces which have played a part in its history. While a very good (albeit complex) book on its own, it transforms into a consummate masterpiece when read with Tolkien's other stories.

Best For Those Who Treasure the Silmarillion.......2007-06-24

If The Silmarillion bored you, you won't like Unfinished Tales. For those who are fascinated by the lore of Middle Earth, Unfinished Tales adds breadth and depth to one's understanding of both elves and men. Tolkien's brilliance shines like a silmaril in these tales, some of which could stand as individual works. Thanks to Christopher Tolkien for gathering these tales and making them available to the legions of his father's fans.

JRR Tolkien: Unfinished Tales.......2007-05-19

I enjoyed the book... Quite a few stories that helped piece together other works from the author. For the more serious Tolkien fan.

Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-Earth.......2007-04-14

This book is for those folks who read the Lord of the Rings all of the way through, including the appendices. It collects several different stories that do not really fit into a narrative of their own. Yet they're in a more cohesive state than the Silmarillion, which was also released posthumously. If you like to read all that you can of J.R.R. Tolkiens creation you'll want this book. It adds extra depth to the underlying themes in the Lord of the Rings.

The Book of Lost Tales I; The Book of Lost Tales II; Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth

Average customer rating:

The Book of Lost Tales I; The Book of Lost Tales II; Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth

Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000CL1QNC

Product Description

3 volume LEATHER BOUND set accented in 22kt gold! ! Titles include: The Book of Lost Tales I; The Book of Lost Tales II ; Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth.

The Book of Lost Tales (Volume 1 & 2) + Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-Earth (Lost Tales of Middle Earth, - 3 Volume Matched Set)

Average customer rating:

The Book of Lost Tales (Volume 1 & 2) + Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-Earth (Lost Tales of Middle Earth, - 3 Volume Matched Set)

Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000BVWXBC

Average customer rating:

Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-Earth
J. R. R. Tolkien
Manufacturer: Houghton, Mifflin and Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NXOW30

Average customer rating:

Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth
J. R. R. Tolkien
Manufacturer: The Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000FH9GNA

Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth with introduction, connentary, index, and maps by Christopher Tolkien

Average customer rating:

Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth with introduction, connentary, index, and maps by Christopher Tolkien
J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H58IKW

Average customer rating:

Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle Earth
J. R. R. Tolkien
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UPVZK4

Average customer rating:

Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-Earth
J. R. R. Tolkien
Manufacturer: Unwin Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OH9IGQ

Average customer rating:

Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth

Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin & Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GQ4MNE

Average customer rating:

Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth
J. R. R. Tolkein
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers Canada, Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WB1ASS

Book Description

Nathan Oliver, younger son of an earl, is content being a country doctor. Years ago he had worked for the Crown, but when a spy mission went awry, he left London for a simpler life. Now his world is turned upside down with the arrival of Lady Victoria Wexhall, a pampered Society miss more suited for the ballrooms of London than the quiet countryside of Cornwall.

Victoria cannot believe her father would send her to the middle of nowhere, and just when the the Season was in full swing! And with Nathan Oliver, no less! Of course, he's dashing and more interesting than the fops she's acquainted with in Town, and it would be so easy to fall in love with him. But why does he insist on searching through her luggage in the middle of the night? And why does he insist their lives are in danger?

Customer Reviews:

strong characters & great humor.......2007-09-25

This book was fantastic from beginning to end. Pace is fast, dialogue was witty, and good humor tossed in. I loved the hero and heroine. Victoria is a titled young lady who tries to plan everything in her life. Three years ago, she received a kiss that she could not forget, but the man just left, never trying to contact her again! She wanted to get back at him by entrancing him with another kiss and then being the one to walk away...
Nathan is a spy for the Crown. He's been haunted in the last 3 years by a failed mission. He now has a chance to clear his name, but needed Victoria's cooperation. And thus their entanglement ignites again.

Both characters are very strongly written. The Heroine is a modern one, very refreshingly so. The plot is also well written.

Love, passion, mystery, humor.......2007-06-07

This is my first book by this author and I was surprised at how much I liked it. You could really tell that the hero and heroine loved each other and they didn't spend the entire book fighting. Of course there was conflict and you didn't know how they would end up together. But, they didn't play stupid games. There was a lot of passion, but they also spent time together talking and getting to know each other. I can't wait to read other books by this author.

Nice Entertainment.......2007-03-25

If you're coming into this period romance looking for a lot of accurate details on the social history of the period, you will probably feel a bit disappointed, but otherwise, it's a fairly entertaining story about the hero's discovery of two treasures, when he was seeking redemption through only one. The heroine turns out to be of much more worth than he ever initially credited her with, and the author makes it easy to identify with her this way, which is a good trick when she's an heiress destined for a spot beside a titled gentleman. The espionage story isn't predictable, so extra points for an overall pleasant read.

Enjoyable, but not on par with this author's other novels.......2007-03-25

I bought this book because it's written by Jacquie D'Alessandro, and ever since I read THE BRIDE THIEF, she's been on my auto-buy list. Her Regency romances are almost always wonderfully romantic, have a good pace to the plot, focuses on the relationship between hero and heroine, and are populated by humorous and loveable characters.

But I felt that NOT QUITE A GENTLEMAN fell a little short of this author's marvelous talent. Usually, I find that she handles sexual tension in her romances very well. While her stories undoubtly sizzle, usually the sex isn't the only thing driving the romance. Unfortunately, in this story, I was never really able to feel connected to the characters, and really felt like sex was all that was pulling them together and keeping them as a couple. There didn't seem to be any other connection between them except for overactive libidos. It just felt a little overdone. After a while, I was skipping pages of love scenes and rolling my eyes, muttering "for Pete's sake, are they at it AGAIN?" And that's not really what you want in a romance.

Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with sex in romance. Properly handled sexual attraction between the hero and heroine is crucial for good romantic chemistry and relationship tension. But there needs to be more than just overactive hormones to make the relationship feel real and lasting.

I felt that the heroine's rather casual attitude towards an affair was not really believable, considering the time period. A lady of her station would have had proper behavior strictures pounded into her head since birth. I just felt that the way the heroine was able to turn her back on her upbringing without any regrets or second thoughts was not very realistic. Especially when she's planning to marry someone else later down the road. If it were ever discovered that she was no longer a virgin, her marriage prospects would have been nil.

I also didn't like that an unplanned pregnancy never seemed to be an issue, either. It was never discussed, even though the encounters between the hero and heroine were many and their affair lasted for a week. Considering that a child out of wedlock would have absolutely RUINED the heroine's life (she would probably have been kicked out on the streets to starve or make her living in a brothel), I just found it unrealistic and rather irresponsible.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that this is a horrible book; it isn't. I never had to force myself to finish it. But it just didn't leave me very satisfied, and it's the first time that I won't be keeping one of D'Alessandro's novels. Maybe I just expected too much, because this author has written so many fabulous books in the past. I highly recommend THE BRIDE THIEF, WHO WILL TAKE THIS MAN? and LOVE AND SINGLE HEIRESS, for examples of just what this author is capable of. Those books leave this one in the dust.

I guess I'm in the minority, but I would recommend that you try borrowing NOT QUITE A GENTLEMAN before you buy it, as it's not a keeper, in my humble opinion.

Very Good.......2007-01-17

Three years ago at a party, Lady Victoria received her first kiss by handsome Nathan. Victoria is sure that he felt the spark she felt with that kiss and waits for him to come calling, but she never sees him again. Now three years later, Lady Victoria is being sent to visit Nathan's family by her father and she plots to kiss Nathan and make him want her and then walk away. However, Victoria finds out that Nathan was a spy and the reason he never came back was his brother and best friend got shot the same night and Nathan was blamed when some jewels came up missing. Nathan's father blamed him for his brother's shooting and Nathan left to become a country doctor and has only recently returned home. Also, Victoria finds out her father is also a spy and has sent Victoria to Nathan for protection. He has also sent Nathan a coded message that Victoria intercepts but then gets eaten by Nathan's pet goat. As Victoria and Nathan set off to clear his name, can she forget her quest to marry well or will she follow her heart and marry a poor country doctor?

This book has everything, passion, intrigue, humor, and that little something that makes books worth reading.

Average customer rating:

Not Quite A Gentleman
Jacquie D'Alessandro
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEMOLK

Average customer rating:

Not Quite a Gentleman

Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0739458302

Product Description

Large print Edition.

Average customer rating:

Not Quite a Gentleman
Roland Culver
Manufacturer: William Kimber & Co Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0718301072

Average customer rating:

Not Quite a Gentleman (Legacy of Love)
Paula Marshall
Manufacturer: Harlequin Mills & Boon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0263793036

Not Quite a Gentleman (Regency Collection)

Average customer rating:

Not Quite a Gentleman (Regency Collection)
Paula Marshall , and Sarah Westleigh
Manufacturer: Harlequin Mills & Boon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Anthologies | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0263824241

Who Will Take This Man?, Love And The Single Heiress, Not Quite A Gentleman, Never A Lady (Set of 4 Regency Historical's by Jacquie D'Alessandro)

Average customer rating:

Who Will Take This Man?, Love And The Single Heiress, Not Quite A Gentleman, Never A Lady (Set of 4 Regency Historical's by Jacquie D'Alessandro)
Jacquie D'Alessandro
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000W8LCU2

4 - JACQUIE D 'ALESSANDRO - LOVE AND THE SINGLE HEIRESS - SLEEPLESS AT MIGNIGHT - WHO TAKES THIS MAN? - NOT QUITE A GENTLEMAN

Average customer rating:

4 - JACQUIE D 'ALESSANDRO - LOVE AND THE SINGLE HEIRESS - SLEEPLESS AT MIGNIGHT - WHO TAKES THIS MAN? - NOT QUITE A GENTLEMAN
JACQUIE D 'ALESSANDRO
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WELVNE

Book Description

The first archive in a series collecting the adventures ofKamandi, the last boy on Earth, by Jack Kirby! In these tales from KAMANDI#1-10 (1972-1973), Kamandi --one of the few survivors of the Great Disaster-- must make his way in a world populated by bizarre mutated animals andother strange wonders!

Customer Reviews:

Weigh the options before purchasing......OOPS! NM!.......2007-07-09

I do not own this particular volume, and was debating purchasing it. Here is the reason: I LOVE Kamandi, and up unitl a few years ago only had 10 or so issues of the entire run. A few years back I decided to go and get the missing back issues. This I was able to accomplish quite quickly. (It took two days at a major Comic Book Convention). I was able to complete my run on most of the missing issues for $1 to $2 a piece. I don't think I spent more than $10 for any given issue, even the earlier ones. Do the math. By the time they complete this series at $50 an archive the total series will cost you roughly $300 dollars. (It is a 59 issue run) For that price you can own the ORIGINALS (not anymore, See Addendum), and still have some pocket money to spare.

This is GREAT Kirby stuff, and I LOVE the "Planet of the Apes Post-Apocalyptic" flavor. I still might buy it, just to keep my originals in good condition, but I definitely won't pay list price.

PLEASE READ ADDENDUM:
When I originally wrote this review I had not checked current back issue prices for these books. Although I was lucky to get the books for a song a few years back, back issue prices seem to have sky rocketed! It may no longer be possible to get the series cheaper than these Archives. If you like Kamandi and Kirby or even Planet of the Apes, buy this series. Sorry for the three stars.

Kamandi Archives 1.......2007-02-22

I started reading comics toward the end of Jack Kirby's career, so I never really had an opportunity to read his mid-70's DC work. I kind of had my doubts about this one, but I decided to give it try. I've gotta say I really loved it. The stories were just bustling with energy and I was riveted by the storytelling. So much so that I read this over a 2 day period. My one early complaint would be how close the first issue is an homage to the Planet of the Apes movie, but things branch out from there. This was a lot of fun and I'm anxiously awaiting #2.

PERHAPS KIRBY'S LAST GREAT WORK.......2005-11-08

Kamandi was a unique book in a number of ways. It was one of the first projects, along with the New Gods, that Jack "The King" Kirby worked on after leaving Marvel for DC in the early 1970's. The days of artists bullpens of the 60's and 70's are pretty well gone today by work-for-hire freelancers and comic writers and artists work for a number of different companies. But back then, Kirby leaving Marvel where he been working since the Golden Age was huge news. It would have been like Mickey Mantle going to the Red Sox. While Kamandi does not reflect Kirby at his very best, it may be his last GREAT work. This Archive edition collects the first ten issues of the Kamandi series.

Kirby was given free reign on the book as writer, penciller and editor with Mike Royer handling the inks and letters. Kamandi, Last Boy on Earth, is a wild and adventurous look at a post apocalyptic, near future Earth where a great disaster has all but wiped out the race of men and in their place, talking, intelligent animal races now rule the world. Tigers, Lions, Dogs, Rats, Gorillas, and more now hold sway and the surviving men are basically kept as slaves and though of as animals. The story is heavily influenced by the Planet of the Apes films which were enormously popular at the time but also by other films such as "The Omega Man". Kamandi was raised in an underground complex by his grandfather. The complex was named Command "D" hence the name "Kamandi". When his grandfather is killed, Kamandi finds himself alone and on the run in this strange world of intelligent beasts.

He will eventually befriend a tiger prince named Tuftan, aiding the tigers in their war with the gorillas, much to the disapproval of Tuftan's father Caesar, ruler of the Tigers. Kamandi does eventually meet more humans including Ben Boxer. Boxer, in his old style Apollo era space suit looks uncannily like a certain other character named Ben...one Ben Grimm of the Fantastic Four. Boxer and his companions have been exposed to radiation which allows them to undergo a nuclear fission reaction that transforms their bodies making them hard as steel and invulnerable. Once again the theme of radiation causing mutations becomes a central theme. Kamandi joins with boxer and his friends as they make use of the existing old technology of man such as mini subs and air ships.

These first ten issues follow Kamandi through one turbulent adventure after another as he finds himself constantly in the wrong place at the wrong time, captured and then having to escape. The beasts of this new world take on the personalities that we commonly associate with them. Lions are noble and good and actually help Kamandi while the rats are devious and attack the weak in packs. The variety of stories that Kirby writes makes these tales all a bit different. There's a wonderful spoof of King King when a giant ape named "Tiny" escapes his captors. In another scene, Kamandi is seen reading a copy of "The Demon" another 1970's Kirby title and boasting about these "old comic magazines". A not so subtle plug but Kirby's certainly earned the right if anyone has.

Kirby's art still is solid and I think some of his very best work of the 1970's. Jack's action was dynamic and there are some truly memorable covers and pages in this collection. True, Kamandi does look a little bit like a young Thor with his long, blond wavy hair and square jaw but if you're going to draw on earlier work why not draw on perhaps his very best work of the 1960's. Mike Royer does a great job with the inks doing his best Joe Sinnott imitation. He lets Kirby be Kirby without trying to embellish his own style or diminish Jack's pencils the way a Vinnie Colletta often did.

Kamandi was a vastly underrated book back in the 1970's when people didn't pay much attention to a book if it wasn't a super hero or horror theme. Many thanks to DC Comics for giving this title the Archive edition it deserves and preserving the work of the great Jack Kirby.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

Earth A.D. Revisited!.......2005-11-04

"Kamandi" was one of Jack Kirby's most unusual and engrossing projects. Partially inspired by the seventies "Planet of the Apes" concept (as well as an older, unused comic strip idea that Kirby had lying around), the series explored the adventures of "the last boy on Earth".

The story centers on Kamandi, a boy raised by his grandfather in a bunker complex for which the boy was named (Command D, get it?). Unaffected by the changes in the outside world, Kamandi is raised with experiences much like ours (other than his extreme isolation). He often read of the world we live in and desired to see it. When his grandfather is killed, Kamandi ventures out into the world, only to find that things have changed considerably!

As I mentioned, Kirby clearly was partially inspired by Planet of the Apes, but instead of a rip-off, this is more of an expansion on the idea. And the "widescreen" scope of the visuals is beyond anything PotA ever tried to do. The two-page spread on pages 2-3 of the first issue are a breathtaking scene of New York City underwater, a partially submerged and tilted Statue of Liberty in the foreground. The statue is common with PotA, but the effect is entirely different. They are nothing alike.

Interestingly, issue one also shows a nuclear missile being worshipped, something the second PotA movie later showed. So it is likely that the scriptwriter of the second movie actually "borrowed back" from Kamandi. There was an interesting synergy between the two.

Kamandi encounters a vivid array of characters channeled straight from the unmatched imagination of Jack Kirby. This is a world where lions, tigers, bears and many other animals walk like men used to, but man is more of an animal himself. In this world, a new Caesar rules in Roam (not Rome).

For me, the strength of the stories are the personalities Kamandi encounters. There is Doctor Camus, the dog researcher; Flower, a half-dressed savage girl who is Kamandi's first love; Prince Tuftan, Caesar's son and heir who becomes an unlikely but endearing friend to Kamandi, and Ben Boxer, one of three radioactive mutants who provide Kamandi with the closest thing he has to other intelligent human beings.

I'm not quite old enough to remember when Kamandi was in print, but I got hold of a dozen back issues when I was about eight or ten, and it captured my imagination instantly. I remember the series VERY fondly, and I would like nothing better than to have the entire Kirby run in this beautiful hardcover format.

By the way, Kirby's name for Kamandi's world was "Earth A.D.", or "After Disaster". The state of the world was due to a "Great Disaster" that was never entirely explained.

Recommended to anyone with an imagination!

Average customer rating:

KAMANDI ARCHIVES, VOLUME 1
JACK KIRBY
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000P9T1CY

Average customer rating:

The ordinary experience

The Shattered Lantern

Recover a Vital Sense of God in Our Lives

Spiritual reading at its best

The Shattered Lantern, 2004 Edition: Rediscovering a Felt Presence of God
Ronald Rolheiser
Manufacturer: Crossroad General Interest
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Christian Living | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Inspirational | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Philosophy of Religion | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Holy Longing: The Search for A Christian Spirituality

The Restless Heart: Finding Our Spiritual Home in Times of Loneliness

Against An Infinite Horizon

Forgotten Among the Lilies: Learning to Love Beyond Our Fears

Secularity and the Gospel: Being Missionaries to Our Children

ASIN: 0824522753

Book Description

This prequel and companion to The Holy Longing has sold over 40,000 copies in various editions. Crossroad now offers a wholly new edition of this excellent book, thoroughly re-edited, with attractive layout and guide for reflection.

Customer Reviews:

The ordinary experience .......2007-02-10

Rediscovering the Felt Presence of God seems challenging but Rolheiser makes it ordinary. This book has deeply affected the way I view my experiences. It has returned as sense of worship and connection with God not only in my prayer life but in everyday experience. This book is a little deep but stay with it... you really don't need a degree in theology to "get' it you just need to want more of God.

The Shattered Lantern.......2006-06-26

Rolheiser provides real insights in to why so many people are unable to see God as being active in their lives . His thought provoking discussions make one realize that living a contemplative life is far more than simply setting aside time for silence and meditation . He challenges the reader to be contemplative in the midst of a life of constant activity . Great book for group study .

Recover a Vital Sense of God in Our Lives.......2002-07-17

Nietzsche once wrote, "God is dead!" Rolheiser responds, "No!" We simply are blind! If we could only remove the scales from our eyes, we would be able to see Him everywhere in our ordinary existence. Rolheiser states that the scales can be removed through contemplation, allowing us to see God "face to face."

This is a very spiritual book with great insights on the discipline of contemplation. Along with prayer and meditation, contemplation is one of the most effective ways of getting closer to God. This book helps the reader learn, understand and live the contemplative life.

"Blessed are the pure at heart, for they shall see God." Unfortunately, few of us are pure at heart. Rolheiser posits most believers rarely, if ever, see God in their lives. Something is wrong with us. This book first describes in some detail why we are not fully aware of God in our lives - excessive narcissism, pragmatism and restlessness are the culprits. Our perception is distorted because we lack the perspective of the contemplative: an infinite horizon where God is the background to all our ordinary experiences. Simply put, most lack the ability to see beyond their own heartaches and headaches.

The book then turns to the three main contemplative traditions in Western Christianity, the mystical tradition exemplified by John of the Cross, the Protestant contemplative tradition, and the philosophical tradition of Theism. Rolheiser does an excellent job of summarizing all three.

The book ends by succinctly explaining the spiritual exercises we can undertake to help purify our hearts, expand our awareness and reacquire a childlike heart of wonder and awe.

Read this book. Become a contemplative. See and feel God everywhere!

Spiritual reading at its best.......2000-05-13

In this first book by Father Rolheiser he writes a clear and concise guide for those of us walking the contemporary and contemplative path.

He contends that "today we, the children of Western culture, post-modern, adult children of the enlightenment, struggle with practical atheism. Our consciousness is clouded with narcissism, pragmatism, and unbridled restlessness so much so, that we are contemplatively asleep. The road back is not a question of finding the right answers, but in living in a certain way. To approach reality and relationships with a certain set of attitudes. A proper praxis. And, like the Virgin Mary, after a certain gestation process, eventually you will give birth to Jesus. God enters the world as the conclusion of a gestation process.We must live in such a way that we give birth to God in our lives."

He routinely urged me to check my own comfort zone, such as "Endeavor to constantly discern your motivation, that is, be suspicious when the glory of God and your own glory habitually harmonize" and "Enter into the vulnerability of Christ, into his unwillingness to protect himself against pain as he fulfills God's will."

I found his observations about the church and religion today on the mark. His work is very readable and yet I found myself rereading a passage over and over because of the succinct, sometimes gritty, penetrating message. He makes the point that the journey takes time, practice and an ever vigilant opening of your heart. An excellent book that you will read over and over again.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books