Average customer rating:
- A retread of Dead Solid Perfect in many ways, but not unpleasant.
- Not his best, but still entertaining!
- Better than Dead Solid Perfect
- Disappointing
- Filth in the Fast Lane
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The Money-Whipped Steer-Job Three-Jack Give-Up Artist: A Novel
Dan Jenkins
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0767905873
Release Date: 2002-05-07 |
Book Description
The best golf writer on the planet returns with his funniest book ever.
Dan Jenkins virtually invented the golf novel with Dead Solid Perfect, his rollicking account of the life and times of touring pro Kenny Lee Puckett. After thirty years of waiting for the follow-up, Jenkins returns to the world of big-time golf in The Money-Whipped Steer-Job Three-Jack Give-Up Artist and finds a world where endorsements and course fashion matter more than the side bet. His hero, Bobby Joe Grooves, is a hell-raising two-iron-wielding rogue trying to turn his one annual tournament win and considerable Texas charm into a spot on the Ryder Cup team. Standing between Bobby Joe and his little spot of golf heaven are two ex-wives, a girlfriend, various pious PGA officials, and his embarrassing lack of a career major. A book that will teach you more about golf history than any weepy sunset-over-the-eighteenth-green retrospective, The Money-Whipped Steer-Job Three-Jack Give-Up Artist is an uproarious portrait of what it’s really like to play on the PGA Tour. It’s vintage Dan Jenkins.
Download Description
The best golf writer on the planet returns with his funniest book ever.
Dan Jenkins virtually invented the golf novel with Dead Solid Perfect, his rollicking account of the life and times of touring pro Kenny Lee Puckett. After thirty years of waiting for the follow-up, Jenkins returns to the world of big-time golf in The Money-Whipped Steer-Job Three-Jack Give-Up Artist and finds a world where endorsements and course fashion matter more than the side bet.
His hero, Bobby Joe Grooves, is a hell-raising two-iron-wielding rogue trying to turn his one annual tournament win and considerable Texas charm into a spot on the Ryder Cup team. Standing between Bobby Joe and his little spot of golf heaven are two ex-wives, a girlfriend, various pious PGA officials, and his embarrassing lack of a career major.
A book that will teach you more about golf history than any weepy sunset-over-the-eighteenth-green retrospective, The Money-Whipped Steer-Job Three-Jack Give-Up Artist is an uproarious portrait of what it's really like to play on the PGA Tour. It's vintage Dan Jenkins.
"Dan Jenkins is a comic genius."
DON IMUS
"[Golf's] Book of the Year . . . It's drop-dead hilarious, like anything Jenkins writes, and cost me a full night's sleep. . . because I laughed so hard I couldn't close my eyes."
LEONARD SHAPIRO, THE WASHINGTON POST
"[A] laugh-out-loud funny -- and unabashedly politically incorrect -- insider's look at the tour."
NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
Customer Reviews:
A retread of Dead Solid Perfect in many ways, but not unpleasant........2007-07-11
The first thing I will say about this book is that it would probably have been a whole lot funnier if I hadn't already read "Dead Solid Perfect."
The protagonist of this story, Bobby Joe Grooves, while not the same, is still quite similar to Kenny Lee Puckett of "DSP." They both come from Fort Worth, Texas, and attended Paschal High School and TCU. Both are PGA Tour veterans who have won a few tournaments, but never a major. Both have two ex-wives, and each still gets along quite well with his two ex-wives. Kenny Lee happens to have already married his third wife, while Bobby Joe is only almost-married, but that seems trivial.
All in all, it felt as though I was reading a remake. Maybe that's why I didn't laugh out loud even once during the book... because it felt too familiar.
Plus, how cliché is it that Jenkins included a young phenom named Cheetah? And yes, he does reference Tiger Woods in the book. So I guess he couldn't come up with anything unique and just decided on another jungle cat for a golfer's name. Maybe he should have included pros named Jaguar, Leopard, and Puma as well...
Still, I cannot totally disregard my mild enjoyment with the story. The truly "new" characters, such as the European pro/playboy and his soon-to-be-ex-wife, are quite amusing. The story is also not heavy reading, having taken me all of about three hours to finish. The ending is a bit abrupt, as others have mentioned, but my biggest problem was that it seemed way too familiar and not original at all.
Not his best, but still entertaining!.......2007-05-28
Dan Jenkins is a legendary golf writer, sports writer, and Texan. It's the last category that most often gets him in trouble with readers unfamiliar with his earlier work. His style in these books is broad, boasting, and full of bs, which fits the main character to a tee. If you wish to read reverential works on the majesty of golf, or if you wish to indulge in the fantasy and mystery of golf, you should read someone else. Jenkins loves golf, and his golf novels are rich with the lore and history of golf, but he does not take the sport (or its country club practioners) too seriously. He punctures pomposity and self-importance while still communicating a love for the game. I enjoyed these books for their entertaining yarns, which I think was the author's intent. Long live Dan Jenkins, all things golf, and all things Texan.
Better than Dead Solid Perfect.......2007-01-18
As a long-time Jenkins fan, I can confirm that this work and the sequel rank among his very best. I can't imagine anyone even vaguely familiar with the game of golf who could get through a few pages without chuckling out loud.
Disappointing.......2007-01-05
Fans of the Dan Jenkins of old will be disappointed in "Money-Whipped Steer Job....." and its sequel, "Slim and None". The old Dan Jenkins poked politically incorrect fun at everybody and everything. The new Dan Jenkins has sacred cows. Unless you, too, think very highly of Fort Worth, TX, you'll find little to connect you to these books.
Filth in the Fast Lane.......2002-07-25
Sorry, I couldn't make it past page 100. Full of vulgar back and forth conversation, supplemented by some "insider" tour lingo? which does anything but make one laugh.
This is not representative of the good golf fiction that's out there. Sure there is a market for this stuff. Some of us opt out. Jenkins sure will be off my author to read list.
If this represents reality of big-time tour golf, shame on the whole lot. Society is beginning to tire of heroes that are anything but.
Customer Reviews:
Thank you, Mr. Yamada.......2006-09-19
Mr. Yamada, thank you for writing this book. No other book has brought tears to my eyes from just reading the prologue. While you considered this book to be a hard-boiled detective story, I found it to be the quest of a cyborg for his dog, and also the search to find out if a cyborg has a soul.
This is really an excellent little book. I wish that Masamune Shirow had writing chops like Yamada. The author is an excellent writer, and now I'm going to have to see if there are other books of his in translation.
The author explores some of the aspects of Shirow's postulated future, with e-brains, cybernetic enhancements, way too much connectivity and too little information. The only downside to the book is that it is short.
Don't miss this "quiet" release!.......2006-03-25
I'm a Ghost In The Shell fan. I enjoyed the films and LOVE the SAC series.
I'm a science fiction fan. William Gibson is easily one of my top 3 authors, I really enjoyed Stephenson's "Snowcrash", and read and enjoyed "cyberpunk" voraciously until it became a rather tired genre.
So how I missed this wonderful novel until now, I'll never know! "After the Long Goodbye" is a very worthy addition to the GitS universe, and by the nature of its setting, has a cyberpunk feel to it, but it's so much more mature and thoughtful than much of that genre.
It wrestles some big questions, and even poses some interesting answers. It's written in the 1st person from Batou's POV, which surprised the heck out of me in the first two pages, but Yamada has done a wonderful job of putting the reader in the big guy's head without betraying what we've seen on the big and small screens. It's also surprisingly free of the techno-pron I'd expected. I expected almost excruciating detail about weapons, cyborgs and so on but, as Batou himself says, he's "no otaku". There's easily as much philosophy and technology in this novel, as befitting the GitS universe.
Strangely, after the first few pages, I sort of gave up on it being a "GitS novel". Little reference to Section 9, a few token appearances of Togusa, no Aramaki, and of course no Motoko... it does not seem like an unaired episode of GitS. However, by the end of the novel, all of the threads come together and you realize that, yes, it's very much a GitS story, one bigger than the television screen, but perhaps too quiet for the big screen. If you read it, perhaps you'll know what I'm trying to say.
By the way, it's a quick read, only 180+ pages. Also, the afterward "interview" with Yamada and "Innocence" director Mamoru Oshii is a treat, and offers some fascinating insights into their approaches to this universe, and the "Innocence" film itself.
Highly recommended, and required for GitS fans.
A Great Piece of Literature in its Own Right.......2006-02-21
I picked up After the Long Goodbye during a quick stop at Borders Bookstore for something to read on a long road trip later that day. While browsing around, I just happened to notice the book cover with Batou and his Basset Hound. I was very intrigued, since I had heard nothing about a novel coming out for Ghost in the Shell.
At first, I was afraid that it would read very poorly, either due to a bad translation or because of some defect in original source material (since it is a tie-in to the movie). However, I was completely wrong on both counts. This novel is very sophisticated in its language and reads extremely well. Like some other reviewers, I hope that people won't disregard this title just because it's based off of an anime/manga series. I normally take a very long time to get through any novel, but this was a hard book to put down. I definitely recommend it to anyone that is either a fan of the series or sci-fi/cyberpunk in general. The ways in which most things are written here, from the characters to the action and intrigue, were definitely handled with care. Kudos to the translators and the original author.
Souls, friends and dogs........2006-01-28
This book is all about Batou - and the many questions he has. Does he have a soul? Why did Gabriel go? Fighting tanks, the yakuza, fast food, racing hounds, homeless guys and the question of where love comes from.
This is set before the second Ghost In The Shell movie, Innocence, and also has a bonus discussion between the director, Mamoru Oshii, and the author, Masaki Yamada.
There's gun fights, advanced science, philosophy and surreal scenes of the 21st Century.
Surprisingly good.......2006-01-27
Yeah, it's a tie-in. Get over it.
What we have here is a well-written and thoughtful take on Philip K. Dick territory in a William Gibson world. What does it mean to be human, to love, to feel empathy? As more and more of your body and even your brain are replaced by machinery, how much of your humanness remains?
It may help to have some familiarity with the two Ghost in the Shell films, but it probably isn't necessary. The novel does a fine job of setting the scene, describing the characters, and explaining the future tech and philosophical questions that drive the movies. There's action, of course, suspense, intrigue, science fictional ideas explored, but at its heart the book is character-driven, following a cyborg who doesn't dream of electric sheep because he almost never dreams at all.
I expected this to be a quick, fun cyberpunk read in an interesting SF world. It's a lot more than that, and it shouldn't slip past the SF-reading world unnoticed.
Average customer rating:
- Couldn't Put It Down
- After Innocence By Brenda Joyce
- A terrfic book with unforgettable characters
- A decent read but sort of goofy..................
- Tragic ending for two secondary characters ruined it for me
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After Innocence
Brenda Joyce
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
General | Romance | Subjects | Books
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Joyce, Brenda | ( J ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0061235261 |
Book Description
A dreamweaver spinning spells that entice and enchant, a masterful creator of unforgettable characters and incomparable romance , bestselling author Brenda Joyce works magic—From her award-winning American saga of the lusty remarkable Bragg family to the spellbinding medieval passion ofPromise of the Rose
Estranged from society, wealthy and beautiful artist Sofie O'Neil finds solace in her private world, She longs just once to taste a forbidden love—to follow the dangerous diamond muggler Edward Delanza to paradise. But Edward wants far more from the innocent young heiress than a brief and passing encounter. For he is determined to heal her and possess her—now . . . and for all time.
Customer Reviews:
Couldn't Put It Down.......2007-08-02
Joyce did a terrific job in making one problem the main concern of both characters. There's something both character wants from each other but is afraid to give (can't tell you it would ruin it). I literally could not put the book down as Joyce did such a great job in causing one major problem between the characters that you had to keep reading it to make sure that it was resolved. I wasn't a Brenda Joyce fan before I read this book but I am now. If this is you're first Joyce book I recommend it.
After Innocence By Brenda Joyce.......2007-07-12
This book is one of the best romance novels and one of the first that I have ever read and every time I read it it is still good. You enter into a new journey each time you read and you always find stuff that you missed when you first read the book. Brenda Joyce is a fabulous author who knows how to write well written stories. After Innocence
A terrfic book with unforgettable characters.......2007-01-11
Brenda Joyce is a terrific writer. After Innocence is a must read. I'm always amazed how Ms. Joyce can bring the characters to life. I couldn't put the book down.
A decent read but sort of goofy.........................2006-08-22
I wish this one could have been better. I hate reading a book that's not worthy of at least 4 stars. Maybe you'll find it more appealing. I'm not going to share more of my thoughts and give away the story.
Tragic ending for two secondary characters ruined it for me.......2006-07-15
My two star rating isn't because of Sofie and Edward's relationship, but of Sofie's parents--Jake and Suzanne.
At first, the drama surrounding Jake and Suzanne seemed interesting enough. (I enjoy reading stories about rekindled romances). And the way Joyce was writing it, readers were given the impression that an inevitable reunion would happen between the two. Midway through the novel, I started hoping for just that, and suddenly became more interested in their relationship than that of the protagonists.
I know Suzanne was a horrid character and didn't deserve an ounce of Jake's love, (although she did show some redeeming qualities later on). And though she went little crazy at the end, I couldn't help feeling sorry for her. And for Jake as well. At least he was able to find some peace in his life, which was comforting. But the way their relationship ended--it just left me wanting! I felt so sad, angry, hurt--and so deeply disappointed--after finishing the book. (Something that shouldn't happen after reading a romance novel!).
If Joyce had refrained from writing a potential reunion subplot, (and had written a better epilogue--reviewers are correct that it's too abrupt), I would have enjoyed it much more.
Book Description
Imagine yourself if Sing Sing prison, convicted of a murder you did not commit. How do you survive? How do you keep hope alive that your life will ever again be anything but terror and pain? Then it gets worse.you begin to suspect that the Manhattan prosecutor who tried your case knew you were actually innocent.
Customer Reviews:
A Scary Thought.......2007-09-22
Once I started reading, I couldn't put the book down until it was finished - and that was in the wee hours of the morning! Weinstein allows the reader to feel the same anger, scare and frustration that Josh experiences, as we watch him become a victim of a corrupt DA. At the same time that we root for Josh to get justice, we are brought into the world of incarcerated criminals who fill their days with ways to survive. It's a wild ride, and a story that I highly recommend.
Great second book.......2007-09-04
I am amazed at the research that Weinstein has done for both of his books. A Good Conviction, like The Heretic, is a real page turner with a lot of suspense. However, the book is more than just suspenseful. Weinstein illuminates an issue that is very serious and through a fictional account he sensitizes the reader to the plight of the many people who are incarcerated for crimes that they did not commit. I reccommend the book highly and cannot wait for his next book.
A Good Conviction - A Great Read.......2007-08-07
What a ride! A scary, yet thoroughly believable, journey through the police and court systems of New York City. Lewis Weinstein captures the tensions and fears of prison life so well, it's hard to beleve he hasn't done hard time himself. It certainly makes you wonder how many innocent people are behind bars.
Highly recommended!
A GOOD CONVICTION.......2007-07-12
Strikes home like no other book I have read. It could happen to any of us or those we care about. Takes the phrase "no good deed shall go unpunished" to a whole new level.
Too Close For Comfort.......2007-07-02
Having spent two years of a twenty year career with the NYPD transporting prisoners to and from Manhattan Central Booking, I read much of Mr. Weinstein's book holding my breath. During those long 24 months I never got used to the sound of the cell doors sliding closed with a loud CLANG! Even knowing full well I would be leaving, it induced instant claustrophobia. Well, the scenes in this novel that take part on Riker's Island brought that sound and more back to me with amazing clarity. If you want a glimpse into the hell that is American prison life, read this book.
Average customer rating:
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Eight Skilled Gentlemen
Barry Hughart
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Hughart, Barry
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ASIN: 0385417098
Release Date: 1990-12-01 |
Customer Reviews:
Great Book for Everyone.......2005-06-08
The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox by Barry Hughart is a work of sheer outlandish fiction. It is a beast of a book at 652 pages long and is not for the faint of literary heart, but once you finish the book, you realize how much you really loved it and wanted more. This book fulfill the axiom of "you don't know what you have until it is gone".
The use of cliffhangers made this plot of coming of age a truly fast and addictive read. In the book, a country boy named Number Ten Ox from the village of Ku Fu must embark on a journey across China with the sage Master Li, who has a slight flaw in his character, to save the children of Ox's village from a terrible affliction. On the way they meet up with any number of foul and despicable villains and foil them with a devilishly clever series of tricks concocted by Master Li and inflicted by Ox. A great example is their sales pitch of a goat that can defecate gold while eating nothing but garbage, but what the buyer doesn't hear is this description. " The servant brought up the rear dragging a cart filled with garbage and cheap copper disks covered in gold leaf with a goat tethered to it."
I found the book unique because of the characters. Characters often recur and appear in different roles each time. Several villains, after being tricked by the dynamic duo see the error of their ways and come back into the story as supporting protagonists. However, the role of protagonist is slightly blurred, and this gives the book its strange appeal. It is hard to distinguish which characters are right. The villains are seen through the eyes of Ox and Master Li, but some of the tricks of these two are just as dastardly as the plots of the villains. However, with the fate of the children in their hands, Ox and Master Li seem to have Right on their side, and that makes you care. The moral ambiguity in the book reflects life and I believe that Hughart was trying to apply this story to real life. As with real life, there is nor a clear sense of Right and Wrong when it comes to some issues.
This is a beautifully written book in the sense of pure, rich description. "Master Li and I dazzled the eyes in tunics of sea-green silk that were secured by silver girdles with borders of jade. The jeweled pendants that dangled from our fine tasseled hats tinkled in the breeze, and we languidly waved gold-spattered Szech'uen fans." Also, the story construction leaves the reader interested and, often, wanting more and more. The author uses cliffhangers, such as this one, to help the book along. Ox and Master Li cause a disturbance in a resort town owned by a powerful duke and they have been sentenced to death in a labyrinth flooded by the tides. "Slim dark shapes were sliding across the dark floor like snakes. It was water, and the tide was coming in" There is a distinct uncertainty about how it is going to turn out for our heroes and the reader wants to find out more. The author also keeps the story moving with humor as when Ox meets the beautiful Lotus Flower and falls instantly and implacably in love with her. "'My surname is Lu and my personal name is Yu, but I am not to be confused with the eminent author of The Classic of Tea, and everyone calls me Number Ten Ox,' I moaned. She laughed softly and she said, 'I shall call you Boopsie.'"
You can tell by the above description and quotes from the book that the characters were not exactly designed by a Chinese author. Barry Hughart was born in the Midwest and was raised in Arizona. He did serve a tour of duty in Japan, and, interestingly, he developed a love affair with China from his experiences there. However, the critics seem to agree with me. They say that it should not be missed and are " a witty and original romp" and an "Oriental bouillabaisse of adventure and mystery". The critics and I seem to be in agreement that this is the perfect book for those who thirst for adventure, but need it mixed with some humor and fantasy to drink a whole glass. In other words, if you are an avid fantasy fan, a fan of Oriental literature, or just someone who likes a well written, funny book, The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox is truly the book for you
Book Description
A Dynamic Account of Religion's Central Role in American History
Customer Reviews:
A Great Overview.......2007-07-04
This revision of 'The Religious History of America' by Gaustad and Schmidt is a wonderful and balanced overview of the religious history of the U.S.A., as the title claims. The first review here is very through so I will be brief. These two professors of religion discuss the cultural, political, and economic influences that helped shaped religion in America throughout its history.
The book starts with the state of Native American religions before the first colonist set foot on the land. And then properly shows that the first colonies were Catholic and established by Spain and Portugal. The oldest city in the U.S.A. is the Spanish Settlement of Saint Augustine in Florida. It also covers the early expeditions of the French in both the north and south regions of North America. It was only later that the Anglican and English settlements that we learn about in our history textbooks started to form in what we would later call the thirteen colonies.
The book then covers topics that include the Puritans in New England, separation of church and state, slavery, the growth of the church in the twentieth century, and the effect that war has on religion. You will read of how the growth of such a great diversity of religion came to be in the U.S.A. This is a very interesting read. This book also has an extensive bibliography for further reading and a good index. This is the book I would choose if I had to teach an introductory course in religious history in America.
Missing Pages.......2006-10-13
Book ends at page 422, with no index. Didn't realize it until I had already highlighted heavily. A free replacement would be nice.
The Religious History of America : The Heart of the American Story from Colonial Times to Today.......2006-02-26
Well written and researched. Recommended for anyone with a beginning or intermediate interest in religion in the United States.
A faithful history..........2004-11-24
It is somewhat of an historical anomaly that the United States, one of very few major nations in history to be founded on principles of separation of church and state, should have as part of its central cultural, social and political history a prominent strand of religion. This book, `The Religious History of America', by Gaustad and Schmidt, gives a fairly balanced look at the different strands of religious development in the United States divided into four primary time-periods: the Colonial times; the Revolutionary War to the Civil War; Post Civil War to World War II; and World War II to the present. These are broad divisions of American history that are fairly standard (religious history or not).
This text was originally written by Edwin Scott Gaustad in 1966; this edition was revised by one of Gaustad's students, Leigh Schmidt, in 2002. The authors address the issue of overkill in certain historical themes from the start - referencing a pop song, they make the case that seeing the beginnings of American religious history as a New England/Puritan event is biased at best - there was a much older settlement in Florida, St. Augustine, but as it was both outside the original thirteen colonies and not a Protestant settlement, it tends to be set aside in favour of the mainstream Protestant origins. Orthodox, Jewish, and other religious beginnings similarly are given a second-class status by `traditional' history timelines and narratives. Of course, this is to say nothing of Native American religious traditions, or the continuation/adaptation of African religious traditions among the slave populations in the colonies and states.
The chapters on beginnings thus start with an overview of the state of Native American religions immediately prior to the era of colonisation, as well as the various Mediterranean expeditions (primarily Spanish, but also some Portuguese) into the islands and interior of the Americas. French expeditions north (into Canadian lands) and south (Louisiana) are included here. After this, the Anglican and English establishments in the developing coastal thirteen colonies are discussed in detail, including official Anglican (Church of England settlements), as well as dissident groups (of which the Puritans were but one such group). Different colonies took on different religious complexions; some colonies had `official' religions, but enforcement of uniformity of practice was often beyond the scope of authorities even in the smaller colonies. Before long, the Eastern seaboard of North America was a rich collection of diverse communities, including most major Protestant groups from Europe.
It is a common idea that the `founding fathers' of the nation were all religious men; in fact, there was great diversity among them, as was true of the rest of the nation, and even those nominally attached to one tradition had significant variances from their traditions - for example, Thomas Jefferson was officially an Anglican, the established church of Virginia colony, but his worship practices and beliefs were vastly different from the official line. The idea of separation of church and state, now a sacrosanct idea enshrined in the Constitution, was by no means a given among the revolutionary leaders (Patrick Henry argued strongly for Christianity, if not Anglicanism, to be continued as the official and state-supported faith). The American revolution, in a sense, demoted Anglicanism, and set up other denominations to also take on new prominence and independence. Methodism, which had been an internal movement of the Anglicans, now expressed their independence in dramatic ways. Expansion to the West often carried religious culture of communities to different locations, which included utopian experiments (New Harmony, Shakers, etc.) and new denominational forms (the Disciples of Christ forming out of the Presbyterian church is a good example of this).
Against the backdrop of this growing nation and growing Christendom (both in terms of sheer size as well as diversity) was the issue of slavery, which divided communities, denominations, and even families before finally splitting the nation into Civil War. The efforts of the Abolitionists are often highlighted in history, while the complicity of religious leaders and denominational authorities in accepting the institution of slavery is often downplayed; Gaustad and Schmidt do address the issue here.
The final two sections look at the every growing diversity of religious expression in America, as well as the formation and decline of various mainstream elements. Urbanisation led to a new national ethos, and as the current generation becomes the first generation in the history of America where more people live in cities than rural areas, the changes are only just beginning. Immigration throughout the later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries brought new traditions, as well as new variants of older traditions; Jewish communities often had a further element of ethnicity in synagogues, and the split between Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist is largely an American-fueled experience. Divisions along racial lines in denominations were solidified in many ways, with several Christian denominations and other religious groups attending to the needs of African Americans. Influences from Asian religions also began to take hold in urban society, as well as home-grown religious institutions such as the Christian Science movement.
Also prominent in the final section of the text is the political side in modern society with regard to religion. The Civil Rights Movement, the increasing concern for church/state separation issues, issues regarding gender, sexuality, and the continuing use of religion as a political weapon are discussed. Movements toward union and reunion in Christian denominations, ecumenical and interfaith cooperation, and shifting patterns of belief and practice are discussed in forward-thinking terms, looking toward a new century (and new millennium) more diverse than ever.
At the end of each primary section, the authors have listed in narrative form suggested readings, arranged topically as well as by methodology and focus. The authors also include a general bibliography (listing recent websites in addition to book titles), and a useful index. Broad and accessible, this text is comprehensive without being oppressive in detail or tone, and a good primer for student and interested lay-reader alike.
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