5 comments about Stepping Heavenward (Inspirational Library Series).

1. Stepping Heavenward is one of my favorite books. I read and re-read it periodically. I have also bought unpteen copies to use as gifts for Christian friends, particuarly teen-aged girls. Why? Sometimes it is so difficult to see spiritual growth in our own lives, while those around us are saying, "Wow, that girl is really growing spiritually!" It is this concept that is so beautifully expressed in this book. The central character is really discouraged, feeling she's not progressing at all. But those around her see her love, caring, and spiritual empathy. It's a great book. I really love it!



2. This book really helped me see how to be a woman of God and how hard it was to be a woman a few hundred years ago. Definitely recommend for any woman of God.



3. I ordered two copies of Stepping Heavenward, one for a friend's 18th birthday and one for myself. I was please to receive the book in time for the party and in great condition. It was such a joy to pass on this book because it is one of those that changed my life. It speaks to all ages and I have heard men speak highly of it, too. It is the fictional journey of Katherine, written in journal entries, beginning on her 16th birthday until old age. But it is really about the Christian walk, being made into the image of Christ. When I first read it I could identify to the younger Katherine, and then I read it a couple years later and got something new from it, so I now have my own copy and look forward to sitting with my old "friend" once again!



4. This wonderful book is a must read for your Christian daughters. It will encourage them in the things that are most important.



5. I agree wholeheartedly with the excellent reviews of this book, but this particular edition (2008 hardcover) is an awful edition. It looks like a photocopy of a paperback (the photocopied pages being much smaller than the page area in the book) with an ugly hard cover slapped on it. I am so disappointed in the quality of this product.

1 comments about Mistress of the Vatican: The True Story of Olimpia Maidalchini: The Secret Female Pope.

1. _Mistress of the Vatican_ is a great read, even if you aren't a history buff or an expert of 17th century Italian culture. Herman wields her pen with almost magical effect, presenting the life and times of Olimpia Maidalchini in vivid color, packaging her extensive research in a delicious candy coating. Olimpia's story, who Herman describes as an Italian Scarlett O'Hara, is timeless tale of a strong and intelligent woman seeking to get ahead in a male-dominated world, thumbing her nose at naysayers and poking her finger in the eye of Vatican traditions all along the way. In a year that the United States has witnessed one, and now two, women take aim at the highest offices of the nation, _Mistress_ offers an interesting counterbalance.
   
   While Olimpia is the focus of the story, Herman painstakingly details the world in which she lived - the traditions, the culture, the clothing and architecture of old Italy. It is also a glimpse into the highs and lows of Italian society during Olimpia's day - ranging from the lush lives of the rich to the deprivations of the poor. Moreover, Herman tells a tale full of greed, lust, theft, humor, and treachery, all taking place within the sphere of the Vatican elite. _Mistress_ is a guilt-free guilty pleasure and Herman proves that good history can be very fun.

5 comments about Rachel's Tears: The Spiritual Journey of Columbine Martyr Rachel Scott.

1. This is an awesome book. I wept more than once while reading it. For those of you unfamiliar, this book is about the story of Rachel Joy Scott, a young girl, deeply committed to Christ who was martyred in the infamous Columbine High School massacre. I learned a lot about this horrible event, and the wonderful life of this girl who knew, as evidenced by her journals, that she would die young. After reading this book, I became convinced, as Darrell Scott was the morning of the killings, that this was a spiritual event. It is interesting to note that prior to the killings of April 20, Klebold and Harris had turned a school project detailing their dark fantasies, and no on seemed to have picked up on this. I gave this book five stars not based on quality of writing, which could have used some thorough editing, but on the story, which blew me away. I think everyone who has children should read this book.
   People who claim that the demonic music,tv,video games have no impact on their children should definitely read this book. I also agree with Darrell Scott's opinion that is clear these children(the murderers) opened themselves up to spirtitual influence that were beyond their control.Klebold and Harris deliberately targeted Christians on that day, and they had made tapes prior to the event that illustrate their intense hate and dislike of Christians. I ######### this book, but don't be suprised if this book changes your outlook on things!
   Thus says the LORD,
   "A voice is heard in Ramah,
   Lamentation and bitter weeping.
   Rachel is weeping for her children;
   She refuses to be comforted for her children,
   Because they are no more



2. i was so blessed by the words of faith that your little girl has shared.Its very rare to see such faith in anyone.Thank You for sharing her story. It has really blessed me.



3. This young lady was a beautiful soul. It is a sad story but one of hope as well.
   Her parents did a wonderful job describing the tragic story.
   Anyone interested in the Columbine event should read this.
   Excellent.



4. Rachel's Tears Amazon Book Review
   
   
   Rachel's Tears is a very emotional book. Rachel's Tears is a Biography written by Rachel Scott's parents Beth Nimmo and Darrell Scott. This story tells the spiritual journey of Columbine Martyr Rachel Joy Scott. Rachel's Tears features excerpts from Rachel's private journals. This tragic and true story explains how Rachel knew that her and twelve others would die. Out of the thirteen people that died one of them was a teacher and twelve of them were students that attended Columbine High School. Among the thirteen people that died nearly two dozen more were injured. And hundreds more were traumatized by the sights and sounds of that day. This horror was caused by two troubled teens who were overcome with hatred and desire for revenge, so they lashed out at the people at Columbine High School. Columbine High School is located in Littleton, Colorado. Littleton is located eight miles Southwest of Denver. Colorado. After this event occurred the two teens committed suicide. This makes the total death count at fifteen people. Rachel Scott was the first one who died on April 20, 1999. So when Beth and Darrell found out that their daughter was one of those thirteen people who died that day their lives changed forever! In Rachel's private journal's she writes and draws about God, and how Rachel is not going to live a lot longer. On page 111, there is a letter to God from Rachel. The opening statement says "why do I feel dry in your spirit?" This passage is only one out of many passages that has to do with Rachel and God. The authors purpose of the story is to explain how Rachel's relationship with God was one that he sent her messages explaining that something bad was going to happen. I would highly recommend this book to anyone in middle school and above. After the murders Rachel's friends and family started a program called Rachel's challenge to find out more on this program go to [...]



5. If you are looking to find more of the story beyond the cold, hard details of the Columbine school shootings, and you don't mind poor writing and structure, this book provides a somewhat sacred and voyeuristic look behind the tragedy.

5 comments about In the Footsteps of the Prophet: Lessons from the Life of Muhammad.

1. this is a must read for all Muslims, curious non-Muslims and Islam-haters alike.
   
   Tariq provides a beautiful meditation on the life of the Prophet, quoting great ayats from the Qur'an and hadith. IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE PROPHET is an easily-digestable yet profound work of truth. This book provides all who read it with the essence of Islam and the life of the Prophet.



2. This book was great to show details about the prophet Mohammad's life. Tariq Ramadan captured in his very well researched book an unkown side of a great man. Unfortunately at some points he writes somewhat differential between sunni and shia, not realizing that at the prophet's time there was no such distinction.



3. Having read other biographies of Muhammad's (PBUH) life, I found this one particularly thought provoking and uplifting in that it explored the spiritual and not just historical or civic context of Muhammad's experiences. This compelling combination resulted in more than an interesting read, but a spiritual journey...along side a man many consider the most influential in human history.



4. Ramadan's scholarship, appreciation for pluralism, personal faith and passion for his Muslim heritage infuse this wonderful book. He takes us on a brief journey through the life of the prophet Muhammad and pauses to reflect on the way the Prophet used specific events to teach his contemporaries and on how those events and teachings have formed the Muslim community over the centuries.
   
   As an American, I appreciated how the book responds to Western mis-understandings of Islam (for example, the greater jihad is the personal struggle to follow Allah; the lesser jihad is armed struggle) without being defensive. As a Christian, I appreciated "going along" with Ramadan as he reflects on his faith and makes it accessible because it comes from the heart.



5. This book is absolutely amazing. Unlike some other books about the life of the Prophet (pbuh) which are filled with facts and read like a history book Tariq Ramadan really tried to make the personality of the Prophet (pbuh) shine. A simple a beautiful read; it does not dwell too much on deep philosophical matters (like some of Ramadan's other books) but rather remains simple and to the point. Someone who's read the biography of the Prophet (pbuh) before is unlikely to find too many new historical facts in this book but they are likely to see these facts in a whole different perspective. A must read for anyone trying to truly grasp the personality of the Prophet (pbuh).

4 comments about Minor Prophets.

1. This work is the best commentary on the Minor Prophets from a conservative, dispensational, premillennial viewpoint. The work is ideally suited for pastors or serious Bible students. It is not tedious, but definitely scholarly and well researched.

   The strength of this book is its purpose, interpretation. It is not intended to be a popular commentary with an accent on application, but seeks to focus upon discerning the text. Yet it does not get tedious with grammatical overkill.

   As a pastor of over 20 years, it is the first book I reach for (after my Bible) when studying the Minor Prophets. I rarely sense a need to reach for another.




2. In 1948 Charles Feinberg began the work that would evolve into a rare gem of a book when he published the first part of his extensive studies in the Minor Prophets. Originally, a collection of expository essays, Feinberg took great care in transferring them into a scholarly collection of much quality. Feinberg proves himself a first rate scholar with his careful exposition of the text. Before his rather recent death, he was known as one of the nation's foremost authorities in issues stemming from Jewish history, both Old Testament and intertestamental. And his expertise in Biblical prophecy was among the top of his field. After all, of how many Biblical scholars can it be said that they trained for the rabbinate before their conversion?

   The Minor Prophets is primarily a compilation of five volume previously published in the book series The Major Messages of the Minor Prophets. These divisions are seen in the book's five sections reproduced in the exact order of their publication. Feinberg's ultimate purpose seems to be to produce an introductory work on these oft-neglected books. He goes into minimal detail. This is after all not so much a commentary as a guidebook. But those details he does reveal prove to be well chosen and work effectively in giving the reader a more than adequate acquaintance with the Twelve.

   Feinberg does not attempt at a general introduction to the Minor Prophets. Nor does he a conclusion. Rather, he allows the individual books to speak for themselves. Any unity that exists among the Twelve must come from the Biblical text itself, rather than from some forced sense of cohesiveness pushed onto the text by the writer. The grouping together of chapters within the five parts follow the order of the English text (save Zechariah which is in a category all its own) instead of a historical or thematic type of unity. This is advantageous as a point of reference. However, thematic unity would have been more helpful in this writer's opinion if for no other reason than to make interpretation easier and more convenient.

   The setup of individual chapters is convenient for purposes of a general overview. The splitting of the text into major and minor sections without outline numbers gave it a more informal tone. However, for the one studying a minor prophet or a part of a chapter or book in depth, this is no way to go. It is difficult to find information on a specific verse without time wasted in searching that could have been spent in study.
   As an example of how Feinberg handles the text we shall examine his examination of one of the prophets in depth. Let us look at his handling of, let's say Joel. He begin the chapter by dedicating it to his children, and then offering his purpose for writing the chapter. He then begins the main text of the chapter, dividing it into three sections: The Locust Plague and Day of Jehovah, The Outpoured Spirit and The Judgment of All Nations. He divides the first major section into five more, the second major section into ten and the third major section into six. Each of these sections range in size from one sentence to four or five paragraphs.

   He begins the first section by discussing the background of the prophet, the meaning of his name and other pertinent background information. He moves quickly into exegesis, making frequent reference to various verses of Scripture that parallel various concepts in Joel's prophecy. In one section, he discusses Peter's quotation of Joel 2:28-32 in his Pentecost sermon and its possible interpretations and implications.

   This approach proves to be a success. Of course, it must be admitted that the fact that the previous example took a cursory examination of a Biblical book to test the book's usefulness. And for this type of study, it works. However, few serious Bible students engage in this type of study.

   It would have been helpful if the author or an editor had made more of an effort to fashion the text into a cohesive unity. Some attempt was made in the form of those paragraphs at the beginning of each chapter, but this was far too little to be as effective as was necessary. For example, the use of charts and tables concerning the historical placement of the prophets would have been helpful. This almost makes the book seem to be more of an afterthought.

   If the reader is shows at least a cursory interest in the Minor Prophets, Feinberg's book is a must-read. It provides the basic background necessary for further studies to be undertaken. It provided this writer with information that he will value for a lifetime. One major advantage of this text is its emphasis on finding the Messiah in the Minor Prophets. Feinberg stays true to the principles of only identifying a Scripture as a Messianic prophecy when the New Testament identifies it as such. While this information is helpful, it is far too scattered. Perhaps an appendix essay wherein instances of Messianic prophecy in the Twelve are discussed and identified would have been helpful. At the very least, I would have like this in chart form.

   Feinberg's text is perfect for one seeking a casual introduction to the Minor Prophets. But for one who wants to sit at the knees of one of them, so to speak, soaking up his knowledge, learning from the mistakes of the land and praising God for its triumphs, this text falls miserably short. But that is not necessarily a bad thing. What has been said before will be echoed again. This book was never intended to be an in-depth study. One must appreciate it for what it is-a guidebook.




3. I'm glad to see this out in paperback, I prize my earlier hardback edition for its depth and breadth.

   Feinberg brings the contents of these twelve books to life with his knowledge of their cultural environments within the sweep of Biblical prophecy. This book provides help in applying the words of these writers to modern life.

   If you're going to buy one book on the minor prophets this should be it.




4. With a Hebrew backround He brings some insight not normally found, his work is solid but not a page turner, more of reference book, the information is there but you won't rush home to pick it up. Like another tool in the box any study of the minor prophets should include this book. Published by Moody in paper back, type setting is of current design with good paper.

5 comments about Two Wars: One Hero's Fight on Two Fronts--Abroad and Within.

1. Great book...just finished it. I really appreciate what the Rangers do and how they train to be an elite fighting force. This book is very candid about Nate and his team not only being fighting men but being human. Nate clearly writes well and puts all things into perspective.
   Thanks to a great patriot we know more about the Ranger's sacrifice - not only in war but the home front too.
   My only critque was capturing the battle field and the lay of the land during their ordeal on top of the mountain.



2. We all know, because we are constantly being told, how great are the military men and women who are fighting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The greatness thing had become a banality to me until I read this book, which explains the depth of the individual struggle of one very brave man, a struggle on the field of combat and off and between. I know that Nate Self is smart. I've met him and talked with him. But I had no idea of the introspection he bares in this wonderful book. His lucid analyses of where he stood and stands left me in admiration. He is better in touch with his feelings than one would imagine, and I only wonder if this comfort with feelings wasn't the cause of his PTSD or the result of climbing out of PTSD. That truly surprised me. After reading Two Wars, I have a much finer -- and far more concrete -- fix on what makes men like Self great. And he is. Thanks for getting this book done, and so beautifully. Malcolm MacPherson.



3. A great book that I could relate to on a personal level. If there is anything good that comes from experiences like Nate's, it would be books like this that truly humble you and put a lot of things into perspective.



4. I just finished this book that was hard to put down. It provides amazingly transparent insights into West Point, Rangers and the military in general. Thanks for helping me understand some of what my son (special forces) has not been able to verbalize. Stu Weber's afterward was excellent also.



5. I had the privilege of going to high school with Nate. I knew the man he grew up to be, the man that slowly seems to get lost throughout the course of this book. This made going through the book difficult, the vivid imagery immersing me and making me deny that the story was about this strong, loving and faithful person that I grew up with.
   
   The first portion of the book provides a vivid account of Nate's progression through the military ranks and the Roberts Ridge Rescue mission. Later in the book, Nate describes dealing with PTSD. The descriptions of his emotional turmoil leap from the pages. It is this information, personal information, that should make us reflect on how war changes all of us, not just those directly involved.
   
   I would suggest this book to anyone who wants to read a true account of our current occupation. This book is a well written, personal account of one man's struggles on and off the battlefield. In reality, it is not just about one man, but about all of the soldiers that return from war unable to deal with the aftermath.
   
   ***Nate, if you read this, I hope the picture I gave you at your book signing helps you to remember, if only briefly, that somewhere inside you is still the kid in the explorer outfit and pith helmet. God Bless!

5 comments about The Historical Figure of Jesus.

1. I would totally agree with the earlier comment that "The author thinks there has to be a rational explanation for everything, and if there isn't, then it must be disregarded as untrue - it did not happen".
   
   There is a key problem in this book of the over rigidity in applying his frame of reference.
   
   As a historian, he is obsessed with the chronological order of events. Consequently he draws completely invalid conclusions based on absence of, or gaps in, chronological order.
   
   Associated with this he does not allow the Gospel authors to select their material according to their themes and also to post rationalise their selection of material. This includes integrating their material into Old Testament sources. As a researcher in social science, this is not an omission by the Gospel writers but a quite normal approach. All research is by necessity highly selective and related to the purpose or themes at hand. Plus we integrate our `primary' sources into our `secondary' sources to add or elaborate meaning. Therefore one can draw no real conclusions based on this approach.
   
   He is also I am afraid highly ethnocentric. His cultural frame of reference is modern North America. He really does make many serious errors when interpreting culture from outside this limited frame of reference. Frequently he assumes that this or that could not have happened, when in fact it was normal, even in western society, upto a few years ago. He similarly has little understanding of number or names outside the modern American context.
   
   (If I take his arguments and apply them to myself, as I come from a different cultural background and don't conform to his stereotypes, I can conclusively prove I don't exist. Therefore do I conclude, following the direction of the good professor, that I am just an interpolation?)
   
   The book is interesting but as a work of social science it does not really stand up. I certainly would not recommend it as an academic text.



2. E.P. Sanders is the giant in contemporary American Jesus scholarship. Unlike the anti-intellectual sensationalist bigot John Shelby Spong, you will not find anything "NEW!" or "CONTROVERSIAL!". Sander's, while certainly a liberal, is first and foremost a historian. And he methodically goes over the criteria in examining the Gospels and reconstructing the historical figure of Jesus of Nazareth. He focuses particularly on the Canonical Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and Q). He finds these to be the most reliable in investigating who Jesus was and where he stood in the stream of Palestinian Judaism.
   
   Unlike the other popular liberal scholar, (and member of the controversial Jesus Seminar) John Dominic Crossan, he does not think Thomas has any particular value in investigating Jesus. I would say Sanders has more in common with Marcus Borg than Crossan, although I think the latter two tend to adapt First-Century Jesus to the fleeting philosophies of today and try to make Jesus "appealing" to the modern mind (Borg especially falls into this). Sanders (like the centrist Catholic scholar John P. Meier) presents Jesus fully, warts and all.
   
   This book was a joy to read. It is especially geared towards those who are interested in Jesus, but not so much Christianity and those Christians who are looking to further illumine the figure they worship by learning about this Jewish Peasant in the historical circumstances in which he dwelled. It is much more accessible than his scholarly treatment "Jesus and Judaism". The technical introduction that is in the aforementioned text is absent, in this book Sanders is focused on the non-scholar reader.
   
   Sander's is probably my favorite scholar (although Meier and Wright follow closely behind) and I particularly enjoy the way he addresses the controversies with the Jewish leaders and his crucifixion (and the responsibility for it). The chapter on the Resurrection is also fantastic, whether you believe in it or not. Sanders does not come down on a position because it is outside the historians realm of inquiry, but nevertheless I liked what he had to say about it.
   
   Out of all popular books about the historical Jesus that plague the market, Sanders is a breath of fresh air. Of course it does not get nearly the amount of press as James Cameron's "Jesus Family Tomb" (or Gnostic revival; Holy Blood, Holy Grail, etc) but when did meticulous scholarship become fun and exciting to the sensationalist media and the masses?
   
   If anyone is looking for a great introduction to contemporary New Testament scholarship, look no further for such a balanced treat! It is perfect as an introduction.



3. In my opinion it is THE best book on Jesus of Nazareth. There is no bias toward or untoward christain faith.
   It is strictly academic and also popular book about historical figure of Jesus.
   If your faith, dear reader, would weaken after reading this book, it would mean that knowlege of your religion was not thorough.
   This is superb book in every respect. It will make you think about nothing else for a while - just Jesus and first century Palestine. So beware!



4. I am using this text as a source for my Education for Ministry (EFM) class. I have not read the entire book. What I have read is very interesting.



5. E.P. Sanders, a very professional and judicious scholar, provides here the best, short volume on a historical appraisal of Jesus. The book was published in 1993, though the research holds up remarkably well.
   
   He doesn't start out with any prejudices; rather, he uses his formidable historical knowledge, skill, and writing to follow the evidence. He may very well be the best person to do this in the English-speaking world today.
   
   He never strains to make the dots connect or come up with something novel. Novelty for the sake of novelty--making Jesus a bohemian hippie, Mediterranean cynic, or a skeptic--is not his intention. He has to deal with 200 years of searching for the history of Jesus, and people's intimacy with the primary sources; even, their desire to know his inmost thoughts. The job is certainly a very difficult one.
   
   He states his cards with full clarity on page 5--"The aim of this book is to lay out, as clearly as possible, what we can know [about Jesus], using the standard methods of historical research, and to distinguish from inferences, labeling them clearly as such"--and goes from there. He does, however, admit as an historian he subjects "the gospels" to "rough handling" for a believer. To wit, "The historian selects, but on different principles [unlike "the politician, novelist or moralist"]: what can be proved, what disproved, what lies in between?" (8)
   
   He also acknowledges that "Matthew and Luke...would not have appreciated having Jesus' teaching separated from their own theological conviction that God sent him to save the world." Most people want to be seen agreeing with Jesus, which is understandable. It is "the professional obligation" of the historian, however, "to subject sources to rigorous cross-examination," Sanders writes on page 8.
   
   He is certainly not hesitant to do so.
   
   The result is judicious, albeit one often at odds with traditional Christian belief.
   
   For example, the discussion of Pontius Pilate in the Gospels is devastatingly shown to be obscurantism. Matthew and John present a Pilate goaded by a feckless, blood-thirsty Jewish mob into crucifying Jesus. Even Pilate's wife, aided by a dream, counsels tenderness. What nonsense!
   
   Using the written evidence of non-Gospel resources--in this case Philo and Josephus, who understandably is the main source for much of his history--to clearly make the case that Pilate was the Hannibal Lector of the Roman world, we discover something new. This Pontius Pilate psychopath wasn't in the practice of hemming and hawing over torture and execution, which he probably did with less thought than I do in purchasing dental floss. In fact he was recalled for excessive brutality by a very brutal regime--Pilate's "reluctance and weakness of will are best explained as Christian propaganda." (274)
   
   Another example of Sanders's well reasoned, balanced historical appraisal occurs on page 260 in connection with Jesus' overturning of the money lenderers and pigeon sellers: "Moreover, I think it highly probable that Jesus himself intended the action to predict the destruction of the Temple, rather than to symbolize its need of purification. It is impossible, however, to prove that the statement about a 'den of robbers' was not actually said by Jesus or that what he said was 'I will destroy the Temple.' I must confess that I doubt the authenticity of the 'den of robbers' statement. It looks to me like an easy phrase for the evangelists to lift from Jeremiah to make Jesus appear politically innocuous to Greek-speaking Gentile readers."
   
   Very like.
   
   I've recently become acutely uncomfortable with the New Testament's blood libel of the Jews that's read at Catholic churches at Eastertime. Here Sanders is witty in his understatement: "The traditional Christian view that other Jews hated [Jesus] because he was good, and because he favoured love, which they opposed, will not do." Indeed.
   
   I learned from this book that scripture says that the punishment for defrauding someone is full restitution plus twenty percent. I recently used this when my nine-year-old son stole four dollars from my five-year-old daughter.
   
   This judicious scholar has given us the best introduction to Jesus from a historical perspective. I wish I had started with it--I've been interested lately in learning about the greatest figure in world history--though I agree with reviewer John Ryan, my Amazon teacher, that Jesus' political stance vis-a-vis the Roman Empire, which controlled the eastern Mediterranean, is largely overlooked even when it seemed to warrant a fuller discussion.
   
   This book, a real tour-de-force by a consummate historian, does require a quiet setting and lots of time. Since I have neither in ample quantities, it took me over two weeks to finish reading. It's the most significant history I've read after Paul Johnson's Modern Times, Barbara Tuchman's Guns of August, and J.M. Roberts's History of the World.
   
   Read it, folks, with an open mind!

5 comments about Free Byrd: The Power of a Liberated Life.

1. Paul Byrd is living proof that Professional Baseball Players can and do have talent in areas off the field. Christians are not perfect.
   They recognized they are sinners deserving hell, they have repented of their sin to God, asked forgiveness, placed their faith in the blood of Jesus as payment of their sin-debt which guarantees their eternal salvation, then asked that God begin to make them into the person He always wanted them to be.
   We are real people, in a life-long struggle, fighting real temptations. We are just doing it with the awesome help of The Holy Spirit. Paul doesn't rely on religious systems to guide his Christian walk. He goes right to the source of all knowledge and all the wisdom we need for life in this world and for eternity to come, God's perfect and Holy Word.
   Paul, you nailed it. I just hope and pray you keep writing.
   Thanks for your testimony.
   Tim Billheimer
   Alliance, Ohio (Tribe Country)



2. I bought this book because I love baseball and the Lord and because I have much respect for those seemingly few players who are successful both on the field and in their spiritual lives. The book is filled with great stories about Paul's baseball experiences, but what touched me most was how Paul recognizes how his relationship with his earthly father has shaped his view of his Heavenly Father. This is so true in my own life and it is comforting to know that someone as successful as Paul carries some of the same burdens as the rest of us. In this book, Paul writes, "I had spent most of my life imitating my living legacy, Larry the Legend (his father), by being a good, honest, and just person apart from Christ, which is impossible." I couldn't agree more! I too want to live "from Christ." Thank you Paul for sharing your stories, your insights and your life experiences so that we all learn from them. Your Father is proud!



3. I couldn't put this book down and it had me choking up with emotion time and time again. The reason is because Paul Byrd peeled away all the phony facades too many Christians hide behind and gave a stunningly open, honest, transparent and moving look into the life of a man earnestly struggling to better his relationship with Jesus Christ.
   
   Byrd focuses less on baseball and much more on the journey of what a true, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ is supposed to look like. (And is anything more important when you consider the stakes that this game of life holds for us?)
   
   Paul Byrd gets it - nobody's perfect, and yet God loves us anyway, offering His amazing grace, compassion and love through Jesus. Our job is not to try and earn it through sin management or following a list of tips and techniques, but rather ACCEPT God's love and enter into a deep, intimate relationship with Him. And out of that, we cannot help but be transformed into someone new, someone who seeks not sin (even though we'll still fall short sometimes) but rather to walk in lockstep with the One who loves us so deeply and so truly. To be loved, to really allow yourself to be loved in spite of all your struggles and imperfections, to really take Jesus at His Word ... this is what Paul Byrd inspires us to do.
   
   This book is less about baseball and more about the spiritual journey Byrd went on, and how even the trappings and fame of being a famous professional athlete leaves you empty inside if you don't know Christ. Byrd's chilling realization of this came when he won a national title with LSU in 1991 and was like, "That's it? That's all I feel?" moments after the on-field celebration began.
   
   The other thing from this book that continues to stick with me is Paul Byrd's approach to understanding and cultivating a relationship with God. He talks about how so many of us who grew up Catholic or in other denominations try to approach God with strict routines, memorized prayers, formal behaviors, etc. Byrd makes a great point when he says we would never approach our wives or close friends that way. But yet we do it with God, whose deepest desire is to have a close, loving and intimate relationship with us.
   
   Byrd's book is another way God continues to open my eyes toward the TRUTH about what it means to believe in Jesus Christ.
   
   I praise Paul Byrd for his transparency and for leading with his own weakness, because in the end it makes him human, helps me relate to him and glorifies God.
   
   After all, it's the truth about myself - the honest, unperfect truth - that attracts others to me, not all the preaching in the world.
   
   Lastly, Byrd really impresses as a writer. Having written my own Christian baseball novel The King's Game I was so excited to see Byrd's book, and I have to admit I was blown away at how crisp and clear his voice is as a narrator. The book moves at a fantastic pace - a very easy and fast read.
   
   He also had me laughing out loud over and over with his razor-sharp and oftentimes self-depricating wit.
   
   This is a book I'd give to anyone and everyone, Christian or not, sports fan or not, because it is the courageous and moving story of one man's journey toward the most important goal of all existence - knowing and sharing your life with Jesus Christ.
   
   Praise Jesus for his amazing love and blessings on Paul Byrd for this honest, much-needed memoir!



4. I almost did not get this book... I was thinking -- great another baseball player puts out a book full of the "normal" christian pop culture and how Jesus is great and all that jazz.
   
   But I have to admit... this is an amazing book... it is down right unvarnished in your face... this is my life and how my faith has grown through out the years...
   
   It is one of my top books of 2008... it really is not about baseball but more about life and living an authentic christian life... not a perfect super clean verson -- but a real down in the dirt true christian life.
   
   I totally recommed this book.
   
   I look forward to Paul Byrd's next book...



5. I started reading this book the first day I got it and it was hard to put down. It's very well written and easy to follow.
   I am truly blessed to know Paul, and after reading his book, I know now that we are both Fighters and want the same things in life.
   I recommend this book to anyone who thinks they are struggling in life with the Lord.
   I think everyone should read this book even if you are not a baseball fan, cuz it's really not about baseball at all.
   Great Job Brother and look forward to seeing you in the offseason.
   God Bless and Thank You for your wonderful words.
   God Bless,
   Cosmo*

5 comments about A Life with Karol: My Forty-Year Friendship with the Man Who Became Pope.

1. Pope John Paul II was one of the longest living and most dedicated pontiffs of our time. This book is truly the book to read to see what it was like to be in the Pontiffs shoes. It tells of his battles with communism and with war. With the everyday struggles he went through up until his dying day. It is truly a book that will give you the full feeling of what a wonderful and gifted Pontiff John Paul 2 was. One can only hope and pray that we who remember him as pope will one day get to remember him and honor him as a The People's saint.



2. This book is one more fine tome praising the life and work of Karol Wojtyla, known to the whole world as John Paul II. It is a pleasant and defensive biography of the pope told by his friend of many years. Also, it stands as a nice promotion piece for his possible beatification or canonization.
   
   But, the book is a huge disappointment in terms of revealing anything really personal about the man who elevated so many as Blessed or Saint for the homage of the universal church. The icon is preserved, but the real man called by the Spirit to be a saint and prophet among us remains hidden.
   
   Did Karol Wojtyla: smoke, enjoy mystery or science fiction writing, watch favorite t.v. programs, have favorite films, explore the myriad halls and hidden doors within the Vatican, ever don a disguise and roam the streets of Rome, love chocolates, doff his cassock in favor of mufti, sing in the shower, have pets, shudder at the thought of a forthcoming visitor, get sick from a meal overseas, continue to swim in the famous papal pool, stop and chat with the Swiss Guards or play cards or table games with household workers, have hobbies, prepare a meal himself, and so forth?
   
   So many years we watched him, admired him, were upliftred by him in good times and times of sorrow and sickness, and read his works. When will we know this man who loved to tease, had a playful side, and became a saint?
   That is the book which is awaited. I wish Cardinal Dziwisz had shared more of this kind of thing, the insight of a friend.
   
   THOMAS PATRICK HULL,
   CHICAGO



3. I loved this book. Cardinal Dziwisz writes a poignant and beautiful
   memoir about his life in the service of Pope John Paul II. Many myths are dispelled and we learn the truth about the fall of Russia and the wall in Germany. Behind the scenes truths are revealed for the first time and if you like history this is must read!



4. I bought the book excitedly hoping to learn more about the personality and struggles of John Paul II. The book is sadly a hagiography. I'm sure he will be declared a saint, but I wanted to read about the man, not a holy card.



5. If you were hoping this book would give you a very personal look about Karol Wojtyla the man, you will be very disappointed. Stanislaw Dziwisz, Wojtyla's personal secretary for 40 years, discusses only John Paul II the pope.
   
   Furthermore, only slightly more than half of this volume is in Dziwisz's own voice. The other half is written by the "narrator" - Gian Franco Svidercoschi - in "conversation" with Dziwisz. Svidercoschi doesn't bother to introduce himself in the book, but he worked on the 2005 TV movie, "Karol: A Man Who Became Pope," and a book that came out in 2007 entitled "Stories of Karol: The Unknown Life of John Paul II." Svidercoschi is billed as a "well-known Vatican observer" and comes from a Polish family.
   
   I was privileged to meet Cardinal Dziwisz and hear him speak when he did a book-signing June 24, 2008 at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, D.C. At that time he confessed he was unhappy with the "overly familiar" and misleading title "A Life with Karol" and had preferred his own title of "Witness," which probably would have been more appropriate. But his editors, Dziwisz said, insisted their title would sell more books.
   
   Disappointments notwithstanding, this book is worth adding to your collection. Dziwisz gives a beautiful, personal accounting of Wojtyla's last hours on earth. And he does a great job of explaining John Paul II's motivations for the unique conduct of his papacy and his responses to the criticisms he received. I found it riveting to the end.

5 comments about He Leadeth Me.

1. I started reading He Leadeth Me because I thought it might have some interesting thoughts on God and suffering, as a general concept. I had no idea, however, how very applicable Fr. Ciszek's hard-learned insights would be to my day-to-day life as the average American stay-at-home mom.
   
   The wisdom he learned after five years in solitary confinement and 20+ years at a Siberian slave labor camp is not just how to grow closer to God in the face of great upheaval and suffering, but how to know and live God's will in the face of the frustrating, the humdrum, and the mundane.
   
   I can't recommend this book highly enough to everyone -- whether you're experiencing great suffering or just frustrated by the daily grind, you will undoubtedly find Fr. Ciszek's story life-changing.



2. Just a fantastic book. I am not sure what I can add to further comments already added other than this book hit the spot for sincerity, truthfulness, and captivity of worthwhile imagination. I have just sent it to a friend that teaches English in Libya as I am assured that a wonderful book like this can only enhance her "desert experience" abroad as well.



3. Matthew Kelly (see [...]) recommended "He Leadeth Me" by Walter Ciszek, S.J., to me as it had a significant influence on him and his spiritual journey. The book has also had a profound influence on me - so much so, that I cannot get it out of my mind.
   
   In "He Leadeth Me," U.S. born Ciszek recounts his life as a Catholic priest who enthusiastically volunteered for preaching the gospel and administering the sacraments in communist Russia and ended up spending twenty three agonizing years in Soviet prisons, including five years of solitary confinement in Moscow's feared Lubianka prison and fifteen years of hard labor in Siberian prison camps.
   
   Upon his return to the US in 1963, as part of an exchange for two convicted Russian spies, Ciszek was asked over and over again how he survived. "He Leadeth Me" is his response. This book is about the faith he discovered and the simple truths he learned by trial and error. Truths he came to appreciate only after much anguish of soul and a great deal of prayerful reflection; truths that sustained him through the years of doubt and darkness, of hardship and suffering.
   
   The learned truth that threads its way throughout the book is that no one can know greater peace, no one can achieve a greater sense of fulfillment in his life than the man who believes in the truth of the faith and strives daily to put it into practice. "A spirituality based on complete trust in God is the surest guarantee of peace of soul and freedom of spirit."
   
   There are moments of crisis in every life, moments of anxiety and fear, moments of frustration and opposition, moments sometimes even of terror. Only by a lively faith can man live in peace among the tensions of the world. Faith is the fulcrum of our moral and spiritual balance - our powerlessness to solve the problems of evil, sin, injustice, suffering, and even death will not be a cause of despair or despondency when we have an unshakable trust and confidence in God.
   
   After great anguish, doubt, and repeated resistance by Ciszek, he submitted to the will of God realizing that every moment of our life has a purpose, that every action of ours, no matter how dull or routine or trivial it may seem in itself, has a dignity and a worth beyond human understanding. No moment can be wasted, no opportunity missed, since each has a purpose in God's plan. We need to strive to know God's will and to do it each day of our lives - working this out with constant effort and attention to just those persons and circumstances God presents to us each day. He expects no more of us, but He will expect nothing less of us, and we fail in our promise and commitment if we do not see in situations of every moment of every day of His divine will.
   
   God asks for the complete gift of self...absolute faith in His existence, His providence, His power to sustain me, and His love perfecting me. While it sounds all too simple, one quickly learns how difficult it is when they try to put it into practice. "Is this too simple or are we just afraid really to believe it, to accept it fully, to yield ourselves up to it in total commitment? This is the ultimate question of faith, and each must answer this for himself. But to answer it in the affirmative is to know peace, to discover a meaning to life that surpasses all understanding."
   
   "He Leadeth Me," first published in 1972, is a classic and continues as an all-time best seller. Ciszek has written a powerful testimony that will challenge your view of life and, possibly, a source of a transfiguration. "It is my hope, indeed my prayer that what I have learned and come to understand so slowly and painfully might be of service to others. God is a most patient teacher, even to the most stubborn of students."



4. I read this book on a retreat and had to buy it. The message of trusting in the will of God is so strong. No matter how many times I read this I know I will be helped each time.



5. Purchased book as gift for departing Catholic Father, I hope it is a good book as that was the image I hoped to convey. Sorry, I can't review contents for you, but there was no time for me to read it first.