No comments about I Loved Jesus in the Night: Teresa of Calcutta-A Secret Revealed.

No comments about Against the Wind.

No comments about Charlie DeLeo: Keeper Of The Flame.

No comments about Night: With Connected Readings.

No comments about An Account of the Life and Writings of St. Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons and Martyr.

5 comments about A Question of Honor: The Cheating Scandal That Rocked Annapolis and a Midshipman Who Decided to Tell the Truth.

1. I rated this book as average. I think Gantar whines way too much to open the book and makes lame excuses for his actions while simultaneously accepting responsibility for his guilt and coming clean. It introduces the question of telling the truth for the sake of honor or lying to save your butt. Toward the end of the book I think there was a little too much talk about Gantar's "finding god". Overall; good ideas, strong conflict, but not well written or thought out in my opinion. This has a "Christian" theme to it, though you may not realize it until the end of the book.



2. Having been a Washington insider for two decades, I know we have needed a book that would capture our deepest feelings about integrity and accountability. This book should be required reading in every classroom in America.--Thomas s. McFee, Former U.S. Assistant Secretary for Personnel Administration



3. This is, for the most part, a well-told story that exposes the conflicts and flaws in the honor systems of our national military service academies. The story reveals that while the Naval Academy's honor system is considered sacrosanct, so is its unwritten rule that one must not, under any circumstances, "bilge" one's fellow midshipmen. The system requires those who violate the cherished trust granted in them by the honor concept to turn themselves in. Yet, doing so in Jeff Gantar's case would have required him to violate the cherished trust against "ratting out" his classmates, rather than simply admit his own guilt and take his punishment for it. I am completely in favor of the concept of a strict student-enforced honor code that does not tolerate cheating and dishonesty. However, as this book shows, such a system does not work when it engenders such potential conflicts as those arising under the naval Academy's traditions. While I do not consider Jeff Gantar to be a "hero" of the magnitude described in the gushing comments found on the back cover of the book, I did come away from this book with great respect for the courage and dignity he and his roommate, Brian Pirko, displayed in the end. I also believe that in view of the total circumstances of the case, their punishments were unfairly harsh. My criticism of the book, and what I found to be objectionable, unfortunate and unnecessary, is that this otherwise well-told story had to be made into a Christian morality play. Rather than simply staying with the book's real premise, that people sometimes have to make tough and courageous choices in life in order to do what their consciences tell them is the right thing to do, the authors seem to have found it necessary instead to make it the book's premise that Jeff Gantar chose his ultimate course of action because he was a "good Christian." Written between the lines, without undue subtlety, they seem to be saying that the ability to make the correct and moral choices in life are the sole and exclusive province of such "good Christians."



4. Wow, what a dissapointment. This book is simply Mr. Gantar's endless whining about why he got tossed out of the Naval Academy. Its actually pretty simple: he cheated. Period. Granted other's might have gotten away with it, but in the end, this book is nothing but dreary rationalization cloaked in strange self agrandizing moralizing. Don't waste your money.



5. The photograph on the front of this book is inaccurate: the person is posing in a Midshipman's uniform, but holding an officer's hat. That lack of attention to detail seems to encapsulate a lot of what's wrong with the book.
   As a USNA alumnus ('80) I am familiar with the Honor Concept and life at the Academy, so much of the book was more familiar to me than to the general reader.
   That said, I was a bit frustrated by the poor organization and focus of the book. It's one man's story, of course, and doesn't pretend to be a journalistic expose of the cheating scandal, but even so, it was arranged pretty sloppily.
   The story of the cheating scandal is presented as though things happened very quickly; as you read the book, it seems to have all happened in the space of a few months. But the exam in question took place in the middle of their junior year, and the author's final expulsion came at the very end of his senior year.
   In fact, he was on restriction until the end of the semester and finals, until just before graduation. Yet, he didn't finish his degree. Why? It's never explained.
   Part of the story is told in the captions of the photos, rather than the text of the book, which strikes me as a pretty sloppy way to write.
   Throughout the explication of the cheating scandal, it sounds as though just about everyone in the junior class was involved on some level (and that might have been the case, "gouge" flows pretty freely) and so it's a surprise to read the jacket notes after finishing the book to learn that "only" 133 people were accused and 29 were separated. During the course of the book, those numbers are never made clear. Except, of course, that the football team all got off scott-free. (There was a saying when I was there: if God had been a Mid, He'd have bagged it for six days, and pulled an all-nighter. If He'd been a football player, He'd have bagged that too, and gotten the gouge first period. Apparently, some things don't change.)
   2/3 of the way though the book, we're abruptly introduced to the second author, Tom Patten, who plays a peripheral role in the story (he's the therapist who helps Jeff confront his issues.) Patten is also getting run out of the Navy because a CO a few years back decided to "get him." The effect of weaving Patten's story in with Gantar's is to create the message that "the Navy sucks, and the honorable people get run out." Which is certainly a valid opinion, but turns the question from "what happened with the EE311 cheating scandal, and how does that challenge the Honor system?" to a much less interesting and much less useful "the Navy teaches you to cheat, and we're the martyrs because we had principles."
   
   The subtitle is "The Cheating Scandal That Rocked Annapolis and a Midshipman Who Decided to Tell the Truth." The book might more accurately be subtitled "How I Got Past my Childhood Abuse and Married a Good Woman, Due to My Participation in the Cheating Scandal."

4 comments about C.S. Lewis: Mere Christian, Fourth Edition.

1. First of all, let me qualify my comments by saying that I am an ARDENT and DEVOTED C.S. Lewis fan. I have two shelves in one of my six sagging bookcases exclusively devoted to C.S. Lewis' works alone. Long ago, I committed myself to reading at least one book by Lewis each month of the year, and I have faithfully kept up this practice for many years now. I say all of this only to introduce myself as a somewhat enlightened Lewis-monger. When I greedily approached the book "C.S. Lewis: Mere Christian" I was no stranger to the world and writings of C.S. Lewis. But this book by Kathryn Lindskoog opened up realms (literal "realms") of understanding about the man and his thought that I could not possibly have held together and formulated on my own. Her knowledge of each area of Lewis' thought is not only the knowledge of a well-read enthusiast (as mine may perhaps be), but here in her work one gets the sense of a profound scholar who has actually met the man. She speaks with such authority that each summary dazzles the reader, awakening an important point hitherto unrealized. Here you will not find a boring half-hearted amalgam of foot-noted facts, but a living and cohesive STORY worthy of the depth and consistency of C.S. Lewis. For instance, in my favorite chapter, entitled "Prayer" the author cites Lewis' marvelous poem of the same name, and comments that "he warned readers not to take the last line too seriously." This is an allusion to Lewis' own comments in a later book of his own, entitled "Prayer: Letters To Malcolm". Not many of us are blessed with such a concordance-like Lindskoogian grasp of Lewis' thought. And truly, that is the beauty of her achievement here. As you are gripped by her easy flowing writing style, you almost forget that you are getting a Ph.D. in Lewisology. Reading this book is like cramming forty topically-arranged C.S. Lewis books into your head with the ease and delight of sipping a cup of coffee. And this brings me to my vacation. When I took "Mere Christian" along with me to Vancouver Island one fine summer, I found that instead of enjoying the ocean as much as I should have... too often I was rather tucked away in some coffee shop... taking notes on napkins, looking up only long enough to see that the sun had gone down. C.S. Lewis died thirteen days before I was born. I have often wished, and wished sincerely, that I could have talked with this man who has meant so much to me in my life. I look forward to doing so in heaven. This book is the closest I have come to doing so on earth.



2. Getting inside the mind of Lewis is the great accomplishment of Kathryn Lindskoog. She does a wonderful job summarizing the thinking of CS Lewis. Those who are fascinated with Lewis, a man who I believe was quite mysterious in his private world but fairly public with his writing, will devour this book. Here you will learn about Lewis' thoughts on smoking and drinking (he knew smoking was a bad idea, but he was not a teetotaler); that next to Christianity, dualism makes the most sense (interesting!); and the fact that Lewis gave 2/3rds of his money to charity--and why.

   This gives you an idea of the information available to us through the good biographer Lindskoog. She does not fail to support herself with endnotes, and one of the 5 appendices gives a calendar of how you could read a Lewis book every month during the year (with suggestions based on the season). I might have to try it myself, though I've already read most of what is suggested. (Nothing wrong with rereading Lewis!) To fully cover a man who authored more than 50 books, Lindskoog has done a wonderful service by writing this book.




3. No C.S. Lewis fan can possibly live a meaningful life without this book.
   When I greedily approached "C.S. Lewis: Mere Christian" I was no stranger to the world and writings of C.S. Lewis. I've been studying his work for over a decade. But Lindskoog's book opened up realms of understanding about the man and his thought that I could not possibly have held together and formulated on my own. Her knowledge of each area of Lewis' thought is not only the knowledge of a well-read enthusiast (as mine may perhaps be), but here in her work one gets the sense of a profound scholar who has actually met the man. (And she did, by the way). She speaks with such authority that each summary dazzles the reader, awakening an important point hitherto unrealized. Here you will not find a boring half-hearted amalgam of foot-noted facts, but a living and cohesive story worthy of the depth and consistency of C.S. Lewis himself.
   For instance, in my favorite chapter, entitled "Prayer" the author cites Lewis' marvelous poem of the same name, and comments that "he warned readers not to take the last line too seriously." This, I realized much later, is an allusion to Lewis' own comments in a book of his own, entitled "Prayer: Letters To Malcolm". Not many of us are blessed with such a concordance-like Lindskoogian grasp of Lewis' thought. And truly, that is the beauty of her achievement here. As you are gripped by her easy flowing writing style, you almost forget that you are getting a Ph.D. in Lewisology. Reading this book is like cramming forty topically-arranged C.S. Lewis books into your head with the ease and delight of sipping a cup of coffee.
   And this brings me to my vacation.
   When I took "Mere Christian" along with me to Vancouver Island one fine summer, I found that instead of enjoying the ocean as much as I should have, I was more likely to be found tucked away in some coffee shop... taking notes on napkins, looking up only long enough to see that the sun had gone down.
   This book makes you crazy like that.
   C.S. Lewis died thirteen days before I was born. I have often wished, and wished sincerely, that I could have talked with this man who has meant so much to me in my life. I look forward to doing so in heaven. This book is the closest I have come to doing so on earth.



4. Kate Lindskoog's masterful synopsis of Lewisian thought is like a detailed map of the Alps. You can enjoy the Alps without a map, and you can enjoy Lewis without Lindskoog. But you understand the terrain so much better with the map!

   I have been saturating in C. S. Lewis's books for the past six months and this is one of the most helpful books I have come across. It is a topical guide to C. S. Lewis, but more than that, it is also a commentary. Lindskoog's documentation is thorough and each chapter ends with suggestions for further reading about the given topic. Perhaps the most delightful aspect of this book is Lindskoog's mastery not only of Lewis's apologetics, but of his fiction. She deftly illustrates the former with the latter, and therein reveals the incredible unity in Lewis's own work.

   Excellent!!!

No comments about The Spiritual Journey of a Showbusiness Priest.

4 comments about Dead Women Walking: Entangled in Addiction, Abuse and Idol Worship, These Women Seemed Beyond Hope . . ..

1. It's an engaging story that shows the challenges of Taiwan when the ancient meets the modern. The traditions of idol worship pervade the stories, leading to addictions, drug abuse, spousal abuse and all sorts of problems. Combine that with a modern, developing society and you have a unreached mission field. This book is well written and will challenge you to consider praying for and evening going to Taiwan. A must read!!!



2. As someone who has been living and working in Taiwan for almost 20 years I wish this book had been written 20 years ago. It has given me a fresh understanding of the lives and struggles of many people around me. A Taiwanese Canadian friend who recently read Dead Women Walking wrote to me saying, "Reading the stories, I started relating to a lot of the social issues found in Taiwanese families." The stories related in DWW are real stories about real people, presented powerfully with often heart-wrenching honesty. Eye-opening, challenging, and highly recommended!



3. The weaving of three women's true stories was a captivating read. Each story held me riveted to the many pages until I read the last word of the book. Creating a legend of important details of each life will help the reader keep each woman's story straight.
   
   As stated in the title, "these women seemed beyond hope," BUT.... for a power stronger than addictions and idol worship to reach down into these tangled lives...a must read!
   
   Know that these women live. Their stories are true. The author has lived among them, getting to know them well. The book could be labeled a documentary of hope.



4. Jennifer Su has a journalism degree from the Northwest University. All stories and persons are real. However, Su is such a good author that you may enjoy DWW just like reading a novel. One critic, that she makes all Taiwanese men, count me one, look bad.

5 comments about Undefeated: How Father and Son Triumphed Over Unbelievable Odds Both On and Off the Field.

1. THIS BOOK IS NOT JUST FOR FOOTBALL FANS! It is a compelling and inspirational story about the lives and the unusual parallels of two high-profile people--a father and his son--that involves much more than just the game of football. It encompasses sadness, joy, humor, and much more. It is presented in an interesting and unusual form by co-author Jim Denney. He captures some conversations between Brian and Bob Griese talking with each other about many events the two have shared in their lives, both on and off the football field. Often, these conversations get humorous, dad and son going at it tit for tat, openly displaying their strong, inherent competitiveness, even between their own two football careers. But the affection between them always shows through in their amusing dialogue. Their conversations, as well as inserts from other contributions of family and friends, are very moving as they discuss the life of Judi Griese, their wife and mother, who secumbed to a five-year fight with breast cancer in 1988. They tell of her strong influence on all of their lives. Bob and Brian have courageously revealed much about their family, personal, spiritual and emotional lives, much of which they have previously chosen to keep very private. I thoroughly enjoyed this book in every way. It's a great story, one that great movies are made from.



2. Suprisingly, this book is not just for football fans. It has a little bit of something for everybody.

   The book is written in a very unusual format. It was as if both Bob and Brian Griese were just sitting around talking, discussing many different things, and voila, we have a book. It is written so matter-of-factly, that it becomes a page-turner rather quickly.

   The book parallels the two quarterbacks, in their careers, family life, and personal triumphs and tragedies. Dealing with football was only a part of the book. You really get a good feel for these two men when they talk about a myriad of subjects and events, and you can't help but let your heart go out to them when they reflect upon Judi Griese, respected wife and mother.

   The book's compelling language is peppered with humor rather nicely, and the overall tone of the book is quite inspirational. I truly enjoyed this book, and it sincerely kept my interest throughout. Undefeated is a real winner.




3. This book is a heartwarming story of how a family survived the tough times and came out on top. If you like football or not you will enjoy this book and be able to see the love of family between each line. If you think football can't be applied to life, you will find out differently by the end of this book. Truly inspiring!



4. Bob was my childhood hero, and so seeing that he had written an autobiography was like a dream that I never thought would come true for this private man in the public setting. However, he and his recently famous son Brian felt compelled to write a book that doesn't brag about their on-field exploits, but as a beautiful tribute to the person that appears to be their hero, Bob's first wife and Brian's mother Judi.

   From this book's pages I learned a lot about a beautiful woman, someone who graced the earth with her presence, and about the devoted love that her family members had for her. A wonderful, and funny, and touching book about love within a family. First, the Griese's and friends love for Judi, and then, the love that Bob and Brian had for each other as they tried to support one another.

   I can truly say that this book had a positive impact on my life.




5. Bob was my childhood hero, and so seeing that he had written an autobiography was like a dream that I never thought would come true for this private man in the public setting. However, he and his recently famous son Brian felt compelled to write a book that doesn't brag about their on-field exploits, but as a beautiful tribute to the person that appears to be their hero, Bob's first wife and Brian's mother Judi.
   
   From this book's pages I learned a lot about a beautiful woman, someone who graced the earth with her presence, and about the devoted love that her family members had for her. A wonderful, and funny, and touching book about love within a family. First, the Griese's and friends love for Judi, and then, the love that Bob and Brian had for each other as they tried to support one another.
   
   I can truly say that this book had a positive impact on my life. 5+++ stars.