5 comments about Same Kind of Different As Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together.

1. I absolutely loved this book. It was deeply inspiring. I stumbled onto it. My sister-in-law read it for her book club. I picked it up after her because we were at the beach and I needed something to read. What a surprise! I am a transplanted Texan and grew up in Ft. Worth so that was especially fun to see my home cowtown all hashed out. Much more than that, though, was the wonderful true story and the jaw dropping inspiration of Debbie Moore and all she touched. She really walked the walk and never wanted any glory. Denver and Ron found each other just when they needed it most. I'm glad they haven't caught and released and that Denver made it back from that scary drive to Colorado.



2. Not only is the story an amazing one, but both writers express themselves in such a unique way that the book is worth reading at least twice, just to enjoy their descriptive writing - like examining individual brush strokes under a magnifying glass in a fine work of art.



3. This book was great! Such a powerful testimony. I would recommend this book to anyone.



4. This book was recommended to me by a classmate and it should be read by everyone; the title says it all. Man's inhumanity to man, human frailty and even some humor. It's a book to make you think. Product-wise, the book was received in a timely fashion and in good condition.



5. This book is amazing. I love biographies and autobiographies and this is definitely one of my favorites. I got the chance to meet the authors and they are very genuine guys, with a desire to tell their story to encourage others. I have given this book as a gift many times because I think everyone should hear their story.

5 comments about 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death & Life.

1. Very quick and interesting read...I work at Hospicecare of Southeast Florida and I shared the book with 3 of our Pastors employed here and they also enjoyed the journey.



2. This is a book that everyone should read. It was mentioned in our Sunday School lesson and sparked my interest. I am usually a "non-reader". I prefer to wait for the movie; however, I read this book in two days.



3. As many others have noted here, I had high hopes that his book would give more spiritual insight into heaven and faith. However, I was left wanting. The content of the chapters were loosely strung together and the repetition of phrases and lack of cohesion was frustrating. I've yet to finish the final chapters, and I'm not even certain I'll waste my time. The most positive thing I can say about the writing--it had the potential to be a really good book.



4. As a born-again Christian who believes in the existence of Heaven, I was severely disappointed in this book. Very few pages are actually about the author's '90 minutes in Heaven.' 95% of the book chronicles the recovery of the author's accident. With all due respect, I don't care to read about the recovery of a car accident victim. That is not why I purchased the book.
   
   This one was a disappointment.



5. This book was very inspirational for me. At first I was a little disappointed, since I had just finished reading 23 minutes in Hell and hoped this book would paint as vivid a picture of heaven as 23 minutes in hell painted of hell.
   
   There were a few descriptions involving his time in heaven but the book focused more on Don Piper's recovery. I'm amazed at how much pain and suffering Don went through during his long recovery. He also experienced severe depression during the first part of his recovery. I could relate to some parts of his experience since I was on dialysis for four years and was fortunate enough to have a kidney transplant January of this year. I thought I experienced pain when I was on dialysis but it was nothing compared to the pain Don experienced during his recovery. As Don pointed out, he experienced excruciating pain and suffering, but it's was nothing compared to the pain and suffering Jesus Christ went through for us.
   
   I recommend reading this book by those that are curious about heaven, however I think it would make an excellent gift for anyone going through a long recovery or some sort of trial with your health

5 comments about St. Augustine Confessions (Oxford World's Classics).

1. All you one and 2 star commentators will like what I have to say on this alleged *saint*.
   Look its one thing to havea mother complex, most men do, a few succumb til death, Augie was one of these who never got over his complex.
   Monica, his mother was the typical type that drowns the son , a power monger.
   She was the one who advised her son to dump his *wife* of 17 years (was a forced marriage as the girl was a concubine he got pregnant when he 17 yrs old!!!) Augie was 34 and seekinga high position in Milanese government. His *wife* was illiterate street girl , thus *extra baggage*. Augie sent her back to north africa, their hometown.
   Plot gets juicier.
   Mommie Monica (the catholic church titles her *the great devote saint*) sets up a new potential mate, but the girl is only 10, roman law allows marriage for girls not until 12 yrs old. So he has to wait.
   In these 2 yrs, he gets depressed and calls off the marriage.
   His life then is nothing but turmoil, driven by his monster size mother complex. Monica dies during this time, however the complex is in full force. The physical mother is gone, but the dominate complex is in his blood in full force.
   Augie was schooled as a master of rhetoric, thus as a new christian he realize *fancy talk* is cheap, and contrary to christian ideals. But too late, his mind was hard wired to function in this mindless rhetorical mannerism.
   Worse than actually helping the soul his writings lead the soul no where but in senseless out-of-touch-with-reality circles.
   His beliefs do much harm to those who wish to finda child like faith, which Christ himself says is the only way to the kingdom of God. Augie's babbling and empty chatter leads us away from the plain truth, which Christ came to reveal to *those who will receive* (the few)
   The catholic church wants us to look beyond all these glaring issues and say *what a great man to turn from his sins and go on to defend the faith*
   Augie like EVERY SINGLE CHURCH FATHER, was constantly embroiled in fighting the *heretics*. Where in the New Testament do we find a command to FIGHT the heretics?
   BTW we should also be aware that anti-semiticism was fervent throughout the history of the catholic church.
   Read B Natanyahu's masterly book The Origins of the Inquisition/Random House, 1995.
   Its no wonder the catholic church has become what she now is, a business , based upon misguided writings from Augustine. Priests actually have to study this fermented long-winded bunk!!!
   To sum up, Augustine's mind offers no understanding of the soul, life, man, woman, and certainly sheds no insight into the mysteries which we call God.
   AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE.
   Paul Best
   New Orleans
   July 30,2008



2. This book is a very powerful, memorable spiritual autobiography and Augustine tells his story like none other. He is transparent and honest at every turn, holding nothing back. He tells of his faith struggles, his sins and his temptations very candidly. The story of his conversion is truly beautiful and will stay with you. He has written in such a way that you truly see the hand of God at work in his life. A phenomenal read that will stay with you. Highly recommended.



3. Augustine is one of these characthers from antiquity who illustrates that humanity is always an everywhere the same - we share the same form, namely the soul and we thirst always and everywhere for the same thing, namely the infinite, which is God. Augustine is poetic in his treatment of God, he addresses him as a bride to her husband. Let him speak for himself:
   
   "Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would not have been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace."
   
   His own struggle is the struggle of every man and woman to find God. And, yet, not only was Augustine the master of the inner life, he was a great philosopher - witness the chapter on time, which is wonderful. Miss not also his shared ecstatic vision with his mother, Monica.
   
   This is a great work - but, there are bits that are not easy (his exegesis of Genesis, for example) but persevere, its worth it!.



4. Saint Augustine is spiritual, philosophical and always profound.
   Warning: Likely to blow your mind.



5. Augustine's confessions are confessions to God, and thus, prayer. Augustine bares his soul--his doubt, fear, guilt, as well as his joy, peace, and love. All this is addressed to God as prayer. Like the Psalms, these prayers are shockingly intimate--you can't read these properly from a comfortable distance.
   
   I am grateful to Augustine for sharing his personal relationship with God in a way that leads me closer, too.

5 comments about Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust.

1. Left to Tell is a powerful story of one womens tragedies and survival experienced during the Genocide in Rwanda. This book brought tears and joy to my heart; it inspired me to know that through any horrible and life threatening experience a belief and faith in God will transcend all atrocities man will commit. It is also about how forgiveness can calm and soothe the soul so life can move on with peace in your heart.



2. I think this is an excellent book, I could not put it down. I ended up reading till 3 in the morning.



3. I had never heard of Immaculee Ilibagiza before I picked this book up in my local book store. I bought it after reading the back cover and I will never look at life the same again. Immaculee's ability to forgive is something we all should strive for; however, I think none will find the ability within themselves. It can only come from God, just like Immaculee's did. This book will make you cry, it will make you smile but most of all it will make you discard those petty little things that used to irritate you. I will keep this book and will probably read it again and again.



4. This book was truly life changing for me. When I find myself sweating the little things in life (i.e bills, pregnancy woes, hot weather)I remember Immaculee holed up in this tiny bathroom just praying and pleading for her life. She painted such a horrific picture I simply cannot forget. The killers were calling her name! What a humbling and amazing story she has to tell I literally could not put this book down..at the same time I was educated about how the Rwandan Holocaust all came to be..I had no idea what these poor people went through, the Hutus and the Tutsis became real to me. Who would have thought something like this still happens but this was just the 90's. In the beginning of her book, I smiled through tears as she described the tight knit Catholic family she was reared in--how strong and wise her daddy was, how much she loved her brothers with everything in her being, and how her mother was there until the end to protect her "babies". I was fortunate a few weeks after reading her book to see Immaculee speak at a local venue in Dallas. She was beautiful in person and her joy could light up an entire room. She was filled with the Holy Spirit and it was obvious how humbled she has been. I just kept thinking this woman has lost her entire extended family and she even had the grace to forgive those who killed her own. Forgiveness is the message I took from the book. Life is too short to carry the burden of not forgiving others who we think have wronged us. Excellent read with a message that will keep you thinking long after you read the book!!



5. I started reading this book before bed, big mistake on my part. I stayed up entranced by this book and continued reading until I couldn't stay awake. The first thing I did the next morning was pick this book back up and finished it. (Which only took a half hour)
   
   I am absolutely amazed at Immaculee's ability to maintain her connection with God while surrounded by such hate. Immaculee shares her story of how she not only survived the Rwandan Holocaust, but how she forgave the killers of her family. This is an inspiring book which confirms how great humans really can be.

5 comments about Escape.

1. Jessop's ESCAPE is a haunting trip into the secret sect of FLDS (Fundamental Latter Day Saints). It tells her story of being a plural wife to a man many many years older than she was...a marriage arranged by her father for the betterment of his career.
   
   This book was recommended to me by a good friend. When reading this I kept having to remind myself that what I was reading was TRUE. That this was NOT a novel because sometimes what was happening to this woman seemed beyond comprehension. However after settling into this story you find that this is stuff that simply couldn't be made up.
   
   I highly suggest anyone read this book. It gives a good history to FLDS as well as a brutally honest look into the life of a couple of families. What you will read, however, will leave you with a knot in your stomach. It is very hard to put down once you are in it because you want to know what is going to happen next. I have suggested this book to several people and everyone of them read just as voraciously as I did.



2. Though it had received great reviews, I took it them with a grain of salt.
   
   Quickly after I began the book, I was captivated.
   
   It's amazing and sad that cults like FLDS can exert such power over people.
   
   Highly recommended.



3. I read this book in a day and a half, and it made me want to puke. It did make me cry many times. I can't believe what an evil man her ex-husband is, and the cruelty of Barbara Jessop. I hope Karma comes around to both of them and they get what they deserve. It is incredible that this is the 21st century and there is a society like this where women are pieces of meat. My neighbor from Germany, who is living here in the US for one year, just read this book- her first book she has read in English, and recommended it to me at the time the Texas raids were going on. I'm glad I finally got around to it. Well worth a read.



4. The writing is not especially sophisticated, but simple and easy to follow. I hardly ever find myself so captivated by a book I read it from beginning to end without skipping the middle, but this one I did - in a single evening.



5. I've never been so angry while reading a book, yet I couldn't put it down. Compelling and thrilling to experience her life and her escape. God bless you all.

5 comments about Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life.

1. Sometimes the irony of a certain situation strikes me as highly profound. The person that recommended me this book happens to be an assistant manager that I work with. She told me how she learned so much from Dungy's life, and how it changed her life. And her recommendation of this book was what convinced me to read it. Yet when the store manager threw her a bone that she didn't expect, she didn't handle it like a professional. She handled it like a little first grader because she didn't get what she deserved, and because life isn't fair. And after reading what Tony Dungy went through, and how he pressed on, I want to press on, regardless of my circumstances. So my goal isn't to be better than my assistant manager, but to focus on my life. That's what Tony Dungy did. He focused on his life and on his team and his goals.
   
   "Quiet Strength" sums this up very well. All the while he looks back on his career in football, it never seems like he chalks it up as bragging rights. He just counts it as the life he lived. He takes lessons from the great Chuck Noll, to just go out there and "Do what we do" as a team. He talks little about his family, but from what I can see, his family comes before football.
   
   Dungy takes disappointment combined with elation in the ups and downs of his career, let alone his life. Things have not always come easy for this man, and have in fact, gotten harder in some aspects. Especially in one situation with his son that many knew about in the middle of the 2005 season. But that didn't stop Tony Dungy from pressing forward. And it didn't stop him from leaning on Christ Jesus in the thick of things.
   
   As I still see my assistant manager from day to day, I still extend my hellos and she extends hers. There is very little respect for her these days from my perspective, but that's ok. I do what I do. I'm pressing on. Tony Dungy pressed on. Tony Dungy is an NFL Champion, and all he has to show for it is quiet strength. Because that's all he needs! Thank you, Tony Dungy.



2. I highly recommend this book to ANY reader--the football fan, the God fan, the prayer fan, or othewise. It is an excellent, life-changing read.



3. This book is very powerful for anyone striving to excel with God as your guide. Tony Dungy is a great example of a faithful man in the face of tremendous success and soul shattering pain. Thanks for writing the book, all of us that read it are indebted to you.



4. Tony Dungy shows that the quiet man can accomplish great things. Coaching,and life do not require boisterous, bloviating and bullying to be sucessful. We need more coaches like Tony. In sports and in life itself.



5. Even if you are not a football fan, there are "life" lessons and leadership qualities that can be very beneficial to anyone who has to deal with people. This book is inspirational, using Christian principals, useful in everyday life.

5 comments about The Heavenly Man: The Remarkable True Story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun.

1. THIS book is SOOOO Good.. its one of the Best Books EVER. I Was in YWAM and they made me read it.. And I Did NOT want to FINISH IT.. i wanted this book to last Forever.. its That Good. His True to life Stories are Inspring and Amazing!. Will Motivate you to Seek after God all the More.



2. This book openend my eyes to the plight of the persecuted Christians in China and all over the world. It gave me a new appreciation for the freedoms we have as Americans.



3. I loved what Brother Yun said when he said "Chinese Christians are persecuted by beatings and execution and Western Christians are persecuted by slander." The book really make you look at your walk with Christ. The book was well written and keep my attention.



4. A little over a year ago, I read Randy Alcorn's novel, "Safely Home." And it was based on Chinese Christians and the persecution they might go through in China. And my first thought was how rough that has to really be. Being a master storyteller, Randy Alcorn barely scratched the surface, and he could've really gone deep. After my dad read "Safely Home," he found this book, "The Heavenly Man," and basically told me, "You've got to read this! This is amazing!" If you think you're some kind of victim just because you've been made fun of for your Christian faith, wake up! Christians like Brother Yun know something about suffering, and how to rejoice in the process. HUH? Read on!
   
   And this really is nothing short of amazing. Brother Yun started preaching at the age of 16. Like in Alcorn's book, there are church house meetings. And the Chinese government hates Christians, and has ways of dealing with them. So for those of us who have these ideas of being a simple POW with just a few beatings, it goes a lot further than that. The torture that Brother Yun suffered is nuts! And this guy can rejoice and witness to his cell mates about the glory of God. Seeing miracles, and experiencing them, and you'd have to be crazy not to believe in God.
   
   Yun makes it clear that when we are in God's will, God has us exactly where He wants us. It is a reminder to stay in the will of God and to keep focused on the reward God has for us. And being in God's will means to be ready for everything God has for us here on Earth. That means that we'll probably do some suffering, and that we will bear our own cross.
   
   Would anybody line up for the testimony of Brother Yun? All I can say is WOW! This is an amazing life. A true eye opener!



5. After reading this book you'll understand why some believe that Asia may become the next center of Christianity. With the West becoming more secular and morally bankrupt, God is moving in China to spread the Gospel. Who would have thought that Korea, formerly a primarily Buddhist country, would become a Christian nation that sends out multitudes of missionaries? In the same way, God is using the Chinese house churches to spread the Gospel not only throughout China but also throughout the rest of Asia and beyond. The story of Brother Yun shows how the Gospel began to grow in China under persecution. This is inspiring and motivating. However, it was hard to relate the sold-out Christianity of the Chinese house churches to the soft, laissez-faire Christianity we know in the West. May God bring revival not only throughout Asia but also to the West.

5 comments about Confessions (Penguin Classics).

1. The place of St. Augustine's Confessions in the history of spiritual writing cannot be underestimated, so I will not belabor the point here. Suffice it to say, this book is, indeed, one of the great literary/spiritual classics ever written.
   It has been, for me, however, even more valuable as an examination of conscience. When I read of St. Augustine's sin, I see my own sinfulness; when I read of St. Augustine's doubts, I see my own lackluster faith; when I read of St. Augustine's cries to the Triune God for help, I pray that the Almighty will have mercy on me, as well.
   Very much like St. Augustine, I have often implored God for help & guidance, promising fidelity to His Commandments, but always accepting that guidance in my time, not in God's time. Like me, you may read the Confessions of St. Augustine & see quite a bit of yourself in what he has to say. The difficulty can be, though, that you may not like what you find. Nevertheless, I would urge you to read this book at some point in your life. You may just discover what St. Augustine eventually realized about the Lord: that your heart will be at peace once it rests in Him.
   
   Pax et Bonum!



2. Augustine of Hippo was a very interesting character who had immense influence on church theology long after he was dead and buried. Some of his thoughts on church discipline and just war had long term results that he may have disliked, but his personal journey was an interesting one.
   
   Written as a "letter" to God, "Confessions" takes the reader through Augustine's life of wandering searchs in a variety of places for the spiritual solace that he desired. His comments on Manichaeism, philosophy and Christianity are personal and coloured by his own experiences. His own thoughts are very negative and dark in places, though "Confessions" smacks of a brutal honesty that is rare. At times, his writings are coloured by his disappointments, such as meeting with Manichaean priests.
   
   The Penguin translation is sometimes a touch dry in the presentation of Augustine, and that can make reading a bit difficult in places. At times the style is a touch on the hard going side. However, being quite cheap, this book gives you a very cost-effective introduction to the life of the man.
   
   However, this should not detract from the overall value of such a personal look into the life and reflections of one of theology's great historical figures. While I felt this version was not the best, the personal look at Augustine's life, loves, and disappointments put some "flesh and blood" on the person who is so often quoted in theological text books and so on.
   
   If you have not read this, then I recommend doing so. It is a cool book.



3. Before reading any St. Augustine, I had formed an image of him as an intolerant puritan, almost Taliban-esque. As an agnostic, I did not at all expect to find him a sympathetic figure. The "Confessions," however, reveal a warmly human, hugely intelligent man, relating his own open-minded spiritual journey, which included way-stops at Manicheeism and neo-Platonism. Augustine formulated his religious and ethical systems through careful deliberation and observation, aided by an epiphany or two; his is not a story of blind, unthinking faith or of mysterious visions. His concept of God seems little different from the Chinese concept of the Tao, and his concept of grace little different from the Buddhist concept of enlightenment. Thus, there is considerable interest in his viewpoint even for non-Catholics, non-Christians, and non-believers.
   
   In addition, this book also constitutes an autobiography of material existence in the waning years of the Western Roman Empire, and thus should be of great interest to any classicist. Little examples: Augustine confirms that, at least around 400 A.D., the normal way to read, even among the most highly literate, was aloud; Ambrose's habit of reading silently to himself inspires considerable comment and speculation. We learn that high school students were rowdy, then as now. The Roman Emperor didn't seem to matter much in the lives of citizens.
   
   The Penguin translation by Mr. Pine-Coffin is excellent and very readable. He avoids the archaic "thou's" that plague many translations. Regrettably, the cover material chooses to emphasize the translator's status as a Roman Catholic as his single most important attribute, and his introductory comments are likely to strike non-Catholics as intolerant. Skip over that, and get right into Augustine's writing itself.



4. St. Augustine's Confessions is a masterpiece of literature. One of the first books ever written from an introspective first-person point of view, it is an intensely personal glimpse into one man's mind, soul, and relationship with God.
   
   The first nine of Confessions' thirteen books are the story of Augustine's life, beginning with his birth and early education. He recounts his sinful lifestyle and his mother's constant grief and prayers for him, and he praises God for faithfully seeking him until at last he was converted to Christianity.
   
   Books ten through thirteen explore the mind, the memory, the nature of time, and the interpretation of Genesis 1. Augustine displays his intellectual brilliance the most in these books, sometimes almost leaving the reader in the dust. The insights and opinions he offers, however, are ingenious.
   
   The entirety of Confessions is written with such eloquent style one can only conclude that his expensive education to be a master of rhetoric paid off. Some of the passages are so beautifully written that you have to stop, reread it, and think about it.
   
   Confessions is a challenge to read, but it is well worth it. Its depth, vulnerability, and beauty are seldom, if ever, matched.



5. True medicine for the heart: read it with the Bible. For centuries, AUGUSTINE'S CONFESSIONS has touched people's hearts and inspired the greatest philosophers to think on God, time, memory, creation, and our humble existence.

4 comments about Acedia & Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer's Life.

1. Kathleen Norris is obviously a talented writer. ACEDIA AND ME certainly has some interesting and inspirational stories woven throughout. But overall, Norris uses her search for the meaning of the concept of acedia as a vehicle for relating her memoir. I found this to be a bit misleading. I had thought the issue of acedia, not Norris' memoir, would be the focus of this book. I suppose I had expected a more scholarly approach. I agree with the other reviewer who says that ACEDIA AND ME will appeal to fans of Kathleen Norris, but perhaps not the general reader.



2. This book was not what I expected. I anticipated a memoir, one of my favorite genres. Instead the book was an unstructured mixture of sermonlike discourses and epsidodic memories.
   
   Fans of Kathleen Norris may welcome the book. But as someone who wanted to get to know the person behind the name, I would have preferred more concrete pictures - a sense of what her life was really like, growing up as a Navy brat, marrying a poet and creating a writing career.
   
   Norris's themes were not novel. The theme of a wife caring for a troubled husband inevitably echoes more worldly memoirs, such as those of Jill Ker Conway and Katherine Graham. Psychiatry and religion have co-existed for years. At one point Norris's internist offers her samples of an anti-depressant without a psychiatric consultation. She accepts. That small interaction says more than the many pages comparing depression and acedia.
   
   Clearly the book was written for a very specific audience -- an audience that wants to explain contemporary phenomena through a spiritual lens. To take just one example, Norris condemns marketing, especially branding. As a professional marketer, I suspect the vast majority of consumers wear their brands far more lightly than Norris imagines. In fact, today's consumer flits from brand to brand in butterfly fashion. Contrary to her example, many consumers really don't care what brand of toothpaste they buy.
   
   I am not among the target audience for this book. I did enjoy some of Norris's stories about her life, although I was disturbed by the absence of humor.
   
   But I came away with the feeling that the author was herself struggling with sadness as she struggled to meet a publishing deadline. And I suspect memoir may not be Norris's forte. She writes what I would call sermons. If you like them, and you accept her orientation, this book will be for you.



3. I found this to be less satisfying than most of Kathleen Norris' work; it seemed to me to be a series of meditations on acedia without an overarching structure. Without the structure, it often becomes repetitive in a way that allows the reader to lose their way (the context/logic of the text).
   
   On the other hand, this is a useful reflection on how acedia manifests in our culture - ennui as an artistic stance, consumerism, frantic schedules ... Particularly interesting is her discussion (a topic frequently returned to) of the roles of the wisdom of the desert fathers and mothers and of psychiatry/psychoanalysis. Here Norris does an excellent job of bringing their wisdom to bear on our contemporary human condition - reminding me of To Love As God Loves: Conversations With the Early Church.
   
   Also interesting and useful are the biographic elements brought into the discussion - illness as a small child, her husband's suicide attempt, her sister's cancer, her own widowhood ... Through these events one sees how she balances wholeness as supported by her religious community with wholeness as supported by the medical community.
   
   Closing the book is a commonplace book on acedia with quotes from a diverse group of people - Seneca, Evagrius (referred to frequently in the book), John Climacus, David of Augsburg, Dante, Chaucer, Pascal, Wordsworth ...



4. This is a thoughtful memoir, full of incisive literary quotes from the author's wide reading. You may not be acquainted with the term acedia, but surely you are familiar with its many symptoms, offshoots, and corollaries: among them, lethargy, apathy, paralysis, depression, and alienation.
   
   The author tells the story of her marriage, of her husband's illness and death. Each chapter is a meditation, an essay on the author's search for clarity and meaning.
   
   Kathleen Norris is also the author of AMAZING GRACE: A VOCABULARY OF FAITH. She is at her best when defining concepts, especially religious concepts. In ACEDIA & ME: A MARRIAGE, MONKS, AND A WRITER'S LIFE, she concentrates on the concept of acedia and you will be supprised to learn how common it is. She looks at acedia as experienced, then as observed.
   
   Of course the author discusses Andrew Solomon's excellent study, THE NOONDAY DEMON, but she says that it is common to experience acedia without being clinically depressed. There are degrees of it, she says, respectable acedia and industrial acedia.
   
   The last section of the book is devoted to quotes touching on acedia from the wealth of our literature, Thomas Merton, Saul Bellow, Joan Didion, Ian Fleming, Walker Percy, and many, many others. I read every one of them and looked up from the book struck anew by the significance of the the author's theme.
   
   Those interested in reading more about intellectual acedia might want to start with Colin Wilson's THE OUTSIDER; those looking to read more on spiritual acedia might enjoy David Loy's take on it in LACK AND TRANSCENDENCE: THE PROBLEM OF DEATH AND LIFE IN PSYCHOTHERAPY, EXISTENTIALISM, AND BUDDHISM.

5 comments about Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope.

1. Mistaken identity was a story of two women, one killed tragically and one hurt and comatose. I read this book in two days. I couldn't put it down. I think at first it is a story about how trauma can put you in denial and question what is right in front of you, but then once acceptance is obtained, it shows how strength is drawn from faith and friends and love of family. These were two amazing families. I honestly cannot imagine the trauma that they both went through. An amazing story and an easy read. It makes you appreciate every moment of life.



2. I bought this book months ago, but kept putting it off for some reason. Yesterday I decided to pick it up and read. I had watched an interview months before with the two families explaining the situation and I wanted to know more. I was amazed by the reactions and the support given to both families during their time of need. I could barely put the book down and actually finished it in less than a day, which is more than I can say for other books. I think you don't even have to be religious to understand whats going on in the book because you go through this process with the families. It was amazing to read how both families pushed through and put on a positive face. Its also sad to have to read about one family finding out that the girl they thought was there own was actually someone else's. I especially felt sad when Aryn, who was going to propose to Laura after graduation, wrote his last blog. He seemed to be the most broken out of everyone in the family because he wanted to have a future with Laura. Its extremely brave of both families to handle the situation in a great way. They didn't feel a need to sue the man who was driving the truck that caused the accident, but instead would have just liked to know what really happened. This book was truly inspiring.



3. Everyone saw the news splashed across the headlines or on the evening news reports. The wrong family was sitting beside a recovering girl in the hospital. How could it have happened? Read MISTAKEN IDENTITY to get the inside account from the two families that were involved in the unbelievable story.
   
   The story seems straight out of the movies, almost too hard to fathom. But the Van Ryn and Cerak families, aided by Mark Tabb, tell the story of how Whitney and Laura were misidentified and two families dealt with both joy and sorrow with the help of their unerring faith in God.
   
   Laura and Whitney were both students at Taylor University, a Christian college in Indiana. There were both in a school van on their way back to campus from a banquet with a few other people. A tractor trailer crossed the median and hit the side of the van, plowing it onto the side of the road. "Laura" was thrown 50-feet from the van. When rescue workers found her, a purse and ID nearby said that it was Laura Van Ryn. The photo on the ID looked enough like her. Thus began a five-week trial for both families.
   
   The Cerak family received a call that Whitney had died in the accident. An employee from the university had identified her for the family. Colleen couldn't bring herself to look at the empty shell of what was left of Whitney, knowing in her heart that the true spirit of Whitney was now standing before God. Had Colleen gone and identified the body, would the error have been caught on the first night? No one knows.
   
   The entire story is a bunch of "what ifs" by both families. Little things during "Laura's" recovery made family and friends question and wonder when "Laura" would return to her full self. But with the doctors and therapists constantly telling the Van Ryns that the neurons are firing but not necessarily connecting properly yet, no one gave it a serious second thought.
   
   Only after "Laura" starts to come out of her coma and respond to therapy do the questions truly get raised. When a therapist asks "Laura" to write her name -- out came "W-H-I-T-N-E-Y." In the next few days, the pieces all come together, and a forensic dentist verifies the worst news for the Van Ryn family: this is not Laura after all.
   
   What should be a story of loss for the Van Ryn family is a story of unerring faith. They are truly grateful for the time they spent with Whitney in the hospital. They are happy for the Ceraks' miracle and do not blame God.
   
   The Cerak family went through grief but knew that Whitney had lived in God's love and was in a better place. They had sorrow, but knew that they would all see Whitney sometime in the future. When the call came that she may still be alive, Carly, Whitney's sister, would not believe it. Not until she saw with her own eyes did she believe the miracle that Whitney was still alive.
   
   The story is so uplifting in the true belief both families have in God, that even in the time of sorrow they both experienced, the reader never once felt truly sad. The Van Ryn and Cerak families are both truly exceptional families. They are unwavering in their faith and love in God. They are both wonderful examples of a life lived to the fullest.
   
   Reviewed by: Jaglvr



4. I enjoyed reading this book. I am not one for reading books, and I couldn't put this book down, a couple parts of this story actually had chills. The two familes are so strong and inspirational. This is a very religious book though.



5. Immediately after finishing this book, I recommended it to my mother & sister. Both said they couldn't stop the tears whilst reading the book. Especially my mother, who lost a brother in a similar car accident 20 years ago - who knew all too well the pain that the victims' families were going through. She said there were several times when she was forced to put down the book because she was crying so much.
   
   Despite the sadness of the events, I am amazed and impressed by the reactions of the families and Whitney herself. They deal with the tragedies with faith, and even humour. This book is most definitely worth a read - I've lent it to several people so far, and about to purchase extra copies as gifts for friends. I normally don't spend much money on books but this is definitely worth every dollar. I don't even begrudge the exorbitant sum I have to pay for international shipping.
   
   To non-Christian readers who say they felt alienated by the heavy Christian themes, I encourage them to read anyway. If you're interested in reading this book to understand how they coped with the tragedy, those parts of the books aren't just a Sunday sermon - they are part of the families' healing process.
   
   The only minor negative comment I have with this book is the style in which it is written. At times, it's overly emotive. The author's repeated use of "NOOOOOOOOO!" gets a bit tiring at times and suggests poor writing skills. The author could have done a better job of conveying emotions. But this is such a minor element of the book. The rest of the book is very easy to read and I still enthusiastically recommend this book.