Good Content, Thought Provoking
925748
This book was very informative and refreshed my memory on several concepts I'd heard before. There was a lot of good information for women who want to relate better to the men in their lives. I did not find any new and fresh concepts, just the same concepts proposed another way.

I did, however, love the way spiritual truths were sprinkled throughout - especially the section on prayer. Rinehart talks about something I learned at a couple's retreat several years ago - marriage is a triangular relationship. Marriage is you, your husband, and God - and if it is to be strong, all three points of the triangle must be there. She also talks about praying for the men in your life, and specifically, ways to understand and love him better.

The Relational Genius Guide, Appendix B, offers some thought-provoking questions with space for the reader to fill in the answers. This takes the gist of each chapter and applies it to the men in your life, enhancing your understanding.

Overall I enjoyed this book, even though some areas were a little dry - probably because I had previously read similar books. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand men better. The book achieves its goal of clearly showing how men think, why they do what they do, and what they struggle with.

Rinehart poses a very thought-provoking question at the end of the book..."At the end of your life, what would you want to be remembered for by the man you love? How would you want to remember him?" I'm still mulling over that...
3985211
I liked this book and found it well worth the read. I found it to be insightful and full of good food for thought, whether you find you agree with every point, or not. The author digs deep into spirituality and what it means for us and others. His sincerity, desire to be filled with and have the knowledge of Gods grace, and desire for good for all is evident. This book matches up closely with my Christian beliefs, though I may depart slightly on some points. No matter our personal beliefs and thoughts, reading anothers thoughts with an open mind can expand our own knowledge, whether we accept ever point, or not. I found this book worthy and valuable.

I have read M A Streets four novels, as well, and found them to be unique and captivating stories. Each one touched me. Whether you like this book, or not, you may enjoy his fiction. Excellent writing and excellent stories.
2440353
I appreciated how the author could identify with the issue of introspection.  And I thought he did a good job of getting the reader to identify this issue in their lives.  The author doesn't just stop there with the identification of the problem, but points the reader to the answer which is Christ.  I struggle with introspection and it's easy to over-analyze every situation of my life to exhaustion. This introspection only produces insecurity and fear in my life which is far from my actual goal. This book was a great reminder of what I already know, quit focusing on yourself and get your eyes upward on Christ and outward on serving others.  Sometimes we just need to be reminded of what we already know.
I will say that at about chapter 8 or so, I was thinking, "hmmm... I thought I already read this." So I would say that some of the material is rather repetitive.  Other than that, it was a good read that will remind you of where your focus should really be.
***I received this free book from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions are my own.
3333836
Insightful...A Metaphysical look at the Christian Scriptures, through the lens of Science of Mind founder Ernest Holmes.  Your ability to "get something" out of this book will be determined strictly by the depth of your Doctrinal Dogma.  As a "thinking Christian" who knows that our conception of who/what God is, is completely limited by our lack of comprehension of the basic aspects of life itself, the universe and certainly the "meaning therein", I find this consideration of scripture to be interesting, enlightening and useful. I value the perspective on scripture which is presented here and find that it causes me to consider and mull over not just meaning but context.  I deeply and seriously considered my decision to become a Christ Follower (made over 40 years ago) and find that I can be that and also derive much from these teachings and considerations; indeed I find greater clarification in some of the perspectives presented in this book than in much of the treatise of "traditional" Western Christian theology.  Not looking for a debate from other Christians....your thoughts are yours, these thoughts are mine.
3827127
I bought this as material for a weekly question for a chat site, but have found it very thought provoking.  I find myself opening it randomly to stir introspection.
197355
Enjoyable, thought provoking, with a touch of humor and reality.  I would like my teenage children to read it.  It's mostly common sense but sometimes we all need some motivation to realign our mindset and goals with our morals.  I love quotes and real life examples, author did a good job of keeping it real and not putting you to sleep.  It was a nice easy read that I would read again down the road for a realignment when needed.
3309979
Thought provoking.  Not sure what else I can say at the moment.  I bought this as both a Kindle book and an audiobook.  Both add value.  There is a lot to consider in the author's propositions about the power yet temporary nature (possibly) of our intersubjective beliefs.  I need to think on this more.
2049237
For any thought leader in his/her business or industry, this is good reading.  Peter Frase lays out possible (he might say they are probable) scenarios for a future of abundance and equality.  Of course, future world equality implies better things for those below the line and worse things for those above the line, and the impact of these things are what Frase suggests people consider.  He paints four futures but doesn't "predict" the future--rather suggests it's in the hands, collectively, of readers to drive the future.

That's all good if his basic premise is correct and that's subject to conjecture.  Still, as one data point in thinking about business impact, it's a premise worth considering.  This book might actually be his Ph. D. Thesis and that's how I read it--interesting reading from a smart person, but only one smart person, as I contemplate the future.
4623984
Delivered as promised. The content is very thought provoking and helpful for a small group engaged in discussing later life.
2049877
The only thing that I have against this book is that the entire content is on the cosmic awareness website.  I thought that this would be an in depth look at the cosmic laws of cosmic awareness, but it's not.  If I hadn't known about the website and just bought the book, I probably would give it five stars, but since I did know about the website (which is why I bought the book), I probably wouldn't have bought the book had I know its contents.  It is nice to not have read the stuff online though and have it in a print form at your fingertips.
The laws themselves are right on, and good material to contemplate and meditate on.  The laws are not offensive to any religious thought (except maybe satanism), and though a lot of people knowing a little about the Center of Cosmic Awareness probably think that they're kinda out there, this book doesn't get into any of that stuff (the aliens, the conspiracies, etc.).  This is just the spiritual stuff and it's all good stuff.  I would recommend this book to anyone of any religion that is seriously interested in their spiritual growth.  As with any book though (especially religious/spiritual books), approach it with an open heart and open mind, but USE your critical thinking skills.
The book itself is written in a way that you can read a meaningful portion in a short period of time, and you don't have to read it cover to cover.  The only portion that really needs to be read from beginning to end is the introduction.  After that, you can skip to whatever chapter you'd like to read.  Each law takes up about half a page to a couple pages.  The laws are like laws of science - not laws as in commandments.  All in all, very worthwhile.
311606
This book is deeply thought-provoking and covers a very difficult topic.  I especially appreciated the author's inclusion of brain research on the effect of meditation, prayer, and community on people.  Our understanding of religion and God is evolving.
1024003
This is not a book you can skim through in an afternoon. It has substance. While the book is quite readable, the content requires you to stop and think about what you are reading. And that, of course, is what apologetics is all about - thinking about what you believe and why.

This book is a great introduction to some of the great issues of the Christian faith, and how we, as followers of Jesus, can stand firm on the Bible and what we believe to be true. It contains chapters on the reliability of the Bible, what Christians can do to stand against the challenges of postmodernism, Atheism, Islam, and other key apologetical issues (e.g., the problem of evil). Overall, the book did an excellent job of summarizing the Christian stance on these issues.

And best of all, the book has several chapters on how to incorporate truth into our lives. Living the truth is not about beating people over the head with it, but having the answers when the questions are raised in relationships that we have developed.
1177752
The book has the life experiences, and wisdom from them.  He was a Catholic priest, got married, became a minister, and then a business person for computer company Control Data.  He has a wide variety of experiences and common sense knowledge.  It has some spirituality, but not overly so.  He focuses on the realities of life, and decisions one must make.  How not to expect something for nothing.  Enjoyable and thoughtful read.
425740
In general, I liked this book and found it useful.  I thing it contains a lot of good concepts, but because of the dialogue format it is difficult to get one's arms around all the concepts.  There are also some holes that are left unaddressed, again probably because of the format.

Given the above context, I think that there are many gems in this book and a lot of practical advice.  Reading the dialogue between all these prominent people is thought provoking and challenges you to consider the underlying assumptions of your own emotional life.

There is a lot of good advice in this book about handling destructive emotions, but the scope is actually wider than that.  I found it to be more of an exploration of the nature of emotion and how to live with emotions in a balanced way.

There are advantages and disadvantages to this approach to writing.  There are a number of reviews that praise this book and others that shoot it down.  I think the reality is somewhere in the middle.

The people engaged in the dialogue are great choices, but somehow when the book went to print I think the written form missed capturing the full spirit of what went on at the actual event.  I wasn't there, but I get a sense that in the transfer from speaking to writing some important meanings didn't come across.

In spite of my feedback above, I wouldn't be discouraged from buying this book.  It is unique and has a lot to say.  My three star rating is merely an indication that I think the information could have been presented better and perhaps elaborated on in a way that brought the concepts more to life.
1164789
I did not know what to expect in this book when I received it,  but after reading through a number of the chapters, I have to say that the book is a great combination of practical wisdom from Scripture and many other fields.  What I liked was that the book went deep and asked questions to make you think deeper about your own connection to nonviolent communication.

At the end of each chapter, the author provides discussion questions to help the reader organize his or her thoughts around the books' emotional and intellectual content. The book is actually written to promote discussion and I could easily see a group of people taking the book and using it to start having quality dialogue regarding nonviolent communication.

For me, there were a few areas that referenced wikipedia, and being a person that relies on quality research, I tend not to always appreciate references to this type of online reference, but other than that I was quite impressed and know that other readers will be as well.
2174080
I really liked this book - I don't think I've ever read another quite like it. I was surprised by the content (read it in 2 sittings because I couldn't put it down) and it caused me to ponder on my own choices and things/people that influence me for days. Even now, weeks later, I still catch myself thinking about some of the concepts presented in this book. I highly recommend!
1452836
Ever since President Jimmy Carter said he was born again, the term has been used a great deal. But just what does it mean?

Barringer lays a good foundation, establishing why we are no longer who God created us to be, and why Jesus said (to Nicodemus) we must be born again. I like his ideas on identity. Apart from God, we will never be who we were intended to be as our identity comes from Him. Barringer's thoughts on God's jealousy were enlightening. I am glad he confronted the myth of people being born good. He also writes about sins but, oddly enough, defines sins well after he has written much about them. I did, however, really like his discussion as it gave me a new understanding of sin.

The rest of the book is about the process of living out being born again, loving God and loving our neighbor. His thoughts on loving God and how to love Him more were great. His thoughts on loving my neighbor were very convicting and insightful.

This would be a good book for new Christians or for people who have been Christians for a while but long for a new understanding of what it all means. It would also be a good book for use in an evangelism type of group, introducing nonChristians to the idea of being born again and what it all means. The Bible is used quite a bit so the leader of an evangelistic might first want to lay the groundwork for believing the Bible is actually the Word of God first.

I, as a Christian for over 50 years, also found some really good material in this book that was convicting. Barringer's definition of sin was new to me and made me much more aware of sin in my own life. I would recommend every Christian read this book just for that section alone. He has a section on gay marriage that really made me think a while. I'm not sure I like what he said but it was certainly thought provoking. He also speculates a little about eternity, saying God will celebrate our diversity by letting us retain our languages, but meld us into one by allowing us to understand every language. That and much more is food for discussion.

There are very good discussion questions at the end of each chapter so this book would be a good choice for a group study. It's a thought provoking book and Christians, new and old, would benefit from reading it.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the author for the purpose of an independent and honest review.