Great overview with compelling and well researched arguments
936766
With a well-versed and well-researched approach, Aelred offers a summary of nearly all prominent arguments found in the contemporary American Evangelical debate around the churchs response to homosexuality.  With thorough and thoughtful analysis, Aelred demonstrates that the Evangelical church must reconsider how it treats people with diverse gender and sexual identities if it wants to remain faithful to its foundational assertions about the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The arguments presented in this book offer an important reminder that salvation does not come as a result of our adherence to culturally dependent pieties, but originates in the grace and love of God made known to us in Jesus Christ.
4736094
This book has a good theme, a good pace and is well researched and documented.

The structure is based on some open-ended questions that the author answers. He puts his facts and conclusions well and logically.

I strongly recommend this book -- even to a casual reader.
1203609
Beyond Reasonable Doubt is an excellent, readable, scholarly apologetics book well worth the time and effort to read. It has two excellent detailed chapters on why macroevolution is not compatible with Judaism (chapter 1 and appendix G). He covers the major scientific problems of getting life from simple organic molecules, why the fossil record clearly disproved macroevolution, why mutations as a whole always cause genetic meltdown, and other topics related to the scientific validity of evolution. Waldman also covers why the Hebrew Scriptures are scientifically valid when they touch on science topics. He is one of the growing number of Jewish scientists, academics, and scholars that have in recent years come out of the closet and openly declared that Darwinism does not only not explain how life originated, but that the scientific facts demonstrate that macroevolution could not, and did not, occur.
1003241
This book is a well-written and well-reasoned one that does not conveniently overlook opposing arguements, but fearlessly accepts their challenge and incorporates them into the discussion.  Even if you disagree with Mr. Abanes' conclusions, any thoughtful and well-informed reader can appreciate the arguments he uses to reach them.  I would recommend this book to anyone who is uncertain about the fantasy question, as well as anyone who has already made up their mind one way or the other.
459868
This is an incisive and compellingly written review of how countries around the world have struggled with welfare policies. In search of best practice James Bartholomew examines schools, healthcare, pensions, public housing, unemployment benefits and  other aspects of the panoply of policies which constitute the modern welfare state. From education in Australia and Finland to housing policy in France, he persuasively draws conclusions and prescriptions for how well or badly our modern welfare states serve our citizens. Although thoroughly backed up with footnotes and references this is fast-paced, lucid, persuasive and often shocking. The book is packed with fascinating asides, quotations and illuminating personal stories. Never fear, this is not a compendium of dry policy wonk papers.  He is particularly good at highlighting the often laughable unintended consequences of well meaning government policies. The discussion of the effects of welfare policies on civil behavior and less tangible qualities such as loneliness and happiness is perhaps the most original part of the book. And don't skip the Appendix.  I suppose it is relegated to the back because it is somewhat off topic, but it is nonetheless a trenchant questioning of the currently fashionable belief that inequality is the root of societal unhappiness. Richard Wilkinson (The Spirit Level) and Thomas Piketty (Capital in the Twenty-First Century), please read this! Bartholomew shows that the evidence is much stronger that the clumsy welfare state is the more likely culprit. The supporting charts and tables are clear, but one quibble is that the photographs are poorly produced.
1960278
Michael Ruse, a Professor of Philosophy at FSU, and a veteran of the evolution-vs.-creation tug-of-war for the hearts and minds of the American public provides an excellent overview for the layman of the intellectual debates that have raged between supporters and opponents of Charles Darwin and his theory of descent with modification, commonly referred to as evolution.

Ruse also highlights and elucidates the points of view of the various types of evolutionary scholars, including the classicists, neo-Darwinists, sociobiologists, etc., and offers his own perspective regarding the relative merits of each of these approaches.

The book is meticulously referenced, and each chapter includes comprehesive lists of additional reading material for those interested in more in-depth study of the particular chapter's subject matter.

Overall, this book is an invaluable resource to those interested in understanding the current status of evolutionary thought among scientists, and how that thought (pardon the pun) "evolved" over the past two and a half centuries.
4435293
This book was fantastic, and eye-opening.  I picked it up because the criticism of it by those in the media and random bloggers had me wondering what the fuss was about, and I'm so glad I did.  Most of their criticism is misplaced, in my opinion.  Sandberg presents a compelling argument for why women need to be encouraged to take control of their lives, in the business world and everywhere else.  Her arguments are backed up by solid research and illustrated nicely by her personal experiences.  As the mother of two daughters, I found lots of information here that will (I hope) help me as they approach college, grad school, and beyond. A wonderful, provocative, book.
2456195
What I found most attractive about this book is that Kennedy uses clear statistics to back up his points and argument. His thesis, essentially, is that economic power is the foundation upon which all other sorts of power rest (ie. military power, hegemony). He shows, an incredible number of charts and statistics, how the shift of military power and relative hegemony since 1500 have all come on the heels of a shift in economic power.

All his charts and tables, filled with hard economic data, are difficult to refute. He does not make an important point using thought-experiments or appealling to intuition; he backs up his arguments with hard data. His writting is clear and easy, though at some points dry. It's really just a facinating study into how when economic wealth shifts from one power to another, military power and hegemony are soon to follow.

From the Habsburgs, to the Portugense, the Spanish, the Dutch, the French, the British, the German, to American empire, Kennedy shows precisely with economic data when, how, and why these empires rose and collapsed.

This is truly and important book. While some reviewers here seem not to think so, one can't ignore his arguments and thesis when they are supported by such a range of hard data, which is this book's greatest asset. Great book, great thesis based on abundant hard, empirical evidence, absolute classic.

My minor criticisms are that he assumes knowledge on the part of the reader. Such as that the reader is generally aware of what the, for example, Crimean War was.
3724662
This book shows solid Biblical support for a greater hope and grander view of the gospel.  It lays out a clear argument with compelling evidence from Scripture as to why God's plan encompasses all people.  I have spent a lot of years evangelizing, but have to admit to experiencing a deep cognitive dissonance around the eternal torment issue.  The scriptural arguments in the book are compelling and such a joy to study!
4204797
Anderson provides a brilliant summation of the current assault on marriage and family.  This is an extremely well researched and presented case for natural marriage and the importance of children being raised by their biological mother and father if at all possible.  Moreover, he makes it clear that the proponents of same sex marriage and the cultural elites have no intention what-so-ever in accommodating religious individuals and organizations in the realm of marriage and family, and that our religious liberties at large are imperiled.  Anderson is exceedingly fair in his presentation of the facts as we now know them.  He acknowledges the strengths and weakness in the sociological literature.  He understands the arguments of those who are pushing to redefine marriage as merely a legal recognition of a romantic relationship.  However, he also presents a devastating case against this definition in terms of its negative impact on society and its harm to children.  By diluting and devaluing marriage many fewer children will benefit from being raised by their biological parents, and more will be raised in single family households or even destroyed in the womb than if natural marriage were protected and encouraged.  The only weakness I can see in Andersons presentation is in not recognizing, or at least not venturing into examining the root motivation of the same sex marriage agenda.  Maybe this is wise, but he tends to present the degradation of religious freedoms that accompany the push to validate unnatural marriage as a mere by-product of the proposed changes to the meaning of marriage rather than the actual underlying objective of the militant secular left.  Indeed, the groups championing this transformation know very well that if they can isolate faithful Christians and other religious groups legally, economically, and culturally on this issue then they can remove them from debating in the public square altogether.  Finally, the one star reviews here are obviously from those that are entirely agenda driven and have not read the book.  If they have read the book then they are intellectually dishonest if they cannot admit that Andersons work provides a thoughtful and thorough refutation of the same-sex marriage ideology.
1040307
This volume provides a general introduction to the troubling history of these two great world religions over the last 2,000 years (or so).  Starting with a lucid explanation of pagan anti-Semitism in the Greco-Roman world, Cohn-Sherbok takes us through centuries of violence and antipathy that culminated in the Holocaust of the mid Twentieth Century.  He also concludes with brief chapters on post-Holocaust anti-Semitism, and on the possibilities for Jewish-Christian reconciliation.  The latter, especially, provides a crucial "uplift" for the reader.

This is a very readable text.  It is NOT clogged with dense lists of demographic information or by obscure theological discussions.  It provides, rather, a general overview of the demographic issues which contributed to Christian violence against Jews through the ages; as well as a digestable level of insight into the theological issues that contributed to and justified this violence.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding the cultural causes of the Holocaust, the reasons for the existence of the state of Israel, or the theological differences between Judaism and Christianity.  I use this book as my core text in the college course, "Jesus and Judaism," that I teach.

Along these lines, I would also recommend "Liberating the Gospels" by John Shelby Spong and "Why the Jews?" by Prager and Telushkin.
4439553
A strong and well researched historical investigation of the persecution of Christians in the first 200 years of the common era. Moss' approach is dry and very scholarly, and she goes to great pains to support her argument with facts and logic. She has a compelling, and convincing, argument that Christians only faced persecution for short periods of time and only in some locations. The "myth" is that this persecution was constant and far ranging. A case in point is an event which took place during what early church fathers claim was a period of Roman persecution: one hundred Christians came to the local governor demanding that they be put to death for being Christians and thus achieve martyrdom. His response was to dismiss them. If you are interested in a balanced understanding of the evolution of Christianity you should read this book.
845800
Moreland has written a lucid and compelling defense of Christianity.  True, the arguments are theoretical and often difficult to grasp; however, the time spent attempting to understand them will not be time wasted.
While the work is fantastic from beginning to end, Moreland's explication of the Kalam cosmological argument--an argument originally devised by MUSLIM scholars and mathematicians--is breathtaking.  The other arguments--cosmological, teleological, etc--rely on premisses that some non-theists might find initially unacceptable; the kalam argument, however, relies on the nature and limits of the most exact of the sciences: mathematics.
Beyond this, Moreland's work with and understanding of science and its interface with philosophy and theology is especially helpful.  He makes a powerful case not only for the value, but the necessity of a philosophy of science.
In sum, the work is indispensable for anyone willing to honestly investigate the plausibility of the Christian worldview.  A close, reflective reading will not go unrewarded.
4704467
Fletcher's book lays out exhaustive evidence exposing the bankruptcy of the arguments for free-trade. Its stated goal is to give supporters of a balanced national economic policy an arsenal of talking points to counter the prevailing arguments in favor of unrestrained free trade. He supports his argument with extensive documentation, using the most up-to-date sources, including those released in 2011, when the second edition was published. Fletcher is preaching to the converted for a reason: he sees progressives harming their own cause by falling back on right-wing bashing that ignores the possibility of rational discourse--when such discourse could systematically dismantle the case for free-trade. The Kindle version costs 99 cents, and best of all, the textual footnotes actually hyperlink to sources in the back of the book, making it easy and fast to check out the originals on-line. This book is superior, both in its brilliance, documentation and user-friendly e-format. Highly recommended.
2083538
Beyond Liberty Alone has a case to make. But it thankfully avoids the polemical approach that other books of its type make. Instead it begins its argument in a conversational tone, presenting both the liberal and the liberty alone stances, each in a familiar and compelling way. Only then does it reach beyond where those arguments typically stop, digging into history of the formative ideas of natural rights, liberty and free markets in order to make a deep and compelling case against liberty alone  the authors term for a political movement that holds liberty as a preeminent or overriding value.

Hobbes, Locke and Adam Smith are referenced heavily. Both religious and non-religious viewpoints are taken into account and treated with great sensitivity.

The result is a very satisfying read. Ideas are fully formed. Some conclusions are unexpected, often coming from a familiar and accepted set of premises. And this is what makes this book valuable:  it is the product of the mind of an original thinker. The last pages contain a bold revision of our Declaration of Independence. Highly recommended.
2739730
A compelling defense of how capitalism can not only create wealth and balance supply and demand, but can also serve society in many highly beneficial ways. The evolution in John Mackey's personal perspective is particularly illuminating and puts a sensible and sensitive human voice behind a persuasive argument. A terrific read!
3935515
Dr Hunt's research and insights offered in Cities of Empire is quite impressive and he makes a compelling case for the rise of urban centers the world over based on the effects of British colonization and economic power. I really enjoyed reading through the chapters of this book as Dr Hunt explores the historical development of various cities worldwide. Highly recommend reading if you're an avid reader of subjects such as history, economics or social sciences in general.