this should be read with his wonderful work, "An Answer to the Question
919921
If possible, this should be read with his wonderful work, "An Answer to the Question:  'What is Enlightenment?'"  Kant is not as difficult to read as some people think.  This edition is wonderful for any research regarding the Age of Reason.
2016603
This would be as definitive a close reading of this masterpiece as we might wish for. Yet to read it is not the end point: it's to practice what Augustine himself does - to Confess praise to one's Creator and so to know oneself a loved creature coram Deo!
1764294
I feel this book pulled a lot of prior publications together, and feel it the best of his works, should become a classic, if not already......he seems to pull you into his book as if you are viewing what develops as you travel his journey by his side.  HIS JOURNEY CARRIES YOU THRU THE INNER AND OUTER DIMENSIONS OF BEINGNESS.
2564108
Steve Hemphill was inspired to write this by the purest of intentions, a desire to know more about where his father will be. Hemphill was very close to his father. At his father's death he needed to come to grips with Heaven in a more personal way. He did this via a long, thorough study of the scriptures dealing with it. So how strong is his view of Heaven? When he and his brother found a thick sealed envelope after his father's death, the writing on the outside of the envelope said that if they held this in their hands AFTER he had died that they should destroy it. They made their decision on what to do based on what their dad would say to them when they saw him again in the resurrection. More of us should make our decisions based upon similar reasoning. Additionally, a series of what he felt were providentially inspired events led him to start something he had never really thought of doing in the past, writing a book.

  In this book on Heaven, he has written very thoughtfully and provocatively. He goes to the core of what our beliefs are on the matter. Is Heaven a plane of existence far up in the sky where our spirits will float with the clouds while we sing Kumbaya and master the art of harp playing or not? Hemphill takes the position, with a plethora of biblical support, that Heaven will be located in a place very different than many have thought.

  Interspersed with his MANY scriptures which have led his thoughts, are also some very interesting thoughts on God's covenant with men and Biblical prophecy. Hemphill takes a very literal view of the majority of the scriptures that he uses. Although I do not necessarily agree with some of his points, they were certainly carefully considered, both respectable and worth further study and consideration. This book does a very valuable thing, it makes you think. He also makes a VERY good case for a six day beginning of things in the Garden.

  Things you will see addressed here are: What does Earth burning up have to do with Heaven? Will there be anything left of Earth after the fire? Are there animals in Heaven? Will there really be NO tears? What will we remember when we get there? Will our rewards all be the same? Will we truly have mansions? Is there a difference between salvation and reward? If we are singing and worshiping so much will there be other activities to do? There are many more subjects as well.

  Finally, along with the factually based material, I thoroughly enjoyed the fictional interludes. There are sections at the ends of each chapter dealing with that chapter's subject matter in a "what might be" format. In these interludes, Hemphill's father, Jamie, is led and given insight by his angelic helper who gives him an ongoing orientation concerning what Heaven is all about.

  This is a heart-felt book which, as stated earlier, was written with heavy reliance upon God's Word, prayer and the most wonderful motivator of all, love. In this case it is a son's love for his father. I heavily recommend reading this book and am pleased to be its first reviewer for Amazon.
668441
This happens to be a wonderful book that makes think. Read it, because it's some good word stuff and a classic
295704
I received this book as a Christmas present and was both surprised and pleased to see part of Carl Sagan's unpublished archive had made it into the public domain. The work is a series of transcripts of a series of Gifford lectures, on the topic of natural theology,  which Sagan delivered in Glasgow during 1985. The style of the book is different from those such as Cosmos of Contact which he deliberately prepared for written publication, as in this case the text is transcribed from his verbal presentations in public lectures and includes his impromptu responses to unscripted questions.
The end results, sensitively edited by his widow Ann Druyan, is a delightful opportunity to experience the rhetorical skill, and depth of thinking, of a man who had been brought up a Jew, had a great respect of the pervasive sense of order he discovered through his telescopes and remote controlled space craft and was genuinely opened minded about the root causes of reality.
The lecture topics begin with the sense of wonder which anyone can feel by looking out into the heavens on a clear night, move on discuss the place of humanity in the universe and then discuss the origins and probability of the emergence of life. Having established a foundation of the cosmos humanity inhibits Sagan's next lecture begins to pose the question "Are we alone?". He looks at the possibility of discovering and communicating with any intelligences which might have developed elsewhere in the universe, and whether any such contact has already taken place. Next his lectures  move on to discuss the nature of the concept of God, and whether either human religious experiences or science can offer any insights. His penultimate lecture looks human condition and humanity's future prospects. He makes a strong case for the need to learn to love our fellow humans and to learn how to cooperate with individuals whose views we do not accept, it we as a species are to survive long-term. He makes the powerful point, in discussing the potential destructive power of humanity, that such cooperation is not needed to save the planet, as he comments
"Whatever the causes that divide us (humanity)... it is clear that the Earth will be here a thousand or a million years from now. The question, the key question, the central question - in a certain sense the only question - is, will we?"
The final lecture is an inspirational exhortation to use the skills of science, the insights of religion and the common cause of all earthlings to make the most of a tiny, island of life.

The book is a wonderful inspirational read. It shows the strength of science method, the motivational urge of religion and urges all humanity to realise how unusual or "pale blue dot" of a home is and how we should all try to take care of it.
1748369
Amazing.  I just wish his book on the Parmenides dialogue was also available.
4539929
A wonderful album for a wonderful man. Many little verbal snapshots, but I couldn't break off reading. Lots of good reasons for reading this book. For history.  For style in speaking and writing. For political insight.  For personal strength.  Just don't come expecting a shrine. It cites the words that saved the world. But this book, like the author's Wit and Wisdom of Benjamin Franklin, moves from quotations to essays, and eventually to sometimes titillating and often hilarious annecdotes.  This deviltry brings his subjects closer to us -- what's closer seems larger. This is an enlarging book.
1693746
What a remarkable man, and a mesmerizing writer.  I was so moved by the depth in this story  and the life he led, his passion and gratitude for literature, for the sciences, and most of all, others. I hope this book gets a wide audience. This book is a great gift he left for the rest of us to learn from and more deeply question if we, ourselves, are living with even half the fullness and commitment that this man did. A book I will long remember and hold onto. Obviously, I can't recommend it any more highly.
763667
John Amodeo's "Dancing with Fire" is a lovely, loving book.  Insight after gentle insight makes for a very thorough string of variations on his deeply felt theme: Two great sources of human development have run parallel, conflicted, and now need to be woven together.
 These two are spirituality (which for him is Buddhism ) on the one hand, and on the other, personal experience, feeling and relating (he's a psychotherapist, sensitive soul, and a disarmingly courageous man, with more than enough guts to wear his tender, sweet heart on his sleeve, page after page).
 On the surface his idea is simple.  For him, and for us increasingly, higher realms of spirit and down deep, bodily felt experience can, must, and in his consulting room and reflections do work in harmony if also, inevitably at times in creative tension.  But getting this idea, of "both and" as another piece of information is a cinch.  Digesting and bringing a deepened more inclusive practice of attending to both into your life is a whole other matter.  This book is about as good company and guidance as any I've seen.
 Full disclosure: I've known John Amodeo for decades, and have drawn inspiration from the same streams he has.  Best of all I've spent hours exchanging "listening and focusing" time with him.  But my words here are no mere favor to a friend.  I'm a Vietnam vet seared by witnessing and being complicit in horror, and dedicated for the rest of this life to aiding those who serve peace. "Dancing with Fire" is a breathtaking gesture of just such great service.  I know how immense the deep, peaceful silence John Amodeo brings when listening to a fellow being.  And as a fellow author, I know the monumental challenge of translating inspiring love for others into words that reach out from the page to understand, comfort and embrace.
 Read this book.  You will be greatly rewarded to know and be "listened to" by this man.

Artie Egendorf, PhD
Master Teacher
EnergysWay.com
1916440
I propose that this book be read simultaneously with "The Conscience  of Words", by Elias Canetti. They cover about the same theme,  Toulmin's, analytically, Canetti's, poetically. Prepare yourself to an  intellectual feast!
4314252
I have taken it upon myself to be a sort of bridge between the academic world and the lay world, specifically when it comes to the mimetic theory of Ren Girard. That is because, as many of you are probably aware, Girards theory primarily resides within the halls of academia. And with the profundity of the theorygiven its ability to be applied across a broad range of disciplines, as well as its ability to get to the root of the human problem of violencethe masses need to start hearing about it. But it will have to be conveyed in an accessible way, because frankly, not everyone is going to read something like Things Hidden since the Foundation of the World. Well, that being said, what we have in this book is all that and more. Perhaps, for the first time, you have a book that contains the words of Girard himself, put in such a way that most people will be able to grasp what is really being said. And therein is the beauty of this project.

Reading the Bible with Ren Girard begins autobiographically, which was quite enjoyable for me, especially considering I have had the great pleasure of personally meeting most of the Girard family. Now, intertwined within the various autobiographical accounts, Ren and interviewer Steven Berry also discuss the origins of mimetic theory, even going into great detail how the world of literature was instrumental in the development of this type of thought. After this introduction of sorts, the reader is then taken on a journey into how human cultures arise, how they are structured, how our stories are told, and how, then, the Gospels should be viewed in light of this. And because the ease with which this all reads is not lost in the great details, but rather, quite the opposite, by the end of chapter 3, you should feel as if you swallowed the red pill offered by Morpheus. It really is that revelatory.

But the hits don't stop there. They keep on coming. Throughout the remainder of the book, Girard will offer, not only his insights into how to approach the Gospels, giving his wonderful exegesis of various passages, but also what I can only describe as a brilliant anthropological context for the Hebrew Scriptures (which for most, remains the elephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about). Well, after reading this book, I believe that will change for you.

I don't want to give away too many details, so allow me to close by saying this. In my tribute to Ren Girard after his passing last year, I predicted that Ren would one day be viewed as one of the most important figures in human history. Now, if that turns out to be true, I cannot help but think that this book will be one of the biggest reasons. So a hearty thank you to the editor, Michael Hardin, is in order for putting together these conversations.

Peace can be achieved in our lifetime, and this book will no doubt take us in that direction.

Undoubtedly, this book gets 5/5 stars.
1137678
As with any piece, I suggest you read this book and make up your own mind.  Do as he suggests, have an open mind.  After all, how else do we learn?
1298481
As the cover quip suggests, this IS a treasure trove of insights.

I have been totally inspired by this man's conviction and boundless enthusiasm. His conception of theatre is unique and phenomenal, I don't think we will ever see his like again, not with the dumbing down of the world and aesthetics, etc.

I understand the rawness and points of many a play thanks to this man. His voice is hypnotising and authoritive.

Can genius like this ever see the light of day again?
1016020
He has real solutions that should be considered.  His love for God and country is inspiring.  It causes one to think of where we should be heading, but we aren't
2572255
Outstanding.  It would be wonderful if more books were written in this format; essentially the author takes one of his premises, genuinely giving without expectation, and uses it to write a book. Although I would bet he could write a wonderful book on his own, using the direct words and and experiences of others makes this book even better.  It is always a good idea to learn from the experiences of others, in this case you learn from the author who also allows you to learn from 20+ other very good sources.  As much as this can now serve as a handbook for building a community, like most wonderful information much of this can be applied to improve upon many facets of life.
4558084
Not only is this book well written, it is a a beautiful and thought provoking tretise on the value of work written
by a man who knows what he is talking about.