Amazingly Unenlightening
356000
I am so curious as to why so many people found this book SO helpful. I just received mine in the mail today, and am sending it right back tomorrow-what a total waste of time and postage! I started reading it and quickly found that there was absolutely no advice that any person with a lick of common sense doesn't already know. I kept flipping through the book, trying to find something that would turn a lightbulb on in my head, something that would make me want to really pore through the book-nothing. If you love this book and found insight from it, well, congratulations. You are amazing.
2330895
As a political junkie, I was ready to read this book with an open mind. However, it only took reading a few pages to realize this book was a work of fiction - based on Sarah's lopsided view of things. I was truly stunned by this "christian" woman's venom and vitriol about ANYONE she saw as not "with her". I found her to be cruel , mean spirited, and a hypocrite. So much for "christian values". There was no need to demonize so many everday people from her experiences. Very thin skinned and nasty.
I honestly can only skim most of this book. It is truly a work of fiction. As to all those people who were villified.....consider the source.
SAD.
386263
I am not a wuss, and I love horror novels.  The authors are correct in warning people about the graphic, and I personally find, unnecessarily grotesque and graphic imagery.  This is not horror, but a description of sick, unnerving mental problems and extremely personal violence.  The average person should probably not be exposed to this imagery.  I'm not sure why anyone would want to read something like this.  It's not entertaining and any written skills the writers do have could be applied to a much more beneficial thriller product.  They've simply wasted their time.  Being disturbing does not qualify something a good literature.  I do not recommend this book to anyone, and I would discourage Amazon from making such a text available for free.  Many people will find this upsetting.  I strongly suggest avoiding it.
2803383
I would have given it 0 stars but that's not possible.  Writing is rather plebeian. The author makes the mistake of writing as though he were speaking, which is very distracting, and grammatically incorrect.  But the worst of it is that the plot is totally unbelievable!  He's not shy about overstating that all government employees and elected officials are self-serving, holier-than-thou people who are only concerned with their own aggrandizement and not one bit with the welfare of ordinary citizens.  His "hero" is given a free pass in killing as many of them as he can, which is stunning!  If the world were really as he posits, then I am making a big mistake in not owning lots of guns and in not planning my escape route when the 'gummint' comes to take all I have.  I don't have a problem with being skeptical and keeping a watchful eye out; or with holding government employees feet to the fire, but this is too right wing, one train of thought for me.  If you're of his mindset, maybe you'll like it;  I didn't.
2396858
Words are not enough to explain how bad this is.
4217272
Here is what I found amazing: this film could have been told on an obscene slant... directors Ewing and Grady could have edited the film to make the featured Zionists appear "crazy." In fact, I was expecting a Morgan Spurlock  extreme-approach (in a good way!) Instead, these directors removed the "spin" and allowed the fundamentalist, evangelical participants to showcase their considerable ignorance of The Bible (and religion in general). (Seriously, did you get the impression that they have no idea what the "Judeo" in "Judeo-Christian" means?!)

As a person raised with no religious affiliation, I have always been fascinated with theology . . . especially in an historical context. Generally uneducated, those who subscribe to the Pentecostal branch of Christianity seem to either "conveniently" forget OR genuinely do not understand that glossolalia (or speaking "speaking in tongues") does NOT mean constructing an impromptu language, but refers to the "miracle" of when "tongues of fire" allowed the Apostles to speak in their native language BUT BE HEARD in a variety of languages . . . so that they could communicate with the diverse crowd. Underscore: ACTUAL LANGUAGES THAT ARE KNOWN AND SPOKEN BY A POPULATION:) (see Acts). It is often interpreted as a Christian reversal of the Tower of Babel story. And that the Pentecostal church insists on this gross misinterpretation underscores their inherent xenophobia. So, if you ever wondered why you were uncomfortable when watching their COMPLETELY CONSTRUCTED "babble" (read: "Babel"), it is not mere embarrassment for them, but horror at such a vulgar reading of a sacred text.

While one's instinct is to scoff at the ridiculousness of these delusional plebs (who score about a fifty on the Binet Scale), one must not be so hasty. The film depicts, in painful detail, how they infect their children with ignorance (who knew they had their own propaganda videos?!) Denying them the right to learn both science and art. (But did anyone else notice that Levi's mother was reading Lord of the Rings?!! And we all know, according to Becky, that this type of "deviltry" is not permitted in any "good Christian" home). Any comedic value is instantly negated as the viewer beholds a child doomed to a dark existence. My question is, how are these parents not held to an educational standard by the state? (I do NOT think the children should BE FORCED to learn evolution . . . I just believe they should be required to learn basic biology, math, and literature).

As a relatively cosmopolitan person on the East Coast . . . a person three hours from Philadelphia and two from NYC . . . it is really difficult to imagine this is reality for Middle America. It looks like another world . . . dusty and devoid of opportunities for intellectual enrichment. And I feel sympathy for all those living in this region who are being unfairly stereotyped as "dumb" or "uncivilized" . . . rest assured, those of us watching this film do not believe that every person in Missouri is an uncultured nut-job . . . just some;)

Watch this film if you have an interest in (apparently legal) child-abuse, education, or cult-mentality.
3774062
After the first few pages, I had to actually go back to the cover to make sure this book wasn't a spoof.  I find the author's psychiatric evaluation of both Amanda and Raffele to be absurd.  He reaches FAR into some made up sense of rage and childhood scarring to create a motive.  I don't even know which example to choose, they are all beyond intelligent rationalization. From Amanda holding a "peace" sign up in a picture (most kids and even some adults attempt to look "cool" by doing this, to her sudden ability to become a murderer with a man she just met, is baffling.  There is no prior history of violence in either of their backgrounds, and to make up this long fictional story based on a subjective analysis of both Amanda and Raffelle's childhood experiences, without even meeting them or doing the professional testing to form such conclusions, is ridiculous and downright unethical.  There was no DNA in Meredith's room from either of them.  It is impossible to clean away invisible DNA, and from the story that the author tells, there is NO WAY they could have not left traces of their presence.  This book lacks any scientific proof indicating their involvement.  It is just a wildly imaginative story.  I feel dumber after wasting my time reading this tabloid garbage.  Skip this book if you want to read a serious, fact based analysis.  It is pure fiction, nothing more.
3902555
I thought that someone trying to make a period film would do at least some reading about the period and/or the historical events. Boy, I was wrong. The creators' ignorance is amazing. I bet they did not even bother to speak to any person knowledgeable about the WW 2 or Red Army.  Most of the plot and relationships (except the snipers' scenes) is simply unbelievable, irritatingly irrational, and historically wrong to the extent of grotesque and farce.

  Sure, there is occasional decent acting and some special effects, though the effects are much less convincing than those in much older "Saving Private Ryan" or "Black Hawk Down." If you have seen those two great movies, you will not like this one. Avoid at all cost!
3512983
Way of the Peaceful Warrior changed me.  It transformed me into a being who will never trust the title of a book again.  The degree pseudo-intellectualism and ridiculous insight within the pages of this book are only surpassed by the one-dimensionalness of the characters.  I was forced by an employer to read this book and it only took a glance at the cover art and quick scan of the blurb to blow the top off of my lame-o-meter.  The "sage" is a rude mystic who seems to hide every nugget of insight within a crusty coating of belittling insults.  The progagonist is a somewhat dense, however sexually satisfied jock, who undergoes supernatural experiences vaguely reminiscent of peyote induced spirit quests.  The entire time I read this story, I felt like I was listening to the ramblings of a person who has been brainwashed by a cult.  If I were less opinionated, I would say that this book is not for me.  Because I AM so opinionated, I'd say this book is not for anyone.  If you haven't bought it, don't.  If you have already purchased it, you could use it as a coaster.
4810619
I just saw this greedy nut on the Raymond Arroyo show. Carl Jung observed insightfully that people can't help but leave clues as to their true nature psychologically, and this guy bears it out strenuously. When asked why he wrote this book, literally the first words out of his mouth was "Money!". Then he augmented this insight by burbling on about Random House's greatly needing his further animadversions. Oy vey! Let us stipulate that Christianity  has had, and continues to have have brilliant defenders. It is just that Mr. Coren is not remotely one of them. When asked how he defends the  doctrine of the Resurrection of Jesus, he flipped instantly  into a little spiel about all Jesus' friends being a lot of street toughs and -- his words -- a "former terrorist." I am not kidding when I say that he averred that this made them more credible sources because they were more streetwise as to what dead looked like. This is the level of this guy's thinking!  Also, it is hard to figure who in Jesus' group would fit that modern title  of "terrorist" without the most violent hyperbole. But then, this guy Coren is clearly into violent hyperbole thoroughly . The very opening of his book disgustingly uses the horrible massacre in Norway in the most base and vile way to make a cheap and off-base point,  and traffics in the most grotesque falsehoods and generalizations to boot. He seems to have studied zero history. He seems unaware that hateful rhetoric is ALWAYS overly broad and contradictory. Thus, the whole excuse and premise of his  ghoulish use of this terrible tragedy fails to even grasp the essentially polymorphous nature of all hateful, jingoistic rhetoric. It is an equal opportunity abuser of all sorts of decent groups -- including Christians. But in Coren's paranoid universe it is all aimed at his choices. It is amazing that this hateful piece of careening apologetics got published. And shame on this publisher for inexcusably using this demented man to make a few bucks.  It is not even a good defense of an ancient faith.
1619843
I do not understand the mountains of praise this book has received.  I found it very dull, easy to put down, and quite unrealistic.  Okay, it's sort of a cute idea to be told from the perspective of pubescent boys who are obsessesed with these girls, but much of it is just in bad taste.  The unrealistic parts also bugged me.  If children are taken out of school, someone official will investigate.  School is mandatory.  Particularly if there is a suicide, there would be an investigation ... even in a small town!  The boys as men finally comment on the selfishness of suicide, but it is only after we have endured page after page of their own self-absorption, their own stupidity, and their own lack of initiative.  The lack of attention to the mother, in particular, is also maddening.  She is obviously imprisoning her children and has an impotent husband.  Why is there no comment, no alarm about her mistreatment of the daughters? Suicide is not a comical subject.  It could be, if done right, I suppose.  But this book does not do it well, not at all.  It is a book that you'll be happy to put down and not pick up again.  ...If I were you, I'd find something else to read.
1281016
This is by far one of the most appalling accounts of Jesus Christ. Between the movie they made, and the book, it's easily seen why they named it "Killing Jesus". It's not describing his crucifiction, but rather the crucifiction of the known facts surrounding Jesus Christ and his time on Earth. I used to be a real fan of Bill O'reilly, but this book is SO OFFENSIVE and appalling towards even the most simplest known facts, that I now have to doubt anything that Bill O'Reilly produces.

I think this is the FIRST ever 1 star or even low star rating I've ever given. If I just disagreed with the subject matter, I'd simply rate it in a neutral position. But this book, and it's movie, go well beyond just simple errors and absolutely take on an agenda to destroy the known facts surrounding the Life of Christ. It's so far off the mark, and the insinuations placed are so calculated and richly drawn out, that I could not walk away without giving it a seriously TOUGH critical mark.
3067842
This movie reeks of religious propaganda. It is only a fanatical representation of a one-sided view which grossly distorts factual events. It glorifies war and greed. It  blasphemies the Bible and God. It's only purpose is to make the Jewish people some sort of elitist group of people because of some ancient language and book. It disrespects other religions. I have nothing against the Jewish religion; I have a problem with intolerance of other religions. This documentary belittles peace and unity... it actually refers to peace and unity as a dangerous thing. This is a really messed up documentary with some really messed up people. None of it is truth or prophecy, all of it is ignorant - pure ignorance. Shame on the people who made this movie, shame on them! If anything will destroy the human race, the mindset and opinions in this movie surely will!
4379463
When I heard the author interviewed on a late night AM channel, I thought, "Wow, I should give this a go."  It appealed to my sense of spirituality that I would be able to read a story such as is laid out on the jacket cover.  What I was not prepared for were the pages upon pages of a droning recounting of spiritual mumbo jumbo about how the family's faith and God impacted their lives and the community of zealots took over the hospital and had prayer raves.  Buried way deeply in the story is a very weak voice of the boy whose story we all want to read and in whom we hope for an elusive glimpse into heaven of which we are sadly deprived and real real estate in this book.  I have heard "The Passion of the Christ" (the movie) described as "violence porn" in the name of religion.  This book is the equivalent told form the perspective of religious zealots whose unsubstantiated daily "miracles" all happen while the boy we really want to read about is immobile and unresponsive.  Half of what we so desperately want to read is absent as the boy was told by God not to tell us when we came back.

Move on to another book if the glimpse of an insider's view of heaven is really what you want.  Nothing to see here...sadly!  If you want to read about droning community pay-ins and endless mumbo jumbo from loosely connected pastors, this is your book.  Wish there was something here to dig my teeth into.  There just is not!
4002730
This book is absolutely UNBELIVEABLE!  I DO NOT BELIEVE A WORD OF IT AND ALMOST DIDN'T FINISH READING IT. YOU'LL

BE WASTING YOUR MONEY IF YOU PURCHASE IT. SOMONE HAS A REALLY SICK WAY OF LOOKING AT THE 9/11 TRAGEDY.
3497584
I picked up this book after someone at work - a clerk - recommended it highly. She knows my wife and I are active in our church, so she felt we would love it. Quite the opposite - we were very disturbed by it. We both found it to be dreadful.

Supposedly, this boy has a near death experience. According to his father, the boy sees heaven. And the father CLAIMS his boy could not have ever heard some of the Revleations-based content that is in the book - implying that the boy only got that information from his experience. Really? He lives with a fundamentalist preacher and he never could have heard that stuff? Is the public REALLY that gullible?

I'm very familiar with near death experiences. I have been studying the phenomenon for years. This supposed excursion to heaven has almost NOTHING in common with reports from children whose parents are NOT fundamentalist preachers - or with adults. I was stunned reading this book after all the hype and hoopla. It reads as dishonest; as a fabrication borne of a POSSIBLE NDE experienced years before the telling of the story and SERIOUS pollution of any memory by listening to a fundamentalist preacher father.

What I have learned from MY patients who coded and were resuscitated - those who had NDEs - is that what religion you are does not matter. What your belief system is does not matter. MANY of the things religious people divide humanity by don't matter AT ALL. What matters is kindness to others. What matters is how well we love our fellow man. What matters is helping each other, trying to make the world a better place, and loving ourselves. What religion we are does not matter; God didn't create religion. We did.

What bothered me the most was the clear message that if you "don't have Jesus" you are doomed to hell. Every religion has its adherents who are convinced their own brand of their own religion is the "one true religion" and everyone else is going to hell. Just a minimal application of logical thought should be all one needs here! How is it possible that it just so HAPPENS that this boy was lucky enough to be born into a family with a narrow-minded, fundamentalist father of the ONLY version of the ONLY religion that will keep you out of hell? It isn't.

Fundamentalist in ANY religion excludes most of humanity from the promise of a blissful eternity. How can ANY thinking person buy this? It is absurd. There are thousands of reports of near death experiences where the person was in the presence of a loving God... who loves them AS IS. People of EVERY religion and atheists alike - it matters not. Women who have had abortions, gay people, transexuals, all those things that make "Christians" judge others... people who have NDEs tell us NONE of this matters to God. They tell us we all are loved AS IS and all that stuff doesn't even MATTER.

I'm a Christian. I'm a husband, a father, a grandfather, a deacon in my church... and a THINKER. This book is the antithesis to thought and reason. That is the nature of fundamentalism. Religious fundamentalism separates us - religion should unite people!

Shame on Todd Burpo for putting his own VERY narrow, fundamentalist religious views into this book and pretending that his boy could never have heard about some of these Bible stories. SERIOUSLY?! It's dishonest - and he knows it. This book is shameful.

Stick to other ridiculous relgious tracts - The Watchtower or Chick Publications. They're a lot cheaper and will eat up less of your time.

So sorry this terrible book is getting so much attention. Shame on Burpo.
1802718
Incredibly boring book. The only shocking "twist" was that there was no twist. I guessed every single "revelation" almost immediately and had to read through 90% of the boring book hoping that I was wrong and that something surprising would happen to redeem the book. The characters are well developed, but I couldn't care less about them. I didn't even know it was possible for a "mystery" book to be so boring and un-mysterious.