From Humble Beginnings
591004
It was really neat to see the back story of how Agatha got where she is.  You can really see the difference between the young woman she was and her character in the current writings.  I really enjoyed it.
3195990
In our eclectic and dynamic music world, there are few pioneers of uniqueness.  Brother Truckers' self-titled debut album really brings a badly needed sense of freshness with it.  Singer/songwriter/Rhythm guitarplayer Andy Fleming champions the loser in us all. He does this without the catches and clichs that nearly cripple most debut albums.  There are influences that are noticeable like: Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle, Bob Dylan, and Neil Young.  But, Roots Rock owes quite a bit to these men and their pioneering of an exciting trend in music.  This is not to say that Brother Trucker is in anyway another rip-off band.  The lyrics and music are their own.  Mike Fitzpatrick's lead guitar playing attest to a refusal to be caught up in the rock-n-roll power lead trap.  Mike's guitar playing is not overbearing or showy. He knows when to slam into his leads and draft the energy required to give a song breath. The lyrics are charming, honest, and accessible.  The song "The Day I was Released" is about the assimilation of a man who was just released from prison.  It doesn't glorify deviance nor does it justify or explain a man's actions.  It simply relays an experience. The album has texture.  It takes you places.  Lyle Kevin Hogue's driving bass line in "Razor Wire" really gets your heart pumping.  Brian Atkinson brings an ethereal feel with his various raindrops of percussion.  And, John Conlan's drumming keeps each song flowing.  It is music with intelligence and a pulse.  This album exemplifies what, for most of us; life is about...triumph and tragedy.  Too often an album has two possibly three strong tracks and that is it.  Brother Trucker has twelve well written and well played songs.  The characters in the songs are real, they are flawed, and they are mirrors from which we learn about who we are.  Most us have been drunk, engaged in a fistfight, had dirt under our fingernails, been in love, and had fond memories of our childhoods.  If you are one of those who have experienced any of these, then this album is for you.
3616194
It is just so hard to really imagine it, when a artist debuts on the Billboard scene and the music scene, they really do it for a specific reason. For Phil Collins, he seemed to do it for all the way to the beginning of what seemed like the end of his life. His first marriage ended and he just didn't know how to become as a solo act. That truly was the case for his debut, and a symbol as a star away from Genesis. He ultimately knew he had to start his way to the top, but also reflect on love and life. He ultimately though at one point that he really wasn't actually good with knowing how to use words and he would just falter in the process. Anyway, that actually happened with Phil, and that childish feel, became a remarkable, but a fair debut for his own, and thensome.
His 1981 solo debut, Face Value, consists of some of his surprising but a little dark feel with his solo effort. The songs truly arranged very nicely, but it just wasn't as serious as Phil seemed to start. His later albums did better than this one did. Still, there are just some great songs like the spooky and dark, In The Air Tonight, which was the primary focused song on Phil Collins's first divorce, as well as other songs like This Must Be Love, and the incredibly upbeat and lively song, I Missed Again. This song includes some great songs including Tomorrow Never Knows, and the deep song, Droned. Although the songs are great, they just could use some more to them.
Although this was Phil's first actual debut as a solo act, it just isn't his best. I suggest you get his later records first, including the Grammy-Winning album, No Jacket Required, or the soulful, Both Sides. This one is not the first, but a very strong debut for a sensation from the serious side.
3186766
A commendable  book of sweet memories of life of New Man  of New Age which  will whet the appetite for many more books continuing the tradition,  in times and ages to come.
2050313
This was a sweet introduction into her spiritual journey. It motivated me to want to pursue things that have been on my mind for quite some time.
160326
A good way to introduce oneself to the thinking of a brilliant Christian thinker who is not always very accessible.  Balthasar is probably best known for his 15-volume trilogy on the beautiful, the good and the true - this small book provides a helpful and practical introduction to his thinking on God's goodness in light of humanity's freedom and God's working in history.  Like all of Balthasar's works, this book will help provide the reader with a healthy theological framework to apply towards living the life in Christ.
169188
This memoir about a talented and intelligent young lady's transition from late teen age years to young adulthood opens another world beyond the direct experience of most, including this reader.  We are taken to and from Europe where we meet individuals who place high value on ideas and philosophy, where the author describes art, architecture and ambiance, and introduces the reader to individuals of another almost (as I see it) bygone high culture.  Among others, I was intrigued by the author's great uncle, Msgr. William A. Hemmick, the only American Canon of St. Peter's Basilica.  I'll say no more, but suggest one read the book.  The author uses contemporaneous diary entries coupled with the perspective of the well-educated and successful mature woman.  In this, the author succeeds.  The memoir is not in strict chronological order but arranged as one might remember long ago, which I found helpful.  The book held my attention due to the flow of the writing and my interest due to the subject matter.  The book is easily a one evening read and well worth the effort.
4359619
This was The Carpenters debut. At that point, they still had to work and find their trademark sound, but even so, the resulting debut album is a very good one, with some memorable moments. The title track is different version of the commonly known, and the main difference is the absense of guitar, which was added later in 1973 when they reworked this track for its inclusion on the Singles Album. Karen's voice and drums were also re-recorded in that version. This doesn't mean that the version on this album isn't very fine. But this song isn't the only good track. "Someday" and "Eve" are another good examples of their potential, in which Karen shows her golden voice. The rest of the album is filled with songs that, perhaps are not very known or often played on the radio, but without doubts, fine songs.
Overall, it was a very promisory starting.
2224904
Are you looking for some "tasty" but nourishing food to help a baby Christian begin his/her spiritual growth journey?  EvanTell provides just such a feast with "Welcome to the Family."  Six short chapters covering only 60 some pages helps a newly birthed believer begin the discipleship process without overwhelming them with a beef steak of deeper theological truths.  By being exposed to key questions about beginning the Christian life and biblical answers to those questions, a baby Christian can be assured that they are heading in the right direction.  But don't let them go through this booklet alone--do it with them and have the joy of watching them take their first steps in Christ!
4583653
This book is of especial interest for familiar names and places for those who have lived in the Seagrove area, but it is of broader interest for those who desire to know the development of small towns in the beginning of our nation. Esau Spencer's diary excerpt demonstrates the bare essential of subsistence living, making a livelihood from back-breaking toil and by one's wits. It also extolls the outstanding virtue of hospitality and altruism to one's fellowman in the midst of people's struggle to make ends meet and to survive. The accounts verify the gentility of human kindness to one's neighbor or to a stranger. Overall, a good read containing both history and personal accounts
3358971
This is an awesome debut!  A wonderful collection of folksy songs featuring very interesting, yet uplifting lyrics and some of the most incredible acoustic guitar you'll ever hear.  The party-starting opening track is a great beginning to a CD that will make you want to sing right along with the jagged-edge lead vocalist; the songs spin through many different stories about Christians dealing with their old nature, censorship, persecution, and faith in general.  Several songs will move you, like the powerful "Eileen's Song" (in my opinion the best track on the CD) and the inspiring last track, "Mansions".  The melodies put forth by the lead acoustic guitar are breathtaking and make a chilling complement to the vocals and light drums.  Burlap puts a unique spin on the folk sound, almost giving it a Latin flavor on several of the songs.  I couldn't recommend this CD any more strongly for fans of folk music or the like.  Some may compare their sound to that of the Dave Matthews Band, but Burlap is on a much higher level, and their message is so much more positive.  A must-own for almost any collection.
3069185
Really enjoyed this account of Joni and Ken's story.  It is humble, true, and inspiring.  It's a little like getting behind the scenes into their life, while also knowing that God is always gentle and faithful.  Highly recommended, especially if you need encouragement as a single or married person.
2661538
Soothsayer In Aisle Five is the debut collection from fiction writer Gavin St. Ours. The quiet quartet of stories begins with three stories similar in tone and subject--young Americans figuring out their place in the world through their relationships with others. The fourth story, and the hands-down stand-out, however, is about God. Yes, that God. A quirky story that dances between metaphor and a supernatural reality, "God's Last Experiment" has the curious effect of changing the reader's perspective on everything that came before it. St. Ours bookends the collection with stories that contain spiritual or supernatural elements, creating a unified experience as one reads the stories in order (and one should not do it any other way).

At times, St. Ours seems a little reluctant to rely on his own sense of subtlety, sometimes over-explaining. But his writing has a consistent tone of reflectiveness and wry humor that serves his stories well. "God's Last Experiment" is the most fully realized and best crafted of all the stories, demonstrating the talent we can expect from St. Ours in the future.
977434
Thom Rainer has done the Church a service by re-introducing us to the importance of Church membership.  This little volume seems destined to be proved in congregations throughout the world as it is used as a resource for: new members classes, new convert studies, small groups, etc..

The brevity and "workbook" style of this book will lend itself to quick "self help" studies that will, hopefully, lend itself to longer and more in-depth studies.

My primary concern is that this starter volume is too brief to serve as anything more than a mere beginning.  If it serves as a starter that leads to living out the "pledges" and moving forward...then EXCELLENT.  If this is THE tool...it seems likely that "membership" will fall short based on this beginner book alone.

Overall, I cannot recommend this volume highly enough as a place to start from.  I look forward to implementing it in my own ministry and to see how it fares in the hands of others.
2492809
This timely volume, the first of a projected four, offers the modern Anglophone world its first glimpse into the earliest of St. Bridget's (1303-1373) tremendously influential visionary writings. The fine 1990 Classics of Western Spirituality edition from Paulist Press offers only Books 5 and 7 of her corpus along with some associated texts; this comprehensive series of translations will, when completed, undoubtedly be well-appreciated by those interested in late medieval spirituality and mysticism.

St. Birgitta (or Bridget - and "Saint Bride" to Margery Kempe), the patron saint of Sweden and one of the three co-patronesses of Europe, had an extensive sequence of visions throughout her life; these led her to extensive pilgrimages, residence in Rome, and ultimately the foundation of a monastic order that survives to this day. Her texts circulated widely across Europe in the late fourteenth- and fifteenth-centuries; the Bridgettine Order established houses throughout Scandinavia and beyond (the most remarkable for the study of English religious culture being the famous Syon Abbey, Isleworth).

Her visions were dictated in Swedish and translated by her confessors into a rough, workaday Latin; Searby's translation skillfully preserves the idiosyncrasies of the original. The general introduction (pp. 3-38) offers an exceptionally clear contextualization of St. Bridget's revelations, their textual history, and their significance both to her period and to present-day readers. The much shorter introductions that preface each of the three books translated in this volume neatly summarize both the essential message of the book and its most striking images and analogies.

Stylistically, this volume has been designed with evident care: woodcuts from incunabula and manuscript illuminations are liberally distributed; one image of a probable holograph folio is especially exciting. The editor and translator have generously given the English-speaking world a fascinating glimpse into one of the most important figures of late medieval religious culture (albeit one studied with less frequency than some of her contemporaries); the scholarly community has good reason to await eagerly the further three volumes of the series.
460269
A Little Primer of Humble Apologetics is just that: a beginner's instruction book on the subject of Christian apologetics; a subject many of us find frightening. As the author, James Sire, points out, we Christians are all called to some extent to be arguers or contenders for our faith, to be prepared at all times to be able to give a reason for the hope that we have found in Jesus Christ. (I Peter 3: 15-16) This primer tells how to defend the faith intelligently, with integrity and humility.

Sire contends, in six short but tightly-packed chapters, that Christians can and should learn apologetic arguments through reading the Gospels and through the example and instruction of the early apostles Peter, Stephen, and Paul. Chapter one looks at what nine key Scripture passages say about presenting the gospel, and arrives at a guiding definition for those who hope to defend their faith.

Each of the chapters is preceded by a short recounting of a situation when the author practiced apologetics. Chapters two and three discuss the values and the limits of apologetic argument. In the third chapter, Sire makes the startling statement that the first and most important value of apologetics is to establish Christians in their faith.

Chapter four examines the audiences a Christian may address when using apologetics. Chapter five delineates five positive arguments for Christianity and five objections to the Christian faith commonly encountered. This chapter suggests many books for further study which flesh out these arguments. In chapter six, Sire discusses how a person can discern God's call on his life to become an apologist. I find the book healthy instruction--especially the author's advice as to how to prepare for such a calling spiritually, vocationally, and intellectually.

"More arguments are lost by arrogance than are ever lost by poor reasoning." This quote explains the humble part of the title. I recommend this book to people who want to understand exactly what apologetics are and how to serve God through apologetics. I also believe it could be used well by parents, to strengthen the faith of their young teenagers and prepare them to confidently defend that faith through knowledge well mixed with the important ingredient of humility. - Elece Hollis, Christian Book [...]
2758270
Arguably, most young men long to be mentored by an older, wiser, male, on the topics of reality and how to live. But, would they have the courage to resist the pull of culture, showing up, even if they could find such a sage? The author of this nonfictional account of escaping the clutches of aggressive culture to discover the life of the mind may be too young and unknown to write an autobiography; yet he shares his struggles and his victory unabashedly, honestly, from his stock of experience, which includes being raised in a bi-racial home, and coming up on the street, in the 'hood.

While this is decidedly not a religious account, in many ways it is a modern version of a famous Bible story, told by Jesus in Luke 15, and widely known as The Parable of the Prodigal Son. That story and this one, could accurately be renamed The Parable of a Father's Heart. Our author's own father is central in this account. It is he who invests his learning, and his faith in mankind's capacity to learn, into this young man. He elicits enough respect that his son listens. And the father's generosity spills over into the neighborhood, reaching out to the son's friends. While race is a constant presence in this studied account, it's a bit player, wallpaper. The real Goliath in the room is the insistent menace named Group Think, a.k.a: peer pressure. Every young person bumps up against this bouncer, daily. Few dare to defy it.

The author's father, affectionately known both as Pappy and Bebe, has an advanced academic degree, and came of age in the south during this nation's civil rights struggles. From childhood he defiantly dedicated himself to learning, reading at night in a closet with a flashlight, even though he had been repeatedly warned that 'an educated [n-word] was a dead [n-word].' (NB: coarse language, sex, violence, throughout. This host will not allow reviewer to quote author's actual words in this instance.) Pappy succeeds in conferring upon his son, at glacial speed, a respect for learning, which is something of a miracle. This father has a gentle tenacity; and he seems to have faith that, thoughts of a flat earth, even enforced, did not flatten the earth. Pappy takes on the Tyrant, culture, and awakens anyone who will listen. His son, pursuing the world, is eventually fed up with it's failed promises, and captivated by the rigors of philosophy.

The life of the mind is engagingly related in this account of a narrow escape from 'the matrix' of aggressive culture which pervades today's world. This book should have broad appeal for young people in all cultures.

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Reviewer has volunteered weekly since 1999 to teach an ethics course, passing as a nondenominational Bible study, at a prison near Buffalo NY.