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A mail-order bride and...her kid brother?

The ad said rancher Rand Harding--a real, live cowboy!--wanted a wife. So orphaned city kid Mack Paxton began planning. He'd pen a gushy letter. Enclose a pin-up picture. Forge his big sister's signature. And presto! Mack would have it nailed: a mail-order marriage for Suzanne and a happily-ever-after home on the range.

Trouble was, Mack's mischief caused surprising friction between rugged Rand and stubborn Suzanne. So Mack aimed to fan those flames and start the home fires burning!

Rand Harding wants a wife who doesn't needlove, but his heart doesn't listen after he meets Suzanne. Suzanneisn't looking for love either, but the blizzard that traps her in thesame house with Rand gives them time to explore the unexpected passionthat blazes between them. But there are mysterious happeningson the Kincaid Ranch: someone is killing cattle, and a case ofdynamite is missing. Will Rand solve the puzzle and keep Suzanne andher brother safe, or will tragedy drive the lovers apart? Fans of thepopular Montana Mavericks series will be delighted with this story setin Whitehorn, Montana. ... Read more

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"Honor demands that you marry my granddaughter!"

After being caught in a compromising clinch with his boss's granddaughter, ranch foreman Eli Forrester was forced into a shotgun marriage with Melanie Kincaid. Eli had never wanted anyone as much as he did beautiful Melanie. But he'd learned the hard way not to let anyone get too close. Which meant that they could share heated glances and soul-searing kisses, but Eli wouldn't let her thaw his cold, hard heart. Still, it wasn't easy when every instinct told him that the city spitfire was the woman who could offer the solace he craved....

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Customer Reviews (1)

excellent
Beautifully presented cataloge of Chase's work for this period.Stunningly faithful reproductionbs of his work in all their rich color and texture.I loved that the title inclluded specific subject matter and also specfic period.Wonderful book! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Loving Chase
As a landscape painter who does a lot of work on eastern LI, I found this book extremely helpful and have copied many of the paintings shown in this book.Of course, I would have liked the images to be larger, but the comprehensive collection of images is impressive and outways any deficiencies.

For the non-painter interested in Chase, I would say this is a great introduction as well as a survey course on WM Chase's landscape paintings. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Woefully inadequate both as an introductory text and reference
This book has few merits. No pun intended.

It has a good introductory section on the symptoms of neurological conditions.

However, it fails to provide the reader with an approach to diagnosis which is a pitfall for most clerks, interns and neurology and internal medicine residents.

Remember always ask yourself WHERE is lesion ( brain spinal cord nerve NM junction or muscle ) and WHAT is lesion ( pathological process with respective differential diagnosis ).

This book fails to do this which is inconceivable.

As a reference it falls on more than occasion. The sections are incomplete and not comprehensive.

There is little on entrapment neuropathy or spinal root problems.

I do NOT recommend this text to any medical students ( get lindsay/bone/callender text on neurology and neurosurgery ).

Neurology and medical residents should get a subscription to medlink neurology and not waste their time or money on the text.

Good to read
I came across this book 2 years ago, and since then I became interested inits contents. It's a good book, up-to-date, easy to read, but sometimes itlacks details when showing some aspects of diseases. The basic subjectspart is useful, but lacks details as well. Although these points, it's anexcellent book to be on one's study shelf. ... Read more

Product Description
The use of hydraulic control is rapidly growing and the objective of this book is to present a rational and well-balanced treatment of its components and systems. Coverage includes a review of applicable topics in fluid mechanisms; components encountered in hydraulic servo controlled systems; systems oriented issues and much more. Also offers practical suggestions concerning testing and limit cycle oscillation problems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Iris
The Hydraulic Control Systems is a book that every engineer practicing hydraulics should read, or consult, as reference material.
It is detailed in valves used as controls for the hydraulic systems, defining each type very accurately and in deeper detail thus helping you make the right equipment choices when you want to achieve more with less, and time is the first constraint.
If the systems you are analyzing are more into the (electronic) fee-back loops, you should be consulting other publications.
For pure hydraulics, where you apply pilot pressure type signals, and you want valve metering functions, this is the book to study; without going into the refined choicesand details of spool metering profiles, for spool type valves having several spools ( ex 5 or 7).
I regret I couldn't find a book equally good on gear pumps.

Good for mathematical modeling of hydraulic components
This book is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to model the individual COMPONENTS that make up hydraulic power-circuits.Great detail is paid to the description and mathematical representation of their dynamic behavior.Dynamic SYSTEMS are also addressed, but to a much lesser degree.Standard control theory approaches are used, like block diagrams, frequency response methods, and various stability methods (the book assumes that the reader is already familiar with these).

While nonlinear effects are discussed, the book does not well-address the dynamic analysis of complete nonlinear systems.However, there is a good reason for this.Despite the 2001 date-of-publication listed by Wiley (on AMAZON), this "new" book was in fact published in 1967 (the current edition is simply a re-release).This pre-dates the ready availability of computers and advanced simulation software that now make feasible the simulations of complex systems.Personally, I don't find this to be a problem, since there are plenty of other books that deal with the subject of solving nonlinear dynamic systems.What Merritt's book does very well is enable one to model the systems that must be solved.The level of detail provided is rare in my experience, so his book is extremely useful - perhaps even more than it was in 1967.

Finally, I do wish Wiley would just own up to the fact that it is republishing an older work.This is the second time I have come across what appears to be a deceptive marketing tactic.The other work is titled "Engineering Optimization" by Reklaitis (see my review for further details).To imply that a scientific work was written decades later is dishonest.In spite of this, I still recommend the book by Merritt - but only if you can find a good used copy for a decent price.Wiley's $200+ price tag for the "new" edition is inappropriate.

Must Have
If you are an engineer or a researcher invovled with hyraulic systems, This book is a must have in your reference library. It is one of the few really helpful analytical books on hydraulic devices and their control that I have found useful in recent years.

Hydrauic Control Systems
Great to see a good book on Hydraulics after a long time.

The books presents an easy way to understand the theory behind the Hydraulic Control systems with attractive diagrams.

This book can be used by students andengineers practising in the field of Hydraulics and Control Systems. ... Read more

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On April 20, 1999, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, two seniors at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, walked into their school and shot to death twelve students and one teacher, and wounded many others. It was the worst single act of murder at a school in U.S. history.

Few people knew Dylan Klebold or Eric Harris better than Brooks Brown. Brown and Klebold were best friends in grade school, and years later, at Columbine, Brown was privy to some of Harris and Klebold's darkest fantasies and most troubling revelations After the shootings, Brown was even accused by the police of having been in on the massacre--simply because he had been friends with the killers.

Now, for the first time, Brown, with journalist Rob Merritt, gets to tell his full version of the story. He describes the warning signs that were missed or ignored, and the evidence that was kept hidden from the public after the murders. He takes on those who say that rock music or video games caused Klebold and Harris to kill their classmates and explores what it might have been that pushed these two young men, from supposedly stable families, to harbor such violent and apocalyptic dreams.

Shocking as well as inspirational and insightful, No Easy Answers is an authentic wake-up call for all the psychologists, authorities, parents, and law enforcement personnel who have attempted to understand the murders at Columbine High School. As the title suggests, the book offers no easy answers, but instead presents the unvarnished facts about growing up as an alienated teenager in America today."If there is any solace to come out of a tragedy of the magnitude of the Columbine shooting, it is what lessons might be learned in its aftermath. With bravery, wit, and striking honesty, Brooks Brown and Rob Merritt allow us a glimpse into what led to that event, what happened afterward, and most importantly, why any community would be naive to think it might not happen to them, too. How thin is the line between a bully and a victim? Who is to blame, when a community is turned inside out? As No Easy Answers suggests, it may just be the community itself. And it offers up a question of that resonates after the last page is turned: What can you and I do to keep this from happening again? If you're a parent, read this with your child; if you're a teen, leave this on your parents' bedside table--and above all else, start the conversation too much of this world is unwilling to have." --Jodi Picoult, author of the New York Times #1 bestselling novel Nineteen Minutes ... Read more

Customer Reviews (63)

"Brooks I like you now...get out of here, go home"
Because Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold committed suicide in the Columbine library following their tirade, any intimate inside information concerning these crimes was limited to the written and video record left behind by the killers. At the time that this book was published (2002, three years following the crime), very little of this record had been seen or analyzed by the general public so it was with this limited understanding that, I'd wager, most picked up this work by Harris and Klebold classmate Brooks Brown. And having now read it two or three times, I must say that it not only delivered on that exacting need, but continues to resonate even today.

It's fascinating for me to read about the day to day events leading up to this crime, even to the extent that some acknowledged fictional accounts of Harris and Klebold's preparations paint a sort of skewed perspective...in Wally Lamb's "The Hour That I First Believed" for example, the main character has a fictional encounter with Harris and Klebold at Blackjack pizza where the two actually worked...and even though it is made up, it is chilling nonetheless. So, therefore any real stories of the two killers during the run up to the crime provide much needed depth and understanding (to me anyway). Brooks Brown alone has accounted for much of the afore mentioned "insider" information and that is what makes this book work for me. We see Brown befriend Klebold at an early age and build a somewhat strong friendship. They meet Eric Harris and the three form an inseparable bond against the Columbine culture of jocks and bullies. Brown integrates his growing interests in computers and music and his disinterest in school with those of Harris and Klebold...all this culminates in a falling out with Harris over seemingly normal teenage behavior (they car-pooled to school each morning and Brown hated that Harris was always late). This "falling out" takes a bothersome turn as Harris then threatens Brown on his internet page.

The local police become involved and it's discovered here that an affidavit for a search of Harris's house is initiated and subsequently relegated to the bottom of the priority pile...Harris and Brown, in the mean time, reconcile while Harris and Klebold continue their preparations. We now know that the crime was meant to be much larger in scope, but close associates of the two (even Brown) don't see the oncoming storm. The day of the massacre is spelled out in detail (from Brown's context of course) and details of the following days and the outrage that ensues is surreal reading. Brown goes on to explain why he feels that the bullying environment at Columbine is the major cause...I'm not in full agreement as I feel that other aspects, particularly Dave Cullen's analysis of the mental health of the boys, have a much larger impact than most think. Brown does give evidence of bullying at the school, so one must give credence to this, but his views and the subsequent plethora of "bullying is the only cause" (especially by his father) reasoning borders on the ridiculous...I believe that a complex combination of all these factors was the cause. Alas, the true story died with Harris and Klebold in that library.

An important and unique perspective of one of the most heinous of crimes of recent history, No Easy Answers actually gives some answers...a great insight to the crime, Brooks Brown delivers a powerful insiders account that still has great bearing on any research of the crime today. Anyone interested in the real Columbine story must read this.

Best So Far
I have now read 3 of the books about the Columbine massacre, and I have to say I "enjoyed" this one the most. Even though Brooks was not IN the school when the shooting took place, he did know these boys. He was able to provide quite a bit of background information on them, maybe some of the reasons why Dylan and Eric chose to carry out this horrendous crime, and insight into how the police could have prevented this tragedy in the first place. There is quite a bit of evidence that the two boys were planning this attack, and with the information that Brooks's parents had presented to the authorities, I do believe it could have been prevented. He also gives insight into the bullying that went on in the school, and it seems all upper management turned their heads to it. From what he explains in his book, I am really surprised that Eric and Dylan didn't go after more of the jock types as what was initially said to have happened when the shooting took place. It sounds like the jocks thought they "ran the school" and would pick on anyone who they deemed "less worthy." I think the book was well written and it kept your interest when reading it. I have read the books by Dave Cullen and Jeff Kass, and to me, this book was the best of all 3. The others were good, but they couldn't go into as much detail as Brooks could; those two authors didn't have the first hand knowledge that Brooks did. A must read for avid readers seeking as much information on the Columbine tragedy, and the killers themselves.

Let's get real here
This is the first time I have felt compelled to write a review here, and it is entirely because I was stunned to see that this truly, truly abysmally written book has an average review of four stars. What is the worst thing about this book?Is it the fact that it is printed in 14-point sans serif font?Is it the shallow, condescending philosophizing ("The world, at its heart, has logical rules. Yet young people today are being taught that the opposite is true." Oh God, make it stop.)? Is it the repeated earnest quoting of Ayn Rand? Or is it Brown's insufferable martyr complex and obvious continued grubbing for media attention?All I know is it adds up to the worst thing I have ever read that was not self-published an a kinko's copier and handed out by a crazy person at a Greyhound station.

Look, I understand the notion of having realistic expectations about what a book has to offer.I realize that most people read this book just to try and get a different perspective on Columbine, not for great literature (heck, that's why I read it).But this book doesn't begin to succeed even on that basis.Brown claims that bullying was the cause of Columbine, but other than a really mean second grade teacher Brown whines about, the book provides no concrete evidence of systematic bullying.And now that there have been many other more comprehensive books written on the subject, there is nothing worth reading in here -- descriptions of the basement tapes, of the history of the Browns' interactions with the police, etc., can all be found elsewhere, and in better-written form.Really, please, save your money, and for the love of God stop posting five-star reviews of this dreck.

It all rings true - even the contradictions
Imagine that your best friends, people you thought you knew, suddenly commit an act of mass murder, also on persons you know and in some cases, like, and you're stuck dealing with the aftermath - while you're still in high school.This is Brooks Brown's story and it rings very true, with that truth that is unfortunately stranger than fiction sometimes.

I had previously read Dave Cullen's "Columbine", which I strongly disliked.By contrast, I very much liked Brooks Brown's book.Interestingly, I noted that the books are in agreement on most of the major points of the story:that the police response to the crime, as "correct" as it might have been at the time, was in hindsight inadequate and cost lives; that during the ensuing investigation, law enforcement at best withheld key information from the public and at worst outright lied with impunity; that Brooks Brown's family had earlier reported Eric Harris to police for making detailed death threats against Brooks on Harris's website, which the police ignored;that following the crimes, Brooks himself became a suspect, perhaps in an attempt to discredit the Brown family and minimize fallout from the lack of law enforcement response to their past reports about Eric Harris's violent tendencies; that Dylan Klebold had loving, caring parents, while Eric Harris's family, a military family who had moved many times and come to the community later, were a cipher; that Eric Harris was a master manipulator who drew depressed, disillusioned Klebold into his orbit; and that Harris and Klebold hid their mass murder plans so well that no one, incluing their good friends like Brooks Brown (who had made peace with Harris shortly before the killing spree), suspected what they were up to.I don't doubt that any of these facts are the truth.

The main ways in which the stories differ are that Cullen insists that neither Harris nor Klebold were bullied, while Brown tells a different story and claims that the bullying somehow helped bring about the crime; and that Cullen portrays the school administrators and school atmosphere in a much more positive light than Brown, who by his own admission was never happy in school since grade school and in fact was on the verge of flunking some graduation requirements at the time of the Columbine killings.I tend to find Brooks Brown's story on these points more believable and human, for the simple reason that he was there in person and had the inside view, even if he has an agenda now - perhaps to show his own innocence and explain, as much as he can, the actions of his friends, particularly his dear childhood friend Dylan Klebold.That is not to say I agree with every one of Brown's opinions.While bullying probably did go on - seriously, is there any big high school, or maybe even small high school, in the USA where some form of bullying does NOT go on? - I tend to agree with Cullen that Eric Harris, the mastermind, was a psychopath who craved control and hated people, rather than a basically good kid who was driven to his bad acts by bullies.I also noted that no one as yet has been able to paint a decent picture of Eric Harris's homelife, as his parents (unlike Klebold's) refused to speak without immunity, which they were not granted.With little or no insight into Harris's upbringing, crucial parts of the story are missing.

Despite these flaws, Brown's book is a compelling read that I couldn't put down for two days until I finished it, in contrast to Cullen's book which bugged me so much with its whitewashed portrayals of an unrealistically supportive and communal school that I could barely get through.It should be noted that Brown's book was clearly written by someone in high school or with the perspective of a recent high school graduate, which makes the book very honest even where it seemingly contradicts itself or blazes an ironic path.Brown is being himself, and unlike Cullen, not trying to tell multiple stories or be all things to all people.For example, Brown criticizes the school administrators for creating an atmosphere where jocks were allowed to bully other students, and for being unfeeling to him after the tragedy, but when the principal approaches him on graduation day wanting to know why Brown is so upset and basically asking where the school failed him, Brown doesn't want to discuss it and turns away. I couldn't have asked for a better illustration of the gap in understanding between adults and school kids, and the principal's concern, even if he didn't get a good response, did more to show me that he was a caring man than the pages of fake-sounding praise that Cullen put in his book.Brown further whines about the school asking him not to return after the killings for his own protection, even though he states that he hated school anyway and that when he did visit his friends at their new school, they were leery of him and didn't want him around.It's unclear why missing a small amount of school (basically a few weeks) between the killings and graduation was such a big upset to him, but that's how high schoolers think.

Brown also complains that investigators considered him a possible suspect after the killings.Yet, Brown also notes that he was among the first, if not the first, to tell the police about Harris and Klebold on the day of the crime; that he had posed for school pictures with Eric and Dylan pointing pretend guns, that he was close to both of the killers and had just eaten lunch with them the day before, and that one of their other school friends was eventually found to have helped them procure guns used as murder weapons.He further describes writings that investigators found in his school notebooks as referring to patricide, reportedly a reference to a different classmate who earlier killed his father.While it does appear that the police wanted to discredit Brown due to their own failure to act on his family's previous reports about Harris, and that Brown in the end was innocent, it also appears that police would have been lax in NOT looking into all of the potentially inculpatory evidence against Brown, even though he turned out to be innocent.

In the end, it seems like Brown's issues with Columbine High School, and even to some extent with law enforcement, are reflections of his natural idealism, which is also shown by his disillusion with a Congressional lobbying trip he and other young gun-control advocates make.Brown, a child of privilege, believes things should be better and gets upset or disappointed when they are not.The good part is that he seems to be channeling this disappointment into positive energy and action.And, the fact that he had the emotions of a very typical idealistic high-schooler in response to his best friend's becoming a mass murderer makes Brown even more of an everyman, with a very relatable tale to tell.It doesn't detract at all from the value of the story, especially the recounting of events and emotions by one who actually lived through them at close range.This book should be read by all who are interested in Columbine, or in American high schools in general.

things we never knew
this was a window into the minds of two young men. a very interesting look at two killers. columbine was a dreadfulevent. book provides a little insight into what makes people kill. ... Read more

Product Description
"You've gotten away with it for so long, you think you're immune to the danger..."

At thirty-three, Don Hawkins has spent the better part of his life, in every sense, as a U.S. Marine. Enlisting to escape an alcoholic father and stepmother, he became the unofficial leader of a group of gay servicemen and women, all compelled to guard their sexual identity as faithfully as they serve their country. But with newly inaugurated President Clinton's promise to lift the ban on gays in the military, Don is optimistic that a brighter era is dawning--and not just politically.

Ten years now since his lover died in Beirut, Don is finally ready to love again, and falls headlong for Patrick, a handsome young helicopter pilot. As their relationship develops, Don lets his guard down--in potentially dangerous ways. Because forces are at work in the Naval Investigative Service, in Congress, and even in the bars and clubs that Don views as his turf, with a vicious agenda that will have unforeseen consequences...

Drawing on his own experiences as a Marine, Rich Merritt has crafted an extraordinary story of love, loss, duty, betrayal, and hope. Most of all, Code of Conduct is a deeply compelling exploration of the power of loyalty--to friends, lovers, country, and the unwavering dictates of our own hearts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

very good read; too polemic for my taste
I think he does a excellent job of story telling and relationship development.However, he inserts his political agenda with abandon, thus distracting from the story line.He appears to have a lot of angst (good for him!) but he should get it under control. In the epilogue, he states that this book was the result of a collaborate effort on the part of many. Well, it shows in that , at times, the narrative seems disjointed .Also, I agree with the member, Olivertwist, that Merrit seems obsessed with the character, Jay, in Jay's homophobic mission to destroy anyone who is gay! I got the impression that Jay was going to get a epiphany at any moment; climb on the bandwagon of openness and love and join the local GLT organization! (Oh, well, maybe Merrit is saving that plot for his next novel?).As I write this review, (02/22/10) the military is considering dropping the 'don't ask don't tell' conundrum and, I suppose, open enlistments to anyone regardless of sexual orientation. If this happens, maybe Merrit will leave his political baggage behind and get on with telling a great romantic story of one Marine loving another, say on the battlefields of Iraq or Afghanistan?

Great book
Full of twists and turns but also sweet and smokey romance.I really enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down.I would recommend anyone who likes a good mix of action and romance.

An stunningly delicious read!
From the instant I started reading chapter one, I could NOT put this book down.From cover to cover, I was enthralled with the story line.This is the first book I've read from this author, but I'm now a loyal fan/reader!

Writing from the heart
I had the pleasure of meeting Rich Merritt on a ferry on the way to Provincetown.Knowing Rich forover four years now, this book not only speaks from his creative mind but also his past.There areparts of this book which are inspired by what Rich went through which made me love this book even more.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Through example, we see in this novel the practical impossibility of living dual lives, one professional, and one personal, where being fired is the remedy for a conduct violation.For this, the novel is quite powerful and remains vibrant long after the adoption of the silly "don't ask, don't tell" policy.Perhaps most compelling in the book is a glimpse into the workings of our military through the characters:Who wouldn't love Gunnery Sergeant Hawkins?Less so were the speeches on gay rights, intended to be impromptu, but sounding more like a didactic diatribes.Similarly distracting was the level of violence, which at times seemed implausible, and the obsession of the two investigative agents, which took repressed homosexuality into a conspiracy of the absurd.Perhaps toning down these more sensational elements would have made the central theme of "don't ask, don't tell" more compelling and a bit less trivial.That said, the author leaves us with plenty to think about, making the novel one that's well worth reading. ... Read more

Product Description

Zane Fortune wasn't looking for love. But he does need a plan to get his sisters to stop their matchmaking before he loses his mind. Luckily, he meets Gwen Hutton in his own backyard, soaking wet and chasing his dog. Funny, he'd never taken the time to get to know the woman behind Help-Mate, his domestic chore service. Now he's glad he did: Gwen is gorgeous, down-to-earth and the perfect pretend girlfriend.

A hardworking single mother of three, Gwen tries to accept sexy Zane's scheme for the business arrangement it is. Despite the warning bells, she's falling for this carefree, fun-loving man and is touched by his obvious affection for her children. But she's got too much at stake to become one of his meaningless conquests. Unless, of course, this time, the very unserious Zane is quite serious...about her.

Customer Reviews (2)

It was good
This book was a classic Cinderella story. Poor widow with three kids falls in love with the rich handsome Fortune. She of course doesn't want to love him believing they are too different. She ofcourse gets some advice (andhis determination), she feels better about their love. Its the classicfairy tale ending for all of the Fortunes.

Not the best of this series
I was extremely dissappointed by this book.The heroine was ridiculous and annoying.I loved Zane and felt he deserved someone better than an ungrateful, suspicious woman.Unfortunately, you'll have to read it toconclude the baby snatching mystery. (Wrapped up too neatly in my opinion.) ... Read more

Product Description
Many churches are seeking ways to reach out to the younger generations. Unfortunately this often manifests as either a "come be just like us!" attitude--suggesting an unwillingness to change in order to be inclusive of young people--or as a slick marketing campaign that targets young adults in much the same way secular advertising does. Both of these approaches often leave young adults feeling that their particular spiritual gifts and needs are unwanted by the church. "We only want you for your demographics" is the message given.
Carol Howard Merritt, a pastor in her mid-thirties, suggests a different way for churches to be able to approach young adults on their own terms. Outlining the financial, social, and familial situations that affect many young adults today, she describes how churches can provide a safe, supportive place for young adults to nurture relationships and foster spiritual growth. There are few places left in society that allow for real intergenerational connections to be made, yet these connections are vital for any church that seeks to reflect the fullness of the body of Christ.
Using the metaphor of a tribe to describe the close bonds that form when people of all ages decide to walk together on their spiritual journeys, Merritt casts a vision of the church that embraces the gifts of all members while reaching out to those who might otherwise feel unwelcome or unneeded. Mainline churches have much to offer young adults, as well as much to learn from them. By breaking down artificial age barriers and building up intentional relationships, congregations can provide a space for all people to connect with God, each other, and the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Helpful book
This is a helpful book for anyone doing ministry with intergenerational challenges.Howard Merritt provides helpful suggestions and food for thought.Her specific suggestions may not be applicable to every church but she challenges today's church to engage young adults through an intergenerational model.

Good and Bad
A very good book with lots of room for thought.Some of the ideas are needed in every church and some of the ideas I believe are way out in left field.I think if the Bible is the ultimate truth and the Word of God, it should be respected and not changed.In a couple of places the author forgets the Word of God and tries to change it to conform to her life style.It should be the other way around.

Show people they're valued
A useful book to be used as a springboard for conversations on the composition of your Christian community.
Often we say we want a particular group of people in our church but don't show them that they are valued. The basic premise of the book is that you need to demonstrate the value of people, and it is through the small things, through connecting in with them that you show this, throwing some money at an issue wont solve it, it requires commitment from the faith community to live with hope (resurrection hope) that when we treat a group with respect they will respond to it.
It is a book that spans the laity/clergy divide easily and is a digestible read for your whole leadership team.

recommended
I recommend this book for anyone who wants to get a realistic and respectful take on where young adults are and what they are seeking in terms of meaningful spiritual community. Young people can tell when the church is targeting them for membership for reasons of institutional life insurance, and when it's out of an authentic desire for their gifts to be a part of our churches. Congregational leaders who read Tribal Church and take its ideas to heart will be more likely to trend towards the latter.

other lost tribes also exist
sorry i can`t attend conference in Austin.so many are out of place in the church.I feel that I too belong to a lost tribe. for when I retired I was told to not come.there were more important items on the docket.So at 86 I minister to my blind wiffe oo 65 & others. ... Read more

Product Description
A new mode of masturbating into the next millenniumAnyone who has seen her Digital Diaries has intimate knowledge of Natacha Merritt. And of her friends, male and female, and her acquaintances as well. But Merritt's favourite motif is herself: she poses almost every minute of the day for her camera, taking photographs of herself in bed, in the shower, having sex with her friend, masturbating with and without accessories, from every imaginable angle and with the camera usually at arm's length.

Face to face with Merritt's photographs one can reflect on intimacy and publicity in the digital age, on narcissism even, or on radical self-exploration with the help of the camera. But this all sounds better as Natacha Merritt herself once put it: in her view, she has found a new mode of masturbating her way into the next millennium. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (58)

Young Wannabe Assimilates Male Gaze.
Thisreview quote from Weekly Wire, really sums this book up:

"Her book proposal to art house publisher Taschen must have read something like, "Okay, like, here's the thing: I take digital pictures of myself masturbating and having sex with a lot of really hot, emaciated model types. I'm so daring and out there. Hope you guys like my pictures a bunch!"" (full review here: [...]

Lots of guys who like this book for the hard-on it gives them will strike faux-intellectual positions, insisting that the vapid self-absorption of a cute 21-year old taking pictures of her own perky breasts and shaved vagina is courageous and groundbreaking.

This book poses as a contribution to discourse on female sexuality but it is the opposite, reinforcing the oppressively narrow "teen-sluts hot 4U" tedium of most current sexual representation.

My advice: if you want sexy intelligence spend your money on a subscription to On Our Backs or Nan Goldin's work , and leave this junk in the recycling bin where it belongs.

Digital Diaries by Natacha Merrit
I am an artist. I was a photography major at first, and graduated with a change in major to printmaking. I have always enjoyed photography. I am somewhat new to erotic photography, so take that into account on my review of this book.

I thought some of the images were very fetish. Overall, I very much enjoyed the book. The silver cover is gorgeous. Some of the photographs are really beautiful. I found the work most interesting in concept though. Natacha basically documents her sex life with her camera. But it is more than that to her, she doesn't have sex without her camera, so she has integrated art into her life to the point that they are the same. She stated in the book she won't have sex without the camera, and if the partner is not okay with that, she doesn't do it.

I can't tell you in my personal opinion all of the images are beautiful. But I never have seen an artist where I love every single work they did anyway. I think without reading about why she did this and how it came about, I would find it much less interesting. For me this works on many levels. Personal exploration and documentation of her personal life, the act of making one's life "art", and the psychological aspect of it all. Some of the images are quite beautiful, by the way.

If I were shown all the photographs with no text, no background story, I could still appreciate many of them, however, it would seem more like pornography to me. But reading about the artist, and what she is doing, it adds a lot to it, it adds meaning, that would be missed otherwise.

If you are offended by erotic art bordering on the pornographic, you may want to skip this one. The images are aggressive. If your mind is more open, and you appreciate the psychology of personal sexual exploration, on a visual art level, I think you will appreciate this.

The images themselves are mostly self portrait, taken by the artist with the camera at arm's length. All of the images are printed in color. There is a raw immediacy to many of them. I looked at her website after receiving the book. It is beautifully presented. Overall, I am very pleased with this purchase, and am excited to have found a new artist, to follow her work.

An Intoxicating Body of Work!
Natacha Merritt is a beautiful young artist who has totally, utterly given in to her art. Her medium is digital photography. Her subject matter - the most intimate details of her daily life, especially her erotic life. Natacha currently lives and works in New York City though she was raised in San Francisco. Though she grew up near Silicon Valley she did not show a career inclination for computer science, but instead migrated towards the study of law. She eventually moved to Paris to attend law school, but shockingly, abandoned her studies after only three months to devote herself to her newfound passion: digital photography. She started to shoot models and later, turned the camera on herself. More poignantly, she started to document her life diary-like with her camera. The deeper she probed the depths of her sexual psyche the more she revealed of herself ... and the more exciting it became. Her artistic vision is now so thoroughly intertwined with her identity that she claims her sexual needs and her artistic needs are one in the same.

Digital Diaries and its accompanying website are the manifestation of her daily documentation. Little sexual dramas of Natacha and her lovers are captured from every conceivable angle. It is worth mentioning that this is not a book about great photography, though many images are mind-blowinly spectacular, but is more about a sexually adventurous and beautiful young woman who dares to share the "Kodak moments" of her erotic explorations.

I guess I just don't "get it"
The written parts of this book are pure gibberish, and offer no insight at all into the photographs

the pictures themselves are often pointless, or one thumbnail sized picture on a full page, just weird things like that. There might be 10 good pictures in the whole book.

I guess you're supposed to be so blown away at the idea that a girl would take a pic of herself giving a BJ that you're supposed to just say you love the whole book or something, I don't know. 10 seconds on google image search will find you sexier photos than are in this collection, although i admit the lighting and composition in some of them are quite good

Overall, i see it as a waste of time and money. The introduction especially is almost aggressively unhelpful, and seems more an exercise in name dropping than anything else

Oddly Interesting
Add this book to the growing list of "Reality" shows, books, blogs, and countless other flotsam and jetsam that have entered our lives over the past years.

It was curiosity that drew me to this book; and after reading it I still can't quite decide what the point of it was. As a self-promotional tool it's effective, in a similar fashion to Madonna's "Sex" book, or the plethora of magazines vying for our attention.

If I were to place it somewhere it would be between an unselfconscious narcissism and performance art. She draws no conclusions in the end, there's no curtain call; but even as I write this I can't help but believe that there's some sort of sequel lurking - on the other hand this could have been her "15 minutes" of fame.

For novelty and as a testament to this sometimes "Feliniesque" world we live in it's worth a perusal, unlike a Felini film the mere novelty of it won't keep you returning. Perhaps that's another testament to our "Post-Modern" world... Anyone for "Texted" novels? ... Read more

Product Description
Much has been written about the changing landscape the church finds itself in, and even more about the church's waning influence in our culture. From her vantage point as an under-40 pastor, Carol Howard Merritt, author of Tribal Church, moves away from the handwringing toward a discovery of what ministry in, with, and by a new generation might look like. What does the substance of hope look like right now? What does hope look like when it is framed in a new generation? Motivated by these questions, Merritt writes Reframing Hope with the understanding that we are not creating from nothing the vital ministry of the next generation. Instead, we are working through what we have, sorting out the best parts, acknowledging and healing from the worst, and reframing it all. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A Must Read!
For any congregation struggling to (re)find their path in a new and sometimes intimidating landscape, Carol Howard Merritt once again offers up a calming yet purposeful way to do so. In her conversational writing style, she engages the reader without intimidating or using deeply theological vocabulary, and manages to at the same time honor the depth and dynamics of the subject content. Recognizing that each congregation and community are unique, she offers approaches to this task of re-visioning and incorporating the whole of the community, without creating just another "check-list to ministry and growth." If you're not reading her reflections, you really ought to be - it's that good!

Essential book for congregations!
Merritt speaks with a pastor's heart and a researcher's mind.Her conversational writing is in a language that is native to progressive mainline congregations.While her first book, Tribal Church, addressed how to include a younger generation in churches, this second offering looks at how the mainline tradition can reimagine its structures in the contemporary world.She examines authority, community, communication, message, activism, creation care and spirituality-offering insightful perspective and a way forward on how the contemporary church can respond and find new life.

This book is an essential resource in many ways.Presbymergents and "loyal radicals" of other denominations will find a helpful discussion of what makes us distinct in the emergent movement.Merritt puts voice to why I, and many others, choose to be in a denomination and what our hopes are for the future.Generation X-ers will find resonance in Carol's experience of the world and view of faith and why something just doesn't quite feel right about many churches.And lastly, church leaders will find a multitude of ideas and directions for how to restructure all aspects of their church. Prayerfully reading this book and considering its ramifications will spur many congregations' vision and mission.

Hope for the Church
Already a known quantity in the world of post-modernism in American Christianity, Carol Howard Merritt (author of Tribal Church:Ministering to the Missing Generation) has just published her second book Reframing Hope:Vital Ministry in a New Generation.Although the titles sound eerily similar, this is not a rehash of her previous work.Rather it builds and expands on it.In Tribal Church, Merritt was primarily concerned with "Where are the young people?What do they want?"In Reframing Hope, she emphasizes the need to stay grounded in the traditions of our mainline churches, while looking for additional ways to "be Church".She encourages us to quit obsessing about the numbers decline in our denominations and instead to "shift our focus, take into account where we have been, and imagine what God is calling us to be."

The changing currents in "technology, organizing, communication, and spirituality...deeply affect the way we minister and form community."We can make two mistakes in dealing with this societal change.We can ignore what is coming, or we can dismiss what has passed.Both of these options will lead to our eventual demise.But we have faith that God is doing something in the world right now.It is up to us to discern what that is and what our role is in bringing it about.

Merritt discusses the opportunities available to us by redistributing authority, re-forming community, reexamining the medium (electronic communications), retelling the message, reinventing activism, renewing creation, and retraditioning spirituality.Using both biblical and personal examples and stories, she leads us to look again at our world and at our churches.As a 30-something pastor in a mainline urban church, she speaks with experience and insight into the needs, wants and desires of the world around us.

In her conclusion she says, "Looking over our pews, many of us see the faithful remnant of a congregation from a half-century ago, and we wonder whether our churches will exist twenty years from now. ... Every once in a while, when we crack open our sanctuary doors...we hardly recognize the world in which we serve, because it has become so different from the one in which our churches were formed.

"Within our old frameworks, our church ministries reached out to a different family structure.Our churches catered to nuclear families. ... Our congregations often relied heavily on the volunteer work of housewives and geared programming and outreach to young families. ... Now, a good percentage of our households are likely to be single or in same-gender relationship. ... Now, the ethnicity and culture of our nation...is more diverse, yet our mainline churches seldom reflect the diversity of the communities in which they are located.

"We struggle to communicate our faith in the midst of such pluralism and, in our worst expressions, we avoid or discriminate against those who are not Christians.

"Our message has been muted as we try to communicate from generation to generation...we've lost the vision to make our churches communities of welcome for our adult sons and daughters, the very people who could map out a course...but, new opportunities, tools, movements, missions, and passions cascade through the...landscape bringing vital ways of organizing faithful communities, communicating prayerful longings, and seeking social justice."

This book, published by the Alban Institute, should be required reading for any church leader who is serious about discerning the church's mission and vision for the future.

Disclaimer:I am a Twitter/Facebook friend of Carol and she sent me a free copy of the book to read and review.I was already familiar with the background of several of the stories she recounts, particularly in Chapter 3 and the Conclusion.I found myself again dissolved in tears when reading about Gideon's suicide.That episode, more than anything else, convinced me - a 60-something old lady - that there is real power and depth in our on-line communities.

Moving forward with who we are and who God wants us to be....
Carol Howard Merritt in her latest book "ReFraming Hope: Vital Ministry in a New Generation" doesn't take the fear and anxiety of mainline denominational decline and tie a pretty bow around it. With strength and courage she names the reality of the social, economic, cultural and religious landscape and intricately weaves that with God's hope proclaimed in the Biblical stories. She includes narratives from her own life, faith journey and theology that offer insight to the author's passion and commitment to the subject.

While there is no such thing as a "magic wand" that will fix the gap of younger generations missing from mainline denominations, I recommend this book to congregations and leaders who are seeking new ways to talk about and DO ministry in an intergenerational context.
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Customer Reviews (4)

I was there
I thought I'd read everything & experienced all Viet Nam had to offer.Bill Merritts book has refreshed my memories of Cu Chi and Phu Cuong.I was on the bridge with Bill Merritt before it blew.We played chess, and he remembered the names of our Chinese/Vietnamese soldier friend-"Ha"-and our housegirl "Loi".I have pictures of both.His memory of dialogue and events is astounding, and I believe I am one of the characters in his book.I loved it, even though the memories are not good.

one of the best personal accounts by a Vietnam veteran
Bill Merritt's account of his service with the 65th Engineer Battalion, 25th Division, in 1968, never got the attention it deserved, but it is one of the best memoir-style books to have emerged from the Vietnam War. The writing is rich and layered, the dialogue utterly real, the stories frank and fascinating. Highly recommended for anyone interested in what Vietnam was like for a junior enlisted man, and a must for any serious reader of Vietnam War literature.

Fine Memoir
A fine memoir of a Vietnam veteran. My brother met the author and secured a signed copy for me which I immediately devoured. It is highly readable and engrossing. I especially enjoyed the attention to language; specifically the terms and names. Merritt uses them effectively to put us into his time and environment.

One of the best personal accounts by a Vietnam Veteran
Bill Merritt's account of his service with the 65th Engineer Battalion, 25th Division, in 1968, never got the attention it deserved, but it is one of the best memoir-style books to have emerged from the Vietnam War.The writing is rich and layered, the dialogue utterly real, the stories frank and fascinating.Highly recommended for anyone interested in what Vietnam was like for a junior enlisted man, and a must for any serious reader of Vietnam War literature. ... Read more

Product Description
Vowing to marry Melissa Avery, whom he had loved for most of his life, Wyatt North decides to share his true self with her and claim her for his own despite her unsettled past. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

#5 OF THE MONTANA MAVERICKS SAGA - MELISSA AVERY
This is my least liked story - contrates too much on seduction - always reluctant sex.

The Players are few:
Melissa Avery the owner of the Hip Hop Cafe wants to expand and needs the lot next to the Cafe to do it.She thinks about buttering up the banker, Paul Rodel especially after Wyatt North shows up.

Wyatt North is her teenager lover who married another woman, Shannon Kiley, who claims she is pregnant with his child. After getting drunk, of course.After 6 years he is back in Whitehorn.
Now his divorce is nearly final but he also has a young son, Timmy.
Shannon is the spoiled daughter of the State Senator, Wilber Kiley.And she needed marriage to save face.

Somehow Wyatt abducts Melissa, who is determined to bring him to his knees. But she can't figure out whether she wants revenge or justice?
Melissa is determined to have nothing to do with Wyatt but after a few kisses comes the sex. [like they can't fall in love without sex?]

Melissa is also determined to find her father Charlie's killer. She is impatient and thinks the law is moving too slow.
She decides to hire a Private Investigator, Nick Dean. [his story is next with Sara Lewis in Outlaw Lovers.]

It is a good enough read for the Saga but is a plot with not much action.
Depending on your definition of action.Too much PMS.

On p181 the heroine finally has a moment of clarity...
And I had to finish this book, it was like watching a train wreck - you know what's going to happen, exactly what's going to happen, and still, you can't look away. Shall we start withMelissa?The heroine who is so hurt, and angry after six years that shewon't calm down long enough to simply ask 'why?' of the man she supposedlyloved?I really felt sympathy for her at the beginning of the book - bythe middle I just wanted to lock her in a closet.By the end, I was almosttempted to smack her around some. Then, there's the Wyatt who has seriousproblems comprehending the word, "no".He had sounded like agreat guy - and Wyatt had his moments of studliness too, but they were notimpressive enough to outweigh his rape. The plot?If you've read romancebooks for more than a year, you've read this plot at least 10 timesalready. And finally, the villain.One dimensional. If you can find acopy of this book anywhere, pass it by and pick up the next one on theshelf. ... Read more

Product Description
The Art of Being: 101 Ways to Practice Purpose in Your Life helps readers become inspired and stay inspired, with motivational and uplifting writings that can be read daily, supported by "Mindfulness Practices," or action steps to make it simple. Ultimately, the understanding at which the reader will arrive is that spirituality, the "art of being," is actually a lifestyle, a way of walking our sacred earth every day. The Art of Being is a user-friendly manual to guide you to become acutely aware of how to live more mindfully on a day-by-day, hour-by-hour, moment-by-moment basis and thus create more peace and happiness in your life-and in the lives of those around you. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

wonderful book
This book is one of the best I have read on the topic of Purpose, Life's Meaning, Mindfullness, etc.
It is written in a gentle manner without being too mushy or sacchrine.
I highly recommnd this book to anyone who is ready to do the work that will help lead to self-awareness.
Your efforts will be well rewarded. Peace and Blessings to you.

A Peaceful and Uplifting Book!
I've read The Art of Being at least 5 times and also reference the book and its author in my book, Repackaged Common Sense:A New Age Path to Career and Business Sucess This book is definitely a must have as it provides spiritual pick-me-ups, reminders and just an overall good feeling and understanding of knowing that the Spirit and You are the same, hence you have immense power in transforming your life!

Great Spiritual Practice Book
This is quite a nice collection in one book. It is well written and has applicable items for anyone working on their spiritual development.

I have been reading a chapter a day, reflecting on it, and putting the ideas into practice as best I can.

I am looking for other works by the author at this time...

Mostly just more ADVICE
The introduction to the book was from another spiritual teacher from the Secret and was the most strange forward because it was nothing but advice of how to be more spiritual, then the last paragraph actually says something about the book but is just more advice (not a single personal story or way to connect with the author) more advice about read this book and be more spiritual.It felt to me like the forwarder may not even have read the book at all.

Then the first lesson is just like the above.More advice on how to be spiritual.I have an idea that is worth more than the book.Think of 102 things you do in a given week, then practice observing yourself doing those non-jugmentally.

Inner Peace, Wisdom and Knowledge
I read this wonderfully, inspiring book every day! I simply flip open to any page and allow all the wisdom from the pages to envelope me in PURE, Peaceful Energy!! I was given the miracle of listening to Dennis in person at one of his many lectures and the same Energy comes through in his written word.This book will change your life forever when you practice with Intention and Embrace this spiritual guide to feeling God's Presence within and understanding your Truth which summons Peace, Hope, Wisdom and Love!
Namaste,
Judie Mitchell, CLC
Certified Spiritual Life Coach
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Customer Reviews (1)

One of the best for Shin Hanga
This is a very informative book on ShinHanga. The signatures are
a wonderful bonus to have included in the book ... Read more