Product Description
Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry, glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boys' dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (129)

The Dark Divine
With the mixed feedback I had been seeing on this book prior to my reading it, I tried to go into it without any expectations. I really thought I wasn't going to like it too much. Boy, was I wrong!

Though there isn't anything too special about her, Grace made a good protagonist and held the story together well. Though there were two guys fighting for her love, I felt that there was never any competition. But some of the characters made me furious! Her mother especially was such a bee with an itch that I wanted to throw my book at the wall whenever she decided to nag about something else. And Jude p'd me off a few times.

The writing isn't anything spectacular, but The Dark Divine was written well, especially for a debut. Without too much description, you were able to easily settle into this world and were eventually sucked right in.

One thing this book has going for it is how addicting it is. There was more than one night where I stayed up into the AM to continue with this wildly entertaining story. The mythology and mystery in this book were so delicious that it had my attention until there were no more pages to turn. And the ending had me on the edge of my seat until I fell right off.

I just wish there had been more. But that is where The Lost Saint comes into play. Oh yes, there will be a sequel. And I can't wait for it! Because this wildly addicting debut novel with characters that fueled the story all the way through to the exciting ending made me wanting so much more.

Great Cast. Great Book
One of the most important aspects of a novel, is the main character. Grace Divine is an amazing main character and narrator. She struggles with so many things; some trivial, like her family, others not so trivial. Being the daughter of a pastor is tough. You have to keep you head held high and everything in check. Her brother Jude is almost portrayed like a saint and Grace notices and knows she's not like that. There are plenty of times she refers her actions to what she knows from her religion. The best part though, is her not following them. She lies. She deceives. She even swears (well sorta.) But she always weighs her actions and consequences and this makes her incredibly real. She's funny, smart and stubborn. Every main character has a stubborn trait but Despain really makes Grace's stand out and believable. Honestly, I think Grace Divine is my topfemale lead ever.

When the plot showed it's ugly head (it wasn't actually ugly) I was shocked. I didn't see it coming. And the best part is, when I reread the book, I discovered all the clues leading up to the big reveal and it made sense. I didn't feel like it was a sudden or a blind fold plot. It worked. I wish I could tell you what the "mythology" is behind the plot, but I'm not. Don't want to ruin it for you! But the ending is quite a twist and I found myself torn between liking and not. In the end, I loved it. I mean, that's not how YA paranormal novels end.

The Romance. Daniel is probably the most realistic bad boy out there. I loved the little things Despain to indicate his "rebellious" side. Dyed hair. Lack of care. He was witty, tough and smart. A boy. No wonder Grace fell back into Daniel after his return. There chemistry is ON but it's not sudden and unrealistically quick. In fact, it's perfect. Grace goes through a period of avoiding him, but for a good reason. Family or heated crush? In the end, she can't stay away. She finds the secret that pushed him away before and can't stop herself. It's awesome.

I guess this is more than a rant than a review. Its a great book and the sequel The Lost Saint comes out in December and I'm seriously going to pee my pants when I crack that baby open. Bree Despain does such a great job at creating a community and weaving mythology and religion as one. It's a read that can't be ignored.

[...]

A LITTLE BIT IN THE RELIGIOUS SIDE
being a catholic myself...no offense i think this book got a little bit boring to me then picked right back up towards the end...i guess because it talked a little bit too much about religion though it does have somewhat relate to the book...its an okay book...i've pre ordered the sequeal to it so we'll see how that one goes

Need Tea Reviews
As soon as I read the characters' names for this book, I knew that this book was going to be an utter wreck for me. First of all: Grace Divine. I mean, Grace Divine? Isn't that pushing the agenda and the purpose of the character a bit too in your face? It's pretty damn obvious that's going to be this paragon of pure, perfect girl who ends up saving the guy. And not to mention she's the daughter of a priest. I mean, really now, could you stop trying to slap us in the face with this stuff?

Then there's Daniel Kalbi. I'm not sure if all of you eat Korean food, but Kalbi is barbecued short ribs, which is something I love to eat, and a very popular dish. So can you imagine when I saw his name? I couldn't help but laugh in loud guffaws wondering if he would by chance be gobbled up by some random act because they thought he was just too damn delicious looking. Yeah, yeah, don't give me that, well it means something else in the book. Even still, that's a pretty obvious kick in the balls; oh gee let's give everything away already. I thought being subtle was good?

Why is everything in the book in bold font? What's wrong with normal plain font? Blah.

I am so sick of this wish-y wash-y "I love you" but "we can't be together" crap. And the whole back and forth, oh no why does he ignore me and treat me this way, before it turns into a "I can't live without you" passionate make out session. Can't we do something else here? You know what? Just stick to one thing and get over it already. Jeeze!

Most of the plot twists are super obvious if you did not pick up on the hints that were practically being bludgeoned in your face. The whole religious vibe of this story felt extremely grating and made me want to shred something, preferably of the thick kind. It was sort of preachy and "I see what you did there" but so not impressed deal.

If anything, the book reads pretty fast due to the short chapters. I guess if you take out the feet, the stark contrast between the purple of her shawl and the black background is quite striking. Love forbidden romances? Werewolves? Here's the book for you!

Why are her eyes purple? What's wrong with, you know, normal eyes? Say blue or brown for instance?

A divine read.
Bree Despain has delivered a simply divine debut that readers will absolutely adore. It was absolutely addicting! The Dark Divine is mysterious and thrilling. As soon as I met Daniel, I was drawn in and couldn't put The Dark Divine down. There was something so daring about him, as if taunting to you discover everything about him.

I love how Bree Despain put twists on the story and the mythology to make it something original. As you were reading you started putting pieces together, and then Despain takes you off on an entirely different route than anything you've ever read before. It was absolutely fantastic!

The characters were all wonderfully written. They all had so much depth. I loved how you continously learn new things about characters, making them fresh and exciting the entire book. Daniel is 100% swoonworthy! The chemistry between Daniel and Grace was so much - I loved it.

The ending leaves readers begging for more! The Dark Divine is dark, edgy, romantic and original. It is a novel that will simply blow readers away! It is definately one of my favorites of the year!
... Read more

Product Description
Clear your karma to transform your soul first; then transformation of every aspect of your life will follow.Millions of people are searching for lifetransformation. Thousands of books, articles,seminars, and workshops teach methods foraccomplishing this. The seventh book of Master Sha’s bestselling Soul Power Series, Divine Transformation: The Divine Way to Self-clear Karma to Transform Your Health, Relationships, Finances, and More, teaches the divine way to transform every aspect of your life, including your health, relationships, finances, and more.Karma is the root cause of success and failure in every aspect of life. Bad karma is the root blockage underlying any and every challenge that you, humanity, and Mother Earth face. Divine Transformation teaches sacred wisdom, knowledge, and practical treasures to self-clear karma in order to remove the blockages and transform the challenges in your life. Master Sha’s teaching is becoming deeper and simpler. Study it. Benefit from it. Transform your health, relationships, finances, and every aspect of your life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (40)

What a relief
Reading about karma and thinking about karma is frightening.To think about all the past wrong actions of all lifetimes and how they accumulate into a huge karmic debt can lead to a feeling of overwhelm, helplessness, and despair.Just in time Divine Transformation comes along to show how to self-clear karma and remove that debt.All of Master Shas books empower us to self heal.This book is such a relief in that it shows us how to self heal karma.I am grateful for the priceless teachings, and even more so for the priceless solutions offered in this book.

Do It Yourself Enlightenment
Throughout history, spiritual seekers have gone on pilgrimages, sought out teachers, and engaged in arduous practices to raise their consciousness and become enlightened. Dr. and Master Sha's book, Divine Transformation: The Divine Way to Self-clear Karma to transform Your Health, Relationships, Finances, and More, offers a systematic, easy to understand and very easy to use method of reaching an enhanced spiritual state from home! In addition to the inspiring text, Master Sha has added spiritual gifts and blessings which will speed the reader on this important journey to freedom, and provide a connection to heavenly assistance. Get the book; read it through; then go back and do your favorite practices over and over. You will see the results in your life!

Divine Transformation
The latest book by Master Zhi Gang Sha in the Soul Power Series is powerful on many levels. We are given information and exercises to help release blockages. These exercises help us clear the karma we have accrued. Reading this book gave me a profound feeling of hope and peace. It is a book you will read more than once.

Divine Transformation
We are so blessed at this time to receive the information about healing, rejuvenating, and prolonging our lives, improving finances and more! Many of us have been waiting for this oppertunity to appear.We know now that everything is possible throught the practices in this book. Also Karma cleansing is such a blessing, my life and those of many others have changed significantly.We cannot say Thank you,Thank you,Thank you enough...everyone needs a copy of this book to carry with them at all times.Bravo Dr Sha!

Open your Mind, Heart and Soul to receive the benefits!
The ideas, wisdom, and teachings in this book are truly transformative! Those who are not familiar with Dr. & Master Sha may find some difficulty believing and comprehending some of the teachings.I was skeptical and wary when I first read and learned about Master Sha and his teachings 2 years ago.I am grateful that despite my skepticism, I continued to learn and experience the teachings and practices he shares in this and all of his books. I am now a true believer! I have personally experienced profound transformation and have seen and known many others who have also been healed from their physical and mental health disorders.I have used the practices in this and other of Dr. Sha's books with open minded clients in my psychology practice. Many of their self-rated distress levels dramatically decreased after the practices.

Even if you feel you are having difficulty relating to the content in this book, there may come a time that you will be open to receiving more fully the profound blessings, teachings, and treasures in this book.Those who are new to Dr. Sha's teachings may want to start with his book, "Power Healing" and "Soul, Mind, Body Medicine" and watch the "Soul Masters" DVD.

Do not let your skepticism and doubt limit your life journey and opportunity to heal.Allow yourself to receive the great blessings this book offers! This book in itself is a wonderful healing tool!

... Read more

Product Description
IN the midway of this our mortal life, I found me in a gloomy wood, astray Gone from the path direct: and e'en to tell It were no easy task, how savage wild That forest, how robust and rough its growth, Which to remember only, my dismay Renews, in bitterness not far from death. Yet to discourse of what there good befell. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Medieval vision of the afterlife
This was required reading for a graduate course in medieval history.Norton edition has great articles to help explain the work and is a great translation."The Divine Comedy" describes Dante's journey through Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Purgatorio), and Paradise (Paradiso), guided first by the Roman epic poet Virgil and then by Beatrice, the subject of his love and another of his works, "La Vita Nuova." While the vision of Hell, the Inferno, is vivid for modern readers, the theological niceties presented in the other books require a certain amount of patience and scholarship to understand.Purgatorio, the most lyrical and human of the three, also has the most poets in it; Paradiso, the most heavily theological, has the most beautiful and ecstatic mystic passages in which Dante tries to describe what he confesses he is unable to convey (e.g., when Dante looks into the face of God: "all'alta fantasia qui mancò possa" - "at this high moment, ability failed my capacity to describe," Paradiso, XXXIII, 142).

Dante wrote the Comedy in his regional dialect.By creating a poem of epic structure and philosophic purpose, he established that the Italian language was suitable for the highest sort of expression, and simultaneously established the Tuscan dialect as the standard for Italian. In French, Italian is nicknamed la langue de Dante.Publishing in the vernacular language marked Dante as one of the first (among others such as Geoffrey Chaucer and Giovanni Boccaccio) to break from standards of publishing in only Latin or Greek (the languages of Church and antiquity).This break allowed more literature to be published for a wider audience - setting the stage for greater levels of literacy in the future.

Readers often cannot understand how such a serious work may be called a "comedy".In Dante's time, all serious scholarly works were written in Latin (a tradition that would persist for several hundred years more, until the waning years of the Enlightenment) and works written in any other language were assumed to be comedic in nature.Furthermore, the word "comedy," in the classical sense, refers to works which reflect belief in an ordered universe, in which events not only tended towards a happy or "amusing" ending, but an ending influenced by a Providential will that orders all things to an ultimate good.By this meaning of the word, the progression of Dante's pilgrim from Hell to Paradise is the paradigmatic expression of comedy, since the work begins with the pilgrim's moral confusion and ends with the vision of God.

The Divine Comedy can be described simply as an allegory: Each canto, and the episodes therein, can contain many alternate meanings.Dante's allegory, however, is more complex, and, in explaining how to read the poem (see the "Letter to Can Grande della Scala"), he outlines other levels of meaning besides the allegory (the historical, the moral, the literal, and the anagogical).The structure of the poem, likewise, is quite complex, with mathematical and numerological patterns arching throughout the work, particularly threes and nines.The poem is often lauded for its particularly human qualities: Dante's skillful delineation of the characters he encounters in Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise; his bitter denunciations of Florentine and Italian politics; and his powerful poetic imagination.Dante's use of real characters, according to Dorothy Sayers in her introduction to her translation of "L'Inferno", allows Dante the freedom of not having to involve the reader in description, and allows him to "[make] room in his poem for the discussion of a great many subjects of the utmost importance, thus widening its range and increasing its variety."

Dante called the poem "Comedy" (the adjective "Divine" added later in the 16th century) because poems in the ancient world were classified as High ("Tragedy") or Low ("Comedy"). Low poems had happy endings and were of everyday or vulgar subjects, while High poems were for more serious matters. Dante was one of the first in the Middle Ages to write of a serious subject, the Redemption of man, in the low and vulgar Italian language and not the Latin language as one might expect for such a serious topic.

Paradiso
After an initial ascension (Canto I), Beatrice guides Dante through the nine spheres of Heaven. These are concentric and spherical, similar to Aristotelian and Ptolemaic cosmology.Dante admits that the vision of heaven he receives is the one that his human eyes permit him to see. Thus, the vision of heaven found in the Cantos is Dante's own personal vision, ambiguous in its true construction.The addition of a moral dimension means that a soul that has reached Paradise stops at the level applicable to it.Souls are allotted to the point of heaven that fits with their human ability to love God.Thus, there is a heavenly hierarchy. All parts of heaven are accessible to the heavenly soul.That is to say all experience God but there is a hierarchy in the sense that some souls are more spiritually developed than others.This is not determined by time or learning as such but by their proximity to God (how much they allow themselves to experience him above other things).It must be remembered in Dante's schema that all souls in Heaven are on some level always in contact with God.

Recommended reading for anyone interested in literature and medieval history.

Fine for me
Despite the previous comment, I thought I'd have a go - appeared on my Kindle DX in a few seconds and readable immediately.

Kindle version sucks
When I opened this file, there were instructions on how to download it because it's so big. It said to download a zip file and create a directory on a PC. I didn't bother to do it because Kindle books should be Kindle-ready and easy to read, not something I need to download, extract, transfer, etc. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Literary Criticism / European / Italian; Poetry / Continental European; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Medieval vision of the afterlife
This was required reading for a graduate course in medieval history.
"The Divine Comedy" describes Dante's journey through Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Purgatorio), and Paradise (Paradiso), guided first by the Roman epic poet Virgil and then by Beatrice, the subject of his love and another of his works, "La Vita Nuova." While the vision of Hell, the Inferno, is vivid for modern readers, the theological niceties presented in the other books require a certain amount of patience and scholarship to understand.Purgatorio, the most lyrical and human of the three, also has the most poets in it; Paradiso, the most heavily theological, has the most beautiful and ecstatic mystic passages in which Dante tries to describe what he confesses he is unable to convey (e.g., when Dante looks into the face of God: "all'alta fantasia qui mancò possa" - "at this high moment, ability failed my capacity to describe," Paradiso, XXXIII, 142).

Dante wrote the Comedy in his regional dialect.By creating a poem of epic structure and philosophic purpose, he established that the Italian language was suitable for the highest sort of expression, and simultaneously established the Tuscan dialect as the standard for Italian. In French, Italian is nicknamed la langue de Dante.Publishing in the vernacular language marked Dante as one of the first (among others such as Geoffrey Chaucer and Giovanni Boccaccio) to break from standards of publishing in only Latin or Greek (the languages of Church and antiquity).This break allowed more literature to be published for a wider audience - setting the stage for greater levels of literacy in the future.

Readers often cannot understand how such a serious work may be called a "comedy".In Dante's time, all serious scholarly works were written in Latin (a tradition that would persist for several hundred years more, until the waning years of the Enlightenment) and works written in any other language were assumed to be comedic in nature.Furthermore, the word "comedy," in the classical sense, refers to works which reflect belief in an ordered universe, in which events not only tended towards a happy or "amusing" ending, but an ending influenced by a Providential will that orders all things to an ultimate good.By this meaning of the word, the progression of Dante's pilgrim from Hell to Paradise is the paradigmatic expression of comedy, since the work begins with the pilgrim's moral confusion and ends with the vision of God.

The Divine Comedy can be described simply as an allegory: Each canto, and the episodes therein, can contain many alternate meanings.Dante's allegory, however, is more complex, and, in explaining how to read the poem (see the "Letter to Can Grande della Scala"), he outlines other levels of meaning besides the allegory (the historical, the moral, the literal, and the anagogical).The structure of the poem, likewise, is quite complex, with mathematical and numerological patterns arching throughout the work, particularly threes and nines.The poem is often lauded for its particularly human qualities: Dante's skillful delineation of the characters he encounters in Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise; his bitter denunciations of Florentine and Italian politics; and his powerful poetic imagination.Dante's use of real characters, according to Dorothy Sayers in her introduction to her translation of "L'Inferno", allows Dante the freedom of not having to involve the reader in description, and allows him to "[make] room in his poem for the discussion of a great many subjects of the utmost importance, thus widening its range and increasing its variety."

Dante called the poem "Comedy" (the adjective "Divine" added later in the 16th century) because poems in the ancient world were classified as High ("Tragedy") or Low ("Comedy"). Low poems had happy endings and were of everyday or vulgar subjects, while High poems were for more serious matters.Dante was one of the first in the Middle Ages to write of a serious subject, the Redemption of man, in the low and vulgar Italian language and not the Latin language as one might expect for such a serious topic.

Purgatorio
Having survived the depths of Hell, Dante and Virgil ascend out of the undergloom, to the Mountain of Purgatory on the far side of the world (in Dante's time, it was believed that Hell existed underneath Jerusalem).The Mountain is on an island, the only land in the Southern Hemisphere.At the shores of Purgatory, Dante and Virgil are attracted by a musical performance by Casella, but are reprimanded by Cato, a pagan who has been placed by God as the general guardian of the approach to the mountain.The text gives no indication whether or not Cato's soul is destined for heaven: his symbolic significance has been much debated.(Cantos I and II).

Dante starts the ascent on Mount Purgatory.On the lower slopes (designated as "ante-Purgatory" by commentators) Dante meets first a group of excommunicates, detained for a period thirty times as long as their period of contumacy.Ascending higher, he encounters those too lazy to repent until shortly before death, and those who suffered violent deaths (often due to leading extremely sinful lives).These souls will be admitted to Purgatory thanks to their genuine repentance, but must wait outside for an amount of time equal to their lives on earth (Cantos III through VI).Finally, Dante is shown a beautiful valley where he sees the lately-deceased monarchs of the great nations of Europe, and a number of other persons whose devotion to public and private duties hampered their faith (Cantos VII and VIII). From this valley Dante is carried (while asleep) up to the gates of Purgatory proper (Canto IX).

The gate of Purgatory is guarded by an angel who uses the point of his sword to draw the letter "P" (signifying peccatum, sin) seven times on Dante's forehead, abjuring him to "wash you those wounds within".The angel uses two keys, gold and silver, to open the gate and warns Dante not to look back, lest he should find himself outside the gate again, symbolizing Dante having to overcome and rise above the hell that he has just left and thusly leaving his sinning ways behind him.From there, Virgil guides the pilgrim Dante through the seven terraces of Purgatory.These correspond to the seven deadly sins, each terrace purging a particular sin in an appropriate manner.Those in purgatory can leave their circle whenever they like, but essentially there is an honors system where no one leaves until they have corrected the nature within themselves that caused them to commit that sin. Souls can only move upwards and never backwards, since the intent of Purgatory is for souls to ascend towards God in Heaven, and can ascend only during daylight hours, since the light of God is the only true guidance.

Recommended reading for anyone interested in literature and medieval history.
... Read more

Product Description
The Divine Comedy marked nothing less than the arrival of vernacular
Italian as a literary language and Dante s book is still considered Italy's greatest literary achievement.

Its highly idiomatic verse, however, has long bedeviled English-language translators. Burton Raffel, whose
translation of Don Quixote is acclaimed for making Cervantes more accessible to the modern generation, in this new translation for Northwestern World Classics, shows exciting new directions, preserving
both the lyricism of the original and its incisive meaning.

First-time readers and longtime fans of the supreme poet alike will cherish this clear and lyrical rendering of one of world literature s masterpieces.

The Divine Comedy depicts the journey of Dante the pilgrim, guided
by the poet Virgil and the love of his life, Beatrice, as he moves through the stages of his life and world. Raffel s single-volume translation of Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso follows the complete journey of a spiritual pilgrim who struggles from the depths of the inferno to the
heights of paradise.

In the former Dante meets many of his political enemies, suffering the punishments that match their crimes in life. And in the ninth circle of Hell, Lucifer the ultimate traitor is shown chewing on Brutus, Cassius, and Judas Iscariot, three others who committed horrendous acts of treason in the classical and early Jewish worlds. Dante s evocative description of Heaven is a sort of homecoming for the exiled poet.

Dante s epic poem challenged the political and religious hierarchy of his time and remains a powerful and universal expression of human desires, strivings, and shortcomings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (114)

The Devine Comedy.....(all three segments)
Read and studied this classic in college...and wanted a copy to refresh my thinking!...and have, glad I did!

DVD or Cassette?????
Good audio but I had to find a cassette player for this to work.Who would have thought people were still selling cassette's?? That's what I get for going low cost.
No I wasn't real happy. Discription said audio book, maybe I should of asked some questions first.

Excellent, readable translation for first-time readers
This is a review of the translation and edition, not of the Commedia itself, which would be ludicrous. Read reviews of every translation available on Amazon.com, and you'll find rave reviews as well as tirades. My approach is to recommend different versions for different stages of Dante appreciation. To my mind, your first translation should satisfy the following: 1. It must be, above all, readable. Obscure words (other than historical/mythological characters) and twisted syntax will throw up a roadblock in the very first canto. 2. It should give some sense of the poetry of the original. 3. It had better convey the emotion of the original. 4. The notes should aid, not overwhelm, the curious reader.

Mr. Ciardi's translation treads a marvelous balance among these directives. Literalists will lament Ciardi's word choice and will assert inappropriate meaning changes. Purists will assail the abandonment of terza rima. (Ciardi's compromise rhyming scheme, as recounted in his introduction, is that of a practicing English-language poet.) The notes are enough - with just that little extra - to make a first reading interesting and comprehensible. (Mark Musa's notes to his translation are too detailed for a first go-around, though Ciardi's get a bit much, too, in the last two canticles.) And the reader feels the emotions of Dante the pilgrim as well as those shades he meets along the way.

For a deeper reading, I suggest going on to Charles Singleton's Text and Commentary volumes for each canticle. These literal prose translations and notes will ensure you don't miss very much the second time around. And if you have some Italian, or any other romance language for that matter, you can follow along on the opposite page.

If you want more than that, you can try a terza rima version like Pinsky's Inferno, or other poetic efforts like Longfellow's or Dorothy Sayers'. Most versifications sacrifice clarity and readability to shoehorn the text into Dante's rhyming or metrical scheme, and I'd tackle them only after getting a good handle on the Commedia.

Finally, a word about the edition. The text has been reset into very clear, sharp type, and the original illustrations are much cleaner than in the mass-market paperback edition. The page layout is relaxed, and the look is a joy to my fiftyish eyes. It is printed on alkaline paper and will probably age better than I am managing to do. And the book lies flat when open. An index to characters, locations, and allusions is all that's missing. Buon viaggio!

Addendum: Amazon has evidently posted this review on some listings of Divine Comedy translations other than John Ciardi's. My review does not apply to these. It refers only to ISBN 0451208633.

Ciardi-- Divine Comedy
Superb, Ample prefatory notes for each Canto supplemented by explanatory end notes which fill in the historical content.

Too difficult to read
I guess I was too naïve to think that I would be able to read this book. But the language used is very difficult to follow and I abandoned the book on the first pages. ... Read more

Product Description
A renowned teacher and writer of the acclaimed The Spirit of the Disciplines, Dallas Willard, one of today's most brilliant Christian thinkers now offers a timely and challenging call back to the true meaning of Christian discipleship. In The Divine Conspiracy, Willard gracefully weaves biblical teaching, popular culture, science, scholarship, and spiritual practice into a tour de force that shows the necessity of profound changes in how we view our lives and faith. In an era when many Christians consider Jesus a beloved but remote savior, Willard argues compellingly for the relevance of God to every aspect of our existence. Masterfully capturing the central insights of Christ's teachings in a fresh way for today's seekers, he helps us to explore a revolutionary way to experience God--by knowing Him as an essential part of the here and now, rather than only as a part of the hereafter.

"The most telling thing about the contemporary Christian," Willard writes, "is that he or she has no compelling sense that understanding of and conformity with the clear teachings of Christ is of any vital importance to [their] life, and certainly not that it is in any way essential . . . Such obedience is regarded as just out of the question or impossible." Christians, he says, for the most part consider the primary function of Christianity to be admittance to heaven. But, as Willard clearly shows, a faith that guarantees a satisfactory afterlife, yet has absolutely no impact on life in the here and now, is nothing more than "consumer Christianity" and "bumper-sticker faith."

Willard refutes this "fire escape" mentality by exploring the true nature of the teachings of Jesus, who intended that His followers become His disciples, and taught that we have access now to the life we are only too eager to relegate to the hereafter. The author calls us into a more authentic faith and offers a practical plan by which we can become Christ-like. He challenges us to step aside from the politics and pieties of contemporary Christian practice and inspires us to reject the all too common lukewarm faith of our times by embracing the true meaning of Christian discipleship.

A Powerful, Thought-Provoking
Guide to Living the Life
Jesus Intends for Us

Customer Reviews (152)

book
this was a very old book and the jacket was not on the book. it did not look like the picture (paperback)

Must read
Of all the books I have read on Christ this is one not to miss. It deal with so many issues that I will re read it at least a second time.

Must Read Classic
This book belongs in the "classics."I would consider it a "must read" for any serious Christian. It addresses and answers questions that have puzzled many for a long time.

Helps Open the Kingdom of Heaven to All Believers
Dallas Willard's "The Divine Conspiracy" is, like the Kingdom of Heaven itself, a feast for the soul.If you're looking for a book that will help you see the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven with new eyes, this is the book for you.

One of the things Willard does best is to deal a problem which he diagnoses as "overfamiliarity" with Jesus and His message.In order to overcome this, Willard presents the gospel in new language with new explanations.This is, perhaps, his greatest contribution.He portrays the mission of Jesus Christ as having opened, or brought near, the Kingdom of Heaven to us.In doing so, he challenges some of our old, limited ways of understanding Christianity to explore our most fundamental commitments in a new light.

One of the ways Willard challenges us to a better understanding of Christ and the gospel is to portray the typical understandings of Christianity as "Gospels of sin management."On the left, Christians reduce the gospel to the social gospel and corporate sin, while on the right Christians reduce the gospel to a gospel of individual sin removal.Willard argues that both are too narrow and miss the bigger picture of the radical transformation in our lives that God is really after.

While I appreciate Willard's comments on this issue, his presentation sometimes has the effect of lessening the importance and seriousness of sin.He doesn't give his readers enough of a sense of what's wrong with the world: how glorious man was meant to be and the devastation wrought by sin, rebellion against God.At this point, he should have set his imagination to reclaiming the Christian doctrine of sin.

At times, Willard's writing meanders and appears to have no clear focus.It's also easy to miss what is truly important because he sometimes takes too long to get to the point.

In spite of these few criticisms, "The Divine Conspiracy" is an inspiring book that will challenge the Christian to thoughtfully, soulfully re-examine what it means to be a Christian.I'm glad that Willard does not merely remain at the theoretical level but offers a practical outline of "A Curriculum for Christlikeness" in Chapter 9.

One of the greatest benefits of the book is that Willard has a way of giving the reader forceful thoughts and memorable quotes.A sample of some of my favorites will also help give the reader get a feel for this profound book.

The Divine Conspiracy "presents discipleship to Jesus as the very heart of the gospel."

"Our kingdom is simply the range of our effective will. . . . When we submit what and where we are to God, our rule or dominion then increases."

"Electricity is now at hand" (an illustration of what "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand" means)

"Perhaps we are not eating what we are selling."(regarding the disparity between what we say we believe as Christians and how we live)

"Justification has taken the place of regeneration, or new life."

Willard's summary of the Beatitudes could equally be a summary for the entire book: "They are explanations and illustrations, drawn from the immediate setting, of the present availability of the kingdom [of heaven] through personal relationship to Jesus."

I highly recommend that the Christian reader slowly work through this book!

Unbeatable service!
I highly recommend this seller.Their price was the cheapest I could find, the product was brand new as they claimed, and it was delievered days after I ordered it!Great seller!!! ... Read more

Product Description
Etymology.¿The wordBreviarycomes from an old Latin wordBreviariuman abridgmenta compendium. The name was given to the Divine Officebecause it is an abridgment or abstract made from holy scripturethe writings of the Fathersthe lives of the Saints. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An explanation of the Divine Office and the Breviary
The Divine Office is an ancient Christian practice of praying psalms, reading the scriptures and other Church writings at prescribed hours throughout the day. Its origins can be traced to the ancient Judaism, and it has undergone many modifications and expansions throughout millennia. The practice brings certain discipline to devotional life, and it is required part of the daily routine for all Catholic clergy and religious. Laity have traditionally not been expected to recite the Divine Office, and it is not hard to see why: the Breviary, the book of the prayers that make up the Divine Office, is anything but brief, and in its full form extends over several densely-written volumes. Navigating it and knowing which prayers are appropriate for each hour of each liturgical year can be rather daunting, and most people are anyways too busy with their daily lives to have enough time to invest in this practice. However, in recent years with the advent of the Internet and especially with the arrival of Internet enabled smartphones it has become almost a trivial matter to partake in this wonderful prayer practice. I have been using on and off an iPhone version of the Breviary for almost a year, and have been really happy with this addition to my daily prayer life. However, even if you are able to follow the Breviary you may not be able to fully understand its internal rationale and logic. With that in mind, a book like Edward Quigley's "The Divine Office" would be a great source of information and explanations about the Breviary and praying of the hours. The book was originally published in 1920, and many of its statements and injunctions feel dated. Furthermore, its targeted audience are the priests, but even so can be used by general lay public. The book quotes many sources in Latin, but does not generally provide translations of those passages. In that respect it harkens to days when all priests, in the Roman rite at least, were assumed to be completely versed in that language.The writing in the book is very informative, but it also tends to be a bit dry and matter-of-fact - this book is certainly not a page-turner. However, it is a useful first step in understanding the Divine Office and a practical guide to its practice as a daily prayer. Anyone who is interested in implementing this practice in their prayer life would benefit from reading this book.

No hyper/cross-reference capabilites
The Kindle volume suffers from a lack of internal linkages.The only way to to use it as a breviary is to set extensive bookmarks -- a tedious, at best, method which does not facilitate ease of use. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Literary Criticism / European / Italian; Poetry / Continental European; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Medieval vision of the afterlife
This was required reading for a graduate course in medieval history.Norton edition has great articles to help explain the work and is a great translation.The other great translation is by Mark Musa."The Divine Comedy" describes Dante's journey through Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Purgatorio), and Paradise (Paradiso), guided first by the Roman epic poet Virgil and then by Beatrice, the subject of his love and another of his works, "La Vita Nuova." While the vision of Hell, the Inferno, is vivid for modern readers, the theological niceties presented in the other books require a certain amount of patience and scholarship to understand.Purgatorio, the most lyrical and human of the three, also has the most poets in it; Paradiso, the most heavily theological, has the most beautiful and ecstatic mystic passages in which Dante tries to describe what he confesses he is unable to convey (e.g., when Dante looks into the face of God: "all'alta fantasia qui mancò possa" - "at this high moment, ability failed my capacity to describe," Paradiso, XXXIII, 142).

Dante wrote the Comedy in his regional dialect.By creating a poem of epic structure and philosophic purpose, he established that the Italian language was suitable for the highest sort of expression, and simultaneously established the Tuscan dialect as the standard for Italian. In French, Italian is nicknamed la langue de Dante.Publishing in the vernacular language marked Dante as one of the first (among others such as Geoffrey Chaucer and Giovanni Boccaccio) to break from standards of publishing in only Latin or Greek (the languages of Church and antiquity).This break allowed more literature to be published for a wider audience - setting the stage for greater levels of literacy in the future.

Readers often cannot understand how such a serious work may be called a "comedy".In Dante's time, all serious scholarly works were written in Latin (a tradition that would persist for several hundred years more, until the waning years of the Enlightenment) and works written in any other language were assumed to be comedic in nature.Furthermore, the word "comedy," in the classical sense, refers to works which reflect belief in an ordered universe, in which events not only tended towards a happy or "amusing" ending, but an ending influenced by a Providential will that orders all things to an ultimate good.By this meaning of the word, the progression of Dante's pilgrim from Hell to Paradise is the paradigmatic expression of comedy, since the work begins with the pilgrim's moral confusion and ends with the vision of God.

The Divine Comedy can be described simply as an allegory: Each canto, and the episodes therein, can contain many alternate meanings.Dante's allegory, however, is more complex, and, in explaining how to read the poem (see the "Letter to Can Grande della Scala"), he outlines other levels of meaning besides the allegory (the historical, the moral, the literal, and the anagogical).The structure of the poem, likewise, is quite complex, with mathematical and numerological patterns arching throughout the work, particularly threes and nines.The poem is often lauded for its particularly human qualities: Dante's skillful delineation of the characters he encounters in Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise; his bitter denunciations of Florentine and Italian politics; and his powerful poetic imagination.Dante's use of real characters, according to Dorothy Sayers in her introduction to her translation of "L'Inferno", allows Dante the freedom of not having to involve the reader in description, and allows him to "[make] room in his poem for the discussion of a great many subjects of the utmost importance, thus widening its range and increasing its variety."

Dante called the poem "Comedy" (the adjective "Divine" added later in the 16th century) because poems in the ancient world were classified as High ("Tragedy") or Low ("Comedy"). Low poems had happy endings and were of everyday or vulgar subjects, while High poems were for more serious matters. Dante was one of the first in the Middle Ages to write of a serious subject, the Redemption of man, in the low and vulgar Italian language and not the Latin language as one might expect for such a serious topic.

Paradiso
After an initial ascension (Canto I), Beatrice guides Dante through the nine spheres of Heaven. These are concentric and spherical, similar to Aristotelian and Ptolemaic cosmology.Dante admits that the vision of heaven he receives is the one that his human eyes permit him to see. Thus, the vision of heaven found in the Cantos is Dante's own personal vision, ambiguous in its true construction.The addition of a moral dimension means that a soul that has reached Paradise stops at the level applicable to it.Souls are allotted to the point of heaven that fits with their human ability to love God.Thus, there is a heavenly hierarchy. All parts of heaven are accessible to the heavenly soul.That is to say all experience God but there is a hierarchy in the sense that some souls are more spiritually developed than others.This is not determined by time or learning as such but by their proximity to God (how much they allow themselves to experience him above other things).It must be remembered in Dante's schema that all souls in Heaven are on some level always in contact with God.

Recommended reading for anyone interested in literature and medieval history.

No formatting
There's no line breaks in this work, which is essential to reading the poetry. You don't know where one line ends and the next line begins. ... Read more

Product Description
Following the instant #1 New York Times bestseller Stone Cold,
Oliver Stone and the Camel Club return in David Baldacci's most astonishing thriller yet.

DIVINE JUSTICE

Known by his alias, "Oliver Stone," John Carr is the most wanted man in America. With two pulls of the trigger, the men who destroyed Stone's life and kept him in the shadows were finally silenced.
But his freedom comes at a steep price: The assassinations he carried out prompt the highest levels of the U. S. government to unleash a massive manhunt. Yet behind the scenes, master spy Macklin Hayes is playing a very personal game of cat and mouse. He, more than anyone else, wants John Carr dead. With their friend and unofficial leader in hiding, the members of the Camel Club risk everything to save him. Now as the hunters close in, Stone's flight from the demons of his past will take him from the power corridors of Washington, D.C., to the coal-mining town of Divine, Virginia-and into a world every bit as bloody and lethal as the one he left behind.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (156)

Good Read
I just started reading David Baldacci.I like his characters.The protagonists are varied, loyal, have integrity and are willing to risk everything for each other.The antagonists are self assured, brilliant and evil.The stories are well plotted.

OUTSTANDING
I've read most of Baldacci's novels and all of the Camel Club series. This one goes down as the best of the series and perhaps one of his finest books. Beyond his writing style and the twists and turns, he has put together one of the better series in the mystery/thriller genre.His characters are deep, the plots are great, and the Camel Club has undergone various changes, losses and additions.As much as this is escapism at its finest, there is a "real" feel to the series and this novel specifically. I rarely say "you must start at the beginning," but with the Camel Club, you must. Start there and read these in order - you will NOT be disappointed!

Spy novel in the middle of nowhere, Virginia.
The book "Divine Justice" by David Baldacci - a pretty good and fun read.It's my first Baldacci book, and I've read completely out of order, missing subplots from previous books that make their way into this one.Nonetheless, it reads well.It is an interesting amalgam of a spy novel, with a local drug ring mystery, and is unique in my reading of spy thriller novels.For that, I give it a good rating.I definitely did not expect the story to take the turns Baldacci traversed.Rather than being an international setting, typical of spy reads, this one is firmly placed in Appalachian Virginia, in the middle of nowhere - namely in the town of Divine.The inhabitants of that town are pretty much all up to no good, with a select few exceptions.If you are looking for a fictional spy novel with something "different" to it - this is a good book to select; practically guaranteed to satisfy.

wonderful book!
I am now a serious follower of the Camel Club Series written by David Baldacci.I all started with me some getting the first one in the series and then acquiring the other books to read the story of their lives.He writes very well, I read a ton of books, and this series has my interest.It is entertaining, I love reading to find out "who done it" and how the Camel club will resolve their latest crisis.

Divine Justice: Book 4 of the Camel Club Series
The best book yet regarding the Camel Club - can't wait until book 5 comes out!Intriguing - keeps you on the edge of your seat - Oliver Stone is some man! ... Read more

Product Description
True love, that ever shows itself as clear In kindness, as loose appetite in wrong, Silenced that lyre harmonious, and still'd The sacred chords, that are by heav'n's right hand Unwound and tighten'd, flow to righteous prayers Should they not hearken, who, to give me will For praying, in accordance thus were mute? He hath in sooth good cause for endless grief, Who, for the love of thing that lasteth not, Despoils himself forever of that love. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Medieval vision of the afterlife
This was required reading for a graduate course in medieval history.Norton edition has great articles to help explain the work and is a great translation.The other great translation is by Mark Musa."The Divine Comedy" describes Dante's journey through Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Purgatorio), and Paradise (Paradiso), guided first by the Roman epic poet Virgil and then by Beatrice, the subject of his love and another of his works, "La Vita Nuova." While the vision of Hell, the Inferno, is vivid for modern readers, the theological niceties presented in the other books require a certain amount of patience and scholarship to understand.Purgatorio, the most lyrical and human of the three, also has the most poets in it; Paradiso, the most heavily theological, has the most beautiful and ecstatic mystic passages in which Dante tries to describe what he confesses he is unable to convey (e.g., when Dante looks into the face of God: "all'alta fantasia qui mancò possa" - "at this high moment, ability failed my capacity to describe," Paradiso, XXXIII, 142).

Dante wrote the Comedy in his regional dialect.By creating a poem of epic structure and philosophic purpose, he established that the Italian language was suitable for the highest sort of expression, and simultaneously established the Tuscan dialect as the standard for Italian. In French, Italian is nicknamed la langue de Dante.Publishing in the vernacular language marked Dante as one of the first (among others such as Geoffrey Chaucer and Giovanni Boccaccio) to break from standards of publishing in only Latin or Greek (the languages of Church and antiquity).This break allowed more literature to be published for a wider audience - setting the stage for greater levels of literacy in the future.

Readers often cannot understand how such a serious work may be called a "comedy".In Dante's time, all serious scholarly works were written in Latin (a tradition that would persist for several hundred years more, until the waning years of the Enlightenment) and works written in any other language were assumed to be comedic in nature.Furthermore, the word "comedy," in the classical sense, refers to works which reflect belief in an ordered universe, in which events not only tended towards a happy or "amusing" ending, but an ending influenced by a Providential will that orders all things to an ultimate good.By this meaning of the word, the progression of Dante's pilgrim from Hell to Paradise is the paradigmatic expression of comedy, since the work begins with the pilgrim's moral confusion and ends with the vision of God.

The Divine Comedy can be described simply as an allegory: Each canto, and the episodes therein, can contain many alternate meanings.Dante's allegory, however, is more complex, and, in explaining how to read the poem (see the "Letter to Can Grande della Scala"), he outlines other levels of meaning besides the allegory (the historical, the moral, the literal, and the anagogical).The structure of the poem, likewise, is quite complex, with mathematical and numerological patterns arching throughout the work, particularly threes and nines.The poem is often lauded for its particularly human qualities: Dante's skillful delineation of the characters he encounters in Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise; his bitter denunciations of Florentine and Italian politics; and his powerful poetic imagination.Dante's use of real characters, according to Dorothy Sayers in her introduction to her translation of "L'Inferno", allows Dante the freedom of not having to involve the reader in description, and allows him to "[make] room in his poem for the discussion of a great many subjects of the utmost importance, thus widening its range and increasing its variety."

Dante called the poem "Comedy" (the adjective "Divine" added later in the 16th century) because poems in the ancient world were classified as High ("Tragedy") or Low ("Comedy"). Low poems had happy endings and were of everyday or vulgar subjects, while High poems were for more serious matters. Dante was one of the first in the Middle Ages to write of a serious subject, the Redemption of man, in the low and vulgar Italian language and not the Latin language as one might expect for such a serious topic.

Paradiso
After an initial ascension (Canto I), Beatrice guides Dante through the nine spheres of Heaven. These are concentric and spherical, similar to Aristotelian and Ptolemaic cosmology.Dante admits that the vision of heaven he receives is the one that his human eyes permit him to see. Thus, the vision of heaven found in the Cantos is Dante's own personal vision, ambiguous in its true construction.The addition of a moral dimension means that a soul that has reached Paradise stops at the level applicable to it.Souls are allotted to the point of heaven that fits with their human ability to love God.Thus, there is a heavenly hierarchy. All parts of heaven are accessible to the heavenly soul.That is to say all experience God but there is a hierarchy in the sense that some souls are more spiritually developed than others.This is not determined by time or learning as such but by their proximity to God (how much they allow themselves to experience him above other things).It must be remembered in Dante's schema that all souls in Heaven are on some level always in contact with God.

Recommended reading for anyone interested in literature and medieval history.
... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Poetry / General; Poetry / Continental European; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Medieval vision of the afterlife
This was required reading for a graduate course in medieval history.
"The Divine Comedy" describes Dante's journey through Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Purgatorio), and Paradise (Paradiso), guided first by the Roman epic poet Virgil and then by Beatrice, the subject of his love and another of his works, "La Vita Nuova." While the vision of Hell, the Inferno, is vivid for modern readers, the theological niceties presented in the other books require a certain amount of patience and scholarship to understand.Purgatorio, the most lyrical and human of the three, also has the most poets in it; Paradiso, the most heavily theological, has the most beautiful and ecstatic mystic passages in which Dante tries to describe what he confesses he is unable to convey (e.g., when Dante looks into the face of God: "all'alta fantasia qui mancò possa" - "at this high moment, ability failed my capacity to describe," Paradiso, XXXIII, 142).

Dante wrote the Comedy in his regional dialect.By creating a poem of epic structure and philosophic purpose, he established that the Italian language was suitable for the highest sort of expression, and simultaneously established the Tuscan dialect as the standard for Italian. In French, Italian is nicknamed la langue de Dante.Publishing in the vernacular language marked Dante as one of the first (among others such as Geoffrey Chaucer and Giovanni Boccaccio) to break from standards of publishing in only Latin or Greek (the languages of Church and antiquity).This break allowed more literature to be published for a wider audience - setting the stage for greater levels of literacy in the future.

Readers often cannot understand how such a serious work may be called a "comedy".In Dante's time, all serious scholarly works were written in Latin (a tradition that would persist for several hundred years more, until the waning years of the Enlightenment) and works written in any other language were assumed to be comedic in nature.Furthermore, the word "comedy," in the classical sense, refers to works which reflect belief in an ordered universe, in which events not only tended towards a happy or "amusing" ending, but an ending influenced by a Providential will that orders all things to an ultimate good.By this meaning of the word, the progression of Dante's pilgrim from Hell to Paradise is the paradigmatic expression of comedy, since the work begins with the pilgrim's moral confusion and ends with the vision of God.

The Divine Comedy can be described simply as an allegory: Each canto, and the episodes therein, can contain many alternate meanings.Dante's allegory, however, is more complex, and, in explaining how to read the poem (see the "Letter to Can Grande della Scala"), he outlines other levels of meaning besides the allegory (the historical, the moral, the literal, and the anagogical).The structure of the poem, likewise, is quite complex, with mathematical and numerological patterns arching throughout the work, particularly threes and nines.The poem is often lauded for its particularly human qualities: Dante's skillful delineation of the characters he encounters in Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise; his bitter denunciations of Florentine and Italian politics; and his powerful poetic imagination.Dante's use of real characters, according to Dorothy Sayers in her introduction to her translation of "L'Inferno", allows Dante the freedom of not having to involve the reader in description, and allows him to "[make] room in his poem for the discussion of a great many subjects of the utmost importance, thus widening its range and increasing its variety."

Dante called the poem "Comedy" (the adjective "Divine" added later in the 16th century) because poems in the ancient world were classified as High ("Tragedy") or Low ("Comedy"). Low poems had happy endings and were of everyday or vulgar subjects, while High poems were for more serious matters. Dante was one of the first in the Middle Ages to write of a serious subject, the Redemption of man, in the low and vulgar Italian language and not the Latin language as one might expect for such a serious topic.

Paradiso
After an initial ascension (Canto I), Beatrice guides Dante through the nine spheres of Heaven. These are concentric and spherical, similar to Aristotelian and Ptolemaic cosmology.Dante admits that the vision of heaven he receives is the one that his human eyes permit him to see. Thus, the vision of heaven found in the Cantos is Dante's own personal vision, ambiguous in its true construction.The addition of a moral dimension means that a soul that has reached Paradise stops at the level applicable to it.Souls are allotted to the point of heaven that fits with their human ability to love God.Thus, there is a heavenly hierarchy. All parts of heaven are accessible to the heavenly soul.That is to say all experience God but there is a hierarchy in the sense that some souls are more spiritually developed than others.This is not determined by time or learning as such but by their proximity to God (how much they allow themselves to experience him above other things).It must be remembered in Dante's schema that all souls in Heaven are on some level always in contact with God.

Recommended reading for anyone interested in literature and medieval history.
... Read more

Product Description
You may know me best as Meredith Nic Essus, princess of faerie. Or perhaps as Merry Gentry, Los Angeles private eye. To protect my unborn children, I have turned my back on the crown, choosing exile in the human world with my beloved Frost and Darkness. Yet I cannot abandon my people. Someone is killing the fey, which has left the LAPD baffled and my guardsmen and me deeply disturbed. I thought I’d left the blood and politics behind in my own turbulent realm. But now I realize that evil knows no borders, and that nobody lives forever—even if they’re magical.Amazon.com Review
Laurell K. Hamilton on Divine Misdemeanors

Meredith Gentry was created as a character so that my muse and I could have a break from writing the Anita Blake series. I’d written five Anita books in a row and was starting to have job anxiety dreams about her life instead of mine. I needed something different for my muse and me to play with. Merry was created to give me a different voice, a different world to visit. I guess she’s like a second child that you have so the first one won’t be an only. Then, like a parent that just didn’t understand that a second child doesn’t double your workload, but quadruples it, I was suddenly trying to do two different series at two different publishers. It went well since they’re both New York Times bestsellers. The audience for both crosses nicely and continues to grow with every book in a time when very few authors can say that. So it’s all good, but just like trying to juggle two kids instead of one, juggling two book series instead of just one presents its challenges.

Customer Reviews (145)

Hard Copy
This was a great book...the only thing is that I received my hardback copy and the same day I saw the paperback in the stores...Bummer

Love the Series = Love the book; Hate the series = Hate the book
*Potential Spoilers, intermingled*
Buy/Read this book if you want to know a little more about the men in Merry's life, if you want to see some of them gain power and others of them being jealous, if you want to see Merry involved in crime while pregnant and see some of the trials and tribulations that they are going through. If you liked any of the previous books, buy/read this one.

I LOVE the Anita Blake Series and simply like Merry. This book was worth what I paid for it and provided me with a good amount of entertainment (its purpose). There were new characters introduced and potential new enemies that I feel like did not get enough explanation, so I expect to see some good nightmares in Merry's future.

I see this book as one that's helped develop Merry's future and maybe provided a foreshadowing to her becoming goddess-like if not a goddess [not The Goddess but a small goddess like Doyle, Rhys, Baranthis, etc. were gods] especially considering the "dream" she had with the men she saved and the fact that those she saved are doing things in her name.

This book was good; not great but definitely good. Maybe others don't see it this way (I think they're wrong) but to each his/her own. I think, if you're reading this and are considering whether to buy/read it and have bought/read all of the other books then you should buy/read this! If nothing you'll be slightly entertained (I was definitively more than slightly entertained!)

should have been short story in an anthology
This one really disappoimted me (i have read rest of series) as not really moving series along.Okay Merry's pregnancy is mentioned and we see slightly more of her dad's female guards.As a short story showcasing one of her detective cases set in same worldscape it might have worked.Instead padded story with repeated eye color, height, pissing contests and former event summaries with usual sex scenes frequently mentioning everyone's approaching climaxes.politics of and the entire courts of seelie and unseelie not in this one.

Just ok
Others have already provided decent enough summaries, so I won't bother.Let me just start off my saying that I've read every book LKH has ever written.I have, until this point, been a dedicated reader who read her books simply for the entertainment value; the typos and inconsistencies never really bothered me.

Now, I get to Divine Misdemeanors.This book is simply just okay. The whole books takes place over a couple of weeks, although the majority of the plot is accomplished in about 2 days (the rest is summarized as "we went about our lives in the same way..." with very little context.There are substantially too many sex scenes that lead no where and really seem to serve no plot-furthering purpose except to show us something we already knew (e.g.: how much of a jerk Cel was) or to provide a potentially interesting moment that is left completely undeveloped (except for a brief mention that only perpetuates some of the men's childish behavior).LKH starts new interesting plot threads that are completely ignored once accomplished.She has also managed to give previously likable characters horrible new character traits.The majority of the men have also managed to revert to their own childhoods now that they have a leader who cares about them.This book goes from whining to sex to whining to sex to murder to sex to whining to murder to sex to resolution of murders with little to nothing else happening in the interim.

This series should have ended with the book previous to this one. This book was entirely unnecessary.The only reason I gave it two stars instead of one was because Frost seemed to have no part in this book - finally; and the book did manage to capture my attention enough to provide an afternoon's worth of mindless activity.

Book 8 of the Merry Gentry Series. Audio CD.
This is a review on the Audio CD version of Divine Misdemeanors, read by Laural Merlington.

Book 8, and nothing was moved forward, or backward, or in and out that was interesting ifyaknowwhatimean.

I started reading this series because It was a fascinating story, and it had alot of hot sex in to be frank. By the 6th book, it started to go downhill. I started to catch patterns of speech, plotline, and sexual positions. The plot couldnt go any slower I dont think, and this book is nothing but filler. A murder mystery, that even the scooby gang could have solved within the first few pages. The rest of the book is filled with Merrys Men and how catty they have become about her power, and their lack of in some instances. Of course she has to bed one male and with her enchanted vagina transform him into whatever the goddess wants. Its so old, and so not the least bit of a turn on. Half the book is just going over the way characters look AGAIN, as if we didnt catch it the first 7 books. I want her to just pop out these miracle babies and move into a retirement home for sex addicts.

The audio version, is horrific. Laural Merlington uses different voices for the characters, which is awesome, BUT with her she goes about 10 octaves higher than the regular voice she uses and you must immediately jump up and turn the sound down for fear of your ears bleeding. Especially her voice for Bittersweet. Also it seems that she is bored of the sex scenes because she reads them so monotone and matter of fact its like listening to NPR.

I want this series to end, mercifully end! ... Read more

Product Description
Julie Otsuka’s commanding debut novel paints a portrait of the Japanese internment camps unlike any we have ever seen. With crystalline intensity and precision, Otsuka uses a single family to evoke the deracination—both physical and emotional—of a generation of Japanese Americans. In five chapters, each flawlessly executed from a different point of view—the mother receiving the order to evacuate; the daughter on the long train ride to the camp; the son in the desert encampment; the family’s return to their home; and the bitter release of the father after more than four years in captivity—she has created a small tour de force, a novel of unrelenting economy and suppressed emotion. Spare, intimate, arrestingly understated, When the Emperor Was Divine is a haunting evocation of a family in wartime and an unmistakably resonant lesson for our times. It heralds the arrival of a singularly gifted new novelist.


From the Hardcover edition.Amazon.com Review
A precise, understated gem of a first novel, Julie Otsuka's When theEmperor Was Divine tells one Japanese American family's story ofinternment in a Utah enemy alien camp during World War II. We neverlearn the names of the young boy and girl who were forced to leave theirBerkeley home in 1942 and spend over three years in a dusty, barren desertcamp with their mother. Occasional, heavily censored letters arrive fromtheir father, who had been taken from their house in his slippers by the FBIone night and was being held in New Mexico, his fate uncertain. But evenafter the war, when they have been reunited and are putting their stripped,vandalized house back together, the family can never regain its pre-warhappiness.Broken by circumstance and prejudice, they will continue to pay,in large and small ways, for the shape of their eyes. When the EmperorWas Divine is written in deceptively tranquil prose, a distillation ofinjustice, anger, and poetry; a notable debut. --Regina Marler ... Read more

Customer Reviews (64)

Beautiful and Moving
This is a beautifully written, powerful novel about one Japanese-American family's experience in an internment camp during WWII. It's told from varying points of view of the family members in short, dream-like prose. It's simply and quietly told, and the emotional quality subtly builds to the final chapter, which is stunning and extremely moving. Highly recommended!

Beautifully written and powerful
A spare, yet poignant, first novel about the ordeal of a Japanese family sent to an internment camp during World War II. Never melodrama-- the novel's honesty and matter-of-fact tone in the face of inconceivable injustice are the source of its power.A beautifully written, subtle indictment of the internment of Japanese Americans.

Good Insight
Quick read with good insight into the life of one Japanese-American
family displaced by the internment orders in California during WWII. Having read a few novels and accounts based on this topic, I have come to the conclusion that responses are as varied as the people living through this tragedy. This provided additional details.

A Succinct and Moving Story
It is 1942 in Berkeley, CA and the Japanese are being sent to internment camps.This unnamed family is made-up of a father who was taken away for "questioning" right after Pearl Harbor, a mother, a daughter and a younger son.The three left behind spend 3 years n the camps and return home to a semblance of their once happy life.The father returns, but has aged so much and is mentally a different man.The book ends with his (short) story of being forced to lie and admit terrible things by the paranoid government.

Sometimes it is hard to believe that this all happened in America.The story of the family was common to so many and known by so few.It breaks my heart, as a Japanese American (whose father came here after the war) to thing of the pain and hardship these CITIZENS went through - all for nothing.The father is totally ruined by the experiences and the mother is forced into cleaning homes to survive.The children are robbed of their childhood and learn too early of the awful racism and prejudice in their home - America.

Good Book
I received the book and was looking forward to reading it. I have trouble reading due to brain damage and someone suggested I try a book in large print. My book club was reading this book so I ordered it in large print.

I never got to read it because I lost it or misplaced it. It's probably in the freezer or my husband's underwear drawer.

It came on time and was in great condition. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a book of profound spirituality that the 18th century author did not know he had written. It was compiled and published over a century after his death by Visitation nuns who, fortunate for the world, saved his letters and conference notes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Excellent!
Abandonment is a wonderful book.Simple but profound.This translation is particular good.Bought 5 for our weekly Christian discussion group and we are now reading it together.I will go back to this book over and over again.

complete your understanding of faith with this book
this book is so up to date and fuliflls the understanding heart and mind, a good companion book about the sweetness of being still and understanding / knowing that He is God is the judeo/christian meditation "Be still and know that I Am God" by Roy masters.
living in awe of God and learning to love others as only Christ can love them thru us.
from another Pilgrm on the heavenward journey

HORRID TRANSLATION!
I teach spiritual formation at the seminary level.This is one of my all time favorite books.And it has been a favorite in every class where it has been used. Unfortunately some of my students did not pay attention to the translation I requested and bought this one because it was the cheapest that Amazon listed.They uniformly hated the book until I read them passages from my translation.Please do not buy this translation. You will hate the book. Buy the Beevers translation from Image Books and you will be delighted and love this book.

Disciplined advice for the contemplative mind
Written as a spiritual advisory for religous in the 18th century, this book reiterates the contemporary theme of "living in the present" with uncontemporary certainty. The maxims of the spiritual discipline of giving up Self to allow God to work in one's life are frighteningly unequivocal but deCaussade clearly urges one to follow them with liveliness, openess and genuine responsiveness to the Spirit. No recommended prayers and devotions here, he subversively suggests that regimented practice is a means and not an end and should be used accordingly. His advice is set out in an orderly fashion, paternal in tone and keenly insightful about the inevitable setbacks in learning spiritual reliance upon God rather than Self. If you don't understand the paradox of possessing fully that which you relinquish this book is not for you.

Good book!
Not finished the book but good so far. Awkward initially in translation from French but it gets better as the book goes on... ... Read more

Product Description
Conceived in a lie and trapped in a tree throughout her gestation, Morrigan's birth was truly magical. After that start, she spent the next eighteen years raised as a normal girl in Oklahoma.

Upon discovering the truth of her heritage, her rage and grief take on a power of their own, carrying her back to the world of Partholon. Yet, instead of being respected as the daughter of the Goddess Incarnate, Morrigan feels like a shunned outsider.

In her desperation to belong to Partholon, she confronts forces she can't fully understand or control. And soon a strange darkness draws closer…. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Outerwordly experience
When I started this series I wasn't sure how it
would fit. I had already read Elphames Choice
and Brighids Quest- love them as well. Neway,
I'm so glad I read them this way !! I wish/ hope
there could/ would be more Partholon Series
books.. So beautiful- happy , even tearful at times, funny,
every emotion comes through in these well
written books!! I beg for more P. C. !!
Thank you for your talent!! Huge fan!!

Not so good
When I ordered the book, the description said "good condition, like new," but when I got the book it was very tore up and even had coffee or something spilled on it. I was very upset because I take good care of my books and expected one that was in decent condition. The only positive thing about this experience was that the book was delivered fast.

FANTASY ROMANCE
THIS IS A BOOK ABOUT FANTASY AND ROMANCE THE CHARACTERS COULD BE REAL PEOPLE TODAY, THE ADVENTURES THAT ARE TAKEN CAN BE RELATED TO THE EXPERIENCES WE HAVE TODAY, THE FEELINGS AND DESIRES ARE REAL. DEFINITELY AN AUTHOR ON THE RISE.

Sad To See Shannon Go
In the beginning you find out that at the same time Shannon was having baby, Rhiannon was too. Rhiannon gave up her dark ways and sacrificed herself to save her daughter. Her daughter is sent to live with Richard Parker (Shannon's Dad). Divine by Blood is mostly about her story.

I have to admit that at first I was a little disappointed. I didn't get to see as much of Shannon as I would have liked. However, I did love the parts we did get, and her interaction with her daughter. It's really sad for me to say good bye to her. She has become one of my favorite fiction characters.

Once I got settled in to the story, Morrigan is a character I did enjoy. YA is my genre of choice, so it was nice reading about a young character again. She was raised in Oklahoma, and always knew she was different. Of course, every teenager feels that way at some point. But in her case it is real. There was a lot of magic in this one. Morrigan's magic was great to read about. One ofthem was the ability to hear whispers in the wind, and not all of the whispers were good. The evil wanted to take her as their own.

Kegan was a great character. I really enjoyed reading about him. Cast does a great job at creating couples you know are destined to be together, and you crave seeing them together. But my favorite character was Richard Parker. He was such a great guy. Cast said that he was written after her Dad. You can see how much of her heart she poured into his character, and it was impossible not to love him.

The story moves at a steady pace. I was entertained throughout. Though the ending was my favorite part. It was beautiful. Cast nicely wrapped everything up and left me satisfied. Throughout this trilogy, I have laughed, cried, shouted and felt every emotion imaginable. Cast has given me a beautiful world that I will be escaping to again. Now that I have finished this trilogy, I am excited to move on to Elphame's Choice and Brighid's Quest. Both books take place in Partholon, but have new, younger characters.

Divine by Blood was another win for me. I hope Cast continues to write, because I thoroughly enjoy her work. If you are an adult reader who is a fan of fantasy, you need to read this trilogy!

great story
I am enjoying the series. I enjoyed this book so far and will look forward to other books to P.C. Cast. ... Read more

Product Description
Over a period of forty days, God gave Mary K. Baxter visions of hell and commissioned her to tell all to choose life. Here is an account of the place and beings of hell contrasted with the glories of heaven. It is a reminder of the need each of us has for the miracle of salvation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (365)

The One Star Believers
I just want to say I agree with the 5 star reviews and also looked at some of the one star reviews which seem to be a group anally focused on fault finding rather than benefiting from the message and experience of a woman making a sincere attempt to share a very real experience.

Part of the knit-picking surrounds itself around the account of a rich man in hell as given in Luke 16:19-31.This is where the rich man asks Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his five brethren (about his torment).The rich man begs Abraham that if one went unto them from the dead, then they'll repent - his bretheren.Abraham's responds that if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.So 1 star says since no one came back from the dead to warn the rich man's family then why would Jesus allow Mary K to have a revelation of hell and then come back to share it with the rest of us.Well, maybe the rich man's 5 brethren, whom Abraham is addressing, are a bunch of spiritually deaf, dumb, and blind individuals much like the rich man was, but that doesn't mean I am or you are or that we can't benefit even if the spiritually retarded can't.It's not uncommon to find people so thick that they can't be shown anything other than what they've decided they want to believe.Think about why Christ appeared after his crucifixion?Obviously there was benefit there regarding who Jesus said that He is and life after death.In the same sense God is using certain individuals to make you and I sit up straight and take seriously how we're going to spend eternity.So don't throw the baby out with the bath water.I hardly believe Mary K is equating her book with perfection but that doesn't mean her experience wasn't very real or that we can't benefit from it.

Another item mentioned is how in her book it says Mary K is allowed to experience some suffering in hell while Jesus leaves her.This is then followed up with the book of Hebrews, Chapter 13, verse 5 where it says I will never leave thee or forsake thee. Just because Mary K couldn't discern the Lord's presence and used the words "leave her" to represent that experience doesn't mean that Jesus wasn't there.Obviously God is there whether we discern him or not.I hate to say it but my experience with people who knit pick like that are good to waste people's time debating minor points, not questioning their own understanding, quick to shoot bullets, all while missing the big picture because they're so stuck on fault finding.And one star goes on to really drive it home with Mary is now bearing punishment which Christ said he took in our place.The fact that Christ bore our punishment and provided salvation for anyone who believes and Mary being allowed to experience various aspects of hell for a short time and for the benefit of the average person are not the same thing.The punishment that Christ paid for is eternity in hell.I didn't see anywhere that Mary K told Jesus he was being unfair and that she was not willing to participate.

It seems the book is making a positive difference for a lot of people and I highly recommended it.

worth your time to ponder ...
This book can answer a lot of questions if your wondering what one option of eternity is like. I found it to be a confirmation of the validity of scripture ... and after reading this book you will know "I've been told". Death is not the end ... only the beginning.

A Detailed Tour of Hell : make the right decisions now not to go there
Having read this book, and having heard the under-lying message of the author, I am of the opinion that this is a genuine account of what the author has experienced.

What comes foremost in my mind is the different departments and activities that actually take place in Hell. It is like a vast waste land of pain and torment. Huge demons manage the lost souls and in certain regions make sure that they stay in their respective pits. It is a place for the lost, where there is no hope, only regret, pain and suffering that is way and far beyond our imagination. Persons who chose to serve satan in this life are greeted with extra pain and humiliation, then they are packed intosmall cages for even more re-occurring extreme torment.

While some my say, that this is just scare tactics, suppose this is really true, are you really ready to gamble all of eternity to keep your own personal beliefs intact?

Every person should read this book, of course it is really impossible to really fully relate the intensity of this place with words, but I think that the author made a great effort to describe the indescribable.

Great!!
God bless everyone that reads this. If you read it with an open heart and pray in the spirit. There is no lie here. Get the book read it. Would recommend it to anyone.

Amazing
When I started reading the book I could not put it down.Several of my friends have read it and they think the same thing (amazing). ... Read more

Product Description
Do You Have a Sacred Enclosure Around the Roots of Your Soul? Think about what you deal with daily. Maybe you suffer the wear and tear of long commutes and even longer work days. Or you find yourself juggling endless e-mails, phone calls, and text messages.

Noise. Chatter. Crowds. Politics. Talk radio. Television. Bills. Worries. Responsibilities. Deadlines. Endless chores. Demanding children. Relational bruises.

Life wears on us. We can't evade most of it, and that's not really the solution anyway. What we need to do is protect the most important part of us ... that deep down, soulish part of life that links us with our Creator.

In The Divine Mentor, you will discover how to enjoy a dynamic, vital, and intimate relationship with God as you learn to hear Him speak daily through the Bible. You'll embark on an adventure that will introduce you to His handpicked mentors, men and women who may save your health, your marriage, your ministry, and your future.

Wayne Cordeiro challenges you to develop a lifelong habit--the one thing Jesus says is truly necessary--that will preserve your soul, establish your legacy, and hold God's Living Word inside you. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Great book that encourages Christians to get in God's Word
This was a great help to me in learning not to rush God when I am spending my daily time with Him.It encourages consitency when reading God's Word and demands that we must receive what God is trying to tell "me" each day.He brings up a great point that calls us not to study the Bible during our devotions, but rather let the Bible study us; our thoughts, intentions, and hearts.If we want to grow strong in the faith, one of the habits we must develop is to sit at the feet of God and hear from His Word so that He can direct our lives.Wayne does an awesome job of conveying this message.

Divine Mentor - great plan for those of us who love God's Word.
I love this book, but I do think it's a little humorous that it takes THIS book to point to THE Book.Pastor Cordeiro masterfully gives the reader innumerable reasons to go to God's Word for advice, guidance, mentoring.I love SOAP journaling and am enjoying it right now as I read the book of Exodus.

check out podcast sermon
I'm actually going to buy at least three more to keep at hand. Many Christians that I know don't understand that the Scriptures tell us to train ourselves and use the Scriptures daily. We don't learn passively. You fight the way you train and train the way you want to fight. Eating His bread weekly on Sunday is not enough when the enemy of man is at work 24-7. Pastor Wayne, I can't thank you enough for this awesome technique.

To get more depth-pull itunes and search for divine mentor in the podcast section. The first entry should be a sermon given by Pastor Cordeiro at the Cherry Hills Community Church in Colorado. It is an amazing sermon with so many gems of knowledge.

The Devine Mentor
It Challenged me to read the Bible and to really think and meditate.I am getting so much more out of my reading, am enjoying it more and am more committed.

Excellent Book-- Helped me to develop some spiritual discipline
This is an excellent book and I recommend it to you.I was introduced to the "SOAP"ing concept by a friend in the summer of 2009 and tried it on and off again throughout 2009."SOAP" stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer and gives you a format to journal with after reading the Bible.

My friend gave me a few of the bookmarks that lead you through the Bible in a year, and on the bottom of the bookmark was a website [...] that led me to this book.In addition to tbe book, I also purchased the Life Journal.I also highly recommend the journal as it completes the book and allows you to get started.

The author has a passion and love for the Bible which comes across.He is a pastor of a large church in Hawaii and has built his church around this SOAPing idea.

Two ideas from the book struck me and I have retained them:the first is that as a follower of Christ, I need to "self-feed" and not depend on going to church once a week for my spiritual growth.Imagine if I only ate once a week-- I would starve.If I do not feed myself daily through daily devotions, my spiritual life will starve and not grow.

Second, he compares building wisdom with staining a table. You apply many thin layers of stain over a period of time to get the perfect table.In the same way, you can't build wisdom in yourself by trying to absorb lots of information.You have to do it slowly and consistently over time.

Overall, this book has given me a method to develop some spiritual discipline in my life.I never really found something that I liked for devotions, but I realized that I just need to spend my devotion time in the Bible.Now I have a system to get through the Bible in a year, but more importantly, a way to retain some of the applications to my life.If you are like me, and are always trying to figure out what you should do for devotions, or feel intimidated with the Bible trying to figure out what you should read, then try "the Divine Mentor" and the SOAPing method he advocates.

The SOAPing method has changed my heart over the last 9 months and I highly recommend you learning about it through this book and giving it a try as your daily devotions.It will change your heart too! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (135)

Recommended reading, but read critically
This book started off really well. It reminded me quite a bit of "The Holographic Universe" that I read way back when and loved. Sometimes the author's logic seemed flaky, but I really appreciated the reminder (and in some cases update) of physics research, parallels with religious experiences, and general implications in life.

About 2/3 through the book though, the style, the theme, the general feeling of the book changed. Now I find myself cringing at his writing, including his own personal reflections. For example, where I am right now in the reading, our geologist cum computer engineer and martial arts student author is talking about mirrors in life - how events in your life and your perceptions of it will of course tell you a lot about your character. To me this is common sense, but I do understand that he is asking us to look a bit deeper.

Right now he's talking about a time in his life where he decided to put a lot of trust in a few people in his life, despite that they were not getting along very well at all. When he returned from a business trip and found his banks accounts drained by one of them and himself in the red for checks bouncing that he had paid to contractors to renovate 100+ year old adobe dwellings on his property, he at first got angry, but then decided to do nothing about it. He says that instead, he asked what mirrors he was currently looking at and decided Life was showing him the mirror of his own Judgements. He saw that he judged dishonesty (lying and stealing), and decided the time had come to heal himself. Learning that he had a strong criminal case and could probably press charges and get this person thrown in jail, he instead decided he didn't care enough about this person to have a continuing relationship (his words).

This is an example. I of course don't know the details of the situation, but what he's provided in the writing paints a very strange picture of at least decision-making ability, if not character itself.

What do I get out of this? Well, there's the immediate mirror - I myself in my eagerness to believe got caught up in the spiritual/life implications of what he was reading, and began to let my criticism go, began to get a bit naive. Oh, and then the judgement mirror - people in the position of those such as Mr. Braden have a lot of responsibility, and I get critical when I believe they are giving such flimsy information and teachings, due to either insufficient experience/research or just simply not thinking clearly.

Back to the beginning, however: The first 1/2 to 2/3 of this book is good. It's not that heavy if you're familiar with the topic, and his writing style is very loose. Regardless, I do recommend this. Just read critically.

The Divine Matrix
This book arrived quickly and in much better condition than I expected.There were only two marks inside the book.I am reading a lot of Gregg Braden's work right now.He is getting very close to the Real Deal.He's just missing a few key things.I admire his research abilities - they are phenomenal.

The Divine Matrix revisted
I was a little disappointed by his latest book; Nothing new for me and much less inspiring than his earlier work.

Essential read
In this exciting book Gregg Braden discusses the field of energy providing the container "for everything that happens between the world within us and the one outside our bodies".

Braden compares the divine matrix to the software that runs a computer. But our "software" is our feelings and we can use our feelings, the language of emotion, to create our reality.

One of his "keys" (of which he has 20) is that we are always connected to each other, the individual also always being connected to his/her DNA even though it has been removed from the body.

Gregg Braden refers to varous experiments illustrating his tenets. He also describes an operation he witnessed in Beijing, where a tumour in the body of a woam was "miraculously" removed within a few minutes by the power of thought.

Among other subjects, he discussed the nature of time (the healing of the past from the present), refers repeatedly to my favourite author Neville (feel that your wish is fulfilled and it will be) and devotes a whole chapter to the discussion of how everyone appearing in one's life constitutes a projection of one's own personality and problems, i.e. are sent to mirror our own selves back to us so we better can perceive what it is we need to work on in order to better ourselves. He illustrates this by means of examples from his own life.

This is a book that I feel is an essential read for anyone at all interested in metaphysics and the nature and possibilities of our own selves!

A misrepresentation of quantum mechanics
I started reading through this book, recently given to me as a gift, but was unable to get very far. As a physicist, the scientific claims put forth by the author are views of a fringe in the scientific field at best, and outright misrepresentations at worst. As an example, take the discussion on page 21, discussing the existence of the aether. Gregg Braden claims that a "report" was published in Nature, suggesting the existence of the aether. However, if one actually looks up the reference quoted in the back of the book, ([...]) the "report" is in fact a LETTER to the editor (thus not peer reviewed), and does not seem (to me) to make any of the sweeping claims that Braden attributes to it. The existence of an aether seems central to the author's argument of a "Divine Matrix." Thus, the implied claim of scientific support for the "Divine Matrix" seems like an outright misrepresentation.

I suppose the point of this review is simply to emphasize that there is little actual science to be learned about in this book. If your goal is to actually learn something about the science of quantum mechanics, or physics for that matter, look elsewhere. (I find Richard Feynman's books, such as QED, to be accessible and informative for example.) Quantum mechanics is certainly an interesting subject, and does have deep philosophical implications. However, such misrepresentations of what the study of quantum mechanics has actually discovered, and the rather interesting questions about the nature of reality that it certainly does pose, does not only a disservice to the reader, but the scientific community as a whole. One of the goals of the scientific community surely is communication of its discoveries to the public (which funds it!), and the dissemination of such pseudoscience by non-scientists such as Gregg Braden is detrimental to that goal. ... Read more

Product Description
Phyllis Tickle, among the most respected authorities on religion in America today, is one of many modern Christians who observe the ancient tradition of praying the Divine Hours, also known as the Daily Offices. This final volume in paperback, The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime, provides four sets of offices—morning, midday, vespers, and compline—for every day from October through January. Each includes prayers, psalms, and Bible readings for each day of these two festive seasons which include the Feast of All Saints, the Season of Advent, the days of Christmas, and the Epiphany.

Making primary use of the Book of Common Prayer and the writings of the Church Fathers, The Divine Hours is also a companion to the New Jerusalem Bible, from which it draws its Scripture readings. It blends prayer and praise in a way that respects and builds upon the ancient wisdom of Christianity—yet it is extraordinarily fresh and vibrant. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

epub version needed
When will all 3 volumes of this wonderful devotional book be available in epub?I purchased The Divine Hours for Summertime for my ereader and found it to be my all-time favorite devotional book.I want to purchase all 3 volumes for my ereader so I can take them with me to work and on my travels.Does anyone know when the books will be available for ereaders?

Day by Day
Tickle has provided in this book and the other seasons of Divine Hours, a beautiful prayer resource for individuals as well as for communities of faith. I've used her "divine hours" books including this one both for my personal times with God as well as in group times as a retreat leader. The words of prayer from Tickle's prayer books are mostly drawn from the Bible. The divine office, (or liturgy of the hours) habit of faith is an excellent way to increase your spiritual life and depth with God. Most of us arepretty unstructured in our prayer life, and also mostly undisciplined. This book will help guide you closer to God and develop in you and those around you a pattern of prayer based upon God's Word. For another book that is a guide to spirituality for busy people, see The Busy Family's Guide to Spirituality: Practical Lessons for Modern Living From the Monastic Tradition

Absolutely NOT For Catholics

This is NOT the text for the traditional form of liturgical prayer in the Roman Catholic Church known as the Divine Office, the Liturgy Of The Hours, and the Breviary.

It IS a text compiled by Phyllis Tickle, a married lay member of the Episcopal Church and freelance writer by trade.It is a private, for-profit, unofficial undertaking.

For Catholics and non-Catholics who wish to pray the Divine Office, or Liturgy of the Hours, the official texts and instructions are available in books from Catholic Book Publishing Company.Unofficial but reliable and convenient alternatives include the monthly booklet Magnificat, and the website Universalis.

I am giving it a one-star rating because of the misleading name and absence of any disclaimer, especially considering the fact that it is using readings from the New Jerusalem Bible, a Catholic Bible, and being published by Image, which has traditionally been a Catholic imprint.What is the intention of the name, the imprint, the choice of Scripture translation, and the references to "ancient tradition" if not to trade on the resemblance to the Catholic Hours?

Wonderful
This book is so well written and special. I buy one for everyone I know. It really deepens your spiritual life through the beautiful readings and prayers. This is one of a set of three. If you are intrested in The Office this is a beautiful way to participate.

I Love This Book
I bought this book to help get me through the cold dark winter. It was in my recommendations from Amazon but I knew nothing about what the Daily Offices were or what a Compline was. When I got the book back in October I just started doing the readings four times a day. I found that this book is so much more than I expected. I have tried different forms of devotions in my life but this is the first that I actually look forward to reading.

The combination of Psalms, prayers, hymns, and other verses from the Bible helps me to center my thoughts on things that really matter throughout the day. Each reading is only a page or two long and takes maybe 10 minutes but each one has a powerful impact on my day and on my life.

Although I planned to use this method of devotions just through the winter I have now added the springtime and summer versions to my wish list. ... Read more

Product Description
The only excitement Shannon Parker expects while on summer vacation is a little shopping. But when an antique vase calls to her, she finds herself transported to Partholon, where she's treated like a goddess. A very temperamental goddess…

Somehow Shannon has stepped into another's role as the Goddess Incarnate of Epona. And while there's an upside—what woman doesn't like lots of pampering?—it also comes with a ritual marriage to a centaur and threats against her new people. Oh, and everyone disliking her because they think she's her double.

Somehow Shannon needs to figure out how to get back to Oklahoma without being killed, married to a horse or losing her mind…. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (36)

I couldn't finish it...
I thought this book sounded like a fun, light-hearted read, and based on the positive reviews at Amazon, was hoping not to be disappointed.Unfortunately, I could not read past the first 75 pages of this book, and even those were a difficult enough challenge.

The first problem I had with this book was that I just did not like the main character.I did not enjoy her narrative style, and I found it difficult to believe that she was a teacher.I'm sorry to say that I did not find her interesting, or likeable.Nor did I find her humor enjoying to read.

The second thing I didn't like about this book was the prose.The writing felt weak.Some of the dialogue was very dry, and often irrelevant --- there was too much chit-chat.

The plot itself also failed to really interest me.It sounded much better when described on the back of the book, but in reality, I found the whole reasoning for the main character being in a whole new world was a little difficult to believe.Perhaps the idea is developed as the story goes on, but I was very disappointed by the explanation given for her situation.

Part one was very slow for me.I quickly became impatient and found myself skimming text.This is always a sign that I'm not going to enjoy a book.I tried really hard to read thoroughly when I reached part two, but the dialogue was very dull and I did not like the alternate universe.

Perhaps this book would be enjoyed by younger readers. I am 30, so perhaps this just isn't my sort of thing.I was sorry to be so let down by this book-I'd been expecting to enjoy it a lot.

Great Book
I love all of P.C Cast's books. This was no exception. It keeps you interested every minute. People gripe about the grammar errors, this does not bother me I am here for what the book represents. This book was awesome, and I would recommend it to anyone.

5 Stars!
READ THIS BOOK!

I love nothing more than a "modern woman transported to an ancient era" theme, and this books delivers and then some!The main characters wit and humor makes this an easy read.And who would have thought romance with a centaur would be, well, not creepy? Still about halfway through this book but I already highly recommend it to any paranormal or fantasy fans out there!

Too much Horror in this romance
*SPOILERS*
I found a couple of scenes too disturbing and I just tried to skip over them. The Fomorians (sp?) are vampire monsters who enjoy killing, drinking blood & eating humans, raping the women and girls, said women and girls getting pregnant with these monsters, giving birth grotesquely, Rhea tempting the leader during rapes scenes. AUGH!!!It was just too much, I had to skip these parts. Thought it was strange that the horror scenes are more detailed than the love scenes between the newlyweds, Rhea and Clin. On second thought, I don't think horror and romance should mix......just my personal preference.

Rhea was also annoying, with her "Sheet, boy..." sayings, John Wayne and even a poopy comment.She is a 28 yo English high school teacher, right?? Are you sure?? Really?

I did enjoy the parallel universe called Partholon, and how Shannon switches places with Rhiana (sp?) and fulfills her destiny by becoming the goddess Epona's Beloved. I liked the beautiful horse Epi, and the idea that she could understand what you said to her. Also, I thought Alana was a charming character.

Too much horror and not enough romance (Rhea & Clin became an item really quickly).I will not be reading the other books in this series.I prefer this authors"The House of Night" saga.

If you love P.C. Cast enter her world of Partholon!
I love the House of Night series, so I decided to read the Partholon books and I fell in love with Divine byMistake.A must read for any P.C. Cast fan. ... Read more