No Dominion: A Novel

Book Description

Joe Pitt’s life sucks. He hasn’t had a case or a job in God knows how long and his stashes are running on empty. What stashes? The only ones that count to a guy like Joe: blood and money. The money he uses to buy blood; the blood he drinks. Hey, buddy, it’s that or your neck–you want to choose? The only way to lay his hands on both is to take a gig with the local Vampyre Clan. See, something new is on the streets, a new high, a high so strong it can send a Vampyre spazzing through Joe’s local watering hole. Till Joe sends him through a plate-glass window, that is.

So it’s time for Joe to gut up and swallow that pride and follow the leads wherever they go. It won’t be long before he’s slapping stoolies, getting sapped, and being taken for a ride above 110th Street. Someone’s pulling Joe’s strings, and now he’s riding the A train, looking to find who it is. He’s gonna cut them when he finds them–the strings and the hands that hold them.

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic........2007-08-10

Not only am I waiting on pins and needles for the next book in the series, but my boyfriend, who doesn't usually read, is completely hooked. It's an easy, high action read.

Wow Huston comes through.......2007-07-25

Looking for a gritty sam spade vampire novel. Almost perfict noir. A little romance, alittle mystery, and a deeper story arch, this novel is for you.

Great hard-boiled vampire action.......2007-07-21

Down on his luck and running low on his blood stash, vampire private detective Joe Pitt decides to do what he never does--solicit business. His former mentor in The Society is willing to offer him a job--tracking down the strange drug that turns vampires into out-of-control crazies. Although The Society is dedicated to the proposition that vampires eventually come out of the closet, they don't want to rush that moment, and they certainly don't want to come out of the closet with vampires mowing down dozens of normal humans.

Pitt's investigation takes him across the vampire worlds of New York. From the south of Manhatten, where members of the Society struggle to power, to the northern end--the Hood, where African-American vampires suppress dissent and urge a bloody war against the Coalition that rules the central part of Manhattan.

Almost from the start, Pitt's life is in danger. In the vampire world. a rogue is never trusted and frequently killed. While Pitt merely wants to retain his independence, the other vampires see him as a rogue to be killed. It doesn't help that he pissed off the Coalition's leader so badly they'll do just about anything to kill him.

Pitt gradually unravels the plan, and learns that his friends in The Society have been infiltrated.

Author Charlie Huston continues his fascinating Joe Pitt series with another hard-boiled vampire story. Pitt, with a convincing blend of cynicism and desire to do the right thing makes an interesting protagonist. Huston adds some nice twists at the end, leaving Pitt frustrated and falling short of his goals.

Charlie Huston's prose is fast and engaging. NO DOMINATION is a hard book to put down. Nicely done.

Meet Joe Pitt, Again!.......2007-06-20

Joe Pitt is back and better than ever. I do think that reading "Already Dead" (the first book in the series) would be nice, but I don't think really necessary. In this latest installment, Joe is low on jobs, therefore making blood (his secret stash) thin. The story opens with Joe, a self proclaimed muscle man, encountering a "stoned" vampire, which is impossible because of what the "virus" does to the human body (normally it rids itself of things that can hurt it, which explains why Joe can drink large quantities of alcohol and not get drunk). Curious, yet stuggling with bigger issues, he is low on money and blood, and his girlfriend, Evie. Evie is HIV+ and wants Joe (who knows his blood can cure her, but make her a vampire) to donate blood.

So Joe can at least solve one problem, money for blood, he reluctantly asks his old friend, Terry for work. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the beginning of an adventure/search for the truth in what is making newly turned vampires act crazy? Joe soon discovers that it is "anathema", the blood of someone newly turned ingested by a vampire. To determine who is behind this new drug, Joe must encounter several clans within New York. Amongst them is a very old female enforcer (who lives on the "hill", attended Columbia and appears to be manufacturing the drug); a "hood" leader named DJ Grave Digga (who runs Pit Bull fights and acts like a gangsta..LOL; a barber with information (Percy); a vampire who starves himself (takes only a few sips of blood) to understand the "meaning of life"; a young "Count" (who is caught up more in the trappings of being a vampire, than really being one) and several who hate him and want him dead. So while solving a mystery, that in the end only makes sense, you wonder what will become of his girlfriend and will she learn of the truth.

As the story unravels, the issue becomes is "everything what it seems", and "who can Joe trust"? I loved this book, especially the story of his love for Evie was the most compelling. Will I tell you what happens? No, but I will tell you that I can't wait until the next one!

Vampyre Noir -- subtle maneuvers.......2007-05-14

In No Dominion, Joe Pitt has settled down a bit since Already Dead. The jobs have been few and far between but he's been doing okay -- except his stash is down to 3 pints, his girlfriend's HIV is getting worse, and she's wants to know what Joe does for a living. But that's just background as Joe's face is getting pushed through safety glass by a vamp hyped up on drugs. This is no small thing since the vyrus doesn't let vampyres get more than a light and fleeting buzz from drugs. So what's the drug that can get a vamp high? Who's making it? And where the heck are all these new vamps coming from?

No Dominion is noir squared. Joe Pitt is a vampire Sam Spade. Joe's a cynic but he can't help trying to do the right thing even when it means it might cost him everything he is. Vampyres are all about politics and territory. To learn what the new drug is and who is making it, Joe must travel out of his territory, and to do that he has to have the help of Terry, who wants to control him, and Daniel, who believes Joe should take his place when he dies. Joe is a holdout not beholden to any clan but picking up jobs and living free by Terry's whim in Terry's territory.

Pitt might not be a mover and a shaker in vampyre politics but he knows when he's being used and, even knowing, he allows it to get the job done. But in the end it just might cost him more than he's willing to pay. Huston continues to develop the character and the story unfolds allowing us to see how it works -- there are no winners here. There are those who are used and those who don't realize they are being used and those who make a choice for a better chance for others.

While you could probably pick this book up without having read Already Dead; there's a lot of backstory given in the first chapters to help out with the set up. However, the first book is excellent, so give yourself a treat.

There's no happy ending, just a visit to a place that's got to be worse than wherever you are now and that's got to make this world and this reality look better just by comparison -- and a nifty mystery to boot.

Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism

Average customer rating:

A Good, Concise Read
A disturbing but important read
A polemic that makes a forceful argument
Objective, thorough, and worth reading
Good.

Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism
Michelle Goldberg
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0393060942

Book Description

Michelle Goldberg, a senior political reporter for Salon.com, has been covering the intersection of politics and ideology for years. Before the 2004 election, and during the ensuing months when many Americans were trying to understand how an administration marked by cronyism, disregard for the national budget, and poorly disguised self-interest had been reinstated, Goldberg traveled through the heartland of a country in the grips of a fevered religious radicalism: the America of our time. From the classroom to the mega-church to the federal court, she saw how the growing influence of dominionism-the doctrine that Christians have the right to rule nonbelievers-is threatening the foundations of democracy.

In Kingdom Coming, Goldberg demonstrates how an increasingly bellicose fundamentalism is gaining traction throughout our national life, taking us on a tour of the parallel right-wing evangelical culture that is buoyed by Republican political patronage. Deep within the red zones of a divided America, we meet military retirees pledging to seize the nation in Christ's name, perfidious congressmen courting the confidence of neo-confederates and proponents of theocracy, and leaders of federally funded programs offering Jesus as the solution to the country's social problems.

With her trenchant interviews and the telling testimonies of the people behind this movement, Goldberg gains access into the hearts and minds of citizens who are striving to remake the secular Republic bequeathed by our founders into a Christian nation run according to their interpretation of scripture. In her examination of the ever-widening divide between believers and nonbelievers, Goldberg illustrates the subversive effect of this conservative stranglehold nationwide. In an age when faith rather than reason is heralded and the values of the Enlightenment are threatened by a mystical nationalism claiming divine sanction, Kingdom Coming brings us face to face with the irrational forces that are remaking much of America.

Customer Reviews:

A Good, Concise Read.......2007-08-28

This is a good book on the Christian Right, rich with information that is packed into a slim 200-page volume. Those suspicious of the motives of the Christian Right will immediately relate to the author's work, as she highlights some of the most undemocratic trends and activists in the movement. That certain elements of the far Christian Right wish to replace democracy with an authoritarian theocracy is an unsettling prospect. Goldberg cites her sources and presents her book in a highly readable and engaging format. This book may not be as objective as some might wish - for example there are many Christians not amongst the far right, or indeed on the left, and omitting them from the book makes the Christian Right seem "scarier" than perhaps it really is. Having said that, Goldberg does identify some important, and disturbing trends amongst some Christians who appear to be of the mindset that they speak for God and for everyone else as well. Suffice it to say, it is fortunate that Christianity cannot be reduced entirely to this, for there are many Christians who think otherwise. I recommend it to self-critical Christians or secular readers, as well as anyone concerned with reviving our democracy.

A disturbing but important read.......2007-08-24

I've been concerned for awhile now about the rise of religion in politics, so when I saw this I figured I'd pick it up and delve into the matter a little more. I already got annoyed when I heard atheists and gays slandered as horrible people, when not allowing mandatory prayer in public school was called "anti-Christian," and of course when people wandered around trying to masqeurade intelligent design as science.

Behold, in hindsight, how little I knew.

Michelle Goldberg brings far more than that to the table. I never knew just how devoid of oversight Bush's Faith-Based Initiatives are or that organizations such as the Salvation Army reorganized and purged undesirable elements from their ranks. Sections about the evangelical movement's history and extent, as well as the related home-schooling movement, were particularly eye opening.

At times the book became so disturbing I began feeling pretty apathetic towards it all. With all of these events taking place and with all the organization, resources, and determination the movement has, why bother doing anything about it?

Luckily towards the end Goldberg includes a few positive notes and developments, as well as suggestions on action to take. I think that, along with the controlled and mature writing style, is crucial. This book easily could have been a vitriolic attack on the movement without an attempt at a solution. If it had been, it would have served as proof to Christian nationalists that secular liberals are out to get them. Thankfully it didn't turn out that way. Goldberg reasons her point well at the same time she points out Christian nationalists are generally nice people with legitimate concerns. It's a logical, sensible book that manages to raise an alarm without being alarmist.

A polemic that makes a forceful argument.......2007-08-17

The book is a polemic. As with any polemic, a reader who disagrees with the author will call it a
screed, but one who is sympathetic to the author's view will find it insightful and a forceful
argument. I fall into the latter category

Ms. Goldberg's theme is simple: the far-right, conservative Christians are a present danger insofar
as their intent is not simply to win others to their convictions but, rather, to force their style of
governance on the United States. The 31-year-old author describes herself as a "secular Jew" who
is a contributing writer to the magazine "Salon"; she describes a tremendous amount of research
that she put into the book, having interviewed a large number of the Christians she writes about
and attended megachurch services and conferences of the faithful. She names not only the usual
suspects (Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, James Dobson, Tim LaHaye, Paul Weyrich, Ralph Reed)
but many others that I had never heard of.

While I have no admiration of these conservative Christians, these "people of faith"--I could
never be one of them--I have never felt threatened by them. However, if one gives credence to
Ms. Goldberg's testimony, they are a clear menace to our society. They not only want school
prayer, the "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, the Ten Commandments displayed publicly,
and the other trappings of their faith, they also want elected government officials, teachers of our
children, and everyone with influence on our lives to be of their ilk.

She talks about "Christian Reconstruction": "Reconstruction theory calls for a stealth strategy to
Christianize politics and culture." She refers to one Gary North, "one of the movement's key
theorists, (who) wrote of the need for activists to penetrate secular institutions to 'smooth the
transition to Christian political leadership....Christians must begin to organize politically within the
present party structure, and they must begin to infiltrate the existing institutional order.' " (p. 14).

She quotes a variety of the far-right Christians, whose words point out the menace of their ideology.

"We must remove all humanists from public office and replace them with pro-moral political
leaders." Tim LaHaye. (p. 39).

"Christians have an obligation, a mandate, a commission, a holy responsibility to reclaim the
land for Jesus Christ--to have dominion in civil structures, just as in every other aspect of life
and godliness...World conquest. That's what Christ has commissioned us to accomplish."
George Grant, identified as executive director of Coral Ridge Ministries, "a multimedia empire"
headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (p. 41).

"The humanist West is our modern throne of iniquity, framing mischief by enacting laws. We
must return to God's law. We must work towards a true Christendom. Thy kingdom come, O
Lord!" R. J. Rushdoony (now deceased), described as a leader of "Christian Reconstructionism."
(p. 158).

"The overarching question we face today is: 'Who is America's sovereign?' and 'What is his
law?'...The holy Bible makes clear that Jesus Christ is our sovereign...America's founding
fathers understood and acted on this Biblical truth." Howard Phillips, another Reconstructionist
who has "called for the execution of abortionists, a crucial plank in the Reconstructionist agenda."
(p. 167).

Further on the theme of the menace to America's free society of the far-right Christians, Ms.
Goldberg writes "If fascism's rise is gradual and subtle, how does one spot it?" As an answer she
quotes Robert O. Paxton, a history professor at Columbia University, "We know from tracing its
path that fascism does not require a spectacular 'march' on some capital to take root...Fascists
are close to power when conservatives begin to borrow their techniques..." (p. 179).

She adds, "Those who don't want to live in the country the Christian nationalists would create
have no choice but to fight...the threat will not simply fizzle out without a countermovement
organized to defend pluralism, religious equality, reason, and personal freedom. If current trends
continue, we will see ever increasing division and acrimony in our politics. That's partly because,
as Christian nationalism spreads, secularism is spreading as well, while moderate mainline
Christianity is in decline." (p. 181).

Well said.

Objective, thorough, and worth reading.......2007-08-06

At first, I wasn't sure I wanted to read this. Although I am alarmed at the political shenanigans of the extreme religious right, I had already read books about this subject and wondered if this would tell me anything I hadn't already read about.

Then I read the introduction. That did it for me. I wanted to read it.

Michelle Goldberg is thorough in her presentation. She discusses the development of the "Christian Nation" philosophy, and she shows how, in the hands of the militant mindset, it can be dangerous. She also focuses on: the push to have Intelligent Design taught in public schools, the federal funding of faith-based groups, the promotion of abstinence as the key to the sexual problems of the nation. She also covers other issues as well, which you can find out by reading the book. And through all of this, she highlights the "Christian Nationalist" leaders including, of course, Jerry Fallwell, Pat Robertson, Tim LaHaye, etc. But she also mentions many others, not quite so well known, but active in Christian Nationalism.

A lot of this was not too new to me, as I've read other books about the radical Christian right. But what stood out in my mind was that the author was not trying to lump all Christians into the same category. In fact, on page 8 she states that . . . "The Christian nationalist movement does not represent a majority of Americans - it does not even represent a majority of all evangelicals." However, she believes that they are a highly mobilized minority who have made a huge impact on American society all out of proportion to their numbers, and the impact has scary implications for Americans - maybe even for other Christians

No book can cover everything. And I reiterate, I appreciated and agreed with a great deal of what I read here. But there are a couple of other issues I think need to be pointed out:

1. A lot of what we call the politically "conservative" had its roots in anti-Communism. It is easy to forget how militant the Communists were in their day. I am two months and ten days younger than George W. Bush Junior - and I remember the cold war all too well. I remember when Hungary was swallowed up into the Soviet system, and when Russian tanks invaded Czechoslovakia. I was a young teenager during the Cuban missile crisis.

2. Also, it is easy to forget how equally militant atheism was in those days as well.

However, I do not fault Ms. Goldberg for not emphasizing this more. And I certainly do agree with her that those of us in the moderate to centrist positions need to flex our muscles as well, and (learning, ironically, from the Christian right) begin making ourselves and our positions known and become just as persistent as the Christian Nationalists.

I highly recommend this book.

Good........2007-06-24

Michelle Goldberg has written a concise, thoughtful examination of a fringe of Christian evangelism that she sees as a growing political threat. She makes it clear (something the film "Jesus Camp" does not) that this kind of Christianity is a minority within evangelistic traditions, and certainly a minority within America overall. Still, one need look no further than the 2004 presidential election to see that extremists do have power when combined with more moderate voting blocks. Goldberg examines some of the leaders of this movement and focuses on four social issues which have begun to affect political policy: gay marriage, science in public schools, abortion rights, and sex education. Ultimately, this is a book about democracy and voting. If small voting blocks didn't have the power to sway elections (and affect public policy), no one need be concerned about others' religious beliefs (or their misuse of these beliefs). I think Goldberg is overly paranoid in some of her imagined worst case scenarios. There is a vast difference, for example, between wanting to deny gay people their civil rights and wanting to round them up and send them to concentration camps. Just because horrible acts have proceeded from these types of injustices doesn't mean that atrocity is the end result of every act of political prejudice. I have a feeling that once GW is out of office, the fear about the Christian right will abate. The types of people written about in "Kingdom Coming" are extremists and I have faith that decency and common sense will win out. In some ways I think they already are.

Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy

Average customer rating:

All Politicians, Religious Leaders and Teachers Should Read Dominion!
Rambling and meandering - - but interesting and compelling
Good stewards of animals
Animal rights for conservatives
Dominion: A Comprehensive Discussion of Our Treatment of Animals

Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy
Matthew Scully
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0312319738

Book Description

A brilliantly researched, widely praised investigation into our society's treatment of animals, Dominion is perhaps the most influ-ential book on the issue since Peter Singer's Animal Liberation- pinpointing scientific and religious practices that endorse unnecessary cruelty toward animals. His explorations include: -A hellish industrial farm where animals with open sores and broken limbs live their entire lives in darkness -The annual convention of Safari Club International, where the world's wealthy spend millions to hunt exotic game - including 'retired' zoo animals -Laboratories where tens of thousands of animals are afflicted with tumors, disease, and lesions in order to test nonessential consumer products. Dominion is a groundbreaking work-timely, emotionally catalyzing, fortified with intelligence and passion.

Customer Reviews:

All Politicians, Religious Leaders and Teachers Should Read Dominion!.......2007-09-30

I am a yoga teacher, author, advocate for the humane treatment of animals and former elected official. The great philosophers and teachers through the ages have urged us to consider all aspects of our lives, including how we treat animals. "Dominion" is one of the most powerful, reasonable, scientifically sound books I have read on the subject of animal welfare, a subject that is even closer to my heart than yoga. I have read dozens of books on animal rights, interviewed Gail Eisnitz, author of "Slaughterhouse," (also highly recommended) and researched many aspects of animal welfare. "Dominion" is so well-written and researched that it is a book you can confidently give your local and national elected officials, your minister or other religious leader, your friends,your family, your chef --- anyone who needs to wake up to the moral obligation we owe the animals over which we have dominion.

Suza Francina, vegan yoga teacher, author, "The New Yoga for Healthy Aging," and other books, former mayor, Ojai, California.

Rambling and meandering - - but interesting and compelling.......2007-09-07

This book forcefully stakes out a compromise position, which is a difficult trick. Though a conservative Republican, Scully rejects his side's dominionist views on nature. Man may have been given dominion over the earth and its creatures, but Scully does not believe that this gives us the right to harm and exploit other beings. Yet he also rejects the pure animal rights position, and believes that man can use animals for our own good. In short, dominion may given humans some rights, but it also comes with responsibilities: we must treat animals humanely, and with dignity.

Unfortunately, the book often rambles. Scully doesn't write a tight argument but throws out ideas and then plays with them for a while. Many of the chapters include some journalistic fieldwork, such as a visit to a pig farm or the Safari Club. In such cases, Scully sometimes substitutes outrage over bad behavior for actual argument.

The book is also too long - - some arguments are spread over several chapters, and some ideas recur in multiple places. A strong editor could have forced him to tighten up both the prose and the argument. Still, the book reads well and Scully finds it easy to carry the reader along.

By the end of the book it struck me as particularly bizarre that this guy is a Republican speechwriter who has worked for G. W. Bush in both Texas and Washington. He distrusts the market because it assigns utilitarian values to things instead of relying on moral values. He dislikes the National Rifle Association and has pro-wildlife and other environmental sensibilities. He's a vegetarian. His only Republican issue is abortion, and he rightly sees the connections between the rights of fetuses, animals, and indeed all life. Perhaps that's enough, but did he know that there are pro-life Catholic Democrats?

Oddities aside, the book is consistently interesting, and will challenge people on all sides of these debates. Well worth reading.

Good stewards of animals.......2007-07-16

This book changed my life. What does "dominion" of animals really mean in the book of Genesis? This author proposes that we are to be good stewards of animals. Although the book obviously touches on religion, it also gets into many other viewpoints. It is well rounded.

Animal rights for conservatives.......2007-05-13

It's nice to hear a conservative voice for speak up for animal rights. Vegetarianism is usually associated with political and religious liberals. I am both, but it was refreshing to hear arguments from a new point of view. As for his conservative cred, he was a speech writer for Bush. I think this will help conservatives understand that this issue isn't just a liberal thing.

Dominion: A Comprehensive Discussion of Our Treatment of Animals.......2007-03-02

"Why," asks Matthew Scully in the opening chapter of his book _Dominion_, "when it comes to dominion, are we always stern literalists in the subduing parts and scornful skeptics in the peace-bringing parts?" Referring to a Biblical passage which gives humans dominion over the animals, in this book Scully explores contemporary ethics and practices regarding our treatment and use of animals.

At the time he wrote Dominion, Matthew Scully worked as an assistant and speechwriter for George W. Bush, and in his acknowledgements has kind words to say about our president. The topic of animal rights is one too often sidestepped by conservative writers like Mr. Scully, and it is good to see it treated here judiciously and with such good taste.

Unlike the arguments of those who would deny animals even the most basic kindnesses, Dominion is coherent, precise, broad, and deep. It is both unsettling and inspiring, and probably the best book on animal ethics it has been my pleasure to read.

Average customer rating:

Randy Alcorn's "Dominion"
Spiritual warfare
Major issues faced head on! A very good book!!
As advertised.d
Thought provoking

Dominion
Randy Alcorn
Manufacturer: Multnomah Fiction
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1590525930
Release Date: 2006-05-01

Book Description

Sweet Revenge?

When two senseless killings hit close to home, columnist Clarence Abernathy seeks revenge for the murdersâand, ultimately, answers to his own struggles regarding race and faith. After being dragged into the world of inner-city gangs and racial conflict, Clarence is encouraged by fellow columnist Jake Woods to forge an unlikely partnership with a redneck homicide detective. Soon the two find themselves facing dark forces, while unseen eyes watch from above. This re-release of Randy Alcorn’s powerful bestseller spins off from Deadline and offers a fascinating glimpse inside heaven.

Can One Man’s Search for Justice Stand Up to the Forces of Evil Threatening to Destroy Him?

A shocking murder drags black newspaper columnist Clarence Abernathy into the disorienting world of inner-city gangs and racial conflict. In a desperate hunt for answers to the violence (and to his own struggles with race and faith), Clarence forges an unlikely partnership with redneck detective Ollie Chandler. Despite their differences, Clarence and Ollie soon find themselves sharing the same mission: victory over the forces of darkness vying for dominion.

Filled with insightâand with characters so real you’ll never forget themâDominion is a dramatic story of spiritual searching, racial reconciliation, and hope.

I don’t know when I have read a novel that affected me so profoundly. Randy Alcorn has combined a superb mystery/detective story with a lesson in racial relations in America, gang dynamics and symbols, Christian values, and spiritual warfare.

âDave Kirby, Troy (Alabama) Broadcasting Corporation

Even better than its predecessorâ¦Alcorn’s writing remains top-notch.

âSean Taylor, CBA Marketplace

READER’S GUIDE INCLUDED

Story Behind the Book

Randy Alcorn thoroughly researched his characters, spending time in the inner city with homicide and gang detectives to better create the scenes for this bestselling novel. He set the story in his hometown of Portland, Oregon, and the main character, Clarence Abernathy, is a black journalist whose unforgettable father played baseball in the old Negro Leagues. Randy has received many letters from readers who assume he is African American due to his accurate portrayals of racial issues.

Customer Reviews:

Randy Alcorn's "Dominion".......2007-09-27

A very engaging story that addresses current issues in an eye opening way.
This book addresses continuing, subtle racial issues, gang activity and the power of the press to influence for good or bad. Because the story is set near to where my family lives, it was fun to "drink Starbucks" with the characters in the same Barnes and Noble I visit when I am in Portland, OR. We are reading it for the second time. The first was from the library. It was worth purchasing a personal copy.

Spiritual warfare .......2007-01-17

This great work of Fiction by Randy Alcorn has a real strong dose of reality in it. I highly recommend this book for those who question their own position on abortion and for those who don't and should. This is a great read and I love to give Randy'sa books as Birthday and Christmas presents. You won't want to put it down.

Major issues faced head on! A very good book!!.......2006-10-11

This book was recommended when I told the salesperson I was looking for books on spiritual warfare - something along the lines of Frank Peretti. It wasn't exactly what I was looking for but thought provoking and captivating none-the-less. Be warned this is a thick book and I found the main reason to put it down was my hands were tired - that and I needed sleep!

I have to say that at first I was distracted by the author's repeated use of simile (hence 4 instead of 5 stars) - two examples pg 10 "...scream pierced the store like a fire alarm." and two sentences later "...like a tennis raquet poised to serve." I'm not sure of the word count on "like" but I'm pretty sure it's up there. I really had to concentrate on NOT concentrating on the simile. If you're like me and tend to focus on how the book is written as well as what is written, be prepared to overlook this distraction - the story is worth it. If it doesn't bother you, you will get vivid mental pictures as you read this book!

This story confronts major issues head-on and I love it! The big one - racism. As I was reading, I kept thinking "this guy has got to get over the color of his skin!" But what it all boils down to is he can't nor should he. God made us a certain color for a reason, who are we to question the Potter's hand? At one point, several chapters into the book, I flipped over to the back cover and was suprised to see Randy Alcorn is white. Wow!

My favorite aspect of Dominion is the author's concept of what heaven (as well as hell) will be like. This depiction is biblically based but uses imagination to bring realism to the idea of the hereafter. It's been a "dinner-table" topic for sometime now.

The plot is very well developed throughout and although the book is long, it's worth the time. I will read this book again.

As advertised.d.......2006-08-04

The book: "Dominion", arrived in a very timely manner, and in the advertised condition. I would purchase from this seller again. Thanks. Walt Moran

Thought provoking.......2006-07-06

I found this book, thought provoking, moving, and real. The fact that it was written by a white author, and includes such profound insight of matters affecting the black community, is quite remarkable. This novel covers white black relations, inner black issues (political, family etc) forgiveness, blame, and love; all inter woven into a political thriller. You may not agree with all of the assertions of the authors, but the points he raises will cause you to review your opinions on most of the issues above.And that, for me is the mark of a great novel. Which this is.

Paradise Restored: A Biblical Theology of Dominion (80066)

Average customer rating:

Amazing Book
Probably the most exciting non-fiction you'll ever read
A bright future
Common Sense 101
Post-mil 101

Paradise Restored: A Biblical Theology of Dominion (80066)
David Chilton
Manufacturer: Dominion Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0930462521

Customer Reviews:

Amazing Book.......2007-08-31

This book will help you understand true Christian theology on Dominion and shift your beliefs for the better!

Probably the most exciting non-fiction you'll ever read.......2004-07-26

In Paradise Restored, author David Chilton examines the modern defeatist theology held by many evangelicals and gives us an alternative: a bright future filled with Christ-serving nations and, most importantly, a victory for Christ through the spreading of his gospel.

Chilton first examines the imagery present in Genesis and elsewhere in the Bible, especially that having to do with the Garden of Eden and the restoration to Eden through Christ in the great gift of salvation, and demonstration of God's mercy, for individuals, and for the world.

Although premillennialism was not invented until 1827, it had nonetheless taken a strong hold on Protestant Churches everywhere, especially in America. Though it has no scriptural basis and was considered to be a theology of quacks until the last hundred years or so, it became the rule, rather than the exception, during the 1970s. Then again, a lot of things happened in the 1970s! :)

Chilton does a wonderful job refuting all of this, and uses the best source of all: the Bible, to prove his case. He shows us the hope that is found for the church through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Read this book. Twice. Then, share it with your family. They'll love it too.

A bright future.......2002-01-04

Are we going to take seriously the promises made in Scripture? Chilton does just that as he systematically and Biblically explains why paradise has been restored. If we really read our Bibles and really believe them, it's hard to understand how we can come to any other conclusion except that Christ came to pay for sin AND to bring in the kingdom.

Although Chilton was a reconstructionist, one need not subscribe to this theory to enjoy and find much fruit in this book. In fact, the book speaks very little of reconstructionism specifically. As doom-sayers continue to make claims about the end of the world being right around the corner, Chilton's defense of a bright future for the church is something we really need.

Common Sense 101.......2001-08-28

This book is a must read for anyone genuinely interested in Eschatology and Biblical Prophecy. David Chilton does something that Tim LaHaye, Hal Lindsey and all the other popular christian teachers fail to do. He applies the first basic rule of Biblical interpretation to the book of Revelation and other "End Times" prophecies. That first rule is to discover what the text meant to the people it was originally written to. The poetic imagery of The Song of Songs makes no sense to 20th Century Americans, but it make perfect sense to the members of the ancient culture the book was written for. The failure to apply this first rule to the Revelation and other prophecies has resulted in massive misinterpretations of these texts. Chilton takes the reader step by step through the process of discovering exactly what the Apostle John was saying to the first century Church. David Chilton called himself a "Christian Reconstructionist", but the truth is he was just discovering what the Church has always believed since its conception. The doctrine of Dispensationalism is less than 200 years old, yet many christians don't know this. (I was one of them a few years ago!) By starting each chapter with a quote from one of the early bishops of the Church, Chilton shows us that the Church held a different view of the "End Times" and "Rapture" than is preached by numerous dispensationalists. His approach and evidence is almost impossible to reproach since his primary proof text is the Bible itself. If you ever wanted to know what the Early Church Fathers and the Church through out the centuries really believed about the "End Times", the book of Revelation and Eschatology; then you need to read this book.

Post-mil 101.......2000-11-26

This is a good book to start with if you are wondering how can anyone possible hold to a postmil view. Mr Chilton was one of the best Reconstructionist writers and this book shows why. The book is a quick read and is setup for easy reference later. If you want to know the postmil position from their own words this is the book for you.

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Vast and sprawlnig, but I loved both books
Yawn
Clive Barkers Best
Brilliant
Take a few days off and finish it in one go !

Imajica (The Fifth Dominion, Book 1)
Clive Barker
Manufacturer: HarperTorch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0061094145

Book Description

The magical tale of ill-fated lovers lost among worlds teetering on the edge of destruction, where their passion holds the key to escape.

There has never been a book like Imajica. Transforming every expectation offantasy fiction with its heady mingling of radical sexuality and spiritual anarchy, it has carried its millions of readers into regions of passion and philosophy that few books have even attempted to map. It's an epic in everyway; vast in conception, obsessively detailed in execution, and apocalyptic in its resolution. A book of erotic mysteries and perverse violence. A book of ancient, mythological landscapes and even more ancient magic.

Customer Reviews:

Vast and sprawlnig, but I loved both books.......2007-08-02

It sounds corny, but the time I spent reading both books remains special, for some reason. I think back and remember how engrossed I was and how much I enjoyed them.

Yawn.......2006-11-05

I was getting ancy waiting for the third Abarat book, so I bought this one to tide me over. Big mistake. I was extremely dissapointed after reading this one. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Barker fan, but Imajica was slow, hard to get through, and generally uninteresting. Maybe it isn't fair to try to compare Imajica to Abarat, but there it is.

Clive Barkers Best.......2006-07-11

I started reading Clive Barker with his Books of Blood. His short stories were incredibly imaginative and absolutely extreme in the visuals they caused to dance across the eye in your mind. Imajica, in my most humble opinion, is the book that has thus far served as the pinnacle of Mr. Barker's writing. The Maestro, Gentle, Judith, all of them are so well fleshed out you feel you know them by the end of the book. One of the books of the art, which included The Great and Secret show and Everville, Imajica stands out from the others in ways not easily explained, but all too easily felt. Clive Barkers ability to tap into the places that exist inside you that hold your fear, your awe and your dreams makes him, in a sense, a master manipulator of emotions, but when you've finished reading Imajica, you will be glad for having giving yourself over to his ministrations.

Brilliant.......2005-05-22

The story focuses on Gentle and his mystif companion, Pie'oh'pah's quest to find an answer for the souls of the world, and leads to Gentle discovering that his part in the Imajica, a place of reconciled dominions, is greater than he could ever imagine. Meanwhile, his ex, Judith also finds out she is no mere bystander and the gaping holes in their memories are explained.

The pace doesn't slow. Once in a while though, I wished it did, just to emphasise more on the differences between each dominion because I had the feeling that I was still on Earth, going the distance of France to Germany. The scale of Gentle and Pie's travels seemed almost minimal to me - not as if they were crossing entire worlds. The only difference between the dominions that stuck with me is that the 4th dominion has green-gold sky and the 5th has blue. And I already knew half of this fact. Having said that, too much lingering on the little details can be tiring and confusing, so this wasn't much of a problem.
Why Judith is obsessed over is beyond me. She is the object of a bloodline of lust. Yes, she's supposed to be pretty, but so are a lot of women. Her character does not seem as intriguing as the others. Even the God of the Imajica whose appearance hardly makes a scratch in the book was more captivating. Also, sometimes there is the impression that the characters know more than what they're letting on, but by the time the book ends, what exactly it is that they know isn't made clear.

One thing I wasn't expecting is the romance - or at least the scale of it. It's beautiful, touching and cruel. Who would have thought a womaniser such as Gentle could be tamed by a creature with no fixed gender? The plot is intricate, woven with skill and mesmerising in its imaginative scope.
Whoever describes this book as epic isn't joking. You won't even care for its flaws when you're done. It's stunning and it's one of those books you'll never forget.

Take a few days off and finish it in one go !.......2005-04-26

It's a great read ! Too great to publish it in one (paperback)volume, even !!! I recommend that you get the two volumes and read them in one go, because the story has a lot of sub-stories and side-stories, a lot of characters and (unless you make lists or have a really good memory), it might all become a little confusing is it takes you too long to read it.

Imajica consists of 5 dominions, Earth being the fifth and unreconciled one, the other four are reconciled and you can travel freely between then - except for the first dominion, because thats were god lives.

200 years ago, a handfull of great magicians tried to reconcile the fifth dominion with the other four, but they failed and almost destroyed all five dominions. Those on earth who helped them and survived, vowed to gather all magical books in the world and hide them, so this could never be attempted again.
Now, Judith (a woman who can't remember anything that happend more then 10 years ago) is trying to escape an assassin her husband hired and gets help from her former lover Gentle (who has the same memory problem) and thus sets in motion a great journey for the both of them, trough the dominions, to discover who they really are.

The first book won't give you all the answers, since it was originally published as one volume, so get them both and read them in one go !

Manly Dominion: In a Passive-Purple-Four-Ball World

Average customer rating:

A Wonderful Encouragement for the Modern Man and Young Man
Easy to read, good material

Manly Dominion: In a Passive-Purple-Four-Ball World
Mark Chansky
Manufacturer: Calvary Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1879737558

Book Description

In billards, the four-ball is passive; it's the one that gets knocked around by the other balls. Christian man, is that you? Are you knocked around by your environment, rather than taking you God-given assignment to lead? Mark Chanski's book is a clarion call to all Christian men to face life's challenges with Manly Dominion. It will challenge and encourage you to lead, wherever God places you, with Spirit-filled conviction. No Christian man (or woman!) living in today's world should be without it. Read carefully, and transform your life!

Customer Reviews:

A Wonderful Encouragement for the Modern Man and Young Man.......2007-02-08

This book has been a tremendous encouragement to me and the men in my family and my church. It is one of the most practically valuable books I have ever read. I would suspect that it would also be a goldmine for Pastors and other men who wish to think clearly about their roles as Christian men and heads of household. Mark Chanski, a Reformed Baptist pastor, hammers out theological principles on a more basic level and then applies them to a broad range practical areas that every man might face: Manly Dominion in Vocational Laboring, Financial Earning, Decision making, churchmanship, sin mortifying, child rearing, husbanding, etc. This is especially valuable to young men. If you are heeding the Proverbs' exhortation to 'search for wisdom as for gold', this is not a book you will want to pass up, young man. A great companion as a devotional guide along side of Bible reading and soul searching.

Easy to read, good material.......2006-02-28

This is a great read! I am using it for a men's Bible study...it cover some important ground and has the strength of being practical and is filled with practical illustrations.

Literary History of Persia: From the Earliest Times Until Firdawsi, from Firdawsi to Sad'I, the Tartar Dominion 1265-1502, Modern Times

Average customer rating:

a reissued classic

Literary History of Persia: From the Earliest Times Until Firdawsi, from Firdawsi to Sad'I, the Tartar Dominion 1265-1502, Modern Times
Edward G. Browne
Manufacturer: Coronet Books Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

a reissued classic.......2003-11-09

I am glad to see this set is available once again. I had an old edition years ago which I studied extensively. It's not to be matched for studying arabic, persian and middle eastern religion, science and literature with the exception perhaps of the fine cambridge history of arabic literature volumes.
As the price is steep, I have had to put it on my wish list.
Browne travelled in Persia in the 19th Century and left us his "Traveller's Narrative" which contain important information on the early days of the Bahai'i (sp?) movement.
Again,highly rated. Belongs on the shelves of every student of the east, the esoteric, the sublime.

Life's Dominion: An Argument About Abortion, Euthanasia, and Individual Freedom

Average customer rating:

Not for the Pro-Life crowd.
carefully and closely reasoned investigation
not advised
False Rationalizations
An Excellent and Thought-Provoking Book

Life's Dominion: An Argument About Abortion, Euthanasia, and Individual Freedom
Ronald Dworkin
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Constitutional Law | Law | Subjects | Books

Labor & Employment | Business | Law | Subjects | Books

Ethics & Morality | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0679733191
Release Date: 1994-06-28

Book Description

One of the country's most distinguished scholars presents a brilliantly original approach to the twin dilemmas of abortion and euthanasia, showing why they arouse such volcanic controversy and how we as a society can reconcile our values of life and individual liberty.

Customer Reviews:

Not for the Pro-Life crowd. .......2007-05-22

This book is one of the most amazing and critical inquiries into a socially relevant topic of the 20th century. The arguments are almost flawless, beautifully interwoven with examples, anecdotes and personally relevant stories spanning the whole spectrum of human emotion.

This book will not bore you. It will be quite interesting from a humanistic, legal and historical point of view. However, Ronald Dworkin is indeed a liberal philosopher who believes that liberal social policy (in regards to abortion and euthanasia) can coexist with one's belief that life is ever precious.

Naturally, conflicting and strict moral belief systems divide conservatives and liberals in regards to such hot-button issues. If you are truly willing to read this book with an open mind, you will not be disappointed and perhaps will become a better and more informed advocate. On the other hand, if you read this book while conceptualizing some circular reasoning debasing Dworkin's every word - in favor of a verse from the bible - this book is certainly not for you!

carefully and closely reasoned investigation.......2003-09-04

Not light reading or a polemic, but rather a carefully and closely reasoned investigation of how one comes to decisions about matters involving the taking of life, with particular emphasis on doing so under the US Constitution

< < < <...the American Constitution, understood as one of principle, provides a better form of government than any in which the legislative and executive branches of government are legally free to disregard fundamental principles of justice and decency. A constitution of principle, enforced by independent judges, is not undemocratic. On the contrary, it is a precondition of legitimate democracy that government is required to treat individual citizens as equals, and to respect their fundamental liberties and dignity. Unless those conditions are met, there can be no genuine democracy, because unless they are met, the majority has no legitimate moral title to govern.>>>>>

Starting with an in-depth look at the arguments about abortion, Dworkin moves out to wider considerations of euthanasia and suicide. He shows how many of the classic arguments in these areas are actually closer to each other than most participants would think or admit, and then shows where continued dialog and discussion might be useful, without asking either side to compromise basic principles. One of Dworkin's main concerns is to show that a principled interpretation of the constitution should be both a liberal and a conservative mandate. Even in the divisive issue of abortion, principled stand based on the inherent value of life helps both sides:

< < < < <
Of course, if we centered the abortion controversy on the question of whether a fetus is a person with a right to live, then one state's having the right to forbid abortion would not mean that another had the right to require it. But that does follow once we recognize that the constitutional question at stake is whether a state can impose on everyone on official interpretation of the inherent value of life. It would be intolerable for a state to require an abortion to prevent the birth of a deformed child. In the United States, no one doubts that such a requirement would be unconstitutional. But the reason why - because it denies a pregnant woman's right to decide for herself what the sanctity of life requires her to do about her own pregnancy - applies with exactly equal force in the other direction. A state just as seriously insults the dignity of a pregnant woman when it forces her to the opposite choice. That the choice is approved by a majority is no better justification in the one case than in the other. >>>>

Some further examples demonstrate the depth of his discussions, but can only hint at the fully developed arguments present in the book.
< < < < < <.. the distinction between the question of what acts or events are in some creature's interests and the question of what acts or events respect the sanctity of that creature's life.

< < < < <...the appeal to the sanctity of life raises here the same crucial political and constitutional issue that it raises about abortion. Once again the critical question is whether a decent society will choose coercion or responsibility, whether it will seek to impose a collective judgment on matters of the most profound spiritual character on everyone, or whether it will allow and ask its citizens to make the most central, personality-defining judgment about their own lives for themselves.

not advised.......2002-05-09

I was actually looking forward to reading this book. I came with an open mind and yet the poor writing and lack of credible arguments astounded me. How is this author a scholar and still able to write weakly biased material that is published by a major house?

I would recomend not reading this book no matter what your stance is on these topics. If you agree with the author, you may be blinded by your beliefs to embrace his scewed logic, and if you disagree, you will get a bad impression of the actual arguments his side could give.

False Rationalizations.......2000-08-27

Dworkin claims that accepting abortion and euthanasia is to somehow embrace the sanctity of all human life. What tripe. Whatever one thinks of these controversial issues, both involve killing as a means to problem solving. That hardly embraces life's sanctity unless language has lost all meaning.

An Excellent and Thought-Provoking Book.......2000-06-08

Amazingly, Dworkin offers a new take on the abortion dispute--and I think a correct one. I don't agree with everything he says, but this book sheds more light on these issues than any other that I have read. I would say that it is the best philosophical book I have read in a long while. Among the many things that I appreciate about this book is that Dworkin along the way also has interesting and insightful things to say about the philosophy of mind, the meaning of life, and the nature of human dignity. If you are at all interested in bio-ethics, the philosophy of the abortion dispute, euthanasia, or the meaning of life--read this book. I plan to re-read it soon.

Everlasting Dominion: A Theology of the Old Testament

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Everlasting Dominion: A Theology of the Old Testament
Eugene H. Merrill
Manufacturer: B&H Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0805440267

Book Description

For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation." -Daniel 4:34 (Holman CSB)

Everlasting Dominion is the magnum opus of the greatly esteemed Dr. Eugene H. Merrill, a thoroughly researched theology of the Old Testament based on decades of study and teaching experience. Taking a high view of Scripture as the inspired, authoritative Word of God, Merrill guides readers to a better understanding of the nature of Old Testament theology and employs a well-balanced method of laying bare the Scripture so that its profound, lifechanging truths can be better apprehended and applied.

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