Average customer rating:
- Beautiful book
- Great Book!
- Love It or Hate It - I Loved It
- FOR THE LOVE OF OLD: LIVING WITH CHIPPED, FRAYED, TARNISHED, FADED, TATTERED, WORN , AND WEATHERED THINGS THAT BRING COMFORT...
- Not her best...
|
For the Love of Old: Living with Chipped, Frayed, Tarnished, Faded, Tattered, Worn and Weathered Things that Bring Comfort, Character and Joy to the Places We Call Home
Mary Randolph Carter
Manufacturer: Rizzoli
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Interior Design
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Decorating
| Interior Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Decoration & Ornament
| Interior Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Interior Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Shades of Country: Designing a Life of Comfort
-
The New Eighteenth-Century Style: Rediscovering a French Décor
-
The French-Inspired Home, with French General
-
Creole Thrift: Premium Southern Living Without Spending a Mint
-
Art of the Cross
ASIN: 0847828476
Release Date: 2006-10-24 |
Book Description
This stunning volume focuses on the qualities of the old things in our homes (the patina of an old table, pewter dulled by age, old floorboards that creak) and how to live with and incorporate them into our personal aesthetic. Divided into chapters by the qualities of oldâpeeling, dried, tarnished, faded, chipped, frayed, rusty, and mossyâthis unique book not only pays tribute to furniture, textiles, china, silver and other accessories with these qualities but also shows us how best to preserve, adapt, and arrange them. Lavishly illustrated with beautiful photographs that highlight the warm colors and rich textures of wood and paint, cloth and leather, For the Love of Old also includes ideas and recipes for saving old items from the junk pile, preserving and caring for the old things you have, giving newer things a lived-in feel, and bringing an enduring personality to every home.
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful book.......2007-09-03
This book is beautiful. It is a coffe table copy. One you want to use for display. I was drawn with interest to someone who sees beauty in such old things. The book is very unique. I'm glad I have a copy.
Great Book!.......2007-02-07
I loved Mary Randolph Carter's book American Family Style so much and this book seemed to me like a part two of that original book. Although this book wasn't filled with pictures of her family it was filled with the same warmth and comfort as the original. Even though it may not be filled with exactly the things I might put in my own home it is something I enjoy reading. You can tell the author truly LOVES these lost, rusty, beautiful things. I truly can appreciate that.
Love It or Hate It - I Loved It.......2007-02-01
Many, indeed virtually all, of the books we see on interior decorating show rooms set with furnishings that are either brand new or antiques that are pristine and beautiful. They are a very, very long way from those long ago college days when glasses came from empty jelly jars and none of the plates or silverware matched.
Ms. Carter's book is a celebration of the old, the frayed, etc. The individual table settings don't have to be all alike. They just need to be interesting, attractive, have a story to tell. I particularly liked her comments regarding silver, probably because I've gotten a lot of it from my mother and grandmother.
Ms. Carter has an artistic eye that sees art where other people see junk. She matches her eye with her photographic skills that enable her to show exactly what she means. It's a book to be celebrated by those of us who like garage sales, thrift shops and making that special find.
FOR THE LOVE OF OLD: LIVING WITH CHIPPED, FRAYED, TARNISHED, FADED, TATTERED, WORN , AND WEATHERED THINGS THAT BRING COMFORT..........2007-01-10
AN AWESOME, INSPIRING, AND COMFORTING BOOK FOR THOSE WHO LOVE THE OLD AND ECLECTIC LIFESTYLE. SIMPLY WRITTEN AND BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED WITH PHOTOS FIT FOR FRAMING. A GREAT RAINY DAY READ AND SUITABLE FOR THE COFFEE TABLE.
Not her best..........2007-01-09
I love her other books, I was so looking forward to reading this one over a long afternoon. I fell hook, line and sinker for her romance with flea markets and flea market treasures. This one looks like she took the leavings off the cutting room floor from her other books, packaged it nicely and called it good. Except it is not, good that is. Sorry but this stuff just looks like junk that I would not give a second glance to at a yard sale or flea market. And the price is so high!! Mutton done up as lamb.
Amazon.com
Four mothers, four daughters, four families whose histories shift with the four winds depending on who's "saying" the stories. In 1949 four Chinese women, recent immigrants to San Francisco, begin meeting to eat dim sum, play mahjong, and talk. United in shared unspeakable loss and hope, they call themselves the Joy Luck Club. Rather than sink into tragedy, they choose to gather to raise their spirits and money. "To despair was to wish back for something already lost. Or to prolong what was already unbearable." Forty years later the stories and history continue.
With wit and sensitivity, Amy Tan examines the sometimes painful, often tender, and always deep connection between mothers and daughters. As each woman reveals her secrets, trying to unravel the truth about her life, the strings become more tangled, more entwined. Mothers boast or despair over daughters, and daughters roll their eyes even as they feel the inextricable tightening of their matriarchal ties. Tan is an astute storyteller, enticing readers to immerse themselves into these lives of complexity and mystery.
Book Description
"Brilliant....Each story is a fascinating vignette, and together they they weave the reader through a world where the Moon Lady can grant any wish, where a child, promised in marriage at two and delivered at 12, can, with cunning, free herself; where a rich man's concubine secures her daughter's future by killing herself, and where a woman can live on, knowing she has lost her entire life."
WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD
A stunning literary achievement, THE JOY LUCK CLUB explores the tender and tenacious bond between four daughters and their mothers. The daughters know one side of their mothers, but they don't know about their earlier never-spoken of lives in China. The mothers want love and obedience from their daughters, but they don't know the gifts that the daughters keep to themselves. Heartwarming and bittersweet, this is a novel for mother, daughters, and those that love them.
Customer Reviews:
Amy Tan has a gift with words........2007-06-23
I read this book a little over a year ago for my ap english 2 class. I really
liked how it displayed the Chinese culture and values. It is basically a book of mother-daughter relationships. There are four mothers and four daughters. The mothers are Chinese women who immigrated in the United States. The daughters are Chinese-American. It shows how people (like those in the United
States) tend to take their heritage for granted and just label themselves as Americans. When in reality your heritage will always be there and when you finally except wonderful relationships and things can come out of it.
thank you for your time,
Loran
Good novels bring inspirations to readers.......2007-05-28
I am a high school freshman in the United States. I was assigned to choose one of five novels and read it throughout this semester. This novel, The Joy Luck Club, by Amy Tan was my first choice because the story is about Chinese culture plus Mandarin is my native language. I believed that I would enjoy reading something that relates to my culture and actually I did. It is different from other novels since the whole story is separated into different little stories and put in different orders. Each little story represents a mother and daughter's marriage or family conflict.
In my opinion, the conflicts are caused because of mothers' and daughters' generation gaps and growing backgrounds. The mothers grow up in China where has many traditions and rules to follow. However, the daughters who grow up in San Francisco can choose their lives and want to be what they want to be. This makes the mothers think their daughters have lacks of consideration about their own lives. Therefore, the mothers want to control their daughters' lives since they used to follow those rules which tell them to do all the things considerable.
This novel has magic because every time I read this novel I would compare the way mothers treat their daughter in the book and the way my mother treats me. I would also ask questions to my self by saying "Does this mother use the same way to treat her daughter as the way my mom treats me?" The answer can be varied. Some of them are yes and some of them are absolutely no. For example, the way Suyuan's mother tells her that it's too late to change the reality that she is her mother makes me think it can be the way my mother tells me. For the reasons that, this statement makes sense that it's impossible to change the reality of a blood relationship so I would also accept this very logical sense. However, Lindo's mother left her in a rich family in order to gain some respects back makes me think it is not the way my mother would ever done to me. Since my mother sacrifices a lot in order to raise me up and lets me receive the best education, she wouldn't want to destroy the bitter that she has eaten and pave that she has built for me. Therefore, I recommend this book for teenagers to read because it is an inspired book that can make adolescences to think about their lives and observe their surroundings
A Book Remembered After 13 Years.......2007-04-06
The Joy Luck Club had stayed with me all these years even when I examine my own personal life in the current time. I had read the book when I was in the seventh grade and had a remarkable teacher. She was Mrs. Lattimer (and yes, she was white), a Harvard graduate teaching at an impoverished neighborhood from where I used to grow up. Sometimes, I wondered why she never taught at one of the more prestige middle schools even right now. Still, it was a book that we middle school students had to read and analyze. The class was actually an advance seminar class. Even to this day, I am surprised that we middle school students got a chance to watch a rated "R" movie. It was a "never" to watch a rated "R" movie. The only movies that I can remember watching that were rated "R" were movies in my former AP english literature class-Othello (which actually contained nudity). It's funny because from what I recall, I had couple of friends from the regular classes and they have never seen a rated "R" movie shown in an educational setting. Perhaps being in a gifted class really did come with all the special privileges(even though I was never identified as "gifted"; I was recommended). It just seemed that every book my classmates and I read in AP english could never resist incorporating some kind of sexual element. Indeed, the literary works were very great. And of course, sex is also shown in this movie.
Besides the entertainment value of the movie and the book, as well as the complex relationships between the mothers and the daughters, it was certainly a movie about survival. Presently, as I sit in my comfortable room, I could only relate to the need to survive and live a fulfilling life, a life that is so wonderful and full of bliss. Life is about survival. The word "survival" will always vibrate and echoe inside my ears and in my mind. It is a word that summarizes the very essence of life. When you're child or an adolescent, it is about surviving through school. Once you graduate from high school, a new level of survival comes into play; and that is to make a living. Let's face it. Life really does center around making a living. We all need and want to live a life free from having to live a low standard of living like poverty and shortages of healthy food and crapy material possessions. Virtually everyone desires to have a career and be financially stable. In times where the poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer, insecure feelings arise and stays in tact somewhere in our minds. The desire to be married to wonderful wife or husband, the desire to feel safe living in a dream home, the desire to not feel frieghtened when you are heavily sick, the desire to give your children and your grandchildren the best possible life, and the list can go on forever...-Indeed, let's face it, MONEY MAY NOT BE EVERYTHING, BUT IT IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE ALL STRIVE TO OBTAIN IN ITS VARIOUS FORMS. Money does have its value contrary to the popular belief that you hear about how money isn't everything or how money can't buy love. Like the feather of the swan-This feather may look like any other feather and seem worthless, but "it comes from a far away distance and contains all of my good intentions."
Mothers and Daughters.......2007-04-05
Any mother or daughter will love reading this collection of interwoven stories of family relationships. Some parts are graphic, but it makes for an important novel.
Please enter a title for your review.......2007-04-03
the one brief section that felt forced (dwelling on the significance of the ink used to sign a check) helped emphasize what is so effectively authentic about the writing of this novel generally. the origins and implications of an event are both presented as having equal substance, it never seems like something is just a bridge to get to a meaningful predecided outcome. aside from an occasional flaunted apathy to animal rights it's a good book.
Customer Reviews:
A mixed (but interesting) bag.......2007-07-11
As the author notes, seeing prostitutes clearly has not been very easy for our society. We've often glamorized the western `hooker with a heart of gold' or seen them as sexual pioneers. Recently, with the advent of feminist perspectives, we're told to see all of them as exploited victims of the great all-encompassing patriarchal system that controls and explains every dimension of their life. I picked this book up because it seemed to be moving beyond all of those stereotypes to try to take a fresh look at this aspect of society.
The author did an impressive amount of research in a wide variety of primary sources in numerous locations of the American West. The result is equal parts fascinating and frustrating. Her research has given her a variety of illuminating incidents to relate as well as permitting her to provide some ground level statistics such as how many prostitutes were convicted in various locations and the ebb and flow of certain women through the court system.
But she is hamstrung to some extent by the marginalized nature of these women - they didn't attract biographers, leave institutions or have families that wanted to preserve the incidents of their lives. She can't even tell how many died and at what age. The result is a curious distance: she can often provide a sharp detail but can't provide any before or after narrative to place the detail in context.
So we get a little on the various classes of prostitutes, a little on their relations with the army or local leaders, but I found myself wanting to learn more. She spends almost no time describing the interaction of prostitutes and customers, for example. Nor does she attempt much analysis of how they regarded themselves.
Limited by the data, she has to generalize. But the author can neglect to provide the documentation to explain her conclusions. She wants us to see these women as exploited, helpless, without resources of the legal or medical systems, unable to accumulate any economic stability. And it's not as if that is an implausible set of conclusions. But sometimes she had no data for that, or even that her conclusions override her data - and that is a warning sign.
She tells, for example, about a respectable lawyer who left a narrative that describes the legal work he did for a prostitute. Then, without a word of explanation, she dismisses the man's conclusions as inadequate, implying (I guess) that he was having sex with the prostitute for services given. Again, it's hardly implausible to guess that this took place sometimes or even often, but that is not the same as evidence that it took place in this particular case. And while the man's words were to praise the woman, she still asserts, without evidence, that he had contempt for her and was exploiting her. This sounds like a theory bending facts.
By contrast, her recounting of the one church order that accepted prostitutes as nuns is fascinating - and that the order continues today and continues to operate discretely to protect the reputation of the women is compelling.
Also of considerable interest is her chapter on the dynamics of the army casting a blind eye toward the prostitutes that congregated near army bases. She can make some interesting judgments about how the army knew they were there, even worked with them, but never openly admitted they were doing so. Here, she has more data to work with due to the structured, documented, nature of the army.
She can refer to lawsuits against prostitutes for non-payment of rent as part of a "system of control" - as if prostitutes should have been entitled to free lodging, apparently. However, this book is generally free of cant and sloganeering. I just wish she was a little more careful about substantiating her conclusions - which, again, are hardly wild or outlandish, but tend to emphasize everything horrible about their lives.
Sex workers today are often frustrated by academic insistence that they are all miserable, abused or in denial, and there is a little of that in her approach, but only a little.
Perhaps the lesson is that assessing prostitution in the fluid, less structured frontier is more difficult than we think and that our various ideologies have more impact on our views in this area than others. So, beware generalizations about prostitutes.
A Solid Academic Piece.......2002-07-26
Having just read this book for an upcoming graduate level women's history course I can highly recommend it for students and others.
Firstly this is not one of those books that weigh 20 lbs that would break your toe should you drop one on it. It is concisely and well written and well organized as well. It is thoroughly footnoted which in of itself is valuable because he reader can then draw upon those sources for additional study if they so desire.
That being said I found the overall thesis to be solid and well thought out. I did find myself at times wondering if additional observations might be drawn from the source materials. Even if one might reach a different conclusion in some areas the main points of the book are logical and well thought out. I suspect that even if you did come up with another angle to the story it would likely be supplementary to the author's thesis.
The main point here is that prostitutes contributed significantly to the development of western society in both de jure and de facto ways. While they were both citizens and members of society they were not beneficiaries of the full protection of the law with regards to violence (a great many wound up murdered and assaulted). In addition in many areas it would appear that law enforcement would both publicly decry them and at the same time tolerate them. They were routinely hauled in made to pay a fine and released thereby subsidizing the existence of law and order in the west. The mainstream societies were generally willing to have their elected officials benefit in this way provided they themselves did not have to deal with it.
In addition there is apparently quite good evidence to suggest that the U.S. Army not only patronized prostitutes but condoned and perpetuated the profession as well. In many instances they actually lived on army property and at times were paid as washerwomen and supplied with rations as well. While no official order to this effect was ever decreed there is apparently ample evidence both that the upper hierarchy knew of it and then condoned it.
The author also delves into what the life of the prostitute must have been like drawing from court records, newspapers, personal diaries and the like. While there were exceptions the picture is bleak. The women were young, impoverished, prone to drug and alcohol addiction, spurned by respectable society, and subject to violence that oftentimes went unpunished. There is evidence of certain individuals committing multiply murders against prostitutes who were never punished for instance.
Once involved in prostitution the chances of a Julia Roberts Pretty Woman style redemption were slim to none as many often were married to men who kept them in the profession. In addition very few made enough money to escape the profession and in that era there were very limited options for a woman to work to support herself. Even if a single woman were to take up one of the available professions very often they found themselves impoverished and drawn back into the profession.
In that era there was no social services to fall back on. Churches were just forming and institutions were weak or non-existent. With very few exceptions there was nothing for the women to reach out to in order to escape the life of the violence, poverty, and disease.
Oh and the prostitutes were disproportionately minority including former slaves, Irish, Asian, and Indian.
A very interesting read indeed.
Average customer rating:
- Not bad for the over-50 crowd
|
The Joy of Being 50 Plus
Allia Zobel , and
Roz Chast
Manufacturer: Workman Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Drawing
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Comic Strips
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Graphic Novels
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Humor
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Aging
| Personal Health
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Gerontology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Drawing
| Graphic Design
| Arts & Photography
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Comic Strips
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Graphic Novels
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Humor
| Entertainment
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Aging
| Personal Health
| Health, Mind & Body
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Theories of Everything: Selected, Collected, and Health-Inspected Cartoons, 1978-2006
-
The Party After You Left
-
The Joy of Worry
-
The Joy of Being Single
-
Childproof: Cartoons About Parents and Children
ASIN: 076111310X |
Book Description
The baby boomers are turning 50 - one by one, at the alarming rate of every seven seconds for the next 16 years. And just how many will be happily looking forward to blowing out a galaxy of candles and admitting to the world that they're half a century old? Very few, in Allia Zobel's opinion. But that's because they're not looking on the bright side.
In a new collaboration after The Joy of Being Single (138,000 copies in print), Ms. Zobel and New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast take on another seemingly sore subject - being 50 in society that worships youth - and find excellent reasons to celebrate. Such as:
-You can get a tattoo and chalk it up to hormone imbalance.
-You can brag to your friends if a construction worker whistles at you.
-You can have complaining contests about your bunions.
-You look divine in hats and sunglasses.
-You're old enough to be a grouch.
-You can speak from experience.
-You now know the things you wish you'd known back when, and still have time to do something about it.
And while neither Ms. Zobel nor Ms. Chast is anywhere near the magic five-oh (it's the fluorescent lighting), they speak with authority as they advise all 50-year -olds to blow their own horn (if they have enough wind) and beat their own drum (arthritis permitting).
Customer Reviews:
Not bad for the over-50 crowd.......2001-06-29
The type could have been bigger! But I like to give books like this to boomer friends and enemies for their birthdays. For people 50 and under, I'd also recommend giving a book called "Getting Old Sucks." The author will sign it for free.
Book Description
St. Andrews resident, David Joy, was presenting his one-man act on the life of Old Tom Morris with Prince Andrew in attendance. The performance chronicled the early days of golf and life in the late 1800s and early 1900s. As part of his act, Joy had meticulously assembled a scrapbook of Old Toms life. After the performance, Prince Andrew insisted he could not do without the scrapbook.
Customer Reviews:
Worthy Tribute to the Pioneers of Professional Golf.......2002-04-04
Old Tom Morris lived to the age of eighty-seven, witnessing, and being a major part of, the development of a sport which is now played all over the world (and once on the moon). It is therefore extraordinary that this seems to be the only book dedicated to his life; or even to this time in golf's history. Prior to this publication, the exceptional characters of the time - Old Tom Morris, Willie Park, Allan Robertson, Young Tom Morris - have merited only the occasional paragraph in golfing encyclopedia.
Compiled as an actor's stage prop - from sources including the golfer's actual book of cuttings - it has the feel of a genuine, beautifully bound scrapbook: its not-quite chronological order, happy-accident compilation seems the sort of thing someone would put together in their spare time. This adds enormously to the book's appeal - starkly setting out a man's life in cuttings and photographs, with no explanatory notes, proves very moving.
Though this fresh approach to biography allows the reader to interpret material free of the bias normally brought by the author, it also means it is free of any correction: the original authors of the clippings would, no doubt, have their own agenda, as would the person collecting the material. Another disadvantage of this format is that it lacks a social context: sporting event takes precedence, leaving the world around relatively unimportant (reading 'A Century of the Scottish People 1830-1950' T C Smout, would help the reader fill this gap). This book gives the initial impression that the golfing professional was a rich man of high status, which runs contrary to other sources which suggest that he was not welcome within clubhouses, and that much of his income was reliant on club and ball making; his wealthy backers being the main benificiaries of his golfing talent.
These points aside, the book contains a huge amount of information which will keep anyone interested in history and/or golf fascinated for years. I would suggest you find a comfortable chair, pour a generous glass of whisky (28 year old Springbank as a preference), open a page of this book at random and look back one hundred and fifty years at the pioneers who look exactly like their contemporaries in the wild west, except rifles are replaced by golf clubs.
Amazon.com
The Way of Solomon: Finding Joy and Contentment in the Wisdom of Ecclesiastes is Rami Shapiro's new interpretation of one of the Bible's oldest books. Shapiro's fascination with Ecclesiastes began when he discovered that the Hebrew word commonly translated as "vanity" could also mean "empty." For Shapiro, this discovery added a new and Eastern dimension to Solomon's famous line, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!" and drove Shapiro to engage the book of Ecclesiastes in a holistic way. "Solomon looked and saw that all was empty of permanence; and that so much of our energies are invested in a pursuit of permanence that is doomed from the start. Ecclesiastes is his report of his journey to the heart of reality, and his insights into how we should live given the facts of life's impermanence. The only way to do justice to the text is to follow its author in looking at reality," he explains. The Way of Solomon includes Shapiro's translation of Ecclesiastes, notes from his wide-ranging research on the text, and reflections on his practice of meditation with Ecclesiastes. In Shapiro's hands, Ecclesiastes becomes something that many, many Christians are looking for these days--a kind of missing link between Buddhism and Christianity.
Book Description
"Thus I understand the simple truth of life:
There is nothing better than for you to rejoice
in every deed done in harmony with the moment.
For doing is your purpose;
in doing is your meaning.
Leave the result to those who come after you,
and attend solely to doing well that which must be done at all."
In this thoughtful, fresh interpretation, Rami Shapiro presents King Solomon's philosophy as that of a Taoist sage and the book of Ecclesiastes not as a lamentation of life's vanities and meaninglessness but as a guide to reality and how to embrace it with joy and tranquility. Shapiro's Ecclesiastes shows modern spiritual seekers the way to truth, gratitude, contentment, and joy.
Traditional translations of Ecclesiastes dampen the hopeful spirit of Solomon's message, while Shapiro's rendition illuminates an ancient wisdom as timely and relevant today as ever. Shapiro boldly asserts that Solomon didn't in fact cry "vanity of vanities," as his words are so often translated, but rather, "Emptiness, emptiness, all is emptiness." Read this way, the message becomes a meditation on the promise of finding joy in even the most ordinary of daily acts and true peace of mind in our contemporary world of ego and artificial distractions.
Positioning Solomon as a realist with the instincts of a Zen master who seeks a path away from illusion and toward true enlightenment, Shapiro presents an innovative, engaging translation of the full text, and then lingers over the most moving and important passages, offering real-world examples of how this classic book of wisdom can be incorporated into our own lives. Solomon beseeches us to accept impermanence in order to embrace the present with freshness of body and mind. He calls on us to engage each moment, lest we miss today by agonizing about yesterday or daydreaming about tomorrow. And he urges us to recognize and celebrate the interdependence of all things, so that we may act justly and compassionately.
Shapiro's passion for the timeless message of Ecclesiastes is evident throughout The Way of Solomon. He encourages us to read with open minds and hearts, to savor the wisdom of this ever-popular book of the Bible, to consider its implications carefully for our own lives, and to commit ourselves to testing its truth against our own experiences.
Customer Reviews:
Wisdom teaching. .......2007-06-12
Shapiro notes "If we have the courage to really listen to what Solomon is saying, however, we will find that the absence of permanence is the most liberating insight of all." Liberating indeed!
Not possessing Hebrew translation skills, I cannot attest to the erudition of Shapiro's insight of the Hebrew. As a life long mediator, I can attest to the value of the insight he offers as wisdom. This is a gem of a book. I've used it, reread it often over the years, and am constantly surprised by the depth of insight he offers to reveal nuance of the text.
Over the years, I have also studied more contemporary translations of Ecclesiastes and have concluded it to be one of the wisest books ever written. Shapiro's insight provides one facet of the jewel. If you enter with an empty cup, you might find some depth into a wisdom that speaks to modern men and women. Drink deep, because the rewards might help sweep away the fog of forgetfulness. I give this book my highest recommendation.
Not exactly the "Way" of Solomon........2003-08-27
As one who has repeatedly mulled over Solomon's Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, I was drawn to this book with no small anticipation. I was disappointed; the exegesis here is pressed into a modern, ad hoc spirituality. Rami Shapiro's "contemporary Jewish spirituality" is often misspent neo-Taoism. The author's caricature of Solomon's wisdom seems, to this reader, to amount to 'just be contented.' Period. "Rejoicing without reason," he calls it. No reason? While Solomon does indeed instruct that it is "vanity... meaningless... empty..." to pursue the foolishness of the human will, he restrains this indictment to the doings of humanity. Solomon gives us the impermanence of the material, yes, but also the permanence of the Immaterial. Solomon gives us the Source, which is not empty: "Notice the way God does things; then fall into line. Don't fight the ways of God, for who can straighten out what he has made crooked?" (Eccl 7:13)
Lao-tzu was not as uncomfortable with a relevant God as is this "contemporary" rabbi:
"Returning to the source is serenity;
it is to realize one's destiny.
To realize one's destiny
is to know the Eternal Constant.
To know the Eternal Constant
is to be enlightened.
To be ignorant of this
is blindness that begets evil." (Tao Te Ching, verse 16)
"But, my child, be warned: there is no end of opinions ready to be expressed," (Eccl 12:12). The Hebrew king/scholar/sage told us of the Source of the contentment that it is important we find now, before "the light of the sun and moon and stars is dim to your old eyes." On the final page, Shapiro translates/interprets Solomon as "knowing that all is God." The way of Spinoza, yes. The Way of Solomon, no. For that matter, not exactly the way of Lao-tzu either.
Transcends Barriers.......2002-04-29
I am absolutely captured by this book! I stumbled across it at the library doing some research for a college paper. I am not identified with any religion in specific, and tend to consider myself simply "myself." Therefore, it surprised me how meaningful and inspiring this book is...it journey's way beyond any sectarian boundaries...and Rami Shapiro is a wonderful guide. It is truly a look into the "Way Of" life...similar to Celestine Prophecy, and the like. Absolutely beautiful! I'm buying it for several special people in my life...hopefully you, too, will be moved by Rami Shapiro's interpretation of Solomon's Ecclesiastes.
An Interpretation That Brings Together the East and the West.......2001-08-27
In an era where so many Jews are seeking spiritual guidance outside of Judaism and looking to Eastern mysticism, Rabbi Rami Shapiro provides a beautiful interpretation of King Solomon's book Ecclesiastes. After reading Shapiro's interpretation, there will be little doubt that King Solomon was indeed the richest and wisest person that has ever lived. You will come away feeling at awe and humbled in very much the same way the ancient Insraelites must have felt when given the Torah (AKA The Old Testament") and the disciples of Jesus felt at his Sermon on the Mount. Your life, your work and your joys and challenges will never feel the same way to you. Shapiro's rendition is pure poetry and nothing less than genius. This is a book that you will have to come back to time and time again. The key to Shapiro's insight into Ecclesiastes is the way he blends together Eastern and Judaic-Christian thought. Shapiro presents Solomon in the light of a Zen master lecturing his pupils in the futility of control and the illusion of permanence. Please note that this book is not just for Jews. King Solomon's wisdom represents truth regardless of race, ethnicity and religion. The wisdom of Solomon transcends religious doctrine and represents undeniable truth. Rami Shapiro is a true rabbi in every sense of the word. He is a teacher of life. Thank you Rabbi Shapiro for bringing King Solomon's wisdom to life.
The Meaning of Life.......2001-07-06
What makes life meaningful is very subjective - unless you are Solomon and have tasted all that life has to offer. This is a remarkable new take on Ecclesiates. From Solomon's "wisdom" perspective, the meaning of life becomes objective in his God centered universe. Rami's (Zen) translation and interpretation of Solomon's words is liberating and thrilling reading. But be warned, this Jewish perspective on life's meaning may change the way you live your life forever.
Product Description
Amidst the immense body of Beowulf interpretations, translations, and commentary, Eileen A. Joy and Mary K. Ramsey s "The Postmodern 'Beowulf': A Critical Casebook" stands out. In "The Postmodern 'Beowulf', twenty-three critics take on the Anglo-Saxon superhero, creating a best of anthology of contemporary theoretical approaches to the epic poem that is so popular today. The essays collected here make an important scholarly contribution not only to Anglo-Saxon studies but to postmodern theory.
With essays by Eileen A. Joy, Mary K. Ramsey, Edward Said, Claire Sponsler, Nicholas Howe, Allen J. Frantzen, John D. Niles, John Moreland, Alfred K. Siewers, James W. Earl, Janet Thormann, John M. Hill, Jeffrey J. Cohen, Carol J. Clover, Clare A. Lees, Mary Dockray-Miller, Shari Horner, Michel Foucault, Carol Braun Pasternack, Gillian Overing, Seth Lerer, Susan Kim, and Michelle R. Warren.
Customer Reviews:
No Wonder CS Lewis Loved Her - Brilliant Woman!.......2006-12-27
There is very little I can add to what other reviewers have said. When I read this gem of a book, I realized the attraction between C.S. Lewis and Ms. Gresham. Her perspective on the 10 Commandments is unique and fresh and as relevant now, 50 years after the book's publication, as it was back then. This is one of those books which will remain in my library and will be reread once a year or so just for the wisdom contained within its pages.
Ten Stars for this one!.......2006-07-01
Joy Davidman was an American born poet critic, novelist and Christian writer who later married Christian apologist C. S. Lewis. She was born Jewish, spent some time in the Communist party and later accepted Christianity. This book, written in the 50's, was written about the implications of the Ten Commandments for contemporary society -- and in my opinion, it is as up to date now as when it was written.
Each commandment is explained in the way that only a person of Jewish background can do. She often compares and contrasts our society today with the time in which the commandments were originally given. This helps the reader to understand them in more detail.
The only way I could list everything that has helped me from this book would be to rewrite the book here -- which, of course, would be impractical.
Where would I start?
Each chapter is full of insights that will make you stop -- many times -- and think and reflect. In her chapter "Day of Rejoicing" which deals with keeping the Sabbath, she points out how people through the history of Judaism and Christianity have taken the Sabbath and made it into a chore as opposed to the day of rejoicing and celebration that it was supposed to be. (It made me remember my own religious upbringing where I was surrounded by a big list of things that I was NOT supposed to do on Sunday.) She ends the chapter with a question and answer:
Q. How do you keep a day holy?
A. By seeing that it is holy already and behaving accordingly.
In her chapter about adultery, she is even bold enough to say, ". . . true and Christian remedy . . . is to hold the men to as high a standard as women."
On the subject of guilt she says, "For the only way to get rid of a sin is to admit it . . . the Christian is the only man who does NOT go around all the time feeling guilty. For him, sin is a burden he can lay down,. . . It is the unfortunate creature who denies the existence of sin in general or his own in particular who must go on carrying it forever."
It is rich with biblical and historical information and guaranteed to build your faith.
You'll love it!
What a treasure!.......2006-02-24
This book is packed with wonderful stories and illustrations, a great resource for sermons and Bible studies. Though Joy Davidman wrote it over half a century ago, it is absolutely relevant today. When she critiques our society 'today' (in the '50's), she conjures up our culture in the 21st century as well. Particularly strong is her chapter on stealing. Here we see how righteous indignation over our trying to 'get something for nothing' led her to communism and finally to Christ.
After reading this book, you just might glow!.......2003-04-03
I had to come down off of the mountain after reading this book! The spiritual high that it produced was nothing shy of immaculate. I was so impressed with this woman's perspective on the Christian life, especially coming from the Atheistic background that she did. One would not expect such enlightened 'Christian' thoughts from a woman who at one time, hated all things religious. This book changed my outlook on a number of issues and really touched me. I recommend it to anyone who wants a fresh new look at the 10 Commandments. Beautiful, bold, and truly as classic as anything her husband, C.S. Lewis wrote.
A Rich Insightful Look at the Ten Commandments.......2002-09-05
Joy Davidman, aurthor, thinker, ex-atheists turn Chrsitian, wrote this book as an examination, not only on the Ten Comamndments, but as C.S. Lewis wrote, "The Flaw in us."
Her insight is only matched by her style. This book is easy to read and, quite frankly, a page turner. Her theological, yet literaturily approach, places many deeply thoughful ideas into a richly receptive form. The insights exposes God's wonderful wisdom and our sins, yet, we are challenged to accept this answer and move on in the journey to living holy lives.
She skillfully uses information from Moses' area, as well as the days of Christ, and the 20th century which aids the reader to understand the applicability of these treasured laws.
This book is so skillfully developed, my only question is "Why she did not write mor in the realm of religion?" (Joy was an accomplished auther and poet). The forward is by then friend C.S. Lewis (they married a few years later). A great book!
Book Description
Opening with Merton's twenty-nine-year correspondence with the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mark Van Doren, this book continues with his letters to relatives and friends on a rich variety of topics. Selected, edited, and with an Introduction by Robert E. Daggy; Preface by William H. Shannon; Index.
Customer Reviews:
4.6 stars: Not bad at all.......2001-02-28
Am inclined to think that this is the only selection of Merton letters that you will ever need. It presents Merton at his warmest, his most enjoyable, his most gregarious, his most humble. Loyal to old friends and a willing correspondent with new friends, the Merton we find in "The Road to Joy" contrasts happily with both the austere champion of contemplative solitude and the dour progressive who often bristled under abbatial authority.
We have here letters to his Columbia professor/mentor Mark Van Doren, and the ever-whimsical wordplay-concoctions to his chum Robert Lax. We have encouraging letters to a high-schooler in San Francisco, Suzanne Butorovich -- these, quite possibly Merton's most charming examples of epistolary writing. We have letters to his New Zealand "Aunt Kit," and letters to other family members upon learning of her drowning after a ferryboat sinking. We have letters of pastoral counsel, one to an anguished homosexual; and we have letters thanking fans for their kind words, one in which Merton seems pleasantly surprised to be told that C S Lewis liked some of his books! There is a letter to a Massachusetts high-schooler proferring the asked-for help on a term paper. And there are letters about the events of the day, at the monastery and in the world at large. A flavour of some naive sixties hippiedom in a few places, but no matter.
All manner of thing in this collection; surely, Merton at his gladdest and most endearing. And even if we often tire of Merton after ten or more years of reading him, we can return to these letters and be reminded of what first drew us to this most compelling figure.
Book Description
Spirit-filled believers will find new resources for understanding the Bible and applying biblical themes to their day-to-day lives in these interactive study guides.
Written from a Pentecostal/Charismatic viewpoint, these interactive studies introduce believers to the books of the Bible and offer a thorough and balanced understanding of key themes of the Bible.
By studying the themes of the books, as well as the books themselves, these interactive studies offer groups and individuals a Spirit-filled perspective of the Bible's message for today.
Books:
- French Spirits: A House, a Village, and a Love Affair in Burgundy
- Funny Bones: Comedy Games and Activities for Kids
- Generation S.L.U.T.: A Brutal Feel-up Session with Today's Sex-Crazed Adolescent Populace
- God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything
- Good News, Bad News: Evangelization, Conversion and the Crisis of Faith
- Good Night, Gorilla
- Good Night, Sleep Tight: The Sleep Lady's Gentle Guide to Helping Your Child Go to Sleep , Stay Asleep, And Wake Up Happy
- Gotham Central Vol. 4: The Quick and the Dead (Batman)
- Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith
- Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Real Estate Finance & Investments: Risks and Opportunities
- Rand McNally Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft: 1914 to the Present
- Debt Collection: Successful Strategies for the Small Business
- Mastering the Chess Openings: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Modern Chess Openings, Volume 1
- History: Fiction or Science
- Spirit of the Wolf
- Jeep Wagoneer/Comanche/Cherokee 1984-98
- The Accounting Profession in Washington State: A Century of Progress
- Interactive Text, Microeconomics: A Contemporary Introduction with Access Card and InfoTrac College
- WOMEN AND APPLETREES
