Customer Reviews:
amazing!.......2006-07-15
I am a 19 year old college student and I LOVE these books! I actually realized this summer that I gave them away a couple of years ago (which I CAN'T believe I did!!) and bought this whole collection online! Being as old as I am and still having fun with them truely shows that these are books that your child will always remember and appreciate!!
great puzzle book for young problem solvers.......2004-09-16
This one volume collects all six of the Puzzle stories -- Puzzle Island, Puzzle Town, Puzzle Farm, Puzzle Castle, Puzzle Planet and Puzzle Mountain. Each story is 32 pags long and contains a two-page introduction followed by 7 two-page spread puzzles and concludes with an answer page. the introduction gives you the background story and several tasks to perform, such as a list of items to find while going through the story. Each puzzle spread has hidden objects as well as a unique puzzle -- a maze or obstacle search or matching, for example. By the end of the story you have collected needed objects and found a "villain" or solved a mystery.
Lots of fun for the younger set, and readily replayable/rereadable.
Can turn kids into book lovers........1998-05-13
This book is a compendium of a half-dozen short books, all of which have the same structure: a protagonist (boys and girls alternate in the various stories), whether a pirate, an astronaut, a knight or farmer, has to get from here to there, and encounters mazes, matching problems, problems finding lost objects and a fairly benign villain along the way. My 5-year old was fascinated with this book. She remains so, even though she has memorized all of the solutions and locations of the hidden objects. Since she can't read yet, Puzzle World was more than she could tackle alone, and that made for hours of participatory parenting, explaining the puzzles and watching her solve them. This book promotes thinking, lap time and a love of books.
Amazon.com
"Once there was a family with a Highland name who lived beside the sea." So begins "As Birds Bring Forth the Sun," a 1985 entry from Island. The story continues, "And the man had a dog of which he was very fond." And there you have the basic elements of an Alistair MacLeod story: dog, family, and sea. The author--whose 2000 novel No Great Mischief won him a measure of long-overdue acclaim--shuffles these elements into a surprisingly infinite variety of configurations, always with the same precise, confident, quiet language.
His big theme is the abandonment of the rural. Though his characters live in the fishing communities of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, the seaside isn't a place where they dwell contentedly. In half the stories, young men and boys feel a pull toward academe and the center of the country. In the other half, academically successful middle-aged men return to the wild eastern coast of Canada to try to reclaim the life they left behind. Both dilemmas are impossible to resolve--no one can be both a city mouse and a country mouse--and MacLeod wisely doesn't offer easy solutions.
What makes the writing sing, though, is the specificity of his descriptions of rural life. He tells you exactly how things work: "The sheep move in and out of their lean-to shelter, restlessly stamping their feet or huddling together in tightly packed groups. A conspiracy of wool against the cold." The people here are ultimately defined by the physical world, and MacLeod has a farmer's visceral feel for geography. As he writes in "The Lost Salt Gift of Blood": "Even farther out, somewhere beyond Cape Spear lies Dublin and the Irish coast; far away but still the nearest land, and closer now than is Toronto or Detroit, to say nothing of North America's more western cities; seeming almost hazily visible now in imagination's mist." This is regional fiction in the best sense: it belongs to one perfectly evoked place. --Claire Dederer
Book Description
The sixteen exquisitely crafted stories in
Island prove Alistair MacLeod to be a master. Quietly, precisely,
He has created a body of work that is among the greatest to appear in English in the last fifty years.
A book-besotted patriarch releases his only son from the obligations of the sea. A father provokes his young son to violence when he reluctantly sells the family horse. A passionate girl who grows up on a nearly deserted island turns into an ever-wistful woman when her one true love is felled by a logging accident. A dying young man listens to his grandmother play the old Gaelic songs on her ancient violin as they both fend off the inevitable. The events that propel MacLeod's stories convince us of the importance of tradition, the beauty of the landscape, and the necessity of memory.
Customer Reviews:
Island - The Complete Stories by Alistair MacLeod.......2007-02-28
It is a rare treat to read sentimental material authored by a man who writes so poignantly. Without analyzing each "vignette" contained in this compiled work of MacLeod's, it is enough to say that each created a vivid picture of the life and times MacLeod was writing about. If you aren't homesick for any town you've come from, then you are after you read these stories.
Finest writing I've read in ages.......2007-02-22
This collection is, without doubt, the most beautifully written prose I've had the privilege to read in a very long time. MacLeod's writing is both subtle and harrowing, harking back to a more literate age, and filled with such simple, in-the-bone truths that it brings tears -- real tears, not cheap tears -- to my eyes. I can't recommend this book highly enough -- this is a writer whose work is imbued with the integrity and polish that is so sadly lacking in so much of today's literature. MacLeod has obviously taken his time writing these stories, and each one is a gem. He made me care deeply about the characters, their lives, and their losses. Read this book at once!
A Bittersweet Look Back Home.......2004-03-27
I read this book over two years ago and parts of it continue to haunt me. It tells of life in Cape Breton in the province, I believe, of Nova Scotia. It is written by a man who grew up there. This is a part of the nearby world that I have always wanted to visit. I may yet get to do that but I'm not sure whether MacLeod's book has made me more anxious or less anxious to do so. His Breton is a place where life is not at all like the pretty postcard that many of us imagine. In his collection of short stories and sketches, we come away with an appreciation of the hard times and sturdy people but we don't necessarily want them moving next door. There are a number of stories and scenes that really bring people to life in a very down to earth manner. The story of the loneliness of the girl in the title story was overwelming. I recall a number of references to sex that were made throughout the book in a sort of agrarian manner; taking the cow to be "serviced" by the neighbor's bull was almost as emotional as some of the human intercourses. Things had their purpose and occassionally there was a purpose for fun but much of the imagry I took away from this book was that of a very stoic people. I gave it a rating of "5" because I rounded up this time from a 4.5. This book definitely will have an impact on its' reader. Not a joyful or inspiring impact but an impact nonetheless,
An English Assignment Gone Well..........2004-01-28
When I first picked up my copy of Island I had two thoughts. Wow this cover is pretty, and Wow this book is (relatively) big, at least to read in a week or so. However once I started reading the first few lines of "The Boat" (a story I'd coincidentally read the year before and didn't even realize till the end) I found myself liking MacLeod's simple yet descriptive style. Written in a way such that a reader can picture the story being told out loud, much like traditional maritimes tales are done through oral speakings, these 16 stories each encapsulate the reader leaving you wanting to know what will happen to the characters within the story and beyond.
Many of the stories are written from the perspective of an older male looking back on a particular snapshot of atime period in their youth, usually a moment of clarity in coming of age (although sometimes its only just starting, as some stories are set with main characters as young as 8 or 9. There are variations of lessons of love, death, learning from your parents, upholding traditions, starting afresh, surviving in extreme conditions, and just general lessons of life.
I'd recommend this book to people who enjoy short stories, and while they are not my fave genre of writing, these particular stories, although sometimes overly simplistic and almost annoying in terms of some stylistic aspects, will engage a reader to continue reading each story from start to finish. A triumph in Alistair MacLeod's life is that his collected works can create a whole that is quite powerful.
Amazing!.......2002-07-12
I went looking for a book to read; one that was smart, but not pretentious in its prose. One that would hold my interest, but that I wouldn't spend the rest of the summer reading. On a wim, I grabbed this book. And found exactly what I was looking for.
Alistair MacLeod writes with astounding sight and insight. It's difficult to describe a writer this good. He writes simply, but beautifully. He tells us just what we need to know, but often through new ways of looking at things. You're kind of riding along for a while, and then one simple sentence will knock you for a loop because it rings so true. In The Return, a story of a man who has married, moved to Vancouver and not been back to Cape Breton to visit his mother, father and brothers in nearly a decade, MacLeod perfectly shows us the anger, hurt and pain experienced by all. Even the son who is narrating the story understands the underlying tension in the house. "It is morning now and I awake to the argument of the English sparrows outside my window and the fingers of the sun upon my floor." A sentence perfectly put in the story at a time when the tension is felt, but not quite understood to what level it may rise. Everything about Cape Breton is tension in this story, even the birds.
Quite often in this book, the sentences that nail you are because of the build up. It reminds me of the movie the Wonder Boys with Michael Douglas (not in scenario or character or theme, but in prose), where it builds, and you aren't quite sure where it is all going, but you are intrigued, and then Christina Ricci says, "Do you remember how you always tell us that a writer has to make choices? It's just that you haven't made any choices." And even though she is discussing his novel, you know it means so much more than that.
That is how Alistair MacLeod writes. His sentences are simple, but they mean oh so much more than that.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from World Literature Today, published by University of Oklahoma on January 1, 2002. The length of the article is 661 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Alistair MacLeod: Island: The Complete Stories.
Author: Jim Hannan
Publication:
World Literature Today (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 2002
Publisher: University of Oklahoma
Volume: 76
Issue: 1
Page: 147(2)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Product Description
Volumes 1 & 3: original dark green pebbled cloth hardcover bindings with embossed borders and gold spine lettering & design. Volumes 2 & 4-6: Original sage green cloth hardcover bindings with black & gold lettering and design, embossed border & design on back covers, yellow endpapers.
Book Description
The writings of John Owen are a challenge to any reader, to say the least. His intricacy and complexity are intimidating and his language is downright befuddling at times. However, the depth of thought and the immense value of Owen’s works cannot be quantified. His three classic works on sin and temptation are profoundly helpful to any believer who seeks to become more like Jesus Christ.
In this volume, the editors have made updates to the language, translated the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew and footnoted difficult or unknown phrases, all without sacrificing any of the wonderful content of Owen’s work. It is a uniquely accessible edition of John Owen’s previously daunting work.
“The editors of this volume have worked hard to make Owen’s unrivalled insight into the Christian’s inner war with sin accessible to all, and the result is truly a godsend.”
J. I. Packer,
Professor of Theology, Regent College
“To read Owen is to mine spiritual gold. Unfortunately, as in mining, reading Owen is hard work. Now, Kelly Kapic and Justin Taylor have made Owen’s work accessible to modern readers while still retaining his unique writing style.”
Jerry Bridges,
Navigators Community Ministries Group
“With brilliant editorial efforts and insightful introductions by Kapic and Taylor, John Owen’s magnificent treatises on sin and sanctification have been made available for a new generation.”
David S. Dockery,
President, Union University, Jackson, Tennessee
“Sin is tenacious, but by God’s grace we can hate it and hunt it. John Owen provides the master guide for the sin-hunter. Kapic and Taylor bring together three of Owen’s classics, clarifying them in simple ways—but all the substance, the careful, hounding arguments are still there.”
Mark Dever,
Senior Pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, D.C.
“John Owen understood how the gospel makes us well. Three cheers for Kapic and Taylor for introducing a new generation to Owen’s peerless works.”
Sinclair B. Ferguson,
Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, S.C.
“John Owen is a spiritual surgeon with the rare skill to cut away the cancer of sin and bring gospel healing to the sinner’s soul. Apart from the Bible, I have found his writings to be the best books ever written to help me stop sinning the same old sins.”
Philip Graham Ryken,
Senior Minister, Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia
“No writer has taught me more about the dynamics of the heart and the deceitfulness of sin than John Owen. Read this book carefully; it will help you understand your heart and experience God’s grace.”
C. J. Mahaney,
Sovereign Grace Ministries, Gaithersburg, Maryland
Customer Reviews:
Indispensable!.......2007-08-23
I've read many books on "Christian living", all pale in comparison to this master. He is streets ahead of Stott, Piper, White, Schaeffer and the plethora of modern authors who've unsuccessfully (and I say that only after seeing Owen's acheivement) tackled this topic.
Exactly what I wanted!.......2007-06-26
I received this book in excellent condition in a fair amount of time. The information provided at the time of purchase helped me to select exactly what I wanted
Simply exhausting, stunning and worth your money, time and energy.......2007-05-09
Dr. Owen delivers a comprehensive Biblical analysis on human soul; mind, affection and will; its mortal enemy, mortal threat and mortal danger it is exposed to, as well as, most importantly, the glorious way of treatment and deliverance prescribed by the gospel. The elaborate diagnosis on human heart being unsearchable and deceitful, what entering into temptation means and its symptoms, how sin comes to fruition; the drawing of the mind, the enticement of affection, to gain approval of the will in order for sin to conceive and be executed, is simply stunning as if he performed this spiritual surgery right in front of you. The diagnosis result of human heart is bleak, yet it is no reason for believers and unbelievers to despair because there is a supreme and victorious Savior Jesus Christ, through his blessed Spirit, ready, able and willing to heal and rescue; the one and only agent qualified and capable of conquering this most formidable enemy of the soul, the indwelling sin. Owen's massive coverage on these subjects is not easy to track at all but is much more highly convergent, compared to other texts with emphasis on similar topics, such as J.C. Ryle's "Holiness".
I have to warn that you need stamina in reading this volume. Reading Owen's text is a marathon, not a sprint. Prof. J. I. Packer wrote ("The Quest for Godliness", Crossway (c) 1990) Owen had a right to ask for hard study, for his book was a product of hard work, to which I add, not only hard theoretical, but also experimental theology work. I also suggest some additional directions proposed by Prof. Packer, in reading Owen's texts in general:
1. In trying to understand long or difficult statements or arguments, try to go over them two or three times to see their meaning, read them aloud if necessary.
2. Use a pencil and paper, jot down the progress of the exposition to be able to learn the meat of what Owen is trying to say. This step has been done by Prof. Kelly Kapic and Justin Taylor at the end of the book, but I'd say, it doesn't hurt to do your own summary.
3. Read the preface "To the Reader" to get an idea in advance what he is trying to do and why.
4. The text needs to be read and re-read to be appreciated. Packer commented, "It is hardly possible to grasp the strength and cogency... on a first reading."
This text is unquestionably a must for anyone who is serious in fighting sin, the devil, and the world according to biblical prescription.
"Better", But Not "The Best" .......2007-03-09
For those who have read (or tried to read!) John Owen, Kapic and Taylor have given us three very important works, faithful to Owen's intent, which are certainly easier to read and less clumbsy than the originals. Their organization of the material is very helpful, especially the outlines at the end, which give you a sense of the whole of Owen's argument.
I have also read "The Mortification of Sin" from the Puritan paperbacks series, abridged by Richard Rushing. I read the two side-by-side. Rushing does what every reader of Owen would have to do for him or herself in order to understand it, outline it and restate the key phrases. Rushing's version captures the argument well, and presents it in a manner that can be thoughtfully digested by the 21st century reader.
Unless you are a scholar, I recommend the Rushing abridgement, perhaps alongside Taylor and Kapic, if you are interested in the details of Owen's thought. If you want to be able to understand and apply what Owen teaches here, the Rushing version is sufficient and well done!
Excellent - Get it, read it, muse on it.......2007-02-06
I can't over recommend this book, its awesome, for any and every Christian.
There are some things you don't hear out there in churches about your fight against sin, how to overcome, how to mortify it, how to "take away all that invigorates the flesh"(in the words of Owen). I have read all the other versions, the oldish English, the new type printed by banner of truth, and even the paraphrased ones, but this beats them all it sets your mind working and your heart pumping its a tool for good in the hands of God.
How I would wish that every Christian read it every year, it will help you on the road to living a holy life before God. The Editors have done a good work I had the works of Owen, it was hard to read but with the changes that have been made, this is easier and you lose none of the inclinations to thought that characterises all of Owens works and with thought comes passion "While I mused the fire burned" Ps.39:3 it is only as we think on this truths that our passion for God begins to rise, that is why the puritans works have always helped unto Godliness because they make us "muse". Get this, read it, muse on it.
Customer Reviews:
Tall, Dark and Dangerous - WOW!.......2007-04-18
This was the 1st TDD book I read..and after reading it, I think I'll have to go back and read the others in the series - this book was awesome! I read LOTS of romance novels and with that said, this book had a lot of stamina. I enjoyed all the characters immensely and the love story was really good. I could actually feel all the tension!! Great book. Now I think I'll start from the beginning!!
Taylors Temptation.......2003-09-24
Excellent story. Would recommend this book and all the other Tall Dark and Dangerous series to my friends. This one has been my favorite to date. The characters are so alive you could almost fall in love with Bobby and feel for Colleen as she struggles to get Bobby to see her as more than his best friend Wes's little sister. Also Bobby's struggle to hide his feeling for Colleen because he knows Wes wouldn't approve and his fear of losing his best friend.
Another great TDD book!!!.......2003-09-05
I have read all of Suzanne Brockmann's TDD books and can't really chose a favorite one! Taylor's Temptation lives up to the TDD name!! Other reviewers have wrote storyline information so I won't do that but just say that this book is a welcome addition to my TDD books on the shelf!!
Very Hot...............2003-06-17
.........for a Temptation Novel.
I love it and I have read all of Ms Brockmans books (so why did I not give it 5 stars.....have you read Prince Joe (oh my, oh my..I'm melting...help)
Why do I love it.....strong and sensitive Alpha Males. Suzanne, Linda Howard, Cherry Adair these are authors that provide alpha males like chocolates to a chocoholic.........yummy. Others have said that we don't know to much about Taylor's background........so what it? How many of us actually look at the ingredients to chocolate..not me (but then I have a serious addition to chocolate) I'm hungry......
Great book--terrible cover!.......2003-02-20
This is a great addition to the Tall, Dark and Dangerous series. Just try NOT to look at the cover...yuck! I was pleased that the female had a brain and knew how to use it! A bit of a departure from the intrigue but good just the same. Eagerly waiting the next installment...the story of Wes.
Book Description
THIS 38 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Devil's Pulpit: Or Astro-Theological Sermons, by Rev. Robert Taylor. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 1564591735.
Average customer rating:
|
Unit 6-George-90, Signal 44
Laurie Balbach-Taylor
Manufacturer: Faith Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General | Christian Living | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1880033135 |
Book Description
Using her 11 years experience in law enforcement telecommunications, Mrs. Taylor confronts the real day-to-day temptations especially found in high-stress careers and their effect on spiritual stability in one's life. A police chaplain has advised that several people on the department to which he ministers have converted their hearts to Jesus after having read this book!
Product Description
Fine English rendering of Hoffman's weird novel. It's the story of Medardus the Monk who falls into evil ways from the Devil's temptation. Sin, sex and murder in the throes of the height of Romantic fever. Throw in an innocent young girl and stand back!
Books:
- Death and the Dervish (Writings from an Unbound Europe)
- Dictionary of the Khazars (M)
- El Husar
- Envy (New York Review Books Classics)
- Excessive Joy Injures the Heart
- Fasting, Feasting
- Fight Club: A Novel
- Floating in My Mother's Palm
- Foam of the Daze
- Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation
Books Index
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