Stone and Anvil (Star Trek: New Frontier)

Book Description

A crewman has been murdered aboard the U.S.S. Trident, and all evidence points to Ensign Janos of the Excalibur. Captain Mackenzie Calhoun is reluctant to accept that Janos, a powerful non-humanoid whom the captain has known and trusted for years, could be a killer, and immediately launches an investigation into the crime. But this troubling murder mystery soon escalates into a full-fledged diplomatic crisis that threatens to pit Calhoun and Captain Elizabeth Shelby against the entire United Federation of Planets -- and the Starship Enterprise™.

Meanwhile, the turmoil involving Ensign Janos forces Calhoun to recall his own tempestuous past, his rocky relationship with a young Elizabeth Shelby -- and a long-ago exploit that may have everything to do with the deadly emergency that now confronts them all!

Customer Reviews:

Excellent sound effects as well as a good story.......2006-10-31

Mackenzie Calhoun and Elizabeth Shelby are now married as the saga of the "New Frontier" continues in this audio book. It is told in a series of "looks" into the past and then back to the present time and the problem at-hand.

Both captain's Starships are in the same space and they have a murder on their hands. Ensign Janos is the one accused but Mac has a hard time believing this. In his usual fashion, he disregards orders to find the truth. The Enterprise is sent to bring Mac to his senses and thankfully each ship has a "non-human" crew member that helps to "save the day". Of course, it couldn't be just a simple murder but has to have diplomatic overtones.

This is a well written and an exceptionally well recorded audio book. Someone has finally gotten smart and went back to using the sound effects that "old-time radio" used to use to spark our imaginations and give us a visual image in our mind's eye. With each sound effect, I felt as though I was actually watching it on a big screen.

Then add Joe Morton, the reader, to the mix! WOW! Mr. Morton's voices of each of the characters are outstanding. He uses growls and guttural sounds to increase the visualization of the characters. In just reading Star Trek books, I never gave it a thought that Mac was from a world other than Earth. I knew he was but never thought about the fact that his speech patterns would not be like ours. It was very easy to follow which character was speaking and the inflections for each gave me insight into what the character looked like if seen on the screen.

Don't miss out on this wonderful audio book. I hope future books will contain the sound effects whether they are Star Trek or other reading material.

One of the best New Frontier books.......2006-01-21

This was a great conclusion to the events that transpired at the end of Gods Above. This was probably one of the most enjoyable New Frontier books I've ever read. Peter David really allows the reader to discover most about Calhoun's past. The book alternates chapters from present timeline to past timelines. The present is the problem at hand, Calhoun and the Excalibur must investigate the death of an officer on the Trident, Captain Shelby's ship. The accused murderer is Ensign Janos, a security officer on board Excalibur. Zak Kebron, who is thankfully much more chatty now that he has matured, investigates the death of Gleau and why Janos would want to kill him. Meanwhile, the chapters that tell the story in the past deal with Calhoun's days at Starfleet Academy; from the time where Jean-Luc Picard recruits him from Xenex, all the way to his graduation at the end of his fourth year. We also learn a great deal about Calhoun's interest in Shelby and her Academy days as well. I zipped through this book rather quickly, as old characters like Ambassador Spock, Jean-Luc Picard, and Admiral Jellico appear throughout, our favorite New Frontier characters are also there. Most notably though, Si Cwan and Kalinda are not in this story at all, but it doesn't distract from the storyline one bit. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. There is no cliffhanger at the end of the book either, it's a simple ending to the series. The next book, After the Fall, is supposed to re-launch the series, so to speak, so this was a great ending to the existing story.

A Hero Born.......2005-08-10

Mackenzie Calhoun isn't Starfleet's typical captain, nor did he spring from a pampered background. On his homeworld, he was a warlord at age 20, a man who led an almost conquered people to rebellion and eventual victory with cunning and courage. In STONE AND ANVIL, Peter David takes the readers on a whirlwind trip that exposes Calhoun's beginnings, his four years at Starfleet Academy, and his captaincy. After a crewman aboard his wife's ship is killed by another crewman, Calhoun shoulders the harsh burden of finding out what truly happened. That trail leads back to secrets about his homeworld, his own past, and a change in his present and future. Janos, an incredible creature and now one with a human intelligence and Starfleet training, hangs in the balance, his life forfeit if he truly is the murderer everyone believes him to be.

Peter David writes in the Star Trek universe, several product lines as well as the New Frontier line he created, fantasy novels, and hundreds of comic books for DC and Marvel. His Sir Apropos fantasy novels are well-received, his run on HULK and SUPERGIRL unsurpassed, and movie novelizations of FANTASTIC FOUR and other lead new fans to him all the time.

STONE AND ANVIL is a lightning-paced read with a lot of backstory and deep characterization. Told on two time tracks, the present involving the murder and Mackenzie Calhoun's Starfleet Academy days, the novel ties both up in a blistering climax that proves one can't have been told without the other. For sheer phaser-in-your-face, can't-put-it-down-till-you've-finished-it, the novel is a guilty pleasure. Maybe your life won't be changed as a result, but you'll be glad you spent the few hours it takes to read it.

Although the book is a great read on its own, chances are that only true Star Trek fans and space opera buffs will want to pick it up. There's no cutting-edge SF here or introduction of scientific thinking, but it's a good one to blast through over a weekend or on a plane flight.

Best of the series so far........2005-08-10

There were flaws, to be sure. I never have cared for the character of Shelby, and I still don't (although there was a scene in which she was absolutely marvellous, an indication that David's actually allowing the character to grow) and the ending was more of a downer than I expect out of Peter David. But in general, the "main" plot was interesting enough, though by itself might not have quite made it to four stars. But the flashback scenes to Calhoun's days at Starfleet Academy were marvellous, even if I still don't understand what he's EVER seen in Shelby, or what she sees in him, given how little she respects everything that he's about. That relationship has always struck me as just too artificial, something OBVIOUSLY forced by the author for cheap plot conflict, rather than something that grew out of the characters naturally.

I think this may actually be the first book in this series that can actually stand on its own; granted, we had a bit of a teaser for the beginning at the end of the last book, but that's rehashed at the beginning of this one, and it actually has a full story (TWO full stories, from one way of looking at it) complete with ending. David should do this more often.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place.......2005-06-09

Beyond the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle and the secrets of the Pyramids, the other great mystery of the universe is why exactly I keep reading New Frontier novels. I recently realized though that I enjoy the stories and the idea of the characters, but I just don't like the execution of either. So I guess I found what it was that kept me coming back, but Stone and Anvil was standard New Frontier: pretty average. There's good. And there's bad.

The good: seeing Mackenzie Calhoun's days at Starfleet Academy was quite interesting. I especially loved how he handled the dreaded Kobayashi Maru test and his reasoning behind it. His growth from outsider to someone slightly more civilized was fun to read about, even if it was really skimmed over. Frankly, despite its relevance coming in later, this should have been a whole book on its own. Might have even been able to spin off a couple of Harry Potter-esque novels about Calhoun at the Academy. You even had a Hermoine character in Shelby and a Ronald character in Wexler. Why even Dean Jellico was sort of a Professor Snape-like character. Lordy, are Calhoun and Jellico going to be attached at the hip their whole lives?

The book at first looks to be like one of those mediocre Voyager episodes where the A-plot and the B-plot seemed to have absolutely nothing to do with each other. Thankfully, the two do eventually come together thanks to the rather bland cliché of the mad scientist and his pet, though the whole thing ends in probably the stupidest twist I've seen in a Trek book. Seriously, I don't use the word "stupid" much when writing about something, but that's fits the bill for that ending. It was quite groan inducing. Luckily, the very end managed to salvage it a bit with a surprise bittersweet ending.

The present day story about investigating the murder of Gleau was interesting, but could honestly have been more so if we had more of a sense of the Selelvians. They make a brief appearance at the end, but despite all the talk of their abilities, I never really felt like it was any kind of serious threat. Again, there's the fascinating idea of a memberworld working in their own interest possibly to even to subvert the Federation eventually, but again it felt glazed over.

The bad: I think I'm actually growing to hate Elizabeth Shelby. Am I the only one who feels like she's almost regularly being portrayed in a negative light anymore? Both her and Robin Lefler have been taken from their admittedly brief appearances on the show as strong and intelligent women and reduced to shrill, whiny children. Perhaps that's too harsh when it comes to Shelby, but definitely not in the case of Lefler, who for the last many books including Stone and Anvil has been almost defined solely by her constant over-reaction to pretty much anything having to do with her mother. It stopped being interesting a long time ago.

For Shelby, it's become more the constant portrayal as the one trying to think rationally when Peter David likes to make so much of New Frontier about instincts this and instincts that. I really can't put more of a finger on it than that right now, but it's just this feeling I get myself. Everyone else stays the same, with some characters like Si Cwan not even appearing in the book this time around. Calhoun has always been David's strength since he's the center of the whole series and it's really no different here, though I almost get the sense that the writer is "really" fond of his main character.

With the news that the next several New Frontier books will all be hardcovers (why exactly I don't know), I find that that doesn't really bother me. New Frontier has become the harlequin romance trash of Trek and as I keep saying, that doesn't exactly make them bad. But it sure doesn't make them all that great either.

Average customer rating:

The Ship and the anvil of stars
jacket summary
Starts dull, ends good
Humanity's Revenge
Read this book

Anvil of Stars
Greg Bear
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

High Tech | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Space Opera | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0446364037

Customer Reviews:

The Ship and the anvil of stars.......2006-11-24

The "Forge of God" was a solid read. This is less so but still good. The story opens with the survivors from the destruction of Earth seeking out those responsible for the crime.

Earth's mysterious galactic Benefactors, who managed to save some few of Earth's inhabitants and destroy the self-replicating machines, provide a Ship of the Law for humans to carry out the galactic edict calling for the elimination of civilzations that created the destructive machines. The Ship of the Law was made of the fragments of Earth. The crew of the ship are children who survived the death of Earth.

The story begins slowly. The children seem at first petty and lacking, but their story is gripping. The plot takes some interesting twists that makes for fun reading. I just wish the book had gotten going faster. Still a good read.

jacket summary.......2006-01-17

from the back cover of the February 1993 Warner Books paperback edition
cover illustration by Bob Eggleton
The Ship of the Law was made of the fragments of Earth's corpse, a world in itself, cruising massively close to the speed of light, hundreds of years from the dust and rubble of home...

And aboard were 82 mortal exiles sworn to find and punish the Killers who murdered our world.

They were more than children sent on a time-bent crusade; they were avenging angels, soldiers trained but not yet tested, given access to incredible powers they did not completely understand. Eventually they would use that power if they were to fulfill their mission, and some of them would not survive.

Starts dull, ends good.......2006-01-09

"The Forge of God" was a 5 star book and this was a bit of a let down compared to that. In particular, the first hundred pages or so are dull and somewhat silly. I don't mind the slow build-up so much as all the discussion on bisexuality and "slicking" between the "Wendy"s and the "Lost Boys"s? I suppose they are liberated from the dead planet Earth and its morals, but I signed up to read a "hard sci-fi" book and not a space harlequin. Likewise, the regular "momerath" discussions are unnecessary and dull too. Anyways, after the first battle these two topics drop to the background and the rest of the book is good.

Humanity's Revenge.......2005-10-29

After Earth's death and rescue by the mysterious Benefactors of a few thousand humans at the end of The Forge of God...Anvil of Stars centers around a crew of young adults who set out to seek a redress for the sins committed against the peoples of Earth. Their goal is to seek out and annihilate the Killers...those who sent the killer machines to Earth. But keeping the crew focused on the task at hand while on the hunt for the Killers proves to be rather difficult. Ultimately, those on the hunt for the Killers must make some very difficult decisions, decisions that will either lead to the avenging of Earth's death, or the committing of crimes far worse than those the Killers committed.

Anvil of Stars had a fairly strong premise...that of seeking out the killers of Earth and avenging its death. In application, the story lacked strong development and the characterization was mediocre at best. The moral implications of avenging Earth's death are considered, but they are nearly drowned out by irritating characters that you never really get to know too well. On the positive side, Anvil of Stars does do a good job of describing unusual alien beings and how they interact with humans; but the descriptions of the aliens' societies is lackluster. In the end, I was left wanting more than Bear offered...characters I got to know better would have been the best addition to this story. On the whole, Anvil of Stars is probably only worth reading if you want the conclusion of Bear's story to The Forge of God.

Read this book.......2004-11-25

I think the Forge of God is just a prelude to this book, because the juicy ideas are here. This is a wonderful book on ethics, leadership, and sociology disguised as a action packed science fiction thriller. Bear is a great storyteller, and this is the best example of his abilities.

Anvil of Stars: The Sequel to Forge of God

Average customer rating:

Fantastic Sequel to the Classic Original
Not bad, not good
Anvil of Stars : The Sequel to Forge of God
Such a shame

Anvil of Stars: The Sequel to Forge of God
Greg Bear
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0446516015

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic Sequel to the Classic Original.......2004-02-27

Bear produced a delicious and fascinating sequel when he wrote this book. I love the original. The sequel is wonderful but in different ways. Where the original was about average people dealing with a very earthly doom, the follow on is about a group of young but diverse people seeking revenge under very alien circumstances and surroundings. It is Hard Science fiction at its best. There are so many incredible elements of technology explored in the book, it is captivating.

The characters are vivid and very well developed. The conflicts and growth they go through during their voyage are very realistic and moving.

This is one of my all time favorite sci-fi novels and deserves a place beside quite a few Hugo Award winning novels.

Highly Recommended!

Not bad, not good.......2002-06-16

If you are a Greg Bear fan, then you will enjoy this book. Other than that, I believe the reading public will not be so enthralled. This is the follow-up to The Forge of God. The Forge of God is a true masterpiece, Anvil of Stars is not. The Earth is destroyed, the good guys are going to get the bad guys, and the law is the law. That is all you need to know for this book and you know it early. Bear tries to develop believable characters which he succedes at very nicely. The problem here is the story itself, which seems very disoriented and the story never seems to gel no matter how he tries to study group dynamics or species interactions. The main characters are the children of the original survivors of The Forge of God, which is a nice touch with a different view of the problem. You could do a lot worse than Anvil of Stars, but you can do a lot better also.

Anvil of Stars : The Sequel to Forge of God.......2000-08-04

This book is a tour de force, the whole concept behind it is so large that i was in awe when i completed the novel. After the Earth was decimated, there is a slim chance that earths children can determine who is responsible for the planets destruction and possibly avenge that crime. Unfortunately the plot is slow to develop and until you get to the final third of the book it can leave you wondering if the story is actually going anywhere. But i can assure you it is. I won't recommend this book if you are someone who can't stay focused if a novel gets slow for a bit, but if you can handle a few slow parts this is as good of a hard science fiction book as you will ever find.

Such a shame.......2000-05-31

The first book, Forge of God, was a true masterpiece. This sequel however is less than worthy to be called a sequel. The story it self is not very interesting, therefore I will not mention it. The characters are ever so wrongly put to words, most of them are children, it's mentioned quite a few times, but none of them acts like children. Sure they might be last children to have seen Earth, but is this a reason to have them act like grown-ups? I think not, they act illogical and one dimensional.

A shame, the first book was truly enjoyable, the second book wasn't even a true sequel.

Average customer rating:
THE STARS AROUND US: The Peddler's Nose; The Listeners; Ghost Fleet; Fondly Fahrenheit; With Redfern on Capella XII; Underfollow; The Feeling of Power; The Helping Hand; Work of Art; The Great Slow Ki
Jack Williamson , James E. Gunn , Christopher Anvil , Alfred Bedster , Frederik Pohl , John Jakes , Isaac Asimov , Poul Anderson , and Roger Zelazny James Blish
Manufacturer: Signet Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000BMEV84

Average customer rating:
Analog: Astounding Science Fact & Fiction; June 1960: Star Tiger; Vigorish; Charley De Milo
Christopher Anvil , Walter Bupp , and LArry M. Harris
Manufacturer: Street & Smith
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KOUTWU

Average customer rating:
ANVIL OF STARS
Greg Bear
Manufacturer: Legend
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000K5TH86

Average customer rating:
ANVIL OF STARS
Greg Bear
Manufacturer: Legend
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000K5RS7S

Average customer rating:
Anvil of Stars

Manufacturer: ORBIT (LITT)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GUB8K0

Average customer rating:
Anvil of Stars (Sequel to FORGE OF GOD)

Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000BPDMYA

Average customer rating:
Anvil of Stars (Signed First Edition)

Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000CSAM9E

Amazon.com

Kabbalah, the mystical element of Judaism, has undergone an unprecedented surge in popularity in recent years. In Endless Light David Aaron, a rabbi who lives in Jerusalem, presents the ancient system as a source of personal and spiritual sustenance. In the kabbalah, the creation of the universe is an ongoing process; thus, Aaron says, we derive happiness from the journey to our goals rather than from reaching our destination. "If you are ready to see [life] as the challenge of any good game--where the challenge itself is what makes it fun--then your life will not be static, but a dynamic process of growth," he writes. The philosophy he presents is derived from the Torah and other Jewish texts and traditions, but Aaron makes it comprehensible to anyone seeking a new understanding of God, the world, and themselves.

Book Description

After years of careful study, David Aaron helps us find the answers to life's questions as revealed in the Kabbalah, the mystical tradition of Judaism. Unlike other works on the Kabbalah, which are often academic, abstract, and unrelated to our everyday challenges and concerns, Endless Light is a thought-provoking, practical guide that illuminates our path in life.

Rich in personal stories and anecdotes, Endless Light offers a deeper awareness of ourselves, our inner conflicts, and the way we understand and receive life's bounteous gifts. Drawing upon the profound, timeless teachings of the ancients as well as on his own contemporary insights, David Aaron helps truth-seekers of all faiths to enrich their lives, strengthen their faith, and enjoy more meaningful relationships.

Customer Reviews:

Amazingly Good Book.......2006-07-21

If no one said anything, you might not even know that there's anything Kabbalah in the book. It's a very light reading with a lot of positive info and wisdom. I truly enjoyed the read and it has stuck with me over the years and made a valuable impact.

Here's a small excerpt of one of my favorite sections to give you a general idea of the type of teaching inside:

"So let's go back to the beginning of creation again. In the very opening sentences of the Torah we are told that the first human being was created in G-d's own image. And what was that image, you might ask? Consider the possibility that the first human being was actually a single entity that included both sexes. If you don't believe me, read Genesis, chapter 1, verse 27. This is the Soncino Press version of that very puzzling sentence, from which it is apparent that the translator had some trouble juggling genders: "And G-d created man in His own image, in the image of G-d created He him; male and female created He them.""

"So there we have it - the first human being, both male and female. And in this union of the sexes, in this oneness of the sexes, the first human being reflected the image of G-d - a oneness that includes otherness and yet remains one."

"Incidentally, this notion is clearly expressed in the words of a Jewish wedding ceremony. When two people get married, this blessing is recited: "Blessed are You, Hashem, King of the Universe, Who created the human being in Your image." Why is this blessing said at a wedding ceremony? Wouldn't it be more appropriate to say such a blessing when a child is born? The answer is no: it is through the uniting of a man and a woman that the image of G-d is most closely reflected."

"This is a very important concept. A lone individual does not reflect the image of G-d. An individual in unity with an other does. As we saw in the Kabbalistic picture of creation, the light of G-d is a oneness that includes an otherness. So until an individual makes a space to include an other, and allows that other to do the same, we do not have the oneness that reflects the image of G-d."

"But creating that kind of oneness is not simple. It takes real love. And real love is not simple, either. Yet it is possible, even though we usually stumble and fall - fall in and out of love - trying to learn how."

"If we go back to the Torah's story of creation, we come upon a passage, after the human being has been created, where G-d says: "It is not good for man to be alone." After every other act of creation we are told and it was good." But suddenly, "it is not good" - "not good to be alone.""

"G-d determines that the human being needs "a helpmate," but it is a while before Eve is created. Instead, all the birds and animals are created and the human being is asked to name them. At the conclusion of this, the Torah tells us, "... but for Adam no fitting helpmate was found.""

"Why wasn't Adam happy with an animal for a helpmate in his quest for love and oneness? Because an animal is subordinate to man. It's not his equal. In fact, the first human being had been commanded earlier: "Have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." So Adam could not overcome his loneliness and find true love with a subordinate being, over whom he ruled."

"Indeed, the Torah is very clear in describing an appropriate spouse for Adam. The helpmate is to be kenegdo And the Torah plainly states that man did not find among the animals a helpmate who was kenegdo. The Hebrew word kenegdo means "against, opposite, parallel to." Although the passage is often mistranslated as "I will make a fitting helpmate for him," G-d actually says, "I will make a fitting helpmate *against* him." G-d intends that Adam's helpmate be someone who, in a very positive, respectful way, will stand opposite him and engage him on parallel ground."

"An animal may be a great help to Adam in doing his work, but an animal cannot be the significant other with whom he can share his existence, whom he can truly love. You, too, will not be ultimately satisfied in the quest for love unless it is with a helpmate who is kenegdo - a person whom you acknowledge as your equal and whose difference you respect. A helpmate kenegdo is an other. You cannot overcome loneliness and achieve true love if you are looking for someone who is subordinate to you, who has no mind of his or her own."

"Of course, that's not to say that some insecure people would prefer not to be challenged. I have heard men advise one another, "Get yourself a woman you can mold." And yes, a man might find someone young, inexperienced, and vulnerable and try to make her fit his ridiculous fantasy of a wife who considers him the lord and master. But he will only make his life harder as a result. His will be a very lonely existence and he will sorely miss the engagement that a helpmate kenegdo would have provided, an engagement that is so essential in the process of spiritual growth. All the sadder, in this way he will deprive himself of the opportunity of being the living manifestation of G-d, which is expressed through the ability to love, making a space within oneself to include a unique other."

"A relationship of dominance is not the image of G-d or the image of love - it is not making a space within yourself for an other and giving of yourself to that other. Only when two people give to each other and help each other within a relationship of mutual respect and inclusiveness can they receive the gift of love, the Everlasting Light of love."

"You are probably wondering how all this fits with the well-known verse from the Torah: "He will rule over you." Is this not the very source and justification for man's dominance over women? The answer is, "No, on the contrary." The Torah is telling us that this is a curse, not the norm, and certainly not any kind of an ideal to strive for. Indeed, as part of our mending work, we are responsible for nullifying this curse, just as modern technology in agriculture is nullifying the curse of "by the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread.""

"The Torah and the Kabbalah see the relationship between every couple as part of an ongoing process, fixing the cursed relationship of Adam and Eve and thereby receiving the light of love back into the world."

"This process of restoring the equilibrium between the sexes is seen in all the key male-and-female relationship, in the stories of the Torah. For example, G-d tells Abraham, "All that Sarah [your wife] has said to you, hearken to her voice." Like Sarah, Rebecca, the wife of Isaac, could hardly be described as subordinate to her husband. It was Rebecca who courageously coaxed her son Jacob into disguising himself as his manipulative brother, Esau, so that his blind father would give him the blessing of the first born, intended for Esau. Rebecca had the insight to know that it was truly Jacob who deserved the blessing, and she needed to orchestrate this ploy in order to help Isaac realize his own vulnerability to manipulation. Later, when Jacob married, he did not rule over his two wives, Rachel and Leah. We are told he worked hard to get their agreement before he moved the family, rather than merely announcing his decision regardless of their opinions on the matter."

"The Torah and the Kabbalah clearly teach us that true love is not achieved through domination. It takes mutual respect. It takes appreciation of each other's unique strengths. It takes a great deal of giving to each other."

"A quest for love is a quest for a helpmate kenegdo. It is a quest for someone who thinks differently and yet who will help you, not so much with the responsibilities of daily living as with the responsibilities of daily loving."

Deep Thoughts And Wisdom.......2006-04-15

An inspiring book in a light hearted way. David Aaron interweaves biblical stories with real life tales of spiritual growth. I enjoyed the analogy how man would not be suited to having an animal as a help mate. Thus woman was created. Each chapter ends with some questions for thought which one can read again at a later date.

This is a short book but yet somewhat useful for future reference. Somehow many readers will want a little bit more. Some parts repeat themselves in spots. However, there is plenty of inspirtation to make one feel fulfilled.

"Wisdom in a "Bottle".......2006-03-20

This is the second book I am reading from Rabbi David Aaron. I am an octogonarian and have learned most of the wise teachings of Kabbala interpreted and explained in such an easy understandable languege,rather from long life experience, I think all young teen-agers and adults, should be taught and learn these "instructions" to life and enjoy a productive and meaningfull life. It is true that what one learns from experience - making mistakes - has more indelibility in ones phsyche, then just learning or studying. However knowing early in life the true purpose of life = love, could spare mankind of a lot of unnecesary suffering. Thank you Rabbi of making this deep and abstract "philosophy" so enjoyable and easily understandable.
Kol KaChavod, Shalom V'Hatzlacha Rabba
Alfred Dukes

great insight.......2006-02-24

this gives you insight into the hebrew mindset and into old testament understanding.

Highly enjoyable, very enlightening and uplifting.......2005-11-21

Rabbi Aaron offers new and interesting insights into how to form relationships without losing your autonomy. All this is based on Biblical principles and delivered in a concise manor followed by questions to ponder. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I tried reading The Purpose Driven Life, but I never made it past day six. I also highly recommend Rabbi Aaron's other books Seeing God and the Secret Life of God. You don't have to be Jewish to appreciate them. In fact he dispels the often cited myth of the "Old Testament" G-d as wrathful and unforgiving.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books