Open

I bought this book after reading the enthusiastic reviews on amazon, but soon after beginning to go through it I learned the hard truth: it broke the number one rule for characterization. That rule states that the writer doesn't have to say how a character is, but rather let the reader deduce this from his/her actions and his/her dialogue. Well, at the beginning of this novel we are repeatedly told by the narrator that John, her boss, is gorgeous. We know little else about him appart from the fact that Linda, the narrator and main character, says that he is perfect: handsome, rich, intelligent and cultivated ...she says. Some ten pages later on she also tells us how she fell in love with him because she saw that he was beautiful inside ...she says. But never, at least up to page 50, is he given the opportunity to speak or, indeed, are we given the opportunity to see through his actions and own words his personality. Of course the narrator (Linda) goes on to do the same with all the other characters, constantly telling us what to think of them. Really, I don't want to be told WHAT to think of a character, I want to be SHOWN how the character is and then decide by myself...And I have so many other books to read that may just follow this important rule that I had to drop this one.

Linda Vos is a secretary to Wall Street's Dreamboat international lawyer John Berringer, with whom she is secretly and hopelessly in love. What chance does a poor girl from Queens have with a handsome, popular Ivy Leaguer? None at all, it would seem. However, circumstances lead to their marriage and both become undercover agents for the COI (later OSS) as WWII floods Europe.

Linda, sympathetic to the plight of victims of Naziism, volunteers for a dangerous mission in Berlin where events lead her into heroic action.

The picture of daily life in wartime Germany is especially interesting as is Isaacs's portrayal of the American espionage organization and the people who manned it.

Susan Isaacs is never dull. Each book she writes is entirely different from the others as she challenges herself to grow as a writer. She never disappoints her readers as she leads them through adventurous stories in colorful settings with fascinating characters. SHINING THROUGH is a dynamic reading experience.

I have attempted some other Susan Isaacs books and was disappointed, so it may be surprising that this book has a constant place on my "frequently read" bookshelf. Rather than discuss the plotline (I think the editorial review does that succinctly enough), let me try to convey to you the experience of actually reading the book.

The singlemost outstanding feature of this book is the screaming reality with which Isaacs develops characters. One reviewer was apparently upset that the narrator felt too little sympathy for the Germans (and described her boss, rather than "showing" what he was like). These details actually contribute greatly to my love of the book, as the editorializing narrator (Linda Voss) demonstrates her own personality through the way in which she communicates. She only describes her boss as "perfect"? Exactly--she's blinded by her feelings. Not sympathetic towards the Germans? Of course not--the character is an extremely cynical, stubborn woman who is working for the U.S. Government during the war. Perhaps, then, the best feature of the narration is the consistency which Isaacs employs; assuming that you are able to recognize literary tricks, you should have no problem differentiating between Linda's views and the facts of her world.

As for the plot itself, despite frequent rereading, this book keeps me spellbound from the first chapter until the last. At times, the plot twists are truly surprising; other times, the story is unsurprising but told saucily enough to hold my interest all the way through. As aforementioned, the narrator is such a compelling character that one gets the feeling of just listening to her chatter her way through the pages. I enjoy this book in one straight read; it helps maintain the feeling of Linda Voss, storyteller (as opposed to Susan Isaacs, author).

In short, then:
1. Linda Voss is THE most compelling narrator/character I have ever read.
2. The writing is consistent and precise.
3. The plot is interesting enough to be worthy of the gorgeous characterization.

Enjoy!

in town. Rosenfeldt worked in marketing for Tri-Star pictures before trying his hand at screenplays, and this, his first novel. He has a smooth, confident style and a hero steeped in courtroom shenanigans. Like Coben's hero, Myron Bolitar, Andy Carpenter is a sports nut and a smartass, but a loveable one. Like Koontz's heroes, Andy is hung up on his Golden Retriever, Tara, and much of the charm and humor of the character comes out in his frequent references to her.

Carpenter's first story (I say first, because the book cries out for a sequel or two or thirteen) involves an appeal in a case of capital murder. His case is tangled in his past with his beloved father, and his feeling that there is more than meets the eye to his dad's request for him to defend a man that he, himself, had convicted. Tangled with the defense of his client, Willie Miller, is Andy's own broken marriage and his attempt at reconciliation after he's already fallen in love with someone new.

The plot to prove Willie's innocence is less than original, and a little shallow, but the witty repartee and diarization style of writing adopted by Rosenfeldt is charming and breezy. Many small humorous passages will make you laugh, even though the scene is serious. Carpenter's explanation to Miller of why he will probably still lose the trial..."suppose Dinky University's football team goes down to Florida State and loses ....but the game doesn't count because FSU's water boy wasn't eligible....Dinky is still Dinky". Carpenter's rants against DNA, his soliloquy to the Yankees and his betting contests with his father, courtroom antics such as the stunt with Kevin's cousin -- all are irreverent and totally New Jersey in their origin and humor.

It's not a great novel, but it ranks as a great and entertaining first effort, and Rosenfeldt will have a terrific career if there are more like this to come!

Read it, enjoy,laugh!

This debut novel is a fast-paced page turner. The main character is engagingly witty and smart without being superhumanly clever - a terrific mix for a main character in a mystery.

The plot revolves around the main character's appeal of a defendant on death row. He was encouraged to represent the man by his father who had successfully prosecuted the alleged criminal and who had put him on death row. The new trial is granted and the plot spins around the trial and a thirty-five year old picture of the father with three friends.

The plot has some interesting twists and turns, but what sustained the tension and kept the book moving were the courtroom scenes. The cross-examination and strategy were interesting and, again, at times amusing. Points are scored by the defense, but there is no Perry Mason moment - much more realistic and true to life.

Your life will not be turned around by this book, but you will be exceedingly entertained. I recommend it as a mystery with some laughs and some good courtroom scenes.

It's hard to believe this is David Rosenfelt's first novel, but that's what the book jacket says.

New Jersey attorney Andy Carpenter's biggest problems are fretting over whether to work things out with his estranged wife or move forward with pretty PI Laurie Collins. He's good in court, wins most of his cases, and is popular with judges and prosecutors alike. He lives with a Golden Retriever named Tara in a house he likes a lot, and life is pretty darn good.

And then Andy's father, Nelson, a retired prosecutor, asks him to take on the appeal of Willie Miller, on death row for a murder Nelson himself prosecuted. Before Andy can ask his father what's going on, Nelson dies. Finding himself heir to a mysterious fortune and a troubling photograph, Andy plods ahead with his new client's appeal. And that's when the threats start. Andy himself had always believed Willie Miller was guilty, so who could feel so threatened by a re-trial?

As the investigation of the murder Willie was convicted of, that of young newspaper reporter Denise McGregor, progresses, evidence of an old and ugly murder gradually comes to light. What are the connections, and what could Willie Miller have had to do with it? More intriguing, what about the photo of Nelson Carpenter and his powerful friends? And where did Nelson Carpenter get all that money which he never touched? This novel is artfully constructed and superbly plotted and, if this is a first novel, I hope it's only the first of many to come. This author is uncommonly talented and this is a spectacular debut.

Having just returned from Chile with this book as my primary reference guide, I found myself continually borrowing other guidebooks. Simply put, it contains too little information. I also found some of the authors' opinons a bit stronger than what I care to have when travelling an unfamiliar country. The two standards, Footprints and Lonely Planet, remain for me the best guides to South American travel. I regretted carrying this one along enough to have donated it to a hostal in Punta Arenas.

Admittedly, the guide takes a fun approach, and has interesting and readable content. However, because it lacks the depth of more veteran sources, I recommend this guide only as a supplemental reference.

Of all the guidebooks I read to prepare for a two week trip to the southern part of Chile - this one had me the most enthused about going. The descriptions in the book compel you to go to out of the way places I would have missed otherwise. It is not as detailed as the Rough Guide - but sometimes the zen for travel can be lost in the details. These authors have an obvious enthusiasm and love of this country. This feeling did not come across in many of the other guide books.

I bought a number of books for my trip to Chile and found this one to be the most helpful by far. I only had a few weeks and I needed some good input on how to spend my travel time. I appreciated this guide because it gave opinions and recommendations.

I think the authors and I have the same expectations for travel -- we seek out interesting places but also good food and comfortable (not necessarily fancy) lodgings. I'm definitely an indepedent traveler who likes to seek out new experiences. This guide led me perfectly along the way.

Having thoroughly enjoyed 'The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat' I opted to make this my second Dr. Sacks outing. Once again the good doctor provides compelling, humane, interesting stories about odd physiological conditions and the cultures that foster and contend with them. In multiple episodes that have him traveling to small volcanic islands in Micronesia, the entertaining neurologist studies a group of people who have been born without the ability to see color. Accompanying him is a Nordic specialist in this genetic trait, and one who also happens to share the same condition. As the troupe moves about the islands, they meet and talk with the achromatopes; the natives and Knut evince a feeling of camaraderie. Dr. Sacks plumbs their depths to hear them describe their world in terms of textures and monochrome shades, completely barren of color. Along the way, he experiences a taste of their 'night' lives, the skills they have developed to compensate for their lack of color sight. The next topic in the island hopping takes them to Guam where Sacks sees the patients of an associate who suffer from lytico-bodig, a degenerative condition which causes paralysis [not unlike Dr. Sacks' own neurological patients] and eventual dissolution. Having struck only a certain age bracket on the islands, the mysterious disease has confounded science for almost four decades and has almost killed off its victims. Finally, he treks to Rota to walk among the ancient Cycad plants that have captured his imagination since childhood. This novel appealed to the adventurer's spirit while I was reading it, listening to Dr. Sacks describes the beauty of the island culture and the supremely languid pace of life. Dr. Sacks' writing is not only aesthetically entertaining, but his case studies continue to pique the interest of the intellect. However, one is never so bowled over by the beauty of the surroundings as to forget the real human cases being presented. It is indeed an odd combination, this beauty and tragedy, but one that works very well in this novel producing an enjoyable read.

In between visiting terminally ill patients, Dr. Sacks goes snorkeling and hiking through tropical rainforests in the Micronesian islands, sharing his thoughts and experiences with his readers.
About one quarter of the book is footnotes.
I enjoyed "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" a lot more.
(If English isn't your mother tongue or if you're not a college graduate I suggest you have a good dictionary nearby as you read. It also helps to look up some of the diseases he talks about at Yahoo! Health. Also look for images of the flora he discusses at Google Image Search.)

Oliver Sacks' writing is very evocative. It combines the scientific and the artistic. The book was possible because that essential element of science was there - curiosity. At the same time there is adventure and romance. Sacks also brings out the fact good physicians are necessarily good humans, and have interests outside medicine. The book has descriptions of people suffering from hereditary complete colour blindness and of the lytico-bodig (the Guam disease), which are clear and allow one to empathize. One need not be a doctor to understand them, just as one need not be a natural historian to understand cycads. In Guam Dr. Sacks visits John Steele, a man who left a brilliant academic career to be an "island GP." That men like Steele exist reaffirms one's faith in medicine. The book left me with the feeling that it was time for me to pack my bags and leave for some similar enlightening adventure.

This is one of the better books on computer graphics theory I have so far come across, but please be aware: there are many holes in this hefty and pricy book.

Francis Hill has provided a very thorough book on computer graphics with numerous topics that will appeal to many readers. It is one of the only books to really cover ray-tracing to the detail that I like. While the book title implies the use of Open GL as one of the main concepts, this is misleading. The vast majority of all of the programming is simply in C++ which just uses Open GL to paint the screen. If you are looking to learn Open GL, pick yourself up the Red Book (OpenGL Programming Guide) or look on SGI's web site for all of the text free online.

While the text has a very broad scope, it is entirely lacking the organization, completeness, or concistancy to even approch an acceptable text on any computer subject, let alone a very complex one. Computer Graphics Using Open GL is riddled with errors. There are a great deal of typos in the code provided, and some code is just plain wrong. To add to the confusion, the small subsection of code that is available on the companion web site doesn't even match the code in the book; it is a single file with all kinds of code concatentated together, which itself won't compile.

Hill has also provided with his book one of the most frustrating things I have come across in ANY computer book I have read: half of the code is marked with such helpful comments like "To be implemented" or "students do here". The book is FULL of functions and variables that come out of nowhere or are never defined. As a result, you are left to fend for yourself, and are trying to piece together Hill's code into something that will compile. The pieces of code are presented as excercises, but you are never told how to actually do the things asked of you. Never, ever have I seen a book that basically says "Figure it out for yourself" and moves on. Additionally, Hill just loves to use one set of variables for a general example, and then a whole different set for the code (or pseudocode; it's often intermixed)

Basically, it's as if Hill had written a skeleton guide to graphics programming, and midway through fleshing it out, he simply stopped. The rest is up to you to figure out.

I elected to mention all of that because I want anyone who is considering the purchase of this book to know what is expected of them. This book has a very steep learning curve at points, and unless you are willing to put in a the effort, you will lose track of what's going on - Hill's text won't fill in for you. All of that said, you will be hard pressed to find a more complete book on graphics that even gives you a code-based presentation. The text, where complete, is very well written, and give you a number of things to consider while reading the material.

Three Stars.

For many programmers, the jump into full-blown graphics programming is always a great pain. Starting into 3D programming is even worse. Thankfully, for those who are in school there is this text. While not entirely complete on the workings of OpenGL, Hill's text thoroughly covers implementation as well as theory for students of computer graphics. This text provides an excellent introduction to those who have never done any graphical programming, allowing them to have an extremely solid base from which to continue their graphics programming.

With that having been said, I give this five stars for its utilization in the classroom. Hill often blends programming assignments and explainations seemlessly, teaching the student concepts more thoroughly through experience. This, however, raises the problem for individuals who are either studying independently and have no experienced OpenGL programmers to whom they can turn. For them, this text can still be a great asset but may leave them "high and dry", so to say, if they have problems with some concepts which are solidified in Hill's often difficult assignments. For these individuals, I give this text three stars. Since there are many independent studying individuals out there, I have averaged the two ratings together to get four stars.

This is a really good book. One of the other reviewers had given it a poor review because s/he felt that the book was misleading in that it was more about computer graphics than OpenGL. This is very true, but the title of the book is "Computer Graphics using OpenGL." That means that it claims to teach you the subject of computer graphics using OpenGL as its main tool. But, if that title does mislead you, be forewarned that there are much better books at teaching you the OpenGL API.

This book, in my opinion, does a great job covering all the standard topics of computer graphics and leaves you ready to tackle some of the more advanced texts on the subject. I also really appreciated the gentle approach to the mathematics involved. The author has a good appedix to help you brush up on any math-related topics you may be rusty on. Overall, this is a great book and comes highly recommended as a means to start into the field of computer graphics.

I agree with many of the reviewers below that this book was helpful and often interesting. It gives a readable orientation to one of the most important movements in the software industry today, and the editors have been fortunate to gather together so many contributors who obviously know whereof they speak. In particular, the editors' Introduction, Eric Raymond's "Brief History of Hackerdom," Richard Stallman's account of GNU and FSF, Bruce Perens's discussion of Open Source, and Tim O'Reilly's essay on "Infoware" were informative and thought-provoking.

That said, it should be noted that the Amazon reviewer above gets it wrong when she writes that the book gives a "fascinating look at the raging debate." In fact, *nothing* about Open Source is debated in this book, which is a major disappointment. As the reviewer from Princeton below notes, the goodness of everything Open Source and the badness of everything Microsoft seems to be a given for many of the writers. At the risk of criticizing the book for not being something its creators didn't intend, I think it would be greatly improved with the addition of a wider range of viewpoints and even a dissenting voice or two. (There are a number of essays that could give place to some alternate content: Eric Raymond's second essay, "The Revenge of the Hackers," leans heavily toward the self-congratulatory, as does the Netscape cheerleaders' "Story of Mozilla." And Larry Wall's "Diligence, Patience, and Humility" seems to have been included not on its own merits but on the author's reputation as the Perl Deity.)

A final wish is for the book to address a broader range of readers. As a longtime computer user but a relatively new programmer, with no formal business training, I found many of the essays to rely heavily on the jargon of hackers and MBAs. More editorial control here, in addition to a broader range of content, would make this book seem less like preaching to the choir and more effective at spreading the Open Source gospel.

This book is an interesting window on the Open Source world. It is a strange planet with strange people. Some crazy idealist like R. Stallman (I like the guy very much), some smart and intelligent person like L. Torvald (he did a very good job with Linux). In between someone that was just in the right place at the right time, but who doesn't deserve so much space and celebrity. I am talking about a person that seems confused as the language he invented: Larry Wall. His contribution does not require further comments.

This is a good idea on O'Reilly's part to try to document the history and goals of the Open Source movement, which had roots in several college campuses and research labs in the '70s and '80s, and became news in the late '90s with the popularity of Linux, Apache, and the decision of Netscape to open its browser source. The best introductory piece, however, is probably Eric Raymond's "Cathedral and the Bazaar" which is not in this book(O'Reilly publishes it separately, but it's available free on the Web and short enough to be read in one sitting). As for this collection, I liked Robert Young's business case for distributing open source - his story of how Red Hat was launched reminds me of the Compaq tale of "three guys in a restaurant". The Apache article is also quite good, and Linus Torvalds offers a brief but interesting (and characteristically opinionated) article about how Linux evolved technically. There's also a good article discussing the various open source licenses (BSD, GPL, Netscape, etc) and what they do and don't restrict.

Others I was less impressed with. Stallman's article is predictable and self-serving. He explains how he evolved his software-as-gift philosophy but doesn't come close to terms with how the software industry can support substantial employment if all source is given away. There's yet another history of the different branches of BSD Unix. There's a breathtaking inside account of the launch of Mozilla which ends with the fancy Silicon Valley party when development has finally gotten underway. The low point is Larry Wall's "essay", which is a frankly ridiculous waste of time and print.

Although this is a mixed bag, there's enough reference material and interesting points of view to keep the book around.

In recent years the movement known as open theism has claimed to be a more biblical and more practical alternative to the traditional view. In this book, Bruce Ware carefully and systematically refutes both those claims, showing that the traditional view better handles the biblical evidence and the issues of Christian living, while better preserving the glory of God. His examination of the biblical material is especially strong.

MILLARD J. ERICKSON Distinguished Professor of Theology

George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University

Open theism, which denies that God can foreknow free human choices, dishonors God, distorts Scripture, damages faith, and would, if left unchecked, destroy churches and lives. Its errors are not peripheral but central. Therefore, I thank God for Bruce Ware's loving, informed, penetrating, devastating critique of this profoundly injurious teaching. I pray that God would use this book to sharpen the discernment of leaders and prepare the people of God to recognize toxic teaching when they taste it. O how precious is the truth of God's all-knowing, all-wise, all-powerful care over our fragile lives. For your name's sake, O Lord, and for the good of the suffering church who rest in your all-knowing providence, prosper the message of this beautiful book and shorten the ruinous life of open theism."

JOHN PIPER Senior Pastor, Bethlehem Baptist Church

Open theism offers a God who, like us, does not know the future. Its sponsors see this humanizing of God as logical and devotional gain. Bruce Ware sees it as a way of misreading Scripture and impoverishing the life of faith, and he makes a compelling case for this view. I heartily commend this thorough and insightful book.

J. I. PACKER Professor of Theology, Regent College

Bruce Ware offers a compelling scriptural defense of an informed classical theism-that God's knowledge of the future is exhaustive, his providential governance is complete, and his eternal purposes will triumph-while fully preserving our authentic humanness. This book exalts the God who is truly God in undiminished greatness for the confidence, hope, and victory of his people.

BRUCE DEMAREST Professor of Theology and Spiritual Formation, Denver Seminary

While I (basically a traditional Arminian) do not agree with all of Ware's answers, I applaud his keen discernment of the questions and issues raised by openness theology. He clearly sets forth the key differences between this view and traditional views of God, both Arminian and Calvinist; and he perceptively identifies its major weaknesses. I benefited especially from Ware's treatment of the biblical teaching on God's foreknowledge.

JACK COTTRELL Professor of Theology, Cincinnati Bible Seminary

Evangelical theology faces a crisis of unprecedented magnitude. The denial and refutation of God's perfections will lead evangelical theology into disintegration and doctrinal catastrophe. The very identity and reality of the God of the Bible is at stake. The real question comes down to this-does God really know all things, past, present, and future? Or, is God often surprised like the rest of us? The Bible reveals that God is all-knowing and all-powerful. Bruce Ware sets out the issues carefully in God's Lesser Glory. This book is a much needed antidote to contemporary confusion, and it is a powerful testimony to the truth of God set forth in the Scripture. I can only hope that Christians will read it and rejoice in the knowledge of the true and living God.

R. ALBERT MOHLER, JR. President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Not even God knows whether you will decide to buy this book or read it, at least according to "open theism." But Bruce Ware shows that this position, which is seeping into evangelical churches, is contrary to Scripture, internally contradictory, and destructive to our Christian lives. This is a clear, fair, well-reasoned, and Bible-centered critique of a doctrinal error so far-reaching that it ultimately portrays a different God than the God of the Bible.

WAYNE GRUDEM Chairman, Department of Biblical and Systematic Theology Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Bruce Ware's book is not the last word on this crucially important subject. Rather, it is the first book-length serious response to open theism-a movement that is beginning to inflict serious damage on confessing evangelicalism. Presenting itself as a legitimate variant within evangelicalism, "open" theism in reality so redefines the God of the Bible and of theology that we wind up with a quite different God. Ware's book demonstrates that this is so, and launches a courteous but firm attack against this incursion.

D. A. CARSON Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

God's Lesser Glory is a carefully reasoned and well-argued critique of open theism. Employing both philosophical rigor and outstanding biblical exegesis, Ware convincingly shows why the great minds in church history have with near unanimity affirmed that the God of classical theism is the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jesus of Nazareth. Every pastor, philosopher of religion, and theologian should have this book in his or her library.

FRANCIS J. BECKWITH Associate Professor of Philosophy, Culture, and Law Trinity International University, California Campus

At once businesslike and practical, Bruce Ware's restatement of classical Christianity in the face of contemporary challenges to it within evangelicalism is bold and bracing. Driven by the pastoral and practical importance of God's greatness, Ware's approach keeps his defense from bogging down in pedantic rhetoric. This book clearly demonstrates that the historic Christian view, against centuries of antecedents to "open theism," has been favored for so long for one reason: It is so evidently biblical.

MICHAEL HORTON Associate Professor of Historical Theology Westminster Theological Seminary in California

In their controversy with classical Christian theism, open theists have tried to seize the evangelical high ground by claiming that their view of God is truer to the Scriptures. God's Lesser Glory rebuts this claim. Bruce Ware goes to the heart of the hermeneutical issue, cogently arguing the biblical case for classical theism and showing why open theists should themselves be uneasy with some of their biblical interpreations.

MARK R. TALBOT Associate Professor of Philosophy, Wheaton College Vice Chairman, Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals

Recently I read all the way through Gregory Boyd's "God of the Possible" and Bruce Ware's "God's Lesser Glory" which are now the two most important arguments for opposing viewpoints in this debate within contemporary evangelism over the nature and extend of God's sovereignty and knowledge.

Boyd's "God of the Possible" is actually quite a bit better than Pinnock's "The Openness of God." Boyd uses more Scripture and resorts to less caricatures and purple prose. I must admit that it is well-written and superficially compelling and persuasive (although containing many internal contradictions and hideous examples of bad hermeneutics that the discerning reader will immediately detect). Since I am a Southern Baptist in Texas, the superficial appeal of Boyd is somewhat disturbing, since an increased amount of money and students are going to Baylor's Truett Seminary where Roger Olsen endorses Boyd's book and says that he is open to open theism . The average Southern Baptist college/seminary student/pastor is very Arminian and very vulnerable to Boyd's arguments.

Ware's "God's Lesser Glory" is a devastating response to Boyd's book. Ware has obviously read all the openness literature, but he focuses his attention on Boyd's "God of the Possible" and John Sander's "The God who Risks." It is amazing that Ware was able to respond to Boyd's book which was published earlier this year and get a response published in November that does not read like a hastily-written rush job. Indeed, I was extremely impressed by the book. Ware's beautiful prose style is worthy of emulation. He thoroughly refutes the open theist interpretation of Scripture and exposes all of the internal contradictions of this system. He finishes the book by lamenting the harmful implications of open theism for our understanding of prayer, guidance, and suffering. Although Ware is strongly motivated by practical and pastoral concerns, he effectively employs satire and sarcasm that is often quite funny (I was laughing out loud at page 80, footnote 15). Ware briefly mentions middle knowledge primarily in terms of the openness response to it, but his own development of the the doctrine of divine providence is Reformed, and he does not appear to incorporate middle knowledge (at least in this book). Of course, the purpose of this book for Ware was largely negative rather than positive. He is trying to refute open theism rather than develop his own view of providence, so his discussions of providence are not that elaborate, and his future work may describe how he uses middle knowledge categories in his understanding of God's eternal decree.

Notice that Ware teaches at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. As a Southern Baptist, it is great to see that the leading defenses of orthodoxy are being written at (some of) our seminaries.

I would recommend that everybody buy Boyd's and Ware's books. Read Boyd first, then Ware.

This is really only Round One between Boyd and Ware. Both of them promise to write more comprehensive books on divine providence in the future (although only Ware's God knows exactly when or if these books will be published).

Sometimes the Openness debate generates more heat than light, but Ware's book is a delightful exception.

The volume is shot through with sound exegesis that demonstrates God's exhaustive and definite foreknowledge of the future choices of free agents. Chapter 4 corrects exegetical errors made by Openness Theology, and chapter 5 is Ware's refreshingly careful exegesis of a long list of passages that teach the traditional view.

The book's argument is both penetrating and devastating. Rather than sweep the "partly open future" motif into the "dustbin of anthropomorphism," Ware shows that if an exegete takes the "open future" passages at "face value," as the Openness theologians think we should, then God would be ignorant of the present as well as the past, and He would need reminding of things. A "face value" hermeneutic proves too much for the Open Theists (reductio ad absurdum). The book also gives a helpful definition of the all too often undefined category of "anthropomorphism" on page 86.

Unlike some theologians who have taken up their pens against this contemporary error, Ware rightly and judiciously discriminates between Open Theism and Arminianism. The former is outside the camp of evangelicalism, not the latter. This book never targets Arminianism; instead, it aims directly at the diminished god of Open Theism and proves that he is not the God of the Bible.

Finally, throughout the entire work, the author's tone is urgent but kind, firm but loving, and polemical but pastoral.

I heartily recommend this book to everyone who wants to know what the Bible says about God's knowledge of the future.

I am glad I bought this book and had the opportunity to read it. Ms. Wolff has expereinced a totally different type of adoption, and for different reasons, than I am about to expereince. There were parts that made me laugh and parts that worried me. Wolff is honest in her fears, her opinions, and her acknoledgement of her losses, but the book does come across as being a little "selfish". I think that's because the focus of this book, unlike most adoption books is on the MOTHER, not on the child.

An accurate portrayal of one woman's experience that may not necessarily be an experience all readers can or will identify with.

By avoiding sugar coating of serious issues while expressing the joys and anxieties of a circumscribed period of her life, i.e. the months leading up to and following the birth of her child, Ms. Wolff has managed to convey the arc of conflicting emotions experienced by all first-time mothers, be they biological or adoptive.A commitment to expressing in an open manner her honest feelings, be they positive or negative, takes the kind of courage that is laudable when the results are insightful, witty and meaningful. Yes, there are anger and sorrow here about the inability to conceive her own child. However, as the birth mother of three children, I can attest that all welcome pregnancies have occasional elements of similar emotions of self doubt, anger and sadness.The major effect of this fine paperback is to warm the reader with understanding and humor. One is left with the certain feeling that Ms. Wolff's welcomed bi-racial child will be nurtured and cherished and will have a life of unconditional love and promise

I can't express just how much I absolutely loved this book! I have, since reading it, let 2 friends read it and they totally agreed. Jana Wolff was courageous enough to say things in her book that I was afraid and embarrassed to say out loud. I have been contemplating adoption and had a fear of "what if I can't love that child like my own?". After reading her book I realized that that was a normal fear. At one point she aks, "What if he's a dud?" I laughed and almost cried because I felt so bad about admitting that I want a beautiful child, someone who resembles us and what if the child is just so totally different from us, what then? Another reviewer mentioned that she was offended by her foul language and negative thoughts. Well guess what? Thinking about adoption is like a rollercoaster ride, you have negative thoughts one minute and elated thoughts the next. It is NORMAL. Every adoptive mother that I have spoken to has told me that they felt the same way. That is why I absolutely recommend this book, not just to women who are contemplating adoption, but to mothers in general. Thank you Jana Wolff for writing such an awesome book!

I received this book recently and tried to
assign some time to read it but already after 2
chapters, I can't continue. It is written
in a manner that is so dull and hard to
sleep. I either put that aside or snooze
off. Please, try to write in a tutorial and interesting
manner than writing it like a data/
standard specification document! Please
accept this input seriously.

EXCEPTIONAL! At last a definitive technical resource to answermy questions. The book provides a detailed overview of the BluetoothProtocol stack and the reasoning behind most of the decisions thatwere made for the V1.0 specifications. I recommend this book to thosethat are new to the Bluetooth wireless technology as well as theseasoned network technologists...

I found "Bluetooth Revealed" to be an excellent source of information that is well organized and clearly written. As someone that does not have a deep technical background I was thankful for the authors' treatment of this complex subject. Miller and Bisdikian do an excellent job in describing the background of this technology and the rationale behind many decisions. I found the description of the protocol stack at the right technical level and now have a much better understanding of how Bluetooth compares and contrasts to other competing technologies. This book is now my "official" Bluetooth reference.

As a REAL LATINAMERICAN that was born and has lived in Latinamerica most of his life i have to say i disagree with this book. Yes facts are facts and the USA has intervened in latin america far too many times, but we cant blame them for our problems. Look at Cuba, after the early 1960's the USA has not intervened with Cuba and Fidel has been free to run "his" country, and look at what he has done, even after he received billions in money from the former USSR. Yet, who do we blame for Cuba being such a poor country?
I recommend reading "Fabricantes de Miseria" its a great and not one sided book about how everyone from wealthy bussiness families to unions and militaries have ruined latinamerica. Although i think that book is only in spanish.

This is a great book for those who want to look at things from a fresh perspective. It is not meant for those who believe capitalism and imperialism are the best options out there. Eduardo Galeano did an excellent job at investigating as well as setting forward a view of Latin America that very few North Americans ever get to know. One warning though: it is not for those faint of heart, this book is explicit and very painful to read; but that is only because the history of Latin America has been very sad and painful. An excellent read, you'll think about this book forever.

This is a must for people who like to know the truth of what happened in Latin America over the centuries of European influence... and the truth isn't pretty. Eduardo Galeano doesn't blame the American people for all of Latin American problems and incredible corruption at government and management levels, he points out at the American governments and their foreign policy; the fact remains we, Latin Americans, have been invaded by American marines more than 200 times, and every single time it hasn't been to defend the people and democracy but to support right wing corrupted officials and capitalists. Take Chile for example, it was American dollars and American advisors which help orchestrating the criminal and totally anti-democratic coupe d'etat of 1973...

Eduardo Galeano is an excellent writer, and he has dedicated most of his life to put his writing at our service, so that we understand how we ended up in such mess and poverty having one of the richest continent on Earth.

I first read this book when I was 13, now I am 38 and came to your site because I would like to have an updated copy of this book for my children. I read the other comments made before mine and could not let the opportunity go to give people the other side of the coin...

In summary: THIS IS A MAGNIFICENT BOOK, WELL WRITTEN, WELL RESEARCHED AND WELL INTENTIONED!

PS: I live in Australia and this book is a text book for some of the courses run by Australian universities.