expenses

It is extremely difficult to review this book in which one idea is chain-linked to the next. Broadly, Vanstone's reflection is that true love gives everything it has, to the point of being spent, while simultaneously allowing the object of it's love to be and become in complete freedom. And God, needless to say, is True Love.

I don't agree with everything Vanstone says; I have a hard time, for instance, of thinking of God being totally exhausted in the act of loving his creation. Nonetheless, what this book did for me was to answer the question: "Is it true that God actually cares and participates in our reality? And if the answer is yes, how does God do this without violating the free will of those God loves?" For me, the net result of reading this book has been to make both God and God's love more real and less ethereal.

The manner in which this message is brought home is, however, relentlessly intellectual. This is not a book to read for easy, uplifting inspiration, but rather for challenging intellectual inspiration.

If, however, you do have a sense of humor, this book is laugh-out-loud, slap-your-knees, wish-you'd-thought-of-it, funny. "Betty" artfully and eloquently skewers conservative Christianity. There's no remorse or coddling in these pages, though some of the slams are so well-constructed, they often take a second reading to appreciate fully. The book reads like a portfolio of articles rather than featuring a central story, featuring material with a myriad of styles and subjects (though from a "True Christian" perspective). Even where "Betty" isn't laying down line after line of hilarious diatribes, she's spouting poignant and keen observations about society and religion. When you aren't laughing, you're thinking.

I didn't give this book 5/5 only because I felt that a few of the entries seemed to go a long way for a gag. If you've read it, you might know which ones I mean, but beyond this tiny criticism, this is a great book.

That said, if you are a conservative Christian with a good sense of humor, don't pooh-pooh this book. Give it a chance and you may be surprised. If you just enjoy good satire (especially if you're an Onion fan), pick this up. "Betty" never disappoints, and I'll buy the next 10 books she writes.

As the final arbiter of all things Christian Rite, Betty Bowers stands as a role model for all the sour and snobby Christian women that can only wish one day to be her. To aid them in their albeit feckless quest the generous Betty Bowers has published a how-to book, "What Would Betty Do? How to Succeed at the Expense of Others in This World and the Next."

For those thinking persons who find the current turn-of-the-century pretensions of Christian piety, prudery, and pandering, as onerous as they are misled, Betty Bowers offers humor - the only real weapon against absurdity. Betty takes Christian virtue to its logical end, something the Christian Rite would never be accused of approaching: logic, or ends.

With the personal style of a Coco Chanel, the stinging observations of a Dorothy Parker, and the genuine hilarity of a David Sedaris, Betty bridges the gulf for those alienated by Christianity, whether voluntarily, or not.

Consider Betty's many charitable efforts, catalogued only to inspire: BITCH (Bringing Integrity to Christian Homemakers), BASH (Baptists Are Saving Homosexuals), SLUTS (Saving Love Until the Sacrament), her Christian Crack Whore Ministry ("Every knee shall bow&"), and many more - all profitable Fortune 500 corporations. The only time Betty would ever be seen with one of those women on religious television grubbing for money with mascara running down her face would be if they were drying out at one of her many halfway houses.

For the nouveau Christian Betty offers fashion advice - what a good Christian wears to a lunch date with Hillary Clinton, an execution, or the bombing of an abortion clinic - certainly nothing from a "cardigan collection with an overbearing knit for each bank holiday."

Betty's interviews with the rich and dubiously famous - Laura Bush, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Diane Sawyer, and rapper Eminem - had me laughing harder than sister-in-Christ Dyan Cannon at the Toronto Blessing.

Buy the book. Buy two!

In The Joy of Work, Scott Adams combines his satirical logic with first-hand experience in cubicology (the study of cubicle life) to prove once and for all how a paper-pushing life can still find happiness in a little box. From office pranks to ways in which one can get out of doing any actual work, Scott Adams shows us the ropes of office life.

Honestly, if you or anyone you know finds that getting up every morning to the same routine, working with the same people, in the same small, efficiently-shaped space is becoming unbearable or comparable to spilling hot coffee on yourself, don't hesitate to find relief in this book.

If you've ever asked yourself, "Where is this going?", "Where am I going?", or "How many more days till I can use another sick day?", read this book. I found the answers among the little black squiggles on these rectangly-shaped structures of white cellulose, and I think you can too.

This book is like Chicken Soup for the Cubicle Worker's Soul. (I wouldn't be surprised if that was an actual book...)

There is much to be learned from this book. You can learn how to manage your manager. So you can keep him away from your office or cubicle or whatnot and have time for what really matters: surfing the net, sleeping, eating, etc...You will learn subtle tricks on how to pass on work to your co-workers as well. And everyones favourite thing: office pranks are in here to. Stuff to do to make all your co-workers want to kill themselves. It's all in here as is some hilarious dilbert comics.

Get this book if you want to laugh and get out of work.