Book Description
In three short years, Fr. Timothy Gallagher's blend of commonsense insight and historical wisdom has made him the most sought-after expert on Ignatian spirituality. In lectures, retreats, CD programs, and TV broadcasts, he helps people of all faiths apply Ignatian truths to their own lives. In this new guide, Fr. Tim offers 40 practical, directed meditations for learning the Ignatian way to pray. ... Read more

Book Description
What does God want for our lives? How can we assess when feelings, even pleasant ones, are signs that God is calling us in a particular direction? In Spiritual Consolation, Timothy Gallagher, a retreat leader and popular author of The Examen Prayer and The Discernment of Spirits, introduces us to the teachings of Ignatius of Loyola on this crucial question.Through the use of real-life examples and the Ignatian principles from the Second Rule, Fr. Gallagher shows how all of us, especially those with busy religious lives, can learn to hear and follow God's leading. This book is both the completion of Dr. Gallagher's esteemed Ignatian trilogy and a provocative work in its own right. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Very Much Needed
Fr. Gallagher fills a great need with this book and his other books on Ignatian discernment. He fills his books with concrete examples that bring Ignatian wisdom to life. Especially striking in this particular book is how even consolation must be subject to discernment to prevent being led down the wrong track by the enemy. You will find subtle but practical wisdom for our complex lives and challenges.

Ignatian Spirituality
This book fills a much needed niche in the important aspect of Ignatian Spirituality, namely, Discernment of Spirits.
It speaks to Ignatius's search for "the more".
How do we discern between two apparent "Good Options"?
In which is God calling us to the More, to the Greater , for the sake of God and for a considered life.
The journey throws up choices.
Which choice is the Better?
With this little book as a guide, we may find the answer. ... Read more

Book Description
Gallagher an authority and gifted teacher, help us understand the rule and how its insights are essential for our spiritual growth today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Opens Up the Spiritual Exercises of Loyola
In years past, I had tried my hand at reading the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola without much to show for it. The exercises are very terse and concise. But with Fr. Gallagher's book, I finally got the practical commentary that opens up the mind and intent of St. Ignatius Loyola. After years of Jesuit education, I finally got it.

A Must Read
Wow. I attended an Ignatian school in grade school and again for University, but it wasn't until I read this book that my love for Saint Ignatius came to an informed reverence for the gift that God has given him to be able to prepare and form a movement of missionaries who faced the most adverse of conditions against physical, emotional and spiritual attacks.For a person who is seriously seeking God, the rules of discernment in this book are very helpful if not essential in making decisions that will bring him/her farther along in the journey.

Now if only this humble critic can only get these rules from his mind to his heart, then practice it with love, then he'll be set.

Highly Recommended: Sun Tzu for the Spirit
I am a frequent business traveler and often look for books that can be brought along for my trips.This one is a "keeper" and I highly recommend this work as an "owner's manual" as well as a "service manual" for the spiritual journey.

The reason this work is important is that Fr. Gallagher presents fourteen Ignatian Rules, which have been available for hundreds of years, to patiently lead the reader to an uncommon level of understanding about often difficult spiritual issues.You may find that there are a lot of "aha!" moments when reading this book.It's not a "technical" read at all but you begin to see that, like works by other former military leaders, Ignatius provides strategies that are rather like "Sun Tzu for the Spirit:" his rules are very tactical, and Fr Gallagher provides the commentary that allows readers to put these rules into context as well as to better understand why, how, and when they should be applied.

Finally, readers of any faith would find great value in this book.While the content is focused on the work of Ignatius, the context, examples, and application of Fr. Gallagher's work crosses almost any denomination.I highly recommend this work.

knowledge is power and one would want this kinda power.
I really liked this book. I bought it to discern a spiritual choice. For a Christian especially, it's very helpful in understanding the different spirits...spirit of joy, of fear, of peace, lukewarmness, despair, agitation etc that we experience. It makes a world of difference WHO is sending these feelings between the Good ( God, Angels etc)and the bad( Devil etc). The same feeling means something different when sent by different Spirits. Example.... Agitation caused by the Holy Spirit intends and if successful does a good job of awakening a conscience, calling for repentance after sin etc. The same agitation sent by the enemy aims at and does if successful the opposite and wounds the person, by stealing their peace in moments when they want to be faithful to God etc. I already gladly and quickly recommended this book to a friend but wanted to let anyone here who ever wonders why they feel so many things spiritually know that this is the book to reach for. The writer does a good job and takes a good pace that reinforces what is covered. The material is from St. Ignatius.....the 'Father' of solid and fruitful discernment. Knowledge is power especially in knowing what the enemy wants and resisting giving in to him. This book is an easy, interesting read and a joy to apply. I came here to look if the author has written the second book continuing the second part of St. Ignatious Excercises. This first part( this book) was meant to be tackled apart from the second one and recommended thus for a fruitful absorption and interaction with the material. So, this book is complete by itself for it's purposes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Reading Reasons
Very interesting read.I can't wait to see how my class responds to the mini lessons.

Excellent Literacy Resource For Teachers.
I learned about this book at a workshop on reading and literacy in my district last year.I checked it out from my local teaching library and after 3 renewals and a bunch of late notices later I realized I never wanted to return it!I had my own copy two days later.I use this book every week in the classroom.Mr. Gallagher developed a resource that kids can relate to because it was written in part (or at least inspired by) his students.There are 40 mini lessons that are broken down into 9 categories of why reading is important.They are very interesting and they made the kids think.I noticed as the year went on I saw many more novels and magazines appearing in my class as the year went on.Buy this book.You won't be disappointed!

Reading Reasons
Fantastic book!I'd recommend it to all elementary and English teachers.It has many useful and motivational ideas to use.

Great book for motivation for reading!
The lessons in this book are wonderful.It gives students a practical reason for reading.It is the kind of book you can read and immediately put it into practice.You don't have to sit back for weeks and figure out how to incorporate it.It's all there right in front of you.I want to hear more from Gallagher!!!

Reading Reasons by Gallagher
Reading Reasons is a great resource. It provides reasearch and lesson activities from someone who deals with students on a daily basis -- a teacher! The book is very user friendly. ... Read more

Book Description
Second in the breathtaking Irish trilogy from the #1 New York Times bestselling author.

Nora Roberts returns to Ireland in this tale of a talented musician and the beautiful tomboy who's been secretly in love with him for years.Download Description
The second in this enchanting Irish trilogy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (180)

Tears of the Moon
Irish Trilogy - Book 2

The second story brings Shawn to find his destiny.After Jude and Aidan marry, he takes up residence in the haunted cottage where continues with his compositions and music.He is perfectly content until fate puts Brenna in his way.

Brenna O'Toole has always loved Shawn, but has never done anything about it.When she decides to stop sitting on the sidelines and take control, she pushes Shawn beyond his limit.

It takes magic and a ghost to get them to resolve their differences, and love each other.

Sweet Follow-Up
This was a fine sequel to "Jewels of the Sun."The characters were sweet.On the whole, the book is quite simple, but it's an easy read and definitely worth a look if you are a Nora Roberts fan.

OOPS, I DID NOT READ THE FIRST ONE!!!
That did not matter though. This book can stand by itself or be read as the trilogy. Nora Roberts did an excellent job with her characters so that I am sure anyone that reads it will relate to someone in the book. I know that as I was reading it, I was able to visualize Ireland's magic atmosphere. Now I am going to hunt down that first book and read that one.

Ardmore, Ireland
After reading this series of books, I just had to go to Ardmore to see if the town and the tavern were real.They Are!

Love all of Nora's romance books
You can never go wrong with a Nora Roberts romance novel and this is just one more great one in the list. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Bestselling author Nora Roberts has another classic on her hands withHeart of the Sea. This final installment in Roberts's faerie tale trilogyreturns readers to Ardmore, Ireland, where the Gallagher family's pub is theheart of the community. Passionate and beautiful, Darcy Gallagher works as awaitress in the family pub while looking for a way to achieve the glamorouslifestyle to which she would like to become accustomed. Enter wealthy Americanbuilder Trevor Magee, whose Irish roots have drawn him back to the childhoodhome of his grandfather to build a theater. As Darcy and Trevor revel in theheated sexual attraction that flares between them, neither believes that theyare the final key to end an ancient spell that separated Carrick the FaeriePrince and his human lady love, Gwen. But Ireland is a magic place, where thefaeries dance among mere mortals and love blossoms under starry skies. Letveteran storyteller Nora Roberts transport you to the Emerald Isle, home of thelittle people and overwhelming passion. --Alison TrinkleBook Description
Nora Roberts brings her acclaimed Irish trilogy to a close with this tale of a woman whose dreams of riches lead her to the heart's greatest treasure.Download Description
The conclusion to the enchanting Irish trilogy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (91)

Heart of the Sea
Irish Trilogy - Book 3

The conclusion brings Darcy to the forefront.She is restless working and singing the family pub.She longs for an exciting better life and wants the finer things for herself.Darcy comes off as shallow and materialistic.

Trevor Magee is a businessman searching for his Irish roots while building the new theater, and too much of the story was spent on the construction.He is an arrogant flashy, and doesn't mind flaunting it.

These two have to be together for the story to conclude, and for the spirits to be at rest.

Disappointing End to Trilogy
While I enjoyed the first two books in this series, I had to force myself to finish "Heart of the Sea."I cannot truly enjoy one of these escapist books if I dislike the heroine, and Darcy, while okay in small doses, is not likeable enough to carry the entire book.Trevor was bland and boring.I don't expect realism in romance novels, but Nora Roberts usually provides an entertaining read.I can't say as much for this book, unfortunately.

absolutely wonderful trilogy
If you are a fan of Nora Roberts' you will no doubt love this trilogy.Read it in order.It's fabulous.As with all her books she creates the characters in such a way it make me sad they are not real.I fell in love with both the brothers. I think the second book is my favorite, but they are all fantastic.Do yourself a favor and read these books.

Heart Attack on the Seashore
This book fell off my wife's bookshelf, which made me pick it up and decide to read it.I hadn't read the first two books in the trilogy, but have read a couple of Roberts' other books.As a romance, I enjoyed the feisty aspect of the couple.I fully enjoyed Darcy's independence and appreciated that those qualities remained even after she realized she was in love.The part of the book that did not work for me was that so much of it revolved around the building of the theatre.I thought it was emphasized to such a degree that I fully expected the theatre to be completed by the end of the novel and hear an account of the first concert with the Gallagher family.Instead, we get mired in Trevor's inability to fall in love and say he loves Darcy.While I understand guys who are commitment-shy, it seemed so belabored that by the final pages I was tired of Trevor's romantic stupidity.I also thought that having a record label is a very speculative business, as is building a theatre.The fact that his family had huge amounts of money could explain his ability to dally in the arts, but it hardly seemed like the bedrock of a multi-million dollar multi-national corporation.The fairy story with the ghosts was quaint, but there wasn't much of a bang for the buck there.The legend assumes that dead people have hormones much as the living that results in a dead person mating ritual.I found that story line disrespectful.The Gallagher pub sounded like an interesting place to visit. However, the story seemed to have loose ends and remained incomplete as it abruptly concluded.I would have liked a chapter that projected the characters into the future a bit for us.

My Favorite Trilogy
I was recently introduced to Nora Roberts through her In the Garden Trilogy, which I only enjoyed two of the three. Since then, I have jumped head first into reading her books and have experienced quite a few enjoyable reads, both through individual books and trilogies. On a whim, I picked up these three books and, within days, I was finished with the third book. This would have to be my favorite of all her series and by the end of the third book, I was wishing that I hadn't gone through them so fast. The Gallagher family was a blast to read and I enjoyed everything from their family dynamic, to their pub and also the Irish setting. I've already passed them off to a co-worker and am looking forward to reading them again. Roberts also made me fall in love with Ireland through her wonderfully described setting and Irish tales. Highly recommended reading! ... Read more

Amazon.com
In the small village of Ardmore, Ireland, Gallagher's pub is the center of the lively seaside community and the home of three passionate siblings: Aidan, Shawn, and Darcy. As a world traveler and a barkeep, the eldest brother Aidan has just about seen and heard it all, but when a quiet professor from Chicago enters his tavern, he is instantly intrigued--and certain that there is more to Jude Murray than what meets the eye.

Jude has returned to her grandmother's ancestral home to sort out her thoughts, know her heart, and "find Jude F. Murray in six months or less." After a life of deliberate security, Jude finds herself recovering from a failed marriage and a disappointing career. With the pretense of a research expedition, Jude leaves her life in Chicago and moves into the charming house on top of the faerie hill. Surrounded by the awesome scenery and relieved by the simplicity of life, Jude excuses her visions of ghosts and faeries as signs of her mental recovery.

But the inhabitants of Ardmore, and Aidan Gallagher in particular, don't dismiss these apparitions with such convenient logic, and Jude learns to listen more carefully to the messages in the world. As Aidan and Jude draw closer to each other, Jude struggles to discover, balance, and define the complex parts of her soul.

In the character of Jude Murray, Nora Roberts has created a sophisticated woman whose internal development from skittish recluse to confident lover is realistic and convincing. Carefully avoiding the "good man is a solution to all problems" plot, Roberts lets Jude and Aidan interact and develop individually, as well as together as a couple. While this modern tone is refreshing, it feels a bit at odds with the supernatural, faerie themes. As this is the first in a series about the Gallagher siblings and the faerie legend, perhaps these thematic contradictions will sort themselves out in the subsequent novels. --Nancy R.E. O'Brien Book Description
Return to the lush green hills of Ireland, where love is touched by magic--and where the Gallagher siblings explore the depths of their fiery hearts.

"[Roberts] is at her best here" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) in the first book in her enchanting trilogy set in Ardmore, Ireland.Download Description
An enchanting new trilogy where, in the lush green hills of Ireland, love is forever touched by magic--and the Gallagher siblings explore the depths of their fiery hearts.. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (275)

Jewels of the Sun
Irish Trilogy - Book 1

This was not a good read for me.I guess I am one that definitely likes her more recent work because I couldn't force myself to get involved with this one.This was not very exciting, and the story was lacking depth.

Jude Murray runs from her life in America with a broken heard in tow, and heads to Ireland to study old tales and legends.She stays at her grandmothers' cottage, and likes it so much that she longs to become part of the community.

Aidan Gallagher runs the local pub with his family, but is not prepared for the impact meeting Jude will have on his life.Through magic and deep sorrow of a ghost, Jude and Aidan discover their new path in life together.

Great Little Book
I think this might be my favorite Nora Roberts book.Oddly enough, I had read "Tears of the Moon" before I read this (I bought it in an airport not knowing it was part of a trilogy) and knowing the outcome did not detract from my enjoyment of this book at all.Jude and Aiden are sweet apart and together, and NR fully fleshes them out, and shows their growth as the story goes on.

Great
I love this series... you must read it to understand. It's all about a homicide detective named Lt. Eve Dallas and how she goes about solving a case which always seems imposibble to solve at first.

Pink Novel
I tried to find a good novel, since I finished Linda Lay Shuler, and Jean Auel novels, but I fail to choose this type of pink novel, is not my type of reading.

Nora Roberts - The Gallaghers of Ardmore Trilogy
To be quite honest, I have rated this book 5-star without reading it.Having read many Nora Roberts' books I know I am in for a treat.I have the Trilogy and I am taking the set on holiday with me to read.I know I shall thoroughly enjoy the Trilogy.

If you want me to rate it after I have read the trilogy please let me know and I will be happy to do so.

Margaret Reynolds ... Read more

Book Description
There is a long and sacred tradition of women inspiring other women — in overcoming seemingly impossible difficulties, in following dreams into uncharted territory, in rising to great heights of achievement, in finding spiritual and creative fulfillment. Everything I Need to Know I Learned from Other Women is a collection of short stories, personal anecdotes, inspirational quotes, and comic one-liners, all celebrating what women learn from one another. Author B. J. Gallagher also shares stories about the many women who have taught her — from grandmothers to politicians to shopkeepers. Topics include friendship, love, sex, motherhood, body image, and happiness. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Everything I need to Know I Learned from Other Women
Great shape.The book is wonderful.Just what I need to get my business in shapewith new inspiration.

books for women
This book is a tribute to women for women.While I don't agree with every position the author takes, the book does encourage you to think about yourself and about the women who have influenced your life.I received the book as a gift and have chosen it as a gift for several good friends.

Charming and delightful
Would that there were more books like this out there.It doesn't aspire to be anything more than it is: a sweet, life-affirming book that celebrates the impact women's wisdom has had on other women.I have read other books by B. J. Gallagher and I have to say she totally gets it.More, please!

affirming, inspiring and funny
This happy little book is filled with reflections, wisdom and wit about women.It is uplifting and affirming.The stories, quotes and quips are both serious and playful.It caused me to laugh at myself and lighten up, as well as, to honor the women in my life who have influenced me in many positive ways. ... Read more

Amazon.com
"I came to this church five years ago as a tourist and ended up a pilgrim," writes Nora Gallagher, speaking of her year at Trinity Episcopal Church in Santa Barbara. It started with an occasional Sunday visit, a shy toe dip into the Episcopal Church. Eventually she delved into a yearlong journey to discover her faith and a relationship with God, using the Christian calendar as her compass. WhatKathleen Norris did for the language of the church inAmazing Grace, Gallagher does for the Christian calendar--finding contemporary meaning in an ancient calendar that is often misunderstood or overshadowed with oppressive dogma.

Starting with the chapter titled "Advent," and ending with "Ordinary Time," Gallagher speaks to the biblical and historical themes of the church's calendar, then offers a translation for living in America at the end of the millennium. Most touching is her raw honesty, whether writing about feeding the homeless in the Community Kitchen or the unglamorous job of caring for a friend with AIDS. Indeed, it is Gallagher's humble interpretations of faith that make her seasonal wisdom so trustworthy. "I learned something about faith, its mucky nature, how it lies down in the mud with the pigs and the rabble," she says when writing about the darkness of Advent. "...God is not too good to hang out with jet-lagged women with cat-litter boxes in their dining rooms, or men dying of AIDS, or, for that matter, someone nailed in humiliation to a cross."--Gail HudsonBook Description
"Gracefully written and moving ... Things Seen and Unseen starts with Nora Gallagher entering the labyrinth of her life ... and ultimately it leads to the center of her being."--The Boston Globe

It started with an occasional Sunday, a "tourist's" visit to a local church. Eventually Nora Gallagher entered into a yearlong journey to discover her
faith and a relationship with God, using the Christian calendar as her compass.

Whether writing about her brother's battle against cancer, talking to homeless men about the World Series, or questioning the afterlife ("One world
at a time"), Gallagher draws us into a world of journeys and mysteries, yet grounded in a gritty reality. She braids together the symbols of the
Christian calendar, the events of a year in one church, and her own spiritual journey, each strand combed out with harrowing intimacy. Thought provoking and profoundly perceptive, Things Seen and Unseen is a remarkable demonstration that "the road to the sacred is paved with the ordinary."

"Like Kathleen Norris in Amazing Grace, Gallagher is renewing the language of ultimate concerns."--San Francisco Chronicle

"The deep serenity that suffuses Gallagher's work, the lyrical cadences in which she writes, do not blunt the sharp edges of what she discovered in her quest for meaning."--Los Angeles Times ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

faith and faithfulness
"Sometimes I just can't stand church life," confessed Nora Gallagher to her friend Ann on the next-to-the-last page of her memoir. Baptized at the age of 15, she dropped out of church for about a decade, returned in her late twenties, then spent two decades negotiating a lover's quarrel with church life that she describes as both "familiar and a foreign planet. To cope we are often ambivalent." I suspect that a large part of this best-seller's success has been Gallagher's candor and the chord it has struck with readers who resonate with her experience.

Gallagher came to Trinity Episcopal Church in Santa Barbara as a "tourist," she says, but narrates how five years later, much to her surprise, she discovered that she had stayed on as a "pilgrim." Trinity was struggling in many ways for many reasons. The sanctuary that held 400 people was three-quarters empty. Dysfunctions abounded. But a new interim pastor, Mark, heralded a new day and the ship began to turn around. Gallagher organizes her eight chapters according to the church liturgical year (much as Kathleen Norris did for her monastic year in Cloister Walk)--Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Eastertide, Pentecost, and Ordinary Time, and pulls back the curtain on every day church life at Trinity among ordinary people. She steps forward as a lay minister, serves communion, participates in a base community, and works at the church soup kitchen. She visits the dying, learns to love Republicans, attends meetings, and eats many a tuna casserole.

At its best, she discovered, church can be a place where, as her friend put it, "you can bring your whole self." Like her brother's bladder cancer, her non-believing husband, the drug death of Ephraim (one of their homeless regulars), or their pastor's announcement that he was gay and how Trinity handled that explosive issue. Gallagher shows what it looks like to do your doubting inside the church, rather than taking pot shots from the outside. She describes a very imperfect human institution where honest people articulate genuine questions and differing opinions. In such a church, observed the English historian Esther de Waal, we encounter the "sense of allowing the extraordinary to break in on the ordinary" (p. 18). If that prospect sounds attractive to you, then read Things Seen and Unseen. Then do what I did; read her sequel called Practicing Resurrection (2003).

Journey Towards Faith
Ms. Gallagher's year long journey with faith was very inspiring. The book covers her year at Trinity Episcopal Church and her growing faith.The chapters follow the Christian calendar and each is filled with insight into the season as well as her personal journey.A very rewarding book.

This is what faith is really about!
Gallagher has written a beautiful book, giving us a year-long chronicle of her faith, using the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church as her guide.She shows us that faith encompasses the whole human person--doubt, pain, loss, and joy.She reminds us that God's in it all, for better or worse--"God is not too good to hang out with jet-lagged women with cat-litter boxes in their dining rooms, or men dying of AIDS, or, for that matter, someone nailed in humiliation to a cross."

This is real faith--faith that faces life rather than hiding from it.Nora reminds us that prayer is not simply the words we say to God, but what happens when we throw our lives into God's work.For her this involves helping the homeless, working in a soup kitchen, caring for dying friends... Her book has a lot to offer and remind us.So buy a copy and share it with your friends... it's what I've done. ;)

...and as for the reviewer below who states "I'd only recommend this book if you are a feminist or leftist" I ask, Wasn't Jesus both?

read and re-read
I read this book when I want to share someone's imperfect faith journey.Nora struggles and grows in her faith over the course of a year. I see myself in her and in her liturgical trip. I found this in the National Cathedral bookstore and didn't realize how it has caught on across the country. I look forward to more of Nora's books in the future.

Elegant, eloquent -- a must-read
I read this wonderful book when it was first published and I continue to recommend it to anyone who seeks a deeper understanding of what it means to live a life of faith.Thought-provoking andbeautifully written, Gallagher's book is an outstanding exploration of Christianity. By turns probing and funny, poignant and inspiring, Things Seen and Unseen is a book to treasure.Highly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description
The first book to explain the popular Christian practice of the examen prayer.Fr. Gallagher takes us deeper into the prayer Ignatius of Loyola believed was at the center of the spiritual life, showing how relevant it is today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

examen
Great experience.The read is complete and thorough with lots of persepectives on how to engage personally.I am learing to use examen in my own life.

InigoLoyola is stillwith us.
Discernment of the presence of God for every person from every ways of life.During the time of sadness and the time of joy. This book will help you to pray in theway you discover the presence of GOD who is the greatest designer for all of us. Moreover, you will find sooner rather than later that God is active and hard working PERSON.THE BEST FRIEND OF YOURS and mine, too.And demanding,too.
HOW COME you may ASK?
Well, read this book and you will find out in every second of your life.
But first of all apply this book, YES this is the book for those who apply reading to their own life. NOT for those who put the books aside.
And be quick to buy it. It is precious one.

AN EXCELLENT GUIDE TO AN EXCELLENT FORM OF PRAYER
In Jesuit spirituality enormous emphasis is placed on the form of prayer called the Examen.Ignatius Loyola would dispense his followers from virtually any religious observance but never from the Examen.When this exercise was understood as looking at the commandments and at personal violations of the commandments -- an examination of conscience really, a preparation for confession -- the prayer was negative in feel and its importance on a daily basis was difficult to fathom.But once the essence of the exercise was rediscovered as on-going discernment of God's presence, activity, self-revelation and calling-- an examination of consciousness -- the emphasis was understandable.The foreword to the book incidentally is written by Fr. George Aschenbrenner, SJ, whose 1972 article was pivotal in the rediscovery of the examen. Not many books have been written since on the topic, and this is the best I have come across so far.Gallagher uses the five main points of Ignatius in his Spiritual Exercises: gratitude for God's gifts, petition for God's grace, review of the day, forgiveness for our failings, renewal for the future.He explains not only the prayer itself, but the motives, settings, results, etc. He draws ona day in the life of Ignatius to illustrate the prayer and on dozens of examples to illustrate the way people in all walks of life have prayed and adapted it.For anyone seeking to find God and God's will in their lives, this form of prayer and this excellent guide are both recommended.
... Read more

Book Description
With many fresh insights from 20 years in counseling, this updated version adds new chapters and goes even deeper in unearthing the roots of sexual sin. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

this is THE book...
if you are a Chrisitan who is sincerely struggling against your sin but can't get an abiding victory, this is THE book to get you going in the right direction. the focus of the book is on besetting sexual sin and it is the best i have ever seen on this subject, but it has much wisdom to use against all type of besetting sin.

this book is not a "fun" read at all, but it is good strong medicine that can change your life if you are serious about changing.

Discernment Necessary
From my perspective this book can be helpful to men struggling with sexual idolatry. Mr. Gallagher provides great encouragement to those that are downcast and bound up by all forms of sexual lust. I know that I found what he had to say encouraging and convicting.

However, one word of caution for those who are struggling with sexual sin. Steve Gallagher presents vivid stories about sexual lust, but those who are struggling with sexual lust will find themselves stirred up to lust by the stories because of the vivid detail. The stories, in my opinion, are too descriptive. He could have given readers the stories, but with less details to get his point across. So please be careful to read this book with a person that will keep you accountable.

If you do not think that you can find someone to keep you accountable to read this book (or you do not find a accountable because of shame and fear (which is a form of pride)). I would recommend reading another book. I would recommend the following...

1. Overcoming Lust in a Sex Crazed World by C. Matthew McMahon (Puritan Publications)
2. Sex is not the problem, Lust Is by Joshua Harris
3. The Purity Principle by Randy Alcorn

These books provide not only practical tips, but they seek to form a theological foundation for understanding sexual desire, (which God created), which will help men and women to consistently put to death the desires of the flesh.

This is not a bad book, but can possibly fill your mind with more sexual distortions (even though that is not the intent of the book) because of the overly detailed stories.

A powerful guide to finding inner peace
Now in a revised and expanded 20th anniversary edition, At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry is a guide for Christian men about the struggle to overcome sexual addiction through faith and spirituality. Author Steve Gallagher, founder and president of Pure Life Ministries, discusses his strict views on sexuality and means by which faithful individuals can overcome their base desires and live a more godly life. It should be noted that At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry emphatically condemns all forms of sex outside of marriage - including masturbation. "The devil can dangle a carrot in front of your face, but there is something inside you that actually wants that carrot. You aren't lustful because some demon comes on you. You are lustful because you have within you a desire for what isn't right." A powerful guide to finding inner peace despite the dual rampant onslaught of today's sexually charged culture from without, and the utterly selfish sexual cravings from within.

A beam of hope in a sex-saturated world.
Everybody does it.

This has become the excuse for sexual sin within the church in our current culture.Internet or video porn, chat rooms, phone sex...perhaps you've tried them.Perhaps your pastor has.Perhaps your husband has.

God has one clear intention for human sexuality, and no matter how seemingly small or harmless, misuse of it is sin.And it can lead to addiction.

If you are sturggling with getting control over your viewing habits, fantasy life, or other misuses of God's gift of sexuality in marriage, this book can truly help you.It helped me.It contains practical advice based on Scripture and personal experience of the author.

We weren't made for darkness.Step into the light and be free from this body of death.

Every man's problem
I have read several books that tell of the problem all men struggle with: sexual idolatry or at least lust. Christians are no different!In my opinion, every Christian man ought to read this book. This book grabs the bull by the horns, and in a Biblical way. You'll be fully satisfied with this book! ... Read more

Book Description
Nora Gallagher’s elegant debut novel is a love story set in Los Alamos in 1945, in the shadow of the creation of the first atomic bomb.

During the last summer of World War II, in the beautiful high desert of New Mexico, a young painter, Eleanor Garrigue, discovers a delirious man lying by the river. She takes him in and cares for him, not knowing that he is Leo Kavan, a physicist who has fled Los Alamos after a deadly radiation accident. Eleanor herself has left New York to escape a stifling marriage and to renew her painting in the pure desert light. As the two reveal themselves to each other, their pasts and the present unfold in tandem, taking us from the heady New York art world to Einstein’s Berlin, from English bomb labs to the hidden city of Los Alamos. As their enemies close in, they find temporary solace together, connected and changed in unexpected ways by the brutal radiance of the war and their fierce love. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Wonderful Love Story
Oh what a beautiful love story!

This was a book I didn't want to end.The backdrop of the novel is WWII and the making of the atomic bomb.Quite hefty subject matter for a love story, but oh so powerful.The story is about a Checzh. Physicist, a wealthy american artist, a soul searching priest and other minor characters.

A bomb is being built in New Mexico where a priest has been installed in a small local church and a artist is escaping her husband in New York to reinvent herself.Enter the Physicist who has excaped in a fashion himself from the horrors of what he has been building.

The artist, Eleanor, and Physicist, Leo come together under unusual circumstances.She finds him nearly dead in a river bed and takes him to her home to recover.From there the story thickens and to tell more would spoil it too much.

It is a very real time in our History and an event that did really happen.What Nora Gallagher has done is written a timeless work of fiction surrounding this real time in our world history.It is powerful and bittersweet and you won't soon forget this story or these characters.

A splendid novel
Nora Gallagher's debut novel was a great pleasure to read.Written with the precision of poetry, but with a novel's heft, momentum, and narrative complexity, Changing Light drew me into its vivid New Mexico landscape and launched me on a journey that I found intellectually and emotionally absorbing every step of the way.What sets this book apart from so many other contemporary novels is both its witness to beauty (of nature, of art, of well-chosen words) and its depth of moral imagination.The novel's pages are lit up by an authorial intelligence that is both compassionate and unflinchingly clear. A wonderful love story and a luminous, nuanced portrayal of moral decision-making.

Emotionally satisfying--Intellectually stimulating
"Changing Light" by Nora Gallagher was a delightfully surprising debut novel--a richly satisfying story, artfully and lyrically told, with profound emotional and intellectual overtones. Tangentially, this is a love story. But more directly, it tells the tales of different life-changing moral dilemmas that three characters must resolve as their lives intertwine during the spring and summer of 1945 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

At the center are two polar opposites: Eleanor Garrigue and Leo Kavan--an artist and a nuclear physicist. Off to the side and pulling each of the other two main characters into a curious triangle is Bill Taylor, the local priest. Eleanor is a woman who has temporarily fled an over-bearing husband and promising art career in New York City to find personal freedom and artistic inspiration living in the solitude and grandeur of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains just over the hill from Los Alamos. Leo Kavan is a world-renowned Czechoslovakian physicist who is brought to Los Alamos by the United States government to work as a top scientist on the Manhattan Project developing the first atomic bomb. As the local Episcopal priest, Bill Taylor is duty-bound to be Eleanor's spiritual confessor and advisor, but he is also strongly attracted to her as a woman.

This is a short novel. Gallagher does not waste time developing each main character completely as an author would have to do if this were nothing more than a love story. She gives us just enough information so that the reader feels comfortable filling in the rest. Gallagher expects intelligent readers--readers who are happy to participate in the storytelling by creating their own plausible back-stories and plot resolutions from tidbits of information thrown in to the text to spark the imagination. Don't we all do exactly this in real life whenever we meet someone new? This technique helps focus the reader's attention away from the love story, toward the true purpose of the work. But don't get me wrong--the love story here is completely believable, satisfying, mature, and enchanting--it is just not the focus of this book.

The "changing light" at the core of this novel is more than merely the beautiful artistic light that saturates the Los Alamos countryside, providing Eleanor with inspiration for her paintings. Gallagher wants us to focus on the far subtler inner light--the guiding moral compass--at the core of each character's being that changes during the course of the novel. Thus the title is apt and points toward the message of the work as a whole.

I look forward to reading more novels by this talented author.

Meh...
I was unimpressed with the novel as a whole. There is some interesting information on the A-bomb development and history but the characters are rather bland. We never really understand the fascination the husband, priest and Kavan all have with Eleanor b/c the description of her is so weak. She is just a generic heroine/female protagonist that we are supposed to care about b/c she paints presumably yet the paintings themselves, as another reviewer writes, are never adequately described for the reader to appreciate or understand. The characterization of Kavan is better but having all these famous incidental people in the background of the story, doing nothing, kind of reminds me of pointless cameos in movies.

praise for Changing Light
About page 40 something into the book I had fallen over that beloved cliff in novel reading where you pass the point of no return...when work gets abandoned, dishes pile in the sink, and at 3am when you're aren't really sleeping anyway,you might as well read for awhile...Thant's the time I reread the beginning, just to be sure I'd absorbed the background.Changing light is a sensitive and insightful story about love, scince, an artist and and the making of the atomic bomb set in Los Alamos at the end of WW2. ... Read more

Book Description
Behind every husband enslaved to sexual sin, there is a woman reaping the horrible side effects of his selfcentered lifestyle. What can be more devastating for a wife than to discover her husband has a secret obsession with pornography and other women? Yet, this is what countless Christian wives face every day. Kathy Gallagher has been there; she understands the pain of rejection, the feelings of hopelessness and the questions that plague a hurting wife. In this collection of letters, Kathy imparts heartfelt encouragement by providing the practical, biblical answers that helped her find healing in the midst of her most trying storm. The 30day journal offers wives a place to prayerfully reflect and meditate upon Kathys letters. When His Secret Sin Breaks Your Heart testifies that there is hope for the most dejected of souls and the bleakest of marriages. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Letters to Hurting Wives
I purchased this book because I was reaching out for all the help and support that I could get on my own to try to deal with the pain I have been feeling.I found this book to be less than helpful.I felt bashed and not understood or cared about while reading it. It did not validate my feelings and in fact gave me the feeling that I had no right to go through a "mourning" for what I though I had.
I would recommend it to those who are well on the way to healing, but not to those who are looking for validation and support through the pain.

Very Helpful!
I am glad to see there is help out there for wives whose husbands are starting down the path of healing.Secret sin is very damaging and devestating and to be able to identify with others is like a breath of fresh air.Great book!

Whats the point?
This is a very unorganized book and it doesn't even include the letter that the author is responding to.The responding letter may have good points to it but it mayor may not apply to your situation.I couldn't assess whether the advice given in the letters were in my best interest or not because I didn't know the situation surrounding the advice.

Very helpful resource
The reason for purchasing this book is obviously a heartbreaking one, but I found so much encouragement in its pages.This book really helped me begin to shift my focuss off myself and on to God.The author has been through what you may be going through and what I am facing and truly offers much hope.

Unorganized
This book is a series of letters to various women (real or fake?who knows) and has pretty much zero structure to it.I'm pretty sure the whole "letters" idea is just an excuse for not having any kind of organization at all.It's hard to even know where the author is coming from, or going, with whatever she is saying.It's just a bunch of random thoughts thrown together.Not only that, but some of the things this lady says don't really line up with scripture.It's just not a very helpful book at all, and is pretty frustrating to read, and like I said before, not really sound scripturally.It's unorganized and "chatty" and basically depthless, which is a pretty impressive feat to accomplish with a subject as deep as sexual sin.Unless you just want an attractive book with a catchy title, save your money and time and pass this one up. ... Read more

Book Description

If one is to believe contemporary historians, the South never had a chance. Many allege that the Confederacy lost the Civil War because of internal division or civilian disaffection; others point to flawed military strategy or ambivalence over slavery. But, argues distinguished historian Gary Gallagher, we should not ask why the Confederacy collapsed so soon but rather how it lasted so long. In The Confederate War he reexamines the Confederate experience through the actions and words of the people who lived it to show how the home front responded to the war, endured great hardships, and assembled armies that fought with tremendous spirit and determination.

Gallagher's portrait highlights a powerful sense of Confederate patriotism and unity in the face of a determined adversary. Drawing on letters, diaries, and newspapers of the day, he shows that Southerners held not only an unflagging belief in their way of life, which sustained them to the bitter end, but also a widespread expectation of victory and a strong popular will closely attuned to military events. In fact, the army's "offensive-defensive" strategy came remarkably close to triumph, claims Gallagher--in contrast to the many historians who believe that a more purely defensive strategy or a guerrilla resistance could have won the war for the South. To understand why the South lost, Gallagher says we need look no further than the war itself: after a long struggle that brought enormous loss of life and property, Southerners finally realized that they had been beaten on the battlefield.

Gallagher's interpretation of the Confederates and their cause boldly challenges current historical thinking and invites readers to reconsider their own conceptions of the American Civil War.

Customer Reviews (18)

really pretty overrated
Gallagher's main contention is that essentially the Confederate defeat was not due to a lack of collective will, as others have asserted, but rather that the Confederacy maintained a strong sense of nationality and collective will, enough to endure the brutalities and crushing losses of the war, until they were torn apart by uncontrollable internal problems. This is a fair enough argument; It is Gallagher's attempt to prove this assertion however that is faulty. The entire thesis is supported by a handful of letters of Confederate citizens who express their love of the south and detestation of yankee rule. There are a few statistics Gallagher throws into the book, but they are often misleading, such as the ones discussing desertion rates. This book is not much more than sensationalism under the guise of legitimate academic work. What makes history an academic discipline is that it must be somewhat quantifiable and its arguments must have some degree of verifiable proof. What Gallagher has done here is taken an abstract and immeasureable quantity such as national will and has attempted to disguise it as something measurable. I have no idea why this qualifies as scholarship, it is nothing more than mere speculation.

I also don't know why this book has recieved so much praise. Appearently controversial material now equates to good material. The book is a decent read, but not worth it when there are so many better books written on the same subject.

The South was resolute
Gary Gallagher, an eminent history professor at the University of Virginia, argues convincingly that the will of the southern people held out to the very end of the Civil War. The reason they lost was not due to a loss of will to fight on or due to a loss of national pride in the Confederacy. Rather, they were overwhelmed by a superior force that had better industrial resources and a larger population. Gallagher cites numerous primary sources including diary and journal entries. Of course, entries in journals are anecdotal but, he cites sources voluminous enough to support his premise.

Gallagher also examines military strategy to determine whether the South failed in that regard. He concludes that the Confederate forces faced insurmountable odds and its defeat was not due to its failures. The strategy was not flawed but rather, the South had only Lee to counter Grant and Sherman. There were not enough military leaders, in the South, capable of leading it to ultimate victory. Who knows? If Stonewall Jackson had not been killed and James Longstreet had not been wounded at a critical time, perhaps the leadership would have been stronger. In short, it was more an inevitable defeat by overwhelming forces than its own shortcomings that led to the ultimate defeat of the South. It is important to note that Gallagher recognizes that among some, there was a lack of will. Also, it is well documented that there were Unionists in the South. However, to a very large extent, national will and a sense of southern nationalism remained resolute until the very end.

I have been a fan of Professor Gallagher for a long time. His contributions on television, such as the History Channel, have increased my knowledge and understanding of the Civil War. I happened to be in Charlottesville, a while back, visiting UVa. I stopped over at Prof. Gallagher's office to meet him and have him autograph this book. Regrettably, he was not there that day and I missed the opprtunity to meet him. Nontheless, even unsigned, this book holds a prominent place in my personal libray.

Vital for a Civil War Collection
In this short but very important work, Gallagher challenges the notion that the Confederacy did not develop a sense of nationalism and also many of the notions of the "lost cause" theory as well as a notion that the Confederacy was "stabbed in the back" by extensive internal tension among the populace as well as desertions. Gallagher uses many diaries and letters to bring home his points that the citizens of the CSA did in fact develop an extensive sense of nationalism and supported their cause right up until the end at Appomattox and even beyond. Gallagher also proves that while there were extensive disertions among some troops during many points in the war, many of those same troops rejoined their units after taking care of affairs at home. He also shows that rather than encouraging disertion because of problems at home, many Confederate women encouraged their men to stay with the army and not shirk their responsibilities to the CSA. Many historians also have recently concluded the CSA would have been better served to adopt a strategy of guerilla warfare against Union troops, Gallagher shows why this strategy would have been detrimental to southern society and the slave holding republic it wished to establish and therefore many recent historians miss the mark in asserting this strategy would have been proper and acceptable to the southern populace which wanted victories over Union forces.
My only gripe with this book is that it is really a compliation of several lectures by Dr. Gallagher that have been footnoted and extended. Therefore they really don't form an interconnected narrative and read like seperate small books. Had Dr. Gallagher attempted to form a more complete narrative with each of his sections of the book it would have been much better. However this is still an outstanding book and necessary for any serious student of the Civil War.

Interesting but incomplete
Professor Gallagher's book, which really a series of lectures, expanded, illustrated, and footnoted, takes aim at the notion that the Confederates did not support their government enough (i.e. that the armies were "stabbed in the back" aka WWI Germany) and that the Confederacy developed little or insufficient "nationalism", however that is defined. These ideas are prevelant in both academic scholarship which likes to study everything except military history by looking for evidences of class and gender conflicts, and certain military historians, especially Beringer, Hattaway, Jones, & Still's Why the South Lost the Civil War who believed the South lost its "will to fight" rather early in the war. He makes a pretty good argument that the Rebels, both civilian and military, sustained their morale throughout the war and that there was no "stab in the back" and the Confederates were defeated the old fashioned way, on the battlefield. He also argues, rather effectively I think, that the North had the more brittle morale and could not have withstood nearly the abuse the South did without crumbling, although his statement that Northern morale was on the verge of collapse no less than four times is a bit much. He ignores some potential counterarguments, such as pro-Union Southerners, but many of his points are well made. Gallagher also agrues that alternative strategies, such as a more defensive Joe Johnston-type defensive or outright guerilla warfare, could not and would not have worked at all, but he failed to convince me that the strategy adopted, which defended Richmond at all costs while allowing the rest of the South to be overrun with bluecoats, was the best one possible.

My biggest beef with this book is that it is not much of a book at all, just four lectures beefed up on steroids, and as such is over-hyped and over-priced. I enjoyed his points of view but was rather dissappointed by its brevity and incompleteness.

Bold and persuasive
Among historians, the dominant view of the Confederacy since the 1960s was the "lack-of-will" thesis, which offers the vision of a failed CSA collapsing under the weight of its own internal contradictions. A Southern government abandoned by its people, rejected and repudiated by every non-slaveholding white person, fighting with an army of disgruntled draftees: That is some people's estimation of the CSA.

Since the early 1990s, however, this fixation with Southern "lack of will" has been questioned by some of the most active and able historians, who believe we have replaced one unbalanced view (the old "Lost Cause" thesis) with another.

Such questioning invites a charge of "neo-Confederate," or worse, from people who have some political or personal investment in the prevailing paradigm. Yet this questioning is not the work of "moonlight-and-magnolia" sentimentalists. Many of them are not Southern-born; many have no ancestors who fought the war.

Gary W. Gallagher is among them. This handsome little book, engagingly written, summarized the work that has been done to date in correcting the historical view of the South's war effort.

Gallagher, in an interview, has said, "Common sense should play more of a role in historical evaluation than it often does. To be able to wage war, the Confederacy was willing to sacrifice hundreds of thousands of its young men and suffer the destruction of its economy. In terms of military casualties, Confederates sacrificed far more than any other generation of white Americans in U.S. history. Yet the South still fought. This would suggest broad popular support for the war."

Among the points he makes: The battle losses the South took would translate into six million U.S. battle casualties in World War II (instead of 961,977, the actual figure); nearly a million in Vietnam, instead of 201,000. Yet the "lack-of-will" partisans call the Confederacy a failed society. Gallagher points out that there's a danger of circular reasoning in this, because it sets the bar of "commitment to the cause" awfully high. Is total victory or total annihilation the only proof of "commitment"? Half of the Confederate soldiers were killed or wounded. How many more would have had to take a bullet to qualify as "commitment"? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Outstanding Resource for Any Writing Teacher
As a new teacher, I found this book packed with practical guides on everything from motivating students to assessing student work. This book provides not only the reasons why we teach writing, but most importantly HOW to teach writing.

Another Outstanding Work from a Master Teacher
As an 8th grade language arts teacher, I have found _Deeper Reading_ and _Reading Reasons_, Gallagher's other teaching titles, to be positively indispensible, so I expected nothing less from his latest work. Once again, Gallagher delivers! This is a straightforward, practical, and yes, funny, book for effective writing instruction in secondary classrooms. Gallagher's fresh, ready-to-use strategies are based upon what he calls the "six pillars of writing success," which are:

-students need a lot more writing practice;
-students need teachers who model good writing;
-students need the opportunity to read and study other writers;
-students need choice when it comes to writing topics;
-students need to write for authentic purposes and to authentic audiences, and;
-students need meaningful feedback from both the teacher and their peers.

Gallagher offers ideas for daily in-class writing opportunities, activities to help generate high-interest topics, strategies for "attacking" on-demand writing, mini-lessons to guide students through deeper revision, alternatives to peer editing (which he says doesn't work), and suggestions for more effective grading. His lessons are geared to teach students the real-world writing skills they will need not just for success in the English classroom but for the long haul.

This is a must-have for veteran and novice teachers alike. I, too, have had the opportunity to attend one of Gallagher's workshops, and in my view, the man is simply genius. Through it all, Gallagher reminds us that we are not superhuman.In view of the mounting pressure so many of us feel to raise the all-mighty test scores, I found the following quote most reassuring: "With the wide range of ability and overwhelming class sizes, it is unrealistic to think I am going to make every one of my 165 students a strong writer. It *is* realistic, however, to begin each year with the goal that every student of mine, regardless of ability, is going to get better." Armed with Gallagher's book, I feel a renewed sense of confidence that my teaching is going to get better, too. Two thumbs way up!

Amazing
Kelly Gallagher manages to include important information about best practices in a way that is immediately useful for the classroom teacher.An excellent book for high school English teachers or professional developers working with high school teachers!!!

A must-have for all English teachers
I had the pleasure of going to a conference and hearing Kelly Gallagher speak. He's a down-to-earth, realistic guy and so is his approach to teaching writing. He outlines ways to get students interested in writing and it's very adaptable to my classroom. His chapter on combatting how to keep up with grading was the most useful for me.

Must Have for writing teachers
If you teach writing, you must buy this book. Gallagher gives the teacher something he/she can actually use- this book doesn't just talk about writing. Within the first 40 pages, the writing teacher is presented with useful teaching tools. An easy read, very useful - this book is a must-have. ... Read more

Book Description
Rory Gallagher, Steve Marriott, Rick Derringer and Robin Trower are guitar legends. The glue behind legendary barn-busting, hard-touring outfits like Taste, The Small Faces, Procol Harum and Humble Pie, and later realizing their full potentials as solo artists, this is the first biography - group or otherwise - of four players whose dedication to music and screaming virtuosity has been inspirational to a generation of fans and admirers. Gallagher, Marriott, Derringer and Trower is a candid look at the lives of four men who combined have sold more than 60,000,000 albums. Each has a unique musical story to tell, from roots in American rhythm and blues and rock 'n' roll to the joys and perils of life on the road, as well as the pitfalls of fame and the music business. What makes their stories unique is their intense dedication to their art and the fact that the careers of these trailblazing guitarists have never been thoroughly covered in print. This is not a linear, album-by-album study. Rather, it is an in-depth conversation with the artists themselves and those closest to them, including band members, management, record executives, road managers, crew, producers, studio engineers, family and friends: fully authorized, revealing and straight from the source. Features fantastic photographs throughout, many never before seen.Dan Muise has spent his entire 25-year career in the music business covering radio, band management, production and record company promotion. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

guitars and more
i bought this because i'm a big fan of one of these guys...but i read the whole thing...the style employed is relaxed...talking to the artists and those who knew them best. found out lots about the music business and the price of fame. the author has a knack for keeping himself out of the way. it left me feeling like i met these guys...i did meet two of them...ok rory gallegher stopped me on a nyc street and asked me if i knew where there was a guitar store...i did. not your typical rock and roll bio...this is well worth the money.

Four often overlooked greats
Without going into any deep analysis of this book I just want to add that while I was reading I went back and listened to the music that these guy made throughout their careers.
Each musician featured is an outstanding guitarist and I have been greatly influenced by most if not all of their work.
Humble Pie was one of the finest British Rock band of all time, and with so little available information about them, I was completely absorbed by their chapter.
This book is a simple treasure.

An interesting romp and a good read
Having listened to all of these musicians at one time or another throughout my life, I found this book fun, entertaining, and interesting.Using interviews with actual players on the scene, Muise gives some good insight into each of the musicians.The only real problems I had with the book were a lack of pictures, as well as missing dialogue from Marriott and Gallaher, both of whom were dead at the time of writing.While Muise did include some dialogue from Gallagher and just a tiny bit from Marriot, I felt as though he could have dug up some other interiews and included some other material to beef it up and round out the portraits.

Steve Marriot was one of the greatest of all singer/guitarists to emerge out of the sixties, and he was sorely overlooked by the media during his tenure.Had he been given more deserved attention I can only wonder what he might have become.While Peter Frampton was truly a key ingredient of Humble Pie, it was Marriot who made that band sizzle.I would say, however, that the band was never as good after Frampton left.I would have really liked to have read what Marriot would have had to say about that, and that is what was really missing from the book.We never really get to find out what how Frampton's departure impacted Steve Marriot; we only learned that through the eyes of others, whose perception may or may not have been accurate.

Of all of the musicians featured, I was very disappointed in the attitude of Rick Derringer.He seems to think that he was denied super star status.I listened to all of the major players of the day, and most of the minor ones, and Derringer was easily a minor leaguer, and he ought to be grateful for the fame he achieved.Hereally came off as a whiner.I really liked much of what he did in the 60s and 70s, but I don't think he was ever a big leaguer; and it should be remembered that there is a reason why there was a top tier of guitarists and singers.For example, he never, ever reached the singing ability of Steve Marriot or the guitarmanship of Rory Gallagher or Robin Trower.

Robin Trower's career, as depicted in Muise's book, was really disappointing.He seems to have mishandled it at every step.Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects was the rationalization of one of his manager, Derek Sutton.Talk about a self absorbed, self serving idiot.It's no wonder musicians get screwed by managers.Reading about Sutton truly made me want to read a good book about rock managers.What a dolt.And the treatment of Jimmy Dewar was just incredible.This was all very interesting.Trower seems to be surrounded by some kind of emotional protective shield, because if I had his behavior, I'd be ashamed.

I really liked this book, and I'd recommend it to anyone with any familiarity of these musicians.I will warn you, however, that reading it will send you to the used record store trying to dig up some of the gems about which they discuss.

Guitar Heroes
The book is worth getting for any fan of these four talented guitarists. Its strength is the author's decision to allow the artists themselves, band members, producers, managers, lovers, family members, and friends to talk freely and at length about the musicians' lives and their work. This hands-off approach results in candid portraits of the artists, as well as a realistic glimpse into the murky world of the music business. The interviewees are very forthcoming, which is particularly refreshing and at times quite funny. In the section on Robin Trower, Derek Sutton, his manager and former head of U.S. operations with Chrysalis Records, responds as follows to the author's question about whether at times management deliberately set out to fool musicians: "I think you're giving too much credit for intelligence to the managers. You have to remember, I've said this before and I'll say it again, there aren't a lot of very bright people in this business." Sutton's acerbic snapshots of the members of Procol Harum, the band Trower was in before he went solo, are on par with the best scenes from Spinal Tap.

The chronological accounts of the guitarists' careers keep the narrative clear. At times, however, some of the respons