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Customer Reviews (27)

A Thorough Analysis.
"The Historical Jesus : The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant" is a fine analysis of the world into which Jesus was born. The book draws on a number of significant sources beyond the books of the Bible, providing a wealth of background into the various societies and cultures. He provides generally lucid explanations of different aspects of people living these many centuries ago, allowing the reader a better understanding of how people thought and how Jesus' words and actions mesh with who he was in time.

While the author provides a wealth of information in a scholarly fashion, my only problem (and it is not a terrible problem) with the book is that Mr. Crossan attempts to cram too much information into one book. It certainly is a challenge to finish, but ultimately its completion is worth the effort.

A must read for anyone interested in the historical Jesus

Crossan's book is a rigorous exploration of the anthropological, historical, and literary issues surrounding what we can know about Jesus of Nazareth. Though Crossan himself is not a Christian, this work is by no means an unfavorable portrait of the Galilean. In fact, reading this book may make you realize what it was about this peasant and his "ragtag followers" that has made a 2,000-year impact on Western Civilization.

The backbone of this book is the primary literary material from the Jesus tradition, ranked according to "stratum" and "multiple independent attestation." The earlier a saying or event in these sources can be dated, and the more independent sources attest to it, the higher a ranking it receives in the inventory, and the more likely it is to be authentically spoken or done by Jesus. Being careful to use only materials from the primary stratum (c. 30-60 CE) which have a number of independent attestations, Crossan paints his portrait of Jesus--one, he hopes, which is relatively free from the accretion of later biblical and Christian tradition.

On a personal note, this book has helped me to stick with a Jesus and a religion I was almost ready to give up on. It is always quite exhiliarating to realize that each generation has the renewed challenge to integrate into itself its new discoveries. New discoveries about old origins are no different. I encourage anyone who is interested, at any level, in Jesus of Nazareth and his relationship to Christianity or Western Civilization, to read this book thoroughly. It will definitely change your mind. It might just change your life.

A Dispassionate Portrayal of a Historical Personage
A formidable problem in researching and writing about historical personages, is that myth often becomes conflated with facts. This is especially true when the research entails exhaustive dredging up of numerous obscure scrolls, manuscripts- not to mention cross checking of sources.

That is why John Dominic Crossan's book is all the more remarkable. It shines out like a beacon, against a morass of many other comparable books with far less scholarly qualities.

At the outset, let me say the book is not easy reading, in terms of mastering insights into textual analysis and their import for interpretation. What helped me immensely, however, is that I'd already read two key books before coming to Crossan's. Those were:

'The Dead Sea Scrolls' by John Allegro (Penguin, 1956)

and

'The Gnostic Gospels', by Elaine Pagels, Vintage-Random House, 1979

In addition, while attending Jesuit-run university in New Orleans, I'd taken courses in biblical exegesis, Quadriform Gospel analysis and Comparative Religion. This put me in a better position to read and evaluate Crossan's book.

Allegro's (earlier) book sets the tableaux for understanding the ferocious animosity of the Qumran sect to the spiritual leaders in Jerusalem. (p. 127, Allegro). This is crucial to understand, since it allows one to make more sense of Crossan's conclusions.

Harvard scholar Pagel's book extends this even further. Noting how the Gnostics (the probable authors of the Nag Hammadi scrolls) were totally and completely averse to any notion of a unique "god-man", as later Pauline Christianity would assert.

As Pagels notes (p. 102) the Catholic orthodoxy and tradition saw fit to consistently denounce the Gnostics:

"while suppressing and virtually destroying the Gnostic writings themselves."

And of course, we had the likes of the doctrinnaire Church Father Irenaeus calling them 'frauds'. (Pagels, p. 17) To serve his own purposes of course!

As Pagels also notes, p. 124 (Pagels, 1979):

"While Pauline Catholics taught a reality of 'sin' and that 'Jesus alone could deliver healing and forgiveness of sins, the Gnostics on the contrary, insisted that ignorance, not sin, is what involves a person in suffering. The gnostic movement shared in this certain affinities with contemporary methods of exploring the self through psychotherapeutic techniques."

And (Pagels, p. 125):

"Whoever remains ignorant... cannot experience fulfilment. Gnostics said that such a person 'dwells in deficiency'. For deficiency consists of ignorance."

Perhaps the most daring, and threatening proposition of the Gnostics, was their belief in gnosis, or the 'de-localization' of Christhood. Why? Because if the ('Institutionalized') Church accepted this, they would have to surrender their coveted power wielded via intermediaries (priests, bishops, cardinals, etc.). Paul knew this full well, which is why he had to fight against the Gnostics' egalitarian Christhood with all his might.

Pagels goes on (ibid.):

"We can see, then, that such gnosticism was more than a protest movement against orthodox Christianity. Gnosticism also included a religious perspective that implicitly opposed the development of the kind of institution that became the early Catholic Church. Those who expected to 'become Christs' themselves were not likely to recognize the institutional structures of the church -its bishop, priests, creed, canon, or ritual - as bearing ultimate authority."

This fits in precisely with Crossan's take on Jesus(p. 422):

"His strategy, implicitly for himself and explicitly for his followers, was the combination of *free healing* and *common eating*, a religious and economic egalitarianism that negated alike and at once the hierarchical and patronal normalcies of Jewish religion and Roman power.

And lest he himself be interpreted as simply the new broker of a new God, he moved on constantly, settling down neither at Nazareth or Capernaum. He was neither broker nor mediator but, somewhat paradoxically, the announcer that neither should exist between humanity and divinity or between humanity and itself. Miracle and parable, healing and eating wwre calculated to force individuals into *unmediated* physical and spiritual contact with God and unmediated physical and spiritual contact with one another.

He announced, in other words, the borderless kingdom of God."

Jesus' historical person, in other words, entirely fit within the egalitarian Gnostic scheme - as opposed to the Pauline 'god-man/Savior' theme.

What or who was Jesus, at the end of the day?

From the weight of Allegro's insights, Pagels and Crossan's - not to mention the consensus of The Jesus Seminar Project- he was an extraordinary man. But a flesh and blood human nonetheless.

In Crossan's final conclusion - with which I wholeheartedly concur from everything I've seen- Jesus was a "peasant Jewish Cynic". (As Crossan points out, p. 421, a 'Cynic' embodied "a life-style and mindset in opposition to the cultural heart of Mediterranean civilization, a way of looking and dressing, of eating and living and relating, that announced its contempt for honor and shame, for patronage and clientage. ....Hippies in a world of Augustan yuppies.")

Little wonder then that Jesus' habits would infuriate not only Jewish orthodoxy but the Roman government. Leading ultimately to execution for what they'd have perceived as "subversion" of the Empire.

Geza Vermes, a scholar of ancient Judaism concurs with this take. He is a Jewish Studies professor at Oxford University.

According to Vermes ('Jesus Killing a Political Act, Scholar says', in The Colorado Springs Gazette, Oct. 4, 2003, p. 5)
Yeshua (Jesus) was crucified because he "clashed with Jewish and Roman leaders" and was regarded as a "potential threat to law and order and consequently to the welll being of the Jewish people".

They thus decided he "had to be eliminated for the common good."

Vermes goes on to note the 'spark' that ignited the hostility was probably Yeshua doing the "wrong thing" by tossing out the money changers, "in the wrong place" (the Temple). At the "wrong time" (Passover).

Vermes' (like Crossan and other researchers of the Jesus seminar Project) thus rejects implicitly the facile explanation that the dispute involved the claim of being a unique Son of God who "exercised divine powers".

Vermes doubts seriously (as scholar Elaine Pagels of Harvard notes vis-a-vis the Gnostics) that those 'Savior' beliefs and words were part of the original message. They were added later on. Probably by disciples or biographers eager to inflate the rebel peasant Cynic into a divine entity, and God-man. The erstwhile reason was to "convert unbelievers to faith in Jesus as the Messiah, or God" (cf. Rev. Thomas Bokenkotter, in 'A Concise History of the Catholic Church', notes, p. 17)

At the same time, Vermes - and others (Pagels, Crossan) are willing to grant that Jesus could spell bind a crowd with his words, and could "lay bare the inmost core of spiritual truth".

The central problem for the conventional Christian believer inevitably arises: how to reconcile his/her faith in a 'God-Man/Savior' Jesus, with the actual historical person. Who was more a radical, "liberal" freedom-fighter against the Roman state.

Crossan offers a hint ('Epilogue', p. 423):

"Is an understanding of the historical Jesus of any permanent relevance to Christianity itself? I propose that at the heart of any Christianity there is always, covertly or overtly, a dialectic between a historically read Jesus and a theologically read Christ. Christiany is always, in other words, a Jesus/Christ/ianity."

and finally (ibid.)

"This book challenges the reader on the level of formal method, material investment, and historical interpretation. It presumes there will always be divergent historical Jesuses, that there will always be divergent Christs built upon them, but above all, it argues that the structure of a Christianity will always be: *this is how we see Jesus as Christ now*."

For any reader with an open mind, this book is a worthwhile excursion into the intricacies of textual analysis, and diligent comparison of ancient scrolls, sources. Its intellectual journey is breathtaking, and its conclusions even more so.

It goes without saying that it can't be everyone's 'cup of tea' because the (implied) threat to the pre-determined beliefs of many will likely overcome their ability to pursue open inquiry. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bible - Study - General   2. Biography/Autobiography   3. Christianity - History - General   4. General   5. Religion - Biblical Studies   6. Religion / Christianity   

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"Why did Jesus happen when and where he happened?" is thequestion that drives Excavating Jesus, acollaboration between the leading historical Jesus scholar John Dominic Crossan and notedGalilean archeologist Jonathan Reed. Excavating Jesus is a groundbreaking work ofpopular biblical scholarship, an extraordinarily mature and accessible integration of textualstudy with archeological research. "Words talk. Stones talk too. Neither talks from the pastwithout interpretive dialogue with the present. But each demands to be heard in its ownway," the authors write. True to this principle, Crossan and Reed considerarchaeology and exegesis "as twin independent methods, neither of which is subordinate orsubmissive to the other." The bulk of the book identifies, analyzes, and integrates what theauthors believe to be the "top 10" archeological discoveries pertaining to the life of Jesus(such as the house of the apostle Peter at Capernaum), and the top 10 exegeticaldiscoveries (such as the Dead Sea Scrolls). Their excavation of the most important sitesand texts, accompanied by stunning illustrations and photographs, provide perhaps themost precise picture of the world in which Jesus lived. For many readers, thisinformation will also shed light on the central themes of Christianity. For instance, in thefirst century in Galilee, "the Kingdom" meant the Roman Empire. "When, therefore, Jesusspoke of the Kingdom of God, he chose the one expression most calculated to drawRoman attention to what he was doing. Not the 'people' or the 'community' of God, but the'Kingdom' of God." That's why the Baptism movement of John and the Kingdommovement of Jesus started there and then." --Michael Joseph Gross ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Archaeology Meets Exegesis--A Splendid Union!
The world's premier Historical Jesus expert and a brilliant young archaeologist of the Galilee team up together in a fascinating new book that digs down through the complex layers of ancient ruins and ancient texts to uncover a fuller portrait of Jesus and the first century Palestine where he lived. In their unique collaboration, *Excavating Jesus: Beneath the Stones, Behind the Texts*, John Dominic Crossan and Jonathan L. Reed explore and weave together the ten most significant archaeological findings from ancient Palestine with the ten most significant textual discoveries of modern biblical studies. The result of their combined efforts is an unforgettable glimpse into the everyday life of Jesus of Nazareth as we've never seen before.

Crossan, the best-selling author of several authoritative books on the Historical Jesus including *The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant* and *The Birth of Christianity*, marries his exhilarating and provocative portrait of Jesus as a counter-cultural itinerant Jewish preacher of a radically just and egalitarian Kingdom of God with the phenomenal advances in biblical archeology and cultural anthropology that have revolutionized those disciplines over the last one hundred years. Reed, author of the highly-praised study *Archaeology and the Galilean Jesus: A Re-examination of the Evidence* and lead archaeologist at the current Sepphoris excavations in the Galilee, provides compelling descriptions of first century material culture that persuasively paint a clear picture of the clash of two kingdoms--the earthly imperial Kingdom of Rome as practiced by the Herods and Caesar with tacit cooperation of leading Jewish elites, and the divine but also earthly Kingdom of God as preached by Jesus and his peasant followers.

Reed highlights the stark contrast between the lavish palaces and marble basilicas of the Roman client-king Herod the Great and his tetrarch son Herod Antipas with the grinding poverty and agricultural exploitation of Jesus'peasant neighbors in Nazareth who lived only an hour's walk from the Romanized city of Sepphoris, Herod's glorious capital in the Galilee. The authors demonstrate how the ubiquitous ritual baths, ritually pure stone vessels, absence of imperial icons and specialized burial chambers found throughout Palestine indicate the steadfast determination of first century Jews to resist non-violently and hold onto their distinct religious practices and covenental way of life under the divine rule of the Jewish God of Justice, even as those practices set them on a direct collision course with the distributive injustice of Roman-Herodian commercialization in the name of empire-building.

Crossan and Reed lead us on a pilgrim's view tour of Jerusalem's magnificent Second Temple that fills our senses with the sights, smells and sounds of the priestly sacrificial rites occurring there on a daily basis as Jewish and Gentile pilgrims from all over the Roman Empire crowded there to admire Herod the Great's architectual handiwork, all overseen by ever-vigilant Roman soldiers from the nearby Antonia fortress. But the beauty and majesty of Herod's Temple and its highly politicized elite cult of wealthy land-owning priests clashed ambiguously with the sacred Torah's insistence that land, the material basis of life itself, belonged to God, not Caesar.

Through its highly readable exploration of stones and texts, material remains and textual remains, ground and gospel, *Excavating Jesus* helps us thoroughly understand what Jesus of Nazareth's radical life, ignoble death and vindicating Resurrection were really about--enacting a vision of a Eutopian world of justice and equality under a covenental God who wants us to fairly share the bounty of the earth and the material basis of life among all God's children in both the first century and the twenty-first. After reading this book, you will never again see Jesus or the message of the Gospels in the same light.

Excellent partnership
Both Dominic Crossan and Jonathan Reed are experts in their respective fields who also happen to specialize in Bibical era explorations. Crossan deals with sociological and theological subjects whereas Reed handles the archeological aspects. Crossan has been on a crusade for what he sees as the truth - namely that what we know of the historical Jesus and the first Church is unfavorably or untruly colored by most people's sole source of knowledge, the Bible.

This book tries to carry both sides of the discussion forward but it does so unevenly. Still, the idea was quite original and the discussions within are food for thought. Both men are convinced that one cannot interpret Jesus without knowing his times and this involves physical as well as religious study. How did Jesus's past influence his life? What was the effect of Roman architecture on Jewish thought and more important, how did the material and social compositions shape their views? How were Jews affected by the various social movements that were rampant in those days?

There are, of course, many conjectures but almost much detailed reasoning and findings. I found the flow a little uneven and sometimes the details ran to boredome but overall, a fine read.

Finially! Ironic macroscope reveals the bias of Crossan.
[I]'Excavating Jesus,'[I] unearths perhaps my favorite time-event scenario not often experienced: the invariable illumination of pseudo-deconstructionism and revisionism in art or the sciences. In [I]Excavating Jesus [I] this occurs when a highly esteemed and lauded individual is unmasked in the middle of putting on the most narcissistic and austentatious airs at the social-science ball: Jean-Dominic Crossan.

I was appalled that this book even got published and have heard from multiple sources that Crossan is unsatisfied with the final product. I was not suprised, however, at Crossans' buoyant wake upon the surface of [B]*Modern Historical Narratives [B], or the oily, blackish hue tainting the negligent rift in the water behind a cheaply made French yacht.

There is an important Dichotomy here; crucial to the cogs of modern ethno-religious philosophy: factual and partial objectivity versus agendicized alibi. Some have corralled the work of the Jesus Seminar into the "tolerant and liberal anthem of progressive christianity," for others it is, "a believable and mundane portrait of Jesus." The quantitative ethos of The Jesus Seminar is disruptive to the historical messianic fabric because of its underlying beliefs that the Gospels are not Historically accurate.

I reccomend this book because it exposes Crossan for who he is: an elitist 'mensa' society nut who has enough legitimate poetic cohesion with history and penmanship as to write engineered theoretical and interpretive texts to the watering pallets of an increasingly popular quasi-antinomian American audience.

From a protestant perspective, Crossans' work is the anthem of liberal and pluralistic methodist and episcopalian heresy. There are many striaght shooters in the methodist church, such as Pastor John Miles, and in the Episcopalian diocese, Sen. Pastor William Beasley, but alas, herecy has little to do with hisorical accuracy -- BUT WAIT, there is such a thing called revisionist history, and social-science heresy. In fact, Atheist author Rodney Stark, [I]"For the Glory of God" (Princeton Press 2003) [I] observes of a man Crossan admires much: Paul Tillich's neo-marxist dogma, and the acceptence there-of by pluralist sects of protestantism, "God is only a psychological construct, according to them, [Crossan, Marcus Borg Bis. Sprague, Bis. Spong, Bis. Griswald] who attempt to banish the possibility of miracles and other worldly rewards and want to settle for an essence that is no more Godlike than the Tao." Full Cessionism. Crossan cleary favors irrational or post-established texts and falls upon open interpretational problems (deconstructionist philosophy manifested in Deridaa's "Force of Law,") only when he wants to point out the 'assumptions of interpretations' that don't fit his disguisedly CGI tapesty of reality.

I deem it unnecessary to cite such infractions; there being a review a few below mine that chronologically indexes said circumstances with surgical precision.

However, There is much tomfoolery in the Jesus Seminar -- sensationalist epistemology, haphazard regulation of interpretation, straw mans and red herrings, begging the (quantative) question of Jesus' reality in the Gospels -- I feel the non-archealogical aspects of this book are on the level of the insinuatingly geared volumes of a N.I.C.E. spokesman. I get the feeling Crossan would be an awesome mal-practice lawyer. Perhaps he would be skilled enough to argue for socio-public religious rights in socialist France, and convince the 'parliament' to not defecate on a human beings demonstrated beliefs. . .

Tom Wright is clear and honest, concise and unbias, factual and percise. He is the answer to all of this foolishness, much like Augustine to the Pious, Dostoyevsky or Turgenev to the Nihilist, Lewis to the Atheist, Stark to the Gnostic Skeptic, and Hugh Ross to anyone who dosen't belive in ID. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Antiquities   2. Bible   3. Bible - General   4. Bible - Study - New Testament   5. Christianity - Theology - Christology   6. Excavations (Archaeology)   7. Gospels   8. History   9. Israel   10. N.T   11. Religion   12. Religion - Biblical Studies   13. Religion / Bible / General   

Customer Reviews (185)

"Il Principe" - the manual to dictatorship
Machiavelli's "Prince" is set in 16th century Italy, in the Republic of Florence. Italy is dominated, and lets itself be ruled by foreign forces. The Italian people is socially split, and geographically divided into countless states of, in some cases, ridiculous size. The once so flourishing Italy is politically subdued. Machiavelli, a renowned politician and diplomat, is aware of the current situation, and feels the necessity for a change. He wants to bring Italy back to union, back to political power. The "Prince" is a manual which is supposed to instruct the de facto ruler of Florence Lorenzo de' Medici how to regain order in Florence, and then conquer Italy and bring it back to union. Machiavelli suggests that in a moment of political crisis, the prince, or another monarch, must take the power and rule dictatorially, until the country is again in the state of being able to govern itself. Although Machiavelli is a convinced republican, he is in favour of temporary dictatorship when the political circumstances require it. The author theorizes this in a short book consisting of 26 chapters. He instructes the monarch how to gain power and how to exercise it as a dictator. The book is not particularly gripping to read, but leads to a greater understanding of Western politics, as it is a milestone in the European political thought. It is a proof of political genius - had Machiavelli been a sovereign powerful enough to realize what he theorizes in the "Prince", I daresay that the political world might look quite different know. It is a book of great impact, and I can highly recommend it to all interested readers.

Absolutely the best book on getting and keeping power!
With a great and widely-read book like this one, making fresh observations is difficult. While some of the historical examples seem arcane, the basic principles expressed throughout are as true today as when the book went to press almost 500 years ago. Besides being applicable to politics, 'The Prince' can also be applied to business (especially in today's world) and even love. After all: "All is fair in both love and war." Machiavelli himself was a very astute Italian politician during the Renaissance and not surprisingly, a womanizer too. He would most likely approve of the lasting popularity of his work despite the fact that during his own life, he tried to hush it up. Page for page, no book in history has said more in fewer pages. Of all the books in the elite category of "Must Read" this book stands out like a beacon.

Great book
People so twisted, disturbed and lonely as to use a book review as yet another excuse to lash out at a man who left office four years ago, even though the book has nothing to do with that man, may not be Machiavellian ... but they sure are pathetic. One wonders how their life got to be this empty. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Early works to 1800   2. History & Theory - General   3. Literature - Classics / Criticism   4. Literature: Classics   5. Political Theory   6. Political ethics   7. Political science   8. Political Science / Leadership   

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Customer Reviews (11)

L33T
This installment of Megatokyo is a big improvement from volume one. The most noticeable change is the lack of notes at the bottom of each page. Those really slowed down the first book. The other improvements are character development and story complexity.

There is good news for Chobits fans. The PS2 accessory, Ping, takes on a bigger roll this time. Also Erika and Hayasaka are drawn so you can tell them apart.

Unfortunately, the stick figures from the first book are present in volume two, but it's only for two pages.

Volume two definitely has a high school feel to it, opposed to the PS2 feel of the first. I enjoyed seeing Largo teach English. It's good to have him doing something constructive. Although in the end, I was rooting for Piro.

Highly Recommended
MegaTokyo takes American comic strips and blends them with Japanese comic art styles and stories. These comics are dangerously funny and feature high quality drawings.

Enjoy the lighter side of comics and don't take yourself too seriously with these comics. Full of great laughs and good storytelling. I recommend you read this book and share it with your game-loving, anime/manga-fan, or just plain geek friends.

Enjoyable and accessible
Ever since my introduction to this webcomic two years ago, I have thoroughly enjoyed my weekly adventures into the world of Megatokyo and the misadventures of Piro and Largo, two American gamers stranded in Japan. (A circumstance that is entirely their own fault, I might add.)
Fred Gallagher and Dark Horse Comics combined to produce this wonderful print copy of Chapters 1 and 2 of the Megatokyo story, adding the highly amusing, if painful to see, SGD strips and a new section collecting the drawings of Piro and Largo's gameworld and an excellent short story based on that world. I hope to see more print editions of Megatokyo and maybe even a continuation of the Endgames story. Highly, highly recommended. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)   2. Comics & Graphic Novels - Manga   3. Fiction - Fantasy   4. Graphic Novels - Manga   5. Juvenile Fiction   6. Fiction, Graphic Novels, General   

Customer Reviews (43)

A Revolutionary Scholar...
Crossan's "Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography" is a stripped down, compact version of the more complex (and equally engaging) "Historical Jesus". Dr. Crossan employs a triple perspective of Cross-Cultural Anthropology, A Macro Historical Analysis of First Century Judea, and a micro textual analysis of both biblical and extra-biblical texts to get at what we can really know about Jesus as an historical individual. Methodologically, Crossan looks at the likelihood of the sayings and events in Jesus' life through their support in various independent sources. The conclusions that Crossan reaches, via this perspective and methodology, are essentially that Jesus was a radical egalitarian who was crucified for insurrection against Rome as a social threat to the Empire's tyranny in Judea. There was no virgin birth, no three wisemen, and no burial. Jesus' most likely fate was that he was left out on the cross (like so many other Jews in that place and time) to be eaten by stray animals. The myths that later surrounded Jesus were the result of decades of story telling as the new cult moved west into other parts of the Roman Empire. While Crossan's historical conclusions- though shocking to some- are probably true, there are two main gaps in his study. First, he tends to negate the fact that Jesus was probably a Torah observant Jew whose "egalitarianism" would have clashed with his religious beliefs in some areas. While I do think that Jesus was a radical revolutionary, we cannot assume that he would have been completely without some of the biases that were an integral part of his- and any other- social background. Secondly, Crossan skips a lot in his assumption that there actually was a historical Jesus. Scholars, like G.A Wells for instance, have demonstrated the strong possibility that Jesus may not have even existed. Crossan would benefit if he addressed some of these issues and defended his case. In the end, however, Crossan emerges as probably the foremost New Testament scholar of today, or any other time. This bold and masterful study is a true example of Crossan's world class scholarship. While he has encountered much attack from conservative theologians, he has helped many (including myself) redefine their Christian faith. However, if you have a tendency to think of the historical and theological Jesus as one in the same, this book will unsettle you. However, even in this instance, I cannot recommend it too highly. After all, reading a book on the historical Jesus would be a waste of time if it merely doggedly confirms everything in scripture. Challenge yourself and your faith and read this book. Other scholars, incidentally, that I highly recommend you check out are Helmut Koester, Amy-Jill Levine, G.A Wells, Marcus Borg, L. Michael White, Paul Meier, and Richard Horsely. These are some of many greats, but they'll get you started...

The Holy Grail of New Testament Scholarship
The historical Jesus seems to have become the Holy Grail of New Testament scholarship. He is sought just as fervently and proves just as elusive. This book is actually Crossan's second quest for the historical Jesus. His first was "The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant." That book was long, meandering, and not terribly interesting. This second book is a distillation of the theories presented in the earlier book, and it has two virtues its predecessor lacked: brevity and lucidity. Crossan brings a prodigious level of scholarship to the task of finding the historical Jesus, and a reading of this book will give the student fresh insight into Jesus' nature, personality, and teachings. It will not, however, give an accurate picture of the historical Jesus. Crossan commits the same error that almost all previous questers after the historical Jesus have fallen into: He finds the Jesus he set out to look for. What, then, is an accurate picture of the historical Jesus? That is a question we must all answer for ourselves. This book, and others like it, can give us pieces of the puzzle, but the proper assembly of those pieces is up to us.

Very Enlightening
Mr. Crossan, once again, has fashioned a powerful look at how someone like Jesus could have lived in the Mediterranean world of the first century. Bringing highlights of Jesus's life into focus, Crossan has illuminated the peasant preacher, using symbolism and theory to great effect. A marvelous read.

One personal revelation for me comes from the chapter which discusses Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, 15:3-6. Although Mr. Crossan says little about it, I never realized Paul ever wrote about Jesus appearing to over "five hundred brethren at once" after his death. Paul says this is found in "the scriptures". Re-reading the four Gospels and Acts, I found no reference to the "five hundred brethren". Since the gospels weren't written until the Jewish Revolts (and probably after Paul's time), I wonder what "scriptures" he was referring to. It would be very interesting, for me at least, to know what scriptures (or Gospels) were available to him and others so soon after the Resurrection, and why they are not part of the Christian Canon. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bible - Study - General   2. Biography   3. Biography/Autobiography   4. Christianity - History - General   5. Historicity   6. Jesus Christ   7. Religion - Biblical Studies   8. Religion / General   

Customer Reviews (35)

26 chapters capturing the dark years of early Christianity
I am always delighted to see someone write about the "historical Jesus" who actually knows something about history!! (i.e. not proposing that Jesus was a dinosaur or a mushroom or what have you) And to him, that would mean, "History is the past reconstructed interactively by the present through argued evidence in public discourse."... i like this guy.. Alert! This is not a terse introductory work on early Christianity. It is VERY thorough and scholarly, well researched in every aspect. What I like about Crossan (judging by this, I haven't read his other books yet!!) is that though I might not always agree with him, he atleast has a methodology, be it anthropological, archaeological, etc. used to corroborate his argument. True or not, he is always supported by research sources and in this book uses "cross-cultural anthropology." Though to any fundamentalist I speculate he would seem heretical in his 'butchering' of the gospels ( he was co-director of the Jesus Seminar who only deemed 18% of the words attributed to Jesus authentic if I remember correctly ) he is respected by me as a reputable scholar. And he did spent 20 years of his life as a monk in a Roman Catholic medieval order--he knows his gospel. And I suggest that you familarize yourself with the gospels prior to reading his work as well...in preparation to do ALOT of comparing. Since the book is so deep, I would bet that if this topic is not of your deep interest, you may likely not finish it. That's not to say its boring or no good, I'm glad I read it. The only reason I emphasize this is because it took me a decent diuturnity to fully complete its near 600 page content. However even Crossan assents that Qumran was inhabited by Essene sectarians, who were the possessors of the Dead Sea Scrolls library. (I don't know but after reading Golb's book I can't see how anyone still grasps this theory) Other topics include his theory by which he is somewhat known, a hypothetical document, 'The Cross Gospel,' (along with the Gospel of Peter's relation to the Passion-resurrection narration) which some but not the majority of other scholars advocate, & it still certainly remains possible. One thing he does NOT do is theological apologetics. Instead, as I said before, he merely develops his methods and draws his conclusions from those. I think his epilogue was a great way to end the book (even though I didn't quite fully agree w/ what he had to say), and actually a bit unexpected. In conclusion, there's not much bad that I can say about this book.

Tough read, but good
This book can be seen as a companion volume to Crossan's earlier work, "The Historical Jesus". This book seeks to reconstruct the pre-textual Christianity; the time when Christianity was a loose knit group with no central doctrine. He attempts this through a very exhaustive examination of how oral traditions function and reconstruction (based on the earliest texts) of what these groups might have appeared. I think Burton Mack did a better and more inclusive (not to mention shorter) job of describing Early Christians in his book "Who Wrote the New Testament". For one Crossan seems to be still clinging to the idea of reconstructing the historical Jesus rather that the historical first Christians. Though this book is certainly enlightening I was not entirely converted to Crossan's conclusions. The part of this book that is fascinating and definitely worth while is the preliminary research Crossan describes. Crossan takes examples of oral histories from both the ancient and the modern world and describes how they work, why they work, and how sometimes they don't work exactly the way one believes. The section "does memory really remember" was especially absorbing.
In conclusion, if you are seeking a book on what earliest Christianity was like this one might be a little too slanted; however, if you want to learn a lot about how oral traditions function and eventually become text, I would highly recommend this book.

Good but haven't we heard most of it before
I enjoy Crossan's excellent works on the historical Jesus - or rather the attempts to find such a person. But he has become somewhat redundant, seemingly raising arguments or reviewing ideas introduced in previous works.

Crossan continues to look for something he admits he cannot find - historical evidence for the person of Jesus and the early Jewish followers who first believed in him. Since there is no concrete evidence (the Gospels are not historical) he attempts to reconstruct an original view from two sources:
(1) the social and anthropological conditions of the time and (2) the events and institutions that emerged from this hidden time. It's is as if there were a nuclear holocaust and 1000 years lated one investigates the origins of flight by studying first the science of the early 20th century and then the wreckage of air craft from the 22nd century. Some conclusions can be reached using these methods. Communion can be seen as an evolution of an ancient Seder meal to a commemorative dinner to a lusty community meal before it was institutionalized into a sacrament reserved for the Church.

The work is difficult at spots - Crossan can be relentlessly tiring at time. Perhaps the saddest thing about his unending toil on this project is that so few will be affected by what he says or discovers or conjectures. Most will blindly "go with faith" without considering the foundations upon which it rests. And Crossan, who still somehwo calls himself a "Christian", will continue plodding onward. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity   2. Christianity - General   3. Christianity - History - General   4. Church history   5. Jesus Christ   6. Origin   7. Religion   8. Religion - Church History   9. Resurrection   10. Religion / Christianity   

Customer Reviews (16)

A good writer who has reached the wrong conclusions
Let me start this review by focusing on the positive areas of this book. Dr. Crossan writes in an understandable, and easy-to-read style. For the most part, he doesn't use complicated jargon in an attempt to impress. He is usually gracious in his comments directed toward his main opponent (Raymond Brown) throughout this book and he doesn't resort to name-calling. Having said all that, let me make it very clear that I find Dr. Crossan's thesis to be very, very false in almost every way.

On the inside flap of the book it states that Christianity has held "the belief that the Jews killed Jesus" when nothing could be further from the truth. All four gospels clearly state that Jesus was crucified by the Roman authorities. While you may think Crossan completely exonerates the Jewish authorites of any responsibility, he clearly does not. On page 147 he states, "I take it as historical that Jesus was executed by some conjunction of Jewish and Roman authority." I've got news for Dr. Crossan - Christians have believed this for almost 2000 years. I'm afraid that those marketing this book (or Crossan himself) were unaware of this blunder and thought a little controversy would increase sales.

Crossan's entire thesis is dependent on his argument that the Gospel of Peter was written in the 40's C.E. and is the original source of the passion story. This theory has been rejected by the entire scholarly community. The Jesus Seminar, which Crossan co-founded, even rejected his theory on the Gospel of Peter at their 1996 meeting. I find it utterly unbelievable that a writer (of the Gospel of Peter) in the area of Palestine who was writing only 15 years after the event would be so ignorant of the political and social customs surrounding the trial and execution of Jesus while the later writers (Mark, Matthew, etc.) would be far more knowledgeable when being further distanced both geographically and chronologically.

He believes that after being crucified, the body of Jesus was probably thrown in a pit and consumed by wild animals rather than being buried in a tomb. Crossan picks and chooses which information from his sources is historical and which is myth without using consistent rules. He treats the book of Acts as very reliable when it comes to recording the martyrdoms of early Christian leaders (p. 117), but completely disregards the rest of its testimony pertaining to other details. He also fails to adequately address the earliest and most compelling evidence which contradicts his theory - the writings of Paul (i.e. 1 Corinthians 15) which state that Jesus was buried. This, despite the fact that Paul was personally acquainted with those who knew Jesus (Peter, John, James) as ascertained from Galatians 1 & 2.

I could go on and on with the problems in Crossan's thesis, but I doubt if anyone has read this far as it is. If you are looking for a thorough response to Crossan's thesis, I would recommend "Cynic Sage or Son of God" by Gregory Boyd which directly interacts with Crossan's work and is also available from Amazon.com.

Who Killed Jesus?
Just finished reading a wonderful book: "Who Killed Jesus?" by John Dominic Crossan (1996,Harper, San Francisco). Crossan is a former Catholic priest. At the time the book was published he was professor emeritus of religious studies at DePaul University in Chicago, and co-director of the Jesus Seminar. In his book Crossan develops several theses: 1. The followers of Jesus constituted one among the diverse group of Jews extant at the time of Jesus, such as the Pharisees, Essenes, Zealots,etc., with the difference that they carried Jesus' message to the Gentiles. 2. The Gospels are not a true biographical relation of the life of Jesus. They are "prophesy historicized" rather than "history remembered." 3. By the way in which they were written, the Gospels place the blame for Jesus' death on the Jews and exonerates the Romans. Therefore, the seeds of anti-Semitism are imbedded in the Gospels. 4. Christianity didn't really take off until Constantin converted, which gave Christians the powers with which they would persecute dissenters. The book draws not only on the four canonical Gospels, but also on the Gospels of Peter and of Thomas, and on the writings of Tacitus, the Jewish historian Josephus, and others. This is a very important book. You'll enjoy it.

An unforgettable Story
I think this book is an enlightment to one's spiritual stage in life and teaches us the true faith of christianity. Whether people may think it is anti-semetic or not, the truth remains. The fact that it occured can not be hidden nor would it be forgotten to the christians. Overall to me the book was a good guide to those saught to learn. I give great credit to the author. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bible - Controversial Speculation   2. Bible - Topical Studies   3. Christianity and antisemitism   4. History   5. History of doctrines   6. Jesus Christ   7. Passion   8. Passion narratives (Gospels)   9. Religion   10. Religion - Biblical Studies   11. Resurrection   12. Role of Jews   13. Religion / General   

Customer Reviews (14)

Why buy when you can build!
Details, details, details! This book may not be the shiniest hardback on the rack, but if you want to build anything for your birds, this is the ABC-123 primer of effective and inexpensive bird housing. Large, small, or 'in between' projects, this book can help you save time, money, and costly repairs by instructing the DIY guy/gal how to do it right the first time. Your birds will thank you!

How to Build Everythinh You need for your Birds
For a long time I looked for something easy to understand that gave me different styles for building an aviary for my birds. This is the first book I have found that even I can understand and follow.
It has different and innovative designs for just about any yard type. The instructions are easy to understand as are the illustrations. It even includes things I wouldn't have even thought of, much less considered.
I am very pleased with this book, as is my husband..and we are in the process of building our first aviary from one of the plans in the book. I and my birds will be delighted when it is completed.
If you are considering building an aviary, I highly recommend this book.

Not for the average suburban hobbyist
Potential purchasers of this booklet should be aware that the author is very serious about his birds. What he considers a "quite small" aviary, "for the aviculturist who has only restricted land area for his hobby", measures 11 by 16 feet. A "fairly large" one is 38 by 24 feet, complete with concrete foundation, plumbing, heating, electric lights, and 12 foot ceilings.
If, like me, you are looking for ideas for a small backyard aviary for a few canaries, you should look elsewhere. This publication contains plans for only 6 aviaries. Four are far too large for the average suburban lot, unless you are willing to knock down your house first, and the other two are so rudimentary that plans are hardly necessary. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)   2. Aviaries   3. Design and construction   4. Birdhouses   5. Bird feeders   6. Building   7. How-To   8. Birds & Birdwatching   

Customer Reviews (4)

Great for the startup developer!
There is a review already on here claiming that the book is poor because he was an industry veteran and the book didn't teach him anything new. I find that rather like picking up a 2nd grade "learn to read" book and claiming that it is not valuable because you already know how to read. Obviously this book is not targeted to industry veterans.

However, the book IS targeted at people who are new to the game development industry and want to know it works from a business, legal and production standpoint. In that role, it performs admirably. The writers are all established voices in the industry and share their insight well. As the president of a small development studio, I have 7 or 8 little flags poking out of the top of my copy for topics that I want to reread or reference once in a while.

I believe that the book will be of help to anyone thinking of starting a new studio right up through their first year of business. As long as you believe that your time is worth money, the price of this book it is worth spending so as to save yourself the time and headache of trying to figure it out on your own.

Save your money
I wouldn't say there are any secrets in this book. I'm an experienced product and marketing manager in the high tech industry. There was some interesting information that pertained to licensing terms and some breakouts of budgets, that was it.

Definitely not worth $32. Maybe half the price.

Excellent Collection
Reviewing a collection of essays isn't easy, because they are by definition a hodgepodge of widely-varying subjects, similar to a restaurant reviewer who's charged with reviewing a buffet. A buffet that is mostly excellent could get an overall mediocre rating if there's a really frightening tub of vegetable mush that wrecks the whole experience, and a review of a mostly mediocre buffet could scare people away from a truly excellent entrée hiding in there. The only buffets that are easy to review are the ones that are 100% good or 100% bad, and those are a rare thing.

Thankfully, the editor Francois Dominic Laramee has made my job easy by editing together a uniformly excellent collection of essays on the game business. The essays are all well-written, and Mr. Laramee has done a terrific job of editing them together into a whole that's greater than the sum of its parts (along with contributing four essays himself). The authors represent a good cross-section of independent developers and game company executives, all of whom appear to be quite willing to impart their own business wisdom to the reader.

One thing I liked right away was that the material is all presented in concrete terms and not some nebulous motivational-speaker gibberish. The authors, on the whole, are more than happy to provide real numbers and case-studies to back up their claims. The subjects covered are wide-ranging, going from do's and don'ts of dealing with publishers, putting together a business model and business plan, managing a project that won't get cancelled, and specific "wrap up" topics like managing customer-support in MMORPG games.

Another pleasant surprise (likely due to Laramee's Quebecer heritage) is that the essays are not USA-centric, as you see in most books about business. While there are certainly plenty of case-studies of US companies, there are also some essays about the game industry in Europe and how to deal with offshore contractors.

_Secrets of the Game Business_ should be required reading for anyone with plans to become an independent game developer. While it's far from a complete guide on how to get into the business, lacking things like the legal minutiae of obtaining copyrights and trademarks and making work-for-hire agreements, this book is a terrific overview of how to build a product, work with a publisher/producer, and get your product on the shelf. Happy reading! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Games   2. Computer Books And Software   3. Computer Graphics - Game Programming   4. Computer games   5. Computer programs   6. Computers   7. Entertainment & Games - General   8. Industries - Computer Industry   9. Marketing   10. Programming   11. Programming - Software Development   

Customer Reviews (7)

Great Book, But First ....
At last someone wrote a how-to guide for parents on this subject. This is the one to use. But before you do, make sure you have a handle on your own values. You'll probably have to answer questions like, "WHY is something right or wrong, good or evil, moral or immoral?" "Because" isn't too good an answer. For that part of it, the best book for boneing up on character, morals, and ethics before you present yourself as expert to your kids is a book on just that subject titled "WEST POINT", by Norman Thomas Remick. Then use this excellent book, "TEN TALKS ..." to do your thing.

Making Uncomfortable Family Talks Easier !!
The 288 pages of this book written by those in-the-know can really simplify our talks about sex, character and more with our children. The "Ten Talks" book offers parents what they need to speak with their children, confidently, about these important topics and their relationships with others. The information has been gathered from across the country and the methods have been time tested and proven. It's difficult for all of us to begin and carry on the discussions that we must have with our kids, even for those who speak easily to large groups. Our own "home-grown" group can be much more difficult to address. In addition to the topics of sex and character, this book provides advice on safety, peer pressure, ethics, meeting people on the Internet, and messages received from TV. It shows parents how to understand their own values and tells how to appropriately communicate them. The information is useful for any type of family. You'll learn how to get your kids to talk to you, which in itself is half the battle. Topics range from sex to honesty, respect, caring for others, sticking up for what you believe in, keeping promises, courage under pressure, and much, much more. A very valuable family resource. Add it to your parenting library.

A lifesaver
I found this book in the store after a friend recommended it to me. It's fantastic! I've never been a big fan of parenting books, but this one allows the parents to figure out themselves exactly what they want to say. No one person could give you personalized advice on how to pass along your values to your child, but these authors helped me clarify my own views in order to pass them along. My 12 year old and I are now on excellent ground for keeping communication open and positive. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adolescence - Sexuality   2. Children and sex   3. Children and sexual behavior   4. Family & Relationships   5. Family / Parenting / Childbirth   6. Family/Marriage   7. Parent and child   8. Parenting - General   9. Sex instruction for children   10. Sexual ethics for youth   11. Family & Relationships / Parenting   12. Parenting   

Customer Reviews (1)

A landmark contribution
Over the past 75 years, water quality models have evolved as critical tools in determining rational and cost-effective solutions to water quality problems. However, despite all the progress, the correct calculation of sediment fluxes remained the one "missing link" in the water quality modeling paradigm.

Di Toro's book is a tour de force that lays out an elegant framework to forge this link and set it on a firm scientific foundation. As such, it should be in the library of every individual and institution involved in water quality modeling and management. Because of the cutting edge nature of his scholarship, the book should also be of great interest to researchers and graduate students.

Sediment Flux Modeling provides a comprehensive treatment of the science and mathematics underlying the impact of sediment processes on the quality of natural waters. Di Toro lays out the mathematics and the science in a clear, step-by-step fashion as he progresses from the fundamentals of sediment transport and kinetic processes to advanced topics like metals exchange.

In a similar fashion to Robert Berner's excellent volume "Early Diagenesis", it should stand as the definitive reference for years to come. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chemistry - General   2. Environmental Chemistry   3. Environmental Engineering & Technology   4. Environmental Science   5. General   6. Mathematical models   7. Science   8. Science/Mathematics   9. Sediments (Geology)   10. Technology & Industrial Arts   11. Water Supply And Treatment   12. Water quality   13. Science / Environmental Science   14. Water supply & treatment   

"If people have had enough chicken soup for the soul, how about some Irish stew for the mind?" asks John Dominic Crossan in the introduction to his meaty new memoir, A Long Way from Tipperary: What a Former Irish Monk Discovered in His Search for the Truth. Crossan burst into the public eye in 1991 with the publication of his bestselling TheHistorical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant. In this and subsequent books, Crossan's historical research has demonstrated the follies of both secularist denial and fundamentalistdistortions of Jesus' significance. Tipperary is Crossan's memoir of theways in whichhis personal experience "from Ireland to America, from priest to professor, from monastery to university, and ... from celibacy to marriage" haveinfluenced his evolving understanding of who Jesus was. Crossan's struggle has always been to find a way of understanding Jesus that engages "both reason and revelation, both history and faith, both mind and heart." Here is his description of his ideal readers:

They are ... dissatisfied, disappointed, or even disgusted withclassical Christianity and their denominational tradition. They hold on withanger or leave with nostalgia, but are not happy with either decision. They donot want to invent or join a new age, but to reclaim and redeem an ancient one. They do not want to settle for a generic-brand religion, but to rediscover their own specific and particular roots. But they know now that those roots must be in a renewed Christianity whose validity does not reject every other religion's integrity, a renewed Christianity that has purged itself of rationalism, fundamentalism, and literalism, whether of book, tradition, community, or leader.

Customer Reviews (13)

Anything but dry
Crossan writes an intellectual biography that walks through many twists and turns in his life. But unlike other theological books it has a dramatic aspect. He first places in context criticisms of his views of the historical Jesus, and asks, in essence: How did I get there? What brought me to this point in my career? In the process of reading his memoir we read about various influences in his life, both personal and academic, as well as his methodology. It is a glimpse into the person of Crossan even as he wants us to glimpse into the person of Jesus. Admittedly, his views are not as elaborately explained as they are in his other works, so don't read this book if that is your goal. But if you want a book on the life of ideas and the life of a unique theologian, this book will be anything but dry.

Searching For Clues
John Dominic Crossan has led an adventurous life which included twenty years spent as a Roman Catholic monk and thirty years reconstructing the historical Jesus.

The challenge for me in reading this book is searching for clues as to what factors in his background have influenced his studies and conclusions. His descriptions of his parents, boyhood teachers and youthful life in an Ireland recently freed from its colonial past are fairly interesting but too superficial. More intriguing are those parts of the book which deal with his profound anger directed at the church hierarchy and the chapter which describes the evolution of his early research on the sayings and parables of Jesus into a wider quest focusing on the life of Jesus.

A Courageous Seeker of the Truth
A LONG WAY FROM TIPPERARY is aptly titled. Crossan left home for boarding school at the age of eleven in 1945. He sailed from Ireland for America in 1951 to study for the priesthood. He resigned from the priesthood after twenty years in order to get married. Crossan later lost his first wife to heart disease. On top of all of this he embarked on a sometimes lonely journey as a scholar which has left him at odds with mainstream academia much of his career. Crossan seems to have enjoyed his role as a maverick and above all else has proven himself to be resilient. I have enjoyed this book and at the same time have acquired a deeper appreciation of Crossan as a courageous seeker of the truth. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography   2. Biography / Autobiography   3. Catholic ex-priests   4. Christian Life   5. Christianity - Christian Life - General   6. Crossan, John Dominic   7. Ethnic Cultures - General   8. General   9. Historians   10. Ireland   11. Religion   12. Religious   13. Theologians   14. United States   

Customer Reviews (6)

Most complete book on memory - ever
I purchased this book along with six other memory and fast-reading books. This one stands out because it is extremely well organized. Each chapter is divided into sections that are typically two pages long. In most cases, each section has a sidebar or one complete page dedicated to either an exercise or a case example. This book is a joy to read, because it is written in a straightforward style and is beautifully illustrated.

It is organized into six chapters.
1. A brief history of memory (greeks, romans and modern times)
2. How memory works
3. How to improve your memory
4. Discovering memory techniques
5. Memory techniques for everyday life
6. Gain fulfillment through memory

The second chapter tells you how neurotransmitters, axons, dendrites, left and right brain, brainwaves, short and long term memory, sleep, drugs and aging work and affect your memory.

The third chapter tells you how important the elements of imagination, association, location, concentration, observation, repetition and health are to improving your memory.

The fourth chapter explains the techniques themselves in proper learning order - mnemonics, visual pegs, story, journey (the most powerful method for me), dominic system, number-shape system, mind-maps.

The fifth chapter applies the techniques to everyday life and tells you which ones are better suited to which problems.

The last chapter elaborates on why memory improvement is not just an exercise in itself to acquire robotic memory. Rather it tells you how your life can be enriched by keeping your mind young and how to cope with life's demands and past memories. This is one of the chapters I enjoyed most.

As a conclusion, I recommend this little jewel for many reasons. First, it covers the subject very broadly - it does not just give you short recipes, it is a complete treatise on memory. It is a mini memory encyclopedia - the topic is condensed in 160 pages.

Second, it is really a marvelous book, the best book I have read on this subject and quite probably one of the most valuable ones I have gotten ever for my life. It is one of these books you keep in a preferred corner in your bookshelf.

Third, it is truly useful. Although there may be more memory techniques, the ones in this book are the most important ones and are more than enough to keep you busy memorizing.

Fourth, it eliminates the common belief that memory deteriorates with age. It actually worsens with LACK OF USE. You will learn that memory is like a muscle - the more you use it the better it gets. I got this book because I was determined to work on keeping my mind young "before it is too late". I discovered that it is never too late and, unlike muscles, the mind is the most powerful and malleable muscle of all. You just have to keep it busy with many interests.

Enjoy !!!

Great book, fast read
This book covers how our mind and memory works, then goes on to explain several workable techniques on memorization. I thought it did a great job of covering these topics, and was very readable. I read it in one evening (it's only 160 pages long, and includes lots of pretty drawings).

The book is written by Dominic O'Brien, a noted memorization wizard. But it was interesting that the copyright to the book went to the publisher. This is common for technical books in the computer field... where the publisher finds a hot topic and directs an author to write to their specifications. But I believe this format to be unusual in the memorization field.

The answer is found in the front cover where I discovered that there is a "Learn to ..." series put out by the publisher. As such, this book probably follows a format for that series. This format is very well done, but unfortunately reflects the comments made by an earlier reviewer: there is (or might be) more information on memory in the author's other books.

Regardless of all this backround info, I am happy I bought this book. And, I think this book updates some of the techniques that I've seen elsewhere.

John Dunbar
Sugar Land, TX

wishywashy rehash of his previous work, buy his other books!
i found this book very dissapointing compared to dominics previous works, it seemed to be written or eddited by someone different from his previous books, the style of writting was completely different and why does this book have a co-author which isnt mentioned on the cover?? he covers most of the material in much more detail in 'how to develop a perfect memory' and 'how to pass exams' much better buys if you can find them, if you cant then i guess this book is alright, covers the main ideas, and i guess it is a good colourfull introduction to memory for the beginner, if this isnt you then there are better books out there by this author, tho they are hard to find. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cognitive Psychology   2. General   3. Memory   4. Mnemonics   5. Personal Growth - Memory Improvement   6. Psychology   

Customer Reviews (22)

Debate on the Resurrection in Book Form
This is the famous debate in print form between Craig and Crossan. I've already reviewed the content of the original debate on the audiotapes sold by Amazon. The 5 stars are for the interesting interaction between conservative and liberal New Testament scholars. Included in the book are responses from two noted scholars from the Jesus Seminar (Marcus Borg and Robert Miller) and two noted evangelical scholars (Ben Witherington and Craig Blomberg). At the end of the debate are final thoughts from Crossan and Craig.

Borg's section champions a form of fideism in that he sees no problem between the belief in Jesus as Christ and the possible fact of an occupied tomb the first Easter Sunday. Borg argues that one can still go on believing in Jesus because of people's post-crucifixion experiences of him. I agree with Craig here that this position is totally irrational. To believe in Christ even if his body was still in the grave is the desperation that modern liberal theology wants the man in the pew to believe in. A more intellectually honest answer would be that a person should not believe in Jesus as Christ if Jesus was still in the tomb.

Robert Miller's section is mainly an airing of his pet peeves on why apologetics does not work for non-believers. He outlines an Islamic apologetic to bring forth these points. He then points out what he takes as contradictions within the Resurrection narratives. Craig totally devastates his case though in the final section. Craig even shows that Miller made a textbook case of an informal fallacy known as hasty generalization.

Ben Witherington and Craig Blomberg add more background and scholarly expertise and corrections to Craig's argument. But Craig clearly takes these issues up in his final section.

Crossan's final section deals with some biographical issues on the debate and issues a challenge to conservative scholars like Witherington and Blomberg to list things that they find historically doubtful about the gospels. Apparently, if Witherington and Blomberg do not produce such a list then they are not being intellectually honest scholars.

Finally, Craig's section perfectly summarizes the various sections and shows that none of the scholars who oppose his position has done anything to rebut his arguments.

Puts the "Jesus Seminar" in proper perspective
This was a great book and I agree with the general observations of the vast majority of the reviewers. That is, Craig won hands down. Crossan didn't really even enter the debate which surprised and disappointed some reviewers. But it's really not surprising at all. Crossan's arguments (or lack there of) come directly from the work of the Jesus Seminar. And Crossan's utter defeat illustrates that the Seminar's work is of little value in disproving the Gospels and the mainstream Christian interpetation of them as largely accurate, HISTORICAL accounts of Jesus' life.
Rather, the Jesus Seminar must be looked upon as an experiment in liberal theological thought. It was a chance for liberal scholars to come together and develop a consensus unburdened by critical peer review from their more conservative, and f