Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website (GeneralBooksClub.com). You can also preview excerpts of the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Published by: Published by Swormstedt and Power, for the Methodist Episcopal Church, at the Western Book Concern in 1849 in 142 pages; Subjects: Biography ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website (GeneralBooksClub.com). You can also preview excerpts of the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Volume: 1; Original Publisher: Ticknor and Fields; Publication date: 1860; Subjects: Physicians; Biography ... Read more

Product Description
This best-selling title will be relaunched in September 04 with a fresh new cover design. Written by the highly respected artist John Blockley, this book provides an ideal introduction to the popular and accessible medium of pastels. John Blockley gives advice on choosing materials and demonstrates all the basic techniques of painting in the colourful, modern medium of pastels. He shows how to make marks with pastels, which papers to use and how to work from pencil sketches. There are many interesting step-by-step demonstration paintings on a variety of subjects -- flowers, trees, still life, buildings and landscapes -- and the book includes a fine selection of John Blockley's beautiful pastel paintings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Deacons in the church
In Deacons and the Church, author John Collins addresses the role of deacons in the church today by looking at the historical understanding of the diaconate in the New Testament and in the early church.He proposes an expansion of the role of deacons from social workers to agents of God who work to bring the gospel to the people, both through ecclesiastic functions and through service to the congregation.As a lose paraphrase of Collins' proposal, he says that deacons should be the face of the church in the world and the face of the world in the church.Being the face of the church in the world may result in social worker type services, but it can also take the form of service to the congregation in which the deacon serves.Being the face of the world in the church should take the form of not only reading the gospel during services but also of teaching congregations about the action of the gospel in the world.

Overall, I very much agree with this interpretation of the gospel.However, I found Collins' presentation to be a bit heavy handed.In the first chapter, he seemed rather pompous, criticizing those who have not absorbed his previous work.Although I am not a New Testament scholar, his exegesis of New Testament passages seemed to read passages in ways that supported his point of view in contrast to traditional understanding.Although this is not necessarily a bad thing, it does leave at least this reader wondering about the accuracy of his understanding.

With these caveats, I still found the book well worth reading.It expanded my understanding of the role of deacons and the potential areas for growth in this ordained order.

It changed my mind
Before I read this book, I thought deacons were strictly or at least primarily ministers to the poor and needy.I thought that those who are called to the liturgical and pastoral ministries needed to belong to the priesthood.Mr. Collins' explanation of the meanings of Greek words in the original scriptures changed my understanding of the roles of deacons.Although he complained too much that some other scholars haven't taken note of his findings, he does make a very strong case that deacons shouldn't think of their role as only ministers to the needy.He provides specific examples of deacons who preached the Word, who participated in the liturgy, who travelled between churches as representatives, and who attended to the administrative needs of the bishops.He concludes that these are historically justified activities for today's deacons.
The book is easy to read and interesting enough to read thoroughly.

Interesting, but misses a key point
In this book, Collins seeks to redefine "diakonia" more in terms of "agency" than "service" based on what the word meant in Greek culture.He seeks to expand the understanding beyond social service but he seems to end up stressing more the role of deacons as church people (including but not limited to liturgy) swinging the pendulum in the opposite direction (away from deacons as social workers).A better balance is needed but I found his starting point to be flawed.

While I found his observations from Greek culture interesting, I remain unconvinced of his exegesis of Matthew 25 and other passages.He makes alot of what Luke would have understood "diakonia" to mean in the Greek culture, but, after all, Jesus did not speak these words originally in Greek to his disciples but in Aramaic and Matthew, Mark, and John, in writing in Greek were seeking to translate a Jewish and Aramaic idea about service into a Greek word that may not have meant exactly the same thing to Greeks as the Aramaic word meant to Jews.Paul does the same thing in using gnostic words but reinterpretting them and giving them new meaing in a Christian context.There is no reason to think that Luke did not do the same.

After all Jesus came among us as "one who serves"and demonstrated that in all his life and explicitly to the disciples in the example of washing their feet while they were busy arguing who was the greatest among them.It is more important to me to understand what Jesus meant by "service" (translated into Greek as diakonia) than how Greek writers understood the word diakonia in other contexts outside the Church. I don't think Collins addressed that here.

Finding one's way...
For those who wish to understand the role of deacons in the church context as a whole, this book is a real gift.It is first written to those who are deacons in the church (and author John Collins makes it clear from the outset that this could be in any denomination, not just Anglo-Catholic ones, although the bias toward a more liturgical tradition does creep in regularly), but it is also written with a more general reader in mind, those with a concern to understand and assist the church in more effective and orderly ministry.

This is a relatively short book, done in four chapters, which begin and end with examining the present situation, and traveling in the analytical narrative through the beginnings of the church back toward the present.In the first chapter, Collins looks at the give-and-take in the history of the diaconate both in Protestant and Catholic terms.While the diaconate has often been a recognised order, for many church structures was a phase or transition point from layperson to priest.Collins looks at the reinvigourated diaconal structures in Catholic, Anglican, and Protestant churches for their strengths and controversial points (the issue of direct ordination to the priesthood, for example, comes out of the difficulty of understanding the two-track diaconal system).Collins also looks with great care and extensive documentation the various ways in which the diaconate is discussed and understood by various church organisations.

The next two chapters look at the diakonia (roughly understood as the combination of both the role and the function of deacons) both in context of gospel narratives of Jesus' work as well as the early church (up until the fourth century or so).Gospel stories look at the diakonia in many ways - from the perspective of call, service, love, mission, and more.The examples in the Acts of the Apostles as well as the Epistles show some early traditions as well as early difficulties with definition of the role of the deacon.The differing ways this office was played out across the early church in the world also leads to some controversies, but also shows some definite patterns, however fluid they might be.

Collins' final chapter appropriately ends with questions for consideration, setting the stage for continuing the various conversations taking place even now as to the role of deacons vis-à-vis the ministry of all the baptised.Complete with a good list of references which includes early church documents, books and articles, this is a good reflection guide as well as a good study guide for those who might want to be deacons, those who are deacons looking to clarify their roles, and those who want to understand more about what it is deacons do (or are supposed to do).


... Read more

Product Description
In this clarifying essay, renowned biblical scholar John Collins delves into the lethal side of the biblical text, asking whether the Bible endorses or even foments violence and how its many violent texts may best be understood in today's volatile religious and political context. This work is based on his Presidential Address to the Society of Biblical Literature. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Short, but a good overview
Timely in its discussion of the relationship of religion and violence, Collins seeks understanding of the September 11th attacks.As mentioned above, Facets are "brief, brilliant treatments of vital aspects of faith and life."This book is a positive example: a little over 30 pages of work on the violence of the Bible and behavior it endorses.This work, however its length, gives a great overview on the subject and is remarkably researched for its length.Collins attempts to discuss the violence of the Bible and see how that influences Christian attitudes towards violence.He concludes that any responsible reading of the Bible must admit and struggle with violent passages, and also, the more certain you are of the Truth the more violent your reaction to those who disagree.

I think this small book would be very beneficial for a small group discussion or an adult Bible study on the matter. ... Read more

Product Description
When the elderly Allan Armadale makes a terrible confession on his death-bed, he has little idea of the repercussions to come, for the secret he reveals involves the mysterious Lydia Gwilt: flame-haired temptress, bigamist, laudanum addict and husband-poisoner. Her malicious intrigues fuel the plot of this gripping melodrama: a tale of confused identities, inherited curses, romantic rivalries, espionage, money - and murder. The character of Lydia Gwilt horrified contemporary critics, with one reviewer describing her as 'One of the most hardened female villains whose devices and desires have ever blackened fiction'. She remains among the most enigmatic and fascinating women in nineteenth-century literature and the dark heart of this most sensational of Victorian 'sensation novels'. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Good Thriller! Very engaging book.
Real page turner that takes more intellectual engagement than contemporary thrillers. Nicely long, I didn't have to think about what book was on-deck for a couple of days.

Armadale by Wilkie Collins is a great sensational novel of intrigue, murder, mystery, love and suspense
Wilkie Collins, son of the famous painter Robert Collins, was born in London in 1824 dying in 1889. Collins was a bohemian bookman who had two mistresses, illegitimate children, a deep friendship with Charles Dickens and a literary genius ensuring his books will be read as long as the English language survives.
"The Woman in White"; "The Moonstone" and "Armadale" are Collins' three best novels. "Armadale" was a sales flop upon publicaton in 1866. It does, however, deserve to be better known and more widely read. Collins has been called the "father of the detective story" and in "Armadale" the melodramatic and exciting events keep hooked readers flipping the 700 pages with unflagging interest.
The plot is complicated to say the least! Four charactes are named Armadale! It concerns an Armadale who murdered his namesake during a shipwreck. Later the son of the murderer (now calling himself Ozias Midwinter befriends Allan Armadale the scion of the murdered man). Allan inherits a large estate in Norfolk. He initally falls in love with the lovely Miss Milroy daughter of clock enthusiast Major Milroy.
And then comes on to the scene the treacherous, bigamous, murderer Lydia Gwilt. Lydia is 35 years old; a Pre-Raphalite beauty who is deadly. Fools like old Mr. Bashwood clerk at the Pedgift law firm do her bidding as she is a temptress few men can resist. To reveal details of the plot is to spoil the story for first time readers.
Many of the pages are printed as a diary in which Lydia Gwilt shares her innermost feelings. She is evil to the core but is a fascinating woman exhibitingfemale freedom in the repressive Victorian age. Contemporary critics savaged her but she is the best character in the novel. The novel is largely devoid of humor, is well paced and intricate in its many plots and subplots.
Wilkie Collins is a born storyteller who is sometimes forgotten in the shadowfellow Victorians such as Dickens, Trollope, the Brontes and George Eliot. While not of their literary stature he does deserves to be read and enjoyed.

Hard to believe it was written in 1864-6.
Could have been written yesterday, but then generations of authors would not have been influenced and inspired by "Armalade".

5 Star novelSharon Nelson SpokaneWA
I have read Dickens and now Ive read Wilkie Collins.Collins surpasses Dickens in character development and intrigue.Most reviews dissect Lydia Gwilt.I was fascinated by the comlexity of Midwinter.

Not the masterpiece that "No Name" or "Woman in White" is, but well-worth reading!
I had just come off of "No Name" when I picked up "Armadale." I was astonished by the masterful writing and character study and intricate, vivid, cinematic descriptions in "No Name." I was totally startled to find such a sympathetic understanding of women's plights in Victorian England, or in that time in general. I found Magdalen to be one of the most wrenching, exciting and inspiring female characters I had ever seen come to life in the pages of a book.

"Armadale" does give us "Lydia Gwilt" and she is certainly a darker and in some ways more mysterious version of Magdalen. However, she has no one to match wits with, which was so much of the fun and excitement in "No Name." Also, Collins deals with her plight cruelly, as if in response to a crowd's "Off with her head!" mentality toward rich, complex and intelligent female characters in fiction of the day. I did find it amazing that he dealt with spousal abuse, the victimization of a young girl for her beauty and other topics that seem to indicate a rare appreciation for the plight of women. That is one of the reasons I keep coming back to Collins, for his very modern assessment of the cages women find themselves in in his society.
As for plotting, it seems Collins might have been hitting the opium a bit too hard, as it is haphazard and unfocused, again, unlike "No Name" which is crisp and masterful in structure. "Armadale" is a mystery to me. It seems clear to me we are supposed to have our heart broken by its heroine and intensely dislike one of the heroes. Is that why he sacrifices her in the end? This is one of those books that makes you want to do some research into where the story came from and what his mindset was at the time he wrote it.
Anyway, I have to recommend it, reading Collins is never a waste of time and always an enriching experience! ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good enough for goverment job... ;-)
Collins took more than 100 chess maxims from his teaching, chess history, chess masters and writers and categorized such that they can be used as a checklist during a game. They illustrated how to use each piece (King, Queen, Rook, Bishop, Knight and Pawn) where and where most efficiently. Each stage of chess game (Opening, Middle game and Endgame) has its own set of maxims. There is a chapter about Exchange. And there are four more chapters about the topics that sometimes I feel I understand what they are and many times I just can't tell what they really are. Those topics are: Tactical Play, Positional Play, Combinations and Strategy. Each maxim in the book has a master game or endgame study to go with it for clarification. The final chapter is about a philosophy of chess, which has no games. The author had a wishful thinking that Fischer would come back and dominate chess again. The book was written in 1978. Fifteen years later, there comes another similar book, "The Tao of Chess." Comparing "Tao" to "Maxims", the former is about fifteen percent as good as the latter. Maxims passes the test of time and is good enough for beginning to immediate level. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a dictionary of English as it is actually used and is also written and presented in plain English. By presenting the patterns of spoken or plain English in a new format, it enables easier and earlier use of a monolingual dictionary. This dictionary is suitable for all learners of English from intermediate to advanced level. There are over 70,000 references and over 90,000 examples, taken from books, magazines and newspapers. The wordlist is up-to-date and gives detailed treatment to the most frequently used words in English. All senses are explained in clear, natural English, using carefully chosen vocabulary to ensure that each meaning can be easily understood. Each spelling of a word is given in full to ensure clarity and essential grammar is contained in the wording of each definition. Synonyms and antonyms are given, as well as guidance on pronunciation using the International Phonetic Alphabet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Collins dictionary
The definitions are in "children friendly" terms.It will be a great resource in the classroom.

Most practical dictionary for ESL learners
Why is this book going out of print? It is the most down-to-earth dictionary of English that I have ever seen, with numerous excellent examples to illustrate usage. It is perfect for English language learners. I teach college English and writing, and every student who has seen this has been excited by it. The entries include information necessary for ESL students, such as countable and uncountable nouns,subtle differences in meaning, and idiomatic expressions. I keep it near my desk at all times, and prefer it over the standard Webster's or Random House dictionaries when working with students.

The best and well-presented English Language Dictionary
I bought this dictionary in May 1990 in Singapore.

The way the content presented is the best I had ever seen. This dictionary is written in ordinary, everyday English that is easy to understand. It has an excellentGuide to the Use of the Dictionary. Every explanation comes with at leastone example that is taken from actual texts wherever possible. The extracolumn in the dictionary, right beside the explanation of a word, creates avisual attraction to the reader. This extra column is used to give twodifferent types of information: grammar notes and semantic relationships(similar or opposite) for the word that is being explained. I loveit.

CoBuild is the appreviation of Collins Birmingham UniversityInternational Language Database. This dictionary was developed and compiledin the English Department at the University of Birmingham as part of alanguage research project commissioned by Collins Publishers.

Currently,I am looking for its enriched and/or, if any, CD-ROM version.Unfortunately, it seems that the publisher stopped publishing this greatdictionary. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
The 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its own: digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars.
Medical theory and practice of the 1700s developed rapidly, as is evidenced by the extensive collection, which includes descriptions of diseases, their conditions, and treatments. Books on science and technology, agriculture, military technology, natural philosophy, even cookbooks, are all contained here.
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The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification:
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British Library

T153321

With a final leaf containing an errata list and advertisement.

Londini : ex officinâ J. Tonson, & J. Watts, 1722. [8],250,[2]p. ; 8° ... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: Oxford Clarendon PressPublication date: 1907Subjects: Poetry -- Early works to 1800Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more