2 comments about Abraham Lincoln, a Man of Faith and Courage: Stories of Our Most Admired President.

1. I have collected books about Abraham Lincoln for well over forty years. I found Dr. Wheeler's book to be one of the most enjoyable to read of any that I have on my shelves. The stories that the author shares made this very unique President more "human" to me. I happened to be in Washington, D.C., when I finished the book. Although I have visited the Lincoln Memorial many times, it was a very emotional experience this time around because of what I had just read. I have enjoyed reading several of Dr. Wheeler's anthologies in the past, but I think this is his best collection ever.



2. I love history, yet I seldom carve out the time to indulge. When I was gifted "ABRAHAM LINCOLN: A Man of Faith and Courage" I began to skim it ready to put it aside. But I just couldn't put it down! Sure there are countless books on our most admired President, but NONE like this one! In this book we get verified and authenticated quotes from the man himself revealing the depth of his faith and specifically how that faith grew, and shaped his life and his presidency. Not only is every page an inspiration to remind every American in this century of our amazing, unsurpased blessings we so take for granted; it is also an amazing revelation of how God took a man of many failures and turn him into a world changer. If God can use this man who became the most admired President in our history, he can use YOU to change the world as well, no matter how small you feel!

5 comments about Mover Of Men & Mountains.

1. This man's innovations changed the way we build major infrastructure in the world. From a early involvement in auto racing to the most powerful earth moving equipment of his times. R.G. LeTourneau changed the way we build and power the big machines. This is a inspirational book !



2. This, to me, was a good example that you don't have to be cut throat to run a successful business. You don't have to be a Harvard graduate. You just need to be energized to help other people the best way you know how, and not be afraid of change, but be excited about innovation.



3. I could not put this book down. What a great book! One reviewer said to buy a second book to give away. I did, but I should have bought several extras! Now I'm buying more. This book has helped me to recognize God's purpose for my life and the incredible gifts He has given to each of us. A great gift for anyone, especially for someone who has ever been in the construction industry.



4. This was one fantastic book that I could hardly put down. It is a great story of a man with dreams that were larger then life. He always said there are no big jobs, only small machines. Mr. LeTourneau had the capacity to envision larger and larger machines to make man more productive.
   
   This book is 290 pages short with 26 untitled chapters which cover most of Mr. LeTourneau's life. From his childhood and quiting school in the 7th grade to his struggles and almost bankruptcy, he does a great job at unfolding his life the way it happened. He tells of how his business grew during the depression and of the great success he had in creating machines to do a job that none had done before. He was laughed at by people who couldn't see the value in some of his gigantic creations which were ahead of their time. But he didn't allow other people's negativity stop him from accomplishing his goal of benefiting man by making him far more productive then he would have been otherwise.
   
   He talks about his relationship with God and how he believed that God was with him to protect him and help him to succeed. LeTourneau lived his beliefs by helping others and starting a school called LeTourneau Collage. He had given 90% of his stock in his business to a foundation he started for the benefit of others. He is not overpowering with this but just lets his beliefs take a natural course through the book.
   
   Overall I think anyone would really enjoy this book. It really was one of the more interesting biographies I have read. His life again proves that it doesn't matter what kind of education you have or where you are financially, the only thing that can stop you from fulfilling your dreams is yourself!



5. A must-read for every Christian, and a great tool for ministry.
   
   
   Blessings to Amazon!

No comments about Jesus: A Portrait.

5 comments about West of Jesus: Surfing, Science, and the Origins of Belief.

1. With dry wit and self-deprecating humor, Steven Kotler examines surfing from a Spiritual perspective, or is it Spirituality from a surfing perspective.
   
   This book answers all the big Spiritual questions in life:
   Why am I here?
   Why do I surf?
   
   Everyone who surfs can relate to observations like, "I was both addicted to surfing and terrified of surfing." But it's a great book even if you don't surf. I just wish my temple had better waves today.



2. I'm a surfer/extreme sport athlete. Also have a BS in psychology as well as anthropology. Kotler's blend of humor, story telling, and empirical data in his search for the big question is seriously phenomenal. BUY THIS BOOK!!



3. I didn't know what this was about, but seeing the word "Jesus" in the title above a flying surfboard grabbed me enough to check it out. Turns out, Kotler has put together a pretty interesting project in his book.
   
   I call this a project because it doesn't feel like a novel, an autobiography, or any other nonfiction piece. Kotler goes on a multi-continent journey searching for the origins of a particular surfing myth he was told after a bad wipeout, and along the way he tells us all about his research into zen, weather science, drugs, and human psychology. All of these aspects combine with his first person narrative of interactions with surfers from all over the world to create an entertaining read with all kinds of food for thought and future discussion.
   
   Sadly, while he wraps up the ending in a tidy little package, there's no real or satisfying resolution to his quest. After all the fascinating facts and theories and stories he unloads on his audience, he doesn't really deliver any answers. And maybe that was the point, but it makes me as a reader feel a little gypped.
   
   Still, it's a fun read with a lot of insight and many parts where I laughed out loud, so I definitely recommend it.



4. The book was decently written but I found myself wondering half way through what the book was actually about. There seems to be an attempt to tie surfing, philosophy and religion together in some way but it never really happens. It seemed the author picked a bunch of theories and tried to force some sort of analogy to his life and surfing but the connections remained unclear. The book does not have any significant conclusion. I forced myself to finish it just to catch the surfing stories which were ok but couldn't stand alone on their own.



5. Sometimes a strange disease changes the course of a life. For Steven Kotler, it was Lyme, described by one notable physician as "a very intelligent bacteria." The journey precipitated by these Borrelia burgdorferi lead the author of West of Jesus on a surf trip of sorts. Twin stories of a Conductor who can control the weather and "conduct" the waves, which he hears eight years and thousands of miles apart, lead inexorably to a space where physics and metaphysics converge. Here is an strangely exciting tale of coincidence and serendipity sub-populated with shamans, Tibetan White Buddhists, and kahunas at the intersection of Stoke and Karma - where the Surf Quest, for Kotler, is experienced as a disturbingly real search for the Holy Grail.
   
   Subtitled "Surfing, Science and the Origins of Belief," this is an alluring and stimulating tour-de-force that has more to do with mind surfing through the wonders and paradoxes on our times than with riding ocean waves. The book is replete with attractive speculations; like, that humans' competitive advantage in the animal kingdom is to be found most singularly in our long-distance running ability (we're born marathoners; we'll catch anything eventually). This book is a worthy companion for the journey.
   
   Kotler's story of the pursuit of the Conductor didn't click for me (it felt either like a literary device or a bad justification for a rather aimless surf trip). But the trip's the point anyway, and if you can bring along Einstein and Tom Stone and Rabbi Shifren and sundry commentators on altered states of consciousness, well - hey! West of Jesus resonates right along with its shelfmate, Dancing Naked in the Mind Field, by Novel laureate (and surfer) Karry Mullis. It's an enjoyable and enlightening ride, even if you don't get barreled.
   
   - Drew Kampion for The Surfer's Path [www.surferspath.com]

5 comments about The Prodigal Comes Home: My Story of Failure and God's Story of Redemption.

1. When I first got saved (for the 200th time, but this time it took), Michael was my absolute favorite singer. I tried to get my hands on everything I could that he had done. I saw him in concert with First Call, and he sang with such an anointing! When I heard the news, I was devastated. Not for myself, but for him...it showed me once again how someone that seemingly had it all could lose it so quickly. How little did I know until I read this book how much it cost him. I read this book in one sitting, and was just stunned and amazed as I read it, how the emotion poured from each page. What an amazing story of love and forgiveness. I can't recommend this book highly enough. It's an amazing ride, from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, and now back on the upswing. Michael had a great singing ministry before, it should be even better now, as I'm sure many people can relate to many of his experiences. God bless him for having the courage to tell his story with such honesty!



2. This book is a very open, honest account of Michael English's life. I admire him more than ever after reading it and love how God's love is so redemptive.



3. I read this book in one day. The story was riveting, heart breaking, and so full of redemption, hope, and grace. I was encouraged, yet again, to read a story of just how far God is willing to go to get us back.



4. This is a book that everyone should read. It gives a message of hope. Everyone is tempted in life, but straying from the path you should take, no matter how much you fall from grace, will not keep you crushed and overwhelmed by your decisions forever. You should always know that just like in the Wizard of Oz, there's no place like home and you can go back there!



5. Michael English is not a man that claims to be perfect, strong, or without a past. He is, however, a man that will tell you that the only thing that saved him is Jesus Christ. He's brutally honest in telling how he fell and equally honest in illustrating how he got back up again.
   
   He takes the blame when it's deserved (I think he was incredibly respectful of Lisa. He really realizes that she was a victim) and he gives credit where it's due (Topper Council, Bill Gaither, Michael W. Smith).
   
   It's an excellent read from a very strong man with an ever-growing faith. I've read it twice and get something new out of it each time. Everyone...and I mean everyone...can relate to Michael's story.
   
   xoxo

5 comments about Chasing the Dragon: One Woman's Struggle Against the Darkness of Hong Kong's Drug Dens.

1. This book held my interest and gave me good insite in and about the drug dealers in Hong Kong. I strongly recommend it.



2. The first time I read this book was in 2001, and it made a tremendous inpact on me. It's about an English woman in her early twenties being called to go to Hong Kong and start working among the drug addicts in the so called "Walled City". A couple of years later she met someone telling her about the importance of speaking in tongues, and she started praying in tongues 15 minutes each day. She had been talking to people in the "Walled City" about Jesus from the time she got there, but after 6 weeks of praying in tongues each day, the people she was talking to started believing what she was saying and received Jesus. She also saw that there was no way the drug addicts were able to get off drugs, if they didn't imediately started praying in tongues. "Each had his fascinating story and all without exception came off heroin without pain and trauma." This book is not only a story about what happened to Jackie Pullinger, but also a great teaching about the power source we have on the inside of us. Before she started praying in the Spirit she said: "Lord, I don't know how to pray, or whom to pray for. Will You pray through me - and will you lead me to the people who want You?" All of us who are baptized in the Spirit and received the gift of speaking in tongues can say the same thing and then start using what He has given us. We have "dynamite" on the inside. Let it "explode" each day, and people around us will want to have what we have!



3. I LOVE this book so much because it is one woman's testimony of what GOD did & is doing with her-through her.
   HIS HOLY WORD IS TRUE!
   HE IS With Us, and just as HE did with the first Disciples of JESUS,
   THE HOLY SPIRIT still works with those who preach the Gospel with signs and wonders following, confirming THE WORD.
   I must confess, I don't have the book now - I gave it to my daughter.
   I actually came in search for another copy for myself.
   :) Well, for me until I give it away again. :)



4. My wife and I could not put this book down as we read it together. It is filled with excitement as the author battles against opium and drug abuse as well as every other kind of demonic evil. In every case, she wins the battle for the souls, minds, bodies and spirits of men and women in Hong Kong. There is one victory after another as men and women are set free by the power of God's Holy Spirit. We highly recommend this book for those seeking release from drugs, alcohol and demonic bondage.
   Sincerely, Rev. Richard and Holly Lang



5. The testimony of Jackie Pullinger, and her life among the poor and addicted in Hong Kong. This is a reality to be in touch with.

5 comments about John G. Lake: His Life, His Sermons, His Boldness of Faith.

1. Yes, yet another five-star review of what is quickly becoming a Christian classic. In addition to this being a collection of sermons, it also contains personal letters written by Dr. Lake as well as testimonies of those healed. It is the most complete book of its kind, giving insight into real Holy Ghost life via historical documentation and story-telling. Understanding the truths in this book will help you distinguish between traditional, lifeless religion and the true power of Jesus Christ - the power that is to be demonstrated so that our faith will not rest in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.



2. I borrowed this book from a friend and realized I wanted my own copy. This is not a quick read of Lake's sermons, but a book one has to really think about and absorb the truth he expounds on from the Word of God. Excellent resource for a ministry student, minister, or devout Christian.



3. As a homeschool mother I am intensely selective of the materials chosen to be curriculum. This book is required reading for all my children.
   
   It is annointed. What else is there to say?
   
   I highly reccommend it to all who love CHRIST JESUS as it was written by one of the most sincere, committed, and successful Christians who ever lived...a man who followed Christ and fulfilled JESUS's OWN WORD
   "They that believe in ME, the works that I do, shall they do also..."



4. First, let me say a big God bless you to Kenneth Copeland Ministries. They're the publishers of this book.

   Basically there are three main collections of Lake's sermons out there, all three classics in their own right. First and foremost, there's Robers Liardons 1000+ page collection entitled "John G. Lake: The Complete Collection of His Life Teachings" (ISBN:1577780752). I strongly recommend that everyone get this collection! It's chock full of the most wonderfull messages you could ever want to read.

   Then there's "John G. Lake Sermons on Dominion over Demons, Disease & Death" by Gordon Lindsay (ISBN:0899850286), a brief but well-done collection at under 100 pages.

   And in the middle we have the Copelands' collection at about 250 pages. Again, very well done, but what I'm getting at is, if you're anything like me, you'll fall head over heals reading Lake's sermons. The Copelands' or Lindsay's books will only serve as appetizers for Liardon's collection.

   Save money and time. Go straight for Liardon's. You'll be glad you did.




5. This book is nothing short of amazing. Why? Because John G. Lake was such an amazing man of faith and action. I can't recommend this book enough. It has it all. Amazing powerful testimonies of faith for healing, boldness to stand up against unbelief, honesty to admit when wrong, a desire to walk in integrity, and sermons that encourage the reader to take bigger and bigger steps of faith. I could feel faith rising up within me. Page after page of the miraculous. It will challenge the reader to approach his faith in an entirely new way. This book has helped me redefine my approach to christianity. I'll truly never be the same. Never again will I allow my unbelief to limit what God can do. Personally, this book is an answer to prayer. I am reading the Bible with an entirely new outlook and level of faith. What happened in the New Testament can happen today!!! I truly believe this book is annointed. Read it!! You'll never be the same.

3 comments about The Unexpected Journey: Conversations with People Who Turned from Other Beliefs to Jesus.

1. Unexpected Journey by Thom S. Rainer is the story of 12 people of other faiths who turned to Christianity. Rainer and his wife interview each of these new Christians about what their former beliefs were and how they came to find Christ. The interviews are pretty straightforward other than the occasional awkward interruption by Rainer putting himself into the story. The stories are riveting looks inside faiths we don't normally hear about. Mormon, Jehovah's Witness, Hinduism and Buddhism converts are expected. The Wiccan, astrologer, and Satanist are fascinating. Each convert also gives advice on how to speak to someone of their former faith and help them find Jesus the way they did. The advice in every case is the same: Show Christ's love. Judgmental behavior and accusations don't work; only acceptance and love can show another person what being a Christian truly is. This lesson is pounded home again and again, but it can't be repeated enough. Pundits making pronouncements about the morality or goodness aren't a very good example of Christianity. It's people on a individual basis who can make a difference. The book only stumbles when Rainer tries to give unnecessary ambience to the stories. Reading about his troubles finding restaurants and how friendly the waitress was isn't necessary and only detracts from the power of these stories. My one other complaint is that I doubt anyone who isn't already a Christian will pick up this book and be swayed by it, but the advice inside for Christians is well-taken.



2. I'm trying to think about how to word my review. I'm afraid I will not be able to do this book justice. The bible says that God will call people from every nation, kindred and tribe. Oh yes, He has. Atheists, witches, agnostics, people lost in confusing beliefs that lead nowhere...God found them all. They were each touched in different ways and each uniquely found their way to Jesus Christ. The transforming power of His love, His word and His promise is evident in each of the twelve stories. These people are real and speak their testimonies in plain language. The book is not preachy, contrived, patronizing or full of treacle, just straightforward stories of salvation. Reading each chapter made my heart soar and my lips praise God for His love and mercy. The author outlines, in each chapter, the basics of what the beliefs of each person prior to their conversion to Christianity entailed. Very helpful. I felt as though I was on along on each "journey" as they found their way to Jesus. Thank you for this.



3. The evangelistic efforts of Christians today are crippled because of a fear of failure, or rejection, or incompetence. Consequently, rather than struggle with weak unclear efforts, often, there is none.
   Thom S. Rainer's book "The Unexpected Journey: Conversations with People Who Turned from Other Beliefs to Jesus" serves to rebuild the confidence of would be evangelists. Rainer accidentally (?) reminds the reader that God still uses ordinary means to get the attention of sinners who need a relationship with Christ. Evangelistic programs, special outreaches, and orchestrated church campaigns are not the engines driving the unconverted to seek Christ.
   So what is? Thom uses his classic Rainer analysis to tell a dozen stories of conversions to Christ. The book encourages readers to stay in the lives of others and share the love of Christ. No special program, no magic words, just faithful learning, living, and sharing the love of God reaches those who do not know him.

2 comments about A Church of Her Own: What Happens When a Woman Takes the Pulpit.

1. Sarah Sentilles set out to be an Episcopal priest, attending Harvard Divinity School, and seeking ordination in that denomination. She found the ordination process difficult, because she did not conform to some rather narrow expectations of what a priest should be. She blamed herself for not being good enough, and so great was her pain, she completely withdrew from the Church.
   
   In A Church of Her Own, Sarah Sentilles studied in depth a problem that she sees to be of major importance in organized religion. She found that although more and more women are entering divinity schools and the ordination process, these same women are leaving the Church in even larger numbers. She wanted to find out how and why called and committed Christian women were becoming so discouraged and disillusioned in a very short time. [inset as quotation] "...I realized that the brightest, most creative women I knew were having trouble. Either they struggled through the ordination process like I did, or, once ordained and working in churches, they were silenced, humiliated, and abused. These women--women who were faithful, who brought the house down when they preached, who had dedicated their lives to serving God--were being driven out of churches or were leaving the ministry altogether." (p. 3)
   
   When I read this, I became very defensive and wondered if I wanted to read further. Having been in churches with female pastors and counting several as friends, my experience seemed the opposite of Sentilles'. Surely she exaggerated. But I read on--and as I read, I became persuaded. I also became angry and disillusioned. If churches can treat people like that, what hope is there for the world?
   
   The interviewees, from across the country and from different denominations, were honest and frank and needed little prompting to talk about their experiences. Some were still in the church and their real names were not used--their real feelings, however, came through in heartbreaking detail. They reported many incidents of sexism. One of the most common, seemingly harmless practices involved a woman pastor being complimented or criticized about her clothes, her hair style, her weight, or her "time of the month." Male pastors seem never to have that experience. Interesting, isn't it?
   
   Almost all women were offered lower salaries than their male counterparts because (it was rationalized) men were known to be the breadwinners of the family. Many congregations could not deal with a pregnant pastor. It makes everyone uncomfortable, they were told, to bring that "sexual connotation" to the pulpit. Do these same congregations think their male pastors are celibate? Of course not, but their sexuality was not so overt.
   
   Many women--and some men--come as new pastors, fresh from leading seminaries with a passion to serve. They might use what is called "inclusive language," terms which do not exclude or demean on the basis of race, religion, or gender. Most often, the women's efforts to speak inclusively were rebuffed. They were told that no one wanted to call God "She." (Sentilles argues that this misses the point, anyway: "Replacing one form of gender-exclusive language with another does not solve the problem." p. 138) The way we speak of God, she feels, goes to the heart of theology, regardless of denomination. "We will have to trust that God is bigger than anything we can say or write or sing about God. We will have to have faith in God."
   
   What first seemed to me to be Sentilles' angry and bitter criticism of an institution that failed her turned out to be a clearly stated and researched study, not just of the institutionalized church but those who attend and manage those churches. It truly does go to the heart of belief. What is religion? What is the Church? Who can fully participate? And, most important, what do our attitudes toward the clergy say about Christianity and those who profess to be Christians? Sentilles and the women she interviewed were very specific about ministry being a call to action--this is not religion of which they speak, but service, ministering to others. "Ministry is theology in action." (p.244) Sentilles and the other women ask this of organized religion, from which they often felt excluded or alienated: "What might empowering people to live their ministries in daily life look like? How would it change the church?...What might be lost? What gained?" (p. 247)
   
   Many of the women remain hopeful about the future. Many continue their ministry outside of the church, working with the homeless, abused women, the elderly. Interestingly, more than one finds she is most accepted in women's prisons. "It is a population that is vulnerable and needs help and is easily accessible...Women want to tell their stories. This is a place to hear women's stories." (p.278)
   
   Sentilles concludes that she has found a kind of faith in the writing of this book. "Yes, the church is sexist. Yes, the church is racist. Yes, the church is homophobic and classist and oppressive...and exclusive. And, at the same time, the church is filled with human beings ministering to one another, nourishing one another, challenging one another." (p. 309) "When I began writing this book, I was extremely angry. I was grieving. I wanted to write a book that would reveal how terrible religion is...But the women I interviewed changed my mind. Their stories, their energy, their commitment converted me. I began to feel strangely, unexpectedly hopeful." (p. 309)
   
   Having read this book, I feel hopeful, too.
   
   by Susan Ideus
   for Story Circle Book Reviews
   reviewing books by, for, and about women



2. I am thoroughly enjoying the book. The author deals with past and present patriarchal obstacles that would ordinarily prevent an elevated sense that there is true value for women to assume leadership roles within the church. A well written description of what to look forward to when women are finally accepted and valued in in true pastoral capacities in influencing a valued and healing role of the soul and the many dimensions overlooked in a male dominated profession.

5 comments about Saint Francis of Assisi.

1. Chesterton surprise us again with this formidable short essay about the life of Saint Francis of Assisi. This is not the typical hagiography, but an inside look to the vivid facts that made us understand the true meaning of charity, fraternity and solidarity through love.



2. Approaching this little book about a pillar of Catholicism with a sceptical interest in the historical aspects of the man St.F., one gets properly looked down upon by recent convert GKC. Orwell called Chesterton, his contemporary, a 'Catholic nationalist', i.e. not an English nationalist who was also Catholic. 'Chesterton was a writer of considerable talent who chose to suppress both his sensibilities and his intellectual honesty in the cause of Roman Catholic propaganda.' That seems to be about it, sorry Jim Egolf, here for once I disagree with your assessment of 'a gentleman who writes about a gentleman'.
   GKC wrote this in the 20s of the 20th, shortly after converting. The book is neither 'scientific' history, nor does it make an attempt at telling me what I would like to know about St.F. In that sense it is a disappointment.
   In other regards, it is worth reading. Like for his style, even if it gets annoying once in a while. He did love his pirouettes and his mannerisms. Watch this one, in the opening para:
   'A sketch of St.F. ... may be written in one of three ways. ... the third way, which is adopted here, is in some respects the most difficult of all. At least, it would be the most difficult if the other two were not impossible.'
   Well, we all need our little vanities.
   Worse are the arrogant asides against members of other 'nations' than his newly found Catholic tribe.
   Paraphrases:
   The worst moment for an atheist is when he is really thankful and has nobody to thank.
   In mediaevel times, nobody would have tolerated a Schopenhauer scorning life or a Nietzsche living only for scorn.
   A heresy had developed around a prophet named Mahomet.
   Mad metaphysics blown across out of Asia.
   Or a rough summary of his theory about the spread of Christianity: it was needed because the ancient people, the pagans, were subverted by sexual perversity, specifically homosexuality in the case of the Greeks. (He did not even spell this out, but resorted to allusions, because the subject might be too offensive, I assume...)
   Enough, I think.



3. G.K. Chesterton's titled ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI demonstrated once again Chesterton's charm, polite criticism, wit, and logic. Chesterton also showed that he had actual insight to St. Francis'mission and thinking. Chesterton also realized that modern misinterpretations had to be corrected to give readers a clearer understanding of a man who was complex, apparently mad, and had a passion for creation and the Creator.
   
   Chesterton began this book with a brief explanation of the political situation in Italy whereby small politics vied for power and land. St. Francis was part of this environment and began his younger days as a soldier. In one encounter, St. Francis was captured involving Assisi and another city-state in which St. Francis was captured. This was not what St. Francis expected or wanted. This event led to dispair and depression which Chesterton said changed St. Francis from an Italian citizen and soldier to a saint. Chesterton wrote that the man who emerged from such depression and dispair emerged from this experience as a far different man. Chesterton gives a good analysis of Medieval war in Italy. Men fought for their homes, loved ones, their shrines, and their rulers with whom they were much more familiar than modern mass and mindless democracy. Chesterton accurately contrasts Medieval Italian wars with modern war which is based on false media lying, government propaganda,and vague useless slogans for war in remote areas far from family and homes. Chesterton wrote that St. Francis could be a soldier and still love people. Chesterton explains this paradox by commenting that men could do so because they knew what they were fighting for and could accept an enemy as a friend as long as the fight was fair.
   
   Readers should know that St. Francis was a frair rather than a cloistered monk. Modern men do not understand the cloistered life unless they understand that pagans worshipped nature to the point that such worship became perverted and unnatural. The cloistered life was a reaction to such unreasonable nature worship. One could argue that St. Francis appreciated nature, but St. Francis worshipped whom he considered the Creator of nature. St. Francis was not a pantheist. Chesterton explained that the cloistered monks prior to the active frairs such as the Franciscans and Dominicans made invaluable contributions to Western Civilization. They hand copied books. The cloistered monks and nuns were Europe's first teachers during the so-called dark ages and saved learning. These people taught men how to effectively breed livestock and cultivate land. Chesterton stated that the cloistered monks and nuns were severely practical. They were severe with themselves and were practical and compassionate with everyone else.
   
   Another aspect of St. Francis' life was that he was a poet. Chesterton made the comment that poets write about romance and love. St. Francis' poetry was devoted to Divine Love and God. St. Francis may have influenced Medieval poets such as Dante (1265-1321) whose DIVINE COMEDY had obvious religious overtones.
   
   In spite of St. Franics poverty and asceticism, he was not a gloomy man. St. Francis was cheerful, optimistic, and free. Chesterton wrote that the Franciscans were more free than others because they took an honest vow of poverty. Anyone who is attached to his possessions could not be completly free. No one could contain St. Francis and his follwers by economic and social neccessity. Chesterton commented that he expects nothing will not be disappointed. Chesterton also commented that the Franciscans expected nothing but enjoyed everthing because they believed that creation emerged from nothing.
   
   Chesterton related a charming story of St. Francis and his followers who were poor and had nothing unceremoniously approaching great rulers and Popes for audiences without fanfare and pomp. Yet, more secular men who had wealth and power usually received St. Francis with politeness and respect. Another charming story is that of St. Francis and his followers approaching powerful Islam rulers during the Crusades. These rulers would have executed most Catholic if approached by other Catholics. Yet, the Islamic rulers showed respect to St. Francis. These rulers did not accept Catholcism, but St. Francis' kindness and manners made the Islamic rulers respect him in spite of severe religious differences. Many crusades want to kill Moslems in battle. St. Francis went to the Middle East not to kill Moslems but to create Catholics.
   
   Chesterton wrote this book to present a brief history and commentary of St. Francis and the Franciscans. Chesterton presented a more authenic of the Medieval era to give an authenic view of St. Francis and the Franciscans. Chestertoned showed what modern men in a crass materialistic world could learn from the Middle Ages which was intensely more religious as opposed to what has become of modern religion or what Bonhoffer called "cheap grace."
   
   This reviewer believes that G.K. Chesterton admired both St. Franics and St. Thomas Aquinas. Chesterton's nonfiction work shows the logic and reason of St. Thomas Aquinas and the compassion of St. Francis. As an aside, readers should read Chesterton's book re St. Thomas Aquinas which is a good companion volume to this book.



4. Chesterton's book offers significant insights into St. Francis that make this book worth reading and owning. Chesterton eloquently identifies and expounds some of the paradoxes from Francis' life. He also highlights the truths of Francis' ministry and radical faith. There are many lines in this book that readers will want to review and appreciate.
   
   However, this is not as Chesterton claims an introductory book to the saint. I think that for this book to be read without frustration readers should have at least a cursory knowledge of the timeline of events in St. Francis' life and why he is considered the most perfect image of Christ that ever lived. If you approach this book expecting, as I initially was, an easy to grasp overview of Francis' life you will probably be left wondering what Chesterton is writing about and when he is going to tell you about Francis.
   
   Chesterton approaches Francis from dozens of different perspectives and eventually zeros in on the heart of Francis and the supernatural events that guided his life. Chesterton hits the highlights but does not go through Francis life in a simple manner.
   
   Before reading this book, I would suggest reading a simpler biography on Francis. Many of his biographers cull from St. Bonaventures "Major Life of Francis" or Thomas Celano's biography of Francis. These are ealy traditional biographies of Francis and would prepare readers for Chesterton's discussion that does offer value to any picture of Francis.



5. G.K. Chesterton ranks high among the most entertaining and insightful Christian writers in history. His singular wit infuses his work bringing mirth to what might otherwise be solemnity. His style is playful, yet earnest and, though his era has passed, he remains as readable now as ever. Indeed, Chesterton resides not far behind the venerable CS Lewis as an icon of Christian literature. His St. Francis of Assisi proves no exception.
   
   Chesterton's intent is cleary not a comprehensive biography, but an introduction to the remarkable career of Francis Bernardone. The author hits only the highlights expecting these examples to accurately portray the whole. He easily succeeds. St. Francis of Assisi is a concise, enjoyable look at a saint who brought the principles of Christ back to a Catholicism which had long before started to wander. Read this and other works of Chesterton. You may find they all bear a 5-star ranking.