Amazon.com
Here I Stand is the autobiography of John Shelby Spong, the Episcopal bishop who is a lightning rod for controversy. Spong has for decades been working to popularize an inclusive version of Christianity that avoids racism, sexism, and homophobia; as a result, he has engaged leading conservatives (such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson) in very public conflicts. Here I Stand, predictably, gives a blow-by-blow of Spong's high-profile battles. More surprisingly, Spong also shares some very intimate details about his life that help to explain the sources of his theology. His southern childhood is related in a manner that is every bit as painful and comic as a Flannery O'Connor story. And the story of his first marriage, to a woman whose mental illness persisted for 15 years, is handled with sensitivity and grace. Despite his occasional rhetorical excesses, Spong's book is clearly written in love--with God, with the Church, and with the world. "I walk inside the wonder of this God in every experience of life," he writes at the book's end. We are fortunate that Spong's autobiography so expertly conveys this wonder.
Book Description
The legendary Episcopal Bishop tells of his lifelong struggle to champion an authentic christianity based on love, not hatred.
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The legendary Episcopal Bishop tells of his lifelong struggle to champion an authentic christianity based on love, not hatred.
Customer Reviews:
A Wonderful Story..........2007-05-11
As a young Episcopalian, future priest, and sometimes follower of Bishop Spong I was excited to get my hands on his autobiography to see where he was coming from. He has lived such an intriguing life and he has done many, many good things for the Church, and for the world.
In spite of what some may think about his theology (I, for one, happen to agree with a lot of what he says), I think that this book just shows that he is a man devoted to God, to the Church, and to his family.
Excellent background book.......2005-10-28
This is an excellent book. I have read several of Spong's books and this book is very helpful in giving the evolotion in his spiritual ideas. The Unity church I attend, has had two sets of Sunday School classes on his books. This book helps one to understand his writing.
A Man Who Takes Charge.......2005-09-27
Former Bishop Spong doesn't believe in the Bible as the inspired word of God. He doesn't believe Jesus was born of a virgin, died in atonement for sin, or was physically resurrected from the dead. He doesn't believe in salvation, the power of prayer, the second coming, Hell or any sort of afterlife, and sees God more as an internal presence than an external supernatural force.
I am interested in the history and structure of religion...this is my third Spong book. I thought perhaps this time I would find out just what it is Spong does believe - no such luck. What I did get was a detailed view of what shaped his life and theology, how he came to write so many books (average of one every 2 years since 1973) and a readable story about an energetic, caring and principled man.
Spong's father was an alcoholic who died when the boy was 12. Spong wasn't ready for the "man of the house" role his dependent mother would have liked for him to fill. His marginally successful early teen years took a positive turn when he joined the boy's choir at the Episcopal Church. A charismatic priest took an interest, and young Spong began taking leadership roles in every church activity. By the time he finished the 11th grade, he had decided to become a priest. Since being a priest required college, Spong buckled down and got all A's in school his senior year - a necessity for college admission since his previous grades were so poor.
From that time on (working within the limitations of objectivity inherent in an autobiography) Spong was a leader in everthing he attempted. In college, seminary and throughout his early church positions, he provided enthusiastic administrative skills. Outstanding qualities - a way of creating excitement for projects, organizational skills, people skills, diplomacy, unlimited energy, a developing talent in handling the press, and a willingness to stand up against injustice, even if he might end up standing alone. He wielded these qualities into explosive growth for each church under his guidance, and through the difficult time of racial de-segregation. Repeatedly when racial issues were lacking local leadership, Spong stepped forward. During the occasional loss of a battle, he laid ground to win the war.
Adult Bible study groups were an integral part of each of Spong's churches. His enthusiastic and always crowded classes repeatedly asked him to publish his classwork, and his second career as a writer began. He helped the high school football announcer with statistics, soon taking over play by play announcing. He created a debate over radio with a local rabbi. He received more and more speaking engagements, sparking a third career. These days, he has about 200 speaking engagements per year.
The drama of conflict is one of the charms of this autobiography, but it is strictly a memoir of his professional life. We don't get past a superficial knowledge of either wife or his kids. The conflicts at the end of the book can get a little too detailed at times, but the inner workings of church hierarchy I found fascinating.
Back to Bishop Spong's theology, I still wonder - given his beliefs - why he doesn't take up watercoloring or golf instead of going to church. I would like to read his views on what role IS appropriate in his view of the church and how this church would conduct its services. It is clear that whatever he believes, a significant part of his theology will be based on tolerance and love. A very good book.
The dangers of living a Humanitist Christian "life".......2005-05-15
One of the leading men who is well into the apostasy of falsifying and corrupting the truth of Christianity is a man named John Shelby Spong. Christians who will stand faithful to the Lord through His Son Jesus Christ need to know about him and people like him because even if you do not ever read one of his books, you will come across people who have been blinded by his corrupted and degraded Christian beliefs. John Shelby Spong has several books out there today. Some of the titles are as follow: Here I Stand: My Struggle for a Christianity Integrity, Love, and Equality; A New Christianity for a New World; Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism. These are just a few, there are many more. What is ironic is that while he has tried, in his own words, to bring integrity, love, and equality back to Christianity, he really has destroyed the foundations and fundamental truths that are found within the holy Scriptures. Even more so, by destroying the very skeleton of the Bible and Christian reality, he has distorted so many Christians who now follow him that they truly are in a limbo of his leading and making. I will discuss several of what he calls his Twelve Theses now with the truth of the Bible and information outside of the Bible.
From his Twelve Theses, here are explanations for you so that you will know how in turn to be able to get through the muck that has brought down the integrity of Christianity and has placed it into the view of just another "feel good without truly thinking" point of views. To be able to fulfill what is called the Great Commission, you will need and be able to meet in mental and spiritual combat those like Spong who wish to distort anything and everything that is Holy and True about our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ. The Twelve Theses is Spongs attempt to be like a New Age Episcopal (no big surprise that he was a bishop within this denomination) Martin Luther. You can find a full copy of this distortion in his biography, Here I Stand.
Creation/Evolution: Spong has the following to say (453): "The biblical story of the perfect and finished creation from which human beings fell into sin is pre-Darwinian mythology and post-Darwinian nonsense." The truth of God however is far above Darwin and in fact, the truth of evolution is probably one of the greatest fairy tales of the 19th through 21st century. There are many holes and straying strands that exist within what is grouped together as evolution. Not even scientists who believe, or people like Spong, can't get the right idea of what evolution is. On the other hand, the Bible's view of the truth of creationism contains a lot of evidence to support this view. There are a multitude of books that are out there published by intelligent and thought provoking creationist scientists. DNA, biology, and physiology again and again when brought together support the Biblical ideas. What is so dangerous is that many people, even those who may be reading this book on apologetics, cannot know the truth because the evolutionsists like Spong within the church and people like the fairly popular Stephen Jay Gould outside Christianity seems to be the popular view that is taught as religion in our school systems and now in our churches. Instead I would suggest to you to read books like How Now Shall I Live? by Charles Colson and Nancy Pearcey, The Long War Against God by Dr. Henry Morris, and The Face by Hank Hanegraaff. I would have to go into a book in and of itself about the truth of creationism but I think I have made my point countering Spong. Charles Colson and Nancy Pearcey have this to say about the debate and how it affects who you are in your Christian walk with God (55): The Christian worldview begins with the Creation, with a deliberate act by a personal Being who existed from all eternity. This personal dimension is crucial for understanding Creation. Before bringing the world into existence, the Creator made a choice, a decision: He set out a plan, an intelligent design.
Virgin Birth: Spong has the following to say (453): "The virgin birth, understood as literal biology, makes the divinity of Christ, as traditionally understood impossible." Biblical foundations of the virgin birth came from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah within two main segments of the book of Isaiah. These points are found in Isaiah 7:14 and Isaiah 9:6a. What Spong has to say is another fallacy that has corrupted so many people who have come to the church to find the truth of God. Christianity is founded on the proofs of the Bible. Spong says that it is biologically impossible yet how can that be for with the God who created the univesre, is something as simple as this so difficult? For Spong, in his narrow view of God's truth, the answer is a sad yes. While you and I can't have a physiological evidence placed in our hand, we can respect the reality of how Christ Jesus, to be who He said He is and how prophecy has spoken true about Him, then we must accept the virgin birth. We cannot pick and choose what we can and cannot believe in the Bible. The Bible is true, it is supported by much information. Even more so, we must accept how the prophecies of the virgin birth have brought about the truth of Christ Jesus. We cannot say the prophets are liars because in the Jewish sense, if a prophet is wrong about one point, then not only is he a false prophet, then he also will die because Jewish laws show that prophets must be 100% true. The following is found within the wonderful work by Josh McDowell called The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict, he has this to say (295): The evidence strongly suggests that the birth narratives in Matthew and Luke are built on the firsthand testimony of Jesus' own family members, which further support the conclusion that Jesus' conception and birth were indeed the fulfillment of Isaiah's ancient prophecy. As Matthew wrote: "Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet , saying: `Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which is translated `God with us.'" (Matthew 1:22, 23).
Cross: Spong has the following to say (453): "The view of the cross as the sacrifice for the sins of the world is a barbarian idea based on primitive concepts of God that must be dismissed." Such a heresy is horrific to believe but there are many, many people out there who not only disbelieve in the crucifixion but not understanding the reasons why there was the crucifixion. The cross is the foundation of the Bible, yes, and even more, the cross and the crucifixion is the primary truth of God's love and want for our human race to be saved. Spong does not, along with the others who believe with Spong, understand the truth that is our Lord and Savior's reason for the Cross. Jesus could have called a thousand, thousand angels to come down to protect Him from the cross but God knew that His Son had to go through the cross in order for you and I to be truly saved from our sins. We are a sinful race, we are not able to save ourselves, and thus God was the only one who could save us. The only way to save us was to face what we faced, thus He had to come into this world, into our human history, as Jesus Christ, as the Son, and bear upon His own shoulders not just the salvation of the world but also the judgment the final judgment upon the affront that sin is toward Him. J. Vernon McGee has this to say about the truth of the cross (144): "It was a transaction between the Father in heaven and the Son on the cross. The cross became an altar upon which the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, was offered." Without the cross and the honest reasons behind the cross, that is to save us from our sins, again we cannot truly know and have faith and be in relationship with our Lord God. It is a shame that yes again, Spong creates a false reality that has subjugated so many who come to Christianity for salvation and safety.
Resurrection: Spong has the following to say (454): "Resurrection is an action of God, who raised Jesus into the meaning of God. It therefore cannot be a physical resurrection occurring, inside human history." Yet again truth that is founded on the reliability of Scripture has escaped Mr. Spong simply because he, yet again, wishes to nitpick what he wants to believe and what he doesn't want to believe based upon a faulty ground of his "reasoning" powers. We must accept the truth within scripture and outside of scripture toward the reliability of the resurrection. There are several reasons for this. Archeologists and historians have come together over the ages to show that the Bible's scriptures hold truth in what they say, that they can be honored and they can be relied upon with all intent and purpose in one's walk with Christ.
There were hundreds upon hundreds of eye witnesses that saw and had specific contact with the risen Lord and Savior. If this was not true, then evidence would have outweighed even the most arrogant supporter for Jesus being back alive. Yet many a times Jesus was seen, encountered, and talked with by not just the disciples such as Matthew and Mark and John and Peter, but also many others who were firm believers in the Lord yet had no real speaking or political power. Even after His resurrection, there is ample and true historical evidence that there were those who indeed saw Him and witnessed Him in His resurrected body. Right after the resurrection the disciples saw him, then others outside the circle of main believers. Remember the Bible read the following from the Book of Acts 1:2-3:
...until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
Then in 1st Corinthians 15:5-8, Paul says the following quote:
...and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
As these quotes show, you must understand that the writers of the Gospels specifically speak of instances where they themselves as the disciples had a personal contact with the Lord and Savior who rose back to life. There was of course the instance where Thomas, later Doubting Thomas, touched Jesus before the eyes of other. Then there was also the time where in the early morning Jesus ate and broke bread with Peter and John and the others on the beach. The first Letter to Corinthians, furthermore, shows that several hundred people had witnessed Jesus after the resurrection. If any of these instances were not true, then there would have been mounting evidence that would have wiped out even the flicker of believers at this time in history. As the letter of Paul was written in probably a decade or two after the resurrection, if there was no truth behind Jesus' resurrection, Christianity would have been snuffed out like what someone would do to a candle. Such evidence seems to elapse from Spong and his followers. History not only supports the fact that Jesus rose from the grave, it even bows down to its truth.
This is just some of the truths that counter weigh the false beliefs of Spong and others like him. To be a Christian, to fully be raptured by the truth and wonder and hope and joy that is our Lord God and Savior, you must realize that the Bible speaks the truth, that its wisdom is not man made wisdom but God made and that its reliability is found on the solid ground that is where our Lord God stands upon. As Christians, as believers, I hope and pray that this confrontation to Spong's ideas helps you realize what kind of cancer is biting at the heels of our Church. If you are an unbeliever, I hope and pray that my evidence has helped at least spark a fire of thought and desire to know more within your heart and soul. I pray as I write this that God opens your eyes and opens your heart to His eternal truth and love and holiness.
Nothing to Stand On.......2004-05-05
In a postmodern era, where truth is relative and reality undefinable, this book provides quick and easy pain relief, kind of like taking morphine for cancer. For the most part, we all want to believe that there is a God or at least something out there; that way we don't feel like this life is such a waste. But if we believe in one system, especially one so "antiquated" as the Bible we will be mocked and ridiculed for being closed-minded and ignorant. But we grew up in Christian homes and are much more comfortable with "Christian" spirituality than, say, Eastern Transcendentalism. So what is the open-minded post modernist to do?
Enter John Shelby Spong (and others)...
Simple, by removing Christianity's belief that we are sinful, Christ no becomes pointless. By removing the parts of Christianity that cause so many people to stumble and which don't make sense in a world where everybody is equally right (see 1 Corinthians 1:18), now Christianity is poised to survive for millennia to come.
The problem is that the message of Christianity is the Gospel, the Good News. That Good News is that even though we have been found to be in rebellion to the Creator, Sustainer, and Judge over the universe, He made a way for us to be made right with Him: Christ. Christ came and died so that we would not be judged as the rebels that we are and cast out of His Presence and into eternal death. Sin is that rebellion; Christ is the only solution. Any religion, including a Savior-less Christianity that does not deal with our problem of sin will probably do quite a bit to make us feel better about our damned condition while we're here on earth, but we will still have to stand on our own merits before the Judge. It's like having cancer, ignoring the miracle cure, and taking morphine so that you can ignore the death that you are dying. Christ, rather, will remove your sin and your rebellion as far as the East is from the West. He will remove your death-bringing cancer of sin and give you the true relief of his grace, both now and for eternity.
Do not fall for Spong's appealing postmodern message. Realize that reality exists; if the God of the Bible is real, you must repent from your sins and place your only hope in Christ.
Amazon.com
In a joyous, often hilarious ode to the Birkenstock-scuffling, tackle box-toting mobile midwives who flourished in the 1980s, Peggy Vincent chronicles her abundant life as a professional Baby Catcher. The wild ride begins during her nurse training years in the 1960s, when laboring women were expected to lie down, shut up, and submit to whatever drugs and procedures the doctor ordered. A rebellious patient who chants and dances through her contractions--and the hell that ensues when seasoned hospital staffers intrude--lights a permanent fire under Vincent. Her resolve to serve each laboring woman with compassion and respect carries her from obstetrics nurse to head of an alternative birth center within Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley, California, and eventually into her own private practice as a licensed midwife. Like the most courageous home births, this collection of delivery experiences refuses anesthesia: plenty of bellowing, sweating, bleeding, and pushing accompany nearly all of the more than 40 tales. Tough confrontations with stubborn physicians, panicky labor partners, and one particularly nasty calico cat are dabbed with as many keen insights as Vincent's quieter, more heart-rending newborn encounters. Baby Catcher is an inspirational literary gift suitable for expectant mothers, fellow baby catchers, and anyone who loves reading about nature's greatest magical feat. --Liane Thomas
Book Description
Each time she knelt to "catch" another wriggling baby -- nearly three thousand times during her remarkable career -- California midwife Peggy Vincent paid homage to the moment when pain bows to joy and the world makes way for one more. With every birth, she encounters another woman-turned-goddess: Catherine rides out her labor in a car careening down a mountain road. Sofia spends hers trying to keep her hyper doctor-father from burning down the house. Susannah gives birth so quietly that neither husband nor midwife notice until there's a baby in the room.
More than a collection of birth stories, however, Baby Catcher is a provocative account of the difficulties that midwives face in the United States. With vivid portraits of courage, perseverance, and love, this is an impassioned call to rethink technological hospital births in favor of more individualized and profound experiences in which mothers and fathers take center stage in the timeless drama of birth.
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"She never tired of the miracle. Each time she knelt to "catch" another baby, beloved California mid-wife Peggy Vincent paid homage to the moment when pain bows to joy, one person becomes two, woman turns to goddess, and the world moves aside to make room for one more soul. Trained as a nurse at Duke University in the early 1960s, Vincent begins working in the delivery room of a local hospital in the San Francisco Bay area. Even after establishing an alternative birth center at the hospital, however, she is still frustrated with her lack of autonomy. Too often she witnesses births changing from normal to high risk because of routine obstetrical interventions. Vincent then devotes herself to creating unique birth experiences for her clients and their families. She becomes a licensed midwife, opens her own practice, and delivers nearly three thousand babies during her remarkable career. With every birth comes an unforgettable story. Each time Vincent ""catches"" a wet and wriggling baby, she encounters another memorable woman busy negotiating her unique path through the labyrinth of childbirth. Meet Catherine as she rides out her labor in a car careening down a mountain road, her husband clueless at the wheel. Megan delivers on a leaky sailboat during the storm of the decade. Susannah gives birth so quietly and effortlessly, neither husband nor midwife notice much of anything until they see a baby lying on the bed, and Sofia spends her labor trying to keep her hyper doctor-father from burning down the house. More than just a collection of birth stories, Baby Catcher is a provocative, moving, and highly personal account of the ongoing difficulties midwives face in the United States. With vivid portraits of courage, perseverance, and love, this is a passionate call to rethink today's technological hospital births in favor of a more individualized and profound experience in which mothers and fathers take the stage in the timeless drama of birth and renewal.
Customer Reviews:
Could NOT Put it Down!.......2007-10-22
I stumbled onto this book as I was purchasing my college textbooks last year. My college has a colloquium on the history/sociology of midwifery and this book had such a great cover that I just picked it up and read the first vignette about Zelda's birth experience and I just couldn't put it down. I ended up buying the book and reading it straight through in just a couple of days. I got a better idea about possible birth experiences and midwifery in the USA. After finishing it, I felt empowered about being a woman and a mother (one day). Even now, a year later, I still think back to some of the people and experiences Vincent shares.
Amazing book; couldn't put it down.......2007-08-27
I only finished this book an hour ago, after 2 solid days of nonstop reading. I've been sick, and as I neared the end of the book, I anxiously hoped I'd get well within the next few minutes because this page-turner was the only thing helping me through this horrible flu!!!
The birth stories are beautifully written; I cried when reading most of them :) There wasn't a boring moment throughout the entire book, and Peggy Vincent's own story of the legal troubles facing midwives was artfully woven in.
The book was not negative towards the medical establishment- Ms. Vincent gave examples of wonderful, informed physicians who advocated for and worked with midwives beautifully. She merely shows that there is another way to give birth, with a midwife and/or outside of a hospital, and that this experience can be one of the most awesome and fulfilling of a lifetime!
There are stories of typical as well as atypical births (where transport is required or a baby doesn't do so well), and Ms. Vincent doesn't mince words about pain, blood, mucus and complications... However, the overall feeling I had when I finished the book was one of excitement- I can't wait to have a baby of my own. What more can I say about a book that is so wonderfully written and inspiring that it makes women excited at the prospect of childbirth??
Hilarious!.......2007-08-17
This book is hilarious and touching and at times even a little sad. Her stories are shocking and amazing. Well written. You won't be able to put this book down!
I'm glad this book is out there.......2007-08-09
Bit corny, especially the first chapter but I've been waiting for a personal book written by a midwife. Easy to read and entertaining.
Absolutely riveting!.......2007-04-16
I read this book 4 years after I had my 8th and last child. It captured my absolute attention. Though, I must say this topic is a soapbox of mine. I am a 52 year old retired L&D nurse. I felt I was so aggravated by the system of American childbirth the whole time. I am very pro-midwife. It is refreshing to read of women who get wonderful care. I was frustrated as I finished the book to think that in 1986 I lived 15 mins. from Peggy Vincent and didn't know it. My husband was a Naval Officer based in Oakland. I went to a Military Hospital there because I didn't know of midwives then. I had my babies without drugs or epidurals but my care was lacking as I constantly fought the system to get what I wanted. I imagined how my birth could have been if I had known and had her come to my house. Oh well, I love you Peggy.
I now have people who want this care to read this book. One of my daughters has now had a baby using a midwife. She is due in June with her second and is paying out of pocket to see a midwife. She has re-read this book as has her husband to prepare!
Average customer rating:
- Lightning doesn't strike twice
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Black Magic: White Hollywood and African American Culture (Jazz & American Culture)
Krin Gabbard
Manufacturer: Rutgers University Press
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0813533848 |
Book Description
Why do so many African American film characters seem to have magical powers? And why do they use them only to help white people? When the actors are white, why is the sound track so commonly performed by African Americans? And why do so many white actors imitate black people when they wish to express strong emotion?
As Krin Gabbard brilliantly reveals in Black Magic, we duly recognize the cultural heritage of African Americans in literature, music, and art, but there is a disturbing pattern in the roles that blacks are asked to play-particularly in the movies. Many recent films, including The Matrix, Fargo, The Green Mile, Ghost, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Pleasantville, The Bridges of Madison County, and Crumb, reveal a fascination with black music and sexuality even as they preserve the old racial hierarchies. Quite often the dependence on African American culture remains hidden-although it is almost perversely pervasive. In the final chapters of Black Magic, Gabbard looks at films by Robert Altman and Spike Lee that attempt to reverse many of these widespread trends.
Customer Reviews:
Lightning doesn't strike twice.......2006-10-05
Jamming at the Margins was a masterpiece, the first book I've ever read that used the tools of postmodern, post-canonical criticism to address issues pertaining to Jazz and Jazz history. What happened? Was Gabbard afraid that he had offended members of his target groups that need everything spelled out for them? In any case,Black Magic is, by comparison, a disappointingly weak intellectual performance. The topic - the way Black representation is treated in Hollywood, and the fact that black characters still have a tendancy to function as some sort of enablers for White characters to achieve something or to come together, and then to disappear - is an important one. I will admit it is a topic about which I am passionate, and I was jealous that one of my favorite critics had decided to write a book about it (I was scooped!). But I was also very excited to read it, and with every page I grew more and more depressed. The approach is scattershot: textbook psychology is followed by a plethora of biographical details which is followed by a kind of ironic, impotent outrage. The book feels like it was written in a big rush, poorly edited, barely unpacked. And the praise for Spike Lee and Robert Altman feels barely sincere, toothless. The best chapter should have been the chapter where Gabbard outs himself as a Jazz nerd. It should have been a proud companion to such essays as Walter Benjamin's Unpacking My Library or certain moments out of Roland Barthes. But it isn't. It's a kind of cute, bland, snickeringly charming half-backed self-portrait. What a missed opportunity!
Book Description
Il primo libro de madrigali a cinque voci (Venice, 1567)
Book Description
Can you pass these tests? 46 real-world, professional and academic qualifying exams to try.
For example: Chef-California Culinary Academy, Nurse-National Council of Registered Nurses, Architect-Georgia Tech, U.S. History-Harvard, Securities-Sales Security Training School, Real Estate-Florida, Wine Master-London Institute of Masters of Wine. The best exams, with answers, selected from two titles originally published as "Can You Pass These Tests?" and "What Do You Know?" with combined sales over 150,000 copies. Now available in one giant volume updated with new exams on Business Ethics and Computer Certification. An essential resource for career guidance counselors. Edited by creator of Games magazine.
Customer Reviews:
I would have failed most of these tests.......2000-06-02
I may have a master's degree and I may be a member of Mensa but that doesn't mean I can do well on the tests in this book. The tests in this book are highly specialized: from auto mechanic to ballroom dancer to wine taster to interior decorator. Unless you have experience and expertise in these areas, the questions will probably go over your head. I attempted these sorts of tests but found that after the third or fourth question I had lost interest because it was so foreign to me that I would not have even the slightest clue. However, in a way I think that is the purpose of the book. To give you an appreciation of the knowledge and expertise required by various occupations. An auto mechanic needs to know a whole lot more than just using a wrench. A CPA does more than just crunching numbers. Wine tasters have to really know their wine and be able to critique it on many factors. It isn't sampling something in the grocery store.
Still there were a few tests that were more accessible to the general public and involved more everyday common sense knowledge. An example is the elementary school teacher test and the U.S. History test.
This pencil's pretty sharp!.......2000-03-31
The book is a terrific compendium of various and sundry exams. There appears to be no reason why these were included, other than being eclectic. I enjoyed trying my hand at some of the more obscure titles. One thing I do know, I won't be hired as a wine steward any time soon. For less than a $20 bill, it succeeded in straining my memory and my wit. It was a kick!
Book Description
Includes all the latest updates and changes to the 2004 tax code
Publishers Weekly called it "a can't-miss title." The New York Daily News praised it for "pushing the envelope" and taking "a consumerist approach that's helpful during all the other months before next April." Best of all, more than half a million people have consulted How to Pay Zero Taxes for solid guidance on paying less to the IRS.
This fully updated 22nd edition contains:
- The latest tax changes
- More tax-saving tips than any other guide
- Easy, practical strategies to lower taxes this year, next year, and beyond
- Hundreds of legal ways to preserve pretax income and profit
Download Description
Includes all the latest updates and changes to the 2004 tax code
Publishers Weekly called it "a cant-miss title." The New York Daily News praised it for "pushing the envelope" and taking "a consumerist approach that's helpful during all the other months before next April." Best of all, more than half a million people have consulted How to Pay Zero Taxes for solid guidance on paying less to the IRS.
This fully updated 22nd edition contains:
- The latest tax changes
- More tax-saving tips than any other guide
- Easy, practical strategies to lower taxes this year, next year, and beyond
- Hundreds of legal ways to preserve pretax income and profit
'
Customer Reviews:
Great for Long-Term Tax Planning.......2005-01-15
Recommended for anyone who wants to implement long-term tax strategies to reduce or eliminate their tax liabilities. Long-term strategies require careful planning, and Schnepper's historical and legal approach will show you the advantages and pitfalls of various tax strategies.
Comprehensive guide to tax deductions and tax credits. As the subtitle says, this book covers "every tax break the IRS allows." Author Jeff Schnepper focuses exclusively on tax planning. This book is not to be used to help you prepare your tax return.
Schnepper organizes his material historically, which may be good or bad depending on your tastes. His discussion of a particular tax item proceeds through various tax laws, noting changes in the law or various tax court cases. The current information will always be towards the end of a particular section.
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- In Her Sister's Shadow: An Intimate Biography of Lee Radziwill
- In My Own Voice: Memoirs
- J. P. Morgan: Banker to a Growing Nation (American Business Tycoons)
- Jackie After Jack: Portrait of the Lady
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The PMP Exam: How to Pass On Your First Try
- The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil
- The Noodle Maker: A Novel
- The Lois Wilson Story: When Love is Not Enough: The Authorized Biography of the Cofounder of Al-Anon
- The Little Soul and the Sun: A Children's Parable Adapted from Conversations With God
- Search Engine Optimization: An Hour a Day
- The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America
- Space Station Odyssey: The Making of an Astronaut
- Taxation, reimbursement : agreement between the United States of America and the World Meteorologica
- Rafflesia of the World
A New Christianity for a New World: Why Traditional Faith is Dying & How a New Faith is Being Born
The Sins of Scripture: Exposing the Bible's Texts of Hate to Reveal the God of Love
Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism: A Bishop Rethinks the Meaning of Scripture
Why Christianity Must Change or Die: A Bishop Speaks to Believers In Exile
Jesus for the Non-Religious
