Books

A Good Death
Death of a Village
Naked Came the Manatee
The Tavern in the Morning (Hawkenlye Mystery S.)
Rum and Razors (Murder She Wrote (Paperback))
Tango One
White Murder (A Marcus Corvinus Mystery)
The Faithful Dead
Hidden Power (A DS Kate Power Crime Novel)
I Richard
The Haunted Air: Repairman Jack #4 (Repairman Jack Novels (Paperback))
The Maze
And Be a Villian (Crime Line)
Hard Frost
Some Buried Caesar
Garnethill
A Darker Place
Prayers for Rain
Exile
Whisker of Evil
Arms of Nemesis
Pure Dynamite
The Grim Reaper (A Crowner John Mystery)
Common Murder (A Lindsay Gordon Mystery)
Deadly Intent

Average customer rating:

Great discussion book
The best book you can buy for dealing with loss, trials, tribulations, and a divine power!
Heretical Nonsense
Worst self help book I have ever read
This book makes you terribly unsecure

When Bad Things Happen to Good People
Harold S. Kushner
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Living a Life that Matters
How Good Do We Have to Be? A New Understanding of Guilt and Forgiveness
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ASIN: 1400034728
Release Date: 2004-08-24

Amazon.com

Rarely does a book come along that tackles a perennially difficult human issue with such clarity and intelligence. Harold Kushner, a Jewish rabbi facing his own child's fatal illness, deftly guides us through the inadequacies of the traditional answers to the problem of evil, then provides a uniquely practical and compassionate answer that has appealed to millions of readers across all religious creeds. Remarkable for its intensely relevant real-life examples and its fluid prose, this book cannot go unread by anyone who has ever been troubled by the question, "Why me?"

Book Description

When Harold Kushner’s three-year-old son was diagnosed with a degenerative disease and that he would only live until his early teens, he was faced with one of life’s most difficult questions: Why, God? Years later, Rabbi Kushner wrote this straightforward, elegant contemplation of the doubts and fears that arise when tragedy strikes. Kushner shares his wisdom as a rabbi, a parent, a reader, and a human being. Often imitated but never superseded, When Bad Things Happen to Good People is a classic that offers clear thinking and consolation in times of sorrow.
Since its original publication in 1981, When Bad Things Happen to Good People has brought solace and hope to millions of readers and its author has become a nationally known spiritual leader.

Customer Reviews:

Great discussion book.......2007-05-22

Kushner's book makes a great discussion starter because every person has experienced bad things happening to good people. Using his book helps one look at reactions such as anger, guilt, the forever "why" questions. I'm currently using the book as a study with a group of Christian women. It is interesting to hear them broaden Kushner's theology with their own Christian beliefs. I am using Philip Yancey's Where is God When it Hurts? to supplement When Bad Things Happen to Good People.

The best book you can buy for dealing with loss, trials, tribulations, and a divine power!.......2007-05-10

There is no better book on the market than this one if you are searching for meaning behind the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" This one is simply the best. It doesn't matter what your faith is, or even if you have a faith. This book does more to help one heal from the pain and devastation of loss, trials, and tribulations than any other I've ever read....and I've read a lot. This is the one book I recommended to everyone who is going through something painful, struggling to make sense of the devastation and pain that can so often be a part of our lives. More over, even if you aren't experiencing anything of a devastating nature, this book can help you connect to the "whys" of the universe; help open your mind to explanations that actually do bring comfort. I read this book a couple of times a year, that alone can help keep me focused and hopeful, as well as renewing my sense of faith in the divine.

Heretical Nonsense.......2007-05-09

This book twists so much about God.
God is in control of all things and has the power to change all circumstances. When he doesn't that does not change the fact that God is good and is in control. Trials are put or allowed to be in our lives for a reason. We do not always know why but if you are walking with God you can be sure that it will work out for good. Yes even if we lose someone we love or have a lifelong struggle...

Worst self help book I have ever read.......2007-04-21

As you can tell from the title of my review, this book did not help me at all. In fact, it made me feel worse. More to the point, I thought it was poorly written. In addition to depressing the reader, the author contradicts his thesis. He pledges to tell the reader why bad things happen to good people, but instead argues that bad things happen for no reason and God has no control over it. Maybe this is helpful for people who are able to accept that that there are mysteries in life, but for someone like me who is very cerebral/logical, and finds comfort in answers, this book was not worth the money I spent on it. Perhaps Kushner should have picked a different title for his book.

Someone recommended I read this right after my mother died from colon cancer when I was 20. I bought it hoping to find some "reason" why this had happened to my family. The title of the book made me think that the author might address this point, but as mentioned above, the reality is quite the contrary. Since Kushner does not answer the questions posed in his book, he left me aching to find the answers and hating God even more which I am certain was not Kushner's goal.

For those seeking to understand how to cope with the death of a loved one, I highly recommend Learned Optimism, by Martin E.P. Selligman, Ph.D. Although no one can explain why God "allows" bad things to happen to the people we love, Selligman will help you figure out how to deal with hardships in all areas of your life much more effectively than Kushner. Take it from a licensed psychologist, not a Rabbi.

This book makes you terribly unsecure.......2007-04-13

I have lost a child to cancer. My wife and I were looking for answers. we baught Rabbi Kushner's book. We read the book carefully. By the time my wife and I finished the book we were so broken and depressed, we felt terribly insecure. We felt that no one is in charge of the world and things happen to good people for no good reason, and that can happen easily to other good people we knew. After going thru counceling, our Pyscologist (a secularist) reffered us to a set of audio cassates and a book called "Making Sense of Suffering" ISBN: 1-57819-757-0. We read the book and listened to the lectures. Then after thinking over these new ideas and the logic that we were exposed to, we finaly got back much of our live, but it wouldn't be able to happen with Rabbi Kushner's theory.

Average customer rating:

Problem of Pain
The Problem of Pain in its Right Context
Absolutely Amazing Tackling of the Issue
Excellent
More great insight by a brilliant man

The Problem of Pain
C. S. Lewis
Manufacturer: HarperSanFrancisco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Ethics | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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A Grief Observed
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ASIN: 0060652969
Release Date: 2001-02-05

Amazon.com

The Problem of Pain answers the universal question, "Why would an all-loving, all-knowing God allow people to experience pain and suffering?" Master Christian apologist C.S. Lewis asserts that pain is a problem because our finite, human minds selfishly believe that pain-free lives would prove that God loves us. In truth, by asking for this, we want God to love us less, not more than he does. "Love, in its own nature, demands the perfecting of the beloved; that the mere 'kindness' which tolerates anything except suffering in its object is, in that respect at the opposite pole from Love." In addressing "Divine Omnipotence," "Human Wickedness," "Human Pain," and "Heaven," Lewis succeeds in lifting the reader from his frame of reference by artfully capitulating these topics into a conversational tone, which makes his assertions easy to swallow and even easier to digest. Lewis is straightforward in aim as well as honest about his impediments, saying, "I am not arguing that pain is not painful. Pain hurts. I am only trying to show that the old Christian doctrine that being made perfect through suffering is not incredible. To prove it palatable is beyond my design." The mind is expanded, God is magnified, and the reader is reminded that he is not the center of the universe as Lewis carefully rolls through the dissertation that suffering is God's will in preparing the believer for heaven and for the full weight of glory that awaits him there. While many of us naively wish that God had designed a "less glorious and less arduous destiny" for his children, the fortune lies in Lewis's inclination to set us straight with his charming wit and pious mind. --Jill Heatherly

Book Description

Why must humanity suffer? In this elegant and thoughtful work, C. S. Lewis questions the pain and suffering that occur everyday and how this contrasts with the notion of a God that is both omnipotent and good. An answer to this critical theological problem is found within these pages.

Customer Reviews:

Problem of Pain.......2007-05-30

Excellent book by C. S. Lewis. Used for adult Bible Study discussion group.

The Problem of Pain in its Right Context.......2007-05-01

Pain is real, just as sorrow, death, and wickedness. Your becoming a Christian will not encapsulate you away from it. Christ did not promise that in the first place. But there are reasons why pain happens, as much to Christians as non Christians, and we should reach a better understanding of the circumstances in which we live, so that we can apprehend the promises that are envolved through that pain. Everyone is to pick up a cross at childbirth, but whether you follow Christ with it depends only on you.

This book won't be the treat that 'Mere Christianity' was. It's more philosophical; it assumes the reader is a Christian and has some knowledge of Scripture. But nevertheless, everyone can follow his thinking and it will all make sense. About 160 pages, it has chapters of between 10 and 20 pages, and frames the problem in its right context before reaching his conclusion at the end of the book. This is not a make-you-feel-good (dumb) self-help book. It's a make you understand book.

Absolutely Amazing Tackling of the Issue.......2007-04-15

The first book of CS Lewis I read was "Mere Christianity" and I was profoundly stunned by how effective and witty he could be in his explanation of Christianity and Christian doctrine. So it was with eagerness that I devoted myself to the reading of this book.

And I was not disappointed in the least. The problem of pain is tightly linked with that of evil, in a world supposedly created and led by God. This is one of the most common, and most important, issues in theology, and I dare say, in everybody's life, provided they're somewhat curious about the world they live in. Justifying God on the counts of evil and pain is called theodicy, if I'm not mistaken, and that is what Lewis does in this book, but he does much more.

He deals with the basic problem I just mentioned, how could there be a good God when we live in such a wretched world, but he goes further and treats the human nature as "fallen", and that in a very interesting manner, not your silly Adam & Eve story taken literally (and by "silly" I don't mean the actual myth of Adam & Eve, just the literal taking of it).

Lewis tackles even such a complicated issue as animal pain and the condition of animals in Christianity. That shows quite some bravery.

One chapter is devoted to Hell, and another to Heaven, and either are really amazing prowess of theology. I'm no specialist of theology, but Lewis has a true gift in explaining of all this in a very clear fashion. He truly makes theology a thrilling matter!

After having read "Mere Christianity" and "The Problem of Pain", I'm absolutely convinced that I will get to read everything he wrote on theology, Christianity, and the likes. Regardless of your actual faith or lack thereof, you will find this book (or these books) worth your while. If you're interested in such things, please do yourself a favour and purchase those profoundly marvelous books.

Excellent.......2007-03-26

In this classic by C.S. Lewis, the writer's brilliance really shows. Aside from his somewhat speculative approach to applying Eden to evolution and the way he treated Heaven and Hell as the final destinations rather than resurrection with New Heavens/New Earth, this book is excellent. I was inspired, challenged and strengthened by the reading, and will certainly read it again sometime down the road.

More great insight by a brilliant man.......2007-03-22

According to the Author, Lewis took up the daunting task of trying to understand why pain exists if a good God exists too on a suggestion from a colleague. He notes in the book that figuring the problem of pain out started out as a duty, then quickly became an immense pleasure. Reading the book may give the reader the same progression of feelings. One may feel the urge to confront the deep question of pain and how that impacts one's faith is an obligation to be met grudgingly against one's will. However, while delving into the work, one will find it extremely pleasurable as the author reveals that there really isn't a problem of pain. The question eventually evolves from why, in a world created by a good and all-powerful God, is there pain and suffering to why, in some instances, is there a lack of pain.

Lewis illustrates his resolution of this problem eloquently and sufficiently, though concisely. The book could be much longer and still not fulfill every but, though, or what if created by these major life concepts.

I recommend "Mere Christianity" over this book, but suggest that this is a great supplement. While some ideas overlap, there is much to be learned by each book.

Good Grief: A Constructive Approach to the Problem of Loss

Average customer rating:

Great grief survival tool
Simple, Succinct, and Invaluable Resource for Grief Recovery
A Blessing and So Simple to Read
Good Grief
Better than Flowers

Good Grief: A Constructive Approach to the Problem of Loss
Granger E. Westberg
Manufacturer: Augsburg Fortress Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

The Grief Recovery Handbook : The Action Program for Moving Beyond Death Divorce, and Other Losses
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ASIN: 0800611144

Book Description

Now available in a 35th anniversary edition, this book describes what happens to us whenever we lose someone or something important. We all need a better understanding of the small griefs in life as well as those larger grief experiences that can overwhelm us. Here is a volume to be kept close at hand. It can be used over the years as you encounter a wide variety of grief experiences or as you assist friends in moving beyond grief to good grief. Examines the stages of grief, from stage one -- a state of shock -- to stage ten -- a struggle to affirm reality.

Customer Reviews:

Great grief survival tool.......2007-06-21

I buy this helpful grief guide for all those who are close to me who have the necessary grief steps to wade or wallow through.

Simple, Succinct, and Invaluable Resource for Grief Recovery.......2007-05-26

I was given this book when my oldest brother was killed in 1995. When your heart is broken and your psyche is reeling from shock, pain, disbelief, and loss, it is too much to fathom to try to read a long, involved bunch of psychobabble. Granger Westberg's Good Grief is an easy read and truly confirms that the stages of grief through which one travels are, indeed, normal. He also tells you that there are times when you need to seek professional help to guide you through the grief process. In the past 12 years, I have given this book to many friends and acquaintances dealing with various types of loss. To a person, they've all told me how helpful this resource is and have passed it on to others. This book is truly a Godsend to the hurting.

A Blessing and So Simple to Read.......2007-04-08

I was a counelor for over 20 years and have given this book or recommended this little book often. The author speaks truth in such a simple and kind voice. I've been helped by it and I know it has helped those I've introduced to the book. Grieving is sometimes compared to the dying process discribed by Eliz Kubler Ross. Not true. Grief is so very different. The tiny size of this book makes it perfect for a grieving person who can barely read anything and certainly nothing too complicated. It's simplicity makes it a great book for all people. It can also be read again and again as the grief process continues and the griever goes through many changes which feel unique to them but which are usually very common to all of us who have had cause to grieve.

Good Grief.......2007-03-23

This small booklet describes the ten stages of grief and is written in such a manner that it is easy to read and the reader need not read each section in order. It is a helpful reference book that is given out at my church's community grief support group, "The Comfort Zone," which is why I purchased a quantity of them.

Better than Flowers.......2007-03-21

This book is a wonderful gift for anyone who has a death in their life. From your parents, to your loved one, to a child, there is something for everyone in this book. I bought it for myself when my father died and now its a must have to give instead of flowers for the people in my life who experience a death.

Average customer rating:

keep one extra
One of My Favorite Books
Great book!
Cat Lovers' Classic
Perfect gift for anyone, any age who has lost a pet

The Tenth Good Thing About Barney
Judith Viorst
Manufacturer: Aladdin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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I'll Always Love You
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ASIN: 0689712030

Book Description

My cat Barney died this Friday. I was very sad. My mother said we could have a funeral for him, and I should think of ten good things about Barney so I could tell them...

But the small boy who loved Barney can only think of nine. Later, while talking with his father, he discovers the tenth -- and begins to understand.

Customer Reviews:

keep one extra.......2007-05-30

I have kept an extra copy of this book around - to give away when someone loses a pet. I have taught school and worked in bookstores all my life, and this is one of the best books for anyone who would like comfort. Sensitive and caring.

One of My Favorite Books.......2007-04-26

This book, despite being written for children, is probably the world's most touching, sensitive, and well-written story about the loss of a pet. When a little boy's cat dies, he struggles to come to terms with it and leans on his family and best friend for support. By paying attention to the strory and its characters, a child can learn many important things about life. The characters talk a little bit about what happens physically with death and how nobody really knows what happens after it, but that some people believe in an afterlife and others do not. Also, the characters speak about some of the good things surounding death......how the kitty being buried will help to make the flowers grow (again, it doesn't go into any gorey details with it), for example. The book ends with the little boy listing off ten of the good things which he will always reember about the kitty he lost, leaving the reader with the sense that he will never really be 'lost' at all.

Great book!.......2007-01-11

This book was referred to me by another teacher and ever since, I have read it to kids who are grieving the loss of their pet. It is good book to bring up discussion of the good qualities of the pet as well as the process the family goes through after the death. A very good read!

Cat Lovers' Classic.......2007-01-10

I read this book over and over. It certainly helps when I have lost a dear feline friend and also helps to remind me that even though I miss them when they are gone, I cannot live without pets.

Perfect gift for anyone, any age who has lost a pet.......2007-01-10

In typical Judith Viorst fashion she has captured and expanded upon one of those special moments in our lives--the loss of a treasured pet. The little book says it all for those fresh in their loss and also prepares all of us for the eventuality of such a loss. Plus it is simply great reading!

Sad Isn't Bad: A Good-Grief Guidebook for Kids Dealing With Loss (Elf-Help Books for Kids)

Average customer rating:

good book
Good if you've lost Grandma, and believe in God...
Sad Isn't Bad
Limited
helpful to children

Sad Isn't Bad: A Good-Grief Guidebook for Kids Dealing With Loss (Elf-Help Books for Kids)
Michaelene Mundy
Manufacturer: Abbey Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0870293214

Customer Reviews:

good book.......2007-06-10

This is a great book for younger children who have had a great loss. I have read this to my 5 and 7 yr old after my dad died. This book let them know that their feeling are okay. I would recommend this book to any parent looking for a way to help a child through the grief process

Good if you've lost Grandma, and believe in God..........2007-01-31

Not nearly so useful if the person who has died is a sibling, or a parent. The book keeps telling the child to talk to their parents.... and the illustrations have a patchwork quilt cuteness that give an elderly feel to the missing soul. It does deal with anger being okay. It does say it's alright to cry. Not as helpful as I had hoped.

Sad Isn't Bad.......2005-12-16

I was looking for a book for a child who had lost her mother (a single parent). The book assumes there is a parent in the child's life. It would be a good book for a traditional and religious family.

Limited .......2005-09-30

This book would not be helpful for children of faiths other than Christianity.

helpful to children.......2005-09-10

I found this book very helpful to my 7 year old when dealing with the stillborn death of his sibling. Reading it together helped us discuss certain emotions that we would not have brought up on our own. I recomend it for elementary age children.

Saying Good-Bye to the Pet You Love: A Complete Resource to Help You Heal

Average customer rating:

A Wonderful Book for Pet Bereavement
Perhaps Works as a Textbook, But Not for Those Grieving
Too cold and unfeeling
Good Resource
Help in my time of need

Saying Good-Bye to the Pet You Love: A Complete Resource to Help You Heal
Lorri A. Greene , and Jacquelyn Landis
Manufacturer: New Harbinger Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Death & Grief | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet
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ASIN: 1572243074

Book Description

Written by a psychologist who is a leader in the field of pet bereavement, this practical but sympathetic guide validates the survivor's often misunderstood feelings, explains the importance of the human-animal bond, and offers strategies for working through the grieving process. Some of the coping techniques include memorializing the pet, recognizing problematic thinking, and finding support. The book also covers dealing with guilt and explaining the pet's death to a child.

Customer Reviews:

A Wonderful Book for Pet Bereavement.......2007-03-28

I got this book soon after I lost my 10-year-old Persian male soul mate, and it really helped me through a time of great sorrow. There are exercises to do that help you work through your grief and help you to understand your feelings. I highly recommend it for anyone dealing with the loss of a pet.

Perhaps Works as a Textbook, But Not for Those Grieving.......2007-01-13

I ordered this book and waited for it eagerly, based on "Search Inside" reading I did on Amazon. I hoped the chapter devoted to guilt experienced by "animal guardians," as the author considerately calls pet owners, when euthanasia or an accident precipitates a pet's death would speak to me. Therefore I was surprised to find the book more clinical than inspirational. I also found it emotionally distant from its subject...which perhaps is to be expected, considering that it was written by a psychologist. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone suffering from deep grief over a lost pet.

Too cold and unfeeling.......2007-01-11

Being in the mist of animal grief right now I just recently got this book. One of the things the author says is why one is grieving is to not look at the animal's toys or photos until later. Well the first thing I wnat to do is to have their photo out. She seems to contradict herself when she says there is no right or wrong way to heal then she says don't do this or that. I found the book trite, unfeeling ,and cold. I am sorry I bought it. I will return it and get "The Loss of A Pet" instead.

Good Resource.......2007-01-11

This is a good resource for parents unsure how to communicate with their children about grief and loss of a pet. I purchased it as a resource for my Good Grief Pet Support Group for children at my school. I found that it explained well what parents should do when a pet dies, give them activities they can do with their children to celebrate the pet's life, and resources to consider. A nice book to have in the delicate time of losing a favorite family member, your pet.

Help in my time of need.......2006-11-26

Most people don't understand the special bond between people and exotic companion animals. I refer to Toby, my green iguana. When Toby died last year, a friend referred me to this self-help book. I'm not a big fan of self-help books, but "Saying Good-Bye to the Pet You Love" turned out to be a real help. The truth is, there is little social support for people who grieve the loss of companion animals -- especially companion animals that aren't furry or don't catch Frisbees. As I read the book, I realized my grief was turning me into a social recluse. The step-by-step suggestions in the book helped me out of bed and back into my life again.

Average customer rating:

An exceptionally moving work that showcases true courage, love, grace and hope for all, a real gift.
Elisabeth revealed our simplicity through the complexity
Kubler Rosss Second Best Hit
Living with Dying

To Live Until We Say Good Bye
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Grief & Bereavement | Death & Grief | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

On Death and Dying
Life Lessons: Two Experts on Death and Dying Teach Us About the Mysteries of Life and Living
Death
Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs, and Communications of the Dying
On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss

ASIN: 0684839482

Book Description

Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, whose books on death and dying have sold in the millions, now offers an extraordinary visual record of her work. Through the brilliant photographs of Mal Warshaw, To Live Until We Say Good-Bye gives a gripping, intimate view of Dr. Kübler-Ross's counseling work with terminally ill patients as she brings them to an acceptance of death.

Customer Reviews:

An exceptionally moving work that showcases true courage, love, grace and hope for all, a real gift. .......2005-10-24

The book, To Live Until We Say Good-Bye, is not your common book on dying and grief or even the medical psychology of it, as is quite internationally acknowledged with many of Kubler-Ross's previous works, i.e. On Death and Dying and On Children and Death, et cetera. Rather, out of all of her works (Kubler-Ross), I would have to say that this one is the most accessible and the most outright, in-your-face emotional, the one that really tugs at the heartstrings. But it is a work that does so in a positive, open and meaningful way. Medical and psychiatric jargon is totally set aside and the four dying patients-for whom this book is about-Beth, Jamie, Louise and Jack, are allowed to come to the forefront, to have their stories and experiences related to those (the readers) who are living or could possible be dying themselves. Accompanied by the well written text of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross and the varied contributors are the affecting black and white photographs by Mal Warshaw, photos taken of the very subjects in their assorted states in the dying process. Nothing is held back in respects to the people who are profiled-the good, the bad and the ugly-yet dignity unequivocally pervades. In this book, we meet a former model (Beth), who to the very end, clung to her physical beauty as her paramount asset. However, her written poetry illustrated her articulate and intelligent substance that went way beyond looks: "Voices whispering, Beth, Beth/You can no longer stay/Hand reaching out to grasp/Helping me on my way./I'll no longer ache with sorrow/No longer feel this pain/So adieu and fare thee well now/I shan't see thee again. (P. 37). Also, we meet 71-year-old Jack, a former construction worker and rebounding alcoholic who sadly, lived to see his son die of lung cancer. But he found redemption and purpose by building doll houses for charity while as a patient at St. Rose's Home, run by the Hawthorne Dominicans in New york City. Through the series of photographs, his religious and psychological evolution becomes clearly evident, and it is a humbling and beautiful thing to see. And it is so for all those profiled, especially for Jamie and Louise, the other two patients who become are teachers. And their chapters are equally moving and powerful, if not more so. There too is an in-depth chapter on the fantastic work done by hospice and the heroics of everyday volunteers, people young and old who do not give "all" of themselves in order to give the best of themselves. All in all, To Live Until We Say Good-Bye is another great work that looks at life's final journey.

Elisabeth revealed our simplicity through the complexity .......2005-07-09

This book has taught me to experience the words that may have never been spoken if I had not of encountered Kubler~Ross through her work with the dying. We have a need to thank her for the journey she took ....

Kubler Rosss Second Best Hit.......2005-06-04

Kubler Ross- got this book right. The many telling photographs intermixed with very personal accounts of the dying and their family and friends makes for a moving and compelling journey into the emotions, experiences, challenges, disappointments of the dying.
The right balance between peronsal narratives, the authors commentary and photographs was achieved in this book- a feat most books on death and dying do not. Couple this book with Donald Heinzs book The Last Passage and as a friend, relative or caretaker of the dying youll have insight and knowledge into the world of the dying and some insights on what to do when someone you care about is dying.

Living with Dying.......1997-03-05

Reading a book about confrontations with death and dying by the terminal ill and by their families and loved ones may not sound like anyone's idea of "escapist fare" or a good rainy day pick-me-up, but this large picture book is first and foremost about the value of life and living. Undoubtedly one of the most "important" books I have read, To Live Until We Say Good-Bye spotlights three personal stories: a New York City poet and model dying of cancer, a young girl suffering with a brain tumor, and an older woman who refuses treatment of her illness to lead the remainder of her life in her own home. The stories are remarkable because there is a touching sense of revelation to each--that none of them had perhaps lived so fully and completely until they learned time was running out. The young girl's story, "Jamie," is especially moving because it not only deals with her concerns and fears about her future, but also those of her single mother and her young brother--and, ultimately, although the process of losing a loved one is unimaginably painful, the family is able to find some peace in their ability to make the final days meaningful--and full of life. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross narrates the stories, and Mal Warshaw provides the photographs; together, they have assembled an unpretentious and dignified lesson about seeking the value in life--surely, a message that is beneficial to and yet overlooked very often by us all

Fathers Aren't Supposed to Die: Five Brothers Reunite To Say Good-bye

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Death Means Never Having to Say You're Normal
Shared experiences, shared healing.
Poignant and compelling
A grand journey

Fathers Aren't Supposed to Die: Five Brothers Reunite To Say Good-bye
T.M. Shine
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Timeline Month In The Life Of A Guy Who Refuses

ASIN: 0684863510

Book Description

It begins with a phone call. It could have been his best friend, or the phone company trying to get him to make one more switch. Instead, it's the older brother he hasn't seen in years informing Terry Shine that their father is lying in a hospital bed unable to speak, bleeding in the brain. Terry and his four brothers rush to the hospital and prepare for the end, but nothing could have prepared them for what is to come.

"Old people are supposed to die," Terry acknowledges in a whisper of resignation. "Yeah, but fathers aren't," his brother Bill responds. Suddenly, five estranged siblings are plunged together into a bewildering world of medical choices and living wills -- of hours sitting by their father's bed, begging him simply to blink, to squeeze a hand, to nod. With no formal guidelines to follow, Terry and his brothers fumble along while their helplessness makes them focus on absurdities: What kind of car does each doctor drive? Which vending machine has the best Danish? They bring in a boom box and some of their father's CDs, trying everything in their power to drive the life back into him. They keep trying until sheer exhaustion leads them to the brink of acceptance. But, as the Shine family discovers, there is nothing that trains us to navigate death's terrain, and nothing we can do to come out of the experience unscathed: death slams us in ways we can never possibly have fathomed.

At once heart-wrenching, insightful, and piercingly witty, Fathers Aren't Supposed to Die masterfully captures the devastating experience of trying to come to terms with a parent's death.

Customer Reviews:

Death Means Never Having to Say You're Normal.......2000-05-21

( )...The only words that miss the mark of literaryexcellenceare on the cover of T.M. Shine's remarkable tale.

Thisain't no how-to anything or a cry on Oprah's wide shoulders. This is something wonderfully other.

If Elizabeth Kubler-Ross met Carl Hiaasen, T.M. Shine would be their bastard child. This book is laugh out loud funny, except when it's ripping your guts out.

Bill Moyers sells Shine short when he alliterates in his testimonial that "Fathers . . ." is "marvelous, moving and memorable."

It is marvelous and moving. Quite so. But there are whole pages you'll hope aren't memorable, because feeling their wrenching impact once is as much as a person ought to bear.

Nice going Mr. Shine. Now please remind the folks at Amazon.com that people who read shouldn't be judged by their books' covers. END

Shared experiences, shared healing........2000-05-09

I bought this book shortly after the death of my own father, and the subsequent reawakening of my friendship with my sister. I found the emotions and the passions in this book to resonate very deeply within my being - helping me to heal, since I learned that my feelings are common, valid and shared.

Poignant and compelling.......2000-04-11

This is a poignant, compelling story that those of us who are baby-boomers will soon experience ourselves, if we haven't already. Mr. Shine bears all - his personal pain, frustrations and annoyances - dealing with the inevitable death of his father and realizing the experience is bringing him close to his brothers once again and the past they share. He indicts the medical community that, he felt, treated his father as a temporary occupant of a hospital bed. Like impatient FAA air traffic controllers, nurses and doctors were unwilling to be inconvenienced by adult children who were reluctant to let the scheduled departure take off on time. A quick and fulfilling read.

A grand journey.......2000-03-26

I've read Shine since he wrote for The Miami Herald's Tropic Magazine. He's an undiscovered master. This book takes his readers on a painful but rewarding journey--the death of his father. It's entirely worth your time, even at double the price.

The Long Good Bye - Living with Terminal Illness

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The Long Good Bye - Living with Terminal Illness
Michael, Joseph Costello
Manufacturer: E-BookTime, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1598244272

Book Description

If someone you know is sick or dying touch them, hold them, kiss them and spend time with them. Express your affection. Be present in the moment with them. How desperately those of us who face the end of life need and desire the last fleeting moments of intimate connection with those we love before we leave. The author shares the most intimate feelings of living with terminal illness and preparing for the last good bye. This is a must read for those who seek insight into this the most challenging of human experiences.

Is God to Blame?: Moving Beyond Pat Answers to the Problem of Evil

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No Two Biblical Interpretations May Coexist
Not all things that happen are God's will
A balanced view of Evil
...other books to read
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Is God to Blame?: Moving Beyond Pat Answers to the Problem of Evil
Gregory A. Boyd
Manufacturer: InterVarsity Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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God at War: The Bible & Spiritual Conflict

ASIN: 0830823948

Book Description

Is God to blame? This is often the question that comes to mind when we confront real suffering in our own lives or in the lives of those we love. Pastor Gregory A. Boyd helps us deal with this question honestly and biblically, while avoiding glib answers. Writing for ordinary Christians, Boyd wrestles with a variety of answers that have been offered by theologians and pastors in the past. He finds that a fully Christian approach must keep the person and work of Jesus Christ at the very center of what we say about human suffering and God's place in it. Yet this is often just what is missing and what makes so much talk about the subject seem inadequate and at times even misleading. What comes through in Is God to Blame? is a hopeful picture of a sovereign God who is relentlessly opposed to evil, who knows our sufferings and who can be trusted to bring us through them to renewed life.

Customer Reviews:

No Two Biblical Interpretations May Coexist .......2006-10-12

I open with a Bible verse from the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 5 verse 40, "and if anyone would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well;" Any Biblical literalist who is willing to put that verse into action, I am willing to listen to. In the meantime tremendous quantities of words by certain sectors of the self avowed Biblically correct have been spilled out upon this book in these reviews. A universal anger among certain of the devout permeates an assessment of how God allows free will to act. I am so glad that my fellow man feels free to impose his interpretations of Scripture on me as writ large by God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and him or her self as the case may be. Amateur exegesis at this level is awe inspiring if for nothing more than its intolerant virulence. Obviously, a preponderance of the readers of this book as reflected in these threads are offended by Boyd's proposition that God is not the direct author of every evil event in the world and the cosmos.

Which leads me to the following observation. Boyd musters a plausible case for his theology backed by reasonable Biblical exegesis. Is this book a tour de force by a master theologian? No, but it does represent one possible Bible based exposition of the problems of the authorship and responsibility for evil in the world. The constant reminder that Jesus Christ is the revelation of the one true God who assumed human form for our salvation and edification is paramount to Boyd's knowledge of God. The radical egalitarian love of Jesus is constantly pointed out as the true reflection of God the Father. Other interpretations of scripture are assuredly available, and Boyd makes no exclusive claims for his theology. However, it is the certainty of the correctness of their theology on the part of many in the reviewing population that distresses me. Hidebound doctrinal arguments and positions of self righteousness are tearing the Church apart. The Church is the body of Christ on earth. What are we doing other than the work of Satan? Where is Christian love, tolerance and corrective spirit when needed? Boyd speaks for a kinder gentler God who allows us the freedom to cavort with the devil if we wish. However, he does not attribute responsibility for the results of our iniquity to a master plan of the Lord.

This is the first and last book I will be reviewing that deals with contemporary Christianity. This book came up for me to read in the context of a structured conversation on Augustine and free will. If one looks at my reviews, they will find them centered on the history of the early Church and antiquity. The early Church suffered through just such problems of division as we do today. And to its credit, the early Church always sought to reform and reintegrate the "holier than thou" as exemplified by the Mellitians and Donatists, and it attempted to rehabilitate and bring back into communion its heretics. Each soul and life is and was precious to God. It was only later that the Church burned dissenters and heretics at the stake. And please remember, the author of this book is not some "new age" liberal theologian. He is a respected scholar at a conservative mid-western theological seminary. He is also the pastor of a major evangelical church in St. Paul, Minnesota. And yes, he has lost over twenty percent of his flock because of his theology and writings. I can only suggest that one reads and reflects on this book and makes up their own mind as to whether Boyd is right or wrong. If the idea of God as author of all evil in the world as part of His inscrutable plan for His creation disturbs you, this book will present an alternate, albeit hotly contested, look at the issue. It was in 1919 when one of the most brilliant minds of the 20th Century, Bertrand Russell, at the end of World War One stated and I paraphrase, "If this war was part of your God's divine plan, I do not wish to know Him." Do not Christians wish God to be known to all men?

Not all things that happen are God's will.......2006-05-25

Boyd explores the idea that not everything that happens in our world is God's will. He develops the thesis that we were created with true free will, which necessitates the possibility of things happening which God does not want to happen. The practical implication in regards to suffering is that when we suffer, God suffers with us, rather than causing our suffering for some higher purpose.

Another idea Boyd discusses is that rather than God's will being something which is inscrutable and creation being relatively simple, he suggests that God's will is easy to understand (it is demonstrated in Jesus Christ), but creation is incomprehensibly complicated.

Boyd emphaszies that our starting point in understanding God's character needs to be Jesus Christ. He is our starting point. Everything we need to know about God was revealed in Him. Starting from here, he seeks to develop a theology of suffering which is consistent with the picture of God which Jesus Christ presented.

A balanced view of Evil.......2005-09-19

This is a great book with a balanced view of evil. This book is a shorter version of Satan and the problem of Evil, by the same author. This book presents a theology that explains the problem of evil in a way that the layperson can fully understand how a God of Love can also be a God of Wrath. It presents a realistic theology dealing with Satan and the fallen angels, and mankind's responsibility for evil in this world. This book does all these things while preserving and even expanding God's sovereignty, and demonstrating that men and women have a free will.

...other books to read.......2005-03-18

For someone who has read some of Boyds books I don't agree with everything he says....he does get you thinking and for thinking people he has compelling answers that shouldnt be tossed aside lightly. We should be thinking reasoning christians not looking for the pat answers that plague so many christian answers to life. Not that we set aside the Biblical truth for our own but likewise we don't discard completely human reason. I find it so interesting to read others reviews that denounce his books with an almost hateful attitude. I have heard that we become just like the God that we revere. If you believe in a god of hate in any form and violence you will most likely become just that. Two other wonderful books that come from another viewpoint but support a God of love and relationship, might be interesting to people who have read this book. They are "Servants or Friends?: Another Look at God" and "Can God be trusted?" both by author Graham Maxwell. These books and I think Boyds books give christian and non christian alike, hope in biblical truth and the truth about the father and the son, that they are both for us not against us...our freedom and his wanting of a relationship with us is paramount.
Shane

Fails as serious response to evil.......2005-01-20

For those enjoying Rabbi Harold Kushner 'Why Bad Things Happen to Good People', this will make a spongy sequel.

If you are serious about answers to the problem of evil in a Good God's world, read the Book of Revelation carefully with a good commentary (Mounce, Alan Johnson, Metzger, More Than Conquerors). Suffering is the way it is in this cursed world, for believers & unbelievers alike. You can either follow the Beast and be in pain-avoidance/rationalizing mode ("I demand answers! I want out!"). Or you can follow the Lamb and see God-authorized suffering/tribulation as redemptive and conformative to Christ Who suffered unbearably, yet conquered ("Thy will be done. We must thru much tribulation enter the Kingdom of God"). Christus Victor!

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