Amazon.com ReviewReading the Bible Again for the First Time is Marcus Borg's follow-up to __. Like his earlier book, this one is written for lay people whose faith has been frustrated by their misapprehension that fundamentalism's claim to be the one true faith is valid. Borg, a professor of religion at Oregon State University, describes an alternative to fundamentalists' so-called "literal" readings of scripture. (He believes that such "literal-factual" readings do not live up to that description, and that the limitations of such readings have alienated many people who would otherwise remain part of the church.) Borg calls his alternative "historical-metaphorical" reading, a way of "taking the Bible seriously without taking it literally." Reading the Bible begins with a history of recent conflicts regarding biblical interpretation. Borg navigates the minefields of his subject with sensitivity and precision, explaining, for example, the important distinction between evangelical and fundamentalist readings of the Bible. He then offers historical-metaphorical readings of some key texts from both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. Throughout, Borg writes with calm assurance and respect for those who would disagree with him. Reading the Bible is a credible guide to the project it names. It is a faithful exercise of reason, undertaken to help Christians hear more clearly the many voices recorded in the Bible. --Michael Joseph GrossFrom Publishers WeeklyThe title of this book comes from the author's experience of "unlearning" his literal reading of the Bible from childhood in favor of a "historical-metaphorical" reading derived from his 35 years of studying the Bible as an academic. Borg, an Episcopalian who teaches at Oregon State University, is a member of the Jesus Seminar, author of The God We Never Knew and the counterpoint to evangelical N.T. Wright in The Meaning of Jesus: Two Views. Borg offers a highly readable and succinct introduction to biblical criticism, outlining the kinds of cultural, theological and historical lenses through which people read the Bible and explaining how those readings affect their relation to God. The historical-metaphorical reading that Borg presents includes both the "historical illumination of a text in its ancient context" and a metaphorical approach that "enables us to see and affirm meanings that go beyond the particularity of what the texts meant in their ancient setting." He applies this approach to the Bible in sections, wending his way from the creation stories to Revelation even as he advocates a journey from "precritical naivete" (the acceptance that the Bible is literally true) through "critical thinking" to "postcritical naivete" (accepting again that the Bible is true even if that truth does not depend upon factuality). The book is copiously footnoted without being in the least stodgy, and is open about Borg's own spiritual journey without being didactic or disrespectful of the tradition he has left. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Area 51 Book 5

“David Peace is the future of crime fiction… A fantastic talent.” – Ian Rankin “[David Peace is] transforming the genre with passion and style.” – George Pelecanos “Peace has single-handedly established the genre of Yorkshire Noir, and mightily satisfying it is.” – Yorkshire Post “Peace is a manic James Joyce of the crime novel… invoking the horror of grim lives, grim crimes, and grim times.” – Sleazenation “A tour de force of crime fiction which confirms David Peace’s reputation as one of the most important names in contemporary crime literature.” – Crime Time “A compelling and devastating body of work that pushes Peace to the forefront of British writing.” – Time Out “[Peace] exposes a side of life which most of us would prefer to ignore.” – Daily Mail “A writer of immense talent and power… If northern noir is the crime fashion of the moment, Peace is its most brilliant designer.” – The Times (London) “Peace has found his own voice-full of dazzling, intense poetry and visceral violence.” – Uncut Third in the "Red Riding Quartet", this tale is set in 1980, when the Yorkshire Ripper murders his 13th victim. Assistant Chief Constable Hunter is drawn into a world of corruption and sleaze. When his house is burned down and his wife threatened, his quest becomes personal.

Joe Kurtz has been wronged one too many times. So when he takes out the drugdealing thug who killed his girlfriend, the exPI gets to cool his heels for 11 years in Attica. It's there that he meets "Little Skag" Farino, the son of an aging Buffalo, New York, mob boss. In exchange for protecting the kid's manhood against any unwanted jailhouse affection, Kurtz gets an audience with Little Skag's father upon his release from prison. Semiretired Don Byron Farino is still clinging to what dwindling power he holds on the New York organized crime scene. He enlists Kurtz's help to track down the Family's missing accountanta man with too much knowledge of Family business to have on the loose. But someone doesn't want the accountant found. As the story twists and turns and the body count rises, Kurtz no longer knows whom he can trust. Everyone seems to be after something, from the mob boss's sultry yet dangerous daughter, to a hit man named The Dane, an albino killer who is good with a knife, and a dwarf who is armed to the teeth and hellbent on revenge. Bestselling author Dan Simmons expertly builds the tension as he springs one surprise after another, all the while daring the reader to take a ride with Kurtz through the cold, windy streets of Buffalo where one wrong move could mean a bellyfull of lead.

Dreams do come true . . . and so do nightmaresKaren normally can't remember her dreams, which is especially frustrating since she's taking a psych class where everyone else seems to be able to discuss theirs. But one night, she wakes up screaming and quickly recalls why—a classmate was murdered. It was so vivid—it felt real. The next morning she is shocked to find out it wasn't just a dream—the boy is dead. But the dreams continue, and so do the deaths. Is Karen psychic, or is she herself involved in the murders? Fearing she is being controlled by the killer, Karen must find a way to uncover the truth before more of her nightmares come true.

For a year, Venetia Summers has been 'buffered from single-motherhood' by boyfriend David, but when work takes him to a Brazilian rainforest, things begin to unravel. Phone lines crackle, emails languish, and high-tech, long-distance love proves bewildering and vexing. Meanwhile the children and dogs run wilder than ever, brother Desmond's outrageous wedding takes over her home, and her relationship with her new neighbour, Hedley Sale, gets off to a rather unfortunate start. How is Venetia to cope alone with outward-bound style holidays, a foul-mouthed parrot and her new career as a designer of demented cardigans? A moonlit walk takes an unexpected turn, and she finds herself with a real dilemma.

In 1952, Madeleine Blais's father died suddenly, leaving his pregnant wife and their five young children to face their future alone. Uphill Walkers is the story of how the Blais family pulled together to survive and ultimately thrive in an era when a single-parent family was almost unheard-of. As they came of age in an Irish-American household that often struggled to make ends meet, the Blais children would rise again and again above all obstacles -- at every step of the way inspired by a mother who expected much but gave even more, as she saved and sacrificed to provide each child with the same education they would have received had their father lived. Beautiful, heartbreaking, and full of wonderful insights about sisterhood, brotherhood, and the ties that bind us together, Uphill Walkers is a moving portrait of the love it takes to succeed against the odds -- and what it means to be a family. "In plain-spoken prose ... Uphill Walkers has a remarkable dignity and eloquence." --...

It was just plain old physical attraction. That didn't mean it was any "big love" or anything, did it? Kate was just mistress to a very passionate Sicilian man, Giovanni Calverri. And sex was all it was ever supposed to be. Until the day when everything changed. When fate forced them to put their steamy arrangement on hold—and think about what they really had together...