Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Prayer; Orphanages; Orphans; Orphans and orphan-asylums; Bristol (England); Business ... Read more

Product Description
In Locked In, San Francisco private eye Sharon McCone was shot in the head and suffered from locked-in syndrome: almost total paralysis but with an alert, conscious mind.Now, as Sharon struggles to regain control over her body, she wants everything to go back to normal, but realizes that it may not be possible to return to her old life. Meanwhile, Sharon's relationships are suffering. Her husband is impatient with her refusal to accept help and some of her colleagues doubt her abilities after the accident. But when Sharon's friend from physical therapy goes missing, she must call upon those closest to her to find out the truth behind the disappearance. The investigation soon points to issues of national security and proves to be the most dangerous and critical case yet for Sharon and her colleagues. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

great McCone thriller
San Francisco private investigator Sharon McCone still recovers from the bullet she took to her head that left her mind intact Locked In her paralyzed body.However, she becomes concerned when her widow friend Piper Quinn suddenly without warning stops coming to the rehab center they both use.

Worried as the sleuth knows Piper has not moved on past the death of her husband in combat in Iraq, Sharon goes to the Quinn home.There she finds her buddy in a semi-comatose sate with a mean spirited care provider not wanting any visitors.Sharon sends her office manager Adah Joslyn to see if Piper needs anything.However, Piper is gone and her apartment immaculately cleaned as if no one lived there.Soon after her visit, Adah disappears.Sharon and her crew at McCone Investigations begin snooping, but the clues they uncover hint at a top secret government intelligence agency.

This is a great McCone thriller that hooks the reader from the opening scene as the heroine struggles to come back from her horrific injuries and never slows down until the finish.The story line is fast-paced and affirms that marvelous Marcia Mueller is one of the genre's best.Set aside time, as this McCone masterpiece is difficult to put down.

Harriet Klausner

FROM LOCKED-IN TO TOTALLY FREE
Sharon McCone is striving to come back to work after her "locked-in syndrome" experience in "Locked In".She is religiously working out at the rehab center where she meets Piper Quinn (another patient).When Piper fails to show up for a few days of rehab, Sharon goes to her apartment to check on her.What she finds there is a woman who claims to be Piper's aunt from Oklahoma and said woman appears to be drugging Piper.Sharon still feels extremely uneasy about this person and begins research.What she uncovers is a real thriller.

Journey back to Self
"Locked In" was quite a departure for Marcia Muller's Sharon McCone series.Insight into how all the characters responded to the crisis of almost losing one of their own."Coming Back" is the journey back to the way things used to be and will, in all probability, never be the same again. The kidnapping plot is the vehicle to drive Sharon back to the person she once was, and it is weak in story line and credibility.That being said, it moves along quite nicely and grabs you by its intensity.I read the book in one day and was pleased to see that McCone was getting her life back together and I am now eagerly awaiting the next book in the installment.I want to see McCone back in the pilot's seat of an airplane.I would like to see Ted recognized for his own insight into the next phase of his career into investigation. I want to know more about Neal and about Sharon's father and biological family.If you are a Marcia Muller fan and have followed Sharon McCone from the beginning, you will not be disappointed.A very good cozy on the couch with a cup of coffee read!

"It was as if the accident had severed her time line, leaving Before on one side and After on the other."

Muller freely employs what I think of as the "James Patterson Effect" to propel her tale of kidnapping and cover-up, chapters than run from 3-4 pages. In Coming Back, Muller features a number of characters, at least six, to develop a plot that begins with PI Sharon McCone's rehabilitation from a bullet in the head and culminates with the attempted rescue of two hostages. Locating the hostages is a group effort for McCone's team of investigators, untangling the intricate web of criminal enterprise that smack of professions. My disappointment with this Muller novel- my first-is that it never quite goes all in: we learn of McCone's brain injury and the terrifying "locked-in syndrome" she endures, only to throw herself into the investigation without incident; the characters, like the chapters, jump from one to another, none fully developed; and the threat to McCone and her team is never quite dangerous enough to jeopardize their lives.

McCone's horrific experience of "locked-in syndrome" slips conveniently into irrelevance as she powers through the doubts of coworkers in pursuit of the culprits with her crack investigators, supported by a technologically savvy staff and the resources of her husband's private security business. That isn't to say no one gets killed- they do- but there is no real build up of tension to suggest the missing patient from McCone's rehab hospital and the kidnapped former SFPD homicide detective won't survive the machinations of a well-organized criminal conspiracy. The result is a thriller that fails to thrill, only hints at a promise it fails to keep. This patchwork of people and actions almost succeeds, but the author relies too heavily on formula and not enough on her own instinct. Luan Gaines/2010.

One of her best yet!
I am a huge fan of Marcia Muller's series featuring Sharon Mccone.She is on my go to list for authors I buy from and usually do not check the synopsis of the story before buying. I have to admit, I was hesitant this time around since her previous book entitled Locked In dealt with her being shot and in a coma for quite a while and the slow agonizing challenge of ever being able to communicate with words or physical aids, let alone being a hard hitting, brilliant detective running a quite successful and highly reputable PI agency.

I was also thinking the book would pick up with her still having inpatient care and all her frustrations of being a patient and not being able to do things for herself; i.e. asking for help,which was never her strong suit to begin with!

Well, I was not disappointed one bit with this latest installment.While Sharon gets off to a slow start in her efforts to be part of the agency in a more physical and leadership role, she ends up getting involved in a case that could either make her or break her, and cause serious problems in all her relationships.

The format of the book is written in the style of switching back and forth between all the employees and her husband, Hy,and their thoughts and feelings revolving around a case that at first was a simple missing person, who Sharon had become attached to while going through her rigorous physical and speech therapy needed for her recovery. It quickly becomes far reaching with a multiple sub-plot, including political cover ups, and higher ups which could and does bring dangerous consequences to all the players from the agency, including her spouse, Hy.I normally don't care for this type of format, switching back and forth but in this book, it worked perfectly and was very easy to follow.

There was a theme running through the book that Sharon was very afraid she would never be able to do the things she used to do, and that she had lost that part of herself to her core that made her the woman she was before she was injured and left for dead.

What I liked most about this book is that it was a tribute to Sharon's fight for life and to get back all the things and qualties that made her one of the best PI's in this genre. At the same time, she was not having a pity party and just giving up! In fact, it actually gave her hope that she could be even better.

Once I started reading this book, I had to finish it in one sitting!It was simply amazing, and I am so grateful that Ms. Muller wrote this book.I highly recommend this book. It has plenty of action, some great insights into all the employees and her husband that we normally don't see in the other books, and flows smoothly, is suspenseful and quite entertaining. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Wonderful book of a life of walking by faith
I had a copy of this book years ago but gave it away and somewhat regretted that since this book was a testimony of the faith walk. It reads like a journal of situations Mr. Mueller encountered and how the Lord delivered him out of them ALL, and how ALL of his needs were supplied. Mr. Mueller took care of probably hundreds of thousands of orphans by Only depending on the Lord. It shows how good the Lord is and how well he takes care of his children who trust him.This book is formatted well and has a active TOC, and it's free. What a blessing! ... Read more

Product Description
Shot in the head by an unknown assailant, San Francisco private eye Sharon McCone finds herself trapped by locked-in syndrome: almost total paralysis but an alert, conscious mind. As she lies in her hospital bed, furiously trying to break out of her body's prison, all the members of her agency fan out to find the reason she was attacked. Meanwhile, Sharon becomes an incapacitated detective, evaluating the clues from her staff's separate investigations and discovering unsettling truths that could put her life in jeopardy again. But as the case draws to a shocking conclusion, her husband, Hy, threatens to return to his own violent past--and exact fatal vengeance on Sharon's would-be killer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (35)

Wow!you won't want to put this down
I have read all of the Marcia Muller Sharon McCone novels and this has to be one of my favorites.I like the way all the characters get their own chapters and their own missions.To see how the investigation comes together and all the pieces fit together is riveting.I did not want the story to end but it ended well and now I have pre-ordered the new book.Thank you Marcia for making the locked in syndrome so real and from a unique perspective.

Locked In, One of Muller's Best
Locked In is one of Muller's best - but it assumes you've read the series. The story has typical Marcia Muller / Sharon McCone complexity which she and her characters pull off beautifully.It also summarizes and wraps up most of the series' characters, leaving the reader wondering if the series is ending.

As Sharon McCone's life, (worst case) or ability to function at some level (seemingly best case) hangs precariously, Muller shifts points of view. In very short, unevenly alternating chapters the series characters work their cases, hoping to flush out the perp that attacked McCone. I normally dislike changing points of view as I get vested in the story being told and don't want to get vested in a different story and wait to find out what happens in the first one. But Muller makes it work so well that it enhanced my reading experience.

Each chapter is short enough to provide a snapshot of what the series regulars are up to on their cases, as well as a review of their relationships with Sharon, what impact she's had on their personal and/or work lives, and how much they care about her. This is a clever device as it gives the reader a review of series highlights, shows us how the characters have evolved (for which I'm very grateful - dislike stagnant characterizations in formulaic series) and keeps us guessing whether Muller is going to knock off McCone and end the series - for which I would be very, very sorry. It also serves to give an increased interest in the other series characters. I'm now prepared for, and would happily read, future series installments from the point of view of its other characters.

It was a great and satisfying read. I recommend it to anyone who has read the series.

Marcia Muller Does It Again
Incapacitated by a bullet to the head, Sharon McCone lies fully aware but immobile in her hospital bed trying to make sense of her shooting and of the cases her agency is currently working on.Was her shooting merely a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or was there something more sinister behind it?Was it a random act - the result of disturbing a burglar - or was it related to one of her cases?Able to communicate only by blinking her eyes, McCone listens intently to the reports delivered to her by her operatives. At times in despair, at times hopeful, ever determined, McCone wrestles with her physical impairment, her inability to communicate anything other than a yes or no, her agency's cases, and doubts about whether she will remain in her current locked-in state for the rest of her life.This is a compelling, satisfying story told by a master of the mystery genre.Kudos to Marcia Muller for yet another great novel.

A Master of the Mystery Genre
Marcia Muller, one of the "grand masters" of the mystery genre, brings us another memorable installment in the long-running Sharon McCone series.In a departure from the usual construct - McCone involved in solving some crime or mystery, with co-workers, friends and family taking supporting roles - McCone is shot, and her co-workers, friends and family take front and center stage while she is immobilized and (everyone thinks) unresponsive in the hospital after being critically wounded by gunfire in her own office complex.

In fact, however, she is suffering from "locked in syndrome": awake and aware, but unable to communicate that fact. All she can move are her eyelids.

This gives the reader the opportunity to learn the backstories of McCone's associates. As rich as this series is in complex characters, these stories enhance the characters even more. It will be interesting to see where Muller takes the series while McCone is undergoing what promises to be a long, painful rehabilitation. Get at it, Sharon!

If you've never read a Sharon McCone mystery, I recommend that you start with //Edwin of the Iron Shoes// - the first of what is now a 27-volume series - and just keep right on going. You won't regret a word of it!

Reviewed by Claudette Smith

Interesting, but not one of her best
I've read most of the recent novels in this series, so I was already familiar with the "back story" and the characters.As other reviewers have noted, the book could be confusing to someone who doesn't have that familiarity.But it was refreshing for McCone to solve a mystery by using her brains alone, rather than fisticuffs and firepower.

I found that the plot moved along briskly, and seeing it unfold through the eyes of many different characters kept my interest (although you do have to pay attention to whose point of view you're hearing in each chapter).The "major" crime being investigated had moments of "give me a break," but all in all it was worked out well.But I was disappointed in the reason why McCone was shot -- she might as well have been hit by a bus. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Product Description
What can be accomplished in an ordinary man who trusts in an extraordinary God? George Müller discovered the endless possibilities! These excerpts from his diary allow Müller to tell his own story. Join him on his journey from a life of sin and rebellion to his glorious conversion. Share his struggles and triumphs as he establishes orphan homes to care for thousands of English children, depending on God's response to his prayer of faith to supply all things. Müller's unwavering, childlike dependence upon his heavenly Father will inspire you to confidently trust the God of the impossible in every area of your life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Astonishing proof of the power of prayer
One of my most treasured books.This is an astonishing account of what can be accomplished through the power of prayer--"when an ordinary man trusts in an extraordinary God." George Muller was a man who completely trusted God, and God rewarded his pure and child-like faith.Through answered prayer,Muller was able to house and feed thousands of orphans in England in the late 1800's. This book convicted me to become a bolder intercessor in my prayer life, and I have been privileged to see how God works, how He is always faithful. "This is the confidence we have in approaching God:that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.And if we know that He hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of Him." (1 John 5:14-15).

Great read! Inspirational and food for the soul!



Some time ago my wife told me that she has heard somebody say that George Muller's story is amazing. Prior to this through the years I've heard people talk about this humble person who took in orphans in England. One day my wife, who used to live in England, encouraged me to get our copy of his autobiography that we may know the story of his life. So out of curiosity I purchased this book in amazon and from the time my wife and I started reading it we can hardly put it down. We didn't want to just read through it for the sake of reading it but we like to meditate and reflect on the experiences that he went through. We praise God for raising up this man of God to inspire the faith of many people. And we thank the Lord that there is a very good autobiography book that bears a record his life for us recent generation to read and enjoy. Highly recommended!

Must have for learning a life of faith
After becoming a Christian George Muller grew to be foolishly dependent on the promises of God.He set out to live a life and do works that would testify to God's faithfulness, not to his own power.His humility and ability to trust God are a great inspiration to all those seeking to grow in their faith.

Autobiography of Gerge Muller
Wonderful testimony of God's faithfulness and His unchanging Word.It is for us today as it was for George Muller a walk of faith.This shows one mans steps as he followed the Master.

Autobiography of George Muller
An amazing read. A book that will challenge about the prayer life you are having. It will also open your heart to a whole new way of trusting the Lord with all your needs. ... Read more

Product Description
In today's world, with its relentless emphasis on success and productivity, we have lost the necessary rhythm of life, the balance between work and rest. Constantly striving, we feel exhausted and deprived in the midst of great abundance.We long for time with friends and family, we long for a moment to ourselves.

Millennia ago, the tradition of Sabbath created an oasis of sacred time within a life of unceasing labor. Now, in a book that can heal our harried lives, Wayne Muller, author of the spiritual classic How, Then, Shall We Live?, shows us how to create a special time of rest, delight, and renewal--a refuge for our souls.

We need not even schedule an entire day each week. Sabbath time can be a Sabbath afternoon, a Sabbath hour, a Sabbath walk. With wonderful stories, poems, and suggestions for practice, Muller teaches us how we can use this time of sacred rest to refresh our bodies and minds, restore our creativity, and regain our birthright of inner happiness. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

very helpful
This has great daily practice activities in it for creating Sabbath in your life. Very practical, and very helpful.

Must read for the weary!
This is a great book for anyone lookiing to see the world thru rested eyes!Simple, easy to read, and "put into practice" exercises for trying!I am really enjoying it and it is affirming my feeelings that "something is missing".

Just what I needed
This book was just what I needed.How easy it is to forget to stop work and busyness and give ourselves permission to take a sabbath day or hour or moment.The book persuasively states the case in different ways and reminds us that we need to allow time for rest and renewal in order to have the quality life we desire.Marilynne Kennedy, Pasadena

good transaction
Product was in good condition and shipped in a fairly quick amount of time.Satisfied with this transaction. Thank you.

Crucial Advice for Today's World!
This book, read in conjunction with Anne LeClaire's Listening Below the Noise, is a perfect recipe for solace and sanity in a world gone mad with busyness and noise. Wayne Muller describes how the natural rhythms of nature include a period of rest (day/night, summer/winter), and plants and trees cannot seed, flower, and bear fruit without rest. Humans, too, need this time of withdrawal/renewal, and in the not too distant past, most cultures did include a day of rest, or sabbath, as a basic part of the week. Some still do, but western society has lost this connection to peaceful time apart from daily life's responsibilities and activities. Our physical and mental health suffer for the loss. This book jogs our collective memory and points us in a direction that will help us recover balance in our lives. Excellent cultural/historical information combined with diverse spiritual traditions.
Peggy Kornegger
author of Living with Spirit, Journey of a Flower Child ... Read more

Product Description
Traumatized by a recent life-or-death investigation, Sharon McCone flees to her ranch in California's high desert country to contemplate her future.Deep depression shadows her days and nights, and a chance encounter with a troubled, highly secretive Native American woman begins to haunt her dreams.Even though she is determined not to investigate anything during her stay--and perhaps not ever again--McCone is drawn into the plight of the young woman and her dysfunctional family.A murder and traces of violence at a deserted resort lead her across the desert and into Nevada, and finally to a remote and isolated ranch, where danger lies closer that she expects and where her future and life itself may hang in the balance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

good title
I've read most of the earlier books in this series when Sharon was a strugglingp.i.and then working with a firm helping the poor. I found the series good at that time. But now Sharon is pretty rich and her husband Hy is probably even richer. Her problems are about managing her successful company from which she must run and she runs to the ranch owned by her husband where she comes up with a problem involving his employees there and their relatives. The problem itself is interesting and also the ranch is interesting. My problem with the book is that the main character is really burned out and her solution to her own problem with the business is to find someone else to replace her as manageress. I found myself turned off by her problems as a wealthy woman. She was so much more interesting when she was young and struggling. All the later books I've read were also uninteresting mainly because Sharon is always mentioning her important husband. And in this particular book, because of him t he doors of investigation are all opened for her.
The book is well written and still held my interest; but the series as a whole no longer pulls me in. I think the author should try her hand at going back again with a young, new and inexperienced p.i. who has to fight on her own without the wealthy background.

A Returning Muller Fan
I read Marcia Muller's books years ago, but had not read one for a long time when I stumbled across her latest book Locked In at the library.This renewed my interest in her novels.Burn Out was an interesting book.The villain, though, was easy to detect from the beginning of the story.The twists and turns of the plot, though, kept my interest through to the conclusion.

Appetite for Mystery
This read was quick and enjoyable. It moved from location to location with good description so you were a part of the surroundings. If you enjoy flying or riding horsback you will enjoy this book. My first from this author but not my last.

Muller does it again!
Marcia Muller is one of my favorite mystery authors.She writes fast-paced mysteries filled with great characters.
This book starts out with Shar McCone alone at her husband's ranch.Even though she has walked away from her profession temporarily, she gets drawn into investigating a murder.Small town secrets, long held, begin to be exposed. By the end of the book, Shar is back in top form again, joining the land of the living.

Good...
I liked a lot about this book: the setting near Yosemite, the private investigator who travels around by private plane, and the colorful web of characters. The plot is good too. I think it's fair to say that Marcia Muller is not a poet; the writing is competent but not lyrical by any means. The book also could have used a few more twists; it's pretty easy to put it all together. Overall, though, this is a gripping and satisfying page-turner. ... Read more

Product Description
From the moment we are born, we are seekers. Our culture obsessively promotes the pursuit of money, success and self-improvement. At the end of each activity-jammed day, though, we collapse into bed discouraged by everything we have not checked off on our to-do lists, in despair that whatever we have accomplished is never enough. Worse still, when our dreams become derailed by the inherent tragedies of life—job loss, financial peril, sickness, or the death of a loved one—we feel devastated by the pain and injustice of it all.
 
Nationally renowned author, therapist, and minister Wayne Muller offers healing for the perpetually stressed in A Life of Being, Having, and Doing Enough. By learning compassion and mercy for ourselves and by recognizing what is most profoundly true about who we are and what we need, we can gain the self-acceptance so that whatever we choose to do, in this moment, it is wholly enough.
 
Muller mixes the writings of great spiritual and political leaders with inspirational anecdotes from his own life, inviting us to derive more satisfaction from less and pull gratitude out of the ashes of grief. The answer to what he describes as "authentic happiness" lies not in seeing the glass as half full instead of half empty. In reality, he writes, the glass is always half full and half empty. The world is neither broken nor whole, but eternally engaged in rhythms between joy and sorrow. With Muller's guidance, we may find ourselves on the most courageous spiritual pilgrimage of our lives. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Amazing!
This is, hands down, one of the most important books I've ever read - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Global Sufficiency Network gives this book its highest recommendation.
This is a PIVOTAL book within the emerging Sufficiency Movement. This is a MUST READ for anyone who wants a fulfilling life and a just, equitable and sustainable world. As the Founder of Global Sufficiency Network [...] I applaud Wayne Muller for this brilliant contribution to the world.

I found myself highlighting almost every sentence in the book.It is filled with wit and wisdom that empowers the reader to transform his/her life and contribute to a better world. This will be one of those books that I recommed to everyone I know and give away to family and friends as gifts all year long!

Enough is a verb
Wayne Muller's book is a gem. Most of us live in a constant pursuit of MORE. More money. More accomplishments. More recognition. More love. More influence. And like the gerbil on the treadmill, the harder we run, the more dissatisfied we are.
Muller offers an very healthy and practical alternative. To slow down and savor what we have today. It does not have to be maximum or perfect, which are our obsessions. Rather, it just has to be enough to enjoy now.
J.K. Kehoe
Rice University

A Balm for the Soul
Like a drink of cool water on a warm summer's day, Wayne Muller's words gently soothe the anxious, desperate ache of not being or doing enough, and offer a real life path to a brighter, happier, more fulfilling existence.

Wherever you are on your journey, "A Life of Being, Having, and Doing Enough" will help guide you through the rough spots and toward the clear open water.

Honey Ward
[...]. ... Read more

Product Description
From the winner of the IMPAC Award, a fierce novel about a young Romanian woman's discovery of betrayal in the most intimate reaches of her life

"I've been summoned.Thursday, ten sharp." Thus begins one day in the life of a young clothing-factory worker during Ceaucescu's totalitarian regime. She has been questioned before; this time, she believes, will be worse. Her crime? Sewing notes into the linings of men's suits bound for Italy. "Marry me," the notes say, with her name and address. Anything to get out of the country.

As she rides the tram to her interrogation, her thoughts stray to her friend Lilli, shot trying to flee to Hungary, to her grandparents, deported after her first husband informed on them, to Major Albu, her interrogator, who begins each session with a wet kiss on her fingers, and to Paul, her lover, her one source of trust, despite his constant drunkenness. In her distraction, she misses her stop to find herself on an unfamiliar street. And what she discovers there makes her fear of the appointment pale by comparison.

Herta Müller pitilessly renders the humiliating terrors of a crushing regime. Bone-spare and intense, The Appointment confirms her standing as one of Europe's greatest writers.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

world sister world when shall I tire of you
The story unfolds as a woman thinks as she travels by tram to meet with an interrogator when he sends for her. Her summons holds a particular dread and horror; the heaviness of the unknown.

The world is ugly. Everything is dirty, ruined, smeared. People are desperate because they are hungry, and not for food. Nothing is clean or pure or innocent or trustworthy.

Why would I recommend such a bleak book ? Because this book does the opposite of its inhabitants and reaches out to the reader. The Appointment is a beautifully written evocative book. Its story is told in layers like removing a bandage- unwrapping and unwrapping until the wound is exposed.

The use of metaphor and figurative language is exquisite. Translators Michael Hulse and Philip Boehm worked hard translating not just words but the mood of oppression and loneliness.

The Appoinment
The Appointment is a well written novel - invokes images reminsicent of Joyce and Virginia Woolf.
I feel Romania with full oppression syndrome now - Herta awakens subtle fear with minute emotional description - makes you look over your shoulder while reading.
I loved the book.
First class.

The workers went out of the factory completely naked
The main character of this novel is summoned to an interrogation by the Romanian secret police for the crime of `prostitution in the workplace'. She had stitched her name and address in garments ready for export to Italy.

In the tramway which takes her to the interrogation office, she recalls the main events in her life: marriage, infidelities, brief encounters, professional traveling, sexual harassment, the alcoholism of her partner or the continuous monitoring of her private life.

In a melancholic tone and progressing by association, Herta Müller masterfully evokes a demoralized society ('the indifference with which I would have liked to have died down there, I who loved so devilishly life '), dominated by a corrupt bureaucracy ('perfumed communists') and plagued by alcoholism and suspicion (there are spies everywhere). In short, a dictatorship, a prison.
The only way to escape these hopeless living conditions is emigration at all costs to a free country.

The story exposes a system that has paralyzed an entire population in order to consolidate the power of a tiny minority of former revolutionaries, who became cynic tyrants.

Highly recommended to all lovers of world literature.

Jarring, unstructured and acerbic, a despondent aura-filled novel.
The Appointment illustrates once more why Herta Muller is a Europeanwriter to be reckoned with. She has, without question, a keen eye and a no-holds-bar understanding of the deadening power that Communism has when it infiltratesinto the public consciousness and then rushes down, like a waterfall, into the proceeding generations, for the people must die onto themselves (or at least be helped in that direction) in order to make the government/regime more booming and powerful. The citizens then become shadows of their former selves, and the sweeping negativity becomes a black pall that is draped like a wet blanket.

The story revolves around a nameless female who works in a clothing factory; she sews clothes together and is, in essence, a cog in the Communist regime. Yet, there is a spirited sense of defiance in her make-up. She sews notes into the fabric of the clothing (headed for Italy), notes containing written marriage proposals and the like, an illegal act by any stretch of the socialist imagination. It becomes captured evidence that the Securitate (Ceausescu's secret police) now possess, and with that, they hound her relentlessly, imbuing into her already delicate but fluctuating sense of sanity, doubt and fear. She is trying to prevent the crumbling of her self by conveying a sense of intellectual aloofnessand caustic hardness. But her shield of armor is being penetrated. The arrows going through her are not just the repetitious appointments with not-so veiled threats but also the people she encounters on the tram to get to those vile and personally intrusive meetings. The passengers on the tram wear the effects of Communism like one would a form fitting article of clothing. Needless to say, they are a miserable lot of individuals, and the nameless protagonist is working very hard to not fall into their camp, not desiring one iota to become one of them, those people. But as the tram sways and turns with each passing movement, the nameless factory worker is lulled into a series of flashbacks that convey her whole life in a frame of trapped Communist gloominess, most evocative in her first marriage. However, her second marriage (like a second chance in life) is no better. The flashbacks are an additive to the tale, capturing the past which is no better that the present. And that is represented best by Major Albu, the inquisitor who hammers her on and on until she tells him-if only sometimes- what she thinks he wants to hear. But the mind numbing harping evokes thoughts and images of this nature: "Each shoreline was marked by wooden crosses set in the rocks, bearing the dates on which people had drowned. Cemeteries underwater and crosses all around-portents of dangerous times to come. As if all those round lakes were hungary and needed their yearly ration of meat delivered on the dates inscribed. Here no one dived for the dead: the water would snuff out life in an instant, chilling you to the bone in a matter of seconds." Page 17. Sexual gratification seems to play a pivotalrole in this novel; it is not lust stemming from love nor is it lust for its own sake. It acts as an elevator from which the consciousness can be lifted out of its own Communist entrapment. A desperate act. Affairs are numerous, and where the married woman are wounded by the betrayal, the men are trying to escape the socialist drudgery that is in fact their lives. But they compound their problems and those of their loved ones with their sexual discretions and in turn, make a big problem even bigger. The women in the novel can not shut their consciousness off like the men, change themselves into non-thinking sexual machines. The character of Lilli is the only one who can play the game as equally as well as the men. And her behavior genuinely highlights the pathetic and sad "rebellion against society" mentality. The female factory work is a witness, though she doesn't want to be one-to the physical and mental tragedies that entomb her morning, afternoon and night, 24/7. It gets to the point where she just gives up and reflects: "Whenever I hear the elevator descending to fetch Albu's henchmen, I can hear his voice quietly in my head: Tuesday at ten sharp, Saturday at ten sharp, Thursday at ten sharp. How often, after closing the door, have I said to Paul: I'm not going there anymore. Paul would hold me in his arms and say: If you don't go, they'll come and fetch you, and then they'll have you for good." Page 212. In a life like hers, it wouldn't surprise me one ounce if she might prefer the watery grave with the sodden wood cross on the surface.

The Appointment was a disturbingly insightful read, a good companion book to The Land of Green Plums. These novels are not "light" reading nor are they particularly joyful in any way, but they do give you pause for thought, about your own government, your own blessings (or not) and your own opportunities (or not): "This can't be all the life I get. The judges' children know as well as Lilli and me that the same sky that looks down on the border guards stretches all the way to italy or Canada, where things are better than here. They demand their good luck [or at least the opportunity to make their own], although not of the border guards. One person pleads with God, the other the empty sky. No matter whom they appeal to, sometimes it ends well [compliancy], and sometimes it ends red as a bed of poppies, or being left behind, alone [defiance]... Page 91. A stellar read.

boring
Sorry to disagree with most of the reviews but I found this book to be quite boring. I have no doubt life was miserable under Ceausescu but the writing describing her life under duress was less than inspiring.Her descriptions of her life were not informative. And her descriptions of people on the tram taking her to an appointment with the Interrogator seemed vapid and simply a page filler.I felt nothing much for this woman.Her situation is never made quite clear and I found that irritating.This was not a strong book.It lacked force. ... Read more

Product Description
This colorful little book is part of a series of four chunky boardbooks without text. The series takes young children through the four seasons of the year with fun, active pictures.

Summer portrays children fishing for tadpoles, playing at the beach, eating ice-cream, and enjoying evening picnics. (Ages 1–5) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great for all ages and making your own stories
This is a lovely board book without any words.Although it only has 10 or so pages, there is a lot to see and ponder on each page.I find myself discussing something different every time we "read" this book.You can make up your own stories too.My 18 mo. old loves it as much as my 4 yr old.The drawings really capture many of the joys of summer.I imagine and hope it will be one of the books we save to share with future generations.

No Words, How Wonderful!
My children enjoy this series very much, the illustrations lead you to tell the story as you see it, a wonderful opportunity for non-readers!The book moves through the months of summer via the children's activities and appears to end with them heading back to school, very cute!I would suggest these books for 1-6 year olds.

Beautiful book!
This series of seasons books by Gerda Muller were highly recommended by other parents.I can't be happier with them.There are no words/plot, just engaging scenes of children doing seasonal activities.My two year old can't get enough of them.The pictures are so active and full of detail that they capture his imagination and he pours over the pictures and talks about what he sees.

This is a wonderful way to introduce seasons to a child.

Summer
Amazing for kids! Mine is 4 and he loves to look at the book and to invent different stories about the season!!!
No written words but only imagination!

One of the loveliest wordless board books available
My children all like looking at Gerda Muller's seasonal books. Our local library has "Circle of Seasons" which has all the books in one volume but the board books are a better format. Separating the seasons into separate books is less cluttered. ... Read more

Product Description
In this Spur Award–winning story, a Pinkerton detective, a couple on the run, a wanted man, and a traveling salesman with mysterious wares all converge on the banks of Crucifixion River to take shelter from an impending storm. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Research
Apparently, the writer knows little about crochet.Perhaps when stating "crochet needles clicking" on page 61 of the paperback, knitting needles came to mind.Just FYI, crochet requires ONE hook.Knitting requires two needles.Research is required, even on the little things.

A great anthology!

I wonder if Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini wrote their own vows?

The husband/wife team has compiled a great anthology that spans genres.We have a western, a detective story, and a supernatural tale in "The Carville Ghost".Not bad for 'western' release from Dorchester.

Each of the included pieces is outstanding.There is a 'Nameless Detective' tale by Pronzini (Wrong Place, Wrong Time), a Sharon McCone piece, "Irrefutable Evidence" (Muller), a Sabina Carpenter "Pickpocket" piece, and the charming "Carville Ghost".

My favorite piece is the Carville Ghost, yet "Dying Time" is a close second.This is one kickass collection every fan of great writing should read.

Thanks for these great short stories folks.
... Read more

Product Description
George Mller was the worst of sinners--a thief and a liar. But after turning to Christ, he provided for over 10,000 orphans--without ever asking anyone but God to supply his needs! He testified that he knew of at least 50,000 specific answers to his prayers. Here are his reports of a few of the most spectacular ones.From his amazing personal experiences, you will find the secret to receiving miraculous answers to your prayers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Real Prayer: Real Results
Release the Power of Prayer contains excerpts from the auto-biography of George Muller and commentary concerning the pertinent circumstances.Muller wanted to show Christians that God could be taken at his Word and would fulfill every promise to us.Muller was first called to a ministry to the orphans of Bristol, England in the 19th Century, in which time the horrors of the work house or the cruel street was the fate of children without parents.Muller never solictied one shilling from people.He took all of his needs to his heavenly Father.Through prayer alone, the Lord facilitated Muller caring for over 10,000 orphans in the 20+ years he ran them.
We cannot borrow George Muller's faith. However, we can be challenged and encouragedby it.This type of intimate relationship with God is available to every believer if they will but pursue it.Only by taking our own needs to God in prayer are we able to learn of the power found in prayer.

A Prayer Warrior's Golden Nugget Book
This little book is bathed in the Power of God because of the Power of the Holy Spirit that activated this man's ministry and life! Jesus shines forth in all things as this man of God walked by Faith in all things of Life. This was a true Missionary and Marketplace Minister.

His Faith Walk inspired many including that of James Hudson Taylor, who himself was a man of Faith Missions in the inner continent of China in the 1800's.

This is a good little book for all that rest in the Peace and Assurance of Jesus Christ through His Grace and Mercy.

Great book of faith!
I bought this book because I wanted to give it out as a Christmas gift to my Sunday school class. They loved it so much they keep asking when we can have a class to just discuss George Muller and his incredible trust in the power of prayer.It was incredibly encouraging to read about George Muller. If you are looking for a comprehensive biograpy this is not the book for you. It does have an overview of his life but has his writings sprinked into it. I thought it has a nice balance. This is an easy to read book that will inspire your faith and prayer life. It did mine.

Release the Power of Prayer
Excellent book!This is the best book on prayer I have ever read.It clearly demonstrates God's faithfullness to a man who depended only on Him and not man for provision and direction in everything.I was greatly inspired to live my life of faith the same way as George Muller.

Either Or
I set out to read this book after I had read his Autobiography.If you too found yourself in this situation you already know what I found out... They are essentially the same testimony.This book contains large excerpts from the autobiography, but exculding a timeline of Mr. Mullers Life in the front, nothing substantially new.However, it is to date one of the most outstanding testimonies of a life of faith in our times that I have read.I also HIGHLY recommend Rees Howells: Intercessor by Norman Grubb.If you are seeking to deepen your faith or desire to live a more dedicated life for the Lord you'll not regret purchasing this book! ... Read more

Product Description
In the latest installment in this critically acclaimed series, McCone is hired to investigate one of San Luis Obispo County's most puzzling cold cases. A generation ago, Laurel Greenwood, a housewife and artist, inexplicably vanished, leaving her young daughter alone. Now, new evidence suggests that the missing woman may have led a strange double life. But before McCone can penetrate the tangled mystery, she must first solve a second disappearance that of her client, the now grown daughter of Laurel Greenwood. The case, which forces Sharon to explore the darker sides of two marriages, comes uncomfortably close on the heels of her own marriage to Hy Ripinsky, and she begins to doubt the wisdom of her impulsive trip to the Reno wedding chapel. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Missing Mother
Fresh, different, and engaging is what Marcia Muller brings to a Sharon McCone mystery. For thirty years she has managed to keep us enthralled and coming back for more.
Newly weds Sharon and Hy Ripinsky barely (literally) have their feet on the ground before during their wedding reception Sharon is asked to investigate the disappearance of a missing mother. A mother who disappeared twenty-two years prior to her daughter's search.
A long into the night page turner as you visit with old friends and make new ones.
Nash Black, author whose books are available in Kindle editions.
Writing as a Small BusinessHaintsQualifying LapsSins of the Fathers

Muller continues to get better...
When I read my first two Marcia Muller Sharon McCone books (her first two), I was not very impressed with this character, this series or the writing.I thought it was just another fluffy female detective series.But a friend convinced me not to give up and McCone has become one of my favorites.Vanishing Point shows Muller at her best.

Jennifer Aldin's mother, Laurel Greenwood, mysteriously vanished 22 years ago when Jennifer was just a girl.When Jennifer's father dies of cancer, the unsolved loss of her mother makes her emotionally fragile.Jennifer's wealthy husband hires San Francisco private investigator, Sharon McCone, to see if she can find out exactly what happened to Greenwood.Is she still alive?If so, where is she living?Is she dead?If that is the case, did she commit suicide or was she murdered?McCone now has her own detective agency with a full staff to help with the investigation.As with many cold cases like this, someone doesn't want the truth uncovered.McCone must also deal with the disappearance of someone important to the case, so she actually has two mysteries to solve.

In Vanishing Point, the plot had me guessing until the end.There is also a subplot involving a big change in McCone's personal life that will come as a surprise to loyal Muller fans.The only downfall for me is that this is another series that you should read in order.I still have to fill in many gaps, but that just means that I'll look forward to reading some of her earlier works.

Good one for your Kindle - even as a 'stand alone' book
A very good addition to the series - and you won't have had to read the previous books to enjoy this one.Intrigue and mayhem as PI Sharon McCone follows the cold case of a missing woman.Enjoyable read!

Vanishing Point
"Vanishing Point" is the 24th Sharon McCone novel by Marcia Muller. Rae Kelleher, one of Sharon's former operatives who is also married to country music star Ricky Savage, asks her to take a case for Jennifer Aldin whose mother Laurel Greenwood disappeared 22 years ago. Laurel Greenwood is presumed dead although no body was ever found and Jennifer wants closure. Jennifer's younger sister Terry doesn't want her to find out what happened to Laurel. As Sharon investigates she uncovers some family secrets and an attempted murder. Did Laurel Greenwood die? Is she still living and if so where is she? Sharon with the help of Patrick, one of her newer operatives, gets to the bottom of the case. This novel kept me turning pages and long time readers of this series will enjoy this entry into the Sharon McCone series. This novel is highly recommended.

Muller never disappoints
I've read all the Sharon McCone books over the years.Muller's stories are terrific and I've enjoyed watching Sharon grow and develop.I always look forward to the next one. ... Read more

Product Description
Sharon McCone is hired by her husband's security firm to track down "the ever-running man," a shadowy figure who has been leaving explosive devices at their various offices. She doesn't have to search for long. When McCone narrowly escapes an explosion at the security firm's San Francisco offices, she catches a glimpse of his retreating figure. The ever-running man is dangerously close--and anyone connected to the firm seems to be within his deadly range. To complicate matters, McCone is forced to question her intensely private husband, Hy, about his involvement in some of the firm's dark secrets. The history of corruption may jeopardize their marriage, but uncovering the secrets of the firm may be the only way she can save her husband's life, and her own. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Tired and Boring
Marcia Muller's novels starring Sharon McCone, continue to fall beneath expectations.They are now tired and boring. Time for Sharon McCone to retire.

Solid Mystery
Muller never disappoints. In this latest Sharon McCone mystery, PI McCone must investigate her husband Hy Rapinski's business, RKI, to see who is responsible for a series of bombings against the company. Along the way, she discovers a few pieces of information that may irreparably damage her relationship with Rapinski.

All the favorite characters are here -- Ted, Anne Marie, Rae, etc. -- and I especially appreciate how everyone continues to evolve and face challenges of their own.

There are a few "yeah, right" moments, like when a key person of interest in the investigation just coincidentally owns property up the coast from McCone's Touchstone, and when Rapinski readily agrees to hire a low-skilled kept woman of 18 who was dumped by one of the firm's founders (geez, Rapinski -- you think that the bombings might be the work of a disgruntled employee, but you're willing to bring a disgruntled jilted lover on board? NOT!). Overall, though, it's another excellent entry in the McCone saga, one I've been following for over a decade.

MM Never Disappoints
It's amazing to me how after so many years MM continues to turn out great installments of the best series I've ever read.

Unlike other series, where the characters don't age or progress, Sharon does both. I do wish she'd get a bit more back to her roots -- the Sharon with three homes and a plane who stays in five-star hotels is a bit more difficult to relate to than the old Sharon. However, that doesn't detract from the read at all -- actually, I blame it on Hy, who's the one character I've never been able to warm to.

This installment was fast-paced and exciting -- I read the whole thing in less than 24 hours because I couldn't put it down -- although towards the end, the culprit's identity became very apparent and it took Sharon a lot longer than me to figure the whole thing out. As usual, the whole cast is included in the story, but it doesn't feel forced, as if she's just trying to fit them in and sticking them wherever she can. And I love that we got another life-changing event for one of the characters -- MM certainly isn't afraid of changing things up, even in her long-running story arcs.

One little quirk though that drives me nuts -- why does Sharon always refer to her "cellular"? I don't know anyone who calls it that, rather than just their "cell" or "cell phone." Just a little thing I find annoying.

Can't wait to read "Burn Out!"

Vengence is Mine
I've now got the previous 24 Sharon McCone novels the read. I will enjoy both looking for them and reading them. How I missed this author is a mystery, but THE EVER-RUNNING MAN has developed a new fan for the series.
Sharon is hired by her husband to discover the identity of a man seen running away from terrosts type bombings of the facilities of his company. During the investigation one of Hy's partners disappears and the other is murder.
This is a fast moving mystery/thriller with all the twists and turns of California's Highway 1. If like us you are new to this series you won't find a better read.
Writing as a Small BusinessSins of the Fathers: A Brewster County NovelNatchez Above The River: A Family's Survival In The Civil WarUnder the Liberty OakGuns Across the Rio: A Texas Ranger in Old Mexico

Modern who dun it; very interested in Sharon McCone's work; will be reading her other stories
I am new to the Sharon McCone series. I am very glad I've discovered this wonderful series by Marcia Muller. The Ever-Running Man is an intense mystery with surprise twists and turns!

I had to get used to the rhythm of this book. I did think it was way too intense at first, so I put it aside. I planned on returning it to the library. But, I soon found myself wondering about the identity of the "ever-running man", as well as the problems in McCone's marriage to Hy Ripinsky. Obviously Muller crafted strong characters and plot.

I'm glad I finished the book. Muller kept me on my toes until the very end. I recommend this book for all people who are looking for a solid mystery series. ... Read more

Product Description
A gentle, entirely new approach to uncovering a source of spiritual strength hidden in the scars of childhood. Wayne Muller brings together the teachings of many different religions and spiritual traditions in a healing program that will appeal to readers of The Road Less Traveled and Homecoming. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Simply one of the BEST self-help books ever!
I've owned this book for awhile and came here tonight after recommending it to someone looking for clarity about the past.Over the years I've sought out many books to explain and help me try to understand my feelings growing up - a situation that was not ideal.Nothing helped me as much as this book.It's so clear, honest and thorough.For the seeker it is the total package and a completely fulfilling experience.I'm so grateful for Wayne Muller writing this book.I believe "Legacy of the Heart" ought to be available in every school library for any kid to pick up and read.My only regret is that I was already in my 30's when I found it.Better late than never though!

A loving and helpful tool towards recovery
I met the author of this book some years ago when he came to my city. He writes in a compassionate, straitforward manner.His words offer logical ways for a person to explore childhood traumas and find how to reconcile the harms that have shaped his/her life.I have several family members who suffered abuse at the hands of their parents and are now suffering from the effects of the abuse in their adulthood.I ordered several copies of this book and sent a copy to each of these loved ones.They have all told me what a wonderful, valuable book they find it to be, and how it has offered them a new way of thinking as they try to make sense of what happened to them in their childhoods.I find this author to be an enlightened brother who has embraced a calling to help people find healing through forgiveness and their own logical thinking. I would recommend this book to anyone who is searching for a way to make peace with the pain from a traumatic past and to truly move forward, unburdened by the hurts inflicted by those who were there to be protectors but were unable to do so.

A Must Read for Warriors and Wounded Children
Those most in need of practice in "being present" are those who're mired in a painful past, in particular, warriors and abused children. Both have developed habitual vigilance and a "lens" that filters out everything but what is, or may be, essential to their survival in a moment of clear and present danger. Sadly, well after the danger's past and they've grown up or mustered out of the time or place in which they cultivated habitual vigilance, they are unable to live freely in the present. They continue to scan, to dig foxholes, and to hit the dirt at the slightest indication of whatever used to be an actual danger. Muller speaks practically and compassionately to these perceptual prisoners of war and teaches them how to rewire their brains through the healing practices of Buddhism: not viewing change as the "enemy" but as a neutral fact of life; learning detachment in order to unbind one's self from the past; seeing here, now. This is the highly effective approach used in the Yoga Warriors program. It is the Way of Western psychotherapy. It is the Way that Jesus urged all to follow. Muller's Legacy of the Heart has a prized place on my bookshelf, not because I had a painful childhood (mine was far from it), but because, writing in cyberspace as Rapierpen and as Bob the Bard, I have a passion to understand warriors and wounded children and to do what I can to help survivors find peace and healing.

This book changed my life
I had the great good luck to attend a workshop with Wayne Muller based on this book when I was in the throes of a divorce that brought up painful issues from childhood. Wayne helped me to stop seeing myself as a victim of people who were themselves damaged, and instead to build an image of myself as a creative, spiritual, compassionate person worthy of being loved.

We attract to ourselves exactly what we think we deserve. As long as I thought of myself as a victim, I was one. When I changed this mental idea, my whole life changed for the better. I can't recommend it highly enough for those who feel held back by their past.

Wayne Muller is a psychologist who went back to school to become a minister because psychology didn't explain what he saw in many of the people he worked with. Time after time he watched people find the strength within themselves to rise above even the most horrible of circumstances. He finally realized he was witnessing grace in action; that there is some kind of force or ability in us that can overcome anything. This book is about how to allow that grace to work for you.

Help for growth beyond childhood hurts
I would describe this as a self-help/spiritual guidance book for people struggling in their personal/spiritual growth because of the wounds of their childhood. I think that it might help people to identify the ways they are getting caught on old pain and thought patterns, and free themselves a bit.

The book's perspective is arguably more psychological than spiritual, and it does not delve deeply into any particular spiritual tradition, nor is it for instance an exploration of the relationship between childhood pain and mystical experience. Mueller quotes more or less equally from a variety of different traditions, in a way that probably wouldn't be too offensive to any of them, unless the reader would be troubled by a quote from another religion or details of an eastern meditation practice.

The quality of the writing is 4 stars out of 5; read the book for the advice and perspective rather than the way the author expresses himself which is nothing special. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
It has become our standard greeting: "I'm so busy." Now, in a book that can heal our harried lives, the author of the spiritual classic How, Then, Shall We Live? shows us how to create a special time of rest, delight, and renewal--a refuge for our souls.

Our relentless emphasis on success and productivity has become a form of violence, Muller says. We have lost the necessary rhythm of life, the balance between effort and rest, doing and not doing. Constantly striving, we feel exhausted and deprived in the midst of great abundance, longing for time with friends and family, longing for a moment to ourselves.

Millennia ago, the tradition of Sabbath created an oasis of sacred time within a life of unceasing labor. This consecrated time, Muller affirms, is available to all of us, regardless of our spiritual tradition. We need not even schedule an entire day each week. Sabbath time can be a sabbath afternoon, a sabbath hour, a sabbath walk. Sabbath time is time off the wheel, time when we take our hand from the plow and allow the essential goodness of creation to nourish our souls.

With wonderful stories, poems, and suggestions for practice, Muller teaches us how we can use this time of sacred rest to refresh our bodies and minds, restore our creativity, and regain our birthright of inner happiness. In Sabbath, he has given us a revolutionary tool for cultivating those necessary human qualities that grow only with time: wisdom, courage, honesty, generosity, healing, and love. Amazon.com Review
It's sad that we need a book to remind us of the importance ofscheduling time to rest and worship. But because we can work, shop,achieve, and otherwise stay busy every hour of every day of the week,we do. The statement, "I am so busy" has become a frighteningly commonlament, according to author Wayne Muller. Our perpetual state ofbusyness represents a war on our natural rhythms that demand quiet andrenewal in order to be emotionally, spiritually, and creativelyfertile.

Honoring the Sabbath need not be a commitment to aspecific day of the week, explains Muller. In fact, it can be ayearlong retreat or a morning walk--"anything that preserves avisceral experience of life-giving nourishment and rest."

Far morethan an interesting concept, this is a good read. Each chapter isprovocative and fluid, with topics such as "Fear of Rest," "Dormancy,"and "The Way of Enough." At the end of his chapters, Muller offersstories, poems, or practices that speak to the themes of theSabbath. --Gail Hudson ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

A Good Message for Today, With One Caveat Though
Dr. Mueller's message in this book is literally life-saving as the cover says.A type-A friend of mine read this and he is now changing his life to include sabbath restoration time. I feel it will add years to his life.

This book is aimed at those of us who lead a "busy" life, always on the go, always feeling tired and hurried. I would especially recommend this book for clergy-- not as a resource for sermons, but as a resource for their own souls-- to prevent burnout.

The chapters are devotional, filled with anectodes, axioms and various stories. At the end of each chapter there are examples of how Dr Mueller and friends of his have put sabbath into practice.I found them very helpful.

Dr Mueller casts a wide net in search of understanding what sabbath is.He frequently references the aspect of "rest" in other faiths besides Judaism and Christianity.While I appreciate the inclusivity, sometimes the references are misleading or too superficial. For example, he often cites Buddhism and Buddhist practices, yet oversteps the message. Buddhism teaches that peace comes through letting go of one's ego or self, while Dr Mueller stresses reinforcing the self. I was also surprised that he glossed over the inventors of sabbath-- the ancient Babylonians-- with only one sentence. He also totally omits references to Wicca, a rapidly growing faith in America, which joyfully celebrates eight Sabbats annually.

Dr. Mueller's attempt to be inclusive fails mainly by borrowing from other faiths without recognizing nor honoring their distinctiveness. While this may not bother people who see all faiths as one and the same, it does unnerve those who practice these other faiths and demotes interfaith work rather than encouraging it.

Over all, this book is worth reading because of the powerful message it delivers about our need for intentional rest.It is a message for our time and for our culture in America. The book could have been stronger if there had been a more careful referencing of non-JudeoChristian faiths. With that caveat, I still recommend Dr Mueller's "Sabbath" for today's "busy" people.

Take your time with this book and heal.
This book is exactly what our current busy lives need.If we take the time to read it.

A Book That Everyone Should Read
I have read Wayne Muller's "Sabbath" multiple times, each time coinciding with a personal crisis connected to the need for rest. Its rich wisdom and creativity have given me that and more.I believe our society could also benefit from it.

Interestingly, these types of work do not necessarily reveal anything new in our quest for understanding, wisdom and refuge.They are more in the akin to reminders--reminders our culture seriously needs.In fact, it seems as if we once grasped all of this, only to let go of it.Dr. Muller's book, after all, beckons us to "remember..."

With all reviews, I like to present a largely positive outlook, but no project is perfect, so I would also like to draw attention to its few, but noticeable demerits.

One of these is the old, recycled Sixties Generation attitudes on Corporate America, poverty, and Christianity.Dr. Muller, his wonderful scholarship notwithstanding, serves up some of the same tired gripes common to this group.Yes, it is true that the industrious woman in Somalia does not get her due, but does this mean we are to hate government and big business for it?One can still work for a large corporation, put in a hard day's work (which many of us have), feel proud, get rewarded, and go home to rest.

Additionally, there are some snubs directed at Christians.In one chapter,Muller speaks disparagingly of the Christian missionaries who came to America to convert the (what else could they be?) poor, disadvantaged Indians.Why the sarcasm?Has Dr. Muller not heard of the Great Commission handed down by Jesus: to go out into the world and preach the gospel?Someone with Dr. Muller's pedigree ought to know better than that.

Dr. Muller also makes the mistake of assuming, as many unfortunately do, that Jesus' sole (or primary) purpose was to help the poor.I could scarcely believe this glaring oversight.Jesus came to reconcile man to God; as an extension of this, he assisted the poor, among other things.

Yet all in all, Dr. Muller does a wonderful job of standing in the midst of today's hectic society and saying, "Wait, wait..."He is the Paul Revere of the Age of Burnout.

I hope this book can somehow be made available to as many people as possible.

The Sabbath Was Made For Man
This book is a good introduction to rest for anyone interested in it, yet it leaves the decision up to the reader as to which day one is to keep as a rest day.

Is the Sabbath rest command subject to arbitrary decision making leaving it up to the individual to decide which day is to be kept?

When Jesus spoke to his disciples he said that the Sabbath was made for man.Now there are some who may argue that the Saturday Sabbath was for the Jewish people only because he was talking with Jews at the time, yet, Jesus, you know, the God or Yahweh of the Old Testament gave the Sabbath to the Israelites, 12 tribes not just to Judah (with Benjamin and Levi, the Jews today.)

Also, the scripture stated that man was to keep 'THE' Sabbath day holy not 'A' Sabbath day.

However, this book introduces the topic. Yet is the day for our pleasure or for God's?Although man was not created for the Sabbath to be it's slave, the Sabbath or 'THE' seventh day was created for mankind or made at the time of creation for all to keep.

What a Neat Book
I read this slowly, picking it up now and then, going through one brief
chapter at a time.I always found a smile on my face and a bit of
wisdom in my soul.This is an eloquent, poetic book that I would
highly recommend.

Muller starts with some history of what the Sabbath
has meant in the Jewish and Christian religions and how it has been
practiced through the centuries.But this is not dogmatic reading at
all.The author uses the word Sabbath as a metaphor for rest in our
lives - whether it's an actual day, morning ritual, or simply a few
moments alone during a busy day.He reminds us that there is a reason
that this Sabbath concept has been such a strong component of life in
our past, and warns us against the modern trend towards constant
activity.

Chapters are filled with personal experiences, stories of
others, poems, and suggestions for incorporating mindful rest into our
lives.

I look forward to rereading this numerous times in the future.
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Customer Reviews (27)

Life Under Repression
This is not a book for everyone. It is almost a poetic essay on the horrors of existence under an irrational dictatorship in Ceausescu's Romania and the helplessness experienced by people who wish for more of a chance to express their individuality and to live their live fully. One could easily substitute almost any totalitarian state (Nazi Germany, contemporary N. Korea, Pol Pot Cambodia, etc.) for the site of the story. I found it a bit lacking in narrative but quite powerful as an impression of what life can be like under such circumstance. The story is told through the eyes of the one developed character, a female college student, whose relative passiveness in the face of the regime is a bit difficult to understand. As a matter of fact, the choices presented in the book for such characters is escape, suicide or acquiescence. Why the protagonist and her friends do not run from the scene is not completely clear. I would have liked to know more about them as people as well.

The writing itself is quite lovely and very unique. It is an original way to represent reality and I admire the poetic skills of the translator. It was originally published in German. The author is a Nobel Prize winner but this book cannot be considered her main contribution to that award. For readers who are poetically inclined and do not require rapid, prose narrative, this book is quite worthwhile reading. It is surely a potent anti-authoritarian piece of literature.

Who do You Trust?
I bought "The Land of Green Plums" because the author recently won the Nobel Prize for Literature.That usually gets my attention and the fact that she is a Romanian author further peaked my interest.When I started reading the book, I was initially disappointed but I persevered and the book really began to take off.It was a unique look at a totalitarian regiem as seen through the eyes of a young woman.Her observations were the key to "The Land ofGreen Plums" and some of them were truly impressive. I offer several examples; "They thought about swimming across the Danube until the water becomes a different country", "...the sour belch of poverty", "The woman looked at her two children and said: What can you do, some children are poor because they don't have parents, others because they do."There was enough of this to keep me going as well as the cast of characters who adapted to totalitarianism in different ways.

This is a dark novel without much hope but it is a tale worth reading.Romania was an Eastern Block country that seemed to have largely disappeared from public view for 45 years.Re-emerging into the world was likely more difficult after the State had successfully destroyed trust in one another."The Land of Green Plums" depicts that destruction of trust.

Excellent, thought-provoking
I'm not going to say much but, it's one of those books that really catches you. The writing style is unlike anything I've read before. The content, the characters, everything. It's sort of like entering a dream-state when you read the writing of Herta Muller.

Highly recommended.

A Nobel Great

Four university students are galvanised by Lola's suicide. They meet frequently in a safe summerhouse, a haven where they can discuss events, read banned foreign books, consider flight and the ever growing list of people who die in the attempt. They come under suspicion, are constantly followed and interogated. The state takes away their jobs. They seek permission to emigrate to Germany, though even there death and the threat of death linger on. Their lives are governed by fear.....
Wow!! This is a truly great book, exposing life in a totalitarian terror state under Ceausescu.
The story is told in fragments, coming across as someone relating events in a state of fear (superbly creating the atmosphere of terror), and tells of Ceausescu's poison hold where childrens ambitions centre on being a policeman or an officer; how whole families suffer retribution when one of its members is under suspicion (the hallmark of totalitarian states even today-think North Korea/Iran/Taleban etc), The lunatics who roam the city (the dwarf lady, the philosopher, the widower) as well as the prisoners who are daily bussed in and out to forced labour all present as the end products of futile resistance of tyranny;the sinister way tyrants force their own ideology on people;the horrific ease at which it comes about. (I've read no end of times that people thought that Communism/Fascism/Iranian revolution etc 'Couldn't last' but with a few tried and trusted methods, do)
This is potent stuff that sits with you long after reading. It brings out a whirlwind of anger in me when I recall all the pseuds and apologists of that era who said (when totalitarianism was pointed out)-and I'm not kidding-that East Germany had communism 'just about right' and claimed that Ceausescu was a 'maverick' as he constantly ignored Moscow !!! (Like, yeah, if he wasn't the tyrant he was Moscow would soon have invaded a la Hungary, a la Czechoslovakia!!)
Books like this, along with Orwell's warnings, along with Solzhenitzen etc should all be read as a warning at what politics-left and right- are ultimately capable of and possible want to achieve. The 'For the People' rhetoric is just a smokescreen to allow them to get away with it.The fact that all of these states ultimately collapse (as North Korea will, as Iran will) is no consolation for the people who suffer for decades under it. Herta Muller is another hugely welcome voice and a worth nobel winner; a nobel winner in the finest tradition. Great stuff!

gorgeous
Highly recommended, especially for those interested in understanding the effects of a government, in understanding differences (and sameness) in countries other than the USA or the U.K.

Unfortunately, Amazon.com did not protect my book (I live in Australia). By the time the book arrived, the packaging had been ripped open, the spine of the book in tatters, pages marked with an unknown black substance which is so disappointing. If I wanted a second hand book in fair to poor condition, I would have bought one. My brand new book - before arriving at my postal address - is a sad and sorry book. It looks as if someone set about to harm it - sad especially knowing the story of the book! ... Read more

Product Description
George Muller's life is a powerful answer to modern scepticism. His name has become a by-word for faith throughout the world. In the early 1830s he embarked upon an extraordinary adventure. Disturbed by the faithlessness of the Church in general, he longed to have something to point to as 'visible proof that our God and Father is the same faithful creator as he ever was'. Praying in every penny of the costs, he supervised the building of three large orphanages housing thousands of children. Under no circumstances would any individual ever be asked for money or materials. He was more successful than anyone could have believed possible and is as much an example to our generation, as he was to his. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

captivating
Although this is a biography of George Muller, it has captivated my attention like a novel would. It begins with Muller in prison and continues throughout his long(he lived to be 92) and eventful life. I especially enjoyed all of the personal stories told about Muller from people who knew him best. This book has definitely strengthened my faith.

A "must read" biography of George Muller
Roger Steer's biography of George Muller is my favorite of the many that have been written. He seeks to share Muller's story through Muller's own words, and thus provides a first hand perspective of the things Muller was going through as he was growing in faith. I teach a church history course at a seminary and have assigned this book to my students on multiple occasions. I have been pleased with the consistent "this has been a life-changing book" response. Every Christian should know about George Muller, and this is one of the best books written on him.

A Man of Prayer
This biography deserves much more attention than it gets.Mueller was the epitome of prayerfulness, peace, and joy.His eyes were fixed on Christ, yet he also practiced great social healing in his ministry, always pointing the orphans in his care back to Christ.You will be challenged and amazed by the things God does in Mueller's life.In fact, that's the most wonderful part about the biography... it celebrates George Mueller, but through him it WORSHIPS the amazing acts of God.Mueller would certainly approve.

An Amazing, Life-Changing Story
I "happened" upon this book in our church library.It is the wonderful true story of a man who lived by faith and relied on prayer for everything in his life.He cared for many orphans and his many stories of how God miraculously provided are amazing.It is a real faith builder and a real challenge in your own walk with God.I highly recommend this book! ... Read more