End-of-Life Books

I am a big Lisa Samson fan, and enjoyed this book. I do think though, that the plot was a little more far fetched than her usual work. I would recommend some of her other writings before this one.

This is the first of Samson I have ever read, and I really enjoyed it a lot.

Pearly, quite an eccentric character, loses her husband to a massive stroke. In the beginning of the book is when Joey dies, and Pearly is totally grief-stricken. So much so that she is really in deep denial and can't attend the funeral or anything. She has a friend arrange the whole thing as she just can't face it.

In going through Joey's keepsakes, she finds his journal that he has kept up for years. He was always such a strong believer in God, and had a lot of faith, whereas Pearly never did any of it. As Pearly goes through the journal, she finds her husband worried a lot about Pearly's lack of concern for God and prayer.
She also finds a list of what Joey intended to do while he was alive, and Pearly, needing fulfillment somewhere in her life know, decides to fulfill her husband's wishes. But after she does this, she wants to die and be with her husband, and she has plans for suicide after accomplishing this.

Well, as the story moves right along events happen to Pearly that will change circumstances. And it takes a long time, but eventually she'll come to believe, and finally fulfilled seeing that life has a purpose for her; in fact many purposes.

Lisa Samson draws such vivid, real characters that I feel like I know them. Or want to. Their quirkiness is always endearing and their actions authentic.

The Living End is no different.

Pearly Laurel could be me. Or my best friend. Maybe you. Written with incredible skill, and amazing attention to the truth of her character, I found it a difficult story to read but compelling nonetheless. A story, and people, that make you care.

Can it get any better?

It would be hard to come away from this book without your outlook in life being forever changed. I couldn't put it down.

I read the other reviews for this book and eagerly anticipated reading it. However, half way through I was so mad I had to stop reading it. How could Pearly leave her husband at the hospital and then run away leaving others to care for his funeral? I found Pearly very selfish. A friend of mine told me what happened in the rest of the book and I am very thankful I didn't finish it. I hope that I would never act this way if I was in her situation.

Though this book has much to recommend it, for the reader who is hurting for reasons other than themselves being the problem, it could be damaging. We are supposed to struggle - and we grow through those struggles. And Matzat has some good things to offer about thinking properly and scripturally. But his oft-repeated, "I am the problem" is not explained in a balanced manner. I don't quite get his "we're not here, we're in heaven with Jesus" point either. At times he seems to have gnostic tendencies. I might recommend it to someone who reads a lot to inform their thinking or leadership, but I wouldn't likely recommend it to someone in pain.

Years before Rich Warren penned the words "It's not about you" to start his best selling book about a purpose-driven life, Don Matzat made the same point in this excellent book, "Christ Esteem."

And indeed, as Pastor Matzat makes makes abundantly clear, being Christian isn't about us ultimately. It's about Jesus Christ. It is Jesus whom we are to esteem, not ourselves. This is a wonderfully liberating truth, when we fully embrace it.

If you are sick of the endless prattle about "me, me, me" in the Christian church today, then "Christ Esteeem" is for you.

Of the many books I have read on walking out the Christian life, this is one of the very best. My favorite quote from the book is this one. "He has given only one gift to meet our need: His Son Christ Jesus. As I look to Him to live out His life in me, He will be humble and patient and loving and everything else I need in my stead." I not only underlined it, but also wrote wow! in the margain. That sums up the theme of the book.

The reader from Point Pleasant, NJ, who called this book "a HUGE disappointment," is simply living on another planet. I'm sorry to sound uncharitable, and I wish s/he had left some way of contacting him/her personally, but that assessment is unbelievable.

My thinking was revolutionized by CHRIST-ESTEEM, and I have both recommended it and bought copies of it for many people who needed encouragement and a new focus, a Christ-focus. It is solidly biblical and I really am at a loss as to how anyone could suggest otherwise. I would love to correspond with that reviewer and find out his/her reasons for making such an astounding claim.

When it comes to psychological problems (not speaking here of *organic*, brain-based problems), there is *nothing* Matzat wrote that is not soundly biblical and illuminating and positively impacting. He never suggested someone would change overnight, he only argued - rightly - that the way out is by focusing on Christ rather than on self. That is thoroughly biblical, as well as psychologically effective over time!

If you are a Christian who recognizes your sinful nature and desires to leave it in the dust, you are ready for Christ Esteem. Even if you still want to cling tenaciously to your old Adam, your pet sins, your sinful attitudes, you may find that reading Christ Esteem will help shake you loose of your worldlyness. Christ Esteem expounds on the biblical truth of Romans 8:5-6: "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit, have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace." In language that is easy to read, Christ Esteem teaches, illustrates, and demonstrates how to "Turn away from Self", and "Identify with Christ". It makes living according to our new life in Christ a tangible reality. Christ Esteem shows us how to "stir the presence of God within us" so that "we can walk in the Spirit and experience the love, peace, and joy which is in Christ" -- regardless of our personal situation! A book that can turn your life around, if you are ready... and maybe even if you are not! I just purchased six copies for my church library, family, and friends.

I enjoyed Rainbow's End so much that I bought a second copy as a gift rather than part with my own. It recalled my own memories of Rhodesia at that time; nicely nostalgic. Highly recommended! --Barry--

Growing up in 1960s Rhodesia, Lauren St. John thought she was in paradise. Despite the ever-looming threat of terrorist attacks, Lauren lived immersed in breathtaking African beauty. She and her younger sister Lisa had dozens of exotic pets and ran freely across the land, while native Africans ran their farm and household. The world was Lauren's for the taking.

Then the war ended, turning Rhodesia into Zimbabwe - and a completely foreign place. Suddenly the country's black citizens were in full force, demanding equality with their white neighbors. For people like Lauren, who had grown up believing whites were inherently in charge, it was an abrupt and bitter eye-opening. Was nothing the way she'd thought it was?

Slowly but sincerely, teenage Lauren struggles to gain a grasp on her new universe - making friends with the black girls now integrated into her school, getting to know the family employees as individuals rather than generic servants.

St. John's recollections are candid and well-written, capturing a memorable period in African history and offering valuable insight for readers all over the world.

I lived in Rhodesia in the time period this book was written. Although some minor facts are not quite correct, it gives an excellent feel for what it was like to live there and experience the multitude of changes.

I grew up in Rhodesia and can relate to all the animals and the terrorists and see the Rhodesia troops know someone who was in the army. Fortunately for those who grew up in the Rhodesia Era, have a better understanding of the meaning of life. No computer games, but real life. One thing that I hope to pass on to my kids is the love of animals, and how to survive without all the time spend in front of the TV and computers and be a real kid. Living in Bannockburn, traveling to Bulawayo, or Salisbury, stopping in Gweru, the Victoria Falls, Kariba, and buying mealies cooked on the side of the road, the braais, Renaults, the food, the wildlife, the smells of freshly rain on ground, elephants crossing the road on the way to Victoria Falls, and Matopus, all the baboons and monkeys running around, the rhino, giraffe, the lizards stealing food. The good life.

Growing up in Rhodesia makes me live life, like it were overflowing. The good times, the best of times, the real times.

This book is a beautifully written memoir of childhood that,importantly for me, does a fantastic job of evoking the time and place, scents and sounds of growing up on a farm in the bush. Perhaps more meaningful to me since I've traveled in southern Africa, but its a wonderful story for anyone not just those interested in that period and that place.

I do recommend this book to anyone who want to get closer to God to read this book and not only once, but read it again and again. God bless.

I quite enjoyed this book, not that it gave great insight into moving in the Prophetic, but it gave great insight into the very real and present (physical and spiritual) dangers of being in the prophetic. The author, Mike Bickle, admits to being very non-prophetic, and as such he takes a very real stance on maintaining a proper balance of worship, teaching, leading, and prophetic ministering. I believe this is a MUST READ book for anyone who believes they have the gift of prophecy or for anyone who works with those who do.

Unfortunately, Mr Bickle's book is little more than unauthoritative ideas taught with authority. Many of his statements of truth begin with, "I belive that" and "I am convinced that" followed by teachings that cannot be proven in the Bible.

He lifts up Paul Cain as a prophet equal to Old Testament prophets. Hmm. Cain has claimed that Jesus rode in the car with him one day and in order to discourage his upcoming marriage, placed his hand on him and removed all sexual temptation from him for life. Of course, Cain would later fall into sexual sin. Old Testament prophets aren't what they used to be.

Bickle is the prophetic movement's damage control arm. He is there to do the PR when things go wrong. For example, in this book he relates that one time a prophecy happened where a man told another man he was to have a music ministry. Bickle says that guy blew the prophecy because what he really saw was musical notes surrounding the guy. He interpreted the prophecy wrong. Oh, if only God would stop being so unclear!

I could go on, but I don't want to take the time. If you are a believer, pick read ALMOST ANY book on Bible interpretation and learn to discern truth from falsehood. If only Bickle had done so as a young man, we wouldn't be subjected to such nonsense.

Mike Bickle is not just a great author...but he has sheparded a move of God. He is a great man of God with tremendous incite. He is also balanced and not overly emotional nor drawn to extremes.

I would recomend not only this book...but anything by him.

The author tells of his own journey away from "prophetic chaos" toward a clearer understanding of God's order. Out of this experience he conveys insights beneficial for the development of prophetic ministry in the church today.

I have always enjoyed the adult series of Left Behind books. The kids books are just as good. The kids interact with the characters from the adult series, experience the same events, etc. However, since the main characters are teens, these books can appeal to younger readers. So far, the stories haven't had the ups and downs that the adult series has had. The adult series has books that are a lot more boring than others. The kids series seems to be good in every book. These are not for really young kids, but would be appropriate for young teens. I enjoy them and I am an adult.

I cannot rate this book any higher as I am still in the process of reading it. So far the book is great. Have been reading the youth version to see how closely Mr. Jenkins and Mr. LaHaye have come to match the Left Behind series. So far, pretty good. Also like the way they intertwine the trib force with the youth.

Left Behind #10 is sooooooooooooo cool! It's full of action and adventure. My mom got it for me, and the moment I saw it I knew it would be great! I own all the "Left Behind" books except for 11 and 12,but this one is the best! I HIGHLY recomend this book.

Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye 160 pages

This story follows the adventures of Judd, Vicki, Lionel, and Ryan. The Young Trib. Force is trying to regroup after the global disaster of the bombing in suburban Chicago. The terrible loss of Bruce leaves the group in a state of terror. After leading them so far, his life ended when the bombs blew up the hospital. The group, however, can't take the time to mourn, because Ryan is missing. While the group is looking for him, Ryan befriends the daughter of a rich, important Global Community leader, while they both were kidnapped in the confusion of the bombings. Ryan tries to fight for his life in a clever series of events, and lead his new-found friend, Darrion. The rest of the gang follows some clues left by Ryan and tries to save him. But will they be too late? Will the Global Community get rid of Ryan, or block the search? To find out, read this great, faced-paced, book; which is the ninth in this awesome series.

I've gotten this book (like all the others) form my grandmother. It is a great book for young christian readers. It tells you what's going to happen in the end times and why you should be ready. I would HIGHLY recommend this book.

I have worked in hospice for over four years and recommend this book to
every volunteer and employee who works directly with those who are dying.
Megory Anderson's compassion and knowledge shine through on every page.
Jennifer Walz, Dallas Texas

SACRED DYING offers guidelines for helping a dying person die peacefully. For example, let the patient (dying person) guide you, rather than imposing your own wishes. Focus on their needs, not your own; put off your own sorrow (you can go through that after they die, and they no longer need you).

FOCUS ON THE DYING PERSON, and let it be THEIR special time--their last few days or weeks on earth deserve to be honored, as a kind of celebration of their life; let them be surrounded by love.

In fact, one family sang a "happy birthday" song (even though it wasn't the person's birthday)--since there is no song for dying (and dying is a rebirth into a new life, the realm of the spirit).

PEACE--LOVE--LIGHT: key words for end-of-life celebrations/rituals.

Since dying is also a letting go, and saying good-bye, having family members present can aid in reconciliation and forgiveness of old grudges.

Music, reading aloud from sacred scriptures or poetry the patient likes, cleaning the room and bathing the patient, all help create an atmosphere of sacred specialness. (In fact, in my own life, when I was sitting with a dying women as a Hospice volunteer [excellent preparation for when my own loved ones die, I believe], I recited the 23rd Psalm ["The Lord is my shepherd...he makes me lie down in green pastures," etc. after I offered to recite it and the patient was open to hearing it.) Often family members gather around the sick person's bed and say, "Thanks for what you did for me...the trip to the ocean..." or whatever the two did together. It becomes a thanksgiving to the person, and for their life and what they've done. (It does help to bring in an outsider--a family friend--since the family members are usuallly too full of emotions to think of, or set up, a final celebration/ritual.

Another recommendation is sitting overnight with the just-deceased person's body, a spooky, absurd, and alien idea at first to many people--but all who do it end up glad they did. It helps the living adjust to the fact that the loved one really has died. And just as important, the author feels--and I agree--it may be quite helpful and important in aiding the soul of the dead person to move on, leave earth, and go heavenward ("towards the Light," as some people say can be helpful...this is my own experience, not necessarily mentioned in SACRED DYING).

I cried when I read of the youth in San Francisco with AIDS, alone and abandoned by his family. Many of the stories brought tears to my eyes. I feel they helped me emotionally clear the air, so when a loved one dies, I well be more ready to help them leave in peace and hope, with less fear and more optimism, than otherwise would be possible.

I also recommend BEYOND DEATH by Stanislav Grof (worldwide artwork depicting the soul's journey in the afterlife). And for a difficult death where psychedelic therapy (legal, safe) might help, see THE HUMAN ENCOUNTER WITH DEATH, coauthored by Grof.

Also I wonder if Kenneth Ring's HEADING TOWARDS OMEGA, as well as Betty Eadie's EMBRACED BY THE LIGHT, and other near-death-experience books might inspire the susrvivors of the deceased...and help the living to better adjust to their recent loss of a loved one, giving them hope to go on living, and facilite their return to a full, abundant, and satisfying life. (Just as the departed soul in presumably enjoying in the afterlife.)

Finally, one year or more after a person's death, their living relatives and friends might find Raymond Moody's book REUNIONS of some interest. (It tells of using mirrors to contact the deceased loved one, and since it was while gazing into the mirror while I was shaving that I unintentionally felt my just-deceased Grandmother was saying, "How light and warm it is here, compared to where you are!" [It was an overcast, chilly December morning in Burlington, Vermont where I was at the time], I conclude Moody's mirror method--used for thousands of years--might prove workable. [Sensing my Grandmother was reassuring...to know she was comfortable, safe, and well in a place filled with light and beauty...I imagine like an open grassy glade at the edge of a forest.])

Megory seeks to bring meaning to the end of life. She encourages the reader to make dying a sacred event. One way she creates this sacredness is with rituals. Megory includes in her book a wide range of Scripture, Sacred Texts, and Poetry to aid in creating this sacredness of space and participants. This is a good resource to have on the shelf when we have the opportunity to help others embrace the end of life.

Megory Anderson's book 'Sacred Dying' creates a need where none may have existed--the need to plan our own departure from a world we may hate or love but seldom are ready to leave. Unfinished business, the need to say thank you and sorry, accounts, the desire to have one chance to improve, take revenge ... The list is endless. And the need to be able to choose one's hour of departure, in the way one would like needs to be acknowledged and addressed. Megory has certainly addressed some of these needs but perhaps her being located in the Western world has left out those who live in another continent but who nevertheless will be leaving one day or another.
As the Yaksha asked Yudhistir, the eldest of the five Pandavas of the Mahabharat ( in which the Bhagvadgita is found), "What is the greatest miracle?" The wise Yudhishtir's answer satisfied the Yaksha (but that is another story). The answer was, and is "The fact that all of us are mortal and yet we believe we are immortal and spend all our lives accordingly".
I wish that Megory would address the needs and customs of those who belong to other religius persuasions so that we may accordingly benefit.
An excellent book indeed!

This is one of the books I recommend as a "must read" for all human beings! I only wish I had found this book years ago when I was helping a loved one navigate her own death. I was so ill equipped, mentally and emotionally. I would have done things so differently-- this book has made me view the dying process (and the possibilities for making it incredibly special) in a whole new way. Megory Anderson is the modern day Elizabeth Kubler-Ross. I now give this book to friends on a regular basis.

Easy to read book. After lengthy introduction author concentrates on the research about genes that suppress the cell senescence and control. Discussion about cancer cells where cell division is not checked.
Final chapters discusses the effects of oxidants, obesity, low calorie diet or similar things where eventually a claim comes that beside the gene control everything else does not amount more than %15 in total effect.
So unless we control the genes we will soon or later die.

Professor Clark has written a book that is detailed and accurate, and at the same time accessible to people untrained in molecular biology. If you are interested in increasing both the quality and the length of your life, read this book.

This book embraces a rational and well explained journey in the field of aging. Here I read for the first time strong statements about the programmed nature death, that is present since fertilization. We learn the basic experiments that support Haldane theory about sex and aging and we appreaciate the beatiful connection between replicative senescence and species-specifc mortality. The book is clear and well readible and I strongly recommend it to science and non-science crowd.

Dr. Clark provides a good review of the field but fails, in my opinion, to provide a clear explanation for "The biological basis of aging and death". The theories of the evolutionary biology of aging clearly argue that "aging" cannot be "genetically programmed" or that "We are programmed to grow old and die" as other reviewers have concluded from reading this work. That points out the weakness in this book -- a failure to clearly differentiate between senescence, aging and death. There are two primary theories for why we age -- "the declining force of natural selection" (i.e. it is difficult to optimize a genetic program to produce non-aging organisms) and "antagonistic plieotropy" (i.e. the genetic program is optimized for reproduction at the expense of non-aging longevity). Dr. Clark seems to suggest that the genetic program for senescence is what causes aging and death. In fact the genetic program for senescence is largely an anti-cancer program. It may as a side effect contribute to aging and eventually death but its primary purpose is to prevent cancer. There is a very big difference between saying that aging and death result from an "incomplete" program and saying that aging and death result from a pre-programmed senescence program. One of my primary criticisms is Dr. Clark's pseudo-deathist philosophy. The tone of the book seems to suggest that aging is pre-programmed and cannot be changed. He says, on pg 218, "Will we want to go this far in our search for the fountain of youth? It is unlikely even to be proposed in the lifetime of anyone reading this book, but it is not at all beyond the realm of possibility." (He is speaking of the application of gene therapies to lifespan extension.) I have been proposing such methods for lifespan extension for most of the past decade and have conducted research and founded companies to forward these goals. The human genome is a program. It has bugs in it that result in aging. We can comprehend those bugs and apply patches to fix them allowing the extension of human longevity to the accident-rate limits which will be thousands of years. Individuals who really want to understand aging should read books by people who have studied the field for many years. The best authors, in my opinion, would be Steve Austad, Tom Kirkwood and Caleb Finch. While many of their works may be older than this book, they have a greater depth of understanding of the subtleties of the study of aging that this book fails to discuss.

Professor Clark writes with elegance and employs a reasoned tone, but he is not always direct, and often expresses ideas in the understandably tentative way of a very exacting scientist. Consequently it is not easy to see that nowhere in this book does he directly say what causes aging and death. Nor does he simply say we don't know. What he does say is there are some persuasive theories, especially the evolutionary model began by Haldane and Medawar and refined by George Williams (pp. 49-50), that are consistent with the data that "may be essentially correct, at least in broad outline." (p. 52). Clark makes it clear that we have senescence effector genes in our cells but he doesn't say how they got there, only that they were "already in place in the earliest eukaryotic organisms such as paramecia and yeast." (p. 57) The reader is left to believe that there is a mechanism that retains them, but what that mechanism might be is unclear.

I am led to believe that senescence is built into our cells and is part of our genetic makeup. We are programmed to grow old and die. Just how is what Professor Clark is exploring here. He concentrates on the cellular level because it is his belief that this is where the mechanisms for senescence can be found. On page 190 he argues that senescence is genetically controlled and not the result of a random breakdown, citing the fact that "maximum lifespan is species-specific." In short, humans live a lot longer than dogs, contrary to what might be expected if senescence were caused by cells getting old and wearing out. He points out on page 48 that "mice and humans, although composed of proteins that are extremely similar at a chemical level, have both average and maximal lifespans differing by a factor of 30 or more."

Clark also covers in some detail such issues as the evolution of senescence, average and maximum lifespan; genetic diseases such as Werner's syndrome, the Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome and others; oxidative stress as a cause of cellular senescence and the use of Vitamin E and other antioxidants; the aging brain and Alzheimer's disease; cancer and the social and economic effect of humans living longer. A chapter is devoted to the phenomenon of increased lifespan through restricted caloric intake.

This is an authoritative and persuasive book, well written and well presented.

I kept reading hoping to find something of importance but zip. The weightloss solutions are to find a fad diet out there that you like. The exercises are nothing new. Save your money and go take a yoga class.

I have enjoyed the book. It is very informative. Will continue to use and enjoy it.

A most enjoyable and helpful read. I have osteoarthritis in my spine and it's one part of aging that is definitely not fun. I thought I would have to live with it--forever--until my rheumatologist recommended this book. I scanned through the book and found that the step-by-step multifaceted program focused on my lifestyle habits. From exercise to diet to stress management, the authors explain how these habits influence back pain--either decreasing or worsening it. I found the step on computers and back pain most helpful, as I am a newspaper editor and get horrific pain after a long day of work. The suggestions on how to sit, lift, stand, and work at a computer were insightful. I recommend this book to men and women who suffer with back pain and--no, it's not in your head. There are hands-on tools you can use today to end it. I did!

I read this book to get ideas on how to stop back pain. While I'm not a proponent of natural or complementary therapies, these doctors convinced me that taking control of my lifestyle habits was the only way to end the pain. I even went as far as to start taking the natural dietary supplements glucosamine and SAM-e (recommended in the book). Other anti-inflammatory medications had caused a horrible stomach condition, and the natural supplements ease the pain and have allowed me to be more active and start walking again with my wife and kids. The review of causes of back pain was most helpful, and I began to question whether my primary care doctor had really diagnosed my pain correctly. A consultation with a rheumatologist confirmed that I had a form of arthritis common to men instead of pulled muscles. This book urged me to seek answers and reclaim an active life. Thank you. I must add that this book is not hype or sham. I'm cautious of books such as that. This book is highly credible by two renowned doctors and experts in their respective fields. I'm now getting the Pain-Free Arthritis book they wrote for more information on my back condition. Good luck.

"The Pain-Free Back" is a comprehensive examination of back pain and what you can do about it. The authors discuss various symptoms and when you should be concerned that it might be something serious. This includes answering the very important question "When do you try to treat it yourself and when do you call a doctor?"

After this groundwork is laid and you and your doctor have determined that your back pain is nothing serious, the authors delve into a detailed program for alleviating your pain. The first part details an exercise program and how exercise helps resolve back problems. The appendix includes detailed stretching and other exercises. Of course exercise is only part of the treatment plan, it also requires a healthy eating program. Because excess weight can contribute to back pain losing weight and correcting unhealthy eating habits is part of a total approach. This section also includes various dietary changes that keep bones strong, connective tissues healthy, and other health issues that can affect back pain in check.

In the interest of being thorough it also includes complementary and alternative medicine techniques that may help. These include herbals, balms, back to basics of sitting, lifting, lying, and other normal activities, music therapy, biofeedback, massage, Rolfing, Pilates, chiropractic, osteopathy, acupuncture, and even surgery.

Of course all this advice is not of much help if you don't provide the details of how to get there. So, the appendixes contain many recipes, exercises, references, and supporting information. If you have a back pain problem "The Pain-Free Back" is a recommended read and an excellent resource to become informed about your treatment options.

The book is a though run down of what we know of planets. The writer gives an brilliant account of what we know about planets at present particularly how they might be able to hold life.

What it lacks is some sort of summary at the end! I was quite surprised that nothing like it was supplied. A total of how many sun could hold life. I hope that the writer rewrites it with such a chapter.

I like this book about planets, which is written by an expert.

John Lewis makes the point that Earth's history was modified rather dramatically by an impact with a huge (maybe Mars-sized) bolide. That impact influenced the Earth's spin, axial tilt, and internal composition. And it produced the Moon (which was initially far closer to the Earth than it now is). He asks what the Earth would be like had this impact not occurred, but he also explains that this is a very hard question to answer.

The author then discusses what the Earth might be like were it a little larger or a little smaller. He shows why a Mars-sized Earth could have taller mountains, due to the lower gravity. And such a planet would be far less likely to have subduction zones, because its lithosphere would be thicker, colder, and more rigid. Meanwhile, an "Earth" with twice the radius would probably be completely covered by water.

Next, Lewis tells about giant planets, including ones orbiting other stars. And brown dwarfs. And then he talks about planet-sized moons of giant planets. There's even a nice discussion of spin-orbit resonances.

Of course, the conditions on a planet depend enormously on the nature of the star it orbits. For a star to be able to stay on the Main Sequence for a billion years or more, it must be smaller than the O-stars, B-stars, and many of the A-stars: it must be an A7 or smaller. That means F-stars, G-stars (such as the sun), K-stars, and M-stars. Even the small, long-lived, and numerous M-stars (down to M7) could be hosts of planets with Earthlike temperatures. Lewis does ask the question, "how common are planets that are inhabitable by life that is similar to Earth life?" And he indicates that there may be quite a few such planets.

I recommend this book, and I enjoyed the style in which it is written.

This is a really good book. Lewis explores the physics and chemistry of the worlds in our solar system, and then using the principles of physics and chemistry learned there to explore the possibilities of other worlds, and life on them.

He presents several mind-bending -- yet scientifically feasible -- worlds for our consideration. "Earthissimo," for example, made me put the book down, lean back in my chair, and SAVOR the elegance of the science for several minutes. Wonderful!

BUT, like Lewis's otherwise excellent _Mining the Sky_, he doesn't include any graphs, table or illustrations. (He has a few artistic rendering in the middle, which are different.)

A few graphs or tables would have clarified his arguments and saved pages of dense, descriptive text.

Good book, mind-twisting science, poor presentation: 4 stars.

John Lewis is a professor of planetary sciences at the University of Arizona. Astronomy is the broad field under which this falls, but there is a specialisation within the field. I must confess I have always been one who is more interested in large-scale structures (galactic astronomy), origins and endings (cosmology and the like) as well as `how things work', the theoretical physics aspect. Planetary science didn't really enthrall me as much, even with the increasing availability of stunning photographs and records coming back from the other planets in our solar system. Don't get me wrong - I was fascinating and interested, but it did take a backseat to the other study.

This changed somewhat such that planetary sciences became near to an equal footing when instrumentation and measurement became sufficiently precise to begin detecting planets around other stars. Suddenly there was a new universe opening up around each and every star, at least it seemed so for a time. We've reached the point now where announcement of new planets around other stars not only no longer makes headlines, but may no longer warrant a mention in the press beyond the professional journals.

Lewis' book, `Worlds Without End: The Exploration of Planets Known and Unknown' helped to fill a gap in my knowledge about the direction and breadth of the new planetary studies. Published back in 1998, it is already somewhat out of date given the speed with which discoveries are occurring in this field, but it still serves as a great, accessible and interesting primer to the study of planets both `at home' and `abroad'.

Lewis explores the different kinds of planets, from rocky types like Mercury to the big gaseous giants like Jupiter and Saturn. This survey includes the study of satellites, or planets around planets, as Lewis terms them. There are more moons around Jupiter and Saturn than planets around the Sun (if one does not include asteroids). These make for fascinating trips, too.

It is no surprise that these types of giant planets were the first to be discovered around other planets. He talks about the different kinds environments for stars, and in so doing gives a short course on other aspects of general astronomy such as overall galactic motion, the different types of stars and their life cycles, and the different kinds of groupings of stars. For example, a planet around a star in a globular cluster, clumps of stars that exist surrounding some galaxies but to a certain extent separate from those galaxies (rather like gated communities might be to larger urban settings), would have spectacularly starry nights, even if the stars in the cluster were relatively small, and the close fly-bys of other stars would be a million times more frequent, such that the environment of the planet would constantly be shifting dramatically as the orbit would constantly change - stars may even `steal' planets away from one another!

Lewis in his final chapter sets the stage for ongoing planetary science, theoretical and observational. He sees that in the not too distant future we may even be able to directly detect terrestrial-type planets (much `detection' today is done indirectly, measuring shifts in movement, light patterns, etc.). He gives a nod to the SETI project here (without mentioning it by name) in talking about the remote possibility of increasingly sensitive radio telescopes to detect artificial broadcast transmissions.

The one drawback of this text is the lack of graphic images. There are eight pages of plates, but none in colour - given the dramatic photography available of planets in our solar system from exploratory ships, and the stunning photography available of objects beyond the solar system from major observatories and the Hubble Space Telescope, one wonders why these weren't incorporated. Also, a few charts and graphs might have been helpful at certain points in the discussion to give a quick idea of figures or comparative values.

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Besides being a fine primer on modern planetary science, Worlds without End strikes me as an exceptional resource for science-fiction worldbuilders -- and readers. I've read a couple of world-building books and they were pretty dry. This is the real thing -- a respected planetary scientist (Codirector of the Space Engineering Research Center at the University of Arizona) reporting on recent discoveries of extrasolar planets, and speculating on the range of possible planets that might host life. Lewis does a nice run-through of possible planetary surface chemistries for "life as we don't know it", and reluctantly concludes that extraterrestrial life will most likely be carbon-based and use water as a solvent, because both are the best available by far. Which isn't to say that we won't find some very odd critters out there...

And I don't mean to imply that general readers won't enjoy Worlds without End -- I recommend it to anyone who's curious about how solar-systems form.

This is a better-written book than his Mining the Sky (1996), though Lewis still gets annoyingly cutesy at times. Anyway, it's almost always a pleasure to read a pop-sci book written by a working scientist. I'm looking forward to Lewis's next.

Happy reading--
Pete Tillman
Consulting Geologist, Tucson & Santa Fe (USA)

The title is what first gets your attention. In the never ending debate between Evolution and Creation, it is nice to have a book that examines the finer details of the theory of evolution.

If one is looking for a book that shows the fallacies of evolution, and how evolutionists have to keep changing their theories to meet the facts, this is a book to read. The mathematical probabilities of evolution even starting are staggering. The author first examines what are the mathematical odds of such an event happening, where cells first would form and that those odds are nearer the realm of impossible.

The book continues to look at the complexity of nature, and that there are functions and systems in place that are too complex for evolution to have produced, much less establish systems that are counterpoints to each other.

From there the evolution of man is examined, and concludes with finally teaching the controversy and Glory Forever. The last chapter examines, briefly, the difference between the two and states that Man was made for God's Glory. Time is running out for man to decide which to follow. God, who made man, or humans trying to evolve into God (which will never happen.)

So, if you want to be brought up to speed, get this book. If you believe in Creationism, get this book. However, do remember, that this controversy will not end. It will continue on, until as the books states, "God's gravel will someday slam down and pronounce this case closed."

Caution! Do you believe that life appeared in the universe by chance some time in the very distant misty past? If so, and unless you are prepared to have your faith shaken, you don't want to read this book. Attorney Johns has meticulously assembled, thoroughly evaluated, and systematically presented convincing evidence that there is not a chance in a zillion that life on planet earth or anywhere else could have gotten here by chance. Even though after reading this book your belief system may have been ripped to shreds, yet Esquire Johns does not abandon you as one without hope. He leads you out of the chaotic misty past and points to a rational beginning as well as a glorious beyond forever. If you have the slightest interest in orgins, you really owe it to yourself to read this book.

Doctrinaire evolution, really seriously doctrinaire evolution of the sort that is flunking or firing or suing disbelievers nowadays, is kind of funny, actually. It's got to the point where I don't debate it any more, just chuckle, as I do on a web site edited by Warren Johns. But Johns is a lawyer and he debates, as he does so adroitly in his new book, "Beyond Tomorrow." As exasperated as amused, he is passionate about the whole business, and undertakes in his own entertaining as well as informative style to comprehensively review the many Evo issues both scientific and philosophical, some quite familiar and some not so. Among the flurry of new books out there, bursting from so many presses and think tanks and Big Institutes, this one, unashamedly creationist in outlook, would be especially good as a first-read for anybody without a deep scientific background or not already fossilized opinion on Evo.

Beyond Forever was written by Warren Johns, a career attorney, whose purpose in writing the book was to thoroughly examine the very foundational evidences for evolution. Much in the way a lawyer would present information to a jury, the author step by step presents the evidences used to support the concept of molecule to man evolution. He is able here to clearly show the shortcomings of so called evolutionary "science." Dealing with issues ranging from the variability of the genome and the origin of life, to the Big Bang and intelligent design, evolution as a viable concept is dismantled.
In this book are found many, many quotes from the scientists themselves. In this way the author is able to "use their own words against them," so to speak. Particularly enlightening was the chapter on Charles Darwin himself. There you find that Darwin recognized that "my speculations run beyond the bounds of science." It's curious that today's scientists do not see that evolution is ultimately a faith based belief system, and it is indeed beyond the bounds of science.
In the introduction Mr. Johns states, "A doctorate in jurisprudence does not equate with a degree in microbiology." In that regard I feel that he sells himself a little short. His grasp of very technical scientific issues exceeds that of many of the scientists I have encountered.
I feel that this will be an important book for those wishing to better understand the issues being dealt with in the creation/evolution debate. I commend Mr. Johns for his diligence in the preparation of this work.

Mr. Johns has done an outstanding job of producing a quality text which is both panoramic in scope and particular in detail. The text reads like a well written novel and immediately engages the reader with the author`s precision in parsing out scientific fact from fiction in the Creation-Evolution controversy. The book is very well documented and thoroughly researched with up-to -date scientific evidence supporting Mr.Johns contentions. This work will appeal to those who want an excellent review of the historical, religious, political and scientific evidence involved in this discussion.