End-of-Life Books

Tim LaHaye, Jerry Jenkins, and others in the Pre-Trib circle, such as Ed Hindson, Tommy Ice, Chuck Missler, etc., continue to put forth the same deceptions that Hal Lindsey popularized decades ago. The notion of a pre-tribulation rapture is foreign to scripture, it is foreign to the teachings of the early Church, and it is grooming the Church for destruction through ignorance and lack of preparation for what is really coming. These men are novices and not prophecy "experts" or "scholars" by any stretch of the imagination; they are those who tickle the ears of gullible Christians. Why continue to be deceived? Tim Cohen, in his excellent book, "The AntiChrist and a Cup of Tea," provides biblically sound and testable evidence to show that the coming AntiChrist is known NOW. Not only that, the same author (Tim Cohen) has now put out the strongest presentation on the whole issue of the rapture EVER offered to the saints of God in Christ: "The REAL Rapture". If you really want to know the truth about the timing of the coming rapture, then you need to hear Tim Cohen's "The REAL Rapture" (based on a volume in his forthcoming "Messiah, History, and the Tribulation Period" series (see Prophecy House's site for details on these items, which are also available via Amazon).

The protagonist was the kids.They wanted to find the Antisct. They wanted to find the Antisct ccauce he was going to destroy the earth.My favorite part is when they find out who the Aniscts is.

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.

This fourth installment in the Left Behind-The Kids series is, in my opinion, the best in the series so far. In this fourth book, the four teens who are living in a post-Rapture world learn details of the coming holocaust of horrible judgments that will strike the planet, as prophecied in Scripture. They also discover who the Antichrist is at the very end of the book. Also at the end, the four teens realize their purpose in living as Christians in a post-Rapture world. They realize they must get the Truth of the Bible's salvation message to the world to as many people as possible before the end comes,when they learn that the world would come to its end in seven years.

Facing the Future picks up where book 3 left off. Judd and Vicki go to Chicago to witnes the arrest of a mass murderer, by whom they had almost been killed. After the arrest, Judd shares his Faith to a group of police officers. All the officers except one laugh it off. The young Homicide cop Archibald Edwards is interested. Later on in the book, good news and bad news come about. The kids witness to the wife of a police officer about the Gospel message and she become a Christian. Archibald Edwards, the cop who is somewhat interested in the Gospel message, is suddenly killed by the murderer LeRoy Banks when he attempts but fails a jailbreak attempt. This book seems to be trying to make a point, which is this: if you've heard the Gospel message, do not wait; do not put off coming to Christ because you may not have tomorrow to live. Do not risk your life and, more importantly, your afterlife by thinking you have all the time in the world, because you do not!

When the kids learn from Biblical prophesy that within the next seven years, the end of the world would come about through war, famine, pestilences, plagues, earthquakes, and cosmic disturbances, they realize their purpose for living as Christians in a world plunged into mass chaos. They also discover who the Antichrist is when a man who has encountered the Antichrist shares his nightmarish story . . .

Mark Moore has it wrong. This book may be Christian but it is not propaganda. It tells about something that I(and many others) believe is true. He also says that it is "ludicrous" to think that the world would be in chaos if the Christians disapeared. Yeah right. Let's see millions around the world disapear without warning and not have chaos! Especially if many top leaders disapeared. I think that his accusations are what is ludicrous. "An evil religion perpetuated by zealous idiots"? Give me a break! Christians are as normal as anyone else. Also, the book of Revelation in the Bible only takes about 20 pages because it does not go into much detail. This series of books are much longer because the story is put into "real life" situations(they aren't realy real because nothing like that has ever happened).
Also, Mark's comparison to Stephen King's book is ridiculous. That book is totally fiction and sounds stupid. These books at least are about something that will happen.
As for the quality of this book, all the books that I have read in the kids series were interesting, but not as good of quality as the adult series.

I always want to like Zacharias' works, because they are always presented as the best counterpoint to difficult issues. Like always this volume disappoints. Despite the name, this book passes itself off as a response to Letter to A Christian Nation, but it does a miserable job. The most difficult issues are never touched upon and the issues that are responded to receive treatment with anecdotes, include Ravi's old chestnut 'Atheism made me attempt suicide.'

Don't bother.

Ravi is an inspiration to us all as he takes on the Godless that want to destroy our souls and offend our spirits. By taking on tough issues, Mr. Zacharias shines a spotlight in the darkest corner of human society, the one the atheist lives in, and strikes from. Thanks Ravi, may God strengthen you for the fights ahead.

Ravi is quickly becoming one of my favorite Christian Apologists. This book did not disappoint. And I think I read it in a couple of hours. That's the positive side of this. The negative is that the target audience probably won't waste their time reading this.

Sure, the Christian community will applaud this, but will the non-believer take it seriously? Their ears are already deaf to the truth of Jesus Christ, so I would have a hard time believing that they would want to waste their time on sound theological arguments that rail against the lies that they so strongly shout out about.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed this little book. A good read with some sound arguments, for those that would actually care.

I found this book to be well written and objective in giving clear, concise answers to the atheist's worn out, broken record philosophy of "There is no God, but we blame him for all of the problems in the world". I don't need to read Sam Harris's book to feel the hate that he has toward Christians in particular...it exudes from the quotes Mr. Zacharias cites in his work. That being said, there was one point the author made that I had not heard of before...that the atheist wants to create God in his own image and likeness. This is not new, for the Bible records in several places in the Old Testament where the wicked wanted God out of their lives when they couldn't mold him to their desires. God is still on the throne and they are not. I do have some questions for Sam Harris: If there is no God...plain and simple, what are you in business for? Why do you write your books and rail on about someone that doesn't exist? Why are you trying so hard to convince the world that religion, and Christianity in particular are to blame for the ills of the world if the central figure of their belief system is only an "imaginary friend"? Thank you, Dr. Zacharias for your book, and I'll be praying for you Sam! Thank you.

Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias writes an eloquent yet firm response to author Sam Harris's LETTER TO A CHRISTIAN NATION, in which Harris debunks Christianity by telling readers that "science has the answers to our questions about life and that religion is the bane of existence." In rebuttal, Zacharias states that he has "Always found it fascinating how relativists who say they love the idea of tolerance ultimately reveal themselves to be among the most bigoted."

Zacharias writes not only in response to Harris's work but also to refute other well-known atheists, such as Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins, whose work runs along the same lines as those of Harris's. He opens his text by sharing his personal story of growing up in India, which some say is the most religious country in the world. Zacharias, though, says that many live there as practical atheists. He recalls listening to priests who were Hindu, Buddhist and Christian, and finding them (and their message) completely boring and inconsequential.

After following "only one serious philosophical question" as purported by Albert Camus, Zacharias watched two close friends commit suicide and then tried himself, but ended up in a hospital in New Delhi. It was then that he was handed a bible and was read the gospel story. Four decades later, he has traveled the globe lecturing and teaching in universities, finding Jesus "more beautiful and attractive than ever before."

Zacharias tells of his extensive study of atheism researching the world's best scholars and begins dismantling Harris's premises one by one, starting with "origin." Nothing cannot produce something, writes the author, and at this very starting point the laws of science begin to break down. Even the staunchest atheistic contenders cannot explain why there is "something" from "nothing."

Next, Zacharias tackles the "odds of random life," where Nobel laureate and atheist Francis Crick believes a spaceship delivered spores to "seed the earth." He shares more examples of well-regarded atheists' postulations on beginnings, each more far-fetched than the previous one. From there, he discusses the meaning of life and morality, posing important questions such as these: Does the reality of evil mean there is no God? Can morality exist apart from a moral lawgiver? Can reason alone provide a moral framework? Are atheists more "moral" than others? How do we define love?

Zacharias presents a study of the Christ of scripture, prophecy and the inherent morality of the Ten Commandments. He then tackles Jesus' method for changing hearts, along with current hot topics such as genetic engineering, abortion and cloning, before presenting his argument for the existence of God. Readers, whether Christian or not, will find Zacharias's work to be most necessary and enlightening reading in response to the "new atheists" teaching, which is gaining more credibility with society as a whole.

--- Reviewed by Michele Howe

Im not a Christian anymore so I wasn't interested in hearing any more.
This book is for Christians.
Its nothing what I thought it was. I was so disappointed.
I love books, my personal library is my pride and joy, but this book went into the trash, where it belongs.

It looks like UFOs are now studied like a religion. I felt this in this book.
The author wrote about religious ideas, Jesus and reincarnation.
Do they really belong to UFOs?
I was intriguided by the subjects.
I am not disappointed by the book.
It was an interesting affair.

very very boring

rubbish....

waste of money

copied lines from the bible

and explanations from the buddha sutra's

i guess aurthor was sleeping while writing the book

lol

so boring

makes me sleep

This book contains many truths, but there are many things that I can not agree with, one being his undying belief in reincarnation. I noticed a few times he mentions "The" Christ, instead of just Christ. I would have loved some reference as to where he was getting his material. I know that most of his information was suppose to be from the Angels that visited him, but foot notes would have been nice for at least some of the material. I wish I could just accept his angel story and take what he says as a message from God, I really do. It is just hard to do with so many people claiming to get information from angels, and the reincarnation thing contradicts what I understand the Bible to say. I still say this is a very good reading book!

The only advice I can give you is to read your Bibles. I was attracted to this book, as it touches on issues such as Planet X, UFOs, Aliens, Angels, Pyramids, etc because I find it interesting to study those things along side of Genesis 6, Revelation, Ezekiel---basically ends time prophecy. However, my first issue when I started reading was that he penned the book under JC. The author does not give his name but says those are his initials as well as Jesus Christs. He believes this book to be inspired by the Holy Spirit, so thats why he chose "JC". I find that quite blasphemous actually. The Holy Scriptures in our Bible is the inspired Word of God..and the canon is closed! He claims to have received some new revelations. I'm sorry, but if its not in the Bible, your revelations are not from God. He also believes in reincarnation which is absolutely anti-biblical. He says John the Baptist is the reincarnated Elijah. If you actually READ your Bible, you know that is NOT true. To teach reincarnation also goes against Hebrews 9:27 which says "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" If a man can die over and over and his soul can live on and on, that is not fair. And if we, the saints, are to receive rewards in heaven, how is it fair that we be judged on past lives of our souls for which we have no recollection of. I only read about half of the book. I stopped because I had more important things to read, but I'll probably pick it up again just to finish it. I found at least one mistake on every single page and my book is marked up with underlinings and notes as to why I disagree and why I think what he says is absolutely anti-biblical. Perhaps the author means well, but I just pray he reads his Bible more and does not rely so much on "supernatural personal experiences" to justify his claims because the supernatural does exist but not all of it is from God. If I could give this book zero stars, I would, but I at least had to give one.

This is a good book for children or adults who want more understanding of racism in life.Really good book.

This is an outstanding book with great information in an easy to understand format. I really think this book should be mandatory reading in all high schools. Thank you Answers in Genesis Ministry for another wonderful resource!

I would not recommend this book to anyone who is a Christian. I found it to be poorly written. The author did not back up a lot of what he wrote with facts. Humans are a species, not a race... and anyone that has yet to grasp that has no business writing a book on this issue. The bible warns us of false prophets. This guy has taken bible versus out of context to promote some type of eqaulity that does not exist. All races have many differences, and God placed us in different geographical areas for that reason among others. While I have yet to find the bible to quote inter-racial mixing as a sin... I have found everytime different races have came together, i.e. for building the tower to heaven, he spreads us back apart and mixes up our language. He tells us(gentiles) in the old testament not to mix with the Jews. Different races have never gotten along and we never will because of our differences. That is inevitable. I can go on with simplicities, but anyone who is a true believer in God and his word can tell this book is blasphemy after reading the Holy Bible.

The whole premise of the book is flawed because the concept of race was never based on genetic theories to begin with so one cannot use genetic facts and theories to invalidate the existance of race. Secondly, racial categorification systems are largely arbitrary, and there are 2 main category systems one based on nationality, and the other based largely on physical appearance and geographical origin.. none of these systems emphasize "genetics"..

So the idea of a "human race" is wrongly meant to imply that the racial categorification systems are based on genetics which they arent.. that's why race is still used today because it's based largely on appearance and for that reason it is very useful..

As an added note racism has actually decreased since Darwin wrote his books, this book would have us believe otherwise. Just because the bible says we all have a recent common ancestor does NOT mean we are all equal. For example creationists claim a all dogs have a common generic dog ancestor that was on Noah's ark does that mean that all dogs are equal? NO! lap dogs are equal to gray wolfs.. So to assume that we should believe all "people groups(races)" (as AIG creationists calls them) are equal based on recent common ancestory is false and doesnt add up. So biblical creationism is NOT a barrier to racism as AIG claims it is..
This book is just another pathetic attempt to demonize evolution..

The legacy of evolutionary theory has been around for more than a century, and its destructive influence has continued to make advances, not only in our culture at large, but even in the church. If there has been any change at all, from evolution's inception to the present day, then it might be found in the way in which the church perceives and approaches this contest between evolutionism and creationism. In fact, in many ways the modern church has capitulated to several of the tenants of evolutionary theory without even comprehending that it has done so - and this needs to change. It is this very issue that is addressed in One Blood, The Biblical Answer to Racism, co-authored by Ken Ham, Dr. Carl Wieland & Dr. Don Batten. Their approach to this subject is quite simple: Racism is an invalid ideology because there is no such thing as multiple races. Instead, there is just one race and it is called the human race. Their assessment of this matter is fully developed in the book, but I would simply add here that the English word itself is often misused and misunderstood in our modern culture. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (full edition), the term race refers to "A group of persons, animals, or plants, connected by common descent or origin." Based upon that definition alone, it is better to assert that there is in fact just one race since we all have our "common descent or origin" from one man - Adam. The principle text that guides One Blood is found in Acts 17 where the Apostle Paul preached the Gospel in Athens:

Acts 17:24-26: 24"God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25"Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26"And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings..."

The Lord made from one blood, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth. Clearly, verse 26 is the focal text of One Blood, and their approach to this subject is overtly biblical. Thus, every aspect of science, history, archeology, and biology is understood in view of the biblical record - not the other way around. Their commitment to inerrancy is therefore refreshing, especially in a world of integrationist "scholars" whose design is to subject the Bible to what they see as modern "science"; but this is not the approach of Ham, Wieland & Batten. One Blood clearly shows that modern day racism has been fueled by Darwinian philosophy. When people in the modern day speak of racism, they are typically referring to the distinction of skin color, however One Blood clearly demonstrates that skin color is a useless and unbiblical distinction.

Overall, I consider this to be a very solid and helpful work. It is also a work that challenges us to consider how we think of other people, and how we might reach out to them with the Gospel. I can tell you right now that if someone ever brings up the subject of racism - it is a wonderful Gospel opportunity (it certainly was an opportunity for the Apostle Paul when he addressed the proud and arrogant Athenians who were convinced of their own supremacy over the rest of mankind). Rather than talking to others about racism, feel free to speak to them about the oneness of the human race, and how it is that we were made from one blood - the blood of the first Adam. This then becomes an opportunity to tell them about the shed blood of the last Adam - the Lord Jesus Christ!

Nothing that a person versed in prophecy wouldn't already know. Simplistic and short. Only new concept I gained from this book is his idea that satan prepares an anti-christ in every generation since the beginning of history from Nimrod to Napoleon...because satan knows from scripture that God will give him a time to produce a ruler to unite the world but doesn't know when that time will come.

I always wondered why we weren't mentioned in end time prophecy. This book gives the best senerio I've ever read, why America is not mentioned.

This book is more of a Q & A session with the author. It does bring out some very interesting points of view however. I know, most of us are curious about this subject, as I am. It will answer some very basic questions. In the end it leaves the final question up to the reader. What are your own beliefs?

Let any man who understands know that this name "Maitreya" is the sum of 666. This being is none other that the Light Bearer-The Bright Morning Star-THE FALLEN ONE...LUCIFER. Woe unto the inhabitants of the earth, for the beast has come down to you as a Lion, seeking whomever he may devour--Revelations. There is only ONE Christ. He was the ONLY son of God Yehovah. For God so loved the world, that he gave his ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, so that who so ever shall believe in him shall not parish but have everlasting life--John 3:16 "Beware, for many will come saying here is the Christ, or I am the Christ...they will come as wolves in sheep's clothing"--Lucifer will claim to be the Christ!. Do not be deceived...For The one and only Christ-JESUS-said in Matthew "There shall rise false Christs, who shall show great signs and wonders...he shall deceive even the elect." Maitreya who promises us something that he cannot give, has only one agenda...to destroy the human race. Christ will indeed return to earth after 7 years of Maitreya's rule. This time will be known as the Tribulation. This Tribulation's beginning will be marked by Maitreya's 7 year agreement w/ Isreal. This agreement, like all promises made by the Father of Lies, will be broken. There is no "Godhood" for any of us. This same thing was promised to Eve in the Garden... "for you will know the difference between good and evil and be as Gods" The real reward for this trespass against God (as Lucifer knew it would be according to eternal law) was seperation from God and the beginning of suffering. "And take heed to yourselves, lest anytime your heart be overcharged [with the cares of this life ] so that the day will come upon you unawares" Luke 21-34
This life is nothing in the scheme of things. God Speed in these last days.

I bought this book and was glad to see a refreshing change compared to other books I've read. America is simply not in the Bible. The author does a careful job of avoiding foolish speculation. In the end, he believes the rapture is the key to the downfall of America. That answer will not convince everyone that it's true but I believe he is right. This book is a must-read, especially if you are not up to speed on the end times because the author gives enough information without going into complicated details.

With this graphic novel, Derrick and Stephanie demolish the absurdities and myths of the environmental movement in a provocative and hilarious fashion. They butt heads directly with the hypocrisies of dogmatic pacifists and green technophiles, much to their chagrin, but to people who love the land with an open mind, this is a great introduction to a depressing but necessary way of where we are, and where we need to go.

This poorly drawn, heavy-handed graphic novel advocates responding to our environmental problems with a violent overthrow of civilization. The authors' ideas are utterly ridiculous and unworkable unless of course you don't mind practically ending civilization and the elimination of much of the human population that would result from a return to the supposed utopian lifestyle that the authors advocate. I wonder... are the authors living in shacks or cabins somewhere that they built themselves while growing all their own food, providing their own water, etc.?

Environmentalism is great. The measures pushed in this book are simply insane and the advocation of violence is particularly disturbing. In the words of Jack Nicholsan's character in "As Good as It Gets", sell crazy someplace else. We're all stocked up here.

It's hard to be angry, truly angry, and funny. Jensen and McMillan try to be both in this book, but they come across as more angry than funny. There is some funny satire, especially of psychologists, but many attempts at humor rest on stereotypes such as policemen with mustaches, greedy CEOs, or politicians who have long since sold out to the system.

This book is built around a good basic idea: alien robots come to devour the earth, discover that corporations already have a license to do this, and then need to get the licenses themselves. They achieve this by giving politicians gold bars, which happen to be the robots' excrement, both abundant and useless. The environmental movement launches an all-but-worthless campaign to stop the oppose, but an alliance of animals and sympathetic humans eventually rises up to stop the aliens, corporations, and politicians.

As is obvious from the Amazon description, this is a graphic novel - - that is, what we old folks would have called a comic book. The comic is crudely drawn. It does not compare favorably to the manga books that my kids have around the house, and the drawing style is more in the style of (dare I say it?) "Captain Underpants." I know that the crude style is intentional, but as a reader of a certain age, I found it distracting.

The text presents many of Derrick Jensen's ideas effectively: the destructiveness of civilization; the evil of corporations; the complicity of psychologists, police, and big media, among many many others; and the ineffectiveness of the traditional Left. Some points are simplistic, ideological screeds, while others are interesting, even challenging.

Readers of Jensen's other work will not be surprised to learn that Jensen and McMillan mock nonviolent strategies, and not without reason. But their vision of violence in this book is simplistic - - merely by killing the evil robots and their corporate stooges, civilization ends and nature is saved. A little reflection on the French or Russian Revolutions, among others, would suggest that killing the bad guys may not accomplish what you want it to accomplish.

Rating: 4 for text, 3 for graphics (not my taste) and humor (not enough); because it's intended as a synthetic work, round down. But it's still worth reading.

I like the spirit and overall message of this little book: that the global climate crisis simply won't be solved by individual consumers turning down their thermostats or rotating their tires. These sorts of strategies, beloved by both liberals and capitalists, do nothing to change the economic and political structures that allow for environmental devastation in the first place, and very little to fix the problem of environmental destruction in the second. What's needed for radical problems are radical solutions.

I get that, and I endorse it. But the way in which Jensen and McMillan have presented the position is so crudely written and drawn that I find this book more embarrassing than enlightening or inspiring.

The plot is simple: because liberal do-gooders are ineffective at stopping environmental destruction (here represented by life-devouring robotic aliens who've bought franchises to the planet from the powers-that-be), nature herself--in the form of animals--fights back. Drastic resistance is the remedy, not getting celebrities to raise funds.

Stephanie McMillan, the artist, uses characters that were born in her political comic strip "Minimum Security." McMillan either has nearly no talent as an artist or she chooses to draw in an irritating faux-primitive style. In either case, her artwork here is even sloppier and unpleasing than in her strip. It looks as if she slapped the stuff out while watching television or clipping her toenails. It's genuinely bad.

To compound the calamity, Jensen's prose is heavy-handed, didactic, and progressively tedious. The bad guys are nothing but evil, in the best silent movie villain style; the naive liberals are laughable in their naivete (although one of them, who throughout the book has mainly played straight man....er, gal, finally gets converted); the good guys are good all the way through. There's no finesse, no suggestion that the people who benefit from an exploitive system might not also be victims in at least some way, no hint that liberal do-gooders might actually do some good. There's just black-and-white, good guy-bad guy thinking throughout.

Look: we do need a revolution. We do need radical change to save the planet. We do need more action and less letter-writing. But we don't need this sorry little book.

One and a half stars.

Follow the adventures of a too-observant young girl and a mysterious one-eyed stuffed bunny as they face down a liberal best friend, a sell-out psychiatrist, Al Gore, vivisectors, prison guards, and space aliens, on the way to the revolution! Sound like an unlikely plot? Yet it somehow works, with a story that finds its own edge between naturalism and the mythic, perfectly illustrated by Stephanie McMillan's naif-style illustrations. You'll be cheering by the end, ready to join the determined army of the wild rising like the tide in a last-page effort to save the planet. And where the story ends is where we have to begin.

Funny, grim, delightful and dead serious all at once.

An excellent set of materials, which has really generated a lot of thought on my part. Some of the other reviewers summarize it excellently and I have little to add except a plea for a return to the art of effective editing. This book reads like a great draft from a subject matter expert BEFORE a good editor/sub-editor has done their job. So the narrative of ideas is far less coherent than it quite easily could be. Also, given the focus suggested by the title, there is too little on the subject of the last stage of the argument: human extinction. That was what grabbed me to buy the book and I felt somewhat let down by his failure to align the time scales of geological time and human historical time which is critical to understanding the practical implications of his argument. He seemed to have run out of steam, and again a good editor would have sent him scurrying back to flesh out the last chapter or two. So great work author; must try harder: editor.

Contrarily to the publisher's description, this book is not an alarmist and chilling vision of the end of the human race (also, the p. has it wrong: the extinction event that took place 65 millions years ago is perfectly explained - the meteor; it's the one that dates back to 245 millions years ago whose cause is unclear.)

In this book, Boulter touches upon the increasing complexity of the world (a big object hitting the earth started it all, by crooking the planet's axe... and therefore giving us seasons). He also explain the patterns of evolution and extinction one can deduce from the study of fossils (and help our understanding by, among other things, explaining with lifelike descriptions how one would feel in such a warm world with lots of CO2 as the earth was back then). He then presents the different theories of evolution from Darwin to Gould's Punctuated equilibrium and to the theory he favors : power law in a self-organized system.

A self-organized system is like a pile of sand whose shifting grains within the structure causes lots of small avalanche and a few big ones. The earth is a self-organized systems like these piles of sand and throughout history, avalanches (most caused by internal changes and some by external changes) causes species to disappears or adjust. Even in the best of case, a specie cannot lasts forever; its pattern of rapid evolution and diversification and slow extinction follows the spindle curve of a power law, unless there is an external intervention. Humans are just such an external intervention, and not a recent one either. Since the beginning of human history, we could not help but change the dynamics of the worlds around us, from big-games hunts to Industrialization. As a result, the slow extinction curves of many species has taken a faster downward curve... as well as bringing the next ice age much closer.

Nothing in "Evolution" goes for sensationalism or wild theories. Everything is well-documented and lots of graphs illustrates Boulter's explication. Although this is no light reading, it is not a book for expert I think. Also, and I don't know if in feeling this I'm strange or not, this book gave me... well... hope. Because whatever happens, the earth will survive, and something else will happen or evolve on it... and I really wonder what.

With all my respect towards Mr. Boulter, who I can see has endeavoured to write an interesting book, I think it is not accomplished.

The main idea about the way the life-extinction cycle can be put in mathematical models etc. is very interesting and I think Mr. Boulten would have done better had he stuck to that. Instead he goes around hitting too much around the bush, going into pseudo-literary anecdotes and offering glimpses of ideas which are necessary to understand his message (for non experts, as I am) and that should be right, but you cannot do all these things in two hundreds pages without it becoming a mess (or you can, but perhaps it requires some sort of talent that Mr. boulter seems to lack).

I very much coincide with another reviewer that suggested the book be cut down to half its extension.

And the title is a bit misleading, though it is probably the editors to blame for that.

And a word to the sexist language complaining reviewer: respect towards women is something else than a reductionist approach to language. Extreme attitudes will only lead to preposterous and hypocondrical language like repeating 'men and women' instead of simply 'men' a thousand times in a book. It's not in here that this battle has to be fought.

First off, let me point out that the author, Michael Boulter, likes what he does and you can feel his enjoyment through the book as he explains, in great detail, about evolution and extinction, what it is, how it comes about and how scientists have tried to understand it. So when it comes to explaining just how long mankind may, or may not, live you can't help but believe him. You've followed his logic, his examples, his stories from the first chapter to the last. You trust him, even when you sometimes get lost a little, you end up following him thru the maze of data. So when he gets to the point where you realize that he is going to be laying bad news on you, you can't help but believe him. It's like St. Nick telling you that you're pet is going to be hit by a car. Jolly St. Nick wouldn't lie to you, so it must be true.
Whether the answers to mankind's fate in the final chapter is true or not, it is a interesting book, with lots of ideas to chew on. And websites to visit too!

Paleobiolgist Boulter utilizes several academic disciplines to discuss the history and causes of mass extinction events. He uses such events as the basis for his argument that the natural systems controlling the earth are in a constant state of balance and equalibrium. Humans, particularly since the dawn of industrial societies are effecting the natural system earth to such an extent that the planet must respond. The natural system will adjust itself to maintain this equalibrium.

The scope of Boulter's book is impressive. He combines numerous scientific fields and principles (paleobiology, geology, ecology, physics, biology and evolution, computer modeling, and chaos theory just to name a few) to created an integrated, mostly coherent scientific treatise. Using this integrated approach, Boulter describes in detail all previous mass extinction events. He explains that planet earth is a complex, self-stabilizing natural system, and mass-extinctions are one of the ways the system maintains equalibrium. Despite the scope of his suject, Boulter manages to make his argument concisely (about 220 pages).

After explaining how the system functions for the first 2/3 of "Extinction", Boulter takes the natural step of discussing how the system will respond to human activities. He focuses on the last century since significant human disruption began with the industrial revolution in the early 1900s. He explains how human activities related to pollution and climate change are becoming progressively more disruptive, and explains how he thinks earth will respond. Ultimately, the system will maintain it's equalibrium, regardless of how the individual components are effected (or destroyed).

While Boulter's argument seems generally well reasoned, I agree with the previous reviewer that it's sometime difficult for the reader (me at least) to connect all the diffuse elements of his scientific argument. Readers with a strong background in natural science will likely find the book fascinating, but many (myself included) will find some aspects of "Extinction" somewhat technical. There were many instances where I had to re-read previous sections in order to understand his complex, multi-faceted explanations. Additionally, Boulter doesn't really seem to consider if humans have altered how the system operates. Has human technology and food production made it possible for the system to be disrupted or become more flexible than previously? He doesn't really discuss this issue, but perhaps this argument is petty and irrelevant to the larger issues raised.

Despite it's potential difficulties for readers with limited knowledge of natural science, the scope and importance of "Extinction" make it fascinating for anyone intereted in the future of humanity and life on this planet. It's difficult to dispute his conclusion that the system (earth) will maintain itself at the expense of one of it's components: the planet will survive, but ultimately humans will not.

Review:

Kronman is an intensely literate & learned Yale law professor (who also has a philosophy degree); he's also a political liberal (who worked for the SDS in the sixties & who currently supports Obama). This work, however, is a work of cultural conservatism.

Few will argue with Kronman's critique of higher learning. Both cultural progressives & cultural conservatives in the humanities will concede that college & university culture has one goal in mind: to train young minds to think professionally--that is to master a set of competencies (lexical & methodological norms) that will allow them to succeed in their chosen fields. That sounds rational enough, but the problem with this is that the professionalization of the humanities has also meant the mechanization of the humanities into a set of procedural norms that are no longer spiritually nourishing.

Kronman, who has also written a book about Max Weber, argues that the university's current predicament is the result of a long process of secularization. Kronman claims that there is a resurgent need for spirituality at the present time & that the humanities once again need to provide not just professional but spiritual guidance.

Kronman is not suggesting a return to any specific religion, what he is suggesting is a return to basic questions & concerns ( ie what is the meaning of life ?, what is the best way to live?) that he (somewhat arbitrarily) calls "spiritual" into the matrix of higher learning. This is his suggested cure not just for what ails higher learning, but for what ails humanity.

A return to basic questions & concerns sounds like a fine idea, but Kronman opens himself up to a number of problems when he equates globalization with westernization & a return to basic questions with a return to the canonical texts of western civilization (Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Mill). Kronman is not exactly dismissive of multiculturalism for he believes that students should learn about other cultures, but he believes that ones primary loyalty should be to one's home culture. In other words, Kronman believes that students will not find fulfillment in "superficial multiculturalism" but by immersing themselves in strictly western ways of being/knowing/valuing/believing.

Kronman obviously means well, but he simply doesn't account for the fact that the modern classroom is full of students & teachers with roots in many different cultures & traditions. To be fair to Kronman, he does respect other cultures & traditions, and he thinks that we need to learn about them, but what he fails to acknowledge is the possibility that we may learn something from them as well. As smart as he is, Kronman's anglocentric bias prevents him from seeing the world (or the classroom) as it is: a multicultural contact zone. And he fails to see that contact with cultures & histories & traditions other than western ones does not entail a loss to the existing tradition but an addition to it.

I think Kronman, and those cultural conservatives like him, believe that their way of life, the western way of life, is threatened by multiculturalism & globalization. So Kronman reacts by writing a book that suggests we institutionally defend the west against encroachments from the nonwestern world. But the best of what has been thought in the west is not in any danger when we amend or compare & contrast those thoughts with the best that has been thought outside of the west. In fact, studying other traditions simply adds to the number of ways we can ask & answer the basic questions that concern all of humanity (and not just that portion of it that we call western).

The best possible future will be fashioned not by those who formulate east/west or west/other relations as a contest for superiority between separate worlds, but by those who have the imagination to build upon the best of what has been thought regardless of that thoughts national or hemispheric origin.

Many cultural progressives & conservatives agree that the idea of the university is in trouble. Kronman's book is valuable for diagnosing what ails the modern university and the modern world, but his prescription is overly conservative, short-sighted, and does not engage the imagination in the way that a much more comprehensive and much more far-sighted (and much less anglocentric) set of higher learning reforms would.

Editorial:

I think the idea of a return to basic questions & concerns is a good idea, but I think that the problem with education today is even more basic than that. Kronman is a lawyer & an academic who is enlivened by argument & thus he no doubt enjoyed producing this text which is an intervention into a lively debate with a long history. The problem with Kronman is that he assumes that others will be enlivened by the same things that enliven him. The problem with academia is that too many academics assume that what interests them will & should interest 18-22 year olds. Very few academics really make an attempt to understand what interests & enlivens young people & why, and so many well-intentioned academics fail to recognize that the classroom is a stifling place for many creative-minded students who are not spiritually enlivened nor fulfilled by this or that academic's version of educational life. I'm guessing that a concentration on western texts will alienate more students than it will assist or spiritually nourish. I think I am safe in saying that most students who read Kant do not find themselves to be having anything like a religious experience while doing so. What makes most people feel spiritually enlivened, I'm guessing, are things like love & hope & possibility, and not Plato & Kant & Mill.

Academics will better serve their students when they better understand student needs. And the quickest way to do this is to pay attention to what they spend their time doing: constructing & editing their MySpace & Facebook pages. MySpace or Facebook might seem like a foreign & irrelevant universe to academics but if they take the time to understand why these sites are so appealing to students they might better understand their students. MySpace & Facebook allow students a rare opportunity to express themselves; and to connect with distant and not so distant others; and they provide a unique way for students to produce & manage their private & social selves & worlds. If academics understood this then they might find better ways to understand & connect with students and, more generally, understand how contemporary individuals cope with contemporary realities. Discussions of common fears, hopes, & desires as well as discussions of contemporary ways of expressing & coping with common fears, hopes, & desires might prove more interesting & useful & satisfying than a seminar on The Republic, Critique of Pure Reason, or On Liberty (though these texts, of course, have their place as well). But if the university truly concentrated on basic real-world questions & how real people answered them then a university would cease to be a place that accredited people according to professional ability and instead a place that accredited people according to their value to each other and their community. And that, sadly, isn't a reality. The reality is that real life & real people simply do not get the respect that Plato & Kant & Mill do and that is why professors value & teach Plato & Kant & Mill and that students share not their own selves & thoughts but their critique of the great thinkers (whose realities & concerns may or may not coincide with their own). This overvaluing & overpraising classic texts & undervaluing & underpraising self can be dehumanizing. Status at the university level is conferred upon those who publish books & not upon those individuals who connect with students. The university used to attract an attractive type: the gentleman scholar with one foot in the library & one foot in the street. Nowadays most professors are seasoned professionals more attuned to the realities of their profession (which means the realities of publishing) than the realities of living & functining in the world that most of us live & function in. To rehaul the university and make it a more inviting & enriching place to spend four or more years will take more than a return to basic questions, it will take a reconsideration of what it is we truly value about the humanities, how best to teach them, and what kind of people are best suited to take on this invaluable role.

Professor Kronman's book fills a lamentable gap in the literature pertaining to higher education, to the extent that most of what is written on higher education today is rather empty. This is the kind of book that a thoughtful person, having finished college, would come across and after having read it would realize that they were utterly misguided in their undergraduate caree. That being said, I feel the book should be required reading for anyone considering graduate school regardless of the field of study. His analysis of the "modern research ideal" seems to me right on. I would, however, agree with some previous reviewers that the book could have been shorter, and at times I found myself painfully aware that he was making a point he had aready sufficiently made. Nonetheless, the final chapter is quite profound and alone worth the cost of the book.

Yet, as a side note I find it striking that no mention of St. John's College in Sante Fe and Anapolis was made in the book. The "great books" programs at Yale, Columbia, etc simply cannot begin to compare with that of St. John's College. This omission is difficult to reconcile considering that the author sees the "great books" tradition and its secular humanism as the best way out of the current education crisis, and no other college or university better represents secular humanism than St. John's.

This is an important and carefully thought-out book. It's not for the faint of heart, or for anyone looking for a quick, punchy exposé of the current college scene. Rather, it is a deeply reflective and philosophical exploration of the differences in the intellectual objects of the sciences (both social and hard) and of the humanities. By appropriating the "research ideal" of the sciences, one that makes knowledge instrumental to a measurable goal, the humanities have lost sight of their traditional and more important aims, ones that are intrinsic rather than instrumental, that involve learning for its own sake and that bring meaning to life. The substitution of cultural relativism (called here "political correctness") for the pursuit of truth is a second siren's song that has distracted the humanities from its honorable mission. Both these points are important and well made. The book reads like a man's intellectual life's work. His heart is in it.

Kronman's study, however, is limited by the narrowness with which he defines the humanities. A law professor and Philosophy BA from WIlliams College, he seems chiefly to be talking about his own undergraduate major, Philosophy (see the appendix where he offers a sample curriculum), which has as one of its clear aims the understanding of "what living is for." That formulation of the central question of the humanities -- and it repeats throughout the book until it becomes almost grating -- is finally a limited (and I might add instrumental) one, that applies less to those branches of the humanities that encompass the arts than it does to Philosophy (or Theology). Much study within the humanities, rather than asking and answering quasi-ecclesiastical questions, offers the pure pleasure of satisfying intellectual curiosity, preserving culture, or simply engaging individual creativity. These also very important functions fall outside of Kronman's analysis, which is therefore not as comprehensive as it might be.

The narrowing of the humanities to the navel-gazing suggested by the book's subtitle "Why Our Colleges and Universities Have Given Up on the Meaning of Life" is thus unfortunate. The humanities (and even Kronman's analysis of them) are larger than this question implies. That might sound funny since what larger question is there than "What is living for"? But since it is a question so large as finally to be unanswerable -- and not finally the only concern of the humanities or only the concern of the humanities -- Kronman risks making a serious inquiry feel trivial.

I will get to the point: this writer needs an editor. The flood of words that make the same point over and over should have been halted by someone who recognizes when ego overwhelms good sense. There is much in this book to like and appreciate, but approximately 3x too many words expressing it.

Kronman points to a very real and important trend in modern higher education. He gives a very cogent half-diagnosis of the source as well - that of the urge within humanities disciplines to ape the research methods of the natural sciences and thus exclude any sort of prescriptive 'values' from the research paradigm. However, Kronman underplays an even more important part of the source of the problem - the fact that a socially all-pervasive 'free market' mentality subtley and overtly pushes all that cannot be assigned a quantified ('bottom line') demarcation to the periphery of what is viewed as important, and finally legitimate, in human life. This is much more broadly manifested than in academia (witness how completely political legitimacy and fund-raising totals are equated in the current election cycle) but it is certainly also manifest in the concerns toward which Kronman points. Interesting is the fact that just as many in the 'hard' sciences, confronting the connections between their research and such realities as our genetic future, global warming, radical consumption inequality between and within societies, our continuing addiction to war and militarism, and so on, are beginning to recognize that the 'value-free' research model has always been more ideal than real, the humanities folks now jump on the same paradigmatic bandwagon. Kronman puts his finger on a real issue, but his analysis is arguably more focused on a case in point symptom than on the real source of the problem itself.

The book's title is, "The End." Let's hope that it is just that...the last of a sorry attempt of portrayal to nowhere. We don't need anymore of this crap shoved on us via a misleading cover photo on a dust jacket solely designed to sell a bad product. Most amazon.com people probably did purchase this book because of the nude surfer chick on the front cover. This is as good as it gets.

From the intro double-truck pic of a rear shot of 4 completely nude males, it becomes apparent that photographer Dweck has a jones for males. Lotsa males...128 at first count throughout this large coffee table size book. Had other reviewers pointed this out, I would not have wasted my $12 on a used copy of this $60 book. Why photog Dweck has several one-page deals of a close-up of a rear of a male's head is anyone's guess. Is he also a barber? Or is it just a rear head fetish? Or does Dweck just simply not know what to do with a camera? As far as one reviewer stating "Naturally beautiful women so gorgeous my teeth hurt", where has this person been? Hiding in a cave? Locked up in a basement? Yes, some of the chicks look ok, some are down-right hot, but I see them everyday.

Readers will tire of watching lower to lower-middle class males, some festooned with tatoos as visual crutches for identity, as markers for self-esteem to nowhere. Nor did the one or two shots of drunken derelicts still desperately clinging to the cup that did them in make an impression. I know, this is supposed to be artsy, but don't you outgrow this after art school? And I don't think photog Dweck has been to arts school. Now, if you want a craggy, dried up leather face that appears to have baked in a 120-degree desert for 100 years? Drink-up, but don't waste good paper and print on someone else's ill-begotten lifestyle. People bought this book sight-unseen in the anticipation of seeing others having fun, not on a slow ticket to suicide.

The photog appears to be an amateur and is grappling with what to do with a camera. From the wasted color shot (the only color shot in the entire book) of a double-truck of a blue sky with some clouds to an entire page devoted to a plastic shark.....what is the point? And then there is this chick riding her bicycle in another double truck scene, meandering to nowhere faithfully staying in the photog's viewfinder with an expression of "When is this going to end?"

Please read the other reviews as I have done. Where are they coming from? You might ask are they reviewing the same book as I have? What in the hell is going on?

Naturally beautiful women so gorgeous my teeth hurt. Michael Dweck seems to capture his subjects in obvious poses that reflect not stiffness, but natural ease that only youth allows. The beautiful women featured along with real surfer-dudes and beachscapes allow one to visually experience a culture and lifestyle that is private and doesn't tolerate gawking.

I was very fortunate to see Michael Dweck's exhibition "The Surfers Life" here at the renown Blitz Gallery in Tokyo last week and I was very impressed. The show was an astonishingly beautiful collection of images by a very gifted photographer who presents his subject with great sensitivity and warmth. And, though many of these images have been seen before in his book The End:Montauk, NY", it was worth a trip to Blitz to see the show live.
The End is Michael Dweck's breakthrough debut collection of extraordinary work. The true first. I believe The End was published to accompany an exhibition at International Center for Photography New York in May 2004. With its handsome production designed by Jeremy Miller and oversize-volume format, the book is a virtual stand-alone mini-exhibition in its own right. It is not really a book, but an art object: one that transcends the notion of a mere "book." It is an object of intrinsic beauty and the mere holding of it in one's hands conveys the good taste, fine quality, and the superb craftmanship that were blended to create The End. Sand-colored silk cloth boards with titles embossed on spine. Photographs and texts by Michael Dweck. Poetic fragment, "From Montauk Point" (from "Leaves of Grass"), by Walt Whitman. List of Plates appended at the end. Printed on thick coated stock paper in Singapore to the highest standards. In pictorial dust jacket with very large flaps, black titles on the spine and elegant glassine vertical band. This book presents the photographer's nostalgic (and erotic) tribute to the legendary beach community. Montauk is one of America's best-kept secrets: The ultimate surfer's paradise, it has remained largely unchanged since it was discovered in the 1960's. It has miraculously been shielded from the crass commercialism and corrupt hedonism that have ruined the magic of the Hamptons. There is something almost mystical about the fact that it is located at the tip of Long Island. "This paradise has existed primarily for locals, not surfers who migrate to the beach for the summer but those who are out in the rocky reefs everyday. In the 1990's, Michael Dweck gained unprecedented access to this insular community. His book follows the surfers through their daily rituals from early morning wave reports to evening bonfires on the beach. Dweck has an eye for the women but it is misleading to label him a female-nude photographer, as many commentators have done. There are photographs of Sonya, Shannon, Katarina, Lilla, Genelle, Jessica and other beach beauties but Dweck is also fascinated by a teenager surfing phenomenon named Kurt, who has been surfing since he was a little boy. Kurt is the Bruce Weber ideal: All-American, blond, blue-eyed, beautiful. What sets him apart from the fashion or commercial model-type is his care-free attitude and complete lack of narcissism. He looks like the young Peter Beard, who stays in Montauk when he is in the United States. Dweck pays tribute to the great artist/photographer with a lovely full-page portrait. A gorgeous book. Lavishly illustrated with black-and-white and color plates and 2 stunning foldouts. In my opinion, one of the most accomplished living American photographers.

Nice pictures but has not much at all to do with Montauk NY except for a few shots of local landmarks, the majority of the book is basically a teen clothing catalog,pretty people scantily clad,not much to taking pictures of beautiful 22 year olds?? Very disappointed using the name Montauk because there is too much natural beauty in this place to waste it on a book of pretty people that could be on any beach.

anyone who is from montauk or the hamptons will this this book is lame. number one the photography is bad. number 2 this guy knows nothing about the area. He rented a house at ditch for 1 summer? big friggin deal. The only bright spot in the book is his choice of models, who he photographed badly.

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 am a parent, a homeschooler, a conservative, and a committed Christian. I say all this up front so that my criticism of this series will be understood.

As the series continues, so does the level of my reservation. It appears to this parent that the authors are increasingly engaging in the trivialization of an extremely serious subject; namely leading souls to Christ. Whether one accepts pre-tribulation, pre-millenial dispensationalism or not (and I do not) the End of Time is not going to be a time of comic-book adventure. It will be deadly serious -- and the longer this series progresses, the more I wonder if this is properly realized.

To reiterate my position:

I believe in presenting the truth to my children to the best of my ability -- and I well know that I am a flawed and imperfect vessel.

This means the truth of the Bible -- not the opinion of an extreme minority, even if that minority has achieved a certain millenial popularity.

This means the truth of Church History -- warts and all. When Church History is honestly portrayed, one quickly sees that it is not 2000 years of "Bible-believers vs. Roman Catholics" but rather 2000 years of good and evil, truth and error, advances and retreats -- but always pressing onward toward the Kingdom.

This means the truth of Secular History -- and understanding that for most of the last 2000 years, there was no distinction between Church and Secular History!

This means the truth of what comprises good literature vs. poor literature -- and this series increasingly does not represent the quality of material I want my children to handle. I realize that all children learn differently, especially when it comes to reading. This being said, I want my children to stretch beyond their preconceived limitations. The quality of these books certainly does not stretch the limits of what the 9-12
age-group is capable of.

Truth is frequently painful and sometimes scary.

HOWEVER, I do NOT believe in deliberately frightening children into accepting or rejecting a particular opinion or viewpoint. It appears to this parent that such religious "scare tactics" are precisely what is being engaged in with these books.

My children know about heaven and hell. They know what it requires to end up in either of those destinations. They understand that hell is a pretty scary place. But I choose to teach them in a positive, rather than in a negative vein. Being "scared straight" is imperfect contrition. Granted, it beats no contrition at all -- but it results in fear rather than love.

This is what this series appears to accomplish: salvation through fear, rather than salvation through acceptance of the love of the God of Love. (Not to mention a disregard for the legitimacy of other Christian traditions.)

Parents, pay attention to what your children read. Teach them about the love of God, not only through your words but through the example of your life. But don't try to frighten them into the Kingdom.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."

Well, the authors did it again... This one must have been channeled to them in one night. All the books in this ridiculous series belong in the 9 - 12 age group! Move on... please! Don't you guys have enough money by now? How much more can you milk out of the gullible Christian community?

I read this book the first day it came out. I have to say thatthis was an excellent book. It kept you on the edge of your seat.The horses of the appocalypse are on the lose and this is a second book showing the impact from them. Ryan and his new friend are cought in one of the most exciting adventures yet. Untill the next book. It is amazing how many loses these kids will have with not much time left. They are now fugitives. The GC are after them. What will happen. I have read all the books in the adult and kids series and I have yet to be dissapointed.

This was a great read. Very intense from start to finish, I really liked the way that the older trib force is finally brought back into the picture. Continue to read them all and if you have not accepted Christ and are saved then you should be after reading this book. Also take the time to look at revelation and see if it is true. Do not take the authors word for it. Check it out.