The Rabbi

My god my god where did such behavior ever come from? Hollander shares 20 years of experience helping over emotional teens and their parents learn alternative strategies to short circuit cutting episodes. Through adaptive case studies he demonstrates who the teens are that cut themselves and why these teens cut. In my reading he demonstrates that emotional sensitive teens unable to manage a stressful situation resort to self harming to release the tension. Parents seeking to help their children in such situations often unintentionally exacerbate the event through misplaced intervention.
Hollander strategies with such parents to help them learn how to assist their child to break the cutting cycle.
A sad read, but it's a real world out there. Where is christianity in all of this? How we so removed ourselves from the society in which we live that we cannot see the need?

My beloved daughter blessed her father with a gift of Dante's Virgil-guided tour though the depths of hell for Christmas. This illustrated and modern, Message-like, translation of the Inferno trilled my soul. As a matter of fact Birk and Sanders's ability to turn a phrase had me laughing at the most inopportune times. Hell's highways suffer from interminable traffic jams but then the fast food restaurants abound offering an attractive array of artery clogging goodies. Dante's genius avails only when the christian reader understands that the hell therein described refers not to the lost but the hypocrite-Jesus would certainly agree.

I can hardly wait to purchase and read the succeeding Purgatorio and Paradesio.

A random pick up at the public library check out desk, Pollack's work intrigued throughout the necessary hours to digest its 430 pgs. By definition an expert in the middle east, from a US perspective, Pollack proposes a long-term commitment by the US to assist where encouraged the people of the Arab countries and the Iranians to obtain western style education, business development incentives, and social needs assistance. I would paraphrase that Pollack would have the US export the good of America but not the baggage that comes along with it--individual freedom but not pornography. Give the underprivileged people of the middle east self worth, something to live for.

How this may be accomplished will take the wisdom of Solomon and the patience of Job, but then consider the alternative. Hamas will not longer be attractive, if a peaceful, community/individual building alternative exists.

An excellent read that comprehensively addresses a complicated problem that will not go away as long as the world lives on oil.

Coming late to life, it's taken 60 years for me to encounter Sun Tzu, although casual knowledge goes back several decades. It was worth the wait just to read Huynh's annotations. Would that those who decided that the US should invade Iraq, had read and followed the dictomena of Sun Tzu: (1) count the cost of keeping the nation intact since destruction was never in the plan and (2) there was hardly "way" or unity of purpose in the invasion--unless one considers the force of Bush's personality as unity.

More broadly on this point, how does any organization conceive of success without ensuring the ownership of the plan by those who will have the responsibility of carrying out that very strategy? Sun Tzu argues to hold the advance until unity is achieved.

On doing battle, the advice is simple, why fight unless victory is guaranteed, and it may be assured with sound planning and accurate calculations based upon thorough reconnaissance prior to committing one's forces.

Olson writes well: his historical theology should be read by all theology mavens, as it will give some credence to a baseless propositional proof-texting methodology.

But as for this offering, it's definitely a classic in the making. (As with any book, other than the book, sure it's good but it could have been better). After a terminological defining introduction, Olson contrasts biblical Christianity with its conservative American version; he demonstrates how "we" have to our detriment intertwined the two.

For example, consider the subtitle "Tradition without Traditionalism." Yes, during the last 2000 years Christians have worked through much theology (we quickly forget the variations and possibilities offered by the early church) establishing a solid base, believed by many. But does that mean "fixed"? Can there yet be improvements to biblical understanding? Of course there can, but watch as soon as a new thought surfaces, the "anti" rhetoric manifests. Another hot topic today is legislating morality. Is it for the government to dictate moral practice? Wow--read the chapter. But in some, Olson asks if it is a Christian calling to Christianize secular society.

I am a patriot as much as most, after all Matthew is career Air Force, but was this country ever Christian? Really? Should my Christianity and my patriotism overlap? How much? Would our government be better if it were Christian? Think of the implications!

Read the book, you may borrow mine.