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All American: Why I Believe in Football, God, and the War in Iraq

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Extraordinary
I wanted to like this book, but...
Even though he denied it, Rob is truly and All American
Three Cheers for a Jersey Guy!!!
Steve

All American: Why I Believe in Football, God, and the War in Iraq
Robert McGovern
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0061227854
Release Date: 2007-02-20

Book Description

Imagine what it's like to come face-to-face with a terrorist in a foreign courtroom—and you're the lawyer looking to put him away.

Imagine what it's like to see happy children in Iraq and Afghanistan smiling and waving at U.S. military helicopters.

Imagine what it's like to be an undersized linebacker in the National Football League, where most of the players you're supposed to tackle weigh more than you.

Imagine what it's like to be the seventh of nine kids growing up in an Irish Catholic family in the 1970s.

Imagine what it's like to be Robert McGovern, current captain in the U.S. Army, National Football League veteran, and proud member of a loving New Jersey family.

Robert McGovern has a story to tell—not about himself, although he's a part of it—but about the men and women he has called friends, mentors, and heroes. From his days in Catholic school to his years as a college and professional football player to his current career as an army judge advocate general, McGovern knows an all-American when he sees one. And in this book he introduces you to the ones he's met from all walks of life.

McGovern traded his shoulder pads for legal briefs more than a decade ago. He prosecuted drug dealers while working in the office of Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau. On September 11, 2001, he was in lower Manhattan when the Twin Towers fell. After working the pile at Ground Zero, McGovern asked to be mobilized from his Army Reserve duty to active duty. He was first sent to Afghanistan, where he advised battlefield commanders on legal rules of engagement. He then went to Iraq to prosecute terrorist suspects. He returned from both tours convinced that Americans needed to hear another side of the war on terrorism—the side he saw firsthand.

Customer Reviews:

Extraordinary.......2007-06-08

An extraordinary account of one good man standing tall for the best of American values.

I wanted to like this book, but..........2007-04-29

I am also a Captain in the Army, so I was excited to come across a written account of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan written by one of my peers. I thought this book would be interesting and relevant to my own experiences in Iraq. However, I was very quickly disappointed by the book's one-sidedness and lack of insight.

One of McGovern's main themes is that the positive stories from Iraq and Afghanistan are seldom reported, while violence and strife always make the nightly news. While there is truth to this, McGovern takes the opposite approach to the extreme. He cites children waving at soldiers and Iraqis voting as proof that US policies in Iraq are working and progress is being made, but he completely ignores any and all evidence to the contrary (worsening violence, Iraqi political ineffectiveness, millions of refugees fleeing the country, a steady decline of electricity and other services, children throwing rocks, etc).

By far, the biggest flaw in this book is that McGovern never addresses or acknowledges the negative impact of having an occupying army living and operating for years within a civilian population. In the effort to catch the terrorists, soldiers kick in doors, round up detainees, seize and destroy private property, create collateral damage and civilian deaths, etc. These are the unavoidable side effects of fighting a war. Add to that the unscrupulous actions of the soldiers at Abu Ghraib and Haditha, and you'll find that the longer we stay, the less popular we become, and the more support the insurgency receives from the local population. A recent poll indicated that over half of Iraqis now support attacks against American soldiers. By ignoring half of the issue, McGovern abandons a reasoned, balanced appraisal in favor of blind ideology and wishful thinking.

I haven't mentioned McGovern's career in the NFL or as an attorney, because the autobiographical aspect of this book is actually rather secondary to his promotion of US policy in executing the War on Terror. In this regard, none of his points are new, original, or insightful. Conservative ideology is haphazardly sprinkled throughout the book whether or not it is relevant to the ongoing story. For example, here is a quote from the NFL portion: "Of course, the hate [Vince] Lombardi was talking about was the football kind, not the hate that drives people to fly airplanes into buildings." By the time you reach the end of the book, it starts to sound like a White House press release from 2003. If you are primarily looking for a good inside account of the NFL, life in Iraq/Afghanistan, or the DA's office, this isn't the right book for you. If you're hells bells behind the war in Iraq and want to read something you're sure to agree with, then you might want to pick this up.

Even though he denied it, Rob is truly and All American .......2007-04-05

I knew Rob for several years in college and I have never known anyone that is more of an All American than him (although he denies it in his book). He is far too humble. I could not put the book down and felt like I was watching Forest Gump as he continually put himself (through hard work) into events that have already/will go down in history. The "Critic Reviews" that I have seen on the internet are quite funny as they are a perfect example of how media slants to the far left (not just the left). The book was not critical of liberals and Rob went out of the way to encourage debate. Maybe the critics should read the books they are reviewing. Awesome book and awesome American.

Three Cheers for a Jersey Guy!!!.......2007-04-02

This memoir was a light, enjoyable read. It's refreshing to hear directly from a guy who hasn't lost faith in the mission in Iraq and Afghanistan. I know there are legions of them in our armed forces, but their voices tend to be crowded out by the passionate debate in Washington.

To me, the best parts of McGovern's story were his experiences working "the pile" at Ground Zero right after 9/11, and his role in prosecuting the notorious Hasan Akbar. "We're ready, sir," he told the Commander in Chief during President Bush's visit to Ground Zero. (Does it get better than that!) Akbar is the turncoat scoundrel who murdered and maimed his 101st Airborne colleagues in a cowardly sneak attack in the opening days of the Iraq War. Akbar was convicted and received a death sentence -- the first handed down by the military in some 50 years -- though the gallows still await him.

McGovern reminds me of so many Irish Catholic guys I went to high school with in the New York suburbs. It was the Reagan era so it's not surprising that, like McGovern, most of us ended up conservative Republicans. Three cheers for you, Captian McGovern, from one Jersey guy to another.

Steve.......2007-03-27

A must read for all interested in knowing why we are engaged in Iraq. Fascianting life from his football days to becoming a lawyer to his tours in Iraq. I highly recommend this to all interested in knowing what the Iraq war is like from someone who has been there and lived it. Superb!

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Love In The Heart Of The Church
A true alternative to the empty falsehoods of secular psychology
A personal retreat for the soul.
St. Therese if Lisieux's "Little Way" -a practical guide
teaches what true happiness really means

I Believe in Love
Jean D'Elbee
Manufacturer: Saint Bede's Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0932506259

Customer Reviews:

Love In The Heart Of The Church.......2006-11-21

"I Believe In Love" . . . reading the writings and words and thoughts of Saint Therese herself is one of the most spiritually transforming experiences anyone can have . . . after reading her and letting her speak to our hearts and souls, a book like this one offered as a "life retreat and guide" by Pere Jean du Coeur de Jeses D'Elbee helps us to allow her "little way" to find spiritual resonance in our lives. No one will actually "say it better" than did Saint Therese herself, but meditation on her understanding of God and herself . . . of God and "us" . . . and how that relationship might be lived, can open our minds to see OUR OWN LIVES from her perspective and vantage point.

Saint Therese discovered after a longing search her "vocation" - "to be love in the heart of the Church". So she believed in Love . . . God is love . . . and Therese would become also "love in the heart of the Church" . . . so she learned to believe in both God and herself -- or more appropriately to believe in herself abandoned to God . . . abandoned to love . . . abandoned to TRUST in that love. . . and so to become changed and transformed herself by that love into that love. (She made the leap of faith to abandon her doubts and entrust them to the confidence that is trust in "love" -- trust in love.

This small volume presents to us Saint Therese's spiritual learned lessons so that we can ourselves benefit from them in the present contect of our lives, wherever we happen to find ourselves, whatever our situation, whatever our condition.

"Love in the heart of the Church" is what The Little Flower wanted to become . . . and this author places her "Little Way" right there: in the heart of the Church . . . in the heart of the Gospel . . . and allows her to have her place in our own hearts as well.

A true alternative to the empty falsehoods of secular psychology.......2006-10-21

One of the previous Amazon reviewers of this book wrote the following:

"And I may add that for the anxious or depressed- this book is a sure remedy."

That is absolutely correct, for the following reason: Anxiety and depression are actually maladies of the heart with SPIRITUAL origins, not "diseases" of the emotions, or "chemical imbalances," as secular psychology and psychiatry would falsely have one believe. These impoverished worldy outlooks cannot diagnose the origins of these maladies accurately, nor can they offer a cure. Quite the contrary, they pose serious obstacles to realizing the only true cure, which consists in the complete abandonment of oneself to the love of Christ, as revealed on the Cross.

Since the cause of these maladies is ultimately spiritual in nature, so too must be the cure, and I BELIEVE IN LOVE is a very good articulation of what this cure involves. The cure essentially consists in the unreserved abandonment of oneself, and of all one's earthly hopes, to God. It is important here to be clear as to what this means: It is NOT the case that one is called to suppress these eartly hopes unnaturally, or to live under the false pretense that these eartly hopes do not really exist. Rather, the book insists that one make them all conditional - EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM, including both the deepest longings of the heart for earthly goods, as well as the most basic physical needs of earthly life. One must be fully willing to make the realization of ALL of them entirey subject to the Loving Providence of God.

This attitude goes hand in hand with a view of suffering and death that is bereft of fear, and that regards both merely as the passageway to eternal happiness in the presence of God. This notion, while profoundly true, is something very radical and alien in today's cultural milieu, which is fundamentally oriented towards avoiding the subject of death entirely, and towards encouraging people to distract themselves from their suffering through the indulgence in and consumption of needless and empty material frivolities.

In view of these considerations, those who aspire to embrace the outlook articulated in this book must be aware that it takes a great deal of courage to do so. There are many elements of what the book counsels that would be met with antagonism and hostility by the false paradigms of secular psychology and psychiatry, and would be seen by them as "masochistic," "psycho-pathological," and the like. Since this type of erroneous thinking pervades our culture to the point of being almost as ubiquitous as the air we breathe, even in many ostensibly Christian settings, these types of false accusations against the true Christian Way that is articulated in this book must be aggressively resisted. As I say, carrying this out takes a considerable amount of courage, especially when one is in a weakened condition due to the very types of anxiety and depression that secular psychology and psychiatry falsely claim to diagnose accurately.

A personal retreat for the soul........2001-01-25

I Beleive in Love is a wonderful find for the soul aspiring to reach heaven. It explains things about certain struggles in the spiritual life that is seldom found except in good spiritual direction. Abandonment, Detachment and complete Trust are the essence of union with His will. Very uplifting and challenging, yet extremely simple and so full love! It is more than worth the price and trouble to find it.

St. Therese if Lisieux's "Little Way" -a practical guide.......2000-02-24

I can now add a third book to my list of all time favorites for their profound influence on my life. "I Believe in Love" ranks right up there with The Bible and Fulton Sheen's "Life of Christ". What I have been taught for nearly 5 decades of my life has finally become real in my heart and soul. In this Jubilee Year with its emphasis on the Eucharist, the chapter on that topic can stand alone and is worth the price of the book in itself. And I may add that for the anxious or depressed- this book is a sure remedy.

teaches what true happiness really means.......1998-07-26

This book helped me to take my spiritual life to a whole new level. It allowed me to leave behind all feelings of guilt or inadequacy, and enter into a relationship with God that helped me to attain true joy.

I Believe: God's Word on Truth, Jesus, Love, Sex, School, Friends, Church, and Living Life

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I Believe: God's Word on Truth, Jesus, Love, Sex, School, Friends, Church, and Living Life
Terry Brown , and Michael Ross
Manufacturer: Barbour Publishing, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1586608428

Book Description

Side-pocket sized and double-mocha latte- priced, I Believe is the ideal book for teenagers to get a faith boost on the issues and questions they face the most. With contemporary translations and practical information, this Communicate Christ Bible promise book encourages growth and personal evangelism.

I Believe in God: A Meditation on the Apostles' Creed

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I Believe in God: A Meditation on the Apostles' Creed
Paul Claudel , and Agnes Du Sarment
Manufacturer: Ignatius Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0898708567

I Believe In The Holy Spirit (Milestones in Catholic Theology)

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This book provides the intellectual foundation for Cursillo

I Believe In The Holy Spirit (Milestones in Catholic Theology)
Yves Congar
Manufacturer: Herder & Herder
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0824516966

Book Description

Long an underdeveloped theme in Roman Catholic theology, the role of the Holy Spirit has recently assumed its rightful place at the center of a wide range of contemporary discussions on topics from ecumenisn to liturgy.

Customer Reviews:

This book provides the intellectual foundation for Cursillo.......1998-09-23

I read this book because I have been doing research on the Cursillo Movement (a spiritual renewal movement in various Christian denominations). Eduardo Bonnin, founder of Cursillo, references the work of Yves Congar in a 1996 interview in a Canadian newspaper as being part of the foundation for Cursillo. The book is a wonderful exposition on The Holy Spirit and is well worth reading. I believe that God intends us to use all His gifts, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual in our attempt to move closer to Him. For those in the Cursillo Movement this is "must reading".

El Dios En Quien No Creo/ the God I Do Not Believe in

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El Dios En Quien No Creo/ the God I Do Not Believe in
Juan Arias
Manufacturer: Ediciones Sigueme
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The God I Believe In: Conversations about Judaism

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Pleasurable learning
beach reading

The God I Believe In: Conversations about Judaism
Joshua O. Haberman
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0029317169

Customer Reviews:

Pleasurable learning .......2004-12-08

These conversations on Jewish religious faith and history are very readable. They bring together Jews across the religious spectrum from Adin Steinsaltz and the Bostoner Rebbe all the way to those who have no faith in a personal God. There are moments of insight and revelation. It is always of course possible to ask why Haberman did not select others. I myself would have preferred to read a work in which the same kinds of questions were asked to people of strong faith in G-d. And this because I myself am interested in the strengthening rather than the undermining of my own religious faith. In any case I believe readers who take an interest in Judaism can learn from this book. Rabbi Haberman who undertook this work at the age of seventy should too be complimented for her own courage and devotion in doing so.

beach reading.......2003-06-08

The editorial reviewers described the book's basic format, and I won't duplicate their work. A few thoughts:

1) Haberman bends over backwards not to interview representatives of his own Reform movement. I counted six Orthodox Jews, three Conservatives, one Reform, and no Reconstructionists. (And a few people with no real affiliation).

2) Among the nonrabbis, I sensed that all the interviewees were either much more observant (e.g. 100% shomer Shabbat, keeping kosher) than I or much less so (attending shul twice a year).

3) Generally an easy read: a good book to read if you want to get a sense of the diverse views of modern Jews about various issues, but not a useful source of in depth information or analysis.

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I BELIEVE IN THE LIVING GOD
Emil Brunner
Manufacturer: Lutterworth P
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0718804546

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Big Questions
Doubt and belief...

Why I Believe in a Personal God
George Carey
Manufacturer: Shaw
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Customer Reviews:

Big Questions.......2005-01-20

George Carey wrote this book about two years prior to enthronement as the 103rd Archbishop of Canterbury. It recaps the basic timeless Christian truths. In doing so it addresses some of the BIG QUESTIONS:

Was God needed to get the Universe started?
What is the case against the God hypothesis?
With so much wrong in the world how can there be a personal and loving God?
If God exists, how can we find him?

Carey discusses the Greek philosophical approach of trying to reason one's way to a knowledge of God. Toward the end he recommends the advantages of the Hebraic tradition of obediently following "the one who goes before" to find the Almighty. The Archbishop suggests this more practical approach of following is more fruitful. As Carey puts it : "This Jesus, we say, is worth following. He is the human face of God. Follow him and you will find God."

Doubt and belief..........2004-02-29

The current Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams is noted for being a scholar and theologian. The prior Archbishop, George Carey, was not heralded as an academic of the same nature (which is somewhat surprising, given that he was a professor of theology), but was nonetheless a practical theologian of some skill, as this text, `Why I Believe in a Personal God: The Credibility of Faith in a Doubting Culture', written at the beginning of Carey's tenure as Cantaur, proves.

Carey starts out by asking the big question - is it even possible for intelligent people in the modern world to believe in God, any god? Carey confesses, for the comfort of his readers, something that might be rather shocking at first glance to many - he himself never found it easy to believe in God. His life is one of faith in the face of doubt and struggle, and he shares much of this struggle and process toward God in the text. Some of the pieces that make belief in God less accessible than in previous times (perhaps) is the increasing isolation of the individual and secularisation of society. There is also the multiplicity of value systems, with no solid foundation for all of society to hold to with regard to belief in the divine.

Carey looks at science, sociology, and psychology as well as theology in developing the case first against God and then for recognition of God who remains a personal and companion God even in the face of paradox and difficult questioning. Carey develops a case against secular materialism (not quite the same thing as secular humanism, but a close companion) as being too limiting and itself grounded in nothing more substantial than circular observations and reasoning; this does not in and of itself make a convincing argument for religion and faith (or Christianity in particular), but it does serve to level the playing field a bit.

Carey writes in accessible and interesting language. He doesn't give great detail about the pieces of his argument, which might disappoint the more scholarly, but this is intentional. The average reader, seeking the mind of the archbishop on matters of faith and doubt, need not concern herself or himself with all the intricacies of modern physics and psychological theory to get a reasonable grasp on Carey's line of thought.

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Bridge-Quest, Why I Believe In Jesus

Manufacturer: Child Sensitive Communication, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Perfect Paperback

Product Description

Lead your kids on a quest to find the bridge to God with this 13-lesson, activity-oriented curriculum for ages 8 - 11! The quest for God has been man's deepest desire since the beginning of time. But not until Jesus Christ did for man what man could not do for himself was that bridge to God created. Bridge-Quest guides the kids to find the bridge for themselves and to know why to believe in Jesus as the Christ. Bridge-Quest follows two tracks that merge in the last lesson: Track 1- Who God is and what he has done through Jesus; Track 2- Overviews of the worlds most popular religions to show how man has perceived the Highest Power and how man has tried to connect with it. You will be making a wall display of a river and its banks. While you add a different religion as a raft to God each week, you are also adding a section of the bridge with a panel that describes God. Age-appropriate, interactive and fun!

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