Really Hot Online Libraries & Archives: Bookmark #3

Here is our third offering for all booklovers, students, and researchers. Below are topnotch places over the net that you could instantly access and browse for inexhaustible information on different subjects and topics.

• IPL2. This is actually two sites in one. This is the result of the alliance between the Internet Public Library (IPL) and the Librarians' Internet Index (LII). The site provides links to numerous resources such as online encyclopedias, almanacs, biographies, calculation & conversion tools, genealogy, census data & demographics, calendars, style & writing guides, and other useful tools.

• FORGOTTENBOOKS. A site where you can read books online on such topics as: philosophy, science, religion, sacred texts, including esoteric subjects such as - alchemy, freemasonry, occult, etc. Free download is allowed in low quality PDF, but membership is required for high quality PDF download.

• INTERNET CRIME ARCHIVES. This site hosts a huge collection of crime related true stories gathered from law enforcement reports as well as from news agencies. Included are archives on killer cults, mass murderers, cannibals, serial killers, and many more.

• THE NOBEL PRIZE INTERNET ARCHIVE. The Nobel Prizes were originated by the Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel in 1895. The prizes were requested by Nobel, in his last will, to be awarded to those who would be able to bestow "the greatest benefit on mankind", by their works in chemistry, physics, physiology or medicine, literature, economic, and peace. The site provides information about all the winners in all categories.

• INTERNET POETRY ARCHIVE. A site that offers the poetic works of a number of contemporary writers for free (or for a little fee). Included in the archive are works of Nobel prize winners Seamus Heaney and Czeslaw Milosz.

• INTERNET ARCHIVE. One of the great sites that hold massive collections of digital materials that include texts, movies, music, audio recordings, etc.

• LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. This is the online counterpart of the research library of the United States Congress - the Library of Congress. It makes available a tremendous collections of study and research materials that are browseable in different categories that include: art & culture, religion & philosophy, world history & cultures, government, law & politics, etc.

• INTERNET SACRED TEXT ARCHIVE. Another great site that hosts stupendous collections of electronic texts that range from religious to mythological, legendary to occult, folkloric to esoteric, etc., etc.

• DOORWAY PAPERS. A site that hosts the complete works of Arthur C. Custance - an oriental scholar, research scientist, and evangelical Christian, par excellence. His writings combine scientific research and Biblical insight in the pursuit of truth. Examples of his great works include Journey Out of Time, The Seed of the Woman, The Sovereignty of Grace, among others. His writings are available for free online reading or download, as well as in hard copy for minimal costs.

• CONCORDANT PUBLISHING CONCERN. A site that competently presents the universalistic perspective of the Sacred Scriptures. The traditional dogma of 'eternal hell' is not only challenged but refuted (click here to view their complete discussion of the question).

Don't just read. But read and THINK. "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good; abstain from every form of evil." Enjoy and God bless!

Book Review #2: Secrets of a Buccaneer-Scholar

This is a ground breaking book. It is an attempt to present a complete system of self education outside of the traditional classroom situation. The author is not against formal education per se but he opposes the common belief that getting a formal education is the only way to succeed in life. He agrees that education is essential for self-development and success, but, as discovered and proven in his own experience, he believes that the non-formal route is not only a valid alternative, but for some people (with a 'buccaneer' spirit like him), is even a better and preferable option!

The author, James Marcus Bach, gives his readers a tour d'horizon of his adventurous journey of self education. He recounts some of his happy moments in formal schooling when, under one or two good teachers that understood non-dictatorial/non-repressive approach of mentoring, he enjoyed studies. He contrasts this with those gloomy moments when the flickering sparks of his enthusiasm for school were finally snuffed out by authoritarian teachers that instruct by intimidation, humiliation, forced conformity, dogmatism, and blind obedience.

Realizing that the traditional mode of schooling was no longer of help in his self-development, he chose to drop out of school at 16 years old. One of his teachers forecast that he would some day end up serving in a gasoline station. Yet overcoming all odds, armed with unquenchable passion for discovery and learning plus persistent diligence, he began to educate himself using all means at his disposal - books, the Internet, words from people around him, personal experience.

He discovered that it's possible for him to learn at his own pace, free from outside coercion and pressure, and pursue his real interest in the sea of knowledge. He set up his sail as a 'buccaneer-scholar' (a term that he coined to serve as a figure to describe himself and the resultant principles of self-education that he came to discover), and initiated an adventure of a lifetime!

At 20, contrary to the negative expectation of some of his former teachers, he became the youngest computer tech manager at Apple, proving that a college degree from a formal school is not the only ticket to success. He only has an eighth-grade diploma.

This book can be useful not only for school dropouts at any level (elementary/high school/college), as a source of inspiration and instruction, but also for parents of homeschooling children. It could also provide a stimulus to college grads (like me - hehehe), for it could show that learning doesn't end at graduation. It's not yet too late. They could also become 'buccaneer-scholars'. They could still recover their earlier youth curiosity. They could still be young again - young at heart that is, not in age - by recovering their passion for learning.

James Marcus Bach is now in his 40s. He now runs a quite successful consulting business and is often invited to give lectures in tech schools and universities. In his book Secrets of a Buccaneer-Scholar: How Self-Education and the Pursuit of Passion can Lead to a Lifetime of Success he shares the great secret principles that demonstrate that it's possible to have a real quality education apart from formal schooling. He also proves that success is not just for college grads, masters, and doctors. It could also become true to anyone whose passion for knowledge and self-fulfillment drive them to sail on perseveringly for the island treasures of their dream.

    

Feature Article: Eleven Tips for Overcoming Depression & Negative Emotions

A story was told that goes like this. A man looked through a window to view the scenery outside. He looked down and saw the lonely street that was muddied by the recent rising of the nearby river. He then went back to his bed with a feeling of heaviness of heart caused by what he had just caught a glimpse of.

Then came another man that looked also through the same window, but his eyes were focused upward to the clear night sky. There he beheld the stars sparkling like diamonds from afar. He then went back also to his own bed, feeling refreshed and happy as he anticipated the dawn of a new day.

Both men used the identical window to look outside, but why the great difference in the effects that gripped their hearts? Why there was despondency in the former case? While in the latter, on the other hand, there was a sense of encouragement?

It is obvious that the external circumstances of both men were the same. They lived in the same house, and had eaten the same evening meal on the same table. The difference between them was not on anything that could be found in their outside surroundings but in what was discovered in their opposite heart attitudes.

The above story illustrates the importance of guarding whatever is taking place in the deepest recesses of our thinking and attitudes. The key to understanding most of our problems is often found, not outside, but deep inside our minds and hearts.

THE BLAMING RUT

            It is very easy to fall into the trap of negativistic attitudes when one encounters setbacks and failures. These attitudes could include blaming the people around you, your external circumstances, and your lack of many things.

            One man may blame his parents and siblings for his failures. Another may pass the blame to his wife (or her husband) and children. Others may add their lack of money or education in the blame inventory. Others still may lay the blame on their so-called shortness of luck and misfortune. The list could go on and on to also include things as varied as the recent typhoon, the neighbor’s loud stereo, the household cat, the fire hydrant across the street, or anything under the sun that captures one’s ego and bad temper.

            But blaming others for one’s failures doesn’t solve any problem. It usually works the other way around, in fact, and turns matter from bad to worst. It often creates friction in relationships and raises invisible walls of wounded feelings that separate families and friends. No one enjoys being lashed with blames whether warranted or not. Blaming often closes communication and is destructive in its intrinsic tendency. Below are basic and practical guidelines for handling your feelings to bring them to harmonious equilibrium.

ELEVEN TIPS FOR OVERCOMING NEGATIVITY IN YOUR LIFE

1. Realize that as a human being you are not just your feelings and sentiments. You also have a mind (or reason) that should work hand in hand with your feelings. Finding the right balance between them will go a long way for discovering that peaceful and satisfying life that you long for.
2. You must not allow your emotions, positive or negative, to have total control over your life at any moment. It is not accidental that our brain has been created and placed higher than the heart. This is a natural and essential hint of the fact that the brain (representing our mind) should govern the heart (representing our emotion) in our daily walk, and not the other way around.
3. This is not to imply that your emotional faculty is per se bad in any way. No. But emotion, like a car without brakes, could bring you to disaster if allowed to run out of control. Cars are useful when they are used within proper speed limits and with fully functional brakes. They serve as vehicles to bring you to places that you want to visit. But we all know how disastrous a car could be that runs at breakneck speed with malfunctioning breaks. The same could also be said of emotions that run amuck!
4. Emotion must always be regulated by reason. Positive emotions – such as happiness, feeling of ease, calmness, euphoria, etc. – are good and pleasant emotions. Be thankful when you are sailing in life in their company. Enjoy them with gusto whenever they are present. But a word of warning: DON’T DEPEND ON YOUR EMOTIONS, YES, INCLUDING YOUR POSITIVE EMOTIONS, MAKING THEM THE BASIS OF YOUR LIFE. Why? Because emotion is the most unpredictable of all things! It changes every moment!

A good, positive emotion that you feel now could change at any moment. You may hear a news report that could shoot your emotional high and bring you down unexpectedly. You may receive a telephone call from someone that could make you feeling dreadful the rest of the day. You cannot therefore build your life on the basis of emotion which is like shifting sands!

5. Realize that your emotion could become your nastiest enemy if it is not governed by reason. Any action taken solely from a negative emotional drive, apart from the light of reason, could bring havoc to your life. Anger could lead to murder if allowed to have its way unchecked. Envy and covetousness could lead to gross immoral behavior and shame. Despondency could lead to depression and suicide. Beware therefore that you don’t allow emotions – particularly, negative emotions – to have absolute sway over your life.
6. Realize that those bad feelings won’t stay forever. Yes, they won’t if you let your mind (or your reason) take control over them. There is no need to feel guilty or to blame yourself because of those bad feelings. Do you feel guilty, or do you blame yourself, because of the birds that pass over your head when you are strolling outdoors? No, of course. You should only blame yourself if you allow any of them to alight on your head and build its nest on it! The same could be said of bad emotions. Just allow those emotions to pass over when they come, but please, don’t allow them to nest in your heart and turn your life into a haystack!
7. Be humble and ready to always admit your mistakes to yourself. Realize that you are a human being in the making! Recognize the fact that there is always enough space for self-improvement if you’re only willing to take responsibility for your life and actions. No, it’s not true that everything is too late for you or for anyone else for that matter. It’s how you view life and yourself and everything that makes your life a heaven or a hell! Be on guard of your inner attitudes, for they determine not only your mood swings but also the course of your life in many unexpected ways.
8. Keep your communication channels open to your loved ones and friends and the world around you. Remember that you are not a lone planet in a starless sky. Yes, that must be so even if you are feeling the entire weight of your problems is pressing hard on you. Doors will open for you if you, in meekness, will but knock. The one that searches finds. The one that doesn’t quit in the long run wins!
9. Be willing to accept change (or adjustments) whenever necessary. There is nothing bad in committing mistakes as long as you assume your responsibility for them, and you’re always willing to correct them when they’re brought to your attention. It’s when you begin to childishly imagine that you’re not responsible for your thinking and actions that often complicate matters. Such escapism closes the door to change and self-improvement, leaving you in the quagmire of despondency.
10. It is very important that you feed your mind with healthful stuffs. There is a saying that you are what you eat. Another form of the same saying goes, “You are composed of what you put into your stomach.” Well if that’s true in the physical sense, much more it is so mentally and spiritually. You are what you think and feel. Therefore, focus your mind on things that are true, lovely, honest, just, and pure. Put away from your mind all lies, hatred, envy, bitterness, and all kinds of negativity. Since it is the mind that should regulate all your emotions as well as your body’s actions, it is necessary that you cultivate the habit of reading good books (or e-books). Books that inspire hope, love, and faith are always useful and helpful. Autobiographical and biographical literatures are also good, because you learn, not only from your own mistakes and failures but also from others’ as well. Remember that no man is an island. There is a real sense that everybody – both friends and enemies included – in one way or another – is your teacher. That is, you could always learn something from others' life experience to improve your own life. Only be humble and always keep an open mind. Be willing to learn from Life itself which is your best teacher!
11. Last but not least is the supreme importance of a personal relationship with God. Please take note that I didn’t say the importance of religion or of church affiliation. What I said is the supreme importance of a personal relationship with God. Now God our Creator is spirit as to His essential nature. A personal relationship with God, Who is spirit, cannot be effected through physical means, such as by becoming a member of a religious sect or organization, or by undergoing a ritual, or any such things. There is only one way of entering into an intimate relationship with God, and that is through faith in His Son – the Lord Jesus Christ – Who died for your sins at Calvary’s cross, was buried, and was raised from the dead on the third day. Living and walking by faith in Christ is the greatest spiritual adventure that awaits you and that can make your life really joyful and meaningful. May God bless you.

Hollow Earth, or Does Mother Earth Have Holes on the Poles?

Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd - a recipient of the highest honor (the Medal of Honor) awarded by United States for heroic deeds - was known as a pioneer in American aviation and polar exploration. He was the man who reported in enigmatic words, which had since become an object of controversy, what he saw beyond the North Pole after his historic flight to it. The year his polar explorations began was 1926. Part of his cryptic report, after his claimed flight to the North Pole, was as follows:

"That enchanted Continent in the sky, land of everlasting mystery!"


"I'd like to see that land beyond the (North) Pole. That area beyond the Pole is the Center of the Great Unknown:"

Admirers of the admiral think that these words of Byrd can't possibly be understood if one continue to assume the old earth model that theoretically asserts that the earth is a spherical solid with a hellishly hot center.

Dr. R.W. Bernard summarized this quite pointedly in this manner: "(Byrd) would have no reason to use such a term as 'Land of Everlasting Mystery'. Byrd was not a poet, and what he described was what he observed from his plane. During his Arctic flight of 1,700 miles beyond the North Pole he reported by radio that he saw below him, not ice and snow, but land areas consisting of mountains, forests, green vegetation, lakes and rivers, and in the underbrush saw a strange animal resembling the mammoth found frozen in Arctic ice. Evidently he had entered a warmer region than the icebound Territory that extends from the Pole to Siberia. If Byrd had this region in mind he would have no reason to call it 'the Great Unknown', since it could be reached by flying across the Pole to other side of the Arctic Region."

      

Not everyone though was convinced that Admiral Byrd was able to reach the North Pole as had been claimed. Among the admiral's detractors was Dennis Rawlins who found discrepancies between Byrd's report to the Secretary of the Navy and his 1926 diary. These inconsistencies, to Rawlins' mind, put to question the entire claim that Byrd did reach the North Pole in 1926. Click here to view further details of Rawlins' points.

The controversies over the question whether we have a solid earth or a hollow earth continue on to the present day. The following videos represent some of those who hold to the belief that we indeed, in their view, live on a hollow earth.

Inhabitants of the Hollow Earth - Part 1


Inhabitants of the Hollow Earth - Part 2


Inhabitants of the Hollow Earth - Part 3


Inhabitants of the Hollow Earth - Part 4


Inhabitants of the Hollow Earth - Part 5


 Below are a few more suggested books:

             

The Negro a Beast or In the Image of God: Book Review #1

This book, which was published at the inception of the previous century, by Charles Carroll  fueled spurts of long-heated debates and controversies from different echelons of society - both religious and non-religious - since its coming from the press. The main thesis propounded in the book is that the negro is not part of the human race. The author mustered up all of his intellectual powers to convince his readers that the negro is a beast race far lower in intelligence and qualities than the white man, who alone, according to the theory propounded, constitute the human race created in God's image.

The author also believed that all the other colored peoples - such as brown and yellow - were a result of the amalgamation of the whites with the blacks. He also held that the negroes and their offsprings are soulless, and are not objects of God's redemptive and saving purpose, which the author thought, was designed only for the white people.

He tried to buttress his views by citing Bible verses, science authors, and historical data, interpreting them in accord with his racist belief system.

This view is still currently held by different religious and political groups with variations in the presentation of details. You could read this book online in PDF format by clicking here, or buy a hard copy from Amazon using the link below.



Don't forget to also consult and examine the book entitled "NEGRO IS A MAN: A REPLY TO PROF. CARROLL'S BOOK" by W.S. Armistead. Fay Botham, in a review of this book, wrote: "In 1903, the Reverend W.S. Armistead authored The Negro is a Man, an outraged reply to Charles Carroll's 1900 pamphlet, The Negro is a Beast...Armistead, a Baptist, deemed Carroll's rants as 'Bible perversions.' Against Carroll's claims, Armistead asserted, among other things, that Adam and Eve were not white, but red, which thus made the lineage of Christ himself red or perhaps even mixed. Adamantly disputing Carroll's allegations that black people were nonhuman brutes, Armistead argued throughout the 542-page book that there was no such thing as amalgamation as Carroll defined it - that is, as the 'carnal association of human beings and beasts' - for the fact that no offspring resulted from such unions proved that no amalgamation had occurred."

A study of this book will provide a balance and counter-arguments for the objective weighing of the evidences as given by both sides - pros and cons. We have not yet found a site link where Armistead's book could be read online. We surely welcome any suggestion if anyone of you out there know one, and we'll put it here for the benefit of everyone. Thank you.




THE COMPANION BIBLE, Dr. E.W. Bullinger, D.D., Editor.

We have a large personal collection of 'Study Bibles' but no one of them still compare with this great, helpful, information-packed 'Reference Bible' of Dr. Bullinger. It uses the old King James Version of the Bible as its basic text, but provides massive side notes (half of each page most of the times) from the best researches on the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek Scriptures.

Themes and topics that cannot be dealt with in the side notes were cross referenced with its 198 back appendices that provide greater details from all useful perspectives such as - cultural, chronological, lexical, grammatical, mathematical, etc., etc.

One of its great features, unique to this 'Reference Bible,' not found anywhere else, is its discovery and presentation of the structures of the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. This is not just the ordinary,  man-invented study outlines that we commonly find in other 'Study Bibles' but actual, built-in structures (or marvelous, literary, skeletal patterns), not man-devised but discovered, unique to the Scripture itself, and one of the proofs of its supernatural, divine inspiration.

Dr. Bullinger, with the assistance of a group of other scholars (most of them his own former students), wrote the notes of this Bible in his late years. This is the reason why some keen and mature students of the Scriptures notice that parts of the Bible structures and notes could still be improved in certain areas (Dr. Bullinger died while working on the structures of John chapter 10; and the rest, from John chapter 11, were works of his associates). Having said that, we give our most wholehearted recommendation of this great work on the Scriptures.

You will surely find the help you need from the Companion Bible, especially when examining crucial points and questions of doctrines such as the one reviewed above (Carroll's book versus Armistead's), because you could examine what the Scriptures themselves say (not just in the English version), but in the original Hebrew and Greek as referenced in the CB notes.

This is just Book Review #1. We're just beginning. We'll write of other powerful tools in our future reviews, such as, the use of Concordances, Lexicons, etc., etc. So keep visiting for more useful tips.

We now give a link that will allow you to read and use the COMPANION BIBLE online! Click here to view the complete CB Bible texts and side notes. Click also here to view the complete CB appendices online.

If you enjoy and like the Companion Bible, why not buy a hardbound copy of it that you can take with you anywhere for your continuous spiritual benefit. The link below to Amazon is a safe and convenient way to order your hardbound CB.

Top Ten Electrifying Sites: Bookmark #2

As we've promised to give, what follows are ten more great sites. These are not strictly speaking e-book sites like the first set that we've given, but they are thrilling web spots full of information, trivia, exciting photos & blogs, bizarre facts, historical anomalies, and such like that both bibliophiles and net adventurers will love.

Without much ado, here they are for you to enjoy.

1. CRACKED. A site that seeks to inform in an entertaining way. Includes articles written in a down-to-earth style and videos that are usually funny, sometimes even corny, but impart bits of knowledge that are intended to surprise and make you roll down in laughter.

2. LISTVERSE. This is another great site that focuses on hard-to-find trivia and bizarre stories that educate as well as amuse. Over 4.5 million pages are served each month to their million waiting readers.

3. ACIDCOW. Looking for some hilarious or off-the-wall or simply wacky pictures or videos? Well, you've found the site just tailor made for such exotic hankering. Not only pics and videos but also games and other such stuffs are added daily to the site.

4. BORED. This is a site that hosts hundreds of free online games. Included also are featured videos, photos, and links to pages and user profiles.

5. MIGHTY OPTICAL ILLUSIONS. Stereograms, anamorphosis, disappearing effects, art illusions, and such like are the focus of this entertaining site.

6. WEIRD NEWS. The home of the strange and the funny and others in between. Includes images and data submitted by readers from all over the net.

7. STUMBLEUPON. An increasingly popular site that allows one to choose from numerous topics that suits one's taste. The elements of discovery, surprise, and knowledge sharing, made possible by the site, afford an enhanced internet experience that's both entertaining and educational.

 

8. FORBES. The site talks about the rich and famous, including their business, lifestyle, and financial principles. A good site for those who aspire to follow their trail or simply want to satisfy curiosity!

 

9. ZUZUTOP. Another site dedicated to the exploration of the mysterious and baffling. Includes stunning photo, video and article collections.

 

10. INSTRUCTABLES. For a breath of some fresh new air, we give you this site that offers practical, helpful instructions on literally thousands of topics ranging from computers, gardening, recipes, decorating, pets, woodworking, travel, to name just a few, that both amuse and inform.

We hope you'll enjoy visiting these sites. You could view our Bookmark #1 by clicking here. Happy surfing and visit our site again! Thanks!

Top Ten Free E-Books Sites: Bookmark #1

One of the great sources of enjoyment for present-day booklovers is the invention of modern electronic books (or e-books for short). These new media for the encapsulation of information and knowledge - both old and new - which are accessible through a computer or electronic reading gadget also come in various digital formats to suit the needs of today's readers. They could also be sent with lightning speed through the net for faster exchange of information. The cyberspace, through the internet, provides exciting sites from which to download a great variety of e-books.

Below are some of our favorite sites that offer free downloadable e-books. These are a great resource for those booklovers that are short on budget, and even for those that simply love and enjoy freebies. Gone were the days that if one has no money to buy books that one had no other resort but to borrow from friends or from public libraries. Stealing books (not advisable though in any way) was of course the other option for others that were desperate enough!

One advantage of the digital age, if one has Internet access, is the new option that it affords of being able to either read online or download free e-books from sites that offer them. Here are TOP TEN of our favorites with a short description of the sites.

• PROJECT GUTENBERG. This is one of the pioneer sites on e-docs making and distribution, and keeps one of the largest collection of free downloadable e-books (over 30,000 to date and counting). Michael Hart, who invented e-books in 1971, is the founder of Project Gutenberg. He and Project Gutenberg inspire all booklovers worldwide for opening a new avenue in the adventure of reading and information sharing through digital technology. 

• BIBLIOMANIA. A description from the site itself reads: "Bibliomania has thousands of e-books, poems, articles, short stories and plays all of which are absolutely free. You can read the world's greatest fiction by authors such as Dickens and Joyce, Sherlock Holmes mysteries, all Shakespeare's plays, or just dip into some short stories by writers such as Mark Twain, Anton Chekov and Edgar Allan Poe." Each month they also add many books, new articles, and interviews by their dedicated literary teams.

 

• SCRIBD. This company, which was launched in March 2007 and has its headquarters in San Francisco, is not just a fast growing reading site but is also an increasingly popular social publishing web spot. Literally millions of documents and e-books, both for free and for sale, are deposited in this site. This is one of the revolutionary places in the web that combine both the excitement of knowledge exploration and social networking for all bibliophiles!

• GETFREEEBOOKS. The site owner describes the site as follows: "Getfreeebooks.com is a free ebooks site where you can download free books totally free. The ebooks which you find within this site are collected from all over the net or either personally compiled by me." The site also strives to keep that the thousands of e-books they offer are always, as to status, "legal downloadable free ebooks."

• BOOK-BOT. This is another free book reading site. It houses, according to the site's current report, 14571 e-books (and counting). The site offers the convenience of being browseable either by author or by title.

 

• PDFOO. This is not strictly speaking an e-library like the others above. But this is a specialized free search engine designed for those who look for specific e-book title/s in Portable Document Format (PDF). E-books in this format require a PDF Reader, which fortunately is also available for free download from the site for different Operating Systems.

 

• PLANETEBOOK. This is a site dedicated for the publication of the great classics in digital format. Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Hans Christian Andersen, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Jules Verne, Leo Tolstoy, too name only a few, are all here to again tell their stories. Their masterpieces are also available for download, free of charge. The site's layout is also user friendly, and you can download right away unlimitedly without the need of registering!

 

• FREETECHBOOKS. This is the place for those who look for computer science, and engineering and programming books and textbooks, including technical monographs. Almost all of their thousands of collection are legally and freely available for viewing or for download through the site at no cost.

• CHRISTIAN CLASSICS ETHEREAL LIBRARY. This is one of the great sites on the net that you can freely visit and read online the writings of the old divines, mystics, theologians, preachers and reformers of the past. The option to download almost all of their available materials is also open without charge. The site's mission statement declares that CCEL "seeks to build up the church by making classic Christian literature widely available and promoting its use for edification and study by interested Christians, seekers and scholars."

• E-SWORD. The following is from the site introduction by Rick Meyers: " 'Freely you received, freely give.' (Matt.10:8) Jesus told us that since we've been blessed we should bless others. I am happy to provide blessing to others in the form of free Bible study software!" He then describes the free Bible study software as follows: "e-Sword is a fast and effective way to study the Bible. e-Sword is feature rich and user friendly with more capabilities than you would expect in a free software package. The fact that e-Sword is free is just one of the blessings and does not speak of the quality of the software. I make my living writing software and I believe I have put my best effort in this endeavor. The real work, however, was put in by the godly men and women who devoted countless years creating the texts that have been made available for our benefit."

This rounds up our first list of TOP TEN favorite e-books sites on the net. But this is just our Bookmark #1. You could view our Bookmark #2 by clicking here. Happy reading!

Windows to the Past

One of the most remarkable gifts that God has given mankind is the power to communicate through words. From the moment that primordial men attempted to scribble their first crude figures, images and pictographs on the walls of caves to the present time when their descendants continued to communicate their thoughts, feelings, and experiences through cyberspace, nothing has separated men from the lower animals but this unique capacity to express their innermost thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences through words.

And men are not limited by the medium of sound, in their capacity to convey message through words, but have invented other impressive ways such as by sign language and by use of written symbols (such as we find in our alphabets and numbers), as means of communication. It's the creation of alphabetic and numeric symbols (and others like them) to convey words that revolutionized the way men communicate to their fellowmen.

The making available of these language symbols, in their written form as a necessary element of communication, made possible the preservation of ideas and messages in concrete records such as could be found in ancient inscriptions, stone tablets, ostraca, coins, papyri, scrolls and parchments.

Before the invention of modern printing, all such written records were made by hands. Hence, most of them are termed manuscripts, from the Latin manu scriptus, meaning, written by hand.

Books, as we now know them, as a set of written documents bound into a volume or volumes, go back to the ancient codices of the late 3rd or early 4th century A.D. Most of these documents in their earliest form were written without spacing, with no punctuation marks, and all in upper case letters.

These ancient books could be difficult to read and decipher for modern readers, but how much we owe to providence for the preservation of their contents throughout the ages, for the priceless information, data, and knowledge that are treasured up in them are more valuable than tons of gold and silver. Modern scholarship and research have been of great service in decoding most, if not all, of these ancient treasures, providing modern readers with contemporary translations and editions of these literary jewels.

Among the treasures of information that are waiting to be mined from these books are historical, political, religious, cultural, economic, mythological, traditional, and scientific lores that provide insights and answers to important questions concerning the past. Understanding the past is important to have an intelligent appraisal and discernment of the present.

Those who say that there is no value in knowing the past and that we must be concerned only with the present are living in a make believe world. Such a belief won't work in actual practice in daily life. This is like discovering a man murdered just outside one's doorway and just shrugging one's shoulders while saying, "Well, past is past. I don't know this man. Whatever happened to him last night, or when, doesn't concern me. Past is past. I am concerned only with today!"

That one may ignore whatever happened to the murdered man in the past, but not the relatives of the murdered man! Much less the police! That one also would be forced to do quite an explaining of his whereabouts the night the man was murdered. It's obvious that the past is inescapably important.

You see, what you observe today is a result of whatever happened yesterday. It's not true that the past is unimportant. The present is inseparably connected with yesterday, as well as with the future. We need a right understanding of the past to really comprehend the present, and also to have a correct perspective of the future.

This is one of the reasons why books are useful. They serve as windows for us to view the past. Books even provide us a way to walk through many lives as we enter into the experiences of the people by means of their pages. Through reading books, we're able to join those people in their happiness and woes, success and failures, laughter and cries, comfort and pain, love and hatred, faith and doubt, life and death!

This is the use of books as a source of information and knowledge. By reading intelligently and with discrimination, by divine grace, we learn to sift the grain of wisdom from the chaff of stupidity. Reading of mistakes committed by others, we could develop good judgment to be able to distinguish ideal principles in contrast to that which is of no value and without virtue. By learning to put into practice what we've learned as excellent and good we become better persons swayed not by capricious emotion or blind superstition but by sane principles of truth.

Books are like windows. Someone has said that a house without books are like rooms without windows. True enough, but windows must be opened and closed at the right time, likewise books should be read for one to have a breath of some fresh air and not just left unread in their shelves to gather dust!