Random books from richardbsmith's library
The Middle Ages by Joseph R and Munro Strayer, Dana Carleton
A History of Israel (Westminster Aids to the Study of the Scriptures) by John Bright
The Bible and recent archaeology by Kathleen Mary Kenyon
God's Funeral: The Decline of Faith in Western Civilization by A. N. Wilson
The confessions of Saint Augustine by Augustine
History of Ideas on Woman by Ph.D. Agonito, Rosemary
Universe by William J. Kaufmann
Members with richardbsmith's books
Member connections
Friends: flaviosc, jimroberts, LizzieD, theoldman
LibraryThing authors: Robert Sheard (RobertSheard), David J. Schwartz (Snurri)
RSS feeds
Recently-added books
richardbsmith's reviews
Reviews of richardbsmith's books, not including richardbsmith's
Member: richardbsmith
CollectionsYour library (1,910), Read 2009 (4), Currently reading (7), Wishlist (4), To read (14), All collections (1,915)
Reviews9 reviews
TagsNT (143), American literature (122), business (105), Christianity (99), philosophy (99), self counsel (90), OT (89), management (84), Judaism (78), investing (70) — see all tags
Cloudstag cloud, author cloud
GroupsAncient and Medieval Manuscripts, Ancient History, Archaeology, Astronomy & Astrophysics, BBC Radio 3 Listeners, Biblical History, Book Care and Repair, Christianity, Classical Greek, Classical Music — show all groups
About meIt is good to find a site dedicated to book lovers. I am excited about the opportunity to organize and search my book collection. Interests include Christian and Jewish religion, biblical criticism, Greek and Hebrew language, philosophy, ancient history, math and physics, business, sales, history, and literature.
Since Sep 09 skywatching has been a nightly habit. Learning the stars and constellations, watching the movements, understanding the motions in the solar system has been exciting. If you are interested in such things, please join Skywatchers. This is a group for beginners in skywatching, any question or comment about the stars is welcome.
I am real excited that we have a young man working towards seminary who has asked me to help him with an introction to NT Greek. I always enjoy working with anyone to study Greek. We start this weekend, October 17, 2009.
I also started a group that focuses on the Gospels. Please join the gospel talk group. Would love to have more participation than my ramblings.
The Isaiah group has not been active of late, because I have been inactive this winter. The group is intended to discuss a chapter each week. Please join and feel free to comment on any of the topics already started. I will certainly join in with you, but I will not start any new topics until probably the Summer 2010.
After some participation in group discussions I felt it necessary to add here that I am not a specialist in any field and have no post graduate degree. My reading and studying is fluid, but does tend to move within the topics of interest listed above. I mention this here because there are so many good minds and field experts on LT. I do not want anyone to assume that I have expertise in any subject.
I have generally called myself a nerd, but seeing seeing everyone on LT it was obvious that I just don't have the skills that the best have. Anyway here are my nerd levels.
Just for a little self promotion. I have written some articles for Scotsman Guide, a mortgage industry publication. Here is a recent article. 
A newer article, this was the lead article for December 2009 issue.
Lead Article: Inside the Reg Z Maze
About my librarySo far most of my catalogued library consists of my boxed up garage books. Not that I do not appreciate these books, it is just my wife says I am out of room in the house.
Had to choose, and these are boxed up.
One of the great things about Library Thing is that I can know what books are in boxes and even better, find them. I am working diligently to finish going through those books.
Several that were in boxes have now been elevated from boxed status, and proudly are displayed, squeezed in, on a shelf.
Mostly though even the boxed up garage books reflect the subjects listed in the about me section. My shelved books also cover the same subjects.
My Collections I have just started (7/7/09) to use the collections. I think I will add books Currently Reading going forward and move them to Books Read when I finish them. Don't see the benefit to try to go back to list all books read previously, but I might do that at sometime.
10/4/09 My efforts to catalogue books has really been slacking lately. Part of the problem is that a storm had knocked the internet down, and wiped out my computer. I hope soon to get the motivation to renew the effort.
Homepagehttp://www.richardsmithhomeloans.com
Also onFacebook, Twitter, Twitter, YouTube
LocationChattanooga, TN
Favorite authorsNone
Account typepublic, lifetime
Connection NewsConnection News
URLs
http://www.librarything.com/profile/richardbsmith (profile)
http://www.librarything.com/catalog/richardbsmith (library)
Common KnowledgeSeries (130), Awards (117), Characters (1027), Places (265)
Member sinceApr 15, 2009
Currently readingTI Voyage TM 200 Calculator manual by
Basic Physics a Self Teaching Guide (Self-teaching Guides) by Karl F. Kuhn
Physics: The Easy Way by Robert L. Lehrman
Genome: The Autobiography of a Species In 23 Chapters by Matt Ridley
Astronomy with a Small Telescope by James Muirden
show all (7)
Leave a comment
Sign up or sign in to leave a comment.
I have a community that debate this issues on orkut - "Perguntas Cristãs Complexas". Unfortunatelly is just in portuguese there. But I have a biblioblog that we can share our studies and impressions about those matters.
The address of the blog is - http://www.adcummulus.blogspot.com
It´s in portuguese, but you will find at the right corner a google translator. It´s not perfect, but you can have an intelligible idea about the main theme of the posts.
I also recommend the librarything user "neilgodfrey" - He has a nice library and a proficuous biblioblog. Take a look in his profile page.
posted by flaviosc at 9:44 am (EST) on Nov 30, 2009
Your library is quite insteresting cause the diversity of itens and themes. In particular, for me, it´s also interesting cause the books related to the ancient judaism and christianism studies.
Congratulations! You have a pretty nice library!
posted by flaviosc at 3:00 am (EST) on Nov 30, 2009
And since it is the internet, every opinion must be given its due, no matter how idiotic it has been shown to be over and over again. Hence Oakes' outrage that I would insult the Discovery Institute's sloppy scholarship and outright deceit.
posted by StormRaven at 2:10 pm (EST) on Nov 9, 2009
posted by StormRaven at 12:51 pm (EST) on Nov 9, 2009
posted by msladylib at 3:32 pm (EST) on Oct 28, 2009
The effect of having a cold and using voice recognition software?
posted by jimroberts at 6:30 am (EST) on Sep 2, 2009
If it helps, here is the link to the publisher page for that title:
https://www.eisenbrauns.com/ECOM/_2QJ1CW...
Their FAQ page discusses the issue of out-of-stock/backordered items, and explains why delays can occur, and so on. I note that it's out of stock presently at Amazon UK, too. My guess is it's being held up at the publisher end for some reason, although that is only a guess. With luck, it will be available soon.
posted by Essa at 10:57 pm (EST) on Sep 1, 2009
But still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.
-- Edward Everett Hale
posted by theoldman at 8:55 am (EST) on Aug 26, 2009
posted by jimroberts at 9:28 am (EST) on Aug 20, 2009
I haven't read the book, or even looked at it recently, but I may be able to help with others' questions. I probably won't be posting anything myself for the time being, not least since my book and myself will be in different continents for the rest of the month.
You might consider advertising the group in the Science!, Physics! and Mathematics message boards. I don't recall seeing other mentions of it in any of those places, and you might reach a few interested people.
(Replaced my original comment to fix a typo.)
posted by daschaich at 8:40 am (EST) on Aug 10, 2009
Yes indeed. I'm older than you and have six so far, hoping for a couple more. The first is grown up, the youngest is two.
posted by jimroberts at 5:01 pm (EST) on Aug 2, 2009
I have been less active on LT for the last week. One of my sons and his family have just moved into a new house and I have been more than usually called on for grandfather duties towards my youngest grandchildren, and have been helping a bit to get things straightened out in the new house.
I had expected Oakes to join in, but I expected something more substantial. Perhaps he will have more later.
posted by jimroberts at 2:12 pm (EST) on Aug 2, 2009
posted by jimroberts at 1:44 pm (EST) on Aug 2, 2009
posted by reading_fox at 9:23 am (EST) on Jul 21, 2009
posted by jimroberts at 7:11 am (EST) on Jul 14, 2009
> Does that change perspectives? We are not just a nice little private community.
It doesn't change anything for me, I was aware of it already. It's a reason that people should be careful about how much personal information they reveal. It's happened to me in connection with other discussions on LT - google something relevant to a discussion to get more information, find yourself back in the discussion you came from.
I just tried "whims babes" (without the quotes): our Isaiah 3 thread is the second hit of 34 thousand.
posted by jimroberts at 3:12 am (EST) on Jul 14, 2009
I was reading your comments in the Christianity talk section of topics. I am sorry that you were ridiculed. That is not fair and it is wrong. I rather like "big Word", little word."
I do not worship the bible. I worship the God revealed in it.
posted by MJC1946 at 11:32 pm (EST) on Jul 7, 2009
posted by jimroberts at 2:04 pm (EST) on Jul 6, 2009
I'm glad to know that Heschel is on your shelf! I bought the two books because I liked the looks of them, but I didn't know whether he was respected at the time. I certainly respect him, having now read about 100 pages in the first one.
At this point in my career I depend on The Interpreter's Bible (not in the latest edition) to inform my understanding.
Peggy
posted by LizzieD at 11:20 am (EST) on Jun 27, 2009
I toyed for a month or so after graduation from college with the idea of OT studies with a focus on languages, but I was tired of school and other interests grabbed my attention, so I can't have been too serious.
Is your current discussion in the Isaiah group? I'll look at it, but I can't commit to anything else time-consuming right now. One of the books, though, that I'm picking up from time to time is Abraham Heschel's introduction to The Prophets. Its focus is more exegetical than textual though.
Unfortunately, my library's size is dependent on a lot of dross (which, also unfortunately, I love) - the result of 40+ years of haunting library sales and used-book stores. I'll get back to recording my theology soon......I don't know that I mentioned that my first major was Bible and Religion?
So, well-met again! Stay in touch! In fact, want to be a friend? It just makes navigation easier, I find.
Peggy
(One more thing as I see your NT Greek Lexicon showing up on your random book list right now..... The father of one of my best high school friends spent the summer following high school graduation teaching us the baby Greek course that first-year students at Union T.S. in Richmond get. I loved it, but my little liberal arts college didn't offer Greek of any nature, so I've lost it now. Maybe before senility ruins my retirement, I can pick it up again.)
posted by LizzieD at 10:35 am (EST) on Jun 27, 2009
Peggy, again
posted by LizzieD at 11:28 pm (EST) on Jun 26, 2009
I found you when I was visiting Garp's page. What an interesting mix of 42 books we have in common! I'll need to look in your library for theology, but the books you just added are not ones that I have in my library. We may actually have something to say to each other!
Well-met!
Peggy
posted by LizzieD at 11:24 pm (EST) on Jun 26, 2009
Ciao!
Stan
posted by Garp83 at 8:31 pm (EST) on Jun 26, 2009
Sorry I haven't been more talkative. I got two weeks' notice unexpectedly on my job, and spent most of my time frantically looking for temporary employment. Friday was my last day there, and now I'm off to Nevada for a short contract job, and may or may not have internet access. Hopefully things will settle down soonishly and I'll be better able to take part in the Isaiah group.
posted by marc_beherec at 6:23 pm (EST) on Jun 7, 2009
I know that it can be difficult to take evolutionary ideas at face value, especially a 'plane's view' of evolution that says everything started from the same single-celled organisms to what we have now. That high up in the air means that all the details of the ground get lost. ;) And, as my other half is fond of saying to me, 'the devil is in the details'. (That's a joke!)
The individual details of what is going on with evolution in terms of misreads/miswrites (mutations), natural selection, environmental actors, etc. is where I think a lot of the actual science involved shines.
I had a professor explain mutations to me like this: "If you're on a highway driving north, and you take a turn onto an east-bound highway, at first you can't even tell that you're on a different highway... but after a drive, you *know* you're not in Kansas anymore!" (Oh, I hope these bad jokes are making you smile.)
Unfortunately, I've found very few people that seem to be able to clearly explain evolution or even the goals of hard science if they don't actually come from biology or a hard science. I've seen some very intelligent, well-meaning people trample all over the scientific method, the purpose of (hard) science, scientists, evolution, and even psychology (which has two parts - a hard science and a therapy-based softer science).
I try not to post in too many of the evolution threads normally, but you seemed like you were looking for some kind of academic idea as to how evolution is defined -- the details.
I think returning back to school to learn the things you want to learn is never a bad thing! (I have a soft spot for mathematics, obviously!) My other half is fond of saying that mathematics doesn't need anything but pencil and paper (and I've seen him only use pencil and paper). He recently completed his PhD in mathematics, and then decided to go into plasma physics (he did physics and mathematics as an undergrad).
Plasma physics is just all about the unbelievably hot gases that make up the sun (and other stars). Fusion is the process that the sun uses. It's actually really safe, oddly enough, because it takes a *lot* of energy to heat the plasma that hot, and it does NOT want to be hot, so if ever there were an issue, it just stops fusing. :) (there are a few other things, but on the whole, probably safer than driving a car.)
posted by kassetra at 9:11 pm (EST) on Jun 4, 2009
If that's not possible, and you're really keen to get a look at it (hopefully I haven't oversold it), I suppose I could manage a PDF scan. I generally try to respect copyright, though.
I use copy / paste, www.typegreek.com, and some advanced Unicode tools (that I have for other purposes). Copy and paste from Word should work, provided you used a Unicode font with real Hebrew / Greek and not one that just looks like Hebrew but in the Latin code positions.
I'm not sure what you're looking for in a copy of the Septuagint. Certainly, there is lots online that you can search.
Both FireFox and Internet Explorer allow you to increase the size of all fonts by holding down the Ctrl key and hitting the + sign on the right-hand keypad. Use - the same way to go back.
I have not read Penrose's book, though perhaps I should give it a look. I am inclined to believe the premise that one needs to see the math to get much of modern theoretical physics (though I do not really claim to). I do know that his intention was to introduce everything that a reader starting with only a minimum of higher level mathematics would need before going into the physics proper. But I do not know whether he succeeds, as I do not personally know anyone who has made sense of it from that starting point. And I do see a number of Amazon reviews by those who have failed.
posted by MMcM at 11:34 am (EST) on Jun 2, 2009
Make it easy for your targets by always giving the link rather than just naming the thread.
> I will confess though the member who is commenting on Isaiah c6 is difficult to grasp. Just not sure what he is writing.
Yes you had one who seems uninterested in discussion. MMcM is making good comments.
posted by jimroberts at 5:59 am (EST) on Jun 2, 2009
posted by jimroberts at 10:42 am (EST) on Jun 1, 2009
posted by MyopicBookworm at 8:26 am (EST) on Jun 1, 2009
I've joined the Isaiah group. I followed the Facebook link on your profile. It tries to take me to your profile page, but then it just dumps me on the my Facebook homepage. I tried it several times, both before and after logging in, so I don't know what the problem is.
Anyway, I look forward to the eighth century prophet.
posted by marc_beherec at 11:16 pm (EST) on May 31, 2009
I am actually only planning to get through 12 chapters. The group is a better idea, then we might return to the subject later, or someone might take it over.
> I suspect though that it will be a group of one, maybe 2.
> BTW, how do you insert a hyperlink with a different display text. Tried everything I could think of.
> Hope your hedging went well yesterday, and you are back in the good graces of the wife.
> I see below a reference to the Explain this to me group. I will peruse that to see if the hyperlink question is answered.
Hyperlink: just use the html anchor tag, which looks like this <a href="http://www.librarything.com/catalog/rich...">Richard's Books</a>, though for references within LT it's preferable to leave out the the part from http to com, because that makes a link to whichever LT site the person clicking it is using.
If you mention your group in Christianity and maybe some other threads where there might be interested people, you will probably pick up some members and also some lurkers, like me.
I avoided the necessity of leaving my computer by getting my grandson-in-law in spe to do the gardening :)
posted by jimroberts at 10:54 am (EST) on May 31, 2009
If you're going to start 66 or more threads on Isaiah, it might be preferable to start an Isaiah group for discussions on Isaiah: it would anyway be a better group than all the Twilight groups. Maybe float the idea in Christianity and see what the other members think?
Jim
posted by jimroberts at 10:16 am (EST) on May 31, 2009
posted by Bryan_Cox at 2:51 pm (EST) on May 28, 2009