Readerly questions are raised when readers are explicitly and programmatically brought into the process of interpreting texts. Traditionally, the reader and readerly interest and identities have been screened out when we have set about interpreting texts, and we have set our sights on attaining an interpretation that shouldbe as "objective " as possible. Things are rather different now. Not only is quest for objective interpretation seen as chiaera, but the rewards of unabashed "readerly" interpretations that foreground the process of reading and the context of the reader have now been shown to be very well worth seeking. That reader-response approach characterizes this collection of six essays, prefaces by an introduction to reader-response criticism. The essays for the most part read in their original form to meetings of the Society of Biblical Literature, are: "What Does Eve Do To Help? and other Irredeemably Androcentric Orienations in Genesis 1-3"; What Happens in Genesis"; "The Ancestor in Danger: But Not the Same Danger"; " The Old Testament Histories: A Reader's Guide"; "Deconstructing the Book of Job"; and "Nehemiah Memoir: The perils of Autobigraphy". ".....one of the livliest writers on the Old Testament. " What Does Eve Do To Help ?" does not disappoint and at times is hailariously funny" C S Rodd Expository Times

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1. Is God a subject for psychoanalysis 2. Does God help? What God? Helping Whom? The convolutions of divine help 3. The God representation and the inner dialogue as transitional phenomena 4. So help me God Do i help God or does God help me 5. Does God help me or Do i help God or Neighter 6. Psychoanalytic reflections on the sacred Hindu text, the Bhagavad Gita 7. God playing psychoanalyst some lessons from the Bhagavad Gita 8. Three archaic contributions to the religious instinct: Awe, Mysticism, and apocalypse 9. A to Z: Awe, Cabalism, and Zohar 10. The median: Islamic faith and mental health 11. A matter of faith 12. God and the unconcisous: Eternal antonymies or long lost twins.

The authors spark discussion and debate on the Bible's words about genetic cloning.

This book challenges the conventional wisdom that greater schooling and skill improvement leads to higher wages, that income inequality falls with wider access to schooling, and that the Information Technology revolution will re-ignite worker pay. Indeed, the econometric results provide no evidence that the growth of skills or educational attainment has any statistically significant relation to earnings growth or that greater equality in schooling has led to a decline in income inequality. Results also indicate that computer investment is negatively related to earnings gains and positively associated with changes in both income inequality and the dispersion of worker skills. The findings reports here have direct relevance to ongoing policy debates on educational reform in the U.S.

We all donate to Charities that profess to help people in the developing world but does it really get to do any good? This book, by a retired businessman, describes life today in the poorest parts of Ethiopia, a Country known to most only by images of poverty and the appeals for help, commencing with Live Aid in the nineteen eighties. It shows how peoples' lives have been transformed by relatively small donations from individuals and Governments in the West. By following the work of local partners of the Aid Agency CAFOD it describes the way in which the provision of water and education has released the inherent determination and innovation of rural Ethiopians, thus empowering them to make much more of their lives for the benefit of their families and the community at large. The book describes how our donations flow to their ultimate beneficiaries. It paints a picture of life in a world very different from our own but which, in many ways, we could have much to learn from. It is an essential read for all who have wondered about giving to charity. It is also an ideal adjunct to the various guide books for those wanting to learn more about a Country that in reality is stunningly beautiful and populated by people who simply want to be able to make the best of their lives.

What Does Dead Mean? is a beautifully illustrated book that guides children gently through 17 of the 'big' questions they often ask about death and dying. Questions such as 'Is being dead like sleeping?', 'Why do people have to die?' and 'Where do dead people go?' are answered simply, truthfully and clearly to help adults explain to children what happens when someone dies. Prompts encourage children to explore the concepts by talking about, drawing or painting what they think or feel about the questions and answers. Suitable for children aged 4+, this is an ideal book for parents and carers to read with their children, as well as teachers, therapists and counsellors working with young children.