In this task, you are given books product reviews in English language. The goal is to classify the review as "POS" if the overall sentiment of the review is positive or as "NEG" if the overall sentiment of the review is negative.

Q: A great book for me at this time in my life . I am in the infant stages of my conversion to Judaism, and this book really cemented my conviction that this is the right decision for me.  I felt that Rabbi Kushner clearly explained what Judaism is all about to him and, in many instances, to me as well.  The chapter dealing with the dietary laws I found particularly helpful and enlightening, as this is one of the most intimidating factors for me in converting to Judaism and living as an observant Jew.  Rabbi Kushner's explanations helped me understand the dietary laws in a different way, as allowing the sacred to enter into mealtimes -- which takes the focus off food -- and I immediately began "keeping kosher" to an extent.      I didn't feel that this book slammed Christianity, but I'm not a Christian so my perspective is decidedly one-sided.  I did feel that this is a book about Judaism, not about Christianity.  There are places where Rabbi Kushner compares and contrasts the two religions, but I didn't get the sense that he was saying, "Our way is better than your way."  I DID get the sense that he is a man who feels deeply connected to God, and sees his religion as the source of that connection.  While it's likely that a (relatively) small number Christians would read this book, it seems to be intended for Jews -- a book for Jews about Judaism, written by a Jew.  The references to Christianity did not seem to be an instruction guide on Christianity so much as a way for Jews to understand their own religion within the context of modern American society, which is predominantly Christian.    If you are interested in learning more about Judaism -- what do Jews believe? what is the Jewish religion all about? -- then I think this is a very good introduction.  Rabbi Kushner's explanations are easy to read and understand and at the same time very enlightening.  Don't let this be the extent of your studies into Judaism, but it is a fine place to start

A: POS
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Q: Violates the False Claims Act . Wow. I was shocked. Legitimate statements of liberal Christianity include ones like, 'Transubstantiation is mistaken', 'The Vatican does not have a direct pipeline to God', 'Homosexuality is not a sin', 'Condoms and birth control are morally defensible', NOT 'Jesus never performed miracles', 'The trinity does not exist', 'Jesus is not the Son of God.' It is disingenuous for Spong to assert he is a Christian when he disavows ALL the major tenets of the religion - virgin birth, miracles, incarnation, atonement, resurrection, ascension, the trinity, and the deity of Jesus. He believes less in a religion per se and more in a code of ethical conduct like, say, Confucianism, and the "patronizing nonsense" (a la C.S. Lewis) that Jesus was simply a great moral teacher. He even says on page 229, "...a religionless Christianity must be born." Religionless Christianty?! That's a contradiction in terms. Mr. Spong sounds like an ethicist, not a religionist. He also owes Saint Paul an apology for rumor-mongering when the man has long been absent and not around to defend himself.    I do admit though, I liked a lot his discourse on the plight of women and mens' subconscious fear of them. I also liked his observations on homosexuality. What he had to say about Judas was also interesting (but misleading as it is based solely on his own suppositions, not evidence). The section on anti-semitism was informative but that whole subject has always struck me as odd to begin with, i.e., that a Christian could hate or resent a Jew. Very odd.    I'm sure we've all noticed that bible-interpetation discussions are on the same road as capital punishment, birth control, gun control, and abortion: I'm Right and You're Wrong Avenue. Especially with bible interpretation, words and phraseology are open to diverse translations, and theologians themselves disagree.    Oh, and here's my two cents on the Council of Nicea. Of course the Christian theologians had to discuss Christian doctrine and record it for posterity. Of course Christianity had to be, dare I say, 'corporatized' in a way. How can the Word spread without an efficient distribution channel? The remarkable thing is that it did not happen much sooner. You see now, though, how it is very easy for anyone with an advanced intellect (such as Spong) to take the very (true) words I have just said in this paragraph and make it sound convincingly like, "You see!..he admits it..corporatized!..distribution channels!..surely there was wheeling and dealing...these people were not serious...blah blah blah."    I offer one piece of advice. However, I admit I base this advice on my belief that: 1) An all-loving God exists, 2) the gospels are historically accurate, 3) Jesus is the incarnated Son of God and 4) the bible is divinely inspired. Whenever a bible passage irks you, enrages you, or just generally creates any type of irritation in you, remember that YOU are the one thinking about it. And you're not God.

A: NEG
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Q: She has done better work . This book is an enjoyable read if you have nothing better to do.  I failed to be captivated by it.  The characters lack the heartwrenching dramatic intensity that you find in her other works.  Maybe it is because Alice Walker is such a phenominal author that people just expect so much from her.  Still, this book is NOT making the cut for my personal library

A:
NEG
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