For those wearied by the spate of Luther books produced for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Kolb's succinct description of Luther's life and his trenchant analysis of the Reformer's tract, Freedom of a Christian come as a welcomed relief. Sharpened through a lifetime of reading Reformation sources, Kolb outlines how Luther's concept of freedom reveals an entirely other face of the gospel and Christian life. The third section of the book, tracing the later influence of the tract (or lack thereof), is a tour-de-force for sketching the influence of Luther's thought. This is a "must read" for pastors, students, and interested lay persons--anyone who wishes to recapture the heart and soul of Luther's reform of the church.