Book Reviews
On My Nightstand
Books, for me, are therapy, a way of relaxing from the pressures of the world. My habit, lately, has been to physically read books on theology and the Christian life and to listen, via audiobook, history and biography. I’m almost always in the middle of reading a book and listening to a book. George Will…
Read MoreGood Men Are Hard to Find: Lessons from the Life of George H.W. Bush
I just finished reading Jon Meacham’s magnificent biography of the 41st President of the United States, George HW Bush, a book I thoroughly enjoyed, from cover to cover. Bush’s election to the presidency in 1988 was the first presidential election I paid attention to. I was ten years old, already a budding politics and history nerd.…
Read MoreMini-Reviews #12
Okay, I’m back with mini-reviews, this time with three books I thoroughly enjoyed: Loving the Way Jesus Loved by Phillip Ryken I’ve heard many sermons on the famous “love chapter” of 1 Corinthians 13. It’s often read at weddings, quoted by people of all persuasions and motivations, and often misunderstood. But Phil Ryken, President of Wheaton…
Read MoreMini-Reviews #11 and Book Giveaway
I’m back with another batch of mini book reviews. This time I review four books and have a special book giveaway (courtesy of Tyndale House Publishers). Here are the reviews and you can scroll down to the end of this post to have a chance to win a free book. Walking the Dust of Rabbi…
Read MoreBook Review: Gabby Stick-to-It Day
Usually I review adult books here on the blog, but as the father of four young children, I occasionally like to review children’s books. Three of my kids are girls, so I’m constantly trying to introduce them to good resources that point them to Jesus. That’s why I love the resources put out by Sheila Walsh, singer,…
Read MoreBook Review: Wednesdays Were Pretty Normal
As a pastor I have to counsel many who suffer. Often I’m at a loss as to what to say. I know the right Scriptures to present. I can reassure them that our people love them and are standing with them. But unless I’ve undergone a smilar trial, what do I say? What do I…
Read MoreMini-Reviews #10
Another batch of mini-reviews, this time the American History version: Eisenhower in War and Peace – Jean Edward Smith I was born in 1978, well after the era of Dwight David Eisenhower. So prior to this book he was only known to me from history books and a cursory knowledge of WWII. But I have…
Read MoreMini Reviews #9
Thanks to my new NOOK, I’ve been on a reading tear lately. So here are two more mini-reviews: The Cure for the Common Life by Max Lucado I appreciate Lucado’s unique gift at taking difficult concepts and making them easy for lay people to understand. In The Cure for the Common Life, Max shares a…
Read MoreMy Favorite Books of 2011
I had the opportunity to read quite a few great books in 2011. Not quite as many (101) as my friend, Aaron Armstrong, but I read quite a few. Here are my top ten books. You’ll notice they are not necessarily all books that were published in 2011, but books I had the chance to read…
Read MoreMini-Reviews #8
Just finished another great batch of books: Work Matters by Tom Nelson. This is a terrific book on a subject not explored fully enough in contemporary evangelicalism: a theology of work. As usual, Nelson (pastor of Christ Community Church in Leawood, Kansas), shares a comprehensive, balanced, biblical view of the doctrine of work. A Christmas Journey…
Read MoreA Novel Every Christian Should Read
I realize that there are many Christians who are ambivalent or even opposed to Christian fiction. I’ve never shared that belief, because I think fiction has a way of bringing important issues to light in a way that may be impossible for straightforward treatises. But even if you are someone who eschews novels, I’d urge…
Read MoreMini-Reviews #7
Okay, I’m back with another installment of mini-reviews. Today I review four books, including a children’s book and an older biography. Bloodlines, Race, the Cross, and the Christian by John Piper This is a profound work by the gifted theologian. I know there are a lot of Piper-files, who soak up all of his books.…
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