Seeds of Turmoil by Bryant Wright

Another book about Jerusalem: You are thinking: "This book looks boring. Israelis should just throw a Saturday Night Block Party, shoot off some fireworks, and enjoy their time together.   And heck, Jerusalem is 6,560 miles from Orlando Florida that is way too far away to really matter?   And if Israel blows up, well there is always the Holy Land Experience." Before I read this book, I had many of these thoughts about the Holy Land. But, now I have a clearer perspective on Israel.

Seeds of Turmoil by Bryant Wright 

Seeds of Turmoil is a book that shows in a simple, clear fashion the roots of unrest in Modern Israel. The book begins with the history of Abraham. Arabs, Christians and Jews all have their beginning with Abraham. But all three have responded to their dysfunctional family problem by divergent means.

Bryan Wright's straight forward writing, presents clearly the historical and sociological roots of turmoil in Israel. As Americans we need to deepen our knowledge on Islam, Judaism and Christianity. America's future will depend on the interactions between diverse communities.
Seeds of Turmoil is a great book, clucked loudly. (*****)

 I also  loved the author notes, maps, and reading group questions that were included in this book.  


I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

 

Lead Like Ike by Geoff Loftus

"Okay let's go."  And we started another close at Publix Grocery Stores.

 I am usually scheduled to close the Deli at Publix. I look forward to the challenge almost every night, because closing is a difficult task. You need to be able to give 100% of your attention to the customers while being flexible enough to get the cleaning done.

The book Lead like Ike is a great game plan for getting to the much needed success of our store.

Eisenhower began the Longest Day (D-Day) with the words:

"Okay Let's Go"

And he took full responsibility for implementation of the plan.

"Eisenhower's career as D-Day's CEO provides an encyclopedic case study for designing and implementing organizational strategies" ." P xvii  

Lead like Ike was a hard book to read straight through, I had every intention to finish the book quickly, but the book took me a long time to read. The book's narrative did not have enough spice to capture my interest. Lead Like Ike did not create a flow that could not be denied. I am also not sure that this book would be one I could share with my work team, as I think it may bore them silly. But the book is a good resource. I plan to refer to it when I come across a sticky wicket in the Publix Deli.

78 out of a 100 A Hesitant Cluck


I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their [...] book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." 

Billy Graham His Life and Influence by David Aikman

A panoramic view point of Christianity today:

"Billy Graham His Life and Influence" is a book that centers the history of Christian Evangelicalism since 1949. The book provides a panoramic view point of Christianity today.

The book also shares with the reader what it means to be a Christian Man. A man who loves freely and passionately; George W. Bush said about Billy Graham, "He didn't make you feel guilty, he made you feel loved." (249)

Themes that are covered in this book are:

1. Christianity and Culture
   
2. Mainstream Evangelicalism since 1949.
   
3. Orthodoxy vs. Orthopraxy
   
4. Media's Coverage of American Evangelicals.
   
5. How seminaries have dealt with the questions of the 20^th and 21^st century.
   
6. How did Denominations interact with each other during this time period?
   
7. How do men of God interact with people of power (especially presidents)?
   

The book does what Rick the Librarian stated good biographies should do: (1. Discover Fascinating people) (2.Rediscover people we think we know well) (3. Portray a hero dynamically, warts and all) (4. Learn how history was influenced by the life of the individual) (6. to celebrate ones culture through a deeper look). David Aikman succeeds in all 5 areas. One thing that was disappointing was the lack of pictures to go along with the narrative.

Cluck It Real Good

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their [...] book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."  

Billy Graham: His Life and Influence-Why Read Biographies?

Rick the Librarian Posted this on June 23, 2009... AS for reasons to read Biography.  

Currently I am reading Billy Graham His Life and Influence by David Aikman

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Reasons to Read Biography

In the June 2009 issue of Booklist, David Wright states that he can think of only two good reasons to read biography. He thinks it is a good way (1) to learn history and (2) to "get the dirt." He enjoys exposés and confessional memoirs that reveal inner demons. In the same issue, Kaite Mediatore claims that she enjoys reading about "dames," which she describes as strong, good-humored women worth admiration. Both David and Kaite review five books, some of which are old and rare.

Since they have opened the conversation, it seems a good time to bring out my list of reasons to read biography.

Reason 1: To discover fascinating people. 

Harry Harlow is one such person. He was an enthusiastic experimental psychologist at the University of Wisconsin in the 1950s, when he discovered how important parental care was to the development of young monkeys. He became a proponent of love featured on CBS Television news. Ironically, he ignored his own wife and children. Deborah Blum examines the life of a contradictory character in Love at Goon Park: Harry Harlow and the Science of Affection.

Reason 2: To rediscover people we think we know well. 

In our mental processing of everything that we have learned about historical figures, such as George Washington or Abraham Lincoln, we sometimes reduce them to a few facts, such as "general who became our first president" or "president who freed the slaves." In doing this we forget what truly made them remarkable. Luckily for us, biographers recollect the stories and present them fresh and new. Consider John Adams. Many people considered him pretty old and dry before David McCullough wrote his intimate biography, simply called John Adams.

Reason 3: To reassess infamous characters. 

Margaret Sanger was a nurse who saw tremendous suffering in the slums of New York City in the early twentieth century. She began a crusade for birth control, which included the distribution of honest and frank information about sex. For this she was condemned by many religious, political, and law enforcement officials. Ellen Chesler recounts the life and times of a woman ahead of her times in Woman of Valor: Margaret Sanger and the Birth Control Movement in America.

Reason 4: To get the story behind legendary characters.

There really was a Queen Boudica who tried to expel the Romans from Britain, but she was not the mass murderer that some legends suggest. Vanessa Collingridge uses archeological evidence to redraw the queen's image in Boudica: The Life of Britain's Legendary Warrior Queen.

Reason 5: To get the dirt. (A nod to David)

Sir Thomas Malory is often credited with establishing the tradition of knightly chivalry. According to Christina Hardyman, he was really a rapist, murderer, and thief. She makes her case in Malory: The Knight Who Became King Arthur's Chronicler.

Reason 6: To find a hero, warts and all. (A nod to Kaite)

Ethiopian widow Haregewoin Teffera did not want to foster an AIDS orphan, but her priest insisted. Once she cleaned the girl, she fell in love and began working for all her country's orphans. Melissa Fay Green describes Teffera's life and work in There Is No Me Without You: One Women's Odyssey to Rescue Africa's Children.

Reason 7: To learn history through the life of an individual.

When the heads of her friends began to fall in Paris, Marie Tussaud was there to catch them and cast them in wax. Kate Berridge recounts how a survivor of the French Revolution became a entertainment pioneer and a very rich woman in Madame Tussaud: A Life in Wax.

Reason 8: To experience adventure from the safety of one's armchair.

Despite the dangers of travel over the Andes Mountains and on the Amazon River in the eighteenth century, Isabelle Godin des Odonais set forth to cross the South American continent to rescue her husband. Robert Whitaker tells an excite tale in The Mapmaker's Wife: A True Tale of Love, Murder, and Survival in the Amazon.

Reason 9: To celebrate one's culture.

Why did the life of an entertainer mean so much to his many fans? Novelist Bobbie Ann Mason explains in her compact biography Elvis Presley.

Reason 10: To enjoy a good book.

Take any of the nine titles from above and insert here.


Ten seems a nice number at which to stop. You might write some more reasons of your own after reading a few good biographies.


My book Real Lives Revealed: A Guide to Reading Interests in Biography publishes next week. It includes reviews of all of these titles, plus 591 more.

Jesus Manifesto by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola

like a scratch on a record, being played at 35

 rotations a second; irritating at best

This book motivated me to think hard about what I consider my Christian Faith; especially the role of Christ in the body of the Church.

One part of the book was a yes, amen, y'all are telling truth. But the weeds of the book kept me from accepting their gospel.

At other times I felt like the book had something like a scratch on a record being played at 35 rotations a second; irritating at best."The Jesus he presented makes one's brain cells smoke in the efforts to grasp him." (Page 31). I was frustrated that Sweet and Viola did not tell the reader to search the scriptures and find the truth about our relationship with God there. Sweet and Viola seem to want to lead seekers into a large field far from the mind of God, replacing the truth in the bible to the truth of the Volk. The truth of the Volk is now named Jesus and must be accepted. This is dangerous and denies the laws of logic. I wanted to put the needle back past the errors presented. I wanted to yell, "What about the bible? What about the Catechism? What about the historical church?

A book like this motivates you to sharpen your truth stance in your Christian Walk. It also motivates you to track heretics and martyrs historical battle. Slightly chuck this into your garden and hope that it will grow amongst the weeds.  I am hoping to read this again though after reading more C.S. Lewis, Francis A Schaffer and David Wells (No Place for Truth).



Sorry its a Chuck It!




I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their [...] book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."  

Cluck or Chuck: Wild at Heart John Eldredge a Review

Rock Climbing is difficult, not because of the rock but the lack of faith that rests inside ones heart. We cannot see the next step properly without a faith that the next step will hold us above the ground. We are continually battling a war against the little voice that tries to speak up and say, "Heck! That's an impossible step." "You can't do that!" "You are going to fall!" "Just give up!" Wild at Heart shares that this little voice is a common voice shared by all men. The voice will eventually wear a man down and hallow him out. A hallowed man will either grow violent and be consumed by anger. Or become a man that has checked out and is absent from his family.

Eldredge does a good job of outlining manhood in today's current age. He equips men with stories that enable them to better serve their wives and family. One area that was lacking was a series of author notes in the back; he makes up for the lack of author notes by having a very useful prayer index. I also had difficulty getting hooked into the story. (This may have been just the May blahs or the writing, I am not sure.)

All in all a decent read, one I would hesitantly cluck about. 7.9/10








I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their [...] book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."  

Revision of LOST by Chris Seay

The tide rises,

the day returns,

but nevermore,

returns the traveler to the shore,

And the tide rises,

the tide falls.

                                                                                          - Long Fellow

                

I love the television series Lost. Lost offers twisting plots; Lost also offers well formed characters, and interesting links into philosophy.   The tale offers a good study on the effect of the Gospel on the LOST sheep amongst hungry wolves





I read this book as if I was hunting for emergent(s) amongst the Cloud Monsters that inhabit the Island.  Chris Seay struggles with the gospel and often barely grasps it; because the gospel is weak it undermines the usefulness of the book.   Chris does do a good job on bringing in philosophical ideas that are not Christian.   This book is a good view into the Emergent World that Chris inhabits.  Seay has an ability to grab readers, and he knows his audience (between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five).   .  Chris shows the probing question on Lost is: "What does it means to build up a culture from the ground up?"





Also now we see the comparison of the Children of Light and the Children of Darkness; and the battle that is being waged for the balance of the Island.  I hope Chris writes a revised edition with all that is learned in LOST the final season.   The book would need at least a couple more chapters.  



 I would recommend this book to Christians who want to hold LOST parties, but I would have reservations because of a translucent Gospel.

Review of After the Hangover: The Conservative Road to Recovery

Emmet Tyrell answers the following political questions in, After the Hangover the Conservative Road to Recovery:

1. 
   
   Is American Conservatism Dead?
2. 
   
   Should we be scared of the Scarlet Letter Ls? Liberals! 
3. 
   
   Are Liberals creating a United States Collectivists' Utopia? While leaving Conservatives in a dystopian wake of big government and large taxation? 
4. 
   
   Can Liberals truly call themselves Liberal? Or are they collectivists?
5. 
   
   What is Kultur Smog? And who creates the Kultur Smog? Why do we act confused about our political nation?
6. 
   
   Why can't conservatives create a platform together?
7. 
   
   How can America recover from the Obama Engine?
   
   
   Tyrrell attempts to navigate Conservatives through the wilderness of today's political America. He does so successfully! He shines truth upon the current Zeitgeist, the spirit of the age. 

The book loses meaning at times because of the words used. Tyrell assumes you have a background in political science, shown by the lack of definitions he gives for some of his major concepts. For example, "Meet the Press is comfortable Kultursmog territory, but not all its viewers are snozzled by Liberal containments." Snozzled is defined by Urban Dictionary as a term to explain the strange occurrence of people reverting to a strange style of game play (often mistaken as skill) which is also known as 'jump-spam."

The book may become frustrating for those readers who do not like to use Google to figure out the meaning of words. All in all it is a good read. 8.7 Clucks out of 10 Clucks Possible.


I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their [...] book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."  

Review for: A Century Turns by William J. Bennett

William J. Bennett's new book, A Century Turns, is a fire proof suite, for someone who has been hit hard by the "Rocket of Change".


The book is a superb historical narrative of the last twenty years (1989-2009).


The book explores changing America. Obama said, "A Change, A Change, and A Change!" But what is the change he is discussing? William Bennett shows where we were and what is happening today in a clear conservative point of view. It is a critical book for those who were raised Liberal, in Blue States, and taught by teachers who loved their leather bound volumes of Marx.


Can you feel the hot flames from the after-burn of the plethora of multiple political pundits? Is your mind numb? Are you striving to be Ignorant of the entire historical hullabaloo coming from your television set? I am afraid to say that when the news comes on I often to turn it off.  This mental state is dangerous in a democracy. Democracies require educated people. This ignorant mental state of America is ripe for the power brokers to yield what they believe is best for the people.   William Bennett helps me desire to re-tune to the political spectrum without the effects of Future Shock.


(A note to Liberals) Even if you don't change your spots, you will be able to discuss the issues with a clearer perspective and have greater compassion for your conservative friends.

I recommend this book. 4.5/5 Stars. Clucking with Historical Precedent.

  Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Vertical Life by Mark Sayers

The plague of modernism striped away our identity in Christ. The cult of the individual took over and we were remade into Zombies working for an identity stirred by modern cultural ethics and building our personal brands. We became obsessed by work. Work promised freedom, coolness, and the ability to be sexy. All of this added to us living not a Vertical Life but a Horizontal life. A vertical life is an identity that is framed by God. God shapes us to serve God well. Sayers book is a call back from this self obsession to the beginning of living a vertical life.

The Vertical Life's first 100 pages stirred me in a good way. I enjoyed Sayers ability to express Post Modern Cultural thinking and its effect on the Church.

But I began to be turned away from the book when he attempted to give a step by step solution to Horizontal Living.

The reformed perspective (which I believe) holds that after the fall, man was born innately in sin. The only way to come clean was for Christ to take our sins on the cross. Sayers argues on another platform. He presents Humans as innately good. Sinners just need to apply a behavior management program and live a virtuous life (no cross needed). I fear that many will attempt to live a behavior management formula, and become depressed when their own good measures are not enough to overcome their sinful ways.

For a counter POV check out Joseph's Review. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Voice New Testament Bible

****/***** Cluck It!



The Voice Devotional Bible by Thomas Nelson Publishers is a valuable resource for those who want to explore in conversation the Story of God.

The Voice was created for a Post Modern Reader who desired a bible that addressed: "emotions, cognitive processes (what were they thinking), tactile experiences and spiritual awareness". The book unlike other bibles that were (created to meet Post Modern needs) did not lose the text in translation.

The Voice Conversation bible encourages the flow of the text. The Voice does not bog the Gospel down by adding copious notes and supplemental information to the text. Other bibles distract me with their beautiful side notes. The use of Italics to inform the reader while staying within the textual block is very helpful, because ones eye does not have to look elsewhere to gain understanding. Often I am left confused and wandering in isolation, stuttering out loud,

"Where the heck am I?"

But the flow keeps me engaged.

The notes in the Voice give just enough info to keep the reader afloat. The voice also does not give headings to the Chapter Breaks; (E.g. Titus 2: What must be taught to Various Groups). A reader may be hindered by a lack of headings because it slows down their ability to find where it says in scripture, Jesus Feeds the Multitude. But the lack of clear chapter breaks helps encourage comprehension of the whole book, for instance in Titus I wanted to read the whole letter and not read the one letter on three different occasions.

The quality of the book is not bad for a trade paperback, but it will not remain intact after a stampede of Thundering Buffaloes.

This book serves its purpose well in helping the reader stay engaged in conversations with others. The book also does a great job with dialogue by providing a screenplay format. The editors did a good job of restating archaic words in modern language without losing the translation or making the reader feel stupid. While I am not ready to rely solely on this bible for my entire bible Conversations (it lacks a concordance, an index, or maps that add to understanding), I will be using this bible when I am engaged in discussions about God's Story with others.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Cluck/Chuck? Where is God? Dr. John Townsend

The white out on 1-25 washed away our vision.  It had been a warm December day when my dad and I arrived at Mile High Stadium,  now it was freezing and the snow was coming down.   The snow came down hard and we were forced to pull aside at every exit in order to see through the front car window.   Our headlights were no longer blazing the trail because the snow had blanketed them with a white fury coat.   The ice on the road had a hold on our car and then I prayed, "God, if you are anywhere near please help us make it home."      
We all have had moments when we have felt overwhelmingly outside the Lord's warm hands.  Dr. John Townsend, the Best Selling Author of Boundaries,  examines the question: "Where is God Now That I need HIm Most!"  He illustrates how hard times make us look for God; How we are wired to look for God; that God is really for us even in the most difficult times;  and How each Christian Experiences pain and the walk with God in different ways.    
The question "Where is God"  has been answered by at least 121,151 books, so what makes this book stand out?   The book is easily applicable to life; there are many practical examples of how to find God when you have burnt the bacon.    Townsend avoids using legalistic means (self efficient steps) to get out of our hard times;  he points to repentance and the turning to prayer, community, and honest communication with God.   He shows that we are not alone in our pain, and that this pain needs to be dealt with honestly.  I appreciated that he did not allow the reader to feel it was okay to fall into victim hood. He illustrates how we are responsible for proper stewardship of all God's gifts, even pain.   The book is a keeper and a good resource that I would give to people in my church who desire to deal with their pain. 

Dr Townsend's  book  "Where is God?"

is a definite CLUCK IT: (something worth talking about).

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Counter POV

Cluck it Or Chuck It: Obstacles Welcome by Ralph de la Vega

Cuban Refugee to President & CEO of AT&T Mobility, what were the steps that got him there? How did a man who faced many obstacles not get mired down in the muck? How do you stop living your life trapped in a lazy chair jell cell; so that you can live a life you dreamed of?

This book will help those looking to improve their success journey in the following ways: (a) how to manage calculated risks (b) finding opportunities in your life being blended at high speed (c) and how to enable others to help you through effective communication.

De la Vega did not show how Christ empowered his success journey enough. He would have improved the book had he found scriptural truth to back up his opinions. The book tended to be very humanistic and treads on the mythic axiom, of lacing up your bootstraps and make it happen (very Horatio Alger of him). There was a lack of notes and research, or even works that had influenced De la Vega's point of view mentioned in the Appendix.

Summary: Not the book I was looking for and it took me a long time to finish it.

Counter view point: Embarking
Buy Obstacles Welcome at Powell's Books

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”