January 15, 2011
Book Review Bonanza
Besides the more exciting events of our Christmas travels, I was also able to do some reading. Rather than do a separate post for each book, I will do mini-reviews of all of them in this post.
The Wars of America by Robert Leckie
I actually started reading this long before Christmas, but was able to finish it over the holidays. I found it to be a surprisingly detailed account of America's armed conflicts, beginning with the French and Indian war and concluding with Vietnam, which was still in progress at the time of the writing of the book. One thing that amazed me was how, in most cases, the resolution of one conflict led--directly or indirectly--to the next. If you are a history buff like me, this book comes highly recommended.
Simple Church by Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger
Another book I began before Christmas break, but finished during. So far, Simple Church is the most important book I have read on furlough. Rainer and Geiger make a strong case for "cutting the fat" from church programs, and developing a "simple" approach. While relevant to existing churches, the message is especially important for church planters. Without wanting to sound overly enthusiastic, I do believe that this book should be on the reading list of every pastor and missionary.
The Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask: (With Answers) by Mark Mittleberg
A very good reference work for people confronting questions about Christianity. I would recommend it for those preparing for secular university.
The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles, Book 1) by Rick Riordian
Since coming to the US for furlough I have seen Rick Riordian books in every book store, and even the book section at WalMart. He seemed to write adventure for the same demographic I was aiming at with Missionary Max, so I finally decided to read one of his books. The Red Pyramid melds Egyptian mythology with twenty-first century life to make a delightful story. While for the most part I had to temporarily suspend my Christian worldview to enjoy the story, there was one exception. As the heroes of the story are being told the story of the Egyptian house of magic, they are showed the story of of Moses--the "only magician to successfully challenge the House."
Decision Points by George W. Bush
Words I would use to describe this book are "generous", "classy", "lucid". Mr. Bush sets the record straight in the straightforward manner one would expect, yet with grace and humor. One reads of the inner workings of the Bush White House, and he is candid about his failures as well as his successes. As the title suggests, the bulk of the book deals with the major decisions faced by his administration and the processes involved in making them.
Christian readers cannot help but be interested in Bush's account with his conversations with Billy Graham, and dismayed by Graham's answer when questioned about a religious lady who had never received Christ: "Some people are born Christians". Crikey!
Stupid American History by Leland Gregory
A random collection of strange facts from American history. Gregory cannot help showing his anti-Bush bias, and some of his historical facts are somewhat selective. Take for example, his bemoaning of the fact that the Battle of New Orleans was fought after the peace treaty had been signed. True enough, but he neglects to mention that the treaty was signed on December 24th, and Old Hickory fought the "bloody British" on January 8. Hardly enough time for the news to travel from Belgium to Louisiana in pre-internet days.
This and other such lapses make this book a mediocre read, at best.
Stupid Christmas by Leland Gregory
Like previous book, only worse.
Boy by Roald Dahl
An account of stand-out events from the childhood of Roald Dahl, author of, among other things, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This book was assigned to our son Michael for his English class, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The stories of the mouse in the candy, and the goat droppings in the pipe were very entertaining.
If any of these books interested you, don't forget to check out our bookstore, where there are several selections that I have found helpful over the years.
Talk back to the missionary: Did you do any reading over the holidays? What were some of your favorites?
Posted by Andrew on January 15, 2011 12:47 PM.
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Comments
Posted by: Kalyn at January 16, 2011 12:28 AM
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"The Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask" looks super interesting! Going to have to put that on my list - probably will have wished I had read it before I attended BU. I usually held my own though! :)
The book I am in the middle of reading is "Radical" by David Platt. EXCELLENT.