Sound Bath by Sara Auster

Sound Bath by Sara Auster ISBN-13: 9781982132941 Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Tiller Press Released: Nov. 19, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Discover the use of sound in ancient traditions to transform consciousness, heal the mind, calm the body, build diverse communities, and help people live more mindfully. Sound Baths help people achieve a reflective, self-healing state. Sound therapist, meditation teacher, and thought leader Sara Auster has traveled the world facilitating sound bath experiences. Sara shares her personal journey to recovery from a traumatic accident and how she got involved with leading Sound Baths. She talks about what attending a Sound Bath is like and answers the most commonly asked questions about sound therapy, meditation, deep listening, and the ancient traditions that inspire her Sound Baths.


My Review:
Sound Bath is about the author's life, what led her into facilitating Sound Baths, and what her Sound Baths are like. The book sometimes came across as an ad for hiring the author to do a Sound Bath for your group or for buying her recordings. She spent chapters describing how she got into doing Sound Baths, what attending one of her sound bath sessions is like (with sound alone or in combination with scents, yoga, etc.), and how to get the most out of a Sound Bath session. There was a chapter full of letters from people who attended a sound bath and how it helped them.

She also gave an overview of the (mostly Eastern) ideas that inspired what she does in a sound bath. She talked about deep listening, yoga, mindfulness meditation (using sound as your guide), why stress is bad, your voice and words as sound, mantras, doshas, meridians, prana, chakras, etc. I thought the book was supposed to be about how sound benefits physical health, but she started talking like the point of Sound Baths is to achieve an altered state of consciousness. The author also briefly described the instruments that she uses and their history (origins, what they were used for in religious rituals, etc.). At the end of each chapter, she gave an exercise relating to that topic that you can do by yourself, but I felt like this was primarily a what-she-does book rather than a how-to book (especially if you're not interested in dabbling in Eastern religious practices).


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Fire Road by Kim Phuc Phan Thi

Fire Road by Kim Phuc Phan Thi ISBN-13: 9781496424303 Trade Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Tyndale Momentum Released: Oct. 3, 2017

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description from Goodreads:
"Get out! Run! We must leave this place! They are going to destroy this whole place! Go, children, run first! Go now!" These were the final shouts nine year-old Kim Phuc heard before her world dissolved into flames—before napalm bombs fell from the sky, burning away her clothing and searing deep into her skin. It’s a moment forever captured, an iconic image that has come to define the horror and violence of the Vietnam War. Kim was left for dead in a morgue; no one expected her to survive the attack. Napalm meant fire, and fire meant death.

Against all odds, Kim lived—but her journey toward healing was only beginning. When the napalm bombs dropped, everything Kim knew and relied on exploded along with them: her home, her country’s freedom, her childhood innocence and happiness. The coming years would be marked by excruciating treatments for her burns and unrelenting physical pain throughout her body, which were constant reminders of that terrible day. Kim survived the pain of her body ablaze, but how could she possibly survive the pain of her devastated soul?

Fire Road is the true story of how she found the answer in a God who suffered Himself; a Savior who truly understood and cared about the depths of her pain. Fire Road is a story of horror and hope, a harrowing tale of a life changed in an instant—and the power and resilience that can only be found in the power of God’s mercy and love.


My Review:
Fire Road is a memoir that describes how Kim Phuc found peace for her soul. She told her life story, which includes descriptions of the bad things that happened (the napalm burns, how political officials prevented her from pursuing her dream and used her as a propaganda tool) and how these events affected her emotionally and physically. However, she didn't dwell on the bad things so it's a sad but not depressing story during these worst parts. She initially followed her family's religion with great devotion, but the gods didn't help her. When a Christian pastor came into her orbit and answered her questions, she realized that Jesus also bore scars and endured pain.

As she told the story of her life, she also told the story of her spiritual growth and how God provided for her. She described how, as a new Christian, she fought depression and a desire to commit suicide by memorizing Scripture and praying the Psalms back to God. She talked about how she slowly came to forgive those who abused and wronged her by praying for them (as Jesus instructed us to do). And she talked about how she deals with the physical pain by singing praises to God (among many other things).

I'd never heard of Kim Phuc before, partly because I was born several years after she was burned. I found her story interesting and touching. People who do know her story will likely enjoy knowing some of the things that have happened in more recent years. As Kim acknowledges, everyone carries their own scars and pains, though not all are as obvious as her scars. I'd recommend this story to anyone, but especially to those who want to know how she found peace despite the pain and scars she still carries.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

The Secret Language of Churches & Cathedrals by Richard Stemp

The Secret Language of Churches & Cathedrals by Richard Stemp ISBN-13: 9781780289618 Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: Watkins Publishing Released: July 19, 2016

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
Who is depicted in that stained glass window? What is the significance of those geometric figures? Why are there fierce-looking beasts carved amidst all that beauty? Is there a deeper purpose behind the play of light and space in the nave? Why is there a pelican on the lectern and ornate foliage on the pillars? The largely illiterate medieval audience could read the symbols of churches and cathedrals and recognize the meanings and stories deliberately encoded into them.

Today, in an age less attuned to iconography, such places of worship are often seen merely as magnificent works of architecture. This book restores the lost spiritual meaning of these fine and fascinating buildings. It provides a three-part illustrated key by which modern visitors can understand the layout, fabric and decorative symbolism of Christian sacred structures.

Part One is an analysis of structural features, outside and in, from spires and domes to clerestories and brasses.

Part Two is a theme-by-theme guide, which identifies significant figures, scenes, stories, animals, flowers, and the use of numbers, letters and patterns in paintings, carvings and sculpture.

Part Three is a historical decoder, revealing the evolution of styles - from basilicas through Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic and beyond.

For all those who seek to know more about Christian art and architecture, this richly illustrated book will instruct and delight in equal measure.


My Review:
The Secret Language of Churches & Cathedrals provides a tour of these buildings, explaining the practical, historical, and symbolic reasons behind their features. The author looked at Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant churches.

The first part described what you see as you approach and enter the building and explained the architectural features found in a typical cathedral or church. The second part looked at the paintings and sculptures and identified various people and common symbols and scenes for those of us not "in the know." The third part looked at the elements found in the earliest churches and how they changed throughout history.

The book contained many full-color pictures from the outside and inside of churches to illustrate the points made in the text. For paintings, we're shown the overall ceiling, then detail shots with descriptions of what is being show in that section.

I once went on a study abroad tour were we visited many cathedrals. I felt like I was missing half of what I was seeing because I didn't know the intent behind it. I'd recommend this book to those planning on touring cathedrals or who are just interested in the topic.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Saving My Assassin by Virginia Prodan

Saving My Assassin by Virginia Prodan ISBN-13: 9781496411846 Trade Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers Released: June 7, 2016

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
At just under five feet tall, Virginia Prodan was no match for the towering 6' 10" gun-wielding assassin the Romanian government sent to her office to take her life. It was not the first time her life had been threatened--nor would it be the last.

As a young attorney under Nicolae Ceausescu's brutal communist regime, Virginia had spent her entire life searching for the truth. When she finally found it in the pages of the most forbidden book in all of Romania, Virginia accepted the divine call to defend fellow followers of Christ against unjust persecution in an otherwise ungodly land.

For this act of treason, she was kidnapped, beaten, tortured, placed under house arrest, and came within seconds of being executed under the orders of Ceausescu himself. A must-read for all generations, "Saving My Assassin" is the unforgettable account of one woman's search for truth, her defiance in the face of evil, and a surprise encounter that proves without a shadow of a doubt that nothing is impossible with God.


My Review:
Saving My Assassin is a memoir about Virginia Prodan's life in Romania. It starts in 1961 (when she was 6 years old) and ends in 1988 (plus an epilogue). It's an awesome story about God's work in Romania and how he used Virginia to make a difference.

The author talked about growing up under the communist regime of Nicolae Ceausescu. Due to certain family circumstances, she longed to find (and defend) the truth and thought she could do this as an attorney. She described the challenges of working as an attorney and following Christ in those years. She talked about some of the cases she took defending Christians and the threats and harm she endured for doing so.

Her story gives God glory for working things together for good--even when she couldn't see it at the time. Like when she faced an assassin in her office or felt completely cut off from any friends during a house arrest. It's an amazing and encouraging story, and I had a hard time putting down. I'd highly recommend it to anyone interested in what life was like in Romania under Ceausescu and to Christians seeking encouragement about taking risks when God calls you to them.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

A Dream So Big by Steve Peifer

A Dream So Big by Steve Peifer with Gregg Lewis ISBN-13: 9780310326090 Hardcover: 326 pages Publisher: Zondervan Released: March 19, 2013

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Booksneeze.com.

Book Description, Modified from Booksneeze:
Steve Peifer was a corporate manager who oversaw 9,000 computer software consultants in America. When Steve and his wife, Nancy, discovered they were pregnant with their third child, doctors told them that a chromosomal condition left their baby “incompatible with life.” The Peifers only spent 8 days with baby Stephen before he died.

Seeking to flee the pain, Steve and Nancy accepted a 12-month position as dorm parents for missionary kids at a Kenyan boarding school. This thrust them into a third-world setting where daily life was often defined by tragedy---drought, disease, poverty, hunger, and death. Their surroundings spoke to their hearts.

Steve wanted to end tears of hunger. Today, Steve helps provide daily lunches for over 20,000 Kenyan school children in thirty-five national public schools and maintains solar-powered computer labs at twenty rural African schools.


My Review:
A Dream So Big is a memoir by a missionary in Kenya. This is the story of why this family went to Africa on a short-term mission trip (which turned into a long-term one), about his work at the missionary school as a dorm parent, teacher, etc., about the differences between American and Kenyan cultures, and about their travels to various parts of Kenya. It describes how Steve's heart was touched by the sight of children faint and crying from hunger and how he started a program to provide free lunches (and, later, computer training centers) at nearby schools.

Kenya and its people are vividly described. Steve made me really care about the Kenya kids and missionary kids. The situation of the poor in Kenya really touched my heart. I wasn't aware things were so bad there or that that it costs so little to feed one child for a month. I'm glad Steve is providing a way for people to help the Kenya kids. I'd highly recommend this book to those who like stories about other cultures and/or missionary stories.

These quotes are a good summary of the heart of the book. From page 170: "I knew I couldn't do anything about world hunger. But surely, I thought, I can provide lunch for the kids in that one school. Not doing something would be making peace with the idea of hungry children--not starving, faceless children on the far side of the world but African neighbors who now looked so much like my own Katie and Ben."

And from page 322: "If [God] can use me, he can use anyone for his purposes. He can use even you. Wherever you are. Wherever you go. You don't need special talents, special training, or even a special calling to get your own story started. It's not that hard if you have eyes and ears. See the needs all around you. Hear the cries. Accept the gift of tears. And do whatever little thing he asks you to do, if only to feed a child lunch or to teach kids basic computer skills. I promise. Once you find his purpose for you, you too will discover a dream so big."


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Gray Matter by David Levy, MD

Gray Matter: A Neurosurgeon Discovers the Power of Prayer... by David Levy with Joel Kilpatrick ISBN-13: 9781414339757 ebook: 304 pages Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers Released: February 21, 201

Source: Free ebook "bought" some time back through Sony's ebook store.

Book Description from Goodreads:
A blend of medical drama and spiritual insight, "Gray Matter" is a fascinating account of Dr. David Levy's decision to begin asking his patients if he could pray for them before surgery. Some are thrilled. Some are skeptical. Some are hostile, and some are quite literally transformed by the request. Each chapter focuses on specific cases, with a detailed description of the patient's diagnosis and the procedure that will need to be performed, followed by the prayer "request."

Readers get to look over Dr. Levy's shoulder as he performs the operation, and then we wait--right alongside Dr. Levy, the patients, and their families--to see the final results. Dr. Levy's musings on what successful and unsuccessful surgical results imply about God, faith, and the power of prayer are honest and insightful. As we watch him come to his ultimate conclusion that no matter what the results of the procedure are, "God is good," we cannot help but be truly moved and inspired.


My Review:
Gray Matter is an autobiography about a neurosurgeon's journey of faith and how his willingness to follow God's leading to reach out in faith has transformed how he practices medicine. It's very suspenseful. We follow specific cases from the consultation and Levy's offer to pray (or talk about forgiveness), how they respond, him performing the procedure, and waiting to see how the patient came out of the surgery. The surgery scenes weren't gory unless talk about veins, arteries, coils, and glue get to you.

I found the book very touching and encouraging. I usually don't read books where the author is on the cover as the focus if often totally on them. However, this book was as much about each patient and on God working in their and the author's life as it was about Levy. Levy came across as humble and open as he told about his failures as well as his successes. He discussed how he came to add prayer to his medical practice and then later offer to help walk certain patients through forgiving others.

Overall, I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who thinks it sounds interesting. It's very much a Christian book, but the author came across as genuinely concerned for others, not condemning, so even non-Christians might enjoy it.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Walk the Land by Judith Galblum Pex

Walk the Land: My Journey on Foot through Israel by Judith Galblum Pex ISBN-13: 9780975961957 Trade Paperback: 240 pages Publisher: Cladach Publishing Released: July 28, 2007

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description from Back Cover:
Come with John and Judy Pex as they hike the 600-mile Israel National Trail from the Egyptian to the Lebanese borders. During 42 days of trekking through spectacular scenery, Arab towns and villages, past Jewish, Muslim, Druze, and Christian holy sites, they discover:

• Sights seldom seen by tourists
• Physical challenges and spiritual tests
• Cultural encounters and historical insights
• Lessons about peace, faith, and endurance.

Included are 16 pages of color photos of scenes from the Trail


My Review:
Walk the Land describes the travels of a middle aged couple as they hike the Israel Trail from the south of Israel to the north. It's not a hiking guide--the author didn't directly talk about what to bring or give hiking tips, though some of that information can be gleaned from the narrative. And while you can pick up information about what the land looks like and what hiking it is like, the narrative really focused on relationships.

She talked about how the lessons she learned on the trail were related to her walk with Christ. She talked about the various people they met on the trail and what they talked with them about (which was mainly about the upcoming trail and the fact that the author and her husband believe in Jesus as the Jewish Messiah). And she talked about the challenges of hiking with her husband--since they have very different personalities--and how it strengthened their relationship.

Overall, I found the book interesting and worth reading, though I'd been hoping for a more detailed description of the land. I'd recommend this book to those interested in the culture, the places, and the people of Israel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt from Chapter One.

Ascent from Darkness by Michael Leehan

Ascent from Darkness: How Satan's Soldier Became God's Warrior by Michael Leehan ISBN-13: 9780849947032 Trade Paperback: 256 pages Publisher: Thomas Nelson Released: Oct. 4, 2011

Source: Review copy from the publisher that was requested through Booksneeze.

Book Description from Booksneeze:
A life of difficulty and disappointment set 33-year old Michael Leehan up for the worst decision of his life—to make a deal with the Devil to follow and serve him. Practicing the dark arts that include ritualistic cuttings and blood sacrifices, while fine tuning his manipulation and control skills, Michael launched into a twenty year downward spiral that included job loss and detachment from loved ones, and even jail time.

But God had another plan that included a group of Christian men to love him and pray for him—even when it became evident his assignment from Satan was to kill their pastor, Craig Groeschel.

The life Michael Leehan lives today is an incredible testimony of the transforming power of God's mercy and grace, but is also a wakeup call to the church to be fully aware of the spiritual war that is going on all around them, and to the ultimate battle for their souls.

"I am sending you to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me." Acts 26:18


My Review:
Ascent from Darkness is a memoir of a man who made a pact with Satan to serve him and who found that pact destroying his life. Still, Michael was afraid of giving up the power he thought his pact gave him, and he wasn't initially interested in surrendering to a God he'd been angry at since childhood. And Satan wasn't about to let Michael go serve his enemy.

It's a compelling story. Michael managed to describe the emotional and life-changing impact of his actions without getting into gory details about Satanic practices. In fact, he's very vague about many of the rituals he did (which I think was very wise for multiple reasons--for example, you can't learn how to do a satanist ritual by reading this book. And the book would have been much darker).

If you have a hard time believing in real, evil spiritual forces, you'll probably have a hard time believing this book. If you think everything bad has a demon behind it that needs to be cast out, you'll probably be disappointed. While Michael makes it clear that spiritual forces are all around us, what he describes is very in line with what the Bible teaches about angels, fallen angels, and how Christ can free those who surrender to Him.

I think this book is important for Christians to read because most don't really think about the spiritual battles being fought around them. Also, Michael talked about how, as a satanist, he'd go into churches and quote Scripture in ways to mislead Christians or try to disrupt Bible Studies by bringing up controversial subjects or by seducing the women. He pointed out something that has long concerned me: how churches tend to get people to say "the sinners prayer" and baptized but then don't make a point of mentoring them in the faith. This leaves new believers vulnerable to lies about God.

This is an excellent book, and I'd highly recommend it.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt from chapter one.

The Great Turning Point by Dr. Terry Mortenson

The Great Turning Point: The Church's Catastrophic Mistake on Geology--Before Darwin by Dr. Terry Mortenson ISBN-13: 9780890514085 Paperback: 272 pages Publisher: Master Books Released: September 28, 2004

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description from Publisher's Website:
Many people in the Church today have the idea that “young-earth” creationism is a fairly recent invention, popularized by fundamentalist Christians in the mid-20th century. Is this view correct? In fact, scholar Terry Mortenson has done fascinating original research on this subject in England, and documents that several leading, pre-Darwin scholars and scientists, known as “scriptural geologists” did not believe in long ages for the earth. Mortenson sheds light on the following:

• Before Darwin, what did the Church believe about the age of the earth?


• Why did it believe this way?


• What was the controversy that rocked the Church in 19th-century England?


• Who were the “scriptural geologists”?


• What influences did the Church contend with even before Darwin’s book?


• What is the stance of the Church today?

This book is a thoroughly researched work. The history of the Church and evolution is fascinating, and it is interesting to see not only the tremendous influence that evolution has had on the Church, but on society as well.


My Review:
The Great Turning Point is a look at the historical background of an ongoing debate in geology relating to the age of the earth and the origin of the various rock layers. The author explained the intellectual, religious, and cultural context of the debate, including what Bible commentaries were saying about Genesis. He also explained the marks of geological competence in the early 1800s. Personally, I found this section the most interesting.

The second part took a closer look at Granville Penn, George Bugg, Andrew Ure, George Fairholme, John Murray, George Young, and William Rhind. The author gave a short biography for each person and talked about how knowledgeable they were in geology, what they said about geology, their attitude toward the study of geology, their view of the relationship between Scripture and geology, about their writing, and more.

The book contained quotes from the writings of the scriptural geologists and of those against them so you could hear their positions in their own words. The information was well-footnoted so you could see where the quotes and information came from. The language was formal, and a lot of information was covered (information-dense). It took concentration to absorb everything, but it wasn't difficult to follow. If you're interested in this subject, then this book contains some very good information.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt from the Introduction
Geologist H.H. Read prefaced his book on the granite controversy a few decades ago with these words, "Geology, as the science of earth history, is prone to controversy. The study of history of any kind depends upon documents and records. For the history of the earth's crust, these documents are the rocks and their reading, and interpretation are often difficult operations."

This book analyzes one such controversy, an extremely important one at that, during the first half of the 19th century in Britain, which has sometimes been called the "Genesis-geology debate." At that time a tenacious and denominationally eclectic band of scientists and clergymen (and some were both) opposed the new geological theories being developed at the time, which said that the earth was millions of years old. These men became known as "scriptural geologists," "Mosaic geologists" or "biblical literalists."

The label "scriptural geologists" is preferred since three of their book titles used these terms and it was the most common label used by their contemporaries and by later historians. However, we need to be aware of the label's liabilities. It has not always been used carefully, resulting in confusion and inaccurate analysis. Calling them scriptural geologists obscures the fact that some of them were competent geologists while others were not (and did not claim to be). Conversely, it sometimes is and was used by opponents to imply, erroneously, that these men all developed their objections to old-earth geological theories solely on the basis of Scripture. Also, at least one of their contemporary critics, an old-earth geologist, also described himself by the same title. Finally, a few of their contemporary critics and several later historians have lumped scriptural geologists together with their opponents under this label. So it is necessary to have a clear view of what they believed.

The scriptural geologists held to the dominant Christian view within church history up to their own time, namely, that Moses wrote Genesis 1-11 (along with the rest of Genesis) under divine inspiration and that these chapters ought to be interpreted literally as a reliable, fully historical account. This conviction led them to believe, like many contemporary and earlier Christians, that the Noachian flood was a unique global catastrophe, which produced much, or most, of the fossil-bearing sedimentary rock formations, and that the earth was roughly 6,000 years old. From this position they opposed with equal vigor both the "uniformitarian" theory of earth history propounded by James Hutton and Charles Lyell, and the "catastrophist" theory of Georges Cuvier, William Buckland, William Conybeare, Adam Sedgwick, etc.

They also rejected, as compromises of Scripture, the gap theory, the day-age theory, the tranquil flood theory, the local flood theory, and the myth theory.Though all but the myth theory were advocated by Christians who believed in the divine inspiration and historicity of Genesis 1-11, the scriptural geologists believed their opponents' theories were unconvincing interpretations of Scripture based on unproven old-earth theories of geology.

Read excerpt from chapter one.

To Be Perfectly Honest by Phil Callaway

To Be Perfectly Honest by Phil Callaway ISBN-13: 9781590529171 Trade Paperback: 216 pages Publisher: Multnomah Books Released: May 3, 2011 Book on Publisher's Website

Source: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Book Description from Back Cover:
Veteran author and speaker Phil Callaway is no stranger to daunting challenges. He has been laughed at—repeatedly—by large crowds of people from Halifax to Hong Kong. He fathered three children in three years, spent much of last year on airplanes built by the lowest bidder, and flipped an out-of-control ATV, which doesn’t mean he sold it for a profit. So who better than Phil Callaway to boldly accept a challenge that would make the average person run and hide?

Phil promised to tell the truth for an entire year, and he wasn’t joking. Twelve months later, his journal was crammed with successes, near-successes, and outright failures. During his year-long experiment with veracity, he made a disastrous financial investment, fielded hundreds of intrusive questions from friends and strangers, attended a thirty-year class reunion, and waded into possibly the most revealing—and hilarious—situations he has ever documented.

Find out what happens when a follower of Jesus does his level best to always tell the truth. There is no doubt you’ll be entertained. But don’t be surprised if you are left with a question: how might your life be changed if you sold out to the truth—with no exceptions?


My Review:
To Be Perfectly Honest is a humor book about Christian living. My main problem with the book was that I thought it was about insights (illustrated by true stories) into the unexpected benefits of always telling the truth. That took up only about 10-15 pages in the book. The rest of the book was mainly about getting a laugh out of the reader.

The author stated that he didn't feel that jokes counted as lies. So a book about telling the truth contained deliberate lies for the purpose of getting a laugh. Not so much a problem in theory, but I sometimes had a hard time figuring out when he was telling a true, naturally funny story and when he was lying in order to make the reader laugh. While I love to laugh and find life quite funny, I unfortunately didn't understand or enjoy most of his humor.

Why did I read this book? I don't struggle with telling the truth. Nonetheless, I was interested in the subtitle's claim of "One man's year of almost living truthfully could change your life. No lie." Since the humor was a flop for me, it's too bad that I didn't even get any new "honesty" or "Christian living" insights out of the book. Every time he had an "aha!" moment, I was thinking, "You mean, you didn't know that?" But I guess I gained the insight that not every longtime Christian knows these things.

I should mention that I was bothered that the author felt that telling the truth was an excuse to be cruel or arrogant toward others. (For example, he said mean things about his wife's cooking and justified it as being truthful. He refused to laugh at someone else's jokes if he didn't find them funny, which he used to do just to be polite. He never understood that you can find something both nice and truthful to say in "be polite" situations.)

And while I appreciate the author's willingness to be open about his struggles as a Christian and while he did come to some good conclusions, I didn't like his attitude toward practically everyone in his life (made me glad I didn't know him) and I didn't agree with every Christian insight he came to. (I'm glad he no longer feels the need to pretend about his feelings when praying to God since that's pointless, but I don't agree that God's pleased by him being openly angry at Him. Phil's angry because he thinks he knows better than God about how things ought to be done, but, well, that didn't go over too well with God in the Garden of Eden.)

There were some discussion questions at the back of the book that focused mainly on telling the truth and the insights Phil gained. They, like this book, seem geared mainly toward those who lie frequently.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Outrageous Grace by Grace Fabian

Outrageous Grace by Grace Fabian ISBN-13: 978-1-935507-08-6 Trade Paperback: 208 pages Publisher: Ambassador International Released: 2009, 2010, 2011

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description from Back Cover:
My husband, a missionary translator in Papua New Guinea, was murdered while sitting at his desk translating the love chapter into the Nabak language. As the first witness on the scene, I soon learned that the murderer was a Nabak man. We had grown to love the Nabak-speaking people and were endeavoring to translate the scriptures into their language.

This memoir tells the story of my four children and me wrestling with grief and disorientation. It speaks of our quest for spiritual answers and of the difficulty of meshing two different worlds the culture of the Nabak people on the island nation of Papua New Guinea and of my Christian heritage from the United States. We faced the challenges of forgiving the murderer, rocks thrown onto our roof and through the windows, eviction notices, and twenty months later a court case.

Then we discovered that God is orchestrating an amazing story of redemption. I, even in my most creative and spiritual moments, never could have conjured up the story that came from this tragedy and our family's forgiveness.


My Review:
Outrageous Grace is a memoir by a Wycliffe Bible translator about her and her husband's work translating the Bible for the Nabak people in Papua New Guinea. Grace talked briefly about their childhoods and why they choose to be translators, the challenges of translating the Bible and how they did it, and about her husband's death and the troubles and forgiveness that happened afterward. There were some black and white photos of the people mentioned in the story.

Overall, the story was very interesting and well-written. I'd recommend this book.

I mainly read it because I was interested in learning more about the Bible translation process, and this book did answer many of my questions. However, Grace also talked about her husband's murder and where the path of forgiveness led her, her family, and the Nabak people. If you've ever questioned why God would allow His workers to die doing His work, the events that happened after her husband's death help to show that God wasn't caught off guard. God knew the impact her husband's death and her forgiveness would have on the Nabak people and used it to bring people to Him.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt from Chapter One
A white-collared kingfisher swooped down, landing on a branch of the pine tree just outside my office window. Its azure blue feathers contrasted with the brilliant purplish-red color of the bougainvillea. That thorny vine draped itself around the pine branches like strings of Christmas tree lights. "Is there really a pine tree under there?" a friend had once asked.

Many unusual creatures like kangaroos, leatherback turtles and flashlight fish live on this island of Papua New Guinea connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

I favored the exotic birds. I called them "feathered friends," mainly because they kept the insect population down, though they did more than minimize my chances of contracting malaria. There was something reassuring about their throaty notes and the way they glided through the air. They inserted an element of pleasure and peace into my high-energy schedule by their glorious songs and brilliant plumage.

The Columbia World Dictionary of Islamism by Antoine Sfeir

The Columbia World Dictionary of Islamism by Antoine Sfeir ISBN-13: 9780231146418 Paperback: 400 pages Publisher: Columbia University Press Released: 2007, Nov. 2009

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description from Back Cover (slightly modified):
This volume features more than two thousand entries on the history of Islamism and Islamic countries. It provides a balanced account of events and organizations, as well as philosophers, activists, militants, and other prominent figures, and offers a window into a movement that has irrevocably changed both Muslim and Western societies.

The Columbia World Dictionary of Islamism includes entries on the roots of Islamism and jihad in Africa, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Morocco, the Balkans, and the United States, among many other countries and locations. It profiles such key individuals as Louis Farrakhan; Tariq Ramadan; Abu Hamza Al-Masri; Algeria's Hassan Hattab, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood; Egypt's Hassan Al-Banna; and the leader of the Afghan Jombesh-i Melli Islami movement, Abdul Rashid Dostum; historical events such as the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole and Syria's Hama massacre; organizations and religious movements such as the Taliban, Hezbollah, Hamas, Morocco's Justice and Development Party, and Iran's Association for the Defense of the Values of the Islamic Revolution; and groups including Tablighi Jamaat (the Society of the Message), the World Association for Muslim Youth, and Lebanon's Al-Ahbash.

The dictionary uniquely examines this antimodern incarnation of Islam and its efforts to claim (or reclaim) Muslim society, families, and professional environments. The volume considers such questions as whether activist Islam is "terrorist" and if it can coexist with Western societies; whether terrorism can be justified by the Quran; and what are the components of an international Islam. Antoine Sfeir, internationally renowned for his scholarship and expertise on this subject, remains sensitive to the differences between Islam and Islamism and approaches the ideology from geopolitical, sociological, and historical standpoints.


My Review:
The Columbia World Dictionary of Islamism is an encyclopedia focused on Islamism and has entries for people, countries, groups, religious denominations, major terrorist acts, and more. I've been using it mainly as a supplement to the news. As in, if I see a person or place mentioned in the news in relation to Islamism, I look it up in this book and learn more. The key here, though, is to realize that his definition of Islamism is "a broad intellectual, religious, and political school within contemporary Islam whose adherents cling to the doctrine that the faith is indivisible, and base their actions on its fundamental principles. Islamists fear modernity, which they regard as a threat to the integrity of their faith." So he mainly focuses on militant Islamic organizations and/or those wanting the Quran as the country's constitution.

If you look up a country, you usually get a listing of the Islamist groups that exist in that country and their history (including how the government viewed them and the group's major terrorist acts). If you look up a prominent Muslim, he won't be in here unless he's an Islamist. If he is, then you get a biography on him. And so on. So this book is excellent at giving extensive information about the topics it covers, but I suspect it has a rather limited audience due to the limited focus.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt:
Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Once an Arafat Man by Tass Saada

Once an Arafat Man: The True Story of How a PLO Sniper Found a New Life by Tass Saada with Dean Merrill ISBN-13: 9781414323619 Hardback: 250 pages Publisher: Tyndale House Released: Oct. 2008

Source: Bought through Half.com.

Book Description from Back Cover:
At age 17, Tass Saada was carrying a high-powered Simonov rifle. He had run away from home to become a PLO sniper and chauffeur for Yasser Arafa. His experience growing up as a Palestinian refugee in Saudi Arabia had taught him to hate. Like many Palestinians, his hatred--and his rifle--was aimed squarely at Israel.

Tass Saada's story could have ended tragically, another casualty of the centuries of hatred brewing in the Middle East. But Tass was destined for better things. His story will give you an intimate look at the world of Arafat; the life, struggles, and heart of a Palestinian refugee; a Muslim who converted to Christianity and faced retribution at the hands of his relatives; and the transformation of hatred into love and hope.

This is more than the story of a Palestinian refugee making something good of his life in America. It's a story of the ultimate triumph of love over hatred, reconciliation over persistent divisions. It's a story that can inspire us all to overcome the divisions and conflicts in our own lives.


Review:
Once an Arafat Man is a well-written memoir about a man who was born a Muslim in Palestine in 1951, who grew up hating Jews, killed both Jews and Christians, but then later became a Christian and worked to bring reconciliation between Arabs and Jews. It's a fast-paced story that kept my interest from beginning to end.

He described how his family became refugees, why they were moved to Saudi Arabia, what life was like there for Palestinan refugees, how he learned to hate Jews, how he met Yasser Arafa and later came to join the PLO, what he did in the PLO, how his parents tricked him to get him out of the PLO, why he went to America and what he did there, how and why he converted to Christianity, how his family reacted to his conversion, and how he made peace with his family as well as with Jews. Having read quite a bit on the conflict in the Middle East, I thought he did a good job showing both sides of the issue, though he didn't go in-depth.

Overall, I'd highly recommend this interesting and well-written book to those who are interested in the Jew-Arab conflict in the Middle East or to those interested in what it's like for a Muslim to convert to another religion.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt from pages 10-11
I was born in a tent in the squalid al-Breij refugee camp of Gaza City in early 1951, the third child of a former orange grove manager and his wife from Jaffa. Three years before, when the state of Israel was declared, their comfortable life had been turned upside down by the order to move. "Step aside," the Arab governments of Jordan, Syria, and Egypt said, in effect. "Get out of the way so our armies can move in and drive these crazy Zionists into the sea."

My father's business partner, a Jew, had offered his protection and counseled him not to act hastily. He assured my father that leaving wasn't necessary, that they could keep the business going together. But the safer choice, my parents believed, was to move to the sidelines of the battlefield and hope for an early return once the fighting ended.

The 1948 war, however, did not go as predicted by the politicians in Cairo, Ammam, and Damascus. In fact, the day in mid-May that Israelis now celebrate as Independence Day turned into what my people still call al-Nakba ("the catastrophe" in Arabic). Some seven hundred thousand Palestinians were displaced; more than four hundred Arab-majority villages were destroyed or abandoned. The words of Great Britian's famous Balfour Declaration of 1917, favoring a national home for the Jewish people so long as "nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine," had turned to smoke and ashes.

By 1951 the Saada family had endured three winters in the tent, with overnight temperatures sometimes dipping as low as forty degrees Fahrenheit. One day my father stared across the muddy landscape and realized that the ultimate Arab indignity had fallen upon him: no land. In the Arab culture, no land equals no honor. All his dreams had crumbled.

I was only two months old, my mother having just recovered from giving birth, when the United Nations authorities squeezed our family of five onto an overcrowded freighter to head for a new and unfamiliar place where we might start over. .... At least we had a modest house here instead of a tent. .... Although the money for our family was an improvement in this new land, the welcome from the native Saudis was not. They bluntly called us "refugess" and "immigrants" to our faces. I realized quickly, even before starting school, that we were not wanted here.

Christianity on Trial by Caroll & Shiflett

Christianity on Trial by Vincent Caroll & David Shiflett Trade Paperback: 264 pages Publisher: Encounter Books First Released: 2002

Source: Book I bought.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
"While there is nothing wrong with remembering the evil that men do, there is something altogether perverse in consistently disregarding the good that men do.""

In Christianity on Trial, the authors don't shrink from confronting the tragedies that have been perpetrated throughout the ages in the name of Christianity. But they argue that the current indulgence of anti-Christian rhetoric in our culture involves not only bad taste but tunnel vision and willful historical illiteracy as well. Carroll and Shiflett dispassionately consider the indictment of Christianity--specifically that it has justified racism and misogyny, encouraged ignorance, promoted the despoliation of the environment, and even justified genocide. Then they answer these charges.

Christianity on Trial challenges readers of all beliefs--even those with a belief in disbelief itself--to reevaluate the role of Christianity and discover that it's not only a source of consolation but of enlightenment and human liberation as well.


Review:
Christianity on Trial explores if the charges critics most frequently level against Christianity are true and if they accurately represent the history of Christianity. The authors kept a neutral tone throughout (though they obviously thought Christianity more good than bad) and discussed both the good and the bad in Christian history. They looked at the actions of all Christians--Catholics, Quakers, Puritans, Protestants, etc.

Each chapter started with common charges laid against Christianity by various critics, then discussed if the specific examples often cited were true, then looked at the bigger picture to see if these were isolated incidents, if more was going on to cause the effect than just a Christian influence, and what good things Christians and the Christian ethic was responsible for. The authors quoted people's own words, people writing around the time of the event, and other (not necessarily Christian) historians who have carefully researched the events in question.

The first chapter covered some of the ways Christianity laid the foundational ideas we see in Western society. The next chapters answered: Did Christianity endorse and support slavery? (Ch. 2); Does Christianity hinder science and invention? (Ch. 3); Is religion the primary cause of war and discord? (Ch. 4); Was Hitler a Christian who was simply carrying out the Christian anti-semitism feelings of the time? Did Christians fail to protect Jews from the Holocaust? (Ch. 5); Are Christians more interested in condemning those in need than in helping them? (Ch. 6); Does Christianity teach a destruction-causing view of the environment? (Ch. 7); Are Christians dangerously intolerant of other religions? Where the founding fathers wary of religion and trying to establish a country free from religion (rather than with freedom of religion)? (Ch. 8).

I felt like the first chapter tried to cover so many topics that they didn't give enough information for me to fully understand some of the points they were trying to make. However, some of those points were dealt with more fully later in the book. The rest of the book was easy to follow and was very interesting and enlightening. I knew a lot of what was covered, but the chapter on Hitler was an eye-opener for me.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to Christians and those who are open learning if these charges against Christianity are justified and what positive things have come about because of Christianity.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt from pages 75-76
Galileo, whose Sidereal Messenger had propelled him to fame in 1610, was personally warned by the Jesuit scholar Cardinal Robert Bellarmine to soften his noisy promotion of the Copernican view. Galileo, being Galileo, this could not be. He was a controversialist, an intellectual who relished the parry and thrust of debate. He misjudged the value of his relationship with Pope Urban VIII and pushed the pontiff beyond his limit. With almost suicidal rashness, Galileo created the character of Simplicio in 1632 for his brilliant Dialogue, and then let the simpleton mouth the pope's own arguments. This was the insult that brought the great scientist down.

Church apologists are sometimes ridiculed for pointing out that papal authority itself was never invoked against Copernican ideas, as if this were mere hairsplitting. After all, Urban VIII actively supported the charge against Galileo and the disgraceful punishment of house arrest. But hairsplitting is precisely what helped save Catholic astronomy, as J.L. Heilbron explains in his ground-breaking 1999 work, The Sun in the Church:

Galileo's heresy, according to the standard distinction used by the Holy Office, was "inquisitorial" rather than "theological." This distinction allowed it to proceed against people for disobeying orders or creating scandals, although neither offense violated an article of faith defined and promulgated by a pope or a general council....Since, however, the church had never declared that the biblical passages implying a moving sun had to be interpreted in favor of a Ptolemaic universe as an article of faith, optimistic commentators...could understand "formally heretical" to mean "provisionally not accepted."

Galileo's great offense was disobedience, and this was not lost on his contemporaries. They "appreciated that the reference to heresy in connection with Galileo or Copernicus had no general or theological significance," writes Heilbron.

If the heresy had no theological significance, why should it have decisive scientific significance? The answer is, it didn't--not even in astronomy. "Catholic scientists in France and elsewhere (outside Italy) cheerfully ignored the decree" of 1633, Boas Hall reports. But the full truth is even more surprising. As Heilbron painstakingly relates, the church continued to support astronomical research actively in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, even in Italy, in the Papal States, in Rome, and even though the research inevitably reinforced the Copernican system....Indeed, the church "gave more financial and social support to the study of astronomy for over six centuries, from the recovery of ancient learning during the late Middle Ages into the Enlightenment, than any other, and probably, all other institutions," Heilbron maintains.

Inmate 46857 by Eddie Charles Spencer

Inmate 46857 by Eddie Charles Spencer with Lafon Walcott Burrow Trade Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: Winepress Publishing First Released: 2005

Source: A neighbor recommended this book to me and loaned me her copy.

Book Description from Back Cover:
INMATE 46857 sat on his prison cot at Parchman Penitentiary in 1982 fingering his homemade knife and contemplating murdering two fellow inmates just to strengthen his tough reputation. As the nineteen-year-old convict visualized himself stabbing his intended victims, God intervened and provided deliverance. The encounter took only a moment, but getting there had taken a lifetime. Instantly, all the years of anger and rejection flashed before Eddie Spencer's eyes.

As memories flooded back, Inmate 46857 felt the pain and poverty of his childhood. He pictured himself the morning his only pair of shoes had fallen apart and his mother sent him to school wearing his sister's shoes. As Eddie stepped into his first grade classroom, his classmates taunted him, "Look at Eddie Spencer. He's got little-girl shoes on!" Humiliation and revenge gripped his young mind, launching him on a journey of crime and violence in the streets of the Mississippi Delta

Finally, Eddie recalled the night he slipped into a house, pointed a gun at a sleeping man's face and demanded, "Give me all your money!" His victim handed over the cash, but he also spoke some amazing words that Eddie would never forget.

As the words replayed in his head, Inmate 46857 knew exactly what he must do. He put away his "shank" and made the choice that changed his heart.


Review:
Inmate 46857 is an insightful Christian memoir. Eddie described memories of events in his childhood of abuse, neglect, and poverty that formed him into an angry, violent child who longed for respect and security. He went on to steal--initially, for food, then to supply his drug habit and for the thrill and feel of power. By the time he was sent to prison, he didn't see any hope for his future. He was controlled by his anger, and all he knew how to do was create fear in people. But God reached out and offered him another way--one that would only occur if Eddie truly surrendered to Him.

Eddie's childhood was a sad one and not very fun to read about, but it was very enlightening as to how someone can grow so hard and so angry. He "got religion" as a child because he felt pressured to, but no one explained what that meant. He later "accepted Christ" to please those who had shown kindness to him, but it was only when he'd lost control of himself that he finally, truly surrendered to God. Then he faced the scary prospect of the other inmates now viewing him as weak and attacking him. He wondered how God could protect him as well as how he was going to keep from losing control to his temper again. But God knew the answers.

The last 33 pages described Eddie's post-conversion struggles, which were very interesting. I'm involved in prison ministry and work with a young, angry man that's like Eddie in many ways. I'm planning on giving him a copy of this book to encourage him that it's safe to surrender to Christ. Right now, he believes in Christ, but can't let go of maintaining "his reputation." (I work with other inmates who know him and, ironically, his reputation isn't one of fear-inspiring awe like he thinks it is. But now I better understand why his reputation--what he thinks it is--is so important to him.)

This book was written in a conversational tone, was well-written, and kept my interest from start to finish. I'd highly recommend this insightful memoir to those who work in jail and prison ministry, those who work with troubled kids and teens, and those who have anger and trust issues.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt from Chapter One
It only takes a moment to turn your life around. It doesn't matter who you are or what circumstances you find yourself in, God can make things different if you'll just let Him. I know that for a fact. I used to be the angry inmate in the prison mug shot on the front of this book before God gave me a new shot at life.

Inmate 46857, that's me. At least the me I used to be. A convected felon imprisoned by my anger and sentenced to ten years mandatory in the Mississippi State Penitentiary for armed robbery and attempted murder. Take a look for yourself. My seventeen-year-old face is already hard with hate. My lips are tight, barely able to hold back the cussing and hollering. My dark eyes defy everybody in authority.

Click!

That prison camera pretty much captured the real Eddie Charles Spencer the day in June of 1980 when they locked me up at Parchman Penitentiary. A furious boy living in a grown man's body. I'd been chased by inner demons since before I learned to write my own name. By the time I was ten years old, I'd turned into a gun-toting kid-criminal so out of control the law couldn't wait to lock me up. I had finally gotten myself incarcerated on account of the violence and crime I'd created running in the streets of the Mississippi Delta and, even though I knew I didn't really have anybody to blame but myself, I was dead set on getting even with the world.

Except for God's grace, I know where I'd be today--either lying in my grave or still locked up in some prison. Instead, I've been out of jail for more than a decade and I don't even resemble--inside or out--the angry criminal in that mug shot.

Now I want to share with you the story of the person I used to be and how God transformed me into the new man I am today. I'm hoping that once you hear about my life you'll see for yourself that if God can change me, He can change anybody.

Life, In Spite of Me by Kristen Jane Anderson

Life, In Spite of Me: Extraordinary Hope After a Fatal Choice by Kristen Jane Anderson with Tricia Goyer Hardback: 224 pages Publisher: Multnomah Books First Released: 2010 Author's ministry website

Source: This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Back Cover Description:
She wanted to die. God had other plans.

Why does my life have to be so painful? What’s wrong with me? It’s not going to get better. It could all be over soon, and then I won’t hurt anymore.

Kristen Anderson thought she had the picture-perfect life until strokes of gray dimmed her outlook: three friends and her grandmother died within two years. Still reeling from these losses, she was raped by a friend she thought she could trust. She soon spiraled into a seemingly bottomless depression.

One January night, the seventeen-year-old decided she no longer wanted to deal with the emotional pain that smothered her. She lay down on a set of cold railroad tracks and waited for a freight train to send her to heaven…and peace.

But Kristen's story doesn’t end there.

In Life, In Spite of Me this remarkably joyful young woman shares the miracle of her survival, the agonizing aftermath of her failed suicide attempt, and the hope that has completely transformed her life, giving her a powerful purpose for living.

Her gripping story of finding joy against all odds provides a vivid and unforgettable reminder that life is a gift to be treasured.

Includes notes of encouragement Kristen wishes she had received when she was struggling most.


Review:
Life, In Spite of Me is an inspirational memoir. As a teen, the author's family didn't talk about bad things, so she held all her grief and confusion inside when her father was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and depression, her grandmother died, a friend in her school was put in the hospital with a brain tumor, a close friend committed suicide, and a guy she liked raped her. She turned to drinking and partying in an attempt to find some relief, but that only made things worse. If any of these things has happened to you or you're struggling with depression, then this book will bring you hope and show you how Anderson found the way to joy.

The memoir was written "in her head as it happened" rather than in a "looking back" style, which created a tension that kept me turning the pages. The book was a fast read and was written in an easy-to-read way. The book began with the gripping re-telling of her attempted suicide, then she told about the events leading up to the attempt, and then about her hard recovery and journey to joy and purpose in God.

It truly is an amazing story. I'd highly recommend this book, especially to people who struggle with depression or wonder if life will ever get any better.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt from Chapter One
Dear reader,

This is my story. Sometimes it gets a little crazy…you’ll see, but my guess is that in many ways my story and yours are not that different. Between some of the chapters you will find personal notes from me to you. These include things I wish I had known, things I wish someone had told me back then. I hope you will find what I’ve shared encouraging.

I am praying for you.

Kristen

--------

Numb. The cold Illinois wind chilled my body.

Numb. My mind, my heart.

At just past 6:00 p.m., the sky was black, and the icy January air hovered over the ground as a thick, misty fog. Snow clung to the dirt in patches, and my heart felt as dead as the wintry world around me. Silently, I trudged through the park and tugged my knit gloves tighter. I wanted only to be happy and for life to be a little easier, but everything seemed to be getting worse.

On one side of me, the park was dark and silent. Once full of life and laughter, my soul was the same. Play equipment, empty and laced with frost, sat motionless. In the other direction, lights from the town attempted to penetrate the fog. The idea of going home caused a heavy weight to sink in my stomach. I didn’t want to face my parents.

Or my life.

Cold seeped through my jeans and coat as I sat down on the hard wooden seat of a nearby swing. Frozen chains creaked softly, and my thoughts took me back to all the times I’d played at this park during happy childhood days—too many to count. Now I was seventeen; those days were long past.

Why does life have to be so painful?

I turned in the swing, twisting the chains above my head tighter and tighter. Then I released. My body unwound in a slow turn. If only the invisible chains wrapped around my heart would free as easily.

A car drove by, and my body tensed. The park closed at dusk. Policemen patrolled the area, and I knew if they found me they’d send me home.

I don’t want to go back… I just can’t do it.

I’d never hung out in this park at night before. I didn’t like being there, but I had no idea where else to go. I just needed time—time to figure out what to do next.

My gaze turned to the two sets of railroad tracks at the edge of the park. The first set of tracks was empty. A cluster of six cars sat on the second set. I knew the cops wouldn’t be able to see me there.

Sluggishly, I made my way over to the line of railroad cars. My eyes zeroed in on the last car. I climbed up the side of it and sat, dangling my legs. I’m not sure how much time passed. Maybe an hour, maybe two. The danger of sitting on the train car put me on edge. After all the years living so near the railroad tracks, I’d never ventured this close.

I blew warm air into my hands, trying to thaw them, but it did little good.

What’s wrong with me?

Everyone else seemed to be able to handle the burdens, the struggles of life, better than I could. All I wanted was to be happy. To have the perfect life I always thought I had when I was a kid. But my arms had grown tired from trying to hold my fantasy world together.

Lately, it seemed I couldn’t do anything right. I wasn’t there for my friends and family when they needed me. I was doing horribly in school, and I’d become a worry to my family. Now I was “grounded until further notice.” I pushed the most recent argument with my parents out of my mind. And then there was the pain that ran even deeper than that. Memories too painful to think about. I pushed them back below the surface, as I had for months. In the past year I’d started smoking, drinking, and partying with my friends on the weekends, futilely trying to escape the pain.

I looked down at the railroad tracks and remembered a time I’d realized the power of a train. A train would kill anyone in an instant. No one could survive that. If I ever wanted to take my life, if ever…that’s the way I’d do it.

The cold air around me brought me back to the moment. A deeper chill settled into my bones—and my thoughts grew darker; I knew I didn’t want anyone to worry about me anymore. More than that, I wanted the
pain to stop.

If I ever want my life to end…this would be my chance.

It’s not going to get better. There’s no reason I need to be here. There’s nothing I’m supposed to do here. They’d be better off without me.

I tried to think of a reason to stay around, to live, but I could think of only one, my two nephews.

I’m not a very good example anymore. They’re probably better off without me anyway, and I don’t have any kids of my own. No younger brothers and sisters either. There’s nothing important I’m supposed to do. My family, my friends…They’ll get over me, right? I’m just causing pain and problems.

I looked around again at the cold, dark night.

This night is icky.

The world is disgusting.

My life sucks.

It could all be over soon, and then I won’t hurt anymore.

I thought about school the next day. The homework I hadn’t done.

I’m such a failure.

Do I want my life to end? If the train comes, should I end it?

Conflicting thoughts ping-ponged, faster, faster.

It’s going to get better.

It isn’t going to get better.

There’s a reason I’m here.

There’s no reason I’m here.

There’s something I’m supposed to do here.

There’s nothing I’m supposed to do here.

I was cold, and it was late. I wanted to leave, but I didn’t know where to go.

Suddenly, a train whistle split the air. My heart pounded. I hadn’t expected the train. Not yet. I still hadn’t decided what to do.

I knew it would be a long time before the next train. This is my chance.

The thoughts came as fast as the train speeding toward me.

I’m so cold. This might be the only train for a while.

If I did it, the pain, the heartache, the numbness would be over.

I’m gonna do it. Soon it will all be over.

I stood between the parked train cars. I glanced across the dip between the tracks I was on and the ones the approaching train was speeding down.

I waited until the train got closer. I didn’t want the engineer to see me. I didn’t want him to stop the train. The large outline of the train’s engine was barely visible beyond the bright headlight. It was almost here.

Heaven waited for me. I was sure of it. I was a good person.

Heaven has to be better than this life.

My heart pounded as I ran up the small bank. The train’s headlight illuminated me. Its horn blared. I tried to push down the fear and shame, turned my face away from the train, and lay facedown.

I clenched my fists, crossed my arms under my head, and braced myself, closing my eyes tight. My head and body lay between the tracks, my legs hung over the rail. I could feel the cold metal against my thighs and the wood and rocks under my stomach. As the train closed in, the ground shook so much that my whole body vibrated. Then the train was upon me, over me.

Pain overwhelmed me. The train roared.

The momentum of the cars pulled at me, as if the train were trying to suck me into itself. The wind tugged harder, wrenching at my jacket and yanking my hair upward. My body rose, lifting slightly.

Then, even more powerful than the wind and the momentum of the train, another force pushed me to the ground. My head and chest hit first, then my hips and legs. Again I felt the power of the train, the shaking of the ground, the roar of it moving over me. The force of the weight pushing me down hurt more than anything else.

Fear coursed through me. I squeezed my eyes tighter.

It’s going to be over now. The pain is going to end. I’ll be in heaven soon.

As the whistle blew again, the vibration of my body stilled.

The sound stopped. The wind stopped. The train stopped.

Am I dead yet?

Read the rest of chapter one.

The Archaeology Book by David Down

The Archaeology Book by David Down Trade Paperback: 96 pages Publisher: Master Books First Released: 2010

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Back Cover Description:
Developed with three educational levels in mind, The Archaeology Book takes you on an exciting exploration of history and ancient cultures. You’ll learn both the techniques of the archaeologist and the accounts of some of the richest discoveries of the Middle East that demonstrate the accuracy and historicity of the Bible.

In The Archaeology Book you will unearth:
• How archaeologists know what life was like in the past
• Why broken pottery can tell more than gold or treasure can
• Some of the difficulties in dating ancient artifacts
• How the brilliance of ancient cultures demonstrates God’s creation
• History of ancient cultures, including the Hittites, Babylonians, and Egyptians
• The early development of the alphabet and its impact on discovery
• The numerous archaeological finds that confirm biblical history
• Why the Dead Sea scrolls are considered such a vital breakthrough

Filled with vivid full-color photos, detailed drawings, and maps, you will have access to some of the greatest biblical mysteries ever uncovered. With the enhanced educational format of this book and the unique color-coded, multi-age design, it allows the ease of teaching the fundamentals of archaeology through complex insights to three distinct grade levels.

Free downloadable study guide.


Review:
The Archaeology Book is educational nonfiction about archaeology, with a focus on Bible-related archaeology, for grades 5-8. The full-color photographs of ancient ruins, digs, etc., were lovely, and the maps were useful. I liked the "David Downs Journal" sections which told of his experiences while on digs. Other archaeologists were also quoted describing a find or commenting on archaeology. There was a glossary in the back, though most words were either explained in the text or could be figured out from the context.

The book started with information on archaeology, like how a dig is laid out, what archaeologists look for, what that tells them, how layers are given a date, and why there can be controversy among archaeologists about the interpretation of a find. Then the book covered various Middle Eastern civilizations: Israel, Egypt, the Hittites, Ur, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Petra, and the Phoenicians. It told how the civilization was "found" again by archaeologists, where the civilization was located, and information about those kings mentioned in the Bible or Biblical events related to that civilization. (For those who care, the author's alignment of ancient civilizations to the Bible was based on Courville's & Velikovsky's ideas.)

There was a section on the Dead Sea Scrolls. It described ancient writing, writing material, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, where they were found, what was found, and how the scrolls were pieced back together. He described how critics said the Bible was full of copying errors, so I was very surprised and disappointed that he never explained that the Dead Sea Scrolls showed how accurately the Bible had been copied over thousands of years. He did mention that the many copies of the book of Daniel in the find meant that they thought Daniel was a genuine book of prophesy, but that's about it.

Overall, the information was very good and was presented in an easy-to-understand and interesting fashion. The more difficult topics, like carbon-14 dating and the reasons for revising the Egyptian chronology, could have been explained in a little more depth, in my opinion, for the high schoolers. I think high schoolers would find the book pretty basic.

The book had three levels of information. Grades 5 & 6 are supposed to read the sections with the yellow background. Grades 7 & 8 can read the sections with the yellow background and the blue background. Grades 9-11 can read all the sections (including those with the white background). Sometimes, this worked out. Other times, the information would be disjointed and confusing if read this way. For example, several times a story was being told and the background would switch from white to yellow (or blue) under the text of the story. Yet the yellow (or blue) section would make no sense without reading the white section first.

The book as a whole seemed appropriate for grades 5-8. Personally, I'd recommend ignoring the colored backgrounds, letting the child read the whole thing, and helping anytime they have trouble. I've explained much more advanced chronological ideas to a 6th grader with no problem, so it may be just a matter of the child's reading level.

I'd recommend this book as an interesting introduction to Biblical archaeology for tweens on up...as long as the reader also takes time to learn about how the Dead Sea Scrolls confirm the Bible's accuracy.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


View an excerpt.

Too Soon to Say Goodbye by Osborn, Kosman, Gordon

Too Soon to Say Goodbye by Susan Titus Osborn, MA; Karen L. Kosman; Jeenie Gordon, MS, MA, LMFT Trade Paperback: 207 pages Publisher: New Hope Press First Released: 2010

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Back Cover Description:
Suicide touches too many.

You may have lost a loved one or friend to suicide. Maybe at some time in your life you were suicidal, or you know someone who is depressed. In these pages, you'll find stories shared by people who have walked where you are now. They are ordinary people who have overcome the darkness that invaded their lives. Light shines for them once again, and it can for you, too.

*Real-life stories of hope and redemption
*Questions for reflection
*Inspiring Scripture
*Insights from a counseling professional
*Uplifting poetry


Review:
Too Soon to Say Goodbye is a book of hope and healing for those whose lives have been touched by suicide or who are experiencing suicidal thoughts. The book was mainly made up of stories a page or two long written by people who have lost a loved one or friend to suicide, who have considered suicide, or who have helped people who are suicidal. There was some connecting commentary, and the two counseling professionals drew out the important points made in these stories.

This was a Christian book, so Scripture was used to help people find or hold on to the hope they have in Christ. I liked the biblical points they brought out. (For those wanting to know, the authors don't think that someone who commits suicide automatically goes to hell, and they gave biblical reasons to support their position.)

Chapters one through five were about the various stages of grief that the loved ones and friends of someone who committed suicide go through and how to find healing when people around you don't know how to react or offer comfort. This section is also useful for those who want to know how to best help and comfort someone who has lost a loved one to suicide.

Chapters six through ten touched on the main causes of suicide (depression, divorce, bi-polar disorder, etc.). The stories were mainly by those who almost committed suicide but pulled back from the edge (and how that occurred and what their life is like today) and by those who helped save someone from suicide (either before they tried it or when they were in the middle of the act).

The last two chapters were stories of those whose loved one committed suicide and covered how they dealt with the grief long-term and how they've healed.

If you're looking for a clinical book of facts about suicide, then this is not the right book for you. The focus of this book is to let those who are struggling know that there are others out there who have gone through the exact same things and how they made it--that there is hope. Some of the facts about suicide come out, by they weren't the focus of the book.

I'd recommend this book to anyone dealing with a suicide of a loved one or who wants to comfort those who have lost a loved one to suicide. While this book would be beneficial for those who are struggling with suicidal thoughts, this book alone probably isn't enough. (If you're looking for additional books, What To Do When You Don't Know What To Do is a quick, practical book that has a good section on depression.)


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt from Chapter Seven (page 109)
I Almost Took My Life
Kathy Collard Miller

As the train rumbled past the East Coast countryside, my thoughts were as piercing as the screeching wheels of the train. Why did Greg kill himself? He was a distant relative whom I rarely saw, yet the news of Greg's suicide made tears fill my eyes. Oh, to be that full of despair.

In the past I'd struggled with suicidal feelings. I glanced over at my 28-year-old sleeping daughter. If I had acted on those feelings, I wouldn't have the fabulous mother-daughter relationship I now enjoyed with Darcy.

But 26 years earlier, my depression and life had careened out of control. Larry and I had celebrated our seventh anniversary, but it wasn't a happy occasion. Unwisely, I asked again, "Larry, why do you work so many hours? Having a two-year-old and a newborn is hard work. I need you to help me."

"Kathy, I try to help you. Being a policeman is demanding. I'm working all those hours to secure our financial future."

I knew I'd spoiled our time together. Silence again surrounded us, and a fog of hopelessness encircled me. My thoughts turned inward. Kathy, you never do anything right. Larry hates you. Then in my own defense, I mentally screamed, I hate him too. Doubts and fear haunted me. Will we get a divorce? Why can't we talk? We used to be in love. Then I prayed silently, Lord, we're Christians. We're not supposed to act like this. What's wrong?

Often I prayed for my marriage and my angry reactions to our 2-year-old daughter. My anger toward Darcy escalated when I felt rejected by Larry. Her strong-willed nature resisted toilet training and resulted in constant temper tantrums that wore me down. Constantly I yelled at her. But that wasn't all. My reactions had deteriorated into angry spanking, kicking, and pushing, and I felt totally powerless to stop my behaviors.

[The rest of the story is in the book.]

The Culture of the Book in Tibet by Kurtis R. Schaeffer

The Culture of the Book in Tibet by Kurtis R. Schaeffer Hardback: 264 pages Publisher: Columbia University Press First Released: 2009 Publisher's Book Page

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Back Cover Description:
The history of the book in Tibet involves more than literary trends and trade routes. Functioning as material, intellectual, and symbolic object, the book has been an instrumental tool in the construction of Tibetan power and authority, and its history opens a crucial window onto the cultural, intellectual, and economic life of an immensely influential Buddhist society.

Spanning the fourteenth to the eighteenth centuries, Kurtis R. Schaeffer envisions the scholars and hermits, madmen and ministers, kings and queens who produced Tibet's massive canons. He describes how Tibetan scholars edited and printed works of religion, literature, art, and science and what this indicates about the interrelation of material and cultural practices. The Tibetan book is at once the embodiment of the Buddha's voice, a principal means of education, a source of tradition and authority, an economic product, a finely crafted aesthetic object, a medium of Buddhist written culture, and a symbol of the religion itself. Books stood at the center of debates on the role of libraries in religious institutions, the relative merits of oral and written teachings, and the economy of religion in Tibet.

A meticulous study that draws on more than 150 understudied Tibetan sources, The Culture of the Book in Tibet is the first volume to trace this singular history. Through a single object, Schaeffer accesses a greater understanding of the cultural and social history of the Tibetan plateau.


Review:
The Culture of the Book took a detailed look at book-making and the place of books in society in Tibet--a culture in which religious books are literally worshiped--during the 14th-18th centuries. While the books used in the examples were mainly Buddhist texts, the author only touched on Buddhist teachings as they related to the making, ownership, and value of the book. He covered several specific case studies where letters or texts were available which spoke about the process of making books (getting a patron, gathering materials, editing, translating, writing or cutting blocks and block printing the book, etc.) during the different centuries and in different areas of Tibet.

He also covered the social issues surrounding books, like how books were passed on after a person died, how donations were gathered to fund the expensive book-making project, and so on. The appendices contained the full text of a letter quoted in part in the book, a section explaining the contents of the Buddhist Canons for those of us who didn't know, and a chart showing the cost of making the Canon in his Degé example.

The wording used was formal but not technical, so it was easy to understand. I found the book interesting, though I felt at times like I would have gotten even more out of it if I was somewhat familiar with Tibetan Buddhism and the history during the time period covered. But maybe not. Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone with an interest in how Tibetan Buddhism influenced book making in Tibet during the 14th-18th centuries.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt from Chapter One
In the conclusion to one of his many works on esoteric Buddhist practice, Büton Rinchendrup, the great fourteenth-century scholar of Shalu monastery in west-central Tibet, recounts a story that one of his masters, Lama Pakpa O, had related to him. It was a cautionary tale about books. When Pakpa O was himself a student, his master, having grown quite old, had become unable to memorize teachings correctly. The master ordered Pakpa O to write down a certain text for him so he might read the work that now lay beyond his mnemonic abilities. Pakpa O had been explicitly ordered by another master never to write these teachings down, so this placed him in the difficult position of having to break one command in order to fulfill another. He resolved the dilemma by writing only an outline of the teachings for his aging mentor.

As Pakpa O related the tale, Büton asked that such a ban not be placed upon him, for he wished to compose a more extensive treatise on the practice. Pakpa O, seeing that he had not impressed upon his disciple the gravity of this ban on recording the teachings on paper, then offered a sort of commentary on the episode. "Writing down the instructions of an oral lineage," he began allegorically, "is like the king descending to the common people or wandering about a village. The negative consequences are manifold." And he listed the harmful costs: "The power and benefit of the instruction become vitiated. After the text exists, the practical instructions will not be sought after, and people will come to know the instruction only by obtaining the text. In the end it will become merely a reading transmission and thus the lineage of the real instruction will be severed."

Yet despite these concerns, Pakpa O consented to let Büton write "If [you] wish to do so, by all means do." But, he cautioned, "do not let the profound instructions become merely a reading transmission." The problem was not the act of putting the oral instructions down on paper, per se, but rather the danger that the transformation to a more permanent and portable communication medium might render direct master-disciple relationships unnecessary in the minds of those seeking instruction.


[From p. 142, a look at how things changed over time:]

At the beginning of a lengthy passage on the virtues of writing books [Shuchen] lists a set of ten scholarly practices that, as he says, "constitute the heart of the practice." As Shuchen himself relates, the following list is based upon the well-known work by Maitreya, Mahyantavibhaga. These practices are: 1) writing down texts of the holy teachings; 2) making offerings to books; 3) giving them to others; 4) hearing them being read by others; 5) reading them for oneself; 6) acquiring books; 7) explaining both the words and the meaning without error; 8) reciting them; 9) contemplating their meaning; and finally 10) meditating in accordance with what is explained in books. In contrast with the importance placed on orally transmitted teachings, often held in Tibetan literature to be integral to the authoritative transmission of Buddhist teachings, Shuchen uses this scripturally sanctioned outline for religious scholarly method as a support for the enterprise of printing.