The Charlatan’s Boy by Jonathan Rogers
A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.
I’m here to tell you that this book isn’t just for kids. Despite the “young adult” label* it can most certainly be enjoyed by adults. And, as the reader so often finds him or herself in the story, the book has a lot to teach those who are willing to listen.
It’s a story about a desperately lonely boy named Grady who doesn’t know who he is or where he is from. All he knows is a con artist legal guardian of sorts, who might even be his father. As the book puts it, “I only know one man who might be able to tell me where I come from, and that man is a liar and a fraud”. That man’s name is Floyd. Floyd is a charlatan and Grady is the charlatan’s boy.
In search of adventure and perhaps lunch-money, they go from village to village and scheme to scheme putting on a show which can be best described by reading the book or a more articulate review. Though Floyd is pretty despicable, Grady does his best to win Floyd’s approval. As Grady puts it, “A feller’s got to love somebody don’t he?” At the very least, he has to love somebody and all he has is Floyd. As Grady goes about winning Floyd’s approval, he learns some things about himself which will surprise the reader just as much they surprised the protagonist. Grady doesn’t go on an adventure by himself. He takes the reader with him.
This unique, touching and imaginative tale is subtly hilarious and a perfect blend of sadness, reality, fantasy and triumph. The ending in particular is among the best I have read in a long time. I have only recently discovered Jonathan Rogers and I am so glad that I have. Not only does he know how to tell a story, he has the kind of insight which doesn’t come around too often. When I do find someone like Rogers, I want to benefit from every last drop of profundity. The Charlatan’s Boy is a good place to start.
Editor’s Note (still Mark as I double as the editor): I highly recommend you check out Jonathan’s blog. It can be found at: http://jonathan-rogers.com/. Also, I will send a free copy of this book to the first person to leave a comment so long as you live in the U.S. or Canda, only because I like you (and don’t mind Canada).
*I suppose young adults are different from kids anyhow. I just wanted to be able to use that C.S. Lewis quote.
(Legal Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. However, I also bought a copy for myself.)
Defiant Joy: The Remarkable Life & Impact of G.K. Chesterton by Kevin Belmonte
“The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost.”
“The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.”
“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.”
“Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”
“Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.”
“”The word ‘good’ has many meanings. For example, if a man were to shoot his grandmother at a range of five hundred yards, I should call him a good shot, but not necessarily a good man.”
“Just going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.”
“There are two ways to get enough. One is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less.”
“You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.”
“There is the great lesson of ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ that a thing must be loved before it is lovable.”
“We are all in the same boat, in a stormy sea, and we owe each other a terrible loyalty.”
“Dear Sir: Regarding your article ‘What’s Wrong with the World?’ I am. Yours truly,”
— G.K. Chesterton
It’s quotes like the above that made me want to dig more deeply into the wit and wisdom of Gilbert Keith Chesterton. Despite living a century ago, there is a freshness about his work that applies just as much today as it did back then. Upon seeing that a book about the life of Chesterton was available from Thomas Nelson for review, I jumped on the opportunity.
To get straight to the point, I was disappointed. Rather than gaining fresh insights into the man behind the larger-than-life literary legend, I primarily got a chronology of when each Chesterton book came out, and block quotes regarding what it was about and how it was received at the time. While lighter than I hoped on behind-the-scenes material, it does, as stated in the title, delve into the impact of Chesterton. To that end, it somewhat accomplishes its goal.
In regards to the life of Chesterton, we learn that his lighthearted, good-natured and gregarious nature had a way of endearing himself even to those like George Bernard Shaw who had diametrically opposed views. We also learn about his period of spiritual darkness as a young adult. There are other interesting tid-bits here and there. Overall, though, the book felt more like a dry text from a Church History class than an engaging story capturing an engaging man. Having said that, it is clear that Belmonte deeply respects and appreciates Chesterton, and the honor he affords G.K. shines through.
Overall, I have to think that there are better options out there. It took me months to get through this book and I can’t say with confidence that I got a lot out of it. I would start elsewhere.
(I was provided a review copy of this book by the publisher.)
Good Game by Shirl James Hoffman
- Good Game, p. 259
Synopsis (taken from publisher): In recent years the United States has seen an influx of Christian athletes and coaches into big-time sports, as well as a heightened importance placed on sports in church programs and at Christian schools and colleges. However, as Shirl Hoffman critiques, a Christian vision of sport remains merely superficial—replete with prayers before free throws and praises after touchdowns but offering little, if any, alternative vision from the secular sports culture.
In his new book Good Game, Shirl Hoffman, Executive Director of the American Kinesiology Association, retells numerous fascinating stories from the world of ancient and contemporary sports and draws on the history of the Christian tradition to answer “What would it really mean to think Christianly about sport?” He challenges Christians to thoughtfully consider topics like:
- The Killer Instinct—what is the true cost of competition?
- Building and Sacking the Temple—why Christians should avoid violent sports…including football!
- Sport and the Sub-Christian Values—do competitive sports really develop character?
- Touchdowns and Slam Dunks for Jesus—how sports evangelism alters the gospel
- Prayers Out of Bounds—why the athletic field is not the place for prayer
Review (mine): This is a very long (300+ pages), dense and thoughtful book. I didn’t always agree with the arguments Hoffman set forth, but he does an excellent job at thinking critically about a topic that needs further exploration – namely the intersection between Christian faith and sports. A point that Hoffman often comes back to is that Christians have been influenced by sports more than the other way around.
The first half of this book is a history of the church’s relationship with sports. This was an important section, though I found it hard to get through at times. It felt more like a book I would read for class rather than for pleasure. The second half of the book was more contemporary and tackled the issues bulleted above. I enjoyed this section much more and would recommend reading it first if you are interested in this treatise and don’t have time to go through the whole thing.
Overall, I found this book well-researched (the bibliography is massive) and necessary. Hoffman is an expert on the topic of faith and sports. He uses many stories and anecdotes across generations that I had either never heard or were buried in my mind and does a masterful job weaving it all together. Sports need to be brought into the conversation between Christ and culture. Hopefully, this book will open some much-needed dialogue regarding some insidious aspects of sports and competition. It gets into some solutions at the end, but just being aware and surfacing issues is an important first step.
Rating: 5/5 (Would be excellent required reading for seminary classes.)
The book was provided for review by The B&B Media Group. To learn more about this book or purchase on Amazon, click here.
The Rewards of Simplicity by Pam & Chuck Pierce
Now, go back to your list of priorities, commitments and time. Look closely at each thing on the list and consider this:
- Does this add meaning/value to my life?
- How important is this to me?
- Does this conflict with or enhance my priorities?
- Could I eliminate this from my life?
- The Rewards of Simplicity, p. 66
Synopsis (adapted from publisher): In today’s fast-paced, high activity and technology-driven times, Christians need to be empowered in living a spiritually and materially clutter-free life. Weaving biblical teaching with personal experience and practical tips, Charismatic leaders Chuck and Pam Pierce show how you can simplify your life, your house and your soul. In part 1, Pam speaks on practical and spiritual simplicity. In part 2, Chuck speaks on simplifying life by overcoming anxiety.Review (mine): After reviewing a wide range of books, I’ve decided to start only reviewing books that look really interesting to me. This is a break from my strategy before where I reviewed anything and everything (check out this, this and this for instance). This book on simplicity marks the start of my new way of doing things and was chosen for its personal appeal.
Pam writes to an older audience (primarily mothers and grandparents). She has many good things to say, though I felt that the material could have been a bit better organized. Some of the topics she covers are fasting, possessions, the Sabbath, technology and eliminating clutter. Much of what she had to say were good and needed reminders for me rather than new concepts. I may have enjoyed her section more if I were in the target demographic.
Chuck’s section on anxiety was excellent in some places, but a bit convoluted in others. In particular, his section on a 7-year Earth cycle that he predicted back in 2001 seemed to come out of nowhere and distracted me from what he was saying about anxiety. Also, the meat of what he says are quotes and concepts taken from other books. One such expert he quotes is Archibald Hart. Hart has written some great books on adrenaline, stress and anxiety. If you are interested in the topic of overcoming anxiety, I would suggest going directly to Hart. The Anxiety Cure and Adrenaline and Stress are good places to start.
Summary: In the end, I thought the book was okay and liked the idea of the topic they were writing about more than the book itself. Also, going in I was not familiar with this couple. I was thrown off by a lot of references to dream interpretation and prophecy. I am not placing a judgment on this – it is just something to be aware of.
Rating: 3/5 (Good concept. Mediocre execution.)
This book was provided for review by Bethany House. To learn more about or purchase on Amazon, click here.
Devotions for Lent from the Mosaic Holy Bible
I have 9 of these booklets to giveaway. I will send one to everyone who leaves a comment, unless I run out. Update: These are no longer available.
The church calendar follows six seasons of varying length: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. Advent focuses on the anticipation of God’s coming into the world, both in the Incarnation and in Christ’s second coming. Christmas concentrates on the birth of Christ. Epiphany centers itself on the light of God’s presence shining in the world. Lent directs our attention toward human sin and God’s gracious solution. Easter celebrates resurrection life. Pentecost helps us to remember and participate in the ongoing activity of the Holy Spirit in the world. The annual rhythm of these seasons can have a powerful effect on your personal and communal spiritual growth.- Devotions for Lent, Introduction
Summary: This booklet has been taken directly from Lent portion of the Mosaic Holy Bible. As their website puts it, “Encounter Christ by reflecting on the words of Scripture and the art and writings of Christians across time and cultures. Includes full-color artwork; contemporary and historical writings; prayers, poems, and hymns from throughout church history.”
Six weekly studies are included:
Week One – Identifying Discontent
Week Two – Dependence
Week Three – God’s Holiness and Grace
Week Four – Sin and Death
Week Five – Fasting
Passion Week – Hope
Approximately 30 pages are full text of each week’s Scripture readings.
Review: I’m not familiar with the Mosaic Holy Bible, but this is a good introduction to the type of devotional material that is included. I really like the idea of blending historical and contemporary writings with quotes, poems, artwork, hymns and prayers. I also like the idea of guided Scripture readings aligned with the church season (e.g. Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost). Finally, I thought the material they selected was excellent and engaging rather than dull and stale.
This 78 page booklet is very nicely put together. It is not the meatiest thing you’ll find, but is a great guide for persons looking to be in tune with the Lenten season. A few drawbacks are that the font is very small (8 point at most) and it may be a stretch to find a week’s worth of material for each section. Also, the Scriptures are taken from the New Living Translation and some people find this translation too simplified/fluffy.
Rating: 4/5 (Let me know if you live in the U.S. and want to check it out.)
These booklets were provided for review/giveaway by Tyndale. To learn more about or purchase on Amazon, click here. To learn more about the Holy Mosaic Bible, check out its website.
The King and Dr. Nick by George Nichopoulos, M.D.
- The King and Dr. Nick, p. 95
Synopsis (provided by Thomas Nelson): Dr. Nichopoulos spent a decade with Elvis on the road and at Graceland, trying to maintain the precarious health of one of the world’s greatest entertainers. But on August 16, 1977, he found himself in the ambulance with Elvis on that fateful last trip to the ER and eventually signed the death certificate.
From that day forward, Dr. Nick became the focus of a media witch hunt which threatened his life and all but destroyed his professional reputation. Now, for the first time, Dr. Nick reveals the true story behind Elvis’s drug use and final days—not the version formed by years of tabloid journalism and gross speculation. Put aside what you’ve learned about Elvis’s final days and understand for the first time the inner workings of “the king of rock n’ roll.”
Review (mine): This book was different from what I originally expected. I was thinking that it would be a lot of anecdotes about the life and death of Elvis that only those closest to him knew about. There was a great deal about the still mysterious death of Elvis, but not as many behind-the-scene anecdotes about his life as I had hoped. Over half of this book is about medical practice, challenges when dealing with a celebrity patient and the author’s attempt to clear his name in the wake of being made scapegoat in the death of Elvis.
The reader can easily empathize with Dr. Nick. He is portrayed as a compassionate man who did his best to help Elvis as much as he could. I have no reason to believe that Dr. Nick isn’t telling the truth and it is awful to read about all that he went through (e.g. defamation, media witch hunts, the loss of his license and livelihood, etc). Dr. Nick also aims to reform and portray a more accurate image of Elvis. I sincerely hope that this book will clear up the misconceptions about Elvis as well as Dr. Nick.
Summary: This book ends up being more about the life of Dr. Nick than the life of Elvis. I found it to be dry for the most part and would primarily recommend it to people with an interest in the life of Dr. Nick as well as hardcore Elvis fans. To a lesser degree, I recommend this book to those interested in seeing how living a life of fame and stardom isn’t all it is often cracked up to be.
Rating: 3/5 (More for hardcore Elvis enthusiasts than the casual fan.)
This book was provided for review by Thomas Nelson. To learn more about or purchase on Amazon, click here.
Blog for Book Programs
Dear people,
I thought I would share with you places where you can join book for blog programs. The way it works is that you get free books in exchange for a review on your personal blog and a consumer website such as Amazon. Most of these are with Christian publishers, but the books offered aren’t necessarily explicitly Christian (e.g. Thomas Nelson offers business & culture books). Fiction & non-fiction are available. Click on the links below for more information or to register.
Thomas Nelson (Typically have a wide variety.)
Waterbrook Multnomah (Sometimes offer giveaway copies)
NavPress (Typically have four selections to choose from.)
The B&B Media Group (Represent many publishers, such as David C. Cook.)
Baker-Revell (Can’t remember how I signed up. I think I went through the contact form on their website. Mostly fiction.)
Zondervan (Went through contact form on their website. They often send yet to be released advance review copies. The only program where you’re not sure what they will send you and when they will send it.)
LitFuse (Might inspect your blog before acceptance into program.)
I’ve found that a lot of publishers will send you a review copy if you ask for one. If there is a book that you really want to review, it’s worth a shot! If you’re aware of any other such programs (Christian or otherwise), I’d love to know about it in the comment area. Thanks!
Jesus Interrupted by Bart Ehrman
Hi blog readers,
I made a boo-boo. Back in January, I thought I was signing up to review the book Jesus, Interrupted by Bart Ehrman. Upon further review, I was simply supposed to inform you that a paperback edition of the book would be released in February. I was also supposed to include one or more of the following.
1.) The YouTube trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qADxEspNE-Q
2.) A link for where the book could be found on Amazon.
3.) The ViralBloggers.com entry: http://viralbloggers.com/2009/04/jesus-interrupted-by-bart-ehrman/
This comes as a relief to me as I need a break from reading and have almost made my way through the ridiculously tall stack of books that I zealously agreed to review. Please note that I am neither endorsing nor not endorsing this book. I have not read it.
While I have your attention, there have yet to be any entries for the most recent giveaway, so you may want to check that out. Also, look for another and bigger giveway soon.
My apologies for the multiple posts in one day. Back to your regularly scheduled programming. Be good, stay safe and always be on the lookout for squirrels.
Finding Inner Peace During Troubled Times by William Moss
I have a copy of this book to giveaway. Leave a comment with your favorite way to relieve stress for a chance to win. I will select a winner on Friday (3/5) at noon.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. - John 14:27
Summary: Author William Moss begins what he terms an essay with the question of whether it is possible to find inner peace in such a troublesome, complicated and difficult to understand world. He then asks how God fits into all of it. The next fifteen pages include some of the author’s personal thoughts, but are primarily scriptures from the Bible pertaining to peace. Every other page is intentionally left blank for the reader to write in thoughts and prayers. The final few pages of this short book (26 pages of writing with some pages only a paragraph long) include an afterword and prayer & meditation guide. Moss concludes that it is possible to find real inner peace and that this gift from God is meant to be shared with others.Review: This is a very simple book (reads like a children’s story), but I found it to be calming and an effective way to release worry and anxiety. While the scriptures could easily be pulled from a concordance, the value added by this essay is the arrangement of scriptures, short meditation at the end, and space for journaling throughout. Aesthetically, it is quite bland.
Rating: 3/5 (Good scriptures. Short. Not the most bang for your buck. Gentle. Ugly.)
The book was provided for review by The B&B Media Group. To learn more about this book or purchase on Amazon, click here.
5 Ministry Killers and How to Defeat Them by Charles Stone
I was finally honest with myself: I hated the ministry. I was tired of the lies, the pretending, the guilt, the expectations. I wanted out. I’m sorry, God, I prayed. I gave it my best shot. I tried to do it in your power. It didn’t work.
- Pete Scazzerro
Summary: As I read this book, the same thought kept coming across my mind: I am so glad that I am not a pastor! These guys are pouring their hearts into their ministries and are often met with burnout, unfair criticism and pain that they don’t feel free to share. Like a slow leak in a gas tank, ministry killers slowly rob pastors of the joy and passion they once had until they are completely running on empty. When combined with factors such as isolation, pastor are especially susceptible to infidelity and moral compromise. The system is broken and it is no wonder that many pastors have fallen and/or left the ministry.
In the book 5 Ministry Killers and How to Defeat Them, Pastor Charles Stone identifies common “ministry killers” and how the pastor can protect him or herself. In doing so, he relies on research from over 1,900 pastors and 1,000 non-pastors in partnership with the Barna Group, LifeWay Research and NationalChristianPoll.com from Christianity Today, Inc. Stone distills the results into the following categories:
1. Head-in-the-sand mentality that denies existing problems
2. Emotional investment in the wrong issues
3. Unhealthy responses to ministry frustrations
4. A lone ranger attitude that says, “God and I can handle this”
5. Attitudes and actions that lead to lonely, hurting spouses
The book is broken down into IV parts. Part I presents the case that it behooves pastors to pay attention to what frustrates them before those issues fester and damage them, their families and/or ministries. Part II unpacks the research into 3 broad areas: what frustrates pastors most (killers), how they react and what that want most from people in their churches. Part III deals with how to defeat the ministry killers. Part IV is written directly for pastors’ spouses (addresses killer #5).
Positives: This is a much-needed book. The emotional health of the pastor will go a long way in setting the tone of the emotional health of the church. Rather than being blind-sided, pastors need to know what challenges to expect and how to overcome these challenges. This book also focuses on priorities and includes an eye-opening section on the unique challenges faced by the pastor’s wife.
The writing is current and includes many excellent quotes from other ministry leaders. Stone’s humility, humor and openness about struggles he has faced make him a likable writer who is easy to take advice from. As a pastor for over 30 years, he also has the experience from which to draw. In particular, Stone knows how to relate to pastors who had big dreams for ministry and ended up with small congregations. He doesn’t pretend to have never wanted more numbers.
Negatives: There was not much that I didn’t like about this book, but there were two things I might have changed. First, I felt that it could have been better organized. It seemed to jump around – especially for a book with such a clear title. Not until part 3 does Stone begin to go through the killers one by one. This made the beginning of the book confusing to me as I wasn’t sure if we were on a ministry killer, and, if so, which one.
Secondly, I didn’t see the need for Stone to relate so many of his thoughts to the research findings. As Stone acknowledges, statistics are subject to all kinds of problems. Though others will like the research, I felt like it bogged things down and would have preferred that he primarily spoke from what he has seen over his many years in ministry and what he believes to be the case.
Rating: 5/5 (Books like this one are must reads for pastors. If you are not a pastor, tell your pastor that you appreciate him/her. Chances are that your pastor can use it.)
About the Author: Charles Stone serves as the senior pastor of Ginger Creek Community Church, a church of over 1,000 attendees in the Chicago suburbs. His personal blog and website can be found at charlesstone.net.
This book was provided for review by Glass Road Public Relations. It is being published by Bethany House and will become available in May 2010. To learn more about or purchase on Amazon, click here. If you are a pastor and think you would enjoy reading this book, let me know and I will send you my advance review copy.
