A LOOK AT BOOKS

Contact Gregg at  alookatbooks@kpxq1360.com

Welcome to “A Look @ Books” on the web.  After every on air segment of our review program a summary of the books talked about will be posted right here with a picture, further thoughts, and often an internet link to the publisher or author.  This is your radio station and I want this to be your connection to the wonderful world of books.  In the days ahead we’ll be talking about all types of books from fantasy and suspense to academic and inspirational.  Look also in the archives at our special page just for audio books.  Many of you now ask me if I’ve “heard” a particular book! There will also be special pages for children’s books, science fiction, fun and strange, and more.   I’ll give you my slant as I place each book on my reviewer’s bookshelf.  You don’t have to agree with me, but it will be fun to exchange perspectives.   I’d love you to respond.  If you have a question about a particular book, I’ll give you my opinion and tell you why.  Secular or religious, it might be a great read or chloroform in print.  Tune in and click on next week for the latest reviews on “A Look @ Books.”

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Click on Archives button for a list of all our reviews and pages of the last five years! (click here for Audio Books)

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Click on the picture to read some general and specific suggestions about books and reading for the year to come.

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Listen July 26th and August 2nd as
Gregg and Tom interview Jerry Jenkins

July '08

Nurture for the Soul...
Reading is not only for the mind, but also for your heart of hearts.  Let these books stimulate your spiritual life and growth.

A Passion for God: The Spiritual Journey of A. W. Tozer – Lyle Dorsett (Moody)

One of the most influential and least recognized evangelical spokesmen of the 20^th century was A. W. Tozer.   Billy Graham remembered going to hear Tozer preach several time before he graduated from Wheaton College in 1943, and said he was deeply blessed.  Tozer is best know today as the author of the Knowledge of the Holy, and The Pursuit of God, as well as a host of other books. This is the story of his humble beginnings on a Pennsylvania farm to his heyday as a Chicago pastor in a Christian and Missionary Alliance church.  He was a deep thinker who always submitted his mind to the revelation of the creator rather than the rational of the creature.  Dorsett exposes Tozer’s life revealing both his strengths and struggles.  Tozer was a man of passion committed to knowing God and making Him known no matter what the cost.  The price he paid was loneliness, censure from other more secular-minded ministers of the times, and even a degree of estrangement from his family.  Biographies often help us evaluate our own life and the impact and influence we might have on others.  And though a flawed individual like each one of us, Tozer was nevertheless used by God in a great way.  For a journey into the recent past, a little taste of Americana, and a spiritual wake-up call, read this excellent story of A. W. Tozer.  Hear two powerful messages from A.W. Tozer for free at www.tozerpulpit.com.

 

Be Last – Jeremy Kingsley (Tyndale)

Few messages are more important and necessary than the one communicated in this new book by Jeremy Kingsley.  Many books are written with the goal of helping you be great but few understand greatness the way Jesus did.  Using biblical stories from both the Old and New Testament, Kingsley calls us to reconsider the meaning of true success by taking a look at what Jesus called greatness and how He showed us the way to attain it.  “Jesus calls us to get down and dirty and to give up our pretensions of greatness defined by fame, carefree living, or accomplishment,” says Kingsley (p. 13).  “Contrary to popular opinion, greatness is truly defined by the humble and often hidden actions of a person who has given up on coming out on top” (p. 14).  This is not a message often talked about today, but it is the one Jesus talked about and the one that Jesus lived.  Kingsly communicates that living a life of greatness is actually walking a difficult path of self-sacrifice and inconvenience, driven by a greater concern for others.  The book is subtitled, “Descending to Greatness” and it will be a breath of fresh air to your spiritual journey.

Holy Fools – Mathew Woodley (SaltRiver)

The apostle Paul coined the phrase “fools for Christ” in 1 Corinthians 4:10.  It is not a word we are comfortable with in describing our Christian life.  Yet there is a stream of holy folly running right through the Old Testament prophets, the letters of Paul, and two thousand years of Christian spirituality.  Woodley reveals that unlike many of us, the holy fools of old were gutsy enough to push against the grain of society and the church—even to the point of appearing extreme and foolish.  But God also used them to ignite the church to follow Jesus and bring His love to the margins of society.  Written with a pastors heart this little book pierce your heart and pick up the pieces as Woodley uses stories from Scripture, church history, and his own church to challenge our comfort level in truly living for God.  Four areas of spiritual life are addressed as the status quo is called into question.  With biblical insight this book looks at compassion, vulnerability, discipline, and spiritual passion.  It’s a call to be intimate with God, and live a life of brokenness and love as we truly follow Christ.  Down to earth, accessible, as well as convicting and uncomfortable, this book will be a blessing and an aid to becoming a holy fool for God.

 

Living for Jesus Beyond the Spiritual High - Greg Speck (Moody)

This book was previously published in 1991 but has been undated with new chapters and helpful additions at the end of each chapter.  Written primarily for young people it covers a variety of helpful issues in the spiritual battle of life.  Such topics as feeling, obedience, God’s will, prayer, Bible reading, church, needs vs. wants, peer pressure, Satan, suffering, love depression, dating, and more.  Though directed at youth, this is a helpful guide for all on the spiritual life.  We never outgrow the basics and many older folks have never been well trained in them.  It is also helpful for those older in age and faith to learn how best to communicate spiritual truths to their younger family members at home and at church.  Practical and biblical this is a helpful book for all.

Life in the Family of God…
Our books this week deal with what it means to be a part of the body of Christ.   We are part of a great collective of believers and we exist to invite others to join us on our journey.  There are many struggles, issues, and approaches along the way.  These books will help you navigate your way.

Why We're Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be) - Kevin DeYoung and by Ted Kluck (Moody)

Defining the emergent church movement is like trying to nail Jell-O to the wall.  This is because it is a relatively new movement and because each participant (flavor) has a little different approach and perspective.  By its very nature emergent authors present their views about the church as part of an ongoing “conversation,” rather than a defined position.  It goes beyond a desire to engage the postmodern culture with an authentic Christianity.  The emergent church movement cuts to the very nature of truth, the gospel, Bible doctrine (or lack thereof), the kingdom of God, and eternity.  Much of the movement is concerned with how church is done, and that is a valid concern with each generation.  There is much to be admired in the emergent church movement yet there is always the danger of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.  While there are many books written by emergent authors (Brian McLaren, Rob Bell, Doug Pagitt, Tony Compolo, Steve Chalke and more), there are also a few books now evaluating and critiquing the movement (D. A. Carson’s Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church was one of the first).  This new book by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck is a fine addition to the evaluation.  Written with a down to earth and practical style it is informative, thoughtful, honest, kind, humorous at points, and biblical.  Each author writes with a unique style (one theologian the other journalist) while exposing both truth and error of the movement along the way.  If you are wondering what’s going on in the movement, this is the book to read.  The authors’ passionate appeal is to submit to the head of the church, Jesus, and adopt His vision for what the church is to be.  The epilogue is an excellent overview of the seven churches in Revelation.  Jesus’ vision for a church is that it be intolerant of error, maintains moral boundaries, promotes doctrinal integrity, believes in certain judgment and certain reward, engages the culture, reaches out, loves, and serves.  The authors say, “We need a church that reflects the Master’s vision—one that is deeply theological, deeply ethical, deeply compassionate, and deeply doxological” (p. 248).  Apart from the emergent movement, this is an excellent book to help think through important theological issues, the nature of church, and what it means to be a Christian in our culture today.  You will be enriched and enlightened.  (To find out more about the book and its authors go to http://www.notemergent.com/)

12 Challenges Churches Face - Mark Dever (Crossway)

This new book by Mark Dever is a series of sermons he delivered to his congregation as he preached through the book of 1 Corinthians.  1 Corinthians is a letter from the Apostle Paul to the church at Corinth dealing with both questions and problems they had in their growth and development.  Not much has changed as we today struggle with the same issues.  The good news is that God’s directives to the early church as just as applicable to the church in the 21st century.  A chapter is dedicated to each of the challenges and every church today struggles with (or will struggle with) one or more of these maladies.  They are forgetfulness, division, impostors, sin, asceticism, disobedience, legalism, autonomy, thoughtlessness, selfishness, death, and decline.  There are many hard issues here and the text of scripture doesn’t give easy advice.  It does give true and proper instruction and following God’s way is always the best (even if hard) way.  This book can be placed on our commentary shelf, church polity shelf, as well as your Christian living shelf.  More importantly let it reside in your thoughts and heart as you face the challenge to be what God wants you to be as part of His church family.

I’m Fine with God…It’s Christians I Can’t Stand – Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz (Harvest House)

I’m sure at some time everyone has agreed with the sentiment of the title of Bickel and Jantz’s new book.   Filled with insight this book is subtitled, “Getting Past the Religious Garbage in the Search for Spiritual Truth.”  There are a number of books out lately that criticize the church and its members and they offer little redemptive or constructive advice.  This is not one of those books.  Another reality is that there are a lot of strange and aberrant “Christians” who present themselves as mainstream and the norm.  Because as Christians we are generally nice and don’t want to be too critical, we don’t speak up and point out what is obvious to the watching world (these “believers” are nuts!).  Thanks to Bickel and Jantz there is now a voice directed at the dumb things Christians do and the lunatic fringe that needs to be exposed and critically evaluated.  Along the way the arrow of conviction turns around and you’ll find yourself somewhere on the target of religious silliness.  Using Scripture as a guide, the goal is to let God speak for Himself and for us to get out of the way.  Chapters deal with Christians who are paranoid, who think they are correctly right and everyone else is wrongly left, who are convinced God wants them rich, and who fixate on the end of the world.  The final chapter looks at Christians who give Christ a bad name. The authors are equal opportunity evaluators of pop culture and Christianity bringing us back to living a simple and truthful faith.

What is a Healthy Church Member? – Tahabiti M. Anyabwile (Crossway)

This excellent new book is a fitting conclusion to our overview of Christians in community.  While many books today are focused on means and methods of evaluation, a proper and biblical approach is to look at health.  The Bible itself outlines what a healthy Christian looks like and it is a Christian who is functioning in a wholesome manner in the context of a biblical church.  In a very practical way Anyabwile sets forth 10 biblical characteristics of a healthy church member.  With clarity he explains in individual chapters what each healthy trait involves.  They are as follows: 1) A Healthy Church Member Is an Expositional Listener, 2) A Healthy Church Member Is a Biblical Theologian, 3) A Healthy Church Member Is Gospel Saturated, 4) A Healthy Church Member Is Genuinely Converted, 5) A Healthy Church Member Is a Biblical Evangelist, 6) A Healthy Church Member Is a Committed Member, 7) A Healthy Church Member Seeks Discipline, 8) A Healthy Church Member Is a Growing Disciple, 9) A Healthy Church Member Is a Humble Follower, and 10) A Healthy Church Member Is a Prayer Warrior.  At the end of each chapter are questions for further reflection and helpful suggestions for further reading.  This is a small book with a big message and would be good for individual or group study.

June '08

It’s Man Time…

There are a number of helpful books for men that are well worth your time and effort.   Be a man – read a book – about being a man – for God!

What God Does When Men Lead - Bill Peel (Tyndale)

I’m tired of reading leadership books.   There are so many and they are most often written by CEO’s and executives that are so far removed from the average guy that applying their principles is an exercise in play-acting.  Not so with Bill Peel’s new book.  It is subtitled, “The Power and Potential of Regular Guys.”  Centered around the premise that everyone is called to lead and leadership is more about who you are and the choices you make Peel unashamedly declares that God made men to lead and on the whole men are not.  Reading this book is an important step of self-leadership. Using examples and lessons from Adam to the apostle Paul the biblical text is used throughout.  It is solid and faithful to the Scriptures.  In part one, Peel outlines the areas of leadership responsibility for each man.  First, we must lead ourselves, which means taking responsibility for our relationship with God, our spiritual growth, and our personal development.  From that foundation we lead in our families, our workplaces, our communities, and our churches.  Peel states that each of these areas is a stewardship in which every man must be found faithful.  Those areas also form the outline for the rest of the book with practical chapters dealing with each of those stewardships.  Each chapter ends with a section titled “Living as a Faithful Steward” with questions for personal reflection and small group discussion.

 

Where Are All the Brothers? - Eric C. Redmond (Crossway)

This little book is a real treat as it is written with down to earth pastoral care and clarity.  It is subtitled, “Straight Answers to Men’s Questions about the Church” and is written specifically to African-American men with a desire to encourage them back into the church and back into church leadership.  A great movement of God is taking place in the black community and this is a strong spiritual call for men to be all that God has designed for them to be.  While focused on the African-American male, all men would do well to read and process the truths in this book.  I always tell my congregation that the game they play in heaven is “Let’s find the white guy.”  Redmond gives men a nine-day challenge to set aside a ten-minute period each day to read and reflect on each day’s chapter.  Each chapter answers a common question men ask about spiritual things often related to church and some of the popular objections to going to church.  This book is uplifting and challenging.  It is an apologetic of practical theology for every man.  Click here to see the table of contents. Each chapter ends with questions to think through and recommend resources for further study.  Guys – get it and read it!

 

Fathers and Sons: Stand Fast in the Way of Truth - Douglas Bond (P & R)

A sad statistic is that the average dad spends less than five minutes a day with his kids.  The great challenge of Christian fathers is to pass on to their sons what they need to be leaders in their own right.  Fathers need to model the example God wants their sons to see.  A father’s job is to train, disciple, and lead their sons in the way of the Lord.  This fine volume (the first of two), will encourage dads to step up to the plate and focus on practical applications of godly living and training.  This is a book for both fathers and sons to read together and talk about together.  Focusing on young men it covers the topics of their way, their idols, their relationships, their words and manners, their heroes and loyalties, their witness, and their praying and reading.  It is filled with stories (both personal and from history) that make the truths of scripture come alive and their reach accessible.  The concluding chapters on how to read, interpret, and understand the Bible is worth the price of the book.  Each chapter concludes with a section of “resolves,” scripture memory, questions for discussion, and Bible references for further study.  Its contents are brutality honest and filled with biblical admonitions.  God’s thoughts (Scripture), not man’s are the guide.  I recommend this to all men young and old.  It will encourage, convict and strengthen you in your walk with the Lord and in being the man God has called you to be.  I look forward to the future publication of volume 2.

 

The Last Men’s Book You’ll Ever Need - David Moore (B & H)

I was surprised to enjoy this book so much.   Knowing its title is tongue-in-cheek and its chapter titles being humorous as well (see here), I thought it would be a light and perhaps insignificant read.  I was wrong!  It takes a special gift to communicate deep and important truths with humor and integrity.  The more I read the more impressed I was.  Yes, it is easy to read and I did so with a perpetual smile on my face.  But I also found myself going back and underlining sections and taking notes.  I’ll use this in my own life and in my talks to men.  Contemporary yet timeless, thoughtful yet fun, it just might be the last men’s book you ever need!  Check it out.  Click here to see the table of contents.

Family Time…

There is no greater task than leading your family and molding the lives of your children.  These are helpful books in that process.

Words Kids Need to Hear – David Staal (Zondervan)

Words matter. Words can build up, or words can tear down. As parents and church leaders, it is important that we use our words well.  This book subtitled “To Help Them Be Who God Made Them To Be,” offers compelling yet simple ways to build up the hearts of children through meaningful and well-chosen words. What children hear from adults they trust makes a significant impact—now and for years to come.  Each of the seven chapters focuses on a single statement kids need to hear from parents, children’s workers, and other close adults.  These seven statements are simple to share, yet make such a profound impact on a child’s life.  There is a chapter for each and they are: 1) “I Believe in You” 2) “You Can Count on Me” 3) “I Treasure You” 4) “I’m Sorry, Please Forgive Me” 5) “Because” 6) “No” and 7) “I Love You.”  Each chapter ends with a “Big Question” to make you think and motivate you to practice what you’ve just read.  This is a simple yet very important book that will make a difference both now and for eternity.

Culture-Proof Kids – Jeannie St. John Taylor (Living Ink Books)

Wow – what a book!  It is jam-packed with solid and helpful insight and advice for parents who desire to build godly character into their children.  This comprehensive guide show parents and teachers how to shape children of character by building a home where children will be insulated from the ills of the culture, teaching children how to interact with society without falling prey to it, teaching children to command respect and avoid bullying, and spotting problems and correcting them before it’s too late.  It also aids in practical ways to make children feel cherished and confident, guide them to choose wise friends, and all the while instilling godly values into their lives.  It’s many short chapters all include instruction and then a section titled “What Parents Can Do” and a short prayer for myself and for my children.  I wish I had this guide when I was raising my children, but I’ll sure be giving it to parents who still are.

Raising Unselfish Children in a Self-Absorbed World – Jill Rigby (Howard)

A number of generations have now been raised with the goal of high self-esteem and the result is one of the highest rates of teen depression and suicide.  High self-esteem has contributed to children becoming materialistic, selfish, inconsiderate, and disrespectful of adult authority.  Jill Rigby’s excellent book is the antidote to the malady of raising children in that manner.  Part one reassesses the goal of parenting with the desire for God to empty our self-centered hearts of self-destructive sinfulness and to fill them with self-forgetful righteousness.  Part two is titled, “Bumping Your Child Off Self-Center” with a great chapter on meeting all their needs, not all their wants.  Also included are excellent chapters on developing passion for compassion, building family togetherness, forgiveness and gratitude.  Part three is on the subject of rebuilding our world and the importance of community and making a difference in those around you.  Scripture is woven throughout and it is foundational to all that is written.  The great thing about this book is that while written to effect change and character in children, its message is really for parents and adults.  Before our children will ever be unselfish they must see that spirit reflected in us!

College Days and Beyond…

These are helpful books for all students who want to learn, grow, and be prepared to think clearly and biblically in any discipline of study. 

Welcome to College - Jonathan Morrow (Kregel)

Not only is this a timely book for new graduates preparing for college, it’s a great book for all college students and even graduates.  It’s subtitled, “A Christ-Follower’s Guide for the Journey.”  The breath of subject matter is amazing and the direction and insight Morrow presents is biblical, practical, and very helpful.  He begins by laying a theological foundation for our quest of truth and knowledge.  He goes on with chapters on the Bible, apologetics, existence of God, evil and suffering, the identity of Jesus, the resurrection, science, doubt, communication, church, study habits, discovering the will of God, sex and dating, alcohol, ethics and more.  The chapters are short and to the point with suggestions for further discovery in both print and on the web.  A summary of the “big ideas” presented is included at the end of each chapter.  Don’t pass this one up!

 

The Moody Handbook of Theology – Paul Enns (Moody)

This excellent book of theology was first published in 1989 and has been a standard ever since.  Now it is revised and updated to deal with the crucial issues of evangelical feminism, some new turns in charismatic theology such as prosperity theology, openness theology, which questions the extent of God’s knowledge, the emerging church, and progressive dispensationalism.  Along with new chapters on the subjects mentioned above, Enns has made additions to chapters on other subjects as well as expanded the bibliographic listings to reflect current discussion. This handbook divides its subject matter thematically into five sections with multiple chapters in each. They include biblical theology, systematic theology, historical theology, dogmatic theology, and contemporary theology.  This theology work is accessible to anyone interested in understanding the essentials of Christian theology.  It is a helpful book for every student’s library.

 

The Delusion of Disbelief - David Aikman (Tyndale)

The “new atheism” is represented in the modern writing of Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, Richard Dawkins, and Christopher Hitchens.  They have taken the offensive against theism and now David Aikman responds with this new and excellent book.  Aikman is an award-winning print and broadcast journalist having worked as a correspondent for Time magazine for 23 years.  He approaches the subject by showing historically how Christianity has promoted growth in education, the sciences, and progressive culture.  He says that, “Christianity erected the engine room for modern science by insisting that the universe was orderly in structure, by asserting that God’s physical laws were open to investigation, and by expressing the belief that God would be glorified in the progressive revelation of them” (p. 191).  In this little book Aikman builds a sound case that the Christian worldview is the foundation of liberty and also shows the great evils historically that have risen out of atheistic worldviews.  He concludes with a chapter showing that the new atheism offers nothing new.  This is a polarizing issue and no doubt atheists will not like or validate this book.  That’s okay, read it and use your God given faculties of reason to evaluate the arguments on your own.  This deserves a place on the shelf with a number of fine responses to the new atheists (see March ’08 A Look at Books reviews).

 

Intelligent Design 101 - H. Wayne House, General Editor (Kregel)

There is a lot of debate on the issue of the origins of life and the universe and this new volume gathers eight scholars and researchers ( Michael J. Behe, Eddie Colanter, Logan Paul Gage, Phillip Johnson, Casey Luskin, J. P. Moreland, Jay W. Richards, along with H. Wayne House) who describe what intelligent design is and what it is not.  They also bring forth the competent scientific basis upon which it is founded looking at its history and development and the reasons for its ever increasing credibility and role in science and education.  The main arguments of ID involve both “irreducible complexity” and “specified complexity” in organisms.  Michael Behe, the author of Darwin’s Black Box, writes in chapter 4 that irreducible complexity is still a conundrum for Darwinism.  My favorite chapter (6) is by Eddie Colanter dealing with the philosophical implications of Darwinism and intelligent design.  Also helpful is the appendix which is a reply to The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief by scientist and Christian evolutionist Francis Collins.  If you are interested in this subject this is a new and up-to-date book on the subject that is rational and fair.

Summer reading…

Dead Heat by Joel Rosenberg (Tyndale)

This is the final volume of Rosenberg's prophetic political thrillers.  It will surprise you often as the unexpected happens time and time again.  This is prophetic fiction at its best and the events are all in the realm of possibility.  It will keep you on the edge of your seat. Tom Brown and I cannot recommend it highly enough!  Click  here to see all of Rosenberg’s previous novels.

Adam - Ted Dekker (Thomas Nelson)

Dekker is a master of suspense and he comes to age in this new novel. The story is a tightly written thriller of the FBI’s search for a serial killer that dives deep into background, motives, methods, forensic medicine, psychological profiling, and the place of the spiritual in understanding the dark reality of evil.  It also is a story-within-a-story as nine news articles are placed every three or four chapters that tell the story of two siblings, Jessica and Alex Trane, who were abducted from their home in Arkansas when they were little and lived out their childhood with a family of deranged psychopaths.  These two siblings play an important part in the main story.  It is a wonderful literary device that brings realism, suspense, and a sense of danger into the reading experience.  There are lots of surprises.  I can't tell you too much or else I'd give away the story.  We’ll talk more about this book in later editions of  “A Look At Books.”  One of Dekkers best!

The Lost Books by Ted Dekker (Thomas Nelson)  Audio from  Oasis Audio

For readers of “The Circle Trilogy” (Black, Red, and White) this new series of four books titled “The Lost Books”  is a must read and a real treat. By the time you finish it you will know that it both fills in and expands the bigger story.  The first two books (Chosen and Infidel), take place in the other earth of the Forest Dwellers and the desert of the Hoard.  Thomas Hunter, Qurong, Teeleh, the Shataiki, and the Roush are back along with the four main characters of this story within the bigger story.  The chosen four (Johnis, Silvie, Billos, and Darsal) are sent on a quest which turns into a mission that will determine the fate of their world and ours.  The next two books (Renegade and Chaos) take place in the Project Showdown universe (Showdown, Saint, and upcoming Sinner) and in our reality.   Here we once again meet Marsuvees Black, the worms, Paradise, and so much more.   Dekker always includes a lot of surprises and many connections to his other books.  Drama, tension, betrayal, and redemption are just a few themes you’ll encounter.  Though published as young adult novels, these are books for all ages.  Dekker has an amazing way of connecting and relating all his books into a grand story.  Here are a few insights, hints, and rumors of what is to come.  The Lost Books are not finished yet.  Two more will be coming next year.  The next two will be titled Lunatic and Enigma.  Note the first letter of each of the “Lost Books” series.  What does it spell?  Here are some thoughts from Ted himself: Chosen occurs between Black and Red.  So does Infidel and Renegade and Chaos.  Renegade occurs after Showdown.  So does Chaos.  Lunatic (yet to be published) occurs after Chosen and White.  Siren is a part of Sinner (two yet to be published books).  Sinner (coming this October) is Ted’s favorite of the Paradise books.  Ted also said in one of his blogs that, “Green is one of my favorite colors.  So are White, Red, and Black.”  Speculation is that another book will be written in the “Circle Trilogy” and it will be titled Green.  Or Green will be the final book that ties all of the above together.  To see Ted with Gregg in studio click here.

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