Month: September 2015

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Review of ‘Scripture and Cosmology’ by Kyle Greenwood

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Kyle Greenwood, Scripture and Cosmology: Reading the Bible Between the Ancient World and Modern Science (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2015). Paperback The Lord by wisdom founded the earth, by understanding he established the heavens; by his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew. Proverbs 3:19–20 express the who, what, and how of creation. Who? The Creator is “The Lord,” that is, Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. What? He created “the earth,” “the heavens,” “the deeps,” and the “clouds.” And he did so expertly, with “wisdom,” “understanding,” and “knowledge.” These verses also … Continue reading Review of ‘Scripture and Cosmology’ by Kyle Greenwood

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Review of ‘The Man in the High Castle’ by Philip K. Dick

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Philip K. Dick, The Man in the High Castle (Boston: Mariner Books, 2011). Paperback | Kindle One night, with nothing better to do, I scrolled through Amazon Instant Video looking for something to watch. I came across The Man in the High Castle (an Amazon Original Series). The premise of the show is that the U.S.A. lost World War II and is now divided between the Germans on the East Coast and the Japanese on the West, with a small neutral zone along the Rocky Mountains. The pilot was well done, but it is the only episode released so far. … Continue reading Review of ‘The Man in the High Castle’ by Philip K. Dick

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Review of ‘The Concrete Blonde: A Harry Bosch Novel’ by Michael Connelly

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Michael Connelly, The Concrete Blonde: A Harry Bosch Novel (New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1994). Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle The Concrete Blonde is the third Michael Connelly novel to feature LAPD homicide detective Hieronymous “Harry” Bosch. It opens with Bosch shooting a naked, unarmed man named Norman Church. Church was a suspect in the “Dollmaker” serial killings case. After the shooting, forensics tied him to nine of the eleven killings. Nevertheless, Church’s widow sought a civil judgment against Bosch and the LAPD and sued them in federal court. As the trial gets underway, however, the LAPD receives a … Continue reading Review of ‘The Concrete Blonde: A Harry Bosch Novel’ by Michael Connelly

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Review of ‘A Christian Guide to the Classics’ by Leland Ryken

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Leland Ryken, A Christian Guide to the Classics (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015). Paperback | Kindle The more I watch television, the more I like books. The reason is not that there are few good television shows these days. On the contrary, television is experiencing something of a Golden Age, especially if you have cable or a streaming service. The reason I like books more is because they have depth and require imagination. An actor must communicate in one take what an author can communicate over several pages. And the visual media makes decisions for you. Read Pride and Prejudice, and … Continue reading Review of ‘A Christian Guide to the Classics’ by Leland Ryken

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Review of ‘The Volunteer Church’ and ‘Volunteering’ by Leith Anderson and Jill Fox

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Leith Anderson and Jill Fox, The Volunteer Church: Mobilizing Your Congregation for Growth and Effectiveness (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2015). Paperback | Kindle _____, Volunteering: A Guide to Serving in the Body of Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2015). Paperback | Kindle “At their core churches are volunteer organizations,” write Leith Anderson and Jill Fox. The issue, then, is not whether a church has ministry volunteers but how well it mobilizes volunteers for ministry. The Volunteer Church offers guidance that will help church leaders: effectively recruit and train volunteers; build sustainable, long-lasting ministries led by volunteers; encourage and maintain volunteers; … Continue reading Review of ‘The Volunteer Church’ and ‘Volunteering’ by Leith Anderson and Jill Fox

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Review of ‘The Great Detective’ by Zach Dundas

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Zach Dundas, The Great Detective: The Amazing Rise and Immortal Life of Sherlock Holmes (New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015). Hardcover | Kindle Arthur Conan Doyle published A Study in Scarlet in 1887. Nearly 130 years later, Sherlock Holmes and John H. Watson continue to attract followers. But while Conan Doyle’s four novels and 56 short stories are canonical, the Sherlockian universe has expanded (with no end in sight) to include stage and screen adaptations, spinoff stories, and fan fiction. The question is why. “Why have Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, and the mysteries Conan Doyle challenged them to solve not … Continue reading Review of ‘The Great Detective’ by Zach Dundas

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Review of ‘Unburdened: The Christian Leader’s Path to Sexual Integrity’ by Michael Todd Wilson

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Michael Todd Wilson, Unburdened: The Christian Leader’s Path to Sexual Integrity (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2015). Paperback If you are a male Christian leader struggling with sexual temptation, I encourage you to read Unburdened today. It traces a path toward sexual integrity that you can begin to walk immediately. Michael Todd Wilson discusses topics such as Risk factors that men generally and leaders particularly face when it comes to sexual temptation The importance of adopting a grace-based rather than performance-driven approach to sexual integrity Spiritual disciplines that move you toward sexual integrity, including: surrender, radical honesty, non-ministry God time, … Continue reading Review of ‘Unburdened: The Christian Leader’s Path to Sexual Integrity’ by Michael Todd Wilson

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Review of ‘Make Me: A Jack Reacher Novel’ by Lee Child

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Lee Child, Make Me: A Jack Reacher Novel (New York: Delacorte, 2015). Hardcover | Kindle Reading fiction requires a willing suspension of disbelief. With Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels, this suspension usually comes easily. Child is a talented writer whose narrative pacing grabs your attention and drags you along with it until Reacher gets his man. Unfortunately, I had a hard time suspending disbelief while reading Make Me, the twentieth novel in the Reacher series. The novel is a page-turner, which I read in its entirety on the day of publication. But unlike previous novels, I found myself increasingly skeptical … Continue reading Review of ‘Make Me: A Jack Reacher Novel’ by Lee Child

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Review of ‘The Gods of Guilt’ by Michael Connelly

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Michael Connelly, The Gods of Guilt: A Lincoln Lawyer Novel (New York: Little Brown, 2013). Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle Jurors are the gods of guilt in Mickey Haller’s world. They decree the fate of the accused. As this story opens, Haller feels as if his personal jurors have tried him in the balance and found him wanting. When his daughter’s friend is killed by a drunk driver—a client of Haller’s—she cuts off all contact with him. His burgeoning relationship with his ex-wife implodes. And he loses the election for Los Angeles district attorney. When a murder case comes his … Continue reading Review of ‘The Gods of Guilt’ by Michael Connelly