Lead, Serve, Love, by Gregory E. Lang

This book would make an excellent gift for a Christian in any stage of the journey. It would also make a wonderful Bible study for teens and adults alike. The book is a compilation of three-word phrases designed to help the Christian lead a more Christ-like life. Relevant Bible verses accompany each phrase.

How exactly does a person lead a life that is more Christ-like? I have always struggled with this, since Christ was, well, Christ. How can an ordinary human live up to his standard? This book helps with this, taking key passages from the Bible and summing each up with a quick, three-word sound byte that makes it easy to understand how we can walk as Christ did.

This is definitely a book that was meant to be savored slowly. Sure, you could quickly read through the three-word phrases, and you'd get something out of it from page one. But it would be so valuable to take each phrase one at a time, studying the Bible verses with each phrase, and reading further into the relevant Bible passages. This book would make an excellent Bible study, and I plan to spend more time with it over the next few months.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is confused about how to lead a Christ-like life.

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review.

Five out of Five Stars

Lead, Serve, Love: 100 Three-Word Ways to Be Like Jesus

Gregory E. Lang

Thomas Nelson, 2011

Max on Life, by Max Lucado

What proof do we have that the resurrection really happened? Do people who have never heard of God get to go to heaven? Why do bad things happen to good people? How can you teach a child humility without destroying his self-esteem? And what's really permissible in the Christian marriage bed?

These are just some of the 172 questions about religion and life in general that Max Lucado attempts to answer in this book. The book is presented in Q & A format, and has been divided into sections. There is also a helpful index in the back. Essentially, Lucado takes many questions that Christians have, and does his best job to answer these questions, citing Biblical references.

Lucado writes in a very straight-forward manner that is often humorous. The book is a good read if only for that. All of the questions that are posed are certainly relevant to both the new and old believer. Many of the questions are answered very well. For example, I've never read a better discussion of the reality of the resurrection, and all of my doubts were put to rest by this book.

However, some of the answers are extremely generalized and don't seem to fully address the question at hand. In a few instances, I wasn't sure if the question was ever answered. All in all, though, anyone who is seeking more information about the Christian faith will find that this book is by and large a valuable addition to a library.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Five out of Five Stars

Johann Sebastian Bach, by Rick Marschall

Three out of five stars

The premise of this book is a discussion of Johann Sebastian Bach and the influences that inspired his music. As biographies go, it is short and a quick read, offering a glimpse into the man who himself had a wide impact on the musical world.

Of Bach's great many works, the one which I am most familiar with is Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring. Consequently, I knew that Bach was a Christian, but did not fully understand the great extent to which his faith impacted his music. Rick Marschall paints a very vivid picture of Bach as a man who had great theological knowledge, and transposed his theology into the musical realm. In this book, we see Bach as a missionary of sorts, delivering God's message through the world's most universal language.

On the other hand, the book didn't give me much insight into his life beyond that. For a man who must have been capable of great passion, very little of that seeps into the pages of this biography. This book is more a discussion of the times in which Bach lived, and a conglomeration of quotations from other biographies on Bach.  The spirit of the man does not leap off the pages of this book as I would have hoped.

That being said, however, I am now better prepared to listen to Bach's music now that I have read this book. After all, perhaps the only way to truly understand a musician is to understand his music. And so, even though the book does not live up to my expectations from a biography, its brevity was just enough to pique my interest in a great man. I recommend this book to anyone who doesn't know much about Bach, but would like to know more without devoting too much time to the subject.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Final Summit, by Andy Andrews

Four out of Five Stars

              

              The Final Summit tells the continued story of David Ponder, who has been called by the archangel Gabriel to lead a meeting of some of the greatest minds in history. The subject of the meeting is the determination of the one solution that will restore a moral compass to humanity.

                I haven't read the earlier novel with this character, but that did not stop me from understanding this book. The story is part fantasy and part philosophy. On the one hand, we have a fictionalized discussion of what values are essential in living a moral life. Key players in this discussion include (but are not limited to) President Lincoln, Joan of Arc, Winston Churchill, George Washington Carver, and King David. Reading the author's idea of how these varied people would interact with each other was highly interesting. It made the message of the book easier to understand.

                On the other hand, there is an intense intellectual debate behind the various ideals that prevent a civilization from falling apart. It would be a very good book to choose for a group study, and discussion questions are included in the book. I found the book to be very thought-provoking, as well as inspiring.

                 I would also like to point out that key issues involving clinical depression are raised. The credo in the back of the book is a fantastic culmination for anyone, not just depressives, who is interested in changing his life.

The Final Summit

Andy Andrews

Thomas Nelson, 2011

Unsinkable: A Young Woman's Courageous Battle on the High Seas, by Abby Sunderland and Lynn Vincent

Four out of Five Stars

This is the semi-autobiographical account of Abby Sunderland, the sixteen-year-old American who attempted to sail solo around the world in 2010. The book is written partly in Sunderland's first-person voice, and partly in third person to describe her background, the preparations for her trip, and the trip itself.

I must start this review by stating that at the time this story hit the news, I absolutely did not agree that a young woman of that age should be allowed by anyone to attempt such a feat. Even after reading this book, I still have my doubts.

However, after having read this book, I realize that Abby Sunderland is not your average person. This is a story of a young woman who knew exactly what she was getting herself into, had prepared herself as much as she could, and who had an amazing team behind her.  The Abby Sunderland in this book is not the same girl who was presented to the world by the media.

Honestly, this should be required reading for high school students. Sunderland tells an amazing story of perseverance, of courage, and of sheer gumption. People who aren't sailors (like me) may get lost in some of the details, but the raw human emotion that shines so brightly here will be inspiring to anyone. It is also a story of the power of faith.

It's an easy read, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to know what the human spirit is capable of. Also, anyone who was even remotely interested in Sunderland's journey will find this book interesting.

Unsinkable: A Young Woman's Courageous Battle on the High Seas

Abby Sutherland and Lynn Vincent

Thomas Nelson, 2011

ISBN: 978-1-4002-0308-6

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://booksneeze®.com/> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”