Adam Shields – Page 199

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

September 21, 2011 by Adam Shields

Status: Gave Up I am up for someone convincing me that I am wrong. But I gave up on Something Wicked This Way Comes. I have not actually read anything by Bradbury. I know that is probably reprehensible, but I just have not picked anything up by him before. I saw the audiobook at the library and … Read more

Outspoken: Conversations on Church Communication

September 20, 2011 by Adam Shields

Outspoken: Conversations on Church Communication Takeaway: Wide ranging book on practical, theological and theoretical importance of communication in the church world.

Purchase Links: Paperback, Kindle Edition

Upfront this is not a normal review. I did not read it as I normally read, I read it as I was prepping it for the kindle version. I have not prepped and converted many books, just a handful, but I have done a few based on my own love of ebooks and the desire to get smaller independent books out to a wider audience. Kevin Hendricks, one of the contributors, contacted me about working on Outspoken because I converted his last book, Open Our Eyes: Seeing the Invisible People of Homelessness. Outspoken is a very similar style, lots of contributors, lots of short chapters.

Many Waters by Madeline L’Engle

September 19, 2011 by Adam Shields

Summary: The twins, Sandy and Denis, go back into biblical history and find their place in their special family.

Purchase Links: Paperback, Kindle Edition

Many Waters is the fourth book in Madeline L’Engle’s Time Quintet. It was not published until 1986, almost a decade after the third book and 24 years after the first book of the series. Chronologically, it is set between books 2 and 3. Because I got these at the library, due to availability, I listened to it in chronological order.

Dr No by Ian Fleming

September 15, 2011 by Adam Shields

Summary: Bond fights the bad guy, tries to get the girl

I feel like I watched a lot of James Bond movies growing up. But when I go back and watch old James Bond I do not remember many. So maybe I watched the same ones several times?

I have not actually read any of the original books before. Other than the original Jason Bourne books, I have not really read any of the old spy novels. I have enjoyed some of the newer, post-cold war spy novels.

A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L’Engle

September 14, 2011 by Adam Shields

Takeaway: Continuing with the theme that Love is most important.

Purchase Links: Paperback, Kindle Edition

After reading A Wrinkle in Time, which I have not read in many years, A Wind in the Door was more familiar. I remembered most of the story line and while it has still been 20 years or so I have read it more recently and more often than Wrinkle in Time.

Updated About Page and the BlogX Challenge

September 13, 2011 by Adam Shields

I am participating in Tentblogger BlogX Challenge (modeled after the P90X). John has been incredibly helpful in giving suggestions and helping me make Bookwi.se a better blog. (He and Chris Ames even came up with the name.) Todays challenge was to update the About Page. Since I will hit 700 posts very soon (probably Thursday), … Read more

Amazon May Launch a Netflix for Books

September 11, 2011 by Adam Shields

According to a Wall Street Journal article (behind a pay wall), Amazon is in talks with publishers to release a Netflix style subscription program for books. This would be in addition to Amazon’s video streaming service (about 5000 of those movies are free for Prime Members). TheNextWeb has a free report about the rumor. If the … Read more

Book Giveaways

September 9, 2011 by Adam Shields

I have had a build up of paper books. My commitment is to give away the majority of paper books, including all review books. Here are the books I have to give away right now. The reviews: Uncommon Decency, Jesus, My Father, the CIA and Me, Enemies of the Heart I … Read more

Luke: The Gospel of Amazement by Michael Card

September 9, 2011 by Adam Shields

Takeaway: A guided devotional reading of scripture can bring new insights.

The Gospel of Amazement is the latest in my current bible reading strategy. This is a perfect book to add to a long-term look at Luke. I have read a small group bible study, a book on a short passage in Luke and my next book will be a very academic commentary. But Michael Card’s book is more of a ‘devotional commentary’. Its focus is devotional more than academic, but it still brings in clear academic insights.

~~Card translated Luke himself.~~ The chapters of Luke are separated into chapters in the Gospel of Amazement and Card gives commentary on small sections. I may feel the devotional style more because I actually used it as a devotional.

Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament by Peter Enns

September 8, 2011 by Adam Shields

Takeaway: Scripture is a diverse, important, human-written, God-breathed book.

Over the past couple months I have been wandering through an exploration of scripture, what it is, how we can understand it, what we should be doing with it. Inspiration and Incarnation is the latest book in my exploration. I was lucky enough to read this one with friends and have an email discussion about it.

Emotionally, I am a bit disappointed by this book. I knew it was controversial. Enns resigned his position at Westminster Seminary after controversy with the board of the seminary and this book. After reading the first two chapters, I kept thinking ‘no wonder he was fired’. There really are controversial statements in the book, but I think much of the controversy could have been minimized with a better editor. He seems unnecessarily provocative in a few areas where his point is not controversial. Intellectually, I am intrigued. He is pushing in many of the areas I think need to be pushed in the Evangelical understanding of scripture. I am not sure about some of his conclusions, but the discussion is useful.