Book Reviews – Page 149

From Willow Creek to Sacred Heart by Chris Haw

October 26, 2012 by Adam Shields

Summary: From cradle Catholic to Willow Creek to radical servant to Sacred Heart.

Over the past couple of months I have been reading a good bit about Catholicism, mostly a mix of theology and conversion stories.

From Willow Creek to Sacred Heart: Rekindling My Love for Catholicism is a mix of the two. The first half is is the story of how Chris Haw was born and raised Catholic, but then moved to Willow Christ as an early teen. Haw went to Eastern College and became connected with Shane Claiborne. (They co-authored Jesus for President.)

Part of the story here is a fairly radical ‘conversion’ to work with the poor. In some ways this may be more offensive to some than his later conversion back to Catholicism.

Haw, with his wife Cassie, moved to Camden, NJ. He worked first as a teacher at the Sacred Heart school and later he refurbished homes and became a writer. His return to Catholicism was gradual and at least in part because he was living across the street from Sacred Heart and working with the church on anti-poverty programs

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

October 23, 2012 by Adam Shields

Summary: A brat of a girl falls into a fantasy world

One of my reading goals this year was to read more old books. Some of these I am re-reading, some I am reading for the first time. If you have a kindle or like to listen to audiobooks, there are tons of free classics available (although of varying quality.)

I picked up about 30 free classic kindle and audiobooks through a promotion (some still available) last month. Jim Dale’s (narrator for Harry Potter) version of Alice in Wonderland. This is both good and bad. Dale is a very good narrator. But some of his voices seems to be the same as some of his Harry Potter voices and that provides a little unintended humor and confusion.

Prior to this I have never read Alice in Wonderland. But I knew the basic story through the many parodies and cartoon remakes. Alice follows a rabbit down a hole. Alice drinks and eats things that make her grown and shrink. She meets the smiling cat that disappears and reappears. And then she meets a pack of playing cards where the Queen keeps crying ‘off with their head’ every few minutes.

Call of the Wild by Jack London

October 19, 2012 by Adam Shields

Summary: Classic children’s books about a dog that is kidnapped to work the Klondike Gold Rush.

I remember reading Call of the Wild as a child. I am sure it has been over 25 years since I last read it. But it still seemed quite fresh in my mind.

Jack London wrote clear prose. He feels like a western writer (like Zane Gray or Louis L’Amour). In fact I would not be surprised if I read this after reading some Louis L’Amour books. I had several uncles that were long haul truck drivers. And they spent a lot of time reading on their off time. The westerns were passed around frequently and I think that I probably read most of L’Amour’s books by the time I was 13. I am not sure if the prose feels similar because they were writing at a similar time, or because there is a similar western individualism that is flowing through the authors.

The Call of the Wild is clearly a children’s book in orientation. It is told in third person, primarily from Buck’s perspective. It is not Buck (the dog) narrating but a unknown narrator that is telling Buck’s story.

Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julie Child by Bob Spitz

October 17, 2012 by Adam Shields

Takeaway: Julia is one of the most fascinating women of the 20th century.

Julia Child is one of those fascinating characters that gives me hope that I may not be spinning my wheels in life. She got married late, didn’t really learn to cook until her late 30s. Did not start writing her first cookbook until her early 40s. Was first on TV when she was 50. (And she was a woman that was 6′ 3″.)

But Julia Child has had a lasting effect on food and culture and TV and even the idea of celebrity.

I did not come to this book cold. Several years ago after watching the movie Julie and Julia I read Julia Child’s memoir/biography My Life in France. My Life in France was written at the very end of her life by her nephew based on interviews and discussions with her. It was not published until after her death but it feels more like a memoir than a biography.

Dearie is a full biography written by Bob Spitz, nearly twice as long as My Life in France. I was glad for the extra details on her early and later life. Stylistically, this is a very narrative biography, similar to Laura Hillenbrand‘s Unbroken. It is not hagiography. Julia is presented as being quite amazing woman, but one that made a lot of mistakes.

Primal Credo: Your Entrance into the Apostle’s Creed by Derek Vreeland

October 16, 2012 by Adam Shields

Summary: The Apostle’s Creed is the most basic of theological statements. It is one that every Christian should know and understand.

With the exception of a church that I occasionally attended in college (that was right on campus so it is where I went when I woke up late), I have never attended a church that used the Apostle’s Creed as part of regular worship.

Theologically I think it is an important thing to do, just like weekly participation in the Eucharist. Practically, like the Eucharist, I attend a church that very actively reaches out to marginal Christians and those that are exploring Christianity. And I believe in that (read my review of Deep and Wide to understand my reasons.)

So even if I do not say the Creed every week, I do think it is something that is important for all Christians to know and understand. Rich Mullins’ song Creed is probably the way that many Evangelicals most know the creed. And I bet that many that know the song do not realize that it is actually the Apostle’s Creed.

Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus #3) by Rick Riordan

October 15, 2012 by Adam Shields

Summary: All of the heroes have been assembled. Now they are on the way to Rome to defeat Gaia.

I really like this extended series by Rick Riordan. The characters are not perfect. They are average teens with extraordinary powers (like many of the readers wish they could be.) It is literary, makes lots of references to mythology and events that are fairly advanced for the intended readers.

A Shot of Faith (to the Head): Be a Confident Believer in an Age of Cranky Atheists by Mitch Stokes

October 12, 2012 by All Old Users

Summary: A readable look at the philosophy of reason and human inquiry.

A common frustration in arguing with someone about, well, anything, is the problem of different assumptions and conflicting foundational beliefs””especially when we aren’t even aware they are in conflict. I tend to want to address the underlying issues first, to distill them down to their fundamental essence. Mitch Stokes does exactly that in what is basically a layman’s summary of the work of well-known Notre Dame philosopher Alvin Plantinga.

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

October 11, 2012 by All Old Users

Reuben Land grew up believing in miracles. He is eleven, living in rural Minnesota in the 1960s with his father and two siblings, when his older brother Davey shoots and kills two neighborhood bullies breaking into the house at night. The day before his trial verdict, Davey escapes, and his family drives out in search of him””led by equal parts Holy Spirit and meandering intuition.

Dragon Ship (Theo Waitley #4) by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

October 9, 2012 by Adam Shields

Summary: Theo Waitley is now a pilot, has found out that she is the brother of the Delm of Korval and is going on the first run with her new ship.

The most recent book in the Liaden Universe series was released last month. Dragon Ship is the fourth in the Theo Waitley subseries and the 17th overall (including stand alone novels).

You are either interested in series Science Fiction or you are not. So this will be a short review. This is the story of Theo’s first real long haul ship voyage with Bechimo, a sentient ship with Old Technology that the Department of the Interior wants to possess.

Steve Jobs by Walter Issacson (Seth’s Review)

October 5, 2012 by All Old Users

Steve Jobs

This was an incredible, riveting biography. Isaacson does a phenomenal job bringing the story of Steve Jobs to life. For me there was a natural division in the story.

The “old history”–events prior to my own experience–was great fun to read, because I learned a lot about the tech world of software and hardware that was emerging in the 70s and 80s. The inception and early development of Apple, and the fact that Jobs was kicked out of his own company (and then brought back!), was fascinating.

The “contemporary history” began with events that I know personally. The trigger for that was Jobs’ involvement with Pixar, and culminating in Apple’s introduction of revolutionary portable devices (iPods, iPhones and iPads) and the major disruption of multiple industries (music, cell phones, the creation of a market for tablets out of thin air).