Reading Update

(14) The Unforgiving Minute: A Soldier's Education - Craig Mullaney

This is one of the best books I have read in some time. Mullaney tells his story from his time at West Point, through his days as a Rhodes scholar at Oxford, to the battlefields of Afghanistan, and more. His writing is marvelous and turns this biography into a page-turner. I recommend it without reservation!

Reading Update

(13) The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - J.R.R. Tolkien

As anyone reading this will know, this is part two of the famous trilogy. One thing I noticed in reading this book was how different it was from Peter Jackson's movie. The book spans a much greater period of time than the movie. For example, the battle at Helm's Deep, which is the final battle scene in the film, takes place in the first third of the book. Anyway, a great book that everyone should find the time to read.

Reading Update

(12) The Forever War - Dexter Filkins

This was a difficult read for me.  Not because the book is bad or poorly written, but just because the subject matter and vivid nature of the writing is troubling.  It is a book about Muslim extremism and the wars that have been and are being fought by its adherents.  The main thrust of the book takes the reader through America's conflicts with the extremists in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Filkins is a foreign correspondent with the New York Times and was embedded with units in both conflicts.  The author's take on the situations is complex and yet very simple at the same time.  He sees the all the nuances of the region's politics and religion, yet also sees that this war has really been being fought for ages and that manipulation and betrayal is the key to survival for many of the extremists.  It is weird to see him describe a man who is one day a Taliban fighter, the next day a friend of the Afghan Coalition, and the next day a Taliban fighter again.  I recommend the book for its honest description of the brutality of war and its perspective on the minds and actions of those Muslims who have been waging this war for ages.    

Reading Update

(11) The Missing - Tim Gautreaux

This book tells the story of Sam, a war veteran whose past is filled with loss and pain.  Upon returning from the war, he takes a job as head of security for a department store.  When a young girl goes missing on his watch, he loses his job and is compelled by a mix of events and emotions to go looking for her.  His search takes him from riverboats to rough Bayou terrain on horseback.  The book's theme is redemption and Gautreaux weaves the tail together wonderfully.  I recommend it for its great storytelling.

Reading Update

(10) The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien

If you're not familiar with Tolkien's famous trilogy, you have literally been living under a rock.  If you are only familiar with the trilogy as depicted in Peter Jackson's films, you should pick up the books and expand your understanding of the series.  As with all films that are based on books, the LOTR films had to cut quite a bit of the book out in order to keep each film under thirty-six hours.  And if you've never met old Tom Bombadil, then you don't know the whole tale of the ring!  Happy reading!

Reading Update

(9) The Hobbit - J.R.R Tolkien

Oh Bilbo Baggins! What is not to like about this tale of an peculiarly adventurous Hobbit's trip into peril, riches, and friendship?  I hadn't been through this book since my dad read it to my brother and me when we were just wee little lads and I'm quite glad that I decided to revisit it.  If you haven't had the pleasure of reading this one, grab it and dive into the world of Middle Earth with our hero Bilbo and his dwarf companions as they embark on one fantastic adventure!

Reading Update

(8) The Thirteen American Arguments: Enduring Debates that Define and Inspire Our Country - Howard Fineman

This is one that I have some difficulty in reviewing.  The book takes the reader through thirteen issues that are debated heavily in our country.  Things like presidential powers, who is a person, war, etc.  The author tries to show both sides of each issue and why the debate is important.  He does this quite well I think.  The problem with the book is in some of the examples the author gives of each debate.  Throughout the book, he takes a person from one side of the issue and tells a story of how that person fits into the debate and I see that the journalistic ideal (he is a journalist by trade) of pure fact is set aside as he tries to get behind the man.  He speculates too much about peoples' motives for being involved in the debate, often with little evidence to back his claims.  I think the book is helpful in the identification of the issues we face, but I would only recommend it to those with a serious interest in these things who can discern when the author is presenting fact and when he is presenting opinion. 

Reading Update

(7) Night - Elie Wiesel

In this autobiography, Weisel tells the story of his deportation as a teenager from his home in Transylvania and his subsequent imprisonment at Auschwitz during WWII. The book is fairly slim, coming in at only 115 pages, but those pages are packed with powerful, tragic memories. As I read this book, I had to frequently pause to ponder the things I was reading, otherwise I would not grasp that the things actually happened to this boy. It is easier to just drift into that place where you believe it is only fiction that you are reading. That is certainly our tendency, to push the vile things, the instances of pure evil to the periphery, or to chalk them up as nothing more than fairy tales. This book brings them back into focus, and forces us to think about bigger things: God, injustice, suffering, human nature, evil. I highly recommend it.

Reading Update

(6) A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

I really think it would be pointless to review this one.  I'll just say if you haven't read it, read it and if you have read it, read it again.

On the Lookout for Scapegoats

"Seeing, therefore, that the flesh is continually on the alert for subterfuges, by which it imagines it can remove the the blame of its own wickedness from itself to some other quarter, we must diligently guard against this depraved procedure, and accordingly treat of the calamity of the human race in such a way as may cut off every evasion, and vindicate the justice of God against all who would impugn it."

- John Calvin, The Institutes, Vol. 1, Ch. 15.1

Reading Update

(5) Easy Chairs, Hard Words: Conversations on the Liberty of God - Douglas Wilson

In this short and very readable book, Wilson answers some of the big questions surrounding the exhaustive sovereignty of God.  Wilson writes the book as a fictional dialogue between a young man who is struggling with some things he is reading in his Bible that seem to contradict the theology he has been taught while growing up in what can only be described as a thoroughly Arminian-leaning church and a man from across town who pastors the church known pejoratively as the Calvinist church.  The young man returns week after week seeking the counsel of the pastor on things like faith, election, perseverance, sovereignty, theodicy, and even the use of systematic theology.  

I found the book very easy to read, saturated with Scripture, and to the point.  I have been looking for a good overview/defense of the doctrines of grace and I think I've found it here.  Those who have studied these issues at length may not find a wealth of new material, but they will find the presentation refreshing.  And those who have only heard mischaracterizations of the doctrines will gain a fresh understanding.

Reading Update

(4) God of Promise: An Introduction to Covenant Theology - Michael Horton

It was not an easy read by any stretch of the imagination, but the struggle was well worth the time and effort.  Melanie and have been working through this one together and I think that we both benefited greatly from it.  

It is, as the title suggests, an introduction to covenant theology.  Horton starts by showing the history of covenants in the Near East and then works out a biblical understanding of covenant.  Melanie and I both found the final chapters, which were chapters that showed the practical outworking of a covenantal biblical worldview to be especially helpful.  In those final chapters Horton helps the reader to better understand baptism, the Lord's Supper, and the purpose and use of the Law.  The book is recommended. 

Reading Update

(3) Economics in One Lesson  - Henry Hazlitt

I took an economics class in high school, but I doubt I was paying much attention and that was quite some time ago.  So I decided to read something on economics and this book was recommended.  The book's thesis is summed up in the first chapter when Hazlitt explains that, "The whole of economics can be reduced to a single lesson . . . The art of economics consists in looking not merely at the immediate but at the longer effects of any act or policy; it consists in tracing the consequences of that policy not merely for one group but for all groups."

This is the message that Hazlitt sets out to prove true in his book.  Hazlitt is certainly a free-market economist.  He is opposed to nearly all government intervention into economic affairs and frowns on things like minimum wages, subsidies, and social security.  His argumentation is sound and convincing and his writing is easy to read.  He takes a look at many practical areas of economics and shows how the failure to heed his one stated lesson has caused much damage.

The book is a good introduction to economics and certainly gets one thinking about the potential long-term effects of certain government policies currently under consideration.

Reading Update

(2) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling

Well I just finished the final installment in the Harry Potter series. A fitting finish to a great series I would say. I have respect for any author who writes children's books and uses words like, "mollify," "incredulity," and "gormless." I've added mollify to my regular usage. It just rolls so nicely off the tongue!

Book Update

As mentioned in a previous post, I am attempting to read a book every other week this year for a total of twenty-six books.  I plan on a good mix of fiction and nonfiction.  The year starts with some of the former.

(1) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Amazingly enough, I was so disinterested in the Harry Potter hype that I accidentally avoided any spoilers for the series, and I'm glad I did!  The series has been excellent and this book was no exception.  I love a book that keeps the reader saying to himself, "Just one more chapter before bed."  This is one of those.  

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog.  This one will replace Just Wondering.  I had to do this because it was so long ago when I signed up for blogger, that the formatting and template were out of date.  They have updated and made things much more user friendly.  I'm sure there is a way I could have just switched it over to the new formatting, but I am apparently a techno-idiot.  

A Goal (I Don't Do Resolutions)

It has been awhile since I've posted anything here.  I guess that is mostly due to laziness as I do think about something I want to write from time to time, yet never seem to get it put on the blog.  Anyway, I am not posting to tell you of some fantastic goal I have to write more blog posts this year so I'm already off track.  So back to it!

I am actually writing to tell you about a reading goal I have for the year.  Last year was a down year for me as far as reading went.  I only read a handful of books though I was always thinking I should be reading more.  So this year I am setting out to read one book every other week.  That means with 52 weeks in the year, I'll be shooting for 26 books read by year's end.  I plan on posting the title and author of each book I read along with a very brief summary and my opinion on whether or not it was a good book and if I would recommend it.  I'm into my first book now and you should be hearing back from me within a couple of weeks.