Here is another set of brief reviews of books I recently read. These reviews use a scale of one to five stars based on Library Thing (where I post these reviews as well). I am a tough grader and seldom give out the full five stars, so keep that in mind when looking at my ratings.
The Grace
and Truth Paradox: Responding with Christlike Balance by Randy Alcorn (3.5 stars)
Alcorn looks at balancing truth (which can be harsh) with
grace (which can be too gentle). Generally, most Christians fall more to one
side or the other of this balance. Some think that telling other folks they are
wrong is the most important thing and believe they are doing so in love. Others
instead favor showing grace and forgiveness over worrying about what the sin
may be. Alcorn attempts to show the correct balance between these two extremes.
My main complaint with the book is that it does not consider the proper way to
speak or show truth to others. As a silly example, telling someone they should
not steal office supplies is unlikely to do much good. Mentioning that I had had
an issue with something similar and how I came to understand my error and found some techniques to help overcome the temptation is more likely to be of help. Both approaches may be speaking truth, but one is
more likely to do any good. Alcorn’s book is a short one that can easily be
read in an hour or two. I would recommend this to Christians trying to
understand the proper balance between showing grace and speaking truth to those
around them.
Sex, Lies and Handlebar Tape: The Remarkable Life of Jacques
Anquetil, the First Five-Times Winner of the Tour de France by Paul Howard (2.5
stars)
Howard pulls off a remarkable feat in this book—he
makes boring the life a five-time Tour de France winner who had an affair with
his doctor's wife, married her, had a child by (and an affair for twelve years
with) her daughter, and finally broke up his marriage by having an affair with
his step-son’s ex-wife who he ultimately married. While the book is full of
interesting facts and controversial topics, it fails to be compelling. The
reason may be that the author does not do much in the way of finding trends
among the facts or of trying to reconcile competing viewpoints of the people he
spoke with. Despite the flaws, I would recommend this book to anyone curious
about a very different era in cycling, the 1960s.
More than Meets the Eye: Fascinating Glimpses of God’s Power
and Design by Richard A. Swenson (3.0 stars)
Swenson’s book is a journey through a number of areas of
science to show how they point to the hand of God, the Creator. He describes in
great detail topics such as how finely tuned conditions are for human life and the incredible complexity of both the universe and the human body. I really
enjoyed Swenson’s books on maintaining margin in our lives, but I was less
impressed by this one. That may be because many of the things he cites were not new to me and
seemed somewhat repetitive. The book is also a bit dated as it was first
published in 2000. Despite those reservations, it can be fun to read. I would
recommend this book to Christians who don’t have a lot exposure to the wonder
of science, especially those who may not be familiar with some of the work of
Michael Behe and other intelligent design proponents.
Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness
and Homosexuality by Wesley Hill (4.0 stars)
Hill's book is a self-exploration of his
homosexuality in light of his Christian faith. He details his life and his
decision to live as a Christian, celibate homosexual. Hill does not pretend
that the decision was an easy one nor that living such a life is simple or
without struggles. Instead, he openly and honestly shares of his life, both
failures and triumphs. I recommend this book to anyone looking to better
understand the lives and choices facing homosexual Christians.
I am running behind on reviewing books I've read, so I should have another set of these in a couple weeks. Well, that is my goal, at least!
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