Ross King has written lots of great songs with many a hard-hitting lyric. One such lyric (while relatively mild on the hard-hitting scale) goes like this:

I’m gonna take some time today
To read a book I don’t agree with
Find out what it has to say

Just days ago I impulsively bought a book from the local Half Priced Books called How to Make Friends and Oppress People: Classic Travel Advice for the Gentleman Adventurer. Upon skimming the books contents and reading the intro at the store, I didn’t realize that it would so heartily fall into the category of “book[s] I don’t agree with.” The paragraph that most opened my eyes to the matter is quoted below.

A crisis undoubtedly obliges the traveller to act in ways that normal polite society would regard as outré in the extreme, but even if his life depends on it there are certain lines of propriety over which a traveller should never deign to step. I must remonstrate with a piece of advice given in Hardships in Travel Made Easy. The compiler of this work clearly states: ‘Shoes of European manufacture are decidedly the best; if they wear out, and none of the party are able to make others from dressed hides, sandals may be adopted.’ In a paper that I gave to the Royal Geographical Society entitled ‘The Detrimental Effect of Flimsy Footwear on the Confidence and Orientation of Travellers’, I laid down a hard and fast rule from which I refuse to be swayed — a gentleman never, ever wears sandals.

I’m going to do my best to tough out the remainder of this book, just for Ross… but it won’t be easy.

Last night I finished reading one of the (if not the) funniest books I’ve ever read.

Christopher Moore’s Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal came to me with high recommendation from Colby Ivey and literally came in the mail from Mikey Mills. It tells the story of Jesus’ formative years, the ones that don’t get much play in the Gospels, from the viewpoint of his best friend, Levi who is called Biff. It is, of course, entirely fictional and derived primarily from the depths of Moore’s creativity, but it also boasts historical accuracy wherever possible.

You may remember the excerpt I shared from the book a couple months ago (go ahead and reread it so the tense of the first word in the next sentence is correct). That is a pretty good indicator of how the book reads. Moore did his research in writing this massive undertaking and it shows in the subtlest ways (like the fact that young Jewish boys at the time would know the Torah well enough to [try to] reenact it the same way our youth act out… Star Wars).

Lamb is a very enjoyable ride, and I recommend it highly, in the same way I recommended A Field Guide to Evangelicals and Their Habitat, which is to say if you cringe at the idea of Jesus saying a cuss word or being curious about sex as a child, then you probably shouldn’t read it. However if those and other extra-Biblical but realistically imaginable things pique your interest (or if you at least appreciate the creativity therein), then you really do need to read this.

And believers should use this book not only as an excellent tool to bring audible laughter into their lives, but also to broaden their views of their Savior. I know that, if nothing else, this book allowed me to dwell on the manhood of Christ in new ways. The reality that he was faced with everything we’re faced with, tangible and intangible.

So while the story is unquestionably hilarious, it is also very well researched and well written. The characters are developed brilliantly, and there are small elements of Truth to be found in this 430 page Arrested Development-esque novel. Get it, and thank me later.

Christopher Moore’s, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal is already the funniest book I’ve ever read, and I’m only 60-something pages in. I’ll share with you the excerpt that literally caused me to laugh uncontrollably the other night as I attempted to read myself to sleep:

And so it went. I’m not sure I took to playing the villains as easily as Joshua [Jesus] took to being the heroes. Sometimes we recruited our little brothers to play the more loathsome parts. Joshua’s little brothers Judah and James played whole populations, like the Sodomites outside of Lot’s door.

“Send out those two angels so that we can know them.”

“I won’t do that,” I said, playing Lot (a good guy only because Joshua wanted to play the angels), “but I have two daughters who don’t know anyone, you can meet them.”

“Okay,” said Judah.

I threw open the door and led my imaginary daughters outside so they could know the Sodomites…

“Pleased to meet you.”

“Charmed, I’m sure.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“THAT’S NOT HOW IT GOES!” Joshua shouted. “You’re supposed to try to break the door down, then I will smite you blind.”

“Then you destroy our city?” James said.

“Yes.”

“We’d rather meet Lot’s daughters.”

“Let my people go,” said Joshua, who was only four and often got his stories confused…

Seriously? The fact that someone can write something about 100 words long and cause me to react that way I did in just unbelievable. I seriously couldn’t stop laughing at the thought of Biff introducing his imaginary daughters to Jesus’ brothers. Brilliant.

So, be looking for the least worthy of all my book review in the weeks (or months) to come.

This book was given to me nearly a year ago by a dear friend following a conversation we’d had regarding my deep desire to know the Father. Not just know about Him or know Him like I know the names of all 50 states, but to really know the deep things of His character, of who He is. Now that I’ve finally finished reading all 120 of its pages (read at an astounding rate of 10 pages per month), I can safely say that this book has done nothing but help me in said pursuit.

A.W. Tozer, in the preface of The Knowledge of the Holy, says

The Church has surrendered her once lofty concept of God and has substituted for it one so low, so ignoble, as to be utterly unworthy of thinking, worshiping men. This she has done not deliberately, but little by little and without her knowledge; and her very unawareness only makes her situation all the more tragic.

Dang. This man doesn’t mess around. After making your way through the preface you’ll find yourself on the first line chapter 1 reading a line that has absolutely ruined me from the moment I first read it: “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

He goes on to touch on 21 characteristics of God, spending 4 or 5 pages on each, and he does so in such a way as to make the reader leave with a larger picture of God than he or she had prior to having read the chapter. The eloquence with which Tozer writes is simultaneously beautiful, challenging, and fitting considering the topic at hand.

The book ends with a chapter called The Open Secret, in which Tozer explores the question “What can we plain Christians do to bring back the departed glory?” – referring to the Church and her loss of the once lofty concept of God. He says the answer is yes, and he closes out the book detailing five ways that this can happen, opening up the list like so:

Yet the answer may easily disappoint some persons, for it is anything but profound. I bring no esoteric cryptogram, no mystic code to be painfully deciphered. I appeal to no hidden law of the unconscious, no occult knowledge meant only for the few. The secret is an open one which the wayfaring man may read. It is simply the old and ever-new counsel: Acquaint thyself with God. To regain her lost power the Church must see heaven opened and have a transforming vision of God.

Yes. Yes. Yes. I highly recommend this book, and I’d let you borrow my copy, but I’ll forever be carrying it in whatever messenger bag I have on me for perpetual re-reading. Thanks Drew for the very thoughtful gift, and thanks Tozer for sharing your wisdom in such a beautiful, well-written, and doctrinally sound way.

Jesus for President was published while I was in Philly working at my internship. While working there I met both Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw, the authors of this book.  One of the perks of working (for free) with the folks in this camp up in Philadelphia was that I managed to acquire a copy of this book for free. Four months later I finished it.

I was very excited about reading this book because Shaner’s first book did one of the biggest numbers on me that any book has ever done, and I was curious to see if his second would do the same. I was also excited to see the actual book, as each page is graphically designed in the hippest of ways. See the Jesus for President website for some samples (and know that your’s truly designed the blog for that site).

The book is divided up into four parts, each that explore the political aspects of the subject at hand. Part one is essentially a brief (and arguably overly light-hearted) overview of the Old Testiment. Part two introduces us to Jesus, the love revolutionary. Part three is a sort of survey of Church history and shows the follies of the Church when it’s found itself in bed with the State. Part four offers examples of political snapshots for “ordinary radicals”.

I found that this paragraph on page 240 was a fairly good summation of what the book was addressing:

Much of the world now lies in the ruins of triumphant and militant Christianity. The imperially baptized religion created a domesticated version of Christianity — a dangerous thing that can inoculate people from ever experiencing true faith. (Everyone is a Christian, but no one knows what a Christian is anymore.) Our hope is that the postmodern, post-Christian world is once again ready for a people who are peculiar, people who spend their energy creating a culture of contrast rather than a culture of relevancy.

Though Claiborne and Haw had plenty of good things to say in their book about politics and how Christians should and shouldn’t view it, I didn’t love the book. I will say though, that a major reason I felt that way is probably the bad taste in my mouth that remains from the internship. The book isn’t perfect, but it certainly wasn’t terrible.

So if you want to read a political book during this election year, then consider this one of your options. If you don’t want to read a political book, then you’re in good company. Most people don’t.

My boss recently bought this coffee table book from the local Anarchist (yes, anarchist) book store, and over the past week I’ve spent my lunch breaks reading it. When I first picked it up I never really planned on reading all the way through it, but after spending 30 minutes looking at the images and commentary, Banksy’s Wall and Piece grabbed me like an invitation for free ice cream.

Banksy is an English graffiti artist who is pretty well-known and at the same time highly anonymous. In other words, tons of people are familiar with his work (or vandalism, if you prefer), but nobody knows who he is. After his book piqued my curiosity on this mysterious man, I went to his website where I found clips of various news clips from around the world talking about the street artist, each of them lending further credence to his anonymity.

I’ve always thought that well-done graffiti is awesome, so it’s hard to imagine how this book brought me so much enjoyment. But not only is Banksy’s work done well (he uses stencils for speed’s sake), it’s also politically relevant and socially satirical in nature. What’s not to like?

I can’t think of many people who would want this book on their home coffee tables, but I also can’t think of many people who wouldn’t enjoy thumbing through it. So consider this a recommendation for your next visit to the Barnes, Borders, or your area Anarchist book stores. And if you don’t see yourself going to a book store in the near future, you should probably check out his website, because I doubt you’ve seen graffiti that cool or creative in your neighborhood.

3.5 stars. (I’ve been toying with the idea of incorporating a star system in my book reviews… time will tell).

Ironically enough, on the heels of writing a post containing the question, “Of all the books you’ve read, which one did you read the fastest (presumably because it was excellent)? How long did it take?”, my answer changed. Ladies and gentlemen, D.O.’s new record for the shortest amount of time required to read an entire book: 4 days. Hold your applause.

This book was loaned to my with the highest of recommendations by a friend who was going out of town for the week. We bartered for it. I gave her a camera, she gave me an autographed copy of Anne Lamott’s Traveling Mercies.  I made it a point to have the book finished before she arrived back in Philly, which I’m proud to say I accomplished. It wasn’t a difficult task to complete though, as Lamott’s writing style is as easy and enjoyable to read as Heather’s blog (with cussing).

I would loosely liken this book to Don Miller’s Blue Like Jazz in that Lamott essentially tells stories from her time spent on this planet and often throws in lessons of faith where appropriate (which turns out to be nearly every chapter, which makes sense, seeing that faith applies to every chapter of life). And when I say she tells stories, I mean she tells some doozies: both in the stories’ content and they style with which she tells them. She’s a very good writer. Every other sentence she compares the person or idea she’s talking about to something else. Example (opens the book at random to page 125):

The babies, rolling around in the sand, had begun to look like breaded veal cutlets.

Reading things like that make reading pretty enjoyable. I’ll admit though, I probably only got half of her jokes along those lines. I cannot pretend to be smart or well-read enough to have understood all of what she referred to. She’s a witty one. Sarah would love her.

However, and this is the case with nearly every book I read, I didn’t agree with everything she had to say. I had to keep reminding myself that this wasn’t a book in which the author was trying to teach me or anyone else how or what to believe, rather it was a story teller telling her stories in the light of her faith. I had to see past things like how she referred to God in a “he or she” context and used certain cuss words in a way I thought unnecessary. (Don’t get me wrong, a lot of the cuss words she used were used wonderfully, others however, weren’t as cleverly placed.)

So all in all, it was a good book, a very enjoyable read, one that I’d recommend to Sarah or Matt Graham but not to my dad. What was arguably more enjoyable than the book itself was the setting in which the greatest section of it was read, but that will likely receive its own post in the not-too-distant future… Mo-town, thanks for the loan. The book is fine, and it will be retured to you intact upon your return from distant lands.

I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. I actually finished another book. It’s only been like 4 months. I’ll wait for the applause to die down before I continue.

[pauses]

As you may or may not be able to tell from the picture, my most recent book completion was Philip Yancey’s latest, Prayer: Does it Make Any Difference? I planned on starting this review off by linking to the scores of reviews I’ve written for Yancey’s other works I’ve read, but it turns out I’ve only written reviews for two of them. Book review volumes one and eight, you may recall.

I’ve said before that I’m a big fan of Philip Yancey, and that if he’d ever return my emails then I’d gladly share a conversation over coffee with him, or even pay a visit to his Colorado house. Something I really appreciate about him is that he writes with a great deal of honesty and asks questions that many Christian authors leave alone. This is evident by many of his books’ titles: What’s So Amazing About Grace?, Reaching for the Invisible God, Where is God when it Hurts?, Disappointment with God, and Church: Why Bother? His (again) honest writing style makes it hard for someone to read one of his books without relating to at least some of the things he’s saying. Prayer is no exception to this rule.

In this book, Yancey explores a whole slew of questions that you have no doubt come across in your personal time with Jesus over the years. Why pray? What’s the deal with unanswered prayers when Jesus seems to promise that when we ask it shall be given? Does prayer actually change God’s mind? It is refreshing to read that you aren’t (by any stretch of the imagination) the only person who has wrestled with these questions.

As usual, the approach Yancey wisely takes in answering these and other questions is chock-full of both experience and research. If the hundreds of references to authors of yore aren’t proof of his research, then may I suggest you consult the “Prayer Resources” section in the back of the book, in which he suggests 59 (if I counted correctly) books and collections on prayer, written as if he’s actually read them. (I know, he probably didn’t read every single one, but I bet he read most of them).

If you’ve read my book reviews before you’ll know that I rarely actually talk much about what the book says. True to form, I won’t do that here either. I will, however, recommend this book, but not as highly as I’d recommend some of his other works. It really just depends on where you’re at. If you’ve been wrestling with prayer a lot over the years, then this is your book. If you’ve got a healthy, vibrant prayer life, then add me to your people for whom you intercede, and read this book if you feel like it. If you’re one of my readers who is heavily into the IHOP scene, then I doubt you’d read this even if I recommended it, because you’d rather read Bickle. That’s fine.

Of all the words and thoughts portrayed in this book’s 334 pages (including the “thanks” section, which I always read), there is a single idea that I’ll really be taking away from having read it: Prayer is less about getting what we want, saying the right stuff or even hearing what the Father has to say, and it’s much more about time spent with our Creator. It’s said a whole lot more eloquently in the 300 page version, but if you want the one-sentence-D.O.-summary of the book, there you have it.

Thank you, Philip, for spending the time necessary to write that book. If you’d like to take the time necessary to get in touch with me, you can contact me. Also, thanks to Jessica Paup for providing me with this book (and thanks to HPPC for providing it to her).

It’s been a long while since I last published a book review, and for good reason too: it’s been a long while since I last finished a book. That said, I give you a review for No Compromise: The Life Story of Keith Green.

As you may have ascertained from the book’s title, this is a biography. Those of you who are really observant may have already gathered that Keith’s wife, Melody, wrote the book. I point that out just to lend more credibility to the book’s contents, which are quite enjoyable.

She tells the story of her husband who, if you aren’t familiar, was a pretty big “star” in the Christian music world in the late 70’s and early 80’s. I’d compare him to a blend of Jason Upton and Chris Tomlin today, to give you an idea. Keith was an awesome man. He didn’t become a believer until after he turned 20, and from that moment on, he went hard after Jesus and the things of Jesus.

Keith saw things in black and white, and he was a real passionate, in your face kind of guy. He’d say things from the stage – or in churches, or meetings – that weren’t popular things to say. And he didn’t do it for controversy’s sake, he did it because he firmly believed the things he was saying were straight from the heart of God. One of the things he’d often say at shows was how he hated the fact that people thought of him as a star (hence the quotes used above). It bothered him to the point that he was willing to give up his music career to avoid bringing glory to himself… something I doubt many folks today would be willing to do.

He lived out his convictions in a stronger way than most men do. At one point in the midst of his very successful music career, he felt like he should not be charging money for his music because he felt the Gospel should be free, so he put a pay-what-you-can pricing standard in place, both at his shows and at local music stores who carried his music. Another example of his saying unpopular things: he once told a group of fellow popular Christian music artists that they were in sin because they charged for their music and their shows. Like I said, things were pretty black and white for him.

This book gives a very detailed portrayal of Keith’s life, and his struggles with his faith and how it worked in the world around him. He was so honest, both in his life and in his writings, and the Lord really used him to touch a lot of people.

When Keith was 28 he died in a place crash with 11 other people, including two of his children, outside his East Texas home. Though the Lord obviously knew what He was doing in taking Keith home, I would really love to have seen what he’d look like if he were still around today, and what kind of impact he’d have continued to make on the Church if he weren’t taken home so early.

So if you’re in to examples of people living out their biblical convictions in the context of being a “star”, then I recommend this book. I’d especially recommend it for people who are in to music, and for those who are thinking of (or already are) pursuing music as a career.

Thanks to Hannah for the recommendation, and for putting the book in my hand.

Well it turns out that A Field Guide to Evangelicals & their Habitat is in fact a satirical look at, well, evangelicals. The author, Joel Kilpatrick, creator of Lark News, is said to “attend church regularly for personal fulfillment and new material.” Well having completed the book it is evident that this man does indeed attend church and has a knack for picking up on the humorous nuances that occur across the nation in churches residing under the “evangelical” umbrella, ella, ella.

So after reading this book, not only will you have laughed a lot (assuming you’re one who can poke fun at things that are typically taboo to laugh at), but you will also have learned:

- What evangelicals believe
- How to identify an evangelical on the field
- How to plan and execute a field trip to an evangelical church
- How to talk and act like an evangelical without being one
- Evangelical habits overseas
- How to decorate like an evangelical
- and much more.

Some recurring themes you’ll come across in this book is the fact that evangelicals love homeschooling, eating, and voting Republican. Meanwhile, they hate bars, R-rated movies, and CNN.

Though I did laugh throughout the entirety of this book (less in the “Evangelical Mating Habits” chapter), about half way through I started to question how fruitful it is to go into this much detail poking fun at the quirkiness of the current status of the church in America. Though I doubt anyone reads the book this way, a beneficial way to look at it would be to realize that, though it is a satire, this book does justice to how the non-believing world sees believers. Upon realizing that, if we could strive to be less lame, that, I think, would be fruitful.

I’ll leave you with a few quotes from the book:

[On how missionaries make a living]
“Long-term missionaries spend every third year traveling the US… they also dress in the perceived traditional clothing from their country of service, playing to Americans’ mistaken belief that Third World residents dress in colorful handcrafted garb… missionaries know that if they showed up to preach in an old *NSync T-shirt and ill-fitting swim trunks, nobody would give them a dime”

[On decorating like an evangelical]
“On the wall immediately visible when you walk in, hang a framed cross-stitch or embroidery that reads, ‘As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, Joshua 3′. There is simply no substitute for this particular piece if you wish to maintain a convincing evangelical design”

[On greeting evangelicals]
“…offer a standard greeting, coupled with a phrase like ‘God is good’ or ‘Praise God’ or ‘What a blessing’. Give a warm handshake, perhaps pulled into a brief hug if the person is of the same gender.”

[On bars, nightclubs, and poolhalls] (Bold added)
“You will not find evangelicals in places that encourage drunkenness, fornication, dancing, or fighting with pool cues. The only time they might duck into such a place is to hang a poster for a Christian concert or a notice about an alcohol recovery program at their church. Evangelicals don’t want to make the mistake Jesus made in hanging around society’s lowlifes and becoming known as winebibbers and drunkards — a reputation that put a major crimp in his earthy ministry.“