The Return

Review: Nonsense: The Power of Not Knowing Jamie Holmes Crown Publishers 2015 I’ll admit it now.   I pick this book for its title and especially its subtitle.   For whoever makes the decisions related to titles, you picked a winner.   The author was unknown to me, but from the rear flap should be better known among the millennial generation.   Don’t let that be the deciding factor for this book though. Holmes has assembled nine chapters plus some extra stuff, and a set of annotated end notes that are worth reading themselves.   Yeah, that’s weird, but I figure if it’s included why not give it a glance.   I’d suggest reading them as you go along through the text.    Each of the chapters looks at different facets of knowing, and how people come to the point of believing they know what’s going on in a particular situation. The chapters were well written discussions that could be standalone articles.   That’s a good thing an...

Review: The Ragamuffin Gospel Brennan Manning Multnomah Books 2015 This is a 25 th anniversary issue of this Brennan Manning book.   John Blase mentions in his preface to this edition that the book has already sold nearly a million copies over its 25 year run. (ix)   What I found interesting is that with just a few exceptions this book is as current now as it was when it was written.      This is my first time reading this book.   I had read a couple Manning’s other works and decided it was time to read this one as well.   I was not disappointed in the least with it and found it to be encouraging.   It reinforced a line from one of his other books that had stuck with me for years now---God loves you and there’s nothing you do about it.   That’s probably a paraphrase but close and I cannot remember which book it’s from.   Sorry. There’s not a lot that hasn’t already been said about this book already since its 25 yea...

Review: Your Best Destiny: Becoming the Person You Were Created to Be Wintley Phipps with James Lund Tyndale Momentum 2015 It has been several years since I’d seen a book similar to this, and there’s probably a need for it again now.   Phipps discusses eight pillars that support a person’s ethos.   Ethos according to Phipps is “a combination of our personality, character, emotions, guiding beliefs, habits, ideals, attitudes, fundamental values, and lifestyle.” (17)   All that describes who we are and especially who we are when the tough times arrive.   What are the pillars that support that and how can I keep them sturdy?   How does that help me find my best destiny?   Well, that’s what this book is about.     Phipps takes each of the eight pillars and examines them more closely.   Some of the chapters will speak to the reader more directly than others, depending on the individual’s current state of ethos.   Following ...