from my book bag

from my book bag

Don’t Mess With Travis, Bob Smiley

I found this novel of political satire quite funny. It pokes a lot more fun at the left than the right, but both sides are in for an entertaining beating.

The Worldview of the Lord of the Rings, Peter Kreeft

Yes I am aware of how geeky (amazingly, incredibly nerdy) this book sounds.

It isn’t.

It is not about different warfare tactics of orcs or the genealogy of elves. It is actually a brilliant lesson in philosophy using Tolkien’s characters (and a lot of his correspondence with C.S. Lewis) to elucidate classic ethical and philosophical truths.

The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism, Carl F.H. Henry

I had heard at least a dozen times that this was a very important book, the seedbed of cultural renewal, a prophetic word to the church.

This came so highly recommended by so many thinkers I respect, that maybe my hopes were too high. I was disappointed.

Autobiographical Writings, Mark Twain (penguin classics edition)

Twain was a one in a million. So many of these vignettes made me laugh, remember my own childhood, remember how crazy people are, and reflect on just how strange life can be.

From the back cover: Every life is a book. Inside of even the dullest exterior there is a drama, a comedy, and a tragedy. There never was an uninteresting life. Such a thing is an impossibility. Mark Twain

Christ-Centered Worship, Bryan Chapell

I love this kind of book – the kind that helps me evaluate what we are currently doing and gives me about 347 new ideas for how to do it better.

If you are involved in planning worship services you should keep this book close at hand.