BOOK REVIEW: THE BIG BOOK OF AMERICAN TRIVIA by J. Stephen Lang

Non-fiction books can be fun and educational. “The Big Book of American Trivia” published by Tyndale is a book of over 3,000 questions regarding Americana. When I first started reading the book I thought: “Great for homeschoolers” later on I began thinking: “Great for bloggers” now I just think the book is simply great!

How smart are you? “Who claimed her husband was the victim of a “vast right-wing conspiracy”?”  I am going to post this question on Facebook for all of my political junk friends. “Manny, Moe, and Jack, who retail automotive parts, are better known by what name?” I grew up in Maryland so I knew the answer to this question, do you? Do you love bible trivia? “What popular horror novelist began publishing biblical novels in 2005?” “”What recent president said, “The Bible is pretty good about keeping your ego in check?” One more question: “What famous movie director directed three lush epics about biblical subjects?”

If you are not into trivia you may not want to get this book but I would suggest that you reconsider.  It is considered “trivia” because of all the things going on in the world some of the information found within the pages of “The Big Book of American Trivia” may not seem like country changing information.  However, America has a rich history and this book is filled with it.  I recommend you get the book.

I answered one question correct out of this sample. Here are the answers in the order the question was presented and its’ corresponding page number. Hilary Clinton page 199, Pep Boys page 83 Anne Rice, George W. Bush, Cecil B DeMille page 319

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale in exchange for an honest review.

BOOK REVIEW: THE COMING REVOLUTION by Richard Lee

“The Coming Revolution: Signs From America’s Past That Signal Our Nation’s  Future” by Dr. Richard G Lee is a compelling argument as to why Christians should be aware of what is going on in American today. The author explains the significant role faith has played in American history as well as how we as a people have evolved into a country on the verge of a revolution. As he is quick to explain this will not necessarily be a violent event as some may think when the term “revolution” is used; it will, however, be a change.

“The Coming Revolution” gives a brief historical perspective of the birth of this nation which includes the religious philosophies of the times. The mini-history lesson is necessary to explain how what is going on today impacts the believer and emphasizes the need for everyone to be involved. Dr Lee, towards the end of the book, presents a few very doable ideas believers can do to help move this country in a positive direction.

I believe this is a very important book for every believer to read. It is 212 pages, which does not include its’ extensive notes found in the back of the book.

I recommend this book not only to Christians but those who enjoy reading about the history of this nation, those who wonder in what direction this nation will go, and those who are looking for hope. I particularly enjoyed the section discussing things that can be done now to make a difference.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

THOMAS NELSON’S NEWEST BIBLE

FROM THE WEB SITE:  http://www.hearthevoice.com/projects/1

The Voice Revised New Testament

The Voice™  Bible translation is a faithful dynamic translation of the Scriptures done as a collage of compelling narratives, poetry, song, truth, and wisdom. The Voice calls the reader to step into the whole story of Scripture and experience the joy and wonder of God’s revelation. Created for and by a church in great transition, The Voice uniquely represents collaboration among scholars, pastors, writers, musicians, poets, and other artists, giving great attention to the beauty of the narrative. The heart of The Voice is retelling the story of the Bible in a form as fluid as modern literary works yet remaining painstakingly true to the original manuscripts. This translation promotes the public reading of longer sections of Scripture—followed by thoughtful engagement with the biblical narrative in its richness and fullness and dramatic flow.

This is an updated and revised version of the New Testament edition, now at an even more affordable price.

Features include:

• Italicized information added to help contemporary readers understand what the original readers would have known intuitively
• In-text commentary notes include cultural, historical, theological, or devotional thoughts
• Screenplay format, ideal for public readings and group studies
• Book introductions

BOOK REVIEW: LESSONS ON CHURCH FOLK VOLUME 1

 

“Lessons on Church Folk- Volume 1” is a good book well worth reading.  It is intentionally an easy read, some may think it is too simplistic in its’ format however, I believe the format is the way it needs to be.  Had Antoinette Marie Davis, the author of “Lessons on Church Folk- Volume 1” expanded on the short stories presented as well as included bible verses (as it was suggested by one reviewer) the book would have become a lecture and not a great segue into self evaluation that it is. In this 391 page book there are 200 short stories each with an observation, a fictional short story that pertains to the observation and a brief opinion regarding the story.  As the book is title the stories are in response to observations made within a church environment.

The book is not meant to discourage people from going to church but to help people understand that there are no perfect people in the church. Though Ms. Davis has a very different writing style than I do her message is one I share: Church is where people go to fix themselves and other people are either part of the problem or part of the solution.  We do not go to church to hear gossip or to repeat it but to receive what is being presented from the pulpit.

Each chapter is approximately one and one-half pages long this gives the reader an opportunity to reflect on the message of the story before going to the next one. This is a great book to read if you find yourself to busy to read in depth books; an excellent book to read if you are a person who notices a lot of problems in the church and  a necessary book to read if you are a leader within the church. Some of the issues discussed are: gossip, abuse, divorce, and parenting,

My only problem with the book is its’ price tag of $22 however because it is 391 pages which is the equivalent of two books I understand, if that is a problem for you get the Kindle version. I recommend this book.  xxx Marsha L. Randolph

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review of which I have done.