bookpagedev

Travel

A luminous look at the City of Light

Review by bookpagedev

Ah, Paris! “Like a hauntingly alluring and exacting mistress, Paris has never quite left me,” reveals eminent British historian Alistair Horne in a prelude to his new Gallic oeuvre, The Seven Ages of Paris. The author of numerous epic volumes of French military history, Horne now trains a fond and omniscient eye on his tempestuous muse, crafting a superb study of a street-wise seductress, in all her glorious and atavistic guises.

This luminous, compelling portrait of Paris, her culture and her citizens is a masterful work of chiaroscuro. Horne’s fine, fluid prose gradually reveals the startling, Janus-like nature of la belle Paris, a city with the siren power to beguile and repel, shock and amuse. The author chooses an idiosyncratic approach: This is not an all-embracing history of Paris, but “a series of linked biographical essays depicting seven ages in the long, exciting life of a sexy and beautiful . . . turbulent, troublesome and sometimes excessively violent woman.” First come the conquering dynasties of monarchs, then the storms of revolution, the autocratic Napoleonic Empires and the 20th century rise of a New Republic.

The streets and monuments of Paris come vividly to life. We witness horrific witch burnings in the Place de Greve, cower with tyrannized kings in the Tuileries Palace, and shiver in the deadly conflagration of Nazi bombs.

Horne has created a worthy reference work and an enlightening traveling companion for those who plan to stroll the venerable boulevards of Paris. Though the author, rather enigmatically, ends this history with de Gaulle’s final exit in 1969, there may be, eventually, an analysis of Mitterrand’s Paris and beyond. But for Horne, this attempt might be premature; perhaps, in the words of Mao’s Prime Minister Chou En-lai, speaking about the impact of China’s Great Revolution, it is “too early to tell.” Alison Hood writes from San Rafael, California.

Ah, Paris! "Like a hauntingly alluring and exacting mistress, Paris has never quite left me," reveals eminent British historian Alistair Horne in a prelude to his new Gallic oeuvre, The Seven Ages of Paris. The author of numerous epic volumes of French military history, Horne…
History

Winning the peace after WWII

Review by bookpagedev

In The Conquerors, presidential historian Michael Beschloss delivers a fascinating exploration of how the Allies decided to deal with the threat posed by Germany after World War II. As he shows in the book, Franklin Delano Roosevelt fervently believed that it would not be enough to defeat the Nazis militarily. It was also imperative that the Allies lay the foundation for democracy in postwar Germany. Without that, history indicated it was likely that Germany would initiate another war in the decades ahead. Despite sharp policy difference with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin, not to mention division within his own cabinet, FDR’s broad vision prevailed. This piece of wartime statecraft, says Beschloss, was “one of America’s great 20th century international achievements.” In exploring the complexity of FDR’s leadership and demonstrating that the politician who wanted to keep his options open, who was flexible and duplicitous, was also able to win the acceptance of such positions as Germany’s unconditional surrender, Beschloss drawing on previously unseen documents from the FBI, Russia and private archives tells an absorbing story, one that’s carefully researched and compellingly written. Among FDR’s major flaws was his refusal to publicly condemn what we know as the Holocaust until 1944, although he had learned of it much earlier. Also, in what Beschloss describes as “one of the great mistakes of modern diplomacy,” neither FDR nor his negotiators raised the issue of U.S. or British access to Berlin because it might make the Russians “suspicious.” In 1945, General Dwight Eisenhower said the success of the Allied occupation of Germany could only be judged in 50 years. “If the Germans at that time have a stable, prosperous democracy, then we shall have succeeded.” This important book is a cogent reminder from the relatively recent past that it is often not enough to achieve military victory. Winning the peace is also crucially important. Roger Bishop is a Nashville bookseller and regular contributor to BookPage.

In The Conquerors, presidential historian Michael Beschloss delivers a fascinating exploration of how the Allies decided to deal with the threat posed by Germany after World War II. As he shows in the book, Franklin Delano Roosevelt fervently believed that it would not be enough…
History

Remembering an old rivalry

Review by bookpagedev

In a competition held in 1401, Lorenzo Ghiberti defeated Filippo Brunelleschi in winning the contract to sculpt a pair of bronze doors for the baptistery of the cathedral of Florence, Italy. Subsequently, Brunelleschi’s plan to build a dome atop the cathedral was chosen over Ghiberti’s. They did not know then they could not know then that their ensuing life-long rivalry would serve to instruct and inspire a host of other artists, thus bringing to Italy, and to the Western world, the dawn of a refreshing new age.

Author Paul Robert Walker tells their story in The Feud That Sparked the Renaissance: How Brunelleschi and Ghiberti Changed the Art World. Millions of visitors to Florence see the artistic masterpieces of these two, hear a tour guide’s five-minute spiel and then leave for the next attraction. It is a pity that they depart without really appreciating the nuances of the antagonists’ strained relationship and with scant knowledge of their personalities and even less about the politics, working conditions and economic factors that shaped their generation all of which are superbly resurrected in this book.

Walker reviews the painstaking efforts involved in Ghiberti’s crafting of the religious-themed reliefs for the gilded portals. They were so beautiful that one year after he completed the doors, he was commissioned to do two more, which Michelangelo is said to have described as worthy of being the “Gates of Paradise.” The author also details Brunelleschi’s ingenious solution to designing and constructing the cathedral’s dome, which because of its size then the largest in the world had stymied everyone else for more than a century. Its loftiness (280 feet above the ground) persuaded officials to serve only diluted wine to the workmen.

The author treats us to an explanation of Brunelleschi’s development of what probably was the most important artistic breakthrough of the Renaissance: the mathematical principle of linear perspective depicting a subject on a flat surface in such a way that it appears so real viewers feel they can reach out and touch it. With this book, Walker author of 20 previous titles on subjects ranging from the American West to miracles, from baseball to folklore widens his reputation for versatility. His newest work is sure to bring such sheer pleasure to people interested in history, architecture and art that many of them will regard the book itself as a work of art. An ex-newsman, Alan Prince of Deerfield Beach, Florida, now writes and lectures.

In a competition held in 1401, Lorenzo Ghiberti defeated Filippo Brunelleschi in winning the contract to sculpt a pair of bronze doors for the baptistery of the cathedral of Florence, Italy. Subsequently, Brunelleschi's plan to build a dome atop the cathedral was chosen over Ghiberti's.…
Travel

The Galapagos’ allure

Review by bookpagedev

<B>The Galapagos’ allure</B> Charles Darwin went to the Galapagos in the 19th century and found the inspiration for his <B>Origin of the Species</B>. Jack Nelson went there in the 1960s for a very different reason.

To put it simply, Nelson was a draft dodger determined to stay out of Vietnam. Though people fly right into the Galapagos these days, his pilgrimage involved quite a bit more adventure, including a five-day ferry ride from the nearest mainland. Safely ensconced on the islands, he sent the U.S. draft board a photo of himself making an obscene gesture.

That was more than 30 years ago. Since then, Nelson has settled into a more conventional existence. He runs a small hotel, helps raise his girlfriend’s daughter and battles the myriad forces of greed that could destroy the Galapagos’ fragile ecology.

It’s around this colorful character that journalist Michael D’Orso loosely organizes his latest book, <I>Plundering Paradise: The Hand of Man on the Galapagos Islands</I>. D’Orso says in his introduction that people, not the raw forces of nature, are what he finds interesting. In the process of researching the Galapagos and its complex politics, he writes compellingly about its natural habitat, which includes ancient, 70-pound tortoises, marine iguanas and an abundance of rare finches. But D’Orso gets at the subject of the Galapagos’ natural wonders through profiles of offbeat characters like Nelson.

The prize in a tug of war between greed and environmental conservation, the Galapagos Islands belong to Ecuador and are at risk from that country’s turbulent government and sky-rocketing inflation. To poverty-stricken Ecuadorians, the riches of the Galapagos act as a powerful magnet.

The Darwin Research Station and Ecuador’s park service try to hold the line against poaching and diesel-dripping cruise ships, but they have limited funds, few personnel and only one boat with which to cruise the seas and enforce restrictions. Into this scene of bureaucratic frustration enters Sea Shepherd, a militant environmental group that lends its boat to the cause of enforcing fishing restrictions off the Galapagos’ coast. But even the unorthodox Sea Shepherds find themselves completely stymied by Ecuador’s network of official corruption.

In the end, D’Orso hopes "that the grandeur and beauty and wonder of the Galapagos will prevail. And that the goodness of man will allow it."

<B>The Galapagos' allure</B> Charles Darwin went to the Galapagos in the 19th century and found the inspiration for his <B>Origin of the Species</B>. Jack Nelson went there in the 1960s for a very different reason.

To put it simply, Nelson was a…

Fiction

The story of a compulsive cop

Review by bookpagedev

It’s hard not to read Matchstick Men as a script, given its background. Long before Miami author Eric Garcia’s novel was published, filmmaker Ridley Scott signed on to direct the film adaptation. It’s set to be one of next summer’s major blockbusters, with Nicolas Cage as the protagonist, Roy, an aging con artist (or “matchstick man”) who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Considering Hollywood’s longtime fascination with the grifter lifestyle, plus the current vogue for films that deal with mental illness, the film seems bound to be a hit.

Roy’s been a grifter for ages. He’s seen it all. “I know all the angles,” he tells a potential business partner, “and I see them coming before other guys even thought of ’em.” Maybe there’s a little too much confidence in this con man, though, because he doesn’t see the biggest con of his life even as it’s falling into place right under his nose.

Roy’s best friend and partner, Frankie (to be played by Sam Rockwell in the film), wants them to get in on a scheme involving a mysterious Turk named Saif, forgeries of forgeries of Pollocks and Miros and several thousand dollars of cold hard cash. Roy, the seasoned vet, doesn’t trust anybody he hasn’t known for eons. He is, literally, insanely uptight even when he’s on his medication. Besides, he’s a little distracted, because he just found out he has a 14-year-old daughter from a whirlwind marriage that ended years ago. But his new shrink, Dr. Klein, has him on some great pills, so at least the specks of dirt on the rug don’t make him want to vomit anymore. And he trusts Frankie. So he goes along with the art scheme, meanwhile getting to know his long-lost daughter, Angela, who’s eager to learn the family business herself.

Alert readers will guess what’s up by page 50, but the fun is in watching Roy figure it out, seeing him dodge constant curveballs and maintain his sanity in the face of his illness. He’s a compelling character, and it’s only slightly distracting to be unable to visualize him as anyone but Nicolas Cage. The immediacy of Roy’s present-tense narration drags you right into his head and keeps you there as the tale unfolds, making it nearly impossible not to be touched by his love of the grift, his unforeseen parental devotion to Angela and his inevitable crash.

Then the sad music swells, the scene fades to black and the credits start to roll. Becky Ohlsen writes from Portland, Oregon.

It's hard not to read Matchstick Men as a script, given its background. Long before Miami author Eric Garcia's novel was published, filmmaker Ridley Scott signed on to direct the film adaptation. It's set to be one of next summer's major blockbusters, with Nicolas Cage…
Fiction

Marriage by design

Review by bookpagedev

“What do you do?” the young career woman asks Hannie Bennet, whom she has just met.

“Marry,” Hannie answers.

When she visits England from her home in South Africa, Hannie is candid about being 52 and in search of a new husband a final husband. Attractive, as well as intriguingly frank, Hannie manages to find one, even though she becomes encumbered by a 14-year-old-son and a dubious past.

In her fine first novel, A Winter Marriage, the award-winning Irish poet Kerry Hardie tells the story of Hannie and her new husband, Ned. Hardie, who reported from Northern Ireland for the BBC before becoming a fiction writer, has created an oddly gripping novel of sociological and psychological depth. It offers insight into the fading Anglo-Irish community, at the same time showing what can happen when two people find currents within themselves that run so deep they cannot be altered by will alone. Ned Renvyle, older than Hannie by 17 years, has retired to a farm near relatives after spending a lifetime wandering the world, writing travel books. By marrying, Ned hopes to turn his lonely Irish farm into a home. Coming from a society marriage, Hannie has the skills, if she chooses to use them.

Readers will want to see what happens daily with this oddly matched couple. How much dullness will Hannie be able to stand? How long can Ned allow Hannie to turn away from his friends and family? After meticulous scene-setting, Hardie brings matters to a close with bold plot thrusts even deaths. Hannie’s secrets come out in the end, leaving us to revalue her. Anne Morris writes from Austin, Texas.

"What do you do?" the young career woman asks Hannie Bennet, whom she has just met.

"Marry," Hannie answers.

When she visits England from her home in South Africa, Hannie is candid about being 52 and in search of a new…
Mystery & SuspenseSuspense

Solving a backwoods murder

Review by bookpagedev

"Mr. Charles LeBlanc, and his companion, Ms. Mildred Spurlock, will be visiting friends and relatives in Cliffside during the coming weeks. During their visit, the couple will be staying with a family friend, Benjamin Henshaw." In award-winning author William Hoffman’s new novel, this notice never actually appears in the social events column because the newspaper in tiny Cliffside, West Virginia, folded years ago when the coal ran out. Locals could tell you, however, that Charley LeBlanc is a convicted felon who received a bad conduct discharge after the Vietnam War. They could also point out that his girlfriend, Blackie Spurlock, just served seven years in prison for killing her husband.

Charley and Blackie were camping on Montana’s high plains when homesickness drew them back to what remains of Cliffside. Charley, the black sheep of a prominent Tidewater family, wants to visit Jessie Arbuckle, an elderly spinster he once befriended. On his return, he learns that Jessie has been murdered and that Esmeralda, a mysterious older woman, is the leading suspect.

He is determined to find the true motive behind the killing and uncover what brought Esmeralda to the scene of the crime. Charley, who appeared in Hoffman’s previous thriller Tidewater Blood, shows the same self-destructive tendency that has plagued him in the past; relationships with his brother and Blackie may be the price for nailing the killer.

Sheriff Basil Lester bars Charley from the crime scene and bears down on anyone who speaks with him. Still, Charley’s search uncovers enough suspects to suggest a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of Cliffside’s society. With its stunning ending and sobering lessons for Charley, Wild Thorn is representative of the well-crafted suspense that has earned accolades and faithful readers for Hoffman during his long career.

John Messer writes from Ludington, Michigan.

 

"Mr. Charles LeBlanc, and his companion, Ms. Mildred Spurlock, will be visiting friends and relatives in Cliffside during the coming weeks. During their visit, the couple will be staying with a family friend, Benjamin Henshaw." In award-winning author William Hoffman's new novel, this notice…

Science Fiction & FantasyFantasy

A spooky retelling of Bluebeard

Review by bookpagedev

Fitcher’s Brides is Gregory Frost’s spine-tingling contribution to editor Terri Windling’s acclaimed Fairy Tale Series, a long-running project in which contemporary authors offer modern takes on the sometimes creepy classics that fascinated us as children. With Windling herself providing an introductory essay, Frost rewrites one of the darkest and bloodiest fairy tales, Bluebeard, setting it in a 19th century apocalyptic cult.

In the original story, Bluebeard gives his wife a set of house keys and tells her she may go anywhere except one room. The young wife, of course, cannot resist the allure of the forbidden. In Frost’s retelling, the Charter family sisters Vernelia (Vern), Amy and Kate, and their father and stepmother leave Boston in 1843 to follow Elais Fitcher, a preacher who has announced that the world is going to end. Fitcher is a highly charismatic preacher whose tours have brought thousands to Harbinger, the communal village his followers have built in upper New York State. One bridge connects Harbinger to the rest of the world, across Jekyll’s Gorge.

The sisters don’t have time to miss Boston. Their stepmother gives them the tasks of putting their new house in order and working the tollgate to the bridge. The girls quickly discover that no one knows what happened to the last tenants of their house; even stranger, the ghost of a young Shaker man starts communicating with them by rapping on the walls. When the Reverend Fitcher arrives unexpectedly one day, he brushes off Mr. Charter’s apologies about his family’s lack of preparedness, “Do not worry about the niceties. . . . They are all of the corporeal sphere, little pleasures and temptations and comforts to make us forget who and what we truly are.” The girls are fascinated; Vern, the eldest, is quickly wooed and wed by Fitcher.

Fitcher’s Brides is divided into three sections, each narrated by a different sister. One by one they are drawn into Harbinger, and Fitcher’s clutches. The novel is suspenseful, spooky and hard to put down, especially as the sisters begin to uncover Fitcher’s secrets, and as Fitcher’s apocalypse approaches. Frost’s finely detailed chiller will stay with the reader for a long time. Gavin Grant reads, writes and publishes speculative fiction in Brooklyn, New York.

Fitcher's Brides is Gregory Frost's spine-tingling contribution to editor Terri Windling's acclaimed Fairy Tale Series, a long-running project in which contemporary authors offer modern takes on the sometimes creepy classics that fascinated us as children. With Windling herself providing an introductory essay, Frost rewrites one…
Fiction

Updike’s latest: a flawed portrait

Review by bookpagedev

<B>Updike’s latest: a flawed portrait</B> In a modern variation on the epistolary narrative, John Updike has crafted an interlocutory novel with <B>Seek My Face</B>, his 20th fictional endeavor (out of some 50-odd books to date). The narrative, spanning a full life remembered and examined, is telescoped into a day-long interview with 79-year-old Hope Ouderkirk McCoy Holloway Chafetz, the much-married muse of two artists (thinly veiled glosses on Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol, if you can imagine the latter as husband and father) and a collector who she suspects may have collected her.

Hope herself is a painter and views the world like one: The strongest aspect of this not entirely successful experiment, presented purely from her perspective, is her sharp observation of the physical setting, her studio in Vermont at the onset of spring. For instance, she opens the door onto "the live wet breath of the rain, the sound and stir of it in the dark . . . its thin vertical rods sparkling with reflections, its towering presence stretching up out of sight into the darkness from which it falls." Less rewarding are passages meant to conjure heated debates on the purpose and meaning of art. These dead-air exegeses read as if cadged from a textbook, and Updike who attended art school fresh out of college, in 1954 in fact credits a couple in a brief foreword.

If one has the patience to plow through often Faulknerian passages, a tangle of Hope’s personal and professional memories, there are plentiful pleasures to be gleaned here including her cranky observations regarding modern life. She doesn’t understand why "suddenly everybody in the new millennium has to have a private bottle of water;" what has become of the "public drinking fountains, the ones that used to be everywhere, spurting thrillingly on your teeth?" Such tactile details show Updike at his best advantage as a writer, rather than synthesizer. This book, offputting as it often is (a weird antisemitic/semierotic subtext clings to Kathryn, Hope’s 20-something interviewer), clearly conveys Updike’s brilliance. However, one can’t help wishing that he didn’t succumb so readily to the temptation to subjugate his gifts as observer to his salient need to impress. <I>Sandy MacDonald is a writer based in Cambridge and Nantucket, Massachusetts.</I>

<B>Updike's latest: a flawed portrait</B> In a modern variation on the epistolary narrative, John Updike has crafted an interlocutory novel with <B>Seek My Face</B>, his 20th fictional endeavor (out of some 50-odd books to date). The narrative, spanning a full life remembered and examined, is…

Weighty gifts for business readers

Review by bookpagedev

Weighing in at almost eight pounds, Business: The Ultimate Resource is the champion business book of the season. Among its pages, you’ll find a dictionary, an almanac, profiles of business leaders, practical checklists and information resources on hundreds of subjects. Before you scoff at the idea of giving a hefty resource volume as a gift, consider this: Where else can you find one source for all the expertise and ideas that comprise “business intelligence”? You can buy an entire library or just one book. Sounds like a value even Scrooge would love.

A collection of 150 original essays from today’s innovation leaders capture the “best practice” ideas on everything from people and culture to renewal and growth. The entries are blissfully brief (two to three pages) and come complete with a Make It Happen action plan to help you implement the ideas. The Viewpoints from scholars and bestsellers such as Philip Kotler and Jim Collins present intriguing ideas on moving companies into the future of good business practices.

Whether you’re in human resources or e-commerce, Business has a management checklist or actionlist to guide you step-by-step through nasty assignments like performing a SWOT analysis or creating a 360 degree feedback review. When you get the impossible task of implementing Kaizen or have to deal with a computer virus, the comprehensive but easy to use table of contents makes it simple to navigate to the right resource.

Business book lovers will love the Management Library, a section that summarizes the 70 most influential business books of all time into one page. Learn The Art of War, understand Megatrends and get cynical with The Peter Principle. Then you’ll want to dive into the lively profiles of more than 100 business thinkers and management giants. Business covers everyone from Dale Carnegie to Oprah Winfrey and shares their backgrounds and key contributions.

This resource is a must have for any business library. Managers, marketers, MBA students and everyone in between will drool over the giant book’s depth of knowledge on every conceivable topic.

Weighing in at almost eight pounds, Business: The Ultimate Resource is the champion business book of the season. Among its pages, you'll find a dictionary, an almanac, profiles of business leaders, practical checklists and information resources on hundreds of subjects. Before you scoff at the…
Religion & Spirituality

Faith-based gifts offer inspiration and hope

Review by bookpagedev

Tis the season for finding great inspirational gifts. Whether your gift is for a family member, friend, in-law or outlaw, a wide variety of titles is available to encourage readers in their faith.

Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of famed evangelist Billy Graham, challenges readers in their personal beliefs with My Heart’s Cry: Longing For More of Jesus (W Publishing, $21.99, 272 pages, ISBN 0849917417). Author of the best-selling Just Give Me Jesus and founder of the Just Give Me Jesus weekend events for women, Lotz takes readers on a journey of desiring God. In 12 well-written chapters, she explores the various attributes of Christ. Chapter five, “More of His Dirt on My Hands,” explores the importance of service, while chapter 10, “More of His Nearness in My Loneliness,” explores God’s omnipresence.

Throughout the book, Lotz draws on her own personal experiences and challenges. She describes speaking to large gatherings of pastors and having some turn their chairs around to face away from her because they disapproved of her speaking and teaching as a woman. She explains how the rejection strengthened her faith and pushed her toward God, rather than away.

Like her father, Anne Graham Lotz has a way of making the Bible, God and the road to life-changing faith interesting, exciting and heart-gripping. This bold woman not only lives but also exudes a contagious faith in her writing.

Another member of the Graham family, Ruth Bell Graham, wife of the well-known evangelist, offers a seasonal title on the special blessings of Christmas. Like any mother, grandmother or great-grandmother, Graham knows the significance and joy the holiday brings to anyone who has watched their child on Christmas morning or has been a child nestled in the warmth of family.

In A Quiet Knowing Christmas: A Joyful Celebration of the Season (W Publishing, $19.99, 176 pages, ISBN 084991762X) Graham presents a new collection of stories, recipes and poems, interspersed with family photos and holiday craft ideas.

As simple as the Christmas story itself, as elegant as such a celebration should be, A Quiet Knowing Christmas culminates in an intimate portrait of how the Graham family honors the name of Christ.

Lotz and Graham aren’t the only women sharing their beliefs these days. Best-selling author and Bible teacher Beth Moore introduces readers to Christ in Jesus, The One and Only (Broadman &and Holman, $19.99, 340 pages, ISBN 080542489X). Moore, who has written a number of studies including Breaking Free, takes readers to the dusty roads of Palestine to study the life of Christ. The book is an adaptation of her popular video-based interactive study of the same name.

Moore explores the life of Christ as he lived it long days as a carpenter and tough days traveling and teaching. She records the details, history and culture that are so often missed in a quick reading of the Gospels.

Rather than fall into the trap of giving all the answers, Moore spends time asking some questions of her own. What did Mary experience during her pregnancy? How long was the labor? How much pressure did she feel to be the perfect mother? In the process, the life and example lived by Christ become more personal and human.

For readers who don’t have time for an in-depth study, Charles Stanley offers an easy-to-read devotional, Seeking His Face: A Daily Devotional (Thomas Nelson, $19.99, 384 pages, ISBN 0785272992). The pastor of the 15,000-member First Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, and president of In Touch Ministries offers daily reading selections that challenge, encourage and inspire.

Each devotion includes a Scripture reading, key verse, prayer and a simple story or message. Reading Stanley’s book is like listening to a sermon in 45-second snippets. Readers are challenged to resist negative thoughts and embrace others with love and offer forgiveness. The writing is simple, direct and enjoyable.

The Best Christian Writing 2002 (HarperSanFrancisco, $15.95, 352 pages, ISBN 0060094834) offers a varied collection of articles on Christian belief today. The series editor, John Wilson, works as an editor at both Christianity Today and Books &and Culture. From a myriad of journals and magazines, he has compiled nearly two dozen pieces. One writer wrestles with the negative byproducts of feminism in “Three Bad Ideas for Women and What to Do About Them,” while another examines the tense but treasured relationship between Judaism and Christianity in “Salvation Is from the Jews.” Other highlights include Walter Wangerin Jr.’s “One Man on a Tractor Far Away” and Philip Yancey’s “The Ample Man Who Saved My Faith.” If you’re shopping for a young preteen boy (ages 8-12) you’ll want to consider Zonderkidz’ new 2:52 Soul Gear line of products, which includes The 2:52 Boys Bible (Zonderkidz, $26.99, ISBN 0310703204). The 2:52 designation is based on a Scripture found in the Gospel of Luke: “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Edited by best-selling author and speaker Rick Osborne, The 2:52 Boys Bible features a study system that takes boys through the Bible, highlighting people, stories and verses that show them how to grow.

Using the NIV translation, the Bible includes numerous side notes and boxes of extra information designed to engage young male readers. Cleverly titled, “Make It Stick” is a boy’s version of a journal written on sticky notes; “Get a Load of This” provides interesting and humorous facts about the Bible; and “Grossology” offers some gory facts from the Bible. The cover design (which is reminiscent of the reality television series Survivor logo) is rugged enough to convince boys it’s cool.

And finally, a beautiful new gift book reveals The Peace &and Power of Knowing God’s Name by Kay Arthur. The author explores the ancient meanings of the names of God found in Scripture passages and shows how they expand our understanding and knowledge of God. Co-founder of Precept Ministries International and the author of leading inductive Bible studies, Arthur writes with insight about 15 of the names given to God, including El Elyon meaning The God Most High; El Roi meaning The God Who Sees; and Jehovah-raah meaning The Lord My Shepherd. With a gorgeous cover and crisp photographs throughout, The Peace &and Power of Knowing God’s Name offers beautiful visual images along with its inspiring text. Margaret Feinberg is a writer based in Sitka, Alaska. She is author of God Whispers: Learning To Hear His Voice (Relevant Books).

Tis the season for finding great inspirational gifts. Whether your gift is for a family member, friend, in-law or outlaw, a wide variety of titles is available to encourage readers in their faith.

Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of famed evangelist Billy Graham, challenges…
Religion & Spirituality

Faith-based gifts offer inspiration and hope

Review by bookpagedev

Tis the season for finding great inspirational gifts. Whether your gift is for a family member, friend, in-law or outlaw, a wide variety of titles is available to encourage readers in their faith.

Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of famed evangelist Billy Graham, challenges readers in their personal beliefs with My Heart’s Cry: Longing For More of Jesus (W Publishing, $21.99, 272 pages, ISBN 0849917417). Author of the best-selling Just Give Me Jesus and founder of the Just Give Me Jesus weekend events for women, Lotz takes readers on a journey of desiring God. In 12 well-written chapters, she explores the various attributes of Christ. Chapter five, “More of His Dirt on My Hands,” explores the importance of service, while chapter 10, “More of His Nearness in My Loneliness,” explores God’s omnipresence.

Throughout the book, Lotz draws on her own personal experiences and challenges. She describes speaking to large gatherings of pastors and having some turn their chairs around to face away from her because they disapproved of her speaking and teaching as a woman. She explains how the rejection strengthened her faith and pushed her toward God, rather than away.

Like her father, Anne Graham Lotz has a way of making the Bible, God and the road to life-changing faith interesting, exciting and heart-gripping. This bold woman not only lives but also exudes a contagious faith in her writing.

Another member of the Graham family, Ruth Bell Graham, wife of the well-known evangelist, offers a seasonal title on the special blessings of Christmas. Like any mother, grandmother or great-grandmother, Graham knows the significance and joy the holiday brings to anyone who has watched their child on Christmas morning or has been a child nestled in the warmth of family.

In A Quiet Knowing Christmas: A Joyful Celebration of the Season (W Publishing, $19.99, 176 pages, ISBN 084991762X) Graham presents a new collection of stories, recipes and poems, interspersed with family photos and holiday craft ideas.

As simple as the Christmas story itself, as elegant as such a celebration should be, A Quiet Knowing Christmas culminates in an intimate portrait of how the Graham family honors the name of Christ.

Lotz and Graham aren’t the only women sharing their beliefs these days. Best-selling author and Bible teacher Beth Moore introduces readers to Christ in Jesus, The One and Only (Broadman ∧ Holman, $19.99, 340 pages, ISBN 080542489X). Moore, who has written a number of studies including Breaking Free, takes readers to the dusty roads of Palestine to study the life of Christ. The book is an adaptation of her popular video-based interactive study of the same name.

Moore explores the life of Christ as he lived it long days as a carpenter and tough days traveling and teaching. She records the details, history and culture that are so often missed in a quick reading of the Gospels.

Rather than fall into the trap of giving all the answers, Moore spends time asking some questions of her own. What did Mary experience during her pregnancy? How long was the labor? How much pressure did she feel to be the perfect mother? In the process, the life and example lived by Christ become more personal and human.

For readers who don’t have time for an in-depth study, Charles Stanley offers an easy-to-read devotional, Seeking His Face: A Daily Devotional (Thomas Nelson, $19.99, 384 pages, ISBN 0785272992). The pastor of the 15,000-member First Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, and president of In Touch Ministries offers daily reading selections that challenge, encourage and inspire.

Each devotion includes a Scripture reading, key verse, prayer and a simple story or message. Reading Stanley’s book is like listening to a sermon in 45-second snippets. Readers are challenged to resist negative thoughts and embrace others with love and offer forgiveness. The writing is simple, direct and enjoyable.

The Best Christian Writing 2002 (HarperSanFrancisco, $15.95, 352 pages, ISBN 0060094834) offers a varied collection of articles on Christian belief today. The series editor, John Wilson, works as an editor at both Christianity Today and Books ∧ Culture. From a myriad of journals and magazines, he has compiled nearly two dozen pieces. One writer wrestles with the negative byproducts of feminism in “Three Bad Ideas for Women and What to Do About Them,” while another examines the tense but treasured relationship between Judaism and Christianity in “Salvation Is from the Jews.” Other highlights include Walter Wangerin Jr.’s “One Man on a Tractor Far Away” and Philip Yancey’s “The Ample Man Who Saved My Faith.” If you’re shopping for a young preteen boy (ages 8-12) you’ll want to consider Zonderkidz’ new 2:52 Soul Gear line of products, which includes The 2:52 Boys Bible. The 2:52 designation is based on a Scripture found in the Gospel of Luke: “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Edited by best-selling author and speaker Rick Osborne, The 2:52 Boys Bible features a study system that takes boys through the Bible, highlighting people, stories and verses that show them how to grow.

Using the NIV translation, the Bible includes numerous side notes and boxes of extra information designed to engage young male readers. Cleverly titled, “Make It Stick” is a boy’s version of a journal written on sticky notes; “Get a Load of This” provides interesting and humorous facts about the Bible; and “Grossology” offers some gory facts from the Bible. The cover design (which is reminiscent of the reality television series Survivor logo) is rugged enough to convince boys it’s cool.

And finally, a beautiful new gift book reveals The Peace ∧ Power of Knowing God’s Name by Kay Arthur (WaterBrook, $17.99, 144 pages, ISBN 1578565502). The author explores the ancient meanings of the names of God found in Scripture passages and shows how they expand our understanding and knowledge of God. Co-founder of Precept Ministries International and the author of leading inductive Bible studies, Arthur writes with insight about 15 of the names given to God, including El Elyon meaning The God Most High; El Roi meaning The God Who Sees; and Jehovah-raah meaning The Lord My Shepherd. With a gorgeous cover and crisp photographs throughout, The Peace ∧ Power of Knowing God’s Name offers beautiful visual images along with its inspiring text. Margaret Feinberg is a writer based in Sitka, Alaska. She is author of God Whispers: Learning To Hear His Voice (Relevant Books).

Tis the season for finding great inspirational gifts. Whether your gift is for a family member, friend, in-law or outlaw, a wide variety of titles is available to encourage readers in their faith.

Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of famed evangelist Billy Graham, challenges…
Religion & Spirituality

Faith-based gifts offer inspiration and hope

Review by bookpagedev

Tis the season for finding great inspirational gifts. Whether your gift is for a family member, friend, in-law or outlaw, a wide variety of titles is available to encourage readers in their faith.

Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of famed evangelist Billy Graham, challenges readers in their personal beliefs with My Heart’s Cry: Longing For More of Jesus (W Publishing, $21.99, 272 pages, ISBN 0849917417). Author of the best-selling Just Give Me Jesus and founder of the Just Give Me Jesus weekend events for women, Lotz takes readers on a journey of desiring God. In 12 well-written chapters, she explores the various attributes of Christ. Chapter five, “More of His Dirt on My Hands,” explores the importance of service, while chapter 10, “More of His Nearness in My Loneliness,” explores God’s omnipresence.

Throughout the book, Lotz draws on her own personal experiences and challenges. She describes speaking to large gatherings of pastors and having some turn their chairs around to face away from her because they disapproved of her speaking and teaching as a woman. She explains how the rejection strengthened her faith and pushed her toward God, rather than away.

Like her father, Anne Graham Lotz has a way of making the Bible, God and the road to life-changing faith interesting, exciting and heart-gripping. This bold woman not only lives but also exudes a contagious faith in her writing.

Another member of the Graham family, Ruth Bell Graham, wife of the well-known evangelist, offers a seasonal title on the special blessings of Christmas. Like any mother, grandmother or great-grandmother, Graham knows the significance and joy the holiday brings to anyone who has watched their child on Christmas morning or has been a child nestled in the warmth of family.

In A Quiet Knowing Christmas: A Joyful Celebration of the Season (W Publishing, $19.99, 176 pages, ISBN 084991762X) Graham presents a new collection of stories, recipes and poems, interspersed with family photos and holiday craft ideas.

As simple as the Christmas story itself, as elegant as such a celebration should be, A Quiet Knowing Christmas culminates in an intimate portrait of how the Graham family honors the name of Christ.

Lotz and Graham aren’t the only women sharing their beliefs these days. Best-selling author and Bible teacher Beth Moore introduces readers to Christ in Jesus, The One and Only (Broadman ∧ Holman, $19.99, 340 pages, ISBN 080542489X). Moore, who has written a number of studies including Breaking Free, takes readers to the dusty roads of Palestine to study the life of Christ. The book is an adaptation of her popular video-based interactive study of the same name.

Moore explores the life of Christ as he lived it long days as a carpenter and tough days traveling and teaching. She records the details, history and culture that are so often missed in a quick reading of the Gospels.

Rather than fall into the trap of giving all the answers, Moore spends time asking some questions of her own. What did Mary experience during her pregnancy? How long was the labor? How much pressure did she feel to be the perfect mother? In the process, the life and example lived by Christ become more personal and human.

For readers who don’t have time for an in-depth study, Charles Stanley offers an easy-to-read devotional, Seeking His Face: A Daily Devotional (Thomas Nelson, $19.99, 384 pages, ISBN 0785272992). The pastor of the 15,000-member First Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, and president of In Touch Ministries offers daily reading selections that challenge, encourage and inspire.

Each devotion includes a Scripture reading, key verse, prayer and a simple story or message. Reading Stanley’s book is like listening to a sermon in 45-second snippets. Readers are challenged to resist negative thoughts and embrace others with love and offer forgiveness. The writing is simple, direct and enjoyable.

The Best Christian Writing 2002 offers a varied collection of articles on Christian belief today. The series editor, John Wilson, works as an editor at both Christianity Today and Books ∧ Culture. From a myriad of journals and magazines, he has compiled nearly two dozen pieces. One writer wrestles with the negative byproducts of feminism in “Three Bad Ideas for Women and What to Do About Them,” while another examines the tense but treasured relationship between Judaism and Christianity in “Salvation Is from the Jews.” Other highlights include Walter Wangerin Jr.’s “One Man on a Tractor Far Away” and Philip Yancey’s “The Ample Man Who Saved My Faith.” If you’re shopping for a young preteen boy (ages 8-12) you’ll want to consider Zonderkidz’ new 2:52 Soul Gear line of products, which includes The 2:52 Boys Bible (Zonderkidz, $26.99, ISBN 0310703204). The 2:52 designation is based on a Scripture found in the Gospel of Luke: “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Edited by best-selling author and speaker Rick Osborne, The 2:52 Boys Bible features a study system that takes boys through the Bible, highlighting people, stories and verses that show them how to grow.

Using the NIV translation, the Bible includes numerous side notes and boxes of extra information designed to engage young male readers. Cleverly titled, “Make It Stick” is a boy’s version of a journal written on sticky notes; “Get a Load of This” provides interesting and humorous facts about the Bible; and “Grossology” offers some gory facts from the Bible. The cover design (which is reminiscent of the reality television series Survivor logo) is rugged enough to convince boys it’s cool.

And finally, a beautiful new gift book reveals The Peace ∧ Power of Knowing God’s Name by Kay Arthur (WaterBrook, $17.99, 144 pages, ISBN 1578565502). The author explores the ancient meanings of the names of God found in Scripture passages and shows how they expand our understanding and knowledge of God. Co-founder of Precept Ministries International and the author of leading inductive Bible studies, Arthur writes with insight about 15 of the names given to God, including El Elyon meaning The God Most High; El Roi meaning The God Who Sees; and Jehovah-raah meaning The Lord My Shepherd. With a gorgeous cover and crisp photographs throughout, The Peace ∧ Power of Knowing God’s Name offers beautiful visual images along with its inspiring text. Margaret Feinberg is a writer based in Sitka, Alaska. She is author of God Whispers: Learning To Hear His Voice (Relevant Books).

Tis the season for finding great inspirational gifts. Whether your gift is for a family member, friend, in-law or outlaw, a wide variety of titles is available to encourage readers in their faith.

Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of famed evangelist Billy Graham, challenges…

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