Book Reviews
By Roy GobleI read a lot. At least one book a week. Or more accurately, I listen and read a lot. A fair number of the books I “read” are actually audiobooks that keep me company when I’m driving.
So I thought it might be interesting to post short reviews on the books. Below are the books that I have reviewed; just click on it to read the review.
I have been asked where I find the books that I want to read. More often than not, on television shows! Fareed Zakaria recommends a book each week on his show, and I’ve found them to be consistently solid. I’ve been known to fast forward through Jon Stewart’s and Stephen Colbert’s shows to get to the interviews with authors. Every now and then D’Aun will recommend a book she heard about from friends. I know several authors and they send stuff to me, which I appreciate. I check the recommendations list on Amazon, I watch the NY Times Bestsellers list, and I read the book review sections in our Sunday newspaper.
If you have suggestions about good books to read, please tell me. I’m always on the lookout for new stuff.
At any given time there are between 20-30 books in my nightstand and 3-4 audiobooks on my iPhone. D’Aun has said I need a bigger nightstand. Or more memory on my iPhone.
Or maybe a 12-step program to stop reading so much. Hmmm….I wonder if there is a book about that.
Here are the 2012 books:
Don’t Get Me Wrong!, by Judith Reker and Julia Grosse
Jerusalem: The Biography, by Simon Sebag Montefiore
Strategic Vision, by Zbigniew Brezezinski
The Shaping of an Effective Leader, by Gayle Beebe
Poustinia, by Catherine Doherty
Explorers of the Nile, by Tim Jeal
Keynes Hayek, by Nicholas Wapshott
The Next Decade, by George Friedman
Lost Kingdom, by Julia Flynn Siler
Loving Our Religious Neighbors, by Josh Daneshforooz
Charlemagne, by Richard Winston
Death at La Fenice, by Donna Leon
Here are the 2011 books:
James Madison, by Richard Brookhiser
Hitchhiker’s Guide to Jesus, by Bruce Fisk.
Porsche 911: Perfection by Design, by Randy Leffingwell
The Better Angels of Our Nature, by Steven Pinker
The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Kostoevsky
McQueen’s Machines, by Matt Stone
The Wine Seeker’s Guide to Livermore Valley, by Thomas C. Wilmer
When Elves Attack, by Tim Dorsey
Car Guys vs. Bean Counters, by Bob Lutz
Catherine the Great, by Robert K. Massie
Ain’t Too Proud to Beg, by Telford Work
The Intelligent Entrepreneur, by Bill Murphy Jr.
Between Heaven and Mirth, by James Martin
The President and the Assassin, by Scott Miller
Sanctuary of the Soul, by Richard Foster
25 Books Every Christian Should Read, pulled together by a renowned editorial board
Grant’s Final Victory, by Charles Bracelen Flood
Churches, Cultures & Leadership, by Mark Lau Branson and Juan F. Martinez
Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans, by A.J. Baime
One Click: Jeff Bezos and the Rise of Amazon.com, by Richard Brandt
Essential Alfa Romeo, by David Hodges
Destiny of the Republic, by Candice Millard
Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson
The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, by Lesslie Newbigin
The Long Ships, by Frans G. Bengtsson
Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me), by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronsen
The Great A&P and the Struggle for Small Business in America, by Marc Levinson
The Deep and Secret Color of Ice, by Paul Willis
Jaguar: One Man’s Struggle to Establish the World’s First Jaguar Preserve, by Alan Rabinowitz
XEALOTS: Defying the Gravity of Normality, by Dave Gibbons
Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend, by Susan Orlean
Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World, by Michael Lewis
Confidence Men, by Ron Suskind
The Pun Also Rises, by John Pollack
1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created, by Charles C. Mann
A Credible Witness, by Brenda Salter McNeil
The Miracle of Freedom: 7 Tipping Points That Saved the World, by Chris Stewart and Ted Stewart
Macbeth, by William Shakespeare
The Madman and The Pirate, by R.M. Ballantyne
American Tempest, by Harlow Giles Unger
After You Believe, by N.T. Wright
The Pirates of Somalia, by Jay Bahadur
Illustrated Alfa Romeo Buyer’s Guide, by Joe Benson
The Sword of the Lord, by Joseph Hocking
The Yugo: The Rise and Fall of the Worst Car in History, by Jason Vuic
David Crockett: The Lion of the West, by Michael Wallis
The Last Narco, by Malcolm Beith
It Happened in Montana, by James A. Crutchfield
The Words of Jesus, by Phyllis Tickle
A History of the World in 6 Glasses, by Tom Standage
Sex on the Moon, by Ben Mezrich
My Journey to Hope, by Don Goehner
Christians Are Hate Filled Hypocrites, by Bradley Wright
Tangled Webs, by James B. Stewart
Generation Freedom, by Bruce Feiler
The Path of Celtic Prayer, by Calvin Miller
Devotion by Design, by Scott Nethersole
The Heart and the Fist, by Eric Greitens
Practicing the Way of Jesus, by Mark Scandrette
The Thank You Economy, by Gary Vaynerchuk
Blood Money, by David Ignatius
Stealing the General, by Russell Bonds
King’s Cross, by Timothy Keller
24-7 Prayer Manual, by Pete Greig and David Blackwell
In the Garden of Beasts, by Erik Larson
Making a Difference, by Larry Little
Five Days in London, by John Lukacs
The Greater Journey, by David McCullough
Allah: A Christian Response, by Miroslav Volf
What Can I Do?, by David Livermore
Defending Constantine, by Peter Leithart
Lost in Shangri-La, by Mitchell Zuckoff
Knowing Christ Today, by Dallas Willard
The Lost History of Christianity, by John Philip Jenkins
Red Moon Rising, by Pete Greig and Dave Roberts
Moonwalking With Einstein, by Joshua Foer
Then Everything Changed, by Jeff Greenfield
Decision Points, by George W. Bush
Lindbergh vs. Roosevelt, by James P. Duffy
Approaching God, by Lisa Repko Borden
Understanding Belize, by Alan Twigg
Wild Bill Donovan, by Douglas Waller
Content Rules, by Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman
Unfamiliar Fishes, by Sarah Vowell
Falling Upward, by Richard Rohr
The Social Animal, by David Brooks
Our Kind of Traitor, by John le Carre
The Steve Jobs Way, by Jay Elliot
Chocolate Wars, by Deborah Cadbury
The Fiery Trial, by Eric Foner
Washington: A Life, by Ron Chernow
Where Good Ideas Come From, by Steven Johnson
The Future of Power, by Joseph Nye
The End of the Free Market, by Ian Brenner
The Referral Engine, by John Jantsch
Left to Tell, by Immaculee Ilibagiza
To Change the World, by James Davison Hunter
Without Hesitation, by General Hugh Shelton
Different: Escaping the Competitive Herd, by Youngme Moon
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, by Donald Miller
American Grace, by Robert Putnam
The Bed of Procrustes, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Extraordinary, Ordinary People – by Condoleezza Rice
The Checklist Manifesto, by Atul Gawande
Hi Roy! I also love to read but my life doesn’t allow me to be as avid as you are! I love when I read a book on my phone because then I always have it with me to read in line or while getting gas!
I am very picky about my books. I should say, picky about the ones I love. I don’t like many of the books the world loves. For some reason I wasn’t thrilled with the Pillar of the Earth book but EVERYone else liked it. Go figure! To me, the style of writing is almost more important than the story. So here are a few rec’s of books in which I loved the style of writing AND the story. Maybe you’ve read a few, maybe you’ll pick up one of these and add to your list! Enjoy!
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak- a family hiding a Jew during
the war. Honestly, one of the most interesting writing I’ve read
in a long time. Had to reread paragraphs to soak it all in. I
not only see the story, I could taste and feel it too.
City of Thieves by David Benioff- a tale that takes place during
the siege of Leningrad. A downed German paratrooper and a
Russian soldier who deserted are paired to go on a mission for
the Colonel to save their lives. Great writing and twists to make
it a page turner!
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory. Not a chick novel!!
The movie was HORRIBLE! Didn’t have the depth, the splendor
or the drama that the book had. You know the story; when the
King wants to ditch Catherine for Anne but there is also a
dalliance with Anne’s sister, the other Bolelyn girl. History
comes alive in this book!
Okay, there you have it! Historical novels for you to revel in!
Take care and hope to see you soon!
Emily
Thanks, Emily!
I read your review of Unbroken and thought you might be interested in reading my memoir, The Night Sky: A Journey from Dachau to Denver and Back. It’s about my 43-year search for my biological father who disappeared shortly after my birth in war-torn Germany. As I take the reader on my journey between the past and the present in Ukraine, Poland, Germany, Russia, and my association with a former KGB agent to solve a decades-long mystery, I learn the family secrets of untold heroism, quiet courage, and a mother’s love – and of tragedy, disillusionment and heartbreak. At the end of my long journey, I uncover a shattering and painful truth. But the secret, however heartbreaking, would also become the greatest gift I would receive.
If you’re interested, search for “Maria Sutton” in Amazon.com. Thanks!
Sincerely,
Maria Sutton
Roy,
I read a lot too, and only a few of your titles crossed my desk this year.
How did you like Dallas Willard’s Knowing Christ ….., I read that one twice, first chapter is a little deep but once the context is set down, he got easier to read.
Rick Skala
Hi Rick! Long time no see. Hope you are doing well.
I really enjoyed “Knowing Christ”. Obviously Willard is not an easy read…he makes you think through every sentence and every paragraph. But his stuff is amazing. I just have to read it slowly and steadily!