book review Archives - Page 3 of 6

Living With Wealth Without Losing Your Soul

Last month I was at a conference in Florida and met the author of Living With Wealth Without Losing Your Soul. The author, Steve Perry, had the interesting experience of marrying his wife without realizing she came from a very wealthy family. He had to completely adjust his thinking — both spiritually and socially — about wealth.

It’s a book that covers a lot of the same themes as Junkyard Wisdom, though with more of a pastoral heart and less of the “global junkyard” messiness I embrace. Where Junkyard Wisdom tells the story of one who strives to …

Dirty Glory

After 15-years of seeing God work in amazing ways, Pete Greig has written Dirty Glory: Go Where Your Best Prayers Take You to share those stories. It’s the story of prayer and Pete’s amazing ride as the “accidental” founder of 24-7 Prayer.

Most of all, it’s the story of God’s engagement in our world. This is where Pete shines as an author (and as a person). He can tell amazing stories, but you never sense it’s about self-promotion the way other preacher/teacher types sometimes come across. For Pete, it’s genuinely about what God is doing in the world.

For this …

How You Can Help

So now the book is out and I can relax, right? Well not exactly.

To create sustained credibility, a book needs reviews on Amazon. You know how it is — you hear about a book, go to the Amazon page, and see that nobody has reviewed it, or just 2-3 people have. And you think, “Huh, well, maybe it’s not such a big deal after all.”

By contrast, you go to Amazon and see dozens of reviews. Even hundreds. And then you think, “Wow, people must be really engaging with this.” And you buy the book.

That’s the reaction …

Under New Management

David Burkus has written a fun book for anybody who manages people. Under New Management looks at how organizational management is changing in ways we never thought realistic. You really should get a copy of this book if you oversee any group of people.

Some of the ideas are idealistic — such as chapter one, “Outlaw Email.” Other ideas are very thoughtful and doable, such as chapter two, “Put Customers Second.” Many of the ideas, such as “Hire as a Team” and “Fire the Managers”, have been around a long time but have only recently gained steam in the marketplace.…

Two Book Recommendations

Two book recommendations this week. Both are great and should be on your reading list.

John Townsend writes beautiful and thoughtful books about faith, psychology, and well being. His latest, The Entitlement Cure, came to my attention when The Gathering asked me to sign my book next to Townsend. Um, just a little intimidation there! I agreed of course, but I thought I better read The Entitlement Cure in advance. And I’m really glad I did.

In some ways we all suffer from entitlement. Or at least those of us in the Western/developed world. For some it’s a real …

Shane Claiborne

Last week Shane Claiborne was in town for a PathLight luncheon. It was an honor to interview him and hear his take on faith, culture, justice, and activism. Plus I had fun teasing him about not following me on Twitter (he does now — woohoo!).

Shane is deeply concerned about the death penalty and recently wrote Executing Grace: How the Death Penalty Killed Jesus and Why It’s Killing Us. Although our interview did not cover this topic, PathLight gave a copy of the book to the 35 people who attended the luncheon. It is a powerful account of the …

Superforecasting

What is Superforecasting? Well imagine the ability to consistently predict world events, or the stock market, or even an election. Philip Tetlock has spent the last decade overseeing a government funded contest to see who the best forecasters really are. And the findings are in the book Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction.

Asking very specific questions, such as will North Korea detonate a nuclear bomb between January and March, Tetlock was able to track forecasters without giving them a lot of wiggle room. He takes on the television pundits who boldly predict world events but state those …

Slow Kingdom Coming, by Kent Annan

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by all the ways we’re suppose to make a difference in the world? We’re suppose to eat certain foods, wear certain shoes, support certain organizations, “like” certain Facebook posts … sigh … sometimes it all feels overdone. A type of “justice fatigue” sets in. How can we stay committed to justice and mercy and not feel like Sisyphus, constantly pushing a rock up the hill?

Kent Annan has written Slow Kingdom Coming: Practices for Doing Justice, Loving Mercy and Walking Humbly in the World so we can all take a deep breath and get back …