Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren have done us a tremendous favor in supplying us with several excellent rules for reading. They are as follows: Classify the book according to the kind and subject matter.State what the whole book is about with the upmost brevity.Enumerate its major parts in their order and relation, and outline these parts as you have outlined the whole.Define the problem or problems the author has tried to solve.Come to terms with the author by … [Read more...] about How to Read a Book Better
Book Reviews
Saving Eutychus
SAVING EUTYCHUSHow to preach God's word and keep people awakeBy Gary Millar and Phil Campbell Eutychus never knew that night would forever change his life. He never knew how close to death he sat. But he soon found out. What happened? Well, he fell asleep listening to Paul teach. Normally, we don't consider following asleep in a sermon to be the end of the world, but in this case, for Eutychus, it was. You see as Paul spoke late into the night, Eutychus dozed off...perched in an open … [Read more...] about Saving Eutychus
Book Review – John Newton
JOHN NEWTON(Bitesize Biographies)By John Crotts I thoroughly enjoyed this slim volume. John Crotts does a fine job. He crisply captures the life and times of John Newton. As part of the "Bitesize Biographies" series, John Newton does not attempt to be an exhaustive or academic treatment of its subject, but I found this refreshing for several reasons. Summary over Sources. I appreciate a simple summary. Often, writers inflate biographies with original source material. Letters, papers, … [Read more...] about Book Review – John Newton
Deep & Wide
DEEP & WIDECreating Churches Unchurched People Love to AttendBy Andy Stanley I enjoyed Deep & Wide: Creating Churches Unchurched People Love to Attend by Andy Stanley. Of course, Stanley makes you squirm. That's kind of his thing. He drops a controversial statement with a twinkle in his eye, but the rhetorical right hooks keep you intellectually engaged and reading. In Deep & Wide, Stanley addresses some important topics in ministry like environment, excellence, tolerance, and … [Read more...] about Deep & Wide
The Conviction to Lead
THE CONVICTION TO LEAD25 Principles for Leadership That MattersBy Albert Mohler Al Mohler's The Conviction to Lead wasn't what I was hoping for. I had high hopes because I knew of his fabled revolution at Southern Seminary. Many people in Southern Baptists circles consider the theological and institutional overhaul Mohler sparked to be legendary. I looked forward to hearing his firsthand anecdotes and insights from this epic history. But Mohler hardly ever references or elaborates on this … [Read more...] about The Conviction to Lead
Church Planting Is For Wimps
CHURCH PLANTING IS FOR WIMPSHow God Uses Messed-up People to Plant Ordinary Churches That Do Extraordinary ThingsBy Mike McKinley Church Planting is For Wimps by Mike McKinley will captivate you. It consists only of about a hundred pages, but McKinley packs it with punches. I couldn't put it down and ended up finishing it in one sitting. Church Planting... takes the form of a personal narrative shaped around Mike's experience revitalizing a church in Virginia. His lively writing keeps you … [Read more...] about Church Planting Is For Wimps