Tag Archives: nonfiction

Book Review: Fearless

31 Jul

Growing up, Adam Brown started his life like many American boys. He loved taking risks, pursuing adventures, and playing football for his high school team. But when he died on March 17, 2010 in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan, he had become a man who served his country with excellence as an elite warrior and leader. Fearless by Eric Blehm is a tribute to the life and legacy of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown. 

As a young man, Adam always tried to honor his family, but there was a time when it seemed that his life might take a downward turn. Lacking purpose after high school, Adam fell in with the wrong crowd and became addicted to drugs, landing himself in jail. Taking the wake-up call to turn his life around, Adam began to search for meaning. He found it in giving his life to Jesus Christ, finding the love of his life, Kelly, and in the dream to become a Navy SEAL. 

Adam’s determination and hard work propelled him to reach higher and higher until his dream of becoming a Navy Seal was realized. Even after reaching his goal, Adam was always the first to volunteer for the most dangerous assignments. His final act of bravery led to the ultimate sacrifice, and the devoted family man and soldier was killed in action. Fearless is an unforgettable tale of a true American hero–a man of courage and daring who gave his all in service to his country.

 

Excerpt

 

************************
************************

Eric Blehm is a bestselling and award-winning author of nonfiction books. In 2006, he won the Barnes & Noble Discover Award for The Last Season (HarperCollins), a gripping account of the disappearance of legendary National Park Service ranger Randy Morgenson; The Last Season was also named by Outside magazine as one of the ten “greatest adventure biographies ever written” in 2009. Blehm’s next book, New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller The Only Thing Worth Dying For (HarperCollins, 2010), was hailed by former congressman Charlie Wilson, of Charlie Wilson’s War, as a “must read” among books about the current war in Afghanistan.

In 1999, Blehm became the first journalist to accompany and keep pace with an elite Army Ranger unit on a training mission. His access into the Special Operations community and reportage set an important milestone for American war journalism two years before reporters began to gain widespread embedded status with the U.S. military in the War Against Terror. Blehm’s immersion with the Rangers is what led him to the previously untold story of an elite team of eleven Green Berets who operated in the hinterland of Taliban-held Afghanistan just weeks after 9/11 (The Only Thing Worth Dying For), as well as to his current book: Fearless (Waterbrook/Multnomah; Random House). On sale in May 2012, Fearless is the heartrending and inspiring story of Naval Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Adam Brown, who overcame tremendous odds in his rise to the top tier of the U.S. military: SEAL Team Six.

Blehm is the founder of Molly the Owl Books, the independent publishing company behind Molly the Owl—his popular nonfiction children’s book about a barn owl and her family—which won the 2011 Nautilus Award and the 2011 San Diego Book Award. Currently, he is working on his next nonfiction book, which takes place during the Cold War era.

Author Podcast

My Impressions:

I have mixed feelings about Fearless, the account of real life hero and Navy SEAL, Adam Brown.  While I feel that the story of Adam’s life — his childhood, troubled young adulthood, his journey to become a SEAL and the struggles he faced due to his one time addiction — is a triumph of God’s power and provision, I am reluctant to recommend it to just anyone because of the profanity and crude language it contains.  I am not so naive to believe that the men our country trains to be our ultimate warriors are choir boys, but I am a little dismayed that Waterbrook (the publisher) chose not to edit the manuscript more closely.  I say all this because while I feel Fearless is certainly a story worth reading, you (the future reader) should be aware of some of its content.

Fearless is the story of a real man. Adam Brown did have a lot of the characteristics of a super hero:  grit and determination, the attitude that he would rather die than quit and a love of family and country not to be paralleled. But Adam was human as well.  He hit bottom before joining the Navy — drugs, felony charges, and the loss of respect and trust of his family and friends.  He struggled with the lure of drugs even into his Navy career.  But his steadfast faith and the love of his wife brought Adam to be the man that could be used by his country and by his God.  And the fact that he wanted his story, all of it, to be told is a testament to his trust in God and His power to change lives.

So should you read Fearless?  If you want to know about a very courageous young man whose faith was in God and want to know a little of what our most elite warriors do to prepare and fight, then yes.  But be aware that the language may offend.

 

For more info., click HERE.

(I received Fearless from Waterbrook in return for a review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Tags: , ,

Book Review: The Last Hunger Season

13 Jul

Africa’s small farmers, who comprise two-thirds of its population, toil in a time warp, living and working essentially as they did in the 1930s. Without mechanized equipment, fertilizer, or irrigation; using primitive storage facilities, roads, and markets; lacking capital, credit, and insurance; they harvest only one-quarter the yields of Western farmers, half of which spoil before getting to market. But in 2011 one group of farmers in Kenya came together to try to change their odds for success—and their families’ futures. Roger Thurow spent a year following their progress.

In The Last Hunger Season, the intimate dramas of the farmers’ lives unfold amidst growing awareness that to feed the world’s growing population, food production must double by 2050. How will the farmers, Africa, and a hungrier world deal with issues of water usage, land ownership, foreign investment, corruption, GMO’s, the changing role of women, and the politics of foreign aid?

Excerpt

****************************

****************************

Roger Thurow is a senior fellow for global agriculture and food policy at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. He was for thirty years a reporter at The Wall Street Journal. His first book, Enough: Why the World’s Poorest Still Starve in an Age of Plenty, written with Scott Kilman, won the Harry Chapin Why Hunger book award and was a finalist for both the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and the New York Public Library Helen Bernstein Book Award. He is a 2009 recipient of the Action Against Hunger Humanitarian Award. He lives in Chicago.

My Impressions:

In America, not having any food in the house often means that there is plenty to eat, just not what you are hungry for.  But in Kenya, where one is often named for the season of year in which one was born, there are too many children named Wanjala — the hunger season.  Even among farmers, hunger and its accompanying problems is common.  The Last Hunger Season details one year in the life of 4 farmers involved in One Acre Fund, founded by American Andrew Youn.  One Acre Fund seeks to improve farming techniques through education, loans and better seeds.  It is not another  food aid agency; it seeks to improve the lives of farmers by making them part of the solution.

The Last Hunger Season is an eye-opening book.  Hunger and the day to day struggle to have enough to eat is something foreign to most of us in the Western world.  The idea that farmers go through a hunger season, watching their children become more and more listless and susceptible to disease seems incomprehensible.  While I did not always agree with the political assessments of the author, I found the book a great look into the heart of the famine problem in Africa.  I am also impressed with One Acre Fund’s commitment to educate and empower the farmers rather than perpetuate the cycle of handouts and need.

The featured farmers and their families are very real.  I hurt during their losses and rejoiced with them in their victories.  The book puts a face and a heart on the problems seen in 30 second commercial clips.  These farmers are not so different from you and me — they want more for their children.  They are committed to hard work, persistence and perseverance.  And they get on their knees, raise their hands and praise God for what He has done, what He’s doing and what He will do. I recommend The Last Hunger Season to anyone who wants an accurate look at the plight of farmers in the developing world and a wonderful project that can be the solution to the problem.

Recommended.

(I received The Last Hunger Season from B&B Media in exchange for a review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Tags: ,

You Might Be Interested . . . . Growing Up Ziglar

27 Feb

Last week I received Growing Up Ziglar by Julie Ziglar Norman.  Not a book I requested to review, I thought that you might still be interested in it.  So here it is for you to decide:  

 

Julie Ziglar Norman often says her dad is the king of ‘doing life right’ and she is the poster child for ‘doing life wrong.’

For over a quarter of a century she lived every day with regret, shame, guilt, and depression. But she was the daughter of the motivator’s motivator, Zig Ziglar, and knew that she needed to be positive. So she gathered up all her negative self-talk and squashed it deep down inside where it couldn’t ruin the bright and practiced smile she presented to the world.

‘People might assume Zig Ziglar’s daughter would automatically grow up to have a positive attitude,’ Julie says. ‘For a large portion of my life, I was just positive I was miserable!’

Her powerful and heartwarming story will move readers to laughter and tears. Mostly it will renew their faith in God’s power to redeem all the wrong choices and bring them full circle to hope and healing. Julie urges readers not to settle for okay when God has true joy waiting for them. She shares tools to equip them to make the changes needed to find true freedom in every area of life.

I have not read Growing Up Ziglar (and not sure I will), so if you would like to read a review of this new book, I suggest you head over to Reviews From The Heart to get the scoop.

 

(I received a copy of Growing Up Ziglar compliments of Guideposts.)

 

Tags: , ,

Book Review: Everything Romance

1 Feb

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today’s Wild Card authors are:
and the book:
WaterBrook Press (December 20, 2011)

***Special thanks to Ashley Boyer, Publicist, WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group of  for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

David Bordon and Tom Winters are partners in Bordon-Winters, LLC, a book concept and packaging company that produces successful books and gift products. Among their previous titles are the popular “101 Things You Should Do” series. This volume joins another one of their beautiful gift books, Everything Christmas.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Everything Romance is a gift book overflowing with heartwarming ideas to keep that special relationship fresh and exciting. Whether you’re a newlywed or celebrating 40 years of wedded bliss, this book offers a treasury of ways to capture your love’s heart daily. Love letters, inexpensive date night suggestions, tantalizing recipes, conversation starters, and inspiring love stories will all help you romance the love of your life in creative and meaningful ways!

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99

Hardcover: 288 pages

Publisher: WaterBrook Press (December 20, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0307729311

ISBN-13: 978-0307729316

 

My Impressions:

This is a great little book for trivia, recipes and tips for bringing a little romance back to your life.  There are even tips on how to kill romance, good to check out what not to do!  I especially liked the suggestions for dates with the note that dating is not just for singles.  And I will try many of the recipes as well.  Targeting married couples and perfect for Valentine’s Day giving, this book would also be great as an engagement or wedding present.

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:

A Marriage BlessingMost gracious God, we give You thanks for Your tender love in sending Jesus Christ to come among us, to be born of a human mother, and to make the way of the cross to be the way of life.

We thank You, also, for consecrating the union of man and woman in His name. By the power of Your Holy Spirit, pour out the abundance of Your blessing upon this man and this woman. Defend them from every enemy. Lead them into all peace. Let their love for each other be a seal upon their hearts, a mantle about their shoulders, and a crown upon their foreheads. Bless them in their work and in their companionship; in their sleeping and in their waking; in their joys and in their sorrows; in their life and in their death. Finally, in Your mercy, bring them to that table where Your saints feast forever in Your heavenly home; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with You and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, forever and ever.

Amen.
(from The Book of Common Prayer)


PERFECT PAIR PIZZA-PITA SNACKS2 whole-wheat pita breads
4 teaspoons basil pesto
1 cup cottage cheese
2 tablespoons Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped
Fresh Parmesan cheese (optional)

Toast pita breads until they are crispy and firm. Spread half of the pesto on each pita. Next, spread half of the cottage
cheese on each pita. Top with chopped tomato and fresh basil. If desired, sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan cheese. Slice each pita into two or four wedges and enjoy!

Romance Trivia

A team of medical experts in Virginia contends that you’re more likely to catch the common cold virus by shaking hands than by kissing.


Excerpted from Everything Romance by David Bordon and Thomas J. Winters Copyright © 2011 by David Bordon and Thomas J. Winters. Excerpted by permission of WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Tags: ,

Untangling Christmas

25 Nov

Do you suffer from a severe case of the “Yuletide Yikes”? Well, help is here! In Untangling Christmas, Karen and LeAnn share simple strategies and doable ideas for untangling the mess that is sometimes Christmas. Even though Norman Rockwell-type scenes may dance through our minds at this time of year, we know that for many of us, Christmas is a stressful, less-than-relaxing, and sometimes even family-feuding time of year. So, let’s ditch the perfect images. Get rid of the unrealistic expectations, untangle Christmas and, instead, craft ourselves a memorable, though not perfect, holiday. A holiday where we can focus on what matters most!

This practical go-to guide will empower you to:

– Evaluate your current seasonal strategies (or lack there-of!) and identify re-occurring holiday hassles.

– Set up a simple Christmas Planner designed to enable you to be on top of the holidays, rather than the other way around!

– Acquire fast and frugal decorating tips and creative, but simple, gift-giving ideas.

– Whip up delicious holiday foods – both the “from scratch” sort dear Grandma would have made and other simple, short-cut recipes for when time is tight.

Chapters include:

– Have Yourself a Stress-Free Little Christmas: Whoa, Nellie! Back Up the Sleigh; re-evaluating your current Christmas habits

– To Face Unafraid the Plans that We’ve Made: Finding your plan of attack; taking a close look at the demands of the season; how to decide, defer and NOT feel guilty.

– Seeking the Savior (and an Occasional Silent Night): Focusing on Jesus in the midst of the flurry; carving out time for quiet and for yourself and your family.

– Santa, Can You Spare and Elf or Two?: Gift shopping, making, wrapping and presentation.

– Deck the Halls, Trim the Tree: Cleaning and de-cluttering, storage solutions, decorating and crafty stuff.

– Simple Shortcuts to Festive Food: Make-ahead menus, company dishes, party planning and hosting, holiday baking ideas and some kid-friendly recipes.

– Beyond Aunt Frieda’s Fruitcake: Forging Family traditions, new and old; and ideas for outreach.

– A Christmas Potpourri: Helpful links, resources, printable templates and complete recipes for every dish.

 

About The Authors:

Karen Ehman has been described as profoundly practical, engagingly funny and downright real. Her passion is to provide women with practical tools and doable ideas to help them both simplify life and glorify God. She is the Director of Speakers for Proverbs 31 Ministries and a featured speaker for Hearts at Home conferences. She is the author of four women’s books as well as the project creator of the Hearts at Home Just for Moms Planner.

She has been a guest on national television and radio programs including The 700 Club, At Home Live, Engaging Women, The Harvest Show, Moody Midday Connection and Dr. James Dobson’s Focus on the Family. She is a graduate of Spring Arbor University with a B.A. in Social Science and has been married for 25 years to her college sweetheart Todd. She is the mother of three sometimes quarrelsome, but mostly charming children: Mackenzie 20, Mitchell 16 and Spencer 13.

Karen spends her days running carpool, parked in the football bleachers or baseball stadium or stealing away to a coffee shop to try to write or work on a new message. Though hopelessly craft-challenged with pitiful, partially finished scrapbooks, she enjoys baking and cooking and has won several blue ribbon rosettes at various county fairs for her cookies, cakes, pies and breads. This Christmas under the tree she is hoping to find a brand new iPad or a certificate for a year’s worth of house cleaning. She will settle, however, for the annual bottle of perfume and having all her babies home in Michigan to open their stockings and eat her Nutmeg-Nog French toast.

LeAnn Rice lives down south in sweet tea country and is certain that the longer she lives in the south, the more her tongue seems to curl as she speaks. Her passion is to bring people around the kitchen table to share good food and good conversations while creating lasting memories. A caterer, event planner, and licensed esthetician until God called her to full time ministry, LeAnn currently serves as the Executive Director of Proverbs 31 Ministries in Matthews, North Carolina. She is also a contributor to http://www.seashinemag.com and http://www.awidowsmight.org.

Although she cringes every time she hears the word, for the last 14 years LeAnn has been required to mark the box “widow” on official forms. Her husband and best friend, Ron, lost his battle with cancer but gained a new painless life with Jesus. She is now single mom to their 17-year-old son, Nick, who, sadly, is not at all interested in taste-testing his mom’s recipes. Nick would be very happy to live on pepperoni pizza and cereal. But Nick’s limited pallet hasn’t kept LeAnn from her love of cooking. She experiments on family and friends and cooks at her local soup kitchen. In June of 2010 she launched http://www.SheCooks.org, a food blog where she shares recipes, menu ideas, photos, and glimpses of her crazy life.

When she’s not at work, in the kitchen, or running Nick to school or to tennis practice, LeAnn spends her time trying to appease their high-maintenance cat, Angel’s unreasonable demands. Looking back, it would have been smart to spend some time with the cat before naming her. Angel is ornery, loud, picky, likes to play hide-and-seek and is a practical joker. Not kidding! However, Christmas wouldn’t be the same if she wasn’t hiding under the tree ready to pounce on unsuspecting feet, or attacking the wrapping paper on Christmas morning.

 

My Impressions:

Are you overwhelmed with Christmas preparations?  Do you wish for a simpler, Christ-filled holiday?   Then you should check out Karen Ehman and LeAnn Rice’s book, Untangling Christmas.  Untangling Christmas is a simple and quick guide to make this Christmas easier and more meaningful for your family.  I especially liked the family survey — finding out what your family really thinks is important about Christmas.  I whipped it out following our Thanksgiving dinner. While my children, aged 21, 20 and 18, are rarely serious for more than 5 minutes, I did get a glimpse on what would make Christmas special for them. They are all away at college and home is usually just a 3 day weekend a couple of times a semester.  So I used the family survey to find out how to make this Christmas as memorable as those past.  Karen and LeAnn have also included templates for a holiday planner, easy Christmas recipes and thoughts on making sure Jesus is at the center of any celebration.

Untangling Christmas is available on Kindle, Nook and in PDF form — so you can get it without battling the crowds!  To purchase click HERE.

(I received a copy of Untangling Christmas from the authors in return for a review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

 

Tags: , , ,

You Might Be Interested In . . . The Milk And Honey Man

16 Aug

I picked up The Milk And Honey Man at the Heart of The Authors luncheon at the ICRS in July.  Take a look at the book and author links and decide for yourself if you might be interested in it.   (I have not read this book,)

The Milk and Honey Man
Happened to Them…Written for Us

Do you know…
That God wants to have a lasting relationship with you where you will be blessed — where you will experience victory?

Did you know…
That what happened to the Israelites in the Book of Exodus

• Was written as an example for Christians today,
• And was written for our instruction?

Did you know…
That what happened to the Israelites in the Book of Exodus

• Was a “TYPE” giving us a prophecy of what would happen to us, and
• Was a “TYPE” giving us a picture of what would happen to us?

Do you know…
The three thresholds to be crossed in becoming A Milk and Honey Man?

 

The Milk and Honey Man explains how certain events in Israel’s history foreshadow steps in the Christian life today. The pilgrimage of the Israelites is a picture of what happens to believers as they progress in the Christian walk. In easy-to-understand language, William Troth examines Old Testament types and shadows. Using the Bible, the thoughts of experts, and his own research, he helps believers understand principles and truths that Old Testament saints never could have grasped because the Messiah had not yet come. The Milk and Honey Man features twenty-one diagrams, including four chronological maps that point to three thresholds in the Christian walk. Every Christian must cross these thresholds in order to experience the victorious Christian life that leads to loving the Lord and being free from the law. The author’s careful application enables believers to gain a rich understanding of what it means to embrace the life of milk and honey—a symbol of God’s best.
When William Troth’s job relocated him around the country, he not only changed communities, but he also joined a new church everywhere he went. He was even asked to be a church elder before he knew Christ personally. It wasn’t until he was thirty-six years old that he realized Jesus Christ had gone to the cross for him. Upon that realization, Bill was converted from being a “church attender” to one who personally trusted in Jesus Christ as his Savior.He promptly began to study the Bible and learned truths he previously had not understood. After two and a half years, he and his family were baptized. He also began taking business customers to lunch and telling them about Jesus. As Bill continued to study the Bible, he learned from Romans 12:1 the importance of committing to Jesus as Lord and trusting Him as our Life from Galatians 2:20, John 14:6, and Colossians 3:3-4.

When Bill learned, through several ministries and numerous books, about the victorious Christian life, he was motivated to examine biblical truths on the subject. Of particular interest to him were Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 10 about how the experiences of the Israelites were recorded as an example for us today. It seemed to Bill like a previously unexamined Scripture, so he researched and wrote The Milk and Honey Man to share his understanding of the route to blessings the Lord desires for all believers.

William Troth received his four-year Master of Theology degree from Dallas Theological Seminary and was ordained to serve in the gospel ministry. He has served vocationally as associate pastor, pastor, vice president for a Christian literature ministry, and as Christian counselor.
Bill and his wife, Helene, have been married for fifty years and live in Decatur, Alabama. They have two children and five grandchildren.

I received this book compliments of WinePress Publishing at the Heart of The Author’s luncheon event at the ICRS in Atlanta, Georgia  in July.

Tags: , , ,

Newer Entries →