books.2009

2009

Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell.
This is a book to read. Gladwell sets out to debunk the monolithic notion that success is the territory of ‘self-made man’. He makes a very compelling case. My introduction to his writing, I read the book after seeing a very interseting interview Charlie Rose conducted with Gladwell. Easy to read and filled with compelling research, Gladwell discusses community, talent, effort, cultural legacies, and the miracle of meaningful work.

Terrify No More, Gary A. Haugen with Gary Hunter.
Haugen, founder of International Justice Mission and personal role model, tells the story of IJM’s detailed and often excruciating case work to bring perpetrators of horrendous crimes against young girls to justice. Haugen leads the reader on a behind-the-scenes journey revealing what it is like to build a legal case against human traffickers, and the spiritual and mental ecology of working toward that goal. Haugen’s question, “Where were you?” directed not at a God of compassion and justice, but at average people with the innate power to address evil, sends chills down the spine and tears down the face. A book anyone who doubts the human capacity for evil or, on the other hand, the possibility for hope and transformation should read. Filled with moments of horror and glory, devastating tragedy and unexplainable celebration the book leaves you more convinced than ever that good men and women must – can! – do something.

The Miracle Worker, William Gibson.
I read this again. I love it.

Out of the Depths: The Autobiography of John Newton, John Newton.
Part of my reading of key texts to help me understand the realities of slavery. A compelling story of one man’s transformation because of the amazing and unmerited grace of God. I expected to learn more about his involvement in the slave trade. He writes little about it in this volume.

Children of Men, P.D. James.
The book the exceptional film is based on, my first experience reading James. An engrossing read, strikingly different in plot from the film (which is no surprise). James creates an eerie and believable world, frightening in its sterility.

Taming the Tiger, Tony Anthony.
Ah. Summer reading. A time to pick up unexpected books and read them quickly. My friend and sort-of-brother-in-law Taylor had this book lying around about Kung Fu Master and World Champion Tony Anthony. It’s a real life Bourne Identity Jesus. Quite a powerful, surprising, and compelling read. What a life. Here’s a youtube video of the real man sharing from his life.

Our Town, Thorton Wilder.
Touching, especially at the end.  The play looks at the life of a regular American town, how it changes over time as people age, time ticks, and how those who live life can never truly grasp the wonder of what it means to be living.

A Whole New Mind: Why Right- Brainers Will Rule the Future, Daniel H. Pink.

There’s a lot of reasons to like this book. Among them is the handy list of practical activities or exercise to flex the right brain. Pink looks at why the Right brain and high touch skills are needed, and just how we got to this point in the West. He emphasizes Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play, Meaning – six essential abilities necessary to thriving today. And you have Abundance, Automation, and Asia to thank for that, people.

Flickering Pixels, Shane Hipps.

I like the premise of the book and was really interested in Hipps’ examination of how media has changed over time and how it has, in turn, shaped culture, the way we think, and even how our brains work. He depends a lot – almost exclusively – on Marshall McLuhan, the famous Canadian most known in pop-culture for his “medium is the message.” I tracked with Hipps and especially appreciated his inclusion of a certain Mennonite denominations conflict-resolution commitment, their process of how to disagree in love. Ultimately, Hipps is making the point that as the church we are a main medium God uses to communicate his love to the world, and therefore who we are, what we do, and what we look like is the message. Where I feel a bit fuzzy (and I don’t think it’s for a lack of reading carefully) and ultimately not convinced, is with Hipps’ argument that the message of the Gospel, though unchanging, changes and evolves (which as an argument logically parallels his examination of media). The lone example Hipps uses to flesh out his point is the evolution of the focus of grace in the OT to pronouncement of judgment by the prophets in Israel’s history, something I consider to be the double edged sword of the Gospel. [If anyone out there has read this book and disagrees or not, I'd love to hear your thoughts and to further discuss the book... am I missing something?]

A Most Wanted Man, John le Carre.

My first experience reading le Carre (and not my last A) because I enjoyed the book and B) my nephew Pierson bought me The Mission Song for my birthday (which is waiting on my shelf at home to read). I’ve gotta say, it’s nice to read a thriller now and then, something I rarely do. Nice to read a book to have a romp of a story. And this one was engaging. A story about an illegal immigrant caught up in the anxious and complicated world of post-9/11 espiocracy. The book was like the action-adventure version of Robert Baer’s See No Evil, the book about espionage and the mid-East the movie Syriana was based on. And it leaves you to feel that way at the end, asking questions about who the bad guy really are and if true justice is possible when it’s left in the hands of faulted men with their own agendas (hmm… did I just answer my own question?)

Ten Silver Coins: The Drylings of Acchora, Andrew Kooman.
Yep, that’s me.  And I did read it a few times this year.  A joy and mixed bag of feelings to have it released.  Looking forward to the rest of the adventure.