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Review of Rewired: an Unlikely Doctor, a Brave Amputee, and the Medical Miracle that Made History, by Dr. Ajay K. Seth

Animal-lover Melissa Loomis was seeing to her two barking dogs one early morning, in hopes she could quiet them before they woke the neighbors. She discovered their barking was incited by a raccoon climbing over the fence into the back yard. One of the dogs went for its tail pulling the raccoon from the fence and into the yard.

Melissa knew she had to separate the raccoon from her dogs, as much for the raccoon’s safety as the wellbeing of her dogs. She reached into the fray to grab the dogs’ collars, and it was then that the raccoon bit her hard on the right wrist and scratched her left arm. Using both hands, Melissa grabbed the wild animal and hurled it back over the fence.

Thus begins the story of the injury that cost Melissa her hand and lower arm, opening the way for what the doctor treating Melissa calls a series of miraculous happenings to align just right so that in 2016 Melissa could become the most advanced bionic woman on the planet.

The groundbreaking medicine in this case was not just a prosthetic hand that could grasp and hold in a surprisingly helpful way. The new breakthrough was an artificial hand that could send signals to the brain mimicking feeling.

This was great news for Melissa in her tragic circumstances, of course. Although it was experimental at the time Melissa went through it, Dr. Seth closed the book by describing efforts to bring the same technology to the amputees at Walter Reed Hospital, which treats wounded American soldiers.

This is an inspirational book if you can look for the many positives that come out of the story. If you are prone to stand with your mouth agape when the amputation occurs, not able to move past that point, Rewired may not be for you. For the rest of us, let’s follow Melissa’s example of rolling with life’s punches and looking for the good that comes our way.

@ThomasNelson @DrAjayKSeth1 #Rewired #NetGalley

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Review of The 5-Minute Bible Study for the Anxious Heart, by Janice Thompson

Format:  Paperback

The 5-Minute Bible Study for the Anxious Heart follows this formula:  

Read – the short scripture passage selected for the study.   

Understand – by pondering the provided prompts throughout your day.

Apply – what you have learned with further thoughts from the brief devotion.

Pray – with help from the author’s provided prayer. Allow time to hear from God.

Following Thompson’s formula, you should be able to hurry your anxiety through each one of these devotions in five minutes flat. If you are that pressed for time, I can see why you are anxious.

I’m sure the ultra busy person loves the condensed “5-minute” Bible studies. No doubt this one can calm your anxious heart, because God’s Word always accomplishes what it is sent out to do. But I believe if you linger a little longer over the scripture, prompts, and application; and take time to add your heartfelt sentiments with Thompson’s prayer, you will receive much more benefit from these studies.

The scripture passages have been wisely selected and the rest of the study’s words carefully chosen. Thompson wasn’t rushed when she put this Bible study together. Do yourself a favor and stretch these studies until you perceive God’s Word taking root in your heart. At some point you will realize it is no longer an anxious heart!

#The5minuteBibleStudyForTheAnxiousHeart #NetGalley @Barbour @BarbourBuzz @booksbyjanice

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Review of Final Word: Why We Need the Bible, by John MacArthur.

John MacArthur has written a strong defense of the Bible as God’s Word. He lays out a very clear argument that the Bible is under attack in today’s world, but the Bible is Truth and it is Authoritative.

Throughout the book MacArthur repeats his view that God speaks to His people only through the Bible. Hunches, intuition, words of prophesy, and words of wisdom are not – according to MacArthur – valid ways to hear from God.

MacArthur condemns the Charismatic Movement for relying on the above methods “while the Christian in the pew has the Bible unopened beside him,” a phrase MacArthur repeats at least half a dozen times.

I wholeheartedly agree with MacArthur on the inerrancy of Scripture, and that the Bible is Truth. But not every Christian who seeks extra-Biblical means of obtaining God’s direction leaves his Bible closed. Not everyone who identifies as a Charismatic is Biblically illiterate.

Otherwise I believe MacArthur has written a fine book. He uses multiple scriptures and is well-versed in the Word of God.

#FinalWord #NetGalley @johnmacarthur @RefTrust
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Review of Joyful Surrender: 7 Disciplines for the Believer’s Life, by Elisabeth Elliot

I remember attending a conference in the early 80s in which Elisabeth Elliot was one of the speakers.  Do I really remember her delivering a condensed version of this book in her talk, some 38 years ago, or do I just want to think I remember?

Regardless, this book has stood the test of time. Joyful Surrender was originally penned in 1982 by Elisabeth Elliot, under the title Discipline: the glad surrender.

The title and the cover have been changed, but I believe just about everything else has been kept as it was. The Scripture versions are all the original ones Elliot used, and some are rarely listed as modern references: The New English Bible, The Jerusalem Bible, and J. B. Phillips translation of the New Testament.

The seven disciplines Elliot examines are of the Body, Mind, Place, Time, Possessions, Work, and Feelings. Elliot speaks some hard truths, calling fat, fat (even gluttony); and lazy, lazy.

She related an incident in which a woman asked her to pray she would get a job. Elliot asked her how long she had been out of work. The woman replied she had been out of work, and on government assistance, for two years. Elliot asked her what type of work she was looking for and the lady wanted a job in the television industry.

Elliot told her she could surely find a job cleaning, and be able to get off of government assistance. But the woman was offended at the suggestion, because she had a Master’s degree, and only wanted to work in that field.

Elliot reminded her of Paul’s words that those who do not work will not eat. Elliot suggested that if she got busy doing the most menial work, God may be inclined to provide a job more in keeping with her education.

#JoyfulSurrender #NetGalley @RevellBooks

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Review of Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

Format: Audiobook

How does a teen with mental illness cope with the recent death of her father? How does Aza maintain top grades in school, and continue to be a good friend? Can Aza open herself up to a romantic relationship? Can she stand all the pressure?

John Green is able to capture the tension and attraction in teen relationships like few other authors. Add to that the minefield of mental illness, and I think Green either did a tremendous amount of research for this book, or he already had a close knowledge of someone with similar symptoms. It is a complex and engaging scenario, and Green pulls it off with aplomb.

Turtles All the Way Down will appeal not just to the YA readers, it can easily draw out the empathy of a parent. Thankfully Aza’s mom has a good job with insurance, so when Aza’s world spirals out of control she is already established with a mental health professional. Thankfully when she needs in-patient treatment she isn’t shuffled out the door. Her own doctor sees her and has input in managing her case.

Is Aza cured? No. Most mental health illnesses are chronic. So it is likely that even with the best of treatment these same hospital staff will see Aza again. And again. There’s always worry when a child goes off to college. When your child has a mental illness any illusions of your control in their lives are removed from your grasp.

This can be a gut-wrenching read. Or, someone used to dealing with a chronic mental or physical disease may see it another way. Aza, her mom, and Daisy have taken a step toward being happy with “stable”.

#TurtlesAlltheWayDown @johngreen
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Review of Heavy: An American Memoir, by Kiese Laymon

Format: Audiobook narrated by the author.

Heavy is an unveiled, first-person account of a Black male growing up in a single parent family, in poverty, in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1980s. Kiese Laymon is tall and overweight for his twelve years. He’s obsessed with his weight and self conscious. Laymon is supposed to be watched while his mother is at work, but there is no supervision. He deeply empathizes with a young teen girl who is forced into sexual acts by older boys. This helps to shape Laymon’s values.

Laymon’s relationship with his divorced mother is unhealthy for both of them, emotionally and physically as well. His mother is intelligent and holds a doctorate degree, yet it seems she can’t pay the bills and keep food in the house on her teacher’s salary. She insists that Laymon read books and write reports, which usually must contain an element of overcoming White oppression. Laymon is constantly told he must rise up against the White man, and during the highly charged atmosphere of the race riots surrounding the Rodney King beating, both Laymon and the rest of society seem primed to erupt.

There’s so much dysfunction in Laymon’s life it is easier to ask, what’s right with this picture?

This is a difficult book to read, because it is heartbreakingly honest. How many millions of Black youth are trying to survive in those same conditions – or worse – right now?

@ScribnerBooks  @KieseLaymon ‏

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Review of the CSB Study Bible, Large Print Edition, Mahogany LeatherTouch, Indexed

I had been using the NIV Study Bible for nearly forty years, and I was ready for a change. I wanted Scripture to feel fresh and alive as I read it.

I’d be the last person to call myself a Bible scholar, but I love digging deeper when something sparks my interest. I also write for publication on Christian topics, and it is important to be accurate.

Some translations go back to the original language to begin, while others start with an English translation. My thought was the closer to the source, the fewer man-made errors. I also hoped that as time passed, study of Biblical languages was advancing and allowing for a more accurate translation. The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) started from scratch with the original language, published in 2004. Since then the translators have updated the text with corrections, better word choices, and revisions. The result is the Christian Standard Bible (CSB).

A few translations attempt to match the original language word-for-word, resulting in an often awkward English phrasing or sentence structure. On the other end of the spectrum from word-for-word translation is thought-for-thought. This more closely captures the meaning of what is said, and results in a more reader-friendly text. One of the best examples of this type of translation is The Message, by Eugene Peterson. The CSB falls right in the middle.

It is important to me that the translation be accurate and faithful to the original language. I didn’t want a new Bible that was going to suddenly challenge traditional Christian doctrine!

Although I wanted a translation that was different from my familiar NIV, I didn’t want one so vastly different it sounded foreign to me.

The presenter at a women’s conference I attended a couple months ago was using the CSB. When she read a passage from the Psalms that I was familiar with from the NIV, whole phrases matched what I had committed to memory. Yet, there was a difference too. As the conference progressed I could see that these differences might just be the fresh and alive elements I was looking for in a new translation!

This study Bible contains not just the Scripture, but word studies, photographs, paintings, timelines, maps, charts, an introduction to each book, outlines, theological themes and insights, and notes. In this study Bible, it is all right there on the page of the verse it relates to, which is a huge improvement over the e-Bible I was using! Sometimes the size of the type is made small to cram all that information. I ordered a large print edition, and the 10 pt font makes it easier on my aging eyes. This significantly increases the size of the Bible; it is big enough, as we used to say, to choke a mule.

I reasoned that I wouldn’t be carrying this heavy book back and forth to church. I have long since switched to my tablet or phone for following the pastor as he reads Scripture. The CSB would remain on my desk as a study tool.

Old habits die hard. The first time after my CSB arrived that I needed to look up a passage in a study Bible, I reached for my phone. Then I caught myself and thumbed through the CSB. I read the passage, a related note, and then skipped back to the introduction of that book. I kept going deeper and getting a more complete picture of my subject.

The CSB Study Bible offers a lot of information, and would be up to the task for a minister who does in-depth study for sermon or Bible study preparation. A Bible scholar, writer like me, researcher, or the serious layman could all benefit from the CSB Study Bible.

Aesthetically, it’s a beautiful book. The leather-like cover is soft and appears durable. The page edges are golden and uniformly coated, and I was pleased to note the gold did not come off on my fingers. The two place-finder ribbons can be positioned in the Old or New Testaments. I got the indexed version, but I’m not sure that’s such an important feature for me. If I were to order again, I wouldn’t include it. But I don’t think I’ll need to order for another thirty years or so. This CSB should do fine.

@BHpub bhpublishinggroup.com @LifeWay @CSBible

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A Review of Truth Worth Telling: A Reporter’s Search for Meaning in the Stories of Our Times, by Scott Pelley. Audiobook, narrated by the author.

Scott Pelley, former anchor of the CBS evening news and part of the current 60 Minutes reporting team, has written a memoir of his storied career.

In Truth Worth Telling, Pelley gives us glimpses of his coverage of the White House, battle zones around the world, and the selection of Pope Francis; interviews with Nadia Murad who was kidnapped and raped by ISIS and would go on to win the Nobel Peace Prize for bravely telling her story, parents of slain Sandy Hook Elementary children, and Ben Bernanke in the midst of the Great Recession.

As a teen in Lubbock, TX, Pelley was developed an interest in photography, and lied about his age to get hired as a copy boy, hoping to one day be promoted to photographer. An editor conspiring to keep reporters’ wages low snagged the teen and set him to work as a reporter, and into a 40-some-year career as a news journalist.

Pelley was able to make his way to Ground Zero on 9/11 before the second plane hit, and he gives a riveting account of his on-the-ground experience, the first-responder radio chatter, and who was where as the horrific events evolved. Eighteen years after that awful day, I thought I had seen and heard all the 9/11 stories from every perspective. But Pelley pulls it off; I was transfixed.

Pelley makes no secret of his disapproval of Bill Clinton’s extra-presidential activities involving Monica Lewinsky or what he calls Clinton’s hubris, but his comments regarding Donald Trump are vitriolic.  This is the only section where the book is truly acerbic.

I’ve only been able to mention a few of the highlights covered in Pelley’s book. He’s a great storyteller, and this is well worth the read. I listened to the audiobook narrated by the author, and I think Pelley’s inflections add another layer of “being there”. Don’t miss this one.

@ScottPelley @Hanover_Square @HarperAudio @HarlequinBooks @HarperCollins @60Minutes #truthworthtelling

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Review of Have You Seen Luis Velez? by Catherine Ryan Hyde.

The latest book from multiple best-selling author Catherine Ryan Hyde, Have You Seen Luis Velez?, is one of her best, and I’ve read several.

We meet Raymond, a studious older teen with a soft spot for a stray cat, rushing from his apartment on the day before his best (and only) friend moves across the country. Before he can get out the door an ancient woman calls out to him, “Have you seen Luis Velez?” The woman – Mildred Gutermann – is blind, and Luis Velez had been coming to help her navigate to the bank and grocery, but Luis had inexplicably stopped showing up.

Raymond is the only child of his white mother’s first marriage to a black man, and he now feels out of place in a white family. His step-father’s income is less than that of his biological father, a dentist, but he isn’t allowed to accept expensive things from his dad. His dad’s second wife seems to despise him, so he doesn’t fit in there either.

Raymond determines Mildred needs help, and steps in where Luis disappeared. Raymond encounters extreme danger for his stray cat, and he begins a search for Luis. Do you know how many Luis Velezes live in the city?

Hyde uses a predictable formula. She takes a kid who needs help, adds an animal, and she weaves a story around them. Hyde is also known for including a thread in her books to promote acceptance of an alternate sexual orientation.

The addition of the older woman adds a refreshing element which is key to the success of Have You Seen Luis Velez?. Mildred’s back story incorporates references to the Holocaust, an important topic.

If you are going to choose one of Hyde’s books to read, this would be a good choice. Believe it or not, even with a slow-moving old blind woman there is suspense. Raymond meets some interesting people named Luis Velez in his search for the one who used to help his neighbor. Five stars!

#HaveYouSeenLuisVelez #NetGalley @cryanhyde ‏

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Review of Run with the Horses: The Quest for Life at Its Best – Commemorative Edition, by Eugene Peterson

Run with the Horses is Eugene Peterson’s commentary on selected passages from Jeremiah. Peterson, best known for his paraphrase of the Bible into modern language – The Message, uses that text as his platform. I say platform instead of starting point, because in many instances in Run with the Horses Peterson returns to scripture’s original language to tease out not just the definition of a word, but the intent of the meaning as it is used in a passage.

The book’s title comes from the twelfth chapter of Jeremiah. Jeremiah starts by complaining that the wicked have it better than the righteous. In verse 5 God begins his answer to Jeremiah:

So, Jeremiah, if you’re worn out in this footrace with men, what makes you think you can race against horses?

It reminds me of when my daughter was in middle school, whining about the difficulty of her homework.  I nonchalantly said, “Oh. I thought you could do it,” as if to imply she couldn’t.

This made her angry and she started telling me she could do anything she wanted; she could become a doctor if she wanted to. I told her that doctors don’t get there by whining and saying, “This is too hard.” That stopped the whining, mostly.

Things were about to get a lot worse for Jeremiah, and I think God was challenging him, asking if he would be up for the task ahead.

This is the Commemorative Edition released not long after Peterson’s death. This newer version uses The Message for scripture quotations, and it contains the text of Peterson’s funeral homily delivered by his son Eric Peterson.

Peterson was a great communicator. Even so, one pass through this book left me just skimming the surface. I believe that’s owing to the complexity of the Book of Jeremiah. I wouldn’t recommend Run with the Horses as this summer’s beach read, but if you are a serious Bible scholar, it should be on your list!

By the way, my daughter is now entering her third year at a top college in their honors program. **SPOILER ALERT** Jeremiah was faithful to God until the end.

#RunWithTheHorses #NetGalley @ivpress @PetersonDaily