An earnest if somewhat shambolic melding of Christianity and Stoicism.
Valentine blends Christian theology with Stoic philosophy in this self-help guidebook.
Born to “two loving parents” and raised in the Baptist Church, the author reveals that for much of his young adulthood he had “largely been unhappy.” He found a path to personal fulfillment when he combined the faith of his upbringing with the teachings of the ancient Stoics, particularly their philosophy of letting go of the “things that one cannot change, but doing what one can to change what they can for the better.” Originally written as a self-help reference book for Valentine’s own personal use (vestiges of this version remain in the book’s dating system, which reads like diary entries), the book presents Christian-themed guidance through an eclectic blend of maxims (“Never waste any more minutes unnecessarily being unhappy”) and practical advice. The author’s “GOLF principle” characteristically blends Christianity with Stoicism as it encourages readers to be Grateful for what they have, to Obey God, to Love God and others, and to have faith. Approaching 300 pages in length, the book could have used a more thematic organizational structure, but each entry taken on an individual basis offers sincere words of wisdom for those seeking personal contentment. And while Valentine takes a standard Evangelical Protestant approach to Christianity, emphasizing a personal relationship with Jesus and the primacy of the Bible, he offers readers coming from other spiritual traditions a more universal, Stoic-based approach to life. One passage, for instance, urges readers to eschew doing “something just for the money,” suggesting that true freedom comes from living a life not bound to materialism. Most of the concise entries are no longer than a page or two, with many coming in at only a paragraph in length, making this an accessible, if sometimes-disorganized, read.
An earnest if somewhat shambolic melding of Christianity and Stoicism.Pub Date: Oct. 9, 2023
ISBN: 9798863872018
Page Count: 278
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.
The veteran actor, comedian, and banjo player teams up with the acclaimed illustrator to create a unique book of cartoons that communicates their personalities.
Martin, also a prolific author, has always been intrigued by the cartoons strewn throughout the pages of the New Yorker. So when he was presented with the opportunity to work with Bliss, who has been a staff cartoonist at the magazine since 1997, he seized the moment. “The idea of a one-panel image with or without a caption mystified me,” he writes. “I felt like, yeah, sometimes I’m funny, but there are these other weird freaks who are actually funny.” Once the duo agreed to work together, they established their creative process, which consisted of working forward and backward: “Forwards was me conceiving of several cartoon images and captions, and Harry would select his favorites; backwards was Harry sending me sketched or fully drawn cartoons for dialogue or banners.” Sometimes, he writes, “the perfect joke occurs two seconds before deadline.” There are several cartoons depicting this method, including a humorous multipanel piece highlighting their first meeting called “They Meet,” in which Martin thinks to himself, “He’ll never be able to translate my delicate and finely honed droll notions.” In the next panel, Bliss thinks, “I’m sure he won’t understand that the comic art form is way more subtle than his blunt-force humor.” The team collaborated for a year and created 150 cartoons featuring an array of topics, “from dogs and cats to outer space and art museums.” A witty creation of a bovine family sitting down to a gourmet meal and one of Dumbo getting his comeuppance highlight the duo’s comedic talent. What also makes this project successful is the team’s keen understanding of human behavior as viewed through their unconventional comedic minds.
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-26289-9
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
PERSPECTIVES
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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