Brisk devotions that are pleasant, but not insightful or challenging enough to make an impact.
Velo, a Christian women’s organization, coauthors its second collection of short, inspirational essays.
This book consists of 52 devotions meant to inspire women and help them apply God’s word to their daily routines. Each chapter consists of a short essay, a Bible verse and a section titled “What Say You?” which poses questions related to the lessons learned in the essay. Christian women will find many of these topics pertinent to modern living, such as one chapter noting that women often make exercising a more important part of their routine than studying the Bible. Likewise, readers will appreciate the book’s chatty, conversational voice and the occasional girly reference to pop culture or celebrities. Most of the essays are similar in tone, although a few do stick out as dry biblical lessons or generic “praise-the-Lord” texts. The most memorable chapters contain stories from the authors’ personal lives, but they often leave out simple, vital details that would truly intrigue readers. One woman describes feeling guilt and shame when she was arrested as a high school sophomore for making $63,000 distributing black-market items, but she neglects to explain what products she was selling, how she got caught or how she was able to accomplish this at such a young age. Another woman recalls leaving a six-year “toxic and abusive” relationship, but fails to divulge more information about the situation or how she gained the courage to leave. Motion’s strength lies in its ability to discuss serious topics and still remain a fun, enjoyable read, but some of the chapters are too simple or frivolous to inspire women. Longer, highly personal essays would move and challenge readers who want more than a quick fix.
Brisk devotions that are pleasant, but not insightful or challenging enough to make an impact.Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-5954-6698-6
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
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