A jokey pamphlet on love, faith, and marriage that lacks depth.
A debut booklet offers basic advice for a Christian marriage.
In his work, Bell, a graduate of the Memphis School of Preaching, semiseriously answers the famous Tina Turner lyric. Starting from a fundamental belief that God is love, he elaborates on how love is essential to a Christian marriage. Chapter 2 explains various types of love: agape (God’s unconditional love), phileo (brotherly love), and eros—differentiated from simple lust. Your spouse should be your best friend, the author argues—the most important, loyal, and committed relationship in your life. He then goes on to suggest one cannot have close friends of the opposite sex, characterizing these sexually threatening figures as “Mr. Cute Casanova” and “Ms. Fine Flirt.” Chapter 4, “Women—Don’t be Silly,” insists there can be no more girls’ nights out once a woman weds (“You could be setting your marriage up for failure. You must stop trying to prove to your friends that you can still ‘hang out’ and do whatever you please”). A short section giving the three components of a successful marriage (compatibility, commitment, and communication) could be expanded. Chapter 6 reveals simple ways of showing love, including a dinner date and compliments. A later chapter stresses the importance of training children in abstinence. The overall problem with this 16-page work is that it breaks no new ground. The text sometimes repeats Scripture almost verbatim without referencing it, as in these lines on Page 9: “The wife’s body does not belong to her alone, but also to her husband. Likewise, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone, but also to his wife.” A few other popular songs are alluded to, but one is given an incorrect title (“My Way” is called “I Did It My Way”). The frequent “(smile)” asides seem like a sign that the author hasn’t mastered the art of injecting sarcasm naturally. Words in boldface and all capitals are similarly unsubtle ways of showing emphasis. Presumably this pithy booklet is intended to be handed out to youth groups or in premarital counseling sessions; while it might be a useful jumping-off point in those contexts, its superficiality will likely frustrate keen readers.
A jokey pamphlet on love, faith, and marriage that lacks depth.Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2014
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 15
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: March 7, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil.
Greed, depravity, and serial murder in 1920s Oklahoma.
During that time, enrolled members of the Osage Indian nation were among the wealthiest people per capita in the world. The rich oil fields beneath their reservation brought millions of dollars into the tribe annually, distributed to tribal members holding "headrights" that could not be bought or sold but only inherited. This vast wealth attracted the attention of unscrupulous whites who found ways to divert it to themselves by marrying Osage women or by having Osage declared legally incompetent so the whites could fleece them through the administration of their estates. For some, however, these deceptive tactics were not enough, and a plague of violent death—by shooting, poison, orchestrated automobile accident, and bombing—began to decimate the Osage in what they came to call the "Reign of Terror." Corrupt and incompetent law enforcement and judicial systems ensured that the perpetrators were never found or punished until the young J. Edgar Hoover saw cracking these cases as a means of burnishing the reputation of the newly professionalized FBI. Bestselling New Yorkerstaff writer Grann (The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness, and Obsession, 2010, etc.) follows Special Agent Tom White and his assistants as they track the killers of one extended Osage family through a closed local culture of greed, bigotry, and lies in pursuit of protection for the survivors and justice for the dead. But he doesn't stop there; relying almost entirely on primary and unpublished sources, the author goes on to expose a web of conspiracy and corruption that extended far wider than even the FBI ever suspected. This page-turner surges forward with the pacing of a true-crime thriller, elevated by Grann's crisp and evocative prose and enhanced by dozens of period photographs.
Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil.Pub Date: April 18, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-385-53424-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
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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