A useful guidebook to combining faith with action.
An entrepreneur and Christian philanthropist offers this workbook as an ancillary guide to his previously published memoir.
As the co-founder of an apartment management business, Salkeld oversaw an operation with assets that are currently valued at more than a half-billion dollars. At the same time, he and his wife, Delane, participated in multiple short-term Christian mission trips to sub-Saharan Africa, and the two spearheaded Christian philanthropic work that included funding a Zambian orphanage. The duo’s story of how they achieved the American dream while also making positive contributions to the world is the topic of Salkeld’s 2025 memoir, God Whispers Are Life Changers. This volume, designed as a practical workbook for those inspired by the memoir, urges readers to use its spiritual and life lessons as motivation to serve others with the time and gifts God has given them. The book’s 26 chapters are divided into four sections, beginning with far-reaching advice to fellow Christians on how to listen to God’s “whispers” and take the leap of faith required to follow his promptings. Parts 2 and 3 center around living a “God-Led Adventure” in one’s career and personal service to others. These chapters emphasize the importance of maintaining a work-life balance that affords financial security, personal fulfillment, and the ability to serve others. The book’s final section, “God’s Whispers Are Everywhere,” highlights the author’s belief that God speaks to us daily, not only through grand epiphanies and divine revelation, but also through nature itself. From sunsets to birds, Salkeld writes, “it’s impossible not to experience His whispers.”
As an ancillary to Salkeld’s memoir, this volume focuses on the practical applications of the author’s lessons in readers’ daily routines. As such, its chapters follow a similar outline, eschewing lengthy narratives to prioritize pragmatic advice, personal reflection, and journaling. Each chapter begins with an excerpt from the author’s memoir, along with a short anecdote and Bible verses, before transitioning to “Action Items” that prompt readers to think back on their own personal experiences, reflect on specific aspects of their lives, and plan for the future. (The author encourages readers to use free artificial intelligence platforms to help them align their personalities and interests with volunteer opportunities in their local communities.) Salkeld has an accessible writing style, and the text includes bulleted lists, blank lined pages for journaling, and visual aids that span from full-page illustrations to charts and tables. As a lay Christian, the author avoids complex theological jargon, taking a down-to-earth approach to theology that emphasizes rightful living over following complicated doctrinal frameworks. The work is broadly ecumenical, offering an array of inspirational Bible verses without pushing any specific denominational approach to Christianity. And while the more secularly inclined may not find much use in Salkeld’s religious approach to making life-altering decisions, the workbook may appeal to other believers from various traditions. The author’s avoidance of sociopolitical issues and topics central to the heated battles of America’s culture wars will further broaden the book’s reach.
A useful guidebook to combining faith with action.Pub Date: April 21, 2026
ISBN: 9798898355845
Page Count: 178
Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
Review Posted Online: Feb. 18, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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
It’s not Shakespeare, not by a long shot. But at least it’s not James Franco.
A noted actor turns to verse: “Poems are a Saturday in the middle of the week.”
McConaughey, author of the gracefully written memoir Greenlights, has been writing poems since his teens, closing with one “written in an Australian bathtub” that reads just as a poem by an 18-year-old (Rimbaud excepted) should read: “Ignorant minds of the fortunate man / Blind of the fate shaping every land.” McConaughey is fearless in his commitment to the rhyme, no matter how slight the result (“Oops, took a quick peek at the sky before I got my glasses, / now I can’t see shit, sure hope this passes”). And, sad to say, the slight is what is most on display throughout, punctuated by some odd koanlike aperçus: “Eating all we can / at the all-we-can-eat buffet, / gives us a 3.8 education / and a 4.2 GPA.” “Never give up your right to do the next right thing. This is how we find our way home.” “Memory never forgets. Even though we do.” The prayer portion of the program is deeply felt, but it’s just as sentimental; only when he writes of life-changing events—a court appearance to file a restraining order against a stalker, his decision to quit smoking weed—do we catch a glimpse of the effortlessly fluent, effortlessly charming McConaughey as exemplified by the David Wooderson (“alright, alright, alright”) of Dazed and Confused. The rest is mostly a soufflé in verse. McConaughey’s heart is very clearly in the right place, but on the whole the book suggests an old saw: Don’t give up your day job.
It’s not Shakespeare, not by a long shot. But at least it’s not James Franco.Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
ISBN: 9781984862105
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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