A motivating read for those seeking to use the Bible’s teachings to live a more satisfying, anxiety-free life.
This Christian self-help guide by a knowledgeable pastor aims to inspire readers to adjust their lifestyles by having faith in God’s plan.
In his debut, Winfrey applies the Bible’s teachings to real-life scenarios to give readers practical recommendations for removing debilitating anxiety from their lives. The narrative centers on Jesus’ statement to his followers in the Book of Matthew to “take no thought”—or, as the author puts it, to not “get bent out of shape worrying”—about things that one can’t control. Winfrey draws lessons from his own experiences, such as when he was a disobedient child and tried to justify his actions. He notes that people tend to find ways to ignore the truth and do things that they know are wrong, as it perpetuates their idea of living a comfortable lifestyle. The author also shares stories of encounters he had with greedy people within the church who manipulated the Bible to get money and power. A particularly intriguing chapter details his experience with pastors selling “survival packs” to churchgoers in preparation for supposed Y2K-related disasters: “As I looked at this deception and misrepresentation of truth, my heart was saddened. I saw people being robbed without a gun while the leaders of this deception saw money and more money.” Winfrey’s wit, caring, and taste for humor come through in extended analogies, driving home his points while making them relatable and easy to understand. For example, the book’s second part begins by comparing people parking their cars as closely as possible to their destinations with too-comfortable Christians not wanting to leave the earth when they die. Overall, the book is full of enthusiastic slice-of-life moments, expressed in a refreshingly personable voice. It will surely resonate most with a Christian audience, but its central lesson about living a life full of graciousness and trusting in faith may be widely appreciated.
A motivating read for those seeking to use the Bible’s teachings to live a more satisfying, anxiety-free life.Pub Date: July 8, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4759-9540-4
Page Count: 142
Publisher: iUniverse
Review Posted Online: Sept. 7, 2016
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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