I read a lot, probably too much sometimes. I tend to fly through books just so I can say I completed them without savoring what’s in them or thinking through the implications of them in all the ways I should. Despite my natural tendency, all these books were ones that I find myself talking about, chewing on, mulling over, and thinking through. I commend them all to you.
Sheridan, a Harvard grad, dives deep into the world of mixed martial arts. He studies with kick boxers in Thailand, jiu jitsu practitioners in Brazil, dog fighters in the Philippines, Olympic boxers in L.A., and UFC fighters in Iowa. Through it all, he explores both the psychology and physiology of the sport. He strikes a balance of respect for the fighters with questions about their motives and achievements. In the end, he creates a fascinating look at the life of fighters around the world.
My heart is pretty soft to stories about the relationship between men and their sons, but even if it wasn’t, this story would have kept my attention. Leif Enger spins a masterful tale about the Land family: the invincible father, the asthmatic youngest son, the mischievous tomboy daughter, and the outlaw older brother. Their story is filled with miracles, adventure, and the wonders of the Wild West.
DeYoung wrote this book as a reaction against a culture filled with options that sometimes paralyze us. I know so many people who seem stuck in indecision, waiting for months and years to find God’s will for their lives is. DeYoung’s counsel is that we walk in wisdom, live in God’s moral will and choose to do something. His book is funny, practical, and simple. Overall, it’s a great entry-level book on God’s will.
What happens when a Brown student sets out to write an expose about life at one of America’s most conservative Christian colleges? Maybe not what you think. I expected Kevin Roose’s book to be filled with indictments about the ridiculousness and hypocrisy of Liberty University. Instead, he effuses about the respect and camaraderie he feels with students whose worldviews differ greatly from his. This is a great read for anyone wondering how much of the secular world views evangelicals and their discipleship ideals.
This is a hard book to describe. It’s an odd mix of apologetics, narrative, metaphor, and stream-of-consciousness writing. One other reviewer said, “His writing in Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl from Thomas Nelson Publishers evokes emotion like the best fiction, scratches the brain like the best philosophy, and stirs a love for Creator and creation like the best theology.” I can’t say it better.
In my eyes, no one presents the truth of the Good News of Jesus Christ in a fresher, more compelling way than Keller. In this book, he takes the parable of the Prodigal Son and casts it in a different light. He argues that both brothers rebelled against their father and that both of them needed his grace more than they knew. Keller goes on to describe how we avoid God through both idolatry and religion, or through both being bad and being good. He paints a beautiful picture of the love and grace of the Savior.
3. Total Church
by Steve Timmis and Tim Chester
At the heart of church should be a dual commitment to the Gospel and to the Christian community, so argue Timmis and Chester in this fine little book. They challenge readers to evaluate every aspect of church life in light of these two commitments. The result is a book that calls readers to be the church in the world. I will be implementing the lessons contained in this book for the rest of my life.
I label very few books as “must reads,” but Tripp’s book qualifies in every way. It’s a primer on how to apply the Gospel to every area of life. Tripp’s premise is that our reactions reveal our hearts and what we really trust in. When we respond to people and circumstances in an ungodly way, we prove that we trust in something other than the Gospel. When we show fruit that honors Christ, we prove that we functionally trust in Christ. This is a phenomenal resource for anyone looking to change or help others do so.
There are really two kinds of Christian marriage books. One kind says, “Do this for them and they will do that for you.” It’s glorified selfishness wrapped in Christian language. The other kind says, “Marriage is first and foremost about you growing into the image of Christ and helping your spouse do the same.” Obviously, Dave Harvey’s book falls into the second category. I read about a dozen marriage book before Sarah and I married, and this is my favorite by far. Harvey asserts that the Gospel gives us both the power to live like Christ in marriage and the example for how to do so. This book is filled with simple but revolutionary insights about how to glorify God as a couple.
