Books at the Beach

I have been trying to exercise more and the most tremendous asset I have ever found is the LoseIt application. Whether you log calories online, your Apple product, or even from your Droid, LoseIt is revolutionary. The premise: set your actual weight and your desired weight. LoseIt will automatically configure your daily caloric limit - so one must exercise diligence to lose weight by logging what they eat. Here's the rub: whatever calories you burn are plugged in and increase food calories. So, if you burn 1000 calories, you are allowed to eat 1000 more calories all while keeping under your daily caloric goal. Such exercise reminded me of a book I reviewed entitled Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. While this is mostly applicable in the school milieu - the tenets would inform any group looking to substantiate exercise. My review is enclosed below. Please feel free to leave comments at my blog. Kindly, -Steve --------------------------------...

My alarm went off at 530 this morning and I decided to get up and catch up on some reading, as I am presently reviewing a book about "death with dignity."  My wife asked, "Why are you up as she was preparing some coffee." Then, she reminded us both that the last flight of the space shuttle Atlantis was nearing its end: the shuttle was about 10 minutes away from touchdown and the dual sonic boom of entering Earth's atmosphere could be heard. Living in Florida, this is quite an event just to hear.  We decided to go outside, sit on the tailgate of my truck, and drink coffee. I finished another book by author George Mardo and have enclosed my review below. I hope you enjoy the review.  Please feel free to make comments. [If you are receiving email notification of this blog post, please go to the actual blog to subscribe and/or make comments.] One more day till Friday... -Steve ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------...

Recently, one of my children had to take her dog to the vet.  It made me think about how I miss having pets.  Our home has enjoyed a few pet fiascoes, let's say... We purchased a purebred American Shepherd who ended up biting the ear off of visiting Pit Bull.  Then there was the Rottweiler who broke her leg by running down the stairs. Sadly, on the eve of her last day with us, the Rottie mashed Socks , the house cat, flat as a pancake when she discovered her in the dog pen at night. No pets are here now but I do miss the companionship of an animal. I even gave a speech at Toastmasters, entitled: Can a Dog Lover become a Cat Lover?  The short answer is--Yes, most definitely. Hero, Mocha, and Socks - you are all gone but not forgotten.  Their time in our home reminded me of a book review I did about pets.  I have enclosed it below--I hope you like it. By the way, some of you are receiving this via email notification.  Would you do me a f...

In light of comments received when I posted a review of The Warrior's Heart Revealed , I thought I would share this review I wrote of The Way of the Christian Samurai .  Without a doubt, this book was one of the best devotional style guides I have ever read which seeks to see the teachings of Jesus embedded in the mindset of the Samurai. If you, or someone you know, is involved in the martial arts, they will love this book.  If they're a Christian, they'll really love this book!  [If you know someone who needs to rekindle their passion for Christ and they love the martial arts--this book is a must purchase for them!] Feel free to leave comments.  If you are receiving this review in an email, please visit my blog to subscribe and/or leave comments. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Available at Amazon The Way of the Christian Samurai [Soft Cover] by Paul Nowak 116 pages, $11.99 ISBN-13: 978-0...

Debate within Christendom should be vigorously accepted. Alister McGrath has written a scathing indictment of New Atheism in his book:  Why God Won't Go Away: Is the New Atheism Running on Empty?  This is a quick read; excellently written; and thought provoking. I commend it to you highly. My review is enclosed...please feel free to make comments. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Available at Amazon Why God Won’t Go Away: Is the New Atheism Running on Empty? [Softcover] by Alister McGrath 224 pages, $15.99 ISBN-13: 978-0849946455 Nonfiction Review by Steven King, MBA, MEd The world watched in horror on a fateful day in September 2001—religious fanaticism can lead people to unthinkable horror.  The world was forever changed as terrorists aligned with al-Qaeda commandeered four airplanes and flew them into various targets in the United States. In the aftermath of two of those planes being flown into ...

I must confess, I love all things related to the martial arts.  Movies like The Bourne Identity pull me in because I know I will be served a feast of kicks, punches, and testosterone laden fighting.  Admittedly, a Christian warrior is different than that. (But I still like the fight scenes...) Joseph Lumpkin, founder of a the system known as Shinsei Hapkido has an excellent book for those who love the martial arts and would like to use them in the Christian setting.  My review of his The Warrior's Heart Revealed is enclosed below. I hope you enjoy.  Feel free to leave a comment and tell your friends to subscribe to the blog. Always, Steve ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Available at Amazon The Warrior’s Heart Revealed [Softcover] by Daryl Covington & Joseph Lumpkin 336 pages, $18.50 ISBN-13: 978-0974633619 Nonfiction Review by Steven King, MBA, MEd The world of martial arts is a v...

Available at Amazon.com From Scorn to Respect George J. Mardo Kit-Torb Publishing Co ISBN: 978-0-9815555-0-8 297 Pages (Includes front and back matter) From Scorn to Respect by George J. Mardo is a unique novel that weaves the same ideology throughout: family is the most important portion of our lives—no matter where life takes us. This shaggy-dog tale details the life of a Syrian emigrant as he journeys from his native home to America at the turn of the nineteenth century. The main character, Joseph Malik, is mandated to go to America at the behest of his parents to escape the woes of Turkish oppression. Tragedy befalls him in the first few pages and paves the way for a unique and unusual understory woven into the fabric of the journey. Joseph epitomizes family values and an ardent work ethic. His sense of duty to his “new” homeland spurs him to join the U.S. Army just before America’s involvement in World War I. Being bilingual in Arabic and English make him highly soug...

Steven and Bethany are in town with their children.  Their youngest, Hayden, had a seizure this afternoon. She has never seized before. She's tired and doing well; her grandmother, dad, and mom are on the way to the hospital.  Please say a prayer for her health. Kindly, -Steve