Books at the Beach

Have you ever been in a quandary about your faith or how it applies to politics? I know I have...Sometimes, we question the values we held so dearly when we were growing up. Alisa Harris did...read about how she left the Republican Party in the hopes of social justice. My review is enclosed below.  Hope you enjoy. [Feel free to leave comments.] Happy Friday! -Steve Available at Amazon.com Raised Right: How I Untangled My Faith from Politics [Paperback] By Alisa Harris 240 pages, $14.99 ISBN-13:  978-0307729651 Non-fiction Review by Steven King, MBA, MEd Alisa Harris grew up with all the trappings of the Christian Right – including being homeschooled and standing in lines protesting abortion.  As she got older and started viewing the world through her own sense of justice, she felt the moorings of being a conservative Republican had held her bondage for too long.  With visions that someone should stand in the gap in the societal “no man’s land,” ...

Have you ever stopped to ponder who the world's smartest person is?  Admittedly, the question does not receive the same accolades as who might be the strongest person. Joshua Foer has written an interesting book about what he discovered when he tried answering the same question.  My review is enclosed.  Comments welcome. Happy Friday! -Steve Available at  Amazon.com Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything By Joshua Foer 320 pages, $26.95 ISBN-13: 978-1594202292 Non-fiction Review by Steven King, MBA, MEd Have you ever wondered who the world’s smartest person is?  In a world that celebrates the antics of the world’s strongest people very little time is given to those who excel in mental pursuits. Such antipathy for mental prowess put Joshua Foer on a quest to find out who might fit the bill of world’s smartest person.  When he began his quest, he did not discover who the smartest person was in the world…rather he ...

Books about spirituality intrigue me.  As a Christian, I will admit that I have a very strong faith and I am resolute in my beliefs.  A long time ago, I endorsed the ideology that purports: if you want to know the other camp--you should read what they do. Be careful "where" you look for spiritual advice. Opening such doors could cause you quite a bit of aggravation...after all, you never know what you might find. Happy Friday, -Steve Comments welcome. Spirit Junkie, A Radical Road to Self-Love and Miracles By Gabrielle Bernstein 288 pages, $23.00 ISBN-13: 978-0307887405 Non-fiction Review by Steven King, MBA, MEd Spirit Junkie, A Radical Road to Self-Love and Miracles is destined to be a best seller since so many impressionable people are clamoring for spiritual direction in their lives.  If anything will do, then quite possibly such people are willing to fill the void in their lives with anything that comes along.  Its author, Gabrielle Bernstein, believes s...

I can recall digging in my parent's backyard to determine if buried treasure existed there. The dream of finding something invaluable has led many to weather the adversity and look for untold wealth.  In spite of all my digging, I never uncovered anything worth anything. W.C. Jameson is just such an individual.  His book Treasure Hunter is toothy, earthy, and real. If you have a treasure hunter in your life - check out this book for them.  Who knows? Perhaps you will discover a treasure for yourself. My review of this wonderfully written book is below. Comments welcome. -Steve Available at Amazon.com Treasure Hunter: Caches, Curses, and Deadly Confrontations By W.C. Jameson Published by Seven Oaks Publishing Company E-book edition, 263 pages ASIN: B005NCV8YM Non-fiction Review by Steven King, MBA, MEd Movies like Pirates of the Caribbean , National Treasure , and the Indiana Jones franchise awaken a deep-seated idea: adventure will break the monotony of life an...

I have had the privilege of reading two of Robert Orfali's books outlining how he dealt with the death of his soulmate, Jeri.  If you can read this one with dry eyes, you need to check your pulse.  A highly recommended resource for those experiencing grief...or who are about to experience grief. Happy Friday! -Steve Available at Amazon.com Grieving a Soulmate: The Love Story Behind “Till Death Do Us Part” Robert Orfali Mill City Press, Inc. ISBN-13: 978-1-936400-66-9 280 Pages (Includes front and back matter) Frances Moore Lappé, author of 18 books including the three-million copy Diet for a Small Planet once shared, "Even the fear of death is nothing compared to the fear of not having lived authentically and fully." Nothing could be more prescient of the life lived and enjoyed by Robert and Jeri Orfali – particularly in the last ten years of Jeri Orfali’s life. Robert Orfali, an accomplished author with expertise in information technology...

This was an interesting read, particularly for those interested in the occult, satanism, or spiritual things.  If you are a relatively new Christian, I would avoid this type of literature--spiritual things should not be toyed with.   Have a great Friday, -Steve Comments welcome below... Available at Amazon.com Ascent from Darkness: How Satan's Soldier Became God's Warrior [Paperback] By Michael Leehan 272 pages, $15.99 ISBN-13: 978-0849947032 Non-fiction Review by Steven King, MBA, MEd In Ascent from Darkness Leehan writes a compelling autobiography about his involvement in the sordid world of Satanism and his eventual surrender to Jesus Christ, as his Lord and Savior. Leehan writes in a very compelling style—which was hard to put down and could have been read easily in a two-day reading fest.  As a spiritual treatise it gets two things right: §   It reminds people of the reality of the spiritual world §   If affirms that no one is beyond God’s salvific...

Perusing through a few books at a mobile book sale, I ran across this interesting book.  No matter what, Jesus loves us.  Maybe you needed to hear that today...or maybe, just maybe, one of your friends or family members needs this great lesson. Have a great Friday. Feel free to leave comments. -Steve Available from Amazon.com Jesus Love You, This I Know. By Craig Gross & Jason Harper Baker Books ISBN-13:  978-0801013294 196 Pages (Includes front and back matter) Review by Steven King, MBA, MEd It is easy for me to say that I believe Jesus loves you.  But if the truth is known, there have been many times in my life where I have felt that he didn’t love me.  True, many people had told me that Jesus loved me…that there was nothing I could ever do to not be loved by him.  During those times I was guilty of lobbing whimsical incantations of “Take heart, Jesus loves you,” at people experiencing low points.  Now I see the hypocrisy of saying ...