THE BEATLES LYRICS: The Stories Behind the Music, Including the Handwritten Drafts of More Than 100 Classic Beatles Songs
Hunter Davies
From the publisher: "Hunter Davies knew and worked with the Beatles and wrote their...only authorized biography. Now, in this collection, he has found and reproduced more than a hundred original handwritten manuscripts of their songs, and he gives the reader the full backstory."
From me: Having slogged through the longest subtitle known to mankind, I was quickly enthralled with the behind-the-scenes viewpoint the author shares. In all honesty, the pictures of the handwritten lyrics were the least impressive aspect of the book...even though they were the genesis of the whole project. If you're not a Beatles fan, you'll think, "Who cares?" but for the other 97% of the world's population...
Page 56/Sentence 5: Oldham, who had once done some publicity work for the Beatles, told them that the Stones were looking for a new song.
WHY DID I LOSE MY JOB IF GOD LOVES ME? Help and Hope During Career Transition
Rick J. Pritikin
"Rick J. Pritikin understands firsthand the loss of self-esteem and the feelings of hopelessness and despair that typically accompany the loss of a job. Writing from personal experience, Rick has authored 31 daily biblically-based meditations that address the unique challenges faced by anyone who is unemployed."
Though I've never asked myself the question posed in the title, I still found this slim volume encouraging and helpful. (The first of 3 "Truth Is..." blog posts based on the book is here: http://deweytruth.blogspot.com/2015/04/jobless-yes-hopeless-no.html) I got stalled about 2/3 of the way through because 1) it started asking me to do things I didn't want to do, and 2) I got a job. Glad I finished, though, if only to find the 10-page appendix full of Scripture references involving hope...in categories like "Fearful, God offers hope to the".
56/5: Help me to be a living testimony to my family and friends of your agape love. (Semi-interesting note: I had underlined this sentence just because I related to it...nothing to do with it being the 56/5 of the book.)
WHAT GOOD IS GOD? In Search of a Faith That Matters
Philip Yancey
"It's a universal question...What good is God in a world where terrorists attack tourist sites in Mumbai, where women and children are sold into sexual slavery, where a gunman kills 32 students and staff on a college campus, and where six million people in South Africa alone suffer with HIV/AIDS?."
This book, like most of Yancey's work, admits that having faith in Christ doesn't easily answer all of life's questions...but it also excels at finding good in the worst situations. The book is a compilation of talks that Yancey has given throughout the years, with compelling introductions to the challenging situations in which the messages were given. Not every chapter will strike each reader deeply, but enough of them will to make this a moving read.
56/5: We oppose poverty, you oppose poverty.
THE GARNER FILES
James Garner & Jon Winokur
"One of Hollywood's all-time great leading men, James Garner enjoyed a remarkable career spanning six decades, and whether you know him as Bret Maverick or Jim Rockford, his appeal bridges generations. Few know the real story, now told in this intimate memoir of growing up in Depression-era Oklahoma and triumphing in Hollywood."
An easy-going read...just like you'd expect from one of the most casual actors ever known. I was particularly pleased to read his take on acting: "I never thought acting was frivolous, though I thought some actors were. It's a worthy vocation if practiced right. But I have to laugh when I hear actors talking about their art. Hey, it's a movie. Just say the lines....."
56/5: He'd appear in my episode, I'd appear in his.
ANSWER HIS CALL
Jim Estep, David Roadcup, Gary Johnson
"This book about the role of eldership is desperately needed and can be extremely helpful. [The authors] have the theological credentials and practical experience to shed some light on how God intended His church to be shepherded. Jesus Christ is still the only hope of the world, the church is still His body on the earth, elders are still the pastors of His flock, and the times in which we live demand the best we can give. (From the foreword by Bob Russell)"
This is the first of four books in a series that my fellow elders at Valley Christian Church and I are studying through. Very Scripture-based, but also very practical, there are questions to reflect on at the end of every section, and they deserve a lot of reflection. I am being challenged by reading this, and recommend it to anyone out there either in a local church leadership position or considering entering such a position.
56/5: A particular approach may be used in a church that has 120 in attendance, given the nature of their size and relationships.
