C. S. Lewis
From the publisher: "The wisdom of C. S. Lewis is offered in this essential collection of though-provoking daily meditations. The Los Angeles Times said, ‘Lewis, perhaps more than any other twentieth-century writer, forced those who listened to him and read his works to come to terms with their own philosophical presuppositions’."
From me: It took me a year to read it, but that was the plan. I used this to create a daily Lewis post for the “Truth Is...” Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/DeweyTruth/). So much good stuff from Mere Christianity, The Weight of Glory (a collection of essays), The Problem of Pain, and The Screwtape Letters...it was good to have it broken into bite-sized bits.
Page 56/Sentence 5: That means creatures which can go either wrong or right.
Brennan Manning
"Manning has long been illuminating the transforming power of God’s constant love for us in his bestselling books. Now he identifies self-hatred as the reason that so many of us seem unable to accept this incredible, unchanging love. By clearly examining and understanding Jesus’ life, we can put self-hatred behind us forever and truly be transformed in the ways God intended."
Another encouraging tome, though similar enough to his other work as to calm down any notion of this being groundbreaking. However, his own description, found in the last few paragraphs, are apt: “As I slosh nimbly through the puddles of advancing age, it would be untimely and absolutely inappropriate for me to write mincing pastorals, sensitive soul-blubber, and well-behaved meditations for pious people. In this little book I’ve given my heart and my language license to be what they are: crude and soft-spoken, whole and stricken, honest and provocative, drawn from the casks of life.”
56/5: The early eucharistic meals were grateful celebrations of God’s gift of life, celebrated in shared food and joyful fellowship.
Brian Jay Jones
"He was a gentle dreamer whose genial bearded visage was recognized around the world, but most people got to know him only through the iconic characters born of his fertile imagination: Kermit the Frog, Bert and Ernie.... The Muppets made Jim Henson a household name, but they were just part of his remarkable story." (Frank Oz: “I worked with Jim for more than thirty years. He was one of my closest friends. And yet I found out things about him in Jim Henson that were new to me.”)
I found this bio extremely interesting, highly informative, and absolutely entertaining. The behind-the-scenes info on every major Henson project could be books unto themselves, but the author makes it all a part of the flow of Henson’s life story...a story that, even though it ended far too early, is still going on.
56/5: For the Henson family, it was a devastating loss.
Wm. Paul Young
"In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant, THE SHACK wrestles with the timeless question: Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain? The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You’ll want everyone you know to read this book!"
I wanted to read this book before seeing the movie, but didn’t get to it in time. As it turns out, I think having seen the movie helped me keep up with what was being said in the book, so no worries. There’s plenty of controversy swirling around both the book and the movie, accusing them of being heretical; of saying that everybody goes to heaven or something like that. Having both watched the movie and read the book specifically on the lookout for false teaching, I’ve got to say that I don’t understand what all the fuss is about. I do, however, agree with the publisher’s hype: I want everyone I know to read this book. It’s a creative way to think about some essential spiritual topics like pain, spiritual direction, and forgiveness.
56/5: Mack felt like he was moving in slow motion inside the eye of a hurricane of activity happening all around him.
Anson Williams
"Anson Williams started working odd jobs as a teenager to help support his family and met Willie, an aging, African American janitor who unexpectedly became a mentor. The lessons Willie taught young Anson proved to be invaluable throughout his subsequent career as an actor, director, and entrepreneur."
The short, episodic chapters in this book made it an easy read, and the behind-the-scenes memories of Happy Days and beyond, mixed with the life lessons Williams learned from Willie, kept everything not only interesting but meaningful. As a whole, it kind of comes across like Slumdog Millionaire, in that what might have been just semi-sober ramblings spoken to a 15-year-old future actor end up being the very attitudes and insights that helped Anson Williams create a wonderful life.
56/5: We walked into an adjoining room, and there was Susan Ford, looking beautiful, talking with a couple of girlfriends.
Richard Zoglin
"In the rock-and-roll 1970s, a new kind of outlaw hero emerged on the American cultural scene; an edgy mixture of social commentator and rock star: the stand-up comic, turning the old borscht belt conventions on their head and reinventing a very American art form"
Every chapter in this book either profiles a particular comic (e.g., Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, Richard Pryor...) or a particular aspect of the stand-up universe (e.g., comedy clubs, improv, the scarcity of women comics...). Zoglin did a lot of interviewing for his book, and it shows, with lots of direct quotes and personal insights. It's an interesting read, and he makes a fairly good case for the truth of the subtitle.
56/5: Urbisci, for his part, says he had no problems with Pryor: “It wasn’t a walk in the park.”
