"Becoming C. S. Lewis" by Union University Professor of Faith and Cultural Studies Harry Lee Poe is the first in a new three volume biography of C. S. Lewis's first twenty years. The book outlines how Lewis's early life experiences and books he read, particularly … Continue reading Becoming C. S. Lewis
Category: Books
The Magician and His Nephew
The "Chronicles of Narnia" is a series of seven fantasy novels written by C S Lewis between 1950 and 1956. Narnia is a fantasy world of magic, mythical beasts and talking animals. It narrates the adventures of various children who play central roles in the … Continue reading The Magician and His Nephew
Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment
"Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" is a short story by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne published in 1837. In the story, Dr. Heidegger invites four elderly friends to his study. He displays a vase that he claims has water from the Fountain of Youth discovered in Florida. The … Continue reading Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment
The Last Emperor of Mexico
The "Last Emperor of Mexico" is a biography of Maximilian I, the last emperor of Mexico and an Austrian Hapsburg Archduke, written by Edward Shawcross. Maximilian, born in 1832, was a member of the Austrian ruling Hapsburg family, with his brother, Franz Joseph, becoming Emperor … Continue reading The Last Emperor of Mexico
The Great Revival During the Civil War
The book “A Narrative of the Great Revival Which Prevailed during the Late Civil War” was written by William B. Bennett in 1877, twelve years after the wars end but based on his personal observations and documented records. He noted that waiting twelve years gave … Continue reading The Great Revival During the Civil War
I, Juan de Pareja
My sixteen year old grandson recommended this book by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino, which tells story of Juan de Pareja as a first person account. It took place in Spain and Italy during the mid-seventeenth century. Juan was a slave of African decent and tells … Continue reading I, Juan de Pareja
Bad Blood
"Bad Blood" is a book by John Carreyou, about Theranos, Inc. and Elizabeth Holmes, its founder and CEO. Carreyou was the prizewinning Wall Street Journal reporter who broke the story, initially from sources inside the company, of the misrepresentations related to a device that Holmes … Continue reading Bad Blood
Happy At Any Cost
“Happy at any Cost” by Kirsten Grind and Katherine Sayre is the story of Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh. Hsieh took over the struggling online shoe retailer in the early days of internet e-commerce and made it into a profitable company. Amazon later bought out the … Continue reading Happy At Any Cost
Heart of a Tiger
“Heart of a Tiger” by Herschel Cobb is a book about the summers spent by the author with his grandfather Ty Cobb at his home in Lake Tahoe in the 1950s and 1960s. The purpose of the book was to give another viewpoint of Ty … Continue reading Heart of a Tiger
Desert Fox
“Desert Fox” by Samuel Mitcham is a biography of German General Erwin Rommel. Rommel is widely considered, along with American General George Patton, as one of the two best generals of World War II. The book covers his his entire life, including his impressive exploits … Continue reading Desert Fox
Robert E Lee: A Life
“Robert E Lee: A Life” is the newest biography of the Confederate general written by historian Allen C. Guelzo. Guelzo is a self-described Yankee partisan but presents a fairly even-handed portrait, but more negative than some better biographies such as by Emory Thomas or Douglas … Continue reading Robert E Lee: A Life
A Passion For God
“A Passion For God” by Lyle Dorsett is a biography of A. W. Tozer. Tozer, a Christian and Missionary Alliance pastor, is probably best know for writing the classic book “The Pursuit of God” calling Christians to a more closer intimacy with God. Tozer was … Continue reading A Passion For God
Franco
“Franco” by Stanley Payne and Jesus Palacios is a biography of Francisco Franco the dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975. Although a right-wing dictator who supported Hitler in his war against Communism, Franco survived World War II in power and, after a long reign, … Continue reading Franco
Insanely simple
Insanely Simple is a book written by Ken Segall on the obsessive simplicity of Apple Corporation. It makes the case that one of the keys of Apple’s success is its drive to simplify its products and processes and not let complexity creep in. This was … Continue reading Insanely simple
Lion of Liberty
“Lion of Liberty” is a book on the life of one of America’s chief Founding Fathers, Patrick Henry, written by Harlow Giles Unger. Henry was a very successful self-taught back-country lawyer and one of the first and chief instigators of the American Revolution and the … Continue reading Lion of Liberty
Schulz and Peanuts
“Schulz and Peanuts” is a book about Charles Schulz, written by David Michaelis. Beginning in 1950 through his death in 2000, Charles Schulz transformed the newspaper comic strip with his “Peanuts” children characters. His strip differed from many others, which centered around gags and action, … Continue reading Schulz and Peanuts
Strat-O-Matic Fanatics
“Strat-O-Matic Fanatics” by Glenn Guzzo is the true story behind the creation of America’s most popular sports board game, Strat-O-Matic. The book traces the game’s roots from 11-year-old Hal Richman’s bedroom, his first rudimentary attempts at developing a baseball game when he was not satisfied … Continue reading Strat-O-Matic Fanatics
Beautiful Exile
“Beautiful Exile” by Carl Rollyson is a biography of legendary author and journalist Martha Gellhorn. Gellhorn wrote novels, travel and other books but is primarily remembered for her wartime reporting and reporting on various human rights abuses. Being one of the first and most widely … Continue reading Beautiful Exile
Finding Dorothy
“Finding Dorothy” by Elizabeth Letts is a historical novel primarily about the life of Maude Gauge Baum, the wife of L. Frank Baum who wrote the original Wizard of Oz books. The book bounces back and forth between her early life and the 1939 making … Continue reading Finding Dorothy
Kingfish
“Kingfish” is a biography of Huey Long written by Richard White. Long was a Louisiana Democrat governor and later U.S. senator and controlled virtually every aspect of the state government from 1929 until he was shot to death in 1935 at age 42. This was … Continue reading Kingfish
Defiant Joy
“Defiant Joy” is a biography of G. K. Chesterton by Kevin Belmonte. Chesterton was an English writer, philosopher, lay theologian, and literary and art critic that wrote primarily in the early 1900s. Blessed with a sharp wit, he created the fictional priest-detective Father Brown, a … Continue reading Defiant Joy
Mint Condition
Back when I was a boy I fondly remember coming home in the early summer evenings after playing some sandlot baseball and hoping Mom would bring me a couple of packs of baseball cards from her weekly trip to the grocery store. I loved Major … Continue reading Mint Condition
Steve Jobs
“Steve Jobs” by Walter Isaacson is one of the best biographies of the founder of the Apple Corporation. Jobs hand picked the author to write his biography and he was given unprecedented access to Jobs and those around him which makes the biography compelling. Jobs … Continue reading Steve Jobs
Reading the Man
Reading the Man by Elizabeth Brown Pryor is a quasi-biography of Robert E. Lee. It follows his life in a loosely chronological order largely through the letters he wrote. Each chapter opens with one or more of his letters or a letter of someone related … Continue reading Reading the Man
The Sensitivity of the Spirit
This is the title of a book by R. T. Kendall, including, "Learning to Stay in the Flow of God's Direction." The Holy Spirit is my fascination, He captivates and seldom leaves my consideration, perspective, and longing. I believe the Holy Spirit is active in … Continue reading The Sensitivity of the Spirit
The Conservative Christian Apologist 