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BOOKS (In Order of Posting) Reviews and Articles
One of the weirdest books I have ever read... IDEALISM: THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE MATRIX The author makes his case that the Matrix reflects the philosophy of "idealism," an "approach to philosophical enquiry. As a basis for cosmology, or an approach to understanding existence, idealism is often contrasted with materialism, both belonging to the class of monist as opposed to dualist or pluralist ontologies." — Book Review by MIKE GUNN
One of the best novels I have read in a long time... LEVI'S WILL Cramer does an insightful and informed job of giving the reader a glimpse inside the Amish community, writing as the son of a man whose father also left the Amish. The refreshing fact is that there is no feeling of emotional manipulation and no sense of judgment on the part of the author. He truly keeps his voice neutral so that the reader can think and decide what to do with the information. — Book Review by KATHY BLEDSOE
"The New Has Come!" END OF THE SPEAR End of the Spear has little to do with the fact that Nathan Saint and his comrades died at the end of an Auca spear on a sandbar in Ecuador 18 years ago. The title has everything to do with the transformation of a people who used their spears to define their lives, living in perpetual fear and by the maxim "strike first and kill before someone else kills you." — Book Review by KATHY BLEDSOE
One of the new icons of spiritual re-education The Da Vinci Code As the book appears in paperback this week and is about to be screened around the world by Sony Pictures in May, there has been a resurgence of interest in a story that should have remained just a really good and quick read—made for a rainy Saturday afternoon and a good pot of coffee—but has been turned into one of the new icons of spiritual re-education. — Book Review by KATHY BLEDSOE
To put it simply The Da Vinci Code has been THE book of the past two to three years. It jumped onto bestseller lists soon after its release. It has stayed on them almost every week since then. It has stayed in the top three or four spots during the majority of its time on the lists. And when it comes to personal favorite lists, let’s just say it is either at the very top or the very bottom. — Book Review by ELISABETH LEITCH
Sometimes secrets are hard to keep. POSTSECRET Other times secrets are hard to tell. Sometimes they are a fun surprise. Other times they are the key to complete destruction. Sometimes they are funnier than any joke we’ve ever heard. Other times they are just as hard to hear as the worst diagnosis our doctor could ever give. — Book Review by ELISABETH LEITCH
A MILLION LITTLE PIECES Oprah’s staff cried when they read it. The Smoking Gun launched an investigation before her book club could finish it. Late night hosts and early morning anchors began flipping through it as soon as it made its “smoking” debut. And if they had not already, people all over the world ran to the shelves to buy it. — Book Review by ELISABETH LEITCH
STORY: Recapture the Mystery Review by Kevin Miller: Billed as “a postmodern retelling of the Christian story that makes the gospel real for today’s Christians,” it is essentially a collection of brief personal essays, poetry, and the occasional black and white photograph that attempts to jazz up the gospel while at the same time dumbing it down.
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO OPRAH Review by Kevin Miller: Love Oprah or hate her—Is there really another option?—I can guarantee you will enjoy this book. In fact, as was the case with me, you may discover that your opinion on Oprah reveals as much about yourself as it does about her, which merely proves Nelson’s fourth secret to Oprah’s appeal: Oprah encourages self-examination. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
INSIDE NARNIA: A Guide to Exploring the Lion, the Witch And the Wardrobe Review by Kevin Miller: It reflects a tremendous amount of research, and I am certain that dedicated Lewis fans as well as those who have just entered the wardrobe will be forever grateful for the work Brown has done here.
BEHIND THE SCREEN: Hollywood Insiders on Faith, Film, And Culture Review by Kevin Miller: After a spate of books about Hollywood written by Christians who are observing the industry from a distance, it’s refreshing to see a book like Behind the Screen, which was written by a group of individuals whose day jobs place them at the heart of the most influential cultural enterprise on the planet.
PLAN B: FURTHER THOUGHTS ON FAITH Review by PETER "PapaBear" CRUIKSHANK: When someone generally says they are a Christian, most people will automatically (right or wrong) envision a Right Wing supporter of President Bush. Well, Anne Lamott (author of the best seller “Traveling Mercies”) proves that not all Christians fall into this category. First off, you need to picture a 50 year old white woman with dreadlocks who is an ex-drug addict raising a 15 year old son on her own and is a self proclaimed Right Wing Christian. And, by the way, she really has problems with the Bush Administration. Ok, now you are beginning to get an insight into the author of the book “Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith”.
MOVIES AND THE MEANING OF LIFE Review by Kevin Miller: In the introduction to his essay on American Beauty, philosopher George T. Hole (one of the contributors to this book) says the film “does more than entertain us with yet another story of a man going through a mid-life crisis. It offers us a philosophical challenge, not simply to intellectualize about the meaning of the movie, but to examine our assumptions about the meaning of our own lives.” I could say much the same thing about this book. While it is definitely entertaining, and quoting from it certainly will make you sound more intelligent than you are, its greatest value lies in its ability to use film as a window into the soul.
REFLECTIONS FOR MOVIE-LOVERS Review by Kevin Miller: Overall, Kinne’s devotionals display a sincere if somewhat simplistic approach to both film and faith. To his credit, it is difficult to summarize a film’s plot and seriously engage the spiritual questions raised by each film in six paragraphs or less. But perhaps Kinne should have focused on fewer films and done a more thorough job on each. As it stands, what he has managed to create is a cinematized version of Our Daily Bread—spiritual milk for the movie-loving soul.
WALKING THROUGH THE WARDROBE You’ve heard the story, but it never loses its magic: Lucy discovers a world beyond the wardrobe, and before long Peter, Susan and Edmund are drawn along with her into a enchanted adventure through the land of Narnia. Join the characters of this classic tale on a devotional adventure of your own as Sarah Arthur, bestselling author of Walking with Frodo, reveals that we’re never too old to believe in the truth of Narnia.
WONKAMANIA For years Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has been everybody's non-pollutionary, anti-institutionary, pro-confectionery factory of fun! Now take a look at all of the pop culture icons from the original film and book: the Golden Ticket, Oompa-Loompas, and the spectacular chocolate factory. Through the lens of Scripture, readers discover what this classic tale can teach us about pride, greed, laziness, temptation, and purpose in our own walk of faith.
DATING MR DARCY Any girl who has seen Pride and Prejudice or read the Jane Austen novel knows that the much misunderstood Mr. Darcy is the ideal gentleman. But is it possible to find your own Mr. Darcy in today's world of geeks and goons? With smart tips, spiritual insights, and discussions of Jane Austen's popular stories and movies, best-selling author Sarah Arthur equips young women to gauge a guy's Darcy Potential (DP) according to his relationships with family, friends, and God.
Bright, Brave New Wave of Christian Authors Mike Furches: What I discovered in the reading of Ted Dekker was a phenomenal writer with an ability to tell a story that had as much quality and intrigue as any writer out there. His books were flying off the shelves according to one local bookstore manager and after reading the first issue of Thr3e I could understand why. This guy had it together. It was material that was obviously not only selling to Christians, it was selling to those who did not accept or believe in Jesus as their Leader and Guide. The reason was that Dekker has one of the most unique methods in telling stories in a long time. Not only do the stories flow, but they are not filled with the sappy style that so many had fallen into, especially so many within the Christian market.
Interview with Ted Dekker Mike Furches: There are a lot of folks that are saying that Ted Dekker is one of the most important Christian writers to come around in a long time. How do you respond? Ted Dekker: I say, the teachings of Christ when characterized in real life settings, characterized in stories which represent real life. They are the most important thing to reenergize in our culture in a long, long time. I just happen to be one person who is doing it...
WESTBOW PRESS - New things Mike Furches: There is much progress being made in having adaptations of Christian writer's novels moving to the big screen. Tolkein, Frank Peretti, Ted Dekker, and John Grisham are just a few varied examples. In addition to Christian authors, there are many talented Hollywood directors, producers, and screenplay writers in Hollywood. I think God is very much at work in this area of the arts.
GOSPEL RELOADED The authors explore the allegorical Matrix films for their hidden and transparent meaning. These blockbuster movies contain themes of rebirth and awakening, fate and free will, that inspire important discussions about reality and spiritual contemplation.
WHO NEEDS A SUPERHERO and COMIC BOOK CHARACTER Kevin Miller: A major trend sweeping through the evangelical subculture today is a move toward redeeming popular culture. A mere generation ago, movies, television shows, pop music, literature, comic books, virtually anything produced by the mainstream entertainment industry was deemed corrupt by definition. Many evangelicals still indulged their interest in such things, but it was often regarded as a guilty pleasure. No longer. The pendulum has shifted.
HOLY SUPERHEROES! Review by Kevin Miller: Even though we have turned our back on myth, a part of us keeps reaching out for something to fill the gap that reason has left behind. Where this need used to be satisfied by reading the lives of saints, apostles, and other heroes of the faith, we now read about men and women who have secret identities and run around in skin-tight costumes doing battle with the forces of evil. These are the stories that move us, Garrett says, “the ones we most need to hear to be whole.” How and why these stories lead us closer to the sacred and inspire us in our own quest to do good is the main subject of this book.
PETER JACKSON IN PERSPECTIVE In assembling a comprehensive and engaging discussion of Peter Jackson's award-winning adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, Greg Wright moves to the front of the pack. Nowhere else in print is there to be found such an extensive examination of the spiritual and artistic implications of the 21st Century's first cinematic masterwork.
TOLKIEN IN PERSPECTIVE Readable yet scholarly, Wright's book takes into account the full breadth of Tolkien's writings -- everything from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings to The Silmarillion and The History of Middle-Earth; from Tolkien's Letters to his published essays. And in the closing chapters, Wright boldly offers compelling alternatives to his own conclusions, which demonstrates his desire for a responsible approach to handling Tolkien's work. He is not overly concerned with being "right."
LORD OF THE RINGS -Analysis Greg Wright --The deeper meaning behind LOTR.
LORD OF THE RINGS -Book 1 Greg Wright --Fellowship of the Ring, part one.
LORD OF THE RINGS -Book 2 Greg Wright --Fellowship of the Ring, part two.
LORD OF THE RINGS -Book 1 Greg Wright --Fellowship of the Ring, part one.
LORD OF THE RINGS -Book 3 Greg Wright --The Two Towers, part one.
LORD OF THE RINGS -Book 4 Greg Wright --The Two Towers -part two.
LORD OF THE RINGS -Book 5 Greg Wright --The Return of the King -part one.
LORD OF THE RINGS -Book 6 Greg Wright --The Return of the King -part two.
Hildebrandt Brothers Art Book Review Greg Wright -- LOTR art masters