The Modern Library Writer's Workshop: A Guide to the Craft of Fiction by Stephen Koch

Though I've not ventured far into the forest of fiction writing, Stephen Koch's guide to writing it has prepared me to do so. And though nonfiction writing is where I spend most of my time, Koch reveals the closeness of the two when he says, "It lurks near the secret heart of many a project. There is an unwritten novel silently brooding over most works of nonfiction, just as there is a true story lurking in the shadows of almost every novel or short story. The two hover near each other. To embark on one is to sense the other. This is because of their common source in the merger of imagination and fact. Reach into it and you will touch something alive, something central to the art of storytelling" (p.136). So, regardless of the arena of writing in which you find yourself, expect improvement after reading Koch's guide.

Koch relies heavily on quotes from notable authors (Hemingway, James, King, Highsmith, etc.), which lends credibility to his advice. His writing is clear and concise, not coincidentally two traits he pushes for throughout the book to ensure good writing. The sections about structure, style and voice, and revision/re-writing were particularly strong. Koch gives us permission, as it were, to dispel the fear and trepidation we have as writers by giving us encouragement and confidence that we are not alone in our journey toward improvement. Sometimes we'll get lost and need to re-examine the structure of our work. Perhaps we're worried that our voice will only be a hodge-podge of the authors we admire. Maybe the revision of our work is Everest. Koch helps us understand the normalcy of these worries, and others, and gives us good advice about what to do with them.

Overall, Koch's offering is an indispensable resource for any writer. Additionally, I've already used the index numerous times; an appreciated extra for such a relatively slim volume. This guide may have a long title, but it remains a quick and powerful read that will be pulled from your bookshelf often.

Tithing by Douglas LeBlanc

Tithing, by Douglas LeBlanc, left me wanting more. In the book, LeBlanc provides eleven different perspectives on tithing by interviewing people from drastically different backgrounds and finding out how it has affected their lives. This is NOT a how-to book, which is what I thought it would be given the "Ancient Practices" series name. Overall, the book seemed disjointed and a bit fluffy. LeBlanc seems like a nice guy and the people he interviews are interesting, but the practice of tithing seems loosely tied to most of their stories, at best.

In fact, the recounting of his time with Kevin Jones doesn't mention the practice of tithing once! At various points in the book, the importance of tithing is even disputed. On page 126 (in the same paragraph) LeBlanc quotes Yisroel Miller as saying, "...giving tithes is a commandment, a fulfillment of God's will," and two sentences later, "To give a tithe of one's income may be very difficult for some people, and it's generally not seen as a binding obligation that everyone must do. It is something to be encouraged, though." If it's not contradictory, it's at least confusing.

LeBlanc seemed to focus more on telling the stories of his interviews (which was rather distracting, to be honest) than on giving the reader any actual information about tithing. In one of the interviews, Mark Kellner says, "As far as I know, there's no mention in Scripture of tithing on money." As far as he knows? As a reporter, doesn't LeBlanc have the responsibility to research and answer that statement? It is, after all, a book about tithing.

I admit to being a bit of a cynic, but there were points in the book where the theme seemed to be, "If you tithe, God will give you what you want; if you don't, He'll make sure terrible things happen to you." That is much too simplistic for my taste.

For as disappointed as I was in the book overall, there were some good points, too. They were just a bit too hard to find. LeBlanc does point out that tithing is less about money and more about the heart. Tithing positions us humbly before God as our provider, which is always a good thing.

If you're looking for material that will actually instruct you on how to tithe or the biblical basis for it, this is not what you're looking for. If you're looking for stories that have a bit to do with how peoples' lives have been affected by tithing, and a couple hours to spare, you might like this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

50 Ways To Feel Great Today

An easy read, 50 Ways To Feel Great Today delivers just what the title says it does. While most of the ideas are fairly straightforward and none of them particularly groundbreaking, authors David Biebel, James Dill and Bobbie Dill put a lot of thought into their offering. Sometimes it felt like there was too much thought, though. In fact, at over 200 pages, the book got to be a bit cumbersome. I suppose if you just read a chapter a day, it wouldn't seem as fluffy. Also, while the quotes and scripture references and stories were fine, oftentimes they felt a bit forced into their section. For instance, a quote from Bertrand Russel, author of Why I Am Not A Christian, leads off chapter 12, which seemed quite out of place. While I had trouble with the length and disjointedness of the book overall, there were still some good ideas. “Kidnapping” someone you love, planning a treasure hunt for a child you care about, tracing your ancestry, and my personal favorite, taking a nap, are all great ideas to make yourself feel great. And while most of the ideas suggested will not fix any of the situations that are keeping you stressed, worried or blue, they will bring a smile to your face and divert your attention for a time. And we can all use a happy diversion from time to time.

Available December 2009 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

How To Inherit The Earth by Scott A. Bessenecker

With How To Inherit The Earth, author Scott A. Bessenecker set out to “write a critique of the Christian infatuation with leadership.” Instead, he added his own contribution to the mix. Even if it was by accident, as he says, we are the better for it.

Bessenecker does explore the near obsession with leadership material in Christian bookstores today, but not just as mere observation. He asserts that our focus should be on becoming effective followers of Christ, and less on becoming effective leaders. Bessenecker points out that even the apostle Paul “was more concerned with the exercise of excellent servanthood than he was with excellent leadership” and clearly communicates the need for Christians to do the same. By becoming effective followers of Christ, we are able to lead from a place of love and humility. “Followers of Jesus should be preoccupied by an ambition to outdo one another in sacrificial love, respect, obedience and submission,” he says.

Bessenecker explains the MONOPOLY (TM) mindset and “biggering” that dominates the West and has infiltrated our churches and leadership structures. He explains why it flies in the face of the downward mobility that is required of Christians. While Bessenecker emphasizes the need for a renewed focus on becoming better followers, he never questions the necessity of leadership; only how it is defined and implemented. He says, “We want to come under meek leaders, destined to inherit the earth because they lead with love, are mindful of the powerless and feel the spiritual weight of their position.”

Bessenecker uses personal stories, self-deprecating humor and brutal honesty to get his points across, often sharing his personal struggles and failures to punctuate an idea. In particular, I found his thoughts on wealth, comparison and entitlement, and how they impact our lives as believers, to be challenging and insightful. He suggests we should live a life defined by meekness, submission, repentance, following, slavery and obedience in order to flourish spiritually. It looks good in print, but, as Bessenecker would likely agree, is quite challenging to live out. Hopefully, we are up to the challenge.














http://www.urbana.org/blogs/blog.main.leastofthese.cfm

(Book provided by IVP)

Introverts in the Church by Adam S. McHugh

In his book, “Introverts in the Church,” author Adam S. McHugh admirably represents those of us that are sometimes perceived as “the Eeyores of the social scene.” Not only does he give voice to how introverts think, feel and process, but he lays a solid foundation of how to experience healing, embrace our introvertedness, and be ourselves in ministry and as church-goers.

McHugh explains the extroverted nature of the American church today and the expectations that our leaders must be extroverted in order to do their job. He then debunks those sentiments. While extroverts excel in many areas of leadership, there needs to be a balance, which introverts provide. He then clearly and compellingly describes how the introverted personality affects our spiritual lives, our relationships to others and our community, our ability to lead and my favorite topic, introverted evangelism. The practical advice he gives for our approach to evangelism is indispensable.

There are times I have read a book that I so identify with that I think, “He took the words out of my mouth!” This was one of those books. I can't count the number of times I said to myself, “That's me!” It was such a good feeling to know that someone else “gets it.” It was empowering to be encouraged and instructed on how to embrace who I am. McHugh has done a tremendous service to the Christian community at large and I for one appreciate his efforts.



http://www.introvertedchurch.com/

(Book provided by IVP)

NLT Mosaic Bible Blog Tour Stop Today!

Welcome, Keith Williams!

Today should be fun! Keith Williams, general editor of the Mosaic Bible, will be visiting throughout the day to share his thoughts and answer any questions you have. Mr. Williams is a Bible and reference editor at Tyndale and has an M.A. in Biblical Exegesis.

Please read my previous review (below) and then post any questions you have for Mr. Williams as a comment on this post.

To get things started, here are a couple questions I have:

How long did it take to assemble all of the Weekly Meditations? Selecting all the different parts must have been a painstaking process! How difficult was it to secure the rights to use all the art and quotes and stories? The user guide says that "meditations were written specifically for this Bible by Christians engaged in living out the gospel in their own communities." How did you select these writers?

Thanks! And have fun!

(I'll be at work all day, but will check in when I can to see how things are going. Thanks!)

Souvenirs and Solitude by Brennan Manning

In Souvenirs and Solitude, Brennan Manning reminds us of the importance of meeting God in the void. Of taking time to be by ourselves and shutting everything off. It is during these times that our Heavenly Father lavishes us with his unrelenting love. These times are also times of refreshment. "When I am able to disengage myself from others and allow the Lord to liberate me from an unhealthy dependence on people," Manning says, "I can exist more for them, listen more attentively, love more unselfishly, speak more compassionately, play more playfully, take myself less seriously, and become more aware that my face is bright with laughter in the midst of a game I thoroughly enjoy". The goal, then, of silence and solitude is to center ourselves in God in order to give ourselves away to others. Only when we are full of Christ are we able to accomplish this selfless act of love.

First published in 1979, the stories and insights Manning illuminates are as effective and as relevant today as when they were first recorded. The relatively short chapters all stand alone nicely, making this book a sort of devotional. As a whole, though, the theme of God's love for us permeates every page. Souvenirs and Solitude gives readers an excellent representation of Manning's ability to make you laugh on one page and cry the next. Readers of Manning will be familiar with his honesty and candor, powerfully evident, for example, in chapter fifteen, "One For The Road." As a recovering alcoholic, Manning shares his gut-wrenching experience at a program and his struggle with "what could have been."

Punctuating each chapter is a poem by the late Miss Sue Garmon. Simple, yet, thoughtful, Garmon puts words to the thoughts in our head after reading what Manning has written. A perfect compliment. Ultimately, Manning and Garmon provide us with a tool to help us turn from ourselves to our Father and then, to others; an experience that is sorely needed in these days of mass information overload. Let us heed their advice and take time out to listen and be refreshed by our Lord.