What a fascinating read! Mike Flynt takes his physical conditioning coaching ability and turns it mental in a fashion that has you jumping onboard rather quickly. Simple, fashioned techniques laid out clearly amidst a backdrop of Biblical references really does drive Flynt’s points home. While I might not always make it to the gym, I also find myself not always making the best decision, and this book can help clarify what I need to do and the reader themselves can draw from Flynt’s expertise in goal achievement. Just as we would not think we could run a marathon without any physical training, we have to make the same application to our mental capacity as well.
Flynt gives specific areas of expertise-like visualization, belief, and commitment as well as many others that alert the reader to the understanding that the processes for improvement needs to be paid attention to and developed instead of just a topic of discussion. Like lots of other self-improvement books, action steps are given but wholly rely upon the implementation of the person involved. One cannot do visualization with visualizing. I know it sounds silly, but it happens more often that it should, and The Power Based Life provides antidotes to being stuck.
Let the idea of training your mind as you would train your body percolate around a moment and I know you’ll be reaching for this book for help. I really appreciated the analogies and the craft of Mike Flynt!
I received this book free from the good folks at Booksneeze for the purposes of this review.
Mark Batterson throws his hat into the ring of providing the reader with a new slant on the traditional “self-help” book in a most intersting read that does not center on “self” help. Rather, it leads the reader through the stories of Scripture about David who relies not upon himself, but at most every turn fully expects God to act in the partnership of faith. Batterson cites example after example of how we too can engage in a similar process. I most enjoyed the detailed journey through the episode with the giant Goliath. Batterson mines the resource which the story brings to life, and presents it in such a way one can quickly draw parallels in their own life. My advice is that for your success at all of your New Year resolutions, you might read Soul Print first, then check out a few other goal-setting books, and you ought to be off and running full speed! Be reminded though, that as David depended upon God, the reader is invited to do the same!
The sample chapter from his earlier work Primal gives a great “taste” of Batterson’s skill as a writer. I recommend all of his works as great resources in this journey we call faith. He does an awesome job.
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.
Bryant Wright’s interesting explanation of the Biblical roots of the ongoing crisis in the Middle East is more a book about a journey which details the activity of all the various facets of the core issues today. I believe that Wright has correctly laid out the process behind the way things are in the current world by allowing us all to journey into the past, giving sound biblical evidence to what God was up to and sharing unique perspectives as to what that all might mean for today.
Obviously written from a Christian perspective, Wright handles the event by event description as to how things have evolved. From Abraham’s firstborn to the leaders of today, each portion of the book is adequately backed up with biblical resource and interesting highlights along the way. All that remains is the perspective of the reader to either enjoy the journey, or not! It is well worth reading and carefully explains the background behind today’s headlines.
The reader will enjoy the work that has gone into this volume as to how we have arrived at the current Middle East situation, along with some thoughts about what appears inevitatble-the continued hostility between factions that have been at each other’s neck for centuries. A job well done!
I approached this latest book from author Max Lucado with a bit of interest as it seems to lift up some hope for what some might call "authentic" Christianity and some tips as to how this might be accomplished. I was pleasantly surprised that the book takes the reader on a journey of several of what I will call "facets" of one's life and takes a clear look at each. Lucado does a simply brilliant job describing each facet and then how one's understanding and take on each one of those facets can be taken to the "next" level. Amazing!
Through anecdotal and scriptural approaches mostly drawn from the first twelve chapters of the book of Acts, Lucado lifts our view of each facet to higher ground. He guides the reader to take a look at each facet of living, inviting and stimulating one's thought process to be a bit better in the area, perhaps acting on opportunities, passing up on mistakes, and simply fully living in that particular moment. What I enjoyed was the fact that he came at this thing we call "life" with a total of 16 different moments of examination.
Let me put my impression another way- it would be like taking a look at each article of clothing you might be wearing today, and then focusing on straightening it out to allow it to function at its best. When every piece of clothing is in the right place, serving its right purpose, everything works! So it goes with our hearts- when we examine every corner of what we do, and why we do them, we begin to see there is much more to living than we assumed that there was, and this is where the book really gets its strength. It stretches your understanding of who you are, and what you already have begun-and it encourages you to take note of the progress.
A great read, and I'm encouraged by the authenticity of taking an honest look at myself, and really enjoying the results. Study tools at the end of the text will make this a great resource for small group discussions and a tool for even greater personal growth.
Yet another in a long line of books on how to be a better sales person, or so I thought. Christopher Cunningham takes a great story line, the gift of his grandfather's old field manual used for the armed services, and plays off of the concepts found in that guide to develop his own manual on success in sales as a Christian.
It is important to note from other literature on sales motivation that changing the insides of the salesperson is often the most difficult thing to do. Having spent a stint in sales myself, you find moments that you are vicitimized by your own "head game" and "Stinking thinking" which at times locks up your abilities to go with the flow of rejection that comes along with the sales profession. I was impressed at how well Cunningham worked this through.
Rather than pretending these issues away, the author goes through a step by step guide how not to get into those "corners" and if we find ourselves there, how to get out of there. He uses a 22 day battle plan to review the Scriptures as well as great ideas to face some of the most debilitating issues to a salesperson. He uses these daily lessons to clear the air, and most helpful was the additional information contained within the last third of the book, a modified q & a about difficulties one might face.
Well done! A must read for those who like to be a little more introspective about the process of being a Christian salesperson. A great read for all who face the daily challenge of life!
You don’t have to be heavily into politics to enjoy R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr’s latest work After the Hangover. His book, written from the conservative slant on politics chronicles the 2008 crash and brun that the conservative movement fell into as a result of the desire of the electorate to transition away from the traditional conservative approach to doing politics. It is a compelling read that draws you into the “behind the scenes” actions of how this all has taken place, and it provides many insights as to what might be ahead as we see the political cycles play out. It has a unique style and drives home a lot of well stated points.
I was most taken by the examination of a series of events that I personally recall from the news of the days past, and when you couple that with the information presented in the book, which gives more depth and adds more detail, it becomes clear why our political machinery is in the shape that it finds itself. I dare say that our current administration could keep watch on the past like this book offers the conservatives to keep from making mistakes that will cost elections, although that doesn’t look like the way they are going these days.
I know the quote but probably will mangle it- “those who don’t pay attention to history will be doomed to relive it.” After the Hangover does a great work to present that history from a most interesting perspective. The rest, as they say, will be in the details of whether anyone cares to listen. A great read!
A Century Turns: New Hopes, New Fears by William J Bennett is an outstanding piece of recent history that comes together to remind the reader of the import of the last two decades. In a superbly written narrative, Bennett lists the events of the last two decades from his own unique position within that history, having worked with Presidents Reagan and Bush in their administrations. His mildly anecdotal style of writing shares his unique insights as to the broader scope of the events that took place in this most interesting time of history.
Bennett lists the events of history in the context of both how they related to each other as well as how they were impacted by the sweeping changes in technology along the way. The book plays out as if you were watching a review of the headlines over the last two decades. The width and breadth of this book frames the history it contains in such a way that it calls out to a very logical presentation of historical fact, along with the interpretive notes that Bennett adds along the way.
What Bennett does best is leave the conclusions of the history to the reader-seeing the events that have shaped our recent times as both positive (new hopes) as well as negative (new fears.) I thought he did the sequence of history proud by relating the broader picture, as to how one event would go on to color many other approaches to what was going on at the time. This is a major strength of the book to me.
Bennett left the decision as to the impact of the last two decades to me, the reader. He painted a picture of both success and failure, things which worked and things which did not; things we as a country did well, and things we did quite poorly. I think through it all, Bennett’s personal optimism as to the opportunity which America has built itself upon, and which still exists, helps define his hope for the future.
I have to admit I was a bit skeptical agree to read and review the book, but was amazed at how much history has shaped the present and continues to do exactly that. I would strongly recommend the book, even to the faint of heart when it comes to history. It is a job well done!
These days as the world watches the Olympic Games, one cannot help but think the athletes that are competing have been given the best of their country’s training, with the best coaching, proper foods, and the appropriate training to equip them for the best possible performance of the sport they love. Take that holistic approach to training, apply it to living life as a man, provide inspirational stories to back up the training points-put all these together and it begins to summarize what Living Life in the Zone is all about. This 40-day spiritual planner aimed at the male of the species accomplishes the task as it draws the reader into a journey. If one will grant that living life from day to day can be fit into a “sports analogy”, this book is amazing!
Authors Kyle Rote, Jr. and Dr. Joe Pettigrew fashion a study which focuses on relationships. In my opinion, it crafts new thoughts to a time-worn subject, and it does not fall victim to a “fast-food” mentality of information. The study builds a repository of relational knowledge from day to day which needs to be savored over the 40 days, for it truly echoes being in “the Zone.” Who would not want to take a look at one’s life, especially at the many relationships that we all live in, and not be moved by positive suggestions and examples from the lives of other men who have already walked the path that you the reader might be just starting to walk along. The icing on the cake is the excellent use of sports information to make it work!
This is not a book for fans in the stands. This is a book for the players of faith who need to hone their skills to find the Zone of faithful living and to recognize the challenges that you face trying to stay in the Zone each day. I don’t think it is meant for the faint of heart. It assumes your commitment to becoming better at living the life of faith. I echo the quote on the front cover by Lee Corso of ESPN College GameDay- “I highly recommend this book. Don’t miss it!”
Just about everyone has heard Dr. Charles F Stanley preach on television and you know the depths of insight and knowledge he brings to his sermon preparation. It is the same high quality scriptural base that I found most intriguing as I got the chance to review this book. I thought it might be of the same genre as many "help" books when it came to spirituality, but this is something much better.
Most authors toss together lists of this or that and once they have enough lists they call it a chapter, and then add all those chapters into a quick book. While they may be on to something, they often allow one to "feed" on the thoughts but soon thereafter you find yourself looking for more. Dr. Stanley did an incredible job directing the reader NOT to settle for less than what you can offer back to God. This potential latent inside each human can be raised to new levels and can be a very powerful factor in the life of the believer.
Dr. Stanley does in fact make those lists, but topically he allows the reader to savor the thought. I never felt rushed to get to the next topic, but in his own unique fashion, Dr. Stanley allowed me to see where I was personally "hitting" or "missing" the target thought. I know for my own specific challenges that I personally face at the moment, this was a refreshing "meal." Nothing rushed, nothing cheap, and nothing "junk-food" related- just well-drawn conclusions driven by the Holy Spirit and guided by Scripture.
If you read the book, you will absolutely enjoy chapter 12. All of the work comes to a magnificent conclusion in this short chapter. Amazingly, it only will make sense standing on the other 11 chapters. This skillful presentation of Dr. Stanley's challenge to you as to how you too can live an abundant life is well worth the time reading. In fact, I'm sure you'll keep it on your desk as a reference work for the amazing future that God has in store for you! Don't miss this book. When you get it, make sure you enjoy every "morsel" of thought. It is amazing!
Most leadership books begin with a significant attribution to how great a leader the author is and why we should be involved in listening to their thought. Ralph de la Vega avoids this pitfall and simply presents the story of his life. As a child, he left Castro's Cuba without his parents and learned from that point on that life will present us all with obstacles. He crafts the entire book around the many obstacles that he personally faced, and honestly shares positive action steps that anyone can use in their life to deal with the obstacles that we all encounter.
As I read the review copy I was impressed by the story itself. The author does not draw attention to himself and what he has lived through as though he is better than anyone else, but rather shares the story with a grace that lets you know as a reader he has walked the walk, and not just talked the talk. This is the real thing.
I found myself drawn into the book the more as I progressed further into the text. I am skeptical of any "leadership" book since I have read dozens and I always look for someone "blowing their own horn." In a most refreshing shift from this understanding, the author has done the reader a huge favor by sharing the various aspects of his business career and the lessons that can be learned along the way. De la Vega's honesty guides the reader along the way.
Pick up this book and you will find yourself drawn into the story. Imagine how you might handle a similar situation. Think about creating business models before the technology has even been created that you need to market! An amazing read!
What a fascinating read! Mike Flynt takes his physical conditioning coaching ability and turns it mental in a fashion that has you jumping onboard rather quickly. Simple, fashioned techniques laid out clearly amidst a backdrop of Biblical references really does drive Flynt’s points home. While I might not always make it to the gym, I also find myself not always making the best decision, and this book can help clarify what I need to do and the reader themselves can draw from Flynt’s expertise in goal achievement. Just as we would not think we could run a marathon without any physical training, we have to make the same application to our mental capacity as well.
