Guest Review: Heaven. Edited by Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson

This is a guest review by Alf Cengia.  He is a friend who reads this blog and his website can be found at Zeteo316.  Check it out.

Heaven. Edited by Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson. From the Theology in Community series, published by Crossway (Paperback 287 pages).

 Purchase: Crossway | Amazon

It seems I can’t get enough of books on heaven. When I first saw this in our Church Bookstore I ignored it as I already had a backlog of books to read. Besides which I already had two Randy Alcorn offerings, John MacArthur’s Heaven and Charles Spurgeon. I’m glad I eventually capitulated.

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Review: The One-Stop Bible Atlas

Nick Page. The One-Stop Bible Atlas.  Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, February 1st 2011. 128 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

I was searching for a Bible Atlas that was compact, portable yet helpful in covering the geography of events that took place in the Bible.  Having a Bible Atlas handy is a great tool if you are serious about studying the Bible: It not only makes historical narratives in the Old and New Testament become alive but sometimes it answers questions and provide deeper insights into a passage of what’s going on. I thought this book was helpful for both preachers and the layperson and it is worth purchasing.

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Weekend Leisure Reading Book Review: The First Family Detail

A weekend reading review because even Pastors need a break from heavy reading.

Ronald Kessler. The First Family Detail.  Danvers, MA: Crown Forum, August 5th 2014. 272 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

This book was insightful into the men and women who protect the president of the United States in a Federal government agency known as the Secret Service.  You usually see members of the Secret Service wearing suits and sunglasses standing next to the President.  This book was insightful of some of the things members of the Secret Service have observed about various US presidents.  It is written by a capable author name Ronald Kessler who has written books on the New York Times Best Seller list on the topic of the Secret Service and the FBI.  Kessler was also the journalist who first broke the news story of Secret Service scandal with hiring prostitutes in Cartagena, Colombia.  Kessler is not someone out to attack the Secret Service but is someone that respect the agency and its men and women putting their lives on the line but he is also a helpful critical of the agency’s mismanagement.

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Review: The Victorian Internet

A weekend nonfiction book review.  Because Pastors need a break from heavy theological reading too.

Tom Standage.  The Victorian Internet: The Remarkable Story of the Telegraph and the Nineteenth Century’s On-line Pioneers.  New York, NY: Bloomsbury USA, February 25th 2014. 256 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

Earlier this year I read the author’s newer book on the history of social media.  Stumbling upon this book I thought this was worth reading too.  I found both books fascinating.  In this particular title the author looks at the invention, development and impact of the telegraph and we see how it parallels to the internet today.  What is amazing to me is the fact that this book was first written in 1998 and much of the materials is the same in the second edition.  In fact what was true in 1998 is even more so the case today.

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Review: The Gospel Story Bible: Discovering Jesus in the Old and New Testaments

In several different occasions online I have seen the question asked about recommended Christian children’s book.  This is one that I do highly recommend.

Marty Machowski.  The Gospel Story Bible: Discovering Jesus in the Old and New Testaments.  Greensboro, NC: New Growth Press, November 1st 2011. 328 pp.

Purchase: Westminster | Amazon

Several people have told me they thought this was one of the best Bible story book for kids.  There are many Children’s Bible and Children’s Bible story books out there so I was skeptical when I first heard it until I discovered that the author told Old and New Testament stories in such a way as to point the readers back to Jesus and the Gospel.  I thought that was what made this book unique among children’s book out there.

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Review: Rogue Heroes

Note: I’m away at the moment preaching at a church retreat.  But here’s this weekend’s nonfiction reading review…because Pastors also need a break from heavy theological reading.

Ben Macintyre. Rogue Heroes: The History of the SAS, Britain’s Secret Special Forces Unit That Sabotaged the Nazis and Changed the Nature of War.  New York, NY: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, June 1, 1989. 352 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

What a fascinating book on the origin of the British Special Air Service and also its early years during World War Two.  This is the first book on the SAS that I read as an adult.  I remember being a little kid reading a book on elite military units and seeing the glossy pictures of the SAS famous raid on the Iranian embassy in London to rescue hostages from terrorists with SAS commandos dressed in black and armed with MP5s.  Ever since then I have been hungry to know more about these guys and as I got older I discovered that I’m not the only one who remains fascinated with this unit.  This book surely is written because of that public interests of Britain’s most famous unit.

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Review: Batman Beyond, Volume 1: Escaping the Grave

A later post today because I was trying to finish this review.  Thank you to DC Comics for this advance review copy.  This volume comes out today.

Dan Jurgens.  Batman Beyond, Volume 1: Escaping the Grave. Burbank, CA: DC Comics, July 11th 2017. 144 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

This is a story of the next generation Batman.  It tells the story of a man name Terry who took the place of Batman. This is volume one of Batman Beyond in the New DC “Rebirth” makeover of the DC hero universe and while some of these new Rebirth series has started out with a shaky start I think this is one that was started out solid.

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