NovaReads - Book Review Blog

On the Road

2012-01-30T08:00:00.000-08:00

Jack Kerouac

On the Road is an American classic that has inspired countless other books, poems, movies and songs. It was the handbook of the Beat Generation. It is the tale of a restless young man who wanted to experience everything and thought the best way to do that was on the road.

The characters in this book are not very likable. They hurt people without remorse, they steal thing along the way, they take advantage of the kindness and hospitality of countless others. They cheat on their wives and girlfriends. And yet, in the characters, we see real people with complex personalities. The same guy, for example, that is married to two women (at the same time) and chasing after several others, loves jazz and is deeply moved by poetry and stories of the road. The main characters all possess a spontaneity, even impulsiveness, that drives them to restless wandering. At a moment's notice, as the inspiration strikes, they often drop everything, abandon everyone around them and head for the other coast. In its realness, this is an incredibly wonderful book. At the same time, it is a picture of humanity in its lowest, most selfish form.

In writing this book, Kerouac achieved a new level of success and acceptance for what he called "Spontaneous Prose." It's a form of writing that has some structure, but is very close to a stream of consciousness. The book is written as if a very fast talker spews every possible recollection he has about his travels - and he does this for many hours on end. There is no quiet period in this book. There is no rest. It just keeps moving. The engine just keeps humming.

The Epistles of John: An Expositional Commentary

2012-01-19T14:39:00.000-08:00

James Montgomery Boice

This is yet another wonderful, expositional commentary by Dr. Boice. His teaching is direct and easy to understand. As a collection of sermons, this commentary is perfect for daily devotions. The Epistles of John are small letters written to the early church as an encouragement to hold fast in the faith. Many had been lost to persecution and others had been lost to unorthodox teachings such as Gnosticism. In the same way, Dr. Boice's exposition of these epistles is an encouragement for contemporary Christians by applying these truths to our lives today. His encouragement would be especially helpful to those who are wrestling with doubts and lack of faith.

Tale of Two Cities

2011-12-18T14:54:00.000-08:00

Charles Dickens

Oh, how we love the story of redemption. This Dickens masterwork is filled with all the elements of a great redemption story. The novel is set in Paris and London during the French Revolution, spanning from 1775 to 1792. Prior to the revolution, the French aristocrats abused and suppressed the poor at every opportunity. Rather than using their positions of power and wealth to care for the poor, they showed themselves to be animals. During and shortly after the revolution, the pendulum swings. The blood-thirsty peasants, drunk with the power of the guillotine, massacre anyone and everyone with the slightest link to the former aristocracy. There is daily bloodshed as people loose their heads, often the result of sham trials. The people sing and rejoice as the blood flows in the streets. In their lust for power and in the name of egalite, the peasants show themselves to be even more barbaric than the aristocrats.

Amid all of this bloodshed, malice and destruction, Dickens paints a marvelous picture of redemption. He shows it for what it truly is - brutally complicated and sickeningly messy. Just before the revolution, a young aristocrat named Charles Darnay denounced his aristocratic lineage and moved to London where he became a teacher of French language and literature. In his new, modest life, he married Lucie Manette, the daughter of a French medical doctor. Lucie and her father were also living in London. Dr. Manette had previously and wrongly been imprisoned in the Bastille for eighteen years. For various reasons, the three find themselves back in Paris in 1792 right in the middle of the post-revolution bloodbath. Darnay's family history is discovered and he is quickly imprisoned. He committed no crime. He was imprisoned simply because of who he was. Dr. Manette, beloved among the republicans because of his Bastille experience, offered testimony in Darnay's defense. Darnay was set free. In a sense, you could say that Darnay was redeemed by the pain suffered by Dr. Manette. But, the redemption was not a lasting redemption.

Before the family could leave Paris, a particularly evil person (referred to as the daughter of the Devil) brings a new set of charges against Darnay. This time, the good doctor's testimony is not sufficient to save him. No, in this case, the only way Darnay can escape his sentence is for a substitute to stand in for him - a Redeemer. In the end, Dickens masterfully tells this story of redemption and of the redeemer, an unexpected person who willingly stands in the accused's place at the guillotine and takes the punishment for him. It is a brutal and disturbing story. Man is shown at his best and worst. The reader is left in wonder at the power of redemption and shocked at the grand divide between good and evil.

The Innocent

2011-10-29T06:28:00.000-07:00

Ian McEwan

Eleven years after WWII ended, as the Cold War was escalating, Leonard, a British postal worker was assigned to a secret spy operation in Berlin. The operation was run jointly by the CIA and MI6. While in Berlin, he meets and falls in love with Maria, a beautiful German divorcee. This is a suspenseful book and also has marks of more serious fiction. As entertainment, the book delivers well and becomes quite a page-turner about half-way through.

The book is also an excellent allegorical work. There are multiple stories interwoven together: the narrative story involving Maria and Leonard, the hidden narrative involving the spy operation itself and the meta-narrative of relations between America, Britain and Germany. It is this meta-narrative that McEwan handles very well. Like Germany, Maria is strong and yet vulnerable. Several men are involved in her life in various ways and, as in post-war Germany, she is mostly powerless against them. Like Britain, Leonard is "The Innocent". His role in the new order is not well-defined, but is very much framed by his British-isms and unassuming manner. His true power, however, is revealed only when he has been backed into a corner. Leonard and Maria have an intense relationship that is sudden and uncomfortably intimate. Another character, Bob, is an American military officer, responsible for security. He is American in every stereotypical way - too loud, too forward - but also very competent and compassionate. Otto, a former German soldier, representing the former Germany is drunk, angry and, ultimately unable to control his rage. The interaction of these characters, as well as others, provide an allegorical meta-narrative that reveals McEwan's ability to write serious fiction.

Homage to Catalonia

2011-10-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

George Orwell

This is wonderful writing, pure and simple. Orwell was a master of language and this book is no exception. He spent part of 1936 and all of 1937 fighting for P.O.U.M., one of the communist factions in the Spanish Civil War. This is his personal account of the events of that time. He spent most of the time on the relatively quiet Aragon front. Orwell and his outfit lacked adequate food, clothes and weaponry - as did the Franco troops on the other side. Late in 1937, he was injured by a stray bullet through the neck.

Orwell was an idealist. For him, communism meant empowerment of the working class. He desired a true democracy and opposed facism and capitalism. But, he also opposed the Soviet model of communism, which he saw as just another way to oppress the working class. Ultimately, he left Spain disillusioned by the politics of war and the compromises made by the communists. He was dismayed by the incessant battles between the various communist factions.

Orwell tells many wonderful stories of his experiences in Spain. He gives an unvarnished view of a poor-man's war. The Spanish fighters - on both sides - were poorly trained, ill-equipped and generally lacking a will to fight. On the Franco side, most of the Spanish soldiers had been conscripted. On the communist side, the Spanish were just happy to have a paying job. Orwell's outstanding writing effortlessly combines many tales from the front with his political observations.

When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting The Poor and Yourself

2011-10-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert

This is a challenging book. It will challenge your ideas about missions and about helping poor people. Those who have seen second and third world conditions are often deeply moved by the scenes of poverty, disease and lack of education. This emotional experience often moves them to give money directly to the poor or to organize a building or medical project. The authors caution that we should not act too quickly. They suggest that by giving that money, building or medical care, we may actually be hurting the poor more than helping. In our haste to bring relief quickly, we can easily overlook the underlying spiritual situation and local relationship issues. The authors suggest that we often fail to see the needs in their rightful situation by confusing relief, rehabilitation and development. The authors offer a lot of excellent examples of success and failure. They also offer great advice for short-term missions efforts and long-term missions investments.

This is a great book and should be read by everyone involved with missions. I am, however, having trouble reconciling a conclusion one draws from the authors' argument. The authors say, "...when North American Christians do attempt to alleviate poverty, the methods often do considerable harm both to the materially poor and the materially non-poor." Perhaps the conclusion is that most of us should not get involved very much. Instead of spending money on short-term mission trips and ill-advised missions projects, perhaps the North American churches should just be collection centers for money and centers of prayer. Is there an underlying argument made by the authors that the majority of us should leave hands-on missions work to the trained professionals? Intellectually, I understand this. But, on another level it just doesn't seem right. Aren't we called by God to just go and, by implication, try to help? Doesn't God work through (and in spite of) our failures and brokenness in all aspects of our lives? Is, as the head of one large missions organization once told me, 90% of ministry just a matter of "showing up?" This book will not answer these questions, but it will help you to think them through.

Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and more) that Engage Customers and Ignite your Business

2011-09-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman

Handley and Chapman argue that the modern marketing department needs to see itself as a publisher/media outlet. They propose a model for creating a lot of content and reusing that content in various ways to keep customers and prospects engaged. They rightly argue that interruption marketing is no longer sufficient, that customer behavior is changing and that everyone is part of the interconnected world. Building on this core concept, the authors walk through several do's, don'ts and examples. They focus on blogs, webinars, ebooks, white papers, success stories and FAQs as the core elements of the content engine. Overall, I found the book to be a good synopsis of what every marketing department should be doing today.

This book as well as others in this genre, however, raise an important question for marketing departments: When is enough enough? It is very easy for a marketing department to get sucked into a "more is better" management model. More messaging, more white papers, more diagrams, more videos. More, more, more. The need to create more content needs to be balanced with the critical need for marketing to stay lean and mean. The authors advocate for massive reuse and repackaging of content. This is some of the best advice they offer in this book. There are many, many tools out there to help you create and reuse content without the need to pay for a lot of software, equipment, consultants and additional staff.

Kings Cross: The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus

2011-08-11T13:14:00.000-07:00

Timothy Keller

This is Tim Keller's fifth book. It is a wonderful, expository commentary on the Gospel of Mark. He divides the book into two parts. In the first part, the King, Keller focuses on and establishes that Jesus is the rightful King of all people and all things. In the second part, the Cross, Keller explains how this King, although he has more power and majesty than any other person, gave up everything in order to redeem his people. Keller has an incredible ability to show the depth of Jesus' character - his wisdom, his love, his patience, his graciousness, his willingness to sacrifice himself. He clearly explains how the ugly yet beautiful, terrible yet wonderful, messy yet elegant death and resurrection of Jesus is the focal point of all history. You will not regret reading this one.

Why Does College Cost So Much?

2011-06-24T03:53:00.000-07:00

Robert B. Archibald and David H. Feldman

Every parent in America is asking this question. The answer offered by the authors, while credible, is not very comforting. The rapid growth of college costs (price actually), they argue, is simply a function of the market value of the services provided by a highly educated workforce (the faculty). The authors show very plainly that the price of college tracks well with prices in other service industries with similar education levels. Even though they provide a clear, plausible explanation for the high price of an education, it is still a bitter pill. The authors don't offer a lot of ideas on what to do about the price of higher education. As a partial solution, at least in the case of public universities, they advocate replacing the current state subsidies received by schools with direct grants to students.

Overall, the book is well-written, accessible and logically consistent. Unlike other writers and politicians, the authors approach the issue from a purely economic standpoint. They don't rely on academic jargon to make their case. You don't need to be an economist to appreciate the argument they make. Parents, in particular, should read this book. You won't find it comforting at all. But, perhaps, it will inspire you to start saving for college now.

This authors of this book are faculty members at the College of William & Mary. My daughter, who is a student at William & Mary, gave me a signed copy of this book as a gift. I loved receiving it as a gift, but does anyone else see the humorous irony in it?

City of Man: Religion and Politics in a New Era

2011-06-12T05:23:00.000-07:00

Michael Gerson and Peter Wehner

To engage or not to engage? That is the question for many Christians regarding politics. Are we to only submit to the authorities, but otherwise lead apolitical lives largely out of the public square? Or, are we to actively engage in the political process?

Gerson and Wehner, two former White House staffers, suggest the latter. In this book, they explain that it is our responsibility to engage in politics. But, then, how do we do it without compromising our integrity or without crossing the line between what is good for us personally and what is good for the Kingdom? In this short book, they give their ideas on our responsibility to engage and some approaches we might take. For example, they suggest that we maintain self-awareness, maintain a spiritual grounding, maintain perspective, maintain community and maintain a spirit of grace and reconciliation. I think we would all agree politics could use a lot more of that last one in particular.

City of Man is a short book at just 140 pages. There are six chapters and an Epilogue - Religion and Politics: Friends or Enemies, The Religious Right, A New Approach, The Morality of Human Rights, The Role and Purpose of the State, Persuasion and the Public Square. For me, by far, the most compelling chapter was The Morality of Human Rights. The authors eloquently explain that Christians have an obligation to work for and promote human rights because we are all made in the image of God and therefore have inherent worth. They point out that this concept is clearly part of America's founding documents. It is also consistent with Tim Keller's (who wrote the forward for City of Man) ideas on mercy and justice in his book, Generous Justice, which I also recommend.

Boswell's Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides

2011-05-22T05:14:00.000-07:00

James Boswell

I took this book on my recent trip to Scotland. What a treat! For years, Boswell, a Scot, tried to get Samuel Johnson to accompany him on a tour through Scotland. Johnson, who was English, harbored many of the typical prejudices against Scotland, believing it to be a wild country with bad terrain, bad weather, bad food and uneducated people. Finally, in 1773, he agreed to make the trip. The tour started in Edinburgh and ended in Auchinleck, the family home of Boswell. The pair stayed in many homes and met many people during their three month journey. They spent most of their time in the Hebridean Islands.

Boswell is an incredible journalist. He faithfully captured the details of their excursion, everything from food consumed and sleeping conditions to conversations and emotions. He wrote one to two hours per day and conferred with his companion and hosts to make sure that his account was accurate. Boswell's frank depiction of Johnson is striking. Boswell depicts Johnson as a snobbish know-it-all. At times, Boswell seems to be describing a fictional character rather than a real person. In fact, many times during the book, Johnson seemed to be very much like a male version of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, the uppity and quite self-unaware character from Pride and Prejudice.

In the end, while he certainly found plenty to complain about, Johnson was genuinely impressed with what he saw in Scotland. Many of his prejudices gave way to appreciation for the hospitality and ingenuity of the people, not to mention the natural beauty of the country.

Benjamin Franklin in Ireland and Scotland

2011-03-26T06:01:00.001-07:00

Bennett Nolan

Benjamin Franklin lived in England from 1757 to 1775, serving as the colonial representative for Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Georgia. He made two trips to Scotland, one in 1759 and the other in 1771. On the second trip, he also visited Ireland.

Nolan does an incredible job with this book. He pieced together many letters, journals, log books and other random bits to describe the two trips, which have largely been overlooked by other historians. Franklin was quite famous by the time he served in England, so many people wanted to meet him. Franklin stayed, met and dined with many of the great personalities, particularly of Scotland. Among others, he met David Hume, Adam Smith, Samuel Johnson and James Boswell. He heard a lecture by a 26 year-old John Witherspoon, who would later sign the Declaration of Independence and serve as President of the College of New Jersey (Princeton). In fact, Nolan shows that Franklin may have met as many as four signers on his first trip. On his second trip to Scotland, Franklin also spent time with James Watt.

This is a nice piece of historical writing. It interweaves the facts and journal entries, with notes on the personalities and interests of the characters. If the book is 90% history, it's 10% travelogue, detailing what it would have been like to be on the road at that time. Unfortunately, this wonderful book is out of print now.

What is Vocation?

2011-01-26T07:26:00.000-08:00

Stephen J. Nichols

This is one of sixteen booklets called Basics of the Faith from P&R Publishing. In 31 short pages, Nichols gives a clear, helpful introduction to the Reformed doctrine of vocation. He explains that man was made to work and that, individually, we are equipped by God to do so. He also explains that we can find true meaning - and even pleasure - in our work by following the example of God who worked in Creation and Redemption and who continues to work in sustaining that Creation. If you find yourself just working for the weekend and in a constant battle with drudgery, this little booklet just might help you.

God at Work

2011-01-18T05:16:00.000-08:00

Gene Edward Veith

If, like me, you are on a quest to understand the relationship between Christian faith and vocation, then I highly recommend this book to you. Veith writes with an uncomplicated style, making this book very easy to digest. He borrows a lot from Martin Luther's theology of vocation, which posits that all believers (not just pastors and priests) have holy callings from God. Some are called to be doctors, some teachers and some construction workers. The fact that our vocational callings are from God, Veith explains, frees us to see our work differently. Regardless of our positions, we have all been equipped by God to serve God and our neighbors and therefore fulfill the Greatest Commandment in real, tangible, vocational ways. The first four chapters set the stage by introducing the basic ideas, exploring how God works through his people and explaining the true nature of vocation. In the following chapters, Veith then connects these ideas to our callings at work, in the family, as citizens and as church members. He concludes with excellent chapters on the ethics of vocation, cross-bearing in vocation and resting in vocation.

Generous Justice: How God's Grace Makes Us Just

2010-11-25T08:22:00.000-08:00

Timothy Keller

In this, his fourth book, Tim Keller has once again demonstrated that faith and reason are not enemies. In this book, he explores the role of the Christian in the area of social justice. He graciously argues that Christians have a responsibility to work for social justice and even to work along side non-Christians in serving the poor, oppressed and infirm. In clear language, he explains that God's beauty and the fact that man is made in this beautiful image should be our primary motivations for helping others. In chapters six and seven, Keller does an especially good job of showing that we need to be smart about how we serve. We need to, for example, consider both the micro/local and macro/global implications of our efforts. In a few places, Keller touches on the differing views of conservatives and liberals regarding social justice. He is generally consistent with James Davison Hunter (see my review on To Change the World) on this. Basically, they both suggest, our differences as conservatives or liberals should not prevent us from working together in causes for social justice and, as Hunter proposes, maintaining a "faithful presence" in the world.

The Age of Recovery: The Fifteenth Century

2010-11-25T08:04:00.000-08:00

Jerah Johnson and William Percy

This is one of the 14 volumes of the Development of Western Civilization series (highly recommended) by Cornell University Press. Most of the the titles are out of print now, but there are plenty of copies floating around on the Internet. Johnson and Percy survey the major events of the 15th century, introduce the key figures and explore the main ideas of the age. This was the Renaissance period, marked by significant advancements in politics, trade and art. They cover such topics as John Hus, the invention of movable-type printing, Leonardo da Vinci, the end of the Hundred Years War, the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella and many others. The book is well written for the casual student of history and has plenty of references for further reading.

The Widower's Tale

2010-11-01T20:25:00.000-07:00

Julia Glass

I bought this book after hearing Ms. Glass speak at the 2010 National Book Festival in Washington, DC. I looked forward to meeting her characters, especially Percy Darling, the main character. In the book, Ms. Glass quickly reveals her political leanings (left) by covering everything from gay marriage and gay teachers to illegal immigration and a variety of eco issues. Eco terrorism actually figures prominently throughout the narrative. As a political moderate, I found the imbalance somewhat annoying but predictable, and therefore tolerable. Perhaps my sensibilities were heightened simply because I read this novel during the run-up to the 2010 national elections. Ms. Glass finally redeems herself at the end by showing that politically-motivated acts of civil disobedience, even seemingly harmless ones, can have terribly destructive, hurtful and far-reaching consequences.

On a more analytical level, Ms. Glass offers a fascinating gender study in The Widower's Tale. The main character is someone you would, by stereotypes, expect to be a classic, elderly male curmudgeon. He is seventy-something. As a long-time widower, he has lived alone for many years. He likes alone time and is not always comfortable with change. Great material for a crusty, grumpy, reclusive curmudgeon, right? Well, he is never actually grumpy and is often quite feminine. At one point in the book, he actually thinks about the appearance of his own thighs and observes to himself that another man has "thick and alert" hair. Several of the other main, heterosexual male characters share at least some degree of unexpected (and unrealistic) femininity. Similarly, several of the main female characters have more than their share of stereotypically male traits. Unfortunately, it's not possible to determine from the text if Ms. Glass purposefully constructed the gender reversals or if they emerged from her pen subconsciously.

Rescuing Ambition

2010-09-29T18:45:00.000-07:00

Dave Harvey

Recently a young man asked me about the place of professional ambition in the Christian life. He had real questions like "Is it OK for me to fire someone because their poor performance hinders my company's ability to make more money (ie Is firing an act of greed?)", "Is it OK to proactively pursue a promotion at work, or is this selfish behavior?", "Is it OK to dream about being the CEO?" I did my best to bumble through some answers. When I saw this book I wasted no time getting it.

The book proved to be a great read, but didn't answer all of the questions. A lot of what Harvey says about ambition is connected to his own personal ambition for ministry, for the Gospel and for the Church. The book is valuable and insightful because of his pastoral experiences. But, the book also lacks something. Since the author is a vocational minister, it lacks specific guidance about ambition in the secular workplace. I applaud the author for writing this book. The Faith and Work genre is sorely lacking good, meaningful material. If you are struggling with personal ambition, this book is a great place to start. But, there is plenty more to say on this topic. Perhaps Crossway Press will consider offering a companion to this book written by a CEO.

To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World

2010-09-10T05:11:00.000-07:00

James Davison Hunter

There is so much stuff in this book that it is really difficult to write a concise review about it. Hunter had to cover a lot of ground to make his point - politics, history, theology. His point is that we live in a post-Constantinian age in which the Church is basically in exile. He argues that Christians no longer hold the keys of political power and control over the culture-defining institutions. As a result, Christians should not expect to make the rules for everyone else. Further, he proposes that Christians should not even be attempting to wield this power in the first place. He says that Christians, rather than attempting to gain political power or hold sway over the cultural institutions of our day, should focus more on personal devotion to Christ in all areas of our private and public lives (he calls this "faithful presence") and the development of authentic Christian community (koinonia).

In making his point, Hunter takes aim at several prominant Christians and Christian organizations. For those with allegiances to these organizations, this book will be pretty hard to accept. For me personally, I found that I did not agree with all of Hunter's minor points, but that I am largely in agreement with his overall proposition. If you start reading the book and find some objectionable stuff, I would encourage you to continue to the end. The final section of the book is masterfully conceived and artfully written.

John - New Testament Commentary

2010-08-28T07:39:00.000-07:00

William Hendricksen

For the past several months, I've been reading through this sizeable commentary (about 720 pages). It is part of the New Testament Commentary series co-authored by Hendricksen and Simon Kistemaker. In summary, this is a great commentary for in-depth study, daily devotions and teaching preparation. Each verse is expounded with helpful references and illumination. There is some use of Greek throughout the book, but not so much that it is cumbersome. I found that I could skip over the Greek parts and not lose Hendricksen's point at all. This is a reference work. You can read it cover to cover as I did, or you could read just the sections you need. This is not an expository commentary. Hendricksen does not provide a sermon on each verse or section. He provides just enough additional information to illuminate the passages without wasting words.

Grace Unknown: The Heart of Reformed Theology

2010-08-28T07:25:00.000-07:00

R.C. Sproul

I find myself returning to this book a lot - for encouragement, guidance and explanation. Sproul doesn't waste words in this short (230 pages) overview of Reformed Theology. The first half of the book explains the major ideas of Reformed Theology: centered on God, based on God's Word alone, faith alone, devotion to Christ and a proper view of the covenants of Scripture. The second half of the book explains the acronym TULIP (total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irrestible grace and perseverance of the saints), which is often called the Five Points of Calvinism. Using direct, readable language, Sproul explains that God is sovereign in all things, including salvation. Obviously, Sproul writes from a Calvinist perspective, but he is respectful of other theological views. The last chapter of the book, Perseverance of the Saints, is outstanding. It is a great source of comfort in that it explains that true believers cannot lose their salvation.

How to Measure Anything: Finding the Value of Intangibles in Business

2010-08-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

Douglas W. Hubbard

Could most business managers benefit from better decision-making skills? Probably. Would most of us benefit from a deeper knowledge of statistics? Probably. Will this book help you with either of these? Probably not.

Hubbard attempts the impossible in this book: to convey statistical and mathematical concepts without actually explaining them. He mainly just skims the ideas and doesn't really explain how the reader can take command of these tools. He skims over a variety of valuable methods without actually conveying enough knowledge for readers to become proficient in using them. Readers are forced to refer to a good stats book to really learn how to do most of the things Hubbard talks about. They would be better off reading the stats book in the first place and skipping this book altogether.

A second problem with this book is the author's frequent use of the passive voice. The passive voice makes the book hard to read. This problem surprises me since this is a second edition of the book. Hubbard's editors should have done a better job fixing this.

Text Cloud: My (apparently) favorite words

2010-07-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

In case you can't tell, this is not a book review. It's a visual representation of the 70 most common words found on my blog. It is interesting and disturbing to see my writing vocabulary displayed this way. Clearly I need to expand my word choice. I created this with Wordle.com.

Analytics at Work: Smarter Decisions, Better Results

2010-07-12T19:42:00.000-07:00

Thomas H. Davenport, Jeanne G. Harris, and Robert Morrison

In my review of the authors previous book, Competing on Analytics, I was critical of their lack of acknowledgement of intuition and experience as critical aspects of decision-making. The authors have come a long way with this new book and have made a more balanced argument. Overall, this second book is better than the first because it is much more tangible for business leaders and it is much more inwardly focused (on processes and staffing, for example). There is some consulting speak, but not as much as in their first book.

Chapter seven, Embed Analytics in Business Processes, is particularly good. In it, the authors warn against adoption of analytics on a one-time, project basis (they call this craft analytics). Instead, they advocate analytics as an integral part of the corporate persona. They give many great tips on how to overcome the common objections and roadblocks to adopting an analytics culture.

I have two minor issues with the book. One issue is the authors' implication that reporting and dashboarding are simplistic forms of BI. Enterprise and departmental reporting remain the predominant need in BI since most companies still don't have it. Another minor issue revolves around a statement the authors make: "Most information work is done through personal productivity tools like Microsoft Office." I absolutely agree with their observation. Even with the advent of very complex and expensive BI software packages, humble Excel remains the workhorse of end-user reporting and analysis. Unfortunately the authors never really address this reality. Even with these two minor issues, this is a really solid book. Highly recommended.

Rework

2010-07-02T06:46:00.000-07:00

Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson

If you are a faithful reader of the Signal v. Noise blog (which I recommend), you won't find anything new in this book. Buy it anyway just to reward the authors for their great contributions to rethinking work. Like their previous book, Getting Real, the authors have put together some great advice on how to be small and successful. Some of it is pretty edgy. Some readers will even find the authors to be pretty arrogant. But try to suffer through that because there is some really good stuff here. Some of their advice: Avoid VCs, purposefully stay small, shoot the workaholics and hire great writers in every position.

As much as I love the book, I don't agree with all of their advice. Consider this quote the authors direct at CEOs: "[if you are not intimately involved with all aspects of your business] you'll wind up in the dark, putting your fate solely in the hands of others. That's dangerous." My own experience suggests just the opposite. Founders are most often chronic control freaks that fail to grow (personally and financially) because they fail to delegate successfully. Anyway, this is a minor flaw in an otherwise great compilation of advice. It's a really quick read, too. The hardback version is about 270 pages, but 100 of them are quirky full-page drawings.

Voices of the Old Sea

2010-07-02T05:21:00.000-07:00

Norman Lewis

This is truly great travel writing. Prior to the 1950s, Lewis visited the coast of Catalonia several times to get away from England and to experience more of the country he loved. His stories are gentle, respectful accounts of the people he met and the friendships he made. He gives the reader a special view of life in coastal Catalonia (now known as the Costa Brava) that existed before it was transformed into a hot European tourist destination.

He also gives the reader a first-hand look into the transformation as it happened. The fishing stopped. Centuries old local customs and unusual traditions vanished in just in a few years. Traditions were replaced by expediency. The simple life was replaced by profit-seeking. Authentic life experiences were replaced by manufactured ones, mainly designed to meet the false expectations tourists had of Spain.

The Great Discoveries and the First Colonial Empires

2010-05-04T06:45:00.000-07:00

Charles E. Nowell

This is one of the books in the Development of Western Civilization series from Cornell University Press. Nowell offers a nice, consolidated view of the great geographic discoveries - North & South America, Africa, Asia - by the Western countries. We have all heard the tales of Columbus, Magellan and Marco Polo, but rarely do we find all of them in a single volume. The book gives a great view into the challenges faced by the discoverers, the crude sophistication of their tools and the intense political rivalries that fueled most of the great discoveries. The chapters on the Spanish discovery and exploration of Central and South America are particularly good.

Counterfeit Gods

2010-04-23T13:15:00.000-07:00

Tim Keller

Once again Tim Keller has written an insightful, readable, thought-provoking book. This time he tackles the issue of personal idols. He's not writing about little statues (although I must confess that the opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark kept popping up in my head while reading this book). He's writing about the many things - often good things - in our lives that take us away from God. Sometimes our personal idols are family relationships, wealth, power, security, popularity or even religion. He deals with the complexity that we cannot (and even would not want to) remove some of these things from our lives completely. Basically, he says, we can't get rid of idols because we were made to worship something. We can, however, replace one idol with another. So, he reminds us to focus our attention on Jesus as the only Idol worth having. In so doing, we'll get an upgrade from idols that enslave us to the Idol that frees us. This book is full of great stories from Scripture and many examples from Keller's experience as a pastor.

Made to Stick

2010-03-29T10:11:00.000-07:00

Chip Heath and Dan Heath

Why do some ideas (marketing messages, urban legends, etc) stick and others don't? This readable book explains that ideas have more stickiness if they are simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional and story-oriented. This formula will come as no surprise to those in marketing, public relations or the media. Even if you are in these fields, though, you will find this book a helpful, concise reminder of these basic principles. One thing I especially loved about this book: the authors didn't just focus on the obvious audience of marketing people. They are also targeting teachers. They offer some great advice to teachers on how to make lessons more sticky in the classroom. In fact, this book was recommended to me by an outstanding teacher. Thanks for the tip, Kimberly!

Sixpence House: Lost in a Town of Books

2010-02-17T12:08:00.000-08:00

Paul Collins

My only regret about this wonderful book is that I didn't read it before now. The writer chronicles his year-long adventure in a "book town" in Wales. During that year, he published his first book, worked for a kook in a used bookstore, nearly bought a standing ruin of a house and explored the wonders of the British country culture with his young family. Paul Collins is a witty, insightful and incredibly well-read writer. He writes with an informed vocabulary, but he is no language snob. This is great writing by someone who is truly passionate about writing.

Landing Page Optimization: The Definitive Guide to Testing and Tuing for Conversions

2010-02-06T13:12:00.000-08:00

Tim Ash

Great landing pages can be the difference between success and failure in a lead-gen program. Having great landing pages is, as Ash clearly explains, a matter of art and science. He spends a lot of ink dealing with the psychology of the visitor since this is such a critical part of good landing page design. This is not a landing page how-to manual. It is mostly a conceptual book with a lot of food-for-thought items and topics that will require more research on the part of readers. Even so, this is a great guide to landing page concepts.

A Praying Life

2010-02-06T12:50:00.001-08:00

Paul E. Miller

Sometimes we think we need more or better prayer in those times when we feel distant from God. Or, maybe our prayers need to be more "real" - dealing with the real issues of our lives. In this readable book, Paul Miller tells us how he has approached prayer in his personal quest to have a closer relationship with God. Over the years, he has learned to avoid some prayer methods (eg ACTS) and to endorse others (eg prayer cards). He challenges cynicism as much as come-what-may attitudes about prayer.

This book is more of a personal experience essay than an how-to guide. Many of the stories - especially those about his family - are intensely personal. For me, some of these stories crossed the boundary of what should be shared in public about internal family matters. This is not a fatal flaw of the book, though, as it reflects Miller's desire to tell his readers about the intensely personal nature of prayer.

Free: The Future of a Radical Price

2009-12-13T09:05:00.000-08:00

Chris Anderson

I love free stuff. Probably everyone does. But, have you ever stopped to think about "free" as a business strategy or as a social construct? Free, as Chris Anderson reveals, is a lot more than the absence of price. Like his previous work, The Long Tail, the author has given us an engaging, readable page-turner that kept my interest right to the end. He deals with many examples of free, but most of the text is on the free aspect of the Internet - free information, free software, etc. In fact, he makes a very strong argument that on the Internet, reputation and attention are the relevant currencies rather than dollars or euros. He applies this argument to the music industry and the broader digital rights domain. Anderson says that those who are opposed to the idea of free stuff on the Internet (eg music) will say that "Free encourages piracy." In response, he offers my favorite quote of the book: "Free doesn't encourage piracy. Piracy encourages Free."

To Wake The Dead: A Renaissance Merchant and The Birth of Archaeology

2009-10-23T07:35:00.000-07:00

Marina Belozerskaya

This book is a wonderful journey into the past. Your tour guide is the enthusiastic, romantic Cyriacus of Ancona, a 15th century Italian port master that developed a passion for ancient Greek and Roman architecture. His detailed record-keeping and sharp mind earned the trust of the local merchants and authorities. He adroitly used that trust to gain passage and access to ancient sites all over the Eastern Mediterranean. He was a careful, meticulous chronicler of all he surveyed. Many of the sites he visited have since been destroyed by war, earthquake or pilferage. His detailed renderings and descriptions are often the only surviving record of these ancient treasures.

Belozerskaya offers us a ticket to ride along with Cyriacus on his many adventures. Her outstanding research and engaging writing style combine to make this a fun book about the amazing, mostly forgotten "father of archaeology." The book does lack one thing: a reference map.

1066: The Year of Conquest

2009-09-11T12:36:00.000-07:00

David Howarth

This is royal intrigue at its best: the passing of a king with no heirs (Edward the Confessor), the mysterious coronation of a possible usurper (Harold Godwin), an angry distant cousin with legitimate claims to the throne (William, Duke of Normandy), a failed plot to overthrow and, ultimately, the taking of the throne by force at the Battle of Hastings. In 1066, William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy -- a Frenchman -- became King William I of England. David Howarth tells the story in a readable, engaging way. He explores the subtleties of the traditional accounts and reveals nuances of the characters. Howarth offers conjecture about the motives and emotions of the characters. Some might say that he offers too much conjecture. For me, though, this was a valuable part of the book. Seeing his empathy for some characters and dislike of others, helped me to better understand the writer and his message.

Getting Real: The smarter, faster, easier way to build a successful web application

2009-09-05T06:40:00.000-07:00

37signals

For decades, software development projects have been burdened by rules and regulations. Extensive up-front requirements and so-called software engineering methodologies have led to bloated, over-designed, hard to use, inelegant applications. Programmers have been criticized for not writing enough documentation and for starting to write code before the functional specs are complete. As a worst-case example, the US government actually mandates all of this bloat for the custom software it buys with our tax money. Beltway bandits are happy to comply.

The guys at 37signals are encouraging us to change all that. Here's my summary of their software development mantra: less code, less writing, less talking (fewer meetings). They take the agile methodology to its logical conclusion: just start and then work out the details later. They advocate simplicity - simple interfaces, simple functionality. There is an admirable elegance to their approach that is extremely appealing to anyone that has struggled to manage a bloated, unwieldy software product. The book is written in a fun prose style with plenty of pithy quips. You can easily read this book in an afternoon. As of right now, the book is only available on lulu.com.

Mediaeval Society

2009-08-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

Sidney Painter

This little book (part of the Cornell University Press Development of Western Civilization series) provides a nice, easy-to-read peek into mediaeval life. Contrary to common belief, the span of time between 900 and 1300 saw substantial intellectual and economic growth in Western Europe. During this time, populations largely shifted from scattered manorial clusters to towns and cities. Patterns of trade became more complex and the period witnessed the rise of the merchant class. This is a great guide for casual students of world history by a leading scholar in the field.

The Age of Reformation

2009-07-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

E. Harris Harbison

The Age of Reformation by E. Harris Harbison is part of the Development of Western Civilization series from Cornell Univeristy Press. Harbison was a professor of history at Princeton University. The book has three chapters: The European World about 1500, The Religious Upheaval and The Struggle for Power. This book is as much an overview of the 16th century as it is a description of the Reformation itself. Harbison ties in the political interplay between Spain, Netherlands, England and France that was such an important part of that era. He shows that the battles and skirmishes of the Reformation and the Counter Reformation were not just matters of faith, but were also about land, power and money. He gives ample ink to the rise and fall of Spain as a major transitional power between the Middle Ages and the Age of Enlightenment. This little book would be an excellent companion to The Reformation by Owen Chadwick or The Reformation by George Mosse.

Looking Around: A Journey through Architecture

2009-07-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

Witold Rybczynski

If there is a theme to this book, it's "Pay Attention." Rybczynski encourages us to look around as we go around. He wants us to look at the buildings and look at our houses. It's so easy to walk the streets of our cities and towns and never even notice the buildings. He wants us to understand what makes some places special (or not). He wants us to see the art in the architecture. Rybczynski has written more than fifteen books and countless articles on architecture. He is an architect himself and has learned to look around.

This book is very approachable for those of us outside of the architecture intelligentsia. He references many examples to describe the historical context and impact of buildings. Many of the buildings he describes are famous enough to be familiar to most people and many are not so famous. He encourages us to think about our own houses, the architecture we've chosen as the setting for our lives. For example, do you live in a "period" home or one that has been made to look like a period home? Victorian? Modern? Postmodern? This book will be a lot of help as you set off to think about your surroundings. BTW, I found it very helpful to have Google Images close at hand so that I to look up the buildings and homes as I read about them. If you're really new to architecture, you might also want to read the great little primer, ABC of Architecture, by James F. O'Gorman.

The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith

2009-06-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

Tim Keller

Tim Keller in his readable, perspicuous, intelligent way has given us another great gift. In 132 short pages, he retells the familiar story of the Prodigal Son. He does not claim to shed new light on this ancient parable; nor does he rehash old words from other commentaries. Instead, Tim Keller simply reveals not one, but two lost sons and one loving, giving, prodigal father. One son is lost in his deviance. The other is lost in his righteousness. Like me, you are sure to see yourself in one or both of the sons. In seeing yourself this way and in seeing the lavish gifts of the Father, I hope that you will be changed by this book.

The Age of Reason

2009-06-04T08:42:00.000-07:00

Frank E. Manuel

The Age of Reason by Frank Manuel is the last book (chronologically) in the Development of Western Civilization series from Cornell University Press. Manuel, a distinguished faculty emeritus of Brandeis University offers an approachable portrait of 18th century Europe. The book has four overview chapters: The European World, Science and Technology, The Moral and Political Outlook and Balance of Power in War and Peace. He also includes five chapters with country-specific surveys covering France, Britain, Prussia, Russia and the Hapsburg Empire. For such a short book, Manuel gives a great view into 18th century political and social history. Given the title of the book, I expected more detail on the philosophical on the ideas of the Enlightenment. He skims them at best and does not discuss the lasting ramifications of them on politics, society and religion. Also, the formation of independent nations in North and South America is barely covered, even though this was a major development of the Enlightenment period.

Ghost Train to the Eastern Star: On the Tracks of The Great Railway Bazaar

2009-05-25T05:18:00.000-07:00

Paul Theroux

Ghost Train is the story of Paul Theroux's year-long train journey from London through Europe, across the "stans", India, Burma, South Asia, Japan and back again via the Trans-Siberian Express. At the age of sixty-something, he retraces his steps recorded in The Great Railway Bazaar when he was thirty-something.

The Ghost Train is an odyssy that conjures up many demons for Theroux. We learn, for example, that the first trip thirty years earlier cost him his first marriage. He doesn't dwell on on this painful reality in the book, but the memories clearly hang with him as he retraces his path. I couldn't help but wonder if the later trip was an attempt for him to exercise that demon. It is telling that, even though he is happily married now, he took the Ghost Train trip alone.

As he travels, he covets solitude and quiet. He laments the sprawling, squalid cities of India in particular. By contrast, he loves the serenity and simplicity of Northern Japan. He says, "I seldom feel uplifted in a city; on the contrary, I feel oppressed and confined." Trains are the perfect way to explore this particular vantage point. Imagine the typical city-to-city train trip. The journey starts in a crowded, stinky rail station. It rolls through the nasty bits of the city (since wealthy people don't live near the tracks) and eventually emerges into the verdant pastures and farms of the country. The views from the window have gone from foul and harsh to serene and refreshing. Then, as the train rolls into the destination city, gray buildings disrupt the landscape. Filth and congestion take over the scene until you've stepped once again into another stinky, crowded station.

Theroux touches on this notion that the wealthy don't live by the tracks. In fact, it seems to be a key part of his mantra of the observant traveller. He says, "[...] luxury is the enemy of observation, a costly indulgence that induces such a good feeling that you notice nothing. Luxury spoils you and infantilizes you and prevents you from knowing the world." For the most part, he is true to his creed. He travels second class. He stays in second rate hotels. He wanders the red light districts (only as an observer) and eats from the street vendors.

There are a couple of especially poignant moments in the book for me. On the slow train to Kandy, Sri Lanka, Theroux met a palm reader on the crowded train. The palm reader proceeded to reveal a number of private and humorous things about Theroux, while the entire railcar looked on with interest. The confidence of the palm reader and the skill of Theroux's pen make this one of my favorite encounters in the book. A few pages later, Theroux celebrates his birthday alone in Sri Lanka.

Another poignant moment occurs on the last leg of the journey, as Theroux makes his way across Siberia. As an avid reader, Theroux channels the writers that have gone before him. On this leg of the journey, he passes Omsk, where Dostoyevsky spent four years in prison. Theroux also stopped in Perm to visit one of the most notorious prisons of the gulag system. Many writers died in Perm for nothing more than thinking freely and dreaming of liberty. Most of these writers gave their lives for being far less provocative than Theroux has been. Theroux seems to carry a dark, heavy burden as he passes by these cold places.

Do yourself a favor and read this book. This modern-day Heroditus will open your eyes to a new world of travel and writing.

Competing on Analytics

2009-05-23T05:40:00.000-07:00

Thomas Davenport and Jeanne Harris

In spite of its alluring title, this book is mediocre at best. The authors rehash a bunch of consulting speak that has been around the data warehousing and business intelligence space for a decade or more. After finding Davenport's Thinking for a Living to be pretty thought provoking, I was disappointed with this work. Unless you are brand new to data warehousing and business intelligence, don't waste your time.

The authors promote analytics as the sound way to make decisions that ultimately make a company more competitive. There is some obvious truth in that concept, I guess. However, they fail to acknowledge that first movers (those companies that usually have competitive advantage) often have to make decisions without the benefit of clean, historical data. In fact, the authors go so far as to say that clean data is a prerequisite to good analysis which is in turn a prerequisite to good decision making which, only then, leads to competitiveness.

As a two-decade veteran of the business intelligence space, I do agree with much of what the authors have suggested. The formula they propose works well for established companies with large, historical data stores to draw upon. The trouble is, they imply that analysis-driven decision making is the secret to competitiveness. Making good decisions, especially when you don't have all (or very much) of the data -- a very typical scenario in first-mover environments -- is the real secret to competitiveness.

Outliers: The Story of Success

2009-05-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell has given us another page turner. After The Tipping Point and Blink, I for one have come to expect a lot from him. The writing is better than in his previous books. The book is written as a series of essays on remarkable people. He asks the question, "How did these people become remarkable?" In most cases, the answers are surprising. Rather than dismiss success as a matter of great, unusual ability, Gladwell digs in a little deeper. He proposes, pretty convincingly, that there is much more to success than unusual ability. He shows that it is often rooted in cultural background and temporal events (eg being born in the "right" year).

Those seeking success in this life might find the book both encouraging and discouraging. It's encouraging in that success does not always depend on unusual talent or abilities. It's discouraging in that success may, very often anyway, depend on factors well beyond our control. I didn't agree with all of his conclusions, but his research is undeniably captivating. This is an engaging book that will challenge your thinking.

Ancient Israel

2009-05-20T18:50:00.001-07:00

Harry M. Orlinsky

Ancient Israel by Harry Orlinsky is the first book in the Development of Western Civilization series from Cornell University Press. In it, Dr. Orlinsky traces the steps of the Jewish people from their early origins in the Fertile Crescent, through Egyptian captivity, the Exodus, the period of the Judges, the Kingdom, the Babylonian exile and eventually to the Restoration.

Like many scholars, Dr. Orlinsky dismisses the historical credibility of the supernatural events recorded in the Bible and doubts the direct, personal interaction between God and people. Even so, he affirms the Bible as "constituting unusually reliable historical documents of antiquity." This good little book is an easy to read, relatively short survey of the Old Testament. He intertwines the historical record with the prophetic message to form a clear picture of the ancient Jewish life.

As good as this book is, Dr. Orlinsky, I'm quite sure, would recommend that you just go straight to the source. Want to know the history of ancient Israel? Just read the Bible.

Travel in The Ancient World

2009-03-24T18:12:00.000-07:00

Lionel Casson

When we glance back to the ancient world, it is sometimes tempting to imagine an unsophisticated, simplistic people. In fact, they were quite sophisticated and anything but simplistic. There was a complex road system all around the Mediterranean region. There were inns and hotels dotted all around the Roman empire. And, there were a lot of travelers on the road all the time: businessmen, government officials and holiday makers. Lionel Casson has written a very readable, engaging survey of travel in the ancient world. He introduces many interesting characters from antiquity whose travel journals have survived. Thanks to Jessica for giving me this book. I really enjoyed it.

Buy-ology: The Truth and Lies about Why We Buy

2009-03-07T05:09:00.000-08:00

Martin Lindstrom

This is a fantastic, intriguing little book. In it, Martin Lindstrom gives a readable, high-level description of the most comprehensive neuro-marketing study ever undertaken. Subjects all over the world submitted themselves to non-invasive brain scans to see how their brains respond to various marketing stimuli. The results are amazing. Turns out, some oft-used techniques of advertising don't really work. But others work so well that our brains react to them the same way they react to religious icons and concepts. That is frightening and, strangely, not at all surprising. This is a quick read -- I highly recommend it.

My secret hope: Even though medicine and science have come a long way in recent years, the brain is still a mystery to us. We would all benefit from advances in treatments for brain cancer, Alzheimer's, etc. Imagine this -- driven by the goal of getting us to buy more stuff, marketing departments around the world start investing millions of dollars in neuro-studies. As a result, a lot more doctors would be looking at a lot more brain scans. With all of the new money flowing in from the marketing departments, new scanning technologies and methods could be developed. In the end, maybe we would buy more stuff, but we would also be a lot closer to understanding the brain and its various pathologies. Have you met my friend, Niccolo Machiavelli?

What's so Amazing about Grace?

2009-03-07T04:54:00.000-08:00

Philip Yancey

I have wanted to read this book for a long time. It has been highly recommended to me many times by dear friends. I have a lot of questions about grace. I jumped in expecting something, well, amazing. This is a good book, but for me, not amazing. Yancey is a skilled writer and a captivating storyteller. The book is filled with tales of forgiveness and healing and sometimes the absence of forgiveness. He spends a lot of time talking about community sin like racism and hatred. This makes a lot of sense since he grew up in a church that struggled with these issues.

At the end of the first chapter, Yancey makes it clear that he does not intend to plumb the theological depths of the doctrine of grace. He says, "...I will rely more on stories than on syllogisms. In sum, I would far rather convey grace that explain it." I applaud his intent and the spirit of this idea. But, as I read through the book I kept wanting something more - or perhaps something else. The stories were nice and encouraging to be sure, but somewhat unsatisfying for my own quest to understand grace.

How could it be, after all, that I should gain an interest in the Savior's blood? Amazing love, how could it be that thou my God should die for me? These questions -- my questions -- linger on.

The Faiths of the Founding Fathers

2009-03-07T04:38:00.000-08:00

David Holmes

My daughters gave a signed copy of this great book to me for Christmas -- thanks, girls! The author, David Holmes, is a professor at the College of William & Mary. He has written a very readable book that is academically sound yet not at all stuffy. He makes a compelling argument that many of the founding fathers of the United States were deists, including all of the first five presidents and Benjamin Franklin.

Deists do not hold traditional Christian views. They believe in a Creator that has established the laws of nature. The Creator then manages creation somewhat remotely through Providence. Most deists believe Jesus was nothing more than a good moral teacher. Among other things, they reject the virgin birth and resurrection. Thomas Jefferson went so far as to redact significant portions of the New Testament, creating what has come to be called the Jefferson Bible.

In addition to in-depth chapters on each of the "big name" founding fathers, Holmes offers two outstanding opening chapters on the Christian sects and denominations in Colonial America. There is also an excellent chapter on the faiths of the wives and daughters of these men. The primary weakness of the book is that Dr. Holmes does not give adequate coverage to the many founding fathers that did keep traditional Christian views. There is a single chapter covering three Christians: Samuel Adams, Elias Boudinot and John Jay. But there is essentially no detailed coverage of Patrick Henry, an outspoken Christian and quite possibly the most influential instigator of the American Revolution. There is also no coverage of John Witherspoon, the Presbyterian minister that signed the Declaration of Independence.

Brand Meaning

2008-11-22T06:26:00.001-08:00

Mark Batey

Some brands are much more than just products, companies or logos. Some brands are cultural icons, rich with meaning. BMW, for example, is not just a car. It's a statement of accomplishment, refinement and wealth. People don't buy BMWs simply for transportation. This exceptional little book looks at the many dimensions of brand meaning. The author first establishes a theoretical basis by considering the human motivation for meaning and perception. He wraps up the book by connecting theory and practice with three excellent chapters on brand strategy, the evolution of brand meaning and brand communication. People make buying decisions, Batey argues, not simply to satisfy utilitarian needs, but to satisfy much deeper emotional and spiritual needs. The challenge of the marketing profession is to understand this phenomenon and to address the symbolic need as much as the superficial. This book has become required reading for my marketing department.

God at Work: The History and Promise of the Faith at Work Movement

2008-10-07T16:45:00.001-07:00

David W. Miller

For many years, it has been considered unprofessional to be openly Christian at work. Many Christians have struggled with the Sunday-Monday divide. That is starting to change. It is increasingly acceptable to talk about faith in the office. Some forward-thinking companies have even taken the step to encourage faith groups to form and meet at work. David Miller, in this largely academic survey, explores the history and basis of the movement he calls FAW -- Faith at Work. Chapter seven gives an outstanding analysis of FAW by creating a language and framework for further study. The book comes with an extensive bibliography for those wanting to go further in the topic.

The Billionaire's Vinegar: The Mystery of the World's Most Expensive Bottle of Wine

2008-09-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

Benjamin Wallace

The author does a nice job with this book. With the exception of a moderately tedious middle section and somewhat abrupt ending, The Billionaire's Vinegar is well-written and well-researched. For decades, people have attempted to build impressive wine cellars with old, even ancient, bottles. And for what? For some, it is the joy of owning a piece of history, or at least bragging about owning a piece of history. For some, it is a quest to be accepted among the epicureans. For some, it is about the wine itself, a mysterious substance that has seduced many followers. And, of course, for some it is simply about the money. In the end, like the wine, all of these evaporate.

Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism

2008-08-16T04:40:00.000-07:00

Tim Keller

Science, logic and philosophy disprove Christianity, don't they? Isn't Christianity an outdated religion rooted in superstition and fear? How can an intellectual being accept that an all-powerful God demanded a perfect sacrifice for the redemption of his people? Is there even a God at all? Aren't we all just chemical by-products of a cosmic accident?

If any of these questions -- or questions like them -- are yours, you should read this book.

Tim Keller concisely, intelligently and respectfully shows that the Christian faith is much more logical and much more believable than the skeptical world is ready to accept. Keller makes a graceful case for Christianity without being argumentative or condescending. I don't think there has been such a clear book on this topic since Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.

Who is Tim Keller? He is the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, arguably the world capital of skepticism. He is quietly leading a revolution in that city among the intellectuals, scientists and business leaders who have long been skeptical of faith. They have not had to give up their intellectual approach to life, their passion for the arts and literature or their love for the city life. On the contrary, they are finding new meaning in all of these things and in life in general.

The Decline of Rome and the Rise of Mediaeval Europe

2008-08-16T04:30:00.000-07:00

Simon Katz

So far, I've read four of the books in the Development of Western Civilization series from Cornell University Press. I have eight more to read. This book is the best of what I've read so far. Katz gives a clear explanation of why Rome's fall was the result of many factors, including financial turmoil, cultural and religious shifts and infiltration of non-Romans into the military machine. Katz is at his best in the relatively long chapter five, Europe in Transition. In it, he surveys the many changes that accompanied the decline of Rome and Germanic cultures, the division of the eastern and western empires, the rising cost of centralized government, the rise of the Roman church and changes in art and architecture. I recommend this well-written little survey to anyone wanting a quick background on the fall of Rome.

Advanced Web Metrics for Google Analytics

2008-08-16T04:21:00.000-07:00

Brian Clifton

This is the long overdue "how to" guide for Google Analytics. You can get started tracking your web traffic without this book, to be sure. But, this book goes beyond the help section provided on the Google Analytics site. If you're trying to understand the web traffic on your site, try using Google Analytics. It's easy and free. This book will help you along. While the title describes the book as Advanced, it's not really that technical. Even the most technical sections are pretty easy to get through.

Kotler on Marketing: How to Create, Win and Dominate Markets

2008-06-02T04:41:00.000-07:00

Philip Kotler

If you're going to read just one book on marketing, this should probably be it. Philip Kotler, a professor at the Kellogg School, is one of the most respected marketing thinkers today. This is a relatively short, readable book packed with insight. The book has three main sections: Strategic Marketing, Tactical Marketing and Administrative Marketing. When you read it, please remember that this was published in 1999. At lot has changed since then. Kotler could not have anticipated the explosion of search marketing and Web 2.0. Remarkably, he did a good job of anticipating the key ideas driving electronic marketing.

In the section on administrative marketing, Kotler offers his most profound insight. It's in the form of a question:

The fact is that marketing began as an appendage to the sales department of companies. [...] What, then, gave such a boost to the development of marketing departments, that it reached the point where, ironically, the sales department in some cases has become an appendage to the marketing department?

Sales an appendage of the marketing department? I know a lot of sales people that would scoff at such a thought! Scoffers or no, Kotler has this absolutely right, especially in the B2B, high-tech, growth companies. With the adoption of brand, product and market management, forward-thinking companies have adopted the notion that marketing is the strategic investment that drives sales performance. Unfortunately, Kotler does not fully develop this idea in the book. And, also unfortunately, the imbalance between sales and marketing remains one of the primary sources of corporate strife and cultural discord in many companies. This would be a good topic for his next book.

Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything

2008-04-20T14:35:00.000-07:00

Don Tapscott and Anthony Williams

A wiki is a website that is editable by anyone that visits it. Wikipedia, for example, is an editable encyclopedia with more than 2.3M pages (as of April 2008). People all over the planet, with all sorts of backgrounds have contributed to Wikipedia. Tapscott and Williams tap this idea of mass contribution and mass collaboration as the basis of this book. In addition to Wikipedia, they cite examples in automotive, pharmaceuticals and technology to suggest that mass, open collaboration is the key to forward progress. The examples they cite are amazing indeed, and worthy of closer inspection. However, the book makes a quantum leap by suggesting that mass collaboration is changing everything. We just aren't there yet. Most companies are very inward-focused and resistant to open collaboration.

One other comment: The writing and content of this book are not on par with Tapscott's other books, especially the excellent The Digital Economy.

Renewing Your Mind in a Mindless World: Learning to Think and Act Biblically

2008-04-06T17:32:00.000-07:00

Author: James M. Boice

I don't give five star ratings very often. This is one of the best books I have read in a quite a while. Dr. Boice eloquently, convincingly and helpfully explains how the Christian life is one marked by an utter transformation (renewal) of the mind. In part, this book is an exposition of Roman 12:1-2 in which the Apostle Paul commands Christians to no longer conform to the pattern of the world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Dr. Boice calls us to recognize that man is both more important than we often realize, to understand that the effects of the Fall are more severe than we often realize and to actively pursue a life of conformity to the will of God through the renewing of our minds. If you're not familiar with Dr. Boice, I encourage you to get your hands on some of his books. This one is a great place to start.

Old Dominion, New Commonwealth: A History of Virginia 1607-2007

2008-04-06T17:08:00.001-07:00

R.L. Heinemann, J.G. Kolp, A.S. Parent Jr., W.G. Shade

I started this book with a lot of enthusiasm. We had just finished celebrating our 400th anniversary here in Virginia and I thought this book would be a great way to round out the year. Unfortunately, as I slogged through, I found it to be a fairly dry account. The first several chapters, up to the Jefferson presidency or so, were OK. The rest was monotonous narrative.

The authors do a pretty good job of touching on the major historical issues Virginia has faced. Even so, two things seemed to be missing from the book. First, the authors gave limited ink to education in Virginia. Virginia is home the second oldest university in the country as well as two of the eight so-called Public Ivy schools, the University of Virginia and the College of William & Mary. These universities, along with several other public universities in the state, reflect an emphasis on high-quality education that has existed in Virginia since the colonial era. Second, the authors never mention Virginia's relative position as a Mid-Atlantic state. DC to the east and Maryland to the north have far greater income tax and sales tax rates than Virginia. These sames states also have higher crime rates and lower educational results. North Carolina to the south, while arguably very similar to Virginia in climate and natural resources, has had virtually no impact on the national scene and significantly lags Virginia in virtually all economic and educational metrics. It seems that a comprehensive history of Virginia, as this book claims to be, would have included some of this.

Encouragement: The Key to Caring

2008-02-24T17:28:00.000-08:00

Larry Crabb and Dan Allender

This book has been sitting on my shelf for about four years. What a waste. This is a great little book and an excellent resource for every Christian. I should have read it much sooner. We are all called to encourage one another (Heb 10), but often we don't know how. Sometimes we are too caught up in our struggles to recognize the needs of others. Sometimes we are satisfied to never let our conversations pass beyond shallow words. If you want to minister to others in a meaningful way, then learn to encourage. If you don't know how to be encourager, then read this book.

Information Dashboard Design: The Effective Visual Communication of Data

2008-01-02T17:25:00.000-08:00

Stephen Few

All of us are living with more data in our lives. Every day the amount of data is growing. Not surprisingly, there is also a growing number of software companies attempting to "help" us navigate all of this data. Dashboards are a recent advancement in database and business intelligence software that attempts to consolidate all of the reports, charts, graphs that we use all day onto a single screen. Unfortunately, most software vendors have missed the mark. They have not done a great job with the visual design of dashboards.

Stephen Few provides a great overview of dashboard design in this book. Chapter three is particularly good. In it, he lists thirteen common mistakes of dashboard design. Business intelligence software vendors and consultants should definitely read this. Like Edward Tufte before him, Few promotes elegant simplicity as a design goal for visual interfaces. He goes deeper than Tufte, however, and provides many more specific examples.

The Rise of the Feudal Monarchies

2007-12-31T17:37:00.000-08:00

Sidney Painter

This is another nice little book from the Cornell University Press, Development of Western Civilization series. In five chapters, it covers the development of the Feudal Monarchies in France, England and Germany between 987 and 1307. Many great historical figures are introduced: Hugh Capet, William the Conqueror, Richard the Lionheart, Otto the Great, Frederick Barbarossa.

More Than A Skeleton

2007-12-01T03:58:00.000-08:00

Paul L. Maier

Having read and enjoyed Paul Maier’s other novel, A Skeleton in God’s Closet, I was eager to read this book. Unfortunately, it was a bit disappointing. The concept is great: a Christ-figure appears in modern times and causes all sorts of interesting, and unexpected reactions around the world. Great concept or not, the execution is not very good. It takes a long time to get going and, ultimately, it feels unfinished. As with his earlier work, the dialogue between characters is unrealistic.

The Emergence of Rome as Ruler of the Western World

2007-11-03T14:45:00.000-07:00

Chester G. Starr, Jr.

This is a helpful little book, a great introduction to the rise of Rome. It doesn’t provide any new revelations or insights on the history of Rome. This is narrative history, plain and simple. It starts around 500 B.C., covers the Republic and Empire through 180 A.D. You should also consider reading the companion book, The Decline of Rome and the Rise of Mediaeval Europe by Simon Katz.

The Reformation

2007-10-10T17:47:00.000-07:00

George L. Mosse

This short book (less than 100 pages) is a very good introduction to the main personalities and chronology of the Reformation. The coverage of Martin Luther is brief, but the section on John Calvin and the role of Calvinism to the broader Reformation is quite good. Overall, the book does a good job of covering the Reformation in

England

. Mosse reveals the interplay between religion and politics that resulted in the theological ambiguity of Anglicanism. For a slightly more detailed alternative, you might consider reading The Reformation by Owen Chadwick.

The Age of Access: The New Culture of Hypercapitalism Where All of Life Is A Paid-For Experience

2007-09-22T15:17:00.001-07:00

Jeremy Rifkin

Do you remember the dot.com revolution? Mass customization, location-based offers, intelligent e-business and all that? Much of it was, as Alan Greenspan famously said, irrational exuberance. But, some of it was true. The fact that Rifkin wrote this book in the heat of the dot.com boom (2000), and that he still got much of it right, is a testimony to his insight. As good as this book is, there is proof that he is not a perfect prognosticator. For example, he also wrote a book called The End of Work. That sure hasn't happened for me yet.

The best parts of this book are in the middle. Toward the end of the book, his analysis of postmodernism and its relationship to the network economy is great. Some of his key points: there is a significant shift underway from products to services and that even what we understand as products today are being offered as services, there is a significant shift from a production-based capitalistic economy to a network economy, and there is a shift toward commoditizing human relationships as we are currently witnessing with the social networking sites. This is a good and amazingly current book.

The Medieval University

2007-08-26T11:48:00.000-07:00

Helene Wieruszowski

The medieval university represented a delicate balance between four forces: the Church, the host town, the state, the faculty and the students. The Church, the town and the state imposed various rules on the faculty and students, as you might expect. Unlike the universities of today, though, the medieval students held great sway over their schools. If they did not like the teaching or the faculty or various other things about the university, they could easily go to another school. Riots involving students and townspeople were not uncommon. The faculty had quite a bit of control over curriculum, even to the point of teaching forbidden subjects such as Roman law and secular philosophy.

This is a very interesting book, not unlike Haskins' Rise of the Universities which I reviewed in 2005. It's pretty short at about 200 pages. Unlike Haskins, Wieruszkowsi goes into quite a bit of detail on the personalities that were instrumental in forming the leading universities of Europe. She also does a nice job of explaining the relationships between the universities.

The Mediaeval Church

2007-08-11T18:16:00.000-07:00

Marshall W. Baldwin

The mediaeval period ended nearly 700 years ago. Even so, this remarkably religious period had a profound impact on the centuries that followed. The Roman church essentially took its current form during the mediaeval period. Priests and Bishops were educated and regulated. Monasteries and orders (the Augustinians, The Franciscans, the Dominicans) were formed. As political forces changed and consolidated through the period, the tension between Papal and secular authority increased. The schism between the Eastern and Western Christianity not only remained, but was further solidified. And, of course, the Crusades left a deep mark on relations between the West and the region spreading from Egypt to Constantinople.

Dr. Baldwin does a nice job of walking through the narrative history, making clear connections with the religious, political and social realities of the time. This is a very readable book. And, given that it covers several hundred years of history, is quite short – just 124 pages. Although this is written from an independent viewpoint, he is respectful of the religious traditions mentioned in the book.

This book is part of a series called The Development of Western Civilization published by Cornell University Press. I picked it up at a great bookstore in Kalamazoo, Michigan called Kazoo Books. The series was originally developed in the 1950’s to provide an overview for incoming university freshman who lack training in history of civilizations. There are twelve books available in the series, most of which are available through AbeBooks. I’ll be providing reviews of some of them in the coming weeks.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

2007-07-23T16:57:00.000-07:00

Khaled Hosseini

This is an outstanding book, well-conceived and well-executed. As with The Kite Runner, Hosseini pulls the reader in to the unfamiliar world of Afghanistan. He gives an intimate view of homes and villages. He paints a picture that is both beautiful and hideous. It's beautiful in that there is deep, transcendent love and perseverance through incredible hardship. It's hideous in that the characters experience pain that we, unfortunately, know is not entirely fictional.

This book reveals deep pain - personal, familial and national. Even in the happier scenes, there is underlying sadness. Even when the characters seem to be enjoying some happiness and apparent freedom, the reader knows that it is fleeting. They are smothered under a blanket of oppressive traditions and beliefs that are more about shame, humiliation and control than about freedom, grace and redemption.

I'm not sure if he intended it, but I found Hosseini's book to be allegory. The two main characters, Mariam and Laila, and the oppression they endure represent not just women in war and women under the extreme form of Islam. For me, they also represent two aspects of Afghanistan itself. Mariam, the uneducated (but not stupid) older woman, represents ancient Afghanistan oppressed under the inflexible dictates of tradition. As she awakens to the futility of her situation, the spirit of curiosity and ingenuity is stamped out of her. She accepts the punishment that comes to her and doesn't really question whether or not it is deserved. Laila, the younger of the two, represents the more modern (yet pre-Taliban) Afghanistan. She is about art and poetry and food. She fights against oppression to the extent that she can. In the end, though, she is a powerless, voiceless woman who cannot ultimately, on her own, overcome the suffocating oppression of tradition and beliefs.

Peace Be upon You

2007-07-01T17:04:00.000-07:00

Zachary Karabell

The author is a good, persuasive writer. His research is impressive. Prospective readers should know going in, however, that Mr. Karabell has a bias. Rather than telling you up-front about his bias, he reveals it slowly and subtly throughout the book. For its merits, I give the book two stars. For not being up-front with his readers, I withhold three stars.

So, what is his bias? He laments the loss of Muslim rule in the world, not as we see it today, but as he perceives it was 1000 years ago. As other reviewers have noted (on Amazon.com), the author carefully proposes that only when Muslims ruled certain regions of the world has there been peace there. He largely sees the ancient Muslim regimes as promoters of peace and humility. He sees them as tolerant and respectful of other religions. And, he feels that they possessed an admirable inquisitiveness into the arts and sciences. In the Christian and post-Christian regimes he largely sees corruption, greed, rapaciousness, brutality and oppression. A balanced and more realistic work would have more carefully demonstrated that there was incredible brutality and greed on all sides throughout history.

Karabell argues that the best way to approach a book like this is by using Islam as the reference point for considering Judaism and Christianity. He writes, “it makes sense to focus primarily on how Muslims dealt with Jews and Christians rather than on how Jews and Christians dealt with Muslims […] Muslims had to think through relations between the faiths far more than Christians and Jews ever did […] Only after the first wave of Muslim conquests were Jews and Christians forced to invent theologically acceptable compromises that would allow them to acquiesce to Muslim rule.” His approach is certainly one of the ways that one could approach this topic. Failing to consider, or even mention, the other ways, suggests a lack of balance, especially in light of some of the other things he writes in the book.

Later in the book, he writes, “the humiliation of Muslim societies at the hands of Western states […] produced a legacy of hatred and animosity that eventually led to the fundamentalism, violence, and terrorism of the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries.” He goes on to argue that the rise of the West, in its pursuit of what he calls "the cult of progress" meant “disdain for established religion and for political systems that had governed people from time immemorial.” In other words, the West sacrificed peace for wealth and is, ultimately, responsible for the terrorist attacks in New York, London and

Spain

. These are not the words of an unbiased historian. For many, these are not words of peace.

A Walk Through Wales

2007-05-21T18:48:00.000-07:00

Anthony Bailey

Cardiff to Bangor, alone and on foot -- that is how Mr. Bailey experienced Wales in 1992. He avoided the main roads, walked through farms and over mountains. He stayed in hostels and B&Bs most of the way. He loves to walk. Just before the end of the book, after walking for several weeks, he writes, "... looking forward to going back home but knowing it would involve having to live with the urge to set off again."

Mr. Bailey writes in a very flat style with very few superlatives. The flatness of his writing made me wonder if he actually enjoyed his trip, other than the actual act of walking itself. He seemed to enjoy climbing Snowdon and Pen-y-Fan, the two highest peaks in Wales. He seemed to like the scenery, the flora and the fauna. But, as an Oxford-educated Englishman, walking through a region not overly fond of the English (he stayed on the west side of Wales and along the Irish Sea) and just a few years away from devolution, I wonder if he enjoyed the people he met. None of the locals, other than historical figures, got more than passing mention in the book. He did take time to mention a good number of too-soft mattresses as well as several mediocre meals. It's curious to me, that even without enthusiastic writing, I found myself wanting to explore Wales, to walk in the land of King Arthur and to meet the people.

Jamestown: The Buried Truth

2007-04-22T03:43:00.000-07:00

William Kelso

Take this book with you when you visit Jamestown this year. 2007 is the 400th anniversary of its founding. This is an excellent account of the (still active) archaeological dig at Jamestown. The author is the primary investigator at the Jamestown site. Mr. Kelso and his team have done a wonderful job uncovering and reconstructing life in the first successful English colony in America. Not only will you learn about life in 17th century Jamestown, but you'll learn about the art and science of archaeology as well.

The Fruitful Life: The Overflow of God's Love Through You

2007-03-31T03:49:00.000-07:00

Jerry Bridges

One of the first Christian books I read was Bridges' Pursuit of Holiness. He continues his tradition of very readable advice for everyday Christian living in The Fruitful Life. This is a practical book, filled with helpful insight. New Christians and mature Christians alike will benefit from the wisdom in this book. This is a great little guidebook for living lives worthy of the grace we've been given. If you're like me, and you tend to avoid guidebooks in favor of thought-provoking books, there is something for you as well. Indirectly, Bridges brings up a concept that every Christian should consider: God is sovereign in everything yet we are not puppets (because we are responsible for what we do). Our actions and thoughts have eternal significance yet we are not free agents (because God's eternal plan determines all that comes to pass). This is non-trivial and may/should challenge our ideas about God and ourselves.

The Kite Runner

2007-03-17T16:59:00.000-07:00

Khaled Hosseini

This is masterful storytelling. A fragile, but not innocent young man from Afghanistan faces the worst that this world can throw at him. And yet, there is redemption. It's the real kind of redemption, the kind that comes at an inconceivably high price. It's the kind that breaks your heart. This is not a graphic account, but it will leave you feeling brutalized. The lives in this book are torn apart and children are helplessly caught in terrible -- worse than terrible -- circumstances. And yet, there is that redemption, beautiful and incomprehensible.

A Son of Thunder: Patrick Henry and the American Republic

2007-03-03T10:28:00.000-08:00

Henry Mayer

Before moving to Virginia I, like many Americans, only knew Patrick Henry for his famous sound-bite, "...give me liberty or give me death." This well-written book has helped open my eyes to the depth of Patrick Henry and the significance of his contribution to American life. Consider his accomplishments: self-made attorney, elected several times to the Virginia House of Burgesses, elected to serve in the first Continental Congress, colonel in the pre-Revolutionary Virginia militia and three-term Virginia governor. He did all of this before he was 45 years old. He was a successful farmer and land speculator. He was a faithful sponsor of religious freedoms and political rights. Once our independence was established, he fought for a 'bill of rights' to protect us from the federal government. We owe a lot to Mr. Henry and, curiously, most people barely know his name.

Study Commentary on Leviticus

2007-02-17T04:24:00.000-08:00

John D. Currid

Leviticus is a book of rules -- priestly rules for the ancient Jewish religion. For many Christians today, these rules seem strange and crude. What place do blood sacrifices and dietary laws have in our lives? As unfamiliar as these things may be to us today, I can assure you that Jesus can be found in the pages of Leviticus: as God, as worshipper, as Priest, as the sacrifice and even as the Tabernacle. Currid provides an easy-to-follow guide, explaining many of the details of Leviticus.

Thunderstruck

2007-02-02T04:24:00.000-08:00

Erik Larson

If you have read Larson's bestselling The Devil in the White City (which I highly recommend), you'll know that he does a great job of weaving lives and story lines together. In this case, he tells the stories of Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of wireless communication and Hawley Crippen, a murderer and the first criminal caught by wireless technology. Larson is a great writer. His well-researched, engaging non-fiction reads like fiction. This was a Christmas gift from my daughters -- thanks, girls. I loved it.

Exodus: Saved for God's Glory

2007-01-16T18:07:00.000-08:00

Philip Graham Ryken

This whopper of a commentary (1200+ pages) was written by the pastor of Philadelphia's historic Tenth Presbyterian Church. It's an expository commentary in that it consists of 102 sermons. The True Hero of Exodus shines through in this very readable work.

The Faiths of our Fathers: What America's Founders Really Believed

2007-01-13T05:22:00.000-08:00

Alf J. Mapp, Jr.

I met the author when visiting Colonial Williamsburg a couple of weeks ago. He's done a nice job of researching the letters and papers of the colonial period to see what the Founding Fathers had to say about religion. Decades from now, when you are gone, will your descendants know what you believed?

A Skeleton in God's Closet

2007-01-06T16:31:00.000-08:00

Paul L. Maier

Could archaeology uncover something that would rock your faith? What would happen to the world if something were found that seemed to discredit historical Christianity? Maier explores that possibility in this engrossing novel. This is a great story. The writing is good, even though some of the dialog is a little artificial. Thanks, Mum and Dad, for getting me a signed copy.

Wordcraft: The Art of Turning Little Words into Big Business

2007-01-01T17:11:00.000-08:00

Alex Frankel

This is a great idea for a book: the art and science of naming things. The author tells stories of some great naming successes, including Blackberry, e-business and Accenture. Unfortunately, though, the book offers very little insight into how the average product manager or marketing professional can be successful at naming things. The author, inadvertently I think, leaves the reader with the false impression that successful naming is a mysterious art practiced by a few consulting firms and individuals.

Diagnosing and Changing Organizational Culture

2006-12-15T04:09:00.000-08:00

Kim Cameron and Robert Quinn

This very short book (142 pages not including appendices and notes) introduces a method for quantifying organizational culture. It offers an interesting tool for analysis and discussion of company culture, but does not provide everything you would need for a thorough diagnosis and prescription.

Tough Choices

2006-12-09T06:14:00.000-08:00

Carly Fiorina

I was given a free copy of this autobiography at a speech Ms. Fiorina was giving a few weeks ago. While I was impressed with her speech -- she is an excellent communicator -- I thought the book wasn't so great. She talks at length about the Lucent and HP management hierarchies and the corresponding office politics. Curiously, in 300+ pages, she only mentions the products of these companies a couple of times.

The Judgment of Paris: The Revolutionary Decade That Gave The World Impressionism

2006-12-05T16:45:00.000-08:00

Ross King

I read this earlier in the year and loved it, but forgot to post it on the blog. This is one of the best books I have read this year. It is an excellent peek into the Paris art scene of the 1860s. Ross King's non-fiction is great. I especially recommend Brunelleschi's Dome.

Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big

2006-12-05T16:41:00.000-08:00

Bo Burlingham

Again, good concept for a book, so-so execution. I love the idea that some entrepreneurs would choose to keep their companies small. We have long believed that growth (not just in business) equates to success. One might say, borrowing a phrase from Paul, that these leaders have learned the secret to contentment. Unfortunately, even though it is short, this book is wordy and repetitive.

Convergence Marketing: Strategies for Reaching the New Hybrid Consumer

2006-12-05T16:37:00.000-08:00

Yoram Wind and Vijay Mahajan

Good concept for a book - poor execution. Bottom-line: there are those that are hard-core, brick-and-mortar shoppers only. There are those that are hard-core, on-line only shoppers. And, there are those that are a hybrid of these two. This book offers some (limited) insight into ways to reach these hybrid consumers.

Thinking for a Living: How to Get Better Peformance and Results from Knowledge Workers

2006-12-05T16:32:00.000-08:00

Thomas Davenport

If you've ever had to manage people who "think for a living" you know that it is nearly impossible to "measure" their output. This is a pretty good book on how to categorize knowledge work and how to approach measurement. Thought provoking.

A House for My Name: A Survey of the Old Testament

2006-12-05T16:23:00.000-08:00

Peter Leithart

The author does an outstanding job of knitting together the stories and events of the Old Testament. Very well written - very approachable. Near the end of the book, the author reveals himself as a preterist. Even if you don't hold this view, this is a good book.

A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century

2006-12-05T16:19:00.000-08:00

Barbara Tuchman

England and France at war. Two popes. Famine and disease. It's all here. How did the human race survive the 14th century?

Search Engine Optimization: An Hour A Day

2006-12-03T12:23:00.000-08:00

Jennifer Grappone and Gradiva Couzin

Search-engine marketing, or SEM, and the related subfield of search-engine optimization are the hottest topics in e-marketing today. This is a great -- and fun -- how-to guide to improving your search-engine results.

The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More

2006-12-03T12:01:00.000-08:00

Chris Anderson

Eye-opening. Consider this: the typical big bookstore carries 100,000 titles. Amazon carries 3.7 million titles. 25% of Amazon's book revenue is from books that are not even available at the big retail bookstores. This should be required reading in every b-school.

The Illuminator

2006-12-03T11:56:00.000-08:00

Brenda Rickman Vantrease

I don't read a lot of fiction, as you can see from the reviews I have posted on this blog. This is a work of historical fiction, of sorts, set in England during the 1300's. The lead character is a very vulnerable noblewoman who struggles with her vulnerabilities and lack of ability to control things in her life.

The Conquest of Nature: Water, the Landscape and the Making of Modern Germany

2006-12-03T11:51:00.000-08:00

David Blackbourn

My family and I love Germany, particularly Bavaria. I read this book while we were vacationing there this summer. Germans are famous for engineering, and the landscape is no exception. Over the past 200 years, the Germans have straightened rivers and drained swamps in order to have a garden nation.

Escape from Reason

2006-12-03T11:48:00.000-08:00

Francis Schaeffer

This was a set of lectures Schaeffer gave at the time he was writing The God Who is There. In some sense, this is a companion to that book. There is some overlap. He touches on many of the recent philosophical views and how they have manifested themselves in science, art and politics. Good stuff.

The God Who Is There

2006-12-03T11:42:00.000-08:00

Francis Schaeffer

Francis Schaeffer was an incredible guy and this is one of his best writings. He is an excellent example of the fact that a person does not have to commit intellectual suicide in order to have faith. The one caution: he does not write lengthy stuff. His books are thought-provoking more than explanatory.

A Year in the World: Journeys of a Passionate Traveller

2006-12-02T05:46:00.000-08:00

Francis Mayes

I loved Mayes' Under the Tuscan Sun. This one disappointed me. It is her travel diary from Portugal to Turkey and Scotland to Cyprus. For Mayes, travel seems to be mainly about food. Boring.

Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity

2006-12-02T05:41:00.000-08:00

Nancy Pearcy

This was a gift from my friend Jonathan. Thanks, Jonathan. This is a great book. Pearcy picks up where Francis Schaeffer left off. Pearcy not only incorporates the language of postmodernism (postmodernism had not yet been defined when Schaeffer was writing) in her analysis, but fills in some of the logical gaps that he left in his writing.

Hand Bookbinding: A Manual of Instruction

2006-12-02T05:38:00.000-08:00

Aldren A. Watson

The illustrations and detailed, step-by-step instructions in this book are great. Both of the books I've read this year on book binding were, curiously, perfect-bound Dover editions. Ironic.

Basic Bookbinding

2006-12-02T05:31:00.000-08:00

A.W. Lewis

I have a couple of old books that need to be rebound. I thought I might try doing it myself. Bookbinding is not as easy as it looks. This is a pretty good book, but I prefer the one in the next post.

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

2006-12-02T05:28:00.000-08:00

Malcolm Gladwell

I read this after many recommendations from friends. It's an interesting concept -- the few can have a huge impact on the many as trend-starters. I found the writing to be pretty repetitive.