One Nation Under Gods, by Richard Abanes

Joseph Smith founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the early 19th century, when the country itself was showing tremendous growth.  As the new Mormon movement gained popularity, it moved further and further west, finally settling in Utah.  With controversial tenets, including polygamy and blood atonement, the LDS church has been under scrutiny since its creation, yet somehow its membership grows and grows.  While some theological stances have been recanted or deemed out of date, the church still has a strong hold over its faithful members.

After reading another book on the LDS church, I quickly became fascinated with this mysterious denomination.  A friend of mine is an ex-Mormon, so she lent me this book to learn more about the history and beliefs of the church.  And boy howdy did I learn.  I think of the whole book, the most interesting to me was the early history of the founder, Joseph Smith, and how the church actually started.  It just seemed like there were so many holes in his testimony from the beginning, I am amazed he ever gained followers.

The book is long and heavy on the historical side of things, which I think is actually a strength.  There seem to be a lot of supporting documents regarding the information presented, which made me feel like the book was accurate, and well researched.  I would have like to have seen a bit more information on the current theology of the church.  I would like to see the updated version, to see if it includes information on the LDS influence on Proposition 8 in California, and the growing LDS presence in politics.

I am sure the LDS dislikes this book, as many of the poor reviews out there will show.  I cannot speak to whether or not this is an accurate book, as I myself am not a Mormon.  I can say that I felt like a lot of good information was presented, enough to make me want to continue research to form a more informed opinion.  Obviously, this book would not appeal to Mormon readers, but may appeal to those who have left the LDS church, or other Christians who, like me, want to learn more.  It would also appeal to historians and those interested in comparative theology.

This book was borrowed from a friend.

Washington: A Legacy of Leadership, by Paul Vickery

Sure you know that George Washington helped lead troops to victory in both the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War.  Yes, you know that he was also our first president, and many would argue the father of our country.  But do you know what led to all these victories?  Do you know about loves lost, and bitter defeats, lessons hard learned, and the incredible personal risks he took in battle?  If not, you shall.

I have to admit, I am not one much for historical biographies, but having just read some works of fiction set in the Revolutionary War, I decided this book would be interesting to me.  And was it ever.  First, I have to say that I was fascinated by the early portions of the book, which focused on the French and Indian War.  Having lived in both Ohio and Pennsylvania, many of the battles mentioned took place in settings which are familiar to me.  And while I learned about some of it way back in 7th grade, this book served not only as a good refresher, but as a wonderful addendum to the things I had learned.  Similarly, with the rest of the historical information in the book, I was able to recall the facts I knew, and supplement with ones I did not know.

The only thing I had hoped for was a bit more personal information about Washington, a look at the human side of the story.  I suppose it is difficult to write that, as I am sure history recorded very little of this information.  Sure, facts are given, but I really longed for some little anecdotes.  I suppose when going back to this point in history, those are few and far between.

This book is a perfect book for someone interested in history, whether their passion be military, political, or just general history.  It would even serve well for young adult readers looking to supplement their studies, or additions to home schooling curriculum.  All in all, a nice read that helped me expand my knowledge.


I received a review copy of the book courtesy of the publisher.

The Secret History of Cults, by Peter Haining

Heaven's Gate.  Jonestown.  The Manson Family.  Branch Davidians.  These are all cults with which most people are familiar.  What is is about the leaders that led them down their doomed paths?  How can a person become so enraptured with a man that he or she would willingly give their lives?  This book describes various cults the world over, and attempts to explain the power these leaders have over their flocks.

What a huge pile of disappointment this book was.  It had the potential to be really interesting, but sadly it was not.  The book is divided into three sections, and the first section just seems laughable.  First off, for a book of "case studies" there is absolutely NO citation of the information written.  The first part reads more like what most people think or suspect, as opposed to documented statements of fact.  I get the idea that informants may need to remain anonymous, but with no other citation, the stories just seem far fetched.

In the other two sections, on almost every page, a lengthy direct quote of someone else's research is listed, yet there is no bibliography at the end of the book.  Also, on nearly every page, there are multiple typos, mispellings, and errors.  I am not an editor, but these were glaring mistakes, and so many, I suspect the book was not edited.

The subject matter of the book was great, and the last 2 sections touched on quite a few cults I had never heard of, so I did learn some things from the book.  However, I probably could have learned just as much, if not more, from a few quick internet searches.

Like I stated, this book had all the potential to be good.  But it just wasn't.

Death Makes a Holiday, by David J. Skal

Have you ever wondered about the origins of Halloween traditions?  Why do we go trick or treating, or dress in costume?  Who brought the traditions to the New World?  How much of the mythology is real, and how much is poppycock?  This book answers these questions and more, with a brief overview of history, traditions, folklore, and the lure the holiday has for so many.

I am one of those people who loves to be scared, and is absolutely fascinated by the psychology of fear.  As a kid, Halloween was my favorite holiday, and even now, I prefer horror to romance, in terms of books and movies.  So, it is natural for me to be drawn to a book like this, and I think it provides a good starting place for those looking to learn more about Halloween.

The book gives an overview of several areas, like history and folklore, but is unable to go very much in depth in any area.  I think, however, for the purposes of the book, Skal does a good job with these overviews.  There is a huge subculture around Halloween, with it no longer being a holiday just for children.  In fact, increasingly, children are being left out of Halloween, in that trick or treat nights get cancelled, and school ban costumes.

Everyone likes to forget who they are now and then, or pretend they are someone else, and I think this is part of the Halloween appeal.  Also, when we allow ourselves to take charge of the things that scare us, they no longer have the power to cause that fear.  I think the book does an adequate job of covering the holiday, and is a good starting place for those interested in learning more about Halloween.

Stupid History, by Leland Gregory

Have you ever gotten the impression that a lot of what you know about history is wrong?  Well, you would be right.  For example, Napoleon, not really that short.  Paul Revere, not the actual midnight rider.  And some things you do not know about history are just too ridiculous to be made up, like the fact that the first person ever punished in the stocks was the man who made them.  His crime?  Charging too much for his work.  What else about history is just plain stupid?

Filled with fun stories and nuggets of trivia, this book is just the kind that I love, one that does not take itself too seriously.  We always hear that what we learn in school is false, and this book cites many examples.  I love the fact that not only do we learn the truth, but for many of the stories, we learn why the falsehood was ever circulated.

The book has a lighthearted feel, though it does tend to be a little heavy handed with the puns and word play.  That, however, can be overlooked because of the solid content on nicely varied subject matter.  I read a couple of excerpts to my Hubby, and he loved it.  I think any good natured student of history will appreciate this book, along with many a retired history teacher.  There is nothing stupid about loving this book.

Beauty and the Beast:, by Arnold Arluke and Robert Bogdon

Post card photography was a very popular hobby and art form at one time.  While many different types of images were captured, one of the most common things revealed in these types of photos was the complex variety of relationships between humans and animals.  Whether these animals were pets, sources of food and nutrition, forms of transportation or labor, all interacted with humans in some way, and these interactions were documented through a plethora of post card photographs.  This book looks at the different natures of the relationships we held with animals in the early part of the 20th century.

This book was quite different from anything I had ever read, and a great departure from the types of books I typically review.  I can easily see this book being used as a text book, though I am not sure what type of class would be structured around such a topic.  I had never really thought of all the different roles animals and people played in each others lives, particularly in the past, until I read this book, and the accompanying photographs were simply stunning.  This was a time that was crucial to the way animals and animal treatment was perceived, and a lot of what happened in the early 1900s was a precursor to the groups we see today, like PETA, ASPCA, and Humane Societies.  It was fascinating to read about this, and see the history come alive on the page.

I am really glad I stepped out of my comfort zone with this book, but I will warn readers, this is not a light or short read.  It took me some time to get through the book because it is quite scholarly, and having been out of school for some time, my scholarly reading muscles were a little weak (from too many novels perhaps).  But just like a couch potato can get back in shape, so can a scholarly mind, and this is a great book to help anyone with an interest in history and/or animals or photography expand their knowledge base in a highly organized, soundly researched way.

A review copy of this book was provided courtesy of NetGalley.

The Jesus You Can't Ignore, by John MacArthur

Jesus spent a large portion of His ministry in bold confrontation with the Pharisees.  He never minced words, and never failed to point out the flaws of their "do as we say, not as we do" religious ideologies.  This book takes a close scriptural look at what we can learn from Christ's confrontational style.

I am not even sure where to begin with this book.  I really struggled in reading this book.  I am quite sure there is a ton of sound biblical teaching in this book, but I could not even get into it deep enough to find it.  I found myself skimming the pages, and even so, this book took me almost two weeks to read, something unheard of for me.  I could read a book this length in an hour.  I found this book to be boring, and I think it is because it talks about a side of Jesus I find hard to relate to.  I like my Jesus loving, caring, forgiving, and saving.  I know that Jesus also needed to be confrontational, taking a hard stance with the Pharisees, and that this too was an act of love, but I just found this entire book devoted to such harshness a little off putting.  I am sure other Christians would find it thrilling, and would think I am lukewarm for even suggesting otherwise.

I did absolutely love one point MacArthur hammered home, regarding the unforgivable sin.  The blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is one made in full knowledge.  It is not one we may make by accidentally incorrectly thinking someone a false prophet, or using discernment to question the legitimacy of a gift of the Holy Spirit.  It is not the unknowing person who questions the existence of Christ.  It is the one who knows, in their heart, like the Pharisees did, that Jesus was and is who He says, and still deny it.  That point is made crystal clear in the book, and for that alone, the book is worth reading.

Perhaps those more interested in biblical scholarship, or at a different place in their faith will be more apt to appreciate the book.  It is certainly well written and researched, it was just a topic with which I could not connect.



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

The Gettysburg Approach to Writing and Speaking Like a Professional, by Philip Yaffe

There are simple guidelines to follow for effective and professional writing and speaking.  Philip Yaffe bases his guidelines on those outlined in the Gettysburg Address.  This book outlines the basic rules of professional and academic writing, and has a complete set of exercises to practice said rules, listed in appendices in the back.

If you are in college, particularly graduate school, this book will be extraordinarily helpful to you.  The focus on the book is expository writing, so for creative writing purposes, this tool may not be as important to you, but if you ever plan on writing an academic paper, or a professional report, this book is a must have for your library.

Philip Yaffe very clearly outlines, in simple terms, the real rules to professional writing.  A lot of these rules were familiar to me from my past academic pursuits, but I still was able to learn a lot from the book.  I think this would actually make a wonderful textbook for a writing course at the college level.  I believe if more students had textbooks like this one, there would be far more success in academia today.  I particularly liked the plethora of examples for the different rules.  There are over 100 pages of appendices just full of examples and exercises.

This is not the type of book you are likely to sit down and read cover to cover like I did, unless you have a real passion for grammar and professional writing.  That being said, like any mental health student has a copy of the APA guide book and the DSM on their bookshelves, so too should every college student and writer of professional materials have The Gettysburg Approach on their shelves.

I highly recommend this book to any serious scholar, regardless of subject matter, because its usefulness will know no bounds when you sit to do professional writing.

A copy of this book was provided for review purposes courtesy of the author.