Stupid Sports, by Leland Gregory

Sometimes you can tell a book by the cover.  Leland Gregory continues his habit of collecting the stupid, the little-known, and the amusing in his newest book, Stupid Sports.  Of course he includes some great Yogi Berra quotes, and there may be a few stories you've heard before, but Gregory has gathered silly stories and inanities from around the world of sports that I can guarantee you've never seen.  Funny (intentional and otherwise) quotes, facts and tidbits from sports, and a few memorable anecdotes fill this book.  It's not a reference, not cohesively arranged, not a work of great literature, it's just--stupid sports.  So put this next to your bed, on your coffee table, on in the "reading room" where you spend a few minutes each day, and enjoy the silliness.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

The Doll, by Taylor Stevens

Vanessa Michael Munroe is back, and now she's a victim!  We first met her in The Informationist, then followed her rescue operation in The Innocent.  Her skills as a hired gun/body guard/person who gets things done have come to the attention of people on the other side of the law.

The Doll opens with Munroe's abduction by some mysteriously skillful, wiley, and well-financed bad dudes.  Her associate (now lover) Bradford tries to track her down, but the bad guys get her to Europe, where they want her to use her skills to smuggle another kidnapped young lady to a buyer in Monaco.  This young lady, a rising Hollywood starlet, was kidnapped by the Doll Maker's people at the request of a client who is paying a tremendous amount of money to add her to his "collection."  What follows is Munroe's attempts to following the Doll Maker's instructions as she drives the girl across Europe (he is holding her best friend hostage as collateral), maybe trying to save the girl, and Bradford's efforts stateside to penetrate the Doll Maker's horrible trafficking organization.

The focus of the novel is Munroe's scheming and planning for escape and revenge, but the undertone of the world of human trafficking is strong and disturbing.  Granted, the kidnapping of a well-known darling of screen and tabloid seemed a bit over-the-top and unbelievable, but Stevens sheds light on the very real problem of sex trafficking.  As Munroe observes, "Were there no market, no buyers, and no men willing to pay for sex, organizations that fed off human misery, and criminals like the Doll Maker who stole and cashed in on the value of the female body, would cease to exist."  (Too bad our government doesn't put more resources toward human trafficking instead of wasting money on the pointless, destructive "War on Drugs.")

So in spite of the hard-to-swallow scenario of a celebrity being kidnapped for sale on the sex slave market, and in spite of the unbelievable seemingly omniscient and omnipotent power of the Doll Maker and his organization, and in spite of Munroe's unrealistic super smarts and super fighting skills (which Stevens' readers have come to expect), The Doll is a fun, gripping read, with unexpected twists and turns and a satisfying, if despairing ending.  It's at least as good as The Informationist, and probably better than The Innocent.  I will look forward to Munroe's next adventure.

(By the way, another book that deals with sex trafficking, but in a more realistic, therefore more disturbing, way is Corban Addison's A Walk Across the Sun.)


Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

I'll Seize the Day Tomorrow, by Jonathan Goldstein

Canadian humorist and radio host Jonathan Goldstein, on the verge of turning forty, gives us a window into his last year as a thirty-something.  His account of his life during this year of his life is full of randomly funny stories, occasional bits of wisdom, and even a touching moment or two.  Goldstein describes himself as a "humorist," which, as he explains, "is a comedian who doesn't necessarily make you laugh."  He made me laugh, and I can imagine that his radio show, WireTap, is entertaining.

Goldstein sort of reminded me of a Canadian Jerry Seinfeld.  Goldstein has an inadvertently hilarious dad, some quirky friends, and enough goofy encounters in his days to provide some good material for humor.  His random thoughts reminded me of my co-worker Jesse.  Some examples:

• "Waking up this morning, it occurs to me that if grade school went on forever, I'd now be in grade thirty-four."
• "In the midst of showering, I realize I've been using the same bar of soap for about a month now.  From this I conclude that I am either a) in the midst of a Hanukkah-type miracle; or b) simply not scrubbing hard enough."  He later asks his mom, "Who taught me how to shower anyway?  Because I don't think I've been doing it right." 
• "Whatever happened to those 2001 moon colonies we were promised--a place where we could eat ice cream all day and still bounce around as light as lunar dust?  Sometimes I just can't stand the unbearable fatness of being." 

I like his take on running: "I've recently taken up running, and have been trying to figure out a route that would allow me to run nearly all the way downhill while never having to actually go uphill."  And I agree with him that "jogging is good for the heart, but it can also be good for the soul."

True to his self description, Goldstein made me laugh, but mostly I'll Seize the Day was funny without making me laugh.  Goldstein's humor is low-key, a bit neurotic, sometimes whiny, and even mildly, thoughtfully  depressing ("At thirty-nine, I'm beginning to see that middle age might mean having more failures behind you than triumphs ahead."). 

I'll Seize the Day Tomorrow may not be for everyone, but will be enjoyed by fans of off-beat, deadpan humor who have a couple hours to kill.

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Gospel Justice, by Bruce Strom

I have read a lot about justice, social justice, justice for the poor, all in the context of Christian ministry to the poor and marginalized.  I suspect I am not alone in missing what Bruce Strom makes obvious in his new book Gospel Justice: Joining Together to Provide Help and Hope for Those Oppressed by Legal Injustice.  Justice, a "vital part of any holistic ministry . . . cannot be separated from law and lawyers."

Many commentators have observed that the church in the U.S., especially among younger Christians, seems to be waking up to social issues such as poverty, human trafficking, unfair labor practices, housing issues, and other areas.  But rarely do I here people noting, as Strom does, that the roots of these problems often have to do with a lack of legal representation, and that the solutions will frequently come from legal action.

Strom had achieved a high level of success in the legal profession when God opened his eyes to "how self-focused I was, and He helped me see the needs of others in pain around me." He began to see that many of the problems of the poor cry out for legal solutions, so he began what would become Administer Justice, a group of volunteer lawyers who assist people in need with legal matters of all kinds.

Gospel Justice is full of stories of people whose lives were changed with the help of the compassionate, knowledgable assistance of the Administer Justice staff.  It's shocking to realize how many people suffer in ways that could be prevented or remedied if they had legal representation.  This is not a theological treatise or law review article, but Strom brings in enough theology and legal knowledge to give the reader ample inspiration to use one's legal skills to help the poor, to apply to law school, or at least to seek out a legal group to volunteer with or donate to.

We have seen medical missionaries for generations.  Bible translators, church planters, and evangelists all fit nicely into our picture of what a missionary looks like.  We are familiar with service to the poor: soup kitchens and food banks, homeless shelters, and clothing ministries are commonplace.  Strom has presented a new picture, at least new to me, of one way to be a missionary, one way to serve the poor.  Providing legal services for the poor and marginalized goes beyond what traditional ministry among the poor has done by creating opportunities to address structural issues and root causes.  Justice indeed.  I should have gone to law school.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy.

Ghost Spin, by Chris Moriarty

There is no question in my mind that Chris Moriarty is much smarter than I am. (Not that that is any great feat . . . .)  Her newest book, Ghost Spin, demonstrates that she is a thoughtful, imaginative writer, whose vision for artificial intelligence spans the universe. It's an ambitious book, more ambitious than my little mind could enjoy.

Ghost Spin is set in the same future setting and returns characters from her previous novels Spin State and Spin Control, neither of which I have read.  The novel opens as Cohen, an AI who is inhabiting a human body, shoots himself/the body in the head.  His . . . wife, Li, . . . if that makes sense for an AI to have a wife . . . spends the rest of the novel seeking to find out what happened.  In the course of the story, Moriarty takes the reader on a tour of the possibilities of sentient AIs who can exist in a variety of settings, including inhabiting humans.

The result is a confusing mess.  The time frames shift inexplicably with flashbacks and changing perspectives.  There are long passages of dialogue, including characters talking to the AI within themselves.  When Cohen inhabits a ship's captain, there's a split-personality, dual identity thing happening.  When Li comes along and sees her "husband" in the captain's body, I couldn't help thinking of Whoopi Goldberg/Patrick Swayzee and Demi Moore. 

There is some awesome, solid speculative science in Ghost Spin.  Besides AI, the world of the future comes alive with references to terraforming, faster-than-light space travel, and colonization that has dispersed humanity from a ravished Earth.  But I had a hard time making myself enjoy the book.  Halfway through I began skimming to the end.  Again, I'm probably just not smart enough, not a careful enough reader, or maybe I should have read the other 2 books first. 



Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Your New Job Title is "Accomplice," by Scott Adams

I love Dilbert.  Even before I worked in a corporate cubicle farm, I loved Dilbert.  Now, more than ever, I love Dilbert and see his scenarios played out every day.  I don't know how Scott Adams does it, but he keeps cranking out laugh-out-loud Dilbert strips, the highlight of my newspaper reading every day.

His new book, Your New Job Title is "Accomplice," finds Dilbert still working with the pointy-haired boss, Dogbert still offering his management advice, and Wally still finding ways to keep his job while not doing anything.  Although little seems to change around Dilbert's office, Adams keeps it fresh and hilarious.  Any fan of Dilbert will love this new collection.

A few samples. . . .

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Do What Jesus Did, by Robby Dawkins

When John Wimber was a new Christian, he said he started asking his pastor, "When do we get to do the stuff?"  He was surprised that Christians didn't do "the stuff" Jesus did in the gospels, healing the sick, speaking words of wisdom, raising the dead.  As the leader of the Vineyard churches, Wimber eventually did a lot of the stuff, and travelled the world teaching others about doing the stuff.

Wimber is no longer with us, but his mantle of signs and wonders has passed to a new generation of leaders, including Robby Dawkins, pastor of Vineyard Aurora, in the western suburbs of Chicago.  In his new book, Do What Jesus Did, Dawkins tells of his experiences doing the stuff.  He argues that if "Christian means 'little version of Christ'" then Christians ought to be "throwing out demons, walking on water, multiplying food for thousands, healing the sick and raising the dead."

If Dawkins merely related stories of specific examples of healing and other miracles he has seen, this would be an inspiring enough book, a great reminder that God does still work among us in remarkable ways.  But Dawkins's project is much bigger than that.  He wants every Christian to be willing to be intentionally evangelistic and to be "naturally supernatural."

The purpose of healing and miracles is not to impress or display one's own spirituality, but to show love, touch hearts, and transform lives.  Dawkins says that when we pray for people, we should always ask for God's presence, and tell them that Jesus loves them.  His accounts of praying for people always include a reminder that the healing or miracle is "so that everyone will know that You're here and in pursuit of a relationship with them."

What a difference we could make in the the world around us if we lived every day looking through Jesus' eyes, asking God who we can pray for, listening for his voice, and--this is the important part--actually doing what he tells us to do, no matter how crazy it sounds.  (One woman felt led to pull over at a gas station and stand on her head in front of the counter.  The employee there said that a few minutes earlier, he had said, "God if you're real, send someone to stand on her head right here." Talk about an open door for evangelism!)

I do wish Dawkins would have spent a bit of time on the after.  After the miracles, after the conversion to Christ, what about discipleship?  In his church where half the members are new Christians, many of them miraculously saved out of lives of drugs, gang violence, prostitution, and street life, what sort of discipleship and church structure do they practice?  He mentions the Alpha course, which is a great start, and home groups, which build community.  My guess is that he knows that for every book on miracles, there are approximately thirty thousand books on church growth that dwell on the nuts and bolts.  In this world of seeker services and church growth strategies, Dawkins's message needs to be heard.

The most important overarching theme of Do What Jesus Did is that miracles are for the purpose of demonstrating Jesus' love and drawing people in relationship with him.  That means not only praying for people at the end of Sunday service--although there is a place for that--but also getting out in the world and being ready to pray for people all the time.  You'll be encouraged and inspired by the stories Dawkins tells and by the lives that have been changed.  May we all do more of what Jesus did.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!