101 So Bad, They're Good Dad Jokes, by Elias Hill

There's something to be said for accurately titled books.  101 So Bad, They're Good Dad Jokes is full of 101 dad jokes, some of which are pretty good, some of which are pretty bad, and some of which are so bad they're good.  Elias Hill must have has fun putting this together.

One positive thing about this book is that the jokes, even thought they're pretty bad, seemed somewhat original.  I had heard very few of them before.  Whether that means Hill is an original joke writer, or maybe I have been sheltered from exposure to these bad jokes, I don't know.

Katherine Hogan illustrates each joke with a Dad and his interlocutor.  Despite the goofy drawings and the uneven quality of the jokes, I was inspired to commit some of these to memory so I can pull them out at appropriate times, especially when a bad dad joke will sufficiently embarrass my kids.


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

Do Greater Things, by Robby Dawkins

Robby Dawkins, evangelist and pastor, believes that "Jesus expects us to heal the sick, cast out demons and even raise the dead in His name!"  In Do Greater Things: Activating the Kingdom to Heal the Sick and Love the Lost, he tells story after story of people being healed and otherwise miraculously encountering the love of Jesus.  As he previously wrote in Do What Jesus Did, praying expectantly for healing should be a regular part of our interactions with others, whether in church or out in the community.

The way he approaches life is unlike most Christians' experience.  Where many Christians are reluctant even to say the name of Jesus, Dawkins's model is to prayerfully consider and observe people around you.  If you someone who seems to be sick, in pain, or disabled, why not ask them if they would like prayer?  And why not ask God for healing?  He advocates stepping out boldly, not waiting for specific direction from God to pray for someone.  He writes, "Jesus told us to heal the sick.  I don't see anywhere in the Scriptures where He says, 'But don't pray for anyone unless I tell you to.'"  Pray for everyone!

I really enjoyed reading about his experiences.  When possible, he enlists children or unbelievers to pray with him.  He will have the child place his hands on the sick person and have the child repeat his words.  When a person is healed, what a faith builder for both the praying person and the person healed!  Dawkins leads by example, and provides examples and guidelines readers can apply as they hit the streets.

Dawkins calls us away from praying selfishly.  I have never met a Christian who has been reluctant to pray for financial blessing, favor in one's career, or relationship issues.  But Dawkins wants Christians to get past selfish prayers and pray for others.  And the goal of healing?  An invitation to walk with Jesus.

While Dawkins provides scripture to defend and flesh out what he's teaching, the focus is on the testimonies, not only of those who have been healed, but of the many Christians who are boldly walking in faith for healing.  Do Greater Things inspired me on two levels.  First, to deepen my walk with God, getting my prayer life away from my needs to embracing God's power in me to meet the needs of others.  Second, to get out the door and look for someone to pray for.  Seriously, after you read this you'll be looking for a stranger to pray for.  His message inspires and challenges me.


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

Pirate Cinema, by Cory Doctorow

Trent McCauley, a.k.a. Cecil B. DeVil, has a problem.  The hero of Cory Doctorow's Pirate Cinema, Trent is an auteur who makes films from edits of other films.  The problem is that the films he uses as his source material are protected by copyright.  When law enforcement tracks down his illegal downloading, his whole family's internet usage is shut off.  In shame, he flees to London and tries to make it on his own.

He quickly falls in with a group of other homeless kids and learns to thrive by squatting in an abandoned pub, picking edible discards from the garbage bins of restaurants and grocery stores, and begging.  But he also hooks up with a group that shows their video creations around town, and he becomes more prolific and proficient in his video mashups.  He and his new friends run afoul of newly draconian copyright laws and lead a popular revolt to get them changed.

Pirate Cinema is first of all the coming-of-age story of an artist in a new genre.  Trent becomes a trend setter who makes sacrifices for his art.  But it's also a political statement on the limits of copyright law.  Doctorow's message, which is familiar to his readers, is that art should be freely shared and used as inspiration.  Laws that penalize, even imprison, others for illegally downloading creative works are a crime against civilization itself.

While I enjoyed the story of Trent, his spirited girlfriend and comrade-at-arms, and their assorted crew of smart, talented and engaging friends, Doctorow's overall point is lost on me.  He would argue that creative artists like Trent are continuing an artistic tradition.  Trent doesn't profit from the clips he downloads, he uses them as building blocks for his own creations.  But Trent and his friends envision a world in which downloads are always free and available.  Doctorow paints the big movie houses and record labels as the villains.  But what about the up-and-coming film maker or musician, who wants to sell some records or theater tickets so he or she can earn a living making their art?  Don't they deserve compensation?

I should point out that Doctorow's integrity is totally intact.  While you can buy a physical copy of his books or purchase the ebooks on Amazon, all of his books are available for free at his web site, craphound.com/pc/download/.  Many artists do distribute their work for free, using other revenue streams like online ads or ticket sales for live events as alternative compensation.  But I am not sure that model is for everyone. 

All this to say, Pirate Cinema is an enjoyable story, but Doctorow steps out on an ideological limb.  Copyright law is certainly something to discuss, especially in our rapidly-changing environment of downloads and social media.  But I can't wrap my mind around a world in which an artist (or inventor or any other creative type) doesn't have the assurance that his intellectual property is well-protected.

Blood Profits, by Vanessa Neumann

How are you enjoying that knock-off handbag?  Or those movies and video games you bought from a street vendor?  Or those cigarettes the guy at the subway entrance was selling?  Or, if you're more inclined toward vices, how about the drugs you're using?  Or the weapons you bought under the table?  So many of these everyday transactions seem harmless, but are, in fact, part of a network that funds and perpetuates violence and oppression on a global scale.

Vanessa Neumann, founder of the Asymmetrica consulting firm, has been around the world a few times and writes about the interconnectedness of terrorism, organized crime and global trade in Blood Profits: How American Consumers Unwittingly Fund Terrorists.  Put simply, "In the world of the crime-terror pipeline (CTP), money from the counterfeit handbags, medicines, and cigarettes ends up buying weapons that kill our soldiers and bombs that terrorize our cities."  Whether we buy them knowingly or in ignorance, illegal goods and the profits from the sale of illegal goods "passes through the hands of Russian mobsters, Muslim jihadists, Mexican cartels, Chinese triads, and Eastern European heads of state."

Neumann herself has on-the-ground experience tracking some of these networks.  Some of what she reveals isn't particularly surprising.  Mexican cartels traffic drugs and weapons--of course.  But I was quite surprised at the depth and complexity of these networks.  Hezbollah setting up operations in Venezuela.  Muslim radicals operating in the Panama Canal free trade zone.  And some of the sources of the profits may not be what you typically think of: mining, sports betting, clothing with athletic team logos, prescription medicines, and gasoline are just a few of the otherwise legal products we might consume but that are potential sources of funding for terrorist groups.

Blood Profits provides important insights for the global economy and diplomacy.  But on a personal level, "we must accept that our personal choices as consumers have global impact with serious repercussions. . . . So much of the deepest suffering and so many of the greatest harms are a consequences of our avaricious or intemperate desires.  We could easily ameliorate global tragedies with only moderate adjustments to our choices as consumers." 

Neumann's treatment is wide-ranging and challenging.  The book rambles a little, as she interweaves her own experiences with broader research in the field, but I did appreciate her personal insights.  She belongs to a wealthy Venezuelan family, so she has particular experience with a corrupt regime which has devastated a country's economy.  Whether in Latin American, the Middle East, Europe, or the United States, she has stuck her neck out and turned over rocks to expose the corruption that ties together failed states, organized crime, and terror.  She's on the front lines of 21st century warfare and people of peace and legitimate governance need to listen up.


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

Global Conflict, by Louise Spilsbury, illustrated by Hanane Kai

Let's pick an easy topic to write about in a book for very young children.  I know, says Louise Spilsbury, how about global conflict!  Ha.  Spilsbury, writing for the Children in Our World series, takes on this important, challenging topic in Global Conflict.  With Hanane Kai's warm, engaging illustrations, Spilsbury breaks down what happens when groups of people can't get along.  When people can't solve their problems by talking, or when one group wants to take another group's land or wealth, the groups will fight "until one side gives up or loses."

With admirable succinctness and sensitivity, Spilsbury writes about terrorism, displacement of refugees, relief work, and other consequences of war.  For children who, unfortunately, have experienced war, the simple text and illustrations may help them make sense of what they have experiences.  For the rest of the world, Global Conflict may not present the harshest reality of war, but it will open a conversation for understanding what goes on in other places.

I appreciate this effort to educate children about one of the most unfortunate features of human existence.  It's not an easy topic, and Spilsbury handles it well.  A good teacher or parent reading this with a child will be able to answer questions and turn on some lightbulbs of understanding for the young readers.  I hope that global conflict stays far away and in the past.

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

In My World, by Jillian Ma, illustrated by Mimi Chao

Jillian Ma's book In My World, beautifully illustrated by Mimi Chao, invites the reader to see the world through the eyes of an autistic child.  For most of the book, the child narrator talks about his world, in which he can have adventures, dance, fly, and sing, and where he "can be seen and heard."  Of course most children have vivid imaginations and love to do all of these things.  But then . . ., "In your world, I have Autism."  The stark bleakness of this page only lasts a moment, as the next page contains a plea: "But with the help of you and you and you, I can fulfill my dreams and make them come true.  Help me dream."

This is a fun yet poignant look into the active mind of an autistic child.  It's perfect for group reading, especially in a mixed-needs classroom.  I love the whimsical illustrations and the cute expressions on the kids' faces.  Let this book encourage you to see and hear others, especially kids, whose minds may work differently from yours.

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

The Midnight Line, by Lee Child

Lee Child's newest Jack Reacher story, The Midnight Line, is classic Reacher.  Picking up after Make Me, Reacher is on his own after his fling/partner from that book returns to her own life.  Reacher hops on a bus for regions unknown.  Wandering around during a rest stop, he sees a West Point ring at a pawn shop.  It becomes his new mission in life to track down the former owner of the ring.

This pursuit takes Reacher into familiar territory: uncovering crime rings in small, forgotten towns, this time in rural Wyoming.  The pawn shop owner directs Reacher to someone else, who directs him to someone else.  Misdirects, more accurately.  Along the way, Reacher meets up with a private investigator working on a missing persons case, who leads him to the twin sister of the West Pointer Reacher seeks.

Lee Child's fans should be quite pleased with The Midnight Line.  Reacher's dogged determination and inability to let things go drives the story.  His camaraderie and compassion for fellow soldiers motivate him to dig in and fight back.  His unwavering desire for justice keeps him in the fight even when it seems like the fight is over and won.

Child writes formulaic books, it's true.  But the nice thing about a great formula is that it gives great results.  Just because The Midnight Line fits the Reacher formula doesn't mean it's dull or predictable.  Just the opposite.  I hope Child keeps mixing up this formula for more great Reacher stories.