Kids Off the Block, by Diane Latiker

 What would you do if your kid was hanging around with a questionable group of kids?  Most of us would probably keep our kids away from bad influences and protectively forbid our kids from spending time with them.  Not Diane Latiker.  When she saw many in her daughter's peer group getting involved with drugs, gangs, and street crime, she invited the kids into her home and spoke to them--and, importantly, listened to them.  In Kids Off the Block: The Inspiring True Story of One Woman's Quest to Protect Chicago's Most Vulnerable Youth, Latiker tells the story of how she went from being a concerned mom to Miss Diane to a nationally recognized model for outreach to urban youth.

Word quickly spread that Miss Diane's house was warm and welcoming, that she offers help with homework, pick-up basketball, and lots of snack, and that it was a respite from the pressures of the street.  Soon 10 kids turned into hundreds.  She grew in her ability to lead and manage these kids, and never was willing to give up on any of them.  One of the things I love about Latiker's story is that she doesn't sugar-coat it.  This isn't a feel-good Disney-fied version of life in Chicago.  These are kids who live in poverty, who are pressured to join a gang or be relentless bullied, and for whom dealing drugs seemed to be the only option for a better life.  In plenty of cases, she made progress with a kid and then the draw of the streets was too much.  Some kids whom she grew to love ended up dead, victims of a life they couldn't escape.

Latiker looked around her, reached out, and made a difference in countless lives.  Her example is a great reminder that when trouble surrounds us, whatever neighborhood we live in, one can cower or flee, but a better answer is to love our neighbors, take time to get to know them, and help them each to see the potential they have.  After more than a decade of loving the kids in her neighborhood, many have found a life outside of gangs and drug dealing.  Some even help her mentor the younger kids.  Her story will inspire you to embrace those around you who the world would write off.

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

Doesn't Hurt to Ask, by Trey Gowdy

Trey Gowdy served in the U.S. Congress for 8 years, gaining national prominence for his role in the Benghazi hearings.  Drawing on his years in Congress and his career as a prosecutor, he has written Don't Hurt to Ask: Using the Power of Questions to Communicate, Connect, and Persuade.  While the work of a prosecutor or a congressman chairing a hearing could be described as winning arguments, Gowdy said that in congress he "realized persuasion is not about winning arguments--it's about effectively and efficiently advocating for what it is you believe to be true."  He writes that by asking "the right set of questions," you can direct someone to "arrive at the point you are trying to make on their own accord."

Gowdy's persuasive chops were honed in courtroom and in Congress.  The examples he gives and the stories he tells draw from that experience, including cases he has prosecuted.  He also tells stories from the congressional hearings that made him a household name.  The main thrust of the book, however, is not a memoir of his life as a lawyer and congressman, but to describe principles that we can use in non-lawyer and non-lawmaker settings.

One lesson Gowdy learned in Washington is that South Carolina is a much more conservative place than D.C. and that heading to Congress with an expectation of gaining consensus is "not only a silly expectation, it's a disrespectful one."  He learned not to seek or expect consensus but that "commonality is an admirable and reasonable" expectation.

Gowdy is a funny, self-effacing writer, so you can read this for his personality and stories.  Some of his personal stories, like talking football with his brother-in-law or deflecting political questions from his golf buddies, are hilarious.  But more than that, he really does give tools and ideas for questioning and persuading.  Whatever role we are in, even if not in a courtroom or hearing room, his ideas will help you persuade and communicate.

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

Murder Bears, Moonshine, and Mayhem, by Luke Harrington

Have you ever been reading the Bible and thought "Well that's strange/ offensive/ violent/ gross/ nasty/ disgusting!"  Luke Harrington, preacher's kid, humorist, and novelist, had those thoughts frequently enough that he's gathered many of those passages into a book, Murder-Bears, Moonshine, and Mayhem: Strange Stories from the Bible to Leave You Amused, Bemused, and (Hopefully) Informed. 

The stories Harrington tells are stories you may have heard before, but by putting them all together in a book, he really makes the Bible look like a nutty book.  This is not a devotional book.  It's not a book you would want to give to a child.  And it's probably not a book you want to give to a new believer or someone who is struggling in his or her faith.

To enjoy this book you have to have a strong sense of humor, especially an appreciation for potty jokes, and strong tolerance for jokes and language that push the boundaries of church talk.  The chapter titles alone give you an idea of what to expect: "I Like Biblical Butts and I Cannot Lie," "And Now for Something Completely Violent," and "Take a Tip from Me (Circumcision and More Phallic Fun)."  In my opinion, even when he's being irreverent, he doesn't cross the line to disrespect for the Bible or corrupting the message of the gospel.  However, there were several points at which I thought, "I can't believe a Christian publisher put this out!"

Harrington's writing is frequently laugh-out-loud funny and, as the subtitle promises, frequently informative.  Yes, he's getting a laugh out of some of the zanier passages of scripture, but he does so in a way that puts the potentially offensive material in context and helps the reader understand how these passages fit into the overall message of the Bible.  This is funny stuff that should find an honored spot on your Bible study bookshelf.

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

Fauja Singh Keeps Going, by Simran Jeet Singh, illustrated by Baljinder Kaur

How many people have you heard say they could never run a marathon?  Pick your excuse, but someone over 100 could legitimately use age as an excuse to bow out.  But Fauja Singh didn't make excuses, he just become the first centenarian to run a marathon!  The children's book Fauja Singh Keeps Going tells his inspiring story.  The story, written by Simran Jeet Singh and illustrated by Bajlinder Kaur, shows the hardships Fauja had to overcome as a child, talks about his Sikh faith, and, most of all, shows his love of running.  This is a fun, cute book that should inspire all kinds of runners.

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

Still Right, by Rick Tyler

As the 2020 presidential race heats up, it seems like the divide between left and right in American politics is wider than ever.  We are told this is the most important election of our lifetime.  Well, we've heard that before.  Is it true this time?  An interesting and somewhat annoying byproduct of the Trump administration is the seemingly endless train of long-time Republicans who have turned their backs on Trump.  Rick Tyler is one who has solid conservative Republican credentials and experience, but who doesn't have much good to say about Trump's version of the Republican party.  In Still Right: An Immigrant-Loving, Hybrid Driving, Composting American Makes the Case for Conservatism, Tyler argues that today's Republicans have left behind the conservatism that shaped the party in the latter part of the 20th century in favor of Trumpian populism.

Tyler, a political consultant who has worked in party politics, in political consulting alongside Newt Gingrich, and now as a commentator on MSNBC, says that the "Republican Party has shifted from a pro-immigration, pro-trade, pro-NATO party to one unrecognizable to a Reagan conservative."  His arguments are convincing, to a point, but he ignores half the story on many of these issues.  I can buy a pro-immigration stance, as long as limits are in place and controlled.  How can Americans look at Europe and the loss of culture they are experiencing due to immigration from Africa and the Middle East and get excited about large numbers of immigrants from those areas?  While immigrants are frequently productive and peaceful, what does one say about the large numbers who receive government assistance, or the large numbers of non-citizens in our prisons?

One can be pro-trade while also being circumspect about tariffs and trade balances.  When we are trading with China, with its centrally controlled, heavily subsidized industries, can we expect American manufacturers to compete on such an uneven playing field?  And pro-NATO?  I tend to agree with Trump, that the alliance should be supported by the US, but also proportionately by the other countries.  

Tyler throws out a couple of interesting proposals that he defends from a conservative perspective.  First, he argues that we should add a justice to the Supreme Court.  Democrats have been pushing the idea of packing the court with liberals once they get a D in the White House, but Tyler's proposal is that with one more justice, we won't have a single justice giving the decisive vote.  I like this idea, which would perhaps push some cases back to lower courts with a tie, but would force more deliberation toward 6-4 decisions.  His second proposal is not so cool.  Like many Democrats, he argues for a national popular vote in presidential elections.  As it stands, candidates only consider 8-10 states to be truly in play, so those states get the most campaign spending and candidate presence.  Congressmen from those states are, as a result, seen as more consequential than those from solidly R or D states.  It's an interesting idea, but I'll take the Constitution's formula.

It's true that Trump is not a dyed-in-the-wool conservative.  But he's done more for conservatives than some of his Republican predecessors.  The real question is, what direction is he taking the country?  I have not watched Tyler's MSNBC appearances or followed his social media (I will now), and I don't know, even after reading this book, whether he will support Trump in the presidential election.  It's pretty clear he did not in 2016, but given the choice between Trump and Biden, who better represents the conservative ideas you believe in?  Who offers better opportunities for conservatives to gain influence in policy?  Even if you don't believe Trump is truly conservative, and rightly point out ways he has governed that are more populist than conservative, do you really believe Biden will govern more conservatively than Trump?  I don't think so.  Tyler can help set the path for conservatism after Trump, hopefully without a socialist Biden/Harris interlude.

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

Trump and the American Future, by Newt Gingrich

The more I hear from Newt Gingrich, the more I appreciate him.  Like me, you may vaguely recall that he actually ran for president in 2012, losing in the primaries to the empty suit Mitt Romney.  Romney's incompetent campaign closed the gap a little, losing to Obama by less than McCain had lost in 2012, but one can't help but wonder if Gingrich, with his political smarts and policy chops could have fared better.  Post-2012, Gingrich has remained very active in the political world as a consultant, media and podcast commentator, and writer.  Since Trump was elected, he has written or co-written four policy books as well as a couple of novels.  His latest, Trump and the American Future: Solving the Great Problems of Our Time, should serve as a policy guide for 2020 and beyond. 

I don't know how large a role Gingrich has in the Trump administration.  I suspect it's larger than we know, as he has no official title, but it's probably not as large as it should be.  Trump and the American Future does, to a certain extent, discuss Trump's positions on a wide variety of issues.  But what Gingrich is really doing is laying out what Trump's positions should be.  Looking toward the 2020 election and beyond, Gingrich has policy recommendations that Trump would be wise to implement.  If you know Gingrich at all, you won't be surprised to her that the book is wonky--really wonky.  He gets into a lot of technical details on economy, health care (probably 1/4 of the book is on health care and related topics), the environment, foreign policy, and crime.  He's a smart guy (PhD) but there's no question he made extensive use of his co-author and a team of researchers to come up with some quality analysis and workable proposals.

By the way, it's really impressive how timely and relevant the book is, given the fact that it was submitted for publication in March, when Covid 19 had just hit our shores.  Gingrich may have been a tad optimistic about the implications of the virus, but for the most part his early analysis and evaluations are spot-on.

Gingrich is the conservative's conservative.  His support of Trump has perhaps pushed the limits on that, as President Trump himself has not always read from the conservative playbook.  But to the extent that Trump does listen to Gingrich, I'd say more power to you, Newt!  As he says to start the book, 2020 is vital.  We need more solutions like Newt's, not Biden's left-wing puppet masters.

Born Again and Again, by Megan Westra

Megan Westra was raised in a strong Christian tradition.  Her family and church immersed her in the Christian faith, and she first committed to following Jesus at age four.  Given the young age and her lack of memory, she spent a good deal of her childhood doubting her salvation and seeking to be "born again . . . and again."  In college, she began having revelations that expanded her view of faith, leading to several moments of feeling like she was truly being born again into new understanding.  In her book Born Again and Again: Jesus' Call to Radical Transformation she chronicles her journey and digs into areas of faith and practice in which she has learned and grown.

The strongest theme throughout the book is that we, a church, should be about "connection over consumption."  The modern church, especially in the evangelical tradition in which Westra (and I) grew up has placed a strong emphasis on personal salvation and a personal, individualized faith in Jesus.  That emphasis misses the greater calling of community and communal life.  All Christians can benefit from a reminder that faith is not just about connecting with God, but also about connecting with our neighbor.  She uses this filter throughout the book as she discusses politics, race, economics, and gender.

Westra's book is reactive to the white evangelical faith of her upbringing.  She finds it wholly inadequate in light of her new-found wokeness.  In the areas mentioned above, she provides some historical background in an attempt to discredit American evangelicalism.  Like every human expression of faith in every period of history, culture and sin have played a role in shaping the institutions and expressions of the Christian faith, so correctives and reforms are always necessary.  But she has little good to say about, specifically, American evangelicalism.  Despite its whiteness, American evangelicals led the charge in eradicating slavery, in establishing institutions such as hospitals and schools that continue to serve humanity, planting churches and leading revival movements that brought faith to many across the US, and creating a foreign missions movement for spreading the gospel around the world.  To the extent that these positive contributions are mentioned, she is dismissive of them due to racist elements of the movements. 

Like many of her ilk, she is critical of capitalism and American democracy.  This shouldn't be hard for her to see, but if she truly is interested in addressing poverty, history and experience have shown that this is best done through capitalism and free markets.  And it should go without saying that socialism and communism have inevitably led to repression of religious expression everywhere they have been tried.  Her recommendations for community action are fully on board with socialistic and anti-capitalistic tendencies which, in the long run, create more poverty and less religious freedom.

As much as I appreciate Westra's commitment to being the presence of Christ in her community, which, as she tells it, is quite diverse racially and economically, and has plenty of needs, her solutions are feel-good but ineffective.  I would love to see more people who have her commitment to know the poor not as subjects but as friends and neighbors, but who will offer solutions that lead away from dependency and toward increased participation in the free market system and the free society, toward connection with their communities by providing goods and services in mutual exchange.


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