Satisfied, by Jeff Manion

Does it sometimes seem that enough is never enough?  Jeff Manion, pastor of Ada Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, challenges Christians to pause a moment and reflect on their spending habits and lifestyle in Satisfied: Discovering Contentment in a World of Consumption.  Manion has served for decades at Ada Bible.  I never did attend when I lived in Grand Rapids but was familiar with the dynamic, growing ministry of the church.  Manion's clear teaching, biblical grounding, and story-telling ability to bring to life the setting of the New Testament are evident in Satisfied and surely reflect on a successful career in the pulpit.

In Satisfied, Manion's target audience is Western Christians who, either through growing salaries or growing credit card debt (or, likely, both) have made the accumulation of stuff the focus of their lives.  How easy it is in our culture to believe that what we have equals who we are.  He writes, "We live in a consumer-driven, debt-ridden, advertisement saturated culture, and it will require nothing short of total transformation to adopt the heart and brain of Jesus."

One key is contentment, "the discipline of being fully alive to God and to others whatever our material circumstances." We get caught up in the desire for more, but "if our goal is more, then whatever we have is not enough.  It is like running a race where a finish line doesn't exist."  We might lose our contentment due to comparison with others.  I know I often fall into this trap, where I fail to enjoy what I have because I obsess over what I lack and others have.  "Comparison is the enemy of the satisfied life."  We should foster an attitude of thankfulness for what we have and proper perspective on the blessings in our lives.

Manion is not, however, an ascetic.  He acknowledges that God does want to bless us, and wants us to enjoy his blessings.  "The gracious Father provides innumerable gifts and wants you to enjoy them." God gives us "a whispered invitation: 'Enjoy this.'" But he does not stop there.  When he whispers that he wants us to enjoy his blessings, our response should be, "Is there anything you desire from me?" We may hear him say, "Yes, I want you to share."

Unlike many books on giving and finances, Manion doesn't focus on money-saving tips or suggestions for communal living.  His project is more fundamental, to spur a change in focus from ourselves and our money and things to enjoying God and serving others.   I enjoyed the book, enjoyed Manion's style, and was challenged by his substance.  I am guilty of wanting more, of focusing on money and things, and of letting myself become immersed in our consumer culture.  Manion provides a remedy, or at least points us in the right direction.



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

Hive Monkey, by Gareth Powell

Ack-Ack Macaque made his debut in the eponymous novel from last year, and comes back strong in Gareth Powell's sequel, Hive Monkey. The cigar-smoking, hard-drinking, Spitfire-flying, enhanced monkey helped to save the world from nuclear Armageddon in the first novel. In Hive Monkey, he's called on to save the world again, this time from an invasion from a parallel universe.

This is a sequel, and readers will want to read these in order. But I love the way Powell adds a few key characters and creates an unexpectedly completely new story. One of the characters is a sci-fi writer who writes about parallel worlds. In the world of Ack-Ack, England and France united as one kingdom after WW2, and fossil fuels are not used extensively. But in the character's fictional alternative world, "the UK and France had never merged, and England now stood on the edge of a federal Europe; a world of financial chaos and Middle Eastern oil wars, in which Westminster's loyalties leaned closer to Washington than Paris. Stupid." I got a kick out of that.

For the uninitiated, the following exchange gives a good picture of Ack-Ack. He and Marie have just blown their way into an enemy stronghold. "He grinned at her, scooped up a smoldering piece of wood, and lit his cigar. 'There's something you need to know about me, lady--'. 'That you're dangerously irresponsible with explosives?' He frowned, pulled out his cigar, and exhaled smoke. 'Uh, yeah,' he said. 'That's near enough.'"

One comment on the story, and this isn't necessarily a bad thing, just an observation. In Hive Monkey, Ack-Ack is recruited to join the Gestalt, a sort of hive mind. Star Trek fans will be reminded of the Borg Queen's appeal to Data. I won't go into detail, but there were many similarities in the story lines.

All on all, Hive Monkey is a blast to read (literally--there are lots of explosions!). Powell writes with creativity and vision, and hopefully will take Ack-Ack on more adventures!

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

Sacred Sex, by Tony Evans

I have never heard Tony Evans preach live, but after reading a few of his books, I am impressed and can easily see why people love him and his teaching and reaching.  Evans, pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, writes with straight-forward language, a solid biblical foundation, and practical, convicting content.

In his book Sacred Sex, Evans speaks frankly and openly about sexual purity and the high value God places on sex.  He addresses unmarried people, but the focus seems to be on married men.  (Of course, as a married man, I may have simply read through my own lens. . . .)

As is often the case when someone writes from a strong biblical perspective, someone familiar with biblical teaching on sex will not find much new in Sacred Sex.  Evans points out that "the consummation of a marriage on the wedding night is designed to inaugurate a covenant." This is the reason the misuse of sex is so destructive: God has made the act of sex a bonding event.  When the act of marriage is performed outside the covenant of marriage, the consequences can be devastating.

Evans offers hope and healing, but pulls no punches: "If you are involved in an illicit sexual relationship, using porn, or dabbling in any kind of sexual immorality, you must stop it, repent, and begin the process of seeking forgiveness, offering forgiveness, and healing."  Evans doesn't allow for any gray area, doesn't beat around the bush, and calls for repentance and a renewed commitment to Jesus.

Sacred Sex is too brief, and leaves some questions unanswered, but it's solid and straightforward enough to be a great resource for teaching on sexual purity.

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

A Man Disrupted, by Steve Rzasa and Vox Day

Fresh off the presses from the Hinterlands division at Marcher Lord Press is A Man Disrupted, the first offering from the team of Steve Rzasa and Vox Day.  Besides both having cool names, they are both accomplished sci-fi writers.  Rzasa's pair of novels The Word Reclaimed and The Word Unleashed are favorites, definitely on my "I'll read this again" list.  Day has written some strong fantasy works, including the epic A Throne of Bones.  In A Man Disrupted, I am not sure where one voice ended and the other began.  They make a great team.

Set several hundred years in the future, on the planet Rhysalan, A Man Disrupted starts off with a murder.  A prince has been disrupted (disintegrated) in a part of town princes typically avoid.  As an investigator for the military police, Graven Tower wouldn't normally respond on the scene, but when he catches wind that Detector Hildreth, the pretty blond policewoman whom he has a crush on, is on her way, he decides he might offer his assistance.  So begins a tale of court intrigue, big explosions, fast (and destructive) chase scenes, and an investigative team that won't be let themselves be stopped.

 The blurb on the back cover describes this as "action-packed Mil-SF mystery," which covers the book very well.  The action: non-stop.  Military: you learn every thing about Tower's arsenal short of the weapons manual.  SF: Rzasa and Day have created a complex future history, giving the astro-political and scientific background without overwhelming the reader with history or technology.  Mystery: all of the above is the backdrop against which they tell a compelling mystery story, a political assassination with implications for the stability of the planet (Rhysalan as well as others).

As I mentioned, A Man Disrupted is on the MLP's Hinterland books.  Readers of other Marcher Lord Press books will be aware the the Hinterlands division was created for their books that are a bit, shall we say, rougher around the edges than their main MLP works.  As they say on the web site,

 Hinterlands books may contain vulgarity, profanity, nudity, and/or sexual content, but never for gratuitous purposes. Hinterlands . . . allows us to examine mature themes in a realistic manner that some Christians will appreciate. We know that not everyone will want to read these books, so we have set them apart into the Hinterlands imprint. 

Readers of mainstream sci-fi, or really any secular fiction, or viewers of PG-13 or even PG movies will not be shocked by what they read here.  The few profanities that are used are used sparingly, in a way that makes them much more effective than the constant streams of expletives we might hear or read in modern literature or movies.

Finally, the spiritual theme of A Man Disrupted is thin but interesting nonetheless.  Tower has an augment named Baby, sort of like Apple's Siri, only it's in his head and always on.  She has a high level of self-awareness, and contemplates her own mortality (as well as Tower's).  Rzasa and Day don't develop this side of Baby much, but I have a feeling that in future books, Baby and Tower will delve into some deeper theological waters.

Unstoppable, by Nick Vujicic

Last year, in exchange for a copy of Nick Vujicic's book Unstoppable: The Incredible Power of Faith in Action, I posted an advance notice of the book, with some links to a video and an excerpt.  So I got the book, and it took me a while to get around to reading it.  No particular reason, I just didn't.  Now I have, and am once again insired and amazed by this young man.

Nick was born with no arms or legs, and ever since his teenage years has committed his life to inspiring others to live life fully and to follow Jesus.  For a decade he has travelled the globe as an evangelist and inspirational speaker.  In Unstoppable, we learn more about Nick and his story.  More than that, though, we get to meet many of the inspiring people he has met.

Given his unique body and his magnetic personality, Nick has drawn many people to him who have disabilities or who simply seek him out for inspiration.  In his travels and correspondence, he has collected many stories which are as inspiring as his.  I was as encouraged by some of the second-hand accounts he tells as by his own stories.

Nick's message would be powerful and important even if Nick had arms and legs.  But when he says he doesn't need limbs, because what he really needs is Jesus, there's some power there.  What a great message of dependence on God and of letting God use what we have.  Nick says there's no medical explanation for his lack of limbs.  But I believe with him that God created him as he is for a purpose, and Nick has lived his life as an example of someone who is fulfilling God's purposes for him.

(One note on the audiobook version: I am so glad to hear the book in Nick's voice, but given his extensive public speaking experience, I was surprised the audio book wasn't better.  Granted, reading on a recording is vastly different than speaking before a live audience, but much of the reading was rather uninspired.  The big exception was the section on his courtship of his wife!  There was a marked difference in the passion with which he read that part!)

Here's his nonprofit link: http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/

Thanks to Waterbrook/Multnomah for the complimentary review copy!

Life Beyond Earth, by Dr Athena Coustenis and Dr Thérèse Encrenaz

So, is there life beyond Earth?  Not that we know of--yet.  Astrohysicists Dr. Athena Coustenis and Dr. Thérèse Encrenaz exlore the question in our solar system and beyond.  Avoiding stereotypical science-fiction precedent altogether, they begin with a thoroughly rational, systematic approach.  What are the necessary elements for the beginning of life?  What conditions are required to foster and sustain life?  What are the future prospects for human and alien life beyond Earth?

I grew up loving science, reading Discover and Omni magazines, but the highest level science courses I took were the required courses for college liberal arts majors.  The content of Life Beyond Earth is certainly accessible to the non-scientist, but it is very technical and dense.  Nevertheless, the ideas are fascinating and interesting.

If you were not already convinced that Earth is remarkable to the extent that so many factors came together to foster life, you will be.  Its "stability. . ., bulk composition, the existence of an atmosphere and a surface, as well as the proper chemical ingredients," or, put another way, "water, elements, energy and time," create an environment in which biological organisms can develop and live, which, so far, is unique in the known universe.  But the search will continue, and there are planets where some or all of these conditions may be met.

My favorite section was the discussion of human habitation of other planets or moons, and in space.  It always looks so easy on Star Trek.  But think about the rigors and hardships faced by Earth-bound pioneers as they settled on a new continent.  The difficulties of establishing a colony on another planet or on a space station would be exponentially higher.  As the authors gloomily note, "humankind still lacks the long-term viable environment where it can have a chance to survive the sad fate of our overpopulated planet in any foreseeable future."

If you can wade through the technical and complex scientific writing, you will be rewarded with a sobering but truly insightful counterpoint to your favorite science fiction stories.  I hold out hope that we will explore other solar systems, but it will take some enormous breakthroughs to make it possible.  And I would be very surprised if, in our infinite universe, there is not some form of life on another planet.  It's just a matter of time before we find it--or it finds us!



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

Childless, by James Dobson and Kurt Bruner

On the heels of his near-future novel Fatherless, James Dobson and co-author Kurt Bruner continue the story in Childless.  Set just a few months after the events of Fatherless, Childless continues with the same themes as the first book, and follows some of its characters as they face the ethical challenges of this brave new world.

The "transition" industry (voluntary assisted suicide) continues to play a large role in the story.  A conscientious congressman is trying to take strides toward promoting his "bright spots"agenda, which has demonstrated that regions in the US where fertility is highest and the transition rates are lowest enjoy the strongest economies.  Yet many insist that transitions are necessary for the country's economic health.  Worse than that, a couple looking into fertility treatment discovers that unimplanted embryos are sold and used as ingredients in cosmetics, dietary supplements, and skin treatments.

The bioethical issues raised in Childless are real enough that they could be in tomorrow's headlines.  The suspense element, in which a lonely college student writes threatening letters to the judge who is deliberating on a case involving transition centers, develops nicely, with some unexpected turns.  And the theological and philosohical treatment of Manicheanism and Christian anthropology add a nice touch.

Childless is a novel with a clear message and a distinct point of view, but it does not come across as propogandistic or preachy.  It's an enjoyable read, first of all, but which leaves the reader with plenty to think about.