The Price of Paradise, by David Dante Troutt

Rutgers law professor David Dante Troutt has a dream.  He has a dream that the American dream, and Martin Luther King's dream can coalesce "to stabilize economic life for many more Americans and to discover along the way our common good. . . . A beloved community may be within a generation's reach."  In The Price of Paradise: The Costs of Inequality and a Vision for a More Equitable America, Troutt argues that in pursuit of the American dream, middle-class Americans and the U.S. government have left behind large swaths of poor minorities.

The American middle class holds self-sufficiency and self-determination as central values.  But Troutt argues that much of the foundation of the middle class is built on preferential government policies and subsidies.  The list is lengthy: suburbanization spurred by the National Highway Act; redlining, which made home loans difficult or impossible to obtain, and which was endorsed by the Home Owners Loan Corporation; urban renewal, which razed or broke up poor and immigrant neighborhoods; and, of course, segregation.  (I was reminded of Eric Schansberg's arguments in his book, Poor Policy: How Government Harms the Poor.)  These policies, among others, achieved the goal of "preserving middle-class stability by keeping the poor at a distance." 

For a remedy, Troutt looks to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s idea of mutuality,which he expands to "progressive mutuality, the kind that recognizes that interdependency is not neutral if it rests in part on exclusion and must account for our effects on others." But interdependency has not been the norm.  To the contrary, whites, as a rule, did all they could to live separately from poor blacks.  "White homeowners were enjoying a culture of beneficial government assistance in the form of mortgage subsidization, yet public housing for blacks . . . was perceived as a threat if it was within distant sight of a white neighborhood."

Poor blacks are disproportionately concentrated in pockets of poverty.  They are subjected to "environmental racism, . . . predatory mortgage lending, and the self- and community-diminishing effects of our criminal justice policies," which all perpetuate their plight.  As the black experience has shown, "segregation typically indicates a grow that is captive to its vulnerabilities, with weak institutions, scarce political pull, and little market power in the regional context."

Turning to "progressive mutuality," Troutt calls for integration: "mixing income, increasing equitable arrangements, and decreasing local inequities."  I was reminded of John Perkins's 3 Rs, relocation, reconciliation, and redistribution.  Troutt doesn't refer to Perkins, but their ideas certainly have much in common.  Personally, I find Perkins's arguments much more compelling, but Troutt does provide a solid legal, academic complement to Perkins.

As a white man, I have to admit that I was put off by some of Troutt's arguments.  But it's hard to deny that I have benefited, indirectly and directly, from decades of horribly racist government policies.  We can come up with plenty of anecdotal examples to contradict Troutt (our black president, for example), but society-wide, on a large scale, the effects of racism continue.  Whether Troutt's proposals and solutions would be entertained, much less embraced, is the question.

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

King and Maxwell, by David Baldacci

After five novels and a TV series, King and Maxwell are back together in David Baldacci's newest political thriller, the aptly named King and Maxwell.  With a fast pace and likable characters, Baldacci shows why he is one of the best selling authors in the history of publishing.  In case you have never met them, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are a couple of former secret service agents who have a PI agency together.

At the start of King and Maxwell, an American soldier transporting a load in the middle east is waylaid by a group of CIA agents, or so they claim.  The soldier knows something fishy is going on, but he can't trust anyone.  Meanwhile, back in the U.S., King and Maxwell are out for a drive in the rain and narrowly miss hitting a gun-wielding teenager.  They end up taking the boy home and befriending him. He asks them to find out what has happened to his dad, who the Army said was KIA, but who sent the boy an e-mail days after he was supposed to have been killed.  The dad? The soldier from chapter one, of course.

(By the way, it's a good thing they ran into that kid.  Otherwise, they'd be sitting around twiddling their thumbs.  There is no indication in the book that they had any other cases brewing, no calls from other prospective clients, no reference to any other income-producing activity.  Thus, they had plenty of free time to chase down leads for a kid who obviously had no means to pay them for their time.)

Their chance encounter with a sad and confused teen ultimately turns into an investigation uncovering a plot to bring down a foreign government and wreak havoc in the U.S.  As they unravel the interweaving tendrils of power, their investigative prowess, unusually good luck, and their brilliant, computer-hacking friend get them to the bottom of the situation.

Baldacci's readers will not be surprised that increasingly unlikely coincidences and scarcely believable leaps of insight and discovery mark King and Maxwell's investigation.  At one point, as Maxwell reports to the president on the progress they've made, he exclaims, "That's a miracle."  I was inclined to agree.  But these big leaps don't necessarily detract from the enjoyment of the book.  It's page-turning, suspense-filled, escapist fiction.  Enjoy it for what it is!

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

Shovel Ready, by Adam Sternbergh

Shovel Ready, Adam Sternbergh's first novel, explores the world of New York City in the years after a dirty bomb is detonated in Times Square.  Half of the population has dispersed to less radioactive climes, and most of the half that remain spend their time hooked into virtual reality.  Sternbergh paints a grim picture of life and culture in this environment, and presents Spademan as the hit man with a heart of gold.

In this post-dirty-bomb New York, we meet Spademan, a garbage man turned hit man .  He's not all that thrilled about his line of work, but he knows he's providing a valuable service.  And it's not like he's culpable, any more than a bullet is culpable for a gunshot wound.  Someone else is pulling the trigger.  Having lost his wife in the terrorist bombings, his sense of ethics is deeply affected: "I may have once had some thin faith in something like cosmic justice, but now I believe in box cutters [his weapon of choice].  Everything else I left buried in  a tunnel along with the number 2 train [where his wife died]."  He does, however, have his limits.  When he gets a request to kill a pregnant teen, he has to draw the line.

Given his qualms about killing the teen, who turns out to be the daughter of a famous evangelist, he ends up as more detective than hit man.  With a little help from his friends, he uncovers a nefarious plot and saves the girl.  Shovel Ready is gritty, raw fiction, with a style matching the bleakness of this future New York.  Enjoyable, original, and likable.

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

The Baby Boom, by P. J. O'Rourke

The arrival of a new book by P.J. O'Rourke is always a cause for celebration.  He is, hands down, one of the funniest, most insightful living writers.  The Baby Boom: How It Got That Way (And It Wasn't My Fault) (And I'll Never Do It Again) continues his string of great humor, great social commentary, and great thinking.  O'Rourke fans will not be disappointed.

In the style of a rambling memoir, O'Rourke recounts his own life as a mirror of his generation.  Much has been written about baby boomers, none of it as funny as The Baby Boom.  Randomly open the book and you will, without fail, find some laugh-out-loud one liners.  But reading the book cover to cover and seeing the themes and running jokes develop make this much more than a collection of jokes and anecdotes.

I devoured the book and found plenty to love, but I am still nostalgic for some of his past books.  I don't know of a better book on our system of government than Parliament of Whores.  And no one breaks down international economic theory better than O'Rourke in Eat the Rich.  The Baby Boom is more like CEO of the Sofa, a loosely structured stream of consciousness.

O'Rourke is a national treasure.  Long may he make us laugh.

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!