Tag: Book Recommendations Page 9 of 11

I spent five of my formative years between ages 6 and 12 in Liberia.  When I was 13 and in 8th grade, we were in the States on home assignment.  A civil war started in Liberia during that year.  We lost all of our possessions.  We never went back.  Many friends died.  The war lasted 15 years.

In 9th grade, my family moved to Ethiopia.  I went to boarding school in Kenya.  During that year, there was unrest in Kenya.  I remember that all of us students had to practice packing an emergency bag.  I remember that it had to be something we could carry for at least two miles.  We had to keep a list of what we would pack so that we could get the bag ready in a hurry.

Also during that year, a war broke out in Ethiopia.  My mom and my brother were evacuated.  My dad stayed behind with some other men, and a few times, they had to hide in an underground bunker.  Once, my dad was in our apartment, and a bullet came through the ceiling.  He kept it for us, but I didn’t really want to see it.

I lived some African history.  But I didn’t really ever study it. 

And now I’ve lived in Tanzania for over 8 years.  So I have studied Tanzanian history.  But not really any of the other countries.  Yet we have friends from Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya, and Congo. 

So when my great friend Alyssa recommended this book to me, I was eager to read it. 

And so I read it.  All 750 pages.  It took me two months, and about halfway through, I had to start reading something else sometimes because it was seriously depressing me. 

Here’s the summary of just about every African country since independence:

1.  A young, charismatic leader takes over the country, with promises of socialism and equality and prosperity.

2.  Western governments get excited about supporting such a great leader, especially if he promises he will never go over to bad evil communist Russia, and then pour billions of dollars of aide into the country.

3.  This leader proceeds to bankrupt the country by amassing his own personal fortune.  He becomes a billionaire while the rest of the country lives in poverty.

4.  A military coup takes place, and the leader makes promises of socialism and equality and prosperity. 

5.  Repeat from #1.

And there you have it.  A History of Africa.  Now you don’t need to read 750 pages. 

Okay, so there’s a little more to it.

Like how during the 80’s Ethiopian Famine, when the whole world was focused on the starving children…..what the media didn’t say (or didn’t know) was that it was President Mengistu’s agricultural policies which caused the famine.  Or how he continued to bomb the affected areas, even while people were starving to death, because those areas contained political opponents.

Like how ordinary Rwandan Hutus slaughtered 800,000 of their friends and co-workers who just happened to be Tutsis, in 100 days.  100 days.  And the world did nothing.  Well, except for the French, who continued to fund the Hutu government even while the slaughtering was going on.

Like how South African President Mbeki refused to believe that AIDS existed and therefore provided no funding or relief or education for AIDS, even when 1 out of 5 people in his country was infected. 

Like how Charles Taylor, who started the Liberian war, intentionally forced the war into neighboring countries, for the purpose of his own financial gain.  He conscripted thousands of child soldiers, gave them drugs and a gun and told them to kill their parents.  And now he is living the high life in Nigeria.

Yeah.  So if you happen to be in a really happy mood and want to do away with it, this is a great book to read.

In all seriousness, I highly recommend this book if you love Africa or have some kind of investment in it.  It was extremely informative and interesting and so very eye-opening.

I wish I was better at writing book reviews.  I love reading.  Books have altered my thinking and helped me understand my salvation and made me a more compassionate person and filled me with passion and I think everyone should read them.  And this book has done all of the above, and I think everyone (literally, everyone who reads English) should read this book, yet words fail in knowing how to convince you. 

I could tell you that Saving Leonardo is about art history and worldview.  Uhhh…yeah.  Are you ready to run over to Amazon.com and buy it? 

So how do I explain that this book is a life-changer, and so much more than just about art history and worldview? 

Well, this is what the author herself says:  “Artists are society’s barometers, sensitive to new ideas as they percolate through the cultural atmosphere.” 

Artists reflect culture.  They reflect worldview.  If you want to understand culture, you must understand art. 

And why do we need to understand culture and worldview? 

“To use a biblical metaphor, all Christians are called to be missionaries, responsible for learning the language of the society they are addressing.  Within the boundaries of their native land, they may not face a literal language barrier.  But they do face a worldview barrier as they seek to communicate with people whose thinking differs from their own.  And they need training in how to overcome that worldview barrier.  They must learn how to frame the biblical message in ways that connect with people’s deepest convictions.”

Have you ever wondered why evolution is seen as the One and Only Truth, despite its many flaws?  The worldview behind the ever-changing definition of gender?  Why Christians are seen as dangerous?  Where postmodernism came from?  Why screeching is considered music and a grid of straight lines is considered art? 

If you feel like you know that abortion, homosexual marriage, transgenderism, and other forms of secular thought are wrong, but you are tired of feeling “intolerant” and “homophobic” and therefore just keep your mouth shut, then you must read this book.  If you are scared about the slide of our society into secularism, and as a result try to shield your children against anything remotely non-Christian, then you need to read this book. 

Yes, this book is intellectual.  In some ways, it is a textbook.  And that description alone will turn off a lot of people.  But I plead with you to believe me when I say that first of all, Nancy Pearcey is far more interesting than any textbook you’ve read before, and what she has to say is far more important.  Vital, actually, if you want to understand modern culture and why certain movies are being made and what is motivating your next-door neighbor. 

Nancy Pearcey’s first book,Total Truth, revolutionized my life a number of years ago because it introduced me to the concept of worldview.  I still highly recommend that one as well, but you can start with either one.  Both are fantastic.  Both are on my Top-10-of-All-Time list. 

I read Pearcey’s books and I am very proud to be a Christian.  I read her books and I am convinced more than ever that what I believe is true.  Really, truly true, for all of mankind, literally and historically….not just “true to me,” not just “my own personal spirituality” but true in the sense that Jesus Christ was a real person who was God-in-the-flesh, who lived and died and rose again (literally and historically) and that He changed the course of history, and my life.  Some fairy tales really are true.  That’s why we like them. 

The true story of a Saudi Arabian princess growing up in the 50’s.  Truly fascinating look into the lives of privileged middle eastern women.  An eye-opening, disturbing, page-turner. 

“The only knowledge most Arabs have of American society comes from the content of low-grade American movies and trashy television shows…the vast majority of Arabs truly believe that most Western women are promiscuous.”  (So what happens when they associate America with Christianity as well?)

Inspiring, encouraging, humble.  I loved this one and highly recommend it for young moms.  Sally Clarkson presents her advice with humility and gentleness, and I felt convicted and inspired–but not guilty and overwhelmed as some parenting books make me feel. 

“If I have integrity and patience in the small moments of life that are so important to my children, and if I approach them with a servant’s heart, then I have a far better chance of influencing them in the larger and more critical issues of life.”

“My biggest concern is not for [my children] to be happy, but for them to understand how–and why–to be content and to accept their circumstances as from God’s hand.”

I really debated over whether to recommend this one.  I am not ashamed to say I am a complementarian (if you don’t know what that is, don’t worry about it), but yet I still cannot wholeheartedly endorse this book.  I disagree with some of Debi Pearl’s Scriptural interpretations.  Some of what she says is downright ridiculous.  This is not the book to try to persuade someone to consider complementarianism–it is way too harsh and dogmatic.  And I would never give it to someone from a non-western culture. 

That said, it still impacted me almost more than any other marriage book I have read.  For an American wife who already takes a traditional interpretation of marriage roles, this book will give you a swift kick in the backside.  Debi Pearl does not mince words.  She is not gentle.  It’s hard to read, and I would have thrown the book across the room a few times except that I read it on my Kindle! But she says it like it is, and sometimes that’s what we need to hear.  I had to grudgingly admit that on more than one occasion, she was spot on. 

“No man has ever crawled out from under his wife’s criticism to be a better man–no matter how justified her condemnation.”

“God stands with you when you stand by your man, but you will stand alone if you insist on standing by your rights.”

Read it.  Even if you are not a Steven Curtis Chapman fan, you need to read it.  I cried through the entire second half, as I knew I would, but it’s beautiful and inspiring and a remarkable testimony to God’s Sovereignty and faithfulness in the midst of unspeakable tragedy. 

“It’s all true!  It’s all true!  The gospel is true.  If we believe anything about our faith, we have to believe that we know where Maria is right now and that God didn’t make a mistake.  He didn’t turn His head, He was in complete control.  Maria’s days here were numbered.  We don’t like it, but He will give us the strength and the hope to walk this journey.”  (Spoken by Mary Beth at her five-year-old daughter’s memorial service)