Book Log: December 2009

1. Jeremiah Burroughs. The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment – The label “classic” is well-deserved. The book brims with passion, insight, dissection, precision, and conviction. Burroughs was a Puritan after all.

2. Michael R. Emlet. CrossTalk: Where Life and Scripture Meet – Driscoll’s blurb puts it perfectly, “CrossTalk combines the best of Bible-study methods, theology, and counseling to help the sufferer, the sinner, and the saint be radically transformed by Jesus.” Just gaining that threefold categorization (sufferer, sinner, saint) has been worth the price of the book.

3. Alistair McGrath. Heresy: A History of Defending the Truth – Concisely introduces the major heresies, debunks popular misconceptions about orthodoxy, and makes a compelling and even-handed case for the importance, viability, and antiquity of the historic Christian faith.

4. Bruce Bueno de Mesquita. The Predictioneer’s Game: Using the Logic of Brazen Self-Interest to See and Shape the Future – What a fun and different book (you’ll never look at buying a used car the same). What an unrelenting testimony to a dim view of human nature. And what a fabulous name!

5. Roy Peter Clark. Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer. I have  a lot of thoughts about this one, almost all of them positive.  I loved this book because I love to write and this book can help me do so more effectively. It’s geared for journalists, but still immensely practical. And well-written (of course).