Ebookwormy's profile

363 ratings | 344 reviews
avg rating: 4.01
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Ebookwormy's bookshelves

read (416)
currently-reading (17)
to-read (332)
carp-500 (182)
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non-fiction (97)
fiction (93)
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world-middleeast (4)
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Ebookwormy is currently reading

	07/24 Ebookwormy is currently reading: The Maltese Falcon (Paperback) by Dashiell Hammett bookshelves: currently-reading, mystery	my rating:
	Ebookwormy said: "Voted #2 of 100 best mysteries of all time by Mystery Writers of America (www.mysterywriters.org) and see also World Magazine January 12/19, 2008, pg. 27). " add a comment
	07/21 Ebookwormy is currently reading: The Scarlet Letter (Penguin Classics) by Nathaniel Hawthorne bookshelves: currently-reading	my rating:
	add a comment
	07/20 Ebookwormy is currently reading: The Screwtape Letters (Gift Edition) by C.S. Lewis bookshelves: currently-reading, z-2b-reviewed	my rating:
	add a comment

Ebookwormy's recent updates (rss)

July 25

Ebookwormy gave

to:
Jesus in Global Contexts (Paperback)
by Priscilla Pope-Levison, John R. Levison
bookshelves: 3-caution, christian, non-fiction, world--africa, world-asia-plus-pacrim, world-global, world-middleeast, world-scentral-carribbean

my rating:

Ebookwormy said: "This was required reading in a college class. I remember weeping throughout some of the book... "What have they done to Jesus?"

As documentation of various synchretistic movements within Christianity, the work is well researched. However...more "

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New comment on Bobbi's review of Surprised by Children

Ebookwormy wrote: "Bobbi,
your comments are encouraging. I thought maybe I was being overly cautious because I have a ...more "

(see all 3 comments)

July 24

Ebookwormy gave

to:
Animal Farm (Paperback)
by George Orwell
bookshelves: 2-enjoyed, currenteventspolitics

my rating:

read in July, 2008

Ebookwormy said: "Generally, i hate zoomorphism. But, in this political allegory, it works. I was prepared to dislike it, but thought I'd try it because it was short and I was in the mood to read fast. In the end, I was surprised at how succinctly Orwell captures the ...more "

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Ebookwormy gave

to:
Surprised by Children (Hardcover)
by Harold Lawrence Myra
bookshelves: 0-interlibraryloan, 1-character-forming, adoption, wishlist

my rating:

read in July, 2008

Ebookwormy said: "This was a character-forming book for me that impacted me more than anticipated. I would like to read it again, and would love it if my husband would read it as well.

The backdrop of the story is the author, Harold Myra's experiences with raising ...more "

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Ebookwormy gave

to:
On the Missionary Trail: A Journey Through Polynesia, Asia, and Africa with the London Missionary Society (Paperback)
by Tom Hiney
bookshelves: 1-character-forming, biography, christlikeministry, non-fiction, world--africa, world-asia-plus-pacrim, world-global

my rating:

Ebookwormy said: "This book was excellent, and I wouldn't mind reading it through again. Tom Hiney documents the London Missionary Society deputation's travels around the world in the early 19th century. The historical account and experiences are fascinating. But Hine...more This book was excellent, and I wouldn't mind reading it through again. Tom Hiney documents the London Missionary Society deputation's travels around the world in the early 19th century. The historical account and experiences are fascinating. But Hiney adds his own brilliance by tying the events into what was known - and wasn't- at the time, giving the reader a realistic feel for the amazing endeavor undertaken.

He does this by relating facts that help the reader to put the action into perspective ("the year before Jane Austen was born", "meanwhile, William Wilburforce..", "the interests of the West Indies Company were markedly different as recorded..", "at the same time they were doing X, so and so was doing Y on the other side of the planet..", and "Captain Cook had explored this area, just X years before.."), as well as by relating the motivations of Europeans and how they were impacting the rest of the globe (be it views toward the missionary movement, wars (their antecedents and precedents), and local societal evolutions underway.

I wish I had read this book when I was serving in full-time ministry with a parachurch organization. The challenges remain so similar!
* How do you get the Gospel into a culture without tainting it with your culture?
* In that day, it was separating the message from the English messenger, we were struggling with separating the Gospel from the American messenger.
* What is the difference between missions where the work really sticks and missions where it fizzles?
* What is the appropriate relationship between missionary and the leadership of the culture?
* Is a conversion of leaders approach more successful than a conversion of the every man?
* What role does translation play in mission success, and at what point should the monetary investment in translation take place?
* How do missions become sustainable?
* What is the proper balance between meeting physical needs (food, shelter, hospital, schools, etc.) and spiritual needs (church, Bible teaching, translation of the Bible, etc.)?

Hiney also clears up long standing fallacies. He documents English colonial resistance to missionary endeavors (in this period). Far from imposing Christendom on the far cultures of the world, most Englishmen (particularly those in native lands) were opposed to the missionary movement, and some missionaries lost their lives to colonial resistance. In addition, he documents the attempts by missionaries (far beyond those of most merchants and military settlers) to integrate into the culture by learning the language, wearing the dress and adopting the culture. Further, many missionaries taught local leaders how to better interact with Europeans to preserve their best interests and either maintain or prepare for independence (very far reaching ideas for the time).

I am unsure from reading the text of Hiney's religious beliefs and there are certainly sections where he expresses theological perspectives with which I disagree, but I found his accounting to be helpful and fair. He doesn't minimize or neglect failures on the field. In fact, while reading this book, I was assigned to memorize the following passage: 1 Pet 5:2-4 "Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, not under compulsion, but willingly as God would have you. Not for shameful gain, but eagerly. Not domineering over those in your charge, but being an example to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory." I was struck by how this account relates the stories of missionaries in each of the categories mentioned, good and bad.

Reading the notes as I went was enlightening. While the narrative leaves missionaries visited behind, Hiney documents in the notes outcomes of individuals and expeditions that were not known until years later. Highly recommended....less "

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July 21

Ebookwormy gave

to:
Courageous Souls: Do We Plan Our Life Challenges Before Birth? (Paperback)
by Robert Schwartz (Goodreads author!)
bookshelves: 3-caution, non-fiction

my rating:

Ebookwormy said: "I read this book at the request of a friend who said "it was the best summary i've ever encountered about what I truly believe about life." Well, I should clarify, I started this book. I read all the intro, and the intro chapter and the fir...more I read this book at the request of a friend who said "it was the best summary i've ever encountered about what I truly believe about life." Well, I should clarify, I started this book. I read all the intro, and the intro chapter and the first study and then I picked from interesting chapters going forward. In the end, there are many things my friend and I disagree on, but we agree that we like to discuss them.

I agree with this book that our lives are planned, that there is meaning/ growth/ purpose in suffering, and there is a spiritual dimension to life. However, I think God the Father, Jesus Christ His Son, the Holy Spirit and the Bible are at the center of this, not a self-directed pre-birth reincarnational process.

However, I do not agree in reincarnation. It's just too risky. Everything points to having only one time around. I figure if I'm wrong I get a 999 life bonus (accepting my friend's theory that we have about 1000 times around), but if you live your life thinking you have all sorts of other opportunities and you are wrong, suddenly you are out 999 lives.

I do not agree that seeing a medium is necessary in order to make sense out of life and it's challenges. I think seeing a medium is dangerous. The tone, content and terminology of this book made me feel like i was reading "Screwtape Letters", but this book was serious, deadly serious in my opinion. I think there is a reason the Bible prohibits consultation with mediums. Of course, there is always the reasonable argument that many of them are frauds. But, beyond that, how do we know the power they are tapping is good? This book affirmed the Bible's position it is not good for me.

In the end, there were twoish (i say twoish because my second one has three points!) major stumbling blocks for me. 1) Sin. I believe in it. I see it in myself and others. It's a problem. Not only does this book fail to recognize it, it asserts those who do evil things have chosen a "noble" path that others might suffer and be enlightened by their actions (therefore, terrorists, child molesters, murderers, etc are "noble" because of what they contribute to the reincarnate process). That's not nobility, at least not one I can affirm.

2) In the end, I find religious/ spiritual systems focused on meditation/ seeking an inner spiritual guide to be focused entirely on the self. This is utterly distasteful to me for three reasons. First of all, it's a matter of AUTHORITY. I don't think I have the knowledge/ authority in myself to determine why we are here, what we are to be doing, and what happens when it is all over. I'm not comfortable with that kind of authority. But this system encourages people to assume that authority. It's true, I'm trusting in an all-powerful God, who created, humbled himself to reach down into humanity to reveal Himself, wrote a book, protected that book through centuries and is using that book to speak to and transform my life today. But the authority rests with Him, not with me. I have merely chosen to submit myself to Him and trust Him to get done what I cannot (taking care of that sin problem). I have chosen to humble myself instead of seeking my own answers and explanations.

Secondly, it's a matter of ACCESSIBILITY. These spiritual philosophies involve much meditation, consultation of mediums and shedding of the cares and concerns of the world, etc. This basically mean that most people on the planet (those that have to struggle to survive) are exempt from salvation as they have neither the luxury of this intense inner focus nor the resources for the training/ medium consultation/ monastic life. I don't think that is right. I think salvation is available to everyone through Jesus Christ, and it may be a difficult thing (after all, Jesus had to come here and die), but it's accessible to everyone.

Thirdly, it's a matter of SERVICE. Jesus stated the entire teaching of the Old Testament can be summarized in two commands: Love God and Love Others. I've already mentioned a bit about love God. This philosophy negates the need to love others. It teaches they have "chosen" to be poor, addicted, abused, oppressed, in order to learn. Therefore, there is no need to feel an obligation to help them, rather we should honor their difficult road as noble and good. I find that wholly unsatisfactory. Biblical Christianity mobilizes us to reach out to others and seek to lighten their load, in order that we might be more like Christ, who lightened our load by paying the penalty for our sin. In fact, Jesus paid for our sin that we might be willing to sacrifice ourselves for others.

Reading this book reaffirmed my commitment to Biblical Christianity, as well as highlighted how beneficial Christianity is to society. I'm not saying we should set up a theocracy, what i'm saying is that a nation in which most people (freely, not under coercion) chose to follow Jesus will have a much better thing going on than if the majority of people chose to follow the philosophy presented here....less "

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New comment on Alvin's review of White Gold

Ebookwormy wrote: "Hey Alvin,
thanks for your review. I am highly interested in this book. I also noticed your comment...more "

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July 20

Ebookwormy gave

to:
Blame It on the Brain?: Distinguishing Chemical Imbalances, Brain Disorders, and Disobedience (Resources for Changing Lives)
by Edward T. Welch
bookshelves: christian, christlikeministry, healthmedical, non-fiction, reference

my rating:

Ebookwormy said: "I read this book a few years ago... okay, well i guess i'm getting old. Now that I do the math, it's more like many years ago.

Nonetheless, I remember it being helpful to me in creating some clarity around which psychological illnesses are more b...more "

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New comment on Bobbi's review of House Gun

Ebookwormy wrote: "Forgive me for saying it, but Nobel isn't everything. Interesting to hear of her more notable accomp...more "

(see all 3 comments)

July 19

Ebookwormy gave

to:
Stop, Train, Stop! a Thomas the Tank Engine Story (Beginner Books(R))
by W. Rev Awdry
bookshelves: fiction, kids-babytoddler, own-it

my rating:

Ebookwormy said: "A gift that began my son's fascination with all things train. A delight to own. "

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Ebookwormy's favorite quotes

"It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt."
— Abraham Lincoln

tags: wisdom

1688 people liked it

" It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible."
— George Washington

36 people liked it

"Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: But a woman who fears the Lord,
She shall be praised."
— Proverbs 31:30

tags: beauty, bible, purity, woman

17 people liked it

"Perhaps, after all, romance did not come into one’s life with pomp and blare, like a gay knight riding down; perhaps it crept to one’s side like an old friend through quiet ways; perhaps it revealed itself in seeming prose, until some sudden shaft of illumination flung athwart its pages betrayed the rhythm and the music; perhaps . . . perhaps . . . love unfolded naturally out of a beautiful friendship, as a golden-hearted rose slipping from its green sheath."
— L.M. Montgomery

tags: anne, avonlea, of

12 people liked it

"Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute,
if there is any excellence and anything worthy of praise,
let your mind dwell on these things."
— St. Paul, Epistle to the Philippians, Chapter 4, Verses 4-8

7 people liked it

see all of Ebookwormy's favorite quotes »

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Ebookwormy's friend comments

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from Ebookwormy

05/19/2008 06:47PM

Hey TJ,

I'm LOVING your reviews, absolutely captivating, and you'll notice i've added a bunch of your rec's to my to-read (admittedly obnoxiously long, but i'm a curious sort).

Schaumburg is a western Chicagoland suburb. We are about 2.5 hours from the great mecca of Champaign-Urbana, at least, in my family it is a great mecca as we have several alums - i, unfortunately, am not one of them. But, I love UofI nonetheless.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the horrible Chief controversy... though I'm sure your perspective would be skewed by the unfortunate inability to participate in the sacred ceremony since it has been banned. We loved the Chief and were so sorry and downright angered to see him go.

elizabeth

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from T.J.

05/19/2008 03:19PM

Thank you for the add, Ms. Elizabeth! :)

I'm liking these books you've chosen...

By the way, where is Schaumburg? I'm moving to Urbana-Champaign this August.

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