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Proverbs: "Reconstructed"
The book of Proverbs is one of the most informative books of the Bible; however, it is not structurally friendly. Now you can have the vital information contained in this book in a format useful for transforming your mind so that your life will reflect the changes. Use this book in your daily Bible studies and as a tutorial for your children. Once you have been given the knowledge, you can begin following instructions of the Lord. "A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9
300 pages, Paperback
First published June 7, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 16, 2013
Proverbs is one of my favorite books of the Bible, it contains useful information for a person to apply to their life. However, I have had trouble understanding it at times. That's where Dallas comes in. I found the book started off slow but picked up after a while. Dallas uses language that is easy to understand so people can get the most from Proverb's wise words. A useful tool.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Booksneeze. I was not required to write a positive review.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Booksneeze. I was not required to write a positive review.
March 1, 2012
Proverbs: “Reconstructed”. Gus Dallas. Bloomington, IN: WestBow Press A Division of Thomas Nelson (June 7, 2011). 283 pages. Reviewed by Rev. Russell A. Whitfield
Follow this link for a free preview: http://bookstore.westbowpress.com/Pro...
Gus Dallas has attempted to “reconstruct” the book of Proverbs to read in a manner from the perspective of various life topics. The make-up of such a book(s) is not traditionally considered scholarly or philosophical. It is the author’s attempt to structure the book of wisdom called Proverbs as an aide for: the pastor/counselor, the parent raising his/her children, and/or the individual Christian looking for a fresh approach to reading Proverbs devotionally. Its original intent is not to be read from pages 1 to 283 in one sitting, rather it is written to be used as a personal daily Bible study or teaching tool. Proverbs: “Reconstructed” is written with the life instructions addressed by the book of Proverbs in mind as godly wisdom for every believer.
As an author, Gus Dallas, a resident of the state of Missouri, does not qualify on the basis of experience with other authors, education as a writer, or the ideal writer. Dallas’ experiences as a man who has been at rock bottom, and was pulled out by the victorious power of God, qualify him as an author who has been guided by God’s principles through his life. He has written this book to apply the principles of Proverbs to everyday life stories experienced.
Proverbs: “Reconstructed” offers an approach to teaching and understanding the Book of Proverbs from the viewpoint of how it can serve its readers in their every day needs. It is a practical book that pastors are encouraged to use in sermon prep, counseling, and other ceremonies. Parents are urged to make the book useful as they raise their children through the many challenges and/or celebrations the child may be confronted by through the course of their life. Dallas’ book is a simplistic aid to the many answers needed for daily life and choices from the perspective of Proverbs 16:9, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”
The chapters/sections are organized by 320 topics or life situations & emotions in order to organize chunks of the book of Proverbs. The topics appear to follow various categories such as: various emotions that are experienced in life, disciplines needed in the Christian life, appropriate responses to life situations, and instructions for life choices. As each section headlines a particular topic, the author will identify it as good or bad. There are times in the book that he will share verses/proverbs that deal the good and bad nature of the topic headlined. The words identified as both good and bad are: answer, instruction, knowledge, Law, witness, and more.
I picked this book for review because of the unique title, Proverbs: “Reconstructed”, that Dallas chose for his book. As I began to look more into the book, I recognized immediately a contrast in the organization of this book compared to other books I have read. The chapters were more headlined by a one word topic, as opposed to most similar books I have reviewed. It has an appearance of disorder with no direction, until you read the information about the author and his background. After understanding Dallas’ background, my eyes were opened to the benefit this book offers to its readers. I would most definitely categorize this book as a topical book that would serve as a counseling tool for the pastor/counselor, a devotional guide for the individual believer, and/or parent guide for teaching their children. Dallas’ life experience from rock bottom to a victorious Christian life because of Jesus Christ serves to identify this book as a spiritual source for both the maturing believer.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Follow this link for a free preview: http://bookstore.westbowpress.com/Pro...
Gus Dallas has attempted to “reconstruct” the book of Proverbs to read in a manner from the perspective of various life topics. The make-up of such a book(s) is not traditionally considered scholarly or philosophical. It is the author’s attempt to structure the book of wisdom called Proverbs as an aide for: the pastor/counselor, the parent raising his/her children, and/or the individual Christian looking for a fresh approach to reading Proverbs devotionally. Its original intent is not to be read from pages 1 to 283 in one sitting, rather it is written to be used as a personal daily Bible study or teaching tool. Proverbs: “Reconstructed” is written with the life instructions addressed by the book of Proverbs in mind as godly wisdom for every believer.
As an author, Gus Dallas, a resident of the state of Missouri, does not qualify on the basis of experience with other authors, education as a writer, or the ideal writer. Dallas’ experiences as a man who has been at rock bottom, and was pulled out by the victorious power of God, qualify him as an author who has been guided by God’s principles through his life. He has written this book to apply the principles of Proverbs to everyday life stories experienced.
Proverbs: “Reconstructed” offers an approach to teaching and understanding the Book of Proverbs from the viewpoint of how it can serve its readers in their every day needs. It is a practical book that pastors are encouraged to use in sermon prep, counseling, and other ceremonies. Parents are urged to make the book useful as they raise their children through the many challenges and/or celebrations the child may be confronted by through the course of their life. Dallas’ book is a simplistic aid to the many answers needed for daily life and choices from the perspective of Proverbs 16:9, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”
The chapters/sections are organized by 320 topics or life situations & emotions in order to organize chunks of the book of Proverbs. The topics appear to follow various categories such as: various emotions that are experienced in life, disciplines needed in the Christian life, appropriate responses to life situations, and instructions for life choices. As each section headlines a particular topic, the author will identify it as good or bad. There are times in the book that he will share verses/proverbs that deal the good and bad nature of the topic headlined. The words identified as both good and bad are: answer, instruction, knowledge, Law, witness, and more.
I picked this book for review because of the unique title, Proverbs: “Reconstructed”, that Dallas chose for his book. As I began to look more into the book, I recognized immediately a contrast in the organization of this book compared to other books I have read. The chapters were more headlined by a one word topic, as opposed to most similar books I have reviewed. It has an appearance of disorder with no direction, until you read the information about the author and his background. After understanding Dallas’ background, my eyes were opened to the benefit this book offers to its readers. I would most definitely categorize this book as a topical book that would serve as a counseling tool for the pastor/counselor, a devotional guide for the individual believer, and/or parent guide for teaching their children. Dallas’ life experience from rock bottom to a victorious Christian life because of Jesus Christ serves to identify this book as a spiritual source for both the maturing believer.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
April 28, 2012
Growing up, I went through my Bible with a set of colored pencils and, specifically for Proverbs, I underlined or highlighted the passages based on a set of high-level topics to which I thought the text applied. Red was for love, Green was for money, and those are the only two I remember off the top of my head. If nothing else, it made for a very colorful book of Proverbs. With all that practical advice packed into one book, how else are you supposed to find what you’re looking for?
Well, now there’s this book, which extracts every (presumably – I didn’t add them all up) verse from Proverbs and groups them by thematic category for quick reference. It’s somewhere between a concordance and Bartlett’s Familiar Quotes. Most of the topics offer examples of good and bad usage and, fittingly, I can see the good and bad arguments about this approach. On the positive side, I can quickly share all the Proverbs about bears with my son (it’s his favorite animal). However, pulling the verses out like this removes all context and reduces the powerful advice offered by this book to a series of organized soundbytes.
I think it has a place and I’ll enjoy it for the positives.
-from trudatmusic[dot]com[slash]raw
Well, now there’s this book, which extracts every (presumably – I didn’t add them all up) verse from Proverbs and groups them by thematic category for quick reference. It’s somewhere between a concordance and Bartlett’s Familiar Quotes. Most of the topics offer examples of good and bad usage and, fittingly, I can see the good and bad arguments about this approach. On the positive side, I can quickly share all the Proverbs about bears with my son (it’s his favorite animal). However, pulling the verses out like this removes all context and reduces the powerful advice offered by this book to a series of organized soundbytes.
I think it has a place and I’ll enjoy it for the positives.
-from trudatmusic[dot]com[slash]raw
February 8, 2012
Since Proverbs has been my favorite book in the Bible for sometime, I was delighted for the opportunity to read and review Proverbs Reconstructed by Gus Dallas. Dallas purposes to present the book of Proverbs in a structure-friendly format to help readers better apply it to their daily lives.
The black chalkboard cover gave me the feel of being back in the classroom and set the stage for me settling in my desk for a fresh look at Proverbs, the book of wisdom.
In looking at the table of contents I was confused at first by the duplication of some topics such as answer and confidence but in reading the preface, I discovered the author’s goal was to show the positive and negative sides of such topics. However, I think I would have preferred to have them all listed under one heading.
I like the idea of having the Proverbs grouped together by subject matter and think it will be a great reference in the future. The book uses scriptures from the New King James Version. I also liked that I could easily jump to particular subject matter of choice in the Kindle edition of the book.
The black chalkboard cover gave me the feel of being back in the classroom and set the stage for me settling in my desk for a fresh look at Proverbs, the book of wisdom.
In looking at the table of contents I was confused at first by the duplication of some topics such as answer and confidence but in reading the preface, I discovered the author’s goal was to show the positive and negative sides of such topics. However, I think I would have preferred to have them all listed under one heading.
I like the idea of having the Proverbs grouped together by subject matter and think it will be a great reference in the future. The book uses scriptures from the New King James Version. I also liked that I could easily jump to particular subject matter of choice in the Kindle edition of the book.
February 11, 2013
How should we read Proverbs? Unfortunately, this book doesn't help. It divorces Proverbs from its context, historically, culturally and canonically. It provides a model of how not to read Proverbs. Essentially it lists all the Proverbs under separate headings such as Abomination, Adultery, Adversity, Advocate, Anger, Answer, Anxiety, Age, Animal, Ant, Apple, Argue, Associations, Atonement, Authority - to list just the A categories. The proverbs are then sorted into these categories under good or bad sections. Such a cut and paste approach may appeal to some; but not to me. It makes Proverbs into a set of cookie promises.
Fortunately, I didn't have to spend money to get this book - I was provided with an electronic review copy. Don't waste your money buying this. If you want to know how to read Proverbs you'd be much better buying Craig Bartholomew's booklet Reading Proverbs with Integrity (Grove Books, 2001). Sadly, it is integrity that this book lacks.
Fortunately, I didn't have to spend money to get this book - I was provided with an electronic review copy. Don't waste your money buying this. If you want to know how to read Proverbs you'd be much better buying Craig Bartholomew's booklet Reading Proverbs with Integrity (Grove Books, 2001). Sadly, it is integrity that this book lacks.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews