One of the first science fiction books I read in high school (1970s). Brunner took the increasing rate of change discussed in the book Future ShockOne of the first science fiction books I read in high school (1970s). Brunner took the increasing rate of change discussed in the book Future Shock and extrapolated that into the future. He envisioned a world wide data network which was used by everyone. Since everything was in the network (web), privacy was also extremely limited. Being able to manipulate (hack) data in the web gave people incredible power. The rate of change was so quick that most people had significant problems coping. Everyone need to take anti-anxiety meds to cope. Many lived "plug in lifestyles" which is characterized by surface relationships, moving for career development, and living in communities which looked identical in whatever city they were living in. This book also touched on the topic of the misguided tendency to pursue knowledge without wisdom. This book deepened what had been only a passing interest in computing, made me think about pursuing wisdom not just knowledge, and gave me an appreciation that technology is a two edged sword. Before reading this book I deeply believed that technology was the answer to all problems. This book tempered my enthusiasm for technology and made me look for unintended consequences."...more
I first read this book in 1984. Until I read this book I thought motivating people via guilt was one of the most effective ways to bring about change.I first read this book in 1984. Until I read this book I thought motivating people via guilt was one of the most effective ways to bring about change. As I read this book I came to see how destructive guilt motivate was, and how it was unlike to sustain deep change in the long run. I try to read this book every few years. Each time I am reminded how easy it is to use guilt to motivate, how guilt is hugely damaging, and what are effective and life giving alternatives to guilt....more
"Explores how cooperation can emerge in a world ruled by selfishness with no central authority or rule. Axelrod demonstrates that enlightened self"Explores how cooperation can emerge in a world ruled by selfishness with no central authority or rule. Axelrod demonstrates that enlightened self interest can lead to effective cooperation in any situation where the participants believe that they will need to interact with each other in the future. These lessons can, and should be applied to personal, corporate, national, and international interactions. After reading this book I noticed that I was much less likely to take an all or nothing approach when dealing with others, and was more more likely to look for win-win options."...more
Over the years I have tried a number of devotionals. Most seems either too simplistic or to ethereal. I have found A Guide to Prayer for Ministers andOver the years I have tried a number of devotionals. Most seems either too simplistic or to ethereal. I have found A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants to be refreshing and challenging at the same time. Even though I have read through each of the chapters several times, they continue to be fresh and challenging. I have lost count of how many copies of this book I have given out. Nearly everyone has loved it as much as I, often gifting this book to others....more
This book resonated in my heart more than nearly any book I have ever read, but with a caveat. While the themes Palmer discussed resonated with myThis book resonated in my heart more than nearly any book I have ever read, but with a caveat. While the themes Palmer discussed resonated with my heart, I didn't always find the specific example or the writing to be on par with the "truths" explored. The key truths for me were: Teach out of identity and core not technique. Fear and alienation are the enemies of effective teaching. Greater truths are often paradoxes. Trying to resolve paradoxes too quickly short-circuits learning. The tension from paradoxes can leave us open provide we have fuel to endure the tension which requires love and suffering. Finding truth as a community centered around a subject rather than "objective facts" and experts. Teaching from the microcosm. From an impact in my life this is a five start. From a completeness of the topic / writing quality, this is a three star....more
"This book as the message that there can be hope, even in darkest of times. During WWII, the entire community of Le Chambon refused to cooperate with"This book as the message that there can be hope, even in darkest of times. During WWII, the entire community of Le Chambon refused to cooperate with the Nazis and helped more than 5,000 Jews escape Nazi camps. There was no one hero... rather the whole community engaged in a conspiracy of goodness. Whenever I start to think that it's impossible for a community to tackle a difficult issue, I find myself reflect what this amazing community was able to achieve. There is a good documentary about this community called Weapons of the Spirit." http://www.chambon.org/weapons_en.htm...more
Stevens had an amazing ability to simply and clearly explain technical topics that can be quite complex. While I knew quite a bit about the TCP/IPStevens had an amazing ability to simply and clearly explain technical topics that can be quite complex. While I knew quite a bit about the TCP/IP protocol stack this book helped pull this topic together in a more complete way that I could have on my own, or by reading several other books. I still find myself regularly reaching for this book (or the other 3 in the series)....more
Paul Miller asserts that we shouldn't focus on prayer (the method) but rather God (the object). Miller has a very high view of prayer. He expectPaul Miller asserts that we shouldn't focus on prayer (the method) but rather God (the object). Miller has a very high view of prayer. He expect prayer to accomplish things. Not because we are somehow manipulating God, but because God cares and prayer is a key way that we communicate with him. Prayers answered tomorrow? Maybe, or maybe in 20 years, or maybe 2000 years. And they might be answered in a way that you wouldn't have predicted and might not like, but God will do what's best. Miller highlights how critical our heart is in prayer, and that prayer will change our hearts.I found this book disturbing in the best sort of way. The book is going onto my list of books that really changed me....more
the best book I have found describing how to help establish a new Christian. This book helped me appreciate what core truths and life practices werethe best book I have found describing how to help establish a new Christian. This book helped me appreciate what core truths and life practices were important in the life of a new Christian, why it was important to purposefully pass these core practices on, and gave me a framework to help someone new in the faith become more established. I also learned to appreciate how people grow in different ways and that what someone might need in one stage of life, will likely be different in the next stage of life. Finally, Dynamics of Personal Follow-up provided me a basic framework to think about how people grow. I have taught classes based on material from this book and used much of Kuhne's material when mentoring people....more
I discovered the earlier book in 1981 at local book store. At the time I realized that I didn't have very good insight into myself or the peopleI discovered the earlier book in 1981 at local book store. At the time I realized that I didn't have very good insight into myself or the people around me. This book introduced me to the Myers-Briggs personality classification system. After reading this book, I had a better understanding of myself, both my strengths and my weaknesses. My appreciation of people who were different from me grew significantly and I was able to start thinking of them as different rather than "plodding" or "insensitive". I came to realize that there was great value in people who were more systematic than me, or who cared more about truth than people. While I have benefitted from this book, it's theories have not been validated by rigorous science. The Big Five is better in that sense. ...more
If I had to choose a single book for someone to read before getting married, this is the book I would recommend. Keller have a talk at google thatIf I had to choose a single book for someone to read before getting married, this is the book I would recommend. Keller have a talk at google that does a great job summarizing the book http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9THu0......more
"For someone who has their personal finances in order, this will be a boring and basic book. For someone who is just figuring out how to manage their"For someone who has their personal finances in order, this will be a boring and basic book. For someone who is just figuring out how to manage their finances, this is a great book. I read this book when I was feeling weighed down by our finances and debt. This book helped me think systematically about what we were doing with our finances, helped refine a plan to retire all our debt, and convinced me the need to save and invest for the future. Since I read this book, I have read a number of other books about personal finance and investing. While several of these books gave me a deeper understanding of the topics, not have contradicted what I learned in this book. Personal Finance for Dummies has all the advice I would hope a parent would pass onto their children about money. Unfortunately, a lot of parents don't know many of the things found in this book or don't think to teach their children how to effectively manage their money."...more
Stevens had an amazing ability to simply and clearly explain technical topics that can be quite complex. While I knew quite a bit about UNIX systemStevens had an amazing ability to simply and clearly explain technical topics that can be quite complex. While I knew quite a bit about UNIX system programming, these book helped pull this topic together in a more complete way that I could have on my own, or by reading several other books. I still find myself regularly reaching for this book....more
The best book I have read on vocation. Keller captures the tension that we all feel between being made to work and that we live in a broken worldThe best book I have read on vocation. Keller captures the tension that we all feel between being made to work and that we live in a broken world where nothing works as it should. Work can be deeply satisfying, it can also be great source of frustration which grind us down. Keller makes the case for working hard, but to remember that our ultimate hope is in the new world that God will be making. A new world the is connected to the world we live in now, that will be material, not some ethereal cloud filled world. Keller demonstrations that all work, be it the humble work of a house cleaner or a trauma surgeon are not just necessary but valued by God, and should be valued by all of us. I am given this book 5 stars rather than 4 because it played a significant role in moving me from being ready to quit the world of high tech start-ups to looking forward to new work....more
The first version of this book came out in 1970 at a time that many businesses were downsizing and people in the middle of their careers foundThe first version of this book came out in 1970 at a time that many businesses were downsizing and people in the middle of their careers found themselves out of work. This was in an era that people expected life time employment from large companies. Bolles' book was an encouragement to consider what a job seeker wanted to do for their next season of life. I first read this book with my wife at the start of our careers trying to figure out how to move forward. This book was invaluable in helping us figure out what we wanted to do, and where we wanted to do it. Since then I have periodically picked up updated versions of this book, and repeatedly give this book to point who were working on determining they career path. As a direct result of doing the exercises in this book my wife selected her career, I changed workplaces, and we moved across the country. While this book can be useful to people at any stage of life, it is most helpful to someone who has had sufficient life experience to reflect on what they have done. This book encourages the reader to figure out what they are called to do (a vocation) and do that. The money (or at least enough for you survive) will follow. You might not be rich materially, but you will be rich in experience and quality of life. Sometimes people say do a job you love, but I prefer to say do a job that is meaningful, that has impact, and you you will love the job. When I first worked through the exercises in the early 1990s, I didn't change my career, but I had a deeper sense of purpose in my day to day work experience....more
A very brief book which makes a strong case that the Bible is an accurate record, and can be instrumental in answering the most important question...A very brief book which makes a strong case that the Bible is an accurate record, and can be instrumental in answering the most important question... Who is Jesus and what did he want us to know? The book takes time to discuss how we can evaluate truth claims and how the Bible self-validates itself, e.g. you can trust what's written as being accurate, not some fairy tale. The book examines of the core message of the Bible. The final chapter briefly touching on several sticky questions that are often brought up by people who object to christianity. This is an updated version of the book Christianity: The Faith That Makes Sense. I first encouraged much of this material listing to the author teach. ...more
I read the first edition of this book. This book introduces me to the concept of world views and helps me realize that I interpreted the world throughI read the first edition of this book. This book introduces me to the concept of world views and helps me realize that I interpreted the world through a set of assumptions I wasn't necessarily aware of. It all helped me see some of the basic assumption made by other world views which made it easier to communicate with people who had a world view which differed from me....more
This book captures the spirit of UNIX better than any book I have read. Small, simple programs that do one thing really well glued together. AmazinglyThis book captures the spirit of UNIX better than any book I have read. Small, simple programs that do one thing really well glued together. Amazingly powerful and beautiful....more
Dennis McCallum is one of the founders of the church I attended as a new Christian. This book distills most of the teaching I heard early in myDennis McCallum is one of the founders of the church I attended as a new Christian. This book distills most of the teaching I heard early in my Christian faith about the nature of spiritual growth. These teachings had a significant role in shaping how I view the world and understand what it means to live life as a Christian. To be honest, when I learned this material it was in the form of handouts and articles... this book was written later making use of the materials I learned from. I believe that there are better books for many of the topics that are covered in this book. For example, I think Green Letters by Miles Stanford and Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee has more depth on many of the topics. Release of the Spirit by Watchman Nee and Broken in the Right Places by Alan Nelson gives a much more complete explanation about how trials and suffering refine our character. The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence and A Praying Life by Paul Miller is much better explaining a life of prayer. The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis & John Eldredge is much more effective at capturing the personal nature of a walk with God. Never the less, the materials in this book are extremely valuable in understanding the foundations of basic, Christian spirituality and I can't think of a better book that covers all these topics as well as Walking in Victor....more
Crabb asserts that if you long enough, all your dreams will be shattered, because our dreams are always to small. He wants to give us new, betterCrabb asserts that if you long enough, all your dreams will be shattered, because our dreams are always to small. He wants to give us new, better dreams. These dreams are not necessarily easier or nicer. We live in a broken world so better sometimes looks hard and painful. I was reading this book as my wife was dieing from cancer. It gave me hope that the something good could come from the pain we were in the midst of and it was a good reminder of God's love and the importance of centering life around God's love....more
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