good and profitable

This page is under construction- be patient 

I will add recommendations and reviews of books that I have read or that I am in the process of reading.   One of the purposes of the this page is so that I might be able to keep track of what I have read.  For the benefit of others, sometime in the future I would like to include some sort of rating system.  The fact that a book is in the list of books I’ve read, certainly does not mean it was a good book or that I liked it (or that you should read it). 

February –

The Long Walk – Slavomir Rawicz

This book was lent to me by a friend.  It tells the story of a Polish officier that was sent to a Siberian work camp under very questionable charges.  He along with five others escaped and walked from Siberia to India.  The book often remined me of Endurance, the story of Ernest Shakleton.  Although not as well written, I was again amazed at what the human body is able to endure!  This book was one that I could not put down and caused a couple of very late nights.

January, 2008 –

Take the Risk by Ben Carson — Along with his strategy for evaluating risk, Mr. Carson includes his story of a single Mom in Detroit who was determined to make her boys read.  He is now the head of Pediatric Neurology at Johns Hopkins and is on the board of major corporations.

The World and Richard Nixonby Carl Sulzberger

Studies on the Person of Christ by James Stalker

December, 2007 –

One Blood by Ken Ham, Carl Wieland and Don Batten

This will be the second time for this one.  I was prompted to read it again by an individuals inquiry concerning inter-racial marriage.  This time around I would like to take a closer look and use this study as a spring board for a message or a series of messages.  Unfortunately, Sunday is still one of the most segregated days of the week.

November, 2007–

Shaking of Adventism by Geoffrey Paxton

This book was originally written by a Reformed pastor (Anglican) in Austrailia as his doctrinal desertation.  Primarily he was examining the claim of the 7th Day Adventist claims that they were taking the baton from the reformers that was dropped for several hunderd years.  Mr. Paxton chronicles the infighting over the doctrine of justification by faith within the 7th Day Adventist movement.  Unfortunately for the Adventist Church, they never seemed to pick up that baton and when it was presented to them by some of their own scholars they pushed it away.  As one would expect with a doctoral disortation, this book is very well documented.

 October 2007 —

Behind the Curtain

This book describes life in East Germany before the wall came down.  It is written by a psychiatrist that lived there during that time.  He makes some interesting observations.  He also draws some off the wall conclusions and so-called solutions.  I said it was written by a psychiatrist.

I am also reading The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey.  This is a great common sense approach to finances.  I wish I would have had the knowledge, determination and discipline to apply these long standing principles when I first got married.  But prayerfully I will plod ahead with “gazelle intensity,” (to quote the author). 

Books I’ve Read –

Please Note — I am trying to go through and chronicle what books I have read and what books I should read.  I will continue to add to the list.  I hope to include more information and even link each book to Amazon.  I will update and give reviews later.

Christianity and Religion –

The Life and Diary of David Brainerd

Peace Child — The first book that I read after getting saved (aside from the Bible).

Daktar: Diplomat in Bangledesh – The second book that I read after getting saved (I stopped keeping track after this).

Changed into His Image by Jim Berg

Desiring God – John Piper

Future Grace – John Piper

Let The Nations Be Glad! – John Piper

Preaching to a Dying Nation –R.L. Hymers

Today’s Apostasy: How decisionism is destroying our churches–R.L. Hymers

Prayer – Asking and Receiving — John R. Rice

Favorite Reference Books –

Bible Knowledge Commentary Strongs Exhaustive ConcordanceVines Expository Dictionary of New Testament WordsWuests word studiesMatthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole BibleFamily – Shepherding a Child’s HeartFormula For Family Unity — Dr. Walter FremontReforming Marriage — Douglas WilsonFuture Men — Douglas WilsonFederal Husband — Douglas Wilson

Eichman Interogated

For Those I Loved — Martin Gray — Several years ago my Mother handed me this book as a “must read.”  It is the story of survival.  Martin Gray went from a Polish Jew in the Warsaw Ghetto to an export/importer in the US and many places in between.  He went from nothing to everthing and back to nothing again.  I believe that there was a movie made based on the book, but I have never seen it.

The Nazi Seizure of Power

Endurance — I ran across this book about ten years ago at a used book store.  I read it in two days.  Since then I have read it two more times.  I made my son read it and he has read it at least two times.  I have recommended it to others and have never gotten a negative review.  My wife has given me two large illustrated books on Shackleton’s adveture.  Several years back James Dobson published some sort of special edition of the book.    I am still fascinated by this story of survival.  This were men’s men!

The Irish Famine

1776

What Hath God Wrought

The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom

Fiction –

While on vacation I usually try to read one of Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt series.  Yeah, they can sometimes be a bit corny, and unrealistic, but I said I was on vacation didn’t I!