Tag Archives: Books

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Midnight At The Tuscany Hotel by James Markert

A Book Review for The Randleman Review

I have read and enjoyed several of the novels written by James Markert over the last few years. His writing style is fun and engaging, and his ability to capture my attention and hold it is pretty steady. With this novel, however, I had a harder time staying connected to it for some reason.

For the life of me, I cannot point to anything I didn’t like about Midnight At The Tuscany Hotel. It just didn’t grab my attention like his other novels have. Don’t get me wrong, the story line was great, and it was an intriguing plot, set in a time period I love, and had an air of the mystical with an emphasis on Greek mythology. I loved that part of it.

All in all, it was a great book. I just had a difficult time staying engaged for whatever reason. I may come back to this book in a year or two and read it again, and probably enjoy it immensely. At that point, I will probably be able to enjoy it more fully.

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The Maxwell Leadership Bible

A Book Review for The Randleman Review

The Maxwell Leadership BibleI have been a longtime fan and reader of the leadership material produced by John Maxwell.

I was first introduced to Maxwell at an InJoy conference several years ago that our ministry staff went to in the Kansas City area, and was immediately hooked. Since that time, I have read several of his books, and gained a lot of leadership abilities from doing so.

Maxwell spent the first portion of his career in ministry, and that influenced a lot of his leadership abilities. Drawing lessons from the Word of God was a natural connection, and an excellent source of foundational material for successful leadership. Seeing a need in contemporary society for leadership, and recognizing the void that existed in this area, Maxwell began to implement biblical principles into the leadership framework, and has since become a mainstay in the leadership community.

It was only natural, then, to produce a Bible with footnotes based on a theme of leadership. Inside The Leadership Bible, Maxwell has given overviews of each book, with emphasis on leadership material found within that book. From there, on various pages throughout Scripture, you can find various examples of the Laws of Leadership, and leadership profiles of people found within the pages of God’s Word.

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Life Plan Review

Staying On Top Of The Greater Things

Several years ago, I developed a Life Plan, outlining the most important aspects of my life, and what I wanted to achieve in each of those areas. Periodically, I take the time to review that plan, in order to make sure I stay on track.

Life Plan Review

I was first introduced to the idea of a Life Plan by Michael Hyatt, through his blog on leadership. At that point, he was the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, and was striving to help others develop their leadership abilities on the side. Since then, he has made his leadership platform his main work, and has developed it into a full time business.

His blog and podcast are full of great leadership resources. Most of these are designed for the corporate or business mind, but there is a lot of overlap into the church as well. I find a lot of his resources to be extremely helpful, to the point of being almost invaluable.

One such resource is the development of my Life Plan. I initially wrote out a detailed plan for my life around 2011, identifying those areas of my life that were most important to me, and striving to make them the best that they can be.

I have written about this before, describing what a Life Plan looks like, and how I have fit it into my life.

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The Wiersbe Study Bible

A Book Review for The Randleman Review

The Wiersbe Study BibleThe first time I was introduced to the writing of Warren W. Wiersbe was when I was a student at Ozark Christian College, in a preaching class. One of our assigned readings was a small book called Elements Of Preaching. It was simple and yet profound, and formed some of the basis upon which I still craft my sermons and lessons twenty-five years later.

It didn’t take me long to track down a few other books by Wiersbe to add to my library, each as helpful as that first one. When I saw that there was a new Wiersbe Study Bible, I was immediately interested in looking it over. And I was not disappointed.

Of course, the text of the Bible is not what is on review here; it is the study notes that accompany the text itself. And these notes are phenomenal. Warren Wiersbe has a very intellectual mind, and that is very apparent in any of his books that I have read over the years. But these notes, while containing much that is challenging to the thought process, also remain very approachable and are not above the head of the average Bible reader.

The Wiersbe Study Bible has several great features that can help anyone striving to learn more about the Bible. Each book has a detailed introduction and an outline. Along with the overview, each book contains a section called “Be Transformed,” which is a practical application section, outlining several key aspects of each book for daily growth. Add to this the study notes, special notes, and cross references, and you have an excellent tool for spiritual growth.

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The Baggage Handler by David Rawlings

A Book Review for The Randleman Review

The Baggage HandlerFiction is fun to read, but when fiction has a point to it, that seems to make it even better. Some of my favorite examples of this are novels written by Andy Andrews, such as The Traveler’s Gift, The Noticer, and The Heart Mender. In that vein, David Rawlings has written a fictional novel with a solid point in his book The Baggage Handler.

The premise is simple. Three different people have their baggage mixed up by an airline. Each of them are struggling with significant issues in their immediate lives. As they arrive at the location where they can receive the correct baggage, they each meet the Baggage Handler. This young man speaks some pointed truths into each of their lives that they may not have wanted to hear, but they needed to hear.

The Baggage Handler is a quick and easy book to read, but as the pages turned, I realized that Rawlings holds some deep insights into more lives than just the three fictional lives presented in his book. The truths he presents are simple, yet profound, and the impacted my thoughts in a way that was fresh and gave some new perspective to some of the baggage that I find myself carrying in my own life.

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Digital Minimalism

Takeaways From The March LeaderBooks Selection

I recently joined a book club designed for leadership building called LeaderBooks. The book selected for March was Digital Minimalism, by Cal Newport. Here are a few of my thoughts concerning the book, and my reactions to it.

Digital Minimalism

Our culture is noisy, and a voice of reason in the midst of that noise is needed. Cal Newport strives to be that voice with his book Digital Minimalism. The subtitle seems highly appropriate for the culture we live in: Choosing A Focused Life In A Noisy World.

The premise Newport begins with is that we have been hooked by the digital conglomerates that operate in our world, and we are no longer the user being targeted with need to fulfill. No, we are the product being sold, and our consistent tapping, clicking and swiping is an addictive habit that is designed to keep our attention focused in on the apps we use. Because, the longer we use them, the more money they make.

In response to this, Newport calls for a heavily moderated digital detox. His approach is simple. First, remove all optional digital use from your life for thirty days. After that time, as you allow certain products back in, evaluate just how effective they are at meeting your needs, and if there is a better tool, use it instead. Then, finally, you set the parameters that it can operate under. The digital product no longer has mastery; you do.

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Your Money, Your Marriage by Cherie & Brian Lowe

A Book Review for The Randleman Review

Your Money Your MarriageOne of the areas I love to read about is the area of marriage and family. I have quite an extensive library on these subjects, and am always looking for more great resources in both areas. So when I saw a book that dealt with finances, and how it impacts a marriage, I was instantly interested.

However, I was in for a disappointment. Your Money, Your Marriage had all the potential of being a great asset and help, but it fell far short of that mark. The book was full of what I’m sure were supposed to witty remarks, but felt more like inside jokes and sly innuendo. It got to the point where I dreaded picking it back up, fearing what I might find as I read on.

However, I hate to leave a book unfinished, in the hopes that it might turn around and offer something beneficial, so I plodded on, continuing to read along. I’m sure that some people will love the style in which this is written, probably even gaining a lot from it. I found nothing that I felt was inaccurate or wrong, I just could not relate to the manner in which it was put forth.

Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this book. There are better books and programs out there, on the subjects of both money and marriage. I’d begin with those, and go from there. In fact, I’d venture that there are even some books that wed the two topics together well.