Tag Archives: Review

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Contest Giveaway! The Last Plea Bargain by Randy Singer

Recently I read and reviewed Randy Singer’s new book, The Last Plea Bargain. I thoroughly enjoyed this legal thriller. You can read my review for more details. You can also read a special Q & A session with the author, Randy Singer.

Tyndale Publishing Company is promoting The Last Plea Bargain with a blog tour, of which JeffRandleman.com is a part. One of the features of this blog tour promotion is the opportunity for me to give away a copy of The Last Plea Bargain.

So, over the next week, I will conduct a contest to determine a worthy recipient for a copy of The Last Plea Bargain.

The Last Plea Bargain

This is not a typical book giveaway. Rather than giving away the actual book, we will be giving away gift certificates good for a copy of the book from the winner’s local Christian bookstore. If the winner does not live near a Christian store, or the store won’t accept it for some reason, it can be redeemed direct through Tyndale. All of the instructions will be on the back of the certificate. Along with the certificate, the winner will also receive a signed bookplate from Randy Singer. Tyndall Publishers will handle the mailing of the certificate and book plate. I will notify Tyndale of the winner, giving them the winner’s name and address.

Here are the rules:

  • You must leave a comment in the comment section below.
  • You must retweet this post on Twitter or on Facebook.
  • The winner will be selected at random from the comments section of this post using an automated generator, such as Random.org. Comment as many times as you like, however, each person will be entered into the contest only once.
  • This contest is limited to US winners only. Sorry for any inconvenience to international readers.
  • The contest will end at midnight on Sunday, April 1. The winner will be announced on Monday, April 2.

Comment away!

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Book Review – Living Close To God by Gene Edwards

Living Close To GodGene Edwards has recently released a new book that is described as a way to grow into a spiritual life that takes you deeper than daily devotions.

Edwards is a self-proclaimed doer. As such, he has always had a tough time with the various methods of “being” a Christian. In order to deepen his relationship with Christ, he had to figure out a way to do this that matched his personality.

In Living Close To God (When You’re Not Good At It), Edwards describes just how he has done this.

While there was much in this book that was excellent, very little of his strategy resonated with me. I’m quite content to sit with my Bible and read for hours; and gain much from it. I’m probably the exact opposite of who he wrote this book for.

But the strategies that he describes look to be something that would work well for those who has a similar disposition as Edwards. He has also included two study guides, one for groups, and another for individuals to utilize to help them familiarize themselves with the practices outlined here.

All in all, Living Close To God (When You’re Not Good At It) seems to be a great resource for deepening the spiritual life, and one I’m glad to have on my shelf.

Do you have trouble living close to God on a daily basis? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you are interested in reading Living Close To God (When You’re Not Good At It), by Gene Edwards, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Multnomah Books as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. 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.“

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Book Review: The Coming Revolution by Dr. Richard G. Lee

The Coming RevolutionI’ve never really had much of an interest in politics. But with the gradual process of turning away from the faith of the Founding Fathers in America, my resolve has been challenged.

And after reading The Coming Revolution, I feel more challenged than ever to get involved.

Dr. Lee feels that we are on the verge of a revolution. Not a physical or a violent revolution like the American Revolution, but a revolution nonetheless. With several years spent studying American history and current issues, he feels that the signs are right for a change.

I have to admit, I agree for the most part.

Lee starts off by addressing the needs he sees in the current state of our government. And after tracing our nation’s roots from Plymouth Rock through the Revolutionary War, he shows us just what we’ve let slip away.

The question is, can we get it back?

Dr. Lee believes that we can. And I agree. Most of us can agree; there is a huge need facing our country right now. How we respond to it is critical. The problem lies in the fact that most people don’t think they need to respond. Apathy and complacency are rampant; someone else will step up, or things aren’t as bad as they seem.

But a response is needed. Who will take the initiative and step forward to get involved? Who will be the one to say “enough is enough”? What will be left of the great nation of the United States to hand to our children if we don’t do something about it now?

With an election approaching, the time is ripe for more and more people to let our elected representatives know how we feel. The time is ripe for a return to the faith of our Founding Fathers.

It’s time to step up. It’s time to get involved.

Most of the books I’ve read like this stop right there. The need is explained, a call is issued, and the book ends. But in The Coming Revolution, Lee takes this one step farther. He describes just what we can do to get involved and make America great again. He dedicates and entire chapter explaining different ways to get involved.

I know what I’m going to do. Do you?

Do you think we’ve drifted away from the principles of our Founding Fathers? If so, what can we do to restore America? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you are interested in reading The Coming Revolution, by Dr. Richard G. Lee, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. 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.“

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Book Review: 4 Days To A Forever Marriage by Gary & Norma Smalley

4 Days To A Forever MarriageWhen New Leaf Press sent me a copy of Dr. Gary Smalley’s newest book, 4 Days To A Forever Marriage, I was pretty excited.

I had read a few reviews of the book already, and was looking forward to getting a copy of my own to read.

I was not disappointed.

While the idea of improving your marriage in four days seems overly optimistic, the principles found here are priceless. These four steps are essential to creating a marriage environment that will succeed. However, in my experience, it will take a lot longer than four days to implement them fully. It may take me closer to 40 days.

That being said, I loved the book for it’s excellent material, and it’s easy readability. Crafted in such a fashion that you can read each chapter quickly and easily, each chapter contains input and material from both Gary and Norma. And the publishers have taken key statements and phrases and made them tweetable.

Subtitled Choosing Love Or Anger, the Smalleys have developed four action steps that will help build any marriage: Loving Words and Actions, Communication and Resolving Anger, Affection and Intimacy, and Trials and Treasures.

While each of these four areas are excellent in and of themselves, there are treasure troves of information and resources included in the back of the book; everything from rules for fighting to romance on a tight budget.

4 Days To A Forever Marriage is excellent! It will definitely be one of my go-to books on marriage.

I recommend that you pick up a copy today. It will be an excellent resource for any marriage relationship, whether just starting off, or seasoned by time. Grab a copy and read it. You won’t be sorry!

What is the best book on marriage you’ve ever read? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you are interested in reading 4 Days To A Forever Marriage, by Dr. Gary & Norma Smalley, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from New Leaf Press/Master Books as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. 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.“

 

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Book Review: Go Big by Cory Cotton

Go BigHave you ever seen the shelf full of self-help books found in most book stores? Those shelves are stocked with books full of generic sounding advice and input concerning how to do whatever it is you want to find out how to do.

Go Big belongs on that shelf.

Let me amend that statement just a bit: If I had to rate Go Big on a scale of one to five, I would give it a two and a four.

I would give it a two.
The content is just weak. It’s the same stuff you hear from all the self-help gurus out there: “Do this, so you will be successful at this…” There wasn’t really anything new and enlightening in this book. And on top of that, reading it was difficult because it felt disjointed; it didn’t flow well.

I would give it a four.
The story of Dude Perfect told in Go Big was somewhat interesting, from a biographical perspective. But what was really fun were the QR codes scattered throughout the book that would take you to various websites and videos. I’m not much of a basketball fan, but watching their trick shots was pretty entertaining. And having the ability to scan the QR code with my iPhone and watch the video right then was pretty cool. However, there were more than a few links that either didn’t work at all, or linked to the same video as a previous one did.

Overall, I wasn’t greatly impressed with Go Big. If you’re into basketball or the trick shot scene, you might find it interesting, but otherwise, don’t spend the money for this book. You can get the same information from a lot of other places.

Now, I’m going to go out and shoot a few trick shots, just to see how hard it really is.

Have you read Go Big? What did you think? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers as part of their Blogger Review 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.“

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Book Review: The World Of Science

The World Of ScienceMaster Books recently sent me two new resources: The World Of Animals and The World Of Science.

I am completely enthralled with both of them!

The World Of Science is mind blowing! Covering a wide variety of topics, from the atomic level to the vast reaches of space, The World Of Science does it all.

Each topic is written so that kids can understand it easily, and so can adults! I gained more from the section on electricity and magnetism than I’ve ever been able to comprehend before.

Each section is illustrated with stunning pictures and diagrams that allow you to grasp easily the subject being discussed.

The best part about The World Of Science is section 7, which contains dozens of science experiments that are simple to perform.  My kids already have a list formed of which ones they want to do first!

As a homeschool resource, The World Of Science is worth its weight in gold!

I highly recommend that you add this book to your library right away. You won’t regret it at all!

Have you ever done any science experiments? What did you do? How did it turn out? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you are interested in utilizing The World Of Science, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from New Leaf Press/Master Books as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. 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.“

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Book Review: The World Of Animals

The World Of AnimalsThe World Of Animals is a fascinating resource!

With over 1000 animals included, The World Of Animals takes a look at their anatomy, behavior and habits.

This book is simply incredible! It breaks the animal world down into seven categories: simple animals; worms, snails and starfish; insects and other arthropods; fish; amphibians and reptiles; birds; and mammals.

Each category is then broken down into numerous sub-topics.These are examined in great detail, but without being overly scientific.

Each page is filled with excellent content and easy-to-read descriptions, and is covered with eye-catching graphics, images, and illustrations.

My kids will absolutely love browsing through this resource, turning page after page, digesting the details about scores of God’s animal creations.

And my wife will love the potential The World Of Animals brings to our homeschool classroom. With excellent information at our fingertips, it will mean less trips to the library looking for information for reports and essays.

The World Of Animals wold make an excellent addition to any home with children, whether you homeschool or not. The entertainment and excitement of learning about so many varieties of animals is well worth it.

What is your favorite animal? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you are interested in utilizing the The World Of Animals, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from New Leaf Press/Master Books as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. 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.“