Jan 29 2010

In the Mail: When Turtles Fly

When Turtles Fly: Secrets of Successful People Who Know How To Stick Their Necks Out by Nikki Stone

Description

Did you know you have better odds at winning the lottery than an Olympic medal? To bring home one of those coveted medals–or achieve any great personal goal in life–you need a lot more than luck. You need a game plan.What if you could learn the secrets of success from an Olympian? A Nobel Prize winner? A Fortune 500 CEO? Olympic gold medalist Nikki Stone has compiled a treasure trove of compelling stories to illustrate each step on the path to success. She’s gathered humorous, heartwarming and hugely inspirational tales from some of today’s most brilliant business leaders, scientists, soldiers, inventors, philanthropists, musicians, athletes and entrepreneurs…a host of people whose very names epitomize achievement. Winners such as: * Designer Tommy Hilfiger * Prince Albert of Monaco * X-Games& Olympic Champion Shaun White * NFL Quarterback Steve Young * Musician Jazz Branford Marsalis * Best-selling Author Dr. Stephen Covey * Olympic star Skiing Lindsey Vonn * Celebrity Chef Todd English * Venture Capitalist Leading Vinod Khosla * And many more successful greats

Now an acclaimed motivational speaker and peak performance coach, author Nikki Stone helps people in all walks of life to overcome fears, failures and plateaus and realize their full potential. In this step-by-step guide to success, she and her team of high achievers share their stories about reaching for dreams…and grasping them. 25% of the author’s net proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to the American Cancer Society

By Kevin Holtsberry • In The Mail • 1 • Tags: , ,

Jan 27 2010

The Marne, 1914: The Opening of World War I and the Battle That Changed the World by Holger Herwig

Most people’s knowledge of World War I centers around trench warfare – where waves of men climbed out of trenches and were mowed down by machine guns and massed artillery. This was certainly the case for a majority of the war on the Western Front – but, not in the beginning. In the beginning, the action was more fluid and territory was conquered quickly (especially for the Germans) – men were still slaughtered in the thousands.

Holger Herwig captures this action in his book entitled : The Marne, 1914: The Opening of World War I and the Battle That Changed the World. The title is a bit deceiving because it covers more than the epic battle between the French/British against the Germans in early Septemeber 1914. Herwig discusses the plans that the Germans and the French had if a war was to commence between the two countries. The German plan – Schlieffen – called for a large flanking movement around the French Army through Belgium. The French plan – Plan XVII – called for the French to assault the German-occupied Alsace and Lorraine regions and then invade Germany itself.

By Jeff Grim • Reviews • 0 • Tags: , , , ,

Jan 22 2010

Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris

Dug Down Deep – Unearthing What I Believe and Why It Matters by Joshua Harris is part of the WaterBrook Multnomah Blogging for Books program. I wanted to read it because I am inerested in theology and “orthodoxy” and I wanted to see what the author has been up to since his claim to fame writing about dating.

Dug Down Deep is basically an argument for the importance of theology and a primer on the basics of the Christian faith.  Harris argues that orthodox theology is important because only by “right thinking” can we find salvation and live out our faith. Wrong theology undermines faith and growth.

But it is a mix of argument and storytelling. He both outlines key theological points, and discusses why they are important, and tells the story of his spiritual growth from evangelical wonder kid to pastor.

All in all it is a engaging and honest call to take theology seriously and to integrate into our lives not as just knowledge but as a necessary part of living out our faith.

More thoughts below.

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By Kevin Holtsberry • Reviews • 0 • Tags: , , , , , ,

Jan 21 2010

In the Mail: The Spartacus War

The Spartacus War by Barry Strauss

Publishers Weekly

No one presents the military history of the ancient world with greater insight and panache than Strauss (The Trojan War). His latest work tells the story of a slave from the Balkans, a gladiator who in 73 B.C. led an uprising of 700 gladiators that eventually attracted over 60,000 followers. Strauss depicts Spartacus as a charismatic politician, able to hold together a widely disparate coalition of Celts, Thracians, Germans and Italians. As a general, he was a master of maneuver and mobility, keeping the ponderous Romans consistently off balance. Strauss reconstructs the rebels’ movements across southern Italy and their development into an army good enough to overcome Rome’s legions in battle after battle. Not until Marcus Licinius Crassus was given command of Roman forces did Spartacus face an opponent who could match him. Spartacus forced a battle that resulted in complete defeat and his anonymous death. But the uprising he sparked left a permanent mark on the Roman psyche and made Spartacus himself a figure of myth as well as history, as Strauss shows at the end of this brisk, engrossing account.

By Kevin Holtsberry • In The Mail • 1 • Tags: , , , ,

Jan 18 2010

31 Hours by Masha Hamilton

I was practically bullied into reading 31 Hours. So many people on Twitter were gushing about it and the folks at Unbridled Books were obviously excited about it. When I was able to get an ARC at Net Galley I figured I should just give in to the peer pressure.

Like most things in my life these days, it took me a while to get it together but I finally managed to read it. And I am glad I did as it was an enjoyable and interesting read. But I had a host of reactions from a variety of angles that led to an ambivalent conclusion.

So I will try to organize my thoughts by themes or perspectives.

First the basics. As you might have guessed from the title, the story takes place over 31 hours. The central character is Jonas Meitzner a 21-year old who has dropped out of college and who – lonely, emotional and confused – connected with Islamic terrorists in New York City.  The story relates the hours as he prepares to complete a suicide mission in the heart of the city.

Interwoven in with the story of Jonas are the lives of his friends, family and potential victims: his divorced parents, his high school best friend turned recent lover (and her family), and a homeless panhandler who makes his living on the subway system Jonas plans to attack.

My semi-organized thoughts below …

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By Kevin Holtsberry • Reviews • 1 • Tags: , , , , , , ,

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