i’m overdue for some book reviews, and will be posting reviews of 23 books this week. as i’ve done in the past, i’m posting two sentence book reviews. in each case, the first sentence is a summary of the book; and the second sentence is my thoughts on the book. i include a 1 – 5 star rating also. and occasionally, i’ll have an additional note.
today’s reviews include 6 nonfiction books:
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, by Steven Pressfield
5+ stars
understand and overcome your internal resistances to creative output. this is a must-read for anyone doing sort of work that is even remotely creative, which, really, should be pretty much all of us.
Homeschool Sex Machine: Babes, Bible Quiz, and the Clinton Years, by Matthew Pierce
4 stars
self-published, hilarious, autobiographical stories from the author’s teen years. so, so funny (particularly for those of us who grew up in the sometimes odd world of christendom); my only complaint was that i wanted it to be three times longer.
Finding the Space to Lead: A Practical Guide to Mindful Leadership, by Janice Marturano
4 stars
the subtitle says it all: this book is about learning how to be present in the context of leaders. easy to read through a christian meditation lens, i found this book to be wonderfully helpful, and have used it now with a couple of my coaching groups.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot
5 stars
well-researched history and science about the most common cells in medical research, which were harvested, without permission, from a poor black woman. i’ve rarely read a book with such a stellar combination of science and story, all written in a compelling and accessible style with tons of subtext and ethical challenges.
The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons: The History of the Human Brain as Revealed by True Stories of Trauma, Madness, and Recovery, by Sam Kean
5 stars
the history of neuroscience, told via fascinating case studies. if you’ve ever thought about reading a book to understand the human brain better, but were worried it would be too technical or boring, this is the book you should read.
In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette, by Hampton Sides
4.5 stars
exquisitely detailed history of a failed polar voyage in the late 1800s. the quantity of detail was so well crafted that it never left me wanting less.
on deck for tomorrow: five church ministry and youth ministry-related books