Take a photo of a barcode or cover
thekband's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this book was well thought out and intriguing. A friend of mine lent it to me and I only have a week with it so I devoured it. I'm not sure about some of the books, but there are a couple there that are definitely worth discussing and looking into further. And they're right: not all the books are great books, but even the bad books are helping create Christian culture. I love that they included poetry and plays. I don't usually ever buy books, but I purchased this one last night and am looking forward to tackling some of these books on with either friends or, in the future, hopefully a son or two. I think this will be a good resource. Can't wait to mark mine up as much as my friend Megan has hers.
tiffanyslack's review
4.0
I am a great lover of books-about-books and a librarian at a public Christian library, so when I came across this title, I couldn't pass it up. I discovered one of the authors, John Pattison, when one of my favorite book bloggers referenced an article he had written in 2017 about where to start if you are new to the works of Wendell Berry. (I am a huge fan of Berry, so I took note).
There is much to commend this book, and I hope a glance at the Table of Contents will not scare too many away. However, if you are someone who thinks Christians should only read Christian books, then this is probably not for you.
This is much more than just a list of books. There is a short essay for each book, describing the book and why it was included. Many people apparently contributed to the development of this book and the essays themselves, so a variety of perspectives is represented. It was affirming to see many of my personal favorites included, and the essays served to bump-up many of the books I know of but haven't read higher on my TBR list. I was very pleasantly surprised to be introduced to a number of new-to-me books and authors, too. The essays definitely made a difference in that regard.
Of course, there were several books where I didn't agree with the justification for including them, and I lamented the absence of several books that I would have included that weren't. There were other books, such as The Fountainhead, that I most likely will never find worthy of my reading time, but I appreciated the essay on how it has contributed to culture.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this to a discerning reader interested in developing a rich understanding of Christian thought and the intersections with modern culture.
There is much to commend this book, and I hope a glance at the Table of Contents will not scare too many away. However, if you are someone who thinks Christians should only read Christian books, then this is probably not for you.
This is much more than just a list of books. There is a short essay for each book, describing the book and why it was included. Many people apparently contributed to the development of this book and the essays themselves, so a variety of perspectives is represented. It was affirming to see many of my personal favorites included, and the essays served to bump-up many of the books I know of but haven't read higher on my TBR list. I was very pleasantly surprised to be introduced to a number of new-to-me books and authors, too. The essays definitely made a difference in that regard.
Of course, there were several books where I didn't agree with the justification for including them, and I lamented the absence of several books that I would have included that weren't. There were other books, such as The Fountainhead, that I most likely will never find worthy of my reading time, but I appreciated the essay on how it has contributed to culture.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this to a discerning reader interested in developing a rich understanding of Christian thought and the intersections with modern culture.
hanlaub's review against another edition
3.0
When I received this book I was very intrigued about what books would make the list. As a Theology and Bible major I had a tentative list in my mind of books that I thought should be on the list. For the most part the list as included in the book. I was a little disappointed at times because I thought the discussion on some of the books should be a little longer. It is understandable because the book would have been significantly longer if the length of each book summary was longer. Overall I thought a good starting point for those looking to widen their horizons in the field of Bible and Theology.