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leswag97's reviews
233 reviews
Collected Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald: Flappers and Philosophers and Tales of the Jazz Age by F. Scott Fitzgerald
3.0
This collection of F. Scott Fitzgerald's short stories is an enjoyable and light read. While Fitzgerald is not my favorite early 20th-century fiction writer (my personal favorite from this time period is Steinbeck), he is funny and lighthearted, and a number of stories contained in this collection I would recommend, like "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Camel's Back," and "The Cut-Glass Bowl," to name a few. My first introduction to Fitzgerald was "The Great Gatsby," which I enjoyed; these shorter stories are not nearly as gripping as that classic, but they do show Fitzgerald's wit, style, and writing skill. I would recommend serious Fitzgerald fans to pick up this collection, but for those who have never read Fitzgerald before, I would recommend beginning with "The Great Gatsby."
Spiritual Formation: Following the Movements of the Spirit by Henri J.M. Nouwen
4.0
Henri Nouwen's "Spiritual Formation" was deeply insightful and helpful. It is recommended that this book be read slowly and thoughtfully, and so I devoted a week to each of the book's seven chapters. At the end of each of the chapters, there are reflection questions and opportunities to journal thoughts down; as someone who can zip through a book quickly, it was difficult at times to take this work so slowly, but it allowed for me to really chew on the meat of the text, and to get something from it that was formational and transformational.
The seven chapters all focus on a "movement." The "movements" that were especially helpful to me were the movement from resentment to gratitude (Chapter Four) and the movement from fear to love (Chapter Five). One of my favorite aspects of this book is Nouwen's incorporation of the spiritual disciple of "visio divina," which is Latin for "sacred seeing." Nouwen includes in this book a number of color reprints of works of art that have been especially helpful to him in his spiritual formation and in these "movements." Some of these works are paintings from Van Gogh, others are icons from throughout Church history, another is a sculpture, and still another is a piece done by members of L'Arche Daybreak in Toronto, Canada. Meditating on and really "seeing" these images were helpful for me as I worked through the course of the book, and were wonderful, concrete examples of the "movements" Nouwen speaks of.
The seven chapters all focus on a "movement." The "movements" that were especially helpful to me were the movement from resentment to gratitude (Chapter Four) and the movement from fear to love (Chapter Five). One of my favorite aspects of this book is Nouwen's incorporation of the spiritual disciple of "visio divina," which is Latin for "sacred seeing." Nouwen includes in this book a number of color reprints of works of art that have been especially helpful to him in his spiritual formation and in these "movements." Some of these works are paintings from Van Gogh, others are icons from throughout Church history, another is a sculpture, and still another is a piece done by members of L'Arche Daybreak in Toronto, Canada. Meditating on and really "seeing" these images were helpful for me as I worked through the course of the book, and were wonderful, concrete examples of the "movements" Nouwen speaks of.
Christian Attitudes Toward War & Peace by Roland H. Bainton
3.0
Originally published in the early 1960s, "Christian Attitudes Toward War & Peace" is a little dated by this time, and the imminent danger of nuclear warfare, although not having disappeared, seems to be less on the consciences of the world's inhabitants. Although cast in the dark shadow of the atomic age, Roland H. Bainton's survey of the history of the Church and its relationship to warfare and peace-making is insightful and helpful. Bainton, a pacifist, devotes the majority of his work to the historical stances of the Church throughout major eras and ages of world history, but allows for his own beliefs and opinions on the subject of war and peace to surface in the final two chapters.
The traditional stances of the Church throughout history have been threefold: adherence to pacifism, to the just war, and to the crusade. I found this book helpful in showing the diversity within the Church in regard to war and peace, primarily after the time of Constantine (prior to Constantine, the majority Christian attitude was one of peace-making and pacifism). The Just War Theory, although the most popular of the traditional stances, proves to be much more of a complex theory when it is taken realistically and pragmatically. When one takes into account the various stipulations required for declaring a war truly "just," one would have to declare "there has never been such a war." It causes me to wonder what stance the majority of Christians, then, espouse? It must be a middle way between the Just War Theory and the crusade; sadly, at times, the crusade seems easier for many Christians in the U.S. to accept, because of a longstanding belief in the myth of a "Christian nation." While I espouse a more pacifist (or "nonviolent") approach, I commend the Just War Theory and would love if truly our wars were waged with a sense of this theory, as I believe it would deter us from the majority of national and international conflict.
The traditional stances of the Church throughout history have been threefold: adherence to pacifism, to the just war, and to the crusade. I found this book helpful in showing the diversity within the Church in regard to war and peace, primarily after the time of Constantine (prior to Constantine, the majority Christian attitude was one of peace-making and pacifism). The Just War Theory, although the most popular of the traditional stances, proves to be much more of a complex theory when it is taken realistically and pragmatically. When one takes into account the various stipulations required for declaring a war truly "just," one would have to declare "there has never been such a war." It causes me to wonder what stance the majority of Christians, then, espouse? It must be a middle way between the Just War Theory and the crusade; sadly, at times, the crusade seems easier for many Christians in the U.S. to accept, because of a longstanding belief in the myth of a "Christian nation." While I espouse a more pacifist (or "nonviolent") approach, I commend the Just War Theory and would love if truly our wars were waged with a sense of this theory, as I believe it would deter us from the majority of national and international conflict.
Black Wall Street by Hannibal Johnson
4.0
Hannibal Johnson's "Black Wall Street" is an important and informative resource for anyone interested in what has taken place in Tulsa, OK, over the last century and beyond. Tracing the roots of the Greenwood District all the way to its Renaissance in the late 20th century, including the horrific Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921, Johnson explores what made Black Wall Street what it was, and how Greenwood might be regained, if only in part. Ultimately, the destruction of the District in 1921, followed by economic decline in the area and urban renewal--otherwise known as "urban removal"--has left many scars not only in Greenwood, but in much of North Tulsa; to say that this is simply "how it goes," or that it is predominantly because of the poor choices of the individuals in those areas, would be naive and ahistorical. It is important for anyone interested in race relations in the U.S. to take a long and hard look at the happenings in Tulsa's Greenwood District; especially for Tulsans, this book is a must-read.
The book is insightful and historically grounded, but Johnson is also an engaging writer. It is a relatively short work, with about 150 pages of main text, which is followed by 100 pages of appendices. I would greatly appreciate a 2nd edition or revised edition of this work, because in the past 20 years since its writing in 1998, much in Tulsa and in Greenwood has changed and taken place. 2020 is a fitting year to read about the history of Greenwood, but also to ask to seek justice for Greenwood, reparations for the African-American community in Tulsa, and to create a Tulsa that is both just and unified. I strongly encourage people in Tulsa to read this book and to face our dark and painful history. #JusticeForGreenwood
The book is insightful and historically grounded, but Johnson is also an engaging writer. It is a relatively short work, with about 150 pages of main text, which is followed by 100 pages of appendices. I would greatly appreciate a 2nd edition or revised edition of this work, because in the past 20 years since its writing in 1998, much in Tulsa and in Greenwood has changed and taken place. 2020 is a fitting year to read about the history of Greenwood, but also to ask to seek justice for Greenwood, reparations for the African-American community in Tulsa, and to create a Tulsa that is both just and unified. I strongly encourage people in Tulsa to read this book and to face our dark and painful history. #JusticeForGreenwood
First, Second, and Third John: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching by D. Moody Smith
4.0
D. Moody Smith's short commentary on the Epistles of John is insightful and a helpful companion to both teachers and preachers alike. Smith draws from the best that Johannine scholarship has to offer and makes it easily accessible in this work (he doesn't even include any footnotes, so as to not take the focus away from the text itself). Most helpful is Smith's discussion about background, historical context, and setting, especially revolving around the First Epistle. Understanding what is happening "behind the scenes" gives modern readers much more of an ability to grasp what the author of these Epistles is saying and what significance it may still have for us today.
The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church's Complicity in Racism by Jemar Tisby
4.0
I voraciously tore through Jemar Tisby’s “The Color of Compromise,” underlining, note-taking, and writing down my own thoughts in the margins. Like the Letter of James in the New Testament, this book at times feels like a punch in the gut or a rude awakening, albeit necessary. It is necessary to wake up, and it is necessary at times to have the wind taken out of you, so that you may be filled up with something new, and that a new understanding of the past, present, and future may appear before your eyes.
In Tisby’s historical survey of the American Church’s complicity in racism, he highlights monumental moments in America’s history where the Church has failed in its call and commission to love God and to love one’s neighbor, and has instead joined herself to prejudice, white supremacy, power, and wealth.
While many American Christians know of and have studied at least in part the horrors of slavery in America, as well as the Civil War, Jim Crow laws, and the Civil Rights Movement of the mid-20th century, few of us who are white or who are in positions of privilege or power (and are therefore not as touched by the lasting effects of centuries of bigotry and racism) have dwelt on our bloody pasts, lamenting what has taken place and asking for forgiveness (from both God and our brothers and sisters we have oppressed, or at least, allowed to suffer). The importance of taking a look at the past is that it informs the present situation, illuminates the struggles, contexts, and backgrounds of one’s neighbors, and it provides guidance and wisdom for the future. My prayer is that whoever reads “The Color of Compromise”—including myself—would utilize it as a tool and a map: a tool for building up, rather than breaking down, each other, as well as a tool for breaking down, rather than building up, the dividing wall of hostility (Eph. 2:14); and a map to lead us into a bright and beautiful future, where we have learned from past mistakes, and can build on new foundations of love and justice.
For many white American Christians, a book such as this might not be at the top of the list; perhaps, because one might view reliving the past is painful; also perhaps, because one may see these as historical problems of the past, and as being no longer problematic for today; or perhaps, because one may not see the issue of racial justice and equality as being orthodox or Gospel-centered. Even in the midst of these initial objections, I encourage you to pick this book up and to dive into its pages, and to see what it may teach you, how it may convict you, and where it might lead you.
In Tisby’s historical survey of the American Church’s complicity in racism, he highlights monumental moments in America’s history where the Church has failed in its call and commission to love God and to love one’s neighbor, and has instead joined herself to prejudice, white supremacy, power, and wealth.
While many American Christians know of and have studied at least in part the horrors of slavery in America, as well as the Civil War, Jim Crow laws, and the Civil Rights Movement of the mid-20th century, few of us who are white or who are in positions of privilege or power (and are therefore not as touched by the lasting effects of centuries of bigotry and racism) have dwelt on our bloody pasts, lamenting what has taken place and asking for forgiveness (from both God and our brothers and sisters we have oppressed, or at least, allowed to suffer). The importance of taking a look at the past is that it informs the present situation, illuminates the struggles, contexts, and backgrounds of one’s neighbors, and it provides guidance and wisdom for the future. My prayer is that whoever reads “The Color of Compromise”—including myself—would utilize it as a tool and a map: a tool for building up, rather than breaking down, each other, as well as a tool for breaking down, rather than building up, the dividing wall of hostility (Eph. 2:14); and a map to lead us into a bright and beautiful future, where we have learned from past mistakes, and can build on new foundations of love and justice.
For many white American Christians, a book such as this might not be at the top of the list; perhaps, because one might view reliving the past is painful; also perhaps, because one may see these as historical problems of the past, and as being no longer problematic for today; or perhaps, because one may not see the issue of racial justice and equality as being orthodox or Gospel-centered. Even in the midst of these initial objections, I encourage you to pick this book up and to dive into its pages, and to see what it may teach you, how it may convict you, and where it might lead you.
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
5.0
A page turner, to say the least. This book was astounding, profound, and heartbreaking. The themes of William Golding’s dark tale are sobering, but they are made all the more powerful in light of his host of characters: a rugged, scared, and foolish crowd of young boys.
The dialogue between these boys helped in carrying the narrative forward, and in a manner that was interesting and captivating, for it was not the boring chatter of adults, but the ignorant, funny, and petty discourse between children. The characters were developed nicely and believably. Although the story in and of itself is fictitious, and therefore could lend itself to being far-fetched, when reading “Lord of the Flies,” familiar phrases such as “the survival of the fittest,” and “boys will be boys” become all too true and all too ominous.
The story excellently portrays the faults within humanity—even “civilized” British boys—and how greed, desire for power, hatred, fear, and a will to survive all can serve to create within each man or woman, boy or girl, monstrous tendencies and bestial appetites. Golding’s work is not to be overlooked.
The dialogue between these boys helped in carrying the narrative forward, and in a manner that was interesting and captivating, for it was not the boring chatter of adults, but the ignorant, funny, and petty discourse between children. The characters were developed nicely and believably. Although the story in and of itself is fictitious, and therefore could lend itself to being far-fetched, when reading “Lord of the Flies,” familiar phrases such as “the survival of the fittest,” and “boys will be boys” become all too true and all too ominous.
The story excellently portrays the faults within humanity—even “civilized” British boys—and how greed, desire for power, hatred, fear, and a will to survive all can serve to create within each man or woman, boy or girl, monstrous tendencies and bestial appetites. Golding’s work is not to be overlooked.
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
5.0
"Just Mercy" was a fantastic account of the amazing work done by Bryan Stevenson and the Equal Justice Initiative. It is a must read for any person committed to the work of anti-racism and justice. Told from the perspective of Stevenson, a black lawyer who, after graduating from Harvard School of Law, began practicing law in Alabama, specifically for those on death row, those wrongfully convicted of crimes, and juveniles tried as adults and sentenced to capital punishment or life in prison without parole. The work detailed in this book is heartbreaking, beautiful, and so important. The journey that Stevenson takes you on not only exposes the criminal justice (or injustice) system for what it is, but also advocates for life, restorative and rehabilitative justice, and mercy for those that need it the most.
While the main story of "Just Mercy" covers Bryan Stevenson's work with a wrongfully convicted black man named Walter McMillian, who was placed on death row for a murder he did not commit, the book veers in many different directions, encompassing the entirety of the work that the Equal Justice Initiative does. The statistics and realities shared by Stevenson in these pages are appalling and hard to read, but they are necessary for showing simply how unjust our justice system can be; one can see from Stevenson's first-hand retellings how the "system of criminal justice ... continues to treat people better if they are rich and guilty than if they are poor and innocent" (313). Decrying mandatory sentence requirements, racial profiling and racial disparities within the criminal justice system, the age of mass incarceration, and the death penalty, Stevenson ultimately shows that the "The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned” (18), and that all of us are far more than simply the worst thing we have ever done.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough, and I also encourage anyone thinking about reading this book to also watch the movie based on the book, also titled "Just Mercy," which was released at the end of 2019. Also, check out all the amazing work that Bryan Stevenson and the Equal Justice Initiative are currently doing at their website: eji.org.
While the main story of "Just Mercy" covers Bryan Stevenson's work with a wrongfully convicted black man named Walter McMillian, who was placed on death row for a murder he did not commit, the book veers in many different directions, encompassing the entirety of the work that the Equal Justice Initiative does. The statistics and realities shared by Stevenson in these pages are appalling and hard to read, but they are necessary for showing simply how unjust our justice system can be; one can see from Stevenson's first-hand retellings how the "system of criminal justice ... continues to treat people better if they are rich and guilty than if they are poor and innocent" (313). Decrying mandatory sentence requirements, racial profiling and racial disparities within the criminal justice system, the age of mass incarceration, and the death penalty, Stevenson ultimately shows that the "The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned” (18), and that all of us are far more than simply the worst thing we have ever done.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough, and I also encourage anyone thinking about reading this book to also watch the movie based on the book, also titled "Just Mercy," which was released at the end of 2019. Also, check out all the amazing work that Bryan Stevenson and the Equal Justice Initiative are currently doing at their website: eji.org.