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The Book of the Shepherd: The Story of One Simple Prayer, and How It Changed the World
Author:
Book Type: Hardcover
4
Author:
Book Type: Hardcover
4
Review Date: 2/7/2010
I just finished reading âThe Book of the Shepherdâ by Joann Davis. It is an odd little bookâ¦one that I have mixed feelings about. But even with my mixed feelings, I can say that there is much good to be learned from this book.
This book is written like a fable and is a very quick read. It may have over 180 pages but because of the way it is laid out, it can be read in 1-2 sittings. It chronicles the tale of a shepherd named Joshua. Joshua is troubled by the harsh code of âan eye for an eyeâ that governs his world. He has a dream in which he is called to find a ânew wayâ, so he sets off on a journey to learn the new way. Along the way, Joshua picks up two others who travel with him and together they encounter an interesting cast of characters. With each encounter along the journey, they learn a valuable lesson. Finally, they reach the end of the journey, find the ânew wayâ and take their changed lives back to their world.
This book is based on The Prayer of Saint Francis and the good learned from that prayer is worth the read. But, I will say that the story is quite simple and lacks a âfullnessâ that you find in most books. I wouldn't pay the $19.99 list priceâ¦but used copies are now available on amazon.com for $2-3 and for that price, it is worth the read.
I give âThe Book of the Shepherdâ 3 stars out of 5.
This book is written like a fable and is a very quick read. It may have over 180 pages but because of the way it is laid out, it can be read in 1-2 sittings. It chronicles the tale of a shepherd named Joshua. Joshua is troubled by the harsh code of âan eye for an eyeâ that governs his world. He has a dream in which he is called to find a ânew wayâ, so he sets off on a journey to learn the new way. Along the way, Joshua picks up two others who travel with him and together they encounter an interesting cast of characters. With each encounter along the journey, they learn a valuable lesson. Finally, they reach the end of the journey, find the ânew wayâ and take their changed lives back to their world.
This book is based on The Prayer of Saint Francis and the good learned from that prayer is worth the read. But, I will say that the story is quite simple and lacks a âfullnessâ that you find in most books. I wouldn't pay the $19.99 list priceâ¦but used copies are now available on amazon.com for $2-3 and for that price, it is worth the read.
I give âThe Book of the Shepherdâ 3 stars out of 5.
The Vertical Self: How Biblical Faith Can Help Us Discover Who We Are in An Age of Self Obsession
Author:
Book Type: Paperback
2
Author:
Book Type: Paperback
2
Review Date: 3/8/2010
The Vertical Self by Mark Sayers has an interesting tagline: How Biblical faith can help us discover who we are in an age of self obsession. This is a topic that most Christian books dont address, so I figured this would be a good read.
The first half of this book is an interesting sociological look at how our Western culture views identity today. The authors premise is that in years past, people have had a vertical view of self, meaning, they viewed themselves based on a property understanding of who they are before God. But, Sayers says, todays culture tends to view people horizontally; we base our view of ourselves on how others see us and on how we fit in our society in terms of being cool and hip. Sayers critique of our culture is spot-on and he provides some interesting observations to prove this. My only critique of the first half of the book is that the author could have made his point in far fewer pages.
The second half of the book is where Sayers gives a spiritual recipe for realigning our viewpoint to having a vertical, rather than horizontal, self-perception. He has many good points in this section but I felt that calling for a renewed sense of holiness only partially addressed the issue at hand. Additionally, jamming the majority of his resolution into one rather long chapter made reading this section a bit difficult.
The Vertical Self provides fodder for some interesting discussions and I hope that the premise of the book will be discussed in greater circles.
The first half of this book is an interesting sociological look at how our Western culture views identity today. The authors premise is that in years past, people have had a vertical view of self, meaning, they viewed themselves based on a property understanding of who they are before God. But, Sayers says, todays culture tends to view people horizontally; we base our view of ourselves on how others see us and on how we fit in our society in terms of being cool and hip. Sayers critique of our culture is spot-on and he provides some interesting observations to prove this. My only critique of the first half of the book is that the author could have made his point in far fewer pages.
The second half of the book is where Sayers gives a spiritual recipe for realigning our viewpoint to having a vertical, rather than horizontal, self-perception. He has many good points in this section but I felt that calling for a renewed sense of holiness only partially addressed the issue at hand. Additionally, jamming the majority of his resolution into one rather long chapter made reading this section a bit difficult.
The Vertical Self provides fodder for some interesting discussions and I hope that the premise of the book will be discussed in greater circles.
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