Stopping to Think

  The Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant by Ulysses S. Grant My rating: 4 of 5 stars Grant is a fascinating individual, and a good writer. I listened on an audiobook, which made it at times difficult to follow everything he was describing, given that I was unfamiliar with the geography. I assume a good printed edition with battle maps would have alleviated that frustration. Again, because of the audio form, the amount of detail was at times tedious. But Grant's attention to detail is amazing, and it was informative to hear his evaluation of other generals, North and South, as well as his assessments of political leaders. Whetted my appetite for more Civil War history. View all my reviews

Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor: The Life and Reflections of Tom Carson by D.A. Carson My rating: 5 of 5 stars As a bivocational, small-town church planter, this was hugely encouraging. Tom Carson, and many men like him over the centuries, labored in relative obscurity. Often having little observable success. But God sees their labors, and as the writer to the Hebrews says, he is not so unjust as to forget them. So keep reading your Bible, ministering to people with that Bible, and trust that the Lord who sent you will work. Be faithful to the end. May the Lord raise up more men like this in our day. View all my reviews

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass My rating: 5 of 5 stars Douglass was a compelling writer with a powerful story. The temptation for our day is to look backwards and to say, how could do many people have acted in such an evil way. But to quote a recent George Will column, it wasn't hard. Human nature is bent toward such evil, and the evil if today simply takes a different form. But we should be genuinely thankful that the forms of Douglass' day are seen for the genuine hellishness that was present. View all my reviews

On All Sides Nowhere: Building a Life in Rural Idaho by William Gruber My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is part memoir, part American History, part anthropology, and part philosophy. I thoroughly enjoyed it. As someone who grew up driving and hiking around Alder Creek and living at the foot of the Benewah in the early 2000s, I found this a fascinating glimpse into life in 1970s Idaho. Gruber, as an outsider, has the perspective to notice the peculiarities of life up Alder. But he doesn’t write them up sarcastically or condescendingly. He writes from a perspective of love for the place and its people. Well worth the time. View all my reviews