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THE CIPHER

Name: THE CIPHER
Author: Mark Walton
ISBN: 9798988156529

TEARING DOWN THE WALLS

by Mark Walton ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

An iconoclastic reading of the Bible with surprising moments of insight.

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Walton reexamines core tenets of the Christian faith.

A member of the United Methodist Church, a denomination beset by doctrinal schism over the past decade, the author witnessed first-hand the destructiveness of political and ideological infighting among Christians. In this book, the middle work in a three-volume series that reevaluates the mainstream priorities and interpretations of his faith, Walton explores what he believes are overlooked symbols and “Hints of hidden and secret meaning” found in the Bible. Through this mystic lens, the author argues that there is a “cipher” of Christ’s teachings that “unlocks mysteries for humanity.” This reexamination of Christianity explores topics that range from Earth’s creation and the role of secrecy in biblical texts to the doctrines of sin and forgiveness. Central to the book’s argument is the idea that, despite the best efforts of conservative Christians (a group to which the author admits he used to belong), the Bible is “wonderfully inclusive.” While discussions of fallen angels or mystical symbology may not appeal to more cynical readers, the book’s multi-chapter study of sexuality and marriage is remarkably nuanced in its research into historical contexts, literary analysis, and study of Hebrew texts, addressing issues like transgender identity with particular sensitivity. On gay marriage, Walton notes, the Bible is silent and never prohibits it (in contrast to certain forms of heterosexual marriage that are prohibited). An entrepreneur hailing from Texas, the author writes to fellow lay readers as a layman who avoids “regurgitating tired, old interpretations held by uninspired academic studies.” Consistently engaging, the book’s esoteric takes, particularly those that lean heavily into symbology and quirky interpretations of the Bible, may not always convince (though Walton is the first to admit that he is “okay with sounding crazy”). While overly preoccupied with its quest to “unlock hidden details” from ancient texts, the book contains a welcome underlying message that emphasizes the universality of God’s love.

An iconoclastic reading of the Bible with surprising moments of insight.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: 9798988156529

Page Count: 311

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: July 21, 2023

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

PHILOSOPHY & RELIGION | GENERAL NONFICTION

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ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE

by Kristen Kish ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 22, 2025

Top Chef fans might savor this detailed account, but others will find it bland.

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The Top Chef host describes her journey to new heights.

For those who don’t know, Kish is a “gay Korean adopted woman, born in Seoul, raised in Michigan” and “a chef, a character, a host, and a cultural communicator—as well as a human being with a beating heart.” Though this book covers every step of her journey, every restaurant job and television role, and also discusses her experience as an adoptee (very positive) and a queer woman (late bloomer), the storytelling is so straightforward, lacking in suspense, character development, or dialogue, that it is basically a long version of its (longish) “About the Author.” Seemingly dramatic situations are not dramatized—when she was eliminated on her first Top Chef run, she assures us that she did the best she could, and drops it. “I can spare you the gory details (bouillabaisse and big personalities were involved).” Later, she cites a belief in protecting the privacy of others to omit the story of her first relationship with a woman. With no character development, neither does the reader get to know those who fall outside the privacy zone, like her best friend, Steph, and her wife, Bianca. When she gets mad, she says things like, “It’s a gross understatement to say I was crushed, beyond frustrated, and furious with the situation.” The fact that “I’ve never been a big reader” does not come as a surprise. It is more surprising when she confesses that “I believe the universe is selective about the moments in which it introduces life-changing prospects.”

Top Chef fans might savor this detailed account, but others will find it bland.

Pub Date: April 22, 2025

ISBN: 9780316580915

Page Count: 368

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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THE BACKYARD BIRD CHRONICLES

by Amy Tan ; illustrated by Amy Tan ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 23, 2024

An ebullient nature lover’s paean to birds.

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A charming bird journey with the bestselling author.

In his introduction to Tan’s “nature journal,” David Allen Sibley, the acclaimed ornithologist, nails the spirit of this book: a “collection of delightfully quirky, thoughtful, and personal observations of birds in sketches and words.” For years, Tan has looked out on her California backyard “paradise”—oaks, periwinkle vines, birch, Japanese maple, fuchsia shrubs—observing more than 60 species of birds, and she fashions her findings into delightful and approachable journal excerpts, accompanied by her gorgeous color sketches. As the entries—“a record of my life”—move along, the author becomes more adept at identifying and capturing them with words and pencils. Her first entry is September 16, 2017: Shortly after putting up hummingbird feeders, one of the tiny, delicate creatures landed on her hand and fed. “We have a relationship,” she writes. “I am in love.” By August 2018, her backyard “has become a menagerie of fledglings…all learning to fly.” Day by day, she has continued to learn more about the birds, their activities, and how she should relate to them; she also admits mistakes when they occur. In December 2018, she was excited to observe a Townsend’s Warbler—“Omigod! It’s looking at me. Displeased expression.” Battling pesky squirrels, Tan deployed Hot Pepper Suet to keep them away, and she deterred crows by hanging a fake one upside down. The author also declared war on outdoor cats when she learned they kill more than 1 billion birds per year. In May 2019, she notes that she spends $250 per month on beetle larvae. In June 2019, she confesses “spending more hours a day staring at birds than writing. How can I not?” Her last entry, on December 15, 2022, celebrates when an eating bird pauses, “looks and acknowledges I am there.”

An ebullient nature lover’s paean to birds.