An enthusiastic treatise, although some parts feel unnecessarily drawn-out.
A faith-based book about finding fun in the grown-up world.
Debut author Devine begins this inspirational offering with a detailed story about a hound named Old Blue. The crux of the tale is that the dog, even though he still bore scars from earlier fights with animals, never gave up his quest to find and defeat a raccoon. The author uses the vignette to introduce the topic of tenacity and highlight the importance of following a plan. However, he also offers a greater message—the notion that one combats evil by giving one’s life to God: “Being led through this physical world by the spiritual person inside of you, gives the devil nowhere to hide.” The most crucial theme in the book, though, is the idea of approaching life as a child would. Kids, the author notes, are primarily concerned with the present, and, as such, they’re largely free from worries that plague so many adults. To get in the same frame of mind, Devine suggests that adults perform fun activities, such as flying kites, and engage in a serious effort to let go of the past—both as ways to reconnect with the whimsical nature of youth. He further clarifies his advice with a number of black-and-white, cartoonish illustrations that often feature a dog. A heartfelt but playful tone permeates the text; readers will likely find it difficult to doubt the genuine nature of someone who encourages them to eat more brownies, as Devine does here. Some parts of the book seem wordy and extraneous; for instance, the initial tale about Old Blue includes a buildup of several pages describing the joys of country living. These joys, such as fine home cooking, are predictable and don’t add much to the author’s broader point about the anxiety of adulthood. Although the book’s viewpoint is a Christian one, it includes quotations from several non-Christians, including Mahatma Gandhi and Albert Einstein. As a result, the author’s overall message is more nuanced than some readers might expect.
An enthusiastic treatise, although some parts feel unnecessarily drawn-out.Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5127-9442-7
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
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