A bold, personal collection of a pastor’s wife’s experiences and advice.
An inside look at the life of a pastor’s wife, along with advice on how to succeed in such a role.
“Marriage is under siege,” warns Whitaker in her debut self-help guide—and people need to be prepared to “live beyond fairy tales.” Whitaker strings together anecdotes, advice and axioms in this guide, specifically geared to pastors’ wives; as a pastor’s wife herself, she recognizes the challenges unique to women in this role. She writes about America’s rising divorce rate, and in a section titled “Waterproof Matches: Enhancing Intimacy,” she details the numerous ways readers can bring passion back into their marriages, as well as steps they can take to prevent conflict. Helpful reminders, such as having a “win-win” approach to arguments, stand alongside apt advice, such as avoiding turning everything into a spiritual discussion. In “Life Vests,” the author urges that readers eat right and exercise and discusses how it’s crucial to care for one’s body as well as one’s soul. Citing Benjamin Franklin’s adage, “To lengthen thy life, lessen thy meals,” she writes about the psychological impact of good health while owning up to her own struggle with her weight. She also takes on topics such as finances, infidelity and grief, offering practical advice intermingled with personal stories and colorful examples. This candid, relatable book dishes out honesty and humor on every page. Whitaker’s highly accessible style and appealing personality make the book read more like an intimate chat with a close friend than a self-help guide replete with criticism. Most of all, her guide has the resounding ring of truth.
A bold, personal collection of a pastor’s wife’s experiences and advice.Pub Date: May 20, 2013
ISBN: 978-0978995300
Page Count: 354
Publisher: EARSEN Publishing Company
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
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