David's #1(I'm back): Little Princes by Conor Grennan

I haven't been so good about writing reviews on the books I've read this year.  But I'm giving it another shot starting with "Little Princes" by Conor Grennan. Tired of his current life and job, Conor decided to go on what he knew was a completely self-indulgent, year long trip around the world.  In an attempt to mask his selfishness to his family and friends, appease his conscience, and pick up girls in bars, he decided that he would start his trip volunteering in an orphanage in Nepal.

Talk about not doing your research.  Conor did not realize that the country was in the midst of a civil war until he arrived at the airport in Kathmandu.  He really had no idea what he had signed up for.

The book takes you with him on his journey.   He shows up at the orphanage, a selfish kid himself, with no idea how to interact with children(not that hard it turns out, just let them jump and climb all over you), focused on surviving the next few months so he can start his adventure.  He quickly grows to love the kids and learns the truth about their situation.  They are not orphans at all, but rather rescued trafficked children from the far outskirts of Nepal.  But unlike the situations that most of us consider when we think of trafficked children, they weren't kidnapped, or sold(or rented) by their parents.  Rather their parents sold everything they owned of value to pay a man who promised that he would take them away from the life or hardship and would give them a good place to live and an education, thus changing their lives forever.  Conor's heart breaks for these children and their situation.  Yours will too.  He makes it his mission to reunite these children, and in the process, many more, with their parents.  A process not as simple as it may seems due to politics, geography, resources, and the strength and influence of the trafficking culture.

Injustice is so prevalent in our world and as Christians we are clearly called to fight against it.  This book was a compelling reminder of that and a window into a type of injustice of which I was not previously aware.  It is well written, gripping, and a great story that will make you laugh, get angry, and maybe cry.

The 2012 Forbes List of the 15 Richest Fictional Characters

  http://www.forbes.com/special-report/2012/fictional-15-12/fictional-15.html

David's #3 - Enter The Zone By Dr. Barry Sears

This is the first of what will probably turn out to be many book reviews on nutrition and fitness related topics. It is one of my favorite subjects. Most people that have heard of "The Zone", will think that this is a diet book. And most people who think of diet, think weight loss. "How do I shed that extra weight and get those six pack abs or flat stomach that is going to make me look good on the beach?" I admit that weight loss is a huge marketing point of "The Zone" books, this one included, and Zone nutritional products. But this book is so much more than a diet book. Dr. Sears argues that food is like a drug and that everything we eat has a hormonal effect on our bodies.Those hormones can do amazing things, both good and bad. "The Zone" is all about the proportion of carbohydrates, protein, and fat in the meals we eat. The Zone diet breaks down food into blocks. For example:1 oz of chicken is a block of protein, 4 oz of wine is a a block of carbohydrates(or a whole head of iceberg lettuce, you choose), and 1/3 of a teaspoon of olive oil is 1 block of fat. Based on your body weight and composition, each person should eat X number of a blocks per day, broken up into equally proportioned meals. Dr. Sears covers a wide range of topics including how to eat properly to lose weight and look the way we want. My particular interest was in how to improve energy levels, sleep quality, and athletic performance through diet. As well, I found out how food effects acne, chronic fatigue, depression, and blood pressure? He even explains how nutrition can greatly decrease one's risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes( or keep it under control if you have it), without the use of drugs. His solution to all of these questions is the same: properly proportioned, "Zone" favorable meals.

Sears backs up his claims with hard scientific studies. Although these can be technically detailed, the outcome is summarized in basic terms and real results. He has had greats success in his extensive work with overweight subjects, the Stanford swim team, and the Los Angeles Rams(its an older book). Regardless of technical expertise, anyone who reads this book will understand the basics of how to enter "The Zone" and why you would want to. Sears likes to emphasize the fact that no food is prohibited on The Zone diet, just quantities. That being said, not all food is created equally. Not all types of fruits and vegetables are as good for you as you might think. For example, a bagel, a glass of O.J. and a banana is not the nutritious start to your day that you might think. In fact, it's a blood sugar nightmare.

The knowledge from this book will help the astute reader use food to not only lose weight but to truly improve the quality of life today and in the long term. It will show you how to "Enter The Zone" and stay there.

David's #2 Got Friends: Real Stories of Real Fairbanks Friends

As I write this I am TDY at Eielson AFB, Alaska right outside of Fairbanks.  I had the opportunity to attend Friends Community Church with an old friend.  They recently published this book and have distributed it throughout their community. Is it ground breaking literature?  No, it's just stories about real people being open and honest.  The book is a “Chicken Soup” styled compilation of seven true and inspiring stories written by members of the church.  Many of the stories share similarities such as drug, alcohol or sexual abuse or criminal pasts.  One couple shared about losing their son and a struggle with a life threatening illness.  Some of the people grew up in the church, others had not known God in their youth or even in their early adult life.  The common theme that tied them together was the end result of their stories: the amazing grace and power of God to rescue anyone.  He refused to give up on any of the people in the book.  What a great reminder of God's relentless love for us and His desire for a relationship with us.  I imagine that the impact of the stories would be even greater if I was a member of the Fairbanks community and the people in the stories were my neighbors.  It was a great read nonetheless.  Unfortunately, I don't think it's available outside of Fairbanks, but I do have one copy if you want to borrow it.

Brad's nos. 6 & 7 - The Drawing of the Three and The Wastelands (Dark Tower Series 2&3) by Stephen King

Time to catch up. I am woefully behind on my posts; therefore I am taking some time off of my vacation at Disneyland to post some reviews from books I read in January. I really enjoy world-building fantasy series (ie: LOTR, Chronic-what-cles of Narnia, Harry Potter) but am leary of the fantasy genre as a whole. Though I have never read any Stephen King, I heard that his Dark Tower series was amazing. I looked into it a bit and read that his original idea for the series was to blend together a Tolkien style fantasy with a Leone style Spaghetti-Western. I was sold. I read the first book and concluded what most seem to: it showed great promise but was lacking polish (it was one of King's first books). I quickly grabbed up the next two books in the series hoping for a continuation of his original premise. What I got was quite a departure from my expectations derived from the first book. The Drawing of the Three has our hero Roland (the last member of a group of six-shooter totin' knights called "Gunslingers")traveling through magic doorways found on the beach into the heads (think Being John Malchovich) of three different people living in late 20th century New York. Though not the fantasy/western setting I envisioned, I found it both compellingly written and quirky. I enjoyed it quite a lot. With my expectations for the series both heightened and broadened, I greedily dove into book three.

Despite a return the the fantasy world, this book marked the end of my journey in the Dark Tower series. I felt that book three was very inconsistent in tone, genre, and characterization. Though full of action, it was strangely boring, like a Brett Ratner movie: numerous individual "cool" scenes smashed together with little regard to thematic or character continuity. I finished the book solely out of duty and have no desire to ready any other Stephen King books.

David's #1 The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University By Kevin Roose

While his classmates are studying abroad, far left leaning Brown University student Kevin Roose also decides to immerse himself in a new world.  He spends a semester undercover at Liberty University, studying the mysterious evangelical Christians culture.

 I expected a much harsher, judgmental perspective.  Despite his background, he goes into the journey with an open mind, and he does a pretty good job of maintaining it.  He does not hold back on his criticisms but also admittedly experiences far less hate and bigotry than he expected and much more love and compassion.  He examines and comments on all aspects of the university and the people around him, from the quality of professors and education and the school’s uber-strict rule book,  to his personal relationships and interactions, both good and bad, that he experiences.  He even spends spring break on a mission trip at Daytona beach.

It was interesting to watch as his reflections on his new surroundings spur on introspection.  While his experience did not result in a world view makeover, his mind was definitely opened for the better.  At a minimum his witty writing keeps the book entertaining.  A fun, interesting read regardless of your views.