THE COMPLETE 101 COLLECTION by John C. Maxwell

John C. Maxwell is an expert at teaching individuals how to be effective in speaking as well as leading; he does this through his books, videos and workshops. The 101 series is a must have set of books for anyone who is interested in being the best at whatever he or she chooses to be which is why THE COMPLETE 101 COLLECTION is a must have.
My personal opinion is that THE COMPLETE 101 COLLECTION is an excellent resources for not only developing leadership skills but also great tool for self-evaluation. Read book 1/ chapter 1 “Attitude”, by the time you get to the chapter/ subchapter “What Shapes A Person’s Attitude” you will understand how reading this book can help in all of your interactions with people.
By the time you get to the last book / chapter of THE COMPLETE 101 COLLECTION- “Mentoring 101”- it will be easy to see how the tips and observations John Maxwell shares in this book can apply to not just being a leader but a spouse and a parent.
Of course, John C. Maxwell’s target audience are individuals who are or want to be leaders.  I have quite a few of his books including The John C. Maxwell Leadership Bible, as a Christian I appreciate his faith based lessons on leadership. The six 101 leadership books found in THE COMPLETE 101 COLLECTION- What Every Leader Needs To Know provides any leader a resource for self evaluation as well as career development. I recommend this book. xxx Marsha L Randolph

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

WISDOM IS A WOMAN

It is hard to right a review for a book you take an instant disliking to. Perhaps because it was not what I thought it was going to be or perhaps it was the tone of the book but I just did not like WISDOM IS A WOMAN BY Heidi Lee.

As I read WISDOM IS A WOMAN - Exploring the Wisdom of God it is almost as if the author is trying justify her opinions of womanhood by manipulating Scripture. Heidi Lee presents her comments on the female influence within the Bible in both the Old and New Testament.Unfortunately, I question her interpretation.

“Interestingly, the most thorough account of biblical womanhood is found in the final twenty-one verses of the book of Proverbs. These ending verses of chapter 31 appear to be a tribute to a virtuous and capable wife.”  (ebook page 123/362)

I disagree with the idea that Proverbs 31 is the most thorough account of biblical womanhood. It is probably the most preached but the Bible presents a variety of women with their own unique characteristics not limited to Proverbs.
I think my biggest problem with WISDOM IS A WOMAN is I can’t seem to reconcile the title with the content. I expected a book that celebrated womanhood- discussing the various contributions of women in the Bible and what I read was a discussion of womens’ “issues”. (Including a mention of menstrual cycle!)

No, I don’t recommend this book but I could be wrong you may find it a great book.  And I just did not see the relationship between womanhood and godly wisdom.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

SEARCHING FOR SUNDAY by Rachel Held Evans

“Millennials aren’t looking for a hipper Chrisitianity. I said. We’re looking for a truer Christianity, a more authentic Christianity.” These words found on page xiv of SEARCHING FOR SUNDAY by Rachel Held Evans not only grabbed my attention but sold me on the validity of the book. What I discovered through the 261 pages was a map towards a truer authentic faith.

What I like about SEARCHING FOR SUNDAY by Rachel Held Evans is the honesty of her words. The sub-title “loving, leaving and finding the church” appropriately describes the journey of many Believers particularly baby boomers and millennials. The authors words take away some of the traditional mindset as it relates to church doctrine including baptism and communion.
I cannot emphasize enough how refreshingly honest this book is. The reader, if you have ever been in church for a prolonged period of time, will be nodding his or her head when the chapter called “Dirty Laundry” is read. Fear not this book is not a list of problems within the church, quite the opposite.
SEARCHING FOR SUNDAY -loving, leaving and finding the church is a beacon calling all to the church. This book is a reason for church.
I would suggest church leaders read this book as a way of balancing God’s Word with today’s technology. I recommend this book to Believers who are becoming frustrated with church as usual in order to develop a new perspective on why he or she fellowships.  

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

CHILDREN'S BOOK REVIEW

When I review children’s books I usually read to or with one of my grandchildren but since I did not have anything else to do I decided to read THE SHIP SHAPE SHOP by Frank Rodgers alone. Sad as the thought may be I was looking forward to reading a whimsical story about some type of store but that is not what I got.

As I read words like “the family’s snooty next-door neighbor” (kindle location 9 12%) it gave me pause. Did I want my grandchildren thinking calling neighbors names was acceptable, no matter how unpleasant they might be. Then I read how As I read more this feud between the neighbors led to the shop being condemned and despite efforts to restore and repair the government still bulldozed the building. - Really? Are we teaching children about the bad government?

The “happy” ending is a new building replaced the old unfortunately, this is not a story I will be sharing with my grandchildren and I do not recommend anyone reading it to theirs.   The one good- great graphics.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”