Toward a Liberalism by Richard Flathman

Towarda Liberalism is a philosophy book and I can only guess it was free at some point, as otherwise I don’t know why I would have bought it?

The blurb says:

In Toward a Liberalism, Richard Flathman shows why and how political theory can contribute to the quality of moral and political practice without violating, as empiricist- and idealist-based theories tend to do, liberal commitments to individuality and plurality. Exploring the tense but inevitable relationship between liberalism and authority, he advances a theory of democratic citizenship tempered by appreciation of the ways in which citizenship is implicated with and augments authority. Flathman examines the relationship of individual rights to freedom on one hand and to authority and power on the other, rejecting the quest for a single homogenous and authoritative liberal theory.

It’s a collection of essays and I confess that much of it was beyond my understanding, having never studied philosophy before. After finishing the first essay, I decided to persevere and read the other essays too, but many of the technical (philosophical) definitions were unknown to me, so though I understood the individual words, some of the sentences seemed to talk around in circles.

After each essay, I wrote up a brief description, and that has become a bit of an essay in itself.

The first essay is all about Theory and Practice. It centres around Oakeshott’s and Wittgenstein’s view on how philosophical theory and philosophical practice are related – or not. Not knowing beforehand what their views are (tbh, I hadn’t heard of them before) I was at a disadvantage, so could only go by the author’s description of their views and therefore his (the author) critique of their validity. I think the final two sentences in this essay to be a good summary:

But if liberalism acknowledges and welcomes the variety and changeable character of moral and political practices, if it recognizes and delights in the restless diversity of moral and political practitioners, these conclusions concerning the limitations and possibilities of theory and theorizing are neither surprising nor disturbing, neither to be resisted nor regretted. More than this the theorist of theory and practice cannot and should not try to say.

The second essay is all about the difference between in authority, an authority and authoritative. I found this essay much more understandable. It was shorter than the first essay, and kept on point. It still requires concentration, but I found myself nodding along as I was reading. My quoted summary of this essay:

Liberals are correct that authority is dangerous. … Nevertheless, by comparison with our other practices, authority abbreviates and truncates the processes of reflection and judgment through which agreement develops among free human beings.

The third essay is about authority and citizenship, and whether you can have one without the other. Authority is always objectionable as it only has a role when we’re unsure about the actions we should take. Some philosophers talk about high and low citizenship, but that doesn’t change the character of authority, rather the attitudes of citizens to that authority.

The fourth essay is about freedom, what freedom means and whether it is good or not. Within this chapter, there’s a section on religious freedom and freedom of religion, which I found much more understandable than other sections – probably because, being a Christian, it is relevant and therefore more interesting to me. It also discusses the link between freedom and perfectionism; and whether freedom is a liberal conception that has a role in political philosophy or not.

The fifth essay is about moderating rights, perhaps because of extremism attached to the rights itself resulting in ultra vires behaviours of those looking to reinforce those rights. Again, I have found this chapter very relatable to me, due to having encountered many Local Authorities who do act ultra vires surrounding Home Education – claiming that home educators must accept visits, and that we must send them samples of our children’s work etc (when in fact, most Elective Home Education Officers who work for the Local Authority have zero qualifications in education, let alone have knowledge of home education or child pedagogy). The essay then goes on to defend civil encroachment and civil non-enforcement. The essay ends:

If I am correct in thinking that extremism in the exercise of at least some rights is prevalent, and increased incidence of announced and defended civil encroachment might benefit the practice of rights in much the manner that civil disobedience has benefited the practice of authority.

The sixth essay looks specifically at the Theory of Rights and the Practice of Abortion. As somebody who used to be very anti-abortion, but now thinks it is correct that abortion is safe and legal – I just wish it was a service that never had to be used (see my previous blog on the topic) – I was interested to see what conclusions the essay would draw. It is quite a long chapter, so though it was interesting, it took a long time to read through. Sometimes I felt Flathman jumped in his reasoning, or made assumptions that I couldn’t quite logically follow (that is not to say they were illogical, just that I an a non-philosophy student could not follow them).

He goes through various arguments against abortion if the foetus is animate, sentient and possessed of reflexive consciousness. Within this latter discussion, Flathman says:

...it follows from these facts about it that the fetus should not be thought of a bearer or possessor of rights. To have a right is to be in a position to choose to exercise that right or not…

He then goes on to say that since a foetus cannot exercise that right, the fetus does not have any rights, and therefore the argument against a right to abortion due to the rights of the fetus is null and void. This is one of the arguments that I didn’t understand, since surely children are not in a position to exercise a particular right or not, but that doesn’t mean we have a right to infanticide; or women in some areas of the world may not know or not be in a position to exercise any rights, but that doesn’t mean that they should be walked over and treated as property. But as I said, it may be that I simply don’t understand the words that he is using, but this seems like a poor argument to me.

Flathman also uses the argument that “Abortions do not destroy human persons. Abortions destroy fetuses.” but does not elaborate as to when exactly the fetus does become a human, implying it is at the moment of birth. In fact he equates a fetus with being simply a sperm or ovum, and if a foetus should not be wasted, then it should similarly be prohibited to use contraceptives, masturbation or any kind of act where they may be destroyed. Yet a sperm on its own, or an egg on its own, will never become a foetus.

In the section entitled “Can a Legal or Moral Right in the Strict Sense to Abortion on Demand Be Justified?” Flathman expands on how such a right for one person impacts on other people – specifically if the second person has a moral/religious/other reasoning why they won’t perform the abortion.

The answer to these questions is a qualified yes.

…

The yes is qualified for the same kinds of reasons that have convinced a number of societies to qualify the obligations imposed on pacifists and other conscientious objectors to do military service in what are believed to be justified wars. … And so far we can [establish both a legal and moral right] without nullifying the right, we should excuse from the correlative obligations those persons for whom abortion remains morally unacceptable.

I will end my analysis of this essay by quoting a few sentences from his conclusion:

The concept of a right is one of the most widely used, and most commonly abused, items in our moral and political lexicon. We have claims to an extraordinary variety of rights and we find rights attributed to an astonishing diversity of creatures and things.
… because that case is very strong, and because its strength derives in no small part from the support it receives from the principle (LP) which provides the optimum bases for defending individual rights, a right to abortion on demand is exactly what women ought to have.

The final essay is entitled “Egalitarian Blood and Skeptical Turnips”. I don’t know if all my brain cells were used up on the previous essay, but I didn’t really get this. It discusses reasonings by Ackerman, and whether they are reasonable or not, but seemed to go round in circles to me. I can tell you that the essay was discussing Morality, Neutrality₁ and Neutrality₂, but in all honesty, I didn’t get my head around what they meant, nor which Neutrality was which. I did highlight some parts of the chapter, that I will quote below, but I can’t really remember why or the relevance of them.

Accordingly, he takes the familiar tack of contending that in reason everyone should or ought to agree to those policies and that those who do agree are justified in imposing the policies on those who fail to see the light.

And also,

Justifying policies by arguing that they contribute to this (or any other) agreed-upon end is a far cry from claiming that they are required because we cannot agree upon ends.

And finally,

If all that Ackerman gave us in support of egalitarian policies of Neutrality₁ was the skeptical foundations of Neutrality₂, he would have given us precisely nothing in support of those policies.

Overall, I am glad I stretched myself and read this collection of essays, even though I freely admit I didn’t understand it all, and that some spoke to me clearer than others. I have a friend who is currently studying Politics, Philosophy and Economics and I do now understand some of what she talks about, even if I can’t necessarily reply using correct philosophical terms.

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs

 

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is one of the books that can be listened to for free within the teen section on Audible Stories.  (Audible Stories are free for the duration that schools are closed for coronavirus.)  I have been listening to this book whilst completing my current Mosaic Craft project.

I chose this book to listen to as part of my commitment into understanding more about race relations and Black Lives Matter.  I recently watched the documentary 13th, all about the 13th Amendment and how though slavery officially stopped, it just changed form afterwards.

The audio book has the subtitle "written by herself" which prompted me to do a bit of research since the author is Harriet Jacobs, but the story revolves around a slave called Linda Brent.  They are indeed the same person; Linda was a pseudonym used by Jacobs.

The blurb says:

This autobiographical account by a former slave is one of the few extant narratives written by a woman. Written and published in 1861, it delivers a powerful portrayal of the brutality of slave life. Jacobs speaks frankly of her master's abuse and her eventual escape, in a tale of dauntless spirit and faith.

Listening to this book, and being a mother myself, it is horrific to consider what she, and many other people, had to endure as slaves.  Not only what they went through themselves, but the powerlessness to be able to keep their own children safe.

This book is definitely worth reading/listening to for everyone.  There is some sensitive topics (eg sexual violence) described, but not in so much detail that it would be pornographic, and I agree with Audible's suggestion that you should be at least teenage to appreciate this book.  When my children are older, I will encourage them to read it.

Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst

I was recommended Made to Crave by a friend who had started reading it a while ago, and was planning to finish reading it.  We decided to read it together - a few chapters each week - and then coming together on a Friday to discuss what we had learned.

The blurb says:

The reality is we were made to crave. Craving isn’t a bad thing. But we must realize God created us to crave more of him. Many of us have misplaced that craving by overindulging in physical pleasures instead of lasting spiritual satisfaction. If you are struggling with unhealthy eating habits, you can break the “I’ll start again Monday” cycle, and start feeling good about yourself today. Learn to stop beating yourself up over the numbers on the scale. Discover that your weight loss struggle isn’t a curse but rather a blessing in the making, and replace justifications that lead to diet failure with empowering go-to scripts that lead to victory. You can reach your healthy weight goal – and grow closer to God in the process. This is not a how-to book. This is not the latest and greatest dieting plan. This book is the necessary companion for you to use alongside whatever healthy lifestyle plan you choose. This is a book and Bible study to help you find the "want to" in making healthy lifestyle choices.

The idea that feeling cravings wasn't a 'bad' thing was a new idea to me, but makes sense that these cravings are created by God and should be directed to Him. The book is full of ways to keep God as the centre of your focus, as you build your relationship to him, and weightloss is almost a side effect.  Honestly, I did find that I was losing weight as I read the book (See my Weekly Updates from Y2Wk12), with my weight going from 95.3kg to 91.4kg, which is quite an achievement, when it feels like nothing much has changed!

If you are a Christian who is trying to lose weight (or indeed take control of other cravings), there are lots of insights to be found in this book.  It is highly recommended.

Damage Limitation by Roland Meighan

As a home educator with one child now in school I was interested in a book that discusses reducing the harm that schools do to children. 

This book is actually a collection of articles, talks, letters and other writings from a variety of contributors (as indicated by the front cover).  It is split into eight sections: Damage Limitation; Point of View of Learners; Compulsory Mis-education; Point of View of Parents; Grandparents; Teachers; Damage Limitation; and Education for Violence.

This book was first published in 2004, and from my point of view, I would like to read a similar book that included more recent articles and research.  Having said that, I am glad I have read it, and can imagine it prompting thoughts for some readers, whether parents or teachers!  My favourite bit was the post-script at the very end, entitled "Postscript: beyond damage limitation - teaching in the next learning system..." as it consists of a list of points for anyone in the teaching profession to consider whilst moulding the minds of the youngsters in their care.

I'll end with the text given on the Amazon page:

I have to take a deep breath and I have to put on a positive, cheerful demeanour, for I know that 1 will have to look the system full in the face, every visit, and I know that it will make me unutterably sad.
Why? Why will my walk down the corridor and my visit to the classroom and my attendance at a Governors' meeting make me so unhappy? And why has the recent OFSTED inspection of our secondary school - an expensive charade played out before a captive audience - driven me to speechless levels of impotent anger?
Why does my heart sink when I read of the pupils temporarily and permanently excluded? Why can't I rejoice in the school's strategies to improve the exam results? Why can't I rejoice in the school's strategies to improve the attendance rates, and in its strategies to stamp out bullying and in its policies on the wearing of school uniform and the control of litter? Why can't I rejoice in the knowledge that, after a few days' presence, the OFSTED team consulted its tick lists and concluded that a high percentage of the lessons observed were ‘satisfactory’?
I cannot.
As I walk down the corridors now and sit in on lessons and attend Governors' meetings, I see and hear from the imprisoned, the deflected, the exhausted and often the deflated. I find myself particularly studying the Headteacher for any sign of his or her cracking up, or giving up. Amazingly, despite everything, some enthusiasms do survive in small places and small doses.
But all is not well. Almost every week now I read of changes in the educational policy of the government, and these changes add up to an unacknowledged admission that things have gone badly wrong.
As I write, I have on my desk some news of the latest change: national trials are under way, apparently, of a new and less stressful test for seven-year-olds in England. The head of testing at the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority has said:
"I think this is the future, if we are going to move away from high stakes testing. We want to see if the current system can be improved, above all by valuing the teacher's detailed knowledge of the children in the class."
What words! What sentiments! Shall we weep now, or later? The damage already done to seven-year-olds by key stage one testing is quietly buried beneath another vision of the future for young children in the schools they have to attend. The damage is real. This book makes that abundantly clear; so powerfully clear in fact, that one could be forgiven for doing a Corporal Jones, who, whenever a threatening situation occurs, runs around exhorting people not to panic.

The contributors to Damage Limitation offer an alternative to panic, and an alternative to formal schooling. They are not siren voices. Far from it. They look at the present system of schooling with a clear, unflinching eye, and suggest what should happen to make schools, which are by their very nature authoritarian institutions having to march to a tune not of their own making, far less damaging to children. In addition, they go on to unfold their belief in children, in how children learn and in how they should be treated. They declare their belief in the life-affirming purpose of education, and in doing so they refuse to accept that there is no alternative to what John Taylor Gatto calls the ‘twelve-year jail sentence’.
As a briefing book on how to get educated despite school, this is both a timely exposure and a heart-warming inspiration. It is written by people whose experience in education has touched them deeply and made them think long and hard about what it means, and what it takes, to be educated. It deserves to be read by as wide an audience as possible, and we owe Professor Meighan a debt of gratitude for bringing it to life.
Peter Holt

The Fragrance of Crushed Violets by Cathy Bryant

This book is a Bible study about forgiveness, so we can learn about God's forgiveness of ourselves in order for us to forgive others.

The blurb says:

Forgiveness is a crucial part of the Christian faith and also a way in which we can experience strong and healthy relationships with our fellow man. Unfortunately, the truth about forgiveness--as presented in God's Word--has been somewhat tarnished by inaccurate human philosophy.

The destroyer wants us confused and hurting. The lack of forgiveness in human relationships--even those within Christian circles--is written in the scars upon human hearts, souls, and minds.

But Jesus always taught the need for forgiveness, loving others, just mercy, and justice redeemed by grace. Living by His command to forgive you can declutter your mind and heart through the removal of hatred, malice, grudges, resentment, and bitterness. You can also experience reconciliation and restoration in your relationships with others.

This Bible study guide and workbook is appropriate for either individual or small group study and includes the following:

•what forgiveness is and what it isn't
•God's role in the process of forgiveness
•what Jesus accomplished at the cross for each of us
•our mandate to forgive as we've been forgiven
•what gets in the way of forgiving others
•how to truly forgive the inexcusable

"Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it." -Mark Twain

 This is a short book of only 72 pages, but it is filled with God's word.  There are plenty of examples given of forgiveness in the Bible and how it can apply to our lives.  At the end of each chapter there are open questions for us to reflect upon what we have read and what we can do.

The main negative I have for this book, are that the Bible verses were not explicitly written in the text.  Most of the references were only one or two verses long so easily could have been included; either in the text itself, or within an Appendix at the back of the book.  Being only 72 pages long, it would have given more substance to the book. Whilst I can see that if you were reading a paperbook, you are likely to have the Bible as a paperbook nearby, and the act of searching and looking up verses can help commit them to memory.  However, I was reading this as an e-book on my kindle.  Initially I tried leaving the book, looking up the verse in my e-Bible, then going back to this book to find the next verse, but it was just so clunky that I gave up.  It meant that I just skimmed past all the verses that presumably would have spoken to me and taught me something. If this isn't in the next version of the paperbook, please can it be included in the next version of the e-book.

The Unschooled Life by Lizi Gambell

I was given a copy of this book for free, in exchange for an honest review.  As someone who unschooled/s her child(ren), I was interested to read Lizi's take on it.

The blurb says:

Are you considering home education? Are you curious about unschooling?

The Unschooled Life combines personal storytelling with advice and guidance for any parent on a home education journey. In this book, Lizi Gambell tells how her eldest son became deeply unhappy at school, and how things transformed when they left the system and started to build their own learning life. Lizi shares the ups and downs of this decision, including the process of confronting her own conditioning, and the wonder to be found in learning alongside her children.

The Unschooled Life includes chapters on:
Developing your Education Philosophy;
Juggling a family and work with self-care and wellbeing;
Coping with other peoples’ questions and criticism;
Tackling screen time and the lure of new technologies.

Using anecdotes from her own life, Lizi shows how a real family can develop a holistic approach to education and parenting, and live happily outside the box! Lizi is a remedial hypnotist, with a deep interest in the mind, self-confidence, and overcoming anxiety. In The Unschooled Life, she brings this unique perspective to the opportunities of unschooling.

If you are looking for a how-to of home education in general, this isn't the book for you. There just is not enough information about the technical side of where to start and who to contact (if indeed anybody) if you decide to home educate. There are some useful parts, but primarily this is a book about Lizi's personal journey.

If you are looking into unschooling, I would say this book is more useful.  Unschooling is a sub-type of home education where you follow the child's interests and natural curiosity, rather than imposing a curriculum or formal work on them.  This is what I did with my girls, allowing them the freedom to learn in their own way and own their own education.  Though much of the book is about Lizi's approach to home educating her children, it is good to read a real life example of unschooling in action, and if you are concerned that this approach is neglectful or too hands-off, then this book will reassure you.

The book itself is very easy to read.  Lizi writes as if you're a friend, so it is informal in style, with plenty of anecdotes and stories that reiterate what she is saying.  If unschooling is new to you, then I can see this book being an easy intro to the topic.  At the end of the book, there are also plenty of 'further reading' to choose to dig deeper if you think unschooling would be right for you and your family.

My main criticism of the book is the final topic on screens.  As Lizi mentions that she follows Sandra Dodd and has read Sandra's Big Book of Unschooling, I was expecting Lizi to be considered a Radical or Whole-Life Unschooler, but the chapter on screens suggest that she is not as she does impose arbitrary limits (imo). Screens and various new technologies are not a problem.  By giving children broad and various opportunities, they will self-regulate and learn loads whether using technology or otherwise. Am I a radical unschooler? Ideally I would be, however, we did implement bedtimes, after years of not having one, when my children were dancing more in the evenings and not recognising their own tiredness cues. I don't know if that technically makes me a not radical unschooler, but at my point in life I don't really care. Rather than Sandra Dodd, I tended to follow Joyce Fetterol's Joyfully Rejoycing and would recommend her to people looking to unschooling.

Overall, this book shows the joy that Lizi has for her family and seeing her children learn naturally as part of an unschooling lifestyle. For people new to the idea of home education or unschooling, this lighthearted book will give you a positive, but realistic, view of how children can effectively learn outside the institution of school.

No More Diets by Sheila Granger

I do like books that help keep me motivated when I'm trying to lose weight, and though I have some that I read and reread (which it looks like I haven't reviewed, so I'll have to remedy that at some point!), I thought I would try a new one.

This book is all about changing your mindset through hypnosis, specifically the Virtual Gastric Band that Sheila Granger has patented.  Having used hypnotherapy when pregnant (and it worked a bit too well during labour, lol) I know that the relaxation techniques can help, so I thought I would give this book a go.

The blurb says:

By picking up this book, you’ve taken the first step in your journey to a happier and more fulfilled way of life.

Forget about yo-yo diets that make you feel constantly deprived. Instead, internationally-renowned clinical hypnotherapist Sheila Granger will introduce you to her pioneering Virtual Gastric Band therapy! By resetting how you think about food, Sheila will help you to:

-Discover a healthier, better you!
-Understand what makes you overeat and STOP!
-Shed excess pounds without trying…
-Live the life you choose…

So, what are you waiting for? Pick up your copy of No More Diets! and start living the life you deserve. With Sheila’s help, you truly can start believing in yourself – today!

I have to be honest, half the book reads like an advert for VGB - which I suppose it is.  I was hoping there would be a bit more about the techniques involved, though the chapters entitled "What type of eater are you?" and "You are the author of your own story" are the more useful ones, imo. 
Of course, it could be because I have read other books in a similar vein that I found this book less useful for me, whereas somebody totally new to the idea of not dieting may find some of the concepts about why we eat, and eating mindfully, much more amazing.

Reading this book has had an effect, though - I have more seriously considered hypnotherapy for weightloss, and last night I found a free app that has a 20min relaxation soundtrack that claims you can lose weight by listening to it every day for 3 weeks.  Having just finished a course of therapy, I do understand that by talking to someone 1:1, you can get things tailored to you as an individual that will be more beneficial than a generic free app, but we'll still see how it goes. (The natal hypnotherapy I used when pregnant were from CDs, so 'generic' can make a difference.)  If it does have an effect, I can then determine if I want to take it a step further and seek out a VGB practitioner.  I did have a look on https://sheilagranger.com/ and while there is 1 practitioner in my area, they have not put any prices online.  Until I believe it will make a difference, I'm not going to contact them to ask the prices.

Becoming Fearless by Michelle Aguilar

This book was in my list of Christian books that I hadn't yet read, and with the subtitle of "My Ongoing Journey of Learning to Trust God" that is the book I was expecting.  Whilst that was surely delivered by this book, I wasn't expecting it to also be a book about weightloss.   It wasn't until I started reading this autobiography, that I found out that Michelle had won the reality TV competition The Biggest Loser in the US, so it also chronicles her trials and triumphs as she aims to lose weight.  (Remember, until I got my newfangled Kindle, I could only judge books by their title and nothing more.)

The blurb says:

Michelle Aguilar's inspiring story goes beyond her grand-prize victory on the immensely popular The Biggest Loser. Becoming Fearless is about having faith in God when you've lost faith in yourself. It is an encouragement to "feel the fear" in any obstacle in life without being paralyzed by it. Finally, it is a story about reconciliation between Michelle and her mother, an exploration of the difficult and freeing work of forgiveness, and a reminder that what you learn on the journey is even more important than the destination.

I really liked this book; it was much more than I expected it to be.  There is a strong theme of trusting God throughout, as Michelle shares her history, her struggles and inner turmoil.  It is about stepping out in faith, in order to do everything you are called to.  Though there is a lot about her weightloss, the book is very clear that it was done in the bubble of a TV show, rather than the real world, and now she has to keep up the motivation to eat properly and exercise, now she is back in the real world.  Ultimately, as Michelle learned to trust God, she was also able to learn to trust others and herself too.

Live Uncaged by Mary DeMuth

Live Uncaged is no longer available on Amazon UK, but its blurb said:

Are you stuck in the past? Don't know how to heal beyond what happened to you back then? Are you tired of repeating the mistakes of your parents?

Author Mary DeMuth helps you understand your past, embrace healing today, and anticipate an irresistible future.

Through biblical teaching, real life in-the-trenches examples, and an eye toward spiritual growth, author Mary DeMuth helps you live the uncaged life you've always wanted.

Throughout this  book Mary DeMuth goes through lots of different ways in which we can be living as if caged, rather than allowing Christ to set us free.  I should as a trigger warning here, because Mary has experienced much pain in her life, not lease because of sexual abuse and rape that she has experienced as a child.  Despite this, thoughout the book you can see the joy that has come into her life thanks to her faith.

As this book is a collection of blog posts, rather than written as a book, some of the topics are repeated, but don't let this put you off.  Each post is clearly laid out, and Mary puts her heart and soul on the page, as she prays for herself and for the reader that they get healing from whatever ails them.

The Overcoming Life by D L Moody

D L Moody is one of those names who are renowned for their writings and preaching as an evangelist.  Though I don't know much about him as a person, I know the name is considered one of the greats of olden times (yes, I know so little that before reading the wiki link I had no idea what era he lived in!) and that as a Christian, I should at least read some of his works.

The blurb for says:

Are you an overcomer? Or, are you plagued by little sins that easily beset you? Even worse, are you failing in your Christian walk, but refuse to admit and address it? No Christian can afford to dismiss the call to be an overcomer. The earthly cost is minor; the eternal reward is beyond measure.

Dwight L. Moody is a master at unearthing what ails us. He uses stories and humor to bring to light the essential principles of successful Christian living. Each aspect of overcoming is looked at from a practical and understandable angle. The solution Moody presents for our problems is not religion, rules, or other outward corrections. Instead, he takes us to the heart of the matter and prescribes biblical, God-given remedies for every Christian's life. Get ready to embrace genuine victory for today, and joy for eternity.

This book is very straight-talking.  Moody pulls no punches when talking about sin and how it affects us.  He does use humour and anecdotes to explain and help convey his meaning, so though it is a blunt book, it didn't feel like he was being accusatory or holier-than-thou.

Being written in the 19th Century, it is written in old English, and all Bible references are from the King James Version, so though it is updated, the language isn't.  The other thing that stood out to me, was Moody's damnation of alcohol, and drinking at all.  I'm guessing that is part of the social context, as reading about prohibition on wiki, there was a societal movement against alcohol before prohibition became law in the early 20th century.  As a Christian who does drink alcohol, I don't agree that we need to abstain entirely, but if it is a problem to you as an individual, then it is certainly wise to not drink.

Overall, though, I'm glad I read the book, and am more inclined to read other books by Moody, or other evangelists of the time (eg Spurgeon).

A Life of Balance by K P Yohannan

The book description says:

Remember learning how to ride a bike? The hardest part was learning how to stay balanced. Once you mastered that, you were ready to go anywhere.

The same is true of life, especially for those of us who sincerely seek to follow Jesus Christ. All truth has two sides, and balanced attention to both sides of the coin is necessary to rightly divide the Word of Truth. Otherwise, our passion for the Lord can quickly turn into fanaticism and our ministry will eventually fade away.

In this short booklet, K.P. Yohannan discusses Biblical balance in 11 key areas of life, such as

*Discipline and Freedom
*Faith and Common Sense
*Love and Doctrine
*Zeal and Wisdom

Learn how to develop the balance which will keep your life and ministry healthy and honoring God.

This is a good little book, only 78 pages, full of wisdom.  I read a chapter at a time, and each helps point you back to Christ and get balance in your lives.

Parenting by Paul David Tripp

What is your calling as a parent?

In the midst of folding laundry, coordinating carpool schedules, and breaking up fights, many parents get lost. Feeling pressure to do everything "right" and raise up "good" children, it's easy to lose sight of our ultimate purpose as parents in the quest for practical tips and guaranteed formulas.

In this life-giving book, Paul Tripp offers parents much more than a to-do list. Instead, he presents us with a big-picture view of God's plan for us as parents. Outlining fourteen foundational principles centered on the gospel, he shows that we need more than the latest parenting strategy or list of techniques. Rather, we need the rescuing grace of God--grace that has the power to shape how we view everything we do as parents.

Freed from the burden of trying to manufacture life-change in our children's hearts, we can embrace a grand perspective of parenting overflowing with vision, purpose, and joy.

I bought this book at the Bath Women's Conference last year.  It has taken me over a year to get around to reading it, and in all honestly I wish I had read it earlier.  In fact, I wish this book had been written when my children were younger, so that I could reread it as necessary as they have been growing up.

The subtitle of this book is "14 Gospel Principles that can Radically Change your Family", and there are 14 chapters which go through these ideas in greater depth: Calling, Grace, Law, Inability, Identity, Process, Lost, Authority, Foolishness, Character, False Gods, Control, Rest and Mercy.  In each chapter, we are reminded of the things that we require from God, so that we can respond appropriately to our children.  God knows I need His help!

This is a really practical book, with down-to-earth descriptions of 'normal' parenting, not least as Tripp recounts times when he could/should have done better; so it's certainly not being lectured by a know-it-all.

The other thing I liked about this book, is that it fits with my general parenting philosophy - that we should encourage our children, facilitate their learning and growing, but allow them the freedom to own their own journey.

This book has challenged me greatly, shown me where I can improve, and encouraged me to rely further on God and his Grace, as I try and extend the same to my own children.

Praying For Your Children by Towns and Earley

I got this book, Praying for your Children, after it was temporarily listed for free on Amazon.  I'm a member of a Facebook group that shares Christian e-books (both fiction and non-fiction) when they are under a dollar, or free.

As someone who does not have the prayer life that I feel I should have (though it is getting better, especially the smaller, impromptu prayers, just relying on God throughout the day) I thought this would be a good book to help me to help my children to pray.

With my girls, I have always said a set prayer with them at bedtime from when they were little:

God, Our Father, I've come to say

Thank you for your love today.

Thank you for my family

And all the friends you give to me.

Guard me in the dark of night

And in the morning, send your light.  Amen.

DD1 now considers herself an atheist, so doesn't want me praying with her any more.

DD2, otoh, is happy for me to pray this prayer with her, and we have started adding our own prayers at the end of it.  Though she often wants me to say the prayers on her behalf, I'm trying to encourage her to talk to God directly.

The blurb for this book says:

Filled with easy-to-follow advice and biblically sound suggestions, Praying for Your Children gives parents and those who love children the tools to make an eternal difference in their lives.

Authors Dr. Elmer Towns and Dr. Dave Earley share how and what to pray to bring your children closer to God. Defined are the roles and responsibilities of parents in raising children who learn to rely on God for their strength and power to be victorious in any situation.

Stressing the importance of starting early, actual prayers are shared that children can memorize. Biblical parents and their prayers are also highlighted, providing excellent examples of how praying for children pleases God to answer.

You don't have to be a great spiritual prayer warrior for God to answer your prayers for your children. The secret is God. You donÕt get great answers because youÕre more spiritual than others, or because youÕve prayed longer or better. The secret is God! The simplest prayer launched with the simplest faith can set the wheels of Heaven in motion.

Trust Him to do great things for your children.

Personally, I found some of the suggestions to be a bit formulaic (as in 'if you do this, then God will listen'), however, this book is still worth reading (especially if you can get it for free!) because there is lots of encouragement within.  Dispersed throughout the text are lots of small prayers for you to say, asking God to help you praying for your children, and at the end, there are some set-prayers that you can use too.  When I was growing up, my mum said a prayer with my sister and I before bed, and I can barely remember it now, though I recognise it when I see/hear it. And it was in this book, so that made me smile, too (though it listed two different endings, and I can't remember which it was my mum used to say, but think it was the first one).

Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep:

May God guard me through the night

And wake me with the morning light.  Amen

or

Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

If I should die before I wake,

I pray the Lord my soul to take. Amen.

Emotions, Mirrors of the Heart by Catherine Haddow

This book was recommended to me by a friend from church.  She knows I suffer with depression, and that I have been reading various psychology books in order to help myself.
When the Body Says No links our psychological state to our physiological state. Emotions, Mirrors of the Heart links our psychological state to our spiritual state.

The blurb says:

Our emotions are powerful. We experience them so tangibly that they can often feel all-consuming. At one time or another, we will all have experienced what Catherine Haddow calls ‘tears, fears and sneers’ — those darker, harder emotions. We often don’t know what to do with them. Sometimes we feel helplessly controlled by them, unable to see anything other than the emotion. At other times, we try and hide them from others and from God.

In this book, you’ll see that our emotions are vitally important as they are ‘spiritual smoke alarms’ that can alert us to the state of our heart. Catherine presents her own ’tbH’ model which, when followed, helps us to understand our thoughts, emotions and behaviours in more detail, each providing vital information about  the compelling desires, flowing from our hearts. She then helps us to apply biblical wisdom to where we’re struggling, inviting God to change and transform us from the heart of the emotion — the core of our being.

This is a book that not only spoke to me now, but is one that I can see myself rereading the the future if needed.  Rather than dismiss secular methods, such as CBT, which some Christian writers are prone to do, Cather Haddow acknowledges that they are useful and have benefit, but for the Christian they do not go quite far enough - so she developed the tbH model (thoughts >> behaviours >> body >> Heart) and encourages us to allow God the freedom to transform our innermost being.

Even if you are a Christian who doesn't suffer with depression or anxiety, I would recommend this book to you, because it shines a light on ourselves whilst opening us up to God's transforming grace.

(This book isn't currently available on Amazon, but is available in paperback and ebook from 10 of Those.)

Stories Aren't Just For Kids by Christine Dillon

I read this book over the summer, and really enjoyed it, even though I hadn't considered storytelling at all (would you have guessed I prefer reading books? lol).

The blurb says:

In a world increasingly anti-Christian, how can you communicate in a way that slides under listener's defences? How can you leave them hungry for more? 
Stories are God-designed way to impact hearts. 
But many Christians reject stories as just for kids. Christine Dillon has trained thousands of people in storytelling. 10 myths come up over and over again, and they block Christians from using this life-changing ministry tool. 
MYTH 1: Adults won’t listen to stories
MYTH 2: Stories are only for non-literate cultures 
MYTH 3: Men won’t listen to stories ...
MYTH 6: Storytelling won’t grow mature disciples
MYTH 8: Storytelling will lead to heresy ... 

Using stories from around the world Dillon tackles each myth and challenges you to master this tool. 

Christine Dillon is a Bible storyteller and trainer who works in Asia and Australia. Her book, Telling the Gospel Through Story: Evangelism that keeps hearers hungry for more (IVP, 2012) has inspired many to start telling the greatest story of them all.

Having read the book, I think storytelling is a pretty impressive tool to use, not least because it was how the Bible was passed from person to person in years gone by.  There is a website and a Facebook group for anyone wanting to find out more. 

I'm not in a place, right now, to be able to learn or make use of this book, but, I am very glad I have read it (and have made a note of it) so I can come back to it in the future.  I particularly liked Christine's idea of praying before every holiday/trip, in order to meet someone with whom to share your relationship with God; something I will try to do in future.  It was very inspirational.

When the Body Says No by Gabor Maté

A friend recommended this book to me, whose subtitle is "The Cost of Hidden Stress".  The book is
about the link between body and mind, and the fact that our emotions can make us ill, especially if we do not resolve any hidden stress in our lives.

The synopsis says:

Can a person literally die of loneliness? Is there a connection between the ability to express emotions and Alzheimer’s disease? Is there such a thing as a ‘cancer personality’?

Drawing on deep scientific research and Dr Gabor Maté’s acclaimed clinical work, When the Body Says No provides the answers to critical questions about the mind-body link – and the role that stress and our emotional makeup play in an array of common diseases.

When the Body Says No:

- Explores the role of the mind-body link in conditions and diseases such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome and multiple sclerosis. 
- Shares dozens of enlightening case studies and stories, including those of people such as Lou Gehrig (ALS), Betty Ford (breast cancer), Ronald Reagan (Alzheimer’s), Gilda Radner (ovarian cancer) and Lance Armstrong (testicular cancer)
- Reveals ‘The Seven A’s of Healing’: principles in healing and the prevention of illness from hidden stress

Now, I have to say that when people give me 'cures' for cancer - whether it be green juice, blueberries, cutting out sugar, or whatever - I am usually rightly skeptical.  So when I started reading this book, I was a bit worried that it would be of the same ilk, but I was pleasantly surprised!

This book is based in science, but links psychology to medicine via what it calls the PNI system - Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology system. 
It is widely known that hormones can affect your physiology and how well your immune system works.  Your hormones, in turn, are affected by your emotions and what you are feeling, so it is not a big leap to hypothesise that your emotions can have a direct link to your physiological well-being, specifically if your body is rife with stress hormones such as cortisol over sustained periods due to repressed emotions.

Dr Maté says this link can lead to many illnesses and diseases from arthritis,CFS, to cancer, MND and Alzheimer's.  As much of this repression is caused by how we were brought up as children, Dr Maté is quick to mitigate the assumption of blame apportioned at our parents, though does show that this cross-generational dance of repression can manifest itself such that some diseases appear like they are hereditary, without the genetic link.

For me, I found this a really interesting book, and it wasn't too difficult to read.  It makes sense from both a scientific and a common-sense understanding, and has encouraged me that going to speak to a therapist is the right thing for me.

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

I was lent this book by a friend months and months ago <blush> and finally got around to reading it whilst on holiday last week.  Born a Crime follows the story of Trevor Noah's childhood, having been born as mixed race in South Africa during Apartheid.

The write-up says:

One of the comedy world's brightest new voices, Trevor Noah is a light-footed but sharp-minded observer of the absurdities of politics, race and identity, sharing jokes and insights drawn from the wealth of experience acquired in his relatively young life. As host of the US hit show The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, he provides viewers around the globe with their nightly dose of biting satire, but here Noah turns his focus inward, giving readers a deeply personal, heartfelt and humorous look at the world that shaped him.

Noah was born a crime, son of a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother, at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents' indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the first years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, take him away.

A collection of eighteen personal stories, Born a Crime tells the story of a mischievous young boy growing into a restless young man as he struggles to find his place in a world where he was never supposed to exist. Born a Crime is equally the story of that young man's fearless, rebellious and fervently religious mother - a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence and abuse that ultimately threatens her own life.
Whether subsisting on caterpillars for dinner during hard times, being thrown from a moving car during an attempted kidnapping, or just trying to survive the life-and-death pitfalls of dating in high school, Noah illuminates his curious world with an incisive wit and an unflinching honesty. His stories weave together to form a personal portrait of an unlikely childhood in a dangerous time, as moving and unforgettable as the very best memoirs and as funny as Noah's own hilarious stand-up. Born a Crime is a must read. 

The book is hugely funny and scary (because of it's truth) in equal measure. As someone who is privileged for growing white in the UK, it's shocking to read of what others grow up and experience as 'normal' in other parts of the world, within my lifetime.

The only criticism of this book I had, and it's just a personal thing, is that knowing him (ok, about him) as a stand-up now, I would like to have read about his transition from the teenager in South Africa getting up to high jinx to the popular comedian on prime time TV in the US.  That said, he could be purposely saving that for a sequel - I know I would want to read it.