Persecution
(Regnery) by David Limbaugh was an eye-opening (and at times frightening) recounting
of the way in which our culture has shifted at many points toward an anti-Christian
bias. Those who think the term "culture wars" is overblown haven't
read this book.
I'm
always looking for books that will help me work more effectively; the only problem
is that most of them want me to change something. One of those which persuaded
me that change may not be so bad is Getting
Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (Penguin Books) by
David Allen. It is filled with helpful ideas that will make me more productive
if I ever get around to doing them.
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Of
course, much of my reading focuses on homiletics, and a number of excellent
books on preaching hit my reading list in the past year. In addition to our
book of the year (see page 14 of this issue), 360-Degree
Preaching (Baker) by Michael Quicke, some of my favorites were The
Passion-Driven Sermon (Broadman & Holman) by Jim Shaddix, Preaching
That Changes Lives (Thomas Nelson) by Michael Fabarez., and Preaching
With Bold Assurance (Broadman & Holman) by Hershael York and Bert
Decker.
Finally,
one of the most enjoyable books I read this year was Seabiscuit
by Laura Hillenbrand. In a beautifully-written tale, the author shows how an
unlikely band of people achieved more than any could have individually dreamed.
Who could have guessed that a story about a racehorse could be so fascinating?
Now
that 2004 is upon us, I'm looking forward to a whole new batch of great books.
As the T-shirt slogan says: "So many books. So little time."
_______________
Michael
Duduit is the Editor of Preaching magazine.