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Thoughts on the Christian life in a fallen world

Thursday, June 23, 2011

The Little Red Book of Wisdom - Mark DeMoss

This is a easily readable book for just about every age, from those just starting out on their own in life to those who are experienced. You are never too old or young to gain wisdom, and practical wisdom for daily living is what this book is about. You will find chapters on The Amazing Power of Understatement, God Owns it all, and Shut Up and listen. All in all, 23 chapters on gaining wisdom and the value of listening.
The most important chapter is the last one entitled, " The Wisest Decision Anyone Can Make " Answering the "And then what?" question, based on Mark 8:36. In this chapter, he invites the reader to make a decision to follow Jesus Christ and to write to him about it. This is the type of chapter that should be included in many books of this type, but sometimes is not. It is the central theme from which everything else is taken from.
The author is president of The DeMoss Group, a public relations firm he founded to serve Christian organizations. He speaks of personal experiences dealing with death of loved ones, and business dealings, both good and bad. The author is also quick to thank his wife and children as inspirations to his gaining wisdom. I enjoyed his practical writing style and to the point chapters that anyone will be able to relate to in any profession or age. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to gain more wisdom in their life.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Jolt - Phil Cooke

Get the jump on a world that's constantly changing. Sometimes all we need is a jolt or a wake up call. This book is divided into 25 jolts and quotes from famous and not so famous people on each subject. The author includes scripture to support his ideas, but is not "preachy" in his approach. One of the chapters is titled Discover the Power of Faith. I would consider it a Biblical approach to getting off your duff and making the changes necessary for success. Some of the 25 jolts included are chapters titled a Change of Habit, Personal Growth is not an Option, and Eliminate Destructive Distractions. Some of the ideas presented can be found in other sources, but it is helpful to have a book inspire someone to change their life for the better.
The author describes a jolt is this manner "to disturb, to shock, to interfere with abruptly, to shake things up."
And that is exactly what we need sometimes. The author is a rarity, a working producer in Hollywood with a PhD. His company produces media programming all over the world, and has many interesting and dangerous stories to tell. He's the kind of guy that you may want to have lunch with just to hear what he has to say. Find out more at PhilCooke.com.