Why God Won't Go Away - Allister McGrath

Is the new atheism running on empty? Allister McGrath thinks so, and gives compelling reasons why. This book is somewhat of a follow up to his previous book The Dawkins Delusion, in that he has refuted the claims of Dawkins, being an atheist and famous anti-God author. McGrath himself used to be an atheist, and writes from a unique perspective on the issue. Christopher Hitchens is also mentioned as a leader in the new atheist movement.
 I enjoyed this book for many reasons. It is enjoyable to read an intelligent, well written book that debunks the myth of atheism in a systematic way, using their own arguments against them. The author has a unique way of explaining why this movement is false and how dangerous it really is. This book should be read by every Christian who wants to know more about how the enemy is working in our culture today to spread the lies of atheism.
The author is a professor at the King's College, London, formerly from Oxford, and has publicly debated some of the leaders in the new atheist movement. I also recommend his previous book, The Dawkins Delusion for more. Also Ben Stein's movie Expelled has an interview with Richard Dawkins face to face.

The Insider - Jim Peterson & Mike Shamy

Bringing the Kingdom of God into your everyday world. How are Christians to be in the world but not of the world and be salt and light? This book attempts to answer these questions and more. "Evangelism is for all of us" the back cover states, and most of us would agree that we need to share the Gospel more right where we are. Sometimes we are called to leave our circumstances, but often we are uniquely positioned to be God's ambassadors right where we are, as an "insider."
This book is broken down into 4 parts, The Insider, Overcoming Obstacles to Fruitfulness, Life Patterns of a Fruitful Insider, and Living as an Insider. I found it full of practical examples of living as an insider and representative of Jesus. The authors also use Biblical examples of those that have been insiders right where they were. Both authors are employed by The Navigators.
I would recommend this book to any Christian who wants to take his or her influence in this world to the next level, and truly be an example to others.
This book is published by Navpress.

The Greatest Music Stories Never Told - Rick Beyer

100 tales from music history to astonish, bewilder, and stupefy. This book is an interesting look at 100 songs that cover a very wide range of history from 1400 BC to 2007 AD. Most of the stories behind the songs are unfamiliar to even the most knowledgeable researcher. The book is full of trivia such as what member of the rock group Queen has a PhD in astrophysics? and who wrote the song "Happy Birthday to You?" Each story is told in two pages and is an easy read.  I would recommend this book to any music history buff that wants to know the stories behind many popular songs.
The author is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, who's work has been seen on The History Channel and A&E networks. For videos and songs related to the book visit www.greateststoriesnevertold.com/musiclinks.
The back cover states "They're so good, you can't read just one!" And once you start reading this book, it will be hard to put down.

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.

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.