The cost of discipleship

by Dietrich Bonhoefer     (Get the Book)
One of the most important theologians of the twentieth century illuminates the relationship between ourselves and the teachings of Jesus in this classic text on ethics, humanism, and civic duty. What can the call to discipleship, the adherence to the word of Jesus, mean today to the businessman, the soldier, the laborer, or the aristocrat? What did Jesus mean to say to us? What is his will for us today? Drawing on the Sermon on the Mount, Dietrich Bonhoeffer answers these timeless questions by providing a seminal reading of the dichotomy between "cheap grace" and "costly grace." "Cheap grace," Bonhoeffer wrote, "is the grace we bestow on ourselves...grace without discipleship....Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the girl which must be asked for, the door at which a man must know....It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life." The Cost of Discipleship is a compelling statement of the demands of sacrifice and ethical consistency from a man whose life and thought were exemplary articulations of a new type of leadership inspired by the Gospel, and imbued with the spirit of Christian humanism and a creative sense of civic duty. (Publisher)

Smart money smart kids : raising the next generation to win with money

by Dave Ramsey    (Get the Book)
Radio host and financial expert Ramsey (The Total Money Makeover) teams up with his daughter, Rachel, in this guide to raising financially savvy kids, using "practical, tactical, spiritual and strategic principles." Ramsey explains how he bankrupted his family in his 20s and then went on to become an expert, espousing debt-free living and teaching his three children how to become financially responsible. Though Ramsey weighs in frequently, most of the text is provided by Cruze, who details what it was like growing up Ramsey: for example, at age 16, she had saved $8,000, which her parents matched for her first car. The authors advise using the "envelope system" to teach kids money management (spend, save, and give) and emphasize teaching them that money has limits ("when it's gone it's gone"). But the authors also warn against rigidity; for instance, a parent who won't cover the tax when a child has saved for a $300 purchase takes things too far. The authors' "five foundations" include teaching kids to (1) establish a $500 emergency fund; (2) live without debt; (3) pay cash for a car; (4) pay cash for college; and (5) build wealth and give. Though biblical references are interspersed, parents of all faiths will benefit from this sound guide. --Publishers weekly

Congratulations, by the way : some thoughts on kindness

by George Saunders    (Get the Book)
An expansion of a commencement speech passed around the web, this essay hits warm and tender notes without straying from safety zone of feel-good advice. In a tone by turns grandfatherly and fun-loving, renowned fiction writer Saunders (Tenth of December) identifies his main regrets in life as what he calls "failures of kindness." While his exploration of kindness initially promises to pull from science and history, it falls back on the maligning of certain self-focused beliefs already widely maligned: the belief that one is indispensable to yet distinct from the universe, and the idea that humans are eternal. Portraying common major life goals (raising children, succeeding in one's career) as part of a never-ending, accomplishment-based cycle, Saunders impugns the cycle for distracting individuals from the important questions, yet he does not adequately establish why pursuing these should hamper an investigation of the meaning of life. Nor does he address obvious counterpoints-that children constitute a personal value of parents and that their pride is therefore an expression of personal joy. As life advice, the speech contains standard contradictions: seek the life that is most fulfilling to you individually, yet follow pursuits that will ultimately diminish your sense of self. His wording is genteel and his examples vivid, but the overall impression is that of a standard-issue secular sermon on loving one another. --Publishers Weekly

Four blood moons : something is about to change

by John Hagee    (Get the Book)
In his latest, pastor Hagee draws connections between celestial events and biblical prophecies. Operating under the initial assumption that god controls various heavenly bodies (e.g. the sun, moon, and stars), Hagee seeks to interpret the spiritual message behind various astronomical phenomena. As the subtitle suggests, Hagee urgently believes change is coming, and he cautions his readers to be on the lookout for messages from God. Gallagher proves a compelling narrator. He reads clearly and briskly, which works to maintain listener interest. Hagee is clearly a devoted pastor and Gallagher does an excellent job capturing that devotion and the fervency of the author's beliefs. At the same time, Gallagher's narration is conversational and practical, and he reads in a matter-of-fact way that makes the author's material seem down-to-earth. A Worthy hardcover. --Publishers Weekly

You are not special... and other encouragements

by David G. McCullough   (Get the Books)
Longtime high school English teacher McCullough scores an A+ with this volume for teens and parents. Rich in literary references and poetic in cadence, the author also offers plenty of hilarious and pointed comments on teens and today's society. The immediate inspiration for the book is the commencement address that McCullough gave at his high school in 2012. He coyly saves the speech itself until the afterword but readers need not worry. From the start, he examines the odd situation of teens who have every advantage but "[a]t some level[.]understand you can't ride the chairlift and call yourself Edmund Hillary." Teens are cosseted by well-meaning parents and bombarded with the "nitwittery" of social media, notes McCullough, and generally so focused on collecting accolades and laurels to boost their chances of getting into college that they miss the point. According to the author, "these indulged kids, our kids, could be, should be part of the solution for a planet in sore need." As he wisely notes: "When at last the electricity in your few pounds of gelatinous stuff sputters out for good, that's that," thus all readers must take pleasure in this fleeting life. --Publishers weekly