The Least Among You

I watched The Least Among You, starring Cedric Sanders, Lauren Holly, Louis Gossett Jr., and William Devane and directed by Marc Young.

In this movie, a young man makes one simple mistake and is forced to change his life plans and enter a seminary. As hard as he tries, being the only African American man in the seminary is extremely difficult for him. Racism is rampant around the country and this young man must deal with it in a place devoted to the word of God. He must stay, in accordance with his probation, and recruit 30+ African American students to the seminary. Considering the racism around campus, the young man's attempts fail. He befriends the schools janitor and finally receives the fatherly figure he's craved since childhood. The young man continues to work on recruiting more students, but does he succeed?

Growing up in the late '80s, early '90s, I was not exposed to this kind of extreme racism. I find it unbelievable to see how this young man and millions of others were treated just because of the color of their skin. Throughout the movie, the young man expresses the same anger and confusion with God many of us deal with. Not even the one ally he believed has had his back stands by him when money is involved. This movie shows what a role racism had in this country, including the Church. I did not think I would like this movie but I really did. I think we all need to be reminded of the hatred many had for African Americans. Many people today still possess that hatred, not only for African Americans, but for many other groups in our society. Faith eventually intervened for this young man, but he had to fight for it.

One Hand, Two Hands by Max Lucado

Max Lucado's One Hand, Two Hands is a children's book written to show young children the many ways in which we can use our hands. From cleaning to clapping to grabbing and praying, Max Lucado describes the many ways we use our hands in a wonderful, sweet, easy for young children to understand manner.



The book is a quick and easy read for children who have just learned to read. It is beautifully illustrated by Gaby Hansen. I recommend this book for parents of young children, up to around age 6. I think this book is a great tool for parents to use when trying to show children the many ways in which they should be thankful to God in their daily life. I would use this book as a night time story but also as a tool for teaching childrent the ways to be thankful to God and how he has helped us. There is a great page in the back of the book that lists the many ways we use our hands.



This is a GREAT book. This book would be good to read to children who are starting to question how God affects their daily lives. I think more children's books need to be written to explain the many things we should be thankful for; many which we was adults forget about.

The Revolutionary Paul Revere by Joel J. Miller

The Revolutionary Paul Revere by Joel J. Miller outlined the life of one of American History's most well known beings. The book tells the story of a young man following in his father's footsteps who would one day wind up being known by every child who ever took an American History class in school. The book does not go into too much detail regarding his life but does paint the picture of a brave and honorable man who fought for what and who he believed in. Many people do not know the other side of Paul Revere and should. He is not only the man who warned the colonists during the American Revolution; he was a father, husband, politician, silversmith and so much more.

I was not fond of the book; many because I am not the largest American history buff. This book is perfect for anyone who wants to know what happened during the American Revolution and find out what the people who fought for our freedom was really like. It is not a horrible book it is in fact a well written, informative book about an amazing man who helped create the nation we live in today. For anyone who loves history, this is an excellent book for you. I would recommend this book for middle school or high school students especially so they can learn about the sacrifices made for their freedom.

Jane Austen

My attraction to Jane Austen only began about a year ago when this movie came out. Ever since seeing this movie I bought a book, and then a few of the recently released spoofs of Austen, watched the Anne Hathaway movie and even became obsessed with a mini series from the BBC... given it was a hybrid of Jane Austen and Alice in Wonderland. When I saw this book I HAD to read it.

Now, watching the movie about her, I never would have known the role religion held in Austen's life. No movie or simple biography about her has done her justice until now. This book by Peter Leithart was fantastic. You do not have to be an Austen-addict to enjoy it. There are great reference pages in the back which can help those who have never even held an Austen novel to understand who the characters in her novels are.

Jane Austen is not the person many have depicted her as being. Yes she was an author, but she was not a poor servant-type daughter of a man who made no money and needed to sell his daughters into marriage in order to sustain his life. Her books were not based on her. The men that did enter her life were not the drunken, boxing fools as they were depicted. She was an intelligent, independent woman who wrote based on her surroundings and managed to live her life the way she wanted to. She cared for her family but never got to enjoy the fame she would one day obtain because of her writings.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Austen.

** True Austen fans~ I do not recommend the spoofs**

Being a girl I of course have to let you know that this book is the perfect size for a purse so you can bring it anywhere! No big clunky books this time... It fit perfectly in my purse and even in the center console of the car.

The Power of Respect

A lot of people today tend to forget about a little word called RESPECT. Be it for themselves, for those they know or even someone they do not know, people tend to forget that in order to receive respect you must give respect. Deborah Norville writes about the power respect can have on one's life and why it is so important to not only respect yourself but to respect those you encounter everyday. Everyone can point out a person they see during the day who does not respect themselves. Deborah shows why it is so important to respect everyone and everything around you. Just because you may become a high paying executive in a multi-million dollar company, that does not mean that you should not respect the person who sweeps your office every night. Every living thing on this planet deserves the same respect. We all came in this world the same way. No one is better than anyone else. Everyone should read this book because although many have been taught this their whole lives, I think we all need a little reminder every once in a while.

The Tallest of Smalls

In Max Lucado's new children's book, The Tallest of Smalls, a young boy name Ollie wants desperately to fit in with all the other people in the town of Stiltsville. The cool people of the town decide who can and who can not wear the stilts. One day he is finally chosen but soon finds out that it Is not what he expected it to be. When Ollie needs help, he finds that none of the cool people are there to help him. Ollie soon discovers what it is really like to be cool. It isn't until Jesus comes to him that he realizes he is perfect the way he is and that is he loved by those who matter most just the way he is.

More children's books need to be made and read to children with this message. Just because someone is in the cool crowd, it doesn't mean they are a good person. You really have to become a part of that group to find out that popularity does not make a person good. This is a wonderful book for parents to read to their children and keep reading to remind them of what it means to be loved. You are made the way you are and you shouldn't change it to fit in!

The Search for God and Guinness

Mostly everyone knows the name Guinness, the dark beer made in Ireland mostly drank on Saint Patrick's Day. But unless you have gone to Ireland or read about Arthur Guinness, the man who started the company, you would not know much else about this product. Returning from a trip to Ireland, relatives informed me of the nutritional value found within a Guinness. No one knew the spiritual and giving side that can be found inside each bottle. I had no idea the man who started a company brewing beer did such well for an entire country. You would never think someone who brews beer would care about the well being of a country and all the workers they employed. What amazed me more was the fact that as the years have gone on, the Guinness ancestors who took over the company kept on caring and doing all they could and more than what was already done to help the workers and families of this company. This book is great for anyone interested in both the wonderful company Guinness is and the amazing history of beer. Never would I have imagined it was around for so long. I chose to read this book because it was about Guinness, and being Irish you tend to have a special place in your heart for anything Ireland-related, but quickly found myself proud of the nation I came from and proud of the people it creates. Arthur Guinness was one of the few great business men of the late 18^th early 19^th century. He's the type of man who makes you proud to be Irish!

Kabul 24

In the book Kabul 24 by Henry O. Arnold and Ben Pearson, the story of Shelter Now International workers capture, trial and release from the Taliban is told in a profound way. The story goes further into detail than the news ever gave. How these individuals survived this event is unbelievable. To sum up the story, these individuals were set up by the Taliban and the people they thought they were helping. They were invited into these homes and used as game pieces in a well thought out game of strategy. These men KNEW what they were doing and actually thought out the best way to get the US!!! The capture of these workers happened just before 9/11 and it was planned to happen that way in order to attack the US. These amazing people dealt with the most uncivilized, disgusting people I have ever read about! The way these workers and some of their families describe what they went through actually made my heart beat in my throat at times. These workers used their belief in God to get through this unbelievable experience. All this took place because they THOUGHT these people were teaching Christianity and they weren't. No facts were checked, no investigations… It was almost like the Salem Witch Trials! No justice can take place when you are dealing with people like the Taliban. They don't care who you are, where you come from… they will kill you just for not being a Muslim. The charges these individuals faced were made up and in no way would they have stuck in the United States Judicial System. This is an AMAZING book… If you want to learn about how the Taliban and some people in Afghanistan treat foreigners you must read this book. I had no idea some of these people do the things they do to Americans. A movie based on this book will be coming out soon and I will be watching it! The authors did such a great job describing the pain these individuals went through. Although the book is about Christian missionaries, the majority of the book only discusses what they went through and doesn't make it all about the Christian faith so if you are concerned that this book will be filled with religious sentiment, I can honestly tell you it is not. Everyone should read this book… especially those who think the Taliban is not a real threat!

From Peanuts to the Pressbox

Eli Gold has been a sportscaster for over 25 years. He began his work as a young man, not even out of high school, on the radio and eventually landed on TV, doing commentary for NASCAR. Along the way he met many fellow sportscasters who would one day become well known to many, including Marv Albert and Bob Costas. Eli has covered a wide array of sporting events- from hockey to NASCAR. His dream began as a little boy listening to the radio before bed and even now has not diminished regardless of the success he has achieved as a renowned sportscaster.

Eli's book starts off telling the story of a young boy who dreamed of one day working on the radio, doing what he loved to do most- talking about sports. The book does not really go too deeply into Eli's life but it does describe the world of sports during the 1970's to today wonderfully. This book is wonderful for any sports enthusiast. Not being one myself, I still found myself pulled in to the many stories Eli tells about the world of sports and all the amazing people he got a chance to meet. A quick, great read!

Knockout Entrepreneur

In this book by Heavyweight Boxer George Foreman, the tools needed to succeed in life and business is given to you in an easy to understand manner. George Foreman gives you all the tools he used when building his business and tells you how to do it while showing you that if he didn't try he wouldn't be who he is. Along with the helpful tips given by George, he tells stories about what happened to him- during his boxing career, regarding the grill and much more. Not once while reading this book do you feel like you are reading a self help book. The way George tells stories about his life and how he made his business is comforting. The book makes you feel like you are talking to a close family friend, giving you advice when you are having a bad day and need a little boost. The advice given is things you may have heard all your life but they are very helpful. You never know what can happen to you if you try. There is always something better out there for you. George makes it seem like you can do everything you want as long as you believe in what you are trying to do. A wonderful book for everyone!

What's He Really Thinking

What's He Really Thinking is a book written about the differences between men and woman and how to better understand them. Upon seeing the book I was really interested in reading it because I have wondered many times, "Why do men do what they do?" and "What are they thinking?". Paula Rinehart does go into some very good details about the history of men and women, all the way back to the biblical era.

Having such high expectations about this book, I was seriously disappointed . Within the first ten pages, I was lost. I had little interest in finishing, but did. I may be too young to understand all the details Paula gives regarding her thirty year marriage, but I felt like a lot of the things she said were just not relatable to a younger audience. I believe that if you are in your late 20’s maybe 30’s and you are still having a difficult time understanding the male psyche, then this is the perfect book for you. I appreciate the work she did and all the interesting facts she has given, but I think that if you are in your early twenties you should stick to books like He’s Just Not That Into You. I think a little part of every woman will always wonder about what men are thinking.

Rick and Bubba

Rick and Bubba's Guide to Marriage is described as a humorous look into marriage. The book is comprised of a bunch of stories from both Rick and Bubba about their marriages, their children, and the many different aspects of being married. It's a quick and easy read.

Before reading this book, I noticed on Amazon.com that the similar book to this are written by people like Glenn Beck and being a fan of Glenn Beck I was excited to read this. I received the book and after about two chapters, completely lost interest in it. I really did not find them to have humorous stories; somewhat funny, if that, and many of the stories have been things men have been saying for years about their wives. I could be one of the few people who did not enjoy this book mainly because I am not married yet and do not know what it is like. I'm not quite sure. The expectation for this book was way too high for what I received. Next time I think something is going to be, let's say "Red-Neck" style funny, I'll just pop in one of my Blue Collar DVD's and listen to their views on marriage.

The Noticer by Andy Andrews

In The Noticer by Andy Andrews, an old man named Jones, not Mr. Jones-just Jones, comes into the lives of the citizens of a small town in Alabama. He goes from person to person, some looking for advice, others just living their life unaware of the advice they are about to receive from this stranger. No matter the age, Jones gives each citizen a comforting word of advice; a special way of finding some perspective in the lives they are living. From young teenagers to elderly women, the advice Jones gives changes the lives of each of these members of this town. Although no one knows him, he knows all of them.
The Noticer is one of those books you read where you may find yourself agreeing with what is said or not agreeing with what is said. The one thing that is repeated throughout the book is the need for perspective. The different ways in which the main character explains to each of the supporting characters what they need to do in order to enjoy their lives, or put their life in order, stunned me. They may seem like simple, common things, but not many of us take the time we need to think about what we are doing, or what we need to do, in order to find peace within our lives.