Book Review - Red Rain

Watch the book trailer here.

Red Rain is a recently-released sci-fi novella by Aubrey Hansen- her first published work, actually. I read it last week (actually, I read the finished version for the first time, though I had read a rough draft previously before agreeing to score the trailer).

The Worldview

The Good

The worldview in this book is obviously a big selling point, as it is a Christian book. But that could be said of just about any "Christian" book, couldn't it?

I doubt it. Red Rain isn't just a story with a "sinner's prayer" slapped in there somewhere. It's constructed on the worldview of Christianity. And while there's never a "gospel presentation", the whole book is a presentation of the Gospel lived out.

The heroine is feminine- strong, but very clearly female.

The relationship between the heroine and her family is a very good one, beautiful to behold. She is submissive to her father, and honors and obeys him. The stereotypical free-willed girl and oppressive father are totally absent here- what a relief.

Just because there's no "pray-a-prayer" scene does not mean that this book is weak on Christianity. To the contrary, it is quite distinctively Christian, but doesn't have to rely on a cheap and forced "gospel" presentation to make it so.

The book shows homeschooling as a good thing. Oh yes.

Altogether, from a worldview perspective, very good...

The Bad

...though not perfect, of course. The thing that bothers me most about it is the possibility of spiritual pacifism and isolationism coming through. I don't know what Aubrey believes on this subject (and it wouldn't surprise me if I find out shortly after writing this review! :-), but the book could be interpreted to say "if they'll let us keep our religion and our Bible when we're in our house, that's all I ask." This must be reconciled with The Great Commission and The Dominion Mandate.

Any other worldview concerns aren't really even worth mentioning, as I recall.

The Art

The Good

Well, I was given an e-book for my involvement in the project, but we bought a paperback because I like those better. Plus, it was signed, so it might be worth millions someday. :-D

And it looks very nice. A bit simplistic on the front and side covers, but professional and clean. As for the inside- quite nicely done.

Now for the real art of the book- the story. The characters were very engaging and easy to visualize. The dialogue scenes were, in my opinion, some of the best parts of the book. The dialogue is well-written and engaging, and there are a few points where it's so heartfelt it's heartbreaking. The protagonist is very endearing and the villain is satisfactorily villainous. The book is also complemented well with a small (it is a novella) host of supporting characters that are memorable and believable. Aubrey's writing style is very enjoyable, moving from funny to poignant with ease.

The story was excellent. My family and I have talked about this. It seems to me that so many homeschoolers write stuff, but that they rarely take the time to learn their craft and craft their art so that they move from good stuff to good stories. This is a pet peeve of mine.

Aubrey, however, has apparently done her homework. The story was twisty, bittersweet, not quite resolved yet satisfying. Very nicely done. My heart wouldn't break if there were a sequel. (Just thought I'd join the crowd, Aubrey. ;-)

The Bad

There were a few lines that kept popping up that I thought were painfully cliché and/or over-epic. Not that I read or watch a lot of sci-fi, so that could be just me, but a few phrases seemed too forced- like they were supposed to be epic but just ended up cheesy.

There were a few weak scenes, and a few religious inclusions that seemed forced- not because they didn't belong there, but perhaps because they could have been better integrated into the story.

My last critique (for now, mwahaha) is that it seemed rushed. It wasn't terribly so- just a bit fast. I wished that there had been a little more time taken explaining and developing. Yes, it's a novella, but just a few pages more might have gone a long way.

Altogether,

If you're going to read fiction, this one is worth it. Its combination of good worldview and good story is very much worth the price and time. It lacks the last bit of professional polish, which might be expected from a first book. It also delivers very well on tension and gripping, bittersweet fun. Will I read it again? I doubt it. But, counting the rough draft, I read it twice, and enjoyed it both times. Will I have my kids (LORD willing, one day) read it? Probably. Would I recommend it?

Most definitely.

Learn more about and/or purchase Red Rain here (you might still be able to get a signed copy!)

4/5

Book Review - Basic Economics

I consider Mr. Thomas Sowell to be my economics professor.

It's that simple.

Basic Economics is no small book, and it might appear to be frightening judging by the size.

It's not.

It's basic. In case you couldn't guess by the title.

And it is very much worth your read.

The Worldview

The Good

This book is basically an exploration of God's Laws as made manifest in economics- just the way that He designed His creation to work.

The Bad

If Mr. Sowell recognizes this, he doesn't point it out. It's written sans the fear of God- which is the foundation of wisdom.

I don't know what Mr. Sowell's religious convictions are.

But I know what my religious convictions are.

And so, reading through this book, coming from my fear-of-God perspective, I am able to, or at least desire to see all of the knowledge contained herein through the lens of- if it's true it's true because that's how God made it.

That's the big thing- this book doesn't acknowledge that what is is because God made it so.

There are other minor things that I am not "for", like women being in the "work force" and so on, which are taken for granted here, but that isn't my big issue with the book's worldview.

The Art

The Good

While I'm sure there were a few mistakes (I think I even caught a problem in one of the mathematical equations! Oh yes! *feels important*), it's a book by a human. Overall, it was very polished, readable, well-organized, attractively designed, and user-friendly. Mr. Sowell pours forth a wealth of examples to illustrate his points, and while I'll readily admit that there were still a few points that took me multiple reads to get, or even that I just downright didn't get, overall it is definitely an economics textbook for the common man. It also isn't concerned with pushing an agenda, and seemed to me to give a very balanced and honest (which equals a pretty conservative...) view of economics.

Ultimately, I want a Biblical view of economics- and as that's not what Mr. Sowell set out to give me, it's my job to filter this book through The Bible.

But for what he set out to do, he did very well.

The Bad

None worth mentioning.

The Content

Was downright excellent. Like I have said, it lacks a Biblical foundation, but when we bring the foundation along we can recognize that Mr. Sowell has built a really nice house to place thereon.

He covered so much so well, and there were so many "AH! I get it now!" moments.

The book discusses exploitation, monopolies, international trade, price controls, and so many other very practical topics.

For example, I now have a more practical understanding of something that I would have objected to Biblically all along- rent control. When the state steps in and tells private businessmen how much they may charge for rent, I already object to this because Scripture doesn't give that jurisdiction to the state.

But after reading Basic Economics I can also play it out for you- rent control comes in, so the incentive for landlords to care for their property goes down. The demand for rental properties goes up because, for example, a single young man, who in a free market would stay with his parents instead of paying $1,000 a month, now rents a flat for $500 a month. So there is less housing available. At the same time, it becomes less profitable to build housing for the poor, so scarce resources that would have been allocated to making more middle-class housing now are used to make upper-class housing which is exempt from the rent control.

So the policy that was supposed to provide cheap housing for the poor actually increases demand, decreases quality and supply, and everyone is worse off for it- landlords, renters, and the society as a whole.

Scripture is sufficient. We could have known it was wrong all along. But a book like this gives a wealth of knowledge that lets us see God's Word played out practically.

Some excerpts:

• "As we have seen in earlier chapters, earning a rate of return on investment that is greater than what is required to compensate people for their risks and contributions to output is virtually guaranteed to attract other people who wish to share in this bounty be either investing in existing firms or setting up their own new firms. This in turn virtually guarantees that the above-average rate of return will be driven back down by the increased competition caused by expanded investment and production by either existing or new firms. Only where there is some way to prevent this new competition can the above-average earnings on investment persist."
• "While government regulations may be defended by those who create them by referring to the benefits which such regulations provide, the economically relevant question is whether such benefits are worth the more than $840 billion in aggregate costs that they impose. In the marketplace, whoever creates $840 billion in costs would have to be sure to create more than $840 billion in benefits that customers will pay for. Otherwise that producer would risk bankruptcy. In the government, there are seldom any incentives or constraints to force such comparisons."

Altogether,

I would very highly recommend this book.

Buy your copy on Amazon here

I'd also recommend getting a good shot of practical wisdom from Mr. Sowell on YouTube.

Book Review - The Heart of Anger

I just finished The Heart of Anger, a book by Lou Priolo which is full of "practical help for the prevention and cure of anger in children".

Here are my thoughts.

The Worldview

The Good

Wow, what a joy to read a book that is so thoroughly Scriptural, in a blatant sense- Mr. Priolo makes no bones about his foundations being laid upon God's Word, and he denounces using man's wisdom as our guide for counseling.

The Bad

Mr. Priolo definitely doesn't come from the same perspective that I do in some areas. While we agree that Scripture is sufficient for all of life and Godliness- 2 Tim. 3:16- and this is huge!- I'd still suggest that some of the things that he accepts as normative need to be reformed in light of God's Word. Things like dating and public schooling are presented as normal in this book. I don't think that God's Word leads us to these things, so they're worth mentioning.

The Art

The Good

Mr. Priolo is fun to read and the book is quite accessible and understandable. The cookies are on the bottom shelf. He also uses lots of diagrams and illustrations that help with understanding.

The Bad

The grammar and editing in this book was less than perfect, and a bit disappointing. The cover design was a bit cluttered, too.

The Content

Was rich. Delicious. Highly recommended. Mr. Priolo covers many areas that need covered. He talks about manipulation- and how to deal with it, righteous and unrighteous anger, naming issues Biblically, house law (including the difference between Biblically directed rules and Biblically derived rules), idolatry and its implications for anger, and much more:

• The appeal process: "The basis of an appeal is the presentation of new or additional information (preferably supported by a biblical desire and reasoning) that your child believes you as his parent have not considered in making a particular decision. Your child presents the new information along with its biblical justification/benefits (i.e. why the Lord might be pleased with a change of mind/decision) and without any further pressure allows you to reevaluate your decision. This process allows parents to change their mind without having to sacrifice parental authority. It also trains children to communicate desires biblically without resorting to disrespect, manipulation and other manifestations of sinful anger." (From Chapter 12)
• What is manipulation? "To manipulate is to attempt to control. For a Christian, manipulation is using unbiblical means of controlling or influencing another person. More specifically, it is often an attempt to gain control of another individual or situation by inciting an emotional reaction rather than a biblical response from that individual." (From Chapter 9- after this quote, he goes on to give the example of Martha from Luke 10)
• Diagnosing spiritual problems: "The only divinely-approved diagnostic manual whereby Christians may accurately judge thoughts and motives is Scripture. Christian parent, you must learn not only how to draw the thoughts and motives out of your child, but also how to diagnose those thoughts and motives; "not in words taught by human wisdom (i.e. defense mechanism, reaction formation, love hunger, codependency, etc.), but in those taught by the Spirit (i.e. pride, blameshifting, idolatry, bondage, etc.) combining (interpreting) spiritual thoughts with spiritual words." (1 Cor. 2:13)." (From Chapter 7)

His persistent use of Scriptural terms to diagnose spiritual- psychological- problems I found immensely refreshing.

Altogether,
I would highly recommend this book, to parents, parents-in-training, believers preparing to counsel other believers, or even to parents (or anyone!) struggling with their own anger issues. The Heart of Anger offers a wealth of Biblical advice on anger and what to do about it, and while it's specifically and practically applied to child-rearing, God's "commandment is exceedingly broad"(Ps. 119:96), and I'd be surprised if the principles and Scriptures expounded upon in this book didn't have a wealth of applications elsewhere.

Buy your copy on Amazon

4.5/5

Brave New World

Today I finished Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.

It's not a long book, but it's full of theology.

The Good

Mr. Huxley brings out a significant problem with a utopian state, namely that when everything is safe, perfect, and pre-arranged by man, there is no room for innovation, for danger, for heroism, for accomplishment. Now I, as a Christian, may take this and say- of course! Great point! God has created man to take dominion. To go places. To do things. To make his mark on eternity. To, ultimately, advance The Kingdom of God with his life. "Man's chief end is to Glorify God and enjoy Him forever." The degree to which a man does this is, to a large extent, correlated to his satisfaction with life. Mr. Huxley doesn't have this as his basis for his observations, but nevertheless what he says is true.

The Bad

Mr. Huxley associates Christianity with savagery. This is not only a false association, but, honestly, a rather ignorant one. Beginning with Scripture and ending with the visible effects of Christendom on the life and culture of any nation, it is quite obvious that Christianity pulls mankind out of savagery.

The Ugly

(Sorry, couldn't resist)

The book contains a good deal of erotic content, which, while not as detailed as that in, say, Atlas Shrugged, is more pervasive- Mr. Huxley is using it to make a point. If the book were translated literally to screen, it would be rated R or beyond- let's put it that way.

That said, the book as a general rule stays away from detailed description, and, as it is both a famous and influential piece of cultural literature and a good story, I would recommend it for mature readers who like to think.