Fearless by Max Lucado

Fearless

by Max Lucado

As the title suggests, Max Lucado is taking on the subject of fear in relation to Christianity and the Biblical teachings on that subject. The book does quote a lot of scripture, concentrating on those scriptures that specifically deal with fear and being fearless. One of the most quoted things is the recurrent theme of Christ telling his followers that they should not be afraid.

One of major themes of the book is a detailed exploration of the root causes of different types of fears. Why are we afraid? Our fear of God, fear for our children, fear for my money, fears for your health, and other common types of fears are discussed, along with potential solutions about what we can do about fear.

One thing that is stressed is that there are different types of fears, and that there are different ways of dealing with, facing, and overcoming them. The author gives sound Biblical advice on how to deal with specific types of fears, and shows you that for many of them, fear is a choice. He goes on to explain what healthy fears are, and what fears are unhealthy.

Reading the book will make you think and reflect on what normally would cause fear or panic in some types of situations, and allow you to remind yourself where boundaries are in life. Using the skills and methods that are detailed, you can identify fear responses, determine the root cause of the fear, and deal with it instead of letting it lead to anger or worry. By doing this, you can get on with your life without worrying about the fear or its effects.

Reading this book will allow you to determine how much influence fear really has in your life, and I would recommend it to anyone. It clearly dispels the idea that just because you are a Christian, things are going to go well in your life, and shows that everyone has to constantly strive to overcome fears, insecurities, and doubt. The book also includes a discussion guide in the back that allows it to be used by groups to help them discuss their problems and learn to deal with them effectively. Because of its stress on Biblical quotations throughout the book and the discussion guide, it would also be suitable for use as a Bible study.

Jungle Jack Hanna

The Wackiest, Wildest, Weirdest Animals in the World  

Hardcover w/DVD -- ISBNs: 1400311403 / 9781400311408 

If you say “Jack Hanna”, your friends automatically think of animals. When I saw the previews for this book, I just had to have it. The fact that it was a book and a DVD? I couldn't wait to hit the “send it to me” button.

Once I received the package, both the book and the DVD stood up to my expectations. The book was great. Thirty two pages of knowledge about some very unique animals, with some really great full color pictures of each animal. There is one large picture and one to three smaller pictures of each animal on its page.

I love the caption “What Makes Them Wacky” for each animal, since it shows how unique the animal truly is. It provides good basic knowledge about the animal, as well as some in-depth knowledge about it. The information is interesting and informative without being so scholarly or technical that it is difficult to understand. The glossary at the end of the book makes it easy for children to find out what some of the words that they're not likely to know actually mean, and makes the book much more educational, as well as entertaining.

The only problem that I had was with the DVD case. It's attached to the inside of the front cover, and it's so small and tight that you end up ripping the DVD, case and all, out of the book, and the little DVD holder falls apart. It didn't damage the book or the DVD, but it's much easier to lose the DVD when it's floating around loose and is no longer attached to the book. The content of the DVD seemed to be dated, because it was compiled from years of shows, but if you like the show and are interested in its history and the bloopers, you may love the DVD.