Ok, here comes the general non-fiction/memoir/biography category. That's a category, right?
7. The Unlikely Disciple - Kevin Roose
As a Christian College graduate, this memoir of a semester spent at Liberty University connected all too well. Half of that made me laugh, half of it made me cringe. Overall though, a very generous memoir of the bizarre cultural experience that is "Christian College". Also, very interesting recollections of a close-encounter with Jerry Falwell. Highly recommend.
6. Superfreakonomics - Steven Levitt
This is pure brain candy. I didn't read Freakonomics, so I thought I would be totally lost. :)
5. Outliers - Malcolm Gladwell
Hey, guess what, you're not near as responsible for your success as you think you are, successful people. That's right. Again, I'm the only one left that hadn't read this yet.
4. The Bullpen Gospels - Dirk Hayhurst
A memoir of a minor league baseball season? Why hasn't anyone thought of this yet? I didn't think I could love baseball anymore than I already did. I was wrong.
3. Hannah's Child - Stanley Hauerwas
An emotional and surprising look inside a fascinating theologian's life.
2. Seven Storey Mountain - Thomas Merton
I've loved Thomas Merton for a long time. New Seeds of Contemplation and No Man is an Island are must-reads. But his auto-biography (that he wrote very young) really helped me understand his conversion, the eucharist, and the Catholic faith in a way I never have. Truly a beautiful book.
1. Bonhoeffer - Eric Metaxas
To be honest, I haven't quite finished it yet, but it doesn't really matter. I think what strikes me most about Bonhoeffer in this biography is his courage. Courage to go a direction in life that his family didn't quite understand. Courage to stand up to the Nazi regime in a time when they were trying to control the German Church, even at the cost of his life. Metaxas gives a very detailed look into the life and writings of Bonhoeffer. This is definitely worth your time.
4 comments:
I am going to have to read Mataxes book. I have been reading so many terrible reviews of it that I hadnt picked it up yet, but now hearing a very good review from you, Im curious to read it.
Great list for '10 though.
really? I haven't heard any bad reviews of it. Where did you read those? I'd love to see them!
The only thing I can think of that would warrant bad reviews is that Metaxas writes from an evangelical point of view, so he sets Bonhoeffer up as the "conservative" amongst liberal German theologians. Which I think is probably fairly accurate, but maybe not. I don't know enough about him.
Yeah, that is where the negative reviews are coming from. All this to say, I am excited to read it, although I dont think I have near the authority to speak on Bonhoeffer's theology. Here is Christian Centuries review.
http://www.christiancentury.org/reviews/2010-09/hijacking-bonhoeffer
that's interesting. i think the critic has a point. Definitely have to read it through a lens, but I think if you read it knowing what Metaxas is trying to do, it's still a really enjoyable book.
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