Book Review: 'Thunder Dog'

I received the book 'Thunder Dog: The true story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust at Ground Zero' by Michael Hingson with Susy Flory just before the 10-year anniversary of 9/11. I was expecting an amazing survival story of a blind man and his dog emerging from the towers. I did get that story, but so much more as well. Interwoven throughout the story of Michael Hingson and his guide dog, Roselle, he describes his life as a blind person in a seeing world, and his experiences with guide dogs. I learned so much about these topics, and the intense relationship between a blind person and their guide dog. 'Thunder Dog' was about a blind man's amazing journey throughout his life, and the lessons he has learned along the way. It was spiritual, encouraging, and nearly impossible to put down. At the back of the book are some helpful extras including 'The Courtesy Rules for Blindness', 'Blindness, a Left-Handed Dissertation', Resources for Blindness, and Glossary of Terms Related to Blindness. I definitely recommend 'Thunder Dog'.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

'Money Secrets of the Amish' by Lorilee Craker

With the past several years of tough economic times, the book 'Money Secrets of the Amish' by Lorilee Craker interested me. My wife enjoys reading Amish fiction, so I knew she would be interested in information from the book as well. I already knew that the Amish live simple lives, and these days we can use all the help we can get in cutting our expenses.

I thought 'Money Secrets of the Amish' would be a dry, fact-filled book. I was very wrong about the dry part! It is full of humor, and was hard to put down. Along with money saving ideas and hints on how the Amish thrive in their simple ways, there are many humorous stories throughout the pages. Ms. Craker has a fun, flowing style to her writing that made a potentially boring subject a fun read! I have post-it notes on several pages to go back and reread-there are some great tips in this gem of a book. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Book Review: The Truth About Dating, Love & Just Being Friends by Chad Eastham

My daughter recently turned 16 and began dating, so I was very interested in reviewing this book when it became available. The official title is actually: 'The Truth About Dating,Love & Just Being Friends...and how not to be miserable as a teenager because life is short, and seriously, things don't magically get better after high school and lots of other important stuff, but we'll get to that later...'by Chad Eastham. I decided that I would read the book first, and then give it to my daughter. She just began reading it, and likes the idea of it being written by a guy. I liked the idea of it coming from a Christian standpoint.

Mr. Eastham does a great job at speaking directly to the teens about the basics of dating in a very relaxed, fun way. He discusses both positive and negative reasons for dating, gives many statistics, quizzes to take, and letters he has received from teens. I believe both young men and women would benefit from this book. I was looking for something deeper, but this is a good start for my daughter. This is a light, fun book about dating with some practical information in it. I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Booksneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Book Review-Nelson's Biblical Cyclopedic Index (BCI)

January 7, 2011-Nelson's Biblical Cyclopedic Index (BCI) is an incredible resource. Whether you are preparing for a sermon, a lesson, a bible study, or doing your own personal bible reading and study, this will be an invaluable tool. The BCI originates from The Open Bible, but is designed for use with any version of the Bible. With more than 8,000 subjects, names, places, concepts, events and doctrines, the BCI has more word listings than any other Bible resource available. This index combines the best features of a concordance, topical index, and Bible dictionary in a small paperback book. The listings are arranged alphabetically giving the book, chapter and verse where every reference in this index is found. I am very impressed with Nelson's Biblical Cyclopedic Index, and I am already getting plenty of use out of it. I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Booksneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.