Book Reviews

Reviews of books that I have read and would recommend to my readers.

How Do You Kill 11 Million People?

by Larry Hehn on April 8, 2013

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Between 1933 and 1945, the Nazi regime under Adolf Hitler institutionally killed more than 11 million people.

As we pause today and remember those atrocities, hoping and praying that something like that will never happen again, we need to pay attention to folks like author Andy Andrews who ask the hard question - how do you kill 11 million people?

How can such devastation be allowed to happen? How can more than 11 million people be led to their deaths? What would cause a society to go so far sideways? And what can we do to prevent that sort of thing from ever happening again?

Because unless we know and recognize the things that set such wheels in motion in the first place, history is destined to repeat.

The plain and simple truth, he discovered, was that you kill 11 million people by lying to them.

In his book How Do You Kill 11 Million People? Andrews reveals the dangers of leaders who lie, and more importantly, a population that trusts such people to lead them.

Andy Andrews is an advocate of truth. How Do You Kill 11 Million People is a call to action, specifically to the people of the United States, but also to the world in general, to demand truth from our leaders and to take an active, informed, passionate role in shaping our society.

We’ve seen what can happen without it.

It’s up to you and me to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

This book was bought with my own hard-earned cash. It was not a freebie, so I felt no obligation to endorse it. I was not required to write a positive review. As a rule I only post reviews of books that I enjoy, and that I feel will be beneficial to my readers. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Embedded in this review is an affiliate link to Amazon.com. If you follow the link from here and buy a copy of this book, Amazon will award me a 4% commission on the purchase.

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20,000 Days and Counting

by Larry Hehn on February 20, 2013

Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered—
how fleeting my life is. – Psalm 39:4

For all my life I’ve struggled with procrastination. Putting things off until the last minute. Doing just enough to get by. Planning to do great things…tomorrow.

Does that sound familiar?

I don’t want to reach the end of my life with a boatload of things I should have, could have, would have done, but didn’t.

In my heart I echo that psalmist’s prayer. I want to live my life with an urgency and focus that reflects the brevity of my time here on earth, and the importance of each day.

Because today could be my last.

Why, then, haven’t I?

I think it’s safe to say – if you and I are asking ourselves that question, we need to change our mind-set.

20,000 Days and Counting is the place to start.

How many days have you been alive? How many would you guess?*

Today is day 16,592 for me.

Author Robert D. Smith reached his 20,000th day back in 2009. He celebrated that milestone by checking into a hotel. Over the next 48 hours, he planned his next 20,000 days. Out of that 48-hour session, 20,000 Days and Counting was born.

In this compact, easy-to-read manual, Smith shares a simple plan that, when applied, will have you living with purpose. Daily.

Our days are already numbered. When you come to the end of yours, what sort of life would you like to look back on?

Why not start that life today?

With the help of 20,000 Days and Counting, you can.

How many days have you been alive? Is the number more or less than you thought it would be?

*To find out how many days you have been alive, Robert D. Smith has provided a “life-calculator” at his site. Check it out!

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Amusing Ourselves To Death

by Larry Hehn on January 28, 2013

Read Chapter 53 of the Book of Isaiah in the Bible, compare it to the life and ministry of Jesus, and you’ll likely see some parallels. There’s something to be said about the benefit of hindsight, seeing a prophetic work lived out with uncanny accuracy.

I felt the same way as I read Amusing Ourselves To Death by Neil Postman.

First published in 1985, then released with a new introduction in 2005, Postman’s prophetic words warned of the effects that popular media (which at the time was pretty much television) would have on our culture.

Though written before the age of the Internet, cell phones, DVDs, HDTVs and iPods, it’s amazing to see how Postman’s thoughts have become even more relevant today.

He often refers to Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, in which society falls not to outward oppression, but to its own distractions and passivity.

Postman argues, “Forms of media favor particular kinds of content and therefore are capable of taking command of a culture.”

He continues, ”A great media-metaphor shift has taken place in America, with the result that the content of much of our public discourse has become dangerous nonsense.”

Like it or not, I found it impossible not to agree.

We’re being duped.

Willingly even.

Almost unknowingly.

Look around and you’ll see it everywhere.

Politics. Religion. News. Sports. Education. Commerce.

These days, image trumps substance.

Christianity isn’t exempt.

Postman hit me between the eyes when he said, “I believe I am not mistaken in saying that Christianity is a demanding and serious religion. When it is delivered as easy and amusing, it is another kind of religion altogether.”

Hmm…wonder which kind most of us are looking for?

There is no easy cure. And as Postman aptly notes, “not everyone believes a cure is needed.”

But for those who’ve ever had a nagging feeling that society is headed sideways and can’t quite figure out why…

For those who would rather swallow the painful red pill of reality than the blue pill of blissful ignorance…

For those who feel called to more in life than simply drowning in a “sea of amusements”…

This is required reading.

Not necessarily an easy read. Not always a comfortable read. But oh so vital.

Just like with Isaiah 53 and Jesus, hold the prophetic words of Amusing Ourselves To Death next to our Information Age society, and the parallels are undeniable.

It’s up to us what we do with it. Will you choose the red pill or the blue?

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Undead: Revived, Resuscitated, Reborn

by Larry Hehn on October 8, 2012

Growing up, I fondly remember sleepovers at my friend Patrick’s house, munching Doritos and having fart contests while watching scary black-and-white movies on his basement TV.

I’m not even sure why, but the only one of those old flicks I remember was a B movie from 1958 called Giant from the Unknown. I think it was my first exposure to a movie character actually coming back from the dead.

Zombies weren’t as much a part of mainstream culture back then as they are today, but throughout history it seems we as humans have carried a fascination with death, dying, and the possibilty of coming back from the dead.

Today you don’t have to look very far to find stories of zombies or vampires - the “undead”. What is it about the undead that fascinates us so much? What can we learn about ourselves from this fascination?

What if we have actually been created with eternity in mind? What if physical death is not necessarily the end after all? Where can we discover this hope of becoming spiritually Undead: Revived, Resuscitated, and Reborn?

I’ve been a fan of author Clay Morgan for years, following his infectious enthusiasm for pop culture, history and education. He combines the three masterfully here in his first book, Undead.

Morgan takes us on a journey through the world of the undead, from fictional pop culture to actual events documented in scripture. He sheds light on several Biblical stories where people have been brought back from the dead.

With an unexpected, healthy dose of humor throughout and undeniable passion, Morgan shows us that, like those many Biblical characters were physically called back from death to life, so we are called by God out of our spiritual death to new life. A very encouraging and entertaining read!

Want to become revived, resuscitated, reborn? Get Undead!

This book was bought with my own hard-earned cash. It was not a freebie, so I felt no obligation to endorse it. I was not required to write a positive review. As a rule I only post reviews of books that I enjoy, and that I feel will be beneficial to my readers. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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AIDS: A Burden of Silence

by Larry Hehn on February 4, 2012

Speak about AIDS today, and you may still encounter much ignorance and fear.

Think back to 1988, a time when AIDS was even more misunderstood.

Imagine finding out that your mother was infected with the HIV virus through a blood transfusion, and was slowly dying of AIDS.

Imagine choosing to keep her battle a secret in order to avoid her being ostracized.

Imagine watching your mother suffer for years in silence.

This is Nancy Draper’s story. A story that needs to be heard.

A Burden of Silence not only brings us face to face with the realities of a family member battling AIDS, but also with the misperceptions and social stigma that have followed this disease.

Ultimately, though, it is the story of a daughter’s love for her mother, and how finally breaking the silence can transform one woman’s battle into a blessing for countless others and their families.

I received a copy of this book from the author, along with a request for review. I was not required to write a positive review. As a rule I only post reviews of books that I enjoy, and that I feel will be beneficial to my readers. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Embedded in this review is an affiliate link to Amazon.com. If you follow the link from here and buy a copy of this book, Amazon will award me a 4% commission on the purchase.

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