Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist

This book is an invitation to remake our life. Maybe we feel disconnected from our soul and the people we care about. Maybe our life is full, too full. Niequist dares us to be present over pretending to be perfect, to allow others to love us in all our imperfection.

Niequist has given us a collection of stories to illustrate her journey from exhaustion to peace, from multitasking to presence. She invites us to take the same journey, to remake our life from the inside out, to know God and His love for us in a way that reorders everything.

This book is full of insight. I loved her chapter on disappointing people. When we start saying “no,” it will happen. People will be disappointed in us. She reminds us of the importance of knowing God's deep unconditional love for us and our having a deep sense of purpose. That's something I needed to hear.

I loved her encouragement to face the temptation to accomplish some great achievement or performance, striving for perfection. Instead, we are to dwell deeply in life as it presents itself each moment. What makes life meaningful, she reminds us, is not what we accomplish but how honestly and deeply we connect with the people in our lives.

I highly recommend this book to those who are ready to reconnect with yourself, the self God created you to be, the self you were meant to be. I recommend it to those who long for a well-tended spirit and a peaceful soul. It is a journey, she says, and there is no finish line. You will find here a great deal of encouragement and insight to help you along the way.

Food for thought: “You can get this right. It's not too late. You can start again, right now.”

My rating: 5/5 stars.

Shauna Niequist is the popular author of several books. She and her husband live in Chicago and have two sons. You can find out more at http://www.shaunaniequist.com/.

Zondervan, 240 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.

Patient H. M. by Luke Dittrich

Dittrich has a rich ancestry including a grandfather who was a neurosurgeon. He spent six years investigating his grandfather, patient H. M., and neuroscience. The result is a very readable and interesting book.

Patient H. M. was the most studied individual in neuroscience history. As a young boy, Henry Molaison was struck by a bicycle and knocked down. He developed seizures and memory loss. He became the subject of a vast amount of research.

Dittrich weaves the story of Henry, his grandfather, and information about brain studies. He looks at ancient work on brains, such as skulls with holes in them. He investigates brain injuries and mental illness and how they were treated, such as lobotomies, of which his grandfather did many. He tells of his grandmother and her mental illness and being confined to an asylum. The treatment in such institutions included cold water soaking, induced fever, and shock treatments. Also included are stories of major brain scientists and their work. Dittrich even adds some vignettes from his own life.

This is a personal account and a very interesting one. Dittrich has taken a complex issue and made it very readable. The intertwining of personal stories with scientific information helps make the book interesting throughout, right to the very end and the controversy over Henry's brain.

I recommend this book to those who enjoy reading popular books about science in the style of The Emperor of All Maladies or The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. It is not for the weak stomached, however, as some of the brain operations are described vividly, as are the conditions in mental institutions in the last century.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Luke Dittrich has been working as a journalist since 1997. He is a contributing editor at Esquire and his articles have appeared in a variety of anthologies. A story he wrote about the survivors of a devastating Missouri tornado won the 2012 National Magazine Award for feature writing.

Random House, 464 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.

A Tapestry of Secrets by Sarah Loudin Thomas

This is a character driven novel so I'll describe them.



Perla is the grandmother of the story. Sixty years ago she had a child out of wedlock. While she has kept the identity of the man from her daughter all this time, she now wants to reveal the truth. Before she can, however, she has a stroke.

Sadie is Perla's daughter. She is a successful college professor. While she has spurned her mother's previous hints of revealing her biological father, she now wants to know. Her mother's stroke makes it imperative Sadie know her father's medical history.

Ella is Perla's granddaughter. She dreams of living an artist's life in the old farmhouse. She finds herself returning to her home town to take care of her grandmother instead. That move is one she gladly makes. It allows her to escape the unwanted attention of a man she once dated. Her life gets a little complicated when two eligible men in her home town show interest in her.

This novel was difficult for me to read. Nothing really grabbed me about the plot nor the characters. Perla ends up having two strokes. That seemed unnecessary to me as one would have been sufficient for the plot. The narrative switches back and forth between 2008 and 1948. A present action stirs a memory in Perla and we go back to the era of the secret boyfriend. At times the transitions were so seamless it took me a paragraph or two to realize the time change. That was disconcerting. I felt the novel moved very slowly and it was just not a compelling novel for me.

I also had a little difficulty with Ella. I can't believe she accepted a lunch invitation from a fellow she never wanted to see again, having dated him and then broken off the relationship. And later in the novel she emails him. She regrets her actions a short time later. I like a character I can admire and Ella was not one.

There were several issues introduced into this novel besides the birth of a child out of wedlock sixty years ago. A secondary character is buying up land to make a hunting preserve. There is some issue about the land being removed from the families who have had it for generations. Another issue regards the small local church. It seems to be dying and some think the property should be sold to the hunting preserve fellow. Others think there is too much heritage in the building to let it go. Is the church the building or the people?

I always like to learn something when I read fiction and I wish there had been more about the unusual quilts Ella made. They were apparently amazing and sold well so I would have like to know more about the style, technique, etc.

People who like character driven stories set in Appalachian country may like this one. There is a clear presentation of the gospel included as well as much discussion about Christian beliefs.

You can read an excerpt here.

My rating: 3/5 stars.

Sarah Loudin Thomas is a fund-raiser for a children's ministry. She has a bachelor's degree in English from Coastal Carolina University. She is the author of two previous novels. She and her husband live in Asheville, North Carolina. You can find out more at www.sarahloudinthomas.com.

Bethany House Publishers, 304 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this novel from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.

The Naturalist by Darrin Lunde

Theodore Roosevelt was an “intrepid museum naturalist,” Lunde writes. He started collecting specimens when he was eight and continued to near his death.

Other biographies of Roosevelt may concentrate on his presidency or preservation of natural lands. This one focuses on him as collector and preserver of animals, from mice to elephants. It was a time of the collecting of curiosities and the promotion of dime museums and Lunde sets the stage for us.

It is amazing that Roosevelt was a frail child, suffering from asthma. With encouragement from his father, Theodore was determined to build up his body. He faithfully did his workouts and became a man of courage and vitality.

Lunde takes us through Roosevelt's childhood, learning taxidermy, family trips to the Adirondacks and then a year long trip to Europe and Africa when he was fourteen. He went to Harvard, taking joy in engaging nature by taking trips to Maine. He became engaged but before the wedding was diagnosed with a weak heart. He defied the doctor and remained active. Feeling a sense of responsibility, he studied law and became involved in New York state politics. He was devastated when his mother and wife died on the same day.

Roosevelt made hunting trips to the west and became part of a cattle ranch in the Dakota Badlands. He saw first hand the near extermination of bison and elk. He became New York Police Commissioner in 1895 and participated in the Spanish-American War. He was so popular the Republicans parked him in a dead end job, vice-president to McKinley. But the assassination attempt and McKinley's death from gangrene saw Roosevelt become president in 1901, the youngest at 42. He was subsequently elected in his own right.

Lunde takes the last part of the book to cover Roosevelt's nearly year long trip to Africa following his presidency. The Smithsonian African Expedition was a good example of what Lunde describes as Roosevelt's hunting ethic. It “combined the thrill of the chase with a need to give something back in return.” (251)

I enjoyed Lunde's writing style. He includes a great deal of background information to flesh out Roosevelt's story. This book would be a good one for hunters and outdoors enthusiasts. The emphasis is definitely on the accumulation of specimens for natural museums, often describing in some detail the story of the hunt and kill. It is a very focused account of one aspect of Roosevelt's life, very readable and full of adventure.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Darrin Lunde is a Supervisory Museum Specialist in the Division of Mammals at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. Previously, he worked at the American Museum of Natural History, where he led field expeditions throughout the world. He lives in Maryland.

Crown Publishers, 352 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.

The Rewired Brain by Dr. Ski Chilton with Dr. Margaret Rukstalis and A. J. Gregory

Scientists used to think that when neural pathways were made, they were permanent. We now know that the brain is capable of being changed. It has plasticity. We can literally rewire it.

The basis of Chilton's book is a mind theory known as dual process reasoning. It provides a practical framework, Chilton says, to describe our actions and feelings. He describes two systems of thinking. System 1 is always on and we can't stop or edit the signals. It is controlled by our unconscious fears and instincts and is highly influenced by experiences from childhood. System 2 is more deliberate and logical. It is responsible for conscious thought and reasoning. System 2 is where we reflect God's image and can have a relationship with Him. It allows for self-reflection and the making of moral decisions. It can have control over System 1 but that requires effort and the use of disciplines.

Much of this book is about the two systems, how they work, and the results they produce. Chilton also shares many of his own experiences. After two failed marriages and suffering from high blood pressure and depression, he was prompted to study the brain. He found this model to be the most important discovery of his life. (36)

Chilton believes “surrendering your System 1 dysfunctions, your old way of living and thinking, to God . . . provides the critical mechanism that makes brain rewiring possible.” (239) He suggests the journey “will include a great deal of contemplative prayer and meditation” as you build new thought patterns, co-creating along with God. (242) The importance of forgiveness is emphasized too. He suggests finding professional help as many issues are deeper than what this book addresses.

Chilton has done a good job of explaining behavior and why the brain needs to be rewired. While there is a plan for rewiring included at the end of the book, it seems more like an exercise in self-discovery than actual brain rewiring. He does say that these last chapters in the book are just a preliminary road map for the journey. I have read other books on brain plasticity that have been more practical in their exercises and techniques offered.

Chilton reminds us that he is not a licensed counselor. He has written this book from his research and personal experience. I recommend this book to those who are looking for a model explaining dysfunctional behavior. I also recommend the book to those who are looking for a process of self discovery. If you are looking to seriously rewire your brain, you will find only the beginning of the journey here.

Food for thought: “Rewiring our minds takes months, even years.” (247-8)

My rating: 3/5 stars.

Ski Chilton is a professor in the department of physiology and pharmacology at Wake Forest School of Medicine. He has authored or coauthored more than 130 scientific articles and four books. He lives in North Carolina. You can find out more at https://drskichilton.com/.

Margaret Rukstalis is an addiction psychiatrist who has studied the brain and behavior for over twenty-five years. She is currently on faculty at Wake Forest School of Medicine. She lives in North Carolina.

A. J. Gregory is the author of two books and has partnered with others to write memoirs and self-help books. She lives in New Jersey.

Baker Books, 288 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.

I Wish He Had Come With Instructions by Mike Bechtle

We women know that men are different. This is a book for women about how to understand men.

There are certainly differences between men and women. This shows up most clearly in how we communicate. It's a challenge because men think differently than women. Bechtle calls on research and his own experience to help women understand what goes on in a man's brain.

Men have more gray matter than women but women have more white matter. Women have more connections between the neurons and can “think faster” than men. “Men usually take more time to process information than a woman...” That may explain those silent moments in a conversation.

“A woman can focus on multiple things at a time, while a man gives his entire attention to his current task.” Men focus on one thing at a time, so don't expect a man to pay attention to you when he is watching a game. Men don't get hints or nuances in a conversation and they are not good at reading facial expressions so women must speak plainly to communicate well. We get tips on speaking "male" too.

Bechtle makes sure we understand that he is writing about healthy males, not controlling or selfish ones. He encourages us to remember the similarities between men and women and celebrate the differences. He also explores the possibility of those differences resulting in a synergy, something greater than the separate parts.

We learn about the six things men are looking for in a relationship. We find out men are competitive by nature and desire to win. They also desire to be heroes. And, “In a sense, men are just tall boys.” They grew up on play and it is part of who they are.

I learned a great deal from this book. I recommend it to any woman who wants to understand how a man thinks and why he does what he does. Bechtle has given us a huge amount of insight into men, helpful for any woman in her communication with a man. The only aspect I felt missing from this book was a spiritual one. There is nothing about how men and women differ in their spiritual walk and how that might affect Christian couples.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Mike Bechtle has a unique blend of corporate and ministry experiences. He spent eighteen years in churches and Christian universities and has given more than three thousand seminars on productivity, leadership, and communication. He is currently a senior training consultant for FranklinCovey Company. He lives in Fullerton, California. You can find out more at www.mikebechtle.com.

Revell, 224 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.

One With Christ by Marcus Peter Johnson

Johnson was reading Calvin when he noticed that Calvin wrote of being united with Christ in intimate terms. Calvin emphasized that Christ's work is useless if we remain separated from Him. Evangelicals today might find such an idea rather outlandish. There tends to be an objectification of salvation in that the work gets done by Jesus but we don't get the person of Jesus.

Johnson argues that salvation is rooted in and consists of the believer's becoming one with Christ. “Our union with the living Christ is, in other words, what it means to be saved.” Jesus did not just provide the blessing – He Himself is the blessing.

Johnson says that evangelicals didn't know what to do with with this mysterious union so left it to the mystics. The current emphasis has been on the legal or forensic aspect of salvation. We might be taught that the blessings and gifts exist and are given independent from our being joined with Christ. There has been a reticence to embrace the mystery at the heart of our faith.

Johnson covers these topics in the book: the nature and character of this union the Bible refers to, the human predicament that makes the union necessary, the benefits associated with salvation (justification, sanctification, adoption, preservation, glorification), and the church as Christ's body.

I like the emphasis Johnson has made on the intimate nature of our union with Christ. It is vital, transformative and life giving, even though it is beyond our comprehension. It is pictured in the Bible as an intimate relationship between a husband and wife. Johnson writes, “...our union with Christ is both definitive (we have been decisively united with Christ) and progressive (we are continually growing in our union with him).”

Johnson identifies the basic thesis of the book: “the central reality of our salvation is that through faith, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we enter into a vital, personal, and profoundly real union with the incarnate, crucified, resurrected Savior, Jesus Christ, through whom all the blessings of salvation flow to us.”

Johnson has challenged me. Is our union with Christ a mere legal union, something I merely assent to in my mind, or is union with Christ a powerful and life changing reality?

I recommend this book to Christians who have not really considered what it means to be “in Christ.” The style of writing might be a little on the scholarly side but this is a very important topic for believers. It will encourage you to move from an objective view of salvation to one that embraces the mysterious yet essential union with Christ.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Marcus Peter Johnson is assistant professor of theology at Moody Bible Institute. He lives in Chicago with his wife and their son.

Crossway, 256 pages.

Union With Christ by Rankin Wilbourne

Wilbourne is concerned that many facets of our union with Christ are being ignored. It was once considered to be the heart of the Christian life. “The highest good of human life,” he writes, “indeed the purpose of creation and redemption, is communion with God.” (278) That intimacy comes through our union with Christ.

Wilbourne begins his book by emphasizing the need for us to exercise our imagination. Our imagination “is necessary to know and enjoy God.” (18) How else can we relate to an unseen God? I had high expectations that I would be taught how to use my imagination to live in my identity in Christ and to abide. When I got to that section in the book, however, imagination was a forgotten concept. I wish Wilbourne had explained how we actually use our imagination in our Christian life, rather than just telling me I needed to engage it.

The book is divided into four parts. Part I explores what union with Christ is and why we need to receive it. Part II substantiates the claim that union with Christ is central to the Christian life but is largely misunderstood and overlooked. Part III is on how we apply our union with Christ in our everyday lives. Part IV is on how to live in union with Christ.

Wilbourne notes that there is a chasm between what we say we blieve and our actual experience. There is a gap between the inheritance we have been given and our present experience. Recognizing this gap is the first step in closing it. I wish there had been more on closing that gap. His section on living in union with Christ mentions a few disciplines but otherwise I felt was lacking. He does remind us that experiencing that union with Christ requires discipline and practice. It doesn't naturally happen.

The emphasis in this book is rediscovering the importance of recognizing our union with Christ. It remains a mystery, even though “...nothing is more practical to living your faith than union with Christ.” (117) “Union with Christ is an enchanted reality. It tells us that the most important things about our lives cannot be seen or touched with our senses.” (119-120) Knowing and celebrating the Holy Spirit is essential in order for our union with Christ to be appreciated and embraced.

Wilbourne explores how our union with Christ is a new mindset. (132) It gives us a new understanding of our identity. We have as a goal that Christ be formed in us. We should be living into that identity. God both calls us to that identity and empowers us to live into it.

Wilbourne's book does a good job in arguing that union with Christ is much more than just a forensic truth. It is to be an experiential reality for the Christian. I was frustrated that there was not a more clear and practical exploration of pursuing that experiential reality. I wish he would have explored how the imagination he previously said was so essential is actually used in pursuing that reality. I finished the book wanting more.

You can watch the book trailer here.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Rankin Wilbourne is the pastor of Pacific Crossroads Church in Los Angeles. He and his wife live in Los Angeles with their three children.

David C Cook, 320 pages.