The 4 Wills of God by Dr. Emerson Eggerishs

When we think about God, we have to realize there are things that are He  must expect of us. We like to think we are independent creatures and are self directed.
But God does have some expectations of all His creation. And especially of those He has created to be related to Him. But through an act of disobedience, we are no longer capable of  relating truthfully6.
Dr. Eggerichs postulates, using scripture, that God's will for His creation
You can look it up for yourself. Check it out. Search to see if what is being said is actually truthful. Be like a Berean. Check it out. The four passages are found in John 6:40, I Thessalonians 4:3, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, and lastly , 1 Peter 2:13-15.
They are Believe in Jesus Christ, Abstain from Sexual Sin, Give Thanks in Everything, and Submit in Doing Right.
Simple. But hard to do without God's help. And that is why the first one is the start of the adventure.
The style of writing is easy to understand. A person can spend time reading and reviewing many times over a life time and each time find new insight.
I am sure God has more wills for mankind, but these form a start.
The development of each will is a staring point for every follower of God no matter what denomination  they identify with.
I highly recommend this book.
I was given a copy by my pastor and it was a good gift.
It has the subtitle :The Way He Directs Our Steps and Frees Us to Direct Our Own. That about sums up the purpose of the book.
It is published by the B&H Publishing group in Nashville, Tennessee, copyright 2018 and retails for $19.99.

Constance Baker Motley by Gary L. Ford Jr.

When we look back  on that period in history when the civil rights movement was in the head lines. we think of Martin Luther King Jr,  Adam Clayton Powel, Ralph Abernathy, Rosa Parks, and others. But there was also a very important person whom we never hear mentioned.
Someone had to be behind the scenes writing the laws and making the judgements.
There was Constance Baker Motley also.
Never heard of her? I know chances are you haven't. It was she who defended King in his court appearances.
There is a section of black history that still needs to be written. There are still unsung heroes we don't know about who came through the civil rights period.\
Motley is one of them. She was unique in many ways. First of all, women in her day were not lawyers. And they did not argue cases in front of white men. She helped in the desegregation of schools. She argues cases in court. She was an agent of change. She help get blacks into all white schools.
And she is not mentioned because she was first a black and second a woman.
This book is definitely a good addition to the record of history during the period of time that included 1946 through 1964.
She was a unifying force.
Born of parents who came from Nevis, British West Indies , Constance didn't let her limitations hold her back. She pursued law and became an influence, even if it was not noticed by us now. We need this book to remind us of a period of history and a light that dimly shone.
This is published by The University Of Alabama Press and copyrighted 2017. It is subtitled One Woman's Fight for Civil Rights and Equal Justice under Law. I highly recommend it.

Finding Chika by Mitch Albom

He has written another book. He seems so prolific . Albom tells the true story of his few years with an orphan named Chika.
Chika was born three days before the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. When her mother dies, Chika is sent to the Have Faith Haiti Orphanage in Port-Au-Prince.  This happens to be where Albom and his wife  visit and support.  Have Faith Haiti Orphanage happens to be a Christian run orphanage.
When Chika becomes five she is suddenly diagnosed with a life-threatening disease
"There is no one in Haiti who can help her,". a doctor tells Mitch.
So Mitch takes Chika to the United States to get treatment. She soon becomes a part of the Albom family . It is discovered she needs intensive treatment which would keep  her in America.
Her story is told in the style of Albom. He tends to use a style that you either like or dislike. In order to tell the story he must use the technique of Chika's lingering spirit popping in and out to motivate him to remember  the facts and recount them.
It is a tear jerker of a true story.
It is recommended for those who want to know what Christians are doing to influence the world they live in.
It is a book that Dr. Phil featured on his show.
It is published by Harper Collins.  The cost is $24.99.

Becoming C.S. Lewis by Harry Lee Poe

This is a very good biography. It fills in the early years of the life of a figure highly revered. At least I see him as a person who has had an influence on the world.
Many have read Mere Christianity. It is still read today and may be for many years to come. But what was he like before he became a Christian? That part of his life, until now, was hidden from the public knowledge.
The period covered is 1898 to 1918, just when he entered the war. The author tells what Jacks' life was like as a child and young man. Jack was the name he went by His full name was Clive Staples Lewis.
The author explores how circumstances molded Lewis' early years and helped him to become what he became. Also how his reading formed his view of life.
For a person like me who enjoys true stories of great authors, this book is welcome.
it covers areas as the romances he had and the pressures of life. No one is without warts in his life. Poe , who lectures on  C.S. Lewis tends to be fair .
The writing is good and easy to read.
I recommend this book for everyone. Try to find it in your library.
It is published by Crossway. You can read about it on crossway.org. Retail price for this book is $22.99.

Aristotle For Everyone

If you know it of not , we are all philosophers. We may not come out and call it that, but we all wish to know what is the meaning of life. Where do we come from? Where are we going?
It didn't start with Aristotle who was a student of Plato (You remember your class mentioning the cave. We are in a cave and seeing only shadows. That Plato)

This is  a book back in 1978. The almost dark ages. But it was a time when people were still studying philosophy. Students were taking at least one course in the subject to take care of that requirement. I am not sure what they do today. A course in gender studies? Well, even that is some what philosophical. What gender are we and how do we know it?
Aristotle was the one who postulated classification. Plant, animal, vegetable. Rational or non-rational. Thinking or non thinking. inanimate bodies and living organisms. The three areas of existence. Thinking, doing, being.
Philosophy is not simple.
Our author, Mortimer Adler has written a good introduction to the foundational philosophy of Aristotle.
He points out that Aristotle's wisdom and philosophical insights are grounded in our common  experiences. If this is so, I feel it is very  needed for us to have a foundational  grasp of him.
This is a book to digest. Take your time and slowly devour it.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

It is a big issue today. I am talking about the issue of police violence and the black community.

 I am sure books have been written about it and will continue to be written.

Sixteen-year-old  Starr Carter is trying to fit in to the world around her which is poor black neighborhood  with her attendance at the fancy prep school in the suburbs.

She is living in two worlds. At school she is different than when she is in her neighborhood.

 She witnesses the shooting of her childhood friend by a white policeman who, despite her attempts to hold him responsible, gets off.

The situation places her neighborhood and her family in the midst of the struggle to get along and to get justice. She must find her voice.

This forces her to come out of her shell to become an activist. This pressure is handled very well by the author.

This young adult fiction feels sound. It is not too harsh and not too lenient of the situation.

This is Thomas’ first novel. She handles her characters well. I will look forward to her further venture into the fiction realm, should she choose to go in that direction.

This tome has received the Coretta Scott King Award and the Michael L. Printz Award for 

Excellence in Young Adult Literature from the American Library Association. So, it is one of those we should pay some attention to, I feel.

The publisher is Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins. It is 444 pages long with an acknowledgement. It retails for $18.99. I am sure you can find it cheaper online if you don’t wish to support your local bookstore. 

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

This is a book worth waiting for and once receiving it, worth your time reading.
It has been on the best sellers list now for many weeks and may be there for many more. People are buying it--you can get it from your local library if you don't mind being on a holding pattern for a while-- and it is worth the $28.00. You could order it on Amazon, what is not found on Amazon these days? if you wish.
In the Los Angeles paper it is said to be the story of the 1986 fire at the Los Angeles Public library, but it actuality is more than that. Sure, it starts there but blooms out to be the history of the library and the brave fight to save what was lost. The book details the improvements since the fire and the rebuilding of a better house for books and improvements to the library system.
For those who love books it is a tear inducing book. Keep tissue close by as you start through the book. Who ever could be so hateful as to destroy books doesn't really deserve sympathy.
I enjoyed the tracing of the library movement through history.
A good book is worth the time spend reading it and someone has to  take the time to store a copy of two or more. It is hoped that libraries will be with us for a long time to go. No one has the right to burn down our libraries and the goodies found inside. Not just books but DVDs and maps and magazines. We need our books and stores of knowledge. To burn down and destroy books and buildings is not an act of bravery.
I highly endorse this book and others like it.