Mark's #42 - Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand (496 pages)

A couple of days ago I read a blog by Tim Challies (www.challies.com) where he reviewed Unbroken and called it a 'must read for 2010'.  Since I'm trying to read 52 books this year, I was obviously intrigued (I greatly respect Challies).  When I saw that the book was 496 pages, I gave it some pause because... well... I'm trying to get through 52 books.  The fact that I'm writing this review just two days later is a testament to the fact that Unbroken is indeed a page-turning 'must read for 2010'.

Unbroken is the biography of Louie Zamperini.  Since the story is so captivating with much drama and interconnection between past and present events in Louie's life, and since I want you to read this book, I will cover only a some of the broad storyline of his life.

Born to Italian immigrants in 1917, Louie grew up in Torrance, California.  As a kid he was the ultimate troublemaker... He constantly stole from everybody, got in fights, starting smoking at age 5, and drinking by age 8.  In high school, his older brother Pete helped him find his calling and passion as a runner.  In 1936 he competed in the Berlin olympics, met Hitler, and stole a swastika flag.  Louie set his sights on the 1940 olympics and being the first person to break the four minute mile.  However, those Olympics were cancelled when Hitler began invading Europe.

In 1941, Louie joined the Army Air Corps and became a bombardier in a B24.  One a search and rescue mission near Hawaii, Louie's plan had mechanical failure and was forced to ditch in the middle of the pacific.  Louie, and two others survived the crash and managed to get into a life raft.   At sea for 47 days (a record at the time), Louie and others managed to survive on just bits of birds and fish scavenged from the ocean (one of the other men would die of starvation before the end of the 47 days).  Beating off sharks and  other dangers constantly, Louie and his companion were finally captured by the Japanese navy, some 2,000 miles away from the original crash sight.  The situation was about to get far worse for the two POWs...

For those details, you'll need to read the book (trust me, it's worth it).  Obviously as the title suggests, Louie eventually survives and is liberated.

If you're interested in WWII history you should read this book.  If you have family members, as I do, who fought in this war, you should read this book (both my grandfathers fought in the Pacific theather, one as a Marine who was shot and wounded on Iwo Jima, and the other as a Navy man in Okinawa.  Jennifer's grandfather was a B24 pilot there as well).  If you want to know what our freedom cost so many, you should read this book.  If you're self-centered American with entitlement issues, you should read this book.

One note: Having read an epic biography of a man where God's grace and sovereignty are evident, I was once again struck by the brevity of my own life, and my desire to not waste it.

One Minor Spoiler Alert:  Several years after the war, God rescued Louie from the pit of hell through the proclamation of the gospel by a young itinerant preacher named Billy Graham.  Louie would go on to serve at-risk kids as a Christian minister.

Mark's #41 - Life as a Vapor by John Piper (178 pages).

Life as Vapor is 31 meditations on faith by John Piper.  Normally I am not a fan of devotional books.  They're usually trite little pieces with a Scripture verse (taken out of context) and then a short little feel good story (think Chicken Soup for your soul books).   This is not the case for this book, nor did I expect it to be given the author.

If you're not familiar with John Piper, you should be.  If you've ever tried to read one of Piper's more lengthy books (like Desiring God), but found that your brain began to hurt because of the level of depth and insight by Piper, well join the club... but don't give up!

I would highly recommend anyone to read this book, especially if you're just beginning to get your feet wet with the works and thoughts of John Piper.   I believe John Piper stands head and shoulders above all the other pastors and theologians in our generation.

Even in these short 4-5 page devotions, the reader is brought into the depth and riches of God's sovereign grace, and he or she will be reminded of the brevity of this life and encouraged to live in light of eternity.

Mark's #40 - When the Game Was Ours by Larry Bird and Earvin Johnson (368 pages)

If you're a fan of the NBA (as I am), then this would be a good book to read for you to learn how and why the NBA is so popular today.  If you're a fan of either the Lakers (as I am) or Celtics, then this is a must read.

When the Game Was Ours traces the rise of two of the greatest players in NBA history - Bird and Magic.  Though their personalities were different, (with Magic being the outspoken man with the smile that fills a room, and Bird being the introverted, beer drinking, poor kid from French Lick, Indiana) both men shared a passion and dedication for the game of basketball that may be only matched by two other great NBA players in history - Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant.

These two rivals began squaring off and pushing one another to greatness from their early days in College. In 1979 they met in the NCAA championship game, where Magic got the best of Bird and a championship for his Michigan State team.   The following year, both men went to the NBA.

This book was not only a biography of these two men, it was also a personal journey down memory lane for me.  As a child of the 80's (born in 1975), my earliest memories of basketball revolve around loving the lakers and hating the celtics.  As games and events were retold, I found myself reaching back into my own childhood memories of these events

By the end of the 80's, Magic Johnson would win five NBA Championships to Bird's three NBA Championships (yes! Lakers!).

Beyond the games, shots made and missed, and the epic battles, this book was a great inside look at the men and their lives.   I was once again impressed with their competitive spirit, passion, and commitment to excellence that is so rare today, save Kobe of course.  These men hated losing, and thus they despised, yet respected their biggest rival.

Larry and Magic are also almost exclusively responsible for resurrecting the NBA, which was suffering from low ratings and a bad public image before their arrival.

The other thing that is perhaps most impressive about both men is their ability to dominate and control the game while only taking 8-10 shots - something Jordan could never do.  Larry and Magic were the consummate team players.  If it had not been for their rivalry, they each could have one 7-8 championships (Jordan had no real rival in the 90's)

Perhaps the most engaging part of the book was the detailing of Magic's HIV virus, it's impact on him, the game and really the world.  Magic has been a great catalyst in the world to bring about HIV education and public knowledge.  Unfortunately for him, and for the Lakers, when he reported this to the world, the ignorance of the other players, and even his teammates forced him out of the game he loved.  A year later he tried to make a comback, but during a preseason game he got scratched on his arm and started bleeding.  The crowd went silent, and the opposing team did not want to go back on the court. Saddened, Johnson was forced to retire again... Five years later he made one more comeback at the age of 35...Unfortunately, his younger attention hungry teammates did not embrace him well... he played only a dozen games before the end of the season before he retired.

I believe Magic Johnson is the best and most complete basketball player of all time... and this book only helped to confirm that conviction.

Let me conclude with just one stat line from one game:

Game  6 1980 Finals versus the 76'rs (as a rookie filling in at center for the injured Kareem Abdul Jabbar):  45 points, 15 Rebounds, and 7 Assists.

Mark's #39 - Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders (208 pages)

Originally written in 1967, Spiritual Leadership has become a classic in the realm of Christian leadership.   I first read this book a few years ago with some other men. I remembered being convicted and encouraged by Sanders solid biblical exhortations and guidance.

This time I listened to the audiobook version (as it was the free book of the month on christianaudio.com a few months ago).   While I was once again convicted and encouraged by the book, I would not recommend the audio version.

This is a book that would be best read slowly and with another person or group.  As I drove down the highway, I heard good point after good point on leadership practice.  However, these kind of points are best read, then meditated upon, and preferably discussed with others for both personal and corporate application.

Final conclusion: This is a solid book to read... grab a friend and go through it together... don't listen to it.

Mark's #38 - The Confession by John Grisham (432 pages)

The Confession is the latest legal thriller from accomplished author John Grisham.  I've read many of Grisham's books and have enjoyed almost all of them.  In this book I found that in some ways I was more engrossed and captivated by the story than any other Grisham book I've read,  and at the same time, very much turned off by Grisham's blatant political agenda in the book. This is the second book that I've read of at least three books that Grisham has written about the death penalty.

The basic premise of the book is that a white girl in a small Texas town goes missing.  After no evidence is found, the police receive a 'tip' that it was a young black classmate of the girl.  During the interrogation the detectives manage to force a confession out of the boy, who is subsequently convicted and sentenced to the death penalty.

Meanwhile, the real killer is free.  Days before the scheduled execution, the real killer begins to come forward with his own confession...  The bulk of the book takes place during these tense last hours.  From this standpoint, I was enthralled by the tension and the storyline (I don't want to give away anymore details, as it may ruin some of the tension for potential readers of the book).

However, it is clear that Grisham is trying to blast the ethics of capital punishment... along the way, he uses the most common arguments put forth by liberals: the fallibility of the criminal justice system, “excessive” governmental power, the insufficiency of revenge as a motive, and most predominantly in the book -  the possibility of executing an innocent person.

Various Christians and pastors are predominant throughout the book - and as a pastor myself, I was intrigued to see how their views were represented.  Sadly, Grisham does a very poor job on this crucial element of his book.

In this entry, I do not have the time or space to give a more balanced, thoughtful, and in-depth view of this sensitive issue.  However, for anyone interested, I would highly recommend  J. Daryl Charles article "The Ethics of Capital Punishment" found here: http://www.equip.org/articles/the-ethics-of-capital-punishment

Mark's # 37 - The Republic of Pirates by Colin Woodard (400 pages)

Like most people, I was aware of the folklore surrounding Pirates and their tendency to say "ARRRGHHH  Matey!"... and I've both rode the ride and seen the movie Pirates of the Caribbean... I even read Michael Crichton's latest book Pirates: Latitudes earlier this year...so I figured I knew pretty much all I needed to know when it came to pirate history... Apparently I was wrong. In this book Colin Woodward takes the reader back in time to the golden age of Piracy in the early 1700s.   Though the book is specifically focused on how the pirates of the Caribbean rose and fell, I found it to be a very interesting snapshot of world history at the time.  Along the way you see the tension and wars between the English, French, and Spanish as they all seek to expand their empire in the new world, as well as the impact of the slave trade around the world at the time.

The book principally follows a few of history's most notorious Pirates such as Samuel ("Black Sam") Bellamy, Edward ("Blackbeard") Thatch, and Charles Vane.

In that day, the aforementioned governments often hired privateers to plunder and cut off the trade routes of their rivals.   Aboard these ships, as well as the official government military ships, conditions were brutal.  Many young men were 'pressed' into serving aboard the ships, where they suffered from a variety of diseases and malnutrition, as well as much abuse from the captain and officers of the ship.

Not suprisingly, many of these forced workers rebelled and turned to piracy.  In fact, on board the pirate ships, conditions were much better for the men and the freed slaves.  Each of the men were able to vote on decisions, and the plunder was almost evenly distributed amongst all the pirates (as opposed to the very heavily weighted dispersal of the privateers and government ships for the king and the captain).

For about 12 years, the prirates were able to find refuge and establish a 'pirate republic' in the Bahamas.   Back in England, the legend of the pirates began to grow and receive much support from the general public.  The pirates were seen as men (and in a few cases, women) who stood up against the tyranny of the Monarchy.

I did enjoy the book... though it was probably too much detail and too long of a read for my interest level in Pirates.