This I Believe: the Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women

Edited by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman
Henry Holt & Company, 2006

This book contains the personal philosophies of famous and "average" men and women from all walks of life. The collection includes, for example, essays by Isabel Allende, William F. Buckley, Jr., Albert Einstein, Helen Keller, as well as those written by a lawyer in Brooklyn, a woman who sells advertising for the Forth Worth Yellow Pages, and a man who serves on the parole board for the state of Rhode Island. The editors profile stories that reflect guiding principles and values, not those that would focus on pious platitudes, dogma, or narrow prejudice, so you will find here people who believe in Barbie, or that it's important to "be cool to the pizza dude," or that one ensures prosperity by feeding the monkeys on one's birthday. There are those who believe in God, those who don't, and those who believe in the sun. In other words, expect an eclectic, diverse set of beliefs that will challenge you to think about your own.

The editors offer guidelines for writing out your beliefs and maintain a website where you can submit your personal essay. There you can also read other people's essays - both from the original 1950s series and those that have been more recently penned. There's already a This I Believe II, so who knows? Maybe your essay will be published in an upcoming volume as well.

The World as I Remember it: through the eyes of a ragamuffin

by Rich Mullins,
Multnomah Publishers, 2004

I'm a big fan of the music and poetry of Rich Mullins, and had wanted to purchase this book for my home collection, so I was excited to find that my library had acquired a copy I could preview.

Now I'm thankful I've saved good money, as I discovered that this book isn't for me. A collection of essays Rich penned for a magazine called Release, the writing is of a style I find difficult to enjoy, though there were times he made me laugh, and I loved these quotes:

• Those who worry are less able to enjoy things than those who hope.
• The will of man will not ultimately prevail against the will of God.
• Faith is not a denial of facts - it is a broadening of focus. It does not deny the hardness of guitar strings; it plucks them into a sweetness of sound.
• When I was a kid in high school it used to be really popular to wear little buttons on your coat that said, Smile, God Loves You. And that would always hack me off, 'cause I go, you know what? God loves everybody. That doesn't make me special. It just means that God has no taste.

Well, I would beg to differ with the last statement. It's not that God has no taste, it's that He doesn't discriminate :)

Anyway, if you like Rich Mullins, you might enjoy this book. Just do yourself a favour and borrow it from the library before you decide to buy it.

Finding Inner Peace During Troubled Times: Exploring the Lost Art of Christian Meditation

by William Moss,
The Barnabas Agency, 2009

While I applaud Moss for his many accomplishments in the business world, as well as for joining AA at the age of 85 and remaining sober five years (and counting), I don't think his essay merits a book that costs buyers $5.99. At 26 pages (many of which have lots of white space), a maximum fee of $2.99 would suffice.

Much of the book is a recitation of Scripture, which any reader with a decent Bible Concordance could easily locate on her own. Furthermore, the simple, step-by-step example of Christian meditation is no more than one could find through a quick google search. Facing pages are blank for "thoughts and prayers," but really, the book does little to evoke either. While I have not researched what other books are available on this topic, I don't advise purchasing this one, unless you have money to burn.

On the bright side, if you have a manuscript to flog, perhaps it's worth taking a look at The Barnabas Agency...

[Note: this book was provided for review by The B & B Media Group]