“Rich Dad, Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki
8/10
Loved the message and storytelling, but feel like it lacks action steps. Inspiring and relatable, a solid read for financial fundamentals.
“The Richest Man in Babylon” by George Clason
10/10
Flawless presentation and writing, a must read for your first financial book. The lessons are easily understood and applied, the storytelling is extremely engaging, and the topic is timeless (as the book implies). I will read this many more times.
“Supernatural Ways of Royalty” by Kris Vallotton
6/10
Kris Vallotton is controversial to say the least, but his writing is undeniably captivating. The overall theme is solid -that we are children of God, coheirs with Christ, and we should bloody well act like it- but his sometimes sketchy theology can get in the way. He doesn’t state any explicit heresies, but he says things could be interpreted as them and doesn’t bother to clarify. Overall I do trust him, and think the bad outweighs the good when it comes to making our identity in Christ clear.
“Spirit Wars” by Kris Vallotton
5/10
I followed SWOR up with Vallotton’s next book, and I think it’s similar to his previous work, but not as strong. The topic is once again one that isn’t written about often enough, that there is a war going on behind the scenes and we are part of it whether we like it or not and we should play the role of warriors rather than victims, but I think his shaky theology is more of a hindrance here. Let me be clear, I don’t think that Bethel is heretical. My wife and her family used to live in Redding and attended Bethel. However, I think Kris Vallotton more than their other pastors has a disregard for historical Christianity, and of all of his sermons and podcasts I’ve heard and books I’ve read, that disregard for orthodoxy speaks the loudest here. The topic is important and his writing in it is good, but this book is a mixed bag.
“Wild at Heart” by John Eldredge (Reread)
11/10
I will simply say that other than the Bible I think this is the greatest work of literature in all of human history. Eldredge taps on something so fundamental in this book that to read it is to be “known”. There isn’t a person on the face in the world I wouldn’t recommend this book to.
“Chesterton’s Gateway” by Ethan Nicolle
7/10
A good introduction into Chesterton’s work that especially highlights his unique brand of whimsical intellectualism. Most of the time the essays and chapters are enthralling, funny, and as profound as writing as ever been, but on occasion it is rambling as Chesterton talks in circles, usually referencing pop culture from the late 19th century. Worth the read, but don’t be afraid to skip some chapters. The lamp post short story at the end of Orthodoxy’s first chapter is one to not miss. Truly a proverb for the ages, do not skip that one.
“The Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis
8/10
My first Lewis book. What an introduction. I feel as though I now know every thing Kris Vallotton was trying to say in Sprit Wars, but it was stated without pushing theological boundaries. My only criticism is that I wish it was longer, a lot longer.
“Keep Your Love On” by Danny Silk
9/10
This is Bethel at its best. Real Godly love taught in a funny and casual way, but never sketchy in its theology. Backed by scripture and psychology, Danny Silk calls readers out then up on a journey to love God and others in a healthier and more Christlike way. Plenty of exercises and tools to help you navigate conflict with your spouse, family, friends, and coworkers. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who comes from a challenging family or has a job that involves dealing with unhealthy people, such as teaching or ministry.
“The Boy Crisis” by Warren Farrell
6/10
This book is a bit of a curve ball from Dr Warren Farrell. His past is writing entirely on girls, and his 50+ year career gives an almost anti-masculine air to his persona. Here, he defends the boy’s place in the world and how modern education and employment pushes boys out, chastises their natural forms of learning, play, work, and love while rewarding feminine traits. While I think he hits the nail on the head in terms of problems, his solutions are often weak and he doesn’t seem to recognize the cognitive dissonance in them, as many of his solutions are just the natural course of the problem being played out. His citations for each chapter are deep and interesting, but the whole book is far too long. Many of his notions of what’s behind the problems are eye opening and novel. As it stands, though, it is more useful as a tool to understand modern problems than a cheat sheet on how to fix them.
“Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius
5/10
I think John Lovell said it best with “There is nothing stoicism offers that cannot be gotten with Christianity, and only Christianity can offer me Christ.” There are some good thoughts here, some of them clearly lasting the test of time, but in general I find this to be a mixed bag of truly deep thoughts, obvious reminders, and some odd pagan spiritualism. Granted these were Marcus’s personal writing and never intended for publication, but on the whole I’d rather just read Proverbs or Ecclesiastes.
“The Warrior Poet Way” by John Lovell
10/10
This is literally the Warrior Poet manifesto. It is the modern Wild at Heart. Read it and be changed.
“How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie
8/10
A classic. Read away and take careful notes. I work in sales and my latter half of 2023 was noticeably improved by this book. Every single chapter is relatable and immediately applicable.
“Fathered by God” by John Edlredge
9/10
Eldredge does it again. Expanding on the ideas of Wild at Heart, he lays out the path of a man’s life, stage by stage, and where we often get stuck, jump ahead, or find places of strength. I’d kill for an independent book on every stage. The topic is far too big to summarize here, but it is well worth the read for anyone.
“Out of the Shadows” by Patrick Carnes
3/10
Coming out a 12-year porn addiction, I sought to understand sexual addiction to a much greater degree. The author does not actually seem to believe that porn is a problem is finances aren’t involved, and for the most part I just found myself thinking “wow, I’m so glad I never got that kind of low in life” as I read other people’s horror stories. There are definitely some nuggets of gold for this seeking to better understand addiction, but on the whole this book is just a guide for late-1970s 12-step programs that offers little insight to modern problems.
“Culture of Honor” by Danny Silk
5/10
Honestly great content, very practical for businesses, churches, and families, but it seemed so short. The whole book felt like an introduction rather than a complete work. Danny Silk is on point and his ideas are the kind of classic Kingdom Revolution he’s known for, but this book is sorely lacking in real mean-n-potatoes, here’s the point I’m making, writing. The end did not feel like an end, but rather a setup for another 300 pages, which would’ve been welcome. Sadly those 300 pages never come.