Reading In The Digital Era Still Matters #LeadersAreReaders June 2024

In the digital era, it might seem like YouTube is the best place to get information (at least for me). However, as writer and illustrator Tomie dePaola said, "Reading is important because if you can read, you can learn anything about everything and everything about anything." While videos can help you grasp a topic quickly, they don't offer the deep understanding that reading does. One of the best examples I can think of is the wonderful overview videos of each book of the Bible by The Bible Project YouTube channel. These videos are great resources, but they can never replace the value of reading the Bible for ourselves.

Jim Kwik, a Brain Coach, said that multimedia's impact on learning is limited without reading as the foundation. Books, especially good ones that distill decades of experience, provide a depth that short videos can't match. Digital sources (with the exception of longer and in depth videos) are useful for starting your research and sparking your interest, but for true understanding, reading is essential. Maybe I'm in the minority... but I'm right, right? 

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Try Reading Nonfiction Books #LeadersAreReaders June-July 2023

Obviously, based on my monthly reading lists, I love to read nonfiction books. The reasons are many. For one, I always have the urge to learn something new. That urge is definitely sparked by my reading choices. Second, I like to challenge myself. Not all books are well written, and that goes for nonfiction too. However, I believe that a well-written piece of nonfiction can read like a novel (Robert Greene's books are excellent examples of what I'm talking about here). I love learning about human nature, psychology, philosophy, theology, a bit of history, and fascinating ideas — cliche, I know.

Third, it’s a never-ending rabbit hole of topics. For example, I might read a book about miracles, signs, and wonders. Then pick a Bible commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, then a book on Charismatic and Pentecostal movements, then a book on church history and early fathers, then... you see where I’m going with this. Every book provides a gateway into the next. Reading nonfiction has introduced me to all walks of life, great ideas and discoveries in the world’s history, people who make a difference in the world, stories of faith and inspiration, and new perspectives on seeing things around me.

Some people might argue that you can learn all these things from fiction, and you can; I’m not arguing with that. I guess what I’m trying to say is, don’t be afraid to try something new. Challenge yourself to read one nonfiction book and go into it with your eyes wide open. You might be surprised at how satisfying it can be.

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #NonfictionBooks #TryNewThings #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read my other book reviews/summaries, CLICK HERE

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

One (1) of the Ways to Overcome These Three (3) Problems #LeadersAreReaders April 2023

In my observations and conversations with young people (even older ones too) nowadays, I see these three areas of problem: comprehension ability, communication skills, and lack of depth. There are also admirable things that I see, but I want to focus on these three to challenge you to read books. I believe reading good books can overcome these problems. Why?

1) Reading Can Strengthen Your Brain. Reading gets your mind working across different areas. For starters, it involves comprehension to process the words you read (this is especially helpful when you read the Scripture because comprehension precedes understanding!). Beyond that, you can use your analytical abilities, stimulate memories, and even broaden your imagination by reading words off a page. Reading is a neurobiological process that works out your brain muscles. As you do so, you can help slow down cognitive decline. Paul was talking about the lack of spiritual comprehension in 1 Corinthians 3:2, but I think it can also be applied to mental comprehension: "I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger." Read!

2) Reading Boosts Communication Skills. Both reading and writing work to improve one’s communication skills. That’s why if you’re looking to become a better writer, a better thinker, and a better communicator, many of the suggestions that you come across will include reading more. Reading can open your eyes, literally and figuratively, to new words, insights, and ideas. I have a friend during Bible study who I sense has something worth saying but can't express it well because he is struggling to find words, phrases, and examples to communicate his points. If only he had the habit of reading books.

3) Reading to Become a Person of Depth. When you read a lot, you undoubtedly learn a lot. The more you read—good books—the more you can make it to the level of being considered a "well-read" or "deep person" (although to be a person of depth requires more than just knowledge). Having a diverse set of knowledge and borrowed experience will make you a more engaging conversationalist and can empower you to speak to more people from different backgrounds and experiences because you can connect based on shared information. Some people may argue that "ignorance is bliss," but the truth is that "knowledge is power" when it is rightly used. As Christ's follower, reading the Bible is indispensable for a deeper life: "For the LORD grants wisdom! From His mouth come knowledge and understanding" (Proverbs 2:6).

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #ComprehensionAbility #CommunicationSkills #BeAPersonOfDepth #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read my other book reviews/summaries, CLICK HERE

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Five (5) Benefits of Reading Good Books #LeadersAreReaders March 2023

John Wesley was a man who had a great passion for reading. Most of his reading time was on horseback (so don't complain about your environment!). He rode a horse up to 9 miles per day, and during those times he consumed thousands of books such as on science, history, medicine, and one book above all that he always brings along was his Greek New Testament. He told the younger ministers of the Methodist societies to read or get out of the ministry! He was once quoted as saying, “Reading Christians are growing Christians. When Christians cease to read, they cease to grow.” Let me share with you briefly five (5) benefits of reading:

< Reading Is the Main Source of Inspiration > Most of my thinking, writing, and teaching for LEGASI.tv comes from reading books. They inspired me to create YouTube videos, encouraged me to share my findings on the podcast, and enlarged my understanding of the Scripture for Bible studies. Good books especially have helped me to think about things and frame some great thoughts that I would never have come near without them.

< Reading for Intellectual Growth > I always experience the thrill when I read some gems that were opposite and/or invite me to see matters from different perspectives. Books make me think, polish, re-imagine and re-examine my beliefs. They test my wits, provide fresh ideas, and challenge my assumptions. They help me to express my thoughts in words.

< Reading to Keep Yourself Updated > J. Oswald Sanders writes, “Read… to acquire new information, to keep current with the time, to be well informed in his or her own field of expertise." I think you can get more updates on social media. But what makes books unique is that the information that you'll get is generally better in quality, thoughtful, and selectively beneficial.

< Reading Is Having Fellowships with Great Minds > To read good books is like hearing the authors speaking to us. Their words reflect their thinking. Their minds project on every page. It is like a conversation with the authors. Do you want to have a fellowship with A.W. Tozer, Charles Surgeon, Adrian Rogers, J.C. Ryle, Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, etc.? Then read their books!

< Reading Books May Change Your Life >  I am convinced that the right books by the right authors in the hands and hearts of rightly motivated people could turn their world right-side-up! (Not upside-down, that’s negative!) Some books, especially spiritual classics, can literally change your life!

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #BenefitsOfReading #IntellectualAndSpiritualGrowth #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read my other book reviews/summaries, CLICK HERE

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Increase Your Personal Intellectual Capital #LeadersAreReaders October 2022

When I was working in management, I use to read monthly articles by the late Peter F. Drucker (1909-2005) in the business magazine. My workplace was near the bookstore. At the age of 90, he was more active than most 25-year-olds. As a consultant and an author known as 'the father of management thinking,' he was continually working on new books, most of which became bestsellers. Yet, midst his massive accomplishment, he still found time to read three to five hours a day on a wide range of subjects - a habit he first cultivated as a young man. Like Charles H. Spurgeon, one of my heroes of faith, you just have to admire them but don't need to emulate them.

"Every few years I pick another major topic and read in it daily for three years," Drucker once said candidly. "It's not enough to make me an expert, but it's long enough to understand what the field is all about. I've done this for 60 years." When I enter the full-time ministry, I somewhat learned this strategy from Drucker (and Spurgeon): read widely, from many different fields NOT just Christian books. Drucker is the epitome of the 'knowledge worker,' a term he coined to describe the most valuable resource in the new economy - intellectual capital. "Your knowledge and your experience are your new wealth. They belong to you, not your company. Leave an organization and you take that wealth with you."

Learning how to learn and increase your intellectual capital with practical skills. Be valuable. One of the best ways (meaning, not the only way) to do this is by READING BOOKS and/or through good literature. It takes curiosity and also discipline. In the Information and Digital Age, like the late Peter Drucker, the discipline of reading will be well rewarded. Wherever you go, you take that wealth with you.

#ServeToLead #PeterFDrucker #LifeTimeLearner #ReadersAreReaders #IntellectualCapital #KnowledgeIsWealth #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read other articles on reading and book reviews, CLICK HERE
All things media: https://linktr.ee/LEGASI.tv 

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

I Don't Have Enough Faith the Be An Atheist (2004) by Norman L. Geisler & Frank Turek, Book Review

David Limbaugh in his forward writes, "[This book] is the best single book I've seen to prepare believers to give the reasons for their faith, and for skeptics who are open to the truth. This book will serve as an indispensable evangelism tool, especially when dealing with nonbelievers with 'intellectual' obstacles to the faith. As we know, the intellectual obstacles are just an excuse for nonbelievers, but when you remove the substance of their excuse they are left naked to confront their real obstacles, their real demons." I agree with Limbaugh but with the exception that it is NOT "the best single book." There will be new 'intellectual' obstacles ahead of us (although principally "there is nothing new under the sun"), so, we have to always need new, fresh, and better books to tackle future issues with the same effectiveness as this one. Always preparing the way for the Lord and His Word to touch people's lives with the never-changing Gospel. Having said that, for me, this book is one of the best apologetic tools so far (probably next after Josh McDowell's Evidence That Demands a Verdict).

Between the two authors, I'm more familiar with Frank Turek because I subscribed to his podcast and YouTube channel with the same name as this book and frequently listened to his talks and interviews. Norman Geisler, now deceased, is the giant of apologetic who wrote and co-wrote many amazing books. Together they present the essential information needed for readers either to stand firm in their faith in the God of Christianity or to make a decision to come to the God of Christianity with a reasonable faith. For believers, your faith will be strengthened; for honest seekers, your beliefs will be challenged. Some people will read this book and yet remain an atheist or skeptical but they will have no excuse that they never knew. "One beauty of God's creation is this: if you're not willing to accept Christianity, then you're free to reject it," explain Frank and Norman. "God has provided enough evidence in this life to convince anyone willing to believe, yet he has also left some ambiguity so as not to compel the unwilling." I like that. It is consistent with the character of God that I read in the Bible. No one - especially mine - can claim absolute certainty about anything. Everything requires some amount of faith. Questions such as "Is truth knowable?", "Does God exists?" and, "Is the Bible the Word of God?" even with a fair amount of evidence, in the end, require faith. Vise versa, to reject them also requires faith. But as the book argues, it takes a lot more faith to be a non-Christian than it does to be a Christian.

Let me share five (5) reasons why I recommend this book (I could share more but, to misquote the Book of Hebrews, "time will not allow me"):

#1 The Logical Flow - At the outset, they outline 12 points starting from a general but crucial one "No.1 Truth about reality is knowable." What is truth? Can truth be known? Can truths about God be known? So what? Who cares about truth? Then, they progressively move to the last one "No.12 It is true that the Bible is the Word of God." Is the Bible historically reliable? Who is Jesus? If Jesus is who He said He is, what He taught about the Bible? They begin with general revelation to special revelation.

#2 Not Using the Scripture to Proof the Existence of God - In the first 5 out of 12 points, they argue about the existence of a theistic God not by using the Scripture but by science and reason. They use the Cosmological Argument (Beginning of the universe), the Teleological/ Anthropic Argument (Design of the universe, design of life), and the Moral Argument (Moral law). These arguments alone are enough for me to say that "I don't have enough faith to be an atheist"!

#3 Uses History, Philosophy, Logic, and Biblical Theology to Establish Their Arguments - For example, when they try to prove that the New Testament is reliable, they do not simply say that "The Bible tells me so" but give evidence from external and internal sources, historical and philosophical supports, logical and theological based. "We came to believe through evidence," they said, "...the fact THAT we are Christians is not the issue: WHY we are Christians is the important point."

#4 Anticipating Counter-Arguments and Answer Them Clearly - In the past, I almost lost my faith in Christianity. I figured, if Christianity is false then all religions* must be false too. I don't want to be an agnostic because I think the issue is simple: whether God exists or not. So my next best choice was to be an atheist. When I'm trying to explore the possibility of the non-existence of God, I have lots of questions. Every time I heard or read Christian's positive arguments, I always have counter-arguments or objections. Authors of this book anticipate objections as they presented their arguments. For example, take the case of the reliability of the New Testament again. They know those common objections such as "history cannot be known", "The New Testament documents contain miracles", "The New Testament writers were biased", and "Converted people are not objective" would be in the back of the reader's mind like I was. With vast experience, knowledge, and humility, they answer these common (not all) objections clearly.

#5 Provide More Than Enough Facts - To me, three reasonable facts are enough to change my opinions; five strong facts are enough to convince me to reconsider my beliefs; seven undisputed facts are enough to change my mind and make me a convert. Throughout the book every time the authors make a case they always give more than two reasons or facts. For example, in the question of "How do we know the moral law exists?" they give eight compelling reasons. In Chapter 11, they give "The Top Ten Reasons We Know the New Testament Writers Told the Truth" which is also the title of the chapter.

The authors acknowledged that "evidence alone cannot convince someone to become a Christian. Some atheists and non-Christians may reject Christianity not because the evidence is inadequate but because they don't want to accept it." It seems oversimplified but in the final analysis, it's true. They continue, "Some people choose to suppress the truth rather than live by it. In fact, we humans have a fatal tendency to try to adjust the truth to fit our desires rather than adjusting our desires to fit the truth." Don't do that. This is about your eternal destiny. This book cannot answer ALL your questions. In fact, we will never have ALL the answers anyway. But this book - by God's grace - has more than enough answers to show beyond a reasonable doubt that Christianity is true. The Scripture says: "[If] you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." Lord, give the reader enough faith to believe and confess! Amen.

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #IDontHaveEnoughFaithToBeAnAtheist #FrankTurek #NormanGeisler #Apologetics #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read other articles on reading and book reviews, CLICK HERE
All things media: https://linktr.ee/LEGASI.tv 

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

The Science of Self-Learning (2018) by Peter Hollins, Sort-of Book Review

The Science of Self-Learning: How to Teach Yourself Anything, Learn More in Less Time, and Direct Your Own Education (2018) by Peter Hollins, Ebook

 
The title and subtitle say it all. Some books are easy to read and quick to finish simply because you already agree with the main theses of the book. And extra if you already applied most of the ideas. So, what is the benefit of reading a book that doesn't challenge me to do or think about something new? Well, for one, the feel-good effect I had due to confirmation bias. And the other, for self-reminder, that it is the right thing for me to continue to pursue. Peter Hollis, a psychologist by profession, wrote in such a way that is engaging and balances theories with practicality. He reminds me that the path - for me, not necessary for everyone - to education is through self-learning.

We all should've realized that the process of acquiring information has changed significantly over the last few decades. The author seriously joking that 30 to 40 decades ago, one of the main ways for people to look up general info was inside an encyclopedia! Today, all we have to do is just Google-ing absolutely anything and find out very specific info about any subject of interest in less than a few seconds anywhere, anywhen. What hasn’t changed, sadly, is our educational system. It is still based mostly on a traditional model, where students still learn what somebody else has decided for them to learn. Although there are exceptions and some positive sides to it, the outdated model is overall limiting and intimidating. Mr. Hollins writes, "[Motivating] someone to learn by threats or reproach isn’t just ineffective - it’s impossible. If one is feeling hurt or mistrusted, or if they’re dealing with depression, stress, difficult personal issues, or fear, they don’t have any resources left to help them learn."

Enter the keyword: autodidact (or a self-educator). It simply means a self-taught person. He or she is both a teacher and a student at the same time. Self-taught is not a new pursuit. There are famous people like Mark Twain, Albert Einstein, and Leonardo da Vinci who are autodidacts. The advantage for us today is that it is easier and faster for us to be one. “Courtesy of the Internet, the world is your oyster,” writes Mr. Hollins, “and we have the ability to learn anything we want these days.” Due to my personality and learning style, classroom-type, professor-guide, assignment- dateline like Bible seminary is not suitable for me. My process of directed personal education growth is via proactive intellectual curiosity. Thus, my motivation is not from the outside forces but from the inside a.k.a. intrinsic. Nobody can 'force' me to learn, I WANT to learn. The author puts it like this: "Rather than performing a task to gain rewards or avoid punishment from someone else, a person experiencing intrinsic motivation does an activity for how it will enrich them on an intangible level." Right!

If you are an autodidact, reading Chapter 1: Principle of Self-Learning is a good reminder for you to keep doing what you are doing (probably Chapter 1 is just enough). If you are aspired to be one, reading this book is a good starting point. You will learn the Learning Success Pyramid, the classic SQ3R Method, the Cornell Note-Taking System, Speed-Reading tactics, and more. The author is generous with his resources. I love this quote, "Anyone can be an autodidact - there aren’t any restrictions on age, gender, or background. All that’s required is the willingness to actively find new knowledge and to do so with a discerning, evaluative mind." Yes! ☕

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #TheScienceOfSelfLearning #AutodidactForever #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read a hundred+ of my book reviews, CLICK HERE     

LEGASI.tv Media: https://linktr.ee/LEGASI.tv 

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Cracking Philosophy: You, This Book and 3,000 Years of Thought (2016) by Dr. Martin Cohen, This-Is-Not-A-Review

Why Learning Philosophy Is Important?

In 2014, the late Dr. R.C. Sproul’s book Everyone’s a Theologian was published. He argues that any time we think about God and/or the teaching of the Bible and strive to understand it, we are engaging in theology. “No Christian can avoid theology,” he said, “Every Christian is a theologian. Perhaps not a theologian in the technical or professional sense, but a theologian nevertheless. The issue for Christians is not whether we are going to be theologians but whether we are going to be good theologians or bad ones.” In the same way, I think, everyone is a philosopher. We might not be a formal one or called as one but we are a philosopher nevertheless. If you ask questions or think intentionally about specific problems and ideas or engage with others on particular issues or challenge assumptions and concepts to generate new perspectives, you’re a philosopher (philosophy comes from the Greek roots Philo- meaning “love” and Sophos- meaning “wisdom” and so is defined as “the love of wisdom”). If you philosophized, then, you’re doing philosophy. Or to put it generally, no one can avoid it because everyone has a life philosophy. However, in the same way, similar to what Dr. Sproul said about being a theologian, the issue is whether we are going to be good philosophers or bad ones.

There are many things in life - or the universe, seen and unseen - that are yet to be discovered. As Christ-follower and Bible-believer, the essentials like who is the living God are already settled in my mind and heart. Faith in Him triumphs all my doubts about Him (see, I’m philosophizing here). Unashamedly, I’m very close-minded in this matter. But in almost everything else, I remain curious and open-minded. That’s why I love science because science is about discovery. Yet it has its limit. As scientific knowledge and discoveries grow rapidly, it is impossible to know what to do with them without reflecting on what they mean to us and how to use them for the greater good rather than for self-destruction (as predicted by Ultron in MCU’s 2015 Avengers movie). From the humanistic perspective, answers to all these questions depend on what conception we have of ourselves as human beings and what we think that means for the best way to live. None of these issues are questions for science but for philosophy (I wanted to write “philosophy and theology” but I’m still struggling with the relation between these two. But to limit the scope of this short article and to show the importance of philosophy, l will just focus on one). Science gives us facts but philosophy gives us reasons. Science can create robots but philosophy makes us humans. Science deals with cause and effect but philosophy deals with ethics.

Again, everyone is a philosopher. So don’t be a bad one. Learn and study philosophy. Of course, not everything can be solved by philosophy (in fact, sometimes it can make things more complicated) but since we are philosophized about everything anyway, why don’t be a better one at that? Philip Strokes, author of Philosophy 100 Essential Thinkers, says it best in the introduction of his book: “Since philosophers are engaged in exploring every avenue of thought, it should cause no surprise that many of their conclusions strike us as unacceptable in some way or another. At least one of the merits of such work is that it can indicate what we should NOT believe. But it should be equally appreciated that the conclusions of philosophers have also had profound effects.” Yes, the ripple effects of philosophy from the dawn of civilization to the present day cannot be undervalued and overlooked. That’s why I appreciate Dr. Martin Cohen’s Cracking Philosophy very much. He provides a good introduction to the subject in a very easy-to-read format (I do not imply that it is easy to understand though), written in somewhat chronological order and filled with amazing illustrations from start to end. I have to admit that I’m not good at remembering the terms and names mentioned in the book. So Google and Index are my constant companions. The 3,000 years of the history of thought is divided into ten (10) chapters, namely:

1. Mysteries and Wondering: Where It All Started - The First Philosophers
2. The Golden Age of Philosophy
3. Seeking Wisdom Through God
4. The Renaissance and the Triumph of Reason
5. Enlightenment, Philosophy, and the Rise of Science
6. Sniffing Out Empiricism with Locke, Berkeley, and Hume
7. Capitalism and the Rational Man
8. A Fork in the Road: Philosophies of Romanticism and Human Striving
9. Language, Truth, and Logic
10. Beyond Science: Philosophers Still Searching for Wisdom

☕ #ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #EveryoneIsAPhilosopher #CrackingPhilosophy #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read my other book reviews, CLICK HERE

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/                      
Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiSpotify                       
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LEGASItv/                   

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Education, Free & Compulsory (1999) by Murray N. Rothbard, Book Review

 Education, Free & Compulsory (1999) by Murray N. Rothbard, audiobook

Murray N. Rothbard, an influential American historian, natural law theorist, and economist of the Austrian School who helped define modern libertarianism*, in this short book (66 pages only and audiobook 2 hours 35 minutes), explores the history of compulsory schooling in Europe and especially in the United States. I find that the main ideas and concerns in this book are interesting although I have to keep in mind that my context is Asia or Malaysia in particular not Western countries. But it seems that, in terms of education, we almost always facing the same problem: our educational system, if not seriously reformed, is doomed to fail. For the past few weeks, I’ve been listening to an excellent podcast series by BFM radio called Malaysia’s Education Challenges with a focus on Malaysia’s Education Blueprint (MEB). As I reflect on what has been discussed in this series and Rothbard’s thoughts in this book, I cannot help but agree that we should seriously rethink public schooling. More than ever I observe that our educational system, instead of for the betterment of individuals and communities, has become very burdensome for the students, parents, and teachers and continues to be used to impose political, racial, and religious agendas or ideologies. Through the misuse of formal education, dictatorship can be disguised as democracy. Beware!

There are three (3) short but powerful chapters in this book, namely, 1) The Individual’s Education; 2) Compulsory Education in Europe; 3) Compulsory Education in the United States. There are half-a-dozen ideas that are worth considering such as the importance of individual or homeschooling, the function of the parents and the state (government) in child education, the history and philosophy of compulsory education, the shadow of ‘citizen control’, the influence of religious (particularly by Calvinism in Europe) reformation, the demons of Fascism, Nazism, and Communism. There are things that I don’t agree with, don’t understand, and don’t care much about. The most essential read, in my opinion, is the first half of Chapter 1: The Individual’s Education because regardless of our context and background, race and nationality, it deals with our universal human need and uniqueness. Rothbard writes:

“[The] entire process of growing up, of developing all the facets of a man’s personality, is his education. It is obvious that a person acquires his education in all activities of his childhood; all his waking hours are spent in learning in one form or another. It is clearly absurd to limit the term ‘education’ to a person’s formal schooling. He is learning all the time. He learns and forms ideas about other people, their desires, and actions to achieve them, the world and the natural laws that govern it; and his own ends, and how to achieve them. He formulates ideas on the nature of man, and what his own and others’ ends should be in light of this nature. This is a continual process, and it is obvious that formal schooling constitutes only an item in this process. In a fundamental sense, as a matter of fact, everyone is ‘self-educated.’ A person’s environment, physical or social, does not ‘determine’ the ideas and knowledge with which he will emerge as an adult. It is a fundamental fact of human nature that a person’s ideas are formed for himself; others may influence them, but none can determine absolutely the ideas and values which the individual will adopt or maintain through life.”

If you’re interested to dive further into this subject, you can get this ebook and audiobook for FREE at https://mises.org/library/education-free-and-compulsory-1 #ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

*Libertarianism: a political philosophy that advocates only minimal state intervention in the free market and the private lives of citizens.

To read my other #1Book1Week book reviews, CLICK HERE

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/                                     
Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiSpotify                      
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LEGASItv/                  

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

The Wisdom of Psychopaths (2012) by Kevin Dutton, A Short Review

The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies,
and Serial Killers Can Teach Us About Success (2012)
by Kevin Dutton, Audiobook

I had just finished listening to this audiobook last week. I'm not sure whether I want to write a proper summary review about it or not. Probably a short one. First, although I'm able to comprehend the big picture of an audiobook (especially on the subjects that are very interesting to me) through listening, I cannot recall the specific juicy quotes or thought-provoking lines unless I have the actual book or ebook to refer to. So, sorry in advance. Secondly, overall this book is stimulating enough (I love psychology!) but the title and subtitle can be misunderstood by those who will never read it. Let me explain.

The word Psychopath in general is negative. The dictionary defines it as a person suffering from a chronic mental disorder with abnormal or violent social behavior. Mad and bad. Then add the word wisdom to it can be very confusing and oxymoron. Plus, "what serial killers can teach us about success" is not helpful either. But once you explore what Kevin Button writes in the book - stories, interviews, theories, research, data - you will start to get why small and control doses of 'good' psychopathic traits as psychologists define it like charming personalities, no fear of failure or risk, cold empathy, hyperfocus, somewhat intelligent and smart (now I'm thinking of my favorite fictional villain, James Moriarty), etc. are useful for us to strive in the world today. At the right place, time and amount, these traits can be very helpful without harming others as some psychopaths do. I remember Kevin Button said that some of the top career choices for 'functional psychopaths' are politicians, entrepreneurs, police, journalist, and even clergy!

Although in general, I enjoy this book, I also have some strong disagreements and dislikes about the author's theories and conclusions. It seems like, without ethical considerations (and clinical help?), someone might use this book as approval for their harmful psychopathic behaviors. From "wisdom" to "destruction." Success at all costs can prove to be a folly determination and serial killers are your worst teachers! Read or listen with care 😉🔍💬 #ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read my other #1Book1Week book reviews, CLICK HERE

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/                                    
Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiSpotify                     
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LEGASItv/                 

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

The Man They Crucified: A Portrait of Jesus (1975) by R. T. France, Book Review

 The Man They Crucified: A Portrait of Jesus (1975) by R. T. France

Philip went to look for Nathaniel and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.” “Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathaniel. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied. As they approached, Jesus said, “Now here is a genuine son of Israel - a man of complete integrity.” “How do you know about me?” Nathaniel asked. Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.” Then Nathaniel exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God - the King of Israel!” (read John 1:45-49). After Nathaniel's personal encounter with Jesus, he turned from being a skeptic to one of His most devoted followers.

Two things will always happen when someone meets the real Jesus of the Bible: accept Him or reject Him. Of course, one can be undecided but not for long because decisions have to be made soon or later when it comes to the person and identity of Jesus (to ignore Him is to reject Him). He demands a verdict! As R. T. France (1938 - 2012), a renowned New Testament scholar, writes about the change that happened to Nathaniel: “That is the sort of thing that happens when Jesus is around. People find their prejudices shaken. Some of them respond by digging themselves deeper into the trenches. Others find themselves, to their amazement, abandoning the preconceptions of a lifetime, and they are never the same again.” By faith, I know why Jesus is irresistible: He is the divine Son of God, the gracious Son of Man, and the wonderful Savior of the world. But these truths, although can be supported by the Scripture, can only be accepted fully by faith. So, what about Jesus in His humanity, in the context of history, that is also irresistible? Or to put it another way, why Jesus was controversial and phenomenal in His lifetime on earth? And why does Jesus still do so today, more than 2,000 years later? This book can help us to understand - as an introduction, not comprehensive studies - Jesus in His historical context and background.

By using the Gospels as France’s main sources for his portrait of Jesus (see Appendix for explanation) and some other reliable materials, he divided the book into 12 chapters, namely, Nazareth, Expectation, Preparation, Disciples, Miracles, Society, Controversy, The Kingdom, Confrontation, Condemnation, Vindication, and Dilemma. The book helps us to explore the life of Jesus as a Jew living in Israel; surrounded by particular religious issues, customs, and ideologies; with unique socioeconomic orders and political turmoils. Examining Jesus’ claims about Himself in these chapters also makes it more meaningful and relevant. These are the things that we must take into considerations when we read the Gospel accounts of Jesus and it helps us to make the decision (that I write earlier) with intellect and awareness NOT just by faith. Well, of course, at the end of the day faith is required to bridge the gap between mere knowledge to saving knowledge. “It would be much more convenient if Jesus could be made to fit the formulas which we are all so good at devising for him, as the ethical reformer, the pacifist, the prophet of the oppressed classes, or whatever. All of these he is, and much more,” said R. T. France in the closing of this highly commended and accessible book, “But he cannot be reduced to any one of them. The only meaningful way to relate to the Jesus of the Gospels is in the totality of the claims he makes on us. If we do not come to him on his terms, we do not come to him at all.”

“Can anything good come from the life of Jesus of Nazareth?” you might ask. I want to invite you to read the Gospel accounts for the first time - or once again - and say, “Come and see for yourself.” And if you need help, this book can be one of your guides 😉☑💡#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #LifeOfJesus #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

I also recommend:

1) The Jesus of the Bible (2009) by Stephen M. Miller ✔
2) Jesus, A Virtual History (2014) by Donald Brake ✔
3) Jesus the Messiah: A Survey of the Life of Christ (1996) by Robert H. Stein ✔

 

To read my other #1Book1Week book reviews, CLICK HERE

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/                                    
Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiSpotify                     
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LEGASItv/                 

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Charles Spurgeon: The Prince of Preachers (1988) by J. C. Carlile, Book Review

 Charles Spurgeon: The Prince of Preachers (1988) by J. C. Carlile
An edited and abridged version, 1997, by Dan Harmon

Once in a while, when I thought that I’ve done so many works and sacrifices for the Lord in my own small, faulty, ignorance perspective, and craving for people’s appreciation and attention, I will think of two mortal men who will have none of these and puts me - and all of us - to shame. First, the indisputable apostle Paul. “For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace” (1 Corinthians 15:10). And secondly, Charles Haddon Spurgeon. He was called to be a preacher when he was 16 years old. It was recorded that in his entire life he preached nearly 3,600 sermons (“The collected sermons filled 63 volumes equivalent to the 27 volume ninth edition of Encyclopedia Britannica,” observes John Piper), and published 49 volumes of commentaries, sayings, illustrations, and devotions. Every week he preached 4 to 10 times, read 6 meaty books, revised sermons for publication, lectured, edited a monthly magazine, and in his spare time, he wrote about 150 books! Not to mention, he shepherded about 6,000 church members (legend says that he knew all members by name), founded and directed a theological college, an orphanage, and oversaw 66 Christian charities.* Remember too, he was a family man with a godly wife and a healthy relationship with all his children. There are more but I think you get the point.

David Livingstone, a famous missionary, once asked Spurgeon, “How can you accomplish so much in one day?” He replied wittily, “You forget, Mr. Livingstone. There are two of us working.” No doubt, he meant the presence and grace of the living God. Reading the biographies of such godly men and women like Spurgeon is a good reminder for every Christians, especially Christian ministers, to remain faithful to His Word and be productive in doing His works. This book, under the Heroes of the Faith titles from Barbour Publishing, is a good introduction to the life, ministry, and legacy of Charles H. Spurgeon. The story of Spurgeon’s childhood and conversion are very fascinating. He was a very curious boy who love nature and learning. One of his biggest influences in my life is his thirst for knowledge. Mind you, he had no formal theological training [nor being formally ordained as a minister] but he was very well-read in Puritan theology, natural history, and popular literature. This gives me hope because I too don’t have any formal theological training (Spurgeon wrote to his father who urged him to apply for college, “You know what my style is. I fancy it is not very collegelike.” Fist bump! Although, this is not an excuse if you need one) and also a sense of unworthiness because Spurgeon is Spurgeon and he is one of a kind (to compare oneself with Spurgeon is to compare a kitten with a lion). The book outlines various aspects of his life including his development as a preacher, minister, writer, educator, and defender of the Truth. A special chapter on his belief in Calvinism is also very interesting. He famously declared: “I am never ashamed to avow myself a Calvinist; I do not hesitate to take the name of Baptist; but if I am asked what is my creed, I reply – It is Jesus Christ.”

But not all of Spurgeon’s life was bright and sunny. He shared his portion of Christ’s suffering, betrayal of friends, physical pain, and emotional depression especially due to the tragic fire incident at Surrey Gardens Music Hall and the energy-sapping ‘Downgrade’ controversy (R.J. Sheehan’s C.H. Spurgeon and the Modern Church, 1985, is an excellent short book to know more about this great battle). At the end of the day, Spurgeon is still a mortal man with flaws, and very much in need of the Saviour like the rest of us. Only by God’s grace, Spurgeon was used by Him mightily. I’m thankful for Spurgeon’s service and praise God forever. As the apostle Paul puts it: “It was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.” Amen!

#ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #LeadersAreReaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain #CharlesHSpurgeon #PrinceOfPreacher #ChristianBiography

Here are a few other related #1Book1Week reviews:

1) Spurgeon on Leadership (2010) by Larry J. Michael, CLICK HERE

2) C. H. Spurgeon and the Modern Church: Lessons for Today from the ‘Downgrade’ Controversy (1985) by R.J. Sheehan, CLICK HERE

3) Words of Counsel: For All Leaders, Teachers, and Evangelists (Updated 2018) by Charles H. Spurgeon, CLICK HERE

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/                                
Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiSpotify                 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LEGASItv/              

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

 

Two Ways to Grow In the Information Age #1Book1Week July 2021

 
One of the fascinating books that I read is by Yuval Noah Harari, Sapiens. In the book, Harari explores briefly the history of human civilizations from the Nomadic Age to the Agricultural Age to the Industrial Age and now, to the Information Age (which he covered in detail in the sequel, Homo Deus). Many wonderful things happened and I praise God for humanity's progress as we enter the Information Age, also known as the Digital Age. But of course, there are flip sides too. As you probably know, the danger of the Information Age is that we spend too much of our time gathering useless, pointless, or even harmful information rather than information that can help us grow and to live life to the fullest.

In computer science there is an expression “garbage in, garbage out” that also can apply to us humans as we attempt to sort through the info-glut and identify the information that can be useful to us. It means incorrect or poor-quality input to the computer system will produce faulty output. Similarly (but not exactly), the same goes for human mind programming. If we watch cringy TikTok videos and Instagram live for hours, listening to mean-spirited conversations on Facebook and YouTube daily, and read the latest gossip about our favorite celebrities online constantly, then, we are filling our hearts and minds with “garbage.” How, by following the latest news on Ebit Lew vs. Caprice can improve our way of living? Or, admiring Charli D’Amelio's or Bella Poarch's videos on TikTok can make us closer to God? Or, playing Fortnite online can make us men of valor and women of virtue in real life? In short, we can’t! We are what we watch, what we listen to, and what we read.

If you want to grow mentally, maturely, and spiritually, you have to start screening out the info-garbage and feeding yourself with positive, uplifting, stimulating, and meaningful messages. The first step is AWARENESS. We need to be alert to the problem of data smog and make a conscious effort to screen the bad information from the good. We have to be vigilant and avoid falling for the gossip, the grunge, and the garbage in the Information Age. You don’t have to cancel your Netflix or YouTube TV subscription, you just need to learn to discipline yourself to watch programs that build up rather than causes you to fall into sins. You don’t have to quit social media (although I encourage you to do that IF you have nothing good to do on these platforms) but consider limiting yourself to no more than a certain number of hours daily. Maybe 1-2 hours. In the same way, use Facebook and Instagram wisely. As for TikTok, I have nothing good to say except quit and repent.

Then, secondly, make positive, SMALL CHANGES in your daily habits. One way is to read good books. Abigail Van Buren said it best: “If I could give young people one piece of advice, it would be read, read, read! In reading, you will open up new worlds, real and imagined. Read for information, read for pleasure. Our libraries are filled with knowledge and joy, and it’s all there - free for the taking." Women are not always right, but on this point, AMEN sister! ��������� #ServeToLead #GrowingLeaders #LeadersAreReaders #TheInformationAge #GrowMentallyMaturelySpiritually #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read my #1Book1Week, CLICK HERE

1) Strength for the Storm (first published, 1988) translated by Arthur Reynolds, CLICK HERE

2) The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything (2009) by Ken Robinson, Ph.D. (with Lou Aronica), CLICK HERE

3) Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources (2006) by Martin Lings, CLICK HERE

4) Cults & Isms (1948, 1962) by J. Oswald Sanders, CLICK HERE


FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/                           
Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiSpotify            
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LEGASItv/        

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.