Book Review: The Rothschilds by Harry Freedman

 

A fascinating and engaging look at the history of the Rothschilds, this book explores the family’s remarkable influence across several centuries in a way that draws the reader in.

The book is well written and easy to read. By focusing on each generation in separate chapters, the author helps the reader follow the family’s story clearly while still maintaining a strong sense of continuity.

Harry Freedman has clearly researched his subject with great care, and he brings the family’s most important episodes to life in a thoughtful and accessible way.

The book also offers a fair and balanced account of the challenges the Rothschilds faced, particularly the antisemitism that shaped so much of their experience. Their perseverance in the face of opposition is presented as part of the broader story of how they influenced European politics, including their role in opposing figures such as Napoleon and Hitler. The author also shows how their financial support helped emerging nations, especially in the nineteenth century, develop their identities and strengthen their ambitions.

I also appreciated the attention given to the Rothschilds’ support of the arts and sciences, which adds another rich dimension to this detailed family history. Overall, I found the book a pleasure to read, especially because Freedman combines careful research with compelling stories and well-chosen quotes.

I rated the book with five stars. The Book is due to be published in December 2026.

Book Review - Dad's Maybe Book by Tim O'Brien

Book review: Dad’s Maybe Book by Tim O’Brien

I’ve never read any of Tim O’Brien’s previous books, but this one has given me the feeling that I need to do so before time runs out. In fact, that is the same premise for this excellent book which he has written for his sons. As an older Dad, Tim recognized years ago that he may not be around to celebrate some adult events with his sons that younger dads enjoy. However, rather than dwell on his mortality, he decided to put together a wonderful family biography of the times and moments that he has shared with them.

Throughout the book, Tim also reveals his struggles as a writer, as well as a survivor of the Vietnam War. He doesn’t hold back on what he feels about the conflict, nor of his anti-war stance. He wants his boys to understand some of what he went through in order for them to try to understand who he is and was.

I enjoyed reading the whole book. There are some very touching moments and childlike responses from Tim’s kids. In a special way, they all wrote the book together, even suggesting its title. As a dad of two girls, I appreciate the candid honesty of the author in expressing his paternal love for his sons. The last chapter – ‘One Last Lesson Plan’ was a perfect way to end such a very clever and outstanding book.

The publishers gave me a copy to read and review. I am delighted to have received such a well-thought-out and exceptional book. And as I stated at the beginning of this review, I have now gladly started to read some of Tim O’Brien’s earlier books.

#DadsMaybeBook #NetGalley

Book Review - ReBorn Again by Christopher VanHall

(Re)Born Again – Crucifying Christendom & Resurrecting A Radical

By Christopher VanHall.

This is not my usual kind of Christian book to read. Christopher is a radical progressive Christian whose ideas and experiences of faith are very raw to a traditionalist like me. I was intrigued by the title of this book and also wanted to be better informed of a branch of Christianity that has often made me uncomfortable. I was not disappointed.

Christopher’s deep honesty and coarse language throughout the book are actually quite refreshing. He writes about his experiences from the heart and describes his faith journey in very terse terms. His Christian roots are conservative and he begins the book with several events that eventually led him to question the performance presentations that his large mega-church extravagantly put on. At times, it sounded comical and absurd, but below the surface, Christopher was experiencing a painful spiritual rebirth of who he is and what Christ expects of His followers.

I was captivated by the unapologetic honesty and relentless drive that Christopher conveys through the different stages of his life. His confrontations with church leaders, marriage breakdown, self-questioning, and rock-bottom experiences are all there in the book. How he manages to rediscover himself and climb up out of his spiritual pit is inspiring. His progressive and radical insights taught me a lot about the struggles that others like him have in their own lives. While I may not always agree with his methods or even some of his thoughts on scripture, I do recognize his real passion for what he believes, thinks and does.

I like the way he has set out each chapter, beginning with an episodic situation or circumstance which is quite intriguing, and then breaks off from it to explore and express an important theological point. At the end of the chapter, he very neatly returns to the initial incident and cleverly weaves it into a very effective and teachable lesson. Time and time again, this impressed me deeply.

This book will make a great small group study by all sorts of Christians. I am thankful for the opportunity to both read and review it for the publishers. It is a remarkable journey and I am grateful for the broader insights about progressive Christianity that Christopher has given me.

Book review: Ordering Your Private World

A Book Review of Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald

                I’m usually not keen on books that are updated, especially ones that were written for churches and pastors over thirty years ago. However, the more I read of this book, the more I realized it has more relevance now than when it first appeared.

                Gordon MacDonald has a vast wealth of experience and knowledge which fit perfectly with the frantic pace that congregational ministers and church members are currently undergoing. His casual conversational style of writing imparts that knowledge in words and ways that are easy to understand, embrace, and apply.

                The chapters in the book are not overlong and the study guides at the back are well organized. This makes the book ideal for both personal spiritual development and small group discussions. The sections on organizing time are excellent and would be useful for any church leaders who need to refocus their lives on their responsibilities in church, at home, and even in their businesses.

                As a pastor, I found the fourth chapter on ‘Living as a Called Person,’ to be highly relevant to my current work. In the midst of plateaued or wilderness experiences, it’s good to know that God’s calling can be both renewed and reshaped as He sees fit.

                This is a book that I will turn to time and time again to help me refocus on the ministry that God has given me. Gordon MacDonald’s words, as well as the many illustrations he writes about, contain a lot of common sense, real wisdom, and spiritual discipline that many of his readers like me, will appreciate. This is an excellent book and one that I would heartily commend to any church leader and member.

Book Review - The Master's Mind by Lance Hahn

A Clever Concept

The Master’s Mind – The Art of Reshaping Your Thoughts

By Lance Hahn

            I was drawn to this book by the title – ‘The Master’s Mind,’ which refers to Christ’s thought process as He engaged in ministry throughout His life. From the scriptures, I know that He was confronted by different groups and enemies who sought to steer Him away from completing God’s work of salvation. I hadn’t paid much attention to the idea that most of the battles Jesus faced took place in the mind. This book gave me a greater awareness of those things and helped me to understand the same kind of mind games, inner conflicts, and cerebral skirmishes that exist in my own Christian life.

            Hahn outlines his book as a process of developing skills to overcome the tyranny of random and sinful thoughts that we all experience. The success of our commitment to Christ depends on our focused approach to His life, work, and ministry. Just as Jesus was confronted with Satan, temptation, and lies, so we also face the same problems. How we overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil will only be accomplished by adhering our thoughts to those of Christ. Hahn points out that the outcome of resisting temptation so we may embrace God’s will, can become a positive process of thinking faithfully. As the author wrote,

                        ‘The more we say yes to God, the easier it is to say yes to Him the next time. The more we lean into healthy patterns of obedience, the more our bodies adjust to that response. With each victory, we struggle to earn in our minds, the next decision is smoother. It’s all about habit patterns.’

            As I worked my way through the book, I began to notice that I was practicing what Hahn describes. In recent weeks, I have had to deal with several things that have bothered me in the past. Hahn’s process of reshaping thoughts in Christ’s manner has enabled me to overcome those issues and be better prepared for events that have usually caused me some anxiety.

            Towards the end of the book, the author gives several practical summaries of what this reshaping of thoughts can do for the reader’s confidence and faith. These are great go-to remedies and reminders that could be used by individuals in the midst of conflict situations or even small groups facing a dilemma which requires unified thinking to solve the issue.

            Finally, I would commend the author on his use of scripture to convey this thought-shaping process. Hahn doesn’t twist or contrive the Bible passages that are quoted to fit his thoughts; instead, he plainly shows how the scriptures can be the building blocks of reshaping our thoughts in positive, dynamic and faithful ways. Overall, this is an excellent book that can be read by individuals for deepening their faith, as well as a very good choice for class study or book groups in churches and coffee houses.