What's So Great About Christianity
Published for Wednesday - April 10, 2024
Written Tuesday - 04/08/24 11:45 AM
It's the latest book I'm reading with my Audible Subscription. In fact, this one is Free and yet a very worth while read. I'm learning so much! I've still got another credit for a free book, but want to finish this one first.
It's a lengthy read and yet power packed from beginning to end. It's written by Dinesh D'Souza. I can't begin to imagine the research that went into this book.
The book is made up of 8 parts spread across 26 chapters and a wide variety of topics. It was released in October of 2007 and has almost 12 hours of read time.
Finished
Published for Monday - March 04, 2024
Written Sunday - 03/03/24 1:45 PM
Well, as I type here on Sunday afternoon, I have just finished The Book of God. What an incredible presentation of the Bible in the format of a novel.
I was definitely not let down by the transition to the New Testament and, more importantly, the Jesus story. What a wonderful journey that was.
I was sure that the last chapter (50) which was the epilogue would include the return of Jesus. Much to my suprise, that was covered in the last chapter or two of the book. As such, I wondered what would be included in the epilogue?
Of course. It was Paul's story. I should have known.
The Book of God
Published for Sunday - March 03, 2024
Written Saturday - 03/02/24 8:35 AM
I'm into part 4 of 8 parts on this book. It's 50 chapters and as I type I don't remember which chapter I'm reading. Somewhere near the middle I suppose.
I agree with so many others that have commented on the reading of this book. It's read aloud by the author and gets a bit loud and strong for my taste in listening. Apparently a lot of others feel the same way.
I like the way the author has focused on the important characters. Even in areas where there are no 'big' characters he spends time which I believe is important.
I'm looking forward to my transition to the New Testament and what The Book of God has to say about that and about Jesus. The author is Walter Wangerin Jr. and the idea behind the book is writing the Bible as a novel. My wife loves it and has already downloaded other books by this author. She is a voracious reader and reads the downloaded books on her Kindle.
The End of Everything
Published for Tuesday - February 20, 2024
Written Monday - 02/19/24 7:25 AM
Patty and I listened to a Victor Davis Hanson interview yesterday. It was hosted on Epoch Times TV by Jan Jekielek, an editor and host on Epoch Times TV.
During the interview, Jan mentioned Victor's latest, and still to be released, book entitled The End of Everything. I'm really looking forward to getting that book on Audible when it is released in May of this year.
I would not be surprised if some of the things Victor shared in the interview were taken from the book. There seemed to be an 'end of everything' theme that might have been present during parts of the interview.
Five Years After
Published for Friday - February 09, 2024
Written Wednesday - 02/07/24 7:05 AM
Upon further research, I found that there are actually 4 books in the One Second After series. Writer William R. Forstchen has introduced Five Years After as his most recent release for the series.
I mentioned it to my wife last night. She's reading the books and is much faster than Audible's reading aloud. I suspect she will add the new book to her list.
I found that I really like the technical, but my wife had to help me understand that the heartbreak to the people is also an important element of the story.
I'm having to really change my perspective. After all, the technical stuff happened right up front and the rest of the story involves the pain being experienced by the characters as a result of all of the technical stuff that happened in the opening to the story.
The technical stuff is what grabbed my attention. I'm having to adjust to the fact that there's a lot more going on here in the later chapters of the book. It's just not the technical stuff but what has happened as a result of that technical stuff.
I'm beginning to see the difference between a neuro-typical's reading and reading being done by someone with an Autistic bent.
One Second After
Published for Thursday - February 08, 2024
Written Tuesday - 02/06/24 8:25 AM
Well, in keeping with writing from the heart, today is going to be one of those days where I have to dig deeply to produce a post. It's cold inside and out and I'm sitting here soaking wet from my run and without a shirt.
Last night my dear wife approached me with an idea. She's reading a book and thought I might enjoy it too.
I have a credit on my Audible account and decided to join her. After all, she was very persuasive in what she shared about the book and her excitement for it.
The book is titled One Second After and she was right. It's a very interesting story with a foreword by former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich.
Amazon says this about it:
A post-apocalyptic thriller of the after effects in the United States after a terrifying terrorist attack using electromagnetic pulse weapons.
New York Times best selling author William R. Forstchen now brings us a story which can be all too terrifyingly real...a story in which one man struggles to save his family and his small North Carolina town after America loses a war, in one second, a war that will send America back to the Dark Ages...A war based upon a weapon, an Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP). A weapon that may already be in the hands of our enemies.
Months before publication, One Second After has already been cited on the floor of Congress as a book all Americans should read, a book already being discussed in the corridors of the Pentagon as a truly realistic look at a weapon and its awesome power to destroy the entire United States, literally within one second. It is a weapon that the Wall Street Journal warns could shatter America. In the tradition of On the Beach, Fail Safe and Testament, this book, set in a typical American town, is a dire warning of what might be our future...and our end.
According to Amazon and Audible, the book is part of a 3 novel series and includes titles One Year After and The Final Day. If the book is as good as I hope it is, I would expect to read the other two books in the series and hope movies are produced for the stories.
Book Reading
Published for Sunday - January 28, 2024
Written Friday - 01/26/24 9:50 AM
Yesterday, I earned another book credit on Audible. Truth is, I have no idea what book I now want to read.
Having books read to me on Audible has become a great part of life. I don't read well from paper but I consume so much more when a book is read aloud to me.
I haven't checked, but I believe I've consumed about 15 books since I started my Audible account in this past year. Most have been politically oriented but a few have been from a completely different genre and all have been rewarding and memorable.
A couple of the books were written by Victor Davis Hanson and his books are always an exercise found in the online dictionary. His vocabulary is quite advanced compared to mine.
Sometimes it's nice to have a book read to me where there's not so much digging into the online dictionary. In fact, at my age, it's tough to remember the meaning of some of the new words I come across. That's not a good thing.
Jesus Revolution
Published for Monday - January 08, 2024
Written Sunday - 01/07/24 7:15 AM
Just finished a 2 miler on the treadmill and was reflecting upon the book I purchased on Audible back on Thursday night. I wanted to watch the movie but the book was much more affordable so I started there.
The title of the book, as can be seen on the title of this post, is Jesus Revolution. Even in the book, the drug scenes were a bit too glamorized for my taste, but then again, I'm a senior citizen and I struggle a bit to look beyond that stuff.
Truth is, I was becoming more and more educated on drugs and I have no interest in learning about that stuff, nor was it necessary for the story.
Otherwise, I thought the book was excellent. It was free on Audible and paying for it was optional, but while reading it I decided I wanted to pay for it and make a contribution to the writers for their efforts.
There were 30 chapters and quite a course in world history provided as a background for the Jesus Revolution. Chapter 24 made reference to the Shepherding Movement of which Patty and I were a part. I thought that the overall story was positive, but not the part about the Shepherding Movement. I felt it was provided with only what it needed to be a part of the story.
The trailer for the movie was very good and the movie is based on the book. I look forward, over time, to the movie becoming a bit more affordable so I can watch it.
The United States of Trump
Published for Sunday - December 31, 2023
Written Saturday - 12/30/23 7:00 AM
The title of this post is also the title of the latest book I finished reading (listening to) on Audible. While it's my 14th book on the system, it is by far the best book I have chosen to purchase and read on Audible so far.
The book was published in the fall of 2019 and was written by Bill O'Reilly.
Still More About Books
Published for Friday - December 01, 2023
Written Thursday - 11/30/23 7:30 AM
I had purchased two of Mark Levin's latest books. First was American Marxism which I spent the day reading (listening to) cover to cover.
The second was The Democrat Party Hates America. I look forward to taking that one on next. After that, I'll be purchasing another book with the book credit I mentioned recently. Not yet sure which book that will be.
It's also that time of the (new) month. I suppose a bit of update will be required here on the blogsite. Next month's update will include a brief and easy update to the copyright year. It used to be a difficult and complex change, but not since a few years ago when I altered the environment and produced a much easier update.
The Dying Citizen
Published for Thursday - November 30, 2023
Written Wednesday - 11/29/23 7:30 AM
I finished the book last night. I must say, Victor Davis Hanson has a way with breaking things apart for a better understanding.
What I find interesting is the idea that these categories that he uses have been with us for quite some time now. And if there is real truth to what he is saying in this book, we should all be concerned.
In some respects he paints a picture of a country headed off a cliff. And, that picture becomes more real with every brush stroke that he offers.
It really makes one wonder how we ever got to this place. Did we become so comfortable in living that we ignored the warning signs?
I watched the movie Valkyrie for the umpteenth time last night and am more in awe of the message in Hanson's book and the similarities to what happened in the movie. There's a lot to chew on in that idea.
I'm looking forward to reading the other two books I purchased with cash and at a big discount. I'm also looking forward to reviewing the list of available books and using my book credit for a more substantial purchase.
More on Books
Published for Wednesday - November 29, 2023
Written Tuesday - 11/28/23 7:10 AM
Well, I had an opportunity to rethink my approach toward books and particularly the read-to-me variety. I've decided that a good book is worth the work and reading books, whether the kind you hold and read or have read to you, is indeed work!
Just doing a vocabulary check takes time. With some of the books I've been purchasing, there's a lot of vocabulary to learn which equates to extra time and work.
So, I purchased two books last night that were on sale and ones that I've wanted to read. I still have a credit to purchase a more expensive book and plan to use it wisely. In fact, I want to reread one of the books I've already purchased and consumed. I'm realizing that I want to have more to take away from my previous reading. Remembering what I've read is another important work element for reading a book.
Books
Published for Tuesday - November 28, 2023
Written Monday - 11/27/23 7:45 AM
I'm not an academic. And I don't do much driving at all by myself. It seems those are two strong prerequisites to having books read aloud to me. Both my sister and my son are avid consumers of books read aloud but both do a lot of driving by themselves.
My son has a 1+ hour commute and my sister is a realtor who seems to be in her car by herself for long periods of time. But I'm not either and I don't enjoy having a book read to me while I sit in the house. Of course, I don't much enjoy the process of reading either unless it's something spiritual or political.
I'm not much for podcasts either. I like reading facts but don't much enjoy having my thoughts molded for me. I'd rather do that myself. It's odd but I also don't much enjoy reading or hearing how the other side feels about things. These days, it seems people enjoy being angry. But, not me!
So am I going to drop my account for having books read aloud to me? I don't know yet. There are some good writers and good books out there of the non-fiction ilk and I enjoy those books and in particular not having to strain my eyes to read them. So, I guess we'll see.
The Dying Citizen
Published Saturday - November 04, 2023
Written Wednesday - 11/01/23 9:10 AM
I earned another credit and with it purchased another lengthy Victor Davis Hanson book. This time I purchased The Dying Citizen.
I've become a big fan of Victor Davis Hanson, as well as his books and his constant guest appearances on Podcasts.
I really like his stance on citizenship and thought the book would be a good read. I've already gone through the introduction and like the picture it painted for the rest of the book.
The book's subheading reads:
How progressive elites, tribalism, and globalization are destroying the idea of
America.
I've decided to take things a bit differently in reading (listening) to this book. I've divided the total number of book reading minutes by the number of days until the next credit, yielding the necessary investment of time per day in order to finish this book by the 24th of the month, when another credit is awarded.
I think that pacing myself will allow for a better and more comprehensive read instead of the hours per day that I have been doing followed by days of waiting for the next credit to appear in my account.
Great Again
OCTOBER 26, 2023
10/21/23 8:05 AM
Well, I finished Great Again by former president Donald J. Trump. It was published before he was elected to the presidency so that cast a different light on things.
My amazing soulmate asked me what my takeaway was from the book. I had to think about that for a minute. The chapters were numerous and short and each was a topic he considered important. Everything from energy to foreign policy.
As I said before, it was good to take a peek into his thinking and that was especially true considering he had not yet become president. A lot of what he had to say was more in reference to Obama, whom I suspect was president at the time Trump was writing the book.
A lot of his Trumpisms were nestled in the book. I'm referring to those things he said that most others would not say. His Trumpisms bordered on braggadocios. At least they tended to sound that way to me and I suspect to many others.
But it's all part of the way president Donald J. Trump communicates. He's very matter-of-fact, even when he shares things favorable to his image. That makes sense when you factor in the idea that winning is so important to him and what he shares is all part of his image of being a winner.
He had a lot of good and important things to share about his thinking. If you can get past the Trumpisms, he provided a lot of meat upon which to chew.
Great Again
OCTOBER 22, 2023
10/20/23 7:20 AM
In my Audible account, I am reading Great Again by former president Donald J. Trump.
It's a short book. As such, and because it was far less expensive, I purchased it with Cash. I'm also out of credits until tomorrow when I provide my monthly payment and am rewarded in turn with another credit for any book. I'll use it on a lengthy and more expensive book.
There's a lot of chapters in Great Again and each is relatively short. They're usually somewhere around 20 minutes as opposed to some of my other books where chapters are one hour or more and the overall read time for the books are more than twice as long.
I had mentioned previously that I may look at Marco Rubio or Rand Paul but I'm no longer sure if I want to go in that direction. I guess that's the fun part about earning an additional credit from Audible. I am provided with an opportunity to pick up another book.
I'll have to finish Great Again first. Despite the fact that this book was published before he became president, It's still very interesting to take a peek into our former president's thoughts. I tend to agree with a lot of what he says, although not everything.
Kabul
OCTOBER 17, 2023
10/16/23 7:00 AM
Well, I finished Kabul. What a long read that was, even if it was read aloud to me.
My take away was the level of corruption in our withdrawal from Afghanistan. Everything was promised but literally none of those promises were kept.
It was all about the president's opportunity to say that there had been a complete withdrawal no matter the tragic costs that came along with it. It was a book that stirred up strong emotions with no release at the end.
The detailed account painted a tragic picture beyond anything I could have imagined. To be quite honest, it was difficult to stay with the book once I began to see where it was taking me and how it was going to get there.
There was nothing uplifting. It was corruption from beginning to end. It will be quite a while before I want to travel down that kind of road again.
Now I'm left with Israel's war. And the level of strong support for Hamas and even Hezbollah, and against Israel. It's impossible for me to understand.
Kabul
OCTOBER 11, 2023
10/09/23 3:50 PM
Today I'm purchasing another book. It's the last credit I have available and I have given a lot of thought to the purchase.
I really like Rand Paul and Marco Rubio and will probably look in their direction for upcoming purchases. But not for my very next purchase.
On Epoch TV I watched and listened to Jerry Dunleavy, co-writer of the book entitled Kabul and I want to take a much deeper dive into that arena than was afforded by the Epoch TV segment. As such, my next purchase on audible will be for the book, Kabul.
On audible.com, readers are presented with an option to hear a 5 minute segment of any book in which they might be interested. In listening to that 5 minute segment of Kabul, I was hooked. I look forward to sharing my thoughts on this website after I finish the book.
Audio Books
OCTOBER 10, 2023
10/08/23 4:50 PM
Just finished my second Tucker Carlson Book on Audible. This one was entitled Ship of Fools and was a rock solid publication. I like Tucker when he does an interview of someone like Victor Davis Hanson, and I also really like his books.
I like the fact that he reads his own audio books. It just adds to the story and I really like his down-to-earth approach.
There's clearly a lot of research that goes into his writing (it's not just
stream of conscious stuff as I feared) and he definitely covered a lot of ground
in this particular publication. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a
good read, or should I say a good listen. 
e-Books
SEPTEMBER 26, 2023
09/25/23 7:05 AM
I've finished 5 books in my Audible account and have two more credits where I could buy two more books.
I didn't anticipate becoming such a fan of the Podcasts, nor did I think about the facts that 1) there would be no charge for listening to them and 2) they would be current and up-to-date simply because they are usually posted so often.
Still, I've really enjoyed the books. They're mostly political reads but I suppose that what I find interesting these days.
I also wanted to go back through Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl and so decided to purchase that audible book. It was a great but often difficult read, due to the depressing nature of so much of the content.
Book World
AUGUST 24, 2023
08/21/23 07:50 AM
Well, today is a big day for me in the book world of Audible. Today, on the 24th I enter month two and earn a book credit which means I can get another free book.
I also now qualify to enjoy some of the special prices that they have when you buy a couple of books at a time. I've got my eyes of a few and look forward to listening to them.
08/23/23 07:15 PM
Update! Well, as it turns out I was able to buy 3 book credits on sale and for a good price. A fourth should be added tomorrow on the 24th. In fact, I purchased Tucker Carlson's book The Long Slide and just finished it in time to present this post and prepare to watch Tucker Carlson's interview of former President, Donald Trump. It runs the same time as the Republican debates upon which I plan to pass as I suspect many others will do.
Podcasts
AUGUST 05, 2023
08/02/23 08:20 AM
Well, just finished my (Wednesday) weight training and three mile run. It was a pain but it's over now. Also texted with Allie and they're on their way to Atlanta. They should arrive in Atlanta for a late lunch and then depart for the Birmingham airport just after 5:00 PM.
With the time change they will actually get here a few minutes before they left Atlanta. Seems strange but I had that happen a number of times on the way to Pensacola from Atlanta on the tail end of a business trip.
I've got several weeks to wait before I can obtain another book on Audible so I'm maximizing my opportunity with Podcasts. I really like Mark Levin and had no idea he has a daily podcast. Needless to say, I've been taking in the front end of each of those.
Really looking forward to Allie's and Gabe's arrival. Can't wait to see them. By the time this is published, they will have already been here a few days.
Audible
JULY 29, 2023
07/28/23 01:05 PM
Well, I've decided to jump back into the world of podcasts. They're free, and very convenient with my audible account, which means I have an opportunity to do some research without buying a bunch of books right up front.
For some strange reason, audible wants me to have been a customer for 30 days before I'm allowed to buy additional books. Very odd, as has also been noted by a few other new account holders.
I was able to line up and follow a number of interesting podcasts including the one held by author Peter Schweizer. His most current podcast seems to pick up right where his book left off. And he makes a pretty bold assertion in terms of it being the end of Joe Biden's career. Of course, I would have to agree and have felt that way for a while now. The evidence continues to stack up, and not in his favor.
Destined For War
JULY 28, 2023
07/27/23 08:45 PM
I just finished adding a new item to the Category menu for books. This will be a place where I write about the books to which I listen on Audible.
07/26/23 08:05 PM
Well, I finished the first book and found a free one that interested me enough to download it and give it a try. The title is Destined For War and is written by Graham Allison (pictured above.)
It's quite a lengthy listen (over 12 hours) but is a very good read. There's quite a bit of insight into the China/U.S.A. relationship and the goals of each.
The interesting lesson centers around Thucydides's Trap. The general idea of that trap is the inevitable conflict that arises when a rising power threatens to displace a ruling power as a regional or international hegemon.
Allison suggests that in the past 50 years there have been 16 such cases and 12 of them resulted in war. He then goes on to layout some of examples and describes the specific situations surrounding them.
07/27/23 12:45 PM
Still several hours from the end of the book, it has moved to an analysis of various what if scenarios between China and the U.S.A. including scenarios that involve both Hong Kong and Taiwan. It's very thought-provoking.
07/27/23 08:50 PM
I had a flash back to an old movie I watched as a kid back in the 60's entitled Sink The Bismark. I decided to look it up on YouTube and watch it. It was a most enjoyable visit to the past.
Red Handed
JULY 27, 2023
07/24/23 08:00 AM
It's still Monday morning, 7/24/23 as I type. I'm offering this post to say that last night I watched the last half of Life, Liberty, and Levin featuring Mark Levin. He's one of my favorites and a real and well read modern scholar.
Mark was hosting Peter Schweizer and they were talking about Peter's latest book, Red Handed. It was written back in 2018, but addresses all of our government corruption and (so far) reads as if it was written yesterday.
I decided it was a book I wanted to read and opened up an Audible account on my iPad and used the first (free) credit to purchase the book. I can't wait to finish it and look forward to reading (listening to) many more.
Reading this book, where facts were confirmed via the Freedom of Information Act has left me with a very different perspective on the level of corruption in the government of these United States of America. It seems so widespread that there are not enough innocents left to vote to prosecute the corruption. The corruption (for personal gain) seems that strong.
As for the cases against Trump, I'm not sure what to make of that. It does indeed seem to me that they are false charges meant to distract Biden's base and get Trump out of the race. Seems to be working for the former but not the latter.
07/25/23 08:35 AM
Finished my first audible book, Red Handed, by Peter Schweizer last night. Quite a story and really opened my eyes to the amount of corruption in our government.
Was really delighted to hear Schweizer's thoughts at the end of the book about the efforts of both Republicans and Democrats toward their battle against the widespread corruption in our government. Researching the Democrats also opened my eyes to the media corruption. I was amazed at how the media had persuaded me against at least one of those Democrats.
Strange that I had not picked up on the media sounding out against a Democrat and just because that Democrat was willing to take a stand against the corruption. I'll have to be a bit more careful in determining what I am and am not willing to believe.
Considering the idea that the information presented in the book was pulled from data gathered via the freedom of information act, and considering that no Democrats have screamed about the accuracy of what has been presented, I have to believe that the ideas presented in this book are factual.
Lord, please don't let me be one of China's and the Biden family's useful idiots in this story. Please let me find, know, and understand the truth in my research.
Copyright © 2024 Hutch DeLoach