King Alfred’s accomplishments are the stuff of legend and fantasy, but in his case they were all real.  So much of English and American legal and cultural development can be traced back to the changes and ideas that Alfred initiated.  He united and changed the context of the English people.

But the heart of the book is about the battles.  King Alfred was so close to defeat many times.  The Vikings were a significant foe, and if Alfred hadn’t been able to win out in the end, the entire course of western civilization may have ended up very differently.

Merkle has written a great book about this ancient king.  Not only have I enjoyed the book, but my 8 year old son has started reading it and is excited as well.  I recommend this book for any history buff.

This book is classic Lucado.  He has been one of the premiere christian writers of the past decade, and Fearless is no exception to his great work.  In this book, Lucado works through many of the fears that can plague our minds as Christians.  Fear of death, of not mattering, violence, and the future are just some of the fears that he address and helps believers cope with.  In all, he helps us deal with 12 major fears we deal with in our lives.

My favorite chaper is one of the last ones, where Lucado takes us through the fear of letting God out of the boxes we put him in.  He says:

Box-sized gods. You’ll find them in the tight grip of people who prefer a god they can manage, control, and predict. This topsy-turvy life requires a tame deity, doesn’t it? In a world out of control, we need a god we can control, a comforting presence akin to a lap dog or the kitchen cat. We call and he comes. We pet and he purrs. If we can just keep God in his place . . .

This chapter deeply spoke to me and where I am on my spiritual journey recently.  This call by Lucado to not place God in any pre-concieved boxes (ideas) is something that all of us, especially those with political agendas, should take to heart.

Once again, Lucado has created a work that we need to dwell upon and meditate with.  I like it.

The Well Behaved Child

I recently had the opportunity to read a book on parenting by parenting expert John Rosemond, titled “The Well-Behaved Child”.  While we have been fortunate enough to have fairly well behaved children ourselves, the contents of this book have been really informative for us, and we have already implemented several of his suggestions.

One great thing about this book is that is it full of practical advice and examples.  Many books of this type dwell on theory for most of it’s pages, but “The Well-Behaved Child” spends a bulk of it’s time on practical how-tos of parenting.

Rosemond is admittedly old-fashioned in his ideas on parenting, and it is clear that he doesn’t subscribe to the parenting suggestions of psychologist from the past 30 years or so on how to parent.   I have to say that I agree with him whole-heartedly in his assessment of parenting and how much we overuse drugs to make children behave in today’s society.

At the heart of his advice is this:  Problems are not solved unless the person who can solve the problem has the pain of the problem on their shoulders.  Parents can’t make the kid mind by being the one with the worry, but if you make the child feel the pain of misbehaviour, and have the responsibility of correcting it, discipline works much of the time.   The forms the basis of his “Agony” principle, where the person who feels the agony will be the person who solves the problem.

There is much more in this treasure of a work.  Every parent should read this (probably on a regular basis).

(Disclaimer: I was provided this book as part of a book review service.  This did not in any way influence my opinion of the material)

I recently had the opportunity to read a book by two radio personalities, Rick Burgess and Bill Bussey (I have never heard of them before) regarding marriage.  This may be one of the worst marriage books I have ever read.

The chapters are short, and seem to be just bits compiled from their radio show.  They try to be funny, and perhaps they are when listened to on the radio, but when put into print, it just comes over as unfunny, trying-to-hard humor.  Their advice, when given seriously, is the same old stuff that has been hashed around for years.  Nothing new is brought to the table.  It is as if, since they are both married, it made them an expert on the subject.

One example near the end of the book is typical.  Rick is talking about how his wife challenged him to a race on a beach during a weekend vacation without the kids.  He ended up shoving her to the sand during one of the races, and tries to make this out as a funny event.  I find it just rude, much like most of the stories in the book.

If you are looking for marriage advice, seek it from someone who takes the topic seriously.  If you are looking for humor, find someone who is funny.  You won’t find either in this book.  Steer clear.

He takes us through the lives of the folks that Jones interacts with in the little coastal town where Andrews is from.  I really enjoyed the book, but I did find that it was a little shallow in content, seeming to just skim the surface of the topics that he addressed.  The book isn’t that big, and it appears that Andrews wanted to cover a wide range of topics rather than get very deep in any one.  I would have liked to see him take some of it deeper, or at least reference where we could do so.  Overall, it’s a good read, and shouldn’t take you that long to finish.

First Up – Allison – I don’t want to miss a thing – Not starting with a lot of energy.  Little pitchy (dawg).  Not feeling it tonight.  She has done such a good job of connecting with songs in the past, but a bad choice or performance tonight. 6/10

Anoop – Everything I do, I do it for you - Not a bad choice for Anoop, making it his own with the melody.  Not adding the energy when he should, though.  Ending should have had more punch.  7/10

Adam – Born to be Wild – There is some energy finally.  He is such a performer.  What rock band needs a front man now? 9/10

Matt – Have You Really Loved a Woman - Nice to see him at the keys again.  Not as strong vocally as last year.  Got off pitch near the end.  7/10

Danny  – Endless Love - Never realized that he and Lionel have similar sounds.  Great choice.  He is back on track with a great night.  9/10

Kris – Falling Slowly - Haven’t heard this before, but he does a great job with it.  He remains one of my favorites. 8/10

Lil – The Rose - He best week of the finals.  But that isn’t saying much, as she has been below expectations.  Not sure if it is enough to keep her much longer.  7/10

Danny Gokey – Stand By Me – I like Danny’s vocals, but he was a little pitchy.  I don’t see him as strong as I did a few weeks ago.  I love his voice overall.   Could the judges pimp him more? 7/10

Kris Allen – All She Wants To Do Is Dance – Of all the song choices?  Didn’t feel it this week.  He is one of my favorites, but I’m worried this week.  Pretty flat. 6/10

Lil Rounds – What’s Love Got To Do With It – She looks good tonight, but the vocals at the start are weak.  And pitchy.  Not sounding good tonight, which makes several weeks in a row of not living up to early hype.  This is definitely a guy’s season. 5/10

Anoop Desai – True Colors – What is up with the song choices tonight?  Strange choice.  I don’t think his vocals were as good as previous few weeks.  He reminds me of Elliot a few years back.  6/10

Scott MacIntyre – The Search Is Over- A Guitar?  A new thing.  Better than previous weeks, but he is outmatched in the competition. He just doesn’t have the pipes.   Nice Scream near the end.  Not.  4/10

Allison Iraheta – I Can’t Make You Love Me - Finally a good song choice.  One of the best 16 year olds they have had in Idol.  One of the best tonight so far.  7/10

Matt Giraud – Part Time Lovers - Another good song choice.  Glad to see Matt back strong after last week.  Good arrangement, changing it up but still recognizable.  7/10

Adam Lambert – Mad World? – Almost missed this due to the show running over pretty badly.  He is a showman.  Not bad, can’t say I’m a fan though.  7/10
Wow.  Close at the top with no real standouts.  I give the edge to Matt or Allison.

1. Lost – One of the most fun yet infuriating shows on television.  I’m in too deep to quit with only one season remaining after this one.  Don’t start this one now unless you first catch up with the previous ones.
2. Smallville – I’ve always had a spot in my heart for the superhero story (see Heroes below).  I don’t know how much more this show has left, but it remains one of my favorites.
3. Big Bang Theory – Finally a show for geeks that gets real props.  I love that they keep the tech and science as close to real as any show out there.
4. MythBusters – Once again, getting my geek on.  I love stuff like this, and there are no shows that do it better.
5. American Idol – I know the show is getting someone predictable, but I love the talent they find each year.
6. The Office – I think I have worked in this office at some point in my life.  As close to Dilbert on the tube as you get, since the Dilbert TV show didn’t make it.
7. How I Met Your Mother – One of the funnier shows, with the funniest character on TV right now – Barney.  Suit Up!
8. Storm Chasers – This show has a pretty limited run each year, but since I don’t go chase tornadoes myself, this is the best way to get my fix.
9. Man Vs. Wild – Yes, I know Survivorman was better, but it’s off the air now.  I still like it, in spite of the obvious staged sections.
10. CSI – The original has always been the best, but when Grissom left earlier this year, it dropped.  It may be facing elimination before long.
11. 30 Rock – Tina Fey may be the funniest female on the planet right now.  Show is uncomfortable, but funny (see The Office above)
12. Heroes – This used to be much higher, but this past season has been terrible.  Don’t know how much more I can take.
13. My Name is Earl – At one point was much funnier, but I think they have played the List gag as far as they need.
14. Eureka – A good show, but just not enough to keep it on the list much longer.
15. ‘Til Death – Funny show, but it seems to have disappeared.  Perhaps canceled.  Easy pick for April unless it shows back up.

I would say the top 9 shows are safe for now.  Thought?

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