Falling Short of Heroic

Doug Fields' newest book -- 7 Ways to be Her Hero:  The One Your Wife has Been Waiting For -- is a good attempt to hammer home important points regarding what we, as men, must do in order to lead our wives (and ultimately our homes).  He spends the first couple of chapters as an introductory piece and lays out his overall approach, and he completes the thesis by establishing the 7 actions that men must take to become the hero their wives want.  While this book does have some value for open-minded men to glean, it has significant shortcomings as well.

The author writes with a tongue-in-cheek style and readily admits that choice.  At one point, he says that ultra-conservative folks should put the book down because they may be offended with some of his off-handed remarks.  I found that approach or admission rather strange because the author then alienates a potentially good sized audience.  In reading the book, I did not see anything offensive; however, the stylistic treatment seemed to cheapen them -- as if they were not as serious as he said in his introduction.  Yes, you can have fun with a book but that "fun" can take too much away from the topic if not balanced appropriately.  From my perspective, there is not a proper balance.

Perhaps my biggest gripe with the book is found in the middle portion of the book.  The author advises men to incorporate the "sandwich method" of sharing a real, authentic and relevant conversation about issues.  For those of you that do not know, the "sandwich method" is where you say something nice, slip in the issue, and then close with something nice.  I am aghast that he would ever suggest such an approach because that format is not real or authentic.  Knowing that men and women differ on conversation -- women seek to wage the entire campaign whereas men like the surgical strike method -- this suggestion seems to fit the men's perspective rather than being heroic (which IS the title of his book).  The better approach would be to utilize tools such as "Fierce Conversations" (Google Susan Scott) or "Crucial Conversations" (Google VitalSmarts) to truly be heroic for the woman that you love and want to lead.

The list of individuals providing "praise" for the book is impressive, but I just view the book as a meager effort.  Field's book pales in comparison to other stronger reads (such as Stu Weber's Tender Warriors which I highly recommend), and for that reason, I'm giving it an "okay" rating.  An "A" for effort is not sufficient, in my opinion, when such a topic is desperately needed in our modern culture.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLookBloggers.com review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

History is Where "Here" Happened....

I normally provide reviews for Christian books being put forward by Christian publishers; however, I have broken away from that rut in this instance.  Given my educational background in history (BA and MA), I took the opportunity to read and review a book written by Andrew Carroll -- Here is Where:  Discovering America's Great Forgotten History.  If you are looking for a book filled with citations that relied upon primary sources, well, this is not the one for you.  If you are, however, looking for a pleasurable read where you will learn a great deal, then, by all means, grab this book and read it.

The author's intent was to find "forgotten history," and he defines that by people or events that do not have historical monuments for the particular events he covered.  He criss-crossed the nation in finding these events and would always attempt to get to the exact place where that history occurred.  Even if it was a vacant lot at the corner of a street or the remnants of a historical home that rested in poison ivy infested woods.  Along the way, he runs into some issues with the US military and FBI, but I will not spoil that for you by providing any more details.

At more than 400 pages, it does not feel that way when you read it.  The rationale is quite simple -- Carroll has a gift of written expression and he uses it deftly throughout the entire book.  You will discover how a prisoner created a "super gun" that would help win World War 2.  You see a rather odd way that the founders of the Mayo Clinic gain interest in medicine.  You hear about the irony of all ironies involving the Booth and Lincoln families.

He categorizes his discussions along major topics, but my favorite - by far - was the section on Burial Plots.  My interest comes from my own historical studies of wandering old cemeteries that dot the eastern part of North Carolina.  The way we treat our dead and remember them says a great deal about who we are in the present.  Forgetting them means that we miss the future that they helped craft.

Get this book.  Read this book.  Enjoy this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 25:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Greatness in Leadership is....God-centered!

Three words:  a must read!!!!

Joseph Stowell's Redefining Leadership:  Character-driven Habits of Effective Leaders is a must read for any Christian currently in a leadership role or aspiring to have a leadership role.  While Stowell does operate from the perspective of shepherd leaders (i.e. pastors), but the principles and tenets are valuable for any Christian that serves as a leader.

I serve in a secular field, but his focus on God's Word makes it highly applicable to any situation.  The last few chapters of the book shift into the Sermon on the Mount -- specifically the Beatitudes.  He takes many of those Beatitudes and applies them to the leadership realm.  Some scholars would argue that he is reading into the text, but I would disagree with them.  If every Christian is to have these attitudes in our lives to show the world that Jesus lives in us, then they would absolutely apply to a leader.

The structure of book is logical and well-established:  (1) redefining priorities, (2) redefining our identity, and (3) redefining leadership.  In the first part of the book, Stowell clearly defines character-driven and outcome-driven leadership.  In doing so, he makes the Biblical case for the former because you lead as you are.  The second section challenges the modern notion of personal identity.  Unfortunately, leaders identify themselves based upon position, authority, or money.  Stowell says that we need to remember that our identity is in Christ and He is who we serve.  Finally, the author concludes with a laser-like focus on the specific identifiers of a character-driven leader.  He summarizes the entire book with a short-paraphrase of a well-known verse of Scripture:  "For me, to lead is Christ!"  Amen and amen!!!

What I love best about Stowell's work is his adamant stance on character-driven versus outcome-driven leaders.  Character-driven leaders do have success, but they define success differently.  Rather than building profit, Christ-centered leaders build people.  In order to accomplish that task, Christian leaders cannot adopt the leadership mores and values of the world and expect different results.  As Stowell says on page 26:  "running the kingdom by earthside standards is a contradiction of the very nature of the kingdom."  We, as Christians, do live in the world, but we operate on different principles (at least we should be...and a huge failure of Christian leaders today is that we are too similar to the world).

If you are a pastor, elder, or deacon looking for a quality training resource for new elders or deacons, this is a great manual for you because it is filled with Scripture.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLookBloggers.com review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”