And magazines too

Not only do I enjoy reading books, I love reading magazines with great articles I can really sink my teeth into. I don't enjoy women's magazines much, too much repetitive fluffy stuff, but give me a good news magazine, and I'll be lost for hours. For some interesting reading about the current debate between evolution and intelligent design, John Wilson has a terrific article in the most recent issue of Christianity Today. He has some great points. You can check out the magazine at
www.christianitytoday.com

US News & World Report this week has a scary and in depth look at how the United States is losing the technology war. Other nations are far superior in their cellphone and credit technology, and we're losing the little ground we have quickly. The one statistic that stuck out most to me in this article (and the magazine doesn't offer more details) is that $194 billion is spent annually in the US on Research and Development of products. Compare that to the $205 billion spent annually on tort litigation. If we could get these pointless cases out of court, our companies would have more money to spend on developing new products, keeping our country on the cutting edge AND providing more jobs and a better life. I wish the reporters had covered this issue more. This is a statistic too big to be ignored.


So last night I finished reading Kill Me by Stephen White, and I was right in my assessment that Alan Gregory's presence in the story is little more than White's attempt to get his regular readers to read this book. The book is really actually very good. The action is intense, and the descriptions compelling. While the ultimate message is about hope and how we confuse a lifestyle with living, it takes a long time in coming and when it does, it crashes with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. I missed Alan's self-effacing inner dialogue and deep love for his family that runs through the other books in the series. The main character in this book never creates much empathy. The ending was confusing and yet too pat at the same time. You don't need to read this book to stay current with the Gregory series, but I wouldn't skip it either.

I'm currently reading through Exodus in my nightly Bible reading. Last week I finished Angela Hunt's biblical fiction The Shadow Women which recounts the lives of the women surrounding the life of Moses: Pharaoh's daughter, Miryam, and Zipporah. Hunt's strict adherence to Scripture and attention to detail made me truly understand some characters I had been unable to before. Now as I read through the actual passages, I find myself able to visualize events more clearly and with greater understanding. I'm able to connect with the stories more. The Shadow Women is a great piece of Biblical fiction and shouldn't be passed up.

All three kids are gone for the weekend (Mia just for the day), and I'm giddy trying to figure out what book I want to dive into today. Jesse's reading Harry Potter 6: The Half-Blood Prince, and we're listening to The Cranberries Everyone Else is Doing it So Why Can't We? There is ice cream in the freezer. It's going to be a great afternoon. Enjoy the day!