Book Review: In the Basement of the Ivory Tower

This book was written by the anonymous "Professor X", an adjunct English 101 and English 102 teacher at two colleges somewhere in America. One is a private university; the other a community college. He had previously written an article for The Atlantic, out of which this book came.

Professor X believes that the idea of a university education being for everyone is a destructive myth. From his own experience, he points out that many who, often due to real or implied coercion, find themselves in a college classroom taking his courses one night per week for a semester are horribly ill-prepared for the experience. Many do not receive passing grades—sometimes half the class. Several general reasons he gives circle these themes:

• Many students should not be in a college classroom because they are not ready to do college-level work. There may be any number of reasons for this. One he cites that is often overlooked is that many of these students in his evening classes read almost no books and follow almost no news, which makes it difficult for them to write about either classic literature or current events.
• Many students who are compelled by their employers to take his class really do not need the class to perform their jobs. For example, does a police officer need to be acquainted with the literary theme of a book he will never, ever choose to read? But many employers these days, and especially in this economy, feel they are able to demand a college degree of some kind for a position that really doesn't need one.
• America has, for the most part, absorbed the point of view that everyone should have a chance at a college education. This was not always the case. [Have you ever checked out the Harvard entrance requirements from two or three centuries ago? I still wouldn't have a chance.] But many are encouraged to try, despite their obvious lack of preparation.
  

Naturally, the colleges are happy with the increased enrollment. And, hey, if the student fails, he can always pay the course tuition to take it again. Politicians, including President Obama, feel almost unanimously that increased college enrollment is good; have you ever heard any politician decry the glut of college students in the land? Many employers, recognizing that college education does have benefits both tangible and intangible, help defray their employees' college expenses.

But the simple fact remains: There are those people in America who, despite having being awarded a high school diploma or GED, are not ready for college work. Professor X makes no attempt to fix blame for this. Many of these students, most years removed from their last classroom experience, find themselves in the classrooms of the community college or university, in the evening, after a day's work. Many are trying to do so while balancing all of the other serious responsibilities of parenthood and employment. Many would struggle with the time commitment even if their academic preparation was solid.

It is, in his view, a recipe for failure.

And I can totally relate, because I, too, have taught as an adjunct in the evenings at a university in Michigan. While I have no complaint about that university and no question about its educational motives, it became apparent that nearly every class had a few participants who were not anywhere close to ready for the College Algebra or (especially) Statistics classes that I taught. Mathematics, like grammar or writing, is a skill that can fade over time when not used...especially when that time can be measured in decades.

If I had a complaint, it would not be that the students were required to take these math courses—this is, after all, college, and the courses did have relevance to the program of study—but that they were enrolled into the courses regardless of their readiness to succeed in them. Some of my students, academically speaking, had no business being there; they were woefully ignorant of mathematical concepts quite basic to the course in which they were enrolled. "Remedial work," as it is usually called, was entirely in order....but not in the picture. After all, when these students sign up for this college program, do they want to hear that they must take remedial work just to get up to speed in mathematics? And when they already are embarking on the major task of completing a college program of study?

I do some online math tutoring, and I see this problem there, too. The student can identify his or her grade level and subject (they otherwise remain anonymous to me), and I regularly tutor "College Level" students in some of the most basic concepts of Algebra (or lower), concepts which my 13½-year-old (or even my 12-year-old) finds easy.

The fact that students are found in college (or high school) classrooms for which they are not academically prepared is a sad state of affairs. People need to honestly assess what it takes to succeed and whether or not individual students are ready to do so. Colleges need to be forthcoming about what-level-class a student of English or math should take.

And like Professor X, I agree that college is not for everyone.

P.S.: Professor X's most glaring writing deficiency is his use of vulgarity. This is not a book to let your 13½-year-old read.

Book Review: Colonel Roosevelt by Edmund Morris

This book is the third book of the trilogy of Teddy Roosevelt's life, preceded years ago by The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt and Theodore Rex. Like the first two books, this one is well-written, informative, and interesting.

This volume covers the period of TR's life from his Africa trip in 1909, immediately after he left the presidential office, until his death in 1919. The book contains copious endnotes (as the first two volumes did) which augment the basic storyline with a variety of details and source information; for those of us who enjoy that sort of thing, it is a great resource. For those who do not, you can simply enjoy the text, unencumbered with that "stuff."

Three things struck me about TR's life in particular. First, it was amazing to see how wide his circles of acquaintance were. His correspondence is legendary; it is estimated that in his lifetime he composed 150,000 letters, etc. to people. He knew people all over Europe and America, from royalty to scientists to authors.

A second thing was how his six children turned out. One son, Quentin, died heroically in World War I. His other five children all married and had varying degrees of success in this world, but at least three of them did not lead lives I would hope for my own children. His eldest child, Alice, had a rocky marriage and both she and her husband were apparently not faithful to each other. I cannot help but wonder if his extended absences from his family were directly or indirectly related to how his children turned out.

The third thing was his position on spiritual things. Despite his enormous breadth of reading and his ability to plow through a 300-page book in an evening (with legendary recollection), he admitted to not reading substantial portions of the Bible until his post-presidential years. He was an ardent follower and promoter of the theory of evolution, and tried to apply it to various fields of science. Although his personal moral code was above reproach, he rarely attended church or showed signs of piety. His writings on religious topics (his pen generated much of his post-presidential income) show that his views on righteousness and eternity were quite different from the teachings of the Bible. Indeed, if Morris's research is accurately presented—and I have no reason to believe it is not—it appears Theodore Roosevelt lived his life without accepting Christ as his personal Savior.

Despite that sad thought, the book is a fitting capstone to the Theodore Roosevelt trilogy. If you have the time to read the 2,000-ish pages in all three books, I encourage you to do so.

Book Review: Head Stuffing Doesn't Work by Donovan Hadaway

My friend Donovan recently released this book on the Kindle platform. You can preview and/or purchase it at this link.

Donovan's main thought is related to the title of the book: A good education is not the result of stuffing heads with facts. For a teacher to be effective, he must learn some simple philosophical concepts of learning that are—all too obviously—at odds with today's political correctness and public education establishment mentality.

Donovan sprinkles (heavily) his text with humor, sarcasm, and wit. It is an easy read, but it is a good read—essentially, the kind of book all teachers should both want to read and find time to read.

I haven't finished mine yet, but I hope to complete it soon. I encourage you to get a copy as well.

Is Sarah Palin a Christian?

Of course, I'm not omniscient, so I don't know...but she says that she is. I received a copy of her book Going Rogue for a Christmas gift and encountered this excerpt on pp. 22-23:

"One summer I attended a youth Bible camp in Big Lake....Looking around at the incredible creation that is Alaska—the majestic peaks and mignight sun, the wild waters and teeming wildlife—I could practically see and hear and feel God's spirit reflected in everything in nature. I reasoned that if God knew what He was doing in this magnificient creation, how much more did He know about me? If He is powerful and wise enough to make all this and thought also to create a speck like me, there surely must be a plan, and He'd know more than I did about my future and my purpose. I made the conscious decision that summer to put my life in my Creator's hands and trust Him as I sought my life's path.

"My siblings and I were baptized together in Big Lake's freezing, pristine waters by Pastor Paul Riley. I got into the habit of reading Scripture before I got out of bed every morning and making sure it was the last thing I did at night. Ever the pragmatist, I also tested God's promises. For example, God says in Scripture, "'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,' says the LORD Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of Heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.'" [Malachi 3:10] As a kid, to me that meant that if I earned five dollars, I put fifty cents in the offering plate."

Perhaps you, like me, would have liked to see a more theologically robust statement of placing faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation...but I am inclined to give her the benefit of any doubt.

Book Review: "John Tyler" by Gary May

John Tyler was the 10th President, the 1st to become President after the death of another president (William H. Harrison), and the 23rd president whose book in the American Presidents Series I have read [Times Books].

I have found it amusing that, in general, the best-written books in this series are the ones about the most obscure presidents. This one is an easy-to-read, concise, and insightful look at a president nearly no one knows.

Given the current political climate, with its massive government spending and interference in the private sector, reading President Tyler's thoughts (and those of his father and his contemporaries of all parties) is delightful. Although a democrat with a southerner's tendency toward states' rights—he became a member of the Confederate Congress shortly before his death in 1862—Tyler's thoughts on the limits of government and on the Constitution are often refreshing and timeless.

Surely, every single president of the pre-Civil War era of our history would be appalled—nay, horrified and shocked—at what our national government looks like today. In Tyler's case, this is easy to understand.

Like the other books in the American President Series, it is about 150 pages and written at a level that any amateur U.S. historian (or historian wannabe) should easily digest. Gary May's work is, overall, one of the better volumes I have read so far.

Book Review: "How the States Got Their Shapes" by Mark Stein

If you are the kind of person who is fascinated about why Maryland has such a funny shape, or why Texas is so much bigger than the other states around it, or why Delaware has that semicircle on its northern end, this book is for you.

The fifty chapters of this book each detail how a particular state got its "shape:" Why its boundaries were located as they were. There are some very amusing vignettes and some seldom-noticed details (did you know that the border between Iowa and Missouri actually curves? The surveyor goofed. And he wasn't the only one). There are explanations of often-asked questions (Why two Dakotas, instead of one? There aren't that many people in either, are there?). There were even quite a few "border disputes" throughout the history of our country; the most recent one was not settled until 1998.

I would recommend this book to any lover of history or geography; it is an insightful look at many little details of American history. Its only flaw is its organization. The author chose to arrange the book alphabetically by states, instead of chronologically. This is great if you are trying to find out why Michigan has that upper peninsula or why the northern border of New Jersey slants like it does, but generates redundancy when the boundary between Virginia and West Virginia is explained twice (in the chapters for each state), or when early treaties in our country's history (such as the Adams-Onis Treaty of 1819) outlined what would eventually be borders of several states.

Nevertheless, it is a great read for the casual or serious student of American history.

Book Review: "The Total Money Makeover" by Dave Ramsey

Yes, this is the book by the increasingly-well-known get-out-of-debt guru. I like this book.

There are two main premises to Dave Ramsey's philosophy:

1. Debt is bad. Avoid it.
2. You must plan to be a financial success. Failure to plan (e.g., budgeting) leads to poor long-term financial positions.

The bulk of the book details the seven steps Ramsey suggests to long-term financial freedom, so that you can live in a way that others cannot.

Both premises are firmly rooted in fact, philosophy, and reality. This book is more of an attempt to convince you of the wisdom of the plan, and to encourage you to follow the plan, than it is a nuts-and-bolts analysis of financial decision making. His earlier book, Financial Peace, apparently (because I have never read it) has more of that kind of content.

Nevertheless, this is a must-read book for anyone who has debt (of any kind), for anyone who lacks long-term financial planning, and for the young—they are the ones who can, in the long run, benefit the most from it.

Book Review: "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

By its own admission, Blink is a book about the first two seconds after you observe something for the first time. This book is full of interesting (indeed, often fascinating) anecdotes about how certain people viewed something and almost instantly "knew" key things about it—whether artwork was fake, perhaps—or whether these first moments were befuddled by bias and confusion.

There are three things I would like to note about this very readable and interesting book:

1) According to the final pages, there are two lessons. The first I will quote: "...we are often careless with our powers of rapid cognition. We don't know where our first impressions come from or precisely what they mean, so we don't always appreciate their fragility." The second comes in the next paragraph: "Too often we are resigned to what happens in the blink of an eye. It doesn't seem like we have much control over whatever bubbles to the surface from our unconscious. But we do...." Most of this book gives examples of both.

2) In the various examples throughout, it is the experts—those with a deep knowledge and understanding about their topic of expertise—who typically come up with the correct initial conclusion in those first two seconds...yet generally cannot quickly explain to others a "rational" explanation for it. The art expert instantly recognizes a fake...but can't immediately put his finger on why it is fake. The military commander who knows what maneuver must be made in the next moment...yet cannot explain the choice or decision until well after it is done. I found it interesting that in my case, as a math teacher, I can spot an erroneous answer on a homework paper almost instantly...but I often need to review the entire problem before I can nail it down.

3) This kind of cognition also applies to the identification of quality/popular music; examples from both current popular genres and symphonic orchestra are given.

I found these last two points to be particularly interesting. It also gives me more confidence to trust the insights of someone who is an objective expert in a particular field.

What Five Books Would You Take?

Years ago, I saw a number of lists that told what few books certain famous people would take with them, if they were going to be deserted on an island somewhere for a period of time.

I found this fascinating, and recently gave some thought to the topic. I think I would choose the following five books:

1. Bible, King James Version (or if these ad hoc rules allowed one of those multi-version Bibles with the parallel columns, I'd take one of those).

2. Strong's Concordance—the old-fashioned kind that weighs 20 pounds or so. (Presumably the rules would require books in book form, not digitized/electronic. If you are on a desert island, internet/computer access is probably out of the question anyway.)

3. A hymnal. I'm not certain which one, since there are several good ones out there; but none of them contain every hymn I like. But I'd take one. If the island is deserted, no one will care how well I sing, so that issue is dead.

4. Rand McNally's Road Atlas of the United States, most recent edition. Because maps are fascinating.

5. And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie. If you've read it, you will appreciate this selection.

Book Review: "Gerald R. Ford" by Douglas Brinkley

This is yet another book in the American Presidents Series by Times Books (and completes my reading of the volumes I got for Christmas!). As with the other books, it is a biography which focuses on the presidency of the man and important issues relating to this presidency.

Of course, in Ford's case, he came to the presidency without the benefit of a vote of the people of all the states. Ford's background in Congress is covered, and his rise to minority leader detailed, giving insights as to why he was selected in 1973 upon Agnew's resignation as vice president. The Watergate matter is also covered in some detail.

The single biggest issue covered in the book is the decision to pardon Nixon a month after he became president. At the time, the decision was widely (and bipartisan-ly) condemned as anything from a mistake to a sinister deal. Brinkley takes the position—taken in 1974 by Ford—that the pardon was a necessary step of healing for the country, and anyway implied guilt by virtue of its acceptance by Nixon. He also spends some time detailing how the public perception of the pardon changed by the time of Ford's death last year. Other significant issues of his presidency are detailed, generally in a positive light, as are the challenge Reagan mounted for the Republican nomination in 1976 and his eventual loss in the 1976 election to Carter.

One thing to note is that Ford was not a conservative in the sense described today. He was pro-choice on the abortion issue (as was his wife). There is some debate as to whether he took a sufficiently hard stance against communism during his 29-month presidency. Due to the large democratic majorities in Congress at that time, he would have had difficulty getting any significant conservative legislation through, which, of course, gives some to believe that he was too cozy with the democrats in Congress.

The book is readable, informative, and generally evenhanded (Brinkley, like most of the biographers in this series, usually describes his subject as positively as objectivity will allow). If you want a basic overview of the Ford presidency, you will get a good one here.

Book Review: "Calvin Coolidge" by David Greenberg

Calvin Coolidge is one of those presidents who, to most, is deemed to have been a trivial president. The slightly more astute will realize that he is the only president to have the birthdate of July 4, 136 years ago today.

But he was neither a trivial president nor as "silent" as many believe. He was indeed a reserved man, but his contributions were important in their day. He may not have led the country through war or other great trial, but he did lead, and was an immensely popular leader.

Greenberg's book is a well-written look at the life of this man. For those who want a scholarly but not cumbersome look at him, this is the book to get. The book gives a well-balanced view of his life, neither overly favorable nor critical; and focusing neither on the 1920's alone nor exclusively on our day.

Coolidge was a Republican, and what we today would call a conservative. Ronald Reagan hung his portrait in the White House (note: Reagan was a teenager while Coolidge was president). Toward the end of this book comes this interesting quotation:

"In his fourth annual address to Congress, on December 7, 1926, he issued a call 'for reducing, rather than expanding, government bureaus which seek to regulate and control the business activities of the people.' To the objection that workers, consumers, and other citizens needed safeguards, the president replied, 'Unfortunately, human nature cannot be changed by an act of the legislature....It is too much assumed that because an abuse exists it is the business of the national government to remedy it.'" (p. 131)

Some things never change.

Book Review: "James Garfield" by Ira Rutkow

Here we have yet another installation of the American Presidents Series. This one was both readable and interesting—a look at one of our more "trivial" presidents. Garfield was shot just four months after he took office, and after seventy-nine days of dreadful suffering, passed into eternity, making Chester A. Arthur president.

Garfield's early years are concisely described, as are his years in the U.S. Congress as a representative from northeast Ohio. Garfield is one of the few men ever to become a college president, general, and congressman before the age of 32. And that, without much formal education before the age of 16 or so.

He became the Republican "dark horse" candidate for president in 1880 when the party couldn't settle on a nominee. In a very close election, hinging primarily on New York, he became president. His brief presidency was burdened by the onslaught of office-seekers who expected him to bestow some job upon them as a reward for their party participation.

One of them was a deranged man named Charles Guiteau. He eventually deluded himself into thinking that assassinating the president would win him the admiration of his countrymen (and Garfield's political opponents, including Arthur). He shot the president at the train station as Garfield was on his way to a vacation with his wife in New Jersey.

The author of this book is a medical doctor, and his most obvious thesis (and it is most obvious) is that Garfield's death could have been prevented, but for the pride and ineptitude of doctors who ignored recent discoveries in the field of antiseptic medicine. If you are interested in the medical history of Garfield's slow and painful demise, this is a most readable book, even if you are not steeped in medical knowledge.

And in an interesting epilogue, he compares the treatment of President Reagan, shot in 1981 (one hundred years after Garfield's 1881 shooting), with what Garfield received. Reagan was 20 years older and had a far more dangerous wound than Garfield had, yet was back to work within a couple weeks. He suggests that had Garfield been shot a century later, he could have been out of the hospital in 24 hours, recuperating at the White House, with excellent prospects of complete recovery. Of course, a century later, things like x-rays, CT scans, and latex gloves would have been universally available....

A very interesting book. I can recommend it highly.

Book Review: "Thomas Jefferson" by Joyce Appleby

This book is yet another in the American Presidents Series which I have read in the past few years. On the whole, the series is great. But this book will not go down as one of my favorites.

As with other books in the series, this one does a good job of looking at the significant moments in the man's life and presidency. Where it goes a tad overboard is the disproportionate share of the book which discusses the moral conundrum of the man: One of the foremost promoters of freedom and democracy for white men, who held slaves and had (at best) a politically incorrect view of women.

This is a legitimate topic, of course. Thomas Jefferson's contributions to our nation are obvious and of great merit. He also had his shortcomings, in politics (a thorn in the side of both Washington and Adams at times), morality (fathering children by one of his slave girls), and personal judgment (racked up substantial debt in his adult life). He certainly owned slaves and made it clear that he thought both slaves and Indians were incapable of matching white men's accomplishments within the foreseeable future.

Of more interest (to me, at least) is Jefferson's views on the Constitution, politics, and the role of democracy in our country. Perhaps the single most interesting thing in the book was a comparison of John Adams, the Federalist, and Thomas Jefferson, the democrat. As described by Appleby, Adams belonged to the school of thought that discouraged all those "common men" from voting—or at least believed that they should defer to their "betters." Jefferson, in contrast, believed in the right, and in the encouragement of that right, of all [white] men to vote.

Today we experience Jefferson's vision...and look who our political leaders are! Maybe Adams was on to something....

Book Review: "The Millionaire Next Door" by Stanley & Danko

Do you want to accumulate wealth? Then read this book.

Doctors Stanley and Danko do a great job analyzing "why" some people are able to accumulate wealth. And although I already knew or suspected some of these points, here are several which are great nuggets gleaned from their book:

• What I call the "offense vs. defense" illustration: Some people do a great job of maximizing their income; they play "good offense." Other people do a great job of minimizing their expenses; they play "good defense." Those who accumulate wealth typically do a great job at both of these. There are many who make over $100,000/year who also spend it all; there are many who make less than $50,000/year and manage to save and invest what they have for a comfortable retirement.
• It is quite easy for the children of the affluent to not mimic their parents' wealth accumulation skills. Accustomed to wealth in the family, they can easily become prey to the temptations to spend and exhibit wealth—while ignoring the parental lessons of saving, thrift, and hard work.
• Many millionaires drive "regular" cars and trucks, buy their clothes at Penney's, and live in average homes. Much of the reason they are millionaires is because they do this! The majority of those who buy fancy vehicles, homes, etc. are merely putting up a facade of wealth and may not have much true "wealth" at all.
• Those who are wealthy typically spend much more time than the average person researching and studying investment opportunities...which is why their investments tend to do better.
• If you want your children to accumulate wealth, there are certain practices you should ingrain into their formative minds, and several others you should stedfastly avoid.

Although the book was written in 1996 (ISBN 0-671-01520-6) and its statistics are consequently a bit "aged," the principles learned in this book make it a must-read for anyone who really wishes to accumulate more wealth than they have now. Those who enjoy statistics (me, for example) will find the book an easy read; those who find them tedious may want to skim over them and look for the nuggets of wisdom the book contains.

Book Review: "George Washington" by James Burns and Susan Dunn

This installment of the American Presidents Series features our first president, and is also the only one in the series (so far) to be co-authored. (Click here for a review of the biography of John Adams, and click here for the review of Andrew Jackson's biography.) The thesis of the book is that Washington's greatest achievement is the way he shaped the presidency and consolidated executive power.

Although the book is biographical, the book focuses, not surprisingly, on George Washington's shaping of the presidency itself. As the first president, and as the hero of a nation, Washington had the power and influence to shape the presidency in many ways—and he did. Where the Constitution did not "seem" to grant the president a lot of power (prevailing thought back then vested much of the power in legislative bodies), Washington used it to the full extent he could, while still being very respectful of his constitutional limits. The book is generally complementary on his presidential service, and why not? He was a fine president, and did a commendable job. It also speaks highly of his overlooked brilliance at selecting a first-rate cabinet.

The authors apparently felt obliged to take an almost-gratuitous politically-correct jab at Washington for being a slaveowner, and also minimize the influence of religion on Washington's life. The epilogue also seems to give a lower regard (than most people have, or than I think he should) for his moral legacy. Despite these weaknesses, the book does an overall good job of portraying President Washington as president, and can be recommended as a useful perspective on his life and presidency.

Book Review: "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" by Barbara Robinson

From historical books to hysterical books: This humorous tale centers around the Herdmans, "the worst kids in the history of the world." These six siblings are nightmares to everyone in their path, and after they start coming to church, they become the characters in the church Christmas pageant.

Told from the perspective of one of the other children (whose mother was thrust into the role of director of the pageant), this short story is a hysterical look at what happened as the Herdman kids went from being everybody's worst nightmare to doing a reasonably good job at acting out the Christmas story.

Although it is an amusing story, two words of caution: First, there are a couple of times where God's name is used in vain by one of those Herdman kids. Second, this is not intended to be a serious Christmas story; nor is it intended to conclude with the Herdman kids getting saved or even repenting of all of their evil ways (which would naturally kill off much chance of similar sequels, which do exist). It is merely a humorous story—nothing more.

If you read at a moderate pace, ninety minutes will be all you will need.

Book Reviews: "Through Sunshine & Shadows", "The History of PBBC"

Obscure books? Admittedly so. Neither one ever had a massive publication total, but both of them contain topics familiar to me.

Through Sunshine and Shadows is the autobiography of Dr. Monroe Parker. Dr. Parker was born in 1909 (he was 77 years old when the book was published) in Alabama. His childhood is interesting, and his conversion to Christ at age 19 is the key to the book. After his freshman year, he transferred to Bob Jones College, then a new school in Florida, and was called into preaching and evangelism.

He entered evangelism near the start of the Great Depression. Most of his early ministry was in the Deep South, and it is almost shocking (to modern sensibilities) to consider today some of the things he did: Hitchhike long distances; travel with little or no money, relying on faith; and the conversion of large numbers of souls in multi-week evangelistic services. In fact, the large numbers of souls saved in his meetings are, sad to say, a phenomenon not seen much in the United States anymore.

His later ministries included a number of years at Bob Jones College (later University), serving as pastor of an Alabama church, president of Pillsbury Baptist Bible College, and president of Baptist World Mission. God used this man in many ways—ways that each of us should pray to be used in.

The book itself has an "anecdotal" style to it, sounding more conversational than literary. It will win no stylistic contests. But it tells of a man who allowed himself to be mightily used of God during times that would discourage most of us today, if we faced them.

Interesting tidbit: Dr. Parker was preceded in death by two wives, and married a third time at age 73.

I would recommend that Christians everywhere read this book...if they can get their hands on it (Sword of the Lord Publishers, 1987; ISBN 0-87398-844-2).

The History of Pillsbury Baptist Bible College, written by Larry Dean Pettigrew and printed by the school's Pillsbury Press, is perhaps even more obscure. I worked at PBBC for three years and was given a copy, but never completed it until after reading the Dr. Parker book. The school known today as Pillsbury Baptist Bible College has a very long history. The school was originally chartered in 1854 (before Minnesota was granted statehood) and existed in various forms until it became a Baptist Bible College in 1957. This book was written on the occasion of the college's 25th anniversary.

This is not the most readable book. Its strengths lie elsewhere, particularly in detailing how the school fluctuated between theological liberalism and conservatism over the years. It also tells a story nearly unheard of in the annals of American religious history: How a school that at one time was controlled by theological liberals was "reclaimed" and restored by Bible-believing conservatives.

If you are unacquainted with the school (and don't want to be) or have no interest in Baptist history, particularly in Minnesota, you will find this book highly boring. But if the opposite is true, this slice of history will probably appeal to you.

Interesting tidbit: The name comes from George Pillsbury, who was very generous financially to the school in the late 19th century...and, yes, he had a tie-in with a still-existing company with the same name.

If you want a copy of the book, your best bet is to contact the college directly at (507) 451-2710.

Book Review: "Rediscovering American Values" by Dick DeVos

This book, written over a decade ago by the man who lost last year's gubernatorial election here in Michigan, is a series of essays on twenty-four "values" which DeVos believes are important to a better America. He is right. Many of us could probably think of a few more to add to the list (he makes no claim that his twenty-four are a complete, all-inclusive set).

Each essay includes good reasoning about why he believes the "value" is important in our American society, and includes at least one real-life example of a person or people who lived out that value and bettered their community. There is a certain "feel-good" element to the writing, also. Each essay could almost be a stand-alone speech on the virtues of that value.

It is interesting that DeVos references his religion frequently. Although he is not Baptist, as I am, there is much in common with what he believes is healthy for society and what we Baptists believe is healthy for society. Although we may have doctrinal differences (and although I would have been a little bit more forward with inserting Biblical teaching/doctrine/references than he was), there is a lot of wisdom in this book. And that's no surprise, when you consider that he did get a lot of that wisdom from The Book.

Book Review: "John Adams" by John Patrick Diggins

Most of the volumes in the American Presidents Series have an emphasis on the biography of the subject: What he did, his major life events, significant accomplishments, etc. Adequate background of the time and context of the presidency is usually provided.

John Patrick Diggins's book on John Adams is somewhat different. It is by far the most philosophical of the seventeen books that I have read in this series. Of course, when studying John Adams, philosophy is a major component. Adams was a deep thinker, more a philosopher and statesman than a politician. Some biographical information is given, but as I read the book, it seemed more like an analysis (and a very favorable one) of his philosophies and presidency than a typical biography.

If you are looking to read a good biography of John Adams, I would highly recommend David McCullough's book—although it is a lot longer than this book. McCullough, like Diggins, shows Adams in a very positive light. Considering all of Adams' accomplishments as a founder of our country, that is appropriate. If you are looking for an analysis of where Adams stood on issues and why, this is your book.

This biography is one volume in The American Presidents Series, published by Times Books (Henry Holt & Co.). This is now the 17th book I have read in the series. Most, but not all, of the presidential biographies have already been written, each by an author who is well acquainted with the subject. Perhaps 1/4 remain to be published. The overall series of books is great. Each biography averages about 150 pages of scholarly, yet readable, writing. Each assumes that the reader knows a little of the background of the period of history during which the president served. I have been collecting them for four years and now have eighteen of the books (I have not yet read the volume on Washington).

Most portray the subject in a positive light, yet do not overlook the foibles and mistakes the executive may have made. Even relatively obscure presidents like Van Buren, Arthur, or Harding get their due. If you enjoy biographies and you enjoy American history, I can heartily recommend that you find the volume on a favorite president (or even one you know little about) and enjoy yourself.

Book Review: "The Puzzle of Ancient Man" by Dr. Donald Chittick

Last April, when I went to the still-under-construction Creation Museum in Kentucky, I met one Wayne Canfield, who was reading and raving about this book. He had good reason. The topic of this book is a summary of the evidence that Ancient Man, both antediluvian and postdiluvian (pre-flood and post-flood), was in fact technologically advanced in ways we cannot fathom and have not yet fully discovered.

This is a fascinating book. It includes evidence and examples of the technological prowess of a variety of ancient cultures, from the familiar pyramids of Egypt to less-known feats of building, engineering, and intellectual accomplishment from various parts of the world. His thesis is that ancient man was, in fact, anything but primitive; ancient man was perhaps in many ways more capable than even we are today.

There is also a great deal of Bible teaching in the book, which summarizes a variety of Genesis passages and others which deal with man's creation, the Fall, the Flood, etc. Furthermore, Appendix A contains most of the most concise and clear summaries of bias, science, and religion, and how these interact today.

I would gladly recommend this book for your reading pleasure and edification.