Wordcooper

The Noticer August 10, 2009

I enjoyed reading The Noticer. This is the first book of Andy Andrews’ that I have read and I really liked it. It is a blend of self-help and fantasy that seems to work for him. I heard Andy speak about a year ago and recognize a couple of the stories that he tells in the book. I guess he was working on the book at the time.

The book is centered around the angel-like character of Jones. He talks to people at a critical juncture of their like and shows them a different perspective on their life. It is an entertaining and easy read. I really liked the George Washington Carver story and had my wife read it, too. It brought tears to my eyes.

This would be a good book for someone who has lost hope or thinks they have no reason to try anymore. I would probably give it to someone who thinks they have hit rock bottom. On the other hand, it could probably help me empathize with others more

Think and Make It Happen March 24, 2009

OK, I am a big fan of Self-Help books. I love reading them, but don’t really do much with them. My attitude is probably more positive than it could have beem, but I just don’t know how much they have made a difference. I always feel like I should be doing so much more. Think and Make It Happen is a very well-written book and it probably has some good nuggets I can glean from it. I think it would be very helpful to someone who struggles with their thought life. I enjoyed the stories of cases the doctor has had, but didn’t really appreciate his take on Jesus. He takes Jesus as a historical figure, which is good, but then proceeds to diagnose Him as a purely human person who has perfect thoughts and motives. There is no discussion of his radical statement that He is the Son of God. The two thoughts don’t go together.

Other than that, I think this book could be helpful.

The American Patriot’s Almanac December 13, 2008

Bill Bennett does a great job putting compendiums of uplifting stories together, like his stories for children and moral compass stories. This book is a daily reader or almanac with historic American facts and heroes and stories you may not have heard about. Every day has several events that happened on that day. It also has a story about a hero or piece of americana, like the Great American Seal. Between each month are other lists (50 great American movies) or essays (how the constitution was written).

I think this would make a great gift for a high school graduate. There is probably a lot in this book that they were never taught in school. Kids seem to be taught more about other cultures than our own and when they learn about our country, they are mostly made aware of the faults. We have made mistakes, but that doesn’t negate the good things we have done. Actually, now that I think of it, any high schooler can and should read this book. It would be a great balance to what they are taught in many public schools.

Here is the publisher’s page.