Reviews of Books

Book Reviews by Jeff McLain. Photo by Jason Wong on Unsplash
After reading a book, I review it to better remember what I reflected on and wrestled with through that read. Those reviews are in this archive for future reference and sharing with others.

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Book Review: Shattered by Rip Wahlberg

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This is a review of Shattered , a book authored by Rip Wahlberg on surviving and thriving in the worst pains of life. Released in 2023, through Life Rich Publishing , this book follows Rip Wahlberg’s journey after losing his four-year-old son to a tragic drowning accident. Throughout this book, Rip shares the story of losing his son and explores the difficult decisions that followed his death. Even more, Wahlberg unpacks the effect it had on his and his family’s life and faith. Rip also provides a framework and witness to what he learned about God's ability to heal sorrow. This is a short read, just a little over 110 pages, but in no way is it an easy read, as Shattered is full of vulnerability and raw emotional honesty. I do believe that it will be a helpful read for any follower of Jesus who is trapped in their pain or traveling the road of unaddressed sorrow. The reader learns how “pains in our lives become idols that we end up protecting,” and ultimately they keep us from the
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Book Review: How Much Land Does a Man Need by Leo Tolstoy

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This is a book review of How Much Land Does a Man Need by Leo Tolstoy . This 2010 version of  How Much Land Does a Man   Need  was translated by Boris Dralyuk and published by Calypso Editions . As a read, How Much Land Does a Man Need is a short reflective parable from a classic that was first released in 1886. This edition of a lesser celebrated work of Tolstoy is in Russian and English inside the book.  Though not one of the most popular translations, Boris Dralyuk translates  How Much Land Does a Man   Need, a  short work of Tolstoy, because of the way it speaks to our seasons that are “marred both environmentally and economically by the consequences of unbridled greed.”[1] To accurately translate Tolstoy into a modern era, his goal was “to recreate Tolstoy’s idiosyncratic voice with as much faith and color as possible.”[2] He mentions the ways he was hoping to capture the “subtly modulated version of what the Russians call skaz” that was utilized by Leo Tolstoy.[3] I agree wit
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Book Review: Lennon, Dylan, Alice, & Jesus by Greg Laurie and Marshall Terrill

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This is a review of Lennon, Dylan, Alice, & Jesu s by Greg Laurie and Marshall Terrill . Released in 2022 by Salem Books , Lennon, Dylan, Alice, & Jesus is an exhaustive spiritual biography on rock and roll. Authors Greg Laurie and Marshall Terrill tell the tales of many popular musicians who find Jesus on their spiritual search, and when they reach the end of themselves. Music, especially that which emerged through the rock and roll scene, has long been an influence on our societal ethos; it has been the companion for many individuals on their spiritual journey, and it at times has influenced others spiritually. It should not surprise us then that many musicians have taken spiritual sojourns in their private lives, and in the public squares, which has often influenced their songs and musical endeavors. For generations, musicians have been taking their fans on pilgrimage with them. Some of our biggest music celebrities have not only searched for spiritual meaning in very publ
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