Book Reviews

Posted: 8/17/07

Book Reviews

The Mr. and Mrs. Happy Handbook: Everything I Know About Love and Marriage by Steve Doocy (William Morrow)

Nonfiction has come a long way from the inner lives of grasshoppers and the complexity of moon rocks. 

In The Mr. & Mrs. Happy Handbook, a reindeer falls from the sky and dents the family car, an anaconda is under the patio, author Steve Doocy and his wife, Kathy, end up spending their honeymoon at a remote leper colony, and concerned kids are asking about the birds and the bees—and the carrot. Try explaining that one.

What are you reading that other Texas Baptists would find helpful? Send suggestions and reviews to books@baptiststandard.com.

In this laugh-out-loud book about married life, Doocy, co-host of Fox and Friends, shares the nitty-gritty about love, married life, family and what to do when the neighbors’ kid starts foaming at the mouth. Blame it on the Easter bunny.

Throughout the book, Kathy Doocy gives her own advice, following her husband’s. And to make things easier, there are several charts, including honeymoon do’s and don’ts and how to rate your honeymoon. If no one gained weight, the honeymoon gets an A.

This book provides sound advice to married couples of all ages through humorous true-life stories. Although there are a few “choice words,” and some adult humor, this book is a must read. You may discover your marriage and your family aren’t as strange as you thought.

Who wants to read about a perfect marriage anyway? Maybe the same folks who read about the inner lives of grasshoppers.

Whitney Farr

Communications Intern, Waco

God, I Don’t Understand: Answers to Difficult Questions of the Christian Faith by Kenneth Boa (David C. Cook)

“I don’t understand” is a statement we all have expressed from time to time. Every person who serves God desires to understand God’s will and ways.

Kenneth Boa wrote this classic book in 1974 and has added notes, called “Thirty Years Later,” which address thoughts and issues he would include if he were writing it today.

Boa’s theology is sound, and he writes in a language we all can understand. He encourages the reader to study the mysteries of the Bible and sees these as a strong evidence of divine origin. I was stretched in mind again and again as I eagerly read this book. The illustrations in key chapters visually brought the written words into focus.

If you want to understand the God Man, the Trinity, the Resurrection Body and other great and timeless truths, it is worth your time to read Boa’s answers of the Christian faith.

Leo Smith, executive director

Texas Baptist Men, Dallas

Judas and the Gospel of Jesus: Have We Missed the Truth About Christianity? by N. T. Wright (Baker Books)

Recent controversies surrounding the publication of the Gospel of Judas, along with popular books and movies such as The da Vinci Code, have sparked what appears to be a new conversation about Christianity.

N.T. Wright takes the time to fully develop the dynamics of both sources in his new book. This address reveals that the “new” controversy actually is something that dates to the beginning of Christianity. Wright skillfully takes the most novice of theologians through a brief history and explanation of the dangers and fallacies of the Gnostic movement.

Judas and the Gospel of Jesus is great for a person seeking a first book about Gnosticism or an experienced pastor who needs a quick read to refresh previous education. Wright provides a practical book with his scholarly touches. Overall, this book is excellent—short enough to make it useful but also detailed enough to prove beneficial.

Jeremy Johnston, pastor

Preston Highlands Baptist Church, Dallas