Review: The Scourge Between Stars

The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A quick read (novella) sets up a scenario not often explored in SciFi … What happens when your attempt to colonize a world fails? What happens when all hope is lost because your generation ships are nearly crippled and you don’t have the resources to make it home? When random “engagements” of some mysterious force slam into the ship to wreck havoc on critical systems, the dwindling resources seem like a problem for the future.  Maybe they should go back, but no-one remembers why the original colony failed … and they apparently didn’t completely escape when mounting evidence points to an unknown intruder that is hunting the crew.  If they are to survive, it is time for a bug hunt … if only the colonists can put their mutiny on hold for awhile.  

At this point it is difficult to avoid a reference to the Aliens franchise (of which I am a casual fan) … except this was done so much better (at first).  The action picks up about half way through and runs all the way to the end; which along with the shortness of the story and underdeveloped characters/monsters, is the only one I have to pick on this story … which was too rushed and dips into fantasy after what was a solid SciFi adventure.  Perhaps the author can flesh out the story into a full novel in the future to put these minor issues to bed ....

I was given this free advance review copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Review: Slaughtered Gods

Slaughtered Gods by Thilde Kold Holdt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Death to all gods” shout the Damned as the march into The Ragnarök.

And so we come to the Twilight of the Gods in this conclusion to the Hanged God trilogy is a modern rendition of Snorri’s Icelandic Eddas putting in just enough personal spin to make it fresh and interesting for everybody. None of these three (3) books should be read by themselves … so plan on reading the trilogy straight through for the best experience. As might be expected in mythology sourced stories, the more interactions you get with the supernatural … the weirder things get … book three (3) is no exception (so you do get some over the top fantasy here). If you are familiar with the Norse myths here … you probably have a good idea how all of this ends … but we get a few twists that keep you guessing until the end; such as a norm who no longer has a fate and who can theoretically weave a new one for the gods. The primary POV are from Hilda (fighting with the gods) and Einar (fighting with giants) … and these are by far my favorite characters. Supporting POV comes from Ragnar “The StoryTeller” and Tyra … who purpose is somewhat harder to figure out other than helping build out the world. The story actually spins Loki and the giants more sympathetically than I expected … making them something like tragic anti-heroes and the gods as really really cruel to match the hard life of the times. In all, I really enjoyed this twist on a familiar story.

I was given this free advance review copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Review: 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians by Kimlyn J Bender
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The is a commentary of St Paul’s Letter to the Church in Corinth (aka 1 Corinthians).  It is the second letter (the first was referenced within this one but is apparently lost to history) to the Greek converts (Gentiles) in a city with a disreputable reputation that apparently created aberrant behavior and discord within the community Paul had founded two years prior.  This letter is an important factor driving the characteristic of most Pauline tradition Christian Churches today.  The Letter consists of sixteen (16) chapters in roughly six or seven parts dealing with divisions within the Church, sexual immorality and idolatry, proper worship, and the cross and resurrection of Christ.  

Written in the first century (approx 55 AD), the cultural context for Paul and the Corinthians can be different enough to make proper exegesis difficult for some passages.  The commentary walks through each chapter in order and tries to provide that context for better understanding of what Paul is actually trying to say … and it does a pretty good job of that, even to the point of highlighting problematic interpretations (especially with regard to the apparent duality of the text that actually isn’t) with some rational discourse on resolving apparent contradictions with prior/subsequent teachings (such as the prohibition of women speaking in the assembly).  Speculative context that makes some of the passages easier for modern sensibilities is generally avoided though, especially within the realm of sexual immoralities that largely conform to Paul’s Judaic roots.  The language is clear and accessible with as much depth as needed to fully explain the concepts and practical direction behind each group of verses and would be an important addition to any study of this Epistle.

I. Address (1:1–9)

II. Disorders in the Corinthian Community (1:10–6:20)

        A. Divisions in the Church (1:10–4:21)

        B. Moral Disorders (5:1–6:20)

III. Answers to the Corinthians’ Questions (7:1–11:1)

        A. Marriage and Virginity (7:1–40)

        B. Offerings to Idols (8:1–11:1)

IV. Problems in Liturgical Assemblies (11:2–14:40)

        A. Women’s Headdresses (11:3–16)

        B. The Lord’s Supper (11:17–34)

        C. Spiritual Gifts (12:1–14:40)

V. The Resurrection (15:1–58)

        A. The Resurrection of Christ (15:1–11)

        B. The Resurrection of the Dead (15:12–34)

        C. The Manner of the Resurrection (15:35–58)

VI. Conclusion (16:1–24)

I was given this free advance review copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Review: Coyle and Fang: Curse of Shadows

Coyle and Fang: Curse of Shadows by Robert Adauto III
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not What I was Expecting.

This book was billed as a John Wick meets Sherlock Holmes [Victorian] adventure … which I guess is why Amazon pegged it as Steampunk; but that really didn’t drive the story much; making it mostly windows dressing for what was arguably more horror fiction than steampunk noir. The only connection I found to anything Sherlockian was the MC [Coyle] use of a pipe with an apparent penchant for details that debuted early in the story before disappearing for most of the rest. Presumably the other MC [Fang] was supposed to be “John Wick” of the story … but I couldn’t see that connection anywhere.

What you do get and a horror plot set in an imaginary 19th century San Fransisco with vampires, fae and gnomes that spend more time in the mind bending games/drug induced dreams (that were a struggle to work through) and less detective work or straight up action (not accompanied by mental torment or struggle). And what exactly did the Templars add to all of this? I couldn’t figure that out either (other than to add a level of “coolness” to the story) … make this a highly derivative and formulaic story that did not work well for me.

The narration was good for the story as actually told (my wife really like it). So … forget any preconceptions you might have from the blurb … what you get here is a mad “boogeyman” bent on corrupting people into new and horrifying creatures such a ghouls) using a book of magic knowns as the Curse of Shadows. Fang is a vampire assassin introduced with her escape from the lab/prison that made her [different that other vampires]. Coyle is a talented constable/boy scout trying to overcome an eye popping level of misogyny within the SF deceive ranks who is cashiered for giving into to her justified anger during a detective exam. Add a gratuitous pipe to complete the nominal connection to Holmes just in case the read can’t make the obvious connection on their own.

While the origin stories didn’t work for me, they were done relatively well. The two outcasts eventually team up to find the Curse of Shadows before it was too late. They are opposed by a shapeshifting fae that adds s few twists. Eventually the super spies … er … protagonists … end up in the bad guy’s layer for a marginally wickian chain of unbelievable action sequences. Just relax and enjoy the predictable marched toward a satisfying end.

I was given this free advance listener copy (ALC) audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Review: Norse Paganism for Beginners: Explore The History of The Old Norse Religion - Asatru, Cosmology, Astrology, Mythology, Magic, Runes, Tarot, Witchcraft & More

Norse Paganism for Beginners: Explore The History of The Old Norse Religion - Asatru, Cosmology, Astrology, Mythology, Magic, Runes, Tarot, Witchcraft & More by History Brought Alive
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The narration was okay with some more obvious pronunciation issues (but it was close enough).  The topic itself is a very quick summary of a Norse culture (circa 10th to 12th centuries).  For the most part, I would have been happier with a little more as some of the brief treatments might lead to a few minor misunderstandings and some would just be more interesting IMHO if etymology were included … such as what exactly the names of each of the nine realms actually mean.  

Additionally there are a few careless comments that imply Easter was synchronized from a Norse holiday instead of the other way around (based solely upon the “bunny” avatar).  No serious scholar that I know of would make that connection (although it is pretty common on social media).  There are some comparisons between Egyptian myths and Norse myths that are a bit of a stretch with no real support other than similarities (which would be expected for any cultures in contact with each other), so fun to think about but not really accepted by any consensus.  All that said … this was a pretty fair introduction to the topic and I would recommend it.

Introduction

Chapter 1 - History of Norse Paganism

Chapter 2 - Norse Pagan Beliefs and Values

Chapter 3 - Spiritual Practices

Chapter 4 - The Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda

Chapter 5 - The Norse Pagan Creation Myth

Chapter 6 - The Nine Realms

Chapter 7 - Mythological Gods, Creatures, and Being

Chapter 8 - Ragnarok

Chapter 9 - Magic in Norse Paganism

Chapter 10 - Runes Tarot and Astrology

Chapter 11 - Norse Pagan Pathways

Chapter 12 - Norse Paganism in the Modern World

Conclusion

I was given this free advance review copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Review: 1 Peter

1 Peter by Karen H. Jobes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An excellent commentary on 1 Peter that digs into the interpretations of the original greek that gave me a much better understanding of the challenges that such entails (and which helped me re-evaluate my own understanding of this epistle). The writing style was very accessible and helpful for someone who is neither a theologian nor an expert in koine greek, so I had no problems following her analysis. Perhaps the only aspect missing would be the limited treatment of the exegesis from the early church; however, what is there is to the point and reasonably evaluated in view of modern scholarship and existing limitations. On balance, there is a lot of analysis focused on each verse (400 pages to discuss some 100 verses) that tackles a number of potentially problematic interpretations with tremendous skill and insight. 

In particular, I was fascinated by the historical context of the household codes and the primary linkage of Jesus to the “Suffering Servant” as well as folk traditions of Noah in Asia Minor that would have influenced the target audiences understanding of the text (this was entirely new for me). In addition, the speculation linking that target audience to the explosions of Jews (and Christians) from Rome into Asia Minor where they would be seen as aliens and strangers fit rather nicely into my own research of late. Finally, the analysis on the when and who with regard to authorship was outstanding (even if inclusive). The rest (on suffering for the sake of Christ) was pretty much inline with my original understanding.

I. Greeting to the Christian Diaspora of Asia Minor

II. The Opening of the Letter: Reassurance for God’s People

- A. Doxology as the Basis for the Christian Line

- B. Be What You Are

- C. The Identity of God’s People

III. As God’s People, Live Godly Lives

- A. Commendable Social Behavior as God’s People

- B. The Inner Qualities of Righteous Living

- C. Suffering Unjustly for the Name of God

IV. Consolation for the Suffering Flock

- A. Final Through about Suffering for Christ

- B. Final Exhortations to the Community

V. The Closing of the Letter: Final Words and Greetings

Excursus: The Syntax of 1 Peter: How Good Is the Greek

I was given this free advance review copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Review: African History: Explore The Amazing Timeline of The World’s Richest Continent

African History: Explore The Amazing Timeline of The World’s Richest Continent by History Brought Alive
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

The first chapter starts at the beginning with Homo Sapiens in Africa … and is pretty much a mixed bag. Although it conforms with the consensus, that consensus is currently under fire (especially the information presented on Neanderthals) … so take chapter 1 with a grain of salt. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem get much better as we get further into the book. For example … in discussing the relationship between Khoi and Bantu, there is a statement about Bantu migration through Europe where they apparently picked up metal refining/working (I have not found any support for this statement).

Additionally, the origin myth of the batwa/pygmy people is presented as fact and seems quite improbable (especially lacking citation). By chapter 6 you get an rather incredulous theory of Egyptians coming from a mix of Bantu and Israelites (putting the cultural identity of the latter before the Kingdoms of Egypt … I am pretty sure that is not correct). Now half way through the book the level of questionable scholarship is a serious impediment to any serious recommendation. This was a surprise given how well the History of Asia looked (although that lacks citations as well, so I can't verify those facts either).

Chapter 1 - Homo Sapiens in Africa
Chapter 2 - The San
Chapter 3 - The Hadza
Chapter 4 - The Khoi
Chapter 5 - Pygmy People
Chapter 6 - Israelites in Africa
Chapter 7 - The Bantu
Chapter 8 - Swaziland
Chapter 9 - Khoisan and the Portuguese
Chapter 10 - The Kingdom of Zwide
Chapter 11 - Zululand
Chapter 12 - The House of Mpondo
Chapter 13 - Thembuland
Chapter 14 - Zhosaland

I was given this free advance review copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Review: History of Asia: Explore The Magnificent Histories, Culture, Mythology, Folklore, Wars, Legends, Stories, Achievements & More of China, Japan & India: 3 Books in 1

History of Asia: Explore The Magnificent Histories, Culture, Mythology, Folklore, Wars, Legends, Stories, Achievements & More of China, Japan & India: 3 Books in 1 by History Brought Alive
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Any attempt at surveying history across such a large geographical region (even restricting it to the three largest civilizations) is by definition an ambitious undertaking. This attempt is one of the more competent attempts that I have encountered … providing enough space to cover the basic relevant facts while avoiding any significant amount of speculation on the why … in other words, this book just tell you the what and you will need to bring your own context to infer any understanding of the cultures presented (a potentially hazardous presumption when dealing with eastern cultures from a western perspective).

That said, each of the three (3) sections that tell the story of China, Japan and India were exceptionally well organized and sequentially presented from the age of myths and legends up to present day. As best as I can confirm, all of the details provided are well within the academic consensus, probable a result of the previous stated focus on “just the facts” which only increased confidence on the parts I was not able to easily confirm and added to the reputation of the publisher (now one of my favorite historical sources).

A. The History of Asia

1: A Time of Myth and Legend
2: The First Emperor
3: A Unified Civilization Fragments
4: Enter A Golden Age
5: A Dynasty Beset By Enemies
6: The Mongol Rule China
7: The Mighty Ming
8: The Magnificent Qing
9: Revolution and World War
10: The People’s Republic of China

B. The History of Japan

1: Early Japan
2: Myths
3: Nara and Heian Periods
4: Kamakura Period
5: Muromachi Period
6: Edo and Meiji Periods
7: Taisho Period Through WWII
8: Postwar Period

C. The History of India

Part 1 - Ancient India

1. Emergence of Civilizations
2. The Mauryan Glory
3. The Age of the Guptas
4. The Cultural Shift

Part II - Medieval India

5. The Mughal Sultanate
6. The East Indian Company

Part III - Modern India

7. The Fight for Freedom
8. The Casualty of Partition

I was given this free advance review copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Review: The Grace of Troublesome Questions: Vocation, Restoration, and Race

The Grace of Troublesome Questions: Vocation, Restoration, and Race by Richard T Hughes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Get Out of my Head :-)

As a PK within the Disciples of Christ (which shares its Stone/Campbell roots with the author’s Churches of Christ), this was a very interesting book with respect to how each tradition evolved to where they are today. In many respects, it filled in a lot for me (and I thought I already knew a significant part of our history). More importantly, despite the optimism found early within the movement, our theology didn’t evolve within the true spirit of Christ … in fact, the author connects many of the flaws within out theology to many of the pernicious ills within (American/Western) society … calling us to task for our tacit (and sometimes explicit) support for slavery, segregation, et. al. He does so be exploring several social myths within [White] American society that I have generally seen as well, so I was favorably receptive to most of his arguments. If you are generally unsympathetic to BLM and/or typically “stay in your lane” in your treatment of those people on the margin, this book may be a tad uncomfortable (surprise, these are troublesome questions right … and he has some particularly harsh words for evangelicals specifically). Although I was i general agreement with many of his myths, I have come to realize that I actually have not gone far enough (so yeah … it was uncomfortable for me as well).

The book is divided into five (5) sections with the first section outlining the need to re-examine restorationist theology (and how it was originally formed) and the last section a general acknowledgement of the many people that help the author “see” his truth … and actually change his own understanding of the issues (much like my own father did as a contemporary … change of self is hard and admirable). Section two examines the restorationist movement as a whole with a surprising contract to evangelical theology that I was not aware of (given how the restoration movement and evangelicals appears to have evolved toward each other, this was not that surprising). Section three hits hard and is where the cracks in the current theology fails with respect to “The Kingdom of God” … It should not be overly controversial viewing that Jesus ministered to the margins … but our ability to turn a blind eye to those people with appear theological justification is. Section four is the call to action … and is the hardest part of the whole book. While there are no specific steps to follow, it becomes clear that we are called to do something (and the author turns to the examples of the Anabaptists/Reform churches for a road map). Just understanding the national myths and systemic biases of our society is a good start (and is helpful for fostering empathy and even love), but the hard part has always been taking the next step …

Section One: Called by Troublesome Questions

- Chapter 1: The Grace of Troublesome Questions

- Chapter 2: The Apocalyptic Origins of the Churches of Christ

- Chapter 3: Two Restoration Traditions: Mormons and Churches of Christ in the Nineteenth Century

Section Two: Called by a Book - Making Sense of the Restoration Vision

- Chapter 4: Called by a Book

- Chapter 5: Restoring First Times in the Anglo-American Experience

- Chapter 6: What Restorationists Don’t Fit the Evangelical Mold

Section Three: Called by the Upside-Down Kingdom of God

- Chapter 7: How a Teacher Heard the Call of Racial Justice

- Chapter 8: The Summons from the Biblical Text

- Chapter 9: Why I Am Not an Evangelical Christian

Section Four: Called to Question - The Restoration Vision, Innocence, and Race

- Chapter 10: How a Naive and Innocent Student Discerned the Umbilical Cord That Tie His Church to His Nation - And the Nation to His Church

- Chapter 11: The Restoration Vision and the Myth of the Innocent Nation

- Chapter 12: How Slavery Still Shapes the World of White Evangelical Christians

- Chapter 13: Resisting White Supremacy

- Chapter 14: Christian Nationalism and Racial Injustice: Where Do People Faith Go From Here?

- Chapter 15: How Can We Rethink the Restoration Vision ?

Section Five: The People Who Issued the Many Calls That Shaped My Vocation

- Chapter 16: The People Who Shaped My Vocation

- Chapter 17: Finding Someone to Love

- Chapter 18: “Next Time, Send Jan”

- Chapter 19: They Believed in Me: The Grace of Good Teachers

- Chapter 20: Five Words That Made a Difference - And the Man Who Spoke Them

I was given this free advance review copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Review: Zero-Day: A cyberpunk action adventure

Zero-Day: A cyberpunk action adventure by Al Davidson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Good Cyberpunk with a Major Cliffhanger

In a [typically] ridiculous dystopian world centered around SoCal and the former state of Nevada (carved up by imminent domain to accommodate the additional conspiracy theories coming out of Area 51).  Our Hero (Joshua,  Z[er0-Day], Shot, Reaper) is a misplaced genetic experiment turned gang banger/leader and former e-games legend trying his hand as a more traditional death merchant (aka arms dealer) when the deal goes south.  Don’t over think this … it is just fun entertainment until the story drops off a huge cliff (-1 star just for that).  It loses another star for the gratuitous sex scenes.  

As can be expected for the genre … most of the characters are over the top … but surprisingly relatable (with an obvious hero’s journey and potential for redemption).  Equally surprising is the lack of anything soooo unbelievable that with just little effort you can slide right on past and still enjoy the story (it really was quite fun to listen to).  Overall, the story moves quickly with plenty of action that manages to avoid getting overly descriptive or long (nice balance) and the narration was truly excellent … enough so that despite the crappy cliffhanger, I am tempted to get the sequel just to see what else he does with his world building.

I was given this free advance listener copy (ALC) audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Review: Lost Kingdom

Lost Kingdom by Terry Maggert
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An entertaining take on the Lost World (Not terribly surprising given the title right).  The Hero stumbles into a lost world that represents some ‘undeveloped’ past in human history … in this case, something about the planet is causing tech to eventually fail, so you have an interesting mix of failing tech and primitive civilization where the new comer (Our Hero) has certain advantages (like an embedded AI and smart surveillance drones).  Most of the humor is provided by the interaction between Nathan (Hero) and Cora (AI) and is fairly fun without being too over the top.  

There are s few mysteries to work out as you learn more about the world and the mysteries ‘cable’ that runs along the big river around which all civilization is dependent.  Throw in an alien race or two (along with an apparent indigenous aquatic race) and there is plenty to pull you through the rather predictable story with a few twists and turns to keep it interesting.  There are only a few plot lines; but they take so long to converge that switching between them actually distracts instead of advances the plot (the secondary story of the northern kingdom seems more about world building until the end).  Some of these could use more attention to building up context to make them more interesting earlier.

The narration was pretty good; the only caveat would be female and child voices were not as differentiated as others I have listened to, but he makes up for that with excellent cadence and delivery.  Over all I think it improved the story and made it worth a listen.

I was given this free advance listener copy (ALC) audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Review: Following Jesus: A Year of Disciplemaking and Movement-Building in the Gospels

Following Jesus: A Year of Disciplemaking and Movement-Building in the Gospels by Peter Roennfeldt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There are not any surprising revelations here; for the most part, the book follows the common interpretation of the Gospel stories, and where it appears to diverge from the academic consensus, the difference is nuanced enough to make little difference. For example, the claim that the “East” was dominated by animism and multiple gods is a little off considering the magi (from which this section was talking about) were members of the Zoroastrian Priestly caste (which is actually monotheistic) … which doesn’t really change the exercise much; fortunately most of these historical commentaries are cited, so you can follow-up with the source if desired (a lot of which seems to come from Theologian Mark Edwards). The main contribution (outside of the familiar stories told in an effective outline form that is useful for group study) here is actually the Reflection Questions and Sharing Exercises at the end of each of the 50 Guides divided across five “phases” presumably organized by maturity of discipleship that seem to correspond to a model of: Connect, Engage, Involve, Equip and Send. In clear, simple language the author presents easy to remember and use “gems” for understanding the call to discipleship.

Phase 1: Preparation - For a Life of Multiplication

- Guide 1: Jesus as a Baby

- Guide 2: Jesus as a Jewish Child

- Guide 3: Jesus the Carpenter

- Guide 4: Jesus’ Cousin - Preparing the Way for the Kingdom

Phase 2: Foundations - Modeling Multiplication

- Guide 5: Transition Experiences - Jesus’ Baptism and Temptations 

- Guide 6: “Come and See” - Jesus Calls His First Disciples

- Guide 7: “Follow Me” - Jesus’ Second Invitation 

- Guide 8: Jesus’ Reliance on Holy Spirit Power (Acronym)

- Guide 9: Jesus, the One Temple!

- Guide 10: Meeting Nicodemus - A Member of the Jewish Council

- Guide 11: Explosive Growth - More Disciples than John

- Guide 12: A Samaritan Woman Conversing with a Despised Relative

- Guide 13: A Royal Official - Healing Gentiles

- Guide 14: Essential Frames of Jesus’ Movement Building

Phase 3: Participation - Equipping for Expanded Outreach 

- Guide 15: On the Move - Major Transitions 

- Guide 16: Healing at Bethesda Pool - On Sabbath!

- Guide 17: “Come Fish with Me” - Jesus Invites Participation

- Guide 18: Fishing with Jesus - Trips One through Four

- Guide 19: Fishing with Jesus - trips Five and Six

- Guide 20: Fishing with Jesus - trips Seven

- Guide 21: More Sabbath Controversies - What Was It This Time?

- Guide 22: Essential Frames of Jesus’ Movement Building

Phase 4:  Leadership Multiplication  - Movement through Sacrificial Love

- Guide 23: A Night in Prayer - Choosing Leaders

- Guide 24: Jesus’ Upside-Down Game Plan - Invitation Four

- Guide 25: Leadership and Authority

- Guide 26: Leadership and Doubt

- Guide 27: Leadership and Gratitude

- Guide 28: Leadership and Rejection

- Guide 29: Leadership and Movement Foundations

- Guide 30: Leadership and Tough Assignments

- Guide 31: Leadership in Times of Crisis

- Guide 32: Leadership and Defection

- Guide 33: Leadership and Prejudice

- Guide 34: Leadership and the Rock

- Guide 35: Leadership and Team Politics

- Guide 36: What Was Jesus’ Idea of Church

- Guide 37: Essentials Shared Plainly and Openly

- Guide 38: The Person of Peace and the Steps to Multiplication

- Guide 39: Jesus’ Radical Worldview Affirmed 

- Guide 40: Jesus’ Key Disciple-making Principles Affirmed

- Guide The Last Come First

Phase 5: Movements - Through Holy Spirit Anointing

- Guide 42: Fruitfulness - Who Gives a Fig?

- Guide 43: Love - The Most Important Command

- Guide 44: Faithfulness - Watching and Working

- Guide 45: The Disinherited - “What She Has Done Will Be Told”

- Guide 46: Subversive Humility - On the Path of Life

- Guide 47: Succession to Holy Spirit Presence

- Guide 48: Sacrifice for Others - “Greater Love Has No One Than This”

- Guide 49: Passionate Witness to the Good News

- Guide 50: “Receive the Spirit: - Invitation Five

I was given this free advance review copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Review: How Our Brains Betray Us: Change the Way you Think and Make Better Decisions by Understanding the Cognitive Biases and Heuristics that Destroy Our lives!

How Our Brains Betray Us: Change the Way you Think and Make Better Decisions by Understanding the Cognitive Biases and Heuristics that Destroy Our lives! by Magnus McDaniels

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A current survey of our various mental foibles and biases that influence how we process the world around us.  It was well researched and presented, with an explanation of how the bias is and how/why it works that way it does … including what the evolutionary advantage was.  The bonus material after each explanation, are tips and tricks to limit the [negative] impact on our decision making … which seemed fairly reasonable to me, typically consisting of slowing down and being more deliberative.  Knowing about these biases and fallacies, we might be able to examine where these might not actually fit the facts and so correct any erroneous assumptions/presumptions.  Bottomline, it was a lot better than I expected it would be (there is also a pdf that comes with the Audible that is helpful as well).

1. Survivorship Bias

2. Confirmation Bias

3. Availability Heuristic

4. Loss Aversion Bias (Prospect Theory)

5. Hindsight Bias

6. Anchoring Bias (Priming)

7. Egocentric Bias

8. Pygmalion Effect Bias

9. Halo Effect Bias

10. Decision Fatigue Bias

11. Sunk Cost Fallacy

12. Reciprocation Tendency

13. William Poundstone (2016)

14. The Ben Franklin Effect

15. Cognitive Dissonance

16. Decoy Effect

17.. The Spotlight Effect

18. The Ikea Effect

19. (False Attribution Bias)

20. Bandwagon Effect

21. Framing Effect

22. Extension Neglect

23. Zero Risk

24. Ostrich Effect

25. Naive Realism

26. Self-Servicing Bias

27. Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon

28. Plan Continuation Bias

29. The Gambler’s Fallacy

30, Curse of Knowledge Bias

31. The Law of Small Numbers

32. Social Proof

33. Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)

34. The Lollapalooza Tendency

I was given this free advance listener copy (ALC) audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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