Vito Carlin

Approachable & Practical

Reviewed: 12-04-23

I'm reading four different books on discipleship for a Seminary class. Deep Discipleship and Transforming Discipleship by Greg Ogden were the best. If I were to list the top three I'd tie Ogden and English for the best (but they are the best for different reason's) you really have to read both. I think they appeal to different strategies, one will fit your context better. Third would be Jim Putman's Real Discipleship. What I like about each book is a clear and coherent definition of discipleship, a well thought out strategy, and clear instruction for implementation. If you looking for a great biblically sound source for disciple making and an executable strategy, pick up Deep Discipleship and the other two books. I'm confident there will be a standalone or a mix of ideas that will help you develop your strategy for making disciples.

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Big Let Down

Reviewed: 04-13-23

After reading the Jack Carr series, I read Brad Thor after Carr's numerous recommendations. It was a big disappointment. The writing was pedestrian. The story was not thought out well. The characters were barley introduced. Scant background. Gaps in the story. Too much useless and insignificant dialogue. His writing style is confusing. Character dialogue is hard to follow. Thor does not do a good job letting the reader know who is talking in longer dialogue narratives. The narrator's voice does not fit the characters. I found myself irritated and annoyed most of the time. There was no enjoyment or entertainment value in this reading experience. Maybe his other books are better, but I will never know because I will not read another Brad Thor novel.

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Enriching & Edifying

Reviewed: 08-03-22

A Christian classic. It was beneficial and enriching to read the early works of a church father who became so influential to the Church, theology, and practice.

The writing style in the Oxford University Press edition, translated by Henry Chadwick is very good, modern, and understandable.

The writing style of Augustine is different from modern standards. It is a mix of poetry, prose, autobiography, and Scripture quotation wrapped into his thought and voice. It can become hard to follow Augustine, at times when he speaks figuratively or allegorically. What he is saying may not be readily apparent to modern readers until they realize that he is speaking figuratively about his subject. For the vast majority of the work, a modern reader will be pleased to know they will understand most of what Augustine is saying. There are two major confessions that may be challenging for the modern reader: (1) when he speaks about time and (2) when he figuratively expounds on the Genesis creation story. The reader will be met with a cascade of thoughts that seem to be run-on in nature, staccato in pace, and boundless in depth. Do not fear - absorb what you can and reference the excellent footnotes for help, and keep turning the page. There is no need to get bogged down by abstract thoughts, which might be alien and foreign to modern readers' sensibilities.

Overall, it is well worth the time, effort, and energy to read Saint Augustine's Confessions at least once in your life. You will be enriched by its beauty and light.

I bought the audiobook and the physical book and read along with the narrator. It took me five days to complete the book.

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4 people found this helpful

Concise & Packed with References

Reviewed: 08-01-22

This is a thorough overview of the fundamentals of the Christian faith. However, this book is not only for new Christians. It is a fantastic library and reference resource. Each major doctrine as replete with Scriptural references and cross-references. This work considers the canonical view of Holy Scripture and synthesizes the storyline of the Bible to its subject matter. It works in nature similar to The New Treasury of Scripture Knowlege, however, it is focused on systematic theology. It really is a small theological reference library. Users will refer to this source many times over many years for Bible studies, sermon prep, lesson plans, and more.

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BEST book of the year!

Reviewed: 07-22-22

This year I have read over a dozen books. Matt Walsh', "Church of Cowards" is hands down the best book of the year! I am a Seminary student and in these dozen or so books were books about theology, church history, and hermeneutics. I have read books by current scholars. I have read books by old dead guys as well. Matt Walsh has a special gift. His writing is more theological than the professional academics. His pleas are more passionate than any expository preacher. I have heard more biblical truth, doctrinal insight, and persuasive didactic instruction from Matt in this book than from the pulpit on Sunday. I highly recommend you get a copy and read it, and tell your friends, they won't be disappointed.

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Foot Never Left the Accelerator

Reviewed: 12-27-21

Fast paced. Gets to the point. I hate books that belabor the plot setup. Jack Carr did a good job of keeping me interested. Although there a lot of characters in this story and several narrative changes, Carr did well to keep things tight and coherent. Carr's background allows him to breath realism into the characters, action and reaction, and the overall flow of the storyline. Very believable. I really enjoyed this book. I highly recommend it.

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Very Good Story, Pace, & Characters

Reviewed: 06-08-21

Storyline had a very good rhythm, kept me interested and listening. Narrator brought this story to life, gave each character their own heartbeat and pulse and was believable (excellent job).
Overall, I highly recommend this book. I'm buying True Believer (2019) right now and looking forward to reading that one to!

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It's Okay

Reviewed: 06-15-19

I find the backstory of individual traders interesting. Books that collect various stories can feel random since there is no overarching theme or central purpose that anchors the reader to the main point, so in that light, this book was just okay. Some stories were interesting, some were boring, some were helpful, and others were pointless musing. The narration was distracting and at times really irritating but most of the time I was able to block it out and listen to the story. The stories provide some (but limited) golden nuggets. I pick this book because I thought there would be more to glean from it and I was disappointed there weren't more insights, quotes, and nuggets of wisdom to take note of. I personally didn't enjoy the book that much, but I think in a more general sense the book is okay and some might find the stories more appealing and interesting.

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Terrible Book

Reviewed: 06-05-19

I wrote an Amazon review of this book. One of the worst books I've ever read. A lot of hype and promised explanations that fails to deliver. A lot of psuedo quasi research to support a subjective theory. Book fell flat. Ramblings and rabbit holes abound. No provided process, concrete steps to follow, or or useful information.

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1 person found this helpful

Good Read But Slightly Outdated

Reviewed: 06-04-19

Overall this book presents good information, practical advice, and is to the point. It's a classic. Personal computers were not in every home at this point so it straddles the line of "the old way" of putting on trades. The principals are timeless however you won't get up-to-date techniques or technology. I felt a few topics went into the proverbial rabbit hole, but other than that the information was concise and clear. I would recommend new and intermediate traders read / listen to this book.

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