101 Most Powerful Proverbs in the Bible (101 Most Powerful Series)

Rating:
Summary: A Mostly Good Mixed Bag
Review: I give this collection of devotional essays a definite thumbs-up. Maybe the reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is that it's like the Book of Proverbs in the Bible--not all of it applicable to my own life, so here and there a chapter didn't really interested me much. But I do like this approach of building a brief chapter around one verse from Proverbs, especially since a lot of them have to do with money matters, which is something we can all relate to. The book displays a huge amount of common sense, which (as it says in the Intro) isn't nearly as common as it should be. I guess my favorite sections were the ones dealing with bad companions, since I went through a phase years ago of having the worst kind of friends. I can recommend this book, with one caveat: just skip the chapters whose subjects don't really apply to your own life.

Rating:
Summary: Readable, and a Great Gift Book for Practically Anybody
Review: I have to admit I'm not that fond of most so-called "devotional" books, since they seem a little stuffy. This one isn't, not a bit. The chapters dealing with 101 verses from Proverbs take a unique and refreshing perspective on these ancient bits of wisdom. Just one curious example, a chapter on Proverbs 22:2, which reads "Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all." The chapter talks about, of all things, iced tea, which is called "the Great Southern Exercise in Democracy," noting that in the heat of summer, rich and poor Southerners all quench themselves with the same refreshing drink. My first reaction to this chapter was that it seemed a bit shallow, but it occurred to me that it was a perfect parable illustrating the Proverb. I also liked the chapters dealing with child-rearing. The Bible takes a pretty sober view of kids and the need to discipline and correct them, and so does this book, which includes some rather painful stories about how children behave when adults let them do as they please. Anyway, all in all I found this very enjoyable to read, especially since it introduced me to some Proverbs I wasn't familiar with. Since the chapters cover practically every sphere of human activity, this would make a nice gift book for practically anyone, especially with its attractive cover.

Rating:
Summary: Practically Enjoyable
Review: I mean this literally, for this book is practical and enjoyable, just as the Book of Proverbs is. I'm one of those people who has zero interest in theology, but I do have an interest in the Bible as a guide to living in the world. That is what the Proverbs are all about, ditto for these 101 brief meditations on some of the best Proverbs. The author does what some of the best preachers and writers do, pairing off Bible references with incidents from his own experience, relating to marriage, children, self-control, and other nuts-and-bolts matters we all deal with on a daily basis. This isn't "fancy" writing, just very direct, presenting readers with the Bible's very sane view of how to get along well (and morally) with one's fellow human beings. Most of the chapters were well written, but in particular the story about the "women without discretion," who had aged well on the outside but was an immoral wreck inwardly. Don't we all know people like that? Anyway, a hearty thumbs-up for this book.