Constantly Craving (Has Always Been)

Marilyn Meberg titles her lastest work “Constantly Craving: How to Make Sense of Always Wanting More.” While the premise is good, especially for the American culture in this day and age,unfortunately the title comes a little too prophetic to describe the reader’s reaction to any given chapter. However, one advantage of the book is that she is able to overcome her age (for some reason, readers seem more reluctant toread something by a 72 year old woman than a 72 year old man) and write something that crosses generations, and even has a cover that appeals to multiple generations.

However, anyone seeking many answers in this book will find themselves mainly disappointed. She spends approximately half of the book describing things that most humans crave that, while not destructive in and of themselves, will also not lead to fulfillment or salvation. Every chapter seems to just kind of leave things hanging, without a concise wrap up, and God is barely brought in to those chapters. She then switches gears and goes to the more spiritual chapters, which while the contentis good, she never truly bridges the gap between earthly and heavenly desires in the way other Christian psychologist authors such as Cloud and Townsend have been able to do. While this book was not a terrible read, I do not honestly see myself recommending it to anyone.

I received this book from ThomasNelson’s Booksneeze promotion in exchange for a fair and honest review

“The Coming Revolution”–Dr. Richard G. Lee

Do not be dismayed by the storm clouds on the cover—this book is no sensationalist type reading that has become relatively prevalent in the evangelical shelves. Instead this book is just what it advertises in the subtitle—“Signs from America’s past that signal our nation’s future.” I would greatly recommend this for both a homeschool curriculum for the American Revolution or for anyone who wants a quick refresher on the topic.

While the book does not go too deep into any subject (it is, after all, just over 200 pages of relatively large print!), it provides a great overview of both the colonial period and the early days of revolution. Not surprisingly, the author gives a great amount of focus to the Great Awakening, however, it also clarifies the meaning and implications of the Great Awakening much more than high school history courses did (despite my wonderful US history teacher). Lee shows how the Great Awakening both unified the states and created a religious culture that became a more permanent fixture in the United States than in Europe.

While this book contains a few scriptural references, it is much more a historical and cultural reference. I would greatly recommend this to anyone wanting to understand America’s heritage as a Christian nation.

I received this book from Booksneeze in exchange for my fair and honest review.