Four Books: Great Journeys through Travel, Marriage, and Faith

Book One

These are abnormal book reviews. And Wadi Rum was an abnormal trip to the desert.

One of my favorite days of 2004 transpired about one-third of the way around the world from my native Montana—in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Thankfully, I was there in March, so the red desert was comfortable (in shorts and t-shirts), not impossibly hot.

The copper-colored sand, the steep mountains, the lifeless valley floor, the total lack of moisture, the awesome emptiness, the fearsome beauty, the Bedouin smiles and tents, the long saunter, the restful evening in another spectacular place—Petra—the late-night talk on the edge of a cliff, and especially the amazing friends who joined me through it all…Yes, it was a spectacular day.

So when my mom brought me a little book in 2012 by Casa Editrice Plurigraf called Wadi Rum: The Desert of the Bedouin, I eagerly soaked it up, and let my memories flow. Plurigraf obviously spoke English as a second or third language—or else had a worthless editor—but the history and politics and culture of the Bedouins of southern Jordan were clear and intriguing.

I hope to return someday soon.

Book Two

I typically consider myself an optimist, although I can be dreadfully pessimistic, too. So I think it is often better to affirm good things (and good books) more often than avoid bad things (and bad books). That said, one book is atop my terrifying and never read again list: Brave New World by Aldus Huxley.

The only redeeming quality to this tale is its strong warning against cultivating a godless, amoral society—what one could call hell on earth. But for stout and faint-hearted readers alike, Huxley’s famous work just sits in that hell from start to finish and details every aspect of it in a horrifically nonchalant manner.

Not unlike a 9/11 memory, I still recall where I was and what I was doing when I heard the worst part of the book. (Are not unabridged audio books terrific?) I was delivering packages for FedEx Ground on a gravel road, Morrison Lane, on the western slopes of the Crazy Mountains in south-central Montana.

Huxley’s graphic imagination does not merit repetition. Suffice to say that depicting baby torture as morally neutral or even socially good is deplorable—even if only in the eyes of his characters. One part of Huxley’s book echoes back to earlier eras, when real literature, learning, and life still existed. But to me, even this was presented grimly and does not justify another trip into his awful new world. Hell is a hopeless destination, but mercifully God offers His creation eternal hope on this earth.

Book Three

A famous American preacher, Chuck Swindoll, once said he reads a book on marriage each year. He has been married for more than fifty years.

I do not read marriage books every year, and I have been married for just six years. But one book both my wife and I have read is The Five Love Languages: How to Express Commitment to Your Mate, by Gary Chapman.

We learned about the five ways in which humans typically give and receive love, and discovered some of each other’s (and our own!) preferences. We sometimes keep these differences / desires in mind as we seek to grow in our relationship and work through our cold moments. Most people like receiving all five languages of love, but they really only crave one or two.

Sometimes what a person needs the most is what the other person has the hardest time doing, but it is good to learn this for progress to be made. Seemingly offensive words or actions can quickly become innocent if we know more about what is really going on in our spouse’s heart.

So, what are the five love languages? Quality time, words of encouragement, physical touch, acts of service, and giving gifts. Which ones are mine? Ask my bride!

Book Four

Wadi Rum was no best-seller, and as a foreign book by a minor publisher, it probably even lacks an ISBN. Likewise, Alan Stringfellow’s Through the Bible in One Year has acquired a relatively small following. Two friends with Ph.D.’s in religious or theological fields knew nothing of him or it (although Stringfellow just republished it this year under a new publisher—and it does have an ISBN).

So why mention such a little known book?

Before getting to that, more caveats are needed. The book reads like a textbook outline. The very traditionalist approaches to the material are sometimes distracting. And I disagree with the author on several points—though we agree more often than not.

So really, why on earth do I highlight this book?

Quite simply, because of the Book to which it points. Of course, countless books guide readers to the Bible. But for me, Through the Bible in One Year became Through the Bible in Three Years. I used the book as a guide and a companion (but not a replacement) to my reading of the Bible in what became the longest and greatest walk through the world’s best seller so far in my life, from 2008-2011.

I absorbed the Scriptures and Stringfellow’s insights and summaries in exceptional ways. I began taking notes (he provides lots of room on each page), and my use of ink noticeably increased as I charged ahead month after month. My faith in God and enjoyment of His Word changed forever.