Manager Mind - How we work

 I often tell my team that there's 2 questions I constantly consider for our team and each individual in it (myself included). 

1. Are we working on the right things?

2. Are we working well and efficiently? 

What we work on (#1) is extremely important for feature and product execution. But how we work on them (#2) is more consistently in each individual's control and directly tied to career performance and will be the focus of this post. [Should add more disclaimers about #1 being important also, but maybe will save that for another time.]

How we work

It's not unusual for junior engineers to be assigned the similar tasks as senior engineers, but the expectations for execution and output are very different. I've categorized them into a few buckets below. 

• Velocity - Code and feature throughput. Frankly, senior devs should be significantly faster and more efficient than juniors.
• Thoroughness and completeness - Error handling, accessibility, globalization, edge cases, testing and automation
• Quality - Pixel-perfection, performance, craftsmanship, eng excellence
• Collaboration and leadership - Driving clarity, working with partners and dependencies, fostering positive energy, generating excitement and visibility. 

Implications

• You can excel with (almost any) assignment. While managers strive to give level-appropriate work to everyone, reality is that there's work that needs to be done, and "level-appropriate" can have a wide range.
• Expectations are not the same across junior and senior devs. This isn't new, but really worth internalizing. Using others, esp in different levels, as benchmarks for your own performance is dangerous.
• Be intentional and don't play down to your more junior peers, which is especially a risk for seniors working on feature execution. 

Assorted ACL#3 Thoughts

This one feels different. Well. It physically feels the same, which is why despite the confusing, ambiguous MRI report, I'm fairly certain it's a serious knee injury aka ACL (will get more clarity after ortho surgeon appt in early Jan). But with wife and kids, it's different. 

When I tore my first ACLs 7 and 9 years ago, what upset me the most is the inability to play ultimate and hang out with my friends. Now, it's mainly from 1) the understanding that this very well could be the end of my ultimate career (Sam gave me one more major injury before a forced retirement) and 2) not being able to fulfill my primary roles of being a good partner to Sam by being a good dad to our kids. Unlike previously, ultimate isn't as core to my identity or social life, but this injury more materially impacts those who depend on me.

The injury happened during league - was smokin the other team (think I scored 4 or 5 already that night). Kicked out with my leg laterally on a mark, brought it down hard, then snap-crackle-pop. Pain, scream, tears, sadness. As I said sitting on the field, "The tears aren't from the pain - it's from knowing that's the end of my career." Sobbing on the sideline, so so grateful for the pats on the back and encouragements, and the friends surrounding me. But really, more than anything, just wanted to be home.

The mental portion of serious injury is almost harder than the physical toll. Those who've been there know. Like Samson, who carried me to the car. And Scott, who greeted me at church acknowledging the mental part being the hardest. I've shed more tears this last week than I have in a long, long time. Reminding myself daily of Samson's advice to me as he loaded me into the car - "Don't overthink it."

Self talk is important. My mantra for this one is "Stronger every day. I'm unstoppable". Custom Etsy shirt being ordered right now. The grind begins anew. 

"With your pain, you are imitating Christ." - Nun to Pope Francis. Communion is exactly what I needed that Sunday - a physical sign of an physically incarnate God for a physically broken man, and one of the many reasons I love that our church partakes weekly. "This is my body, broken for you" hits different when your own body is broken.

With the injury, it's all of a sudden possible to continue my high rate of book reading in 2023, previously only due to paternity leave.

"I'm really glad I'm not slow." < I said this in my head to myself a few weeks ago. Welp. Reminds me of my reflection after ACL#1 (should I start naming them?). 

Crabapple Baptist and Corporate Sin

Not gonna lie, the statement by Crabapple First Baptist Church, the Atlanta shooter's church, was better than I expected. It denounced violence, repudiated racism, grieved for the victims, and recognized its effects on the Asian-American community. But it still rang hollow. Something was missing. 

My immediate reaction that I sent to friends was: "It's pretty good, but also seems to lacks any sort of reflection (something like "We are evaluating and investigating gaps in our Christian education or church values...) . Hard to judge from the outside though, cuz maybe they did try. Like the sexual abuse stuff, need to recognize the importance of institutions, rather than when someone does something bad being like "Oops. That person is bad and we condemn them" and having that repeat continually." 

It was hard to articulate my dissatisfaction with the statement until I listened to Pastor Iron's podcast on Systemic Racism and read Timothy Cho's article on corporate sin (also linked below). In essence, Pastor Iron and Tim Cho communicate how Biblically, a whole group of people can be considered guilty for an individual's sin. This idea of corporate responsibility may seem initially repulsive to the hyper-individualistic Westerner, but the idea of collective guilt is self-evident to many others through our taught culture and lived experience. For Easterners, a person has the ability to bring shame or honor on her own family (as Mulan famously taught white people - the original one though, not the live action 😤). Minorities are also very aware of the perceptions that others in their group help perpetuate and the real consequences these perceptions create (see - Muslims after 9/11). Whether it's sexual abuse, systemic racism, or domestic terrorism, the question we must deal with is the same - Do we treat bad actors as merely "bad apples" (or "bad Crabapple", in this case 😛) or do we examine if there's something wrong with the environment that spawns seemingly unending bad apples? 

Now, back to Crabapple First Baptist Church. Rather than admit that "one of us" committed the atrocities, Crabapple church absolved themselves of responsibility by essentially communicating that the shooter was "never truly one of us", even though the evidence is clearly to the contrary, as he was a communing member of the church. Quick to exonerate themselves, Crabapple church failed to take any responsibility as a community of examining itself if it fostered a culture where racism and sexism could flourish. There's not a hint of corporate responsibility to be found, nor even the desire to consider how or why the evil in his heart was allowed to fester. In self-absolution, improvement and systemic change has no opportunity to occur, as the church and community never ask themselves if they contributed to or failed to prevent the problem, allowing cycles of sin to continue.  

I'm not saying that Crabapple church was necessarily an evil, toxic place. To the contrary, Chul Yoo, an Asian American pastor who used to attend, seems to indicate otherwise. But Yoo says in his article what I really wish Crabapple church committed to in their statement - "As they grieve, Crabapple will be able to carefully consider any blind spots brought to light by this incident, and the rest of us too will have a chance to take a closer look at our own churches, institutions, and hearts." 

Links / Resources

• Baptist Press - Georgia church condemns ‘extreme and wicked’ actions of member, initiates church discipline (Full statement included)
• Timothy Isaiah Cho - John Calvin’s Views on Corporate Sin Applied to Racial Justice
• Grace Fireside Chat - Systemic Racism
• CT - The Atlanta Shooter Targeted My Community. He Also Came from My Former Church.

The root of all evil.

Jesus said that "the love of money is the root of all evil." It sure is a good thing that I don't love money.

It's impossible - I give too much of it away, after all. Recurring payments to church and charity. Examine my budget and giving statements - you'll see. My mailbox is full of prayer letters and ministry updates. I don't need to read them to know my donations are making an impact. And hey if you need support, just ask and I'll probably say yes. "Prayerful consideration" is just a euphemism others make for loving money (or not being as financially gifted by God as I am). Fortunately for me, "it's more blessed to give than receive", which is also why I don't have needs for community.

Obviously, I can't give it all away. God called me to be a steward of resources. Jesus did tell the rich young ruler to give it all away and follow Him, but commentaries say that's a specific command to the rich young ruler, not a universal imperative. Look it up. Anyways, I give the firstfruit of my paycheck. Around 10%, post-tax and 401k, way more than the Evangelical average of 2.5%, and this doesn't even include my corporate matching! Christians should give more to God's work - the Church is rampant with greedy people who really need to give more like me.

I'm a steward, detached from the love of money, which means God has called me to stay relatively wealthy to support the people who God actually called to sacrifice their livelihoods. You can think of me as the Dorcas to your Paul and Silas. I meditate gratefully on my salary and net worth because I'm so secure - financially security is an important testimony to others. If I don't provide for my family, who will?! My personal comfort is only a distant side benefit for me, which I would give up in an instant if God called me to (He hasn't yet). And anyways, I'm glorifying God in my enjoyment of His gifts!

God's entrusted me with funds for safekeeping and growth, which you better believe I'm not going to bury in the ground. By investing in the market, I'm investing in the kingdom. By investing in a house (an appreciating asset) to host Bible studies in an area with a good school district for my kids to grow up to make money to give to God, I'm investing in the kingdom. By investing in my career for promotions, bonuses, and raises, I'm investing in the kingdom. My discontent of my current salary is a righteous indignation on behalf of God, who I could give more to if my manager finally gave me that promotion.

It's a good thing I'm an informed investor (who, as a reminder, does not love money). Checking the market daily is key to the spiritual practice of smart investing, as are the podcasts I listen to and the news I follow. Chatting with others about the market activity daily is worshipful investing, doing my due diligence to make sure I don't miss out on important gains. Closely tracking GME, AMC, BTC, BA, Tesla is an hourly spiritual discipline God has called me to. Ultimately,  I do it all to serve God - if my portfolio does well, God gets more money! The more I make, the more I can give to God!

"The love of money is the root of all evil." Praise God I don't love money. 

Book Review - Reading While Black by Esau McCaulley

Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope by Esau McCaulley
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐(4 of 5 stars)

Why you should read this book: You'll understand and be challenged by Scripture from an important but oft-suppressed voice.

Why you should not read this book: The arguments presented are intentionally not novel or mindblowingly innovative.

Reading While Black surveys a few topics of black contexualization of Scripture, briefly reviewing some history of the black church and ecclesial, interpretative disputes within the black church. After an insightful first chapter on his motivation for writing the book, McCaulley dives into a series of topics (police, political witness, pursuit of justice, etc), specifically exegeting one or two passages of Scripture to support his broader point. I found this brief, simple and introductory presentation compelling and approachable - instead of attempting to provide exhaustive and comprehensive evidence (better for an academic setting), he offers the reader enough convincing evidence in a specific passage and links the argument back to the larger Biblical narrative.

My favorite part of the book was actually learning the internal conversations within the black church and the brief history of tensions between those who hold on to orthodoxy and those who have become significantly more progressive. The relation between theologically conservative and progressive Christianity is personally interesting to me, and the window McCaulley shares for viewing the black church is fascinating and helpful. Reading While Black handles adeptly the balance between being written for both black and non-black Christians.

"This book is not successful if it has been innovative; I have succeeded if it has reminded others of home." I'm grateful that McCaulley has shared his home, his his spiritual heritage with me, and I can confirm that this book is successfully not innovative or novel. Many who have experienced diverse, multi-ethnic fellowship will be familiar with frameworks presented but will still be challenged towards a deeper, fuller understanding of Scripture. Some portions of the book don't resonate deeply with me (such the reality of Africans in the Bible) and bordered on being tedious, but it's clear that McCaulley is responding to specific arguments that need to be refuted. It's dismaying and telling that McCaulley needs to defend some of these basic truths, and in a sense, I wish portions of the book did not need to be written. But they do, and so I'm grateful for his responses. For example, the premises of his book - the reality that everyone reads Scripture from a specific context and lens, is intuitive, unsurprising, and unfortunately controversial.

While much of Reading While Black responds to typical white American evangelical interpretation and assumptions, McCaulley focuses more on expounding his Biblical interpretation rather than deconstructing white evangelical interpretation (for this, I highly recommend Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes). This scope is appropriate for this book, but a more complete understanding of Scripture (and subsequently any contextual reading of Scripture, such as Reading While Black) can only be understood by the reader after understanding how their own background and experiences shapes their reading of Scripture. Reading While Black is an important work for anyone looking to more fully understand Scripture, a hopeful, encouraging work that challenges the reader not only with the contributions and insights of the black church, but also to consider your specific role and participation in God's revelation. I eagerly await someone to write "Reading While Asian-American" 😀

View all my reviews

Book Review - Dare to Serve by Cheryl Bachelder

Dare to Serve: How to Drive Superior Results by Serving Others by Cheryl A. Bachelder
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 of 5 stars)

You should read this if: You're looking for an other-centric, service-oriented perspective on career and leadership with thought-provoking reflection questions.

You should not read this if: You're looking for novel bright thoughts on leadership, not old tried and true ideas.

Review:

My personal work philosophy has been "put others first", which has helped me grow personally and in career in the last few years. Dare to Serve articulates and fleshes out my personal principles, goals, and convictions on work and leadership. Too often, the portrait we see of leadership and management is a me-centric, personally ambitious, win-at-all-costs leadership, which is unappealing but also ineffective. Combining personal experience, research, and wisdom, Bachelder shows us another way - the humble servant yet daring leadership.

Much of the content of this book will be familiar to readers, such as setting personal mission statements and principles, having goals knowing your stakeholders. However, Bachelder distinctly frames these well-known personal techniques into her larger mission and framework of serving others, imparting greater overall meaning and motivation. Bachelder helpfully illustrates her own practices embodied at Popeyes. While there is undoubtedly sugar-coating, I appreciated show Bachelder addresses the elephant in the room of translating corporate-speak BS to truly be internalized and solidified as culture (rather than being a plaque, as she describes).

Bachelder also helpfully challenges the reader with many thoughtful reflection questions. Most of us would profess to wanting to be humble and selfless, but our inner thoughts and attitudes and our external actions would betray our real, hidden motivations. Do I love the people I work with? Am I seeking their benefit? What are the qualities in my favorite bosses that I look to emulate?

As a Christian, I found it uncanny how similar my worldview was to that presented in the book and suspected the author to be religious (Chapter 1 is titled "Whom shall I serve"!), which was proven to be correct towards the end of the book. I'm so glad I found this book - it gives a voice to the leader I hope to be growing into.

View all my reviews

Quotes:

“Efficiency with people ruins relationships.”

"Influencing and persuading others is ultimately more effective than exercising authority over them.”

"Don’t let your principles sit idle on a plaque. Bring them to life."

Book Review - Unfuck Your Brain by Faith G. Harper

Unfuck Your Brain: Using Science to Get Over Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Freak-Outs, and Triggers by Faith G. Harper
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐(3 of 5 stars)

You should read this if: You're struggling with mental health but don't know anything about mental health issues and need a primer. And you don't mind an ultra-casual tone. But really, why not just see a therapist?

You should not read this if: You're someone looking to understand and support others struggling with mental health issues.

Review

First, the swearing, casual tone, and humor. It seems like most people hate it or simply tolerate it, but few actually prefer it. I personally found it a bit distracting - while the jokes were occasionally funny, the swearing never felt comfortable to me. While the humor offers levity to an otherwise heavy topic, it felt out of place for a doctor to discuss such afflictions jokingly and actually felt a bit condescending. I don't need you to swear for me to read a book.

Harper covers a broad range of mental health issues, from depression to anxiety to trauma, giving helpful overviews of each and some practical ways to think about issues and techniques to mitigate or combat them. While Harper does say that the best route is to go to a therapist, the effective takeaway often still feels like "Do these things and it will fix or mitigate your mental health issues", which really isn't helpful for anyone with deep issues.

To me, the root issue is that Harper fails to communicate and distinguish between the severity of mental health issues people may have. While reading this book and taking some of the tips and suggestions may be sufficient for people with milder anxiety issues, people with more significant issues will find little value in attempting to fix their depression by holding ice in their hands and may actually feel shame if the tips don't work. Ultimately, everyone reading the book who suffers significantly from what is described should see a therapist, who would hopefully communicate the relevant parts of what Harper describes.

For those looking to love and support those with mental health issues, this book gives an introductory look into what they may be going through but offers little else, other than practical advice, which is the absolute worst thing to shoot at those struggling.

View all my reviews

Book Review - House to House by David Bellavia

House to House: An Epic Memoir of War by David Bellavia
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐(4 of 5 stars)

You should read this if: You enjoyed Black Hawk Down and are familiar with military terms.

You should not read this if: Macho masculinity and mild glorification of war is repulsive to you.

House to House is the book version of Black Hawk Down - character development, moral takeaways, and overarching storytelling is secondary to non-stop, realistic action. As a non-military reader, much of the lingo and cultural assumptions went over my head, as the author didn't stop to describe what a "Bradley" or "SAW" were, but I'm sure that this won't trip up most readers.

The attitudes, macho masculinity, and politically incorrect speech / slurs will certainly be offputting to many people (people who are less likely to read this book in the first place), but it's important to remember that this is a memoir and our soldiers simply experience a different life than most of us. Rather than expect the book to discuss the validity of the Iraq war or have more meta reflections of the terribleness of war, the book is a lot more enjoyable and insightful reader as an honest portrayal of war and the men who wage it. It's ugly through and through - from the violence and physical destruction to the inward trauma, racism, and hatred to the collapsing family lives.

This book was a 3-star book for the majority of it. I personally did not prefer the "drop into war zone" feel, with little context to the situation or characters. However, the last couple of chapters linger and will stay with me. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

View all my reviews

Book Review - 1776 by David McCullough

1776 by David McCullough
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3 of 5 stars)

You should read this if: You love history and are okay with reading a collection of facts.

You should not read this if: You're looking for a comprehensive account of the American Revolution or a bigger picture narrative.

For those unaware, this book is very literally an account of the year 1776, only covering events from this specific year . I expected a comprehensive end-to-end book on the American Revolution and was disappointed to be essentially dropped into a book scoped to a single year. This book felt more like a history book and a collection of facts than a coherent narrative or account. There are few overarching themes and George Washington is basically the only character that is significantly followed.

History geeks may appreciate the many trivia tidbits provided. From the dress of the soldiers to the underlying political motivations of the British general, there's a lot of "wow, that's interesting" moments in 1776. But that's about as deep as the engagement becomes. Emotional connection to characters are nonexistent, and there's really barely a real story that is being followed. For people not familiar with American history, I imagine this book would be exceedingly confusing.

Audiobook Note - The audiobook seems to have two readers - a male and a female - seemingly arbitrarily switching between the two readers, confusing and distracting me. The rhyme or reason to the different readers is not at all clear.

Reading 1776 reminded me of reading a textbook, giving the feeling that I might be quizzed at some point about the various facts presented in the book. Meh. I don't get the praise for this book.

View all my reviews

Book Review - George Whitefield [Abridged] by Arnold Dallimore

George Whitefield by Arnold A. Dallimore
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐

You should read this if: You're interested in a fairly short overview of George Whitfield's life from various accounts, particularly his relationship with the Wesleys. Or if you're already very familiar with Whitfield's life and teaching and are interested in the primary sources presented.

You should not read this if: You're looking to learn about Whitfield's theological beliefs in-depth. Or if historical white-washing and hero worship turn you off.

Review

"George Whitfield was a great preacher who seemed to have a big influence, and everyone liked him. Except for John Wesley at first, but even he liked him in the end." Along with some historical details, that's basically the whole book. Given this is an abridgement of a much larger volume which I haven't read, the brevity on some topics is understandable but the outcome is underwhelming. While some details of Whitfield's life were interesting (I did not realize the extent of his travels between America and Europe), there's a noticeable lack of depth presented on Whitfield as a real human being, sinner but saved by grace. My view and knowledge of Whitfield is fairly unchanged before and after reading this book - he was a great evangelist who people loved to hear from.

Perhaps my judgement on this biography is shaped by a more modern, critical approach to viewing historical persons, but the effusive praise ends up giving a very shallow view of George Whitfield. What were his weaknesses and struggles? Other than his failure to repudiate slavery and being a slave owner (a significant issue which is addressed too briefly), what other failures did he have? What doubts or fears did Whitfield have, or was he really the superman presented who feared nothing? Is the sum of a man's life really just his external deeds and accomplishments? Instead of a well-rounded, relatable human being, we're presented with an essentially infallible figure, which is both certainly unrealistic but also unsatisfying to read.

This biography doesn't attempt to describe particular theological beliefs, denominations, or church structures, so only those with the appropriate background will be able to understand and appreciate some of the discussion. Readers are not presented with any background to what Calvinism is, Biblical support for or against predestination, or what a Maldovian is. While in-depth descriptions are likely intentionally avoided in this short biography, these omissions make the book significantly less accessible and difficult to recommend.

View all my reviews

Book Review - Molly's Game by Molly Bloom

Molly's Game: From Hollywood's Elite to Wall Street's Billionaire Boys Club, My High-Stakes Adventure in the World of Underground Poker by Molly Bloom
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 of 5 stars)

Why you should read this book: It's a fun, almost unbelievable tale of career and influence success set in opulent luxury.

Why you should not read this book: As much it's a book centered around poker, it's not actually a book about poker.

Review

In an almost too-crazy-to-believe story, Molly's Game recounts Molly Bloom's rise in a celebrity-filled underground world. It's a really fun read/listen, as we listen to Molly's development and all the interesting and gloriously unrelatable challenges she ran into. At its core, the book is about how Molly was able to successfully read people and understand their motivations, desires, and "tells". Molly is a fantastically gifted and gritty character, almost feeling like a superhero at times with her ability to understand and satisfy/manipulate other extremely talented and successful people.

As much as I enjoyed the character-centric narrative, I wish Molly's Game spent more time on some the more nitty-gritty aspects of her operations, such as detailing the logistical complexities and describing the rich settings and their associated costs. For those of us who haven't even come close to experiencing the luxuries described, it can be hard to understand and picture what "the nicest room at the Four Seasons" is like. People are known to be bad at understanding quantities, so sometimes it can be hard to really internalize and really feel the enormous sums of money that are being discussed - for most people, a poker game with a buy-in of 5k, 50k, and 250k are equally unattainable!

View all my reviews

Book Review - Grit by Angela Duckworth

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 of 5 stars)

You should read this if: You're interested in personal growth willing to do some self-reflective work. And if you're willing to re-read about some common self-improvement ideas.

You should not read this if: You're looking for a practical, step-by-step tutorial on building perseverance in yourself or others.

The influence of some individuals/books are so significant and sweeping that reading their works ends up seeming obvious and unoriginal or even boring (such as Mere Christianity). I suspect Angela Duckworth has influenced and evangelized herself out of a novel book, of which she should be proud. Grit covers many common self-improvement concepts, from passion to growth mindset to optimism, citing various interesting studies and examples. Readers well-versed in these concepts may find these sections tedious, but I didn't mind them too much.

Despite the self-help feel of the book, it's really more descriptive than prescriptive. The research on the effectiveness and importance of grit compelling, but I found the practical advice significantly weaker, ranging from self-evident (deliberate practice) to unhelpfully abstract (find something you're passionate in). As a new parent, the parenting section was helpful in theory (model grittiness, try various hobbies, commit to hard things), but I imagine that real life decisions will not be as cut and dry as portrayed.

That said, Duckworth does really highlight the importance of grit and the outcomes it achieves, balancing the talent vs effort question quite convincingly. In describing the environments and circumstances that foster building grit, she focuses significantly more on the personal and familial aspects, rarely discussing cultural factors. To me, this is a large omission. Immigrant populations of all races globally are disproportionately successful. Various cultures have deeply-embedded aspects of grit (the idea that a kid is simply "bad at math" isn't found in Asian households) and failing to consider or communicate cultural influences leads to an incomplete American individualistic perspective.

The best thing about reading Grit has been reflecting and discussing on my own level of grittiness, how it manifests, and how it was built, considering the various influences and experiences of my own life. Even though my wife didn't read this book, the accessibility of the concepts and general familiarity with the topics helped us have some long, meaningful discussions. This concepts in this book have helped us understand ourselves more and also clarify some of our parenting philosophy.

View all my reviews

Quotes:

"As much as talent counts, effort counts twice."

"Greatness is many, many individual feats, and each of them is doable."

"At its core, the idea of purpose is the idea that what we do matters to people other than ourselves."

Book Review - Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5 of 5 stars)

You should read this if: You're looking for a intriguing, well-written war account.

You should not read this if: You can't handle war crimes and atrocities.

Unbroken is an enrapturing, immersive account of one man's experience in the craziness and brutality of war. Unlike how the marketing materials portray the story, the book isn't quite "inspiring" or "uplifting". While it's true that in some ways the human spirit prevails, this book exposes the darkness embedded in humans and the evil of war.

There are parts of this story that I will never forget, which I won't spoil. The vivid descriptions, the smart pacing - all of it helps the reader really internalize and feel (as much as one who hasn't experienced this can) the physical and emotional experiences of the men. If I had one complaint about the book, it would be that it can seem like the author whitewashes and trivializes some of the mental health effects on the men. While she does go to some length describing some effects towards the end of the book, the tone from Zamp's perspective is surprisingly optimistic and generally hopeful throughout. Whether or not this was truly Zamp's disposition, it certainly would not be for all his comrades.

Hillenbrand provides historical context in interesting and immersive ways, which is key to readable and educational biographies. While primarily tracking Zamporini's life, she adeptly fills the reader in to the other happenings in the world, both personal (like Zamp's family) and global (state of the war). Hillenbrand also expertly introduces and builds familiarity with many different individuals, each with their own stories and personalities. I was honestly surprised at my ability to remember all of the names and their stories as the book progressed, a feat that many books have failed at and testament to the fine writing.

I read this book without watching the movie, which I recommend to anyone new to both. The book communicates the gravity of the situation, the length of time, and horrors of war much more clearly than the movie.

View all my reviews

Book Review - Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine

Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 of 5 stars)

You should read this book if : You're looking for an unpretentious guilty-pleasure page-turner with a generally likeable lead character.

Why you should not read this book: If murder isn't your thing, or you're looking for mindblowing insights about life.

Review

Stillhouse Lake surprised me. On one hand, other than the interesting premise of an innocent wife of a serial killer, there isn't much else that's novel about the book. Guns galore, paranoia, sketchy men - it's all been done before...but Stillhouse Lake does it really well. In particular, the main character in these on-the-run books are often unbearably irritating, making mind-blowingly idiotic decisions while constantly dripping in self-pity, causing me to root against them. In contrast, despite her understandable paranoia, I found myself quite invested in Gina and her kids. In addition to the immediate threat of being discovered, the developments in the kids and family dynamics was emotion and empathy-rousing.

I particularly enjoyed the whodunit nature of the interactions with the other distinctive, interesting characters. Possibly heightened due to having recently read "The Body Keeps the Score" and "What's a Girl Worth", the author successfully embedded a deep distrust of the all the men in the book. Who is safe and who isn't? Are all the men bad, or are there any good guys?

Discovering upon completion that this book is actually the first in a series was actually disappointing. I enjoyed the book a lot, but am not ready to sign up for 4 more books (how much progression could there really be?). That said, this book is still very readable as a stand-alone book.

Because it engrossed me and turning those pages late into the night, it's hard to rate this book anything under 5 stars.

View all my reviews

Book Review - Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand

Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

You should read this if: You're willing to be challenged by the memoir of a man who has suffered much for Christ along with countless others. Also, if you need encouragement that God is alive and working.

You should not read this if: You're looking for a bigger-picture Christian historical accounts.

Summary

Tortured for Christ is a rightfully a classic - it's short and easy to read (the writing, not the subject material). Not only does Wurmbrand recount his ministry and suffering, he challenges the free church to love and care for our brothers and sisters in persecuted nations. Personally, accounts of the faithfulness of saints always stir the heart. In particular Wurmbrand's intention of directing attention to others is obvious, as he highlights the faithfulness of the nameless Christians who now are adorned with a crown of life.

The atrocities are great, but love is greater. Perhaps the most astonishing aspect presented is the love and forgiveness portrayed by Christians. Reading the book, I could feel my own anger well up within me, and God's protection over the souls of the believers truly surpasses human understanding. Praise God for his miraculous work of his salvation and his presence with his people. While I pray that I would have the faith of those Christians, I know it came at the cost of deep suffering. It is truly of great encouragement, however, to know that God truly is enough and graciously provides for his children for all circumstances.

Some Christians may reflexively be repulsed by some his strong political stances, but we should do some soul-searching and reflect on his challenge - that the suffering of peoples under our foreign or domestic policy is a Christian responsibility (which also is not dissimilar from arguments in McCaulley's Reading While Black). Have we wealthy, Western Christians used "separation of church and state" as an excuse, an absolution of responsibility?

View all my reviews

Quotes: 

“Bible verses remain true, even if the devil quotes them.”

“The Bible he gave me was written not so much in words but in flames of love, fired by his prayers.”

“Men are responsible before God, not only for their personal sins but also for their national sins. The tragedy of all the captive nations is a responsibility on the hearts of American and British Christians. Americans must know that they have at times unwittingly assisted the Russians in imposing on us a regime murder of and terror.”

“Ask yourself if it is not also your sin that such tragedies occur, that such Christian families are alone and not helped by you who are free.”

“My only prayer repeated again and again was "Jesus, I love you.”

“The value of the Bibles smuggled in by these means cannot be understood by an American or an English Christian who “swims” in Bibles.”

Book Review - The Big Short by Michael Lewis

The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐(4 of 5 stars)

You should read this if: You've watched the movie and enjoyed it!

You should not read this book if: Financial markets really don't interest you and you're looking for a character-driven narrative.

Summary

Michael Lewis's fantastic writing is on display in this book, bringing to life what may otherwise be boring individuals in a dry topic. The subject material involved is complex and hard-to-understand, but Lewis makes the basic concepts accessible, and I was able to enjoy the book even though I never fully grasped the full mechanics of how credit default swaps work. There's something about Michael Lewis's writing that is absolutely hilarious - I remember chuckling throughout the book from imaginative descriptions, which lesser writers would leave as mundane and boring.

This may not be the experience of all, but I actually think that previously having seen the movie contributed to my enjoyment of the book. The detailed descriptions of Eisman were bolstered by my mental image of Steve Carrell's acting. My mental image of Wing Chao's smug, punchable face from the movie persisted in the chapter descripting the enlightening Vegas dinner. Without having seen the movie, readers may find the characters disconnected and the narrative jumpy.

I wish the book spent more time on both the immediate and long-term effects of the housing crisis, for both regular people and the complicit financial institutions. Despite the big buildup, the ending felt a bit rushed and unsatisfying, especially with an event of such magnitude.

Fun book. Watch the movie if you haven't seen it!

View all my reviews

Book Review - Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren

Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 of 5 stars)

Why you should read this: If you're looking for a beautifully-written, honest, authentic, and encouraging survey of Christian living, focused on God's grace in our every day lives.

Why you should not read this: If you're looking for practical "how-to's" and behavioral tips which are necessary but not foundational, as the contents of this book are.

Key quote: "What kind of people is our liturgy forming us to be?"

Review

Liturgy of the Ordinary deserves all the praises and accolades it's received. Beautiful in language, elegant yet ordinary, accessible yet deep. This is book provides both a refreshment for seasoned believers and a foundation for newer Christians. Rooting itself in the nature and promises of God rather than human effort, it identifies and addresses many of the fears and struggles of our specific moment - from the "addiction to stimulation" to our hypocritical pacifism to being "overstressed and overworked". Especially relevant in the midst of pandemic, seeing and experiencing God in regular "boring" life can seem unattainable, but Warren wisely shows us how God can use our everyday habits and experiences for worship and fulfillment in grace.

Books on Christian living and spiritual disciplines often fail to navigate the ridge between the chasms of moralism and antinomianism, as Richard Foster describes. Warren magically transforms what is often portrayed as a narrow ridge to a wide path of joy and freedom in living. Unlike many other books I've read, on similar topics, I did not leave feeling the guilt of "I don't pray enough" nor the discouragement of "I'll never be THAT spiritual". Rather, I left with the restful encouragement of "Wow, God loves me and life is hard but good."

This book is also great for book clubs or small groups to read through together, given the short, topical chapters and the helpful discussion questions at the end of the book. We read this book together as a church Community Group, and it was amazing to see how the chapters spoke differently but similarly to each of us, as we all struggled in some way or another to take hold of the grace God gives to us.

This book is delightfully chock-full of insightful and memorable quotes and illustrations - way too many to list out (just take a look at the quotes section). Liturgy of the Ordinary is a book I'll treasure and enthusiastically recommend.

View all my reviews

Book Review - Extinction Shadow by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

Extinction Shadow by Nicholas Sansbury Smith
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3 of 5 stars)

You should read this if: You've already read the first series. Or if you're just down for a shoot-em-up zombie story.

You should not read this if: You don't like being confused at new characters. Or if you're looking for a good story.

Despite the author's note before the book that this series is for old and new readers alike, it simply was not enjoyable for a newcomer unfamiliar with the multitude of characters. The author does a fine job of ramping new readers up to the state of the world and the mechanics of the variants, but there are simply too many characters that seem too similar to remember, and it was difficult creating a mental picture of all of these characters (who I presume were introduced at greater length in the first series). Possibly exacerbated by the audiobook medium, I especially had difficulty figuring out the parent-children relationships - "Who is Javier's dad? Who is Timothy's dad? Is it Jake? Oh it's not? Who's Jake?" The men in the book are largely interchangeable, and the macho-man hero trope is simply too overused.

Similarly, this book doesn't orient the reader to the setting of each chapter, and I had trouble having any sense of both the spatial and temporal context, especially because the characters seemed to teleport to new locations between chapters. Where exactly is this island place? Where is the capitol where the President is located (I still have no idea)? The only person that I could place reliably was Fischer, who was very clearly from Texas. The book spends no time on physical travel, which disoriented me as a reader and actually made the book feel slower-paced than likely intended. From start to finish of the book, what is the length of time that transpires? For some characters, it seems like it's essentially 2 days (Fischer, President). But for others (Team Ghost), it must be at least a week, as they flew around the country.

Finally, this book lacked an arch (feel like I've been saying that a lot recently). It's not as big a knock on this book, because I think it's more by design, even if I personally find it a copout to have a 7-book series which is essentially just a single long story. But having completed the book which felt like a lengthy intro, there is very little payoff or satisfaction.

The book wasn't unenjoyable, but I imagine I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I had read the previous books. 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.

View all my reviews

Book Review - The End is Always Near by Dan Carlin

The End is Always Near: Apocalyptic Moments, from the Bronze Age Collapse to Nuclear Near Misses by Dan Carlin
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3 of 5 stars)

You should read this if: You're looking for a broad survey of interesting historical tidbits, or if you're a Dan Carlin newcomer.

You should not read this if: You're a Hardcore History fan used to depth into specific historical narratives.

Summary:

As a huge fan of Dan Carlin's Hardcore History, I've gotten used to his unique format and pace of history-telling, which starts with a large meta-point followed by hours and hours of in-depth story-telling. This book is not that. This book provides a a few loosely-related case studies of "apocalyptic" topics, which by Carlin's standards, only skims the surface of each.

The book is enjoyable, with many of the fun historical trivia tidbits we've come accustomed to. In particular, the chapter on pandemics is unfortunately timely and relevant, and is alone worth the read.

Perhaps my view on the book is more greatly skewed because I listened to the self-narrated audiobook, making the comparison to Carlin's podcast all the more obvious. I imagine for readers and listeners who are new to Dan Carlin, this book is a great, accessible introduction (in contrast to the 17 hours of podcast listening!). I really wanted to like this book more, and this rating might be a reflection of my high expectations for Dan Carlin.

View all my reviews

Book Review - The Next Evangelicalism by Soong-Chan Rah

The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity by Soong-Chan Rah
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐(4 of 5 stars)

Why you should read this book: You're a white evanglical looking from an outsider's perspective on how white American culture has affected your expression of faith. Or you're a non-white evangelical considering how you fit into God's plan for his Church.

Why you should not read this book: If you're a white church leader looking for specific, practical steps to take. Rah mentions the first step in the book - go find a non-white mentor.

Essential quote: “At times, the evangelical church has been indistinguishable from the Western, white American culture.”

Summary:

The Next Evanglicalism describes the ways in which American evangelicalism has been influenced and beholden to white, American culture. For many non-white readers, this book provides important validation of common experiences (such as the lament of the decline of the white church) and much of it may seem like "preaching to the choir". Unlike other books that describe the global church, Rah focuses specifically on the American church, making it an important diagnostic read for Americans.

This book seems clearly directed at white evangelicals, but its goal seems to be more awareness than transformation, leaving a significant knowledge gap. White evangelical readers with little familiarity with multi-ethnic churches, black churches, or immigrant churches will likely have a hard time picturing how different church could actually be and end up doing exactly what Rah discourages - projecting their familiar white American evangelicalism onto global churches with significantly different practices and culture. The translation of good intentions into church culture is crucial but largely unaddressed. What practical steps can a majority-white church take to confront systemic racism? How is the theology of suffering embedded in black church culture and services, and what might that look like for white churches? How should the white church learn from and borrow the immigrant church's holistic care? I worry that white readers may only see superficial problems with superficial solutions rather than understanding the deep cultural transformation required to learn from and embrace non-white evangelicalism. Also, I wonder if white readers will recoil at what may be perceived as an overly-negative perspective of the American church, as Rah spends little time on the contributions of the Western church.

It was really refreshing to hear a perspective on Christianity that includes a vision for immigrant churches and their Asian-American progeny like me. Rah's description of the Korean-American immigrant church resonated with my personal experiences, as did the experiences of non-white people attending white church. His assertion that the children of immigrants could play an important role in the transformation of churches is both insightful and inspiring, particularly when the Christian elites tend to be white men.

Overall a 3.5-star book, rounded up to 4 for some especially phenomenal and insights

View all my reviews