Oprah, Miracles, and the New Earth: A Critique

The book Oprah, Miracles and the New Earth: A Critique by Erwin W. Lutzer (Moody Publishers) illustrates the differences between Christian Scripture and books by the New Age guests frequently seen on Oprah.

The term "Free-thinking Christian" as it applies to chosing the doctrines you like and the ones you don't is an oxymoron.

Kathi Linz

Knit to Be Square: Domino Designs to Knit & Felt

In Knit to Be Square: Domino Designs to Knit & Felt by Vivian Hoxbro, a knitter can learn how to knit mitered squares in such a way that they are attached as you work. One square builds on its neighbor giving a design that resembles diamonds with touching points. Many of the patterns use garter stitch making this a fun project for even a beginning knitter.

The book is heavily illustrated with photographs of each step in the process. The directions are clear and easy to understand. I am a nominal knitter at best, yet I understood their directions with no trouble.

If you are looking for something a little different - maybe something new to craft for Christmas - this might be the book for you.

Kathi Linz

Betty Crocker Complete Thanksgiving Cookbook: All You Need to Cook a Foolproof Dinner

The Betty Crocker Complete Thanksgiving Cookbook: All You Need to Cook a Foolproof Dinner has some interesting variations on traditional themes and recipes for leftovers. A few examples are: Southwestern Turkey, Slow Cooker Turkey Breast Stuffed with Wild Rice and Cranberries, several gravy and stuffing recipes, rolls, muffins, biscuits, Cornish Hen with Bulgar-Bacon Stuffing, Salmon with Cranberry-Pistachio Sauce, Slow Cooker Pumpkin Apple Dessert, and much more. Tasty!!

I wouldn't necessarily save all of these recipes only for Thanksgiving. They would be yummy any time of the year.

Kathi Linz

The Rough Guide to the Energy Crisis by David Buchan (333.79 Buchan)

This is a very informative book if one is interested in the energy crisis. The author provides a wealth of information about the various energy sources and describes the advantages and problems of each source including oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear, and a variety of renewable sources.
Submitted by,
Jim Wichman

Interstate 69 by Matt Dellinger (388.122 Del)

This book tells an interesting story about the political and social interactions that are part of attempting to build a major interstate highway. It also tells the story of several Indiana families who supported and opposed this highway.

Jim Wichman

Eating animals by Jonathan Safran Foer (available in Book on CD or Book-641.303 Foer)

This is a must read for anyone interested in a healthy environment and healthy eating. The author discusses factory farming and the toxic practices that are affecting the animals and the environment. Desensitized workers and unregulated or ignored regulations have lead to inhumane treatment of the animals and toxic land sites. Unnatural life spans and indoor living in cruel conditions are creating unhealthy animals affected by parasites and diseases. The suffering of the animals and the health risks involved through improper handling of the animals raises a serious red flag that something is very wrong.-Submitted by Terri Wichman

What in the Wolrd is Going On?: 10 Prophetic Clues You Cannot Afford to Ignore

In What in the World Is Going On?: 10 Prophetic Clues You Cannot Afford to Ignore, Dr. David Jeremiah compares current events to Biblical prophecy. A good deal of it will be familiar to those who have looked into this subject, but I did run into several new ideas. I admit that it made my hair prickle when the day after I read one of those ideas, that same issue was on the news.

The Complete Photo Guide to Crochet by Margaret Huber

The Complete Photo Guide to Crochet by Margaret Huber is basically a crochet stitch encyclopedia, although it does contain a few interesting patterns that use some of the stitches.

There were a few techniques that were new to me (or I did them so long ago that I had forgotten) including one called intermeshing crochet. It looks complicated, but is simply two mesh designs worked over each other. (Mesh is double crochet, chain, double crochet, chain...).
Another cool pattern was a spiral shape worked in four colors.

If you like to work with yarn, this is a book you won't want to miss.

Kathi

Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer

This author describes a tragedy that most of us do not think about.
-posted for Jim Wichman

Crisis Economics by Nouriel Roubini & Stephen Mihm

The authors have written a book that provides an easy to understand description of the finance world. The authors explain the recent financial crisis and its consequences. An excellent book. -posted for Jim Wichman

Perfect One-Dish Dinners: All You Need for Easy Get-Togethers by Pam Anderson

I checked through the recipes in Perfect One-Dish Dinners: All You Need for Easy Get-Togethers by Pam Anderson. I bet the dishes are very tasty, but they have lots of butter. If I made the dishes in this book, I would have to change out some of the ingredients for others a little less fat.

Kathi Linz

How to Disappear: Erase Your Digital Footprint, Leave Fake Trails, and Vanish Without a Trace by Frank M. Ahearn and Eileen C. Horan.

If you've ever considered dropping out of sight or want to make yourself safer from someone who might want your personal information, you should pick up How to Disappear: Erase Your Digital Footprint, Leave Fake Trails, and Vanish Without a Trace by Frank Ahearn and Eileen Horan.

The first thing this book recommends is that you get out of Facebook, Myspace, and any other social website. Then the author tells you how to delete your name from some of the primary places a skip tracer will look for your information. He tells you how to alter some of the information you have in other places, so that you become technically invisible.

This book made me a little paranoid about how many or what type of people might be looking for my information. You will also discover a way to find out who is doing an online search for your name.

Kathi Linz

Second Nature by Jonathan Balcombe

If more people understood what this author is trying to communicate, the world would be a healthier and happier place. Posted for Jim Wichman.

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

Having read several of the Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan, I found that he was not only well-versed in Greek mythology, but he had an entertaining way of bringing the old gods into modern times.

As I know less about Egyptian mythology than Greco-Roman lore, I was curious about The Red Pyramid. I got a lot of information out of the book without being bored even once.

Carter and Sadie Kane battle Set and other evil creatures during the Demon Days. A few of the good gods - Maat, Horus, Isis - a baboon named Khufu and an albino crocodile called Philip of Macedonia help them. There's also a bunch of magicians who have their own agenda and, for the most part, you don't know whose side they are on through most of the book, but they do make for some interesting complications.

I won't try to cover the same ground as Mr. Riordan except for this: In Egypt, black is a good color because the black soil grows food, while red is the color of death because nothing will grow in the red desert sand. That will give you a hint about the title of the book.

Kathi

The Crocheted Prayer Shawl Companion: 37 Patterns to Embrace, Inspire & Celebrate Life

There are several good books with patterns for knititng comfort/prayer shawls. Now there is one for us crocheters. The Crocheted Prayer Shawl Companion: 37 Patterns to Embrace, Inspire & Celebrate Life by Janet Bristow & Victoria A. Cole-Galo has both rectangular and triangular shawl patterns. Most are listed as easy; a few are intermediate.