Wednesday, March 30, 2011

The Fight of Our Lives by William J. Bennett & Seth Leibsohn

It's a must-read book!  Intense and factual!  It's quick reading.

Knowing the Enemy, Speaking the Truth & Choosing to Win the War Against Radical Islam.
The Fight of Our Lives helps readers refocus, to reframe and understand the threats we face.  By surveying and explaining the current scene, Bennett and Leibsohn point the way to a future in which our enemies are properly acknowledged and firmly opposed.
Throughout the book, we are presented with documented facts pertaining to our country's leadership, within the government and the military, regarding the "preferred" terminology for expressing the war on terrorism, the conflicts in the Middle East, and how our actions and response to terrorism is affecting and will affect this country in the very near future.

My first impression is to request all secondary history teachers require their students to read and discuss this book.  Our youth should be provided with both sides of this urgent issue - the war on terrorism, or as the current administration refers to as 'Overseas Contingency Operation'. Then, after reading the book, I concurred with the authors that "having denied our children an understanding, knowledge, and appreciation for our Western and American ethics and history" in many of our schools, this book would not be read by many of our youth today.  Thus, I would go so far as to suggest that copies of this book be made available, without cost, to all Americans.

The Fight of Our Lives is a wake-up call for the general public.  We are in the fight of our lives because 1) we need to remind ourselves this is a fight against terrorism, unlike any other war we've been involved in before; 2) know what we should do; and most importantly, 3) know  who we need to be.

Our political leadership has crumbled in the area of foreign diplomacy.  Instead of condemning the leaders of countries who have made clear their intention to obliterate everything we value, we have leadership that appeases them. "The thought seems to be that if we speak nicely of Islam and ignore the terrorism it can produce, then Islamists will respect us more or lay down their swords." 

The lack of moral clarity is a real issue in this country and that fact is made evident over and over in this truthful book.  "Where once our law and culture were based on assigning blame on a perpetrator of wrong, and personal responsibility was commonplace (as well as common sense), a new psychology has taken hold in Western culture."  Our children are learning to be politically correct instead of defending what is right and wrong.  Instead of being concerned about offending someone by what we say, we should be denouncing those who would murder innocent men, women and children.

I am grateful that Mr. Bennett and Mr. Leibsohn have put into writing what they know is truth.  If we are to prevail the war on terrorism, we must begin the great relearning.  We must begin first by knowing how our own freedom has been won.  We need to call good and evil by their proper names - to know the enemy as the enemy.  To "let the doublespeak and nonspeak end and the great relearning and rededication begin."

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Sunday, March 6, 2011

We Be BIG by Rick Burgess and Bill "Bubba" Bussey

We Be BIG is a true story based on the lives of two funny men, Rick Burgess and Bill "Bubba" Bussey, radio entertainers on an Alabama morning talk show.  They each share of growing up with a passion for entertainment and the technical features of radio.  The story continues with their eventual collaboration of talents as they have become a popular, conservative, red-neck flavored, morning-commute radio show.

"We Be BIG" kept my attention.  In fact, after finishing the book, I logged onto their website and enjoyed their morning program streaming live on Q102.  Years ago my younger brother told me of his favorite radio show with these two guys, Rick and Bubba.  Now I understand where he got his funny, true stories!  He proved the belief told in the book that listeners respond to people who are 'real' on the radio. 

My biggest impression of the book was how two men followed their beliefs.  They worked very hard, invented extremely clever marketing tools and made true-life events funny.  How American is that!

One of my favorite stories, "Save Sand Mountain Sam", tells of the rescue of a pitiful possum.  Rick and Bubba used that possum promotion to build radio ratings and it worked.

They saved the most important part of the book toward the end as they shared how God has directed and continues to direct their lives, on the radio, and in their personal lives.

This book will make you laugh, as well as cry.  Most of all you will be encouraged to continue to trust God to show you how to make choices in your life.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A New Redesigned Mrs. O

At a time when life is supposed to be predictable, or supposedly a life-style consisting of ideas I grew up to believe would be a part of my life now, I'm preparing to explore another venture.  Incorporating the joy of reading with the potential to submit my impressions of the most current book provided to me by the Thomas Nelson publishers is now a new "occupation".  Now that's what I call cool!