BOOK OF THE WEEK: WAITING FOR MORNING by KAREN KINGSBURY

Waiting for Morning is the story of an angry, bereaved woman named Hannah Ryan, whose husband, Dr. Tom Ryan and first daughter, Alicia Ryan, were killed in a ghastly motor accident when a drunk driver rammed his truck into their vehicle. Driven by anger, Hannah turns to Attorney Matthew Bronzan to defend her in the case against the drunk driver, Brian Wesley.

Matthew Bronzan is all too happy to take the case as he envisages the possibility that a win could change California drunk driving laws forever. He however has to battle it out in court with Harold Finch, the defense attorney for Brian Wesley, who is notoriously referred to as “the drunk driver’s best friend.”

What follows afterward is a fascinating court case and an outcome that both parties could not have predicted, and between a painful betrayal and her second daughter’s brush with death, Hannah learns the true definition of prison and encounters afresh the only One who has the power to set a person free.

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK

I like it. I’m not particularly a fan of Karen Kingsbury because of the endless series she creates [I’m terrible with series be they books or movies], however, I must confess that this is one book I like.

The book is engrossing almost from start to finish and I found the court case riveting. One thing I love about the book as well is the fact that it’s not just entertaining but also educative. The effects of drunk driving became more real to me and I found myself empathizing with the victims in the book. And of course Karen spiced it up by adding a hint of romance to the book thus making the book more appealing to lovers of romance.

It is my belief that one characteristic of a good fiction novel, apart from entertaining readers, is the ability to leave readers thinking long after they have finished the book and Karen Kingsbury does that brilliantly with this book.  I heartily recommend the book to parents and teachers of teenagers; it makes for a good teaching tool about drunk driving and its effects and consequences.

BOOK OF THE WEEK: YOU'RE SUPPOSED to BE WEALTHY by CREFLO DOLLAR

Hello people.

Some months ago, I was browsing through the books in the business section of a bookstore when I saw a book titled Why We Want You to Be Rich by Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki. I cringed inwardly when I read the title not only because it sounded smug and condescending, but also because it reminded me of WASSCE English essay writing. I could just imagine writing an essay on the topic:

Why We Want You to Be Rich.

We want you to be rich because:

1. It makes us feel good teaching you how to be rich

 2. We desire a redistribution of resources among the human specie

 3. Erm...erm..sorry, we've run out of reasons.

Needless to say, I did not buy the book.

Sometime later, I asked a friend to send me books to read and one of the books she sent me was You're Supposed to Be Wealthy by Dr. Creflo Dollar. At that point I thought: 'Great! After running from two businessmen who were trying to tell me why they wanted me to be rich, I end up with a pastor who’s probably pointing his fingers at me right now and saying 'You're Supposed to be Wealthy!''

This time, however, I read the book and was pleasantly surprised.

You’re Supposed to be Wealthy is a book written by Creflo Dollar and published by FaithWords; a division of Hachette Book Group. At the onset, Dr Creflo lays the groundwork by stating that wealth starts with a mindset and that one of the biggest hindrances to achieving true and lasting wealth is having an inaccurate picture of the meaning and purpose of prosperity.

In subsequent chapters, Creflo goes on to describe practical steps to building wealth, such as:

1.     Setting short, medium, and long term goals with regards to the accumulation of wealth.

2.     Taking inventory of one’s assets, liabilities, income and outflow.

3.     Having good knowledge of the basic accounts and opening the account that best meets your needs.

4.     Understanding the different money markets and making informed investments.

5.     Making plans for retirement.

In addition to these, Dr Dollar touches on other wealth building strategies, highlights the importance of estate planning and stresses on the necessity of getting at least one form of life insurance. He also challenges the popular notion that loan taking should be avoided and explains reasons why loan taking could sometimes be advantageous in wealth building. Finally, he educates readers on ways of building good credit and the basics of tax handling.

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK

I was blown away when I read the book. Readers may be aware that Creflo Dollar is a televangelist and personally, I am not particularly a fan of his so when I saw You’re Supposed to be Wealthy, I imagined that it would probably be a book on faith declaration and payment of tithes and firstfruits and seedfruits and all other fruits that some pastors are surprisingly able to come up with. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the book was not all about that.

While Creflo does touch on these things at certain points in the book, he concentrates more of his time and energy teaching readers practical, ethical, ways of building wealth and maintaining a good reputation financially. 

 The only snag is that non-American readers may find it difficult understanding some terminologies especially when one gets to the chapters on handling taxes and credit rating. Creflo Dollar tries his best, however, to describe the terms in simple language and even lists resources for further reading at the end of the book for interested readers. I must say that the book is a very sensible one and every second spent reading the book is well worth it.

So, the next time you’re out looking for a business book, do remember; titles may not be as important as we make them out to be. 

BOOK OF THE WEEK: LALIBELA'S WISE MAN BY MATSHONA DHLIWAYO

Hello people.

The more books I read, the more I am convinced that there is truth in the saying ‘Do not judge a book by its cover.’ Some books with beautiful covers have such badly written content that at the end of the day, the only thing worth remembering about the book is its cover. Some books, on the other hand, have less than appealing covers but such rich content that the reader cannot easily forget them.

Lalibela’s Wise Man belongs to the latter category. The first time I saw the book, I must confess that my interest was not piqued. First, the title did not sound very appealing and then the book cover itself did not help matters; it looked like it would be a book on African history - which is good if that’s what you’re interested in.

Anyway, I read the book and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. 

Lalibela’s Wise Man is the story of a young man named Christian who, in the beginning, was being groomed to take over his father’s business empire. Christian receives a shocker, however, when his father passes away unexpectedly and his will is read: he was left with nothing but an instruction to visit the wise old man of Lalibela. Dazed and confused, Christian leaves America and sets out for Lalibela, Ethiopia, where he encounters the wise old man, learns some lessons and discovers a secret that will leave him changed forever.

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK

I like it. Initially, I found it difficult to start reading the book due to its unappealing book cover but once I started reading I got hooked.

The story is well paced and there’s hardly a dull moment in-between. Starting from Christian’s journey to Ethiopia as well as his encounter with the monks, the tale is quirky and one can’t help but smile at some of Christian’s experiences. At some point the writer struggles between showing and telling, but fortunately he wins the battle and allows readers to get into the characters unhindered.

I also like the fact that the book is very well edited. One can scarcely find an error in the book and this makes for enjoyable reading as well as the possibility of recommending or buying it for people, especially teens and young adults, without a moment’s hesitation.

The only issue I have with the book is that the ending seems to have been a bit rushed. One image that sprang to mind when reading Lalibela’s Wise Man was that of chickens following a farmer as he left a trail of seeds for them on the ground. In Lalibela’s Wise Man, the author leaves enough information in each chapter to keep readers hooked and eager to read the next chapter; in fact at a point, you’re literally begging; 'please break the suspense and let’s know the purpose of each exercise that Christian was put through.'

The end, however, was a bit disappointing, almost like eagerly anticipating a meal only to finally eat and not be very satisfied with the food. Although filled with sage advice, I wish the advice was spread out, maybe at the end of each exercise rather than everything being left for the end. It just seemed a bit too easy.

After all is said and done, however, Lalibela’s Wise Man is definitely a book worth reading and Matshona; an author to watch out for. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matshona Dhliwayo was born in Zimbabwe but is presently based in Canada. His books include:

His books can be gotten on Amazon and from any major bookshop.

BOOK REVIEW: DESTITUTIO QUOD REMISSIO by BRETT ARMSTRONG

Hello people.

The first time I saw the book Destitutio Quod Remissio, two things struck me immediately. First, the title of the book. I thought at first that the book was written in Spanish or one of those exotic languages and I wondered how on earth I was supposed to read a book written in a language I did not understand. 

The second thing that struck me was the cover of the book. The average book cover can be summed up in one of three words: beautiful, terrible, or just plain. There are very few books with evocative book covers, and Destitutio Quod Remissio happens to be one of them. 

As it turned out, I was wrong on two counts. First, the book title happens to be Latin and not Spanish, second, the book is actually written in English language, notwithstanding its Latin title. Needless to say, I was relieved.

Destitutio Quod Remissio is the story of a wealthy Roman senator, Marcus Servius, who arrives home one day to find his house burned down, his wife missing, and himself a target for would-be murderers. 

Filled with questions about his wife’s disappearance and the identity of the man who betrayed him, Marcus embarks on a journey to find Benjamin Truvias, a former employee of his whom he believes has the answers to many of his questions. He gets more than he bargained for, however, and in his quest to find answers, he must come to terms with the fact that people, and things, are not always as they seem to be.

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK

Hmm...

First, I must say I love the storyline. It’s a beautiful book that engages the readers from the get-go. However, if you’re not too big on descriptions, you may find the first few chapters a bit difficult to read. I personally wish Brett Armstrong had spent a bit more time describing Marcus’ past life as a senator and less time on the actual journey but hey, anyone who loves descriptions will not have a problem with this.

I also love the various surprises lined throughout the book.  As one gets past the middle of the book, surprises upon surprises await the reader, and many of them you don’t see coming. In fact it becomes very difficult to put the book down as you get to the end.

Another selling point of the book is the fact that it gives readers a glimpse into the Roman Empire as it was in the past and aptly describes life as it was for Christians then. The drawback here, though, is that the author sometimes tells instead of shows which distracts the reader from the book’s narrative.

All in all, though, I must say that the book is quite entertaining and if one can get past the drawn-out descriptions of the first few chapters, one will find that the book was definitely worth reading. Readers who enjoyed Francine Rivers’ Mark of the Lion series will definitely like this book.

About the Author:

Brett Armstrong

Brett Armstrong's first book, Destitutio Quod Remissio, won the 2014 CrossBooks Writing Contest. Historical Novel Society called the book a 'solid, meaty work.'

 In addition to Destitutio Quod Remissio, Brett has written a fantasy tale called Daymoon. More information can be found on his website; www.brettarmstrong.net

BOOK OF THE WEEK: GOOD TO GREAT by Jim Collins

Hello, people.

In my experience, many business or leadership books usually teach principles for growing a successful business or organization; however, the book, Good to Great takes it a step further. With research done on eleven companies that made the transition from being good companies to being great companies, author Jim Collins compares these companies to other companies within the same industry that failed to make or sustain the transition from good to great. He then goes on to describe, from his findings, the principles for transforming a good company into a great one. 

One good thing about this book is the fact that the principles contained therein are applicable not only to companies but to individuals as well. Anyone wishing to become outstanding at  what he or she does will find that the book is a must-have, and a must-keep.

Enjoy, and do have a lovely week.

Good to Great was written by Jim Collins in 2001 and published by HarperCollins. In the book, Jim lists his findings on how to transform a company from good to great after he, with a team of researchers, carried out research on great companies[as at 2001] such as Gillette, Fannie Mae and Walgreens  and compared them with other companies like Chrysler et al which were not doing so well at the time. Jim and his fellow researchers came up with certain surprising and not-so-surprising findings:

FIRST FINDING: LEVEL 5 LEADERSHIP

In this chapter, Jim observed that the successful companies described in the book have Level 5 leaders who are more concerned with the progress of the company than with their own egotistical needs. He notes that the opposite is the case in the comparison companies, many of whom had leaders with the “biggest dog syndrome” – they didn’t mind other dogs in the kernel as long as they remained the biggest one. Jim also points out the damaging tendency of companies to appoint leaders based on charisma and larger than life personas, stating that such leaders are usually negatively correlated with going from good to great. He finally admonishes companies to look out for character traits like humility and self determination in a would-be leader as opposed to personality traits like charisma.

SECOND FINDING: FIRST WHO…. THEN WHAT

Based on his research findings, Jim proposes in this chapter that to get a company from good to great, first get the right people on the bus before figuring out where to take it. He states that having the right people in a company drastically reduces the problem of micromanagement and motivation as such people can't settle for anything less than excellence in their work. If the wrong people are working in a company, however, it doesn't matter if the leader is a great visionary, it still won't be a great company. Jim advises managers looking to hire that when in doubt about a prospective hire, don’t hire, rather, keep looking. He points out that when a company wishes to transition from good to great, people are not the most important asset; the right people are.

THIRD FINDING: CONFRONT THE BRUTAL FACTS, YET NEVER LOSE FAITH

Jim observed that in the good to great companies, the CEOs exhibited the Stockdale Paradox in spite of the crises the company may have been going through at the time: they retained faith that they would prevail in the end regardless of the circumstances while at the same time confronting the brutal facts of the current reality. This was in contrast to the comparison companies whose CEOs insisted on dishing out false hope without acknowledging the brutal reality staring them in the face. Jim maintains that spending time and energy trying to ‘motivate’ people is a waste of effort especially since the right people are already self-motivated. He points out that the key consideration should be how not to de-motivate people and states that refusing to confront the brutal facts is a primary de-motivator of workers.

FOURTH FINDING: HEDGEHOG CONCEPT

Jim describes the parable of the hedgehog and the fox in this chapter and states that for a company to go from good to great, it must develop its Hedgehog Concept. The Hedgehog Concept, according to Jim, is made up of three intersecting circles comprising of :

1.    An understanding of what a company can be the best at.

2.    An understanding of what drives a company’s economic engine.

3.   An understanding of what a company is deeply passionate about.

Jim suggests that one reason why companies don’t make the transition from good to great is that they diversify into portfolios that are not within their Hedgehog Concept, pointing out that this makes a recipe for disaster. He states that companies must understand what they can be the best at; as well as what they cannot be the best at, and attributes the success of the great companies to their ability to identify their Hedgehog Concept and stick to it. Finally, he notes that the great companies set their goals and strategies based on understanding while the comparison companies set theirs based on bravado.

FIFTH FINDING: A CULTURE OF DISCIPLINE

Jim maintains in this chapter that the good to great transition begins by getting the right, self disciplined people on the bus. Then a culture of disciplined thought is needed. He points out that the great companies in the research study followed a simple mantra:

“Anything that does not fit into our Hedgehog Concept, we will not do. We will not launch unrelated businesses. We will not make unrelated acquisitions. We will not do unrelated joint ventures,” etc.

On the other hand, Jim points out that a lack of discipline to stay within the three circles was a major factor that led to the demise of nearly all the comparison companies. 

SIXTH FINDING: TECHNOLOGICAL ACCELERATORS

Jim proposes here that technology should accelerate momentum in a company, not build it. This, according to him, is because a company cannot make good use of technology until it knows which technologies are relevant to it and link directly to the three intersecting circles of its Hedgehog Concept. Jim lists questions companies should ask when considering a particular technology and points out that technology without the discipline to stay within the three circles in the Hedgehog Concept cannot make a company great. He states that mediocrity results first and foremost from management failure, not technological failure.

One thing I love about this book is its use of research findings and empirical data. It's not necessarily a book of ideas or ideologies as much as it is a book whose salient findings were made by researching various successful and not-so-successful companies. For those who are yet to read the book, I encourage you to go out and get it, it definitely is worth the buy.

BOOK REVIEW: THE TEN COMMANDMENTS of WORKING in a HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT

Hello people.

A Gallup poll released in 2013 showed that only 13% of workers feel a passion for their job and a deep connection to their employer. The same poll showed that 63% of workers are unhappy at their jobs and put  in little or no energy in it while the remaining 24% of workers are actively disengaged from their jobs; they hate their jobs and feel frustrated by it.

It might be easy for one to overlook the data; after all, this survey was probably taken in the US or the UK and so has no bearing on Africa, right? Wrong! The information was gathered from workers in 142 countries, including African countries.

In reality, some of us might not need a poll or a soothsayer to inform us that many people are unhappy at work, a simple look in the mirror as well as a discussion with our acquaintances is sometimes all that is needed. But, one may ask, why are so many people unhappy at work? Reasons could range from having a petty boss to having to meet deadlines that are sometimes ulcer-causing, but whatever the case may be, the bottom line still remains…many people are unhappy at work. So what’s a person to do?

The good news is; one can always resign from the organization. The bad news is…wait, there are two, actually. One; the next job might not be forthcoming thus rendering one jobless for a while, and two, the probability of encountering hostile conditions in the next environment is quite high [Don't believe me? Ask workers who change jobs virtually every other year. They will confirm my statement].

This week, I have chosen to review the book ‘The Ten Commandments of Working in a Hostile Environment’ by T.D Jakes. Full of sage advice, the book will come in handy for people experiencing unhappiness in their place of work. Workers presently enjoying their place of work will also find ideas in the book which, if implemented, could enhance their feeling of satisfaction on the job.Enjoy.

The Ten Commandments of Working in a Hostile Environment is a book written by Thomas Dexter Jakes and published by The Berkeley Publishing Group. In the book, T.D Jakes explains how one can rise above petty conflicts and turn obstacles into opportunities. Some of the commandments described in the book include:

First Commandment: Know that you are anointed for the job or position you now hold:

T.D Jakes asserts that one of the first impulses workers must control is the tendency to think that the grass is always greener on the other side. He posits that people are strategically placed in certain offices for a Divine Assignment and that often times, adverse circumstances serve as a training ground to develop strength of character.

Second Commandment: Don't expect to be appreciated.

T.D Jakes maintains in this chapter that a workplace is not the place to receive affirmation.  He further contends that the craving for appreciation in the workplace is what often leads to great disappointment as it gives others the power to influence our sense of worth, among other things. He encourages his readers not to take things personally and to know who they are apart from what they do, emphasizing that it is OK to expect appreciation from family, friends and acquaintances but not from work, adding that work is just what it sounds like: work.

Third commandment: Embrace opportunities for change.

T.D Jakes postulates here that change is one of the greatest sources of friction in work environments. This change could be in form of a transfer from one department to another, a change in one’s line manager, etc.  He encourages readers to view transition as a means to the next level and gives some practical advice for dealing with changes in the workplace, one of which includes being careful about what you say in the office and refusing to be a loose cannon. T.D Jakes further adds that speaking one’s mind is not always the best course of action to take despite what people say as often times we end up violating our own privacy as a result.

Fourth Commandment: Do the job well while remembering the vision.

In this chapter, T.D Jakes maintains that the secret to performing our duties well without becoming disgruntled or bored is to maintain a vision of where we’re headed in the future. He exhorts readers to maintain a double vision; to make the most of the present while anticipating the future. He further warns readers to be careful not to make money the primary reason for working otherwise one runs the risk of prostituting oneself to the highest bidder and missing one’s higher purpose.

Fifth Commandment: Don’t let the environment get inside of you: Negative attitudes, harmful behaviour, and insidious gossip can make one lose his/her peace, joy and vision, according to T.D Jakes. When this happens, depression becomes the inevitable outcome. For this reason, it is important that one takes precautions against such harmful emotions. T.D Jakes suggests that the first measure to take is to attend to proper spiritual nutrition. In other words, this is the time to be as close to God as possible so as to receive spiritual strength. In addition to this, he strongly urges readers to maintain boundaries between work life and other facets of life stating that work is not the place to air personal problems or receive therapy. The person you aired your marital problems to today might prevent you from tackling the next big assignment tomorrow citing the excuse that your preoccupation with your marital issues might affect your performance on the assignment! He advises readers to take time to rest, to engage in physical exercise and to cultivate meaningful relationships outside of work.

Other commandments described in the book are:

Sixth Commandment: Increase your capacity to work with difficult personalities.

Seventh Commandment: Where you are is not where you are going.

Eight Commandment: Achieve optimal results with minimal confusion.

Ninth Commandment: Do not pledge allegiance to cliques and groups [My favourite chapter].

Tenth Commandment: Always keep your song near you.

Readers used to T.D Jakes style of writing will know that he is usually poetical in his writings [Think Woman Thou Art Loosed and The Lady, The Lover and her Lord]; however he deviated from his norm with this book and was quite pragmatic in his writing. I recommend this book to every worker; I guarantee that you will find it handy and will keep referring to it again and again.

Have you read this book before? If so, what’s your take on it? For first time readers, do you feel inspired to read the book after reading this review? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.

BOOK REVIEW: THE 21 IRREFUTABLE LAWS OF LEADERSHIP BY JOHN MAXWELL

Hello people.

The subject of leadership is one that has always held a great fascination for me. There was a time I was a strong believer in leadership maxims like ‘a pack of sheep led by a lion is stronger than a pack of lions led by a sheep’ and ‘everything rises and falls on leadership’, however, certain incidents caused me to rethink some of these maxims and to wonder: is strong leadership ability enough, or are there other factors that determine the success of a leader apart from leadership ability?

I remember a particular organisation I worked for a few years ago. The Head of the organisation at the time was a queer person with a terrible character; everyone rejoiced when the Board of Governors sacked him and got a new Head with the relevant degrees, appropriate experience and charisma for the job. The general feeling then was that all problems had been solved and that the organisation was headed for utopia. Little did we know that the problems had only just begun.

It was not long before people began to grumble about the new Head, with complaints ranging from his seeming 'superiority complex’ to his autocratic nature. It was at that point I began to rethink my view of leadership and to believe that apart from strong leadership ability, there are other important factors that could enhance the success or cause the downfall of a leader.

It is for this reason that I chose to review the book ‘The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership’ by John Maxwell. Whether you are the leader of a big corporation or a small group of volunteers, the information contained in the book will come in quite handy and help you to be more effective at carrying out your leadership responsibilities.

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership is a classic book written by John Maxwell on the subject of leadership. In the book, John states that leadership requires the ability to do more than one thing well. He then goes on to describe twenty one laws that leaders must be conversant with if they are to be effective at leading people.  Some of the laws described in the book are:

1.    The Law of Influence: Maxwell describes five common myths about leadership viz: the management myth, the entrepreneur myth, the knowledge myth, the pioneer myth and the position myth. He then asserts that the true measure of leadership is influence, stating that a real leader is one who is able to influence followers with or without leverage. Maxwell goes on to list factors that can increase a leader’s influence with his/her followers, such as possessing good character, forming meaningful relationships with followers, possessing quality experience, having a good track record of success and demonstrating strong leadership ability.

2.    The Law of Process: John Maxwell asserts in this chapter that leadership develops daily, not in a day. He explains the phases of leadership growth and emphasizes that leaders are learners, stating that there are no overnight successes. In his words: ‘leadership doesn’t develop in a day but in a lifetime’, and, ‘to lead tomorrow, learn today’.

3.    The Law of the Inner Circle: Maxwell states that leaders do not succeed alone and that a leader’s potential is determined by those closest to him. He describes the advantages of having a good team and advises leaders to consider the following questions before admitting individuals into their inner circle: [a] Does this individual have high influence with other people? [b] Do they hold a strategic position in the organization? [c] Do they add value to me and to the organization? etc. He ends the chapter with this statement: ‘If you want to increase your capacity and maximize your potential as a leader, your first step is always to become the best leader you can. The next is to surround yourself with the best leaders you can find.'

4.    The Law of Sacrifice: Maxwell states that a common misconception among people is that leadership is all about position, perks and power. He goes on to dispel the misconception, stating that sacrifice is the heart of leadership. Quoting philosopher–poet Ralph Waldo Emerson who observed that “ For everything you have missed, you have gained something else; and for everything you gain, you lose something”, John asserts that leaders are often asked to give up more than others and that the more responsibility one accepts, the fewer options the person has.

5.    The Law of Timing: John Maxwell states here that timing is everything; it is often the difference between the success and failure of an endeavour. He postulates that the wrong action at the wrong time leads to disaster, the right action at the wrong time brings resistance, the wrong action at the right time is a mistake, and the right action at the right time results in success. He concludes the chapter with the statement: ‘Reading a situation and knowing what to do are not enough to make you succeed in leadership. If you want your organisation, department or team to move forward, you must pay attention to timing. Only the right action at the right time will bring success. Anything else exacts a high price.’

There are other powerful laws described by John Maxwell in the book such as the Law of the Lid, the Law of Magnetism and the Law of the Big Mo, and the illustrations accompanying each law serve to make the book more captivating to the reader. Unfortunately, I cannot describe all the laws in this post but suffice it to say that leaders and potential leaders will definitely find this book worth reading.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Maxwell is an American author and speaker who has written many books, especially books on leadership.  The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership was written by John Maxwell in 1998 and revised ten years later. As at 2007, it had sold over a million copies and has been on bestseller lists like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and more. In 2014, John Maxwell was named the No. 1 Leadership and Management expert in the world by Inc. Magazine.

BOOK REVIEW: DELIVER US FROM EVIL

Deliver Us from Evil is a classic book with a timeless message on the subject of evil. Written by beloved speaker and author Ravi Zacharias, the book is divided into three sections:

Section One: The Moods of the Present

Section Two: Voices from the Past

Section Three: The Face of the Future

In Section One : The Moods of the Present, Ravi proposes that there are three theories that give birth to unspeakable evil in any society, and the theories are: Secularism, Pluralism and Privatisation.

According to Ravi, secularism (the assertion that public life is to be conducted without reference to religion) is the first step to unmanageable evil. In his own words: ‘ If the supernatural is irrational, what will the secularist use as a point of reference for rationality?...Or is each one to depend on his or her own inner voice? How then does one differentiate between the inner voices of reason and unreason in that case?’

Ravi waxes philosophical here and proposes that secularism leads to a loss of shame because there is no reference point for evil. He further states that the evils done to children by responsible adults and family members are not crimes born of hate but are passions unleashed and justified by a conscience bereft of shame or remorse.

Pluralism as defined in the book is the existence...of a number of world views, each vying for the allegiance of individuals, with no single world view dominant. According to Ravi, the great hazard of pluralism is the faulty deduction in the name of tolerance that all beliefs can be equally true. Ravi states that secularism leads to a loss of shame and pluralism leads to a loss of reason. He further asserts that while secularism breeds an evil that can victimize those we love, pluralism breeds an evil that victimizes those different from us, those we do not claim to love.

Privatisation of religion as described in the book is the socially required and legally enforced separation of our private lives and public personas. It mandates that issues of ultimate meaning be relegated to our private spheres. Ravi proposes that privatisation leads to a loss of meaning and that it victimizes the self. According to him, to imprison a sacred belief within a private realm is to kill the belief until people no longer know who they are. He further makes the assertion that the premise of privatisation is flawed because it assumes that one's private beliefs have nothing to do with public life, whereas in reality who we are in public is determined by what we learned and cherished in private.

In Section Two, Ravi goes on to refer to the history of great civilizations in the past and lessons that can be learned from them, while in Section Three, he makes a case for moral absolutes which enables man have a point of reference. According to him, the first step in receiving deliverance from evil is accepting that there are moral boundaries that should not be crossed. He postulates that the refusal to draw a line between the sacred and the profane, the pulling down of moral fences, is what leads to uncontrollable evil in any society. He also argues that true and effective morality is dependent upon reverence for God, stating that without reverence there is no morality and without God there is no reverence, thus, the inability of the perpetrator of wickedness to feel emotion is the result of a society that has trained itself not to feel guilty when wrong is committed.

Deliver Us from Evil is a profound and philosophical book and it is clear from the book that Ravi Zacharias is a student of history as well as an ardent reader of literature, hence the quotes from books like  Oscar Wilde's Picture of Dorian Gray, Goethe’s Faust, etc. This serves as an excellent motivator for reading Ravi Zacharias’ books. If one will not read them for the philosophical content contained therein, one can at least read his books to tap into the wealth of history and literature contained within.

BOOK REVIEW: HOW THEY STARTED DIGITAL

How They Started Digital is a book published in Nigeria by Beulahland Publications, with permission from Crimson Publishers UK. In the book, founders of various businesses like Wikipedia, Google, Twitter, Linkedln , eBay, Spotify, Tripadvisor, etc, are interviewed, and each of them is gracious enough to share their success story; how they started, the challenges they faced, and how they overcame those challenges. Below is a sneak peak of some stories that can be found in the book:

Wikipedia: Started in 2001 by Jimmy Wales [age: 34]. Jimmy’s interest in encyclopaedias began at an early age and in the 1990s, he decided to create a free online encyclopaedia using a software that would enable every user - not just programmers- to write and edit web information. He called this site; Nupedia. Nupedia was not a success due to various reasons such as the lack of a business plan on Jimmy’s part, a clunky software, and the lengthy process of sourcing contributors. In the end, Jimmy had to go back to the drawing board and re-evaluate his idea and in 2001, Wikipedia was born. Wikipedia has faced its own challenges as well but despite this, it is still the largest general reference work on the internet and the sixth most popular website in the world as at the time of writing.

Mumsnet: Started in 2000 by Justine Roberts and Carrie Longton [age: 33 and 35]. The inspiration for mumsnet came to Justine after she experienced appalling childcare at a resort supposed to be ‘family-friendly’. She and Carrie decided to start a website that would enable parents swap useful information on everything regarding children and family. They planned to raise funds from advertisements placed on the site by relevant retailers. The idea was a novel one at the time and they soon started work on the test site which was eventually launched in 2000. Not long after this, however, the economic environment changed considerably and the pair did not get the funding they hoped for. This forced them to look for other ways of monetising the business and by 2002 they launched the first Mumsnet book, Mums on Babies. Other books, magazines, and television series have since been produced by Mumsnet and by 2012, the site was receiving 2.3 monthly visitors and a yearly turnover of $5 million.

Linkedln: Started in 2003 by Reid Hoffman [age: 35]. He experienced the challenges faced by most businesses, namely: raising capital for the business and having an edge over competitors.  However, he was eventually able to overcome the problem of finances and the system of encouraging value connections and discouraging random connections between members of Linkedln helped to set it apart from other social networks. By 2010 Linkedln was worth an estimated $2 billion.

There are many other such success stories in the book and unfortunately I cannot summarise them all. Suffice to say that the book is definitely worth reading, and for readers who are not necessarily interested in digital businesses but in other business types, other books worth reading in the series include: