Overview:

Referred to as the most complete picture Bible ever, The Action Bible is essentially a collection of over 200 stories from the Bible along with compelling illustrations written in a comic book format. It conveys Biblical truths in an easy-to-digest format that would appeal to young readers. It complements the work of the Bible; if you like comic books, and even remotely interested in learning more about the Bible, this is a great book to read and start your journey into Christianity. This book does not take the place of reading the Bible of course, however it is a fantastic tool to get people interested in God’s word.

Here is what the book was about:

The main point of the book are the Bible teachings summarized for young readers, with beautiful artwork, similar to a comic book. While the book is intended for younger readers, older readers can also appreciate and benefit from reading this book. Its written in comic book style format, some key stories are from the King James version, the old testament, new testament, and final stories about Paul are based on non-Biblical historical documents. It is not a complete retelling of the bible however as only 215 stories are used as source material.

Rating: (1 low to 10 high)

I rated this book a 10 for its ability to capture the key lessons from 200+ bible stories. There are too many great summaries to list them all here – overall just a fantastic book. A key reason why I love this book so much is Brazilian artist Sergio Cariello’s beautiful drawings.

Other Thoughts on The Book

The overall finish and quality of the book is excellent! You can tell that a lot of work went into it. The materials, colors, finish appear to be worth more than the $20 price tag you pay.  

Overview:

Here’s another book by Kenneth C. Davis in the “Don’t Know Much” series, which include topics of the American Civil War, American Presidents, American History, and Greek Mythology. This particular book takes a look at the bible from the perspective of a historian and researcher. Kenneth does a fair job of respecting the faith of Christians and Jews, and offers his own thought provoking questions such as who wrote the bible, and why throughout history it has been interpreted in ways to justify often contradictory points of view. The main point is that there is more to the bible than most people are familiar with, and that it is a book of faith, as well as a book that can be studied and analyzed from a historical perspective.  

Here is what the book was about:

A well researched history of the bible; he gleaned information from the King James Version, as well as other versions, in addition to the Dead Sea Scrolls and Gnostic Gospels. The book dissects many of the stories that many readers of the bible are familiar with, such as Noah’s arc, wisdom of King Solomon, and the birth of Christ and asks questions such how or whether the story has historical evidence. In many instances, he highlights aspects of a story that are not well known, such as in the story of Jonah; many may know that he was swallowed by a whale and spent 3 days and 3 nights inside, however not many  know what he said to God after he was spit out.  Another example is the story of Job; many are familiar with God’s bet with the Devil however, do not realize that this was the last time God appeared and spoke directly to humans in the bible.

Rating: (1 to 10)

Only 8 out of 10. Well written and researched. While I learned a lot, and did not find his points of view offensive, many true believers would be offended by this book.

Overview:

I chose this book because I’m interested in religion in general, and my wife sparked my interest in Buddhism by taking me to visit the beautiful His Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights CA. I wanted to learn more about Buddhism’s practices and principles, and how the founder of the religion lived his life, what inspired him and how he was able to lead such a large following.

Here is what the book was about:

The main point of the book is that Buddha was a special person who founded a truly remarkable religion, his teachings are timeless and one can benefit spiritually by following them.It is not really a biography in the traditional manner as you might expect by the title of the book. Upon closer inspection of the book synopsis on the back, the author, Venerable Master Hsing Yun calls it an “imaginative retelling of the life of Buddha.” This phrase captures what the book really is. The book covers the birth of Buddha, upbringing, through to becoming enlightened, stories and lessons from his 45 year teaching career, and final thoughts after his passing.

NOTE: According to wikipidia, Buddha’s given name is Siddhattha Gotama.

Rating: (1 low to 10 high)

Initially, my goal was to find out about the life of Buddha, his challenges, and how the religion got started. Based on my original interest and engagement while reading, I give this book a 10 out of 10. The book gave me things to think about in my own life and helped me understand my wife’s upbringing and habits better. For example, for years I noticed that my wife likes to go to bed later than me. From a Buddhist perspective, the wife is responsible for the household and takes time in the evening to make sure everything is cleaned and ready for the next day. Additionally, the book was a very easy read as there are not a lot of historical dates and events to memorize. The focus is on the life of Buddha, his teachings and principles.

Overview:

I chose this book because I’ve owned it for a very long time and never actually read it. I was always intimidated by the colors, and having people see me studying a book about power. I first heard about the 48 laws of power as a college student; after reading this book now as an adult, I wish I had read it earlier in life! This is an excellent well written book that analyzed the successes and failures of great leaders throughout history. History buffs will find it highly entertaining, and those of us working in a corporate environment will find useful principles that can be applied in real-world situations that deal with power.

What the book was about:

All about power; attaining it, manipulating it, and of course maintaining it once you have it. Robert Green explains historical anecdotes from the power perspective. The ideas in this book are not good or bad; the book just explains the laws of power, and from my perspective most of them are very true. Something that stood out for me was how similar this book is to the Game of Thrones  books; its sort of like an instruction guide that explains the rationale of the characters.

The main point of the book is that the laws of power can be explained, and power can be attained manipulated and maintained by following the rules of power. Robert Greene was actually criticized for this book; people said that some of the laws contradict themselves. I disagree – the book explains each law, and gives examples of historical situations when the law was followed, and when it was not followed.

Rating: (1 low to 10 high)

I rated this book an 8 based on overall readability and desire to continue reading continuously. I found the laws entertaining, accurate, and applicable to my life.

Key Learnings

I wanted to understand people who play power games intentions, motivations, and their rationale for doing the things they do. Many of the laws are actually human nature, and can be used as a way to understand corporate behavior. My favorite laws are:

Law #1: Never outshine the master
Law #3: Conceal your intentions
Law #4: Always say less than necessary
Law #5: So much depends on reputation – guard it with your life
Law #6: Court attention at all costs
Law #13: When asking for help, appeal to people’s self-interest, never to their mercy or gratitude
Law #30: Make your accomplishments seem effortless
Law #46: Never appear too perfect
Law #48: Assume Formlessness