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Family and Friends is my everyday journal. Captain's Log is where I pontificate on religion and politics.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Wednesday Challenge: Books that influenced your life


Books that influenced my life.

The Holy Bible. This has been a companion and guide my whole life. I prefer the New American Standard for study, but I learned in Seminary when required to memorize a great many verses that the King James is much easier for this than the more literal ones.


Worthy is the Lamb by Ray Summers. I already decided that rapture theology was wrong and needed a better understanding of end times. This book provided the theology I live by to this day concerning the second coming of Christ. 


How to be a Christian Without Being Religious by Fritz Riddenour. This is a commentary on the book of Romans. I read it in Junior High and this approach to Christian living is still with me.


New Testament History by F.F. Bruce. While reading this book something he said caught my attention. The sister of the emperor Domitian was charged with "atheism tainted with Judaism." Her husband was beheaded. Domitian did not have children, but his sister had two sons and they would have been his heirs. It is possible those two young men would have succeeded him on the Eagle throne as next emperor if he hadn't been assassinated. This became the driving force for me to write Optimus: Praetorian Guard, and soon to be released, Stephanus. How the first Christian emperor could have happened 400 years earlier than Constantine. 


The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullagh. I have this entire set as pictured and have read every one twice. McCullagh's in-depth understanding of Rome's social, political and military history influenced just about everything in Optimus and Stephanus. Big hint: read the glossary at the back of the book first so you understand what's going on in the book.  


Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum.
It wasn't the title entry that affected me in the book. There's one about a Russian soldier captured in South Africa because he refused to leave the dead body of his wife. I tear up just thinking about it.
I read this to my classes in world history and U.S. History when covering the cold war.


Men are From Mars, and Women are From Venus by John Gray. This book was recommended by a family court judge who spoke at a faculty meeting. This was the only worthwhile faculty meeting in 27 years of teaching. My wife and I took turns reading the chapters to each other and it defused nearly all the recurring arguments in our marriage. Not to say we haven't had any since then, but this book greatly changed the character and complexity of our lives making for a much calmer marriage. When I taught Sociology and Psychology classes in high school the chapter on early adulthood and marriage this book was a supplemental source and most of the students signed up for the class for this reason. For the record when Gray gives advice on how men should understand women, the girls in the class agreed 100%, when he gives advice on how women should understand men, they roll their eyes and laugh. 


22 comments:

Wendi Zwaduk and Megan Slayer said...

Good choices. We had quite a few copies of the Colleen McCullough book at the book sale. I guess I should've picked up a copy. I'll have to check these out.

Lydia said...

Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten was a wonderful book. Good choice there.

And thanks for stopping by my post so early today! :)

Judy said...

Thanks for coming by earlier.. and I agree with you re: memorization and the KJV. It's just so poetical and slips so easily off the tongue. I had forgotten about How to be a Christian without Being Religious... I read it in the same time frame (I have the feeling we may have a lot of things in common re: times - lol). I will have to pick up Worthy is the Lamb, though. I would be interested in what he has to say. Thanks for the heads up!

Marianne Arkins said...

Good choices...I've read a few of them, but have added a couple others to my TBR. Thanks for visiting earlier!

Tena Stetler said...

A thought provoking list. I've added a few to my TBR Thanks for sharing! Here's mine. https://www.tenastetler.com/lsrs-wednesdays-blog-challenge-books-that-influenced-my-life/

Aymee said...

The First Man in Rome and Christian Without Being Religious sound like good books. I think people forget they can have their faith, lead a worthy life, and not be overzealous about it, if that makes sense.

My post

P M Prescott said...

That series, Wendy and Megan, is very time consuming, but well worth it.

P M Prescott said...

Glad you remembered it, Lydia. This is something to do while wide awake in the middle of the night.

P M Prescott said...

Judy, glad we agree on the KJV. Worthy is the Lamb is a remarkable book, hope you learn from it.

P M Prescott said...

Thanks for coming by Marianne, and glad to have some books in common.

P M Prescott said...

Hope you enjoy the ones you read, Tena.

P M Prescott said...

Yes, Aymee it is, glad you agree.

Michael Mock said...

Interesting selection. I've heard very good things about Everything I Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten, and mixed responses to Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus; I'm not familiar with the others (well, except the Bible I mean).

The idea of a Christian emperor 400 years ahead of our schedule is fascinating.

My post is here.

P M Prescott said...

Not everyone is into pop psychology. It worked for me. Thanks for coming by, Michael.

Black city girl said...

Wow! Great list. The only book I can confidently say I’ve read here is The Bible!
I will definitely be picking up a few of the rest.

Thanks for stopping by mine earlier ❤️

P M Prescott said...

Glad to give you something to read,BCG. Thanks for coming by.

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

You read lots deeper stuff than I do. Men are From Mars... really is good. It opened my eyes quite a bi, in fact it caused me to open my eyes a lot and realize that maybe people of worth thought differently than I do. That's been a continuing revelation.

And of the course the Bible. Such great meaningful stories from thousands of years ago. Maybe we haven't progressed much. Maybe we have gone backwards.

P M Prescott said...

Thanks for coming by Yogi.

Tanith Davenport said...

How to Be Christian Without Being Religious sounds fascinating.

P M Prescott said...

Tanith, reasonable faith is.

Nicci said...

I've heard about Men Are From Mars, Women Are from Venus but have never picked up a copy to read it. Now I'm curious!
Hope you have a great week!

P M Prescott said...

Nicci, my highest recommendation. Thanks for coming by.