Resilience: Hard-Won Wisdom for Living a Better Life – Eric Greitens

I recently saw Eric Greitens featured on a news program.  I was intrigued by the path he had taken in life.  He is a Rhodes Scholar and humanitarian leader who decided to join the Navy and become a SEAL.  After serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, he came home and founded a non-profit (The Mission Continues) that helps veterans get back on their feet by giving back to their communities.  Most recently, he was elected the Governor of Missouri.  This diverse resume allows Greitens to write a book others could not. Resilence is a philosophically deep read that will have you grabbing for a pencil to make notes in the margin. 

The Vanishing American Adult: Our Coming-of-Age Crisis and How to Rebuild a Culture of Self-Reliance – Ben Sasse

After hearing positive reports about this book from a number of people whose beliefs span the gamut of political ideologies, my interest was peaked, and I decided to check it out for myself.  Ben Sasse has written a timely book about our country and the challenges we face as a society.  He explores each topic using an issues based approach rather than a policy based approach, and he focuses on forward thinking solutions. The Vanishing American Adult: Our Coming-of-Age Crisis and How to Rebuild a Culture of Self-Reliance is a thought provoking book that every parent should read.

Get Out of That Pit: Straight Talk About God’s Deliverance – Beth Moore

Get Out of That Pit, which is based on Psalm 40, has been re-released as a tenth anniversary edition.  Moore has written a highly engaging text that provides a strong scriptural foundation for positive change.  Whether the struggle one is facing is big or small, Get Out of That Pit is an encouraging read that supports taking action.

While this complimentary book was provided for review by Handlebar Marketing, no other compensation was given.  All remarks are my personal and honest opinions. 

Favorite First Day of School Book!

This post is a flash from the past.  It was originally published in 2011.

The Kissing Hand is an old favorite to read at the start of the school year.  Little Chester Raccoon is hesitant to leave his mother’s side and go to school.  She assures him that he will love school once he is busy playing with new toys, new books, and new friends.  She also shares a special secret that has been in their family for years – the kissing hand.  The kissing hand allows a little love from home to be with Chester at all times and gives him the confidence he needs to tackle his first day of school.  Quite simply a heartwarming story that provides true comfort to little ones and perhaps a few Mommies and Daddies too

The 101 Coolest Simple Science Experiments: Awesome Things To Do With Your Parents, Babysitters and Other Adults – Rachel Miller, Holly Homer, and Jamie Harrington

Our little lady loves science, and we have had a number of science experiment books over the years.  This one is by far our favorite.  First, the layout of the book is terrific.  Experiments are divided into four sections: Kitchen Chemistry, Physics and Making Things Move, Exploring the World, and The Human Body.  Each experiment focuses on a specific science question and includes preparation and experiment time guidelines as well as a supply listing.  Supplies are traditionally things one would already have in their home or are easily found at the grocery store.  Experiment instructions, outcome details, and explanation as to why the experiment works are included for each experiment as well as fun related facts.  The 101 Coolest Simple Science Experiments: Awesome Things to Do With Your Parents, Babysitters, and Other Adults is a great resource for indoor summer fun when it is just too hot to be outside.