My Top Ten Books of 2021

Only rarely, do I do standalone blog posts. Today, I am going to make that exception with an overview of my reading in 2021, and a number of recommendations for you from that.

Last year, I read 52 books in their entirety for a total of 21,064 pages. The longest book, the Bible, was 1,590 pages; the shortest book, E. M. Bounds’ Prayer and Praying Men was 115 pages. The average length was 405 pages. I rate/review every book I read on Goodreads. My average rating for 2021 was 3.7 stars. Here, in no particular order, other than the Bible, are my top ten books for last year.

 

Paradise Lost by John Milton – Sometimes, when you pick up a classic, you wonder why in the world it ever became one. Other times, it smacks you deliciously in the face, and you regret waiting so long to discover it. Paradise Lost is most definitely the latter. More than four centuries old at this point, it wears its age with fierce grace. Theologically, it is spot on, so plus one for the Puritans. Additionally, it provoked me to look at the story of Adam and Eve with entirely new eyes. Milton brings out so many things I had never thought about. Linguistically, it is sheer brilliance. I read the entire 288 page poem outloud, as I always with do with poetry (and the King James Version). Its flights of fancy spun out seemingly endlessly paint an accurately devastating picture of the events of the Fall. Emotionally, it moved me to tears a dozen times.

Too long. I let it set on the shelf for far too long. If it is not on yours, put it there. If it is, pull it down, brew a cup of tea, and settle in. You will find the aching beauty of sorrow and grace.

The Temple: Its Ministry and Services by Alfred Edersheim – As a reader, if I have a man crush, it is probably on Alfred Edersheim. Or Martyn Lloyd-Jones, but I digress. Edersheim is pure D awesome. His encyclopedic Jewish knowledge/experience combined with his warm pastoral perspective bring things out in the Word of God that are priceless, absolutely priceless. His 1500 pages on the life of Christ, which I read four times, changed my life. They are the most important thing I have ever read outside of the Word of God. While this book cannot be expected to be on the same level, nor is it, it is still a grand work. In it, Edersheim walks us through the Temple of Jesus' day, showing us the organization, chronological flow, and furniture. More importantly, he clearly explains each rite, sacrifice, and feast, tying them all to Jesus Christ. In the process, he only rarely reaches; almost always, his interpretation, aided by his unique perspective, is logical and scriptural. As always, his work is massively supported by rabbinic quotation and Talmudic reference.

If you want to know Jesus, all you need is the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. But if you want to know Him as He was in His own day, and thus see Him in high definition, Edersheim is the lens you need. Whoever else you read in your pursuit of seeing Christ, read Edersheim. Your reward will be massive.

Missionary Partnership: A Brief Biblical Theology of Missions, Deputation, and Partnership by Ben David Sinclair – I have been a pastor for twenty-four years. I have been around missionaries all of my life, and led churches in supporting and encouraging missionaries now for these decades. Missionary Partnership is the best book I have ever read on the subject. It is researched, documented, organized, scriptural, clear, bold, and compelling. Written from an independent Baptist perspective and for independent Baptists, it nevertheless avoids a sectarian spirit. So often, as I read it, I found my heart beating in entrained rhythm with Sinclair's. The pages of my copy are scrawled with "good", "Amen", "aye", and "well said." In this little book, Sinclair communicates a biblical philosophy of missions that springs from a biblical theology of missions. Further, he offers wise and compassionate advice about the necessity of leading your church in the right direction. He also offers practical, helpful suggestions to aid you in so doing.

It is not often I read a book and immediately plan to buy a bunch for others to read. This is one of those rare, thought-provoking, life/ministry-changing kinds of books.

The Conviction to Lead: 25 Principles for Leadership That Matters by R. Albert Mohler Jr. – Every once in a while you pick up a book that you hope will be good and find it to be even better than you hoped. Such is the case with this one. I have my theological differences with the author, and they are substantial, but on this subject he has both lived and written an excellent book.

So often, it seems, books on leadership are merely collections of disparate/unconnected essays packaged together to masquerade as a book. Mohler easily could have done that, pulling from decades worth of other writing. But he didn't. He wrote a book that matches the title, logically and intellectually connecting like a thread through each of his 25 chapters. And what very good chapters they are, for the most part. Each one a well thought through discussion of one particular aspect of ministry leadership.

At my age, I rarely read books again. I do not have time in my life to read all the books I want, let alone reread them. But I will reread this one. Further, I suspect I will incorporate it in teaching/mentoring others. This is a balanced, scriptural book on an important topic clearly written by a man who has lived what he writes. If you are looking to study/strengthen your sense of leadership in a Christian ministry I urge you to think your way through it. You will be most edified.

Beyond Suffering: Discovering the Message of Job by Layton Talbert – I read fifty books a year. I'll be shocked if this isn't the best book I read this year. It is beyond excellent; it is outstanding. I came to the book at the end of a several long year study of Job and the broader subject of suffering in the Bible. It is good that I did. If I had come to it first I might not have ever read another book on the subject. It is organized, detailed, logical, practical, well-written, and eminently scriptural. At the end, you feel as if at long last you understand the book of Job. More importantly, you feel like you know God better, how God works, why He works that way, and what He expects of you. It is this last sentence that proves the book is such a gold mine. It opens up the pages of God's revelation and pours out on us a staggering wealth of riches. As with even the best of authors, I quibbled with him from time to time, but the sheer number of thought-provoking paragraphs was delightful. And revelatory.

Apparently, Mr. Talbert has written one other book. Would somebody tell the man to keep writing please? If this book is representative of what he can produce I will buy/read/study/use every book he writes.

The Reading Life: The Joy of Seeing New Worlds Through Others’ Eyes by C. S. Lewis – No, he didn't actually write it. Yes, he did. And what it reveals is a man who loved words, who saw in them the power to move men and enough beauty to make you weep. You do not understand such things as you find here unless you have spent decades reading. You do not write them unless you have spent decades writing. Yet there is profit here even for the immature reader. It will open a door and show him a glimpse of all that may yet belong to him in time to come.

On a personal level, I was delighted to see he likes old books better than new ones, and all books better than their movies. And tea. And long walks. I'm starting to wonder if I am Lewis reincarnated...

If God is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil by Randy Alcorn – At the outset, let me say that though I have (justifiably) given this a rare five star review it is not faultless. It is too long, clunky in its writing in spots, relies perhaps too much on logic, uses a variety of Bible versions, and leans calvinistic in places. But having said all of that, it is an utterly fantastic work. Alcorn has done massive amounts of homework, philosophically, logically, scripturally, and personally and it shows. He is logical but still cites hundreds of scripture passages. It is leavened throughout with numerous stories and quotes that illustrate his points. He put serious time not just into the academic side of the subject, but in interviewing people who know what it is like to suffer. These all make the book richer. Additionally, he is not afraid to tackle head on the objections that come our way as conservative, bible-believing people.

I picked it up thinking it was a theology of suffering. It isn't. It is an apologetic on suffering. But it is simply outstanding. Deep and wide, heartfelt and scholarly at the same time. This is both impressive and edifying. Worth the hours thinking/reading your way through it. Most worth it.

Stalin: Waiting for Hitler, 1929-1941 by Stephen Kotkin - Building on his monumental first volume, Kotkin in this volume has added an immense amount of detail to his yet unfinished three volume biography of Stalin. This one begins with Stalin secure in his position as head of Communist Russia. Policy wise, it sees Stalin launch the Soviet Union's massive industrialization with only middling "success" at great price. One particular tractor factory story was illuminating here. On the personal side, we see the continued deterioration of Stalin's family, and his shameful treatment of his second wife (who commits suicide) and his mother.

By far, the two largest story lines in the book are the purges of the late 1930s and the lead up to WWII. The purges are paranoid megalomania at its worst. It is eye-opening how Stalin built a power base that gradually became enslaved to his every whim. The damage he wrought on people's lives and on his own government/state is nigh incalculable. It was worse than his disastrous peasant collectivization a decade before. On the WWII side, we see great detail on the diplomatic dance between Stalin and Hitler, the national greed of both of them, but especially the abysmal failure of Stalin in the military preparedness and intelligence fields.

Though at times, as with any massive work like this, my attention wandered, Kotkin always brought it back. Having read more works than I can count on WWII it was interesting to see events and perspective from the Russian side, their thoughts, concerns, and reactions in context.

Kotkin's is the very definition of a serious work. It is not for the faint of heart. But it isn't an academic work that bores one to tears with recitation of statistics either. It is heavily researched, well written, thorough but not dry, and analytical both about specific events and the arc of Stalin's life as a whole.

The 20th century is one long witness of man's inhumanity to man, of the way power corrupts, and of the need of man for a Saviour with a capital S rather than a small s. Man's inhumanity is so awful there is no solution outside of Christ. Stalin and his nemesis, Hitler, and their contemporary, Mao, represent the worst of humanity. There, but for the grace of God, go I.

Hitler: Downfall, 1939-1945 by Volker Ullrich - As any young man with an interest in history, I began reading books about WWII decades ago. In that time, I cannot possibly count the number of pages I have read about history. He/that era are endlessly fascinating to me in a train-wreck sort of way. Apparently, my fascination is widely shared for there is no end to the publishing of books about it. This is the second of a two volume biography of Hitler, and it is just as good as the first. In addition, along with Ian Kershaw's two volume biography, is the best of the lot. It is well researched and thoughtfully written. It is professionally done, in the sense that Vollker does not rant; he writes, clearly and plainly, about the horrific thought processes and even more horrific deeds. In the end, he does not ignore the evil as evil, and his lenghty historian's judgment at the end of the second volume is excellently done.

Although it is bad history, it is history done well of that bad history. There is not a better biography available. If you commit the time, you will be amply rewarded.

Rousseau and Revolution by Will Durant – The scope of Durant's work is mind-boggling. The sheer amount of work he has put into this series is beyond impressive. Though the series has shifted over time from a history of civilization to a history of Europe to a history of France, it is nevertheless priceless. Ten of the eleven are now under my belt and I've spent hundreds of hours with Will Durant. As Durant ages, he reveals more and more of himself. As I wrote in my review of the Voltaire volume, what we find in the senior Durant is a respectful and knowledgeable liberal, a man enamored with the Enlightenment and at heart critical of Christianity and all it represents. We see this yet again in this volume. The place he grants Rousseau in history is entirely out of place, and the credit he pays what was by his own admission a bad man is sorely misplaced. How a man of Durant's caliber and knowledge could see the horror of the French revolution up close and yet still admire the French philosophers is as mind-boggling as the scale of his work.

You will learn lots of things in this book, but learn skeptically. Durant's facts are correct but his interpretation is simply sad.