Christianity 101 - Gilbert Bilezikian

This was most definitely a school book, and not a very good one.  To give my prof credit he told us the first day that he picked it because there were points in it that he definitely did not agree with and knew it would cause discussions and arguments, or at least it was supposed to. (My discussion group generally did not discuss much).

The only reason I read the whole book was because I was so close to being able to count this as one of my books read. We were supposed to have read the whole book for class, but I admit that the last few classes I skimmed and read just enough to pass my discussion questions (it was close to the end of the year, everything was due ... I finished it afterwards).

In his book Bilezikian 8 basic doctrines of Christian beliefs (1 per chapter), and explains them to people who are new to Christianity, aren't Christians, or just want a better understanding of Christian theology.   He does so without using big, scary theology terms, but in plain every day language.

I give this book a  3/5 because even though there were times when I seriously questioned his theology (and times when he over simplified things), overall he was able to explain some core components of the church in a way that is easy to understand. So if you are looking to learn some basic Christian theology, you can start here, but remember that just because a theologian claims that it is true does not make it true. Always cross reference everything you are told with the Bible and your own common sense. (Other theology books help to).

The Sign of Four - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Sign of Four is the second of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes series. During the summer I had started watching, and really enjoyed, the british show Sherlock, so I decided to give the books a try. They had been on my list of books I was interested in for ever. Over Christmas break I read the first one and was surprised to find that the show followed it fairly closely, at least to a point. I enjoyed it enough to try the second one, which, although I did not enjoy quite so much, was still a good book.

I found that the story seemed to drag in the second novel. I am not sure if this was because the story truly dragged on or because I read it at the end of the school year and ended up having to read it over a longer period of time than I usually do. Either way it is one of those books where the story does not stay with me, even only a month after finishing the book I am having a hard time remembering what it was about. If I were to read it again I probably would find that I did not remember how it ended, although I would remember everything that was happening.

In this novel Sherlock Holmes, along with his partner Watson, are asked for help from a young woman who has received a mystery letter claiming that he knows information about her father's disappearance years prior and that if she is willing to meet with the mysterious letter writer he will make things right. Sherlock and Watson join her to this mysterious rendez-vous where they end up on a strange little treasure hunt. It follows a typical Sherlock story line, where he manages to solve the complex case quite simply, and does so above the heads of all the people he is working with. The authorities give him a hard time, because he shows them up and is quite smug about it. In the end they are simply glad that the mystery is solved and take the credit for themselves. Sherlock doesn't care about this because he gets his thrill through solving the mystery itself, not in the glory that comes with it.

Thinking over this novel and Sherlock's attitude towards solving the mysteries makes me wonder why it is I do the things I do. When I do something is it with the hope that I will get credit and glory? Or do I do it simply for the sake of doing it? Do I feel that Sherlock deserves to receive credit for what he has done, or can I accept the fact that he does not care about the credit and enjoys the process more?

I gave this novel a 3/5 stars because I enjoyed it and would recommend it to others. I probably would even read it again someday, but not for a while. If you enjoy a good mystery novel give this one a try, it always gives a satisfying answer to the problem at hand.