Not What You Think


Book Description

Not What You Think blows the dust off dated misperceptions of the Bible and engages the problems of this book head-on--the parts that make modern readers squeamish, skeptical, and uncertain. If you're skeptical about the Bible, you're not alone. The Bible is seen by many contemporary readers as intolerant, outdated, out of step with societal norms at best, and a tool of oppression at worst. In this earnest and illuminating read, millennial thought leaders and aspiring theologians Michael and Lauren McAfee are here to say: fair enough. But they're also here to raise a few questions of their own: What if we cleared the deck on our preconceptions of the Bible and encountered it anew? What if we came with the understanding that our questions are welcome? And what if the Bible presents less of a system to figure out, and more of a story to step into--a story with more surprising plot twists than we might think? Michael and Lauren spent their childhoods in church and Sunday school, they spent part of their twenties finding their way in the world in New York City, and today they're shaping their careers while pursuing doctoral studies in theology and ethics. Along the way, they've had to wrangle very real questions--both their own, and of their friends--about why, where, and how the most controversial book in history fits in our world today. Join Michael and Lauren as they explore the nature of the Bible--an ancient mosaic of story, literature, history, and poetry--and what it means for this generation and its relationship with God. Ultimately, Not What You Think is an invitation to come and see, and be surprised.




It's Not What You Think


Book Description

Join Jefferson Bethke, New York Times bestselling author of Jesus > Religion, as he challenges the accepted view of contemporary Christianity with the world-changing message that Jesus actually brought. Jesus was most upset at people for seeing but not seeing. For succumbing to the danger and idolatry of forcing God into preconceived human ideals. But what if there were a better way? What if Jesus came not to help people escape the world but instead to restore it? It's Not What You Think tells the familiar stories of the scripture in a radically new light, presenting God’s unchanging truths from the Old and New Testaments as the challenging story that it is: a mysterious, compelling narrative with God at the center. Along the way, Bethke reminds us of the life-changing message of Jesus that turned the world upside-down--a world that God is putting back together--teaching us how to: Uncover our true purpose and satisfy our longing for significance Find the kingdom of God wherever we are Embrace the gifts of fellowship and community Praise for It's Not What You Think: "With a deep discernment of the times we're living in, Jefferson spotlights many misinterpreted truths in the Bible and puts a voice to the true heart of God's Word. His desire to bring us into a more intimate encounter with God jumps off of each page. Christians need this book--now more than ever!" --Lysa TerKeurst, New York Times bestselling author of Forgiving What You Can't Forget and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries "It's easy to get stuck in life. To let our faith grow stagnant, our walk grow weary, and our hope grow silent. Jefferson isn't okay with that and has created a book that turns what we think we know upside down. Creative, honest, refreshing. I'm a huge fan of the heart that explodes from this book." --Jon Acuff, New York Times bestselling author of Do Over: Rescue Monday, Reinvent Your Work & Never Get Stuck




The Last Lecture


Book Description

The author, a computer science professor diagnosed with terminal cancer, explores his life, the lessons that he has learned, how he has worked to achieve his childhood dreams, and the effect of his diagnosis on him and his family.




You Are Not What You Think


Book Description

You and your ego: how to develop strong self-confidence without becoming an egotist—so you can be happy with who you are and make others love you too How can you build the healthy ego necessary to be effective in life—yet avoid the kind of egotism that makes people dislike you? Don’t worry; Dave Richo has the answers. You Are Not What You Think shows you how to navigate the tricky waters between egotism and selflessness in a way that avoids both extremes and makes you much more effective and loving. The key is to acknowledge your ego and to be kind to it, before you ultimately learn to let it go. As with all Dave’s books, this one is full of examples from mythology, psychology, and religion, with plenty of exercises and practical advice.




It’s Not What You Think


Book Description

The story of how one council estate lad made good, really very good, and survived – just about – to tell the tale...




The Internet Is Not What You Think It Is


Book Description

A history of the internet, uncovering its origins in nature and centuries-old dreams of improving the quality of human life by creating thinking machines and allowing for communication across vast distances. Looks at what the internet is, where it came from, and where it might be taking us.




This Is Not the Story You Think It Is...


Book Description

By the time Laura Munson had turned 40, her life was not how she thought it would turn out. Career success had eluded her; her beloved father was no longer around to be her biggest cheerleader; and her husband wanted out of their marriage. Poignant, wise, and often exceedingly funny, this is the moment-by- moment memoir of a woman who decided to let go-in the midst of the emotional equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane. It recounts what happened as Munson set out on her spiritual journey-and provides raw, powerful inspiration to anyone searching for peace in an utterly unpredictable world.




I'm Not Who You Think I Am


Book Description

Who is the strange woman in the white car watching Ginger? She appears at Ginger's birthday party, at her school, and in front of her house, but Ginger has never met her before. When she confronts Ginger, she reveals a secret that will change Ginger's life. And when the woman's confrontations become threatening, Ginger is forced into a crisis of loyalty and honor—a crisis from which her family might never recover.




It's Not as Tough as You Think


Book Description

Life can be much easier if we cut its problems down to bite size. . . or at least put on some tenderizer. Too often we do just the reverse. We magnify small problems and make the softer ones tougher. After ministering to over 40,000 people 10 years as a ra




How Not to Be Wrong


Book Description

“Witty, compelling, and just plain fun to read . . ." —Evelyn Lamb, Scientific American The Freakonomics of math—a math-world superstar unveils the hidden beauty and logic of the world and puts its power in our hands The math we learn in school can seem like a dull set of rules, laid down by the ancients and not to be questioned. In How Not to Be Wrong, Jordan Ellenberg shows us how terribly limiting this view is: Math isn’t confined to abstract incidents that never occur in real life, but rather touches everything we do—the whole world is shot through with it. Math allows us to see the hidden structures underneath the messy and chaotic surface of our world. It’s a science of not being wrong, hammered out by centuries of hard work and argument. Armed with the tools of mathematics, we can see through to the true meaning of information we take for granted: How early should you get to the airport? What does “public opinion” really represent? Why do tall parents have shorter children? Who really won Florida in 2000? And how likely are you, really, to develop cancer? How Not to Be Wrong presents the surprising revelations behind all of these questions and many more, using the mathematician’s method of analyzing life and exposing the hard-won insights of the academic community to the layman—minus the jargon. Ellenberg chases mathematical threads through a vast range of time and space, from the everyday to the cosmic, encountering, among other things, baseball, Reaganomics, daring lottery schemes, Voltaire, the replicability crisis in psychology, Italian Renaissance painting, artificial languages, the development of non-Euclidean geometry, the coming obesity apocalypse, Antonin Scalia’s views on crime and punishment, the psychology of slime molds, what Facebook can and can’t figure out about you, and the existence of God. Ellenberg pulls from history as well as from the latest theoretical developments to provide those not trained in math with the knowledge they need. Math, as Ellenberg says, is “an atomic-powered prosthesis that you attach to your common sense, vastly multiplying its reach and strength.” With the tools of mathematics in hand, you can understand the world in a deeper, more meaningful way. How Not to Be Wrong will show you how.