Tough Guys and Drama Queens

On first receiving “Tough Guys and Drama Queens” by Mark Gregston was in awe of its presentation. The rich red matt finish cover design made me excited about its contents. Greg himself sums up the purpose of the book - “to help parents better understand exactly what lies beneath the surface of the adolescent waters and to grasp the possible reasons that your child may fall or has already fallen into the snares of today’s society as well as to provide practical tools and tips to help parents abandon old-school parenting styles that aren’t working and replace them with methods that engage your child in relationship.” In other words, his philosophy is not just how to handle the turbulent teen years but how parents can better prepare their teens for adulthood. Gregston talks about what is different with today’s culture, why traditional parenting no longer works, and he gives a new model for parenting teens.

This was quite a decent book and I would recommend that all parents read it no matter whether you are struggling with your teens or working with them. A great read overall.

Disclosure: I received this book free of charge from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com blogger book reviewer program, in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. (Disclosed in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

Surprised by Laughter - The Comic World of C. S. Lewis

Terry Lindvall PhD, in his book “Surprised by Laughter - The Comic World of C. S. Lewis” gives an in-depth look at Lewis’ writings, dividing his “dissertation” into six sections which are:

1) The Idea and the Legacy,

2) Joy,

3) Fun,

4) The Joke Proper,

5) Satire and Flippancy,

6) Conclusion: the Laughter of Love.

Apart from introducing the readers to authors like Chesterton, Milton, and Tolkien, among others Lindvall reveals C.S. Lewis’s ability to find joy and laughter in his surroundings through books, letters, conversations, and shorter works of his.

This book failed to live up to my expectations as I had hoped it to be a humourous one. “Surprised by Laughter” turned out to be more of a biography on C.S. Lewis. Reading through this one was quite a laborious task.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”