5.  The Crusades by Henry Treece

     I may be kind of strange, but I’ve enjoyed reading about the Crusades ever since I picked bought a history book on the topic from the Shakespeare & Co. bookstore in Paris 9 years ago.  I’ve read a few books on the subject since then and Treece’s is not the best.  However, it is a fun read (if you like history) and it covers all the major points.  The book is out of print, but you can still track down used copies on Amazon.

4.  Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

     I’ve read several books by Steinbeck now – mostly, his shorter ones – and I’ve yet to be disappointed.  He’s just a good, compelling and entertaining writer.  Of Mice and Men is a delightful and moving story about friendship and loyalty that I found difficult to put down.

3.  Romans: The NIV Application Commentary by Douglas Moo

     So, before I met him, I figured Doug Moo was probably one of the great Asian Biblical scholars in the world.  As it turns out, he’s about 6’5’’ or so and very Caucasian.  I don’t know where the name Moo comes from.  Anyway, he’s certainly one of the great scholars on the book of Romans alive today and this particular commentary is great for personal study and even devotion.  It is set up so that each passage includes not only exegetical comments, but also an application section.

2.  Asian Indians of Chicago by the Indo-American Center

     This book is mostly a collection of annotated pictures chronicling the history of the Asian Indian immigrant community in Chicago.  The result is absolutely fascinating and certainly a must possess resource for those of you who may be seeking to understand this community better.  I even found some of my neighbors pictured in the book!

1.   Power and Magic: the Concept of Power in Ephesians by Clinton Arnold

     Arnold’s thematic commentary on Ephesians was far and away the most difficult and most rewarding book that I read in 2008.  It is the kind of commentary that is so powerfully insightful, that it really leaves you feeling like you couldn’t have possibly understood Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians before.  Since, I’ve already reviewed this book in a previous article, I’ll only sum things up here by encouraging you to pick up Power and Magic if you are interested teaching or studying Ephesians any time soon.  The section on the cultural and religious background of western Asia Minor alone is worth the full price of the book.  I will warn you that you’ll need some rudimentary knowledge of Greek to fully appreciate Arnold’s commentary.