Not Recommended: Constantly Craving by Marilyn Meberg

Constantly Craving by Marilyn Meberg is not at all what you would expect from a book of its title and with a cup of water on the cover. This book has nothing to do with physical food. And despite the whole first chapter being about dealing with our cravings for the elusive "more" of shopping, entertainment, new cars, bigger houses, and more materialism, this book is also not about those things. This book is not about dealing with our materialistic cravings.

The book is about cravings for spiritual things. And instead of "overcoming cravings", this book is about satisfying relational and spiritual cravings. This is a very odd book. The first chapter speaks all about overcoming materialistic cravings, yet the rest of the book is nothing about this. Then this book launches oddly into the psychology of relationships in 4 chapters - barely touching on anything to do with God or Christianity. It's all about observing the human tendency of being disatisfied in one relationship and running to the next in a pattern of using other people. It's all about our need for human contact. It's pure psychology and mostly written for single people or disatisfied married people.

Then just as oddly, this book breaks into chapters on being content. Then it switches to one good chapter on satisfying our spiritual cravings. But then it goes back to a weird chapter on revenge. Huh? How does revenge fit the topic of cravings/neediness? Then there is the mystical chapter on solitude - where the author chants "Jesus" endlessly in a form of "mindless meditation" - not a practice of normal Protestant Christianity.

Even being a single woman, I found only the one spiritual chapter relevant to my life. All the rest is written for people struggling with personal relationships, cheating, unfaithfulness and always looking for the greener pasture. This book was odd and I feel I wasted a day reading it and it added nothing much to my life.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion

Highly Recommended: Called to Controversy by Ruth Rosen

Great book on the founder of Jews for Jesus. This book reads like an autobiography and story, so it is a very enjoyable read. The book is very very long, but it is very good. It shows the reality of becoming a preacher, trying to teach and preach and the politics involved even among other believers. It shows how even among believers, human sinfulness, control and pride get in the way and stop up the gospel from getting to the people who need it. It is a great teaching tool for anyone who wants to preach the gospel and helps believers understand the proper routes to take and how to avoid the mistakes of getting caught up in the "church system" of politics. This is also a beautiful emotional story of a man and woman who believed God and trusted God above all else.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for this review but I did really give my honest opinion