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Worthy Books Information
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Why this web site exists
I love to read, but lately,
as I have been trying to read some of the best sellers, I have become frustrated.
I would select a book that I thought was worth reading, and would read
through a number of chapters, but then I would be confronted with a scene
of graphic nudity, explicit sex or unnecessary violence. It destroyed any
enjoyment I was getting from the book. I would set the book down, disappointed.
When my wife would ask if she should read it, I didn't know what to tell
her. So I started looking for books that maintained a high literary quality
and that I could also recommend to my wife and other adult relatives.
I also teach seventh grade
English and am responsible for compiling summer reading lists. Every year,
when I compile the list, I am reminded of the awesome responsibility adults
have of setting before the children in their charge books, ideas and concepts
that will have a positive effect in their mental and spiritual growth.
For years, I kept looking for a list of books that would help me out. Finally,
I started my own. The rest, as they say, is history.
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Criteria
for including books
All books on this site are reviewed
from a Reformed (Calvinist) and Christian perspective. While not all books
need to be written by Christians, they must comply with the two criteria
listed below.
1. A book must be quality
literature.
A book must have some literary
value. It must present great ideas in aesthetically pleasing ways. My definition
of what constitutes a great idea comes from a rather unlikely source. J.H.
Bavinck was a missiology professor at the Free University of Amsterdam.
He examined what he considered to be the "great questions of life" from
numerous cultures around the world. He then categorized them into what
he called "five magnetic points," categories of questions with which all
people are confronted at some point in their lives. His five magnetic points
were:
I and the Cosmos
This category includes questions
such as: What is my relationship to the world around me? Do I have a responsibility
toward nature?
I and the Riddle of My
Existence
Not only do we ask questions
about the world around us, but we also ask questions about ourselves, questions
like: Who am I? What is my purpose in the world?
I and the Supreme Being
We all recognize that there
is some force outside of ourselves that is greater than us and in some
way controls us. Some call this force God, others call it Mother Nature
or some other name, but everyone recognizes this greater power, and somehow
has to deal with it.
I and the Norm
Just as we recognize a greater
power, so too we recognize a certain standard that we all agree must be
followed. This standard may vary from person to person, but some parts
are universal. We all know it is wrong to kill someone without just cause.
We all get irritated when someone butts in line ahead of us. The fact that
certain behaviors are acceptable and others are not points to some norm
outside of ourselves that we feel obligated to follow.
I and Salvation
We may acknowledge a certain
norm that we all try to live up to, but we also must acknowledge that no
one seems to be living up to it very well. We realize that this world could
be much better and we all have some kind of idea about how to fix the problems.
This was Bavinck's understanding
of what constituted a well-developed world view. In philosophy and literature,
it serves as the foundation for great ideas. When ideas, clustered around
one or more of these five magnetic points, are presented in aesthetically
pleasing ways, we have great literature. Great literature does not need
to give answers to the many questions surrounding these points. In fact,
it does not need to give any answers at all. However, it will at least
give some unique or profound insight into the questions being asked.
2. A book must be morally
responsible
Not only must a book be of a
high literary quality, it also must be morally responsible. In other words,
a book must convey it's literary value in ways that are helpful and not
harmful to society. A book does not need to avoid topics such as sex or
violence, but it must not encourage that kind of behavior in society. Immorality
of any kind should be depicted as the corruption it truly is. If you are
looking for a more detailed explanation of this topic see, Gallagher, Susan
V. and Roger Lundin, "Literature through the Eyes of Faith." (Reviewed
in the Adult Nonfiction section of this web site.)
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How you can help
This is a relatively new web
site. While I regularly add reviews to my book lists, it takes a long time
to properly read and review a book. It is especially frustrating when I
take a lot of time on a book and then discover I can't use it.
You can help me narrow down
my search by suggesting books to be reviewed. If you know of any good books
that would fit the criteria of this site, please let
me know. When you make a suggestion, please try to give the full name
of the author and the title of the book. The name of a publisher and a
publishing date would be nice, but not necessary. If you would like to
try your hand at recommending books yourself, you can apply
to become a reviewer for Worthy Books. You would be helping
me and other visitors of the site.
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