Brave Reviews
I just discovered a great resource, Brave Reviews, for learning about many good books out there, reviewed by Jason Brueckner. It’s not that there aren’t a bunch of people reviewing books already; there are. Plenty. It’s just that I really like Jason’s reviewing approach, style and choices.
The short course on Jason: he studied at Malone University in Canton, Ohio where he double majored in Bible & Theology as well as Youth & Sports Ministry. After getting married, he moved his family to Chicago, Illinois and commuted out to Wheaton Graduate School. There he earned, “by God’s grace,” a Master’s in Biblical Exegesis. While his degree isn’t as cool as mine [Systematic Theology, which everyone knows is better], I asked Jason if it would be alright to share his story with you. Delightfully, he agreed! Here’s the full course:
I really appreciate the opportunity you’ve given me to share! I know the importance of the internet and how viral contagious ideas can be. In a great sense, that is why I started Brave Reviews. When you have found a good idea, it can transform your life and the lives of your neighbors and cities and so forth. Books are ideas that have been poured out onto pages so to be shared with others. We need to hear new ideas so to grow, so to transform (check out Colossians 1:10).
Why do I give of my time to Brave Reviews?
I got sick and tired of only seeing people who don’t like a book sit down and put together a review. Brave Reviews exists as a trustworthy corner of the web where people can find unbiased reviews of contemporary texts. I do not believe in a “bad book.” Whether it is a romance novel or a hotly-debated theological text, we as learners should be having conversations with a variety of genres. So now you should be asking what a person who would not give a book a poor evaluation is doing reviewing books for others. The calling of Brave Reviews is two simple tasks:
- Let followers know what books are available. Our audience is just like anyone else; they are over-committed and over-compassionate. In other words, you love people so much that you have not given yourself adequate time to stay up on what is being published. Brave Reviews is like an alarm clock for followers that alerts them of new and noteworthy texts.
- Let followers know what books are for them. How many times have you heard, “Yeah, you should really pick this book up. It’d be great for you in your field!” If we had a book for every time we heard that! Our second task is to be a filter for these new books. It is important to know what is being published in general, but it is vitally important for your own growth to know what is being published in your area of expertise. For example, Brave Reviews will be doing a review of a new NLT Study Bible that is not yet in stores and that is important for everyone to know about! But, you may be deeply immersed in the world of business so you’d want to probably pick up a copy of Doing Virtuous Business. As professionals in our own skill sets, we must know what books are available for us specifically and Brave Reviews will assist in providing that filter.
It’s a brave task, I know, but in this world of mass media it is a much worthy adventure.
If you would like to both help Brave Reviews spread the word and enter into a drawing (we are giving away books, Starbucks gift cards, and more!), head over to www.thebravereviews.com/About and enter into the giveaway.
Thanks for getting to know us a bit!
God bless him, Jason even agreed to look 0ver my books! Perhaps someday one or both will land on his awesome site, Brave Reviews! And I was just joking about my degree being better, Jason… 😉