Category: Non-Fiction Page 2 of 61

My Favorite Non-Fiction Books of 2025

On January 7, 2026

In (Auto)Biography, History, News/Misc., Non-Fiction

My 2025 Wrap-up continues and now we’re on to the Non-Fiction list. While I liked a number of works that didn’t make this list, I felt strange calling them a “favorite.” These are the ones that stuck with me through the year; the ones I cited in conversation; that I thought about when reading something else or watching something on TV. Yeah, there’s some overlap between this list and the audiobook list from yesterday—lately, most Non-Fiction books I work through are in audiobook format. So it makes sense, even if it makes this post seem like an echo.

As always, I only put books that I’ve read for the first time on this list. I don’t typically return to NF books (outside of looking up things for one or three points), but occasionally I do—for example, The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction by Alan Jacobs would get a permanent spot on this list, were it not for this rule.

(in alphabetical order by author)

Algospeak:
How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language

by Adam Aleksic

My original post
Language in general—but English particularly—is a constantly-changing thing, and these changes are happening faster and faster all the time. Algospeak is a great look at the hows and whys of a lot of the current evolutionary processes. It is about more than language—it’s also about how the Internet changes the way we think and express ourselves in general. And therefore, how society changes (which leads to Internet changes, and other circle-of-life things).

Aleksic has obvious expertise and passion for the subject (look at just one of his videos). He’s also active in these areas. It’s a great read, informative and entertaining. Hard to ask for more.

Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass—How I Went 77 Years Without Growing Up

by Dave Barry

My original post
It comes as no surprise to any that I loved a Dave Barry book. It takes something pretty lackluster by him to get that reaction (and he doesn’t do that often–but I can prove it if you want). But this is something else–it’s insightful, it’s touching, it’s (seemingly) honest, and human. It’s a look at his childhood, his professional humorist origin story, and then scattered accounts of some of the very strange things that his profession has let him do.

I don’t say this about many authors–but I really don’t know that I’ve wondered anything about Barry’s personal life. But now that I know? I am more than happy to get some understanding about it. Does it necessarily help me understand his work better? No (but we’ll see the next time I take up his work, I guess). But it makes me like Barry the person a bit more.

Food for Thought: Essays and Ruminations

by Alton Brown

Like any good fan of a TV show/personality, I like to know how they got started, how the show was developed, etc. Brown talks about how he got into food education media–and it’s not really how you’d expect. How he moved on from Good Eats to other things. There’s some great stuff about his education. But perhaps the most rewarding portion of the book is his musing and observations on the place of food/eating to human society (writ large or on an individual level).

Really, there’s so little to not appreciate from this book. Alton Brown has spent decades thinking and writing about food. This is the result of all that.

Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It

by Cory Doctorow

I don’t know how to talk about Doctorow’s screed against Big Tech, the policies that led to these platforms that have taken over the internet and made it less-good than it used to be. Even that sentence is not a great way to talk about the book. The book wowed me. I wouldn’t say it radicalized me on some of this, but I sort of wish it did. The Ressa book below really struck me as a giant proof for Doctorow’s case (good idea to read the two of them around the same time). It’s a great–and terrifying–read.

Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection

by John Green

I never imagined I would appreciate a book about an infectious disease. And despite all the good things I heard about this book, I didn’t rush to pick it up. But I’m so glad I did.

First of all, you could probably pick any number of things to use in place of Tuberculosis to trace human history, seemingly at major turning points and shaping societal developments. Say…bread, or writing, or…I dunno this is a sentence I regret starting. But from a certain point of view–you can buy the theory posited at the beginning of this book, that Tuberculosis shaped human history.

Green talks about the treatments that have been tried (and failed), the way it impacted population sizes, the devastation it’s left in it’s wake, and how things are going in the battle against the disease now. Interwoven with these is the story of one particular patient in Sierra Leone that Green met years ago. We follow his personal struggle–ups, downs, way downs, and more.

Green can relate these facts–even the bleak ones–in an engaging way that will stick with the reader. But then he drives it home and makes it gets you emotionally involved through the patient’s story.

You just can’t help but being taken in by the book and it’ll leave a lasting impression.

Killer Conversations with Rex Stout and John McAleer

My original post
Granted, there is a very limited audience for this kind of thing. But for that audience (and I’m part of it), this is catnip.

These snippets of conversations between Rex Stout and his biographer and friend are just wonderful. Quick back and forths on any number of topics–life, death, love, reputation, writing, Stout’s characters, his career, and more–it’s fun to read. It’s fun to think about. You’ll wish you were half as clever as Stout.

Pronoun Trouble: The Story of Us in Seven Little Words

by John McWhorter

So, sure–this looks like it’s nothing but a screed on one side or the other about the problem we’re having with third-person pronouns the a socio-political front in English. And, yes, it is about that, (but only from a linguistic point of view), but there’s more to it. There’s also that pesky second-person plural.

Like in his book, Nine Nasty Words, McWhorter gives a quick look at the history of English pronouns one at a time–looking at various forms, usages, spellings, and assorted trivia. When appropriate, the then talks about some of the contemporary challenges and controversies with them.

Completely entertaining–McWhorter’s a great narrator–and very educating. I heartily commend this to you (no matter what you think of using “they” for the third-person singular).

How to Stand Up to a Dictator: The Fight for Our Future

by Maria Ressa, read by Maria Ressa & Rebecca Mozo

Maria Ressa’s story is fascinating. It’s just that simple. I mean, you rarely find a Nobel Peace Prize recipient without an interesting backstory of some sort.

Like I said above, when you add this to Doctorow’s book and you see how everything he said is entirely possible and how it can work against someone.

There’s, of course, more than just Ressa’s story and struggles reflected here. There’s a call to action, a call to do the necessary work, and a call to hope, when it comes to oppressive governments or platforms.

Are Women Human?

by Dorothy L. Sayers

These are two essays by Sayers on the subject of women in society–with a particular look at academia. They are pointed, clear, and witty.

I’m not sure what else to say, really.

Robert E. Lee and Me:
A Southerner’s Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause

by Ty Seidule

My original post

This is a powerful read. This very-Southern, Lost Cause adherent, West Point history professor starts looking at what he’d been raised believing, and the systemic racism of the culture he’d been raised in. The book then recounts example after example after example of the racism everywhere and the excuses made for covering up the treason of the Confederacy everywhere, including the U.S. Army–the army he left and fought against.

I thought Seifert made a compelling case in an engaging read that will stick with you for a long time.

REPOST: The Real Festivus by Dan O’Keefe: An Explanation for the Rest of Us!

By HCNewton

On December 23, 2025

In Humor, Non-Fiction

I typically do a Festivus post on December 23, but I couldn’t come up with anything to do this year. However, I did finally get a copy of this book

The Real Festivus: The True Story Behind America’s Favorite Made-up Holiday

by Dan O’Keefe

DETAILS:
Publisher: Tarcherperigree
Publication Date: January 1, 2005
Format: Paperback
Length: 134 pg.
Read Date: December 21, 2024

What’s The Real Festivus About?

It’s right there in the subtitle, isn’t it? It’s “The True Story Behind America’s Favorite Made-up Holiday.”

In this book you will learn, should you choose, how to celebrate Festivus according to the true and ancient traditions that have guided it since its birth back in the mists of the 1960s. But be warned: the secrets of this book can be dangerous. Do not read it while driving a car; that would be a bad idea. Do not use it to hold down important papers on a desk; it is flimsy and your papers may blow away. If you handle it carelessly, you may sustain paper cuts that are not only painful, but may attract sharks while swimming at the beach. Also, the way things are going in this country, reading books might soon lead to your arrest and a one-way black helicopter ride to some kind of orbital prison, or forced labor on an undersea kelp farm. Depending on the judge you get.

Why is there a need for this book? Well, O’Keefe addresses that right off the bat with his opening words:

So you think the holiday known as Festivus involves a metal pole, do you? Feats of strength? Commercial breaks? WRONG. That’s just the television version. Because a network audience couldn’t possibly have handled the real thing. A family huddled around a table by candle-light one random evening a year, eating and drinking too much, singing in German about a black pig, bitching about people who didn’t like them into a barely functional tape recorder, and displaying obscene, hand-scrawled signs of a political nature.

But if you go beyond simple belief, if you are one of those lost souls who, captivated by the television portrayal of Festivus, actually celebrates the damn thing… what’s up with that? Don’t get out of the house much, do you? Maybe you should get a pet or a hobby or something.* If you don’t already have forty cats in your studio apartment, which will eat your eyes when you die, alone.

*Hard not to take that personally…

He starts with the need for Festivus (a quick critique of some of the major holidays); then moves into the name and what it could mean; its origin; common misconceptions about the holiday (i.e., the Seinfeld episode); and some of the details about the holiday: the floating date, the poems, music, dinner, and gifts; he then details some particular commemorations of the day; and then spends a few paragraphs detailing what the reader needs to pull off an “authentic” Festivus celebration to wrap it up.

So, what did I think about The Real Festivus?

This is not at all what I expected. Sure, I knew the TV version didn’t match up with the O’Keefe family version exactly. But just how little overlap there was (basically: the name) astounded me.

Once you get past the kvetching about the TV Show’s version of Festivus (which seems a little heavy-handed, I have to say, but I think he was going for funny), what this book really is becomes clear. It’s a memoir about an eccentric family’s equally eccentric ritual. Every family has them—the O’Keefes were just nice enough to record them and have one son who achieved enough notoriety to get a publisher to pay for these memories (and the skill to deliver them).

It’s an amusing book infused with a particular kind of sweetness. I don’t know that it’s the kind of thing that will change my Festivus celebrations in the future (I really like the pole), but it’s a rewarding read.

3 Stars

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The Faithful Executioner (Audiobook) by Joel F. Harrington, read by James Gillies: The Plight of a 16th Century Executioner

By HCNewton

On December 15, 2025

In Audiobook, Humor, Non-Fiction

The Faithful Executioner:
Life and Death, Honor and Shame in the Turbulent Sixteenth Century

by Joel F. Harrington, read by James Gillies

DETAILS:
Publisher: Novel Audio
Publication Date: October 24, 2017
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 9 hrs., 39 min.
Read Date: December 4-8, 2025

What Does the Publisher Say About The Faithful Executioner?

Based on the rare and until now overlooked journal of a Renaissance-era executioner, the noted historian Joel F. Harrington’s The Faithful Executioner takes us deep inside the alien world and thinking of Meister Frantz Schmidt of Nuremberg, who, during forty-five years as a professional executioner, personally put to death 394 individuals and tortured, flogged, or disfigured many hundreds more. But the picture that emerges of Schmidt from his personal papers is not that of a monster. Could a man who routinely practiced such cruelty also be insightful, compassionate—even progressive?

In The Faithful Executioner, Harrington vividly re-creates a life filled with stark contrasts, from the young apprentice’s rigorous training under his executioner father to the adult Meister Frantz’s juggling of familial duties with his work in the torture chamber and at the scaffold. With him we encounter brutal highwaymen, charming swindlers, and tragic unwed mothers accused of infanticide, as well as patrician senators, godly chaplains, and corrupt prison guards. Harrington teases out the hidden meanings and drama of Schmidt’s journal, uncovering a touching tale of inherited shame and attempted redemption for the social pariah and his children.

The Faithful Executioner offers not just the compelling firsthand perspective of a professional torturer and killer, but testimony of one man’s lifelong struggle to reconcile his bloody craft with his deep religious faith. The biography of an ordinary man struggling for his soul, this groundbreaking book also offers an unparalleled panoramic view of Europe on the cusp of modernity, a society riven by violent conflict at all levels and encumbered by paranoia, superstition, and abuses of power. Thanks to an extraordinary historical source and its gifted interpreter, we recognize far more of ourselves than we might have expected in this intimate portrait of a professional killer from a faraway world.

How’s the Narration?

Gillies was fine. I did wonder a bit about why a British narrator was used, especially when Harrington brings up his own U.S. citizenship at least once. It’s not a big deal.

He also didn’t pronounce the Lutheran theologian Philip Melanchthon’s name in a way I’ve never heard before—and that threw me out of things for a moment.

Other than that, I had no substantive complaints. I don’t know that he wowed me, but he didn’t detract from the material.

So, what did I think about The Faithful Executioner?

One thing that should be remembered that the description doesn’t mention is that Executioners in that day were also healers—as a result of their training and experience in their primary profession, they understood human anatomy to a degree that most people didn’t, so they augmented their income by helping heal others.

It’s interesting little tid-bits like that that’ll keep you reading. But not for trivia, for the history.

Okay, this didn’t resonate with me the way it did with my friends who read this. I didn’t get as invested in Frantz’s story as Lawrence did.

That said, I was fascinated by this. The history of the era. The cultural/political shifts going on—and how that impacted his life/profession were my focus. I could’ve read a lot more about the “criminal justice system” (as much as there was one) described. Well, I like to think I could’ve—but I really needed it tied to Frantz’s story for me to actually stick with it.

And honestly, that’s basically it—I was only mildly interested in Frantz. It was the changing context around him that got me. I do find that strange—I really would’ve thought I cared about the guy and his poor family (don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I didn’t care—but not much—also, I found what the author said about the life of two of his children at the end strangely heartening). But the history—culture, penology, politics, health care, criminology? That material was just great.

The story of one man is gripping (and really, the stuff of novels), as is the look at humans at the time—if you’re looking for either (possibly both), you’re going to relish this book and are going to be so glad that Harrington stumbled onto these journals to bring them to us.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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Grandpappy’s Corner: Tiny Hands Hymns, Vol. II; Tiny Hands Psalms; and Tiny Hands Apostle’s Creed edited by Hannah Duguid Estes, illustrated by Jessica Hiatt: A Great Set of Starter Devotional Reads

By HCNewton

On December 14, 2025

In Grandpappy's Corner, Theology/Christian Living, YA/MG/Children's Books

Tiny Hands Hymns, Volume II

Tiny Hands Psalms

and

Tiny Hands Apostle’s Creed

edited by Hannah Duguid Estes, illustrated by Jessica Hiatt

DETAILS:
Publisher: P & R Publishing
Publication Date: October 29, 2025
Format: Board Book
Length: 16 pg. (each)
Read Date: November 29, 2025

What are the Tiny Hands About?

This is going to be remarkably like the post I did about the first 3 Tiny Hands books, because these new three are remarkably like them–consistency is good. These are little board books that serve as beginning devotional materials—training wheels for young worshipers, if you will.

Tiny Hands Hymns, Volume II

These are the first stanzas/verses of some of the best hymns around: “Abide with Me,” “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus,” “Fairest Lord Jesus,” “How Firm a Foundation,” “O Worship the King,” “Rock of Ages,” “Take My Life, and Let It Be,” and “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.”

On the opposite pages are fitting illustrations, with some accent illustrations on the pages with text.

Tiny Hands Psalmss

These are a selection of psalms—translated by Iain Duguid (Professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary)–either the complete psalm or a notable portion.

They include Psalms: 1, 18, 23,334, 51, 100, 121, and 139. The translations are clearly “kidified.” But I think they’re faithful.

Again, opposite each is an appropriate illustration, with some accent illustrations on the pages with text.

Tiny Hands Apostle’s Creed

This is a fairly standard translation of The Apostle’s Creed, split up segment by segment. Yet again, opposite each is an appropriate illustration, with some accent illustrations on the pages with text.

This is probably my favorite of the new bunch–if only because this’ll be one of the easiest for my grandcritters to put into use.

Let’s Talk about the Art for a Minute

Outside the previous Tiny Hands books, I’ve apparently appreciated Hiatt’s work as a cover designer on a few books (The Wonderful Works of God by Herman Bavinck, Things Unseen by J. Gresham Machen, and Struck Down but Not Destroyed by Pierce Taylor Hibbs), but illustrating board books calls for a slightly different skill set. Still, the illustrations remind me of those covers.

I think these are great. Bright and cheerful, without being cartoonish or silly (I have nothing against those kinds of illustrations, but they’re not fitting for the subjects).

How are they to Read Aloud?

They’re fine—although I can’t imagine that anyone, even those who can’t carry a tune, not singing the hymns instead of reading them. A lot of adults won’t need to actually read the Creed, we have it memorized (although, it’s good to pay attention so the pictures match up.

The translations (I’d be tempted to call them paraphrases, but the books say translations—and I don’t know enough to contradict that) are foreign-feeling for people who are familiar with/have memorized the relevant portions from the AV, ESV, NASB, etc. Once you get past that feeling, there’s nothing about the text that’s difficult or odd to read—and they seem easy enough for young children to comprehend (to some degree).

What did the Grandcritter think of Them?

I haven’t been able to read them to him–he sees this art/format and he assumes it’s the first volume of Hymns and demands to sing some of them–he won’t even give us a chance to go over the new ones, much less the other books. I’m sure I’ll get him to let us eventually. But for now, I can’t answer this.

So, what did I think about the Tiny Hands books?

I think they’re a great idea—and overall, I am pleased with the execution. I do recommend them without hesitation.

I have some questions about some of the technical bits of translation, verse choices, and whatnot—not so much that I have a problem with the books, I’d just like someone good with the original languages to sit down with me and walk through these.

But for a young child? I think they’re well done and would be great resources for regular use.

4 Stars

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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Future Boy (Audiobook) by Michael J. Fox and Nelle Fortenberry: How Marty McFly and Alex P. Keaton Crowded Out Michael J. Fox

By HCNewton

On December 2, 2025

In (Auto)Biography, Audiobook, Non-Fiction

Future Boy:
Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum

by Michael J. Fox and Nelle Fortenberry

DETAILS:
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: October 14, 2025
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 3 hrs., 30 min.
Read Date: TEXT

What’s the Publisher’s Description of Future Boy?

A poignant, heartfelt, and funny memoir about how, in 1985, Michael J. Fox brought to life two iconic roles simultaneously—Alex P. Keaton in Family Ties and Marty McFly in Back to the Future. Read by Michael J. Fox, this program features renowned clips and music from Back to the Future, plus interviews with the cast and crew of these legendary film and TV productions. Hear this amazing true story as only Michael J. Fox can tell it.In early 1985, Michael J. Fox was one of the biggest stars on television. His world was about to get even bigger, but only if he could survive the kind of double duty unheard of in Hollywood. Fox’s days were already dedicated to rehearsing and taping the hit sitcom Family Ties, but then the chance of a lifetime came his way. Soon, he committed his nights to a new time-travel adventure film being directed by Robert Zemeckis and produced by Steven Spielberg—Back to the Future. Sitcom during the day, movie at night—day after day, for months.Fox’s nightly commute from a soundstage at Paramount to the back lot at Universal Studios, from one dream job to another, would become his own space-time continuum. It was in this time portal that Alex P. Keaton handed the baton to Marty McFly while Michael J. Fox tried to catch a few minutes of sleep. Alex’s bravado, Marty’s flair, and Fox’s comedic virtuosity all swirled together to create something truly special.In Future Boy, Fox tells the remarkable story of playing two landmark roles at the same time—a slice of entertainment history that’s never been told. Using new interviews with the cast and crew of both projects, the result is a vividly drawn and eye-opening story of creative achievement by a beloved icon.

The Extras

There were some brief audio excerpts from conversations with some of the people involved in the movie. I think the book faltered there—the excerpts needed to be longer and/or we needed more of them. It really seemed like little audio teases more than anything else.

That said, I enjoyed them—and it’s a great way to do that kind of thing. I just wanted more.

So, what did I think about Future Boy?

I was a huge Michael J. Fox fan at the time this book is set (okay, I’ve pretty much been a huge Michael J. Fox fan since then, too), I was definitely part of the target audience for this. Throw in Fox as narrator and you know I’m in (I really enjoyed his work on No Time Like the Future).

As far as the narration goes, age and disease have impacted his voice—but it’s still Fox, and he delivers it well.

This is a fun—and fast—look at a madcap time in Fox’s life with enough of the behind-the-scenes stuff. Fox’s trademark self-deprecation is on display as well.

The only problem with this book is its brevity. Beyond that, I have no complaints—fans of the actor or the film should enjoy this book. I sure did.

3.5 Stars
This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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The Canvas of Creation: A Biblical Response to the Heresy of Racial Superiority by Drew Poplin—A Great Booklet That I Wish We Didn’t Need (but we sadly do)

By HCNewton

On November 23, 2025

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

The Canvas of Creation: A Biblical Response to the Heresy of Racial Superiority

by Drew Poplin

DETAILS:
Publisher: Crown & Covenant Publications
Publication Date: October 30, 2025
Format: Paperback
Length: 55 pgs.
Read Date: November 9, 2025

What’s The Canvas of Creation About?

Recent years have seen a rise of despicable teachings advocating racial/ethnic superiority and separation, particularly among some groups online.

Thankfully, they’re not going unchallenged—recently, three denominations stated:

Condemn without distinction any theological or political teaching which posits a superiority of race or ethnic identity born of immutable human characteristics and does on the solemn evening call to repentance any who would promote or associate themselves with such teaching, either by commission or omission.

Drew Poplin, a minister of one of those, has written this short book to go along with that. He makes (or perhaps “sketches” would be a better word) five arguments. He arguing that it is contrary to nature, contrary to the law of God, contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ, contrary to the nature and government of the church; and then he seeks to answer the primary historic argument from Scripture. After this, he takes a look at the roots of the recent rise in this heresy and some practical applications in dealing with it.

This is a lot to tackle in 55 pages (less, after the Introduction), so Poplin cannot really get into depth. But he attempts to make up for that depth by the breadth of his considerations.

Dealing with Christians of the Past

This is a dicey thing—but “X minister” or “y theologian” from the past thought in terms of racial superiority, or owned slaves, or fill-in-the-blank. Does this mean we need to discount everything they said/wrote/passed down to the Church? Poplin suggests that no, we don’t—and makes a case to overlook this in love. His arguments are much like those of Jacobs’ in Breaking Bread with the Dead when it comes to people of earlier times writing and saying things that clash with contemporary mores.

I think his argument works—although I admit I want it to work, so it’s hard for me to evaluate objectively. Regardless, I’m glad he addressed this idea directly and didn’t leave it unanswered.

So, what did I think about The Canvas of Creation?

First, I think it is lamentable (in the sense Jeremiah would use) that a book like this needs to be written—ever, much less in 2025. I’m troubled even more that we’re going to need more like this. Because as good as this is, it’s not enough. (probably nothing will be enough until the Lord returns, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep swinging).

Secondly, it’s a good little book—Poplin makes the arguments that I’d think would be pretty standard—he also makes some (rather convincing) arguments along lines that I’ve never considered.

He does say a couple of things that only work in theologies committed to Christian magistrates and covenanted nations (not in a contemporary Christian Nationalist way, but in something more historic). As someone who has never been convinced by those positions, I found those parts of the book to be rather weak. But I probably wouldn’t if I accepted the premise.

Otherwise, I was with him every step of the way. I do appreciate the case Poplin makes to consider this kind of thing a heresy (while not wanting to overuse the word). I’m not sure I’d have called it anything but grave error before, but that time is over. Thank you, Rev. Popliln for that.

Get this, read it, give copies to friends.

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A Special Guest Post In Medias Res: The Faithful Executioner by Joel F. Harrington

By HCNewton

On November 13, 2025

In Currently Reading, History, In Medias Res, Non-Fiction

As the title implies, I’m in the middle of this book, so this is not a review, just some thoughts mid-way through. This time, however, I’m not reading the book, my good friend, Lawrence Gale is. These are actually a series of texts he sent me recently about this book–it’s things like this that keep me from making progress on my TBR. (also, who texts like this?)

When he’s not sending oddly articulate and grammatically correct text messages, Lawrence has been known to write over at his substack: Keep the West, Honor the Rest.

The Faithful Executioner: Life and Death, Honor and Shame in the Turbulent Sixteenth Century

by Joel F. Harrington

Book Blurb:

In a dusty German bookshop, the noted historian Joel F. Harrington stumbled upon a remarkable document: the journal of a sixteenth-century executioner. The journal gave an account of the 394 people Meister Frantz Schmidt executed, and the hundreds more he tortured, flogged, or disfigured for more than forty-five years in the city of Nuremberg. But the portrait of Schmidt that gradually emerged was not that of a monster. Could a man who practiced such cruelty also be insightful, compassionate—even progressive?

In The Faithful Executioner, Harrington teases out the hidden meanings and drama of Schmidt’s journal. Deemed an official outcast, Meister Frantz sought to prove himself worthy of honor and free his children from the stigma of his profession. Harrington uncovers details of Schmidt’s life and work: the shocking, but often familiar, crimes of the day; the medical practice that he felt was his true calling; and his lifelong struggle to reconcile his craft with his religious faith.

In this groundbreaking and intimate portrait, Harrington shows us that our thinking about justice and punishment, and our sense of our own humanity, are not so remote from the world of The Faithful Executioner.

Imagine minding your own business, then a tyrannical German prince points to you and demands you execute three criminals because there are no executioners around. You realize the second you do that, society will declare you an executioner and your family is permanently ostracized from society and will lose all standing you have. You refuse. Prince then says, you’ll get executed too if you refuse. You don’t want to leave your wife and kids without their protector and provider, so you do the deed and now society has branded you as a necessary evil they don’t want anything to do with.

You then teach your son how to be the most professional and best executioner he can be, and then this son spends the next 50 years of his life being the most above board, skilled, and faithful executioner/citizen he can be in an attempt to free the rest of his family from being executioners and restore their honor before the eyes of society and be formally elevated by the government on your retirement.

My heart will ache if I reach the end and his honor wasn’t restored despite all his efforts.

Robert E. Lee and Me by Ty Seidule: Taking Another Look at His Heritage

By HCNewton

On November 3, 2025

In History, Non-Fiction, Politics/Current Affairs

Robert E. Lee and Me:
A Southerner’s Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause

by Ty Seidule

DETAILS:
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: January 26, 2021
Format: Paperback
Length: 256 pg.
Read Date: September 15-18, 2025

As a retired U.S. Army officer and as a historian, I consider the issue simple. My former hero, Robert E. Lee, committed treason to preserve slavery. After the Civil War, former Confederates, their children, and their grandchildren created a series of myths and lies to hide that essential truth and sustain a racial hierarchy dedicated to white political power reinforced by violence. But for decades, I believed the Confederates and Lee were romantic warriors for a doomed but noble cause. As a soldier, a scholar, and a southerner, I believe that American history demands, at least from me, a reckoning.

What’s Robert E. Lee and Me About?

Ty Seidule grew up idolizing (he might argue nearly-literally) Robert E. Lee and his story and legacy. Everywhere he went growing up, there was Lee’s shadow. When he went to college, and then when he was in the Army and served in various capacities and places, it was still there.

At some point, as a historian and patriot, some things started to strike him as odd with what he was seeing. He rolled up his sleeves, did the work and, well…some things started to change.

Here, he looks at where the shadows of The Lost Cause and Lee were cast in the various places he lived over the course of his life and career—and what he, and others, should learn from that.

My Sole Complaint

I think I really only have one. It’s repetitive—no, not the fact that this is really a series of X was pro-Confederacy or racist; Y may have looked to be about history, but if you look at the context, it’s about downplaying such-and-such or ignoring what Robert E. Lee did. That’s the kind of repetitiveness the book is built on—anyone who reads the back of the book knows that’s what you’re going to get.

But Seidule uses certain phrases over and over again; he describes particular figures in the same way over and over again—that kind of thing. It’s hard to put up with—and it’s hard to resist the impulse to skim.

And I don’t want to skim a book like this—not with this topic, not with the kind of details he provides. But too often his writing makes that attractive.

So, what did I think about Robert E. Lee and Me?

The Lost Cause became a movement, an ideology, a myth, even a civil religion that would unite first the white South and eventually the nation around the meaning of the Civil War. The Lost Cause might have helped unite the country and bring the South back into the nation far more quickly than bloody civil wars in other lands. But this lie came at a horrible, deadly, impossible cost to the nation, a cost we are still paying today. The Lost Cause created a flawed memory of the Civil War, a lie that formed the ideological foundation for white supremacy and Jim Crow laws, which used violent terror and de jure segregation to enforce racial control. I grew up on the evil lies of the Lost Cause.

This is a hard book to read. Ignoring my problems with the way that Seidule put things—it’s just tough to read. The extent to which he shows how the Confederacy may have lost the Civil War, but won the narrative—not just in the thinking and speech of the Confederacy’s descendants, but of the US’, too.

Could it have been a little less about him and a little more about everything else? Sure—but framing things in terms of his life and service was a pretty nice move. It gave him something good to hang things on, and kept it from being a diatribe. (and really, I’m betting the percentage of text would show that it’s not that much about him).

I strongly recommend this book—primarily to those who rankle at the idea behind it. Those who have a reflex toward a “State’s Rights” explanation for the Civil War, those who want to talk about the character of Robert E. Lee and how noble he was for choosing the side he did (esp. when you look at what other people in his family did); those who are inclined to look at the idea of Southern Christian culture, etc. I’m not promising that it’ll convince you to shed all of that, but I think it’ll make you think and re-examine a few things. It’s not terribly long ago that I’d have counted myself among you—while Seidule wasn’t part of that change, he sure could’ve been had I read him earlier.

The rest of you will probably enjoy it, too—but it’s just confirmation of your biases, and more evidence to roll out to support those biases. Neither of which is necessarily a bad thing, but the book won’t be as meaningful for you.

It’s a powerful read that will stick with you for a while.

More and more people, especially white Americans, seemed to accept the reality of systemic racism in the United States, epitomized by the Confederacy and the Lost Cause myth. Was this the clarion call that would result in change? Would the country recognize its foundational problem and act?

Racism is the virus in the American dirt, infecting everything and everyone. To combat racism, we must do more than acknowledge the long history of white supremacy. Policies must change. Yet, an understanding of history remains the foundation. The only way to prevent a racist future is to first understand our racist past.

4 Stars

Becoming God’s Family: Why the Church Still Matters by Carmen Joy Imes: A Household for Former Aliens and Strangers

By HCNewton

On November 2, 2025

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Becoming God’s Family:
Why the Church Still Matters

by Carmen Joy Imes

DETAILS:
 Publisher: IVP Academic
Publication Date: October 28, 2025
Format: eARC
Length: 256 pg.
Read Date: August 17-31, 2025

What’s Becoming God’s Family About?

This is, to use a phrase from Imes’ Introduction, a love story. It began with a conversation with a friend who was convinced they didn’t need the Church. Imes became convinced that someone needed to make the case that such was not the case. The idea that Christians need the Church—in all of its fallible, messy, disappointing, loving, supportive, worshiping ways.

Imes surveys the Scriptures from Genesis through Revelation, looking at what redemptive history shows us about the Church—how we need it, how it’s grown (and developed—not always in its favor), how we’re called to be part of it (and who that “we’re” is), and what it should do.

My Favorite Chapter

Well, they could all make a strong case for it, honestly—the last two chapters, particularly. But Chapter 6, “Processing Family Trauma,” takes the cake. Now, you may not think if from the title—but this is an encouraging chapter, and probably doesn’t focus on what you think it does.

It’s about communal worship. Singing the Songs of Zion, really. Both those of Lament and those of Praise. Imes talks about these in ways that may not seem intuitive (and probably aren’t, but maybe should be).

They’re about—first, “us” and “we,” a communal activity. The local congregation seeing hardships, challenges, and blessings together. It’s about recognizing the trauma and tragedies and trials that believers have—and are—suffering and how God has kept them from succumbing to them, how He’s been with His people—and therefore will be with them even now. How in a culture with many other options, His people declare His wonders in opposition to the false idols and lures around them.

I’m not doing a great job here, because I’m not going to try to replicate Imes’ work—but I assure you, it’s great.

So, what did I think about Becoming God’s Family?

Is this the most rigorous, robust work that I’ve ever read on The Church? No. Is this the most technical, theological work I’ve come across? No. Did this take a lot of effort to get through? No (and what a relief). Is this perhaps the most passionate work on the subject I’ve read? Yes. Is it perhaps the most persuasive about the need for individual believers (particularly in an individualist culture) to be involved with the Church? Also, yes.

I’ll take those last two any day over the others (not that I have a problem with the others, but…come on). Imes undoubtedly approaches this subject from the perspective of someone in her tradition—or her particular mix of traditions. But I can’t imagine any Protestant or Evangelical finding substantial grounds for disagreement. While I have a tendency to read primarily works in the Continental or Scottish/English Reformed traditions, I’m glad to see something so catholic in nature (particularly when it would fit just fine in my traditions).

I’ve struggled to write this post—I’ve been chipping away at it for two months, and still am not satisfied with it. I keep getting distracted in wanting to respond to her arguments—pointing out a couple of areas I think could’ve been done better, and talking about the ways that she really nailed the discussion. But I’m supposed to be focused on the book and reading experience.

It’s warm, it’s approachable, it’s learned in a non-off-putting way. Imes is a great guide through the topic and a fun companion through the stroll. She pointed out some things I hadn’t thought of before—and helped me grasp a couple of texts that I’ve struggled with for years.

I do think that any discussion of the Church should have more to say about the sacraments than she managed (she did mention them), but I understand how that doesn’t fit into what she’s trying to do and would’ve added controversy and disagreements she didn’t need (I’m fairly certain I’d have critiqued heavily anything she said—so it’s good for me that she didn’t).

The “Digging Deeper” sections she included in each chapter are a great resource, and I’ll be using it for some time to come (I’d previously read some of the works she’d listed there, and if the rest are as profitable, I’ll be well-sated).

Basically, I’m a fan of this and strongly recommend you invest your time and attention (and book-buying money) into it.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from IVP Academic via NetGalley—thanks to both for this. Sorry it’s up late, it’s been a couple of those months.

4 1/2 Stars

Did Jesus Really Say He Was God? by Mikel Del Rosario: My Kind of Apologetics

By HCNewton

On October 26, 2025

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Did Jesus Really Say He Was God?:
Making Sense of His Historical Claims

by Mikel Del Rosario

DETAILS:
Publisher: IVP Academic
Publication Date: October 23, 2025
Format: eARC
Length: 256
Read Date: September 14-October 5, 2025

What’s Did Jesus Really Say He Was God? About?

One of the most common things non-Christians will say about Jesus is something along the lines of, “He never claimed to be God, that’s something that Christians made up years/decades later.” As people probably no longer say, “big, if true.”

Del Rosario takes on this question (and variations of it) head-on—he takes just two passages of Scripture, examines what they say, looks at what critics say about it, and then argues that Jesus did claim divinity in the passages.

The Strengths

The strengths of this book come in the two parts (slightly more than 50% of the book) looking at Mark 2:1-12 (“The Healing of the Paralytic”) and Mark 14:53-65 (the examination before the Jewish leaders before going to Pilate). These passages are selected from Mark because it’s widely considered the earliest of the canonical gospels, and therefore less likely to have gone through any kind of mythologizing. Another reason they were selected is that the reaction of Jesus’ opponents highlights his claims of divinity.

For each passage, he begins by looking at the events depicted in the passage for a chapter or two. He then spends a chapter on the blasphemy accusation against Jesus. He concludes with a chapter on the claim of divinity made in the passage.

Seriously, I could’ve read more on each passage—not because he needed to say more, but because I enjoyed and benefited from the discussion. Or I could’ve read another passage or two for more examples of how his approach strengthens one’s confidence in Jesus’ claims.

The Weaknesses

Del Rosario employs a tool I’ve seen others use a couple of times—where they attempt to attach a numerical value on the probability of something happening the way a historical record says it does—and weighing that numerical value against a competing interpretation’s value.

Maybe this is just me, but it feels like trying to take history and making it a “real” science with numbers and whatnot. I just don’t understand the appeal of doing history this way.

I also tend to have a hard time following the discussion whenever it attempts to do that—maybe it’s a block on my part, maybe it’s because I already have little interest in it, or maybe it’s an inherent flaw in the idea. But I think the book would’ve been stronger without it.

So, what did I think about Did Jesus Really Say He Was God??

Del Rosario writes clearly and compellingly. The text—even when it gets technical—is straightforward and approachable by people who aren’t historical scholars (except for the numerical assignments).

Not only does reading this help buttress the confidence a reader has in the passage and Jesus’ claims in them, but Del Rosario gives his readers a model to follow when they come across similar passages. Whether that’s on your own or in reply to a challenge to Jesus’ claims of divinity.

Did he actually say x, y, or z? What do those sayings me? How did his listeners hear his claims? What is he really claiming in the passage—what does what he says mean? How does knowing that help make sense of his opponents’ reaction?

I really appreciated his focus on the text of Scripture in his apologetic here, not an appeal to reason or philosophical arguments, or a vague history—but to the revelation we’ve been given and then to see what that revelation said to the original readers/listeners.

I heartily encourage this book, and hope for a sequel or three, tackling similar passages.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from IVP Academic via NetGalley—thanks to both for this. Sorry it’s up late, it’s been one of those months.