All Consuming : Chris Warren

A story about "Blood Diamond"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Chris Warren) — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 13:09:20 GMT

by Edward Zwick

America should be riveted to the farther reaching implications of the illegal diamond trade, but instead, we will go on blindly consuming.

Where did that rock on your hand come from honey? You don’t know, and you don’t care either.

Wake up.

Commercial Grade Ficton. (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Chris Warren) — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 20:07:04 GMT

The Hades Factor

by Robert Ludlum

I didn’t really like this book.

I have read one other “Covert One” novel, The Moscow Vector and liked it well enough.

I think the over arcing storyline of Lt. Col. John Smith is interesting enough; but, I just wasn’t impressed with this one nearly as much as the other.

It was a nice change from all the middle eastern terror books that are currently being published.

I also don’t like books that get tied up in a nice little package at the end, because life often is not this way.

A story about "Mockingbird"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Chris Warren) — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 19:13:19 GMT

Mockingbird

by Derek Webb

I got this free from http://www.freederekwebb.com

I think the promo is finished now – but Derek’s new album is out at the end of the month.

Pick up a copy of this album and be challenged. Be changed.

Solid Grisham. (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Chris Warren) — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 15:02:31 GMT

The Broker

by John Grisham

Solid Grisham, doing what he does best, spinning a wire about lawyers doing extraordinary things.

The cloak and dagger stuff is not new to Grisham’s style, but he did he a bit more high tech then in the past (which is noted post-story by the Author himself).

I especially liked how much Italian was weaved into the novel. As always, solid settings, and beautifully concise descriptions.

All it all, it left me wanting to pack my bags and spend a couple months on my own Italian adventure!

Submarine Thriller... more like... Snore Fest 1990. (rated 2 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Chris Warren) — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 22:10:31 GMT

The Brutus Lie

by John J. Gobbell

I stole this book from the library of an apartment I had stayed at this summer… It was simply painful.

Reading it on and off since August, I just finished it today. The book didn’t get good until it was halfway through… but then, it was over.

The romance factor, which played a huge part in the first half, and was the most interesting sub-plot, was non-existent in the back half. Then it was neatly packaged at the end.

The Russian in the book was poorly transliterated, all eight lines of it. If you are going to include it, then include it. If not, then don’t. You can make the same point by saying “He chided in Russian.” like you did for half the book!

This book is obsolete in it’s version of political tension. Written in the era of Glasnost, the USSR is long gone. There is still tension between modern Russia and the US, but, its not so quite… full of espionage. Its more poking at each other in the media then anything.

I really liked the technical descriptions in the book. However, since most of the description centered around a make-believe mini-sub of the future… I learned little about existing technologies and weaponry.

I’m glad I didn’t pay for this book. I will not be picking up this author again.

How "Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith" changed my life

nobody@allconsuming.net (Chris Warren) — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 12:51:07 GMT

Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith

by Rob Bell

Beg, borrow, or steal a copy of this now.

Thanks for highlighting all the good parts Matt! (That is the guy I stole my copy from.)

It is a not-so-easy easy read. The language Rob uses is simple, but the ideas and issues he presents and tackles are not. They are messy, they are complex, they are real.

This is a must read for people in leadership positions. It will change your ideas about ‘success’.

Another re-hash... (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Chris Warren) — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 21:46:56 GMT

by Grits

I am a bit fan of Grits, and so I didn’t mind paying the price for an album of already released songs. I also like to explore re-mixes that DJ’s do of songs released by groups like Grits. Most of the songs on this album are re-releases, a few are new mixes, and a few new tracks. I didn’t get into the remixes on this album like I have before…

Pretty good, don’t bother if you have all the other albums already.

I still love you Grits. :)

Lundlum may be dead... (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Chris Warren) — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 02:56:26 GMT

Robert Ludlum's The Moscow Vector : A Covert-One Novel (A Covert-One Novel)

by Patrick Larkin

Robert Lundlum may be dead, but this book based on his Covert One characters still makes the grade. Watch out Jason Bourne, your sibligs may be getting movies before you know it.

The book takes place in a smattering of interesting places, from Moscow to Bahgdad and Washington to Berlin. The action is always high paced, if not nearly unbelievable at times. There are some situations which had me cheering out loud as the good guys squeaked through. The Kremlin, the Russian President (who is not named Vladimir Putin, but is described almost identically), and a rouge Virologist thought dead since the fall of the Berlin wall all conspire to allow Russia to stage a reclamation of the former Soviet Republics. A strange disease starts killing off all experts on Russian politics as well as qualified military commanders in the former Soviet States.

Not quite as far fetched as you may think. This book presents situations that could easily be ripped from today’s newpaper headlines. Patrick Larkin does a good job of writing the plot twists in the same style as Lundlum would have chosen.

I want to go read the rest of the Covert One novels as soon as I can!

Stealth (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Chris Warren) — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 07:08:09 GMT

Stealth (Two-Disc Full-Screen Edition)

by Rob Cohen

Interesting Concept. Interesting Storyline. Half-ass acting. Predicitable scripting. An ending that makes you slap your head and moan.

If you want to see stuff blow up and some pretty effects, then check it out.

A story about "The Killing Fields"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Chris Warren) — Mon, 30 Jan 2006 08:28:59 GMT

The Killing Fields

by Roland Joffé

I didn’t make it all the way through this movie… I was tired, it was late, and it wasn’t all that action packed. It was however full of suspense and drama.

I think it highlights how America (trying to do a good thing) really f**ked up in Cambodia and Vietnam is general. It is from the memiors of a NY Times journalist, so I think it has a slightly liberal slant.

What I made it though was worth it.

A story about "The Barbarian Way: Unleash the Untamed Faith Within"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Chris Warren) — Mon, 30 Jan 2006 08:08:32 GMT

The Barbarian Way: Unleash the Untamed Faith Within

by Erwin Raphael McManus

McManus does a decent job in his Barbarian Way.

He conveys over and over that Jesus was a rebel, not a conformer, and urges the church to start living a revolution of spirit. Not to simply live the complacent church life like so many of us do.

I may write a more in depth review over at my blog.

A story about "End of the Spear"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Chris Warren) — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 01:05:03 GMT

End of the Spear

by Steve Saint

My blog about this.

(ok, actually about the movie, not the book, but allconsuming couldn’t find the movie.)

Why it's taking me forever to finish consuming "A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I Am a Missional, Evangelical, Post/Protestant, Liberal/Conservative, Mystical/Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/Contemplative, Fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Green, Incarnational, Depressed-yet-H"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Chris Warren) — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 18:10:55 GMT

A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I Am a Missional, Evangelical, Post/Protestant, Liberal/Conservative, Mystical/Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/Contemplative, Fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Green, Incarnational, Depressed-yet-H

by Brian D. McLaren

McLaren’s Orthodoxy is considerably deep. As is all he offers. At times, as a general reader I felt lost in the ideas he was exploring.

I have not finished the book (I have a chapter or two left) because it makes me think too much when I read it, and since my attention span seems to be so limited, my mind tries to wander down every available tangent it comes up with. I end up reading whole paragraphs without processing the data.

A very deep, very thought provoking read.

If you have liked some of McLaren’s other books, I would pick it up.

Why I want to consume "Disappear Here"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Chris Warren) — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 21:22:28 GMT

Disappear Here

by L.A. Symphony

This latest offering from the crew is hot. This is the actual and spritual successor to The End is Now, which in my opinion was the best LAS to date.