ben_smitty's reviews
396 reviews

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

4.0

Great. Had its good parts and dull parts, but had an interesting take on how traumatic circumstances shape the human character, turning the innocent soul into a hateful villain.

Rocking the Roles: Building a Win-Win Marriage by William D. Hendricks, Robert Lewis

2.0

Nothing really new or groundbreaking here. Pretty basic stuff. Long-winded at times.

The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate by Gary Chapman

3.0

Useful advice. Easy to read. Unfortunately, oversimplified.

Night by Elie Wiesel

3.0

Good. If the purpose of Elie Wiesel's Night was to relate his story to the world, then he has accomplished his goal. I just simply did not enjoy the book itself. It's one of those books where people are too scared to say they dislike it for fear of being deemed an insensitive jerk. I, for one, will not be a victim of such taunt.

Pamela by Samuel Richardson

2.0

Although I understand the significance of this novel as being the first novel that was ever written with intent (and also becoming the first best-seller), I still did not enjoy it as much as I'd hope to. Pamela was written in such a way that was too feminine and dramatic (when nothing really happens anyway) that I felt like I was eavesdropping on a high school couple and their drama by the lockers of a private school hallway.

Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe

2.0

I didn't really get the point of this book. The plot was like an insecure teenager who didn't know what to do with his life... it was all over the place and didn't really seem to fit any theme at all. Every now and then I'll get preached at by Defoe, but most of the things that happened served no purpose at all. I understand that this was a pre-novel and that people were still experimenting with ideas, but man, this was just bad.

The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter - And How to Make the Most of Them Now by Meg Jay

4.0

Dr. Jay was very helpful in informing me about twenty-somethings in the area of work, love, and the mind. Her stories and examples are easy to follow along. There were some helpful advice that shifted my thinking about growing up and the fear that is associated with adulting. One big idea I learned is that there is a misconception that growing up and being an adult is boring. This causes twenty-somethings to procrastinate on adult responsibilities. However, Dr. Jay insists that investing in adult life can actually make twenty-somethings happier and healthier overall.

Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger, Mark A. McDaniel

5.0

One of the most practical and helpful books on learning I've read in a while. Peter C. Brown has a way of addressing misconceptions about learning while providing alternative solutions according to research in a way that is reliable for people of all ages who strive to be life-long learners. Great for college students, teachers and people who value learning in general.

Death by Living: Life Is Meant to Be Spent by N.D. Wilson

5.0

There's never a dull moment when I read Nate Wilson. Although this book has a different feel than Notes from a Tilt-a-Whirl, Wilson's voice is still prominent in describing the beauty of death and the stories we leave behind. Death by Living seems to be dedicated to the loss of both his granddad and grandfather (on both sides of the family), what their lives meant to Nate himself, and how God can weave the circumstances of different people to create a beautiful picture of His narrative.

There were times when I felt like I was experiencing the scenes myself; when his grandfather fought the Korean war, when he saw the kid in the yard playing "pretend-baseball" in his imagination, or when Nate and his wife were walking along the beach together as the sun painted the sky red. I felt like I was part of the family as he described how his grandmother passed away. It all felt real, which is what made Death by Living so great.

Fidelity : What it Means to be a One-Woman Man by Douglas Wilson

3.0

More for the married believer than for the unmarried. Although the advice is helpful and straight-forward, the really good sections were too short. I felt like he could have skipped the parts about rape, divorce and prostitution and put that in another book so he could dive deeper. I understand that these are subjects worthy of mentioning; However, in a book about a man and his purity, these subjects are not really relatable.