Of all the things that exist, there is one nature that is supreme. It alone is self-sufficient in its eternal happiness, yet through its all-powerful goodness it creates and gives to all other things their very existence and goodness. ( Anselm of Canterbury, Monologion)

Click on a link below for the entire book review. Look for the (New) and (Updated) postings as you browse.

Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave , by Edward T. Welch

Edward Welch’s goal in writing this book was to show how the Bible speaks “practically and meaningfully to the problem of addictions.” In the Preface, he observed that while the book’s focus is on the prototypic addictions to drugs and alcohol, the basic ideas are relevant to all kinds of sins. “What is it about our humanness that leaves us susceptible to being overtaken by certain desires?” His careful answer in Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave helps the reader to see the awful truth that in some sense, we are all “addicts,” because what drives addictions “can be found in every human heart.”

Competent to Counsel , by Jay Adams

Written in 1970, Competent to Counsel critiques the undiscerning use of psychological thought and practices within the church, and began a biblical counseling movement that continues among conservative Christians today. Adams questioned the automatic deferral to “a self–appointed caste” of psychiatrists and therapists as the experts for understanding why we do the things we do, and as the preferred “ministers” for Christians who needed counsel for their various life situations and problems.

The Diseasing of America's Children, by John Rosemond and Bose Ravenel (New)

If your child or the child of someone you know is said to have ADHD, ODD, or EOBD read this book. Rosemond and Ravenel persuasively argue that the “science” behind ADHD and other childhood behavioral disorders is not scientific: “Neither verifiable objective evidence nor replicable experimental results exist to support the claims of the ADHD Establishment.”

The Emotionally Destructive Relationship, by Leslie Vernick

One of the most tragic recommendations I make as a Biblical counselor is for someone to read this book. That recommendation means that after discussing their situation, I believe that two Christians aren’t living as disciples of Christ; that they have failed to show the world how we are to love another (John 13:34-35). So for this reason, it is one of the most important resources for pastors and counselors to be familiar with and to recommend in their counseling and discipleship of others.

Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands, by Paul Tripp

In the Preface, Paul Tripp notes that while the book is intended to help its readers live out its subtitle (People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change), a larger goal is to bring about change the very culture of the church: “For most of us, church is merely an event we attend or an organization we belong to. We do not see it as a calling that shapes our entire life.” Tripp then develops the biblical rationale for understanding our calling to be instruments of change in the lives of others and explores a model of personal ministry to carry out that calling.

Mad In America, by Robert Whitaker

In the Preface to Mad in America, the author points to a startling fact, that over the past twenty-five years, outcomes for people suffering with schizophrenia in the U.S. have worsened. More than 2 million Americans suffer with schizophrenia. Many end up homeless, in prisons, or in and out of psychiatric hospitals. Schizophrenia is estimated to cost the U.S. more than $45 billion annually. These facts led Whitaker to ask, “If the medications work so well, then why do ‘schizophrenics’ fare so poorly in the United States?”

Medication Madness, by Peter Breggin

In Medication Madness, Peter Breggin describes dozens of cases that he has personally evaluated as a practicing psychiatrist. These stories were told without embellishment; their truth was dramatic enough. Through his clearly sympathetic retelling, we hear “about children and adults who have been emotionally injured and sometimes driven mad by psychiatric medications, many committing horrific crimes.” (p. 1) Antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, antipsychotics and ADHD stimulants are all, at various times, villains in these tales of medication insanity.

The Myth of Mental Illness, by Thomas Szasz

Thomas Szasz began his challenge of the “excessively psychiatrized” American society with the publication of The Myth of Mental Illness in 1961; and as he observed in 1995, “I think it is fair to say that psychiatry has not been the same since.” Trained as a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, Szasz asserts that mental illness is only metaphorically a disease.

Running Scared, by Edward T. Welch

Did you know that “Do not be afraid” is the most frequently given command in Scripture? Get a copy of Running Scared and spend some time getting to know what God has to say about fear and worry. I began reading Running Scared at the 2007 annual CCEF conference. Ed Welch was the keynote speaker, addressing the various topics covered in the book.

War of Words, by Paul Tripp

War of Words is not a Christianized book about communication problems and techniques. Paul Trip regularly guides the reader to an examination of their heart: “Battles of the tongue are really battles of the heart. What controls the heart will control the tongue.” Building on the same biblical concepts found in Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands, Tripp vividly portrays how our struggles with words are played out in the larger battle for our hearts; and then he points us to God’s plan for our talk. He convincingly demonstrates how this war of words is only won when God rules our hearts.

Your Drug May Be Your Problem, by Peter Breggin and David Cohen

In non–technical, easy to understand language, Breggin and Cohen describe “why and how to stop taking psychiatric drugs.” Not only do they provide a helpful overview of a wide range of psychiatric medications (including benzodiazepines, neuroleptics, and antidepressants), but they address the issue of adverse side–effects and withdrawal from these same drugs.