Western civilization is becoming increasingly pluralistic; secularized; and biblically illiterate. Many people today have little sense of how their lives have benefited from Christianity’s influence; often viewing the church with hostility or resentment. How Christianity Changed the World is a topically arranged Christian history for Christians and non- Christians. Grounded in solid research and written in a popular style; this book is both a helpful apologetic tool in talking with unbelievers and a source of evidence for why Christianity deserves credit for many of the humane; social; scientific; and cultural advances in the Western world in the last two thousand years. Photographs; timelines; and charts enhance each chapter. This edition features questions for reflection and discussion for each chapter.
#154904 in Books 2011-10-04 2011-10-04Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x .90 x 5.20l; .73 #File Name: 0307888452424 pages
Review
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful. A story about manhoodBy Big MikeI have read a lot of books about World War II that were great reads and this is one of them. The middle of the book is about four sailors from the submarine USS Grenadier who spend almost 3 years as prisoners of war in Japan working in a steel mill. Many books have been written about men as prisoners of war and there is nothing really new here. But the scope of the whole book covers these four men's lives from growing up poor in the depression; never being able to finish high school; enlisting in the Navy just before the War started. The book finishes up with what happened to these men after the War. They are well into their 80's now and the author did a great job in interviewing them for this book. These men's stories are extraordinary!6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Extraordinary Heroism; Cowardly Japanese AtrocitiesBy Jeffrey T. MunsonBob Palmer; Chuck Vervalin; Tim McCoy; and Gordy Cox came from different parts of the United States; but they eventually ended up in the same place; the submarine USS Grenadier. On April 23rd; 1943; the Grenadier was struck by an aerial torpedo launched from a Japanese torpedo plane. Immediately; the sub plunged to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Miraculously; the crew managed to bring the sub back to the surface; only to be captured by an enemy ship.For the next twenty eight months; Bob; Chuck; Tim; and Gordy faced the full wrath of their Japanese captors. Daily beatings were commonplace; and food and water were almost nonexistent. To complicate matters even more; the men had no training in survival as a POW. Instead; the men relied on their own instincts in order to survive. Still; the beatings continued; and the food was virtually nil. The men were forced to work as slave laborers in Japanese manufacturing plants; and some spent time in solitary confinement. The Japanese showed them no mercy.Finally; after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August; 1945; the Japanese finally surrendered. In the following weeks; Bob; Chuck; Tim; and Gordy eventually returned home; but each found that their lives were much different. Former fiances; thinking the men dead; had married others; bouts with alcoholism began; and post-traumatic stress syndrome set in. These effects were passed on to the men's children; and they would suffer many of the same afflictions as their fathers. Despite these massive obstacles; the four men managed to survive as best as they could.I found "No Ordinary Joes" to be a fascinating read. Having read numerous previous books about the submarine war in the Pacific; I was immediately interested. The story of the Grenadier is truly remarkable in the fact that the crew was able to raise the ship back to the surface. Author Larry Colton provides a very accurate telling of prison camp atrocities handed out by the Japanese. These cowardly acts against Allied POWs were; unfortunately; the norm. I especially enjoyed the chapter which describes the men in later life. I was happy to see that they managed to survive and have families of their own. These men are true heroes.I highly recommend this book. The story is very good; and the sacrifice and struggle that these four men went through is a testament to their strength and will to survive.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. A touching story about the Greatest GenerationBy Robert LewisLarry Colton is an excellent writer. His book "Counting Coup was the best sports book that I ever read. He has a great knack for writing about the average American. Unfortunately Lauren Hillenbrand's book "Unbroken" has a similar theme and story; and her book with all the publicity it has received is now #1 on the best seller's list. Both books tell about the horrors of a Japanese POW camp; and I believe Mr. Coltun does an equal if not better job of describing the conditions that these brave sailors had to endure. Once again; this is a great book on all counts. It should not be missed.Robert E. Levine
