Have you ever felt as if you have prayed and your prayers are not being answered? It seems as if you have been counted out because of what you have been dealing with. You don’t feel like that person that God has called for. In her book Rebekah—Rebecca’s Struggle; Rebecca Denson-Roman gives a personal account of what it feels like to be in a place where nothing in your life seems to be producing. In this soul-searching account; she makes a simple comparison of the struggles in her own life to that of the biblical matriarch Rebekah who was carrying twins; Jacob and Esau.
#200074 in Books 2015-06-30 2015-06-30Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.37 x .70 x 5.50l; .0 #File Name: 1451677588304 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Not Dugard's Best; and I'm a Fan!By Laurie KelleyI have read scores of books on explorers of all types; and in particular love Martin Dugard’s "Into Africa;" one of the best books on exploration I have ever read. I’ve read it several times and recommend it to everyone. I have bought several more of his books in anticipation. "The Explorers" seeks to analyze common qualities of explorers in an effort to understand what makes a person become an explorer; and what traits defined the famous explorers in history. Its thesis reminded me a lot of Margaret Morrell’s book Shackleton’s Way; which successfully extracts business principles from the story of Shackleton’s Antarctic survival saga. Her book was organized; thoughtful; logical and practical. This book unfortunately is not. It’s not up to the quality that I know Dugard can produce. As a writer and editor; I examined it from a literary point of view. The writing style is rambling; casual; disjointed; which makes for a difficult read. Paragraphs bounce from topic to topic; a term or concept is introduced; then dropped while another topic is introduced; the reader is left wondering how they are all connected. Sometimes Dugard connects the dots; sometimes not. It’s a frustrating read. The book also seems to be a platform to discredit explorer Richard Burton; while extolling Speke. Not a problem; and I found it interesting because Dugard is correct that Burton has many fans… but it comes across as biased and personal. The Burton/Speke controversy colors the entire book; so that rather than exemplify the unique traits of explorers (of which both men had in abundance); it becomes a vendetta to discredit Burton; which is odd. I feel that topic belongs in a different book. It seemed like Dugard wasn’t sure what direction to take with this book; and so it becomes a rambling discourse; branching off at any time into subtopics and more subtopics; until you; exploring this book; become very lost in its jungle. For example; in the chapter on Self-Discipline; Dugard defines self-discipline as being all about action. (well; in part; but not “allâ€) The very next paragraph jumps to talk about self-efficacy. Then a few paragraphs later jumps into self-mastery; the “necessary character modification†needed “to make that dream a reality.†And then; further discussing self-mastery; in the next paragraph; talks about it being behavior modification… I mean; character modification is not the same thing as behavior modification. I was very confused trying to follow what Dugard was saying.Dugard gets into trouble by tossing about definitions of character traits and psychological terms (like “lizard brainâ€) which I don’t think he has researched well; or perhaps is not qualified to speak about. His definitions are half-formed or trite: contradictory at worst and confusing at best. Sometimes he cites studies in psychology to back up his claims; but often not; and just relies on a pop psychology approach. This comes across as a bit lazy and not well-researched. I think perhaps this book might be enjoyed best by those new to the lives of explorers; but for anyone who has read in-depth about Peary; Scott; Shackleton; Burton and Speke; Livingston and more; you may find this a frustrating and disappointing read. If Dugard could focus better; structure the book better; remove the personal vendetta against Burton; be more objective; and organized; this could have been a much better book. I blame a lot on his editor; who should have caught all these rambling statements and lack of bridging between paragraphs and topics. The topic is great; the handling (and editing) of it lackadaisical and lazy. I vote for a future edition; in which the content has been refined and the writing style honed; and the editing sharp and insightful. This book comes across as a free-style first draft which needs to go back to the drawing board. But I’m still a Dugard fan; and "Into Africa" remains one of my all-time favorite books. I went to Zanzibar myself after reading it; and saw Livingstone’s famous medicine chest and Stanley’s handwritten roster for porters; Dugard made it all so alive for me. I so wish this book could have lived up to his potential.11 of 12 people found the following review helpful. I would recommend a bona fide historian's endeavor over this book any ...By David J McClainVery disappointing. In the author's own words; rather than telling the "Burton and Speke saga...I began to wonder about not just the emotional motivations to pursue a life of adventure; but the specific character traits that went into being a successful explorer." This results in meandering pop psychology ruminations about "lizard brain;" the characteristics of introverts and extroverts; and other tedium. The journals and rather interesting story of Burton and Speke are given only synoptic attention; rather than being used as prism through which to study their character and motivations in vivid color. I would recommend a bona fide historian's endeavor over this book any day.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. UncoveredBy Anthony McclureOutstanding info on a very little known part of history
