Books of the Month - July 2007

A few weeks ago I received an interesting email from a woman at Zondervan Publishers. She asked me if I'd be interested in promoting two books that were just recently released on my blog. Included in the email was a brief description of each book. I replied back that I would be happy to participate. I had never been asked to do such a thing before and I thought it would be neat. The bonus is that she sent me some copies of each book for free. Here's the cool part, which is one of the reasons for the whole promotion deal: I have two extra copies of each book that I want to give away to you, my loyal readers.

For those of you interested, here's how it will work. If you are among the first to email me with your name, mailing address and which book you are interested in, I'll send you a copy. Pretty easy, right? Sure it is. The only thing I ask is that you send me $3.00 for each book, which will cover my cost in mailing supplies and postage. As always, in the sidebar (on the left at this time) is a link to my email address.

The first title this month is 3 Seconds, by Dr. Les Parrott:



"Three seconds is all that stands between those who settle for "whatever" and those who insist on "whatever it takes." Award-winning author and psychologist Dr. Les Parrott reveals six common impulses that sabotage greatness in our lives. We can unleash our full potential and excellence when we learn how to give our first impulses a second thought.

Just three seconds. The time it takes to make a decision. That's all that lies between settling for "Whatever" ... or insisting on "Whatever it takes."

3 Seconds shows how to unleash the inner resources that can move you to a whole new level of success. It comes down to six predictable impulses that most of us automatically accept without a second thought. You can replace them with new impulses that lead toward impact and significance. For instance, it takes Three Seconds to ...

Disown Your Helplessness: The First Impulse: "There's nothing I can do about it." The Second Impulse: "I can't do everything, but I can do something."

Quit Stewing and Start Doing: The First Impulse: "Someday I'm going to do that." The Second Impulse: "I'm diving in ... starting today."

Fuel Your Passion: The First Impulse: "I'll do what happens to come my way." The Second Impulse: "I'll do what I'm designed to do."

Inhale ... exhale ... the difference of your lifetime can begin in the space of a single breath. The decision is yours. Start today."

3 Seconds Published June 15, 2007. Hardcover, 192 pages from Zondervan.

You can order a copy for yourself amazon.com or cbd.com.

The second selection is Holy Discontent, by Bill Hybels.



"What is the one aspect of this broken world that, when you see it, touch it, get near it, you just can't stand? Very likely, that firestorm of frustration reflects your holy discontent, a reality so troubling that you are thrust off the couch and into the game. It's during these defining times when your eyes open to the needs surrounding you and your heart hungers to respond that you hear God say, "I feel the same way about this problem. Now, let's go solve it together!"

Bill Hybels invites you to consider the dramatic impact your life will have when you allow your holy discontent to fuel instead of frustrate you. Using examples from the Bible, his own life, and the experiences of others, Hybels shows how you can find and feed your personal area of holy discontent, fight for it when things get risky, and follow it when it takes a mid-course turn. As you live from the energy of your holy discontent, you'll fulfill your role in setting what is wrong in this world right!"

Holy Discontent Published June 29, 2007. 128 pages from Zondervan.

Purchase a copy for yourself amazon.com or cbd.com.

7/23 update: jlee has claimed one copy of each book. Enjoy!!
8/1 update: The second copy of each book has been donated to my church library.