Reviews

BOOKS

The Parenttalk Guide to Being a Mum by Janice Fixter £5.99 (Hodder & Stoughton)

IN nearly 13 years of hands-on parenting I have ploughed through my fair share of books on the subject and would rank this new addition to the Parenttalk series as one of the most helpful and readable.

Its main strengths are firstly that you feel the author is writing fresh from the 'coalface', dealing with the reality of parenting rather than the theory. There are lots of practical tips and personal illustrations written from the heart and with a healthy smattering of humour.

Secondly, there is a good balance between the needs and problems of mums as well as those of the children.

And lastly, many of the topics covered apply to the often neglected middle range of 5-12 years.

The book is suitable for Christians and non-Christians alike and is highly recommended for anyone in need of encouragement and down-to-earth advice.

God's Little Lessons On Life for Mothers £4.99 (Eagle)

THIS daily devotional book has been arranged in what the authors call a 'mum-friendly' format. The sections are undated, which should do away with those feelings of guilt felt by many mums as you realise you're already a fortnight behind and it's still only January.

A wide range of topics are covered - each one with relevant Bible quotations and a story applying the scriptures to real life situations.

I enjoyed the flexibility of the format and it provided an interesting change from my usual daily reading notes. However the content wasn't geared as specifically for mums as I had expected - most of the topics were general and would be relevant for anyone.

I also found the title slightly 'twee' and off-putting. However the book, part of a series, could be useful for those in need of a fresh approach to their daily Bible reading.

Jane Bravo is a part-time proofreader and full-time mother of three

CD-ROM

Actual Reality - a music-driven search for truth (Straitway, £21.99)

With the Internet, computer technology, big screen video, MP3 formats and goodness knows what else providing unlimited options for communication these days, there are massive opportunities for the Christian Church to put together great material for grabbing the rising generation's attention.

Sadly, good examples are few and far between.

One of the good ones is Actual Reality - "a music-driven interactive search for biblical truth". It's a US-produced CD-Rom, usable on PC or Mac, that uses a point and click interface to take the user into discovering Christian truth, via the medium of Christian contemporary music.

Technically, it works very well. From the explosive opening introduction to the Macromedia-based sections with music, more than 100 QuickTime movies, sliding screens, interviews, verses and info clips, it is slick, nicely put together and cool enough in its presentation to keep your average teenager interested.

And musically, there are some top names giving their thoughts on their faith, plus video and music excerpts: World Wide Message Tribe, Rebecca St James, Newsboys, Jaci Velasquez, Steven Curtis Chapman, Third Day, Sarah Masen and plenty more. Subjects covered include sex and racism, as well as basic truths about faith in Christ.

There's also a 'verse glossary' giving plenty of Scripture for further study, and a biblical foundation for the whole presentation. Straitway's John Sutherland has also explained that they want to "unlock the full spiritual potential" of Actual Reality, by developing study materials to be used with the CD-Rom, building an interactive youth website, and linking it in with the National Curriculum.

My only misgivings are a) who is it specifically aimed at? and b) is it too American to connect with British young people?

The first question arises because it assumes a level of understanding and basic knowledge of Christianity that many young people simply don't have these days. If it is aimed at fringe church youngsters who have yet to commit themselves to Christ, fine, but I'm not sure it's starting far enough back for completely unreached young people.

As to the second, Manchester's World Wide Message Tribe are the only UK artists featured, and many of the names will only be known to avid Christian music fans. For maximum UK impact, I would have liked to have seen Delirious?, Matt Redman, ShineMK, Why?, Phatfish, Booley, Noel Richards and the like in there. Or some faces like Blue Peter's Simon Thomas.

That said, Actual Reality is a massive leap forward and deserves to be well used. Let's hope it encourages greater creativity, imagination, ideas and investment in new multimedia material for reaching a lost generation.

Russ Bravo

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		BOOKS The Parenttalk Guide to Being a Mum by Janice Fixter £5.99 (Hodder & Stoughton) IN nearly 13 years of hands-on parenting I have ploughed through my fair share of books on the subject and would rank this new addition to the Parenttalk series as one of the most helpful and readable. Its main strengths are firstly that you feel the author is writing fresh from the 'coalface', dealing with the reality of parenting rather than the theory. There are lots of practical tips and personal illustrations written from the heart and with a healthy smattering of humour. Secondly, there is a good balance between the needs and problems of mums as well as those of the children. And lastly, many of the topics covered apply to the often neglected middle range of 5-12 years. The book is suitable for Christians and non-Christians alike and is highly recommended for anyone in need of encouragement and down-to-earth advice. God's Little Lessons On Life for Mothers £4.99 (Eagle) THIS daily devotional book has been arranged in what the authors call a 'mum-friendly' format. The sections are undated, which should do away with those feelings of guilt felt by many mums as you realise you're already a fortnight behind and it's still only January. A wide range of topics are covered - each one with relevant Bible quotations and a story applying the scriptures to real life situations. I enjoyed the flexibility of the format and it provided an interesting change from my usual daily reading notes. However the content wasn't geared as specifically for mums as I had expected - most of the topics were general and would be relevant for anyone. I also found the title slightly 'twee' and off-putting. However the book, part of a series, could be useful for those in need of a fresh approach to their daily Bible reading. Jane Bravo is a part-time proofreader and full-time mother of three CD-ROM Actual Reality - a music-driven search for truth (Straitway, £21.99) With the Internet, computer technology, big screen video, MP3 formats and goodness knows what else providing unlimited options for communication these days, there are massive opportunities for the Christian Church to put together great material for grabbing the rising generation's attention. Sadly, good examples are few and far between. One of the good ones is Actual Reality - "a music-driven interactive search for biblical truth". It's a US-produced CD-Rom, usable on PC or Mac, that uses a point and click interface to take the user into discovering Christian truth, via the medium of Christian contemporary music. Technically, it works very well. From the explosive opening introduction to the Macromedia-based sections with music, more than 100 QuickTime movies, sliding screens, interviews, verses and info clips, it is slick, nicely put together and cool enough in its presentation to keep your average teenager interested. And musically, there are some top names giving their thoughts on their faith, plus video and music excerpts: World Wide Message Tribe, Rebecca St James, Newsboys, Jaci Velasquez, Steven Curtis Chapman, Third Day, Sarah Masen and plenty more. Subjects covered include sex and racism, as well as basic truths about faith in Christ. There's also a 'verse glossary' giving plenty of Scripture for further study, and a biblical foundation for the whole presentation. Straitway's John Sutherland has also explained that they want to "unlock the full spiritual potential" of Actual Reality, by developing study materials to be used with the CD-Rom, building an interactive youth website, and linking it in with the National Curriculum. My only misgivings are a) who is it specifically aimed at? and b) is it too American to connect with British young people? The first question arises because it assumes a level of understanding and basic knowledge of Christianity that many young people simply don't have these days. If it is aimed at fringe church youngsters who have yet to commit themselves to Christ, fine, but I'm not sure it's starting far enough back for completely unreached young people. As to the second, Manchester's World Wide Message Tribe are the only UK artists featured, and many of the names will only be known to avid Christian music fans. For maximum UK impact, I would have liked to have seen Delirious?, Matt Redman, ShineMK, Why?, Phatfish, Booley, Noel Richards and the like in there. Or some faces like Blue Peter's Simon Thomas. That said, Actual Reality is a massive leap forward and deserves to be well used. Let's hope it encourages greater creativity, imagination, ideas and investment in new multimedia material for reaching a lost generation. Russ Bravo © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.