Review: Buried Alive by Roy Hallums

Buried Alive: The True Story of Kidnapping, Captivity, and a Dramatic Rescue by Roy Hallums is the authors true story of his captivity, torture, and ultimate rescie from a concrete pit in Iraq. He was being held on a $12 million dollar ransom, despite the United States' position of not paying ransoms. Finally, after 311 days he was rescued by the United States military.

As a former Navy Commander, Roy Hallums never gave up on being rescued. His hope turned into reality in September of 2005.

Although the book does not have a strong focus on faith, I am grateful that he wrote this book so readers can understand and pray for those in captivity. I found the book to be a very engaging fast read. I could barely put it down.

Readers looking for an introspective look at captivity from a captives point of view won't find it here, but the author does an amazing job of keeping the story moving along and providing detailed descriptions of his experiences. Although I don't like the glamourization of war, I actually feel this would make an excellent movie.

Included are several photos thoughout the book that provide invaluable insights into his living conditions.

I received a review copy of this book from booksneeze.com.

Review: The Selfless Gene

Charles Darwins' The Origin of Species has been mentioned by me in a previous review. I've been a Christian for as long as I can remember. I've never been faced with having any doubt in God or the Gospel of Jesus. Yet I've never felt that God and Darwin were in conflict with each other. As I grew up I started to discover that there are muliple camps of beliefs and somewhere along the line I realized that there was a God vs. Darwin line that in the minds of many can't be crossed.

I applaud Charles Foster for his dedication and research regarding this issue. The two most influential books I've ever read are The Origin of Species and the Bible. This book bridges the gap, allows readers to open their minds to the wonders of the creation and purpose of our amazing world. Although the author takes a lot of liberties, I realize they must be taken to explore this subject. For example, he asserts that if Adam and Eve had not eaten the fruit of the tree of life, that Adam and Eve would have died just like any other human. He also goes on to give a very plausible, sensible reason for the increase in the pain of childbirth.

This book is full of fascinating logic, and might be especially helpful for those questioning their faith, or agnostics searching for a plausible explanation of our world.

That's why I like this book. I certainly don't take it as the gospel, but it's thought provoking and might just help open the communication corridors between Darwinists and Christians.