Saturday, August 3, 2024

Every Needful Thing

Every Needful Thing
by Inouye, Melissa Wei-Tsing
BYU Maxwell Institute, 2023. 252 pages. Nonfiction

"A collection of essays from accomplished academics and professionals who speak about discipleship not only with their minds but also from their hearts. Instead of pushing us to choose between faith and reason, love and law, truth within the restored gospel, and truth in the wider world of God's children, these writers urge us to seek "anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report" and learn to live in a world of complexity and abundance. With humility and openness that make their specialized work accessible to a general reader, these authors model how to live life as a whole person. They relate the twists and turns of their intellectual and spiritual journeys, giving readers the confidence to make their own ways and to pursue "every needful thing" (D&C 88:119)."

What I loved about the essays in this book was the passionate way each author spoke about their academic and professional fields. Their enthusiasm was contagious, making me want to drop everything and join them in their pursuits. The essays were both simple and eloquent; the authors delved deeply into their subjects while remaining relatable. They passionately sought great causes, all grounded in their faith in God. This book serves as an inspiration for anyone looking to follow their passions and dreams, both academically and professionally.

If you like Every Needful Thing, you might also like: 

Letter to my daughter 
By Maya Angelo
Random House, 2008. 166 pages. Nonfiction

Dedicated to the daughter she never had but sees all around her, Letter to My Daughter transcends genres and categories: guidebook, memoir, poetry, and pure delight.

Whether Angelo is recalling such lost friends as Coretta Scott King and Ossie Davis, extolling honesty, decrying vulgarity, explaining why becoming a Christian is a "lifelong endeavor," or simply singing the praises of a meal of red rice-Maya Angelou writes from the heart to millions of women she considers her extended family.

Like the rest of her remarkable work, Letter to My Daughter entertains and teaches; it is a book to cherish, savor, re-read, and share.

"I gave birth to one child, a son, but I have thousands of daughters. You are Black and White, Jewish and Muslim, Asian, Spanish speaking, Native Americans and Aleut. You are fat and thin and pretty and plain, gay and straight, educated and unlettered, and I am speaking to you all. Here is my offering to you."--from Letter to My Daughter

The Stories We Tell
By Joanna Gaines
Harper Select, 2022. 247 pages. Nonfiction

In her first solo memoir, New York Times bestselling author Joanna Gaines invites us on an authentic and deeply vulnerable journey into her story -- and helps shine a light on the beauty of our own -- guiding us to release the weights that hold us back so we may live and share our story in truth.

BWW

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