Kingdom Keepers VII: The Insider

I have been a faithful reader of the Kingdom Keepers series by Ridley Pearson, but I seem to have a love/hate relationship with his books, especially as the series progresses. Book seven is the most recent book in the series, and is also the concluding volume. I have to admit I was left completely dissatisfied. I will give my reasons, but be warned that this post will be a spoiler.

1. Not all of the content in this book is the author's. At the beginning, Pearson mentions that he had a fan fiction contest, and he used passages that he liked the most that his fans came up with. These passages are marked with a code inside the book and a footnote tells you who that passage belongs to. Now, from the viewpoint of those fans, getting published in a book by a favorite author would be pretty neat. But as a fan of the series, it was frustrating to be pulled from the story every time I saw the symbol indicating that the content was not the author's original work. Maybe that's too picky of me, but it really bugged me.

2. A lot of questions and inconsistencies were not resolved by the end of this book. If nothing else, even more were brought up! Certain things were mentioned in previous books that went on to be completely disregarded later (such as the entire premise that the kids had to be in hologram form to be able to see any Disney characters). I know that authors rarely re-read their books, but for all the statements and suggestions that Pearson made, he certainly should have gone back through his series to make sure he tied up all loose ends.

It happened in this book as well. They face off Ursula, who indicates that she isn't necessarily with Chernabog and the other OTs, but she also isn't with Finn and the good guys. So what was her agenda? Why did she steal the folder from Fantasia for them? And why did the OTs need it so much in the first place? It was very annoying to have little plots brought up, but then have nothing done with them.

3. This is a carry-over from the last complaint, but the seventh (and last) book didn't even really end! They defeated the bad guy (without Mickey's help, which irked me. Mickey healed the kingdom, but that was it). But then at the end they realize, "Oh, no! It's not all over! Wayne must have left us a message!" But do we get to hear what the message is? No. Of course not. All we know is that at least one villain is still alive and is trying to summon back the others from the dead. I did some research and learned that the author is planning on doing a short spin-off series, but whereas this series is officially over, I was frustrated by the ending. Very frustrated!

4. I really didn't like how much this series "matured" (for lack of a better word). Some adult content is lightly sprinkled into the last few books, but the darkness and gruesomeness was a little much, especially for a series targeted towards middle readers (ages 8-12). Granted, as the series advances, its characters get older, but you still have the younger audience reading it. The violence in the book was gruesome, and if depicted on screen the same way it was in the book, it would probably come close to an R-rating.

There are parts of this series that I absolutely love, but I feel like so much more could have been done with it. I wanted to see more interaction with Disney characters. Granted, this book had more than any other, but it still wasn't nearly enough. The characters were there, and when they did show up they usually had to remind the Keepers that they were ready to help, but they were hardly used. Even Mickey wasn't really used, and the dramatic final battle scene was a big disappointment to me.

It's so sad to look forward so much to a book, only to be disillusioned by it. Oh, well. This all started out as a great idea with a lot of promise. I guess, to sum it all up, if I had been the author to come up with this idea, I would have handled it very differently.

Reflections of Christ

Thousands of people have seen the Reflections of Christ exhibit by Mark Mabry. By publishing his exhibit in book format, Mabry has ensured that many thousands more will be able to enjoy the same experience. For those unfamiliar with Mabry's project, he photographed reenactments of the Savior's life, showing some simple and some deep images portraying Jesus Christ and His mission.

The book does more than just give a collection of photographs, however. First of all, it begins with a story of Mabry's journey to get to that point. The project came to him from little bursts of inspiration and revelation at a time. Some of this personal inspiration he received was something as simple as, "Change your music." Others were perhaps more difficult (such as having a strong impression to throw away all his art books that included "artistic" nude pictures). As he was cleaning up little corners of his life, he felt more guidance from the Spirit, and ultimately the inspiration to do this project--using his talents to do something of true value and to bear testimony of the Savior.

At the end of the book there is a section for each photograph that explains a story behind it, offers deeper meaning, or even has comments from some of the actors who were portraying the scenes. These comments often add deeper meaning to the photograph than might initially meet the eye, and they also encourage the reader to study the photographs more closely, and perhaps notice something that they didn't notice before. Although this project may seem like a simple idea, it can certainly have a profound impact on someone, especially as it allows the Holy Ghost to bear testimony of the reality of these events and the Savior's mission.

The 7-day Christian

A simple but inspiring read, I was very pleased with The 7-day Christian by Brad Wilcox. The title of this book refers to the idea that Christians need to be consistent, living their beliefs seven days a week. Scattered throughout the book are stories of various Christians who emulate the examples that Wilcox is trying to teach. This plants the idea that if all Christians really lived up to their beliefs, and did so consistently every day of the week, we could really change the world for the better.

Perhaps my favorite chapter of the entire book is the chapter entitled, "Seven Days of Re-Creation." In this chapter, the author talks about what happened during each of the Creation, and how the same events need to happen in our own lives as we become changed through Christ. To make his point, the author also uses the example of getting in shape and training for a half marathon. Using these two examples help make his point quite clearly.

Another neat thing about this book is the fact that it is written by a Latter-day Saint, but everything in the book is generic and applies to any Christian, no matter what denomination they belong to. Any person who considers him or herself a Christian would benefit by this book. This book talks about how we can and should be changed by Christ, and how we should then use that influence to change the world. Truly, the world is in desperate need for 7-day Christians who are willing to stand together for the cause of Christ and His teachings.

Dream It, Do It

Last Christmas I received a copy of Dream It, Do It: My Half-Century of Creating Disney's Magic Kingdoms by Marty Sklar. I loved reading this book! Not only did it give me some neat insights into the world of Disney Imagineering, but it also gave me insider information about the Disney company, and great management principles as well.

Marty Sklar was the last person to retire from Disney that was involved with the opening of all 11 current Disney parks. He is also the person who wrote the official statement regarding Walt's death (an assignment he still feels bitter towards to this day). He eventually progressed to become the head of Disney Imagineering. His biggest focus was to continue to do things the way Walt would have done them, especially with regards to the Florida Project (Walt Disney World). He describes in candid detail the challenge of building the various Disney parks, especially those outside of the country. I really loved his few descriptions of how some rides came to be, such as Space Mountain (sorry, you'll have to read the book to get that story).

It was also interesting to read his opinion of various leaders of the Disney company, and also to get a glimpse of the politics that were played. Many leaders had self-serving agendas that made certain areas in the company suffer. I was really interested in his perspective of Michael Eisner and his strengths and flaws. A lot of stuff I had already heard, but reading everything from someone who was actually there gave me new insights to the whole situation and what led to various ups and downs in the Disney company.

I was not expecting to learn so much about how to be a good manager by reading this book. In all honesty, I want to go back through and read it again from this perspective, because I am sure there is much that I missed. But here are a few things the author discusses that I really liked:

When all is said and done, there is only one name on the door--Walt Disney's (Pushing for personal glory will get you nowhere because everything you do is to promote someone else)

What is normal and mundane for you may be the first and only experience for a guest, so make it a good one!

Giving bare minimum performance to save a buck now, may end up costing you a lot more in the future.

A leader's job is to be responsive and make decisions.

 Empower your employees; make sure your voice is not the only one you're listening to.

Be passionate about whatever you do.

Never rest on your laurels.

I know there is more, but like I said, I'll need to go back and re-read the book. I'm grateful that Marty Sklar decided to write this book and share his wisdom. It was fun to read about Disney, but also neat to see good manager skills put into practice.

Joseph Smith Papers: Revelations and Translations Facsimile Edition

Joseph Smith Papers: Revelations and Translations Facsimile Edition was the second book published in the Joseph Smith Papers project. I have it sitting on my shelf for a few years now, but I finally met the daunting task of reading it. There is not a lot of new material in this book as far as printed word goes; most of the revelations included in this book are also found in the Doctrine and Covenants. What makes this book so unique is that every single page of the original revelation books has been photocopied and a color reproduction has been included in this volume of the Joseph Smith Papers series (hence the term "Facsimile Edition).

This book gives a glimpse into the recording and printing process for many of Joseph Smith's revelations. Although the revelation books from which this volume draws its information were most likely not the original copies of the dictated revelations, a lot can still be gleaned from their pages. The editors were able to identify most of the scribes who made changes/corrections to the manuscripts which gives insight into writing style and also the preparation they underwent to have these revelations published.

I was very impressed with the pain-staking work the editors have gone through to decipher writing that seems entirely illegible. To do this, they not only used special equipment and lighting with the original documents, but they also studied individual writing styles. I can't imagine how many years it must have taken to complete this one volume alone. It really gave me a lot of appreciation, respect, and trust for the work of these scholars. Because of their diligent work, the editors are able to transport me back to the 1800's and gain a new glimpse into the world of Joseph Smith and the revelations he received, dictated, and eventually had published. I am eager to continue reading more books in this project.

The Shadow Throne

I was very sad that this series had to end. The Shadow Throne by Jennifer A. Nielsen concludes The Ascendancy Trilogy, and it is a fantastic conclusion. This book had everything I love about Jaron's character, but also made him very real. Jaron always seems to have a plan and tends to outsmart everyone. However, in this book there comes a point where he seems to be completely broken with no more plans up his sleeve. At first this discouraged me, but I quickly appreciated the realism portrayed in this book, and then I was completely satisfied when Jaron begins making his plans again.

I was talking to one of my friends about this series and how we both found it fantastic. He commented that he thinks it's the best fantasy series since Wheel of Time. The author deserves this praise. I would recommend The Ascendancy Trilogy to anyone.

SPOILER ALERT!!!! DO NOT READ THIS NEXT SECTION UNLESS YOU HAVE ALREADY READ THE BOOK!

One thing that often bothers me with great stories is how nobody important ever dies, and if they do, it is highly unsatisfying to the reader. It is a paradox. I want the story to be realistic, but I also don't want to lose any characters I love. I thought Nielsen did an incredible job with meeting both needs for me. Several main characters "die" in this book. As a reader, I went through all the emotions of losing a beloved character, and it really helped me connect more with the main character. But then, against all odds, the author is able to save these beloved characters. I love the way it was handled.

These books come highly recommended. Thank you, Jennifer, for providing such fantastic books to read!

The First 100 Temples

Reading The First 100 Temples by Chad Hawkins was truly a treat. I don't know how he managed to do the research to collect the stories and facts about each of the first hundred LDS temples in existence. Each temple was accompanied with stories, whether from those building the temple, those touring the temple, or those using the temple. Some of the stories were downright inspiring.

Each temple has something unique about it, even when the general design has been used with other temples. It was very fun to read about the symbolism used in some of the architecture, and also interesting to read about the Lord's intervention with some temples to let them become what they are today. I was also inspired by the many sacrifices I read about from those who gave everything they had for the temple. It reminded me of what a blessing it is.

There are also fun facts about the many temple. For example, the Orlando, Florida temple has a cel from Disney's Pinocchio in its cornerstone, donated from the Walt Disney Company. The Cardston Alberta temple contains a lock of hair from Joseph Smith. Ancient relics have been discovered while excavating the land for some temples across the world. Other temples have been built in unique ways to allow them to work better with their surroundings. Again, I was amazed by the artist's research.

As an added treat, Chad Hawkins has created a sketch drawing of about half the temples in his book. Each drawing contains a hidden image (usually the Savior) that is symbolic to that temple in some way. His sketches are done so well, I was actually disappointed he didn't have one for each temple.

Sadly, this book is now out of print. But I am hoping it doesn't take too long to reach 200 temples so that the author can produce a brand new book.