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Read Any Good Books?
Advice on the best books and how to set about reading them.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
1 person is currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Sinclair B. Ferguson
218 books554 followersSinclair B. Ferguson is Associate Preacher at St Peter's Free Church in Dundee and also Distinguished Visiting Professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was Senior Minister of First Presbyterian Church of Columbia, South Carolina and prior to that, he was minister of St. George's-Tron Church in Glasgow.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 28, 2016
A good book about the goodness of books.
March 14, 2022
Non-readers who are Christian may find motivation to start reading Christian books for Ferguson lays out some great reasons why it is vital that Christians read good christian literature.
Christians who are already reading good books may find encouragement to continue and some good ideas of what to read next.
Christians who are already reading good books may find encouragement to continue and some good ideas of what to read next.
March 17, 2024
A great booklet written by a favorite author about why reading good books is important in the Christian life and suggestions of what to read. My only complaint is I wish this were updated to include new books written by the author and others .
May 9, 2017
Loved the emphasis and practical points given on the reason for reading good books. I plan to give this booklet away to many people
November 9, 2018
Short and straight to the point
April 7, 2024
Oddly contains many references that will go over the head of a non-reader, but still a great booklet on the helpfulness of reading.
January 6, 2017
4.5 stars
Lots of "meat" in a tiny booklet with a suggested book list that's going to make my TBR list even longer.
A few of my favorite quotes:
"Book lovers can become like butterflies, flitting from one flower to the next."
"Read selectively, then, in the sense of reading in order to digest, understand, and put into practice what you learn from Scripture through the books you read. Master a few; treasure them; study them; know them. For it is only as you know them that you will be able to use them further for God's glory."
"We must ... balance our biblical reading as well as our theological reading; our use of books on the text of Scripture with our use of books on the doctrine and theology of Scripture."
"If we are to be molded intellectually, spiritually and emotionally by the spirit as well as the propositional teaching of Scripture, it is important for us in our reading to read commentaries and studies that shed light directly on the text of Scripture or, more accurately, are able to help us see the light that springs fourth from the text of Scripture."
"We should also read a variety of biographical and historical books. Biographical because Christ reveals his grace in a multicolored way in his people. When we see others' lives in their wholeness and completeness, we will be stimulated to praise God for that grace and want to imitate the principles that God worked into their lives."
"Why are books on church history so helpful? Because we all have the rather perverse inclination to assume that we are the center of the world and that our style of Christian thinking and living is identical with the best in every age of the church! But when we read church history we discover that we are making the same mistakes as our forefathers; or perhaps making theological and practical mistakes they avoided!"
"Another blessing which reading church history brings -- or ought to -- is to increase within us a spirit of biblical catholicity, and an ability to live with and love those with whom we may disagree on matters that are not essential or central to out Christian living or to our faithfulness to Scripture."
** "We should also always be able to use Christian literature pastorally. Our own gifts are limited. Our time is limited. But if we have a working knowledge of our books, we may use them to do, by God's grace, what we ourselves cannot do. That applies not only to those who are ministers and leaders, but to all of us.
"If we are to use our books in this way, we must know them. That is one reason why it is better to read selectively but deeply rather than widely but superficially. Know your books! Know specific passages in them. Know those sections that have particularly helped you, so that you are able to point your friends to answers to the questions they ask, and to the help they need. Then you will be able to say to them: 'Here is something that you can read; it will explain to you better, and more clearly than I ever could, what I want to say to you.' " ***
"If he shall not lose his reward, who gives a cup of cold water to his thirst neighbor, what will not be the reward for those who, by putting good books into the hands of those neighbors, open to them the fountains of eternal life?" ~ Thomas À Kempis
Lots of "meat" in a tiny booklet with a suggested book list that's going to make my TBR list even longer.
A few of my favorite quotes:
"Book lovers can become like butterflies, flitting from one flower to the next."
"Read selectively, then, in the sense of reading in order to digest, understand, and put into practice what you learn from Scripture through the books you read. Master a few; treasure them; study them; know them. For it is only as you know them that you will be able to use them further for God's glory."
"We must ... balance our biblical reading as well as our theological reading; our use of books on the text of Scripture with our use of books on the doctrine and theology of Scripture."
"If we are to be molded intellectually, spiritually and emotionally by the spirit as well as the propositional teaching of Scripture, it is important for us in our reading to read commentaries and studies that shed light directly on the text of Scripture or, more accurately, are able to help us see the light that springs fourth from the text of Scripture."
"We should also read a variety of biographical and historical books. Biographical because Christ reveals his grace in a multicolored way in his people. When we see others' lives in their wholeness and completeness, we will be stimulated to praise God for that grace and want to imitate the principles that God worked into their lives."
"Why are books on church history so helpful? Because we all have the rather perverse inclination to assume that we are the center of the world and that our style of Christian thinking and living is identical with the best in every age of the church! But when we read church history we discover that we are making the same mistakes as our forefathers; or perhaps making theological and practical mistakes they avoided!"
"Another blessing which reading church history brings -- or ought to -- is to increase within us a spirit of biblical catholicity, and an ability to live with and love those with whom we may disagree on matters that are not essential or central to out Christian living or to our faithfulness to Scripture."
** "We should also always be able to use Christian literature pastorally. Our own gifts are limited. Our time is limited. But if we have a working knowledge of our books, we may use them to do, by God's grace, what we ourselves cannot do. That applies not only to those who are ministers and leaders, but to all of us.
"If we are to use our books in this way, we must know them. That is one reason why it is better to read selectively but deeply rather than widely but superficially. Know your books! Know specific passages in them. Know those sections that have particularly helped you, so that you are able to point your friends to answers to the questions they ask, and to the help they need. Then you will be able to say to them: 'Here is something that you can read; it will explain to you better, and more clearly than I ever could, what I want to say to you.' " ***
"If he shall not lose his reward, who gives a cup of cold water to his thirst neighbor, what will not be the reward for those who, by putting good books into the hands of those neighbors, open to them the fountains of eternal life?" ~ Thomas À Kempis
July 18, 2011
Another good book on why we should be reading good books.
November 16, 2012
Encourages new believers to become avid readers of the best kind of books for their spiritual growth in Christ.
Good.
Good.
January 12, 2016
Great short book about Christian Literature. This book provides an outline on how to get the most out of your books and how important they are in the life of a Christian.
July 6, 2016
Can't go wrong with Ferguson or an encouragement to read more... Would be good to see what was his favourite books were.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews