Non-Fiction Book Reviews: Gospel Centered Marriage, Pig in a Taxi

Gospel Centered Marriage by John Stange shows how the marriage commitment reflects Jesus' gospel—His sacrifice on the cross because of love. The comparison comes from Ephesians chapter 5. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband (verses 32-33). This book takes on the issues of the husband's love, the wife's respect, and mutual submission—acting out the gospel in everyday life. It is very good. If these concepts are new to you, you will find much to learn in this thoughtful book. If you do premarital or marriage counseling, this is a good, short, basic book to share with others.

Pig in a Taxi and Other African Adventures by Suzanne Crocker is a delightful mixture of true stories and devotional thoughts. It includes, of course, some snake stories as well as a child bitten by a rabid dog, a difficult pregnancy, adoption, language learning, and many other firsthand missionary adventures. The author is a nurse. These stories cover her family’s ministry in Benin and Togo. At the end of each story is a short application, followed by a prayer. I enjoyed this book, both for its missionary’s stories and because it’s just plain interesting. The stories are entertaining—most of them. Its theme is how to effectively pray for missionaries, especially those in third world settings. Pig in a Taxi would be great for family devotions with the exception of maybe two chapters (about giving birth and a woman who died of AIDS). I believe that any woman who loves missions and missionaries will profit from this delightful devotional book.