by Mark Mickelson
UCG pastor of Spokane and Kennewick, Washington
September 1997

NOTE: This reading list is not exhaustive nor complete. It is simply a collection of titles that have been highly recommended by a broad variety of people, most of whom who are church members and who have professional experience in their related fields. Every book on this list is currently in print and was included because of it's overall value. Some of them though do have elements that are not recommended or that possibly even conflict with other books on the list. The reader is expected to judge the proper application of each. Also, the books recommended under pregnancy and nursing are quite graphic and are suggested only for that specific need. Fortunately, many of these books are available used and therefore obtainable at a very reasonable price.

• Addiction/Emotional Trauma/Abuse
• Biographies
• Church History
• Economics/Personal Finance
• Evolution/Science
• Health/Fitness
• History
• Inspiration/Encouragement/Life Experience
• Leadership/Personal Improvement
• Marriage/Family
• Relationships/Marriage Enrichment
• Pregnancy/Nursing
• Child Rearing
• Sexual Relations
• Religion/Study Helps
• Society/Culture/Education
• Conclusion

ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS (Expanded Edition) (Janet Geringer Woititz)

HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE: A Manual On The Symptoms, Causes And Cures Of Depression (Minerth and Meier)

HEAVY DRINKING: The Myth Of Alcoholism As A Disease (Herbert Fingarette)

HOW TO QUIT DRINKING WITHOUT AA: A Complete Self-Help Guide (Jerry Dorsman)

I'LL QUIT TOMORROW (Vernon E. Johnson)

I'M DYSFUNCTIONAL, YOU'RE DYSFUNCTIONAL: The Recovery Movement And Their Self Help Fashions (Wendy Kaminer)

LOVE IS A CHOICE: Recovery For Codependent Relationships (Hemfelt, Minirth, Meier)

LOVE MUST BE TOUGH: New Hope For Families In Crisis (James Dobson)

ON DEATH AND DYING: What The Dying Have To Teach Doctors, Nurses, Clergy And Their Own Families (Elisabeth Kubler-Ross)

STRAIGHT AND NARROW? Compassion And Clarity In The Homosexuality Debate (Thomas E. Schmidt)

THE GRIEF RECOVERY HANDBOOK: A Step By Step Program For Moving Beyond Loss (John W. James and Frank Cherry)

UNDER THE INFLUENCE: A Guide To The Myths And Realities Of Alcoholism (James Milam and Katherine Ketcham)

ABRAHAM LINCOLN: The Prairie Years And The War Years (One-Volume Edition) (Carl Sandburg)

ALEXANDER THE GREAT AND HIS TIME (Agnes Savill)

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG (Volumes 1 & 2) (out of print)

ELEANOR AND FRANKLIN (Joseph P. Lash)

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S WAR: The Saga Of The American Revolution (Robert Leckie)

PATTON: The Man Behind The Legend (Martin Blumenson)

PRODIGAL GENIUS: The Life Of Nikola Tesla (John J. Oneill)

REMINISCENCES (Douglas MacArthur)

THE AGE OF NAPOLEON (J. Christopher Herold)

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

THE LAST LION: William Spencer Churchill (Volumes 1 and 2) (William Manchester)

THE LIFE AND DEATH OF ADOLF HITLER (Robert Payne)

THE PATH TO POWER (Margaret Thatcher)

A HISTORY OF THE TRUE RELIGION: Traced From 33 A.D. To Date (A. N. Dugger and C. O. Dodd) ¹

FROM SABBATH TO SUNDAY: A Historical Investigation Of The Rise Of Sunday Observance In Early Christianity (Samuele Bacchiocchi)²

THE INCREDIBLE HISTORY OF GOD'S TRUE CHURCH (Ivor C. Fletcher) ³

TRUTH TRIUMPHANT (B. G. Wilkenson) ⁴

ECONOMICS IN ONE LESSON (Henry Hazlitt) ⁵

THE RICHEST MAN IN BABYLON (George S. Clason)

THE ROAD TO SERFDOM (F. A. Hayek) ⁶

THE THOUGHTFUL CHRISTIAN'S GUIDE TO INVESTING: Allocating Your Money; Selecting Your Investments; Facing Ethical Issues; Gift And Estate Planning (Gary D. Moore)

THE WEALTHY BARBER: Everyone's Common-Sense Guide To Becoming Financially Independent (David Chilton)

A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME: From The Big Bang To Black Holes (Stephen Hawking)

DARWIN'S BLACK BOX: The Biochemical Challenge To Evolution (Michael J. Behe)

EVOLUTION: A Theory In Crisis (Michael Denton)

THE CREATION EVOLUTION CONTROVERSY (R. L. Wysong) ⁷

BRAIN POWER: A Neurosurgeon's Complete Program To Maintain And Enhance Brain Fitness Throughout Your Life (Vernon H. Mark and Jeffery P. Mark)

LETTERS TO MY PATIENTS: A Guide To Healthy And Happy Living. (Harlan O. L. Wright) ⁸ Note: A must read on general principles of health and nutrition.

LET'S GET WELL (Adelle Davis)

THE ANATOMY OF AN ILLNESS AS PERCEIVED BY THE PATIENT (Norman Cousins)

A SHORT HISTORY OF WORLD WAR I (James L. Stokesbury)

AMERICA'S LONGEST WAR: The United States And Vietnam, 1950-1975 (George C. Herring)

AMERICA'S PROVIDENTIAL HISTORY (Mark A. Beliles and Stephen K. Mcdowell) ⁹

HITLER'S WAR AIMS (Norman Rich) Note: Transition from World War I to World War II.

THE GREATNESS THAT WAS BABYLON (H. W. F. Saggs)

THE SECOND WORLD WAR : The Gathering Storm (Volume 1) (Winston Churchill)

THIS HALLOWED GROUND (Bruce Catton) Note: Civil War History.

ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN: Uncommon Thoughts On Common Things

(Robert Fulghum)

CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL: 101 Stories To Open The Heart And Rekindle The Spirit (Volumes 1-3) (Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hanson)

IT WAS ON FIRE WHEN I LAY DOWN ON IT (Robert Fulghum)

THE POWER OF OPTIMISM: Mastering The Twelve Characteristics Of Tough Minded Optimists (Alan Loy McGinnis)

BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN PEOPLE (Alan Loy McGinnis)

DRAW! A Visual Approach To Thinking, Learning And Communicating (Kurt Hanks and Larry Belliston)

ON LEADERSHIP (John W. Gardner)

PRINCIPLE CENTERED LEADERSHIP (Stephen R. Covey)

THE EVELYN WOOD SEVEN-DAY SPEED READING AND LEARNING PROGRAM (Stanley D. Frank) Note: No one actually recommended this but it is in book form and without something like it you will never get through this list.

THE LEADER IN YOU: How To Win Friends And Influence People In A Changing World (Dale Carnegie)

THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE: Restoring The Character Ethic (Stephen R. Covey)

USE BOTH SIDES OF YOUR BRAIN: New Mind Mapping Techniques To Help You Raise All Levels Of Your Intelligence And Creativity Based On The Latest Discoveries Of The Human Brain (Tony Buzan)

ALWAYS DADDY'S GIRL: Understanding Your Father's Impact On Who You Are (H. Norman Wright)

CREATIVE COUNTERPARTS (Linda Dillow)

FINDING THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE: 10 Principles For Choosing The Right Marriage Partner (Neil Clark Warren)

HIS NEEDS, HER NEEDS: Building An Affair Proof Marriage (Willard F. Harley)

HOW COULD YOU DO THAT? The Abdication Of Character, Courage And Conscience (Laura Schlessinger)

HOW TO REALLY LOVE YOUR MAN (Linda Dillow)

LOVE LIFE FOR EVERY MARRIED COUPLE: How To Fall In Love, Stay In Love, Rekindle Your Love (Ed

Wheat)

MAN OF STEEL AND VELVET (Aubrey P. Andelin) ¹⁰

MEN ARE FROM MARS, WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS: A Practical Guide For Improving Communication And Getting What You Want In Your Relationships (John Gray)

SAVING YOUR MARRIAGE BEFORE IT STARTS: Seven Questions To Ask Before (And After) You Marry (Les and Leslie Parrott)

TEN STUPID THINGS WOMEN DO TO MESS UP THEIR LIVES (Laura Schlessinger)

THE BIRTH ORDER BOOK: Why You Are The Way You Are (Kevin Leman)

THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES: How To Express Heartfelt Commitment To Your Mate (Gary Chapman)

THE FRIENDSHIP FACTOR (Alan Loy McGinnis)

WHAT YOUR MOTHER COULDN'T TELL YOU AND YOUR FATHER DIDN'T KNOW: Advanced Relationship Skills For Better Communication And Lasting Intimacy (John Gray)

THE COMPLETE BOOK OF PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH (Sheila Kitzinger)

THE WOMANLY ART OF BREASTFEEDING (La Leche League International)

ALL GROWN UP AND NO PLACE TO GO: Teenagers In Crisis (David Elkhind)

BACK TO THE FAMILY: How To Encourage Traditional Values In Complicated Times (Ray Guarendi)

ENDING THE HOMEWORK HASSLE: Understanding, Preventing And Solving School Performance Problems (John Rosemond)

HOW TO REALLY LOVE YOUR CHILD (Ross Campbell)

HOW TO REALLY LOVE YOUR TEENAGER (Ross Campbell)

MAKING CHILDREN MIND WITHOUT LOOSING YOURS: How To Bring Out The Best In Your Children Without Letting Them Get The Better Of You (Kevin Leman)

PARENT POWER! A Common Sense Approach To Parenting In The 90's And Beyond (John Rosemond)

PARENTING YOUR TEENAGER (David Elkhind)

SIX-POINT PLAN FOR RAISING HAPPY, HEALTHY CHILDREN (John Rosemond)

TEACHING YOUR CHILDREN VALUES (Linda and Richard Eyre) Note: Other titles addressing subjects such as Joy and Responsibility are also available by the authors.

THE GIFT OF HONOR (Gary Smalley and John Trent)

THE HURRIED CHILD: Growing Up Too Fast Too Soon (David Elkind)

THE KEY TO YOUR CHILD'S HEART (Gary Smalley)

THE NEW DARE TO DISCIPLINE (James Dobson)

THE STRONG WILLED CHILD (James Dobson)

INTENDED FOR PLEASURE (Ed Wheat and Gaye Wheat)

LIGHT HER FIRE: How To Ignite Passion And Excitement In The Woman You Love (Ellen Kreidman)

LIGHT HIS FIRE: How To Keep Your Man Passionately And Hopelessly In Love With You (Ellen Kreidman)

MARS AND VENUS IN THE BEDROOM: A Guide To Lasting Romance And Passion (John Gray)

SOLOMON ON SEX (Joseph C. Dillow)

A HARMONY OF THE FOUR GOSPELS (Orville E. Daniel)

ALL THE MEN IN THE BIBLE (Herbert Lockyer) Note: Herbert Lockyer wrote a series of books on various subjects that are valuable companions to this one. Each title is the same except for the change in subject.

COMPANION BIBLE: Being The Authorized Version Of 1611 With Structures And Critical And Explanatory Notes With 198 Appendixes (Zondervan)

COMPLETE WORD STUDY DICTIONARY: New Testament (Spiros Zodhiates)

DAILY STUDY BIBLE: New Testament (18 Volumes) (William Barklay)

EXPOSITOR'S BIBLE COMMENTARY (12 Volumes) (Frank E. Gaebelein)

FOX'S BOOK OF MARTYRS: A History Of The Lives, Sufferings And Triumphant Deaths Of The Early Christian And Protestant Martyrs (William Byron Forbush)

HALLEY'S BIBLE HANDBOOK (Henry H. Halley)

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPEDIA (4 Volumes) (Geoffrey W. Bromiley)

JEWISH NEW TESTAMENT COMMENTARY (David H. Stern)

KEIL AND DELITZSCH OLD TESTAMENT COMMENTARY (10 volumes) (C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch) Note: This is rather heavy reading but it takes a conservative approach to biblical interpretation.

MACMILLAN BIBLE ATLAS (Yohanan Aharoni and Michael Avi-Yonah)

NAVE'S TOPICAL BIBLE (Orville J. Nave)

NEW BIBLE COMMENTARY: 21^st Century Edition (G. Wenham, J. Motyer, D. Carson, R. France)

NEW BIBLE DICTIONARY: Revised (J. D. Douglas)

ONLINE BIBLE (Larry Pierce) Note: This is a computer program. It is a very affordable yet extensive bible study and

research tool. ¹²

PAUL (E. P. Sanders) Note: Sanders here writes from a conservative perspective on the law.

STRONG'S EXHAUSTIVE CONCORDANCE OF THE BIBLE (James Strong)

TANAKH: A New Translation Of The Holy Scriptures According To The Hebrew Text (The Jewish Publication Society)

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS (William Whiston)

THE DAY CHRIST DIED (Jim Bishop)

THE LIFE OF SAINT PAUL (James Stalker)

THE NEW MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF BIBLE TIMES (Ralph Gower)

THEOLOGICAL WORDBOOK OF THE OLD TESTAMENT (R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., Bruce K. Waltke)

TYNDALE OLD TESTAMENT COMMENTARIES (26 Volumes) (D. J. Wiseman)

VINE'S COMPLETE EXPOSITORY DICTIONARY OF OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT WORDS (W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, William White, Jr.)

AMUSING OURSELVES TO DEATH (Neil Postman)

DE-VALUING OF AMERICA (William Bennett)

ENDANGERED MINDS: Why Children Don't Think And What We Can Do About It (Jane M. Healy)

PSYCHOLOGICAL SEDUCTION (William Kirk Kilpatrick)

SLOUCHING TOWARDS GOMORRAH (Robert Bork)

THE CLOSING OF THE AMERICAN MIND: How Higher Education Has Failed Democracy And Impoverished The Souls Of Today's Students (Allan Bloom)

I recognize that this list needs to be edited and updated on an ongoing basis and I hope to be able to do so from time to time. Still, I have found these books to be a tremendously valuable source of both knowledge and inspiration and I wish to express my appreciation to those who also shared them with me.

Mark Mickelson