The Dressmaker of Khair Khana

As I was browsing the shelf of new books at my library, several books caught my eye - and this was one of them.  The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon tells the story of Kamila Sidiqi, an Afgani woman who came of age just as the Taliban took over Afganistan.

Kamila had just graduated from a two-year teacher training course, despite of her country's civil war.  She was looking forward to teaching at one of the many schools in Kabul, but soon after her graduation, the Taliban moved into the city, closing schools and forcing women indoors.

Kamila's story is one of courage, strength, and taking reasonable risks - all while trying to live within the rules imposed upon her as a woman.  Because of past political affiliations, Kamila's parents had to leave Kabul for the northern part of the country.  The journey was too dangerous to take all their children with them, so they left Kamila in charge of her younger siblings.

The responsibility became heavy as the streets were too dangerous for the young women to venture out.  Kamila and her sisters became bored and restless, and Kamila became anxious as she watched their reserves and savings dwindle.

Kamila searched for a solution, trying several ideas before deciding to start making dresses.  She risked the marketplace, found a buyer, and started a business which kept her and her sisters busy at home.  Over time, she hired more help, and then started an apprenticeship school for younger girls.

Kamila's story is remarkable.  Her drive, energy and determination are admirable.  But I especially admire her desire, and ability, to start a business within the severe restrictions imposed upon her.  Instead of fighting, and losing, a battle with the Taliban, Kamila worked hard to quietly pursue her dream - and she succeeded.

The Coming Economic Armageddon

Many people have written books about the economic crisis in America - quite a popular topic. Dr. David Jeremiah joins the crowd with The Coming Economic Armageddon.

The title alone makes this book stand out. But so do the contents. Jeremiah writes about our current economy from the perspective of Biblical prophecy. The result is a commentary of current events from a prophetic standpoint.

Jeremiah does not claim to have all the answers to questions about the end times. Nor does he call out any specific dates for future events. Instead, he examines cultural, financial and economic trends and how they fit with what the Bible tells us will happen in the End Times.

I found this book fascinating - and at times quite alarming. The thing I appreciate most about Jeremiah is that he's not an alarmist who leaves us hanging, feeling helpless in the face of the future. He boldly states his point of view, always reminding the reader (who he assumes is a believer in Jesus) of the hope found in Christ.

I particularly appreciated the final chapter, which includes practical application - in light of what we're seeing today, how we can move ahead instead of being stuck in hopelessness.

If you haven't read Dr. Jeremiah's What In the World is Going On?, you should read it first. That book gives a broader look at End Time prophecy and current world trends. Jeremiah refers to it several times in The Coming Economic Armageddon.

Too Big to Fail

I quite surprised myself two weeks ago when I picked up Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin. It's a huge, huge book - 544 pages (including Acknowledgements) and about 50 pages of footnotes and bibliography after that.

More surprising to me was that I thought I might be interested in the topic - the front of the book states "The inside story of how Wall Street and Washington fought to save the financial system - and themselves."

A dry topic for someone who admits no financial acumen, nor interest in Wall Street.

I remember shrugging, thinking, "well, I'll read the first chapter & if it's boring, I'll return it."

Now, it's two weeks later, and I've not only read the first chapter, but I've read the entire 544 pages (I have to remember to write that down for the summer reading program!)

If you haven't guessed already, let me tell you how this book absolutely engaged my attention. This is not a dry book, discussing derivatives, securities, credit loans, etc. and how they brought down Wall Street.

All of the above are mentioned - you cannot write a book about Wall Street without mentioning those mysterious words. But Sorkin does a masterful job of making the reader understand, not the intricacies of these words, but the implications of these words. And the implications are what caused havoc in our economic system.

Sorkin focuses on the people involved in the dramatic events of 2008 - starting when JP Morgan bought Bear Stearns. I remember when Lehman Brothers failed - but I wasn't paying attention to events on Wall Street at the time. It doesn't affect me much - I felt (perhaps still feel) quite distanced from the events in New York & Washington... and can appreciate even more fully why Warren Buffet maintains his office in Omaha instead of New York.

I'll admit, I still don't understand why the CEOs of Lehman, Morgan Stanley & Goldman Sachs despise the short sellers - and why short selling stock is so detrimental to a firm - but I do feel I have a better understanding of the dramatic events of the fall of 2008 and a better understanding of who are some of the big 'players' on Wall Street.

And, I spent time enjoying a well-written book.