The Wealth of Nations – FINISHED!

Events in the year 1776 were to be ones that changed the political face of the world for the rest of history. The fledgling United States of America was embroiled in its fight for independence from the British Empire, what was perhaps at that time the greatest power in the world. In July, the Declaration of Independence, authored principally by Thomas Jefferson was adopted by the United States, officially announcing its independence from the British Empire.

There was another document published that year, albeit one that was not quite as important and monumental as the Declaration of Independence. On March 9, 1776 Adam Smith published what was to become one of the greatest works in the field of economics and would help to change both the political and economic understanding of nations from that time on. The Wealth of Nations is “widely considered to be the first modern work in the field of economics…and the first comprehensive defense of free market policies.” (Wikipedia)

I am very pleased to announce that I have finally finished recording an unabridged audio version of Adam Smith’s seminal work.  This is perhaps one of the longest personal projects I’ve ever undertaken and I’m very glad to have it finally completed.  As far as I can tell, this is the only unabridged, human-read FREE version of this book you’ll find anywhere.

I started the project over 3 years ago, in January 2008.  To put that into perspective, Sarah was 7 months pregnant with Ben when I began this recording.  I used three different microphones (in increasing levels of quality) to record more than 370,000 words.  Total finished recording time is just over 36 hours.  Taking an average time on recording, proofing and editing at about 3 minutes for every 1 minute of finished recording comes out to about 108 hours total of time spent recording the book.

In between recording the five books that make up The Wealth of Nations, I made some other recordings, including John Bunyan’s autobiography Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners and John Owen’s excellent book, The Mortification of Sin, both of which can also be downloaded for free.  What’s next?  Well, definitely something smaller, that’s for sure.  I’m considering working on C.H. Spurgeon’s Lectures To My Students, but haven’t quite decided yet.

If you enjoy audio books and would like to listen to what is continually listed in the top 100 books of all time, follow this link to download the free, unabridged audiobook of The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith. I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed reading.

Book Giveaway – Devoted

Congratulations to Nancy , winner of last week’s book giveaway for Voddie Baucham’s Family Driven Faith.

This week, I’m giving away a copy of Devoted: The Story of a Father’s Love for His Son, by Dick Hoyt.  You may have seen the incredibly stirring video of Team Hoyt, set to the song “My Redeemer Lives” or “I Can Only Imagine.”  If you’re unfamiliar with their story, watch the 10-minute video below.  Born with cerebral palsy, Rick was written off by doctors who encouraged his parents to do the same.  One day, Rick asked Dick to participate in a charity run for a fellow student – except Rick wanted to run too.  Dick raced pushing Rick in his wheelchair.  Afterward, Rick, through his computer, said “Dad, when I’m running, I don’t feel like I’m disabled anymore.”  “Now, over one thousand races later, including numerous marathons and triathlons [including the Iron Man competition], Dick Hoyt continues to push Rick’s wheelchair….continuing to inspire millions and embodying their trademark motto of ‘Yes, you can.’” (from the book cover)  Devoted: The Story of a Father’s Love for His Son is their story.

To enter the drawing, you can do one or more of the following:

1. Leave a comment below.
2. Post a link to the drawing on your blog
3. On Twitter, retweet the following: @Eskypades: Book Giveaway!  Enter to win Team Hoyt’s “Devoted” at http://wp.me/pzfPF-et

You can earn up to three entries for the drawing, one for each option above.  I’ll randomly select the winner sometime Friday afternoon, July 23, 2010 and post another book giveaway.  (Giveaway is open to US residents only.)

Book Giveaway – Family Driven Faith

First, congrats to Michelle, winner of last week’s giveaway of Woody Holton’s Abigail Adams.  Enjoy the book, Michelle – it’s a great read.

Up for grabs this week is Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham Jr.  Here’s a blurb from the cover:

Family Driven Faith equips Christian parents with the tools they need to raise children biblically in a post-Christian, anti-family soceity.  Voddie Baucham…shows that God has not left us alone in raising godly children.  He has given us timeless precepts and principles for multi-generational faithfulness, especially in Deuteronomy 6.  God’s simple command to Moses to teach the Word diligently to the children of Israel serves as the foundation of Family Driven Faith.  This bold new book is an urgent call to parents–and the church–to return to biblical discipleship in and through the home.

For an in-depth review of this book, check out my earlier blog posting (in which I gave the book 3 out of 5 stars).

To enter the drawing for Family Driven Faith, you can do one or more of the following options:

1. Leave a comment below.
2. Post a link to the drawing on your blog
3. On Twitter, retweet the following: @Eskypades: Book Giveaway!  Enter to win Family Driven Faith at http://wp.me/pzfPF-eg

You can earn up to three entries for the drawing, one for each option above.  I’ll randomly select the winner sometime Friday afternoon, July 16, 2010 and post another book giveaway.  (Giveaway is open to US residents only.)

Thanks to Amy at Crossway for providing this copy of Family Driven Faith.

Free books!

Here are several opportunities to get some great free books during the month of July.

Christianaudio.com gives away a free audio book each month and this month’s book is A.W. Tozer’s classic The Pursuit of God.  Summary of the book from christianaudio: “During a train trip from Chicago to Texas in the late 1940′s, A.W. Tozer began to write The Pursuit Of God. He wrote all night, the words coming to him as fast as he could put them down. When the train pulled into McAllen, the rough draft was done. Although written in such a remarkably short period of time, Tozer’s passionate classic offers not only a deeper understanding of Biblical Truth, but a personal encounter with the very Source of that Truth.”  Enter coupon code JUL2010 when checking out.

Next up, Crossway (who is in my opinion one of the best Christian book publishers) is giving away the Kindle version of Greg Gilbert’s What is the Gospel? In his review, James MacDonald says “Greg Gilbert contends that the current evangelical understanding of the gospel is lost in a fog of confusion. He burns away that fog by shining fresh light on an old subject. Gilbert writes in a clear, concise, and colloquial style that will especially appeal to young adults. What Is the Gospel? will sharpen your thinking about the gospel, etching it more deeply on your heart so you can share the good news of Jesus Christ with boldness. It will leave you pondering the extent to which the gospel has impacted your own life. It will cause you to cry out with thankfulness to God for what Christ has accomplished.”   If you don’t have a Kindle, not to worry.  Amazon has the free Kindle for PC application that is just as good (although not quite as portable).

Finally, don’t forget that each Friday during the month of July, I’ll be giving away a new book.  There’s still time to enter the drawing for this week’s book, Woody Holton’s biography Abigail Adams.  Check out the link for more details.

Happy reading!

Book giveaway – Abigail Adams: A Life

This weekend we’ll be celebrating July 4th, Independence Day.  And while there is abundant emphasis (and rightly so) on the founding fathers of our nation, we should also remember those women who contributed mightily to the fight for independence.  In Abigail Adams, Woody Holton introduces us to the complex woman who helped shaped America more than perhaps any other of the “founding mothers” through her influence on her husband.  Holton does an excellent job of highlighting Adams’ strengths as well as her weaknesses, giving us a well-rounded, quite readable biography of this great woman. He certainly does Adams justice in examining her life as a woman and not simply as the wife of a founding father.

To enter the drawing for Abigail Adams, you can do one or more of the following options:

1. Leave a comment below.
2. Post a link to the drawing on your blog
3. On Twitter, retweet the following: @Eskypades: Book Giveaway!  Enter to win Woody Holton’s Abigail Adams at http://wp.me/pzfPF-e2

You can earn up to three entries for the drawing, one for each option above.  I’ll randomly select the winner sometime Friday afternoon, July 9, 2010 and post another book giveaway.  (Giveaway is open to US residents only.)

July is book giveaway month!

Every Friday during the month of July, I’ll be giving away a brand new book.   To enter the drawing, you can do one or more of the following:

1. Leave a comment below
2. Post a link to that particular day’s giveaway on your own blog
3. On Twitter, retweet something like “Check out Eskypades to win [blank] book by [blank].”  I’ll include a link in each week’s post.

Since you get one entry for each one of the above options, you can get up to three entries for the drawing.  I’ll announce the winner of each week’s drawing the following Friday.  Because I’m cheap and don’t want to send mail internationally, this giveaway is only open to U.S. residents.

Stay tuned for the first book giveaway tomorrow!

Kindle for free!

Okay, so not exactly the Kindle itself, but close enough.  Amazon is currently offering their “Kindle for PC” application for free.  This application uses the same software that the Kindle does and allows you to purchase and read books on your computer.  You can download the application to your computer and have books to read in a matter of minutes.  Click here for further details.

And if FREE Kindle application isn’t a big enough enticement, this month Crossway is offering J.I. Packer’s and Mark Dever’s book, In My Place Condemned He Stood for the Kindle – for FREE.  I have not yet read this book on the atoning work of Christ, but I’ve heard many good things about it.  And since Crossway has many such offerings each month, I would highly recommend checking back with them often.

But wait – there’s more!  There are many websites that offer classic literature (mostly public domain stuff) for free for the Kindle.  For instance, check out Free Kindle Books.

So what are you waiting for?  Get reading!

HT: Trogdor

Free Audiobook for November

This month’s free audiobook from Christian Audio is perhaps the best one they’ve ever offered – John Piper’s Desiring God.  Here is what they have to say about it:

Scripture reveals that the great business of life is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. In this paradigm-shattering classic, newly revised and expanded, John Piper reveals that the debate between duty and delight doesn’t truly exist: Delight is our duty. Join him as he unveils stunning, life impacting truths you saw in the Bible but never dared to believe.

Desiring God Ministries was founded in 1994 by Pastor John Piper of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN. Desiring God exists to say that God’s ultimate goal is to glorify himself. Everything they do aims to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ. Learn how they accomplish that and how you can join in the mission at www.desiringgod.org

christianaudio is truly thankful for the ministry of Desiring God and appreciative of Waterbrook-Multnomah for allowing us to offer this book. The Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group is committed to creating products that both intensify and satisfy the elemental thirst for a deeper relationship with God.

“Mind-hammering and heart-warming, Desiring God ignites a passion for God that would set the world ablaze if it were the norm and not the exception today.” -Os Guiness

“The healthy biblical realism of this study in Christian motivation comes as a breath of fresh air. Jonathan Edwards, whose ghost walks through most of Piper’s pages, would be delighted with his disciple.” -J.I. Packer

Use code NOV2009 when checking out.

(And just as a side note, this month’s book is in such demand, that christianaudio’s servers are having difficulty keeping up.  They’ve added additional servers, but are still experiencing issues.  If you can’t download it at first, keep trying!)

Crossway’s Trackback Thursdays – On Suffering

From Crossway: [check out their blog for more details on Trackback Thursdays]

Why does suffering exist? How does it advance the mission of the church? How does God’s grace enter suffering? What is the role of hope when things look utterly hopeless?

Suffering and the Sovereignty of God is written to the white-robed army of martyrs “…until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete.” Editors John Piper and Justin Taylor along with a number of contributors deal with the issue of human suffering as it relates to God’s sovereignty.

Here’s a taste of what you’ll find:

“But when God chooses to overcome our rebellion and Satan’s resistance, nothing can stop him. And when God overcomes him and us, we repent and Satan’s power is broken. Here it is in 2 Timothy 2:24-26.” (Piper, 28).

“The mystery of why God has ordained the evils he has is as deep as the mystery of the evils in our hearts. And just as only God can plumb the depths of our hearts, so only God knows how the hurts we do to each other and to ourselves figure into his loving cure of us who shelter ourselves under the blood and righteousness of his Son.” (Talbot, 77).

“In the life and death of Jesus Christ, suffering finds its ultimate purpose and ultimate explanation: suffering exists so God might display the greatness of the glory of the grace of God by suffering in himself to overcome our suffering. Everything—everything—that Christ accomplished for us sinners he accomplished by suffering. Everything we will ever enjoy will come to us because of suffering.” (Piper, 87).

“If we are going to emulate our Savior, we have to identify with the people to whom we take his good news. I don’t advocate that we look for suffering; life brings enough on its own. But what I do advocate is that suffering is an important prerequisite to ministering to hurting people. Christ took on our likeness and subjected himself to the suffering that plagues us.” (Saint, 121).

“So often the initial reaction to painful suffering is Why me? If all that God promises only comes true, then why not me?” (Powlison, 172-173).

“Our fears, anger, doubts, and everything else we feel in our pain don’t make God nervous or uncomfortable with us. God still loves us, and he is still for us.” (Shramek, 189).