Rapture Ready—reviewing a book without a movie

I never would have guessed I would become a writer who obsessively ordered books on Amazon and actually enjoyed reading. In high school, I routinely chose books for English courses that had been made into film. “The Outsiders,” “All the President’s Men”—these were the books I “read” and opined on in

film

book reports.

So it is with a glimmer of honor and a dollop of redemption that I landed a short—200-word tiny—book review in the Dallas Morning News last month. It’s not entirely original; with permission I cribbed a chunk from this post in May about the wacky world of Christian pop culture. But, hey, it’s a start.

Here’s how I begin my review of Daniel Radosh’s “Rapture Ready!”:

Talk about being a stranger in a very strange land.

Mr. Radosh’s journey took him inside the International Christian Retail Show, the Holy Land Experience and the mind of born-again actor Stephen Baldwin; placed him uncomfortably in the mob calling for Christ’s crucifixion in Arkansas’ Great Passion Play; and enlightened him to the rising popularity of the Christian sex industry and righteous, drug-free raves that include “DJ-led worship.”

You can read the remaining 100-or-so words here.