Bob Welch (1) (1954–)

SUMMARY: 52 LITTLE LESSONS FROM A CHRISTMAS CAROL is a street-level tour through this much-loved tale of bitterness-turned-benevolence. Bob Welch pauses along the way to examine the wisdom and people Scrooge spent much of his disregarding in favor of his own selfish pursuits. Welsh throws open the shutters on what sometimes is mistaken for a simple, heartwarming Christmas story, revealing a significance that extends far beyond the holiday season. He reminds us that if there is mercy for show more Ebenezer Scrooge, there must be deliverance in equal measure for us all. (from back cover)

I have watched many versions of A CHRISTMAS CAROL but have only read the original story once . Always looking to find a good book to read, I came across 52 LITTLE LESSIONS FROM A CHRISTMAS CAROL at a thrift store and thought it might be interesting. It wasn’t what I was expecting, however, I have underlined and written notes in the margins throughout the book.

Although the title is catchy the 52 Little Lessons makes the book a little clunky. All I can think is that there are 52 weeks in a year, but this is not a book you would want to spread out over an entire year. There is also crossover of some topics that would lend itself to creating larger study units in small quantities.

It helps to understand the author’s observations if you know the story (either reading or watching) but it is not totally necessary. Walsh explains the situations from A CHRISTMAS CAROL in enough detail to so the reader can understand. Even though the focus is A CHRISTMAS CAROL there are other examples thrown in as well as not to bog down to much in the world of Dickens.

The book is offered by a Christian publisher so most of the lessons lean toward Christian perspective and Christian life choices. I enjoyed enough to keep the book and read again. show less

A finely written tale of coming of age in the America of the Sixties and of one man's becoming aware of previously unnoticed racism that pervaded American culture.

This ranks with the greatest survival stories that I have read. Conner was a green Lieutenant when he was sent to the Philippines in November, 1941. Trained as a radio operator with no combat training, he decided when the American military surrendered to the Japanese, that he would hide in the jungle and try to carry on the fight. This is his story of searching for food, hiding from the Japanese, over coming malaria and other tropical diseases more than once, and making friends with the show more various native groups that inhabited the jungle.

Eventually, with the aid of other American evaders, he organized the various local groups into a guerrilla army that spied on the Japanese and harassed them whenever an opportunity presented itself. That they were able to do so for over four years makes this an amazing story.

Author, Bob Welch, includes a description of the huge amount of research that went into this book. Conner, who died in 1983, left huge amounts of written material as he had planned to write his own version of these events plus Welch interviewed surviving Americans and Filipinos who were there with Conner in the Philippines.

Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken is in the same category as this volume when it comes to chronicling man's will to overcome.

For another memoir of American soldiers fighting the Japanese in the jungles of the Philippines after the surrender, search out John Keats' They Fought Alone. show less

A wonderful devotional. Very few repeat themes. Wonderful warm and encouraging book. At first glance, I wondered how he could come up with 52 lessons from Les Miserables, but after reading it, I think there are a few more he could have come up with. I enjoy seeing spiritual themes in secular literature and culture. Les Miserables is one of my favorites movies/plays/books and this book makes me want to re-read and watch it again.
"Group violence at the barricade does not change the world; show more Valjean, through individual integrity invested in the people around him, does."
And a reminder - we are Les Miserables - the miserable ones. show less