What book should I buy?

You may have read it, but I would recommend, The Great Work of the Gospel by Gary Ensor!

Dan,
I am not sure if you remember me, but I took your Old Testament History class at BBC during the fall semester of last school year. I transferred, so I never had you for any other classes. Anyway, I found your blog courtesy of our friend, Justin Taylor. Here are some books that I would purchase for under $30.

"The Law and Its Fulfillment"-Thomas Schreiner ($28 on amazon)
"The Temple and the Church's Mission"-G.K. Beale ($20 on amazon)
"New Testament Commentary Survey"-D.A. Carson ($10 at monergism)
Pre-order "Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics"-Graeme Goldsworthy ($20 on amazon)
and finally, either
"The Epistle to the Romans [NICNT]"-Douglas Moo ($34 on amazon) or "Romans [BECNT]"-Thomas Schreiner ($33 on amazon)

My wishlist on amazon is about 70 books long, but if I were given thirty dollars to buy books, I would certainly be wise to pick anything on the list above.

Josh,

Thanks for the recommendation! No, I do not have that one. If you can judge a book by its title, it looks excellent.

Hope you and the fam are doing well.

James,

Yes, I do remember you quite well. Where are you now?

The only book listed that I have is Goldsworthy's newest. It's actually available in the UK and Australia right now. I bought mine through IVP of the UK. It arrived about a week ago. Thanks for the other recommendations.

Dan,
I am currently studying at the University of Michigan-Flint. I am majoring in philosophy and minoring in history. I am also preparing to take online Greek classes from SBTS so that I can attend The Bethlehem Institute after I graduate from college next year. Thanks for the heads up on the Goldsworthy book. I may have to use some food money and purchase it!

You can get both of these for $ 30.

Band of Brothers : E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest, by Stephen E. Ambrose

Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters, by Dick Winters

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After reading ... rent the DVD set (was an HBO special a couple of years ago)
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Heroism, hardship, values, patriotism, tragedy, life & death. Non-Fiction.

Assuming you are looking for new titles, not classics like Augustine's Confessions et. al. I really enjoyed the following recently:

Fiction: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Culture: The Secular City, Harvey Cox

Apologetics: Seeing Through Cyncism, Dick Keyes

Biblical Theology: Jesus and the Victory of God, Wright (if you haven't purchased Beale's Temple book, get it no questions asked)

Since I am certain you have already read LOTR and The Silmarillion, allow me to recommend three other books - which you may also have already devoured:

1. Morgoth's Ring by J.R.R./Christopher Tolkien
2. J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century by Tom Shippey
3. The Power of the Ring (released in the UK as Secret Fire) by Stratford Caldecott

According to Peter Kreeft, Caldecott's is the best book on LOTR; Shippey's is second. Personally, I liked Following Gandalf by Matthew Dickerson - which, I suppose, I am also recommending! You can get Caldecott & Dickerson for under $30 total.

You already grabbed GG's Prayer and the Knowledge of God and you've gotten your hands on the UK version of Gospel-Hermeneutics so, I'm dry of recommendations.

Wait. Wait. Maybe take a look at The Courage to Teach by Parker Palmer. I'm almost finished with it. It's a great look at/thoughtful analysis of the teaching life.

Daniel,

How about purchasing a book or dvd from the Voice of the Martyrs, China section?

https://www.vombooks.com/qry/qe_store.taf?_id=A373542164&_nc=0c0205fd11ec0e6a812acff5183fb6fa

"Song of Albion Book 1: Paradise War" by Stephen R. Lawhead. Its well worth the read for the beauty, truth, and utter wonder found within these pages. Buy your wife flowers with the rest of the money. =)

In Shepherding Group, we're currently reading Radical Reformission by that pastor guy from Mars Hill in Seattle. Ever heard of him? :) It's good stuff, friend.

Daniel,

First time posting a comment - love the blog.

3 that will never leave my bookshelf:

1) Kite Runner

2) Blue Like Jazz (if you haven't read already)

3) Changing for Good - fabulous book on how personal change happens. Helped me through a very dark period.

I would have you consider getting "Good to Great" by Jim Collins. It will help you see a side of leadership many in Christianity don't ever hear about. Although a secular book, the simple conclusions the author and his team have discovered concerning effective leadership are outstanding and have many biblical applications. So many Pastors and leaders wonder why they struggle with their leadership, well here is a book that really enlightens the soul for those who want to have great ministries, not just good ones.
In Christ, Skip

+1 on "Good to Great", too! GREAT read that translates from business to any form of leadership.

Dan, hopefully you haven't spent your 30 bucks yet. A great book just arrived on my door step this evening (via Amazon) and this one is right up your alley.

It's Gerritt Scott Dawson's "Jesus Ascended: The Meaning of Christ's Continuing Incarnation." It's got Torrance family endorsements. This is the book for you amigo.

I'm going to start dipping into it once I finish some other reading.

Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton is a great piece of writing with many gospel-centered pictures. It's worth reading and re-reading.
Although I haven't read it, I was thinking that "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins also looked good. It's a best-seller written by an athiest.
I hope that you enjoy you're books, whichever ones you choose!

All your suggestions have actually made my decision much more difficult? Right now I'm leading toward Justin Buzzard's latest recommendation and Finrod's LOTR recommendations. Anyone want to try to persuade me otherwise before I head off to purchase them?

Thanks for all the recommendations!

"My Bondage and My Freedom"

by Frederick Douglass

A great read!

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. It is the best Contemporary fiction I have read with great redemptive themes that will blow your mind.

Blue Like Jazz, hands up...