Uncommon Character (3rd Edition): Stories of Ordinary Men and Women Who Have Done the Extraordinary
By Doug Feavel
3/5
()
About this ebook
3rd Edition
A captivating non-fiction anthology filled with heroic profiles, epic tales, and timeless parables. You'll meet valiant personalities who've challenged and changed the world in remarkable ways. Their unforgettable stories are religious and secular, historical and current, unknown and familiar, foreign and domestic. Prepare to encounter priests, farmers, pilots, immigrants, missionaries, engineers, martyrs, businessmen, lawyers, pioneers, presidents, soldiers, writers, and scientists – their dynamic legacies are destined to become part of us and our heritage. Collectively, their stories answer the pertinent questions of our time: What makes a genuine hero? How can a hero personify godly character? Why is personal character so vital for our families and country?
These are unique tales told with zest; these are unforgettable tales to long treasure. Enjoy the exciting profiles and parables; then share them in family, church, workplace, ministry, and educational settings because that's where they began and that's why they were written. The 26 portraits will quickly find special places in heart and head, dwelling therein to influence life's crucial choices.
It's unlike any other book due to the dual advocacy on behalf of the redeeming value of stories and the critical need for reinvigorating personal and national character. Every chapter advocates making a positive impact on others and mastering the days we are given. Readers depart with an abiding conviction of the significant difference one committed life can make. No matter our past or where we find ourselves today, we will be inspired to finish well.
Doug Feavel
Douglas Feavel retired after thirty-seven years in technology marketing and management positions. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and a master’s degree in Christian education from Bethany Divinity College. He and his wife, Barbara, have been married for nearly fifty years. Appleton, Wisconsin is their hometown, but Vincennes, Indiana is their current base. They volunteer at non-profits in teaching, outreach, and ministry roles domestically and abroad when not with their children and grandchildren. Speaking engagements may be arranged through contact@dougfeavel.com, and bulk purchase discounts are available through www.anekopress.com/contact-us.
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Reviews for Uncommon Character (3rd Edition)
26 ratings9 reviews
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Take the stories from inspirational lives, insert political one-liners, stir in simplistic religiosity, and focus on the lessons learned by the author instead of the inspiring lives, and you have this book. Sad, frustrating, and disappointing it is to have such a collection of lives in one volume and come away with so little of the character in those lives that is indeed uncommon.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I got a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.After reading the forward, I was excited about reading the book. I hadn't expected the Christian emphasis based on the description I had been provided, but I appreciate books that have a moral backbone. I was disappointed with the execution. The first story left me asking, "Who is she?" for too long because Feavel spent more time talking about her impact on him instead of introducing her to the reader. I was interested in meeting the influential characters, but Feavel spent more time preaching about how we should feel about them instead of letting us reach our own conclusions. I would have preferred less telling and more showing.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I received this eBook through Library Thing’s Early reviewer program.I am sure there is a market for Feavel’s collection of inspiring stories, but I would not fit into that demographic. I think he is looking for American, conservative, Christian readers, and I fail on at least two of those counts.After reading the first couple of entries, and not knowing before beginning the book that this was an exercise in Christian evangelism, I headed to the (very lengthy) appendices to find out more about the author and his motivation. And these appendices are very revealing with regard to Feavel’s politics and beliefs about what is right and wrong with the world, or at least specifically with the USA.While many of the stories are of outstanding and inspirational individuals, I found it grating that every story was topped and tailed with Biblical quotes, as these stories are well enough told to stand without the added scripture. Now, I understand that Feavel was trying to make a point, but for this reader that aspect was too much.My criticism of this anthology is this:1)The stories are generally well-written, but I would have edited some of them a bit (as is explained in point 2 below)2)The stories don’t need the inclusion of the author’s personal politics to make them any better3)Nor do they need the inclusion of Biblical references to make them better.I was puzzled by the arguments and logic the author used in a number of his stories. For example, his discussion of George Washington, a great American. Not only as the first president of the USA, but had a lengthy and distinguished military career, and is a fine historical role model. But I fear some of the stories used may be apocryphal – I am happy to be convinced otherwise. The problem with that is that Feavel explicitly takes Washington’s good fortune in apparently escaping any injury in conflict to mean that he was “…preserved in order to see God’s plans completed through his life.” Well, that was good for him, but bad news for all the soldiers on either side who were simply collateral damage that God had no use or plan for (apart from emphasizing Washington’s greatness). The author’s personal faith and politics intervene here: does God have specific plans for the USA? Is that exceptional? Does he have plans for New Zealand? Or Bangladesh? Or Zimbabwe? As a non-American this politico-religious intrusion in the story was off-putting.‘Uncommon Character’ may find a home in the libraries of preachers and Christian schools. I don’t think it will be successful in proselytizing, but it will give comfort and affirmation to conservative Christians.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5"Uncommon Character: Stories of Ordinary men and Women Who Have Done the Extraordinary" by Douglas Feavel, is promoted as a book of 26 inspiring stories of various men and women who have overcome adversity to create positive outcomes for themselves and others. And a third of the book is just this. The other two thirds consists of bible stories and Christian writing. I do not personally object if individuals wish to attribute the successes, personal strength and hard work of others to the deity/supernatural being/ magical force of their choice, but I don't want to hear about it. I'm sure that it this book will do well if it is marketing to a Fundamentalist Christian audience. Its not for me.I received this eBook through Library Thing’s Early reviewer program.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This book was a nice surprise. It was interesting and well written. I was provided an ARC of this book from LibraryThing in exchange for my honest review.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I received this e-book, Uncommon Character, Stories of Ordinary Men and Women Who Have Done the Extraordinary, as part of the Early Reviewer program. Usually I enjoy reading biographical sketches of famous or noteworthy people and that is what I expected from the description. For the most part, that is what I received, a series of chapters each describing the brave and courageous actions that they performed. Examples include George Washington, Irena Sendler, and Annie Oakley. YET, what I did not expect was the strongly Christian interpretation of the lives and deeds of these people. The author is not content to just provide readers with the story of the “uncommon” subjects, but he also gives us a moral at the end of each chapter and relates the actions to New Testament teachings. He also offers some right-wing observations unrelated to the biography, e.g., the denial of global warming by 30,000 scientists, which has been shown to be a hoax.The author explains in a preface that his intent is to provide a work to inspire students and others he encountered in an institutional setting to appreciate and emulate these models of morality. In certain settings this might be effective, but for me, a non-Christian, this was a rather heavy-handed approach.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I enjoyed learning about the people in this book. it was interesting to see what made them who they were and how they were. A good book to read in spurts.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Very enjoyable book.Contains 26 stories of various hero's some well known(George Washington, Annie Oakley) but most were unsung hero's. But the part I enjoyed the most was the Appendiices at the end of the book. Some religious views are included but that was ok.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are (1 Corinthians 1:27-28)An excellent collection of absorbing stories compiled with care about people who made a positive impact on others. I really enjoyed reading these stories and this book is without doubt, worthy of 4 stars. I received a complimentary copy of this e-book from LibraryThing for an honest review.22 July 2017