When it comes to the 2009 Academy Awards coming up in three weeks there is no greater lock than that of Jeff Bridges playing the role of a down on his luck country singer in Crazy Heart. The movie is based upon a 1987 novel by Thomas Cobb. The book is capable and a worthy read and the romance that pulls at the heart of the story is sweet and memorable. However, the true story here is of Bad Blake, a sort of crooning version of The Wrestler, a parody of what he once was but hoping to return to former glory.

It is no secret that many athletes profess faith in God. Displays of faith and piety are common scenes following a touchdown or at half-court following a game. Athletes in Action and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes are prominent nonprofit ministries that wield a great amount of influence upon the sports landscape. Tom Krattenmaker’s Onward Christian Athletes: Turning Ballparks into Pulpits and Players into Preachers is a look at the world that is faith-based athletics. Krattenmaker is a critic of such public displays and sends a warning cry about hidden agendas behind these organizations and the potential that pluralism is muted as a result. I decided to give this a read after I visited an Oklahoma City Thunder game recently and was surprised to note that a Christian prayer was offered prior to tip-off. I did not realize that still took place and was hoping for some illumination. Although Krattenmaker has great points and give sufficient notice to what is going on it does not warrant a full length book. The material was too scant to be anything more than a journal piece.

The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho is a much loved book. It has been translated into multiple languages and sold over 65 million copies since its release in 1988. It is viewed by many as a classic. A young shepherd chases after his dream and a treasure that is revealed to him through a dream. Despite the positive buzz the book was, to me, a tedious exercise of self-help mumbo-jumbo and trite philosophy. It is “The Secret” in narrative form, Dr. Phil as an alchemist. For a true coming of age story set in a comparable locale I will stick with Hesse’s Sidhartha.