Hidden Switzerland (Jost Auf der Maur)

Switzerland is always building. Often, it is down, into the Earth; its tunnels total 4000 kilometers. These subterranean structures are used for obvious purposes (mining, transportation, military bunkers, flood protection, shelters, and hydropower) and non-intuitive ones (museums, opera houses, clubs, classes, archives, museum storage, growing mushrooms). Hidden Switzerland is a photojournalist look at these awe-inspiring achievements, taking two photographers eleven years to compile. Each location is showcased by one or several pictures (all full-color and high quality) and followed by a paragraph explaining its usage or history (in German and English).

When we lived in Europe, I loved the Alps and the associated "tiefbau" (difficult construction): the engineering that goes into the tunnels and other impressive structures in the area. This book is a wonderful look at the shocking variety of Swiss underground works and their uses. My only wish is that there would be more text explaining how things were built. But overall, this is enjoyable and recommended.

Rating: B+

Beyond Culture Wars (Michael S. Horton)

In 1994's Beyond Culture Wars, Michael Horton argues that most Christians are getting their approach to cultural engagement wrong. His main thesis: "Theology, not morality, is the first business on the church's agenda of reform, and the church, not society, is the first target of divine criticism."

A summary follows.

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"Do we see the world out there as a mission field, or as a battlefield? The answer makes all the difference in the way we approach the world around us." Too often, the church can look at it as the latter. In our day (like in 1994, when this book was published), the church tends to engage in culture wars, viewing politics as the main battlefield. We focus on policy. We fight or withdraw. We don't create our own culture, just censor or criticize the mainstream. This approach is flawed, as how can we demand societal change from unconvinced people "who are not persuaded that Christianity carries a binding authority to command their lifestyles"? So what can we do "instead of trying to get secularists to embrace the values which run counter to their creed"? First, we need to look at how we got here.

At the time of the Reformation, there were three approaches on how the church related to society: the Roman church confused the kingdom of God and the world (viewing the Pope as head of both). The Anabaptists separated from the world entirely. The Reformers argued that Christians should be involved in the world. "They should neither seek to escape it . . . nor seek to rule it." "Redemption does not change our participation in the culture; rather, it changes us and, therefore, the character of that involvement." And a lot of good things came out of that last approach (including "the flowering of science, democracy, public education, economic progress, and civil liberties wherever it was planted.") But then things changed.

Our current American secular (and all too often, church) culture comes from the Enlightenment. The secular culture believes in the centrality, power, and goodness of humanity. It focuses on feelings, experience, and self-fulfillment. And the church often follows suit, showing how we have been shaped by secularism and adopted patterns of thinking we claim to stand against. We fight in the political sphere, but "the church cannot "save America" from its moral confusion while it is itself operating, at its very core, with secular presuppositions." We need to go back to basics, rejecting secular notions of human nature and the meaning of life. We need to remember that neither Marxism nor Capitalism seeks the spiritual good of society, and "politics is the place where the ideas that have already shaped society find their legislative applications." We need to get to the root. We need to remember who God is and who we are.

After looking at the problem, Horton offers a solution. "The remedy . . . to our crisis of secularism is not a renewal of earth-bound movements (even Christian ones), but a recovery of the vision of God." He offers "a positive strategy for reformation and revival, based on the Lord's Prayer." [Matthew 6:9-13] The second half of the book looks at "each of the petitions, recovering a sense of biblical transcendence, reverence, the kingdom and will of God, daily concerns in this world, redemption; reseulting the lure of secularism; and recovering God's glory, kingdom, and power as the axis upon which our entire thought and life turns." I won't go through all of that here, but a few highlights:

- We need to put first things first. "Renewal does not begin with society, but with me; and not with my actions, but with my mind." We must know and proclaim God's character, Christ's person and work, our fallen nature and need for Him. We must know the Bible and what it says. "Any true reformation or revival in the church or in society today must begin not with a campaign for traditional values, but with a campaign for the knowledge, worship, praise, fear, and service of God." And that campaign is for me (because I need daily reminders, exhortations, and encouragement) as much as for others.

- Remember that "the state exists to restrain evil and defend justice, not to make people less evil or more just." And "even though the City of Rome may have been kind for a while to the City of God, the two were never allies; they could never be allies, for they represent two different sources, goals, allegiances, and kings." So in cultural engagement, we must "recover the distinction between the two kingdoms themselves: their distinct nature, goals, objectives, and mandate."

- How do we live in society? Remember that "it is not separation from the world for which Jesus prays, but separation in the world." (see John 17)

- We must "exercise our cultural mandate as redeemed stewards." Our agenda is "not of dominion (taking over power bases), nor of withdrawal into the new monastery of the evangelical subculture, but of diligence in our calling, care for our families, and concern for our neighbors." "Each one of us, whether a factory worker or an Ivy League professor, is responsible to contribute positively to his or her own sphere of influence which includes one's calling, family, relationships, neighborhood, and nation."

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This is an excellent read. Society feels much different today than 1994, and yet, many challenges (and approaches to cultural engagement) are the same. This book is humbling and convicting, yet ultimately full of hope, not based in who we are (and what we can do through policy/etc.), but who God is and what he has done (and is doing). 

Ultimately, the Christian's goal is not to 'win' through policy/etc., but live out the greatest commandments: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37-39)

Rating: A 

Dungeons & Dragons: Edge of the Realms

Today's review is of the 2025 release, Dungeons & Dragons: Edge of the Realms. For 2-5 players, it takes 30 minutes.

Overview

You are exploring the Forgotten Realms, building a 4x4 map and satisfying various objectives along the way. 

Here, everyone starts with a starter map tile and their adventurer in the middle of it. After setup (in which you choose a quest card and area card to give objectives for the game), all players draw three map cards and the turns are played simultaneously. On each turn:

- draw until you have 4 map cards in hand

- choose a map card and place it facedown in front of you

- all players reveal their chosen map card simultaneously and add them to your map (in a prescribed order, snaking from the starter map tile in the top left), then perform the action based on the landmark shown on the tile you placed (actions let you place cities, terrain tiles, move your explorer, or save a map card to place later)

- check if you have completed the stated quest, scoring points for any who have

- pass your hand clockwise

Game components; image from here

The game ends after 15 turns (resulting in the aforementioned 4x4 map). Final points are scored and the highest total wins!

Review

This is a light, fast-playing, and enjoyable game. The D&D theme is pasted on; this is ultimately about making a map and balancing the way to score points (moving your figure, contiguous terrain, and actions) based on the game's objectives. It is highly replayable. It has echoes of Kingdom Builder but I enjoyed this one more.

Rating: A-

The Hobbit: There and Back Again

Today's review is of the 2025 release, The Hobbit: There and Back Again. For 1-4 players, it takes 30 minutes (per chapter).

Overview

Relive The Hobbit in this dice-drafting/roll & write game! The story is broken into eight chapters (or adventures). In each, you will compete to collect resources, create paths (with a dry erase marker), and perform actions to ultimately complete the chapter goal. Do so with the most points and you win!

On a turn, the first player rolls the five dice, choosing one and executing its action (creating a pathway of certain geometry, collecting resources, or performing an action). The next player clockwise chooses one of the four remaining dice and does the same. Play continues clockwise until the dice are all claimed. Then the next player in clockwise order rolls the five dice again and the cycle repeats.

Chapter One in progress; image from here

Each chapter has a stated objective (condition which ends the game) and rules on how points are earned. For example, the first chapter's objective is to connect 12 dwarves to Bag End (when the first player does so, the game immediately ends). You get points for each dwarf you connect, but you get more points if you have bread on-hand when a given dwarf arrives. And you get more points still if you collect swords (to arm them) or can get Gandalf and Thorin to visit, too. 

Review

My boys and I played only the first chapter so far, but this is fun! It is easy to learn with lots of meaningful choices (both in the dice you choose and the paths you draw). They do a good job of giving multiple options for the dice, so if your preferred option is unavailable, you may be able to get something else through crafty choices stated on the board for a given chapter. The chapter approach is appropriate for The Lord of the Rings tales (another publisher took the same approach to The Lord of the Rings Adventure Book Game to good effect). I look forward to the other chapters.

Rating: A-

C.S. Lewis's Oxford (Simon Horobin)

C.S. Lewis, famed author of the Chronicles of Narnia and Christian apologist, spent most of his adult life at Oxford. C.S. Lewis's Oxford "examines the role Oxford—its colleges, libraries, chapels, clubs, common room and pubs—played in fostering the work of one of the twentieth century's most influential writers and thinkers." 

This book is a curiosity. It started slowly but got more interesting. It is kind of a biography, but not in any traditional sense. Focusing on Oxford, it is a bit like a tourist guide, moving back and forth chronologically at different locations in the town important to Lewis. Along the way, it shares insights into Lewis's daily life (mostly his duties as a tutor/lecturer, his involvement in clubs/societies, and his friendships).

In dividing the focus between Lewis and Oxford, you get a full picture of neither. This book was a meandering (if enjoyable) hodge-podge of anecdotes and does not achieve its stated purpose. Instead, it is more about sharing stories (likely previously unpublished) about Lewis's life. It is best enjoyed by a fan of Lewis on holiday in Oxford who can wander the streets and soak in the locations mentioned.

Rating: B-

Remembering the 2025 Eagles

The 2025 Eagles Depth Chart

Welp. The Eagles just lost their playoff game to the 49ers, 23-19, ending their 2025 season. It didn't end the way I wanted, but I still enjoyed the year. Here I reminisce on this past season.

The Eagles started the season strong, defending their Super Bowl win from the year prior. At 8-2 after ten games, things looked bright. Then they started melting down, losing the next three games. They rebounded to win three, dropped the meaningless finale, and then blew the game today through shaky offense, tough penalties, and dropped passes.

Though their record was 11-6, this year didn't look magical like last—offensively. The run game was often paltry. The entire offense would disappear for halves at a time, going 3-and-out way too often. And it looked stale, predictable, and weirdly lame. Their stars still got their yards, with 1K seasons for Brown, Smith, and Barkley, but it just wasn't the same. People blamed everything from new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo to a banged-up offensive line to . . . whatever. The kicker wasn't as good as normal either. Today, it was a sadly representative showing: the kicker missed an XP, the offense dropped several balls, committed key penalties, and ultimately lost them the game.

At least their defense was amazing. I love a good defense, and Vic Fangio's unit continued their dominant play most of the year, looking overmatched or overwhelmed only a handful of times. Draft picks Jihaad Campbell and Andrew Mukuba shined in spots; the others played consistently well outside of CB2. That unit was the highlight of my year.

Their in-season pickups varied. They brought in RB Tank Bigsby and LB Jaelan Phillips, both of whom made an immediate impact. Their other trades weren't great and didn't solve the problems they had at CB2.

What makes these end-of-season games so hard is knowing who won't be back. With several key free agents, the Eagles cannot afford to keep them all. Here are the big names:

Offense: 

- Dallas Goedert, TE. He's had a great run in Philly but I don't see him staying.

- Lane Johnson, T. He's not a free agent but spent the last part of the season injured, and he is old. Will he retire?

- A.J. Brown, WR. He's not a free agent, either, but runs his mouth a lot and may be out the door.

Defense:

- Jaelan Phillips, LB. The in-season pickup would love to stay (I've read) but we'll see if they can afford him.

- Nakobe Dean, LB. Dean has gotten better over the years but is prone to injury. Love to see him stay, too, but we'll see. 

- Reed Blankenship, S. This undrafted find was great for the Birds for past four years. Don't know if he will re-sign.

Special Teams:

- Braden Mann, P. Punters matter, and hopefully he will be back.

There is a lot of talent in the list, but the Eagles should still have their core intact for another season at least (two if they manage it well). Looking ahead, I hope they:

- fire their OC (sorry, Kevin, but this unit needs a change)

- sign as many of the above free agents as they can

- rest/heal up. I wonder if the O-line looked off because of their extended run last year

Fittingly, today's message in church was on Luke 10:17-20, where Jesus shares with 72 of his disciples where they should find their joy. The answer? In neither success nor comfort, but that their names are written in heaven. That is our ultimate joy. 

The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (J.R.R. Tolkien)

The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, published in 1962, is a collection of sixteen poems supposedly from the Hobbits' Red Book, which Tolkien describes as containing "a large number of verses . . . [many of which] are found on loose leaves, while some are written carelessly in margins and blank spaces."  This "present selection is taken from the older pieces, mainly concerned with legends and jests of the Shire and the end of the Third Age, that appear to have been made by Hobbits, especially by Bilbo and his friends, or their immediate descendants. Their authorship is, however, seldom indicated . . . and were probably written down from oral tradition." 

Of the sixteen poems, the first two star the merry fellow himself. The others have a tenuous link to Middle Earth (often variants of poems Tolkien did years prior) and are more akin to folklore or nursery rhymes. Several are mentioned (or partly quoted) in The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings.

The original publication occurs from pp. 33-118 (with the original illustrations by Pauline Baynes); a hearty introduction (pp. 7-30) precedes and lengthy commentary (pp. 119-274) follows. The commentary is a summarized history or analysis of each poem and often presents earlier versions of them.

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I enjoyed this collection. I would have liked a more obvious focus on/tie to Middle Earth, but Tolkien is a talented poet. He is well-versed in various meters and styles, and some of his rhymes are impressively intricate. A fun read.

Rating: B+