Official Review: Seeds Of Destruction

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LinaMueller
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Official Review: Seeds Of Destruction

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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Seeds Of Destruction" by Elizabeth Abbott Green.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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Seeds Of Destruction by Elizabeth Abbott Green is a non-fiction book that serves as a biography of the author's life as the wife of a high-ranking military man. Elizabeth is a religious woman, married to John, and has three children. As the book unfolds, the reader will realize that the family will visit dozens of different places and move many times. These changes have both positive and negative aspects. Among the positives, we can mention the coexistence with different cultures and the learning that comes from that. Among the negatives, the lack of stability for children stands out (something essential for any individual's growth).

In many ways, the family appears to be an ordinary family headed by a high-ranking military man who has to move around a lot. In other respects, however, it is a different family in many ways. When I started reading the book (knowing that the family was religious and headed by a military man), the last thing I expected to read was about a son like Greg. Not only was he an alcoholic, but he also almost killed himself several times. In many parts of the book, it seemed to me that the family was not strict enough with him. Anyway, the eldest son Jimmy grew up without giving his parents any headaches.

There are several positive aspects worthy of praise. What then would have caught my attention the most? Probably the descriptions of the countries where Elizabeth lived. Her cheerfulness and enthusiasm shine through in her writing as she describes the historical particularities, foods, and geography of the different countries. In this light, the author's life was incredible. Few people can say that they have known so many cultures. These days, only diplomats have a similar lifestyle.

The book's content is of excellent quality: that few can deny (even though there are some eye-popping flaws). Since the author is inexperienced, some parts of the book are not entirely cohesive. Several biblical passages seem to be copy-pasted there with no connection whatsoever with the context. Although not true, in some chapters, the reader may have a negative image of the author since she is out of the country talking about how delicious the typical Middle Eastern foods are without knowing if her son Greg would survive. Besides, Elizabeth should have detailed more about how contact with religion made Greg overcome his addictions. The transformative role of religion in Greg's life was discussed only tangentially.

All in all, Seeds Of Destruction deserves three out of four stars. It is touching and thought-provoking. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, unfortunately, the author made some mistakes that made it impossible for me to give a perfect score. Given that I found only five grammatical errors in more than 600 pages, there is no doubt that this book is professionally edited. I recommend this work to Christians who have an adventurous spirit and like to read about different countries. People of other religions and even atheists will not like the book very much.

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Seeds Of Destruction
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Heart! We will forget him!
You an I, tonight!
You may forget the warmth he gave,
I will forget the light.

When you have done, pray tell me
That I my thoughts may dim;
Haste! lest while you're lagging.
I may remember him!

Emily Dickinson
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Kristy Khem
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Post by Kristy Khem »

Your review is so insightful. It really drew me in and I started thinking about the mix of elements in this story; religion, travel, mental health issues, and family life. I'll add this book to my list of books to read.
Francis Aderogbin
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Post by Francis Aderogbin »

One thing I dislike is a family moving around. It gives instability to the educational life of the children. And this usually takes a toll on the development of the children, both morally and socially. Kudos to the reviewer.
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