Notable nonfiction

How To Read and Understand the Psalms

Bruce K. Waltke & Fred G. Zaspel
(Crossway 2023)

Bible scholar Bruce K. Waltke believes we should approach the Psalms as both scientists and saints. He does that here expertly, along with co-author Fred G. Zaspel, producing an approachable master’s class in book form. Don’t expect devotional commentary on each psalm. Rather, this book is a detailed user’s manual for interpreting Hebrew poetry and appreciating ancient Israel’s liturgy. The chapter on rhetorical devices and structures is particularly helpful. The book may be too academic for many laypersons, and at times it seems to downplay the divine inspiration of the texts it dissects and analyzes. But the insights gleaned by the diligent reader will place the Psalms in a whole new light. —Paul Butler

Humility: The Joy of Self-Forgetfulness

Gavin Ortlund
(Crossway 2023)

Ortlund admits we often think of humility as a “dreary virtue.” Instead, he paints humility as colorful: ­listening to others, expressing gratitude, and maintaining a teachable spirit. Ortlund goes as far as suggesting humility is the remedy to what is most deeply wrong with us. “Self-forgetfulness leads to joy,” he writes. Humility is a quick read at 95 pages, but it’s enough for Ortlund to address his subject in two contexts: personal pride and pride problems in church life. Ortlund emphasizes that humility frees us up to think more about Christ. Ortlund quotes The Hobbit to remind readers of the relief that can accompany humility: “You are only quite a ­little fellow in a wide world after all.” —Kim Henderson

The Book of Charlie

David Von Drehle
(Simon & Schuster 2023)

When Washington Post columnist David Von Drehle moved his family to Kansas City, Mo., he found an unlikely ­neighbor: 102-year-old Charlie White. Von Drehle recounts how Charlie, born in 1905, became an anesthesiologist who assisted in operating on Peru’s president and smuggled a monkey from Panama back to the United States. In telling Charlie’s story, Von Drehle also tells that of America: the construction of Kansas City’s 12-story skyscrapers; the introduction of the Model T Ford; the development of anesthesia to replace ether. While the book contains general references to suicide, sexual abuse, addiction, and a few mildly offensive words, the stories that composed the centenarian’s life are truly remarkable. —Joyce Wu

Banana Ball: The Unbelievably True Story of the Savannah Bananas

Jesse Cole with Don Yaeger
(Dutton 2023)

Unlike the Harlem Globetrotters, baseball’s Savannah Bananas aren’t an iconic global brand—yet. In Banana Ball, team founder Jesse Cole chronicles the Bananas’ meteoric rise from a fledgling summer-league team to an entertainment troupe selling out minor league ballparks across America. Cole’s bottomless well of creativity, enthusiasm, determination, and appreciation for everyone involved with the Bananas make his team easy to root for. But Banana Ball is about more than baseball: It celebrates fathers, marriage, and even foster parenting. The book is also relatively clean, containing only a handful of mild swear words. Baseball lovers should find Banana Ball a-peel-ing. —Ray Hacke