By Ken Walker- Malcolm Gladwell’s newest book, David and Goliath, is out. While it may take me awhile to find the time to read it, I am looking forward to the experience. Gladwell writes the kind of material that stuck with me long after I read three of his previous books, starting with Blink. In…
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By Ken Walker- I recently interviewed a University of Illinois law professor about her study of Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings by churches in recent years, a story that will appear online soon at Christianity Today. The morning we talked, she was preparing to do a guest lecture at the University of Minnesota. Discussing the proclivities…
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By Ken Walker- Last May I wrote about the burgeoning production of biblically-themed movies and television shows that were springing up in Hollywood after the success of the History Channel’s The Bible mini-series. As if to demonstrate the validity of this trend, I recently saw a story about producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett signing…
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By Ken Walker- To say that Heaven is for Real is a bestseller is like saying Duck Dynasty is a popular TV show. The book (and cable TV’s biggest hit) moved way beyond that long ago. One reason I admired Todd Burpo’s book is the skillful hand of co-author Lynn Vincent. When a book sells…
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By Ken Walker- The economic downturn has had a serious impact on my writing, which is largely related to the Christian world. So, I’m not immune to the financial pressures that have affected churches, ministries and religious publications the past five years. Still, until working recently on an assignment for an upcoming issue of Christianity…
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By Ken Walker- Electronic devices are such a fact of life in America that e-book sales appear poised to consign hard covers to the dustbin of history, even if the transformation takes another decade or two. Indeed, I know writers who have already scrapped their traditional libraries. That is understandable, given the stacks of “stuff”…
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By Ken Walker- Obesity remains a problem in West Virginia and a dozen other states, according to a story on the most recent annual study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Five years ago, a CDC report on the Huntington area’s nation-leading problems with obesity and its related diseases prompted grassroots action, as well…
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By Ken Walker- When I quoted a Christian leader as saying that President Mohammed Morsi had placed Egypt on the edge of a volcano that could erupt at any moment, I had no idea how prophetic those words would be. “The rapid developments taking place in Egypt nowadays bring an image to mind—a man standing…
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By Ken Walker- In my last blog I wrote about Cabell Huntington Hospital taking over the operation of Huntington’s Kitchen, the healthy-cooking-classes initiative that sprang up after Jamie Oliver filmed his ABC mini-series here. Equally exciting when it comes to such grassroots-driven activity is the Wild Ramp. The healthy foods market opened in downtown Huntington…
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By Ken Walker- After the national spotlight fell on Huntington in 2006 thanks to the popular We Are Marshall movie, it returned a few years later when Jamie Oliver’s production crew came to town to film his award-winning mini-series for ABC. Yet more proof of the long-term impact of Oliver’s visit surfaced recently with the…
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