Malcolm Doney

Every human day is freighted with baffling questions. About pain and love, about joy and purpose. In an age when we're shy of certainty and suspicious of authority, many of us no longer turn to the great houses of faith for inspiration. But for all we've let go, there are good habits to hold onto. Drawing on wisdom from the ages and insights from the everyday, this humane collection of daily readings is the ideal travelling companion on the bumpy road to peace, love and understanding.

Some days arrive with questions so vast we feel like strangers on earth. Other times our joy makes us feel entirely at home in ourselves. So where do we find inspiration for living a good life? Drawing on lifelines thrown down by poets, thinkers and dreamers, the sceptical and the faithful, Malcolm Doney and Martin Wroe suggest that how we live may be more important than what we believe. How do I make a good decision? Can I forgive him? Will this darkness pass? Do I say something or keep quiet? Less of an instruction manual and more of a sketchbook, these are lines for living rewarding days.

Small children ask big questions. "Who Made Me?" is one of the most important. This book gives a comprehensive answer, providing the facts of life with frankness and humour, and puts them in the context of a loving relationship. This book is intended for parents and children to read together, to help talk about a potentially complicated (and possibly a little embarrassing!) subject. Teachers may also find this a useful resource.

Is the Church of England in terminal decline, as some have forecast, or does it have a vigorous future? Reports of dwindling congregations, and waning influence, contrast with stories of motivated leadership, and solid growth. The Church Times decided it was time to give the C of E a thorough medical. Thirty-five specialists, including academics, researchers, parish priests, missioners and commentators, were asked to take the Church’s temperature. They looked at its congregations, leadership, governance and social influence. And then they were invited to prescribe some remedies. Not everyone agreed, either about what is wrong or what needs to be done, but a serious, and alarming consensus has emerged – the patient does needs treatment, and it needs it urgently.