I promised to get the word out about Logos Bible Software, as they provided me several books for review. The books were provided in electronic form, readable on various platforms including mobile apps. Head over to www.logos.com to get started with free software downloads, multiple Bible translations, and a starting library. The software is free, but from there, you may purchase access to individual books and to entire libraries for deeper research.

I discovered I loved the software! This will not be a review of Logos per se, but merely a description of how I, as a book reviewer, use it. My use is far less demanding than that of a college student or pastor, so I haven’t delved into the complex features of the software nor its collaboration functionality. For this simple book reviewer, that all looks positively daunting.

I am running both an Android version on a tablet and the Logos 5 version on my Windows PC. There is a notable difference between the two; Logos 5 is far more powerful. Consequently, I read the books on my tablet, highlighting text and recording notes as I go, and then I turn to the Windows software when finished to prepare reviews. There, I can quickly scan highlighted text, collect my notes, and view resources side-by-side like my favorite Bible translations or the Exegetical Guide. Because all of this runs on the Logos cloud server, there is no syncing required between devices. Fantastic!

Never will I actually prefer electronic copy to paper—I guess I’m too old for that—but this is pretty impressive when you want more than just a book reader. Note that a cloud environment does have its drawbacks: The occasional slowness in loading a new page; the required tether to a hotspot; the quicker battery depletion. Nevertheless, I shan’t be dragged kicking and screaming into the future, for the cloud is here to stay and these things will improve. It is possible to download and read offline, but you miss out on quite a bit of the functionality that way.

Definitely a useful product.

David Trotter and Shawn Scheinoha traveled to India hoping to learn a little about how the country’s 31 million orphans lived. They happened upon a “family” of 25 (mostly) teens living by a railway, and joined them, sleeping in the streets. It’s a heart-wrenching peek into the struggle to obtain food, and then tobacco or cheap drugs to chase away the pain. Two out of three children are physically abused in India, almost all from within their own home, and many wind up homeless because the AIDS epidemic killed their parents. Then, of course, the children succumb to AIDS as well, through passing needles and sex trafficking.

A caste system in India leaves many children “untouchable,” so there is little hope for many of these orphans. They band together and learn from each other how to beg, how to brush their teeth with fingers and brick dust, how to avoid the police.

I hesitate to rate the documentary because it’s a call for action. If you would like to get involved, you may visit Mother India at www.31million.org.