Newsmax Rising Bestsellers — Week of Jan. 27, 2020

The Newsmax Rising Bestsellers list will do more than stimulate your mind. These reads may challenge your beliefs, broaden your perspectives, excite your curiosities or widen your imagination.

These books may not necessarily appear on the official New York Times list of bestsellers, but they’re the ones our Newsmax audience is reading, talking about, sharing with friends and even buying.

Here are the Newsmax Rising Bestsellers for the week of Jan. 27th, 2020:

1. “100 Bible Verses That Made America: Defining Moments That Shaped Our Enduring Foundation of Faith,” by Robert J. Morgan (Thomas Nelson) Morgan, a teaching pastor at The Donelson Fellowship in Nashville, discusses the Bible’s starring role in American history. The author pinpoints Biblical passages that were employed during pivotal events such as the founding of Jamestown, the inauguration of George Washington, World Wars I and II, the Civil Rights Movement and 9/11. He also looks at the Bible’s enduring role in the nation today, citing how President Barack Obama in 2015, and President Donald Trump in 2019, highlighted scriptures during the National Prayer Breakfast, hosted by Congress. (Non-fiction)
2. “Imperfect Union: How Jessie and John Frémont Mapped the West, Invented Celebrity, and Helped Cause the Civil War,” by Steve Inskeep (Penguin Press) The name John C. Frémont may not ring a bell – but he was a key player in the development of the Republican Party, becoming the first-ever presidential nominee of the newly-established GOP in 1856. Along with his wife Jessie, Frémont was also instrumental in the westward expansion of the United States, helping spearhead the nation’s takeover of California from Mexico. Inskeep, cohost of NPR’s “Morning Edition,” also reveals how the Frémontsunwittingly became the nation’s first political power couple. Taking advantage of expanding news media, aided by an increasingly literate public, the two linked their names to the three great national movements of the time —westward settlement, women’s rights, and opposition to slavery. (Non-fiction)
3. “The Trigger Mechanism,” by Scott McEwan and Hof Williams (St. Martin’s Griffin) This is the second book by McEwan, co-author of “American Sniper,’’ in his “Camp Valor” series about a secret training ground for teenage government agents, most of them rough-and-tumble juvenile offenders. In this one, the Department of Defense threatens to shut the program down, just as a cyberterrorist known as Encyte retools an online video game into a deadly trap. Written for the Young Adult market, the Camp Valor series has developed a broad appeal to all ages.(Fiction)
4. “Character Still Counts,” by Dr. James Merritt (Harvest House) The pastor and former president of the Southern Baptist Convention reveals ways to recommit to building one’s character. He looks at 12 overlooked traits – integrity, humility, respect, forgiveness, perseverance    self-control, honesty, loyalty, authenticity, courage, generosity and faithfulness -- that form the bedrock of a godly life. Merritt also cites examples of surprising role models – flawed people who failed spectacularly, overcame adversity, and went on to live exemplary lives. (Non-fiction)
5. “The Great Rift: Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, and the Broken Friendship That Defined an Era” by James Mann (Henry Holt and Co.) Once allies, Vice President Dick Cheney and National Security Advisor Colin Powell collaborated closely in the successful American wars in Panama and Iraq during George H. W. Bush’s presidency.But conflicts of ideology and sensibility then drove them apart. Returning to government service under George W. Bush in 2001, they and their respective friends within the administration fell into ever-deepening antagonism over the role America should play in a world. Mann, a longtime Los Angeles Times correspondent, explores each man’s biography and philosophical predispositions to show how this deep and permanent rupture occurred and how the enmity of these two powerful men colored the way America acts in the world. (Non-fiction)