A glossy, hardcover book, Truth Standing on Its Head has 167 pages and 22 chapters. Each chapter covers a few of the verses from Matthew 5-7, the Sermon on the Mount. Scripture is from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted. Additional Scripture references help affirm the explanation offered by the author, John N. Day, who is a senior pastor of the Bellewood Presbyterian Church in Bellevue, Washington. The Scripture passage is fully listed at the start of each chapter. And the Table of Contents also lists the passages covered in the chapters, making it easy for the reader to focus on a particular portion of Scripture. Some chapter titles easily reveal the content, such as "The Spirit of the Law," "Dealing Seriously with Sin," "What God Has Joined Together," and more. Others are more vague, like "Happy and Hungry," "Says Who," "Two Roads Diverged," and "Nike Christians." Chapters are generally less than ten pages, making them digestible reading portions. No additional material is required, although you may desire to read the Scripture from your own Bible. The book was written to help people better understand the Sermon on the Mount and is best suited for older teenagers and adults.

We appreciated having the Scripture broken apart into manageable sections, as well as having chapters that were an easy-to-read length. Christ is rightfully kept as the center of everything; every word points back to Him. I especially enjoyed the chapter titled "Anxiety Disorder," as it deals with the treatment of the "disorder," that of seeking first the Kingdom of God. Day uses real-life experiences to demonstrate truths, making the reading easier to understand and apply. There is a great explanation of justice and not allowing others to perpetrate evil as well as a good explanation of proper treatment of legal immigrants and illegal immigrants and why there is a difference. This book is definitely current with issues of today, both political and social, as well as the connections between the two. Truth Standing on Its Head would be a great study book for parents and students to read through together, as it naturally reveals opportunity to better understand political beliefs, morals, and trends in society.

The Sermon on the Mount is definitely worthy of in-depth study and Truth Standing on Its Head is a great tool for studying it. The book is reasonably priced at $18.95. Anyone desiring to better understand Christ's words in the Sermon on the Mount would benefit from this book. I recommend it especially for families who want to delve deeper into societal issues with their older children before they step out on their own.

Product review by Donna Campos, Senior Product Reviewer, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, June 2010