SUMMER READING: 40+ BOOKS FOR BEACH AND HAMMOCK JUNE 30, 2018 Radical monocracy How California’s Democratic domination propels LGBT laws down the pipeline SUMMER LONELINESS A Biblical, non-insurance approach to health care Monthly costs: As believers in Christ, we are called to glorify God in all that we do. (Ranges based on age, household size, and membership level) Samaritan members bear each other’s burdens by sharing the cost of medical bills while praying for and encouraging one another. Members Individuals $100-$220 can choose between two membership options for sharing their medical 2 Person $200-$440 needs: Samaritan Classic and Samaritan Basic. 3+ People $250-$495 As of May 2018 Find more information at: samaritanministries.org CONTENTS | June 30, 2018 • Volume 33 • Number 12 32 19 38 42 55 FEATURES DISPATCHES 32 7 News Analysis / Human Race / Follow the Assembly line Quotables / Quick Takes How one-party rule in California yielded draconian legislation against “conversion therapy” CULTURE 38 Cruel summer 19 Movies & TV / Books / Loneliness plagues our social-media-drenched society, and summer Children’s Books / Music is the season of greatest isolation NOTEBOOK SPECIAL SECTION: SUMMER READING 55 Lifestyle / Technology / Politics / Sports 42 Thirty beach reads Pack a suitcase and take your pick of these summer getaway books VOICES 48 Crime stories 5 Joel Belz Thrillers from here and abroad 16 Janie B. Cheaney 30 Mindy Belz 49 Staff picks Light summer reading selections from Worldlings 61 Mailbag 63 Andrée Seu Peterson 50 A novelist’s struggles Author Min Jin Lee says writing isn’t a career—it’s a vocation 64 Marvin Olasky ON THE COVER: Illustration by Krieg Barrie Give the gift of clarity: wng.org/giftofclarity Notes from the CEO “The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof; the world and those who dwell therein.” une 30 might come and go unremarked were it not for our fiscal —PSALM 24:1 year-end fundraising appeals and my occasional reference in this Chief Content Officer Nick Eicher space. Editor in Chief Marvin Olasky Senior Editor Mindy Belz J To WORLD’s staff, however, the fiscal year-end is in many ways more notable than is the calendar year-end. We make our Editor Timothy Lamer plans, finalize our budgets, wrap up major initiatives, and begin National Editor Jamie Dean new ones—all based on our fiscal year. We have a New Year’s Eve Managing Editor Daniel James Devine Art Director David K. Freeland and a New Year’s Day, with many of the accompanying goals and resolutions, right Associate Art Director Robert L. Patete Reporters Emily Belz • Sophia Lee • Jim Long here as summer just gets up and running. East Asia Bureau June Cheng • Angela Lu Fulton Ending the fiscal year on a strong note does more than just make the current Story Coach Susan Olasky Senior Writers Janie B. Cheaney year look good. It gives us what we need to start the new year, implement new Andrée Seu Peterson • John Piper Edward E. Plowman • Lynn Vincent ideas, perhaps hire new people, tackle new projects. The end of the current fiscal Correspondents Sandy Barwick • Megan Basham Julie Borg • Anthony Bradley • Bob Brown year sets the tone and the direction for the coming fiscal year. Michael Cochrane • John Dawson Juliana Chan Erikson • Laura Finch • Katie Gaultney Thank God, in several ways we are Kim Henderson • Charles Horton • Mary Jackson Jill Nelson • Henry Olsen • Arsenio Orteza ending the current fiscal year on a Jenny Lind Schmitt • Russell St. John Marty VanDriel • Jae Wasson • Emily Whitten strong note, and I’ll mention two: Mailbag Editor Les Sillars We just wrapped up perhaps the Executive Assistant June McGraw Editorial Assistants Kristin Chapman best World Journalism Institute col- Amy Derrick • Mary Ruth Murdoch Graphic Designer Rachel Beatty lege course—our 20th—we’ve ever Illustrator Krieg Barrie had. It certainly was the largest class. Digital Production Assistant Arla J. Eicher Many of those students soon will be fulfilling their calling in journalistic Website wng.org Executive Editor Mickey McLean roles all across America and the world. Managing Editor Leigh Jones Assistant Editors Kiley Crossland Then, last week, we brought our entire team of reporters and editors together Lynde Langdon • Dan Perkins from all across America and the world for the first time in many years. It is an Reporter Onize Ohikere Correspondents Gaye Clark • Samantha Gobba understatement to say that it was an encouraging week. It was a sensational week! Rob Holmes • Bonnie Pritchett • Julia A. Seymour Thank you for joining us in our mission this year. Thank you for helping us to Editorial Assistant Whitney Williams finish this fiscal year, and start the next one, energized and encouraged. Website wng.org/radio Executive Producer/Cohost Nick Eicher Managing Editor J.C. 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Will the U.S. Department of Homeland Security soon be offering new guides, annually ranking the schools in your town for the quality of military defense they offer? But don’t be sidetracked. A terrible result of all this focus on physical safety would be to forget the intellectual and academic devastation What kind of that has already been inflicted on our culture. SAT scores are full of bullet holes, and so are basic skill tests. The last generation’s misdirected safety? priorities are leaving us with a populace unable GUN VIOLENCE AFFECTS A FEW SCHOOLS; to read, unable to calculate, and unable to think critically or productively about the educational ATTACKS ON SOULS AFFECT MANY MORE mess they find themselves in. Ultimately, though, One of our readers parents should be most R called the other day, frightened about their chil- quite upset because he still dren’s spiritual and moral hadn’t seen in all our recent safety. “Do not be afraid of pages any evidence that those,” Jesus said, “who kill WORLD is editorially in the body but cannot kill the favor of spending substantial soul. Rather, be afraid of the federal money to arm and one who can destroy both protect our schools—with body and soul in hell.” It is military weapons. “If it were no accident that the first your kids who were being segment of the American shot and killed,” he said, “it population to desert the would have been a cover public schools in significant story.” numbers over the last 50 Well, yes indeed. I will years was made up of quickly acknowledge that as evangelical Christians who soon as any horror story sensed the spiritual violence invades my own personal and moral mayhem occur- space, both my interest and ring there. my involvement tend to So millions of Americans, accelerate. It tends to be that driven by these various fears way for all of us. I remember A group protesting school for the safety of their chil- safety in Laurel County, Ky. when Bill and Hillary dren, have sought to make a Clinton, just before he took prudent choice. The chal- office, traveled to Washington to choose a Ultimately, lenge now is that folks will be tempted to be pre- school for Chelsea. In spite of all their talk about occupied with the most colorfully dramatic of the virtues of public education, they signed up parents should the dangers rather than the threats that, while for an elite private school. “She could’ve got be most fright- less noisy, are potentially the most destructive.