Little Black Books is a new series of short volumes written by Scott Petty and published by Matthias Media. This is “a new series of books that get straight to the point on the topics that Christians always have questions about. Not too big, not too fancy, and not at all boring. LBBs are ideal for young Christians (ages 14-20+), but speak biblical truths applicable to any age range.” Scott is a youth minister at Christ Church St Ives in Sydney, and does a good job of addressing tough issues in a way that will appeal to a younger (or relatively young or used-to-be-young) audience.

Each of the books is around 60 - 80 pages, they are relatively inexpensive (about $5 each) and they are attractively put together with distinct, contemporary styling (personally I think they look fantastic).

To this point the series has four titles.

Suffering & Evil - Sooner or later we’re all affected by suffering and evil—sometimes in horrible ways—and we often want to know why. In this short book, Scott Petty guides us through the Old Testament story of Job—a man who suffered excruciating pain and grief without ever knowing why. On the way through, Scott deals with some of the common questions people have about suffering and evil:

• Why do bad things happen to Christians?
• Does God cause suffering?
• Is God in control of suffering and evil?

The Bible - On one hand, millions of people turn to the Bible for guidance of some kind; on the other, just as many dismiss it, mock it or ignore it. But how can a book that’s thousands of years old still be relevant today? Scott Petty writes on what the Bible is and the place it should have in the lives of Christians today, and answers some common questions about the Bible:

• Hasn’t science disproved the Bible?
• Doesn’t the Bible contradict itself?
• Can I trust the Bible when I’m making decisions?