As a hemophiliac, Shane Stanford contracted HIV in the 1980s as a 16-year-old -- a time when AIDS was a virtual death sentence. Instead of a tragedy, his life has become a source of hope -- marrying his childhood sweetheart, having three healthy children and becoming a Methodist pastor. In his new book A Positive Life (Zondervan), Shane tells his story in a way that offers hope to all of us to better live positive lives.

How to Multiply Your Church (Regal) by Ralph Moore reminds us that existing churches can't grow fast enough to keep up with a growing population. The answer is planting churches, which in turn plant churches; and Moore offers proven strategies for helping churches experience multiplication. This will be a helpful resource for church leaders who want to think strategically.

Atonement is a doctrine much-discussed these days, with some writers challenging traditional views on the subject. Weighing in on the debate is the new book Atonement (P&R Publishing), edited by Gabriel N.E. Fluhrer, which includes chapters by pastors and theologians such as J.I. Packer, R.C. Sproul, Sinclair Ferguson, Alistair Begg and many more. It is a valuable collection of insightful articles by some of the most gifted evangelical thinkers of our day.

William A. Dembski's The End of Christianity (B&H) wrestles with the problem of pain and evil, weaving together insights from science, philosophy and theology. Chuck Colson says the book "offers readers an original way of dealing with the problem which fits with an orthodox view of God's good creation and fits with scientific facts."

In the past, we strongly recommended Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath as a book with insights that will help any pastor or church leader. Now the Heaths have produced a new book, Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard (Broadway Books) in which they draw on psychological research, sociological evidence and more to show how you can accomplish change in your own organization.

Seth Godin is one of those authors whose books are read and quoted by trendsetters everywhere. His newest book is Linchpin (Portfolio), in which he argues that today's world demands people who choose make an indispensable contribution to some field. He describes how you can develop "a powerful vision for our future and to actually make it happen."