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Josh GriffinMore Posts MoreThanDodgeball’s Year in Review: Best Book of 2011

This year I read quite a few books – you can see most of the book reviews here on the blog by using the book review tag right here. Which book was the best? Before we get there, here are a couple of runner-ups:

Pray for Kaia – Youth worker Ryan Donovan tells the most touching story about his daughter’s painfully short life. I literally cried my way through the end of this books. An absolute testimony to faitfulfulness in the middle of unspeakable pain.

Onward – Starbucks CEO Howard Shultz writes a way-too-long but great history of his little coffee company and a vision of the values they are taking to the future. Really interesting story of the Starbucks journey.

Stuff Christians Like - Jon Acuff takes his best stuff from his blog and drops it into a fun book making fun of but loving Christians. Excited Jon is a speaker at SYMC this year, excited to hear him speak in person about youth workers. Ha!

Lord, Save Us From Your Followers – Dan Merchant brilliantly shows us the clearest picture of what Jesus intended His followers to live by contrasting it with how we (himself included) have managed to mess it all up. Innovative stuff, even if I’m late to the party since the book was published 4 years ago.

My favorite book from 2011:

Steve Jobs – I realize it was trendy to read this book this year and kinda lame to make it my favorite – but it has to be conceded that 2011 will forever be marked by the loss of Steve Jobs. I think I’ve learned as much what TO do as what NOT to do by reading about Steve’s life and management style. Incredible success, incredible failure.

What was your favorite read this past year?

JG

1 View Comments December 31, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts Book Review: Lord, Save Us From Your Followers

Just finished up reading Dan Merchant’s 2008 book Lord, Save Us from Your Followers. I never saw the documentary that inspired the book – but thoroughly enjoyed the book. Basically it is the real-life story of one man who wore a controversial bumper sticker jumpsuit to stir up some great conversations among mainstream America. He talked to real people, and some of their reactions and his observations are really inspiring or convicting. Without a doubt Dan is striving for the clearest picture of what Jesus intended His followers to live, but is especially frustrated at how we (himself included) have managed to mess it all up. At times controversial, usually funny and without a doubt thought-provoking – especially one of the chapters near the end with a confessional booth at a gay PRIDE event where [twist!] Dan confessed his sins against homosexuals and asked for forgiveness. Wow.

The book has a couple of interviews which unfortunately broke up the flow of the book and a filler chapter detailing each of the bumper stickers on his original outfit, but all in all it is a good book to get you thinking. It sure did that for me!

JG