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Review Summary: Heavy on soul, light on substance |
Date: 2008-03-31 |
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Details: I received this book as a Christmas gift from my brother. I am not a particularly big fan of bluegrass, I had never heard of either author before reading this, and I thought the authors looked like they were trying to be a little creepy on the back cover, especially David Crowder. I decided to read it anyway on a 2-day trip where I'd be flying for about 8 hours and wanted to bring something along.
Having finished this book, my first reaction was, "What was the point?" Much of the book felt like I was observing the thoughts and conversations of the two authors, which in some cases was deliberate as they had included IM conversations between the two. I felt like I was being lead along on a path that started in great sadness/tragedy and ended up nowhere in particular.
In general this was an easy to read, sometimes witty book. No section of the book seemed longer than about 10 pages, so it was easy to stop and reflect frequently. There were facts and explanations mixed in with opinions and random thoughts. The drier parts seemed to be building a case for a point never made, and the more engaging sections felt like authentic expressions of emotion going in all directions.
I really felt for the two authors given the deaths they had dealt with in their lives, and when the book was closest to their reactions I was touched by their authentic expressions of sadness, grief, and hopelessness. They wove in 3 fictional stories with their personal stories and random facts about the human soul and bluegrass music. The fictional stories seemed like they were intended to be "harmony" to their personal stories' "melody." In the end, though, the fictional stories came together in a rather strange way that came across to me as clumsy and contrived. It lacked the authenticity of their real lives and in the end felt like a distraction.
So, overall I would say this is an okay book. It's not a waste of time to read if you want to feel what grief is like for others or learn random facts about the history of the human soul or bluegrass music. I don't think that I learned anything useful or grew much from reading the book, though. |
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Review Summary: Unexpectedly Amazing |
Date: 2007-10-29 |
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Details: I first encountered this book right after it was released, as I recieved it as a gift from my mother. I'm a huge Crowder fan, and I loved Praise Habit, so I kind of expected a similar text. The first read was interesting...I liked it, and it made me laugh in several places(be sure and read the footnotes!) but I just didn't feel a connection with it. When I picked up the book again to read, this time after the death of my best friend Josh, it took on a whole new meaning. Dave and Hogan's honesty and openness, particularly in dealing with the death of their friend Kyle really helped me put words with what I was feeling and going through. I would go from crying to laughing to singing out loud to praying back to crying in a four or five page span. This book is amazing and I would reccomend it to any reader, but particularly someone who is dealing with the loss of someone they love... |
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Review Summary: Whitty and deep. |
Date: 2007-09-24 |
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Details: I love everything this guy does. If you can make it through the introduction without a smile, you need to lighten up. Great read. |
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Review Summary: because none of us are getting out of here alive, ya know |
Date: 2007-08-08 |
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Details: This book is great. Its not generally for older people. I'd say 30 is the general cut-off age for really appreciating all there is to this book. The message in the book, though, is for everybody. It deals with life and death, grief and joy, fear and boldness. It deals with such deep issues of the heart that at points I could only cry and tell my wife "David Crowder's friend died." And I was crying for him and his friend, and for me and my friend who died a few years ago and for everyone who ever had someone in their lives die. And through the tears come such joy because of Christ who died, but didn't remain in the ground but rose. Death is not the Victor, is not the great calamity that it claims to be. So I say with John Donne "Death, Be Not Proud" Because, as Crowder points out there is a great hope for a great freedom that isn't quite here yet, but is no less present.
The only setback to the book is all the humor - which I actually thought was wonderful. You just have to be between the ages of about 15 and 30 to get a lot of it.
Buy this book. It is so deep. Buy it because if you aren't, then you one day will have to grieve a great loss in your life, because the great message rings forth even in death, because "none of us are getting out of here alive, ya know" |
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Review Summary: Xanga |
Date: 2007-04-26 |
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Details: So I read possibly D.C. xanga blog and it pointed me here. So I thought I would add in my input. I loved the book and it actually helped me through some stuff in my own walk. I liked it alot because of the "layering" of it. Each part and I liked the columns too, I read others reviews saying they left them schratching their heads, and honestly I saw them as uber necessary it added major depth to it all. the Im's also caught my attention. Anyway all of it together it was an awesome book. Doubtful to see David Crowder and Mike Hogan actually reading this but I thought they did awesome on it, of course awesome seems such a simple word, but I choose to use it none the less. Say for a lack of a better word. God Bless! |
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out of 73 Reviews
