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Summary: Wild At Heart
Review: Staright to the heart - what more can I say? One of the best boks I've ever read. Excellent writing that goes straight to the heart of what a man is (should) be. Handling some midlife issues right now, this book was just what I needed. I intend to read John's other works, and would recommend it to any man looking for an identity, whether he's lost it or never knew one to begin with. Doesn't give all the answers (no book could), but certainly points you in the right direction! Keep it coming John!
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Summary: A Gushing Well-Spring of Revival
Review: This is probably the best book I've ever read apart from God's Word. What a revival of my "heart" as a man! Elldridge hits so many nerves of what it means for a man to be masculine as God would have him be. This is a must read for every man - especially for fathers who are trying to train their boys in the ways of manhood, as well as for men who need revival in their search for direction. Every mother should read it too! I can't wait to read it again!!!
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Summary: Recovering true masculinity
Review: While it may not be necessary to add yet another review to this list of praise for Eldredge, this work warrants a word or two. The vast majority of modern men find themselves at one of two extremes. Some have become the overly macho man who defines himself in terms of those he has authority over. Others have become so emasculated in the name of niceness they no longer have the capability to lead and protect their families.Eldredge guides men on an adventure to remove these social mask to uncover the men we have been created in Christ to be. He calls men to recognize the pain that drives us to hide behind these masks and to accept that only our loving God can heal the damage to our soul. He calls men to a radical masculinity that can be found both in the darkness of a mountain forest and in the quietness of a nursery. He calls us to become the warriors, adventurers and lovers we all desire to be.
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Summary: Recover a Life of Freedom, Passion, and Adventure
Review: What life are we men meant to live? What does God want for us? Do our souls cry out for something more in our Christian lives? John Eldredge attempts to answer these questions in this thought-provoking book. According to Eldredge, the true nature of man's heart (the one God gave us) longs for an adventure to live, a battle to fight and a beauty to rescue. Our desire reveals our design which reveals our destiny. This book should hit you hard -- its core message rings amazingly true. This book can radically change the lives of bored, "nice" Christian men who lack passion and purpose in their lives. We all know we are made in the image of God, but what does that mean? For those men who are looking for an exegetical analysis of Genesis 1:27, you will be sorely disappointed. This book is not a scholarly theological study -- but it was never meant to be. This book speaks more to the heart than to the mind. Eldredge does refer to the Bible, but he also makes his case by relying on movies, songs and secular books. However, Eldredge does persuasively explain in biblical terms "what is man for?" God gave Adam an incredible adventure -- to rule, to be fruitful and to multiply. This original purpose is still with us. That is why we yearn to explore, build, conquer and love. But we are fallen -- as a result, many of us hide, faking our way through life. Eldredge explains that the wounds we receive in life, especially as children, lead men to choose a "false" way of life. School, church, parents and society at large strip men of their true identity and emasculate them. The Enemy fears the man that God created, and attacks each of us in an attempt to hide from us our true nature. Eldredge says we can find meaning, validation and our true self only through God. The source of our real strength is through our dependence on God. Eldredge explains in his book how God can help us heal our wounds, fight our battles with the Enemy, "rescue" our beautiful women from their wounds and find the adventure we are meant to live. If you read this book, you likely will find the hidden, lost part of your soul that desperately needs to be rediscovered. We need more Christian men who are Wild at Heart!
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Summary: Good insight on what a man's journey ought to be
Review: John Eldredge tells us what manhood is supposed to be like, not safe, but adventurous. Without the quest and the danger it contains there is little meaning in life. Few of us males received this type of fathering, but we can father our children that way and re-father ourselves in a new way of thinking, if we choose to do so. Women may find this book interesting as it explains many things about women that some women say they don't understand about men.
Overall, John Eldredge has given us an excellent look into the possibilities of manhood and of the possibility of wringing something wonderful out of our lives rather than merely existing. As a fellow adventurer and psychotherapist who is on his own journey I found the book excellent.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Book
Review: I really enjoyed this book. It was easy reading and very enjoyable. I definitely learned a lot. I would recommend this book to any man who may not have had the best father while growing up. I give it a thumbs up.
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Summary: Good Mens' Issues: Shaky Theology
Review: I got about a quarter of the way through Wild at Heart and found myself cheering, yeah manhood! Anyone who now defines men as men and supports them as such is my instant hero. We have been beaten down by: feminists, liberals and the PC patrol. However, upon finishing the book, I began to feel uneasy. There are some real theological problems with Wild at Heart. In addition, a very thin line is drawn between being inspiring and outright dangerous... Don't get me wrong: passion for the Lord is great and vital; and maybe the intent here is honorable, but there are some big inaccuracies and exaggerations of scripture embedded in Wild at Heart. We Christian men are called to be bold and impassioned as we journey with Christ and begin to comprehend His larger mission and our purpose therein. Just read Acts, especially where Paul testifies before Agrippa. And, the Old Testament certainly distinguishes men as men: here we can seduce (but must marry) multiple virgins and crush Canaanites. Sword and virility; courage, obedience and burning love for the Lord are all commanded of men. So the question of God's purpose for men as men is legitimate. However, Wild at Heart verges on being gimmicky, pop-Christianity where the author forces Robert Bly's Iron John into a Biblical context. The fit does not work. Jesus is not Iron John, nor does He intend this for us. The Bible does not tell us Christain men that we are centrally meant to be warriors in a drop zone, immersed in evil and battling evil forces away in every: dizzy spell, sickness, marital discord or blase day. Our role in marriage is not to fight evil forces to win back our wives, who have been wounded and emotionally absconded since the Fall. We are called to be faithful, to repent, to make often deep and painful sacrifices in Christ's name, to receive the Holy Spirit (in deep joy) and to be radically changed and sure, to resist evil. But evil is not the central mercenary issue. We are not on some wild Star Wars-esque adventure. Quite the opposite, a lot of being a Christian man is calming down, staying at home with your wife and kids, doing the otherwise boring stuff and putting aside a lot of potentially damaging sexual and aggressive passions (that can be easily masked as Christian passions). What I also find unsettling is that sound Biblical teaching, theology and scholasticism seem to get lost in the evangelical church. Wild at Heart is a good example of this scholastic void. At best read this book for a fleeting kick such as a Clancy novel or a Grisham, but get back to the real stuff, "the meat": the Bible and traditionally respected commentators such as C.S. Lewis and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer's seminal work: The Cost of Discipleship, for example, is well recommended. Lastly, considering the potential for this book to inspire serious error, I suggest that the author recognize the flaws with this treatise, pull this work from publication and revise it along the lines of more accurate theology. As it is now, the work is Satanically inspired.
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Summary: God is using the principles in this book to change my life!!
Review: Eldredge has outlined the battle that is being waged for our hearts. He invites us to realize the depth of God's love for each of us. He describes how we can become the people God created us to be. I have read many books, but this one guided me into a deeper Bibilical understanding of the fullness of God's love. As a psychotherapist, a Christian, and a man, I strongly recommend that you pick up a copy of this book immediately. It will help you to understand the desires God has placed in your heart and how understanding this will free you to allow God to bless you with the culmination of those very desires.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: Every Christian Man living a "dead: life in the church needs to read this book and grab life as a man needs to. Enough of the wishy-washy - gotta be a "nice" guy preaching and gospels - I love how John brings out the man and what God's desire for being a man is. Finally! A book that makes you feel good about being on the wild side and being aggressive. For those of you who have felt that you may be a bit unruly - or who feel that you may loose the "wild side" - this is the book for you. I highly recommend this for every men's ministry group out there as a "must-read" book.
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Summary: A Misguided Effort
Review: I believe the author has good intentions to address the significant needs of Christian men today. Unfortunately, his efforts are based in anecdotal experience rather than solid Biblical theology. He makes some good points, but fails to develop and balance them with the support of scripture, relying instead on personal experience, stories, and pop-culture examples. This leaves the door open for his messages to be grossly misinterpreted and used inappropriately by the men and women who read this book. Without solid Biblical teaching, it is easy to interpret the call to "follow the longings of your heart" and to "be dangerous" in a way that leads to self-centered and manipulative responses. Anyone who does not already have a solid Biblical understanding of masculinity would be ill advised to read this book, as it requires a critical reading, one that is able to check what is being said against what scripture has to say. There are a few helpful insights to be found. But on the whole, I am afraid this book will do more harm than good in helping us better understand God's design for Christian men.
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