Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Book!
Review: I think this book was an excellent book that challenged us to dig deeper into God and truly trust in His promises. Eldredge challenges readers to live with their heart fully devoted to God and how THROUGH CHRIST, we are a new creation and thus should live under THAT promise and no longer under the condemnation of the enemy. He stresses the grace of God through Jesus Christ's sacrifice and how through that we can live life to the fullest (John 10:10) living for God and His kingdom. I encourage you to check it out to dig deeper into your relationship with God and as always with any book check the credentials to ensure yourself that they align with the Bible.
Rating: 
Summary: Seemed Shallow
Review: I was amazed by how anthropocentric this book is. I guess I mean, I wasn't expecting the book to be so self-help oriented by way of telling the reader how great he/she is. Eldridge strokes his readers by pointing how their inherent value and worth. That is, he refers to the glory found in the human spirit and uses that to expand the reader's view of themself. What's wrong with that? Well, from a Christian worldview as the goodness of the individual goes up the necessity for a savior goes down. What I mean is, if people are so good and if God is essentially a loving God then we're OK, I'm OK, you're OK. Sin? What's that? God as Judge? Why? That would be mean-spirited and we all know God is merely loving. Jesus dieing for the sins of the world? Get out. That's not for today's Christians. We want passion, adventure, and following our own hearts. I want what my heart wants, because the heart is central. I'm on the throne and it's my glory I'm primarily concerned with. Eldridge's message shows how living from the heart can energize people to love themselves in a way they've never experienced, revealing to them life's purpose: fighting for the passions of their hearts. But, that's not all! Eldredge fans will find that he has not departed much from the formula that made Wild at Heart so successful; he culls examples from popular culture (The Perfect Storm, The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings, The Wizard of Oz) and tells vivid stories from his own experience. With that said, there's really not much scripture in the book - and the scripture he does use seems to be proof-texting his positions on the inherent goodness of the human soul. If you're looking for the classic doctrines of the Christian church like redemption, atonement, justification and a better understanding of the Cross of Jesus Christ -- I'd recommend other books. However, if you want to feel better about your desires and wants and how those desires are good and should not be questioned -- let me highly recommend Waking the Dead.
Rating:
Summary: Most important book you could ever read
Review: I've just finished reading not only the best Christian book I've ever read, but the most important Christian book I've ever read. John Eldredge's, Waking the Dead, confronts the goodness of our hearts with images and words that will make you hug yourself in relief.
Also, he takes on spiritual warfare better than anyone I've read in 30 years. I've read good books on this subject, but John clarifies extraordinaire. Listen to this from John: ". . . the enemy knows you are trying to walk with God and tune into your heart - he'll play the ventriloquist and try to deceive you there. Any word or suggestion that brings discouragement, condemnation, accusation - that is not from God. Satan's accusation kills our hearts. There is a gravitational field the enemy creates around a person that pulls everyone in her life to do to her what he is doing to her. Remember the enemy fears you - fears your heart coming alive and full and free."
John talks much of what it means to fight for your heart and the glory of your heart. I think you could be flabbergasted in how you are not fighting for your heart and to realize you cannot really fight for the heart of others when you cannot or will not do the same for yourself. John enabled me to comprehend some relationships in my life where I let the enemy deceive me into not believing the goodness of their hearts. So much so that I felt much oozing from my heart in forgiveness for those who have caused me harm.
Rating:
Summary: This book is for REAL Christian Men
Review: I've just finished this book and read Wild at Heart over the Holidays. BOTH straight through, non-stop, which is a first for me and I'm 53! The absolute common sense approach of this author make me feel so close to Christ, closer than ever in my life. I think that most guys will be startled at the sharp contrast of loving Christ and what He wants for us versus what most churches expect. I stongly suggest the CDs of both Waking the Dead and Wild at Heart so that you can back-up to capture the essense of what Mr. Eldridge is saying. It's a VERY different approach and I think that you will enjoy your relationship with Christ even more ... if not a first awakening.
Rating:
Summary: Groundbreaking work
Review: I've read all his books, this one is the best and in a class by itself. Not just a book for guys, but also for women and teenagers - for people who want to know God. Laden with scripture, parables modern and ancient, personal experience, Eldridge provides great insight on gaining intimacy with Him. God operates from His heart, so should we!
Rating:
Summary: For those who are alert and oriented times zero....
Review: If you're forgetting why the gospel is called The Good News, read this book. John has a pretty amazing and unique way of explaining spiritual truth. Not only has it helped me to see my identity in Christ for what it is and to understand God's word more clearly, it has wakened my dead spiritual life in a way that can't be explained in 1,000 words or less.
Rating: 
Summary: The Heart of Scripture
Review: Is this book biblical? Should we be using "The Matrix" to learn lessons of the Christian life? Are our hearts "good," as Eldredge asserts, or has he bought into a humanistic spirituality? The answers, for those who choose to read to the end of this short work, are within. Yes, this book is biblical. Although it's no masterpiece of homiletics or exegesis, it does hold to the heart and spirit of Christianity. Yes, it uses lessons from popular movies and novels to convey spritual truths--and quite effectively, I might add! Eldredge makes it clear "The Matrix" will not save us. He does, however, use it to highlight ideas. In regards to the goodness of the human heart, it's true that I started to wonder how far he would take the concept. Was he suggesting that sin is no longer a struggle for us? Was he trying to say that the human condition is not seditious and in need of redemption? Quite the opposite. Eldredge makes it clear further on that we must be in relationships of accountability, that we must be confessing our sin and dealing with it on an ongoing basis. What he does want to communicate is that Jesus came to purchase our freedom, yet we still live with slave mentalities. God reached out to cleanse that which he made pure in the beginning, yet we walk around with self-deprecating words and expressions instead of moving forward in God's kingdom. By the end of this book, I was convinced that the ideas were true to the heart of Scripture and that we could all benefit by the honesty and openness of living with hearts that are good, while never hiding from the impurities and assaults of life that try to drag us back into darkness. Easier said than done. But we have to start somewhere. Why not start by "Waking the Dead."
Rating:
Summary: Eldredge's Message -- Not Just for Men
Review: John Eldredge gives us his clearest presentation yet of the concept that life in Christ has always been intended to be a love adventure. His examples from the lives of friends and fellow believers give concreteness to this book. I would like to see a more thorough scriptural explication. Eldredge's ideas are closely related to John Piper's theme of living a life of joy in the amazing goodness of God. Eldredge takes the same concept to a more personal, day-to-day application level. Get this book and read it. You will be glad you did.
Rating:
Summary: Waking the Dead
Review: Reading this book was a life-changing event. The author's insights into the realities of life and the division between our minds and our hearts is not just simple wake-up call. It is a call that can, indeed, wake up the spiritually dead heart and restore us to the fullness of life for which God designed us.
Rating:
Summary: Best Christian Book on the market
Review: Since buying this book, I've discovered it is the best Christian book on the market. I can't imagine Epic being any better. Some of Epic's topics are even talked about in Waking the Dead. As a matter of fact, I think Waking the Dead might be a good requirement for anyone that wants to get into reading books (fiction and non-fiction) as it gives a foundation to other reading.
I bought this book with a copy of my own book A Nation Under God (by Ken Clifton), as well, which gives testimony from all the Presidents and States of the USA. Both have great impact anyone's faith in God.
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