The MAN NOBODY KNOWS

Rating:
Summary: outstanding and in-depth look at the humanity of Jesus
Review: a realistic look at the nature of Jesus based on the gospels written about him

Rating:
Summary: A must read for everyone.
Review: A truely inspired masterpiece. The life of Jesus has been beaten down by modern preaching and evangelists who portray him as a woe-is-me, suck-up-the-pain cuz I have to, pitiful man. Where in reality he must have been a most charismatic man full of warmth, laughter, and life - the kind every one wants to be around. The author makes his points powerfully forever changing the way I look at Jesus and his life. This book is a must read. I am so glad I came across the book. I promise you will not be disappointed. It is interesting, enlightening, well written, and inspirational; and it is short and easy to read. Have I convinced you yet?

Rating:
Summary: The Man Nobody Knows
Review: In his second major work, The Man Nobody Knows, author Bruce Barton portrays Jesus Christ as a salesman--not an ordinary salesman, but the world's greatest salesman--and exhorts
readers to profit by his example. Additionally, the story of the carpenter from Nazareth, Barton argues, is "the story of the founder of modern business (12).
Throughout the book, Barton paints Christ in a positive color. He disavows the "wicked falsehood that [Christ] never laughed" (23), from inference of the New Testament--the men who
became his disciples never would have been attracted to a man who demonstrated Miltonian characteristics. Further, Barton comments on Christ's leadership, as "only strong magnetic men
inspire great enthusiasm and build strong orginizations. Yet Jesus built the greatest orginization of all...He picked up twelve men from the bottom ranks of business and forged them into an orginization that conquered the world" (35-36). This act could have only been done by a supreme business executive, a man who knew how to persuade others, and was so passionate in his
rhetoric that men would be willing to give their lives for his cause. Hence, Christ was the greatest salesman of all.
Finally, through the use of scripture, Barton demonstrates Christ's ultimate leadership qualities during Christ's cruxifiction. As Christ was hanging on the cross, one of the thieves painfully asked that Christ remember him when Jesus returns to his kingdom. Barton believes this was Christ's greatest act of leadership, as "there have been leaders who could call forth enthusiasm when their fortunes ran high. But [Christ], when his enemies had done their worst, so bore himself that a crucifed felon looked into his dying eyes and saluted him as king" (220).
Written in 1925, The Man Nobody Knows was an immesensely popular book. With the post-World war I production levels becoming so high that consumers were unable to buy all the
products that industry produced, new markets had to be created. It was out of this climate that the advertising industry came of age. Barton, chairman of the board of the New York advertising
agency Batten, Barton, Durstine and Osborne, saw Christ as the ultimate master of salesmanship. He hoped that his readers, in an age of wealth and extravagence, would reflect back upon Jesus, not as weak man, but a man of such strong physical and emotional characteristics that readers would "exclaim [Jesus] is a man nobody knows" (vii).
Bruce Barton's The Man Nobody Knows, is written in beautiful, sincere prose. Throughout the novel, Barton maintains a high quality of reverence for Christ, and his teachings.
Although Barton's primary audience are salesmen and businessmen, the book appeals to any reader, religious or atheist, businessman or farmer.
The Man Nobody Knows is a wonderful tool for examining Christ's life as a smiling, divine businessman. As the wheel of big business turns and men spend their lives striving to
make millions of dollars, Barton reminds us of one businessman who gave his life in comforting millions of souls.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book
Review: This book gives a rare look at Jesus from the perspective of his humanity...it attempts to paint a picture of Jesus in the role of his favorite title for himself: "Son of Man"...