Just As I Am: The Autobiography of Billy Graham

Rating:
Summary: No one wants to miss out on this one!
Review: This is one of the best books I have ever read. Graham does a tremendous job of telling his story. He not only tells it in a creative way, but also a fun and humorous way. At times you laugh, and at times you cry because he brings you right into the scene. Anyone that is looking for an example to follow when writing an autobiography need not look any further.

Rating:
Summary: Long but worth the read!
Review: This long but well-written book takes you through the life of Billy Graham. I couldn't put it down and read it over about 2 weeks despite its length (700 plus pages!!). Some reviewers say he is arrogant for "dropping important names" so frequently. But these are just the plain and simple facts. Billy Graham had incredible opportunities to preach all over the world and met many important world leaders and figures. He was (and is) highly respected by just about everyone, and has managed to remain a humble and simple-living man. He doesn't hesitate in the book to admit when he made a mistake in judgment or should have handled a situation differently. He and his main ministry assistants kept very high standards of accountability among themselves. Much of the book focuses on his crusade ministry and world travels. But in the final chapters of the book, he does get more personal and mentions some of the problems and challenges there were for his family because he traveled so much of the time. Long but worth the read!

Rating:
Summary: Humble?
Review: To call Billy Graham humble after reading his autobiography is to call the Pope poor and underprivileged! Graham comes across as a seeker of prestige and fame. He tosses out names of the rich, powerful and famous----even infamous----on just about every page. He is a living testamony of why we should have a stricter/wider separation of church and state.
And, as another reviewer has written, there is no real substance to the story. The book would have been better if "autobiography" had been omitted from the title.

Rating:
Summary: What a life!
Review: While I am not a Christian, I was extremely impressed by this book. Mr. Graham's faith and desire to spread the word of G-d are most evident, as are his humility and his goodwill to all people. He provides interesting chapters on every president since Kennedy, showing their humanity and their good points, as well as being willing to rebuke when necessary. He shows love for all people regardless of nationality, race or even religion - his respect for Jews and Catholics comes across clearly throughout the book. His stand for integrated Crusades in the South and his friendship with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are both expressed here, something one usually does not notice in discussions of Graham. Of course, these good points are mentioned in passing, as Rev. Graham is too humble to admit all he has done. In addition to his talk of meetings with national and international leaders, he offers numerous wonderful stories of normal people he has met during the course of his life and how G-d has made an impact on their lives. Having faced criticism from those to the left and to the right of him, he has perservered to become someone respected by men and women of all races and nationalities, and of different denominations and religions. Much better reading than your typical ego trip autobiography and recommended to anyone.