Esther Great Lives Series: Volume 2

Rating:
Summary: Good presentation of one woman's voice speaking for God.
Review: A well written account of the grace and strength of one woman's voice in the service of God and her fellow Hebrews. Some positive advice about living a good and happy life inside of God's grace. Excellent presentation of what a woman's special gifts as a person and child of God are. Uplifting. An integral part of Jewish history.

Rating:
Summary: A Woman of Strength and Dignity
Review: Charles Swindoll aptly connects the time of great Israel persecution and a courageous woman who saved her people from genocide to modern readers who will feel like they know her by the end of the book. The cultural analysis is especially fascinating.

Rating:
Summary: A Woman of Strength and Dignity
Review: Charles Swindoll aptly connects the time of great Israel persecution and a courageous woman who saved her people from genocide to modern readers who will feel like they know her by the end of the book. The cultural analysis is especially fascinating.

Rating:
Summary: Cool book
Review: I hadn't read the Book of Esther before buying this book by Charles Swindoll. The way that he presents the information is fun yet informative. A lot of times he will relate the happenings as to how they might occur in today's world just to illustrate the events further. This is a great book! I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent for all ages but especially for teenagers
Review: I have used this book as a guideline in a study of Esther with high school girls. It was very helpful and full of practical applications. I loved the principles that it pulls from the book. Very easy to read. I look forward to doing David next!

Rating:
Summary: Thanks Lord to remaind me the value of being a Woman
Review: I want to say Thanks first to Lord and second for Mr. Swindoll because Esther: A Woman of Strength & Dignity helped me to be obedient to God first and then to my future husband. How is important the paper of the woman, not only being beautiful or all the qualities that this world require from but yes what God is expecting from his servant. Also the history and how it worked. I learned a lot. Thanks!

Rating:
Summary: I'm not sure how to comment on it!
Review: I would like for Mr. Swindoll to know that he has wrong information in his book. He has that Esther was the neice of Mordecai. That statement is incorrect! Esther was not his neice but his cousin. Read the scripture found in Esther chapter number #2 and verse number 15. ( Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed.

Rating:
Summary: Esther the Ideal Woman
Review: Recently I read this with a group over a period of 8 weeks.
It found it quite insightful and encouraging to the group and believe that there were many good principles that Chuck had to say. You do feel very encouraged after reading this book. It's main focus is on God's providence and soveriegnity over our lives. Esther is the ultimate example of that.
However, I do have a few critisms that would benefit anyone who plans to get the book. First, Chuck does tend to derive alot of principles from the text that you may not necessarily have looked for when you read the book of Esther. I understand why he does this, to allow the reader to sympathize with Esther's character. Second, at times it seems Chuck is making Esther an ideal that we all should follow, that's okey to a certain extent. Third, he really didn't spend much time on the historical background of Esther's time, which I think would allow the reader to understand where she was coming from. (We supplimented that information in our meeting.) Fourth, he did not need 12 chapters to write about principles from Esther. The last two were good, but not too necessary.
With that said, I think this book is a great read for Christians who want to learn about applying God's word personally to their lives, and as a good read for those times when you can't get into a heavy study in the Bible. Esther is a refreshing book that offers much hope and encouragement to those who read it.

Rating:
Summary: One of the most thougtful accounts of Esther
Review: Swindoll is always a gifted writer giving special insight to the reader. "Esther" brings to life the struggles and emotions one faces in life's difficult situations. Esther reflects poise, strength and courage in the midst of trials. This is an encouraging and one the most thoughtful accounts of Esther that I have read.

Rating:
Summary: Not this one
Review: The book has an attractive cover and is well-marketed. Beyond that, it's not worth the investment of time nor money. The well-meaning author writes in a folksy narrative, with flagrant grammar flaws and overuses exclamation marks. The organization and chronology are likewise poor. Worse yet, substantively, the book reaches far and states assumptions which are not Biblically sound. Unfortunately, the author is not clear to point out those incidences when he may be speculating versus citing fact, which makes for some unsound theology. Read the Biblical book of Esther and see how vastly different it is from this book. This read is heavy on extras and tangents that are irrelevant to the theme.