Front Porch Tales: Warm-Hearted Stories of Family, Faith, Laughter and Love

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful, thought-provoking, laugh aloud book
Review: I liked this book so much I bought three for Christmas gifts. Phillip Gulley's stories are a treasure. I found myself laughing out loud one moment and deep in thought the next. This was one book my husband did not seem to mind having read to him! The stories were so good I had to share it!

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Summary: Brings Us Back To The Basics
Review: I'll always be a country girl at heart, and this book appeals to that heart. I got Philip Gulley's book and "People of Passion" by Carl Mays at the same time, and immensely enjoyed them both (even though they are quite different). Front Porch Tales is about the author's life and the people with whom he has come in contact in his small town. Through short, interesting, and witty stories, he reveals much about human nature and what makes people tick.

Through his tales, Gulley emphasizes grabbing hold of life and really living it rather than just plodding through. It's a simple book, but certainly one that should not be overlooked, because of the value it offers. This easy, flowing, and fun read left me uplifited and I recommend it to other readers who want to get more out of the life that God has given them.

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Summary: You'll read it over and over again!
Review: I'm 13 and I'll admit I only bought this book because I had a gift certificate to a local Christian bookstore and I couldn't find anything to buy in the young adult section. But after being bored one day I picked it and it's dusty cover off of my bookshelf and started reading it. I'm glad I did. Philip Gulley writes in an easy manner that anyone can understand, even a teenager like me. His stories make you laugh, even though I don't think he tries to be funny. It just comes out natural in his writing. I've read the book twice and got my mom to read it and she liked too. I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read mini-stories, because that's what the book is. You can put the book down and not have to worry about remembering characters' names or other details. It's full of stories that will make you laugh and also warm your heart. So why are sitting here reading my review? Buy the book on Amazon today! If I'm 13 and I liked it, I think you'll like it too. Thanks for reading my review. Bye!

Rating:
Summary: Poignant stories
Review: If you ever want to read pith, poignant stories about everyday people then pick up "Front Porch Tales" by Philip Gulley. I am drawn to the author because he is from my home state of Indiana and he is a Quaker. My family has deep Quaker roots. But most of all his stories are short, simple, real and often funny. Some of the story headings are "My friend Jim and why I don't like him", "Why my wife bought handcuffs" and "Handyman Blues." I won't give the secrets away, but I highly recommend that you pick this book up and find the wisdom beneath the witticism.
Quoting the author, "If it's lasting beauty we seek, we're simply going to have to spend as much time tending our souls as we do our yards."

Rating:
Summary: Poignant stories
Review: If you ever want to read pith, poignant stories about everyday people then pick up "Front Porch Tales" by Philip Gulley. I am drawn to the author because he is from my home state of Indiana and he is a Quaker. My family has deep Quaker roots. But most of all his stories are short, simple, real and often funny. Some of the story headings are "My friend Jim and why I don't like him", "Why my wife bought handcuffs" and "Handyman Blues." I won't give the secrets away, but I highly recommend that you pick this book up and find the wisdom beneath the witticism.
Quoting the author, "If it's lasting beauty we seek, we're simply going to have to spend as much time tending our souls as we do our yards."

Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully Warm Tales With Real Substance & Wisdom
Review: If you find the whole genre of 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' type books to be annoyingly sappy, silly, and over-the-top, this book is your antidote.

It features real stories from real life whereby the author draws real substantive wisdom. Where Chicken Soup and the like were "cute" or "charming", Gulley is challenging. There's plenty laugh out loud comedy here too, and enough sweetness to aggravate a toothache, but (unlike in some other books) these elements are the icing instead of the cake.

Gulley talks about raising children to be tough, the capacity people have for mid-life change, prayer, loss, flexibility, the home, the dignity of work, the debilitating effect of television, why we need more listening and less psychology, love between a husband & wife, and many other subjects. Nearly all of these short essays are punctuated with surprisingly relevant scriptural anecdotes from the Good Book.

On the first page, Gulley wrote, "I thank God I was born before Nintendo video games and all the other things that keep kids from getting out and exploring their environs. My parents turned off the television set and sent me outdoors, where I met all kinds of interesting people, like Mrs. Harvey and Doctor Gibbs and Mr. Welty."

And he isn't kidding. This is a superb read that--through the window of the author's life--manages to search out so much of what's wrong with the world, offers beautiful alternatives, and does it all with the charity, humor, modesty, and self-depreciation proper to a Christian.

Highly recommended!


Rating:
Summary: Humorous, reflective short stories
Review: Magnificent! The stories Mr. Gulley has written are short enough for anyone to be able to find a moment for, yet meaty enough to stay with you throughout the day. His humor is delightful; many times I laughed out loud because I recognized myself and those I love in these stories. What a joy to find the profound in the ordinary! (Home Town Tales is equally good.)

Rating:
Summary: Excellent "back home" type humor and wisdom.
Review: Mr.Gulley combines wit and Inspiration in a way that adds to, and compliments both aspects of his book. This is the best book that I have read in years, and I am giving copies to my children, so they can also share in this little Gem of a book.

Rating:
Summary: chicken soup style stories for the soul
Review: Nice short stories with morals at the end. A humorous small book that touches the soul and warms the heart.

Rating:
Summary: Misleading
Review: Only the forward was by Paul Harvey, Jr. Very misleading. The book is okay but I was expecting it to be written by someone else!