Rating: 
Summary: Let's Roll -- beautifully written!
Review: Lisa Beamer is a beautiful person both inside and out and writes a beautiful story of herself, her husband, and their families -- a wonderful illustration of faith and trust in the Lord. Everyone who reads this will be blessed by Lisa's words and untouched faith in God. It gave me a new outlook on life and insight into the things that happened on that terrible day. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially if you are wondering about your faith. It will assure you that God is a loving God and that all things (even bad) are meant to work out for the good. This is a must read!
Rating: 
Summary: A Courageous Book by a Courageous Woman
Review: Lisa Beamer truly helped to rally a battered America after 9/11. I remember seeing her on nearly every national show and thinking, "She's got great faith." Her husband's story is truly a wonderful inspiration for Americans. I've just now read this book and perhaps that is why I was a tad disappointed in the content. That's not to say that Lisa's writing style is poor, its just that there is so much fluff. She talks at great length about both of their families and gives almost too much detail--pet names, family anecdotes, etc. Over all, its an inspiring read and it was interesting to see how she found out about the towers falling down and when she found out about her husband being on the fateful flight to San Franscisco. For Christians, its an inspirational read and I credit Lisa Beamer for being real, yet not bitter about life's circumstances. She truly trusts God and her faith is genuine. At the same time, she admits to times of loneliness, despair, and wondering "Why?" Yet, like Christians after God's own heart, she doesn't leave it there--she goes to God and shares her intimate thoughts. I would encourage you to endure the sometimes dry sections of this book and read on. Sometimes we need to listen to the stories of people like Lisa, even if the details may not interest us. It is good therapy for their soul and gives us greater compassion for their plight.
Rating:
Summary: Come behold the secret to true security
Review: Lisa Beamer's book affected my tremendously. The heroism and faith of her husband shines through, as does that of the author herself. In lieu of a conventional review, I now share with you a column I wrote for the Intermountain Jewish News (IJN) during my senior year of high school with slight changes. In doing so, I hope to impart a practical lesson to be received from this wonderful, emotional book, one I highly recommend. In the column, I relate this lesson to the Jewish fall holiday of Sukkos:
IJN, May 9, 2003
The holiday of Sukkos, described within our Torah portion (Leviticus 23: 33-36), is several months away, yet its message is one we must strive to incorporate daily.
In her book Let's Roll, Mrs. Lisa Beamer reflects upon 9/11 and her late husband Todd, who was instrumental in thwarting the terrorists and crashing Flight 93. Mrs. Beamer notes that the World Trade Center represented economic power and security. But it crumbled within hours. The Pentagon, symbol of military power and security, also proved vulnerable. Mrs. Beamer asks, "Where can we find true security these days?"
Listen carefully to her words, for they are most profound:
"Never before in my life had the difference between those who put their hope in G-d and those who put their hope in this world been so obvious to me... The most important truth is that my security must be in G-d rather than in anything or anyone in this world... Todd built his life of a firm foundation (his relationship with G-d) so that when the storm came on September 11, he didn't have to check the blueprints to see if everything he built his life on was going to stand. He knew. When everything in his life was shaken, his foundation remained sound. The question each of us must answer, sooner or later, is this: How secure is the foundation on which I'm building my life?"
This is the question posed on Sukkos. For seven days, we are given a taste of reality as we depart from our "secure" comfortable homes to live in a fragile hut, the sukkah. As we become vulnerable and exposed, we then discern the one true security: our Heavenly Father. Not our lavish homes, not our money, nothing else, for that is all a delusion. True security comes only through living a life connected to G-d, which can only mean living to the best of one's abilities in accordance with the Bible, morality, spirituality, and acts of goodness and kindness.
The sukkah and our lives in this physical world are similar. Both are fragile and both are temporary. But when connected Above, our lives becomes sturdy and permanent upheld by a secure foundation. Sukkos is therefore a holiday of great joy, given the great clarity it brings.
May we all be able to answer the question posed by Sukkos and put so eloquently by Mrs. Beamer: How secure is the foundation on which I'm building my life?
Rating:
Summary: Very moving story
Review: Lisa begins the book by describing the events of the early morning of Sept. 11, 2001. She and her husband Todd had just returned from a European vacation the day before, and Todd was leaving early that morning to travel on business. She heard him leave before she and her boys, David, age 3, and Drew, age 19 months, got out of bed. Several months into her third pregnancy and tired from her long flight the day before, Lisa stayed in bed until her toddlers awoke, then she arose and began her day. Later, a friend called her and informed her of the events at the World Trade Center. Lisa turned on the t.v., and stayed riveted to it the rest of the day, watching the report of the crash of Flight 93 with horror. At this point, Lisa switches gears and begins several chapters in which she chronicles Todd's family history, his growing up years, and college life. She then spends the next few chapters giving the same information about herself. Lisa's simple, straightforward style speaks for itself. It struck me that both Todd and Lisa were raised in Christian, churchgoing homes, and that both of them were brought up to love the Lord and to live a Christian life. Both of them came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ in their early years. Neither of them had "lightening-bolt" salvation experiences, but knew early on of their assurance of salvation and the importance of living according to Christian principles. Like many teenagers, Lisa went through a period in which she rebelled somewhat as she questioned the God who would take her father from their family when she was only 15. Lisa finally came to realize that God sometimes allows bad things to happen as a part of his plan, and what we on earth are not always meant to understand that plan. As Lisa matured in her Christian walk, she eventually accepted her father's death and claimed the verse that "All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord." She knew that someday she would understand God's plan in taking her father from his family. The next few chapters chronicle Lisa and Todd's meeting, courtship, and eventual marriage. Lisa portrays Todd as a goal-oriented person who did not act on impulse. Todd wanted them to have a long courtship and engagement so that they would be positive about their relationship. Similarly, Todd carefully outlined his career goals, and his move to Oracle computer software sales was another step in his eventual plan to have his own business. Also according to Todd's plan, he and Lisa had 2 children and moved into their dream home by the year 2000. He made sure that the family was involved in a church home, and they were very active, teaching Bible studies, helping with the youth, and planning of helping with missions. Not quite according to Todd's plan, Lisa's third pregnancy caught them by surprise, but they were extremely happy about the new baby due in January 2002. A huge sports fan, Todd wanted to take the boys to watch some big league games. At one of these, Lisa was struck by the picture that Todd and the boys made as they walked into the stadium. She snapped a photograph from behind of Todd leading the boys by the hand, having no way of knowing how famouse this picture would become. On September 10, Todd played with the boys and helped Lisa with their baths and bedtime. Often when he was trying to get the boys focused on a goal, Todd would say, "Let's roll!" The boys knew to quit playing around and get serious when their dad said those words. At this point, Lisa returns to the events of Sept. 11. She describes how family and church friends rallied round her and gave her support as the events unfolded. She describes her heartbreak and despair when she realizes that Todd was on Flight 93 and there were no survivors. In the following days, Lisa began to hear of the passengers of Flight 93 possibly trying to overtake the terrorists. The FBI allowed a United Airlines operator to call Lisa and tell her of the last phone call that Todd made. Lisa was reassured that Todd did not sit back passively during the hijacking and his last thoughts were of her and the boys. Lisa states that now she knows the answers to the questions that bothered her after her father's death. It was part of God's plan. God kne that Lisa would need experience on which to draw to help her own children as they deal with the same questions that she had. Lisa truly wants everyone to know what a comfort the Christian faith is, and therein lies the main message of this story.
Rating:
Summary: A Brave and Powerful Testimony
Review: Only handful of times have I read a book that has made a profound difference in my life--Let's Roll by Lisa Beamer is one of those books. I started it at 10:30 in the evening and didn't put it down until 3 a.m.! Usually I'm out cold after two pages! In the pages of the book, Lisa shares her faith and life so intimately and fully that you can't help but identify with her and her family and what they've endured. It's a remarkable testimonial of a real and practical faith in the strength, power, comfort, and ultimately the salvation of Jesus Christ! I think if you're a non-believer this book may make you one, and if you are a believer it can strength your faith immensely. Lisa and those involved in publishing the book have taken a situation so horribly evil and bereft of God and used it as a way to honor Him and display His grace! That's a miracle! I felt personally honored that Lisa and her family would shared their tragedy, their faith, and their example with the rest of us! To stay I strongly recommend this book would be an understatement. Please borrow or buy a copy and read it--even if you think you just don't have the time! It's a quick read, and it will change you!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Dreadful but short
Review: This book is clearly the work of a hack writer (Ken Abraham) who took whatever might have been of value in Lisa Beamer's story and reduced it to a kind of Christian mush. Beamer is a woman of courage and dignity, but there is nothing whatsoever in her story that interests or inspires. More off-putting than the book's heavy-handed Christian sentimentality is its failure to develop any narrative momentum. Let's Roll is a kind of prolonged vacuum desperately seeking the ending we all know is coming.
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