Rating: 
Summary: Scripturally Unsound
Review: He has a lot of good words, but ultimately this book cannot reach my generation. The question, "what on earth am I here for?" is telling; it reveals a deeper problem in the church that people my age (I'm a teenager) struggle with. Church has become a pep club, a group of vegitarians wanting everybody to live their way so they can be healthier and all save the dolpins together. Christianity, almost by existing, should already answer the question, "What on earth am I here for?" The fact that it doesn't is fatal.
The section on Evangelisim is rather disturbing. We are to be "attractive" and "attract" nonbelievers to our churches. Whatever happened to having no "comeliness that you should desire him?"The Bible says, "Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father..." the fact that this book is imperfect and not good shows that God had very little, if anything to do with writing it.
Rating: 
Summary: My priest recommends this book
Review: I am a catholic and while attending Sunday Mass this morning I was happy to hear our Priest highly recommend this great book by Rick Warren. Fr. David went on to say that most people miss the meaning which is to serve and love God. As the subtitle clearly states; "What on Earth Am I Here For?" This great book helped me find my purpose so much so that I went out to Costco today and bought a dozen copies that I will be giving out as accessory gifts to graduations and weddings. Great book. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Understanding what the fuss is all about....
Review: I have bought five hardcover copies, plus the PocketPC version (for my daily reading). And I will probably pick up more copies. This book helps to focus your perspective on what really counts: Day 3: What Drives Your Life?
This chapter sets the tone for the book and should provide the reader with enough information on what the remaining 37 days will hold. He states that knowing your purpose
-- gives meaning to your life
-- simpilifes your life
-- focuses your life
-- motivates your life
-- prepares you for eternity Day 5: Seeing Life from God's View
Talks of Life on Earth from God's perspective as a test, a trust and a temporary assignment. For me, the mundane activities of everyday life, that you would not give a second thought, now take on a new light. The simple act of coming to a complete stop at a stop sign now holds greater meaning and insight to my character. Day 25: Transformed by Trouble
The author wrote: Everything that happens to a child of God is Father-filtered, and he intends to use it for good even when Satan and others mean it for bad. For me, this has been a mind-blower to understand that God has actually orchestrated life events that will strengthen my character, not tear it down. Day 26: Growing through Temptation
For me, seeing temptation as an opportunity for growth in character was freeing. I have always viewed temptation as a deficiency in character, but now I view the decision made at this point to be the true indicator. People with a good moral compass will be tempted, but they resolve it in a manner that will be beneficial to themselves. Day 40: The book ends with an encouragement to create a life purpose statement. The author advices the reader: I once heard the suggestion that you develop your life purpose statement based on what you would like other people to say about you at your funeral. Imagine your perfect eulogy, then build your statement on that. Frankly, that's a bad plan. At the end of your life it isn't going to matter at all what other people say about you. The only thing that will matter is what God says about you. The Bible says, "Our purpose is to please God, not people." The books make strong defense for not focusing on the rat race, but taking inventory of your life to find out what really will matter at the end of your life here on earth in order to gain the fulfillment of a life well-lived. I hope this review helps to give light to what all the fuss is about...
Rating:
Summary: I almost missed it!
Review: After reading so many negative, 1 star reviews here, I hesitated to buy this great book. Some of the reviewers complain that Rick Warren has missed something in translation, but after careful inspection, I found that is not the case at all. I think it bothers some people that a book about christianity is doing so well and making the author and his church some money. Hey, I would rather see the money go to a religious man and his church than to some of these Bush-bashers who are only stuffing their own pockets with gold (ala Judas) and spreading lies, not facts. Noticed that not even one of these bashers ever talks about their belief in God? Not one can explain why there is a God. Probably because they don't believe in God themselves. I believe in God and I know God exists. How? First, the fact that we have this great universe and that it exists. Secondly that this great universe continues to move in an orderly way. If you think this was due to some scientific experiment, then you are a fool. There are universal laws in this world that take care of people who abuse or refuse to love God. I used to know a very successful athlete who literally let his success swell his head. He was a self admitted atheist. Explained the existence of this universe due to science, not God. About 25 years ago, this guy was making a very high 6 figure income and would be a billionaire in todays dollars. But alas, it all came crashing down. He started to experience failure after failure. Soon his high six figure income was down to zero. His net worth was gone. He went from a mansion to a small apartment. Awhile later, due to the mental strain, he ended up in a mental institution after he literally flipped out and went streaking down the streets of a major western USA city. He attempted a comeback but never changed his views about the existence of God. A few years later he died of a h eart attack at a very young age. A professional athlete who was supposed to be in great physical shape! Life is all about balance. Part of that, a major part is belief in God. I am glad that Rick Warren's book is so successful. It is needed right now. Certaintly beats the anti-Bush junk (I am not pro Bush just opposed to books without facts) In fact, I was in Books-A-Million recently and happy to see someone put down one of the anti-Bush books and but The Purpose Driven Life instead. Excellent choice. Rick Warren, thank you for this great work. I am glad the book is making money and am sure that God has blessed you yet again. I am also certain that God guided your pen when you wrote this great book. I hope it continues to be a top 4 best seller but even more importantly, hope that people will read and use the contents to create a stronger America and a stronger World. 1 star bashers, you may have influenced me to wait longer than I should have to read and benefit from this book. But I thank you, because after seeing 1 star review after 1 star review, it was pretty obvious that these were and continue to be written by the same person. So perhaps I should rephrase the first line and change that to 1 star basher. You must really live a sad and boring life. Hopefully God will forgive you.
Rating:
Summary: Lambs to the Slaughter
Review: Reading this book was like eating a mouthful of sand. If you are seeking to find a spiritual path, this is not it. The Author is himself lost. His opening dedication paragraph (pg5)is a borrowed theme from the earlier published Neale Donald Walsh series of "Conversations With God". Warren is obviously searching for answers to Life himself or he would not have been able to state, "Contrary to what many popular books,movies,and seminars tell you, you won't discover your life's meaning by looking WITHIN yourself." (pg18) But on pg197 we find,"What happens outwardly in your life is not as important as what happens inside you." In pg209,"God has promised never to allow more on you than he puts WITHIN you to handle." On pg182, "To be Christ like you must develop the MIND of Christ." Is the mind not "within"? In Luke 17:21 Jesus tells us,"...because the kingdom of God is WITHIN you." Warren is obviously confused. He criticizes the "self-help books" (pg18-19) that steer one to finding your life's purpose as they are "self-centered". But the author has come to a revelation expressed in this book that "If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose." (pg17) I guess this makes God "need" me for HIS purpose and "self-centered". I always thought God needed nothing as after all God has everything because God IS EVERYTHING and my Life was a gift, not a need. He has put himself above the "brilliant philosophers" who have tried to determine the purpose of life, because he thinks he knows. The Purpose of Life can be spoken in 5 simple words. The Meaning of Life can be spoken in 3. Pastor Warren just hasn't been listening to God, he has been listening to himself, or he would KNOW how simple it really is. He believes we only live on Earth once and we better get it right or an eternity in Hell is where you are going. (Chapter4) Yet Jesus tells us that we do indeed return. Matthew 17:11-13,"Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him," and they knew Elijah was John the Baptist. Is Jesus wrong? Is Warren right? If Warren is right, then the Bible must be wrong. On pg41,"How you define your life determines your destiny." But in Chapter 2 he goes on to tell us how God planned everything about us,"The Bible says,'You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe....".(pg23) Even the Ancient Sumerians knew of Destiny and Fate. Another contradiction from Warren. He states,"We aren't God and never will be. We are humans."(pg79) And, "Many religions and New Age philosophies still promote this old lie that we are divine or can become gods." (pg172) Well Pastor, read John 10:34-63,"Jesus answered them,'Is it not written in your Law, I have said you are gods? If he called them 'gods', to whom the word of God came-and the Scripture cannot be broken-". No we aren't God with big "G", but we are ALL gods as we are sparks from the divine, so small "g". Jesus also tells us in John 14:20,"On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you." Jesus tells us we ARE divine. I guess the Pastor just can't seem to get a handle on this New Age philosophy which comes straight out of the Bible. Next,Warren doesn't seem to have a handle on Love just yet. Yes GOD IS LOVE. But what does that mean? At least Warren is consistent in his word to look outside of yourself because he cites many sypmtoms of Love that we see in the external world. But what if we look WITHIN? The author is not able to answer this because he doesn't really know what Love is....and yet it ONLY exists WITHIN us and does not exist outside us, only its actions exist outside us. He follows Christian believe to the letter as all Chrisitans believe Jesus was God in the flesh. But if he had read Isaiah more carefully, he would KNOW the TRUTH. Christianity is idol worship. Jesus never claimed to be God, only the Son of Man. You can't lay claim to be the Son if you are the Father. Jesus also clearly explains this when he talks of the Father "in" him. Few people will ever understand. Matthew 13:10-17 gives us the clue. The author falls into the category of "righteous men" who did not see it nor hear it, but thinks he does. Amazingly the writer tells us to follow the ways of Jesus, to be like Jesus. I wonder if we checked on the Pastors assets and net worth if he is anything but like Jesus. I don't think the chandelier above his dining room table would compare to a lamp light that Jesus may have had. Wasn't Jesus poor? The majority of the book deals with being a Chrisitain and living the life style and what is required. So this is not a book really on a "40-day spiritual journey" unless you seek to find the end of this journey sitting on a pew in a Chrisitian church riddled with guilt worrying about sin and Satan and seeking salvation by being "born again" living your life for the purpose of God and not your own. But once you get there, you will know you have matured and are no longer immature or self-centered and can now serve God as well as the church and its believers. If Faith is Belief without proof, then why do we need religion to prove we have Faith? If you want to start a spiritual journey, I suggest reading in this order. The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz, Awareness by Anthony de Mello, and Communion With God (the 10 illusions) by Neale Donald Walsh. Pastor Warren needs to read Tomorrow's God by Neale Donald Walsh. Even one who is so wrapped up in religion trying to find God can all but block out the God who is trying to find YOU.
Rating:
Summary: Missing The Real Purpose
Review: I was drawn to this book because the title seemed astute. What could be worse for humanity today that the souless, purposeless existence now being played-out in our so-called affluent societies? And what could be more welcomed than to suggest to your readership that they seek a purpose for living out this vale of tears? But Warren's book cannot provide direction to spiritual salvation because it represents the worst of material man. It avoids the one difficult question, no, contradiction, Christians must face: in a world that murdered primitive religion so long ago and replaced it with the new religions of science, of economics, of anthropology, of particle physics, that killed the priests and replaced them with entrepneuers, whose temples are banks, brokerage houses, and corporate law firms, whose rule is to invite every individual to distinguish and protect themselves against all others, and where every individual seeks a personal salvation in whatever gated communtiy they can afford, or pray for better, how does the Christian let go? Warren knows his readers are far fom being authentic Christians, because they can do anything but let go of their material-scientific needs, like Warren's need for money, recognition, power, and lots of it, the modern so-called Christian hides from their spiritual angst, that is the living hell of contradiction by becoming "successful " and thus opting for the pay-as-you-go solution offered by such hucksters. For a geniune Christian, there is no easy way: life is decidedly different, and not responsive to such audio-book-of-the month-club remedies. If you are Christian, you know your purpose, it is just frightening to accept: adopt a life devoted to almost everything in full contradiction to all around you, probably a life with little or no creature comfort, where you know despair, want, pain, in yourself and those about you. It is a road very very few do not avoid.
Rating:
Summary: The Purpose Driven Life
Review: It is disturbing to me that this book is being so widely read and acclaimed. I am particular concerned with the fact that Warren takes scripture out of context just to make a point. Much like his first book he has a case he wants to make and then attributes the source as scripture. This book is teaching Christians some terrible habits when it comes to how scripture is to be treated.
Rating:
Summary: I have a purpose!!!!
Review: This book changed my life!! I've always focused on what I needed to do on earth to leave an impact, and I learned that my purpose here on earth is to prepare myself for eternity!! My life here on earth is but a comma in life. This book helped me get remotivated, inspired and even more active in church! Thanks, Rick Warren!!
Rating: 
Summary: Enlightening but difficult
Review: I was careful to give this book a 5 star rating because I did have some trouble with it. When I originally received the book as a gift I was excited to find out "what my purpose was". Needless to say it became more of a dissapointment when I discovered that we all have the same purpose according to the author-To become more like Christ. While I enjoyed the sentiment, and received a lot of wisdom from the book, I did not find my purpose, so to speak. I am a Christian and I do practice faithfully, but the response to this book as being "the answers to the meaning of life", is troubling to me. I am always hesitant when someone claims to have the answer. The only one who has the answer is the one upstairs. My perception was that I would figure out what my purpose was. Not by some answer literally spelled out for me, but through reading the book I would receive some sort of revelation and figure it out for myself, through the grace of God, as a result of the material set before me. I received exactly the opposite. Accoridng to Rick Warren, he has the answer to why we are here and we all have the same purpose. I enjoyed the focus on becoming more like Christ, and I appreciate all the wisdom I received from the book, but felt it's title causes the reader to become needlessy anticipated of receivng some great revelation from above which they might not be so lucky at finding. I am sure that he had good intentions in writing this and I agree with all the points in the chapters. It is very helpful in the developing good charachter, and trusting in God. Seeing God as the only source of our answers, which is exactly why I believe his title does just the opposite. I felt he was giving me his opinion via God. Let's be honest. We can and have all done that. However,I believe as a Chrisitan we need only to look to God for the answers and we will receive it according to him. I am amazed at the over reactions to this book. People at my church hear where "Rick Warren" is speaking at some event and they praise him as though he were equal to Chirst, and I cannot help but to feel that as an insult to God. I gave this book my 4 stars because it is truly a wonderful book with great points and a warm feeling comes over you when you read it. I would have given it 5 stars if the Title had been something like " Living like Christ". I feel a sense of uniquness in this world in that I was created in a certain way, and while Rick points out that we are unique and have been built differently, we all have the same purpose for being here, and I simply don't believe that. I feel we all have a plan unique to it's own and while we all might be here to glorify God, we have also been given a certain job to do, in order to acheive that, and I didn't feel he illustrated this book to adress this point. Regardless, it is very well written and I would recommend it more as a book of charchter building, and seeing yourself through God's eyes, than the answer to life.
Rating:
Summary: Helps you serve God and others.
Review: Book came at a great time. Don't look at it like a fortune teller -- the book will not tell you your exact purpose "You will marry a knock-out blonde and serve God by making lots of babies and running the bake sales" -- It will tell you the basics to get you hearing from God again. Also reread Experiencing God and check out "A More Excellent Way" by Pastor Henry Wright who talks about health and wholeness for Christians. Cause, once you know your purpose, you don't want to drop dead before you get to serve at that level!
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