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Rating: 
Summary: The example of a life well lived has timeless power
Review: An inspiring little book that draws life and leadership principles from Old Testament Biblical characters. Maxwell uses the power and example of these people's life stories to draw out some great truths. The backdrop is running in a stadium with the "great cloud of witnesses" that surround the Christian and having some heroes of the faith come down to run a lap with you and give advice on lessons they learned. See the other reviews for the list of Old Testament heroes that are included. Each chapter has some discussion questions that can be used for personal reflection or for discussion as a group. There is also a brief prayer from each Biblical character for the reader to apply the truths from that chapter to their life. The discussion questions at the end of each book could easily be used for a small group study. Although the chapters are all brief, to really be able to answer many of the discussion questions adequately, you would need to read the Biblical passages for the Biblical figures mentioned in each chapter. This would obviously be a good thing. Even if you don't use the discussion question, it's still a motivation and inspiring read.
Rating:
Summary: The example of a life well lived has timeless power
Review: An inspiring little book that draws life and leadership principles from Old Testament Biblical characters. Maxwell uses the power and example of these people's life stories to draw out some great truths. The backdrop is running in a stadium with the "great cloud of witnesses" that surround the Christian and having some heroes of the faith come down to run a lap with you and give advice on lessons they learned. See the other reviews for the list of Old Testament heroes that are included. Each chapter has some discussion questions that can be used for personal reflection or for discussion as a group. There is also a brief prayer from each Biblical character for the reader to apply the truths from that chapter to their life. The discussion questions at the end of each book could easily be used for a small group study. Although the chapters are all brief, to really be able to answer many of the discussion questions adequately, you would need to read the Biblical passages for the Biblical figures mentioned in each chapter. This would obviously be a good thing. Even if you don't use the discussion question, it's still a motivation and inspiring read.
Rating:
Summary: Transcendent Values Then and Now
Review: Having read and reviewed most of Maxwell's other books, I am probably somewhat unfair when suggesting that he frequently recycles many of the same leadership principles. Stated another way, had I read only the one Maxwell book each time I was composing a review of it, I would probably rate each of the Maxwell books Five Stars. They are carefully organized, well written, and thought-provoking. The same is true of this volume in which Maxwell focuses on ten heroes and heroines from the Old Testament. He suggests that each manifests an important life and leadership principle: Noah (one person can make a difference), Esther (God has a place for you), Joseph (Don't give up on your dreams), Moses (live in the "faith zone," not the "safe zone"), Rebekah (give generously to others), Abraham (God always does the right thing), Nehemiah (no problem is too big when you have help), The Servant Girl (one small act can make a big difference), David (you can overcome the limitations others put on you), and finally Jonathan (strengthen a leader and save a nation). Maxwell devotes a chapter to each and concludes with a "Discussion Guide" based on the material provided in the given chapter. It is easy to list the names of the heroines and heroes, and, to list also the life and leadership principle each embodies. Far more difficult, obviously, to correlate their ancient cultures with our own. That is precisely Maxwell's point: However different cultures and individual circumstances may be, there really are some enduring values which are relevant to each. After I read this book, I was prompted to ask questions such as these. Have not contemporaries such as Gandhi made a difference? Was it not Mother Teresa's mission in life to give generously to others? Did Martin Luther King, Jr. ever give up on his dream? Were Gandhi, King, Sadat, and Rabin (to name but four) in a "safe zone" or a "faith zone" when assassinated? To varying degrees, ancient as well as contemporary heroes and heroines demonstrate in their lives and in their leadership of others the same principles and values which Maxwell affirms all of his many books. This one is different from the others in that it attracts our attention to ten individuals most of whom we seldom think about, much less appreciate, and from whom we can learn much of value if our hearts as well as our minds are both willing and able.
Rating:
Summary: Timeless Truths
Review: John Maxwell once again provides solid, practical wisdom that encurages and inspires. The examples from the Old Testament make the life lessons easy to apply to your own life. This book really helped me.
Rating:
Summary: Very thought-provoking book!
Review: John Maxwell's THINKING FOR A CHANGE was one of the best books I read last year . . . so when I saw RUNNING WITH THE GIANTS, another title from this NEW YORK TIMES best selling author and motivational teacher, I scooped it up eagerly.
The premise certainly caught my attention . . . Maxwell imagines that he is running with various Old Testament heroes, and he presents the advice that he receives from each one.
For example, he urges you to think about Noah for when you wonder if your life really counts . . . to think about Esther for when you are uncertain about your future . . . and to think about Joseph for when your life isn't turning out the way you planned . . . Moses, Rebekah, Abraham, David, and Jonathan are among the others who also appear in this short (136 pages) in but thought-provoking work.
I particularly enjoyed the questions for personal reflection after each section, such as this one:
What helps you to do the right thing when those around you are doing wrong?
In addition, Maxwell presented a prayer from each Biblical character . . . this one, entitled "Jonathan's Prayer for Us," caught my attention:
Sovereign Master and King,
Please empower my friends to see the big picture so they may know their place and be glad to be a part of something great, cultivate the right attitude toward the potential and success of others, and possess a servant's heart that receives great joy in adding value to leaders.
Amen
There were several other memorable passages; among them:
[writing about Moses]
Soon we are running our lap together. For a while, we simply travel side-by-side, waiting to hear what he says. Finally, Moses, the man who spoke with God face-to-face as one would to a friend, says, "live in the faith zone, not the safe zone."
As we continue running, Moses seems to consider what he wants to tell us. Finally he says, "Each person's life story is written in risks--the ones taken and the ones avoided. Look at my life. Do you think you would know my story if I hadn't stepped out of the safe zone? Would I even be talking to you right now if I hadn't entered the faith zone?" His gaze is fixed on us. It is intense.
"The greatest moment in my walk with God came at the burning bush," Moses continues. "The decision I made there that day wrote the next forty years of my life story. It is a decision that brought daily encounters with the living God! But in the moment of decision, it was not easy
to make."
[writing about Rebekah]
Rebekah went the extra mile. Her generosity stands in stark contrast to the prevailing attitudes today. Rebekah seemed to be saying, I'll do what you asked me to do, then I'm going to do something more. In contrast, many people today seem to be thinking, I'm going to do the least that is expected of me, and I'm going to try to get the most out of it. Sadly, this underlying spirit has even crept into the lives and thoughts of many people of faith. Few individuals desire to do
more than they must. Everywhere you look you see and attitude of minimum effort for maximum payment.
[writing about Jonathan]
"Only when you see what is important will you be willing to do the seemingly unimportant. I did not serve David because I lacked potential. I served him because he had greater potential. As I
look back on my life, my greatest joy was helping David succeed to the throne. Remember, it takes a lot of king-makers to make a king!"
Rating: 
Summary: Running with the Giants
Review: Maxwell has done it again. He has put togeher a book that inspires and empowers people to press forward to reach new heights. It's an easy read and can be applied to life immediately.
Rating:
Summary: Running with the Giants
Review: Maxwell has done it again. He has put togeher a book that inspires and empowers people to press forward to reach new heights. It's an easy read and can be applied to life immediately.
Rating:
Summary: 10 Lessons from Old Testament Heroes and Heroines
Review: The text for this book is an expanded version of a talk given by Dr. Maxwell at an NBA All-Star game. As a result, there's a sports context for the book's structure. The concept is that we each lead our lives with a cloud of witnesses observing as we perform (Heb. 12:1). "Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is before us." You imagine yourself running 10 laps in a race with the stands full of the great people from the Bible. Ten of them come down in turn to join you in running one lap, and share words of encouragement as they do. From Noah (". . . for when you wonder if your life really counts"), you learn that "you can make a difference" as you contemplate his single-minded focus on building the ark. From Esther (". . . for when you are uncertain about your purpose"), you are reminded that "when you realize God's purpose for you, you will feel empowered" as you focus on her developing the courage to make pleas to her husband the king to save the lives of the Jews. From Joseph (". . . for when life isn't turning out the way you planned"), you focus to not "give up on your dreams" as you think about Joseph's childhood dreams that all of his family would honor him. From Moses (". . . for when you are fearful or reluctant"), you are exhorted to "live in the faith zone, not in the safe zone" as you think about Moses returning to Egypt to lead the Jews after heeding the call of the burning bush. From Rebekah (". . . for when others ask for your help"), you are reminded to "give generously to others" as you recall her serving water for hours to Abraham and his camels. From Abraham (". . . for when you don't understand God's ways"), you remember that "God always does the right thing" as you consider his long wait to become a father and then God's command to slay his beloved son, Isaac. From the Servant Girl in 2 Kings 5:1-3 who was a slave to Naaman (". . . for when you think your efforts are insignificant"), you see that "one small act can make a big difference" as you reflect on her suggestion to her mistress that Naaman see Elisha to have his leprosy cured. From David (". . . for when others are trying to keep you down"), you see the example that "you can overcome the limitations others put on you" while contemplating what his father, brothers and King Saul did to slight David before he conquered Goliath. Finally, from Jonathan (". . . for when you want to make a greater impact"), you realize that when it is possible to "strengthen a leader and save a nation" as you think about how Jonathan helped David with Saul. These brief stories are supplemented at the end with suggestions for reading relevant sections of the Bible to deepen your understanding of these favorite stories. At the end of each story and lap, there is a marvelous section that includes a prayer and discussion questions. The questions alternate between imagining what the Biblical figure thought about while following these lessons with asking you what you need to do in your life. In most cases, these questions caused me to think about the stories in new ways . . . even though they are all well known to me since I was a little boy in Sunday School. I think it's easy for us today to forget to draw on the wisdom and experience represented by the great people in the Old Testament. Running with the Giants will help you overcome that tendency. For me the only things that could have made this book better would have been to include more Biblical stories (including both the Old and the New Testaments) and nonreligious heroes and heroines who have led lives of exceptional spirituality and goodness. But that would have made the book longer, more expensive and taken longer to read. However, I think the difference would have been good for me. Perhaps we'll have a series of these books over time from Dr. Maxwell. I certainly hope so.
Rating:
Summary: 10 Lessons from Old Testament Heroes and Heroines
Review: The text for this book is an expanded version of a talk given by Dr. Maxwell at an NBA All-Star game. As a result, there's a sports context for the book's structure. The concept is that we each lead our lives with a cloud of witnesses observing as we perform (Heb. 12:1). "Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is before us." You imagine yourself running 10 laps in a race with the stands full of the great people from the Bible. Ten of them come down in turn to join you in running one lap, and share words of encouragement as they do. From Noah (". . . for when you wonder if your life really counts"), you learn that "you can make a difference" as you contemplate his single-minded focus on building the ark. From Esther (". . . for when you are uncertain about your purpose"), you are reminded that "when you realize God's purpose for you, you will feel empowered" as you focus on her developing the courage to make pleas to her husband the king to save the lives of the Jews. From Joseph (". . . for when life isn't turning out the way you planned"), you focus to not "give up on your dreams" as you think about Joseph's childhood dreams that all of his family would honor him. From Moses (". . . for when you are fearful or reluctant"), you are exhorted to "live in the faith zone, not in the safe zone" as you think about Moses returning to Egypt to lead the Jews after heeding the call of the burning bush. From Rebekah (". . . for when others ask for your help"), you are reminded to "give generously to others" as you recall her serving water for hours to Abraham and his camels. From Abraham (". . . for when you don't understand God's ways"), you remember that "God always does the right thing" as you consider his long wait to become a father and then God's command to slay his beloved son, Isaac. From the Servant Girl in 2 Kings 5:1-3 who was a slave to Naaman (". . . for when you think your efforts are insignificant"), you see that "one small act can make a big difference" as you reflect on her suggestion to her mistress that Naaman see Elisha to have his leprosy cured. From David (". . . for when others are trying to keep you down"), you see the example that "you can overcome the limitations others put on you" while contemplating what his father, brothers and King Saul did to slight David before he conquered Goliath. Finally, from Jonathan (". . . for when you want to make a greater impact"), you realize that when it is possible to "strengthen a leader and save a nation" as you think about how Jonathan helped David with Saul. These brief stories are supplemented at the end with suggestions for reading relevant sections of the Bible to deepen your understanding of these favorite stories. At the end of each story and lap, there is a marvelous section that includes a prayer and discussion questions. The questions alternate between imagining what the Biblical figure thought about while following these lessons with asking you what you need to do in your life. In most cases, these questions caused me to think about the stories in new ways . . . even though they are all well known to me since I was a little boy in Sunday School. I think it's easy for us today to forget to draw on the wisdom and experience represented by the great people in the Old Testament. Running with the Giants will help you overcome that tendency. For me the only things that could have made this book better would have been to include more Biblical stories (including both the Old and the New Testaments) and nonreligious heroes and heroines who have led lives of exceptional spirituality and goodness. But that would have made the book longer, more expensive and taken longer to read. However, I think the difference would have been good for me. Perhaps we'll have a series of these books over time from Dr. Maxwell. I certainly hope so.
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