The Call : Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life

Rating:
Summary: Superb and Profound Thinking!!
Review: "The Call" is one of the first books I've read by Os Guinness, and it was well worth it. He poses some interesting and provocative topics, all related to what our purpose in life could be. This is not an easy task, but he poses the question by introducing each chapter with lives of such historical figures as Yehudi Menuhin, Francis of Assisi, Picasso, Andrew Carnegie, and others.

There are 26 chapters in this book, and the author recommends reading a chapter a day. Of course, if you choose to read more than a chapter a day, you can get a little overload on the thinking process. And this is a Thinking Book. The second half of each chapter then applies the truths to which Mr. Guinness is referring to the Christian's walk with Christ. He refers to those who follow Christ not as "Christian," but "Followers of the Way," which I found to be incredibly refreshing.

Again, this is not easy reading, but overall, he credits many people with his premise, which is also biblical, and his references to Oswald Chambers' work is also refreshing. There is a study guide in the back to follow each chapter, and of special interest is the "Entrepreneurs of Life" at the very end of the book.

A splendid read, indeed, and well worth recommending at the highest level!!

Rating:
Summary: The Best!
Review: "The Call" is the best work - bar none! - about finding one's calling in life that I have read. It is definitely not one of those workbook-type, step-by-step guides to getting in touch with your "inner being", nor is it an aptitude or interest survey. It is also not quite correct to say that it is Christian-based. "The Call" goes far beyond being "based" in/on Christianity, showing that Christianity *entails* calling (which for most people, Guinness explicitly states, does NOT mean a call to the ministry, priesthood, or to be a nun, etc.). Therefore the only word of warning that I have is that it will not be helpful for non-Christians.

I find it highly suggestive that the reviewer who wrote that Guinness is only trying to show off also said that it is a very difficult read. These criticisms taken together make perfect sense if the book is over your head, but I think that very few people will find this to be the case.

I also recommend Barbara Sher's "I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was" as an adjunct to "The Call". Sher's excellent book identifies the various reasons why people may fail to understand their calling or to resist it. Though not written from an explicitly Christian perspective, it is very straightforward and delightfully free of the psycho-pablum that has proven its worthlessness again and again.

Rating:
Summary: Superb and Profound Thinking!!
Review: "The Call" is one of the first books I've read by Os Guinness, and it was well worth it. He poses some interesting and provocative topics, all related to what our purpose in life could be. This is not an easy task, but he poses the question by introducing each chapter with lives of such historical figures as Yehudi Menuhin, Francis of Assisi, Picasso, Andrew Carnegie, and others.

There are 26 chapters in this book, and the author recommends reading a chapter a day. Of course, if you choose to read more than a chapter a day, you can get a little overload on the thinking process. And this is a Thinking Book. The second half of each chapter then applies the truths to which Mr. Guinness is referring to the Christian's walk with Christ. He refers to those who follow Christ not as "Christian," but "Followers of the Way," which I found to be incredibly refreshing.

Again, this is not easy reading, but overall, he credits many people with his premise, which is also biblical, and his references to Oswald Chambers' work is also refreshing. There is a study guide in the back to follow each chapter, and of special interest is the "Entrepreneurs of Life" at the very end of the book.

A splendid read, indeed, and well worth recommending at the highest level!!

Rating:
Summary: Superb and Profound Thinking!!
Review: "The Call" is one of the first books I've read by Os Guinness, and it was well worth it. He poses some interesting and provocative topics, all related to what our purpose in life could be. This is not an easy task, but he poses the question by introducing each chapter with lives of such historical figures as Yehudi Menuhin, Francis of Assisi, Picasso, Andrew Carnegie, and others.

There are 26 chapters in this book, and the author recommends reading a chapter a day. Of course, if you choose to read more than a chapter a day, you can get a little overload on the thinking process. And this is a Thinking Book. The second half of each chapter then applies the truths to which Mr. Guinness is referring to the Christian's walk with Christ. He refers to those who follow Christ not as "Christian," but "Followers of the Way," which I found to be incredibly refreshing.

Again, this is not easy reading, but overall, he credits many people with his premise, which is also biblical, and his references to Oswald Chambers' work is also refreshing. There is a study guide in the back to follow each chapter, and of special interest is the "Entrepreneurs of Life" at the very end of the book.

A splendid read, indeed, and well worth recommending at the highest level!!

Rating:
Summary: The Best!
Review: "The Call" is the best work - bar none! - about finding one's calling in life that I have read. It is definitely not one of those workbook-type, step-by-step guides to getting in touch with your "inner being", nor is it an aptitude or interest survey. It is also not quite correct to say that it is Christian-based. "The Call" goes far beyond being "based" in/on Christianity, showing that Christianity *entails* calling (which for most people, Guinness explicitly states, does NOT mean a call to the ministry, priesthood, or to be a nun, etc.). Therefore the only word of warning that I have is that it will not be helpful for non-Christians.

I find it highly suggestive that the reviewer who wrote that Guinness is only trying to show off also said that it is a very difficult read. These criticisms taken together make perfect sense if the book is over your head, but I think that very few people will find this to be the case.

I also recommend Barbara Sher's "I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was" as an adjunct to "The Call". Sher's excellent book identifies the various reasons why people may fail to understand their calling or to resist it. Though not written from an explicitly Christian perspective, it is very straightforward and delightfully free of the psycho-pablum that has proven its worthlessness again and again.

Rating:
Summary: The Best!
Review: "The Call" is the best work - bar none! - about finding one's calling in life that I have read. It is definitely not one of those workbook-type, step-by-step guides to getting in touch with your "inner being", nor is it an aptitude or interest survey. It is also not quite correct to say that it is Christian-based. "The Call" goes far beyond being "based" in/on Christianity, showing that Christianity *entails* calling (which for most people, Guinness explicitly states, does NOT mean a call to the ministry, priesthood, or to be a nun, etc.). Therefore the only word of warning that I have is that it will not be helpful for non-Christians.

I find it highly suggestive that the reviewer who wrote that Guinness is only trying to show off also said that it is a very difficult read. These criticisms taken together make perfect sense if the book is over your head, but I think that very few people will find this to be the case.

I also recommend Barbara Sher's "I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was" as an adjunct to "The Call". Sher's excellent book identifies the various reasons why people may fail to understand their calling or to resist it. Though not written from an explicitly Christian perspective, it is very straightforward and delightfully free of the psycho-pablum that has proven its worthlessness again and again.

Rating:
Summary: Intellectually stimulating, spiritually challenging.
Review: A pearl of wisodm to be found on almost every page. A sampling:

"The trouble is that, as a modern people, we have too much to live with and too little to live for."

"Escape from a false sense of life-purpose is only liberating if it leads to a true one."

"He never asked men to do what was reasonable. Men can do that for themselves. They can buy and sell, heal and govern. But then out of some deep place comes the command to do what makes no sense at all -- to build a ship on dry land; to sit among the dunghills; to marry a whore; to set their son on the altar of sacrifice. Then, if men have faith, a new thing comes."

"Of course those who heard [Jesus] all had ears; of course they didn't all hear. Being responsible, we will be held responsible one day if not today. ... For while we may debate our freedom to choose, there is no doubt that we are not free NOT to choose."

Rating:
Summary: A Great Companion for Life in the 21st Century
Review: I actually found the subtitle a little misleading, but I'm glad I was wrong. I was expecting a methodological, list-oriented workbook, of which we already have so many. But this is not a formulaic approach at all. I found it instead to be an inspiring meditation on the process of discovering and pursuing one's purpose in life.

With its relatively short chapters, this book is well-suited as a daily or weekly reading. Guinness has selected some great gems for his book -- reflective stories of the greats (and not-so-greats) who have gone before. Who could not be moved by the sacrificial courage of Leonidas and the Spartans at Thermopylae; or the focused perseverance of Magellan; or the imaginative vision of T.E. Lawrence? And so many of Guinness's selections are relatively unfamiliar stories, thus avoiding the atmosphere of cliché that descends with an over-used example.

But this is not just a moving collection of stories. Each illustration serves to open a reflection on the various virtues, vices and principles that surround the pursuit of one's calling. Topics from courage to laziness, menial labor to pride, timing and decisiveness all receive perceptive treatment. Guinness is a keen observer and analyst of our times and our persons.

This book is tremendously challenging and inspirational. I plan to read it several more times.

Rating:
Summary: Jam-packed pages, many pearls of wisdom
Review: I have read Mr Guiness' books since he began writing many years ago. His writing has had a profound impact on my own faith. In this book, Mr Guiness is at his best when writing about historical figures. These vignettes are well done, and very interesting.

The reader must stay alert for profundities that certainly influenced my own thinking. My favorite example is his chapter about "An Audience of One" which drives home the fact that we act to please God, not anyone or anything else.

Unfortunately (in my opinion,) Mr Guiness over-uses quotations. That he is a scholar is never in doubt, but almost every page is a string of someone else's words. I find two problems with this style, 1) the reader must wade through all the punctuation and references trying to find his point, and 2) I would much rather read Mr Guiness' own thoughts about the subject than a myriad of others'. For example, I find his story of his great great grandmother is the most interesting chapter in the book. Indeed, I would rather read about Mr Guiness' own calling.

My lay conclusion is that he has overcomplicated he subject, and I was disappointed that although he includes Blaise Pascal, he omits his pertinent point, "The chief purpose of man is to glorify God." In fact, the entire book could have revolved around just this statement. I hope he is saving this for his next book.

In spite of my stated reservations, I certainly recommend this book as well as all other books written or edited by Mr Guiness.

Rating:
Summary: Jam-packed pages, many pearls of wisdom
Review: I have read Mr Guiness' books since he began writing many years ago. His writing has had a profound impact on my own faith. In this book, Mr Guiness is at his best when writing about historical figures. These vignettes are well done, and very interesting.

The reader must stay alert for profundities that certainly influenced my own thinking. My favorite example is his chapter about "An Audience of One" which drives home the fact that we act to please God, not anyone or anything else.

Unfortunately (in my opinion,) Mr Guiness over-uses quotations. That he is a scholar is never in doubt, but almost every page is a string of someone else's words. I find two problems with this style, 1) the reader must wade through all the punctuation and references trying to find his point, and 2) I would much rather read Mr Guiness' own thoughts about the subject than a myriad of others'. For example, I find his story of his great great grandmother is the most interesting chapter in the book. Indeed, I would rather read about Mr Guiness' own calling.

My lay conclusion is that he has overcomplicated he subject, and I was disappointed that although he includes Blaise Pascal, he omits his pertinent point, "The chief purpose of man is to glorify God." In fact, the entire book could have revolved around just this statement. I hope he is saving this for his next book.

In spite of my stated reservations, I certainly recommend this book as well as all other books written or edited by Mr Guiness.