O Book Review: Crave

Overview:
Crave. I love that word. The analogy the author of Crave, Chris Tomlinson, uses is that of a slightly chubby child with a big spoon and an even bigger tub of ice cream. And he can’t get it in his mouth fast enough. That’s how Chris wants you to see God at the end of this book: you can’t get more of Him fast enough. And I must say that he has done an amazing job of it. Chris uses stories, quotations, and original thoughts to draw you to the place where you want God on a giant spoon.

Originality:
Chris’ book is one of the most original I’ve read in a very, very long time. He uses a unique method of tying images to his big ideas to make some great points. His thoughts on suffering and joy are beautiful. In the originality department, he gets an A+.

Overall Readablity:
Reading Crave is unbelievably easy. He does a good job of breaking up the text with stories, quotes, Scripture, and personal opinion. As with many books for the Christian market, it does assume some background in Christian-ese. And he quotes John Piper, who I find it increasingly hard to take seriously the more I follow @fakejohnpiper on Twitter. So that makes me chuckle at inappropriate moments. Other than that, very readable.

Quotes, recommendations, and more, after the jump!

Outstanding Quotation:

Our craving for happiness and joy is from God. He created us with a craving that longs to be filled. And when we fill this hole with anything but Him, we realize none of it works.

- p. 198

Observations:
As you may have already picked up on, I loved Crave. I honestly think it is one of the best Christian living books published in a long while. It changed the way I look at God. It changed my experiences with him. And I hope that when you read it (which you should), you love it just as much.

That’s not to say I’m all kittens and rainbows about this book though. There are a few places that I disagree with things he says, such as a section about “God’s edges.” But that’s another story entirely which I could rant on for quite some time. However, the rest of his book is so incredibly awesome, I would definitely recommend it to anyone.

Own It:
Admittedly, I got my copy for free, but I would have paid the $10 this book costs. Get it. Love it. And if you want to be incredibly sure you want to own it, you can even read the first 3 chapters for free.

O Book Reviews Rating:
4.5/5 stars

Drumroll please…. I am hereby pleased to announce EvanDoyle.com’s first ever GIVEA-YAY! No, I didn’t misspell that. This giveaway is so exciting that I’ve turned it into a givea-yay. Here’s the lowdown:

1. How to enter: Simple. Just leave a comment on this post. Make sure to include your email address so I can get it touch with you if you win!
2. Extra entries: There are three ways to get an extra entry:
   a. Follow me on Twitter. My username is kidzmatter2me. Once you’ve done that, come back here and leave another comment!
   b. Tweet the following: “I’m entering to win a copy of @christomlinson_’s book Crave from @kidzmatter2me. Read a review and enter yourself at http://bit.ly/brrnBn.” Once you’ve done that, come back here and leave another  comment.
   c. Post a link to this page on your Facebook account. Then leave another comment.
3. Rules: You must be at least 18 years old. (Sorry kids.) You must be a resident of the United States. (Sorry Canada.) You must not be a family member. (Sorry Mom.) You must really, really want a copy of Crave. (Sorry boring people.)

That’s it! Now get commenting, tweeting, Facebooking, and whatever else it is you young-ins do!

If you don’t win the giveaway, you can o-cquire your copy at:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Extremely Boring Yet Legally Required Disclosure:
I received this book free from Harvest House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”