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.”

Overview:

Originality:
The discussion over whether Free Book is original or not really depends on what kind of original you mean. Is it original in the sense that the things within its pages have never been said before? No. Its basic principles and ideas are straight from the pages of Scripture. Is it original in the sense that the things within its pages haven’t been said enough? Absolutely. We as the church tend to get so caught up in the “dos and don’ts” that we forget the freedom that Christ has brought us. That’s Brian’s whole point. We need more voices like his to speak out and stand for freedom.

Overall Readablity:
There isn’t a lot to be concerned about here, but the book is definitely written to a college-educated audience. It’s not hard to read by any means in the terms of vocabulary used- it’s actually rather easy. There are just a few analogies that Brian employs at times that require some back knowledge of either major religious figures, Bible stories, or philosophers, but nothing that changes your ability to grasp the meaning of the book. It was a very enjoyable read.

Outstanding Quotation:

If you’re focused on maintaining balance–trying to satisfy all the people in every area of your life and just skating by with a little energy here and there–you probably aren’t moving, and you probably aren’t experiencing the blessings that come from a life lived in freedom.

- p. 148

Observations:
Brian isn’t afraid to be brutally honest with you in this book. He shares with you about mistakes he’s made, mistakes a lot of people make, and just generally stupid things people have done. He doesn’t try to beat around the bush. He’s especially clear about this in the third chapter, when he really gets down to defining freedom. He talks about the American definition of freedom, meaning absolute freedom from restrictions. However, he slaps that idea upside the head with his definition: “Freedom requires a decision to follow someone, because freedom is not about your isolation and independence.” Throughout the book he shares personal stories of times when he hasn’t lived life in total freedom. He’s not afraid to show you his true colors.

On the other hand, I think that at times he can take his brutal honesty too far, even to the point of “cliche” Christian honesty. One of the very first of these cliche traps he falls into is on the very first page: pastors who curse to be “cool.” I can’t fully know his intention for it, but seeing as it’s the only time in the entire book that terminology like that is used, it just feels a bit like it’s there more for bragging rights than because it actually makes a point. He also makes repeated reference to drinking beer with his buddies. While I’m not going to get the whole alcohol debate started here, it again feels like it’s more of a “look at me I’m a drinking Christian” show than actually serving to further his point.

All in all though, I think Brian has done a great job with Free Book. He’s spoken a message too many are too scared to proclaim. Freedom.

Own It:
It’s found a permanent place on my shelf, and I think it should on yours too.

O Book Reviews Rating:
3.5/5 stars

O-cquire your copy at:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Extremely Boring Yet Legally Required Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. 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.”