Questions of Life: Book Review

When I received the book Questions of Life by Nicky Gumbel to review, I was instantly intrigued.  This book, to me, is sitting down with the wise, old, beloved grandpa that has lived a long, full life.  As you both sit upon the porch sipping a glass of ice tea, he begins his story.  This book is that story.

There hasn’t been a day when probably every single one of us has asked, “What is my life all about?”  Not only will this book help put that question in perspective, it gives you a thought-provoking walk through a christian view of God’ purpose for us.  This book is about the struggle of non-believers and pondering the flights of life without Christ.  Does he exist?  If he does, where is he relevant to every day life?

Questions of Life  is 15 chapters packed with informative question and answer segments. He asks a question and provides his views in a well-thought out response.  There are references to scriptures and beyond.  One of the most humorous parts of this book were the small cartoon drawings on many of the pages that make reference to the topics at hand.

Mr. Gumble writes a book that asks is profoundly well-written with principled research.
His use of vocabulary is extraordinary and at times, this book read like it was poetically crafted, especially in the use of such phrases as “asinine fatuity” and “unhesitatingly behaved”.   One  statement in this book that stood out for me is this one pertaining to resisting evil:  “There is a close connection between good and God and between evil and the devil. Indeed, in each case the difference is only one letter!”

This book is not a short nor easy read.  It’s complex and thought provoking.  Plan to have some time to spare when going through this book, chapter by chapter.  Although it’s written well, I found at times that it read more like a term paper or college textbook than a ‘book’ per se.  I would have loved to hear more of the author’s perspective, though you do, rather than the vast references to other works, like C.S. Lewis.  It interrupted the overall flow of the book, I felt, and was somewhat a distraction.

However, I’ve dog-eared and made more notes in the pages of this book than I have in many.  The topic is one we can probably all identify with and this is a good book overall to make you stop and think.  As mentioned before, the writing just wasn’t my style.

 I received a copy of this book free from The B&B Media Group, Inc., as part of their Book Review Blogger 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."