mychaelann's review against another edition
4.0
Inspiring. I always love a good biography. This one wasn't beautifully written, but still enjoyable to read and I finished wanting to be a better person.
sarahunsaker's review against another edition
3.0
To be honest, I skimmed the book here and there. I loved to read about President Monson's life, but the book is lengthy and I am not a fan of the author's style.
bethgiven's review against another edition
5.0
Wonderful man; wonderful book.
I spent a whole year reading this book (I finally got wise last January and started reading just a chapter each Sunday; it's just too dense to read it the way I usually read books, and I really did want to finish!). That gave me a lot of time to really savor the stories, and I loved having some special "Sunday reading" so I think I'll keep up the habit.
In some ways, this reads almost as a history of the Church in the past fifty years. My favorite parts of this book were the chapters on in East Germany. I was in tears reading about the temple in Freiburg -- what a miracle! It made me hopeful for the future, as the Church goes into other lands.
I loved reading about the prophet, especially the stories about him loving the individual. There are countless anecdotes of him remembering names of people he's met only once more, years and years before -- I loved that. And then there were stories of him following revelation to reach out to "the one," someone who is known to God, even if President Monson didn't -- I loved those stories, too.
One quote I especially liked was from Spencer J. Condie:
“The bottom line is that when [Thomas S. Monson] leaves a meeting, conference, or gathering, everybody feels edified. They feel loved and validated. They do not feel like unprofitable servants of the Lord. They believe President Monson feels they are okay, so maybe Heavenly Father thinks they are okay. They know they have got to do a lot better than they are doing, but they are going to do better because he has shown them great love and respect.”
Of course, going into this book you know the content will be wonderful -- but I'm also impressed with how the author put this book together. Heidi Swinton managed to tell the story of his life in the traditional chronological order, but would occasionally let "theme" trump all, keeping the decade-spanning stories together. I think it was a very effective, inspired, even necessary way to put together such a complex biography. I'm grateful for Swinton for taking on the challenge so we could get to know the prophet better.
I spent a whole year reading this book (I finally got wise last January and started reading just a chapter each Sunday; it's just too dense to read it the way I usually read books, and I really did want to finish!). That gave me a lot of time to really savor the stories, and I loved having some special "Sunday reading" so I think I'll keep up the habit.
In some ways, this reads almost as a history of the Church in the past fifty years. My favorite parts of this book were the chapters on in East Germany. I was in tears reading about the temple in Freiburg -- what a miracle! It made me hopeful for the future, as the Church goes into other lands.
I loved reading about the prophet, especially the stories about him loving the individual. There are countless anecdotes of him remembering names of people he's met only once more, years and years before -- I loved that. And then there were stories of him following revelation to reach out to "the one," someone who is known to God, even if President Monson didn't -- I loved those stories, too.
One quote I especially liked was from Spencer J. Condie:
“The bottom line is that when [Thomas S. Monson] leaves a meeting, conference, or gathering, everybody feels edified. They feel loved and validated. They do not feel like unprofitable servants of the Lord. They believe President Monson feels they are okay, so maybe Heavenly Father thinks they are okay. They know they have got to do a lot better than they are doing, but they are going to do better because he has shown them great love and respect.”
Of course, going into this book you know the content will be wonderful -- but I'm also impressed with how the author put this book together. Heidi Swinton managed to tell the story of his life in the traditional chronological order, but would occasionally let "theme" trump all, keeping the decade-spanning stories together. I think it was a very effective, inspired, even necessary way to put together such a complex biography. I'm grateful for Swinton for taking on the challenge so we could get to know the prophet better.
jsburt's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed learning more about the life and teachings of Thomas S. Monson! I have always loved President Monson but now have a much greater appreciation for him. I learned a lot that I have tried to incorporate into my own life!
morepagesplease's review against another edition
5.0
Every single time I read this book I felt uplifted and encouraged in my desire to become a better person. President Monson is an inspiration to me, and truly an example of Christlike love.
gregplatt77's review against another edition
2.0
While the subject matter of this book is definite 5-star material, the execution left very much to be desired. So many entire paragraphs in this book were simply lists of names or dates or places with absolutely no point. Honestly, I would rather read Leviticus and Numbers than ever pick this book up again. This author would labor over details of the background of a anecdote, only to complete it without giving any of the important details of the resolution. One in particular stands out in my mind where several paragraphs were devoted to laying out the problem, and then followed with "President Monson was sent to fix the problem, and he did." Worthless drivel. Also, this author seems obsessed with hyperbole to the point where one can hardly bear to read any more. When it comes to writing style, the author is among the most impoverished of any I've ever read.
Bottom line: it took me several months to get through this book. Since this year I've read 45 other books so far (including text books and technical manuals), that's indicative of how difficult it was to read. 2 stars only because of the subject of the book; otherwise it would be 0.
Bottom line: it took me several months to get through this book. Since this year I've read 45 other books so far (including text books and technical manuals), that's indicative of how difficult it was to read. 2 stars only because of the subject of the book; otherwise it would be 0.
talesuponmyshelf_'s review against another edition
3.0
I feel bad giving this rating but I just didn’t enjoy reading it. I loved learning more about President Monson and some parts were interesting but it read like a really long history book and I got bored.
stoddawg's review against another edition
4.0
I have a very mixed opinion in this book. While I did not love the writing style as it often jumps around without cohesiveness at the same time the stories are inspiring and faith-building. I loved getting to know this holy man better. I find that as I now read his talks they have more meaning because I understand a little bit better his background.
It was absolutely fascinating to read of all the miracles that have surrounded this man in his life and the work he strove to do for the Lord.
While, I believe the book could have been even better with a different author I believe everyone would benefit from reading this book. My testimony of the divinity of his calling as a prophet of God has never been stronger.
It was absolutely fascinating to read of all the miracles that have surrounded this man in his life and the work he strove to do for the Lord.
While, I believe the book could have been even better with a different author I believe everyone would benefit from reading this book. My testimony of the divinity of his calling as a prophet of God has never been stronger.
mturney1010's review against another edition
4.0
It was fascinating to learn, in detail, about the man I and millions of others regard as a latter-day prophet. It was spiritually uplifting and incredibly humbling. It made me want to be a better person, it made me want to make humankind more of a priority. It was incredibly touching.
I'm thankful for President Monson.
I'm thankful for President Monson.