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melissadegraffbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Nothing surprising, but very good. I especially enjoyed reading about his work in East Germany and all the details that went into our current edition of the scriptures.
specialk136's review against another edition
3.0
I should probably justify my 3-star rating by saying biographies are hard for me to read, because they often contain SO MUCH detail. To that end, I think Swinton did a pretty good job of sticking to main themes rather than a solely chronological structure. Some reviewers have complained that it did skip around a bit; I definitely noticed it/was a little confused by it but wasn't super bugged by it.
I read this book because I wanted to have a better appreciation for President Monson, and to that end, I think it's impossible NOT to after reading. What I learned is that President Monson is the same person he is on the stand as he is in life. Some of the stories we have heard him tell over the pulpit; I especially enjoyed the stories we haven't heard before (like his work behind the Iron Curtain) or the countless times when he followed a prompting and something miraculous occurred.
Some of the other reviewers have wished we would have learned more about what made President Monson who he is - his struggles and hardships (of which there must have been plenty). I agree. In fact, the only example I can think of in the entire book is a time when he failed to follow a prompting immediately and by the time he arrived at the hospital to give a brother a blessing, he had died. That taught him never again to delay acting on a prompting. That was a powerful story and I would've liked to have seen more of that in his biography. But I also don't think that's Swinton's fault. As most of her source material was President Monson himself (either his interviews, talks, or journals), I think it's consistent with who he is. He doesn't dwell on his struggles but focuses on the job ahead.
So why only 3 stars? The writing is a bit folksy at times ("That's President Monson," is said several times to illustrate his character). There is probably too much time spent on some parts of his life. But overall, I am really glad I read it, because it gives me an appreciation for President Monson, and makes me want to reach out and have more of a concern for others, just as he does.
I read this book because I wanted to have a better appreciation for President Monson, and to that end, I think it's impossible NOT to after reading. What I learned is that President Monson is the same person he is on the stand as he is in life. Some of the stories we have heard him tell over the pulpit; I especially enjoyed the stories we haven't heard before (like his work behind the Iron Curtain) or the countless times when he followed a prompting and something miraculous occurred.
Some of the other reviewers have wished we would have learned more about what made President Monson who he is - his struggles and hardships (of which there must have been plenty). I agree. In fact, the only example I can think of in the entire book is a time when he failed to follow a prompting immediately and by the time he arrived at the hospital to give a brother a blessing, he had died. That taught him never again to delay acting on a prompting. That was a powerful story and I would've liked to have seen more of that in his biography. But I also don't think that's Swinton's fault. As most of her source material was President Monson himself (either his interviews, talks, or journals), I think it's consistent with who he is. He doesn't dwell on his struggles but focuses on the job ahead.
So why only 3 stars? The writing is a bit folksy at times ("That's President Monson," is said several times to illustrate his character). There is probably too much time spent on some parts of his life. But overall, I am really glad I read it, because it gives me an appreciation for President Monson, and makes me want to reach out and have more of a concern for others, just as he does.
statman's review against another edition
4.0
I like biographies in general and I really liked this one. You can't helped but be amazed by the man as you read of the way he has strived to go about doing good. He clearly has a gift for reaching out to other people, being their friend and helping them to know that he loves them. I would love to be more like that and I think he is a great example for the world.
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.