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A review by holtfan
WEIRD: Because Normal Isn't Working by Craig Groeschel
2.0
Did you ever attend a purity conference with your youth group in high school?
Because if not, don't worry. This book will provide all the cringe and false cheer without the inability to breathe because the middle school boy sitting next to you is wearing too much Axe. Did I say sitting next to? Ha. Not if you are female. Guys on the left, girls on the right. No purpling.
I see you trying to cross that invisible line, Timmy. And I be judging you.
I'm not entirely sure where to start with this book because I do think its heart is in the right place. It is like "be weird! and by weird I mean don't cheat on your wife!"
And I'm all down for encouraging people not to cheat on their spouses. And for encouraging them to spend time with their kids, avoid crippling debt, and occasionally call their grandma. There is nothing inherently wrong with anything this book encourages you to do, and in fact this definition of being "weird" will probably improve your quality of life considerably.
But none of it is mind blowing and none of it is Gospel.
You can follow everything Groeschel encourages you to do in this relatively short volume, be as weird as you like, and still miss grace.
And I'm not saying this book needed to be Gospel. That isn't Groeschel's goal...I don't think. But for a book that presents itself as a Christian reaction to the world, it really offers very little about heart-change and a whole lot about behavior-change.
I'm also not really sure who the intended audience for this book is. High schoolers? Probably not, since he talks a lot about sex, marriage, raising kids. Parents/couples? If so, the book is more about individual behavior than relational. And also, all the advice about "keeping four feet on the ground" while dating is going to be kind of...moot.
Maybe his comments about sex and porn are to inspire parents to have more open conversations with their kids about these things, but again, it is addressed more personally than "make sure your kid knows this or that..."
It is a weird jumble of advice, personal application, and funny stories about his 6 kids.
Overall, I don't recommend this one. If you want a book on time management, check out [b:Breaking Busy: How to Find Peace and Purpose in a World of Crazy|25828439|Breaking Busy How to Find Peace and Purpose in a World of Crazy|Alli Worthington|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1450348645l/25828439._SY75_.jpg|45688152]. And if you want something about how to raise kids or why to avoid porn or what it takes to become financially stable...there are a million other books out there that address the topics in depth and not as a piecemeal "this is how to live your life."
If you want my harshest opinion, this book epitomizes why so many young people who were "Jesus Freaks" in high school end up burning out and leaving the faith once they hit college or young adulthood. Pithy stories and hard and fast rules might read well and motivate you for a month or two, but once you finally come face to face with the realities of life, it won't take you far. Identifying "Weird" because you don't sleep around or watch Say Yes To The Dress or let your kids play Webkinz 7 days a week is all well and fine. But those aren't a foundation for faith or a guarantee of good behavior.
And to be kinder, I don't think this book intends its list of rules to serve as a replacement for faith. It merely presents several suggestions for how to be a good Christian in a sex-saturated world. But it offers very little new and a whole lot of cringe.
I don't remember what I paid for this one but I hope it wasn't a lot because it is going back to Goodwill.
Because if not, don't worry. This book will provide all the cringe and false cheer without the inability to breathe because the middle school boy sitting next to you is wearing too much Axe. Did I say sitting next to? Ha. Not if you are female. Guys on the left, girls on the right. No purpling.
I see you trying to cross that invisible line, Timmy. And I be judging you.
I'm not entirely sure where to start with this book because I do think its heart is in the right place. It is like "be weird! and by weird I mean don't cheat on your wife!"
And I'm all down for encouraging people not to cheat on their spouses. And for encouraging them to spend time with their kids, avoid crippling debt, and occasionally call their grandma. There is nothing inherently wrong with anything this book encourages you to do, and in fact this definition of being "weird" will probably improve your quality of life considerably.
But none of it is mind blowing and none of it is Gospel.
You can follow everything Groeschel encourages you to do in this relatively short volume, be as weird as you like, and still miss grace.
And I'm not saying this book needed to be Gospel. That isn't Groeschel's goal...I don't think. But for a book that presents itself as a Christian reaction to the world, it really offers very little about heart-change and a whole lot about behavior-change.
I'm also not really sure who the intended audience for this book is. High schoolers? Probably not, since he talks a lot about sex, marriage, raising kids. Parents/couples? If so, the book is more about individual behavior than relational. And also, all the advice about "keeping four feet on the ground" while dating is going to be kind of...moot.
Maybe his comments about sex and porn are to inspire parents to have more open conversations with their kids about these things, but again, it is addressed more personally than "make sure your kid knows this or that..."
It is a weird jumble of advice, personal application, and funny stories about his 6 kids.
Overall, I don't recommend this one. If you want a book on time management, check out [b:Breaking Busy: How to Find Peace and Purpose in a World of Crazy|25828439|Breaking Busy How to Find Peace and Purpose in a World of Crazy|Alli Worthington|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1450348645l/25828439._SY75_.jpg|45688152]. And if you want something about how to raise kids or why to avoid porn or what it takes to become financially stable...there are a million other books out there that address the topics in depth and not as a piecemeal "this is how to live your life."
If you want my harshest opinion, this book epitomizes why so many young people who were "Jesus Freaks" in high school end up burning out and leaving the faith once they hit college or young adulthood. Pithy stories and hard and fast rules might read well and motivate you for a month or two, but once you finally come face to face with the realities of life, it won't take you far. Identifying "Weird" because you don't sleep around or watch Say Yes To The Dress or let your kids play Webkinz 7 days a week is all well and fine. But those aren't a foundation for faith or a guarantee of good behavior.
And to be kinder, I don't think this book intends its list of rules to serve as a replacement for faith. It merely presents several suggestions for how to be a good Christian in a sex-saturated world. But it offers very little new and a whole lot of cringe.
I don't remember what I paid for this one but I hope it wasn't a lot because it is going back to Goodwill.