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laffingkat's review
4.0
In the first chapter, Pastor John Pavlovitz states that “Adversity (ours or others’) is always an invitation to be transformed.” I feel like that’s a good summary for the message of this book. The author shares many stories, both his own and others’, showing how our most difficult experiences can inspire us to discover our heroism, live more meaningful lives, and work to make the world a better place.
The book draws on the author’s love of comic books, and his frequent pop culture quotes and comic book references, as well as his self-deprecating sense of humor, add some fun to this manifesto. The ordinary superpowers that he promotes are compassion, sacrifice, courage, humor, humility, honesty, kindness, creativity, persistence, wonder, and gratitude, as well as hope and love. Regardless of our beliefs and affiliations, I’m sure most of us would like to see more of these values.
I love the author’s blog, but I felt like this book dragged a little bit at times. Still, if you are looking for a bit of inspiration and encouragement, I recommend you give this a try. Many passages were sweet, instructive, and easy to relate to, such as the author’s story of receiving spiritual nourishment from attending a U2 concert or making time for a spontaneous dance party with his daughter.
Note that the author is vocally progressive in his politics and not shy about his dissatisfaction with the Trump administration, so Trump fans probably won’t care for this. I think the book was carefully written to be inclusive of most other folks. While Mr. Pavlovitz does discuss his vocation as a pastor, this is not particularly a Christian book; there is very little religious content and I never felt uncomfortable reading this as a nonreligious person. Consider this passage as an example:
Whether you’re a person who believes that life is the work of an eternal creator initiating everything, or you understand the world to be a random, organic evolutionary process, the conclusion you come to about yourself should be similarly awe-inspiring. Either you are an intentional work of art fashioned by the hand of a limitless creator, or you are a once-in-history, never-to-be-repeated miracle of matter and gravity.
I was provided an ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review. Because I have not seen the final published version, I cannot comment on the final editing and formatting.
The book draws on the author’s love of comic books, and his frequent pop culture quotes and comic book references, as well as his self-deprecating sense of humor, add some fun to this manifesto. The ordinary superpowers that he promotes are compassion, sacrifice, courage, humor, humility, honesty, kindness, creativity, persistence, wonder, and gratitude, as well as hope and love. Regardless of our beliefs and affiliations, I’m sure most of us would like to see more of these values.
I love the author’s blog, but I felt like this book dragged a little bit at times. Still, if you are looking for a bit of inspiration and encouragement, I recommend you give this a try. Many passages were sweet, instructive, and easy to relate to, such as the author’s story of receiving spiritual nourishment from attending a U2 concert or making time for a spontaneous dance party with his daughter.
Note that the author is vocally progressive in his politics and not shy about his dissatisfaction with the Trump administration, so Trump fans probably won’t care for this. I think the book was carefully written to be inclusive of most other folks. While Mr. Pavlovitz does discuss his vocation as a pastor, this is not particularly a Christian book; there is very little religious content and I never felt uncomfortable reading this as a nonreligious person. Consider this passage as an example:
Whether you’re a person who believes that life is the work of an eternal creator initiating everything, or you understand the world to be a random, organic evolutionary process, the conclusion you come to about yourself should be similarly awe-inspiring. Either you are an intentional work of art fashioned by the hand of a limitless creator, or you are a once-in-history, never-to-be-repeated miracle of matter and gravity.
I was provided an ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review. Because I have not seen the final published version, I cannot comment on the final editing and formatting.
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