It connected to my heart

John uses what he knows, which is hiking, fishing, canoeing, and manly movies to describe his point.

I have always loved the outdoors, climbing a 14K foot peak is far more spiritual than attending your average worship service, that is for sure. I love many of the same things that John does, and I have been trained to be a warrior in a foxhole. So when John talks about being in the "Wild" or having a "warrior's heart", I get it. If you have been locked up in the prison of civilization all your life, (which is how I understand it) you may not appreciate it. I am a father of two boys, and just teaching them about the outdoors is a challenge. If, on the otherhand, you have dreams of floating through the Grand Canyon or climbing that mountain, this book will connect with your heart.
Some critics have called this book an attempt to get us back to our caveman roots, but when you don't connect, you cannot see the vision. It is about living out God's adventure for our lives, it is about taking up His battle, making His battle our own. In this area, I believe that John has hit a crucial nerve with so many men that have been afraid of becoming passionate about anything, much less being passionate for Christ. That is where John is trying to lead us, into a passionate existence where God is our guide, and we pursue Him passionately. If you follow John's next book, "Waking the Dead" you see this being further fleshed out. Many in the Christian church are stone dead in their faith. They produce little or no fruit and they see church as an obligation, instead of a place where passionate followers of God gather. I have been that man. Eldridge helped me understand that having a warriors heart, where the only thing that matters is God, is not only ok, but what God is searching for.


Having helped lead a group of a dozen men through this book, I can honestly say that about half the guys get it, half don't.
It you connect to it, it is 5 stars. If you aren't a lover of the great outdoors, you may just get angry because you don't even understand why someone would even bother to take a long hike in the mountains in order to get at some fish with a fly-rod.

If you like to be comfortable in the air conditioned atmosphere, this book won't suit you. As for me, even though I live in a large city, my passion is for the wild.

Highest Recommendation

Captivating, challenging, and life-changing--I am glad I read this book. Over the last 18 months, I have purchased and given away more than 20 copies. This I feel is the strongest testimony I can give, as the Bible is the only book I have shared more abundantly. The first two people I shared this book with were skeptical. However, both made a quick read of it and have distributed multiple copies to their family and friends. If you find value in the works of Stu Weber and Patrick Morley-I believe you will find value here. If your picture of Christ has ever been anemic and namby-pamby, I believe you need to read this. If you live 8 hours a day in a cubicle, please read this.

Being a "guy" is not only OK, it's actually GOOD!

I discovered this book with a group of friends, all of whom wanted to get to know themselves and each other better. One of Eldredge's main points is that society has taken the idea of masculinity and made it something it's not. He urges his readers to discover their true manly strengths, and to use them responsibly. Too many men today are just "going through the motions" and not really living, and Eldredge wants to change that.

Through a systematic and experiential approach, the reader is invited to look inward to discover areas where he has been hurt and, consequently, where his masculinity has been hurt. Eldredge calls this "the wound," and focuses a good bit of attention on identifying, acknowledging and healing it as an essential step to regaining one's masculine spirit.

If you are tired of being expected to be nothing more than a "really nice guy," this book is for you. There is more to life as a man than just being nice, although that is certainly a part of it. However, there are times when being nice isn't necessarily the best course of action, and Eldredge's work aims to help readers distinguish between the two.