Dream Big - by Bob Goff: Book Review

Title: Dream Big. Know What You Want, Why You Want It, and What You're Going to Do About It
Author: Bob Goff
Pages: 256
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publishing Date: June 23rd 2020
Genre: Christian Nonficion

Format: Kindle

I liked this one because it read like a collection of pieces of advice from a father or grandfather. The tone is friendly, like a pep talk from someone who really believes you're the guy for the job, namely to work on your own ambition(s).

Although the book is structured into seven main parts each with a stated idea and its own chapters, I found the book to be somewhat disjointed. I don't know if this is because I read it framentarily, or because, repeatedly, the final point of each part was to focus on your ambition. Do you know those quotes that aim to lift you up and encourage you to get things done? This read like that, and this is the overall tone.

The structure is like this: there's a story and then it transitions into telling the reader how this applies to our lives and ambitions. I loved all those stories and how they did actually drive home the point he was trying to make. However, make sure you get the idea of the stories, because I am sure not many will recognize themselves in the stories of building schools in war-ridden countries, making a bid for a town (!), setting up a flying company, or some other crazy and cool ideas.

For those who've read and enjoyed Bob Goff's previous books this might be something they're interested in. I liked Love Does and Dream Big better, the latter being more mature, less fluff, and actual sound, practical ways to get things moving towards your most desired ambition. In typical Goff way, there's the constant reminder to pay attention to the people around you, to surround yourself with the right people, and to love people.

Read it like a gentle nudge to move forward with your more or less wild ambitions that take up the most space in your head and heart.

I received a free e-book copy of the book from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

Everybody, Always - by Bob Goff: Book Review

Title: Everybody, Always. Becoming Love in a world full of setbacks and difficult people
Author: Bob Goff
No. Pages: 240
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publishing Date: 17 April 2018
Format: Kindle

Bob Goff's second book follows the theme of his first: Love. Love everybody, no matter their background, their story, just show love. 

I have to say that the ways in which he shows love are sometimes extreme and not always applicable to everyone's everyday life. While his enthusiasm is through the roof (he does admit that espresso drinks him to wake up) and the stories he shares are engaging, I don't see how this effervescence can be maintained constantly.

The book is made up of twenty something chapters, all following the same pattern: a story told in an amusing way followed by a practical/ devotional-esque aspect for our daily life. It's a standard form and if I remember correctly, it's the same as his first book's. I didn't think it was possible to say the same thing in so many chapters. The idea is simple: love people. I am not sure we needed a new book to tell us that, and it is repetitive after a few chapters. This might be somewhat tiresome to see, but if you read it sporadically, not in one sitting, it works fine. I enjoy this kind of essay writing for when I am short on time to sit and read, but I still get to read a book in the free moments.

Someone mentioned the crazy things he gets to do, like buying a house almost on a whim, hopping on a plane to Uganda, flying a plane to the Lodge, or doing other extraordinary things. All these are not what the majority of people get to do on a daily basis. Although they create a sort of social and economic gap between the author and the reader, and I was surprised by this when I read Love Does too, they don't prevent you from putting into practice the main idea: love people the best way you can. Another thing I have to agree on with another reader is that he sure talks a lot about him and his people. I don't know how this could have been presented by mixing the personal stories, the practical aspect, and more Jesus. I think the book does lack more mentioning of Jesus.

The book is a nice read, the tone if friendly and engaging, there are some witty parts, and the last few chapters about Charlie are the best in my opinion, so give this a try. For the Christian reader, used to this kind of books, maybe it will not contain much new information, but it's Bob Goff, you kind of want to know what other crazy things he's done.

I received a free e-book copy of the book from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.