I heard several folks talking about this book, so I picked it up a few months ago. I'll share a few of my comments over the next few days.
Donald Miller(www.bluelikejazz.com) is a good communicator, but he makes me tired. His writing reminds me of a dear sister who used to take forever to get to the point when she had a prayer request. She would start out by reminding a couple of folks in the audience about the time their parents took them to the rodeo in Stillwater back in 1966 where a girl they knew turned her ankle climbing to her seat on her way back from the concession stand. When that same girl was in high school, she broke that same ankle while cheerleading at a football game. Well, that lady's granddaughter was climbing to her seat at the football stadium last Friday night, on her way back from the concession stand, and she turned her ankle on her right leg - just like her grandma did at the rodeo back in 1966. "So let's pray for her." Mr. Miller often takes the long way around to get to the point. I may be acting my age or perhaps I am subconsciously reacting to all those times people have screamed, "Get to the point!" while I was preaching. But, anyway, I could only read a chapter or two at a time.
Mr. Miller breaks all the rules they teach at writing seminars, but he has managed to connect with those who share his point of view and has produced a book that continues to sell. I've written a few books, but none that have sold as successfully as his. Is it because no one shares my point of view, my writing stinks, or because my marketing is pathetic?
If you love me, buy a book!
Next time I'll talk about the one point that Miller makes that we all should pay attention to. And if he can end his sentences with prepositions, so can I.
1 comment:
I read Blue Like Jazz this past summer and thought it was awesome. I passed it along to my assistant pastor, and he was thoroughly enthralled.
I guess Miller does get a little annoying with his whole roundabout manner, but he really writes in a way that connects with people, especially young'uns like me who are children of the post-modern age. Though not everything he wrote resounded with me, he did clearly articulate struggles that I've also had with the paradoxes of faith.
I think one of the reasons why assistant pastor liked it so much is because Miller offers a very unconventional perspective--one that may be similar to that of others we need to reach.
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