There are few books that really make me examine my life and see areas that I need to change. This book did that to me. As I started reading I felt I should not be reading it because I realized that I was one of those men who had given up on my masculinity and taken the “safe” road. Worse, I realized that I do not remember when I lost it.

I knew that deep inside me there was still the desire for adventure though. I loved the survival training I got in 2004. I loved the combat training I received in 2006. I love getting dirty and seeing what I am capable of…and for some reason I have felt that I had to apologize for this because it was “immature”. Something that boys dreamed of doing but men knew better.

This is one of those books that I wish I had read years ago. I think it would have made me a better husband during my first marriage and I know it will for my next one. But I also believe that God has His timing in everything. I am grateful to those who gave me this book and I would highly recommend it to men and women.

So, with all these raves, why only a rating of 7 out of 10? Well, I had some theological issues with parts of the book. My two big ones are Eldredge’s dancing dangerously close to Open Theism (the idea that God is not fully in control of the world) and misuse of scripture.

On pages 30-32, Eldredge talks about how God is a God of risk, a tenet of Open Theism. He then backs away from it with this comment, “…but for those aware of the discussion, I am not advocating open theism.” Yet everything up to that comment did advocate it. One comment is not enough to clear up the issue. His use of scripture was also often shady and his interpretation seemed a stretch. Man is wild because he was created in the wild and then placed in the garden? That is a bit far fetched.

This really a great book with lots of good thoughts but like every book out there it needs to be approached with a healthy amount of discernment.