I received this book several years ago as a gift from a very religious Grandmother. I knew it was widely popular and respected. I hoped it would live up to the hype...Upon reading the first couple pages and seeing the "covenant" I soon realized that this book was not what it was advertised as. Warren states that this book (he) will transfom my life in 40 days, the way God changed Noah's, Moses' or Jesus' in 40 days, I found this very insincere, and felt it was an utter abuse of power on the author's part. (especially as a religious leader)

I continued to try to read, with an open mind but was appalled by Warren's numerous "quotes" of the bible. I quickly realized that the author was misusing the scripture, applying it in innapropriate context, and paraphrasing it in his own words to deceive the reader and give them a improper and tainted understanding of the word of God. I kept reading, but began keeping notes on all of the twisted things in the book that were slightly enraging...at this point, I have forgotten the feelings and the book's text behind most of the scribbled notes, as it was so long ago and my rage at the author has since lessened. I do remember my confusion over a heading on page 56 saying that 'we bring glory to God by loving other believers'...my understanding as a Christian has always been that we should love all of mankind, even non-believers. But the thing that bothered me most about this book was on page 34, the author says that there are 2 questions that God will ask you when you get to the Gates of Heaven...(and he is very matter of fact about this) He then states the two questions, using quotation marks, in GOD'S WORDS....I guess God actually speaks through Rick Warren.....This is when I began to feel like he was some radical cult-like new age Christian leader...trying to get people to follow HIM.

Enough about the flaws of the content of the book. The actual writing style and structure of the book is poor. He name drops respected author's like Lewis or Thoreau to get your attention and sound smart....there is a ridiculus elementary-school style poem as the basis for day 2, he is constantly making inacurate, generalized statements about the human population ... there are numerous other problems with his writing style, that many other reviewers have gone into depth about. The book feels similar to a text book I would have been asked to read in college for a intro to business class.
I forgot how I felt about this book until I came across its reviews on Amazon...I am so relieved to read that so many people feel the way I do, and that Warren hasn't been able to pollute the minds of all of us....

I will say that I am happy the book has been able to help the people that it has touched...people who were lost or confused, but maybe it was the act of getting the book and making the decision to bring God into their lives, and to get things on the right track that helped them, rather than the content of the book itself. Regardless, this is simply my review on a book that i detest.

Review of The Purpose Driven Life: What On Earth Am I Here For? by Rick Warren

I chose to review this book because I couldn't resist a best seller. The Purpose Driven Life has sold over 20 million copies. The book has won the Book of the Year Award from the Evangelical Christian Publisher Association 2 years in a row. The back book jacket calls the book "A GROUNDBREAKING MANIFESTO ON THE MEANING OF LIFE." Given the popularity of this best seller, I had to see what Warren wrote to demand the attention of readers who buy multiple copies to give to friends, neighbors, and relatives. Additionally, there are many accompaniments to the main book, such as hardbound and leather-bound journals.

Warren divides the book into 40 short chapters because, he writes, "The Bible is clear that God considers 40 days a spiritually significant time period. Whenever God wanted to prepare someone for his purpose, he took 40 days." Thus, the 40 days are intended to be a time frame for this spiritual journey that encourages self-reflection. At the end of each chapter the author offers a point to ponder, a verse to remember, and a question to consider. Warren states: "By the end of this journey you will know God's purpose for your life."

The promise made by this author grabbed my attention. In fact, chapter 2 is titled "You are not an accident." Warren repeats the premise of this chapter in several different ways, such as "God made you for a reason" and "God never does anything accidentally." Warren contends that most people ask of their life "What's in it for me?" rather than considering that we are "born by His purpose and for His purpose." By the end of the book, I received the main message summed up in the first sentence: "It is not about you."

However, there were statements and paragraphs that challenged my credibility of Warren. He uses the book to express his opinions that I daresay are shortsighted and even stereotypical. For example, Warren defines a "real" servant as someone serving God by serving others and as having 6 characteristics, 1 of which is: "real servants maintain a low profile." Warren hardly has a low profile. Does that mean that according to his definition he is not a "real" servant?

Another area of disagreement is with Warren's supposition. He writes: "There are more than 750 `Halls of Fame' in America and more than 450 `Who's Who' publications, but you won't find many real servants there." How does he know? Has he interviewed each member? No one can tell what constitutes a "real" servant because, in my opinion, only a Higher Power can discern a "real" servant.

Warren uses multiple references to the Bible, and uses verses to prove his points. I had to remind myself that this was his interpretation, and there are multiple translations of the Bible, and another Bible scholar could just as easily make the opposite point by using other verses.

I can't deny that this book has its place in the spiritual journey. I found lessons that were appropriate to my own journey. Warren encourages readers to embrace their weaknesses and accept their vulnerabilities. Having many of those, I was heartened to learn that God does not expect perfection, and I can complete my purpose with all my foibles.

Review by Lynn C. Tolson

I must say that I was not a very spiritual person until now. I have gone to several churches over many of my 41 years and not one has delivered the message to me that this book has. This book has saved my relationship and given me a completely different perspective on life. I am so interested in learning more about God and have plans to read the entire Bible within the next year. I have already purchased this book for a close friend and my brother. I also plan on sending this book to my children. I urge you to visit the website asscociated with this book to view the wonderful things there [...]. I am in no way associated the author or publishing company for this book. I found this book approximately one week ago after hitting a very low point in my life and while looking for a book that might change my life I found this book the day after a car accident that left me stranded for two days in Texas until some family assistance arrived. Again, I highly encourage those of you who are not familiar with God to give this book an opportunity to make a change in your life.

I've gone through a rough patch in my life just a few months ago and at one point I was considered suicidal. It was a struggle to just get through the days. I've read "The Road Less Traveled" which helped greatly. But then I read "The Purpose Driven Life" and it changed my life completely. I have a whole new outlook on life now. This is a book that I will read over and over. It helps you to accept things in your life and helps you to understand life in general and focus on God. I HIGHLY recommend this book for ANYONE going through a rough time. As Scott Peck starts his book, "Life is Difficult". That statement is 100% accurate. So read The Road Less Traveled and THEN read the Purpose Driven Life and you will be headed in the right direction.

Thsi book is really wonderful to read, it really makes you focus on what should be most important in your life. We were created for a reason and we should be living our life for the purpose we were put on earth for, not just for ourselves. In general be a fun-loving, caring, down to earth, spiritual person, and always smile.