Book Review - God Wrote a Book

God Wrote a Book by James MacDonald
Crossway Books, 2002
121 pages

What makes a Christian book outstanding? A combination of several factors: First, it must be Biblical. The book’s premise must be rooted in a proper Christian worldview. When referring to Scripture, it must be accurate and provide a valid interpretation.

Second, it must be compelling. Alistair Begg has said, “I never cease to be amazed by the ingenuity of those who are capable of taking the powerful, life-changing text of Scripture and communicating it with all the passion of someone reading aloud from the Yellow Pages!” Unfortunately, few authors today can take a vital subject, like the Bible itself, and teach it in a compelling way.

Third, it must make an important or unique contribution. There are many great books that fail to be labeled outstanding because several other authors have done as good or better of a job on the same subject. To be outstanding, one must stand out from the rest.

Fourth, it must be the appropriate length. Some books would be much better if they were published as pamphlets. Do you remember those one-hit wonder bands of days past that hastily threw in 7 or 8 painfully bad songs just so they could sell a full-length LP instead of just a 45? Some Christian books are not much better. Read the first two or three chapters, and you’ve read all that’s worth reading. Other books need to be expanded. The issue is not necessarily the number of pages. An outstanding book knows how much ground to cover and when to stop.

Finally, the book must be presented well. Style and quality combine forces to make a book a pleasure to read. You cannot judge a book by its cover, but it sure does make a big impression. If the print is too small or the typeset is off-center, or the book was poorly edited, the impact of the content may be lessened. It’s definitely not all about image, but professionalism and class say a lot about the product.

God Wrote a Book by James MacDonald meets all the criteria above. It’s a biblical book about the Bible. MacDonald is an outstanding communicator whose enthusiasm for the subject jumps off each page. It’s unique in that there is no other book that so clearly and attractively teaches the basics about the vital role the Bible plays in our lives. All this in just 121 pages. To top it off, the folks at Crossway did an outstanding job packaging this great book. If you want the perfect book to give to your friend who doesn’t believe the Bible is God’s Word or that new believer who needs to be grounded in the importance of Scripture, look no further. Get several copies of this book and pass them out.

God Wrote a Book is the best in its field and gets my highest rating: Filet Mignon.

KEY
Filet Mignon – Outstanding
Prime Rib – Great
Philly Cheesesteak – Good
Hot Dog – Good and Bad
Roadkill - You get the picture