PROS: The general idea is great - find generosity in your heart and trust God enough to tithe (give 10% of your gross income to the house of God - the church). However, I found the Introduction to be more insightful and beneficial than the actual book chapters. Based on the concept and the Introduction, I would have given 4 stars to this book - it had SOOO much potential to be life-changing and insightful!
My favorite parts of the book:
Pg XXI of Introduction
Tithing is like prayer in the sense that God is working out his purpose and offers us a voluntary place in his purpose. God doesn’t need our money; however, to the extent that we tithe and are ready to cooperate with God’s goals, God will use us.
As we loosen our tight grip on our money and reach out to help others, we are building relationships and spreading the love of God to others. We are also building our trust in God to take care of us after we have given. Tithing is one way of becoming an instrument of God.
One couple in Chapter 2 did a "graduated tithe". They took the base amount needed to simply live and tithed 10% on that. Anyone who made more than this, increased their tithe by 5% for every additional $1,000 they made. The idea was this “The rich must live simply that the poor may simply live” Dr Charles Burke (1975)
CONS: However, I found the chapters dull, lifeless, long, boring and drawn out. What could have been detailed and emotional descriptions of life challenges or hardships, were just unemotional lists of "so and so went to college, then got a job and was still poor but still tithed." There were no emotional detailed descriptions of difficult times.
Being a 27 year old, I also found it impossible to relate to couple in their 80s because of the inflated dollar. The author spent a lot of time reviewing the lives of people who made $10/week back in the 70s, while my first job in year 1996 was $16/hr. How are we supposed to relate? When someone says they were in poverty in the 70s and the author is using $10, how can I understand this? Houses were $15,000 back then. Today my house was $360,000. I don't know what $10/wk would get you today. I can't relate and the author makes no attempt to adjust for inflation.
Disclaimer: I received this book free through Book Sneeze http://www.booksneeze.com/
I always give an honest review all books. I lean towards being extra critical of books because there are so many out there and I understand you and I have limited time and resources. If I am going to recommend a book, I want it to be one that you will put on your bookshelf and keep. I want it to be the kind of book you will come back to and will also recommend to others.
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