Customer Reviews

200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One: Creating a Life of Meaning and Influence

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I cried reading the acknowledgments and was laughing in chapter one. This book was a fast read with the highs and lows of a good drama and made a strong impact; professional and personally. My faith and my filter is different because of Shawn's humble and authentic story telling ability. He brought truths about God AND myself to light to inspire more.

In his book, Shawn uses his story and stories about people around him to drive this home: "Self examination" is a time when we see who we are and choose to be better or worse. There is no staying the same."

I am not the same. Good read for anyone...student, parents, grandparents, professionals, domestics... It's a keeper.

200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One sheds new light on God's calling for each of our lives.

Through Shawn's unique perspective, everyone [from single moms, CEO's and even people who feel quite ordinary] has the ability to see why the efforts of our individual "canvases" is truly a work of art that matters to God.

Shawn blew me away with his whimsical story-telling style and piercing truths. I never would have guessed he was a first-time author & can't wait for his next book.

I'll be honest...when I first heard the title of a new book by Shawn Wood, I said, "Two hundred what?" It didn't sound like any book I would read.

Later I heard the entire title: "200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One: Creating a Life of Meaning and Influence." Okay, it sounded a little more interesting to me. But time is limited. I still wasn't sure I would read it.

Then Jessica Kelley from Abingdon Press asked me to consider giving the book an endorsement. Oh boy. I told her I'd be glad to read it, but I would only endorse it if I liked it. She sent me an early manuscript a couple months before the book was released.

I learned from the first few pages where the "pomegranate" reference comes from. Yes, I'm a pastor, and yes, I've read the Old Testament a number of times, but I've never noticed the passage about the artist Huram and his bronze veggies (or fruits, I'm really not sure). Then I started the introduction, and I was sucked in from the very first paragraph.

Shawn is great at telling stories. I don't mean he's really good. He's great at it. I love the way he authentically shares out of his life, from the pain of his past, to stupid decisions he's made. It helps me identify with an author who is normal.

I'm convinced this book will have broad appeal. It is for anyone who desires to be great at something. I could see my wife (a stay-at-home mom) enjoying this book as much as I enjoyed this book.

This book is an easy read, and isn't very long. If you picked up a copy already, you'll see my endorsement on the back cover. Just so you know, no one paid me or bent my arm for an endorsement. After reading the book, it was an easy decision.

This is a good book. The author is funny, thoughtful and has a point. The basic point of this book is that we need to work to the best of our ability and for God. The central biblical story is the building of the temple and the 200 pomegranates that were put on the top of the columns where no one could see them but God. The builder could have just not done anything up there but instead choose to put some of the best work there, for his audience of one (God).

Strangely I think it is a good complement to NT Wright's book on heaven (Surprised By Hope). Wood is talking about what we do we should do for God, whether others know we do it or not. And Wright was talking about how being too focused on heaven prevents us from living in the now. We should view the current life as preparatory for the work that we will have in the next life.

The reason I gave it a four star review instead of five is that I read it on kindle. (Amazon gave it away last week!) The formating on kindle is not the greatest. It is a topaz formated book (which as I understand it is at base and Optical Character Recognition instead of formated directly from the text). There are also a couple places where there are some discussion questions at the end of chapters and those are not at all readable. They are images and just too small. A bit more work formating and this would have been a much better read.

My mom recommended this book to me and I am so glad she did. It is a book I will carry with me and go back to for inspiration and reflection. Short, simple and to the point. I loved it!!!

I thought this was a great book!!!! I found it very easy to read and very inspirational! Looking forward to the next book by this author.

Wonderful life stories by an outstanding young man. What insight for someone so short on years.

From beginning to end, 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One captivated me. Shawn's gift of storytelling, when combined with his passion for artistry, makes for an inspiring read. This is certainly a book I'll be talking about for a while!

I climbed on board the roller coaster ride that is 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One: Creating a Life of Meaning and Influence not quite sure what to expect. Within minutes, I was climbing higher on wings of laughter as Shawn shares his home improvement stories.

Before long I was careening around the curves of questions about how I approach my own life and ministry complete with the sudden drops of shame for the times I've done the "good enough" when I should have been doing "God-enough".

When the ride ended, I found myself laughing, crying and worshiping the One Who is my Audience. While I will no longer be the same after this ride, I think I'll jump on again and again, because the reminder will never hurt.

Once I picked up this book, I couldn't put it down. Shawn is a fabulous story teller, and it comes through in his writing.