17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A really important book written in a really good way, January 5, 2012
This review is from: 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess (Paperback)
You must read this book! Here's what it's about: Jen (the author) did an experiment in which each month for 7 months, she and sometimes her entire family fasted in an area she felt they were excessive in: media, stress, possessions, shopping, food, clothes, and waste. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that sounds all preachy and super-spiritual and hard and you don't want to read it. Thankfully, it's the complete opposite. It is laugh-out-loud hilarious, totally real-life, 100% empowering, and 0% guilt-inducing.
You must go immediately to purchase this book and devour it whole. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Do not stop to brush your teeth or feed your children. While you're out, buy Depends to wear because you will pee yourself while reading from laughing so hard.
Some other suggestions of how to read this book:
Keep a notepad handy while you're reading to write down notes and thoughts because ideas and action points will come to you like nobody's business.
Do not read this book right before you go to bed because you will not be able to sleep due to the millions of thoughts running around in your brain.
Read this book with your girlfriends.
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A non-believer's review, February 8, 2012
This review is from: 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess (Paperback)
Oh this book. This book took me completely and utterly by surprise. A friend gave it to me for Christmas because she thought I'd like what she took to be the general theme of the book from the blurb in the back-- this lady scales back in 7 aspects of her material life. Yeah I love that stuff. What is not glaringly obvious from the main blurb in the back is that this book is written by a pastor's wife who's also a speaker on Christianity. You have to look at the fine print for that pattern and then it's like "How in the hell did I miss that?"
When I started the book, this was an unpleasant surprise. Holy bible quotes everywhere. Not to mention the fact that God, Jesus, Christ, Jesus Christ, Lord, Holy Spirit, etc. get mentioned about 5 times per page. Usually bible quotes with a zealous use of Jesus name drops is not a good thing for me. My hypocrisy senses start tingling and I usually back away as quickly as possible without drawing attention to myself.
But this is a book, not a person, and there WAS the whole thing about cutting back the excess in the seven areas of her life: Food, Clothes, Spending, Media, Possessions, Waste, and Stress. And she even broke it down into monthly projects. Which I always am a sucker for.
Oddly enough, I had lately been thinking about the Republicans and the huge conservative shove to strip down "entitlement" programs in favor of a smaller government and more money in their pockets in the form of lower taxes that they have somehow mixed up with a fervent "We love Jesus and the Bible and truly want to protect Christianity" message.
And I kept thinking about how damn hypocritical it was because even though I don't practice anymore, I sure as heck know all about "Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ" thanks to being raised by a really strict Catholic family and going through Catholic education from Kinder through High School. I've read the Bible front to back . Heck I even used to read the Bible as I was one of the lecterns at Church. And if there's one thing I know about the Jesus that is in the Bible I read over and over again, it's that he can't possibly be the same Jesus Republicans vow to love and protect.
It turns out Jen Hatmaker apparently sees a lot of the glaring hypocrisies in American Christian churches today that I do. I can't stand churches and I can't stand the Christians that practice this hypocritical Capitalism is Awesome form of Christianity.
Let's face it guys, Jesus was a dirty homeless hippie. And if you really think the same dude who gave away free wine for his first miracle and later sat on a mountain giving away fish and bread all day would be against programs like Food Stamps or WIC, you're wrong. And if you think the same guy who made it a point to always seek out and include society's shunned ones would be against extending this sort of assistance to as many people as possible, you'd also be wrong. If you really think the same guy who walked around healing lepers, restoring sight to the blind, and even raising people from the dead would be against free health care for everyone, you'd be totally and completely wrong yet again.
Jen Hatmaker turned my insides cold when she made an observation that speaking on a personal finance level, you could interpret "Love your neighbor as you love yourself" into an equation where you live off 50% of your income and use the other %50 to love all of your neighbors. It was sort of a huge DUH moment and gave me so much to consider.
Jen's story is inspiring, moving, and interesting. Lots of people do projects where they eliminate this, that, and the other from their lives in big ways. But until Jen's book, I was yet to read someone who took the experience and turned it into a call to action to help those around her. De-cluttering is only half the battle.
Personally, I don't think you need to be associated with a faith or a church or anything to look around you and do good for the world but I would likely be very interested in at least linking up with a church like Jen's because it would give me an excellent way to lend my helping hand to the community. That moves me greatly. Personally I found that my favorite thing about the book was the fact that I would read her experiences and think, "That is a brilliant idea. I want to do that for someone. How would I even start to do something like that?" Her book is at the same time a reflection and a call to action. A really loud, persistent one that somehow manages to remain humble and honest at the same time.
I strongly recommend the book even if you're like me and things like churches and Jesus Christ give you the Hypocrisy Heebie Jeebies. Because I actually think Jen Hatmaker might be authentic. What she is teaching and what she is practicing makes more sense to me as an example of a true Christian than the classic modern representations of Christians today.
If you feel there is just TOO MUCH in your life-- too much crap, too much stress, too much noise, too much madness, too much sadness, too much to deal with-- grab this book. I think you'll be moved.
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