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5.0 out of 5 stars
A Christian Worldview from an investment banker - faith stripped to its essentials, April 2, 2008
Not since Lord (Frederick) Catherwood's out of print "The Christian In Industrial Society" have I read such a straightforward account of what being a Christian means in the real business world.
I picked up this book at a conference only because I knew of Ken Costa from college as being an articulate, clear thinker. Also I liked the color of the cover. I nearly missed it.
This book deserves to have a higher profile publisher. The back jacket is endorsed by no less than the Archbishop of Canterbury and Rick Warren of the best-selling "Purpose Driven Life".
Ken Costa draws on 30 years of investment banking experience in the City of London. He asks "Can love flourish in the workplace?". He's not afraid to reveal his own experiences - highs and lows - with a humble approach.
It has real life cases of how Christianity affects people's behavior. Ken peppers the book with trite to say, but in practice powerfully motivating, quotes.
For decision makers "We need to be clear, robust and determined in making our choices."
For post-modernists "One of the great difficulties in the world today is truth decay - many treat truth as a tradable commodity".
For extremists "Balance often needs two people to strike the pivotal point".
For Christians - "We are only failures if Christ fails in us- and that he will never do".
He has way more than seven highly effective Habits, providing lists of easy steps to take if you want to live out a Christian life in the workplace. Much of this is concise "motherhood and apple pie" - but basics are articulated clearly and well-organized which gives the book value, rather than being a mere rehash of old ideas.
There's plenty of sermon material in here for pastors. OK so some of the Bible passages are loosely interpreted - many coming from Eugene Peterson's paraphrase "The Message" - but I hope fundamentalists will agree that these quotes are what makes the book contemporary and relevant.
Anyone who manages Christians or who has Christian colleagues should read this book to understand their motivations, aspirations, values and role models (not least the supreme role model of Jesus).
For Christians who have workplace conflicts, estrangement, goals and ethical issues, this book that can be used as a reference that is read and reread for inspiration and advice.
For book groups and Bible study groups, the book can spark discussion and debate.
For those in first jobs and students about to enter the workplace, read this to get an idea of what works and doesn't work when sticking up for values and getting things done.
Maybe the Work Matters chapter could have been a bit shorter, but I guess it needs to be spelled out, particularly for those who may feel that Christian endeavor is more godly than secular pursuits.
In the end, Ken says "How do we weave back into the tapestry the broken threads that once again illustrate a true picture of God reflected in our places of work and the society around us? The answer to these questions lies in a new discovery of radical hardcore Christianity - a faith that has been stripped to its essentials".
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