Customer Reviews

Gut Check: Confronting Love, Work, and Manhood in Your Twenties

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Don't let the title of Gut Check: Confronting Love, Work, and Manhood in Your Twenties fool you into thinking that former reality television star Tarek Saab's debut book is only for men or twenty year olds. On the contrary, this 44-year-old wife and mom can't recommend Gut Check highly enough. I started off reading the book from the vantage point of a mother of two sons, hoping that my study of Tarek's journey to manhood might shed a glimmer of light on the precarious path of parenting two sons in today's world. But in the process, I found myself truly connecting with the book not only from that perspective, but also more completely as a spiritual seeker. Although Saab's book relates experiences during his formative post-college years, his concepts of seeking real truth in this life are relevant to anyone, at any age, who struggles to make the most of every moment of this time on earth as a voyage to our ultimate goal - eternal life with God.

In today's society, we find ourselves surrounded by media-obsessed, instant gratification, celebrity driven lifestyles. Our children are growing up in a world where one's tally of unmet "friends" in a virtual world trumps real life relationships. We emulate the rich, the impossibly skinny, the overnight sensations - and these action messages trickle down to our kids and speak to them more effectually than the words we speak. So, in reading Gut Check I did learn a thing or two about the type of mom and role model I want to be for my sons. But more significantly, I learned about the importance of "focusing on death" to achieve a true measure of personal success in this life. This book reads almost like a novel, in "can't put it down" fashion, but also has a depth that will make you want to go back and truly study and meditate upon many passages. Tarek Saab's sharing of his own conversion journey has truly touched my life, which will in turn hopefully make me a better wife and mother.

I'm pleased to give Gut Check by Tarek Saab my highest recommendation.

I read this book after watching Tarek interviewed on "Life on the Rock." I wanted to give it as a college graduation gift but thought I better read it before promoting it. I think the book is wonderful, honest, and a much needed message today, but it should not be limited to "twenty something men." I believe it's content could inspire many men I know of all ages.

What a great premise-- thinking about DEATH helps one prioritize LIFE. Scholars have claimed that. Saints have insisted it. Yet, an ordinary, successful-by-the-world's-standards man proposing it in 2008 is something unique.

Tarek Saab's life experiences in a private college mirror a common occurrence for many young men--away from parental controls for the first time, many students *go crazy*. Immersed in freedom, surrounded by college coeds' typical forms of debauchery, Saab is faced with this unsavory environment and ..... with himself. What will he choose as his life's compass? "What is the purpose of his life.....of life itself?" This inimitable presentation got me at chapter one.

GUT CHECK reads like a novel--conversational, descriptive. Yet, the book is deep and rings true. Saab's conclusions are brilliant, and while he seems like a normal every-day guy, it is easy to see he has Mensa brains. (He is, in fact, a member of Mensa) Saab chronicles his financial success story, yet reveals that he finds affluence and material prosperity empty. This is not to say the book bashes wealth. On the contrary, it shows how true wealth goes beyond mere finances and taps into something more enduring.

(As an aside, it is interesting to read how the whole "Apprentice" drama in which Saab found himself embroiled was orchestrated as plot. We probably all knew this, but it confirms that reality TV is anything but.... )

I'm no Mensa member, but I'm smart enough to know a good book when I read one. Grab a copy and curl up under a comfy quilt. Or better yet, buy one of these books for your son or your husband for Father's Day. After all, every man needs a GUT CHECK.

At a time when the popular media outlets are telling us to be more selfish and more materialistic, Tarek takes a countercultural approach to show the world that success is not found at the bottomline. Tarek takes the reader through his journey (or the beginning of it, as the journey only ends with death) with humor and dialogue while edifying the reader along the way. This book is a true testament to the power of faith and we all can use that. Definitely gets two thumbs up and a high five in my book. Now, I just need to get some more copies for friends and family.

Tarek Saab writes Gut Check based on his personal journey through late adolesence & young manhood. His account is frank but unoffensive & humorous while grapling with matters of gravity. Detailing his spiritual and intellectual search for Truth, Gut Check introduces us to Tarek as a confused college freshman concerned about fitting in and follows him into his late twenties, where we see a young man transformed by his realization that the reality of death deserves our attention.
Unlike several other books belonging to this genre, Gut Check is well-written & intelligent. It is a quick, enjoyable, thought-provoking read, even for someone out of his target audience. I hope that many young men read it and benefit vicariously from Tarek's errors & epiphanies.

As a man in his 40's, I can say that Tarek Saab has very accurately described the challenges that face men today. More importantly, he has described how to overcome these challenges and find true happiness. And, although the title refers to men in their twenties, this book is applicable to anyone who wants to live a good life. This is a quick and very engaging read. My sixteen yr old son read it before me, and also liked it very much. I am Catholic and Saab's discussion of his faith journey resonated very strongly with me. However, even if you are not Catholic, this book should be very interesting and helpful!!!!!!!

My mom threw this book on the counter a few weeks ago and said I should read it. So after a week or so I picked it up, and it was hard to put down. Great read, but more importantly, great message. Mr. Saab really does an incredible job of explaining how important priorities are in our lives, and how God needs to be our first priority, always, and his story of how he came to realize this is very interesting, entertaining, and even inspiring. I very highly recommend it; it's one of the best books I've read in a very long time.

This was a great book... it was like reading my own journey and I think all men will relate to this as I have. The pace was perfect and the dialog sets this book apart from other books in this genre. Tarek inspired me with his honesty and detail in every step along the way. I want to be the "man on the porch"... the man of principle who thinks of his death and does not cower from the challenge of being a real man in the face of a world that screams for far less. Gut Check has given me hope and excitement about becoming that man. This book is a wonderful read and you will not be disappointed.... A MUST for every man!

God Bless
Joe M
Houston, TX
The Catholic Hack!

This book is outstanding and very timely. In a world which is in dire need of heroes and saints, Tarek's book comes to us as an inspiration to young men to break through the deceitful lures of our modern world and to live out authentic, virtuous manhood. He offers this snapshot of his college and business years and the struggles that came with them, and the battles he describes are all too familiar to so many. This book is a must read for anyone who senses that deep yearning for more than just "business as usual" and the riches of this world, and who strives to be the person God sent them here to be no matter the cost.

I thought Saab's was a good book about faith and the struggle to find meaning in your 20's. I wish it had been written about 20 years earlier.