Customer Reviews

Lessons from San Quentin: Everything I Needed to Know about Life I Learned in Prison

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Lessons From San Quentin.
Kudos to Bill Dallas and George Barna
A must for everyone. I could not put this fast pace, interesting book down. I read it in one setting. The honesty of Bill Dallas of his errors, hopelessness, and brokenness is refreshing.
This book is so relevant, thousands are currently loosing jobs, homes, and retirement that they worked for and feel hopeless and lost. .It is an encouraging reminder of the sovereignty of God and how in the midst of darkness and pain He will send peoples into our lives to lift us up and a reminder that whatever we are facing today. He has a plan and is not taken by surprise by the circumstances that surround us .It is a modern day story of the Loyalty and Faithfulness of God. Any one who reads this book will find encouragement and hope.

Lessons From San Quentin is a tale of a man who was a self absorbed person and whose path in life was a road paved with material possessions and money.

When Bill Dallas was convicted of grand theft embezzlement he planned on spending his time in prison by being placed at a fire camp where he could spend his time in prison with relative ease. The prison officials had other ideas and sent him to spend his time at San Quentin.

It was in San Quentin that Bill became a selfless man. The book takes you through his story and his ultimate transformation in prison. Throughout the book there are what Bill calls "transforming principles". One of my favorites is:

"Your current trials and tragedies just might be part of God's best plan for you".

This is something that I firmly believe. Adversity makes us stronger. Without misfortune you will cease to grow and learn. The difficult times shape our character.

Bill also mentions the people that he met in prison that helped to shape him into the selfless man that he became. The stories are very interesting and I was left with a hopeful feeling at the end.

There's a lot to be learned when you read Bill's story and I highly recommend it to all.

This was an amazingly great read! Each chapter has Bill sharing the details of his prison life. As he closes each chapter, Bill discusses how what he's learned can be applied to everybody's every day life.

I have to admit, at first I wasn't sure about this book. I thought it would be an interesting insight to Bill's life behind bars. I didn't realize how much I would personally be taking away from each chapter.

From the beginning, it is obvious that God had his hand in Bill Dallas's life. He and George Barna take the life lessons learned behind bars and blends them together for those of us who life behind our own bars. You will be surprised at the stories Bill shares and blessed by the lessons learned.

I've often wondered what it would be like to end up in prison for a white collar crime, and how I would adapt in an environment so hostile and foreign to what I know. Bill Dallas found that out firsthand when he was convicted of embezzlement and sent to prison for five years. He shares his key learnings in the book Lessons from San Quentin: Everything I Needed to Know about Life I Learned in Prison. Dallas' view of God and the role He played in his life was something that didn't come into play while the living was good and the money was flowing. But when the bottom fell out of his life, Dallas had few other places to turn.

Contents:
Life in the Median Strip; I Am H64741; Embrace your Trials; Cling to Hope - Even When You Can't See It; Express Yourself through Your Work; Choose Sustaining Faith; Get Your Self-Image Right; Get Rid of Self-Absorption; Shape Your Attitude; Give Respect; Persevere until You "Get It"; Let Life Come to You; Find Freedom in Forgiveness; Life after Prison; He Was Always in Control; Endnotes; Discussion Guide; About the Authors

To say that Dallas did not take to his new surroundings would be an understatement. Self-pity, helplessness, and total collapse were the keywords. Help came from an unlikely source... members of the Lifers' Club. These hardened criminals were actually the most open and caring of the inmates, as they knew they weren't going anywhere for a long time. They had come to grips with what they were and what they had done, and their faith was based on reality and daily dependance on God. One of the members helped Dallas get a job in the video studio of the prison, and things started to improve. While it wasn't an easy life, Dallas now had a purpose and something to keep him active. He also started to explore his faith with the help of those within the walls, and he turned around his entire lifeview.

While there is a strong Christian tilt towards the writing and lessons, it's not *just* focused on Christian outcomes. Each chapter ends with a "Transforming Principle", and those can be applied regardless of where you are in your life in terms of spirituality. Some things will resonate deeper than others. For me, I took a lot from the chapter on making life simple. Too often I try to complicate everything around me. Being put into a prison environment guarantees that the busyness and clutter disappears quickly. Learning to focus on the essentials is key, and I hope that I would learn those lessons short of having it forced on me like Dallas did.

Given all the ethical crimes we've see in the last decade, I wonder just how many others in positions similar to Dallas are learning these same lessons. I'd prefer read the book now and internalize those lessons before it's too late.

I was touched, entertained and uplifted by this book. I had a hard time putting the book down. I finished reading it within 24 hours of having received it in the mail. The portrayal of the authors experiences in prison that led to growth were breathtaking without being sensational. I bought the book thinking of giving it to an acquaintance who had been in prison, who might be able to make some use of the book. Instead, as I read the book I found many applications for my own not-nearly-as-dramatic life. I was moved to serious reflection over application of his experiences.

I recommend this book to anyone.

This book grabbed me. An amazing true story of how a really rough situation can make you stronger and open up new doors in your life.
I highly recomend this book.

"Lessons From San Quentin" by Bill Dallas and George Barna is a wonderful autobiographical work of praise to the work of Christ in Bill Dallas' life. All of us are born imprisoned by sin, and Bill Dallas uses his experience from his time in prison to teach those of us on the "outside" the true meaning of freedom. This frank, truthful and beautifully written book should be on every Christian's (and non-Christian's) reading list!

Amazing Grace is truly the lesson Bill Dallas reminds of through Lessons from San Quentin. Although having never spent time in prison, the story of Bill Dallas caused me to realize the lessons he learned while in prison apply to anyone who reads this book. Unfortunately we are all prisoners of this world and suffer many of the same basic trials as Bill Dallas therefore the Transforming Principles he shares applies to all of us no matter our position in life.

"...sustaining faith demands transformation, and such transformation can only be built on surrender, brokenness, and humility." Through Lessons from San Quentin Bill Dallas exposes a very dark time in his life to help us understand the power of sustaining faith Christ Jesus.

Lessons From San Quentin is the type of book to make you thankful for God's plan in our lives. Bill Dallas, author, was educated and wealthy and life was good. However, it soon fell apart.

Bill Dallas was convicted of grand theft embezzlement and was convicted and found his new home to be San Quentin, one of the nation's most infamous prison (the worst or the worst). Feeling like life was over; he soon came to realize that life does continue.

Lessons from San Quentin covers Bill's journey from playboy to suicidal inmate to spiritual apprentice. During Bill's prison term he comes across a group called "The Lifers". The Lifers guided Bill to a personal relationship with God, showing that no matter where you are...God is there and will put people in your path to help you find Him.

This is a book that will stir your heart and shows how someone can turn their life around no matter what the circumstances are.

After Bill Dallas was sent to prison for economic crimes related to his real estate and development business, his life entered a tailspin. Though Dallas had initiated a relationship with God prior to being sent to prison, his fledgling faith wasn't enough to prevent him from plunging into despair and hopelessness.

It was only after developing relationships with the "Lifers" at San Quentin prison that he was able to learn from their example, re-modeling his life after the example they provided. Lessons from San Quentin shares Dallas' experiences in prison and how they worked to reshape his character. The first portion of each chapter shares his experiences, and the positive examples set for him by prisoners more mature in the faith; the second half relates how everyone can apply what Dallas learned in prison to their own lives.

The lessons Dallas relates are eminently practical, and while we won't all be faced with living in such cramped quarters and such bland food, we all encounter deserts of the spirit wherein we need to struggle through in order to move on to the plans God has for our future.

At times it does seem that Dallas is becoming somewhat repetitive and stretching out his observations to fill the pages, but there is a great deal of inspiration here. The writing is accessible, and very readable; somewhat reminiscent of a gift book, you won't need to struggle to grasp these lessons.