Customer Reviews

Lost Boy: My Story

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Great autobiographies - whether by statesman, celebrity, hero or scoundrel - have 3 elements. A great autobiography:

1) has a compelling reason for being read: It always gives more than just the facts or details "behind the scenes". Not just a personal recounting of history, a great autobiography gives you such a sense of the "real" person that you can personally relate to them. The subject's foibles, failures and weaknesses are included with the requisite telling of their strengths.

2) when you start reading, it makes you want to keep on reading.

3) after finishing it, you know about more than just the writer's story. You know more about "life" - the human condition, life's possibilities, life's parameters, how the world "works" - than you did before reading it.

"Lost Boy" by Greg Laurie, is a great autobiography. The reader is captured by the opening chapter, a description of Greg waiting to take the stage in front of 40,000 people who have filled Anaheim Stadium to hear him speak. Having spoken to over 4 million people in stadiums around
the world, Greg should be on auto-pilot by now. But Greg Laurie has a reason for not being on "auto-pilot". The chapter then goes into short bursts of flashback, most painting a picture of how improbable it is that Greg Laurie could possibly be the guy about to take the stadium stage.

Greg Laurie is not your typical church pastor. Nor is he a type of "TV evangelist". Avoiding the political traps and scandals of both the previous and current generations' religious leaders, Greg Laurie has proven to be a different kind of Christian leader for people to check out. Coming from a broken home (fatherless, mother divorced seven times), checking into 60's drug culture, cynical and untrusting in human relationships, Greg Laurie was not the kind of person who turns into a pastor at 19 years old. Certainly not a pastor who oversees a group of 30 people turn into one of America's first "megachurches", with over 15,000 weekly attendees. Certainly not the kind of speaker who combined cutting edge technology, culturally current music performances and understandable preaching to sold-out events at venues like Madison Square Garden. Certainly not the kind of person who Billy Graham would call the "evangelist of the future". And most certainly not a man profiled by the major TV networks and on the front page of the New York Times. Yet no one seems to understand that better than Greg Laurie himself. "Lost Boy" explains this unique life that has touched millions of other lives for the better, leaving the reader inspired and encouraged to personally dig further into the reason and message behind the book.

A can't-put-it-down-like-a-mystery-novel kind of read, "Lost Boy" is a great gift choice for any reader.

Although this is an autobiography of a pastor, it is much more than that. It is a story of redemption, God's grace and power at work in the life of a "Lost Boy". As Greg put it best, if you see a turtle on a fence, you know one thing for sure: it didn't get there by itself, someone put it there. Likewise, this autobiography is about what God did and can do in people's lives.

Moreover, this autobiography is a very honest story of a regular guy, with all his weaknesses and "baggage" who has been mightily used by God to do His work. As you read this book, you will hurt from laughing so hard, yet parts of it will drive you to tears. My 9 year old son is reading it and cannot put it down. Even if you do not know who Greg Laurie is, you will know him very intimately after reading this book.

I enjoyed this autobiographical sketch of Greg Laurie, a Christian Pastor, especially well-known for his stadium Harvest Crusades in Southern California. One thing I learned about him was his passion for drawing cartoons and how this talent served the first church he attended. Easy- heartwarming read describes his difficult childhood abusive background, yet culminated in a complete character change as he came to understand Biblical teaching. He could have been lost to addiction, etc. This story was especially meaningful to me because of a recent tragedy in Greg Laurie's life (not covered in this book). He lost his boy, his adult, married son in an automobile accident this summer of 2008. His response to this grief is an inspiration to all of us who have or will lose someone we love. I bought this book so I could know the background of this man, Greg Laurie, who is modeling courage along with his tears.

Years ago I reviewed another book Greg Laurie wrote called "The Great Compromise". I noted that Greg is an honest and engaging writer and speaker, one who does not water down the word of God, but delivers it straight. I am so glad to have had the opportunity to discover how God worked through Pastor Greg, from his early, sad life, through the transforming power of Jesus Christ and onto to what he is today; a man of God who reaches thousands for Christ. And how he came to be that honest, Godly teacher.

The book has a picture of Pastor Greg at one of his Harvest Crusades and the caption reads, "many people experience, when Greg speaks, he is talking just to them." That is how this book read for me. I felt so badly for the child who was pulled to and fro, through a life of instability, and I was astonished at the complete transformation once Jesus got ahold of this young man. I felt like he was sitting next to me telling me his story. A very personal experience.

I read this book in 24 hours, I simply could not put it down. It's a heartfelt journey. So many times I found myself near tears in gratitude for the restoration of his life. You know, there is just no limit what God can do with a heart that gives itself over to His leading. And Pastor Greg is a living example.

Great book. Probably liked it most because it mirrored a life I'm personally familiar with. It's an easy read, with humor and sadness.

Greg Laurie grabs your attention from page one. A wonderful book with lots of humor. A nice book to share with friends who are not believers. Anyone would find his story inspiring and fascinating. I highly recommend buying/reading this book.

Greg Laurie's book is his autobiography. It tells how he went from an unwanted child to the megachurch pastor he is today. I bought this book on a sunday (I go to his church) and was done with it by Friday, dispite the 30+ chapters. It was so interesting and really built me up spiritually as well as entertained me. After I was done reading it, all I could say was, "He is my hero." This is a book we all can relate to, no matter our circumstances or up-bringing.

This book was awesome. I couldn't put it down. Shows how God can
use the tragedy and pains in our life and cause it to work for good.
Highly recommend

My husband bought this to read on a plane while he was traveling on business. He was finished by the time he returned from his trip. At that point, I picked it up to read on the beach while we were on vacation. I couldn't put it down and was finished before the week was out.

Shortly afterward, we attend Pastor Greg's Harvest Crusade in Philadelphia, and my 12-year-old son responded to the altar call with tears in his eyes (along with MANY other people).

I guarantee that you won't be able to put this book down once you begin reading it, whether you are a Christian or not, because it is such a moving and inspiring story.

Anyone growing up during the 60s will relate to this personal story, especially if they did "the scene" during this time. See how Greg Laurie was "experienced" and not only survived, but came to know and share His saving grace!