Love Does [Kindle Edition]

Bob Goff (Author), Donald Miller (Foreword, Contributor)

Book Description

Now a New York Times Bestseller!As a college student he spent 16 days in the Pacific Ocean with five guys and a crate of canned meat. As a father he took his kids on a world tour to eat ice cream with heads of state. He made friends in Uganda, and they liked him so much he became the Ugandan consul. He pursued his wife for three years before she agreed to date him. His grades weren't good enough to get into law school, so he sat on a bench outside the Dean’s office for seven days until they finally let him enroll. Bob Goff has become something of a legend, and his friends consider him the world's best-kept secret. Those same friends have long insisted he write a book. What follows are paradigm shifts, musings, and stories from one of the world’s most delightfully engaging and winsome people. What fuels his impact? Love. But it's not the kind of love that stops at thoughts and feelings. Bob's love takes action. Bob believes Love Does.When Love Does, life gets interesting. Each day turns into a hilarious, whimsical, meaningful chance that makes faith simple and real. Each chapter is a story that forms a book, a life. And this is one life you don't want to miss.Light and fun, unique and profound, the lessons drawn from Bob's life and attitude just might inspire you to be secretly incredible, too.Endorsements:“If this book does not make your heart beat faster, book thenext flight to Mayo Clinic!” --Bill Hybels, Senior Pastor, Willow CreekCommunity Church, Chairman, Willow Creek Association“Bob Goff is a one-man tsunami of grace, a hurricane oflove.  He doesn't just talk about change, he really is change, as LoveDoes chronicles in such a vivid way. Yet, LoveDoes doesn't leave you feeling like you want to celebrate its author, itawakens a sense deep within that you, too, have an outrageous role to play inGod's unfolding story or rescue and repair.” --Louie Giglio, PassionConferences/Passion City Church“An interesting and compelling story (with Young Life roots)that ends with a practical challenge and punch:  ‘love does’ and God canuse you to do it!” --Denny Rydberg, President, Young Life“Every once in a while someone like Bob Goff shows up toremind us that some things matter a lot more than others.  Love Does has akind of ‘north star’ effect that will push you to refocus your life and energyon what is most significant. It doesn't just invite you to respond with yourGod-given potential, it invites you to become a part of what God can do beyondyour potential.” --Reggie Joiner, Founder and CEO of Orange“We liked the book a lot. Mostly, the balloons on the cover.The rest was pretty good too. Lots of stories about how God helps us.” --Aedan,Asher and Skye Peterson ages 13, 12 and 9“This may look like a book. It’s not. It is an invitation toenter into the greatest adventure you have ever known—your life as it was meantto be lived. Hang on!” --Michael Hyatt,  Author,Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World, MichaelHyatt.com“Bob’s ability to love people brings contagious hope andinspiration wherever he goes. The power of love showcased in this book willsurely touch the hearts and souls of many people. Read Love Does and find afriend in one the world’s best hidden secrets, a person who shows how love cancreate connection and make a difference—even across oceans.” --GeorgeTsereteli, Deputy Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia (former RussianRepublic)“There are some nasty rumors out there about treasure.Mostly that's it's buried and needs discovering. Or has to be mined. Or canonly be located with a map and a big X. Not so, says the life of Bob Goff.Living from the center of your heart doesn't have to be complicated or elusive.Love just wakes up in the morning and gets busy loving. The treasure is sittingright there next to the pancakes. About 5 pages in, I knew my life and I weregonna have words.” --Nicole Nordeman, Mother and Musician

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bob Goff is the founder of Restore International, a non-profit fighting injustices committed against children in Uganda and India. Bob shares leadership in a Washington law firm, Goff & DeWalt, and he serves as the Honorary Consul for the Republic of Uganda to the United States. He is adjunct professor at Pepperdine Law School and Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. Bob lives in San Diego with Sweet Maria and their beloved poodle.

Donald Miller is a speaker, founder of The Mentoring Project, and author of A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, Blue Like Jazz, Searching for God Knows What, Through Painted Deserts, and Father Fiction.

Product Details

• File Size: 323 KB
• Print Length: 241 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 161375115X
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (May 1, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0078FA8HU
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,337 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #4 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Christian Living > Spiritual Growth
  • #14 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Religion & Spirituality > Spirituality
  • #32 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Christian Living

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 59 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A fresh, original and challenging message April 12, 2012

By John Gibbs TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

Living a life fully engaged and full of whimsy and the kind of things that love does is something most people plan to do, but along the way they just kind of forget, according to Bob Goff in this book. God chooses ordinary people like us to make a difference by getting to the "do" part of faith. Love doesn't just keep thinking about it or planning for it. Love does.

The book describes the extraordinary whimsical adventures that the author has lived, all as a result of saying "yes" to opportunities. After failing to get into law school, he camped every day outside the dean's office until the dean let him in. When saying "yes" to what he thought was a friend's prank, he found himself appointed as honorary consul for Uganda. After 9/11 he encouraged his children to write to world leaders, and they were invited to go and visit several of them. He joined some friends in a small boat for the Transpac Race from Los Angeles to Hawaii. In Uganda, he arranged for hundreds of young prisoners who were being held without trial to have their cases heard and be freed.

The book is full of funny and entertaining stories, but more than that, it issues a challenge to the reader: Every morning when you wake up you get the invitation to live a life of complete engagement, a life where love does. It is an invitation to participate fully in this amazing life for one more day, and yet it is an invitation which most people turn down. How are you going to respond?

I have read a lot of great Christian books which contain interesting stories and good advice on ways of following Jesus more closely, but I cannot remember any that grabbed my imagination and presented a fresh and original challenge as forcefully as this one.... This is simply an outstanding book, and I highly recommend it, particularly for young adults. (An electronic copy was provided to me by BookSneeze for review purposes.) Read more ›

51 of 54 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Expected to like it more July 25, 2012

By Leigh Kramer

Format:Paperback

I've had a hard time starting this post. When I requested a review copy of Love Does from BookSneeze, I fully expected to rhapsodize about this book.

Like many, I first encountered Bob Goff in the pages of Don Miller's fantastic book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. He seemed larger than life, yet the kind of person everyone would want to befriend.

In fact, were Goff's path to cross with mine, I'd insist on buying him a drink simply so I could hear more of his stories.

I completely understand why so many people are singing the book's praises. Goff's life is naturally inspiring. I was completely mystified when I started the book and did not immediately join in on the chorus.

This is not to say I disliked the book. (This is also to say I respect what Goff has accomplished in writing a book and especially his decision to donate the proceeds to Uganda. I try to be mindful of the effort it takes to write a book whenever there is criticism to bestow.)

Love Does consists of 30 short chapters, each containing a story of some antic or experience and followed by a spiritual truth of sorts. At their best, they're contemporary parables. This does not always come across as intended.

Bob believes our lives should be fueled by love. An active love. This is a great model for us to have. Some of his stories better reveal this than others. For instance, were my car hit by an elderly lady to the point where I was ejected through the roof, I doubt I would walk over to her and thank her for hitting me and then consider it a cool story. But this is how Bob reacts and the elderly lady has quite a response. Love in action.

On the other hand, Bob also considers sticking his friend with a $400 room service bill to be a prank.... Maybe those of a higher financial eschelon have different criteria for pranks. This might be the pitfall of reading instead of hearing certain stories. Were Bob to tell them to me, I might howl with laughter but in reading them, we don't get facial expressions, nuances, or intent aside from what we ascribe to it.

Bob advocates for a life of whimsey and it's hard not to be drawn to that. But what does whimsey look like in your life and mine? A book should be the starting point in getting us to apply lessons to our own lives. However, I had difficulty extracting meaning from several of Goff's experiences into application for my own life.

One of the main reasons for this is that so many of his amazing experiences are the result of money and privilege. Goff is a lawyer and has worked hard for what he has. I don't begrudge him that. However, we are not all so fortunate. I cannot take last minute plane rides to meet with important dignitaries, nor will my office ever reside in an amusement park. I will likely never be able to afford a sailboat and while it would be wonderful to be personally involved in an organization in Africa, I'm doubtful that's in the cards.

So what does Love Does look like in my life?

Goff doesn't hand his readers the answers but he does offer his phone number should anyone want to talk it out with him. I just might do that someday.

For now, I'm considering how to more actively love the people around me. I'm thinking about what a Bible Doing (my favorite chapter) might look like. I'm going to keep working on being the person God created me to be. One leap of faith at a time.

In this way, Love Does made its mark on me. Read more ›

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Manifesto on Celebrating Life April 13, 2012

By John Sowers

Format:Paperback

The first time I met Bob, he was dressed in a full band costume, laughing and marching around and playing the trumpet. He was throwing a surprise birthday party for a friend. To me, that picture is the perfect snapshot of him. For Bob, all of life is celebration. Bob celebrates his sweet wife. He dotes on his beautiful family and they love him back. He is a generous friend. He celebrates God.

Being around Bob makes me want to celebrate life the way he does. Honestly, I don't let everyone speak into my life - it takes awhile to build that trust, especially concerning spiritual things. But I trust Bob. I really do. And I would trust him with my life. This book is a simple and profound glimpse into the soul of a man who does life well. Read this book, you'll be glad you did.

51 of 59 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars The Most Interesting Man in the World June 11, 2012

By Tom Goodman

Format:Paperback

Perhaps the best reaction to Bob Goff's autobiographical devotional, Love Does, is from Twitter user @prophiphop:"I'm convinced @bobgoff's life is who 'the most interesting man in the world' is modeled after." It's an entertaining read, though occasionally off-putting whenever he falls into dissing established churches. I can't recall a single prop to any church, leaving the impression that it's pretty much up to Lone Ranger Christians and parachurch organizations to carry the torch these days. Furthermore, the most obvious inspiration for how love "does" is missing: the cross. I would like to see him use his extraordinary talent for story telling not only to tell us how to emulate Jesus the Countercultural Dude but Jesus the Willing Sacrifice.