Customer Reviews

The Man in the Mirror : Solving the 24 Problems Men Face

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

While Morley's book is hardly the kind for intellectuals and those who desire Tozer, Murray, and other deeper-life writers, the title is a good read for those who wish to be grounded in the basics of Christianity.

Since each chapter is around 10 pages and covers a wide variety of topics, the book is appropriate for a small men's group or for your own personal reading.

Among the topics Morley covers are:

1. God has a purpose for your life and a direction He wants you to go.
2. Principles for redefining what we need for job contentment.
3. We fear because we do not fully trust God.
4. Depend on God or you will be miserable!
5. No secrets are kept from God - He knows everything about us.
6. We can have a victorious thought life if we allow the Holy Spirit to have control in our lives.
7. Guidelines for dealing with anger.
8. Success at the office is not worth sacrificing important relationships.

As mentioned earlier, the book is tailored more towards those who with to be grounded in the basics of Christianity. However, those of us who are more mature Christians do occasionally have the need to be reminded of the basics lest we let arrogance get the best of us.

All in all, a good and recommended read.

Wow--this should be required reading for every young man (I've given a copy to both of my college-aged sons.) Had I read it in my twenties, I sense I could have avoided (or at least better understood) some of my struggles with issues such as relationships, my career, anger, and so on.

I don't mean to make this sound over the top, but honestly, this book spoke to me in a way no other book has (I've read everyone from Scott Peck and Wayne W. Dyer to Philip Yancey and C.S. Lewis). I can only tell you that, to me, "Man in the Mirror" is among the clearest, most profound "life thinking" I have ever read.

It's been a long time since I've read a book that is honest, biblical, practical, and pulls no punches in dealing with the daily struggles that men face. Morley has done a wonderful job in each of these short chapters of facing tough issues head-on. In the book, you will find honest and frank discussions of the following topics: Relationships with family, relationships with friends, dealing with anger, our attitudes at the workplace, finances, our thought lives, and much more. Each chapter has questions for consideration (or discussion if the book is used in group study). R. C. Sproul says in the book's introduction that the book should be read by the wife after the husband has read it, but don't let the wife read it BEFORE the husband! Read it, men, and you'll know why. This book is essential for men who want to grow spiritually.

When I bought the book, I thought R.C. Sproul was the co-author. He is not, he only wrote the introduction. It is sad that R.C., whom I admire, has sponsored this weak book.
The recommendations are o.k., and there is only common-sense christianity in the book. However, the book is oriented only to men who have minor problems, like "what will I do with my lots of money", or "how much time should I spend with my kids".
This is the kind of fleshy "how-to's" directed to men in the First World who really don't have many problems, exactly the kind of guy the author is, millionaire, well-succeeded, etc.
There is not even one mention about big problems, like the death of someone loved, about big mistakes made in life (like a child out of wedlock, e.g.), unemployment, in summary, all those problems that make us feel that God is not there to help us (I know He is).
Therefore, if you are looking for something deeper and with more substance than this "vanilla ice cream" book for christian yuppies, skip this one.

The Man In The Mirror was a very moving and revealing book that hits the heart of all men who would take the time to read it. Patrick Morley has hit the nail on the head when it comes to dealing with men's issues and how they relate to God. I was moved closer to God by reading this book and feel any man who is earnestly seeking God's will for his life or trying to find a meaning to his life, will have the tools from this book to do so. I am encouraged to find another man who has the guts to tell it like it is! Praise be to God for Patrick Morley and his book. I pray all men will take the time to read it and be changed.....in a good way!

Pat Morley takes everyday issues men face(work, family, money, leisure, relationships, etc.) and challenges us to think about true meaning in life from a Biblical perspective. Practical stories of other mens struggles along with Pat's life stories will encourage you to find balance in life. This book is a must! It's short chapter reading that is to the point. Practical questions at the end of each chapter can be used to spark great discussions in both large and small group interactions.

A must read for any man serious about becoming a better husband and father. Neither happens by accident. In the book, one of the challenges went like this, "If you do not have time for your wife or your kids, then you can be 100% sure that what your doing is not in God's plan for you life."... caused me to walk away from a contract that would have been 1/2 my annual income. That was over two years ago. I now have not one, but two daughters. Last week, the oldest left me her first voice mail message. It went something like this, "Daddy, I love you, come home soon, love you." Priceless rewards when you get your priorities right. This book will slice your priorities with a knife.

This book sets out in straightforward and practical terms how men struggle in many vital areas of life. The great thing about the book for me is that it not only provides biblical backing for what he has to say, but it is also very practical. You will be left in little doubt about what you need to do in key areas of your life to lead a valuable and eternally important existance here on earth. Only read this book if you are serious about leading a life that will get you to closer to God and His will for your life.

I don't like reviews like the one by Daniel L Edelen - sorry Daniel - which is the main review featured here. Not only does the phrase "been there, done that" sound naive and adolescent, it is reflective of the very thing Morley is condemning: Cultural Christianity. Which may explain why Mr. Edelen and his friends didn't like the book. He compares Man In The Mirror - which was one of the first Christian "Men's" books ever to be published (1992) - with later books, like John Eldredge's Wild At Heart, saying that if "you've read one, you've read them all." That just isn't true. His superficial understanding of the book gives me the impression that he never finished it. He at least admits that his group never finished discussing it. Well, mine did, and I can tell you that we all loved it.

Mr. Edelen makes a comment about the "endpiece bio on Morley" (at least he did read that) that "Morley comes off as being your standard 'plastic and Brylcreme' Christian rather than as a real person." Nothing could be further from the truth. Mr. Edelen does Morley a great injustice. Man In The Mirror contains many, many nuggets of truth that will help anyone - CEO or average working stiff - in their walk with Christ. This book is a classic that has been quoted often by most Christian writers and speakers, so naturally the material is going to sound somewhat familiar. Shouldn't the man be credited for his original ideas, rather than written off because he has so many imitators?

One quote - one - is worth the price of the book, because it defines the number one problem facing our age and ourselves individually, and has become one of my favorite quotes:

"There is a God we want and there is a God who is, and they are not the same God. The turning point of our lives will come when we stop seeking the God we want, and start seeking the God who is." - Patrick Morley

Now, does that sound like a "'plastic and Brylcreme' Christian?" I don't think so. This is practical Christianity - not feel-good philosophy, although there is a place for that as well. If you're a practical, thinking Christian, and you're interested in reading a Christian classic, you'll LOVE this book. I would also recommend Morley's The Seven Seasons Of A Man's Life - another wonderful classic.

Waitsel Smith

As part of a Christian men's group we read "The Man in the Mirror". The six men involved all had been believers for at least five or more years. Our consensus was that this book had nothing to say that we had not already heard elsewhere or dealt with before. We never completed our discussion of it as a group, simply moving on to better things.

Can this book help others? Possibly. But is a telling flaw in many modern evangelical "Men's" books that once you've read one, you've read them all. This book has some things in common with "Wild at Heart" and others of that genre, the greatest commonality being their superficiality. There is something about these books that renders them slightly askew of historic Christianity, also. It's almost as if the rise of modern day psychobabble has so infiltrated the Church it's impossible to get the historic perspective of real men of faith, now long dead. You compare this book to something Tozer would have written to men and you see how trite the modern works are.

Still, considering that a half dozen fairly average Christian guys got little from Morley's book should be critique enough.

(Note: the endpiece bio on Morley makes it sound as if he's never had a bad day in his life. It reads so unbelievably that it comes off as arrogant, almost as if the target audience is being held in contempt. Perhaps if the author were writing to fellow CEOs and such it would read fine, but to the average working stiff Morley comes off as being your standard "plastic and Brylcreme" Christian rather than as a real person.)