Customer Reviews

Selections from 90 Minutes in Heaven: An Inspiring Story of Life Beyond Death

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

I will not cut on this book, as it is a great story and an excellent read. However, I wanted to let potential buyers of this book know that this book contains selections from the original book,and is not the actual book in its entirety. I purchased this book from Amazon last week thinking it was the actual book, and was disappointed when I opened the package to find out it was a special printing of selections from the original. Although the book is good and captures the story, it is not what I thought I ordered. The description of this book on Amazon leads people to think they are getting the full story, when they are really just getting selections from the original. I wish Amazon would be more clear about this in their description. If you want the full version, don't buy this one.

I bought this book at the airport. The title lead me to believe the entire book was about the author's experience of heaven, but was disappointed to discover the description of heaven is only a few pages long... the rest is the story of the author's recovery experience, how much the injuries hurt, how discouraged he felt...
The best part of the book is the title. Reading "90 Minutes in Heaven" makes you think that the author (and editors) realised the short story was a good marketing opportunity, and wrote enough pages of an unremarkable story around it to be able to sell it as a book.
Don't waste your time on it.

First of all, a disclaimer: I haven't read this version of the book; I've only read the original, full-length version.

Secondly, I expect that some people will downrate me for this, but I was absolutely *shocked* by the author's perception of Heaven. I've been a Christian for almost 20 years, and Rev. Piper's description of "Heaven" sounds *exactly* like my Bible-based Church's description of Hell. I'm sure many people will disagree with that assessment (and will probably downrate this review because I had the audacity to make it), but keep it in mind when you read it. It's really quite interesting!

Now... all that having been said, let's get to the reason I'm reviewing *this* version of the book, when I've only read the full one: it is *seriously* an *awesome* idea.

My wife checked the full-length *90 Minutes in Heaven* out from the library, a couple of weeks ago, and we just got done reading it. The story was great, on some level, but we each had the same reaction: it obviously *tries* to be uplifting, but it only succeeds for about 100 pages. After that, it suddenly and irrevocably becomes *extremely* boring. If nothing else, the authors spend the last 100 or so pages repeating the same stories over and over again, often word for word. Every other page, it was like, "Didn't you already tell that story?" I wound up skimming large sections of it, not because it wasn't interesting, but because I'd already read that part!

So, my point is that a 128-page version of this book is probably just what the reverend ordered. By cutting out 80 pages of repetitive fluff, I expect it becomes the wonderful, inspiring story that Rev. Piper would want it to be. Five stars for a great story, finally compacted into what I expect is a great book.

I do believe Don Piper's story. I believe he did spend 90 minutes in Heaven. An incredible journey. Unfortunately, he says it best himself, "...I have to use earthly terms to refer to unimaginable joy...".

Of the 205 pages of this book, only a mere 15 pages tell of his experience, and almost half of those are his attempt to descibe just the music he heard. While I imagine it is true that it is hard to describe Heavenly music, Mr. Piper tries his best. But only 7% of the book is devoted to his experience. His experience and the entire book can be summed up in one sentence:

He was surrounded by loved ones, he heard unimaginable music, and he saw the Gates of Heaven.

The other 93% of the book is devoted to his account of his recovery. He tells a remarkable story of his struggles after his near-death experience, but it is just that. His struggle after Heaven. If you're looking to get a better understanding of Heaven, I would recommend another book.

No wonder the man was reluctant to write this book...I've read a lot of reviews on this book, it made me think of my experience reading and re-reading it. First of all, there was commentary about lack of scripture. Another similar book, a commentary on too much and it should have been in the index. One confessed Christian complains on too little time experiencing Heaven. Another cites his whininess at dealing with illness and how he should have been better at accepting it. Yet another criticizes him going too much into detail about his recovery. Wow! no wonder he was reticent to speak about it for a couple of years. Besides that, I can understand how it would be more than difficult to express any experience from the Lord. I am a wife with a husband who is very ill. Children to deal with during it. Hearing someone who has been through it, not excuse his wrongdoings with words, etc., but explain them so that I can also understand my husband's pain, fears & worries. I found it very helpful and comforting. I know there is heaven for us when we die. Because Don Piper says so? No, because I have a personal relationship with the Lord. It grows every day as I read, meditate on, and study His Word and pray. Because I acccepted the Savior as the Lord of my life; my friend, my advocate; I have the Holy Spirit given to me, Who is my comforter throughout. Part of this comfort has come in the form of this book and Pastor Piper relating experiences of his injuries. I found a couple very small sections that may or may not be perfectly how I intrepret the scripture, but I find nothing that does not lead the believer to the Lord. I appreciate his honesty about his suffering, and his inadequacies as a human in them. And the glory he gives to the Lord for helping Him through it all. The understanding as God gives him glimpses of some of the reasons why He has been through this particular circumstance. I believe you will not be disappointed, and I guess you can always ask, does the book lead you to the Savior? Do you find any apparent ways that the author is misleading you? Do you see scriptural flaws? We all have different interpretations about things that are not important. Let's not be divisive about those. God bless you all.

As a born-again Christian who believes in the existence of Heaven, I was severely disappointed in this book. Very few pages are actually about the author's '90 minutes in Heaven.' 95% of the book chronicles the recovery of the author's accident. With all due respect, I don't care to read about the recovery of a car accident victim. That is not why I purchased the book.

This one was a disappointment.

I read this book only because it was recommended to me over and over by several friends and family members. What I expected was what the title indicates - a book about a person's after death experience. You can quickly read the 15 pages or so of the book that actually discusses this topic in any bookstore (sorry Barnes & Nobles). The rest of the book is an amateurish, disconnected series of discourses, many of which restate over and over details that have already been read. I think the guy just tried to pull enough "stuff" together to make a book and then slapped a catchy title on it. He's probably laughing all the way to the bank! Life's too short to spend time reading this book.

This one didn't quite make it for me. While the topic is fascinating, this book is a disappointment. For a hardcover edition, it was the shape and size of a thin paperback. The text is in large print and double-spaced, with "filler" pages packed in with quotes that you just read in the text. Clearly, an effort was made to turn a short essay into something publishable. While the author's story has merit, he is a Baptist minister who makes all his references to Jesus, highlighting his faith as the basis and scenario for his near-death experience. Okay, all right, I have no problem in having a very personalized NDE. But his descriptions don't seem to make room for those of other faiths. Piper also disavows having the "typical" experience: while he acknowledges the presence of lost loved ones, a sense of timelessness and joy, and so forth, he says he saw no dark tunnel, never felt his body being transported into the light, heard no voices calling out to him, etc. He only returned to this life when another Baptist minister was praying over his body. I do not question the man's credibility--his story rings true. But an "inspiring" story it was not. It is a short account of one person's experience, but for readers interested in the topic I suggest they go elsewhere to seek books that hold a collection of such stories. I have read enough of them to see a broader picture emerge than was represented here.

EXCELLENT BOOK, I HAVE ACTUALLY HEARD THE MAN SPEAK IN PERSON, WHO WROTE THE BOOK.
IT IS A TRUE AND THIS MAN DID SPEND 90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN AND RETURN TO LIFE HEREON EARTH. OUTSTANDING WITNESS FOR THE LORD

Although I mildly liked this condensed version of the original book, I found its vision of the afterlife pretty standard fare, exactly what an evangelical Christian (or Catholic, or whatever) might envision. This is not intended as an offense, just that I was a bit disappointed. Friends and family come to greet him, of course there are pearly gates (only more luminescent) and there's lots of singing. I don't doubt he is authentic in relating his mind's experience, I just don't think this would be everyone's idea of heaven. At least it didn't appeal much to me. In fairness, the next day I did think a lot about the book, so perhaps it's a worthwhile read for many. I just wouldn't recommend it to my more cynical friends. They'd eat it alive.