Customer Reviews

Swindoll's Ultimate Book of Illustrations & Quotes: Over 1,500 Ways to Effectively Drive Home Your Message

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Speaking in seminars and at roundtable groups, I found this book to be very helpful for ice breakers and discussion ideas. An informative approach to naritive speaking.

We all need a good story. We need to people our exposition with the concrete. The listeners hope to hear the words "there was this man that... or I am told that ...", knowing that the preacher is using a storehouse of wisdom. Preaching is not about one's own special story, but about clearly and in an entertaining manner telling our shared experience and needs. This type of book is a must for all who preach or speak.

As a young seminary student, this book offers a wide variety of illustrations. A helpful book to drive your messages home.

As soon as I received this book in the mail, i started randomly opening the book up, pointing my finger in it and reading what I picked and everyone illustration i opened too was awsome and I had to share each with everyone in my house. Every Illustration is amazing, thought provoking, a lot are very funny, some are very serious. This is a great tool for Pastors, Lay Ministers, People who love to write (books, bloggs, letters, etc.), Illustrations bring the point home. That's why pastors normally open with one and close with one in there sermons, it's how Jesus taught (in parables), This Book is a must have for just about anyone but especially those in ministry. I like to write and I post monthly bloggs [...] and I will be using this book to help me draw together my bloggs and I really believe they will help me knock my messages out of the park. I can't wait for my next book to come in 'Tony Evans book of Illustrations'. God's Peace, Your Brother in Christ -Brian

This is an excellent book with many illustrations from both the past and recent present. It is a valuable tool for communicators of the Word of God.

I am very disappointed to see this book recycle several untrue stories, inaccurate stories, and unverified stories.

Untrue stories include: the one about Paderewski and the little boy at the piano - never happened. The entire list of One votes such as Hitler elected by one vote in 1923, when in fact he was elected in 1921 with a 553-1 vote. And also the story about Teddy Stallard/Stoddard/Stallart is not true. Check out truthorfiction.com and snopes.com

Inaccurate ones would include, among others: Truman and his casket joke, The Bird Cage story with it's various preachers ,George Thomas, S.D. Gordon or A.J.Gordon, or was it a priest, and the various sums of money, 2 dollars to as much as 50 dollars.

Unverified: The story of the woman on the Titanic leaving the lifeboat [3 minutes, 5 minutes, a few moments] to get three oranges [or was it a Bible] most likely did not happen as there is no verification in Titanic literature for it. It appears that it may have come from two different stories that some preacher stuck together to make this story. He quotes W.E. Sangster, but it is clear that he never read Sangster's Book "The Craft of Sermon Illustration." Had he read Sangster he would find that Sangster did not tell this as an anecdote, but rather recorded it in his book as a story that a "preacher" told and Sangster used it as an example of why preachers should be very careful in using these kinds of stories as if they were true illustrations. And, in addition, the way Swindoll tells it is different than the way Sangster recorded it.

It appears that most of these stories come from "Preacher-World." A place where preachers make up stories and then these stories get repeated and recycled along the way, then others pick them and think that they must be true because so many preachers tell them.

I continue to get great ideas from this book for presentations for my basic academy cadets or veteran cops. The stories relate well to the law enforcement training arena.

Richard Neil, LEOtrainer.com, "Police Instructor: Deliver Dynamic Presentations, Create Engaging Slides, & Increase Active Learning"

I have found this to be a great resource when putting together messages for use in Lay Speaking. The variety of subjects covered as well as the variation of illustrations within a subject enhance its value. Whether you're looking for a story, phrase, or quote you have a good chance of finding it. I would recommend this to anyone involved in frequent public speaking. It also makes a great personal read even if you have just a few minutes and want to be encouraged, uplifted, or simply entertained.

There are books filled with many worn out, overused, illustrations. BUT THIS BOOK IS NOT ONE OF THEM. Swindoll, as only he can do, shares illustrations that really connect with an audience. It is filled with great content. This a very welcome additon to any speakers library.

It was not what I expected, but I think the author did exactly what he wanted to with this book. There are many long quotations (very long paragraphs), which are hard to reuse but get the speaker's point across effectively. I am sure that people, who are using this book to enhance their sales or management skills, will find a lot of value in this book. I would suggest using the "Search Inside" function to make sure this book is what you are looking for before you purchase it, but if you are a sales leader or you do a lot of presentations, this book will be good for you.

Enjoy!

Todd Hagopian

President/CEO

Hagopian Institute

Author of the popular "Quote Junkie" book sereies and the brand new "Idiom Junkie" series