The Search for God and Guinness: A Biography of the Beer that Changed the World [Hardcover]

Stephen Mansfield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 13, 2009

The history of Guinness, one of the world’s most famous brands, reveals the noble heights and generosity of a great family and an innovative business.

It began in Ireland in the late 1700s. The water in Ireland, indeed throughout Europe, was famously undrinkable, and the gin and whiskey that took its place was devastating civil society. It was a disease ridden, starvation plagued, alcoholic age, and Christians like Arthur Guinness—as well as monks and even evangelical churches—brewed beer that provided a healthier alternative to the poisonous waters and liquors of the times. This is where the Guinness tale began. Now, 246 years and 150 countries later, Guinness is a global brand, one of the most consumed beverages in the world. The tale that unfolds during those two and a half centuries has power to thrill audiences today: the generational drama, business adventure, industrial and social reforms, deep-felt faith, and the beer itself.

"Frothy, delicious, intoxicating and nutritious! No, I'm not talking about Guinness Stout—I'm talking about Stephen Mansfield's fabulous new book...The amazing and true story of how the Guinness family used its wealth and influence to touch millions is an absolute inspiration." — Eric Metaxas, New York Times best-selling author

"It's a rare brew that takes faith, philanthropy and the frothy head of freshly-poured Guinness and combines them into such an inspiriting narrative. Cheers to brewmaster Stephen Mansfield! And cheers to you, the reader! You're in for a treat." — R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr., Founder and editor-in-chief of The American Spectator

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Stephen Mansfield is a New York Times bestselling author and a popular speaker who is becoming one of the nation’s most respected voices on religion in American culture. He is author of The Faith of George W. Bush, The Faith of the American Soldier, Then Darkness Fled: The Liberating Wisdom of Booker T. Washington, and Never Give In: The Extraordinary Character of Winston Churchill, among other works of history and biography. In 2008, Mansfield wrote The Faith of Barack Obama, intended as an objective look at Obama’s religious life and the controversies that have surrounded it. The book reflects Mansfield’s ability to compassionately describe theological and political views that are not necessarily his own, an ability he movingly demonstrated in his book on the life and views of Pope Benedict XVI. Founder of both The Mansfield Group, a research and communications firm, and Chartwell Literary Group, which creates and manages literary projects, Stephen is also in wide demand as a lecturer and inspirational speaker.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (October 13, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595552693
• ISBN-13: 978-1595552693
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 1.1 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (193 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #80,994 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #76 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Drinks & Beverages > Beer
  • #80 in Books > History > Europe > Ireland
  • #87 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Ethnic & National > Irish

More About the Author

Stephen Mansfield is a writer and speaker best known for his groundbreaking books on the role of religion in history, leadership and modern culture. He first came to international attention with "The Faith of George W. Bush," the New York Times bestseller that influenced Oliver Stone's film W. His book "The Faith of Barack Obama" was another international bestseller. He has written celebrated biographies of Booker T. Washington, George Whitefield, Winston Churchill, and Abraham Lincoln, among others. Known for aggressively researching his books, Mansfield worked in a brewery while writing "The Search for God and Guinness" and was embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq to produce The Faith of the American Soldier. His 2013 book, "Killing Jesus," has been described by Publishers Weekly as "masterful."

Stephen speaks around the world on topics of faith, leadership and culture. He is also the founder of two firms, The Mansfield Group (MansfieldGroup.com) and Chartwell Literary Group (ChartwellLiterary.com). He is a frequent commentator on television news programs, a writer for a number of leading websites and an outspoken advocate for a variety of social causes. A single sentence from one of his books about religion in the Oval Office captures the guiding principle of his work: "If a man's faith is sincere, it is the most important thing about him and... it is impossible to understand who he is and how he will lead without first understanding the religious vision that informs his life."

Stephen lives in Nashville and Washington DC with his wife, Beverly, who is an award-winning songwriter and producer. For more information, log onto MansfieldGroup.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars God and Guinness....even for the non-beer lover! October 30, 2009

By B. Furby

Format:Hardcover

I was a little doubtful that I would enjoy this book, but decide to read it anyway. I thought I'd plod through it, not really like it that much, but maybe learn a little history about Ireland.

I was wrong.

I really, really liked this book. I liked the first chapter that focused on the history of beer pre-Guinness. I liked the second chapter that told the story of Arthur Guinness, his faith, and his philosophy on business and wealth. The third chapter goes on to describe the passing of the chairmanship of the company from one Guinness to another through each generation. The fourth chapter was excellent and focused on the social good that Guinness has done throughout the years by benefiting both their community in general and their workers specifically. The fifth chapter was an interesting look at the Guinness line that did not participate in the brewery business but went into various forms of ministry from evangelistic preaching to foreign missionary work. The sixth chapter took a look at the business as it grew into and through the twentieth century. Finally, Mansfield ended with a superb epilogue that summarizes "The Guinness Way" and how we might learn from it today both in our business and our personal lives. This would be a great book for the beer lover or history buff in your family!

Favorite Quote: "Drunkenness is when the tongue walks on stilts and reason goes forward under half a sail." - Martin Luther (pg. 30)

Favorite Passage: ...it must also be true that a company should be measured by the culture it creates. Culture. It means "what is encouraged to grow," the "behavior and ways of thinking that are inspired...." Despite what a company's advertising may boast, aside from what mascot it adopts or the slogan it uses, it is what is inspired in the life of its people that is the most important indicator of how noble a venture that company may be. (pp. 121-122)

DUH Moment: Did you know that The Guinness Book of Records originated from the Guinness company as a pamphlet meant as a promotional gimmick in 1954 for pubs in Ireland and the United Kingdom? Duh. Never put the two names together!

Interesting Fact: In 1954 Guinness dropped 50,000 bottles with messages dropped in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans with the intent for people to find them and then contact Guinness to find out where the bottle was originally dropped. Oh, and to receive a "suitable memento of the occasion." In 1959, Guinness dropped 150,000 more bottles for their 200th anniversary. Bottles were found in the Azores, South America, the West Indies, the Philippines, and India. Bottles are still found today at a rate of one or two a year! Bet we couldn't have a company do an advertising promotion like that today!

I highly recommend this book. It's well written, historically interesting, and spiritually edifying. As a matter of fact, I'm passing it on to my boss next week! Enjoy - Read more ›

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Pull me a pint, reverend November 5, 2009

By Lisa Ahlstedt

Format:Hardcover

The relationship between God and an alcoholic beverage might be a bit startling at first, but the book The Search for God and Guinness by Stephen Mansfield shows that the connection makes perfect sense in this instance. The book begins with a very detailed history of beer itself, even tracing some arguments that state the desire to brew beer contributed to the abandonment of the nomadic lifestyle of early humans. In the early 1700s, when the Guinness family first started brewing beer, the water was undrinkable but gin was cheap and plentiful. Arthur Guinness wanted to provide a drink that would be safer and more nutritious than what was currently available. Because of his deep faith, as his business became successful Guinness became active in social causes, founding Sunday schools and hospitals for the poor. After his death, future generations of the Guinness family continued with socially responsible activities, paying a high wage to workers and providing generous benefits. This example of generosity set the standard for other employers in Dublin and improved living conditions for everyone in the city. The book is written in a chatty, amusing style and the author's glowing respect for the company is obvious.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars In Search of God and Guinness by Stephen Mansfield October 30, 2009

By Mikal-El

Format:Hardcover

Guinness is a name that is synonymous with beer, but Stephen Mansfield shows that there is more to the famous family than just
the black stout that bears their name. The founder of the world renowned brewery, Arthur Guinness, was a godly man who
truly loved his fellow man as well as a pint. He felt that brewing a stout beer was a service to his fellow man by offering
a healthy beverage, but he also believed it was a calling upon his life by God. The bane of Irish society at the time
was gin and whiskey drinking, which was tearing families apart. Most people considered beer to be the answer to
this problem. Enter Arthur Guinness. The good that was done by Guinness for over two centuries, is recorded by Mansfield
with plenty of historical documentation.

I was very curious about the angle of this book. I mean, I never would have thought to put God and beer in the same sentence,
let alone read an entire book about it, but here it is. It was very interesting, and I am not even a beer drinker. My father was
a beer man and I have only recently even drank wine, but the way Mansfield presents the history of beer, going back thousands
of years to Mesopotamia and then going straight to the pubs of 1700's Dublin, he gives us an interesting read. He also points
out the social aspects of "having a beer" and how people have always bonded over the drink. The family history of the godly
character of the Guinnesses was of great interest, especially how they cared about the brewery employees and the neighborhoods
of Dublin during a time of poverty, pestilence and filth.

Personally, I have a hard time agreeing with Mansfield's idea (which was also the idea of most brewers) that beer was/is
a gift from God, a symbol of His grace.... With that being said, I did enjoy the book and would recommend it to the curious Christian
as well as the beer drinker who may or may not be a Christian as well. Well written, engaging and full of interesting information,
especially about the clergymen who were Guinnesses. It almost made me want to go to the corner public house and down a pint.

I am a member of the Thomas Nelson Book Review Blogger program Read more ›

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A little about God, a little about Guinness, tenuously about both at the same time! December 10, 2009

By Gerrymander

Format:Hardcover

Beginning with much promise, Stephen Mansfield's The Search for God and Guinness: A biography of the beer that changed the world, left me a little disappointed, somewhat confused, though pleased I'd had the opportunity to read the book.

The book begins with an exploration of the connection between Christianity, beer and wider society. Mansfield seeks to show the reader that not only should beer not be seen by Christians as an `evil' in society but rather, when `well respected and rightly consumed, can be a gift from God' (xxv). At this point, it seems that there will be a strong link between the Guinness people, the Guinness beer and service to society. Yet, as the story unfolds, these links become increasingly tenuous.

For those who enjoy history, biography and beer, this remains an interesting read. The stories of Arthur Guinness and, indeed, the Grattan Guinness clan are revealing and well told. Though, as Mansfield does make clear, there seemed to be three, sometimes rather distinct, vocational paths for Guinness family members: beer, clergy and social concern. To make a link between beer and God when the brewery-owning Guinness is not the same person as the evangelical social crusader seems a tad disingenuous.

I think the book would have benefited greatly from the inclusion of a family tree at the outset. If the book had then been divided into more chapters or, at least, subsections, there could have been an image of the part of the family tree relevant to the persons being discussed in each section.

Nevertheless, it was an interesting project on which to embark and has been well-researched and written by Mansfield.... It may not go down as one of the most inspiring or gripping books I have read, but I would be pleased to recommend it to others who would be interested in some of the history of the great Irish beer. Read more ›