Customer Reviews

A Young Woman's Guide to Making Right Choices: Your Life God's Way

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

 

 

This is one fantastic book. She tells it like it is and doesn't apologize. If you seek His Will for your life, and allow Him to speak to you through this book, you will grow in understanding.
The author gives great insight into how to make choices and why to make them. She doesn't preach or shove things down your throat, but shows you how your choices affect not only your own life, but the lives of those around you, too. It has made my daughter very aware of her choices and is helping her to make better ones.

I did this study with a small group of high school seniors with whom I have been working for 5 years. They chose to do a topical study instead of a Bible book study this spring. "A Young Woman's Guide..." fit that criteria. This is the first Elizabeth George study we have done. My young women gave it mixed reviews.

Generally, the content is good. There are plenty of Bible references to look up. Memorization is encouraged. Chapters are arranged in a consistent manner. Picking out the main thoughts is made simple through use of italics and bullet points. The reading level is not too high. The chapter on friendship was good. My group found some things they had not yet considered in the list of what to look for in a guy in the chapter on dating. The level of questions in the book is very basic. No one is going to be greatly challenged by most of them, yet they do get the information, mostly biblical, across.

Elizabeth George writes in a patronizing tone that wears on the nerves. One of my young women noted that being called "dear" and "precious" by someone she doesn't know is a "little bit creepy". One young woman noted that while there are many verses in each chapter, the same verses seem to crop up in multiple chapters. She felt like the same ground was being covered repeatedly. Another recognized that when a verse is printed in the book it is not always the entire verse. The group then realized that the author uses some verses to suit her own purposes. Biblical context is not always respected. The author occasionally reads into the biblical text what she wants to be there. For example, she has created an entire theology around cleaning one's room that is a stretch from the verses she uses to back up her position. (eisegesis vs exegesis) Good management of resources is not the same as having a clean house. (I do not intend to suggest that they are mutually exclusive either.)

I hesitate to recommend this book. It is not bad, but neither is it good. The best discussions my group had stemmed from textual criticism. I am gratified that after 5 years of doing Bible studies with me, they have learned to return to their Bibles to see if the message of an author meshes with God's message. I wish this book had not provided them such food for criticism. If you choose to do this study, do it with Bible in hand. Help your girls learn to think biblically, not merely accept everything they read.

This has been a great study to do with my high school girls group at church. They are enjoying the format and questions asked.

This book is a pleasure to read. Teens who do find simple and easy methods to examine their lives and the choices they make everyday. I am currently monitoring a teen study at my church with girls ranging in ages 11-15. Their enthusiasm is evident as they read this book together and share their lives. In doing so, they're finding confidence-building solutions to life's challenges through God's Word, the thought-provoking questions presented, and many other tools offered to help the girls with "making right choices".

It was just what I ordered in great shape.The order arrived in a timely fashion. The book was a gift and they are enjoying it.