Running with the Giants: What the Old Testament Heroes Want You to Know About Life and Leadership (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "The race of life is very different because you never know where the finish line is until you're actually crossing it..." (more)
Key Phrases: God Always Does the Right Thing, King Saul, The Servant Girl (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Himself an inspiration to millions through his motivational speeches and bestselling books, John C. Maxwell reaches out to the leading icons of the Old Testament for the life and leadership lessons conveyed in his thought-provoking albeit slim Running with the Giants. Maxwell, author of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and a half-dozen other books on the topic, writes here that biblical personalities like Abraham, Joseph, and Moses can provide us with the real "inspiration, wisdom, and empowerment" we need to lead. For example, Maxwell explains, Noah's actions teach us that "one person can make a difference"; he then fleshes out relevant maxims like "Don't be afraid to stand out in a crowd" and "Don't be afraid to do something for the first time" to bring this concept into the 21st century. Likewise, the servant girl from the book of Kings shows us how "one small act can make a big difference," but for it to happen today one must be confident and credible and "speak to people's needs." Those committed to the sources from which Maxwell draws will particularly appreciate his take on the lessons they impart, as well as his athletically inspired theme and contemporary presentation. --Howard Rothman

From Publishers Weekly

Leadership guru Maxwell, who successfully bridged secular and Christian markets with such motivational titles as The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and Developing the Leader Within You, draws on Old Testament paragons in this gifty inspirational hardback. Maxwell asks readers to envision the great "cloud of witnesses" (Heb. 12:1) said to surround us as we run the marathon of life, imagining that this cloud includes "the giants of the faith"-biblical heroes whose lives impart meaningful lessons. He includes the usual suspects: the David-tackles-Goliath tale demonstrates how people can rise above their limitations, while Noah exemplifies a willingness to take new risks (i.e., build a boat when no one had seen rain before). But there are bolder moments, too. Maxwell uses Rebekah as a model of generous giving (a welcome and underutilized virtue in business titles) and provides some gee-whiz facts to drive the point home: he estimates that to water Jacob's 10 camels, Rebekah needed about 200 gallons of water, requiring 40 trips to the well with a five-gallon jug. Such specificity helps to put a face on the virtues extolled here and offers readers a bit of insight into the Bible. Despite Maxwell's overarching metaphor of a marathon, though, the book as a whole feels more like a breathless sprint-intriguing points are raised throughout, but these promising gems lack development.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: FaithWords (September 24, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446530697
• ISBN-13: 978-0446530699
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,239 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Transcendent Values Then and Now, December 10, 2002

By	Robert Morris (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Having read and reviewed most of Maxwell's other books, I am probably somewhat unfair when suggesting that he frequently recycles many of the same leadership principles. Stated another way, had I read only the one Maxwell book each time I was composing a review of it, I would probably rate each of the Maxwell books Five Stars. They are carefully organized, well written, and thought-provoking. The same is true of this volume in which Maxwell focuses on ten heroes and heroines from the Old Testament. He suggests that each manifests an important life and leadership principle: Noah (one person can make a difference), Esther (God has a place for you), Joseph (Don't give up on your dreams), Moses (live in the "faith zone," not the "safe zone"), Rebekah (give generously to others), Abraham (God always does the right thing), Nehemiah (no problem is too big when you have help), The Servant Girl (one small act can make a big difference), David (you can overcome the limitations others put on you), and finally Jonathan (strengthen a leader and save a nation). Maxwell devotes a chapter to each and concludes with a "Discussion Guide" based on the material provided in the given chapter.

It is easy to list the names of the heroines and heroes, and, to list also the life and leadership principle each embodies. Far more difficult, obviously, to correlate their ancient cultures with our own. That is precisely Maxwell's point: However different cultures and individual circumstances may be, there really are some enduring values which are relevant to each. After I read this book, I was prompted to ask questions such as these. Have not contemporaries such as Gandhi made a difference? Was it not Mother Teresa's mission in life to give generously to others? Did Martin Luther King, Jr. ever give up on his dream? Were Gandhi, King, Sadat, and Rabin (to name but four) in a "safe zone" or a "faith zone" when assassinated?

To varying degrees, ancient as well as contemporary heroes and heroines demonstrate in their lives and in their leadership of others the same principles and values which Maxwell affirms all of his many books. This one is different from the others in that it attracts our attention to ten individuals most of whom we seldom think about, much less appreciate, and from whom we can learn much of value if our hearts as well as our minds are both willing and able.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 10 Lessons from Old Testament Heroes and Heroines, June 9, 2003

By	Professor Donald Mitchell "Jesus Makes Me a P... (Boston) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

The text for this book is an expanded version of a talk given by Dr. Maxwell at an NBA All-Star game. As a result, there's a sports context for the book's structure.

The concept is that we each lead our lives with a cloud of witnesses observing as we perform (Heb. 12:1). "Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is before us."

You imagine yourself running 10 laps in a race with the stands full of the great people from the Bible. Ten of them come down in turn to join you in running one lap, and share words of encouragement as they do.

From Noah (". . . for when you wonder if your life really counts"), you learn that "you can make a difference" as you contemplate his single-minded focus on building the ark.

From Esther (". . . for when you are uncertain about your purpose"), you are reminded that "when you realize God's purpose for you, you will feel empowered" as you focus on her developing the courage to make pleas to her husband the king to save the lives of the Jews.

From Joseph (". . . for when life isn't turning out the way you planned"), you focus to not "give up on your dreams" as you think about Joseph's childhood dreams that all of his family would honor him.

From Moses (". . . for when you are fearful or reluctant"), you are exhorted to "live in the faith zone, not in the safe zone" as you think about Moses returning to Egypt to lead the Jews after heeding the call of the burning bush.

From Rebekah (". . . for when others ask for your help"), you are reminded to "give generously to others" as you recall her serving water for hours to Abraham and his camels.

From Abraham (". . . for when you don't understand God's ways"), you remember that "God always does the right thing" as you consider his long wait to become a father and then God's command to slay his beloved son, Isaac.

From the Servant Girl in 2 Kings 5:1-3 who was a slave to Naaman (". . . for when you think your efforts are insignificant"), you see that "one small act can make a big difference" as you reflect on her suggestion to her mistress that Naaman see Elisha to have his leprosy cured.

From David (". . . for when others are trying to keep you down"), you see the example that "you can overcome the limitations others put on you" while contemplating what his father, brothers and King Saul did to slight David before he conquered Goliath.

Finally, from Jonathan (". . . for when you want to make a greater impact"), you realize that when it is possible to "strengthen a leader and save a nation" as you think about how Jonathan helped David with Saul.

These brief stories are supplemented at the end with suggestions for reading relevant sections of the Bible to deepen your understanding of these favorite stories.

At the end of each story and lap, there is a marvelous section that includes a prayer and discussion questions. The questions alternate between imagining what the Biblical figure thought about while following these lessons with asking you what you need to do in your life. In most cases, these questions caused me to think about the stories in new ways . . . even though they are all well known to me since I was a little boy in Sunday School.

I think it's easy for us today to forget to draw on the wisdom and experience represented by the great people in the Old Testament. Running with the Giants will help you overcome that tendency.

For me the only things that could have made this book better would have been to include more Biblical stories (including both the Old and the New Testaments) and nonreligious heroes and heroines who have led lives of exceptional spirituality and goodness. But that would have made the book longer, more expensive and taken longer to read. However, I think the difference would have been good for me. Perhaps we'll have a series of these books over time from Dr. Maxwell. I certainly hope so.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The example of a life well lived has timeless power, November 21, 2003

By	Gina Marie (Singapore) - See all my reviews

An inspiring little book that draws life and leadership principles from Old Testament Biblical characters. Maxwell uses the power and example of these people's life stories to draw out some great truths. The backdrop is running in a stadium with the "great cloud of witnesses" that surround the Christian and having some heroes of the faith come down to run a lap with you and give advice on lessons they learned. See the other reviews for the list of Old Testament heroes that are included.

Each chapter has some discussion questions that can be used for personal reflection or for discussion as a group. There is also a brief prayer from each Biblical character for the reader to apply the truths from that chapter to their life. The discussion questions at the end of each book could easily be used for a small group study. Although the chapters are all brief, to really be able to answer many of the discussion questions adequately, you would need to read the Biblical passages for the Biblical figures mentioned in each chapter. This would obviously be a good thing. Even if you don't use the discussion question, it's still a motivation and inspiring read.