Choosing to Cheat : Who Wins When Family and Work Collide? (Hardcover)

by Andy Stanley (Author), Stanley Andrew (Author) "Bill entered the work force with all the subtlety of the space shuttle entering the earth's orbit..." (more)
Key Phrases: Heavenly Father

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Work. Family. Church. Hobbies. Physical fitness. Housekeeping. Socializing. Fitting everything in is a delicate balancing act where something—or someone—is inevitably overlooked. The problem, writes author Andy Stanley, is not a lack of discipline or time management—it’s simply lack of time. With only 24 hours in each day, we sometimes need to “rob Peter to pay Paul.” We have to choose to cheat.

The key is learning when and where to cheat, argues Stanley, and home is never the right choice. When we cheat our family, we say, you are important, but work (or football, or shopping, or whatever occupies your time) is more important. We are, in a sense, devaluing each other. It may mean coming home from work an hour earlier, letting the dishes sit while you play with your child, or missing a round of golf. But your “cheating” will express security and worth to your family.

About the Author
Andy Stanley is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and the founding pastor of North Point Community Church in Atlanta , Georgia , with a youthful congregation of more than 12,000. For the past 12 years of his ministry, he has consistently mentored a young group of future leaders and Christian pastors. He has also hosted conferences for leaders under 40 and spoken at Catalyst Conferences. Andy is the author of Visioneering, the bestseller Like a Rock, and his most recent book, The Next Generation Leader. Andy and his wife, Sandra, have two sons, Andrew and Garrett, and a daughter, Allison. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers (August 13, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785265244
• ISBN-13: 978-0785265245
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #466,944 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read - Simple and Profound, October 18, 2002

By	Darryl Dash "DashHouse" (Etobicoke, ON Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I first heard Andy teach on this subject over a year ago. It's a life-changing and necessary book, and I don't know any family that couldn't benefit from its message.

"Choosing to Cheat" is built on the premise that everyone cheats somewhere - there aren't enough hours for everything. Tragically, it's easier to cheat our families than than to cheat at work. Andy not only tells us why we should cheat at work; he also tells us how. Ironically, cheating at work can make us more productive.

I needed to read this message again, because it's always easy to return to old habits. Highly recommended.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great idea, but I'm wary of the applications..., November 1, 2007

By	Chad Oberholtzer (Boalsburg, PA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Choosing to Cheat: Who Wins When Family and Work Collide? (Hardcover)

Andy Stanley has chosen a rather provocative title for this book in which he challenges folks to choose to cheat their employers rather than their families when it comes to priorities and time. I'm hard-pressed to disagree with this general principle, and I think that he offers a compelling case against the workaholism that has plagued generations of American families. And as one can always expect from Stanley, his writing is engaging and easy to read, so this one can be tackled in one or two sittings.

My apprehension about this book stems from its misapplication that I've already observed in some of my peers. As a 29-year-old, I'll be quite frank in declaring that the potential plague of my generation is not workaholism but sloth. I see a generation of my peers who were raised in a world of entertainment and pleasure, who get into the working world and try to find ways to be uncommitted, lazy, irresponsible employees so they can spend their time and money buying and playing with their toys. Within that context, I've seen young singles use the "Choosing to Cheat" concept to avoid hard work, cheat their employers, and invest their energies in self-gratification. This obviously misses Stanley's whole point, but I've seen it happen.

My critique is not so much about the book, then, but about the intended audience. For the 40+ generation who maybe struggles more with the dangers of workaholism, I think this book could be perfect. It's certainly a challenging and interesting book to read. But I won't be sending this to my twenty-something friends, who instead need a book that challenges us to work hard in whatever we do as a means to glorify God.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Small practical book with large implications for your daily decision making, February 20, 2009

By	Brett D. McLaughlin "Brett" (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Choosing to Cheat: Who Wins When Family and Work Collide? (Hardcover)

This book is small, and short. I picked it up and read it in two days, in about three short sittings. The size belies its value, though. Stanley makes the case that we all -- men, women, parents, career managers and stay-at-home moms -- cheat something. We cheat our family by choosing to work long hours instead of spending time with them. We cheat our churches by bailing because of a big weekend project. We even, in rare cases, cheat our jobs to spend more time at home with our family... usually in a time of crisis.

Stanley's premise is that since we'll always cheat something -- there aren't enough hours in the day to do everything -- we should CHOOSE to cheat our work. By cheating, he means prioritize our families, in very specific and tangible ways. He spends a lot of time talking about how you then have to work harder, more efficiently, and even effectively at work. In fact, most people (myself included) become more effective when we "cheat" work, as we have to do more in less time