Amazon.com: The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be (9780849920608): Andy Stanley: Books

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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
prudent see danger, happiness quest, seen that coming, financial path

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
King Solomon, Old Testament

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Surprise Me!

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Customer Reviews

155 Reviews

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(53)
3 star:		(28)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(2)

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4.1 out of 5 stars (155 customer reviews)

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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ultimate Self Help Book , March 29, 2009

By	W. Easley "Opa" (Colorado Rocky Mountains) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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If you could relive your life, what would you change? More importantly, how would you change? Andy Stanley, in The Principle of the Path, gives us a blueprint for a successful life.

This book is not what I expected. When I read that Andy Stanley is a highly successful preacher and pastor in Atlanta, I thought this volume would be full of sermonizing but it is not. Instead, Stanley writes in a conversational style full of stories and humor. This is an easy, delightful narrative that is like chatting over coffee with a good friend.

The Principle of the Path is a self help book for life. Pastor Stanley shares with us his single guiding principle for success and serenity in life. He begins with a relevant story from his own life, explains the principle and then leads us toward implementing that truth in our own lives. Stanley's applications can be useful in our relationships, our finances, our career, and even our parenting.

The wisdom is subtle. When I first read the "Principle" I thought it was a bit simplistic, but the more I read the more profound it became. The Principle and its application is brilliant but practical. Although the author is a Christian minister and often refers to scripture, this book would be useful for anyone who wants to lead a better life. The wisdom is universal.

I highly recommend The Principle of the Path. This has a very valuable message. I intend to give this book to my closest friends.

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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, Bible-based Advice, March 27, 2009

By	TexanInWashington (Monroe, WA) - See all my reviews

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When I first received this book and looked at the author's photo on the back, inside flap, he looked quite young, and when I read that he was a pastor, I have to admit that I thought, "Oh boy, this is going to be another book by someone that is advising far beyond his understanding."

This preconceived notion was totally wrong in this case. I was VERY impressed with Andy Stanley as an author! He has a flowing, intriguing style of writing that makes you finish an entire chapter in one sitting when you planned to only read four or five pages at a time. The author has numerous stories of his own to highlight his points, but most stories in this book draw from scripture, particularly the Old Testament, and even more particularly, the king of Israel, David.

I would say that the biggest surprise with this book was that it was so entirely Bible-based, but, if you've ever read the Bible at all, even if you aren't particularly religious, you must admit that it is full of wisdom and is certainly an excellent source to draw from.

This book is wonderful, because IT doesn't convict you, or accuse you, or show you your missteps. You come to realize them on your own as you acknowledge the universal truths laid out. For instance, one of the most important, simple facts pointed out in this book that I never had given enough thought to is that paths lead to wherever they end up, and that path followed ends in the same place for everybody that takes it. The author gives an excellent example of when, in his youth, he and a friend decided to go ahead and cruise down an unfinished, barricaded section of highway, only to be warned off and stopped by another person shortly before they reached the unfinished bridge over a swamp! It would not have mattered if the person that disregarded that barricade and charged ahead had been rich, poor, Christian, atheist, young, or old - that path ended in a plunge into a swamp for whomever took it to its completion.

The author points out that paths are unbreakable principles. They are no respecter of persons. This also applies to the positive aspects of life. No matter who you are or how unlucky you have considered yourself in the past, if you follow a path that ends in a good result, when you arrive, you will reap those good things, because that is where the path leads to, for everybody! As Andy Stanley says, cars, computers, lawnmowers - things - have problems that can be fixed, but generally speaking, people have directions that need to be changed.

Perhaps the most important, single quote in this book is:
"Direction - not intention - determines your destination."

This book is an excellent read! It's advice gets entirely centered on doing the will of God for your life by the time you're about halfway through the book, and that is perfectly fine! That is the most important thing anyone can do. However, this may come as a total surprise if you came upon this book by linking from more business-centered success titles in your shopping. I give it four stars because I think the book should be more clearly advertised as what it is: a religion-centered, deep look at yourself. As long as you know that is what you are getting, it's a five-star read. Indeed, seeking a purely secular success book versus a religiously-enriching, self-examination book such as this may be a clear indication of one of these life paths the reader has set himself on. Are you seeking the path to riches or seeking the path to richness? If you're seeking the latter, this book will enrich your life.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Do you want to get unstuck?, August 16, 2009

By	Tony Morgan (Anderson, SC USA) - See all my reviews

I finished Andy Stanley's most recent book, The Principle of the Path, last week. Andy is one of those guys that seems to have figured out how to get from here to there, so I figured I'd read his book about how to get from where I am to where I want to be.

Here are some of the highlights from my reading:

* "To get from where we don't want to be to where we do want to be requires two things: time and a change of direction."
* "Direction-not intentions, hopes, dreams, prayers, beliefs, intellect, or education-determines destination."
* "We should break the habit of drawing a circle around individual decisions and events and dismissing them as isolated occurrences. These are steps. Steps that lead somewhere."
* "Prudent people look as far down the road as possible when making decisions."
* "Christians start talking about forgiveness as if somehow forgiveness serves as an escape hatch from the outcome of bad decisions."
* "When happiness points in one direction while wisdom, truth, integrity, and common sense point in another, that's when really smart people start doing really stupid things."
* "Your heart can't be trusted... The truth is, if you let it, your heart will direct you down a path that leads to the very spot you most want to avoid."
* "The choices are now. The outcomes are later. The decisions you make today have ramifications down the road."
* "One never accomplishes the will of God by breaking the law of God, violating the principles of God, or ignoring the wisdom of God."
* "I am constantly amazed at how resistant folks are to take their cues from people who are where they want to be."
* "We don't drift in good directions. We discipline and prioritize ourselves there."

Simple principles in this book, but their implications have an enormous impact on the outcomes of our lives.

I encourage you to pick up the book. I'm leaving lots of great quotes and stories out of this post. Among other things, I cracked up when I read Andy's version of "The Italian Job"...and it made me want to visit Italy that much more.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Lifepath clarity
I received a copy of Andy Stanley's newish book "The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be" a while back to review. Read more

Published 2 days ago by Chris Meirose

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Inspiring mixture of practical topics
This book was part of our church's men's book club. I had not heard of the book before that.

I found the book to be well-written and practical and helpful. Read more

Published 4 days ago by Earl D. Shaffer

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Book, Best for Graduates
Our destination in life doesn't just occur by accident. That's the gist of this book by Andy Stanley, the pastor of North Point Community Church based in Alpharetta, GA... Read more

Published 12 days ago by KD

5.0 out of 5 stars Book Review - The Principle Of The Path by Andy Stanley
Andy Stanley's new book is a smash hit. Full of practical advice, The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be really doesn't tell you... Read more

Published 24 days ago by Jeff Randleman

4.0 out of 5 stars The Power of Simplicity with Stanley
I am a pretty big fan of Andy Stanley. In my experience with podcasts and leadership conferences, he is consistently the source of the most memorable principles. Read more

Published 24 days ago by Scott E. Savage

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple Words, Profopund Truth
Andy Stanley is a prolific writer and great communicator. His gift is to present simple principles using simple words that communicate profound truth. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Harold E. Hunter

3.0 out of 5 stars Principal of the Path
Book Review: The Principle of The Path

Andy Stanley, 2009

In Andy Stanley fashion, using humor and Biblically grounded wisdom; The Principle of the... Read more

Published 1 month ago by S. M. Gerathy

4.0 out of 5 stars Great, Entertaining, Practical Read
"How did I get HERE?" This is a question that I hear often. 'How did I find myself in an affair?' 'How did I ruin my family's finances?' 'When did my kids become so rebellious? Read more

Published 1 month ago by William R. Johnson

3.0 out of 5 stars The Principal of the Path

The Principal of the Path by Andy Stanley

Why is it that we so often end up at a point in our lives and have no idea how we got there? Read more

Published 2 months ago by LK

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read for Anyone
What an amazingly simple yet profound principle! In this book, Andy Stanley delves into the "Principle of the Path," which provides clear and revealing insight into the why our... Read more

Published 2 months ago by Scott Skones

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