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| Love Does |
Title: Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World
Author: Bob Goff
Publication Date: 5/1/12
Pages: 224
Genre: Faith / Nonfiction
How I Found It: An acquaintance recommended it.
Date Completed: 9/27/16
Summary: A light, refreshing book about Bob Goff's life and philosophy: to love in every situation.
What I Thought: While I enjoyed this book and thought Goff had some good things to say, I was hoping for it to be more substantial. I liked his casual style and how down to earth he is. It really felt like a conversation, which I liked. Each chapter was mostly anecdotal story with a bit of a faith-based moral at the end.
My favorite chapter was when, after 9/11, his children wrote to world leaders asking to have conversations with them. While many did not respond, more than 10 did. The Goff family traveled the world to teach their kids about listening to people who aren't like them. It was a really powerful story, particularly in the wake of September 11; and it certainly felt important reading it now, as a teacher who is constantly trying to teach my students the same lesson. Unfortunately, I can't get them all on a plane to interview people from around the world. One thing I really appreciated in this section - and through the book - was Goff's lack of name dropping. He never named a diplomatic leader or even offered enough hints for the reader to figure it out on their own. I really respected that.
Another thing I really liked was how Goff took each of his children on a spontaneous trip for their tenth birthday. He lets them choose any adventure they want and they just go. He took his daughter to London to have tea. He took one of his sons to ride motorcycles in the desert. He took their dreams and blew them up to epic sizes. I loved this. Now, I would do it planning it in advance, but I could totally see Kevin do this just as Goff did. What a fun idea and what an incredible way to make memories with his kids.
Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed this book. I think Goff is a person with whom I would really get along. He clearly has a passion for life that emanates in everything he does. I think, though, that this part of his personality probably comes across better in person rather than the written word. I would have liked to see him dig in more to the faith content. What he had to say was good, but it was all pretty surface level. This isn't necessarily a complaint, just not what I expected.
Quote I Loved: "But the kind of love that God created and demonstrated is a costly one because it involves sacrifice and presence."
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Will I Re-Read: Not likely
A Reduced Review: While I enjoyed this book and thought Goff had some good things to say, I was hoping for it to be more substantial.
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