The Best Book I Read Last Year

This time of year we see a lot of "books of the year" lists. I hate to say it, but there wasn't much that really wowed me lately. That's why when I asked myself, "What was the best book I read last year?", my mind went straight to this one book. And since it's self-improvement season, I figured this was a good time to share it with you.

I want to say out the outset, sometimes it's just not the right time for a book. One that didn't grab me this year may really wow me in a couple of years. My favorite book of my favorite author is one I started then set aside for a couple of years, but when I tried again, I devoured it. In fact, I bought today's book a few years ago on a recommendation, started to read it ... a year or two ago, but set it aside and didn't finish. But when I found it and started over, it really resonated with me. So don't give up on something if it doesn't grab you the first time you try it, especially when people tell you how good it is.

The book is The Last Men's Book You'll Ever Need by David Moore. The first thing I should say is the title is tongue in cheek. Moore says he hopes the book will "slow the sale of faddish men's books", and I agree. This isn't a book about finding your inner warrior or eating raw meat. It's about spiritual formation and training yourself in godliness. No one denies that there are certain issues men today struggle with: for example, pornography, loneliness, or anger. The message here is that what Christian men need most is to grow into a mature follower of Christ.

As a result, the second thing I should say is women can totally profit from this book. Moore even says as much on the first page.

One thing I don't like about this work is the chapter titles. When I'm considering a book, I want to use the table of contents to, well, get an idea of what it contains. This one, like so many, has "clever" chapter titles that don't tell you much about the chapter (until you've read it). So I annotated mine with descriptions of the chapter's contents for future reference.

The first chapter teaches that everyone's road to Christian maturity looks different. Some fortunate few may go straight from point A to point Z, but most will have back tracks, side quests, or more scenic routes. Telling everyone their path must/will look a certain way just leads disillusionment. After reading that, the title "Stop the PowerPoint Presentations of the Christian Life!" may make more sense.

Subsequent chapters cover topics like making Jesus the center of our lives, dealing with sin in our lives, being a lifelong learner, growing in faith, dealing with family conflicts before they become crises, work, rest, and more.

Most of these topics have been given a book-length treatment elsewhere, but this little book packs a lot of punch, which he delivers with sly humor and interesting stories. It may not be the final word on any topic, but it'll give anyone a lot to chew on.

This is an older book, but copies are still out there. If you want this, you'll be able to get it. If not this, find something that will help you live the Christian life. But be selective. As Moore says,

The best teaching on the Christian life will always draw us to the sufficiency of Jesus. Knowing Him gives us wisdom on how to live life in all its wonderful diversity—whether that be raising godly children, handling one's finances, or knowing how to be a good friend.

So find a good book that points you to Jesus and grow as we all travel this road to glory.


Image via Pixabay