Man Alive, Patrick Morley

I had not read anything by Patrick Morley before, although his book The Man in the Mirror has sold millions of copies and has served as the inspiration for men's groups and discipleship ministries around the world.  Morley has a great reputation in men's ministry, and certainly knows what he's talking about.

Knowing Morley's reputation, his newest book, Man Alive: Transforming Your 7 Primal Needs into a Powerful Spiritual Life, was a bit of a let-down to me.  Based on his decades of discipling men, he pinpoints some of men's greatest needs: to feel God's personal care, to get out of destructive behaviors, to make a difference, etc.  But his answers fell short.  The only chapter that really made me think and apply to where I am was a chapter where he gave some practical things to do to show your wife and kids you love them.  He has some good ideas there.

The value of Man Alive lies in its potential as a discussion starter, which is the explicit design of the book.  Each chapter has some real-life examples and some talking points centered on one of the 7 primal needs from the subtitle.  He includes some questions for discussion at the end of each chapter.  So don't pick up Man Alive if you're looking for some theological substance; place this one is the "small group materials" section with the discussion-starters books.

But don't take my word for it.  Read the first chapter here or buy it here.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. Thanks, WaterBrook!
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