Finding Our Way Again: A Review.

Book Review 1: Finding our Way Again {The Return of the Ancient Practices},

By Brian McLaren, Phyllis Tickle
Published by Thomas Nelson 

I consider myself to be a "spiritually aware" individual. I am merely a human, limited in my grasp of reality and sense of existence just like any other mortal being. That being said, I love learning about various religions and cultures, and was looking forward to receiving this book written by Brian McLaren, compliments of the Book Sneeze program via Thomas Nelson. I suppose the title should have hinted to the overall tone of the book, but this clue was lost to me initially. The title eludes to a promising and hopeful journey in which the reader can affirm, strengthen and solidify their relationship with God.

Instead, this book was a misguided mix of presumably historical "factoids" and personal anecdotes. The author conveys a "preachy" tone, and seems to ramble in most parts. Early on in the book, this blending of personal and factual seems to work. But, within ten minutes of opening the paperback, I found myself losing interest. The message is never crystal clear. Although there was a marginal degree of redemption with the intriguing Spiritual Exercises at the conclusion of each chapter, yet there was something off-putting about the author's tone.

For the most part, this book was thought-provoking (even insightful in some parts) but I feel like it fell short of its intended message. I felt bored with the author's muddled and unclear message. Reading it felt like I was being given an amateur history lesson by my old Uncle Ralph, who also likes to tell hour-long stories of his favorite fishing trips and how much a loaf of bread cost back in 1945. That is honestly how reading this book felt for the duration. I'm so disappointed, because I assumed this would be a provocative personal account of a spiritual "awakening" of sorts. 

Sadly, this missed the mark, and I have a hard time recommending this to anyone I know personally. I didn't get much from it, so I would expect the same end result for others. If you are looking for a quasi historical account of Christianity/the Jewish Jesus Christ, this might be of some interest to you. However, if you are looking for something more personal and emotive, I suggest looking elsewhere.

**I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.**