Reviewing I'd Like You More If You Were More Like: Getting Real About Getting Close Me by John Ortberg

Something I have thought about from time-to-time is how I'd like this person or that person if they were more like me. It would make life easier if everyone saw things through the same lens. However, this isn't possible. We know from principals like 5 Love Languages that people communicate their love in different ways. The concept can be broken down to a much more basic level than even that to Walter Burke Barbe concepts of different learning styles (Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic). Pastor John Ortberg, in his book "I'd Like You More If You Were More Like Me: Getting Real About Getting Close" attempts to tackle ways in which people can build their intimacy with one another and with God. See what I thought about this book below.

I'd Like You More If You Were More Like Me: Getting Real about Getting Close by John Ortberg
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The title is deceiving and the book was not what I expected. The book is intimacy with others and with God, but it does not, at least adequately, tackle how to better find intimacy with those who communicate their intimacy in different ways. In this book Ortberg explores, in a rather dry way, obstacles to intimacy, the reasons for fear of intimacy, the different way people experience intimacy and most notably intimacy with God.

I did not appreciate the I do this because I am a Christian style of writing as though someone who weren’t a Christian might have made a different choice, because I don’t feel that was true in every instance. Regardless, he backed up reasons for choices, decisions and intimacy with great biblical references.

This book is a great book for a Christian that is looking to deepen and improve their intimacy with their significant other and God, although it could be said that these principals could be easily applied outside of this narrow box. In general, I found the information helpful, but not my style. If I’m to read a book like this, I’d rather read the who, what, when, where and why and then be given information about why and how it aligns with the bible, more like "The Love Dare."

Thank you to Tyndale House Publishers for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of review.

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Reviewing Amanda Wakes Up by Alisyn Camerota

                I am sad to report that there was a book that I really didn't like, Amanda Wakes Up by Alisyn Camerota. What makes it even more sad is that I really wanted to like it, especially since I was provided a copy of the book via Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review. Ugh! I did give it 2 stars, because the book is very well written. I simply didn't like...well, read my full review -

Amanda Wakes Up by Alisyn Camerota
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book was described as "The Devil Wears Prada meets Primary Colors." I completely disagree! This book did not have the wit of the fun feel of either of those books. The book follows character Amanda Gallo as she climbs the career ladder nabbing the job of her dreams. Her personal life struggles mirror the book's real conflict: the ratings-driven news industry. Then it takes a dark turn, when then character Amanda starts voicing how she is "waking up," which is really just code for fictionalizing the 2016 Election, bashing liberals, and shoving a conservative agenda down the readers throat.

As a journalist myself, I appreciate and understand the honest behind the scenes of journalism story line.  However, I think it takes the character too long to realize that every story has more than two-sides. I mean, isn't the golden rule that every story has three sides (at least), Perspective A, Perspective B and the Truth.

What really drove me crazy about this book was the reference to real people and political situations. At this point in time, I began to feel like the opinion of the author via the main character, Amanda Gallo, was all that mattered. Anyone that didn't agree with Amanda Gallo is made to feel like an idiot, or like they are biased and not considering both sides of the story (even though it's clear to any outsider that Amanda's "Fair News" isn't fair and Amanda has her own opinions she can't help but spout). This book to me was simply nauseating, although well written.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

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Reviewing Waiter to the Rich and Shameless by Paul Hartford

                I am extremely behind on my book reviews since surgery, but I'm back at it. I will begin posting about one a day until I'm all caught up. To start, I would like to share my thoughts about "Waiter to the Rich and Shameless: Confessions of a Five-Star Beverly Hills Server" by Paul Hartford.

Waiter to the Rich and Shameless: Confessions of a Five-Star Beverly Hills Server by Paul Hartford
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Booktasters Nonfiction (@TasteNonfiction on Twitter) connected me with author Paul Hartford who provided me a copy of "Waiter to the Rich and Shameless: Confessions of a Five-Star Beverly Hills Server," and I'm thankful that they did. This was a raw, unfiltered, interesting read!

Paul writes about how he, a down and out musician, cuts his hair and becomes a waiter in a very posh restaurant in Beverly Hills, the "Cricket Room," which many suspect is the Polo Lounge. He writes in detail his encounters with celebrities such as Rod Stewart, Ozzy Osbourne, Johnny Depp and even Donald Trump, including details about their clothing choices and even menu items and ingredients.

Beyond just the stories of his encounters is how the author grew up through his experiences. In the beginning he is a know-it-all and a bit of a pretentious, judgmental, cocaine loving, sexist jerk. Later, he is a married man that doesn't entirely sexualize women (I only say not entirely, because he still makes some word choices that most women would rather he didn't). He becomes frustrated by the overly corporate feeling of the restaurant he works at and how decisions being made from afar about the operations. I think his criticisms of the corporate decisions demonstrate how serious he takes his job and what the "Cricket Room" has come to mean to him and mirror his growing maturity.

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