Should you buy “Wild at Heart” at Singapore (ie, more expensive) prices? Yes.
Should you buy “Wild at Heart” at US (ie, cheaper) prices? Yes.
“Wild at Heart” by John Eldredge is a Christian book which talks about masculinity in a Christian context. It is, as cheesy as it sounds, about how to be a true man in the context of God.
“Wild at Heart” was given to me by someone special, and I took quite a bit of time to read this book and really understand what it was saying. That’s not to say it was difficult reading, hardly. But this book packs quite a fair bit of insight, so much so that you’ll want to reflect on yourself (if you’re a man that is) after each chapter. As a guy, it’s really difficult to take advice about being a man from another man, but somehow this book manages to pull it off.
Some of the highlights of this book are:
Doesn’t condescend
If you’ve read many Christian books (like Philip Yancey’s, for instance), they all have one common theme – you’re not trying hard enough. Christian help always comes with a heaping spoonful of superiority, which is why it’s so hard to accept the message, let alone execute it. But “Wild at Heart” manages to strike a connection with you, without pulling any punches about its message. Again, I’ve mentioned that pride makes it difficult for men to accept advice about being men, so it’s all the more critical that this book doesn’t condescend, like with almost every other Christian writer out there.
It gives a credible, factual justification for spiritual warfare
I’m not sure where you first heard of the term “spiritual warfare,” but it’s always bandied about by old Christian ladies who have no idea what warfare is. More often than not, spiritual warfare is just a way to glorify your own struggles and obstacles in life, rather than placing it in the proper context. Hence, the term has been diluted to the point that I gag at the terms “spiritual warfare” and “prayer warrior.”
So it was pretty interesting to see proper evidence and a real argument for the existence of spiritual warfare, and why we have to acknowledge it’s existence. And if there’s one takeaway from this book that I have, it’s that spiritual warfare is real, and not just some excuse for complaining about your problems.
Provides actionable solutions and prayers
Again, most Christian help books give you the same standard solution – pray. Doesn’t work? Pray harder. Pray more. Pray pray pray. Honestly, which other Christian doesn’t know that? It’s not to say prayer doesn’t work, but come on. It’s a disgustingly lazy solution to provide. I didn’t buy your book to get an answer I already know.
How “Wild at Heart” differs critically is that it gives you actionable, tangible steps to resolve your issues. Sure, it might be praying, but it’s not about “praying the right way” or “praying more.” It tells you specifically how to approach it, what steps must be completed before you go on to the next one, and what thoughts to sort out before you pray. If this author wrote a book about prayer, I’d buy it in a heartbeat. Practical advice is always useful.
However, just as Man is flawed, so must his works be. And there are some flaws in “Wild at Heart.”
The assumption that everyone likes the outdoors
One thing that irritated me was the assumption that every man likes the outdoors. I don’t. I don’t like to hike, sweat, or be itchy. But the author clearly does, and he extrapolates this hobby to every man, to the point that it feels overused.
The first few chapters oversell “manliness”
It’s not a turn off, but if you’ve bought the book, you’ve already bought in to the idea of manliness. So instead of hard selling “manliness” to the reader, the book should have started on the aspects of a Godly man earlier, rather than keep justifying why exactly we need to be real men. Not entirely off putting, but it got tiresome after awhile.
“Wild at Heart” is a worthy addition to any Christian guy’s library. Really, don’t be put off by its cheesy premise. It might not seem like something feasible, or even desirable, but this is a book written for men, by men, with the same male sensibilities that you have. Check it out!
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