Penguins, Pain and the Whole Shebang: Why I Do the Things I Do, by God (as told to John Shore) [NOOK Book]

Breezy and witty, but not for the tough-minded.

This is a short, slightly funny book attempting to answer tough questions concerning Christianity, like the problem of evil, whether or not it is enough to 'just believe', the inerrancy of scripture and such. It's a light read, and it does a decent job with dumbing down some apologetics. It seems to be meant for the already converted Christian audience. It does a decent job at its objective, which was to entertain and to educate, but I found the overly playful setting detrimental to its overall instruction; It was hard to take it seriously.

Seriously funny and truly profound

I have enjoyed the distinct pleasure of growing to know John Shore within the past few months. I have found him to be astutely insightful, wickedly funny and fearlessly true to his understandings of grace through Christ.
As such, I have been awaiting the opportunity to clear some books off of my "to read" list so that I could fully enjoy "Penguins, Pain and the Whole Shebang", expecting it to be filled with John's uniquely wry and humorous insights into the nature of God; and our relationship with God.
I was not disappointed. The book is simply stated, a riot. I found myself laughing out loud at several points throughout. I will not spoil a readers' joy by offering too many details, but; the premise of the book is that God took control of John's body so that He could present his side of the story; largely in response to those atheists and agnostics who (with often compelling arguments) do not believe that God exists. As such; the book seems largely intended as a sort of apologetic for God's existence. The surprise is that God has a wicked sense of humor (penguin, anyone?)
What I was not expecting though was just how substantial the book is. Many times while reading, I found myself highlighting, dog-earing pages saying "ouch" in response the strong criticism of some of the church's more exclusionary and less gracious actions. There is strong polemic here, have no doubt. And the prophetic tone does not stop at the institutional church, either; but often finds purchase within the individual heart as well.

The genius of this work is that it is filled with such moments; and yet that prophetic voice is soon followed by humor. But rather than it seeming to present God as having some serious bipolar mood swings; the work as a whole presents an image of God as love. In "Penguins." God can and does rebuke, but then immediately seeks to bring us back with laughter; often at God's own expense. That is the type of love we can all aspire to; where anger burns quickly and grace abounds. That is the type of God, that we can identify with and love rather than tremble in fear at the thought of.
While "Penguins." would seem to have been written to a non-believing audience; the wonderful insights into God's nature found therein have tremendous value to those of faith as well.

Do yourself a favor and read this book. You will be both entertained and inspired.

Fun, funny, uplifting... the perfect gift-for-a-friend book

Did you ever want to answer those questions from your non-believing friends without sounding preachy? John does it for you in this book - with laughter, thoughtfulness, and tons of love. This is the book I would give to a friend who wanted to know MY God... the One with a sense of humor, and the one who makes so much sense. It's refreshing for believers, too... This is the book I'm going to buy everyone for birthday and Christmas gifts this year. It's humor and love, wrapped in a storyline that keeps you turning the page. P.S. Don't skip the wrap-up - his testimony at the end is weird and awesome. Very cool.

Angels laugh because they take themselves lightly

With that Chesterton thought in mind, read this book! John Shore has managed to meld faith and humor together so that it looks like God made them that way (which I believe He did). It's a fun read, but also makes one think. For those who are unsure about faith, this book may even encourage them to take a closer look at God.

God Writes the Best Books!

This was by far the best book I've read in years, and I couldn't put it down from the moment I opened it up. We have so many emotions, so it makes perfect sense that our Creator has them, too. (I'm glad He let us know for sure!) This hits home in a very personal way, and is a true delightful reading for anyone, regardless of where they are in their spiritual journey.

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No text was provided for this review.