A portion of my ministry revolves around reading counseling-related or counseling-relevant resources—not only for my own personal growth but also for the production of the Hope + Help Podcast. (Yes, I read every single book we discuss on the show in advance of the conversation!) On occasion, I'm given an opportunity to preview a book manuscript for the purposes of potentially offering a pre-publication endorsement. I consider these requests a tremendous privilege to handle with care.
So, what do I look for when considering a book endorsement? Apart from the obvious hallmarks—such as the book being biblically-sound where foundational Christian doctrines are concerned—I do have a general checklist I keep in mind as I read:
• Does this resource exalt Christ and his gospel as the reader's ultimate hope and treasure?
• Does this resource offer a biblical understanding of the problem it addresses?
• Does this resource offer biblical solutions to the problem it addresses?
• Is this resource written in a tone which is full of Christ's grace and truth, comfort and counsel, hope and help?
• Did I glean insights from this book which will helpfully influence the way I think about its topic?
• Does this resource make what I believe to be a valuable contribution to the existing conversation surrounding its topic?
• Do I believe this resource is well-written, well-edited, and enjoyable to read in general?
• Does this resource avoid prosperity gospel/self-help language?
• Is this resource written by someone who has extensive personal and/or professional experience pertaining to the topic?
• Is this a resource I would personally use in counseling/discipleship contexts or would recommend to someone struggling with the issue the book seeks to address?
This past year, I issued endorsements for eleven new books which fit within this general framework. This year's collection covers a vast array of topics written from diverse collection of authors. Ultimately, I trust readers to discern for themselves what to "take away" and "leave behind" from the Christian books they read (Acts 17:11). While my endorsement doesn't necessarily mean I wholeheartedly agree with every single sentence the author has written, it does mean that I believe the book speaks helpfully to the topic at hand. It should also be said that the majority of book endorsements I write are for authors with whom I have an existing professional and/or personal relationship with. I count some of them as colleagues, many of them as friends, and all of them as co-laborers in God's kingdom. With all this in mind, here are the books which I gladly reviewed in 2024, accompanied by their respective endorsements (in no particular order).
So, what do I look for when considering a book endorsement? Apart from the obvious hallmarks—such as the book being biblically-sound where foundational Christian doctrines are concerned—I do have a general checklist I keep in mind as I read:
• Does this resource exalt Christ and his gospel as the reader's ultimate hope and treasure?
• Does this resource offer a biblical understanding of the problem it addresses?
• Does this resource offer biblical solutions to the problem it addresses?
• Is this resource written in a tone which is full of Christ's grace and truth, comfort and counsel, hope and help?
• Did I glean insights from this book which will helpfully influence the way I think about its topic?
• Does this resource make what I believe to be a valuable contribution to the existing conversation surrounding its topic?
• Do I believe this resource is well-written, well-edited, and enjoyable to read in general?
• Does this resource avoid prosperity gospel/self-help language?
• Is this resource written by someone who has extensive personal and/or professional experience pertaining to the topic?
• Is this a resource I would personally use in counseling/discipleship contexts or would recommend to someone struggling with the issue the book seeks to address?
This past year, I issued endorsements for eleven new books which fit within this general framework. This year's collection covers a vast array of topics written from diverse collection of authors. Ultimately, I trust readers to discern for themselves what to "take away" and "leave behind" from the Christian books they read (Acts 17:11). While my endorsement doesn't necessarily mean I wholeheartedly agree with every single sentence the author has written, it does mean that I believe the book speaks helpfully to the topic at hand. It should also be said that the majority of book endorsements I write are for authors with whom I have an existing professional and/or personal relationship with. I count some of them as colleagues, many of them as friends, and all of them as co-laborers in God's kingdom. With all this in mind, here are the books which I gladly reviewed in 2024, accompanied by their respective endorsements (in no particular order).
