A Brief Review of
Just Do Something:
How to Make a Decision Without Dreams, Visions, Fleeces…
Kevin DeYoung.
Audiobook, ChristianAudio, 2010.
Narrated by Adam Verner.
Buy now: [ ChristianAudio ]
Review by Chris Smith.
In naming, and denouncing the common paralysis brought on in Western culture by an overabundance of choices, Kevin DeYoung offered in his recent book Just Do Something a fresh – and to use his word, “liberating” – take on the ubiquitous questions in Christian circles about the will of God. Just Do Something, newly released as an audiobook by ChristianAudio, challenges its readers to quit worrying and beginning make commitments. An audiobook is perhaps ideally suited for this book’s target audience, who could listen to it as they flit from one thing to the next, keeping their options open. Although a bit on the monotonic side throughout, narrator Adam Verner does seem to loosen up a bit as the book moves along. Although DeYoung hits squarely on the mark in calling out the prevailing culture’s aversion to commitment, this book’s biggest disappointment is that the Church is relegated to at best a peripheral role in the decision-making process. His take on decision-making is indeed generally liberating, but unfortunately he seems unwilling to consider God’s desire that we be liberated from the greatest tyranny of modern Western culture, that of the self as an isolated decision-maker.
This title was reviewed as part of the ChristianAudio Reviewers Program.
C. Christopher Smith is the founding editor of The Englewood Review of Books. He is also author of a number of books, including most recently How the Body of Christ Talks: Recovering the Practice of Conversation in the Church (Brazos Press, 2019). Connect with him online at: C-Christopher-Smith.com
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It’s interesting you liked it. I thought it was really bad: http://jacobscafe.blogspot.com/2010/01/just-dont-read-just-do-something.html
I agree people have an issue with commitment, but his solution of just doing something is just as bad, if not worse.
Josh —
Thanks for sharing your review. You make a lot of excellent points.
I knew I was only going to give this a brief review, so I was trying to be generous. And no, I wouldn’t say that I liked it…
Chris
Yeah, it is hard to express the full opinions and experience while being brief. I often have a hard time being concise. 🙂