Essentials for Life -- a book review

Essentials for Life: Your Back-to-Basics Guide to What Matters Most by Marcia Ford

"What is actually essential to your life--the well-being of your body, your mind, your spirit?"

That question opens the introduction, and is the very question I had as I picked the book up for the first time. There are times when we all desire to remove the clutter from our lives and live more simply and with greater purpose. The goal of Essentials for Life is to help one recognize the necessary so that the unnecessary is more readily identified.

At first I was surprised to find fifty essentials, then after thinking about it I became curious to learn which, of the more than fifty, were written about. Each topic receives a short, concise chapter that is a general overview of the topic. Each four page chapter then, is filled to the gills, even using the margins to share the authors thoughts, Biblical references, and quotes from individuals some famous and others not so much. When the chapter seemed only to skim the surface of the topic, references were given and the reader was directed in how to find more information.

My impression is that this book would be great for one new to the Christian faith as it would help give a better understanding what a Christian life consists of. It's also a good read for a long time believer. As one who has been a believer for many years I found it a fresh reminder of the important things: something we all need from time to time.

I would recommend this book to anyone as a starting point to a less cluttered life.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Thomas Nelson as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program.