Title: Wild at Heart
Author: John Eldredge
Major Themes: Manhood, Christian Living
Synopsis: What does it mean to be a man, and how does a man become a man?
Many years ago, when I had (I think) four little boys, my mom gave me a book that she said might help me to understand them better. I read Wild at Heart, and appreciated the encouragement to let boys be boys, then put the book on the shelf and basically forgot about it. Now, many, many years later, when those little boys are men, someone recommended to one of them that he read the book. Not knowing we had it on the shelf, he downloaded the audiobook and listened to it, then told his dad and me that we should read it as well. So, I did. Wow. It means a lot more now than it did when it was first given to me.
Publisher’s description:
Every man was once a boy. And every little boy has dreams, big dreams: dreams of being the hero, of beating the bad guys, of doing daring feats and rescuing the damsel in distress. Every little girl has dreams, too: of being rescued by her prince and swept up into a great adventure, knowing that she is the beauty.
But what happens to those dreams when we grow up? Walk into most churches, have a look around, and ask yourself: What is a Christian man? Without listening to what is said, look at what you find there. Most Christian men are…bored.
In Wild at Heart, John Eldredge invites men to recover their masculine hearts, defined in the image of a passionate God. And he invites women to discover the secret of a man’s soul and to delight in the strength and wildness men were created to offer.
My thoughts:
The first half of Wild at Heart builds a case for why and how every man is wounded, wanting to be a man and not knowing how. John Eldredge places a lot of the blame on fathers who, either knowingly or unknowingly, wound their son’s spirits and cripple them for life. As I read that, I kept wondering what the answer was. Surely, God wouldn’t just leave every man in the world crippled and unable to be the man He wants him to be, right? Sure enough, eventually, the author reached the point, and gave the answer. Whew. Then, he went on with some discussion about the war we are all engaged in. That was what really spoke to me. I could see myself in the scenarios he described, and I found a lot of help and encouragement there. I highly recommend this book for every man to read or listen to, and also for every woman who cares about the men in her life.
One caveat: I read the original version. I see there is a new, updated version; I have not read that one. It is likely the one my son listened to, but I’m not sure and don’t know what the differences would be.
WARNING: There are a few words used that I wouldn’t (what the heck, gee). Two suicides are mentioned, one chapter talks about a battle in World War II, and sexual perversions are mentioned a couple of times. There is a point to everything except the language.
Age levels:
Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged) | Audio CD (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
