I was given the opportunity to be one of the first to read this book in it's unpublished form. To say it is good is such an understatement. It can be ordered at http://www.theshackbook.com/
There is already buzz about a possible movie to follow. I hope some of you will check it out. You can read some of it at the site listed above.

Kent

Well, that's just great. I read the first chapter, and they left the second to the last page out. I suppose that's a marketing tactic to get you to buy, huh?

I bet you that is a mistake. I am waiting for a reply from them.

Kent

Thanks, Kent! BTW, how long is the book, because for a first chapter, 8 pages is pretty short...

256 pages

A friend of mine is the publisher and I gave him the heads up on the missing page from the chapter on the website. They were going to fix that.

I couldn't put this book down once I began reading it. There has been some interest shown in making this story into a movie.

I have suggested Over The Rhine's acoustic version of Give Me Strength as a possible theme song. There is a dramatic scene in the book that I can already see on the big screen with that song playing. Gives me chills just thinking about it.

Kent

A little something from The Shack

"Relationships are never about power, and one way to avoid the will to power is to choose to limit oneself--to serve. Humans often do this--in touching the infirm and sick, in serving the minds of the ones whose minds have left to wander, in relating to the poor, in loving the very old and the very young, or even caring for the other who has assumed a position of power over them."

Another little taste of this beautiful story.

"Mack, if anything matters, then everything matters. Because you are important, then everything you do is important. Every time you forgive, the universe changes; with every kindness and service, seen or unseen, my purposes are accomplished and nothing will ever be the same again."

Things readers are saying about the book:
http://www.windrumors.com/index.php/2007/06/24/21/

This book that was self published and with no advertising other than word of mouth is nearing the 100,000 copies sold mark. It's only been in book stores since September. It's been fun being envolved with it. They are now sifting through several movie offers.

here is a link to a video interview where you can listen to the Author talk about how this all came about. For those of you who are writers this is an awesome story of an accidental author getting swept up into a wild wave he never counted on. The publishing world passed on it and now it is the talk of the publishing world.

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Here is a cool link to a USA Today story about The Shack and how it has become the self-published phenom. today. It's been so much fun being on this ride with these three friends of mine since I read the unpublished manuscript two years ago.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/20...-30-shack_N.htm

My mother in law is reading this for a small group she is in, but my brother in law gave her a heads up about it. Is there some controversy about it? I was just sorta around the conversation and not in it.

The book is causing somewhat of a stir in evangelical circles that are shaped by Reformed Theology. The reaction against it is so small compared to the number of people that are being so encouraged and healed of great pain and suffering often caused by living in a world of sometimes unspeakable pain. The critics don't seem to be able to handle a God that actually cares for people simply because he loves them. It's another one of those books that some leaders seem to not want people to read as if people can't make decisions for themselves. So there are reviews out there that attack the book as heretical. It's pretty typical and pretty sad when it comes to people making judgements about people they don't even know. I am friends with the author and the two men that started the publishing company to publish it because no established publishing company wanted to take the risk. Now all of those that turned it down have come wanting to take it over. Every accusation about these men and the book are nothing but wild assumptions that aren't even close to reality. I get the sense that some people might be feeling that they might be losing some of their control over others? This is a book that is setting people free from the paralyzing fear created by religion. Silence it they may try but it's not likely to happen. 12 major motion picture studios are pursuing the chance to make this story into a major motion picture.

Barry, I just read the topic Faith you began back in Dec. of last year. I think you would love this book. You might also enjoy this book. http://www.windblownmedia.com/jakebook.html you can read this book on line if you so desire.

Here is a recent video interview with Paul Young the author. It's a much better way to get a sense of him and the book than from what the critics who don't know him are saying about it.

http://www.wcg.org/av/_lib/PlayVideoYI.asp...yers=WMP,Flash8

Thanks...I will look into the links. Like I said, I was on the periphery of the conversation and thought I would ask someone close to the subject. I probably should have done it off-line, but didn't even think about doing that. :-) Have a great day.

Barry, actually doing it in the open so others who might be hearing some of the criticisms can see it, I think is a good thing.

Like I have said before, I know the people behind this book personally. This video is a much more honest review of the book. Boring, but helpful.

http://www.youtube.com/pilgrimprog

I received word today that The Shack will debut on the New York Times Bestseller list on Sunday at # 1

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books/bestseller/index.html

The national TV interview campaign seems to be heating up for my friends with an upcoming appearence on The Today Show later this month as the buzz around this book continues to grow. The movie keeps getting closer to being a reality also along with talk of a Documentary.

My wife just read the book The Shack. Evidently, it mentions Bruce Cockburn throughout the book. Here’s one such passage:

The smell of eggs and bacon mixed with something else curled into the room, interrupting his thoughts. Mack decided it was time to emerge and speak his share. As he entered the main living area, he heard the sound of a familiar Bruce Cockburn tune drifting from the kitchen and a high pitched black woman singing along rather well: “Oh love that fires the sun, keep me burning.” Papa emerged with plates in each hand full of pancakes and fried potatoes and greens of some sort. She was dressed in a long-flowing African-looking garment, complete with a vibrant multicolored headband. She looked radiant—almost glowing.

“You know,” she exclaimed, “I love that child’s songs! I am especially fond of Bruce, you know.” She looked over at Mack, who was just sitting down at the table.

Mack nodded, his appetite increasing by the second.

“Yup,” she continued, “and I know you like him too.”

Mack smiled. It was true. Cockburn had been a family favorite for years, first his, then his and Nan’s, and then each of the children to one degree or another.

“So, honey,” Papa asked, continuing busily with whatever she was doing. “How were your dreams last night? Dreams are sometimes important, you know. They can be a way of openin’ up the window and lettin’ the bad air out.”

Mack knew this was an invitation to unlock the door into his terrors, but at the moment he wasn’t ready to invite her into that hole with him. “I slept fine, thank you,” he responded and then quickly changed the subject. “Is he your favorite? Bruce, I mean?”


Being a major league Bruce Cockburn fan, that’s enough to cause me to read the book. BTW, to those of you who are not familiar with BC, the second to the last paragraph above contained a reference to another BC song, Let The Bad Air Out.

It is true, my friend who is the author is a big Cockburn fan. By the way he and all his kids are now OTR fans since I introduced them to my favorite band.

I bought this today from a "christian bookstore" and they sold it to me out of the back room. I had to ask for it by name, and they wouldn't let me buy it without giving me a disclaimer about "reading with discernment". I'm not sure what to think about this...

You're not sure what to think about how thet are handling selling it or how it makes you feel about the book?

Having been somewhat on the inside of all of this since it is three of my friends (author, editors, publishers), this book has produced some very interesting conversations for the past 27 months. I like to describe it as the most accessible countercultural book I have ever read. For anyone feeling the pressure from the overwhelming demands of the machine (religion/society) this is a wonderful thought provoking book.

One large National Christian bookstore chain pulled it from the shelves a few months ago to review it's message having come under pressure from the Southern Baptist Convention. After serious review they returned it to the bookshelves with full endorsement. It's in it's 11th week on the NYT best seller list.

I just read this a couple of weeks ago. I do worry about people reading it as a piece of theology rather than as a work of fiction -- a novel, parable, or allegory. I understand that this is a way of the author expressing his personal journey to healing with God but I also absolutely understand why it is controversial in Christian circles since people are taking it seriously as Christian theological truth.

I don't think there is any need to defend the author or to take the criticsm personally. After all, it is a fictional book and an expression of the author's journey in the form of a novel.

I have signed up for a 7 week discussion group of the book. I'm actually looking forward to discussing it in depth. Admitedly, I was somewhat disappointed with the book. I don't know if this is due to all of the hype that surrounded it and the glowing reports I got from everyone (seriously, EVERYONE, no exceptions) that I know who has read it. They all told me how it opened their eyes about God in a new way, how it affected their views and their relationship with Him. It did none of these things for me. In fact, it made me groan at what I saw as contradiction to biblical truths. I also found it to be mediocre writing.

This isn't to say that I didn't find it enjoyable. It was a quick and easy read and an encouraging story. It is because of all of the above that I am excited about discussing it with 50 different people in a 2 month long group. There's much to debate and discuss about The Shack and I'm looking forward to it.

Well right on, Joyce! Glad to hear someone say something less than stellar about the book. I was starting to think there was some kind of literary Kool-aid drinking going on here, know what I mean? And BTW, I read in one of your other posts that you are excited at the prospect of meeting other apples--well, we've met! Remember when you were standing on your balcony and I was talking to you before heading off to Taft a couple years ago??

And to the OP, NTG, what I meant above was that I wasn't sure how the method of sale made me feel about the book and the seller. Not the way it was sold. Hope that helps!

But of course! We did meet! Up until then, Zayne was the only person from the board I had met. If the rest of the Apples are as gracious and beautiful as her, I'll be in for such a treat if Taft does end up working out for me! I miss having her living below me. Heck, I just miss her -- period!

And I'm just as relieved to hear that I'm not alone in my "eh" feeling about The Shack. I was beginning to wonder some of the same things that you were!

Has anyone else read this? I'd be interested in hearing from some others about it.

Hope to see you at Taft!

Thanks joyceken and Dusty. Many people come away from reading it with the same assessment you two have. Some of those on second or third times through it change their minds from their first readings also. I love how the story challenges many accepted theological postions the religious establishment holds to today. A few being; the bean counting "angry God" who's keeping his eye on you, law that is so often cloaked in New Testament language but law non the less juxtaposed with grace and love in an unambiguous way, and hierarchical systems that often oppress the very people they say they are there to help even if just by the very fact that they lead people on an adventure in missing the point.

I actually find the theology behind the book to be very sound and very effective in it's disabusing nature.

It's a parable...a story that is not real (made up) but used in a way to reveal truth. The author explains it here: Fiction-Truth-Reality-and-all-that-stuff
http://www.windrumors.com/42/fiction-truth...all-that-stuff/

Zayne's still around; we converse via MySpace every so often.

Oh, I know she's around. She just isn't living in the same house as I am anymore!