Monday, September 03, 2012

Book Review ~ 52 Little Lessons from It's a Wonderful Life

"52 Little Lessons from It's a Wonderful Life" by bob Welch"

Publisher's Description:  

Do you pay a visit to Bedford Falls every Christmas? Does December feel incomplete without a reminder that “no man is a failure who has friends”? If George and Mary Bailey are annual guests at your home during the holidays, you already know that It’s A Wonderful Life is far more than just a festive seasonal film. It’s a reflection of what we can be when we’re at our best and a reminder that our lives can change everyone around us—for better or worse. Revisit the defining lessons in Frank Capra’s 1946 classic, and discover new dimensions of the film you’ve seen time and again. What can you learn from Mary’s quiet contentedness? Does George’s selflessness make you rethink your own priorities? And how about Clarence’s dogged commitment to his assignment? Join author Bob Welch for a close-up of the characters and themes that shape this beautiful story. You’ll be reminded that life’s most important work is often the work we never planned to do and that God can use the most unlikely among us to get the job done.

My Thoughts:  

"It' a Wonderful Life" is not just one of my favorite Christmas movies but it's one of my favorite movies of all time. So I jumped at the chance to get this book when it was offered.  I am so glad I did.  Because it was for a book tour and review I had to read it quickly but I will sure be going back into it and savoring the insight Bob Welch has into the characters of the movie and applying these lessons into our modern lives.  It will make it even more meaningful the next time I watch it.  Each lesson starts with a quote from the movie and is a small chapter that can be read in minutes.   Great life lessons are expounded upon in the context of the movie and biblically.   A few examples are:


  • God Honors Our "Childlike Faith"
  • Self-Pity Skews Our Vision
  • Life's Greatest Adventures Are About People, Not Places or Things
  • You Can't Run Away from Your Problems
  • Perspective Changes Everything
  • Prayer Changes Things
  • Don't Wait to Tell Someone You Care
  • It's in Helping Others That We Help Ourselves
  • What Triggers True Change is True Humility...
...just to name a few.  Such an enjoyable and meaningful little book. Hard to put down once you start.   If you watch the movie with your kids this would be a great companion book to teach character and values lessons.

Thanks to BookSneeze and Thomas Nelson Publishers for supplying the book free of charge for my honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

You can purchase 52 Little Lessons from It's a Wonderful Life here and here.

2 comments:

ellen b. said...

Sounds like a good Christmas present!

Sandra said...

Sounds like a great book Susanne :)