Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them | John Ortberg

Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them | John Ortberg | A few questions about this book...

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Everybody's Normal...

	Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them John Ortberg Zondervan, 2003 - 256 pages average customer review:based on 35 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Excellent Book for Everyone

Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them has everything a reader can ask for in a non-fiction book. Ortberg presents an excellent balance of stories, metaphors, quotes, biblical teaching, autobiography and spiritual insight. He adroitly intersperses humor into the writing that will make you laugh out loud. The variety assures that the reader will get the important message of the book and be entertained.

This is an upbeat book about relationships that we have with God and other people. It also targets how we see ourselves. The premise is that nobody is really "normal;" we all have quirks, defects and faults that make us very much in need of grace and mercy from God and others. Likewise, we all need to give grace and mercy to others and accept that all people come "as is" rather than perfect.

Ortberg writes, "when we enter relationships with the illusion that people are normal, we resist the truth that they are not. We enter an endless attempt to fix them, control them, or pretend that they are what they're not. One of the great marks of maturity is to accept the fact that everybody comes `as is.'"

The book is divided into three main sections: "Normal: There's no such Thing, Dear," "How to Get Close without Getting Hurt," and "The Secrets of Strong Relationships."

Ortberg leads the reader to an examination of heart and soul and to open the eyes to the dynamics present in all relationships. He focuses on principles and truths that are relevant to all people, such as the inevitability of conflict in relationships and the best way to deal with it.

If you want to improve the way you interact with your family, co-workers, church family and people you meet everyday, this is a book that will definitely help. Each chapter is followed by several discussion questions that can be helpful to small group interaction, as well as personal reflection.

Throughout the book, Ortberg takes great advantage of Biblical stories to convey lessons about relationships. He artfully brings to life several Old and New Testament accounts, filling in cultural background and offering theological insights.

I think you will thoroughly enjoy reading Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them and will appreciate Ortberg's skill in writing and teaching.

Craig Stephans, author of Shakespeare On Spirituality: Life-Changing Wisdom from Shakespeare's Plays

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A few questions about this book...

Is this a typically well written, readable book by Ortberg? Yes!
Does this book lope along, filled with good illustrations & interesting applications? Yes!
Does this book present the realities, foibles, challenges, & deep rewards of developing strong, transparent community? Yes!
Will this book mess with you? YES!
Buy it, underline it, digest it, apply it.

An Enjoyable Guide Into True Community

The title speaks to the fact that we all fall short of God's definition of "normal". Despite our flaws, imperfections, and dysfunctions, we still need each other. Ortberg compares it to porcupines learning to dance. Though we may stick one another from time to time, to fully live we must learn to experience community. The book looks at our need for each other, necessary elements for establishing community, and keys to building strong relationships. Ortberg does a masterful job of using vulnerability, wit, and reason to present a Biblical view of our need for community and the ways to achieve it. I highly recommend this enjoyable, instructive, and challenging book.

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Community of Dancing Porcupines - read it and see!

I really enjoy Ortberg's wit and ability to illustrate things in a clever and entertaining way that makes the reader think deeper about Christian community and personal transformation.

A good book about Christian community...

I admit, the title caught my eye. I have never read anything by Ortberg till' now, and for the most part, I liked his style. However, being a young college student and all, I felt like he sometimes avoided more serious issues by telling a joke or making light of something. Most of the time, it didn't bother me, but a few chapters really were speaking to me and then, he would kind of make them "lighter" by telling a joke or making a sarcastic remark.

However, who am I to judge? I've never written a book before and I'm one of the most sarastic people I know...so aside from that, this book is a delight and is an easy read for anyone serious about Christian community. There were a few times where I wish Ortberg would've let go completely and just speak of letting Jesus' love do to people what it should, but nonetheless, he's ten times better than most of the baby boomers than I know when it comes to seriously addressing Christian community.

If you liked this book, check out "12 STEPS FOR THE RECOVERING PHARISEE"...it has several similar characteristics of this book and takes them a little further and deeper.

However, all in all, Johnny, thanks for a good read that provokes some thinking and made me nod my head a little too often. As someone considering to serve the church by loving God as my career, it was very helpful.

(p.s. I hate the phrase "going into full time ministry"---I feel like we all should be doing that in whatever profession we should choose to pursue and I think Ortberg is with me on this one!:)

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reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, page 6, 7

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