Wide Awake
Erwin Raphael McManus
Thomas Nelson, 2008, 255 pp., $19.99
www.thomasnelson.com
Wide Awake (DVD)
Lionsgate, 2008, 255 pp., $19.98
www.indelibleonlinestore.com
A pep talk on papyrus–in Wide Awake McManus encourages readers to dream, discover, adapt, expect, focus, create, enjoy, invest (in others) and imagine one inspirational chapter after another. I didn’t find it particularly applicable in the beginning, but it became progressively practical in the second half.
While McManus’ repetitiveness throughout this “live on purpose” work tempted me to skim, he offers soul-stirring and funny nuggets and anecdotes, some of which made me pause, highlight and re-read.
His chapter on expectations and faith is especially powerful. This would make a good gift for a graduate, college group or for someone who is discouraged or without much direction in life.
The corresponding DVD includes five short films and 11 vignettes with McManus coaching viewers, in his casual yet passionate mode, regarding the attributes about which he’s written. Each clip or film is a stand-alone feature and could be used in a variety of ways.
