Just Didn't Get It

I was genuinely looking forward to reading "Embracing Your Second Calling" by Dale Hanson Bourke. I was excited about the fact that a very successful business woman had figured out what was really important in life and was ready to reveal the steps to take to help middle-aged women connect with their God given purposes. (Kind of like "The Hole in Our Gospel" by Rich Stearns...now there's a book you should read...the author referenced this as well.) I was extremely disappointed.


I felt the book was speaking more to the "career driven" women of the world. (I'm definitely not that-I'm a stay at home, home-schooling, ministry serving mother) The book delt primarily with those who have lived hectic "working woman" lives and in the second half have discovered all of it didn't amount to anything that filled the soul. I also thought that this book wasn't "classified" appropriately. It should have been more of an autobiography or a memoir. The author stayed in the first person nearly the entire book. It began to get a little annoying. I didn't want to read the book to read about the author...I was looking for "next steps" for the rest of MY life. It says it's a "Guide to the Second Half of Life"...I just didn't really get anything "new" from it. The whole book could have been summed up by: "Draw near to God...pray about your life, past, present, and future, and ask God to lead and guide you into His purposes for your life."

I have never seen a book reference so many other books in all my life. It almost got a little ridiculous. I began to feel like, "So, why am I reading this book? I should be reading the books referenced!" Truly, I've read many of the books referenced and I would HIGHLY suggest reading the "Recommended Resources." Otherwise...this book just didn't offer much. I haven't read the first edition,so I'm not sure how it differs...but I just simply didn't connect with this book. I felt like the author was too interested in telling the detailed stories of her life, instead of reaching out to me (the reader) in order to help me along my journey.

*I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255