I was asked a while back to read and review Christian George’s book “Sex, Sushi, and Salvation” and since a free copy of the book was involved, I gladly obliged.
It took me a while to get through the book, but that was mostly because it got lost in my nightstand for a few months before I found it again.
What I liked about the book:
+ Christian’s style of writing is such that he easily moves from one topic to another, often without setting up the transition. I found this to be at times enjoyable, and at other times, frustrating. It was enjoyable when he would move between two topics that were seemingly unrelated, but then he would tie them together in an interesting way. He did this pretty well.
+ Christian has traveled extensively, and you can tell from his writing that it is something he is passionate about. His stories of visiting ancient landmarks and fascinating places were a joy to read. I love listening to people talk about things they are passionate about. The same goes for reading too. You can’t fake true passion, and reading about the places Christian had been and the historical figures he’d researched, you could tell it was something he loved.
+ Another thing I enjoyed about his writing was the honest voice that he wrote with. Some authors have a tough time establishing credibility with the reader, but throughout the book I never felt that he was being less than authentic, whether he was talking about spirituality, traveling, or accidentally drowning his pet hamster (you’ll have to read the book for that story).
What I didn’t like about the book:
+ Like I said above, he often moved from one topic to another without much of a transition. While this worked well at times, there were also times were it would become frustrating. I found myself reading fast because that’s the way it felt like it was supposed to be read. Eventually he would wrap things up and usually all the topics would come together towards his premise, but it felt a bit scattered at times.
Would I recommend this book?
Yeah, I would. I think it would be a good read for folks who like to travel and like to learn something about the places they’ve visited. If you like your spirituality mixed in with a little geography and history, this book might be for you. (side note: Christian has another book coming out on 1/1/09 called Godology: Because Knowing God Changes Everything)
This also seems like a good time to mention that Christian was kind enough to fill out a Sports Survey for me over at Prayers For Blowouts. You can read that here.