OCTOBER 2019 - AudioFile
Author and Christian motivational speaker Amanda Anderson blends personal stories and practical advice with an upbeat delivery as she narrates her new audiobook about how less-than-perfect people can learn to become a great friend to others. Delivered from an evangelical perspective, the audiobook encourages both useful methods of communication and scripture to help guide the listener through the more challenging aspects of human interaction, especially making friends. Anderson’s narration is warm, friendly, and honest. She makes sure to give just the right emphasis to accounts of mistakes she’s made and tips on how to avoid them. Listening to this audiobook is like having a heart-to-heart with a true friend. V.B. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
04/22/2019
Anderson, founder of Heart in Training ministry, provides Christian women a guide for forming and maintaining biblically healthy friendships in her impassioned debut. For Anderson, there are three foundational tenets to meaningful connection: authenticity, encouragement, and accountability. In defining authenticity, Anderson compares it to intimacy—where intimacy is just the process of getting closer, authenticity requires effort to strip away “artifice.” She believes that perfectionism is often the largest hurdle in relationships, and urges readers to be willing to share insecurities with friends. But she also cautions readers to be choosy when finding new friendships, and to use the principles of Scripture as a guide. To this end, she urges Christian readers to practice accountability by speaking to close friends about sinful behavior—be it a friend’s behavior or one’s own. For strengthening bonds, she recommends prayer and includes ideas for prayers designed for both individuals or groups. In the final section, she lists questions meant to spark conversations about authenticity, as well as a list of warning signs that may indicate a spiritually unhealthy friendship. Rooted in Scripture and approachable in tone, this will be a useful resource for Christian Bible study groups. (July)
OCTOBER 2019 - AudioFile
Author and Christian motivational speaker Amanda Anderson blends personal stories and practical advice with an upbeat delivery as she narrates her new audiobook about how less-than-perfect people can learn to become a great friend to others. Delivered from an evangelical perspective, the audiobook encourages both useful methods of communication and scripture to help guide the listener through the more challenging aspects of human interaction, especially making friends. Anderson’s narration is warm, friendly, and honest. She makes sure to give just the right emphasis to accounts of mistakes she’s made and tips on how to avoid them. Listening to this audiobook is like having a heart-to-heart with a true friend. V.B. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
