Review: Addicted to Mediocrity

I want to say I finished the book, but the truth is, I just couldn't take anymore.

The first 63 pages of the book is the actual meat, if you can call it that, of the book. The next 61 pages is just a FAQ. How can someone publish a book that is half FAQ and half real text?

The main problem with the book is that it undercuts its own argument. The book tries to argue against mediocrity, yet, the book itself is mediocre. The points that he makes are broad general observations with very little support of any kind. He makes assumptions that are not necessarily true, but since you don't know his sources, you wouldn't know. The fact that the book was published through a Christian publisher, Crossway, compounds the issue. I won't go so far to assume that he wasn't good enough to be published by a secular publisher, but it doesn't do much to support his argument either.

Through out the book, there are a total of 18 illustrations. That's 14.5% of the book, just pictures! Also, in Chapter 4, he quotes the entire chapter of Genesis 1. This quote takes up two pages, 40% of the chapter. He also includes another large quote by another author which takes up another 5% of the chapter. So in this chapter, there were only two pages of his own words.

Instead of pursuing relavent issues and root causes of mediocrity in the church, Schaeffer presents cursery observations. Instead of offering practical solutions, he offers rhetoric.

Stay away from this book. My review of each chapter is much more stimulating than anything he provides in his text.

• Chapter 1: Creativity and Beauty
• Chapter 2: Bitter Fruit
Chapter 3: "Spirituality" and "Secularism"
• Chapter 4: "It Was Good" (and Still Is)
• Chapter 5: What Can We Do?
• Chapter 6: True Spirituality (Revisted)
• Chapter 7: Free to be Human

I rate the book a 1/5.