List Price:$13.95 Buy New:$2.93 You Save: $11.02 (79%) Buy New/Used from $2.11
Avg. Customer Rating:(based on 20 reviews) Sales Rank: 53143 Category: Book
Author:Dave L. Goetz Publisher:HarperOne Studio:HarperOne Manufacturer:HarperOne Label:HarperOne Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published) Media: Paperback Number Of Items: 1 Pages: 240 Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1 Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.8
A great number of seekers find themselves in the seemingly unreal world of the suburbs. They read spirituality books but find themselves in carpools and coaching soccer, not in monasteries. Dave Goetz, a former pastor, shows that the suburbs are a real world, but a spiritually corrosive one. The land of SUVs and soccer leagues can truly be toxic to the soul. Suburbanites need to understand how the environment affects them and what spiritual disciplines are needed for their faith to survive and thrive. Goetz identifies eight toxins in the suburban life, such as hyper?competition and the "transactional" friendship, and suggests eight corresponding disciplines to keep the spiritual life authentic. Goetz weaves sociology studies, his own experiences, current events, wisdom of the spiritual masters, and a little humor to equip spiritual suburbanites for how to relate to God amidst Starbucks, strip?malls, and perfect lawns.
Suburban Spiritual Disciplines October 22, 2008 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Does living in the suburbs quietly kill your spiritual life? David Goetz thinks it might, but in his book Death by Suburb lays out spiritual disciplines that help combat the slow decay of the soul. Goetz lives in a affluent suburb of Chicago, is a keen observer, and writes with a steady detachment. He is able to admit that some of the spiritual toxins that he describes are prevalent in his own life.
Each chapter is based on an environmental toxin and a spiritual practice to mend said toxin. Goetz writes with distance, but keeps himself in the story. But the most fascinating thing about this book is the grace with which Goetz writes. He does not look down his nose at people living suburban lives, or those that are caught up in shallow pursuits of selfishness. Rather, he sees the opportunity for them to live a "thicker" life, as opposed to the shallow ones that they lead. He seems to imply that these individuals know that the lives they are living are empty. They just need to be awakened to this reality, and the message of Jesus is exactly the jolt they need.
This book would be excellent small group study for those living in suburbs. It would be a cold, hard slap in the face, but in the best way possible. If you're seeking a practical way to exercise spiritual disciplines in your busy life, this book might be a good place to start.
Numerous Lessons for any Suburbanite April 19, 2008 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
My church recently featured a series of very effective service messages based on the book Death by Suburb. I figured if the church services were this insightful, well, the book itself must be fantastic. My assumption was right.
The subtitle of the book is "How to Keep the Suburbs from Killing Your Soul." While Goetz's message is important to hear it's most effective when you project his observations on your own life. Some of this stuff was pretty darned painful to read but 100% accurate.
For example, chapter 6 is called "Shirker Service" and he defines Shirkers as people who "are always on the move for the next spiritual plane." A Shirker tends to say things like:
"I want to make a difference with my life. I want to make my life count. I want more from my life than investment banking. I'm weary of making money; I want to help poor people become suburbanites just like I am."
He goes on to say that "the Shirker Life is full of service activities, mostly to and with other Shirkers." Ouch.
Here are two other nuggets of wisdom that resonated with me:
"If you want to be a sweet grandfather and not a bitter old man, then you must learn how to embrace suffering."
"Frustration and conflict are the fabric of spiritual development."
Those are the kind of statements I have to read several times to truly appreciate them. Putting them in practice and living them are a completely different challenge. This book is full of pearls like this and well worth the reading investment.
Spirituality Vs. Suburbia April 17, 2008 Death by Suburb: How to keep the Suburbs From Killing Your Soul by Dave Goetz is a straight shot look at maintaining spirituality in the midst of competition and commercialism that so often define suburbia. From Wheaton, Illinois, (an affluent suburb of Chicago) Goetz describes his experiences of seeking God instead of seeking status symbols and outlines eight practical applications for the reader. These take home points range from the need for times of quiet reflection, how to best serve others above oneself and developing deep and meaningful relationships.
Although written from a Christian perspective with examples drawn from Catholic and Protestant theologians, this is a work that provides sensible advice to people from any faith looking for less chaos in suburban living. Anyone who has struggled with time management, control issues, stress, balance, overwork, or friendship problems could find helpful words in this book. Goetz is an amusing and talented writer and Death by Suburb is a highly enjoyable book.
Life-giving practices! April 8, 2008 This is a great book--Goetz, who lives in Wheaton, where I used to live and went to school, describes suburban life to a tee. He trains a keen eye on both the struggle and irony of the competitive, consumeristic, pressured, hurried life that is not only the typical suburbanite's life, but his own life. (He admits to being a sometimes over-enthusiastic soccer dad, and to owning both the quintessential suburban vehicle, an SUV, and the quintessential suburban dog, a Golden Retriever).
He recommends eight spiritual practices to counter-act the "environmental toxins" of suburban life; practices that range from the traditional solitude and self-examination to ones that address specific suburban problems. For example, he writes, to counter the toxin of "My church is the problem," a common malady of the suburban consumer mindset, he recommends the practice of "Staying put in your church."
As a writer and speaker who teaches often on spiritual practices (see my book Oxygen: Deep Breathing for the Soul), I know I will be not only recommending this book but quoting from it often!
Checking yourself... March 25, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I picked up this book after Matt Chandler made mention of it in one of his sermons and quoted it when Mr. Goetz tells of a story and then cites, "Soccer is stupid when your wife is dying with cancer." After that quote, I had to pick up the book.
This book is a very enjoyable read, especially if you live in the suburbs. I really don't think you can get the full meaning of some of the jokes or even the nagging life that awaits in the suburbs, unless you live there, or have lived there for a period of years. What David Goetz wanted to get across in this book, I believe he did very well. The 8 chapters are titled very well and it really hurts when the chapter headings are what is going on in your head when you read them. He lists for the chapters a "toxin" and then "the practice." Or the "issue" and "the solution." They are:
Chapter 1: The Toxin: I am in Control of My Life The Practice: The Prayer of Silence
Chapter 2: The Toxin: I am what I do and what I own The Practice: The Journey through the self
Chapter 3: The Toxin: I want my neighbor's life The Practice: Friendship with the poor
Chapter 4: The Toxin: My life should be easier than this The Practice: Accepting my cross with grace and patience
Chapter 5: The Toxin: I need to make a difference with my life The Practice: Pursuing action, not results
Chapter 6: The Toxin: My church is the problem The Practice: Staying put in your church
Chapter 7: The Toxin: What will this relationship do for me? The Practice: Building deep friendships
Chapter 8: The Toxin: I need to get more done in less time The Practice: Falling in love with a day
My favorites were definitely at the point when Mr. Goetz pointed out why we have certain relationships and why we help out certain people. The reason is because I fall in love with the thought of, "if this person isn't going to accomplish something in my life, why should I befriend them?" Mr. Goetz speaks poignantly through this to understand that relationships shouldn't be about what you are going to get out of them, but they should be for continual development for the kingdom. In conjunction with this, he asks why we help out those that are less fortunate than us? Do we do it for self gratification if they turn to Jesus, or they "fix their life?" Or, do we do it out of the mere love for our Saviour and respond to his love with the love of our neighbors? This was a very challenging chapter.
I enjoyed the entirety of the book and felt as though it was well thought out, although not terribly theologically deep. Theologically is exactly where I found myself scratching my head a couple of times as I felt as though he left it out of the discussion at points that would have been helpful. I felt as though his convictions should have more clearly put forth in some of the areas of his life and how he lived it. But these were minor at points and not enough to deter the overall theme of the book.
I really found it to be helpful and was filled with great reminders in ways that made me laugh at times and cringe at others as they cut me deep, which was good.
One of my favorite quotes in the book, after the one mentioned at the first of this post, was:
Speed and efficiency rank high in suburban values. Garbage cans with properly colored tags are set out on the curb weekly on designated days. Dogs must be licensed before February 1. Dog waste is a hazard to our children, says our community publication on new ordinances. There are always new ordinances. Near our home, a gentleman walks his aging, bloated Labrador most evenings, dog leash in one hand and pooper-scooper in the other. By day, the man is an executive with an MBA from a worldclass university; by night, he scrapes up dog stools.
Now imagine this clever banter when dealing with spiritual issues while letting life escape us and you have a very enjoyable read along some very good insights into our everyday lives as we try and walk with Christ.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a Christian and looking for a nudge to get them out of the ordinary drudge that can be the suburbs.
All rights reserved. Amazon.com is a trademark of Amazon.com Information about prices, products, services and merchants is provided by third parties and is for informational purposes only. Caribbean Travel Books does not represent or warrant the accuracy or reliability of the information, and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use.
