Book Review: Free Book*
This could be one of the top five worst books I have ever read. For the record, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, Thomas Nelson, as a part of their “book sneeze” program.
At first, I thought this might be a worthwhile book to read and review. I live in the Cincinnati area and have been to Brian Tome’s church a couple of times. Its always good to know what is going on in ones hometown. I knew there would be some theological differences between us, but I had no idea what I was in store for.
Tome makes a point to put a disclaimer in his book. Within the first few pages he wants us to know he lobbied his publisher for the right to put in some swear words and they didn’t like it. During the same section he pointed out how he does not like having to wear a helmet while riding his motorcycle. Tome is trying to come off as anti-authoritarian. He wants to come off as sounding so “hard core” and only comes off sounding like a spoiled kid. Seriously, the first chapter of the book is a lame manifesto that could have been written by a troubled Jr. High student. I joked with my wife about how he needed a diagnosis out of the DSM.
Unfortunately, it gets worse. One sentence ruined the whole book. Tome writes:
The last thing we need is another book on the Cross…
To be fair, I will put the quote in context. Tome is trying to say we have tons of resources on the Cross, but what he feels we really need is a book on freedom. Hence his writing of Free Book. Let me pick this statement apart. The Cross is where we, as Christians, find the freedom this book is trying to proclaim. Without the Cross, there is no freedom. It is the pivotal event in all human history. Brian Tome ignores the cross for the majority of his book. I think the last thing we need is another book by Brian Tome.
Here are some other things I had problems with:
- Instead of calling them demons, Tome calls them “evil personalities.” (In my notes about this book, I wrote “WTF?”)
- Tome allows people to feel like victims of “evil personalities” but never really calls people to repent of sin.
- On page 103, Tome tells those who have been freed from any kind of demonic oppression they need to fill their lives with hobbies first, and then turn to God…
- He tells us the Holy Spirit equips us but never draws a line between those who have made Jesus Lord, and those who have not. It reads as though the Holy Spirit has equipped everyone, even non-Christians.
I cannot recommend this book. It is about as spiritually deep as The Shack. It preaches freedom by behavior modification, otherwise called “works based righteousness.” This book gets one star from me only because zero is not an option.
-Don-
