Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Book Review: Help, Thanks, Wow: by Anne Lamott

Title: Help, Thanks, Wow: Three Essential Prayers
Author: Anne Lamott
Enjoyment Rating: ***
Source: Library Copy
This book would be rated: PG (there may be a few bad words)

I feel like reviewing this book is a little bit unfair, and actually calling this book a book is a little bit unfair. At 112 short pages, this feels more like a pamphlet than a book (and it cracks me up that there is a 30-minute abridged read of the book since I think I read it in less than an hour). I know I'm prejudiced because the book comes in the much-detested "Mitch Albom format" (narrower and shorter than an actual hardback book, but just as expensive at $17.95). That said, once I delved into the book, I actually liked it. Lamott believes that all prayers can be distilled to three essential types: 1) Help, 2) Thanks, and 3) Wow. The first two are pretty self-explanatory, the third is expressing wonder. The book resonated with me in the way a good church talk would, and Lamott provides interesting examples to support her thesis, but after reading her two memoirs, I wanted more meat and more story out of this one. 

1 comment:

ellen said...

Anne Lamott is one of my faves.