'Primal' by Mark Batterson

A while back I thought I might write a book (who am I kidding, right?). The theme for my imaginary book was, 'Getting Back to Basics,' with the idea being, when you boil down Christianity to its most basic of elements, what are you left with. Now, with Mark Batterson's latest book, Primal, I see I don't have to write it because he has completed my vision. And instead of having to go through the ordeal of actually writing it, I simply got to experience the joy of reading it.

In Primal, Batterson tackles the heart of the Gospel boiled down to one commandment: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Only he defines each as compassion (heart), wonder (soul), curiosity (mind), and power (strength). In each section he discusses what each might look like if we truly love God with that particular aspect of our being. And let me just say, it is a very challenging and inspiring read. As I read each section, I was inspired to love God more than I do currently, but also challenged as it isn't always an easy task.

Batterson is one of those authors who clearly reads and studies quite a bit and draws from his studies to build his discussions. His scientific background shows through, but not in a way that is boring or over one's head (this coming from someone who doesn't really care for science all that much). The information he details is very enlightening, interesting, and effective in making his points more clear.

Primal is another in a growing list of great books from Mark Batterson (his others being In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day and Wild Goose Chase). I hope there are lots more to come. It just hit the shelves today. I would strongly encourage picking up a copy and making it the first book you read in 2010. You can pick up a copy from RandomHouse.com.