A Proverbs Driven Life

Title: A Proverbs Driven Life
Author: Anthony Selvaggio
Publisher: Shepherd Press, 2008
Pages: 197
Begun: January 13, 2009
Finished: January 27, 2009

This book is divided into six sections. In each of the sections, Selvaggio covers some of the basic teachings of Proverbs on that particular subject and gives some brief applications.

Part 1 is on Words : "A Proverbs-Driven Life values wise living and wise speech as essential and inseparable."

Part 2 on Work: "A Proverbs-Driven Life practices a faithful work ethic and faithful ethics at work."

Part 3 on Wealth: "A Proverbs-Driven Life understands the place and purpose of material wealth."

Part 4 on Friends: "A Proverbs-Driven Life knows that friendship is intended to be redemptive."

Part 5 on Marriage: "A Proverbs-Driven Life embraces marriage as the most significant of relationships and guards it jealously."

Part 6 on Children: "A Proverbs-Driven Life accepts the calling to raise children as a task delegated and directed by God."

I thought that this book was an excellent overview of the the major subjects covered in Proverbs. The book is not intended to be an in-depth study on each of the subjects, but rather a starting point in understanding how having true biblical wisdom will affect our thinking and subsequent actions in each of these life areas.

My favorite chapters were the two on friendship. I like his wording that friendships are intended to be "redemptive." I also really appreciated the first chapter on children. In that chapter he covered the "why" of discipline and it was helpful for me. I thought the second chapter on the "how" of discipline was a little weak. (Probably because one chapter is not enough to cover a topic like that!)

The book is an excellent tool to read along with a study on Proverbs, or a good resource when studying one of these specific topics. It is very readable, even for non-readers, I think.