A few weeks ago, I received an email from an agent (?) representing this book asking if I would review this book, I’m guessing mainly because of this blog and my involvement with our church’s God and Guinness movement. I love free books, so I gladly obliged. I recently finished the book on my vacation to Williamsburg, VA, and absolutely loved it!
The book takes the reader on a journey through the history of the Guinness brewery through the eyes of the men who ran the company, starting with Arthur and moving through the generations that inherit the Guinness brewery. I particularly loved the emphasis (hence the book’s title) on the meshing of faith with business in the Guinness’ lives. The goodwill and social justice issues of the city of Dublin take a primary role in the formation and advancement of the company, and the Guinness’ react in Gospel-centered, love-filled ways while at the same time being faithful with the resources (time and money) that God had given them through the wonderful gift of brewing great beer.
Of course, the book is not all positive, and there are lowlights in the Guinness’ lives (as there are in everyone’s lives), and the author does a great job at examining them while at the same time maintaining the focus on the intersection of economy and Christianity.
The book is a fascinating and easy read, with the structure following the Guinness’ through time, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is in a business field, who is seeking to learn from a great example about the meshing of faith and work.
Score: 7.5/10
In order to review this book, I joined Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Bloggers program, which you can view here.
