The irony about reviewing this particular book on productivity is that I received my copy from the author nearly 200 days ago. Oops.

Now that could mean one of two things: either I really needed to read the book, because I’ve got serious organisational issues.

Alternatively, it could mean I read the book but it was so effective, that in my reorientated-organisational-self I simply prioritised not writing the review until this point. 

I’ll leave you hanging on that one.

Suffice to say, that having now finished What’s Best Next, I’m convinced it is an excellent book and will get you well on your way to both thinking biblically about your approach to ‘getting things done’, as well as helping you act wisely as you seek to be more effective. Perman states that his aim is to “reshape the way you think about productivity and then present a practical approach to help you become more effective in your life with less stress and frustration, whatever you are doing”. Boy, does he achieve it.

The sharp rise of knowledge-based industries has meant productivity has increasingly become an in-demand subject. At the heart of the abundance of ‘productivity lit’ has been David Allen’s hugely influential Getting Things Done (GTD), and it is this work that is referenced in What’s Best Next ‘s subtitle: “How the gospel transforms the way you get things done”. However, although the GTD methodology and its variants have their fanboys, there’s also a fair few sceptics of the movement. And so, despite Taylor Swift’s observation that “the haters gonna hate,” a cynic might remark that it was only a matter of time before someone jumped on the bandwagon with a ‘Christian approach’ to productivity. Is this book just going to be a few Bible verses wrenched out of context to support some quasi-Christian self-management tips?

It’s a valid concern, but happily author Matt Perman isn’t guilty of this, and it’s partly the book’s foundational sections that make it so strong. As the former Director of Strategy for Desiring God, Perman is well placed to write such a book. His popular blog regularly reflects on productivity, leadership, theology, and culture, and he’s particularly given a lot of time to thinking about the recent productivity movement through a biblical lens.  

For starters, Perman is clear from the outset that productivity is not about efficiency, but about effectiveness. And the minute you bring in a biblical worldview, then this is not a vague effectiveness but becoming effective specifically in the realm of fruitfulness in doing good works, as labours of love prompted by a gospel motivation. This is not about getting lots of the things-I-want-to-do done more quickly, as if it were just for my sake. Neither is Perman oblivious to the messy reality of life and the need to be flexible. Ultimately he is arguing for serving and loving others in all of life; it is about people, not things or tasks.

Even if you agree with Perman up to this point, you might still dismiss the need to examine your own productivity. But Perman perceptively notes that whether we like or not, we all have some sort of approach to getting things done, even if that approach is the absence of any real strategy. And if we’re Christians who are called to be stewards of our lives, gifts, hours, etc, for God and for others, then it’s right that we seek to ‘manage our time well’.

And so, having made his case for effectiveness in serving others, Perman then argues that this needs to translate into personal leadership (knowing what’s most important) and personal management (putting it first and actually doing it). Of course, this idea won’t be groundbreaking to anyone who’s familiar with the likes of David Allen, Peter Drucker or Stephen Covey, and Perman is the first to acknowledge that. In fact he suggests these ‘what’s best next’ approaches are a gift of common grace. The difference lies in that fact that Perman has already spent a third of his book building up a biblical approach to redefining the category of ‘best’, as well as examining our motivations for doing it.

Perman then spends the rest of the book unpacking four key steps for actually becoming more effective, using the acronym D.A.R.E. These stand for Define (knowing what’s most important); Architect (creating a flexible structure); Reduce (freeing up your time for what’s most important); and Execute (doing what’s most important). Throughout these I found myself underlining again and again. Perman writes with the aim of his work being useful for any work situation, but as someone who is in a situation where I am responsible for ordering most of my time it was gold-dust. He argues convincingly for the likes of personal mission statements; setting up your week and creating the right routines; harnessing multitasking, interruptions and procrastination; managing email and workflow; as well as managing larger projects in the midst of the everyday.

What’s Best Next is a treasure trove of general wisdom for working effectively, whilst all the way through compellingly directing one’s overall aim to that of using our lives to serve others, with the gospel as our motivation. It is very easy to read, and Perman’s use of chapter abstracts, summary boxes, and headings ensure one processes the headlines. I can’t think why someone would not benefit from much of this book. I plan on re-reading regularly, confident that each time will gradually sharpen my approach to my ‘getting things done’.

Go get yourself a copy. That’s what’s best next.

Full disclosure: The author sent me a copy of the book for free, but I hope this is still a fair and honest review!

It’s an understatement to say Nate Wilson can string a few words together fairly well.

That’s one of the things that comes across pretty quickly when reading his book Death By Living. But it’s not the main thing you’re left with. 

To put it one way, Wilson is passionate about life. He wants to show us a way of doing life that faces up to the reality of our mortality and yet responds not in despondent defeatism or opulent indulgence, but in joyful wonder and lavish sacrifice. He has name for it: it’s death by living. (I’m sure he wouldn’t mind us calling it ‘the Christian life’, but hey, if he called it that then we’d probably think we didn’t need to read it!).

The subtitle, which rings out throughout the book, is that “Life is meant to be spent”. Christians live standing in the light of their Creator’s saving love, shown in the cross of Jesus Christ, with each very breath a gift, sustained by their Maker. That means life is purposeful and weighty but also fleeting and humbling. So make the most of it, by spending yourself on others.

Now I’ve just had a go at summarising something of what stayed with me in a few simple sentences, as if Wilson was merely providing information to collect. But that’s so far from what this book is about. Wilson’s writing leaves you feeling like you’re not just reading but experiencing. As someone else put it, Death by Living is “a hybrid of memoir, apologetics, theology, philosophy, and lyrical prose, at once irreverent and worshipful, comical and elegiac.” His abrupt sentences and conversational tone might jar with some people’s natural tastes, but it feels fresh and evocative. He captures and captivates, inspires and urges. The theology is strong but it is theology that laughs and cries and is fleshed out in the reality of life.

Take for example his hilarious description of arriving on a transatlantic flight at Heathrow Airport with a handful of kids in tow, including a very travel-sick toddler who promptly decides to ‘come up with the goods’ on the walkway off the plane, before Wilson then discovers Heathrow Passport Control has no rubbish bins. I won’t give away how Wilson responds, but it left me barely able to read.

And then there’s the recurring reflections on his grandparents’ lives and deaths. Men and women who felt the fragility of life and yet lived it still. Life comes and goes. But it’s to be lived gratefully, sacrificially, in awe and in joy, knowing the One behind it, spinning it, holding us. As Wilson puts it, “We march from page to page and it is our living that takes us toward the end”. 

Page by page the effect of Death by Living is cumulative. He paints a picture of living that is truly compelling, wholesome, and attractive. I’m up for giving it a go.

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Here’s a book trailer to give you a taste:

The book’s available on Amazon, and you can follow Nate on twitter.

Over the last week or so I’ve been enjoying reading Passion, by Mike McKinley. The subtitle, ‘how Christ’s final day changes your every day‘, gets to the heart of what Passion is about. It’s essentially a devotionally-applied walk-through of the final moments of Jesus’ life, as recounted in Luke’s gospel. Given it’s so easy to get blasé about Jesus’ death, McKinley’s warm style and gentle exploration of the biblical account are a welcome aid to freshly unpacking the significance of Jesus’ death for everyday life. 

All in all, Passion is well-suited to reading with a few friends, or going through as a daily devotional. The chapters are fairly short, punchy, and engage well with sceptic and older Christian alike. You can pick up it up from its publisher, The Good Book Company. Here’s a short clip from the author:

On the subject of Easter reading, you may also want to get your virtual hands on Raised? Doubting the Resurrection, a free ebook looking at the evidence and implications of the claim that Jesus came back to life.

Here’s what the authors, Jonathan Dodson & Brad Watson, say:

If he really did defeat death, it changes everything. Doubt well and you can walk away from skepticism, cynicism, or blind faith into perceptive belief, intellectual security, and deeper commitment. You can know that you have honestly questioned the resurrection.

Have you ever considered the resurrection? Or perhaps you know someone who’d benefit from this book? It’s available for free download in a variety of formats here.