How Do We Know When It's God?: A Spiritual Memoir

How do we know when it's God? That's a tough question, explains Dan Wakefield, whose memoir gives a painful account of fabricating God's will in order to justify his personal desires and delusions. Wakefield's accounts of stumbling through a brutal "EST" seminar, the soul-snuffing world of Hollywood screenplay writing, and bouts of despair will reassure Christian readers that they can make mistakes (the same ones--over and over again) and still find comfort in faith. "In fact, this memoir of mine could more aptly be titled When Good People Do Bad Things--or at least stupid things, things that hurt themselves and others," Wakefield confesses.

The most painful stories come from Wakefield's failed love affairs and marriages--perhaps because he still seems confused and squeamish when it comes to loving women. Nonetheless, the man has earned his badge of wisdom, mostly because he is not afraid to hold himself up to the light of God honestly. This is a thoroughly engaging memoir, written by an accomplished storyteller, revealing all the blunders humans make when we try to honor (and secretly ghostwrite) the master plan. --Gail Hudson