How to Live the Best Life

Online Book Club ReviewHow To Live The Best Life by David Hawkins is a Christian non-fiction guide to a closer walk with God. The introduction to the book was concise and precise. The introduction tells readers the author’s aim for writing the book - he desires to move readers towards living their best life. From his biography, I learned that David Hawkins has served as a worker in his church for three decades and is known for his Christian conviction and commitment. He, therefore, appears qualified to write on the topics explored in this book. Each chapter had an annotated bibliography at the end and it suggests that the author did considerable research on the topics he explored.I loved the dedication of the book. The author dedicates the book to his three best friends. Though the author did not state who his best friends were, I suspect from the personal description of what each one means to him that he was referring to the Trinity - God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The author opines that to live like Christ one needs to follow Christ’s personal examples, engage in a close personal relationship with the Holy Spirit, know and honor God’s word, spend every day preparing for heaven, and strive to achieve and maintain the best physical, mental, and spiritual health possible.My favorite chapter was chapter one which explored prayer - its purpose and the process. The author also discusses the necessity and power of prayer. He encourages readers to ask God to give them what they need to do His will. He itemizes nine ways of living a life that pleases God. The first five of these points are spiritual, but three of the points are rules that apply to health and well-being. He advocates being physically fit, adhering to a proper diet, and relaxation. The inclusion of these three items on the list gives the book a wholesome appeal and balance.I liked the fact that a full chapter was devoted to mental health. We live in a stressful world with increasing demands on people. Learning to relax and cope with life’s challenges helps maintain good mental health. The author, in this chapter, gives helpful tips on how to recognize clinical depression and how to relax.There was no profane language in this book. There were no erotic scenes in it. I enjoyed reading it, and I recommend it to all Christians who desire a closer relationship with God. It contains helpful information about practical living for readers who are not religious. It will be a useful addition to family, church, and hospital libraries. I think this book was professionally edited as I found very few errors in it. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because it was informative.