BOOK REVIEW: When Work & Family Collide by Andy Stanley

I first heard the principles put forth by Andy Stanley in When Work & Family Collide years ago in a sermon by Stanley called “Choosing to Cheat.”  This book expands beautifully on the simple themes of that sermon.

Stanley does what he does best here: shares stories that draw you in, while simultaneously hitting you—sometimes unexpectedly—with the point.  He’s such a good communicator that, as a student of good communication principles, I found myself getting distracted from what he was talking about because I was captivated by how he was talking about it.

There is so much honesty and poignancy as Stanley points out that there isn’t enough time for us to give both our jobs and our family what they deserve from us.  Someone is going to feel cheated.  Another key takeaway is his observation that time spent is not an important factor when judging effectiveness at work, but it is the most important factor for effectiveness at home.  He also stresses the dispensable and replaceable nature of nearly every person in the workplace, while at the same time being totally indispensable and irreplaceable at home.

All this alone is enough to justify a prompt purchase of this book (you can still listen to the Choosing to Cheat sermon if need more convincing.)  However, when the book turns the corner from testimonies and principles into the practical is when it really shines.  So how do you tell your boss/company you want to spend more time at home?  Stanley lays it out as a process, using examples found in the book of Daniel, demonstrating that is a more than adept at both biblical exposition and managing organizational dynamics.

So, who is this sniper bullet of a book intended for?  Give it to that person in your life who seems to desire the work-home balance but doesn’t know how to get there.  Give to the person who is about to lose everything at home, and they may or may not see it coming.  Or give it to yourself and be reminded with all the stark reality of a driver’s license picture what is really important in this life—family.  Highly recommended.