Review Week - The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge

Today starts a whole week of reviews on Butterfly Genes. I had so many to do I thought this would be a fun way to do it. Some of them have giveaways, some don't. Even if it doesn't come with a giveaway, I either think you ABSOLUTELY need to know about the product or I'm completely enamored with it. Or both.

My first review is one I've been excited about since before Christmas. I am a reviewer for Tyndale House Publishers, and was excited to get the chance to review Tony Dungy's new devotional, The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge.
Here's what the Tyndale Blog Network (for whom I review books and other media) had to say about Mr. Dungy's new book:

"The coach's newly-released book, The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge is a devotional specifically designed to challenge and encourage you on your own path to living an uncommon life. It's difficult and takes integrity, honor, and commitment. However, Tony and his coauthor Nathan Whitaker both know that accepting the challenge to live with meaning and purpose is worth the effort. Including 365 reflections from these #1 New York Times bestselling authors and the chance to join the growing online community of those who are already taking the challenge, this book is your invitation to spend regular time with the Lord and dare to be uncommon every day."

I ended up not being the only one reviewing it in my household. Because it's written by my son's favorite former NFL coach, I decided to give it to him for Christmas and get his opinion. I'll give you my first impressions then his take on it.

When I first received it, I was immediately impressed with the format. The book takes you through seven themes, repeated each week: Core, Family, Friends, Potential, Mission, Influence, and Faith. Each day of the week fits into one of these themes, but you don't have to have read the previous days to step into the devotional whatever day you start reading.

Flipping through the devotional I stopped at random days to read, and enjoyed each day that I read. Tony and Nathan aren't afraid to take on hard topics. There are devotions on keeping your guard up against the enemy's attacks, failed leadership in our lives, and standing strong on sexual purity. Lessons that I want my son to learn early on...not to learn from his own mistakes. Of course, he has his daddy and me to learn from and lean on, but let's face it, it sounds a lot cooler coming from his favorite coach.

So, what does Kiddo say about it? When I asked him, he immediately said, "Best devotional ever!" He's used several over the past few years, but as a young man about to enter some of the hardest he will experience, I think this one will prepare him well. It's the most consistent he's been with any devotional he's had, reading nearly every day since January 1.

Kiddo says Tony's style of writing is like he's having a conversation with the reader. To him, this makes it more personal than the other devotionals he's read. He also likes the fact that sports stories and characters are woven into some of the devotionals. Not to the point that people who are not die-hard sports fans would be turned off, just enough to make Kiddo want to read more. The fact that each devotional is only one page long is also a plus for my I-get-bored-with-too-much-serious-stuff son.

Personally, I believe this devotional is a relevant devotional for anyone, from young teenagers to men and women of any age. Would you like to hear from the author himself? Watch this video:



Thanks to the gracious people at Tyndale, I am giving a copy of The One year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge away to one of my readers! I will send one of you a certificate for a free copy to redeem at your favorite Christian bookstore (or you can send it in to Tyndale if you don't have a bookstore near you).

All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave a comment letting me know you'd like it. That's it! Please make sure I have a way to contact you if you are the winner.

Now, I'd love it if you followed me on Twitter, or liked my Facebook page, or subscribed to my blog, too, but you don't have to. It won't give you extra chances. It will just give me a chance to get to know you. I'd love that!

For more information about Tony Dungy (his other books, his coaching experience, his blog, etc.), visit coachdungy.com. And for more information about Tyndale House Publishers, you can visit them at tyndale.com.

This giveaway will be open until 11:59 p.m. (CST) on January 22, 2012 and a winner will be chosen at random.

Tyndale provided me with a free copy of The One year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge in exchange for an honest, objective review. My opinions (and those of my son) are not influenced by anything but the book itself.