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Wisdom Chaser
| Our Price |
$ 14.08
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| Retail Value |
$ 16.00 |
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$ 1.92 (12%) |
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| Item Number |
706101 |
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Item Description...
Overview
Presents a chronicle of the author's mountain-climbing excursions with his famous father over the course of a decade in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, and how their relationship evolved throughout their adventures together.
Publishers Description
It began with a simple question: "One day I found myself asking my father, across the chasm between us, 'Hey Dad, you want to climb the highest mountain in Colorado?'"And for Nathan Foster and his father, Richard, that simple question changed everything. With no hiking experience to draw on, they embarked on a journey of physical challenge, discovering just how far they could push themselves. For Nathan a parallel journey took him inside himself.Having grown up in the shadow of a famous father, Richard J. Foster, author of Celebration of Discipline, Nathan had a lot of questions about who his father really was. Would hiking open the door for him to get to know this distant figure?As the one-time experiment evolved into a decade of challenging hikes up Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks, the Fourteeners, Nathan navigated his twenties--finishing college, choosing a career, a possible cross-country move, the early years of marriage and a major personal crisis. Along the way he would discover exactly what his father could offer him.This book also includes an afterword by Richard J. Foster, author of Celebration of Discipline and coauthor of Longing for God. |
Item Specifications...
Pages 180
Dimensions: Length: 8.5" Width: 5.5" Height: 0.75"
Weight: 0.55 lbs.
Binding Softcover
Release Date Apr 1, 2010
Publisher IVP-InterVarsity Press
ISBN 0830836306
EAN 9780830836307
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Availability 5 units.
Availability accurate as of May 26, 2012 02:06.
Usually ships within one to two business days from La Vergne, TN.
Orders shipping to an address other than a confirmed Credit Card / Paypal Billing address may incur and additional processing delay.
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Reviews - What do our customers think?
 | Love 14ers and God--Perfect Combination May 19, 2010 |
There are three things that I love: Jesus Christ, relationships, and climbing "fourteeners" in Colorado. This book has them all. Since reading, No Shortcuts to the Top by Ed Viesturs, I have been fascinated with climbing the massive mountains of Colorado. Over the past year, I have climbed 10 fourteeners. So when I saw this book about a man who finds his father at 14,000 feet, I knew it was a must-read.
The book is written by a famous son: Nathan Foster is the son of Richard Foster. This name might not resonate with you, but for ministers, this is a well-known last name. Richard Foster is the author of the highly respected title, Celebration of Disciple. This book was one of the earliest texts of spiritual disciplines. Nathan grew up with one of the wisest thinkers in Christianity--imagine the pressure.
And the pressure was too much. Nathan was a rebellious child. Instead of gaining a great respect for his father's ministry, he resented the amount of time his father was away teaching people about prayer, service, and meditation. While most believers saw his father as a spiritual giant, Nathan saw him as an absentee dad. It would be years before he would connect with this Christian mission.
The book is not full of Bible verses, and there is not really any deep theological insight on the holy text, but there is a great deal of real world advice and a true coming of age story found. The author uses the climbs as the backdrop for learning life's lessons and learning about the depths of his father's love for him. There are some powerful lessons presented in this book. Nathan writes about the problem of busyness. His insight into this common problem is true to life. Busyness has become the perfect excuse for neglect. If you can claim being busy, this provides an alibi for forgetfulness, laziness, and apathy. Another powerful lesson in the book is about humility. The author titles this chapter, "Humility is for losers." He makes a point that people see humility as a quality for the weak. The American pursuit is one of glory. Humility is for those who have accomplished little. There is no push or praise for humility. People typically talk about accomplishments and talents. When was the last time the church praised the act of "just being?"
Through these life lessons, there is the story of Nathan's journey. As he discovered his dad, he also discovered the peaks and valleys of life. Though he was a rebellious teen, climbing mountains with his father did not fix all of his personal problems. In the book, he talks about his battle with drinking. One day his wife told Nathan that his father was coming to get him. Nathan was on another low with his alcoholism. His father picked him up, and helped him heal. This seems to be the nature of life. Rarely do people improve like a graph from math, but rather through the process of steps forward and steps backwards.
If you love adventure, if you love God, and if you love the journey of someone's life, then you will love this book. As the summer approaches and my heart begins to yearn for the mountains, this is a good book to read before these journeys to the high country. As the author learned about himself, perhaps you will also learn about yourself in these pages.
| | | | A Father-Son Relationship Heals at 14,000 Feet Apr 22, 2010 |
| The father Nathan Foster finds at 14,000 feet is none other than Richard J. Foster, author of The Celebration of Discipline and other titles on spiritual formation. It turns out that Richard wasn't much of a father in Nathan's early years, at least not from his son's point of view. He was "a serious, silent ghost." In rebellion, Nathan started smoking, dabbled in drugs and alcohol, dropped out of school, and otherwise made bad decisions. But when, in his early 20s, Nathan challenged Richard to climb Colorado's fourteeners with him (i.e., mountains of 14,000 feet elevation or more), they healed old wounds and forged new ties. It's unclear from the narrative whether Richard changed or whether Nathan gained a new perspective on his dad or both. Whatever the case, this is a powerful story of a son making peace with his father and becoming a better man himself in the process. It was so engrossing a read that I read it in one sitting. I recommend this book highly, especially to fathers and sons who don't know what to do with one another. | | | | Great Read Apr 14, 2010 |
| This book really resonated with me. I am a big fan of the mountain hiking scenery and experiences, the honest and thought provoking ideas about living in the moment, slowing down, balancing family life with professional life, humility, relationship tension and reconciliation, the successes and failures of community based efforts, and how it taps so descriptively into the real-life struggle that we all experience in the transition from childhood to adulthood. The author's life is a really captivating narrative that many will relate to. The writing itself induces laughter, tears, grunts, and is a book that I personally am sharing with my brothers and father because it just hits close to home on many levels. | | | | A Parable of Everyone's Life Apr 11, 2010 |
"So many books, so little time," laments the popular witticism; which ought to give us pause when we consider picking up any new book. With all the good books out there, why read this one? Well, Wisdom Chaser, by Nathan Foster, is well worth the read. Here's why.
First, and most importantly, Nathan combines essential human experience, the stuff of life we all go through (loneliness, desire for community, pain, relationship struggles, fear of failure, dreams of living a worthwhile and meaningful existence, courage, accomplishment, and life's simple joys) with a depth of wisdom and true spiritual insight that presents a parable of each of our lives. Human beings are meaning makers; we are all wisdom chasers. Moreover, Foster accomplishes all this while telling a good story.
Second, be assured, Wisdom Chaser is well-written, a joy to read--a true adventure--brimming with fresh and witty phrasing, with descriptions of lush mountain scenery and tense trail events. Yet while we are guided expertly along these fascinating external mountain paths, another journey is slowly unfolding within: the journey of Nathan's growing relationship with his father, and the journey of Nathan's own self-discovery as he opens increasingly to love and grace.
Finally, Foster's vulnerability, authenticity, and humility throughout the book draw readers in. As the prophet Nathan told David a parable, only to have David discover that he (David) was the main character on stage, so Nathan Foster, draws us in to his story, to the point where we confess it is our story, too. He has given us, in this marvelous Parable of our Souls, a safe path to traverse, a safe path on which to pause, that we might stop and look long enough at our own lives to consider whether it might not be time for us, too, to open up more fully to Love.
Shalom, Mojo | | | | The Heart of a Son Turning to His Father Mar 19, 2010 |
| I loved this book! One minute I was crying from laughing so hard at the hilarious mountain climbing tales, only to find myself tearing up from being touched deep in my heart on the next page. While it is about one young man's process of getting to know his distant, famous father while climbing mountains, it is also about what unfolds when he gives himself permission to ask questions of himself, of life, of his faith, of his father. Woven into the mountain climbing tales were the human stories with which we all can relate: imperfect parents; being an imperfect kid; struggling in school; rebellious teenage years; growing into adulthood and still struggling to find worth and value; addiction; the painful and often humorous journey from insecurity and pride to humility, from apathy to love, from doing to being. The author's humor and authenticity invite the reader into the process. He doesn't sugar coat which is in itself, refreshing. Was awed by the powerful mountain scenes and metaphors. Beautifully written and a great read for anyone who loves a redemptive story. Well done! | | | Write your own review about Wisdom Chaser
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