In the book "Captivating" by John and Stasi Eldredge, the couple delves deep into the concept of what it truly means to be a woman of God. They explore various aspects such as relationships with friends and men. They vividly explain how the image that society imposes on women can have a profound impact on their self-image. Additionally, they discuss how women often long for a man who will sweep them off their feet, and how women can strive to be a better reflection of God in all their actions.

Personally, I initially had high hopes for this book as it promised to be about women finding themselves in God. It is indeed challenging to come across a truly relevant book about God. However, to my disappointment, this book failed to resonate with me. I found it a struggle to keep reading and at times, I even had to fight to stay awake. While the stories that John and Stasi shared could be humorous and relatable on occasion, I couldn't help but feel that they were not entirely relevant to the overall message they were attempting to convey.

Essentially, the central message of the book seems to be that all women are in search of a man who will make them feel complete, and all men are seeking a woman whom they can protect. However, this message feels outdated and not in line with today's society. While it would be wonderful to get married someday, it is not the ultimate heart's desire for every woman. This book, in my opinion, is overly conservative and old-fashioned.

To be brutally honest, I can only rate this book with one star. I completely disagree with the message it is trying to send. I would only recommend this book to someone who is extremely conservative and yearns for this kind of traditional life. Otherwise, I would not recommend it to anyone. In conclusion, I did not enjoy reading "Captivating" by John and Stasi Eldredge in the slightest.

No, just no!

“I just want to watch you put lipstick on in front of me.” This statement may sound sweet to some, but to others, it can be quite offensive. Beauty is healing, but it should not be the only thing that defines a woman. Are you kidding me right now?? What a load of garbage! Women are so much more than just beauty. They are intelligent, strong, and capable individuals who can achieve great things in life. Beauty should not be classified under power either. It is not something that gives a person an advantage over others. Nope, no thank you. Moving on. We should focus on a person's character, skills, and achievements, rather than just their appearance. Let's break free from the limitations of traditional beauty standards and embrace the diversity and individuality of every woman.

I just, ugh. So much of the book still framed Biblical womanhood/femininity in opposition to manhood/masculinity. It felt as if they were pitted against each other, and I really didn't love that aspect.

I did, however, really like the chapter on women having a special place to create beauty in the world. It was an interesting and inspiring concept. But then, unfortunately, it was framed in terms of men, which really frustrated me.

I don't know if I would recommend this book. I still firmly believe that the idea that a woman's desire is simply to be romanced is not accurate. Of course, women desire to have a sense of belonging and to be truly known. That is a given. But the term "romanced" still has some chauvinistic connotations for me that just rubbed me the wrong way.

I think there is a need for a more nuanced and equal understanding of both genders and their desires and roles, rather than the traditional and often one-sided views presented in this book.

So, I just read this today and at first, I liked it.

The author seemed to embrace the ideas of women as a companion, as beautiful etc. It seemed to embrace femininity in a way that was refreshing and lively - basically, she didn't seem stodgy and repressive.

But really... although there were random quotes I liked etc, she bases her "truths" on movie quotes, movie examples, scripture taken out of context, and.. a lot of personal experience.

I mean, I wanted to like it. I feel like, someone should write a book for women who struggle more.. but in the end, it really felt sad that someone would go to such lengths to publish man's wisdom under the guise of counsel.

There were bits of ideas that did make sense, and I liked how she went into explaining woman as a companion as the ezer kenegdo but... yeah.. some stuff was plain weird.

For example: Ruth as a seductress. Uhhh... pretend that Jesus Christ is Jack and you're Rose? Ummm...........

Hahaha.

I think I spent a lot of time frowning. And the only reason I finished it, was because I wanted to see how it ended. (Maybe it would redeem itself).

It didn't.

The beginning was captivating enough.. but it just... really fell flat.

Probably because it's what I wanted to hear rather than being anything meaty.....

Lastly, you probably won't understand all the "romantic" references she makes unless you read classic novels. Or watch movies. Yeahhh....

I think I had certain expectations when I picked up this book, which were a bit different from what I actually got while reading it. Overall, I have to admit it was a disappointment, yet there were some glimmers of good that truly touched my heart.

The book started by exploring womanhood through looking at Eve and various female archetypes in history and literature. Interestingly, I couldn't really get into it at first. It was a struggle to push myself through the first couple of chapters, constantly telling myself that friends had read and benefited from it, so it would surely improve.

I'm not sure why I had trouble getting excited about the early content. Usually, I'm a big fan of literary archetypes. I love the romance, the allegory, and the subtleties captured by those who refer to Lewis, Tolkien, and Shakespeare and draw out deep, meaningful principles related to life. I remember once being brought to tears by a speaker who quoted a passage from Lewis' The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

But for some reason, in this book, it just didn't work for me. Part of me wonders if there was a bit of a "formula" showing through that turned me off. In theory, I think Captivating is meant to be the female companion to the wildly successful Wild at Heart.

Ever since I realized how the publishing industry does this, it has really put me off. Publishers, including Christian ones, will produce spin-offs of successful books, hoping to target a new niche in the market. The problem is, they often don't have much new to say. The book just gets a new title and a few different anecdotes. Remember how after The Prayer of Jabez came out, there were The Prayer of Jabez for Teens, The Prayer of Jabez for Moms, The Prayer of Jabez for Estranged Third Cousins, and so on.

Never having read \\n  Wild at Heart\\n, I can't say for sure how true this is in Captivating, but maybe I was sensing a bit of that.

For me, the most meaningful parts of the book came later, especially in chapters 4 through 6. The authors addressed the deep disappointments and wounds we experience in life, how we cope with them, why they happen, and how to find true healing in the deep love of God. These points really reached my heart as I was going through a long and disappointing job search. I had fears of being worthless and having nothing to offer, and I kept asking myself, "Why does no one want to hire me?" This book's reminders of Christ's love for me and his efforts to woo me were like a salve on my pain.

One more slightly annoying thing I should mention is that I don't like how some writers create principles out of nowhere and try to pass them off as fact or even biblical truth. Ugh. One such point in Captivating that I couldn't buy was the authors' supposition that Satan has a special hatred for women because they are a creation of beauty.

Brief quote from Chapter 5:
"Satan fell because of his beauty. Now his heart for revenge is to assault beauty... now most especially, he hates Eve. Because she is captivating, uniquely glorious, and he cannot be... And there is more. The Evil One also hates Eve because she gives life... Put those two things together... Satan's heart cannot bear it... He assaults her with a special hatred..."

Huh? Sure, this idea might get women motivated to stand firm in spiritual warfare. But is it true? I need to see more evidence to support this claim before I can accept it.

So overall, this book was a bit of a mixed bag. It had its warm and touching moments, but it also left some bad tastes in my mouth.

By the way, the book cover design was really awesome.

Love forms a separate part of a man's life, while it is the whole existence of a woman.

I have such a notebook in which I write down wise thoughts from the books I have read. Based on the number of quotations, one can easily evaluate the value of such a text, at least subjectively. Usually, with really good and long novels, about seven pages are written. However, when after writing down the thoughts from the first chapter of "Enchanting" I filled three such pages, I knew that it would not end on seven (and I was right).

The conclusion is therefore quite simple:

This book is simply beautiful! I am not a fan of theoretical texts of a similar genre, moral rules "teaching" life, but this definitely does not belong to such. It... simply enchants, as the title suggests.

I dare to say that every woman should read this - then we would all know each other better, understand what we are like and why. We would notice that we are irreplaceable, strong and needed in the world; that each of us is worthy of love and enchantingly beautiful.

As requested, I've decided to review the "book" Captivating, by husband and wife team, John and Staci Elderidge. It's rather ambiguous just how much of this book actually stems from Staci and how much she might have been pressured to write by her chauvinist husband. However, she is credited on the book jacket. I suppose that counts for something.

Well, where should I start? Let's begin with the book's premise. We women, allegedly like Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella, are purportedly waiting for a man to rescue us from our sorry, self-esteem-lacking lives. And how does a man accomplish this? By simply telling us that we are beautiful.

I'm not making this up. Basing our sense of self-worth on a man's assessment of our physical appearance? How novel! How revolutionary! John and Staci, I've been on a quest for the meaning of life for years, and you've finally revealed it to me! I just need a man to tell me that I'm beautiful, and suddenly all those issues about the fallen state of the world, my own inherent sinfulness, and the consequences of centuries of patriarchy will just vanish?!!? Wow! I feel as if the mystery of my female soul has just been laid bare!

I'd much rather have my future husband save me with his salvific love than Jesus, with that whole death-on-the-cross-atoning-for-my-sin business. What a downer. And how violent! We women detest blood.

Sigh. I'm weary of pop culture being repackaged as Christian truth. If you want to uncover the mystery of your soul, good luck. St. Augustine attempted to do the same thing about a millennium ago. What did he find? Self-knowledge, like all other forms of knowledge, is tainted by our sinful nature. Our souls remain a mystery to us. "Know thyself" hails from the Greeks. And the Bible? "Trust in the Lord your God with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding."

Wow!

While I don't completely and wholeheartedly agree with every single thing that is written in this book, it most definitely meets my description of what any good book should be. In the sense that it has truly had an impact on my life and my heart, leaving them both changed.

Freeing women from lies so that they can truly live in victory is one of the most beautiful and inspiring visions that I can imagine a woman's heart (specifically the author's) having.

This book extends an invitation to the readers to step aside from the chaos and distractions of the world and see themselves as God originally created them to be: Captivatingly Beautiful, reflecting His glorious image!

Every Christian woman should make it a point to read this book at least once. It has the potential to open their eyes and transform their perspectives, leading them towards a more fulfilling and victorious life in Christ.

I technically stopped reading after the 2nd or 3rd chapter and just skimmed the rest.

I was initially enthused with the promises that the book held. However, as I delved deeper, I soon found myself questioning whether these authors were truly Christians or perhaps false prophets.

They make an abundance of bold statements that span a wide range, from being misguiding to outright blasphemous. A few of my particularly painful favorites include:

The claim that Satan hates women more than men.
The assertion that Jesus is our sensual lover and we should think about him in such a way.
The idea that Hollywood movies and Disney cartoons are excellent depictions of what women are supposed to be, perhaps even suggesting that God wrote them.
The reduction of the desires of a woman's soul into 3 flowery statements, as if God loves keeping things overly simple.

In the end, I find myself in a state of turmoil, not knowing whether to feel angry that these people are leading women astray or sad because they might not fully realize the implications of what they're doing. I constantly flip back and forth between these two emotions.

It's a truly disconcerting situation that leaves me with a sense of unease and a desire for more clarity and truth in the teachings that are being presented.

At creation, God had a specific purpose for women. It is truly amazing to gain an in-depth understanding of this purpose. Women were designed with unique qualities and roles that contribute to God's grand plan. Understanding this purpose is crucial for living in the truth.

However, there is an enemy who wants to prevent God's plan from happening. This enemy tries to deceive and lead women astray from their true purpose. But we can defeat this enemy by remaining坚定 in our faith and following God's guidance.

By living in the truth and fulfilling the purpose God gave us, we can experience true fulfillment and joy. We can also be a light in the world and help others to see the beauty and wonder of God's plan. Let us strive to live in accordance with God's purpose for women and overcome the enemy who tries to stand in our way.

Wow!

This was truly incredible.

This book not only played a significant role in my spiritual growth, but also compelled me to deeply recognize profound truths about myself, womanhood, and the joy of wholeheartedly pursuing the Lord.

It has had such a profound impact on me that I will most likely reread it every year.

Each time I pick up this book, I am sure to discover new insights and gain a deeper understanding of these important aspects of my life.

It serves as a constant reminder and a source of inspiration, guiding me on my journey of faith and self-discovery.

I am truly grateful to have come across this remarkable book and look forward to many more years of being blessed by its teachings.

This book is truly impactful and recommended for all women to read!

It offers valuable insights and perspectives that can transform the way women view themselves and their lives. The author's words are like a guiding light, shining through the darkness of self-doubt and uncertainty.

The stories and experiences shared within these pages are relatable and inspiring, showing that every woman has the power to overcome challenges and achieve her dreams.

Reading this book is not just an enjoyable pastime; it is a life-changing experience that can empower women to become the best versions of themselves.

Whether you are facing personal or professional difficulties, or simply looking for some inspiration and motivation, this book has something for everyone.

So, I highly recommend that all women pick up this book and embark on a journey of self-discovery and growth.