Faker (Turn Upside Down)

This was a good little book.It would be especially helpful for a teenage / young person who is struggling to find their place in life. It could even be used as an evangelistic help.Though the author doesn't mention it directly, I think the principles in the book are a good step in the direction of "living the gospel" in our daily lives. He points out, "If we want to stop being fakers, we need to stop trying to declare ourselves good. We need to put down our masks, and come humbly before God, the King and Judge of the universe."Describing his attempts at faking religion, he says:"Religion, as I’ve said, is a pretty easy gig. I knew how to work the system. ... I could’ve gone pro, if that was a thing. Sure, Jesus loved everybody. But he actually liked me! ... Religion, for me, was a springboard to what I really wanted: applause, attractiveness, attention…"Why do we feel pressured to be fakers?"The need to be justified is what makes us fakers in the first place. ...think about it: everything we do is an attempt to be justified. We all want to be declared good, worthy of love, getting it right. Some of us try to justify ourselves by...[sports, academics, work, wealth, attractiveness, religion]"Describing the freedom found when we base our identity in Christ, he says:"When we pray, it’s not like we’re “trying out for the team.” Through Jesus, we made the team! We can boldly go to God, without having to put on a show. Because of Jesus, we can be real. Prayer isn’t about showing off our story to God—it’s about freely soaking in his."

Highly recommend this book if you have a pre-teen and/or teenager. (And it's a great reminder for parents, too.)Only thing I don't like -- seems like a very short book for the cost. Should be worth about $7 tops.

What a simple, yet excellent book to read with young people who now face, not only the peer pressure from the kids physically around them, but also the challenges social media present to everyday life. The author uses Luke 18:9-14 as a starting point to discuss what it means to be a faker, i.e., presenting the false "filtered" self to others, by comparing the differences between the Pharisee and the tax collector in the passage.He quotes contemporary artists, movies that young people are familiar with. I highly recommend this to parents of teens, even younger, youth leaders and anyone who has a desire to teach the next generation how to value authenticity, honesty and to love the truth. And since adults also struggle with being fake, we can learn at least a few pointers from it, too.

Nick does a great job of pulling back the curtain on our lives and exposing the desire for man's acceptance over God's. We all struggle with faking, but often we don't want to admit this because then others will know the truth. His call for transparency is an encouragement and his writing to young people will keep them engaged.

I have grown to love books by the a good Book Company so when I saw this one on sale for Kindle I snapped it up. I was not disappointed. We're all Fakers & we all desperately need what Christ in HIS graciousness offered on the cross.

In this fast-paced, rather spare little book, Nick McDonald lays out the gospel of Jesus Christ as the answer to human self-righteousness and self-justification before God and before a watching world. He uses the well-known parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector from Luke 18 to contrast the preening public life of those who try to justify themselves against those who are honest enough to know how poorly they really stack up against God's standards. According to McDonald, most of us (and he includes himself in this, drawing from stories of his own growing-up years, how he put on acts to get the esteem and approval of others) try to fake our way through life, pretending to be far better and put-together than we really are. Through the short, punchy chapters, he takes the reader through the inevitable collapse of self-justification and points toward Christ's work on our behalf as the only sure way to authentically justified. The faker becomes real. McDonald concludes with a demonstration of the use of the Lord's Prayer as a model of daily authentic living.Bonuses in this volume are the several simple but frequently droll illustrations rendered by Andre Parker. The menacing pizza and the noodle-fortified zombie are especially cute.The breezy, informal style of this work clear has the adolescent or young adult reader in mind and heart. McDonald keeps the language straightforward and avoids unnecessary theological technicality. This book serves well as an introduction to the gospel, pitched at a very readable and engaging level.The publisher provided me with a preview copy in exchange for an impartial review.

This book hits every single one of us! I don't think anyone could read this book and not see themselves in it in some way or another. But the best thing is that while it describes the problem so well, it also reveals the solution which is where the Hope comes in...

Very well-written and even being short, its full of chalenges for all of us. Exalting Jesus all the time.Its not only for youngs but for old ones like me, always tempted to wear my masks. Thank you Jesus for save me.Highly recomended.

I love how the book is so authentic and speaks right into my situation, my mentality, and state of heart.I'm a super slow reader as I usually take pretty long to process, but couldn't help to read this one through in a very short amount of time. - I just wasn't able to put it down.I especially enjoyed how the book is structured and includes personal report, experiences and testimony; biblical founded theoretical part with the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector; and God's heart-melting/ mask-melting love in Christ.