The Next Level: A Parable of Finding Your Place in Life

David Gregory, author of Dinner with a Perfect Stranger, weaves a modern parable in which a young man, Logan, is hired directly by a large company's CEO to analyze the problems within each level of the organization. There are five different levels, and when Logan correctly identifies the problem on one level he is promoted to the next. The five different levels represent five different types of human spirituality. There is no religion spared, from agnostic to fundamentalists. Gregory artfully portrays the pros and cons of every major religion, including Islam, Hinduism, and Evangelical Christianity. I found the level on evangelicals hilarious and enlightening. It was interesting to hear Christian slogans twisted into business terms, and made me realize how often we turn Christianity into just another motivational tool. Gregory's analysis of what is "profitable" to God is genius. He has woven a masterful tale that is also a quick read. It will make you pause and ponder whether your intentions are your own or for God's purposes. Originally posted at http://scandaloussanity.blogspot.com

This is the third book by David Gregory I have read. Not better than the other two but just as good. He has an amazing gift of taking complex theological problems and reducing them to very readable, even humorous, parables. Those familiar with contemporary Church movements will probably soon recognize this one as an allegory of the "emerging church". The different floors (levels) in the Company new employee Logan is experiencing are recognized (later rather than sooner, in my case)to represent different types of world views: 1) Secular, 2) Ritualistic, 3) "New Age", 4) Evangelical - Mega Church, 5) "Emerging Church". These are my opinions; Gregory leaves explanation of the parable to the reader. I had thought at 1/2 way through to give it a 4. However, on reflection, decided it deserves a 5. Quite an accurate and compact essay comparing the common current views of life.

This book is a masterful combination of HR and our walk with God. The depth of this power-packed little vitamin is astounding to contemplate. As someone who has come out of the office world and taken a brief stint into management, I want to tell both my former employer (a pastor of a large church) and friends that are in various stages of their Christian life about this book. It is an amazing work of fiction that all of us can relate to and be transformed by if we take the truth of it to heart.

With corporate America spreading its tentacles across the globe, it's interesting to find a story that latches onto the corporate concept and turns it into a spiritual parable. "The Next Level" isn't preachy, in-your-face theology. Neither is it a deep character study or fast-paced thriller. This is philosophical and spiritual debate couched in the deceptively simple tale of a business called Universal Systems. David Gregory took us on interesting "dates" in his first two novellas, following the lives of a husband and then a wife as they encountered a "Perfect Stranger," who happened to be a very approachable and likable Jesus. This time, Gregory leads us through the on-the-job training of Logan, a recent college grad who wants to please his father yet feels he can never meet the man's expectations. Logan finds employment at Universal Systems, and his job is to access the problems on each of the companies levels, starting from the first and working his way up. Gregory's genius lies in the complex ideas he captures with such simplicity. Some might think these snapshots too simple. Others might skim right past them. There is wonderful truth encapsulated here--ideas about God and life and love and purpose. You cannot follow Logan through his days on the job without being challenged on some level. While never as emotionally or comically involving as his previous two books, "The Next Level" shows that Gregory will be around for years to come, giving us modern-day parables, using storytelling to great effect.

While strolling through the Atlanta airport Friday in route to Gulfport, MS and a weekend drama gig it was on the counter of the little book store. After coveting the idea of my little book Bozra, Bozra, A Shepherd's Journey being on the counter for the world to see, I saw that it was from a familiar and respected author - Dick Gregory. Dick broke out with the best seller, "Dinner with a Perfect Stranger." "Dinner..." was a delightful read - as some half million agreed, so I flipped some pages. I had two other books with me and didn't need another on my stack. I walked away. I walked back. Glad I did. In Mr. Gregory's style the book was just over one hundred pages and I was confident would be a great distraction for the next leg of my Delta flight. Actually it was very distracting. And a little in my face. "The Next Level" is a parable. I suspected it would motivational, perhaps inspiring. I did not suspect it would be a bit personal. I tend to loose myself in whatever I'm reading - I think that's the idea after all - and I found myself identifying easily with some of the "levels" in this pseudo-corporate world. "Next Level" could readily apply to any corporate climber, but it's target is foremost the converted but perhaps not committed.