The Overload Syndrome: Learning to Live Within Your Limits

These two books in one hits a home run...It nails the topic and leaves the reader plenty to ponder and then hopefully to apply to their lives. This book could have huge impacts if applied to your life. The print, though small, is not so small that it can not be read. I would say it's just below average but hardly noticeable.

In my humble opinion, "Overload Syndrome" is better than Swenson's first book, "Margin", mainly because the author gets to the prescription sooner and spends less time defining the problem. For example, in "Margin", you are over 1/3 into the book before Swenson gives a clear and comprehensive definition of the term "margin". In "Overload Syndrome", Swenson spends the first 50 pages describing overload syndrome and the last 150 giving prescriptions for the problems. Therefore, more text in "Overload Syndrome" is spent giving solutions. Granted, in our time and age we want a quick fix to our problems without delving deeply into the problem. However, Swenson's prescriptions are not the quick fixes we may have grown accustomed to and are profound in their simplicity.For example, some of Swenson's excellent prescriptions include how to: 1. Make solitude a priority for resting and thinking. 2. Deal correctly with possesions so they do not possess you. 3. Combat media overload. 4. Deal with information overload. 5. Make wise choices. 6. Lower expectations. 7. Slow down and enjoy life.Practically everyone who reads the book struggles with one or more of the above areas and will greatly benefit from reading "Overload Syndrome"!

Dr. Swenson hits it square on - our society worships overload.... overloaded schedules, overloaded homes with no place to put all of the "stuff" we acquire and no TIME to use it, and overloaded spirits, where there is no room to hear our creator, as we cry out from weariness. This book was a life-changer for me, and it will be my gift of choice for all of my family and friends for some time to come. What a welcome message...that we don't need to do it all, and in fact, we HURT ourselves, our families, and our communities, by stuffing our lives so full that we have no breathing room to see the beautiful sunset, to hear the sound of the hummingbirds outside the window, to experience the joy of watching our growing children, to be a friend, to respond to our God who seeks us. If everyone read this book, and took it seriously, I can only being to imagine what a wonderful place we'd create.

I read this book and it has changed my entire outlook on life----family, work, my faith. The insight and arguments made bring relevance to the pressures and problems of everyday life. The author lives what he writes and helps us learn to live a life that is counter culture, one that is totally focused on Christ.

I started reading Dr. Swenson's books because I heard they were chosen for our large group study at our church. I am a small group leader, and people in our group asked what "Margin" and "Overload" were all about. I thought I'd better get the books and find out. They both really spoke to me where I live...at the edge! I think I got more out of overload because Dr. Swenson takes less time explaining the phenomenon, and more giving his "prescriptions." I'm looking forward to building more margin into my life with the help Dr. Swenson gives as well as helping others to see how they can as well. I was privileged to meet Dr. Swenson when he came to talk to our church. The turnout was amazing! You can tell that this is an important issue for our times. I highly recommend the books.