What I Learned When I Was Ten: Lessons That Shaped My Life and Faith

This was almost a great book. Almost. Had the book been more about the people who made us what we are and who we are--in this case, the people in Ellsworth Kalas' life--it would have been a much better book. The reader finishes wanting to know more about his hometown, more about the people who lived there and helped make Rev. Kalas the man he is today. We get a little of that, but not merely enough. Sadly, that was not Rev. Kalas' purpose. His purpose was to "preach" to us, as that is his custom and responsibilty as a man of the cloth. It would have been much better, in this case at least, if Mr. Kalas had "taken off the cloth" and let us have an indepth look at his hometown and its people, how they influenced him and made him what he is today. While the stories are good, the book comes across as a little "too preachy" It would been better to have been a longer book and led us (the reader) into an awareness of the lessons being taught, rather than hit us over the head with specific examples of specific lessons. It needs a little more Ferrol Sams approach and a little less sermon. Still, not bad. Not at all. Just not as good or as powerful as it could be.