Monday, January 7, 2019

US Against the World, by David & Tamela Mann



This is a memoir about a high-profile couple and their success at marriage and family life. David and Tamela Mann begin their book with an Foreword and an Introduction. They spread their actual material across two parts and 18 chapters. They end their book with Acknowledgements and an Author Bio. Much of their material is segmented into parts written from David's point of view and other parts are from Tamela's point of view. Much of it is written in an interview format. It has subheadings. They co-wrote the book with Shaun Saunders. David and Tamela Mann are a high-profile celebrity couple who have made it to the top on television, stage, and the radio. Shaun Saunders has written six books and co-written many more books with other authors.

David and Tamela Mann's love for one another and their family, as well as for Jesus, come through on every page. I was distracted, however, by the exercises at the end of each chapter. I know that they include them for application, but I would prefer a companion guide for that. Throughout the entire book, I was obsessed with the younger siblings of the niece whom they adopted. I was quite disappointed that the Manns made zero mention of Sonya's four siblings, nothing. It is like they do not exist for them. I was disappointed that my questions about them were not answered anything in this book. I know that this may be just me and that others may not notice this, but it matters to me. Also, the second half of the book was how-to. I was not expecting that. For these reasons, I do not give this book five stards. I know that others would be okay with these things and not consider them an issue at all.

I recommend this book for any fan of David and Tamela Mann. I also recommend this book for those who are looking for encouragement about their marriages. But the authors do recommend marital counseling for serious problems. This book does not substitute for a professional counselor.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to give a favorable review of this book.

No comments: