Maximize the Moment - Hardcover

Maximize the Moment is a biblically-based self-help book by T.D. Jakes, a leading African-American pastor, motivational speaker, and the author of The Lady, Her Lover, and Her Lord. Jakes begins the book with a powerful reminder of the frailty of life, the reason that "we should maximize and prioritize our time and esteem it as precious." In a straightforward, humble style, Jakes teaches readers to reach their God-given potential in family, work, and spiritual life. His advice, in short, is to think of every moment as an opportunity for decision, and then to make decisions that are always faithful and constructive. The passages advocating freedom from fear-filled and destructive relationships are especially powerful, and well-crafted to be useful for both men and women. Maximize the Moment also has a wealth of sayings that stick in the brain without the cloying sentiment that often colors self-help books. "The wisest thing we can do," Jakes writes, "is minimize the liabilities, plan for the unexpected, enjoy the ecstasies, endure the disappointments, and then face the inevitable."

This is motivational writing with a preacher's flair. Jakes, the bestselling author of The Lady, Her Lover, and Her Lord, describes himself as "the television minister of millions, the pastor of thousands, the father of five, the Chief Executive Officer of three companies, and the husband of one." Here, the bishop wants readers to consider the brevity of their lives and make something of themselves. The book's subtext often seems to be upward mobility: Jakes urges readers to disentangle themselves from those who don't help them maximize their potential, and he provides a checklist of attitudes for associating with the educated or powerful. Jakes can certainly turn a phrase in classic preacher fashion, though by the end of the book enough phrases have been turned to leave even the most enthusiastic congregation a little dizzy. Underneath the rhetorical flourish, however, there is little depth, and the frequent biblical quotations seem to serve mostly as conventional jumping-off points for what is essentially high-octane self-help literature. The motivational tone flags only once, when Jakes narrates the agonizing experience of caring for his mother during her illness and eventual death from a brain tumor. For 10 brilliant and heart-wrenching pages, Jakes's gift with words, his insights into patience and perseverance and, not least, the riches of his faith are all in evidence. If only the whole book rang so true. (Jan.)
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