Life on the Edge

Dallas: Word, 1995. First Edition. Hard Cover. Used; Very Good/Very Fine. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. SIGNED BY AUTHOR ON BOOKPLATE. SIGNED BY AUTHOR ON BOOKPLATE From Booklist Psychologist Dobson is one of the most successful--and because of his adamancy on the sinfulness of abortion and homosexuality, most controversial--Christian broadcasters via his daily program, Focus on the Family. On the strength of that success, Word is ordering a quarter-million-copy first printing of this adviser on love and life for young adults age 16 to 26. Full of personal anecdotes and great swatches of text from Dobson's previous books, presented in a congenial, colloquial manner like that of Dobson's speeches and radio commentary, it is basically sound, commonsensical, albeit stringent counsel. Dobson is foursquare for delaying sex until marriage, choosing a spouse carefully, and dismissing divorce as a way to solve problems. He admonishes his target audience to be faithful to their families of origin despite the stresses caused by the necessity of achieving adult independence, and he advocates Christian rather than state or private secular colleges for undergraduate education. Undergirding these major themes are a pretty fundamentalist Christianity, to be sure, but also a genuine counselor's understanding of human weakness and extension of sympathy. And despite the bad rap the Religious Right, of which Dobson is a prominent voice, gets, there is not a hateful word in the book. Convinced young Christians, especially those who don't fancy themselves sophisticated, well may appreciate Dobson's manner as well as his matter.