BOOK REVIEW: As much as I wanted to like this book, I thought it was dull …

After the Rio Olympics this year, I knew there would be newly published books featuring some of the famous athletes, but I was surprised to be offered the chance to review a book by diver David Boudia.

I wasn’t very familiar with Boudia, even though I knew he won a Silver medal at the Olympic Games in Rio. But his book, “Greater Than Gold” (published by Nelson Books), was actually written prior to those Games, it was just timed to be released around the time of the Olympics — I would assume to enhance sales.

Boudia used the 2016 Olympics as a stage to boldly testify for Christ, so knowing he was a Christian, I thought this might be a book that would capture my interest. Yet, as much as I wanted to like this book, I found it to be dull.

“Greater Than Gold” isn’t about Boudia’s competition at Rio, but all about how he got there, first by participating in the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and then finally winning Gold and Bronze medals in the 2012 Olympics in London. The first part of the book is an honest, plodding confession of how Boudia described himself as being somewhat of a “jerk,” a self-absorbed person who sought fame and wealth through the dream of becoming an Olympic champion. Boudia’s story then shifts radically when, in the midst of his pursuit of self-indulgence and fame, he surrenders his life to Christ.

Coming to Christ changed David’s life, certainly for the better!

As much as I greatly rejoice in and enjoy that part of Boudia’s story, the telling of it through this book is the honest sharing of a testimony, but not in any remarkable way that keeps a dullness from setting in. There’s nothing dull about someone being saved, but there is something a little dull but this detailed story that doesn’t even include the latest Olympic Games, where Boudia would add a silver medal to his winnings.

I wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading this story, as the sharing of a testimony can have its inspiration for anyone. But I will say that I became bored with this book and had to force myself to continue reading it, something I don’t experience in a story told in a captivating manner — which isn’t the case for “Greater Than Gold.”

Scotty

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”