If there was an award for the longest title of a book that I had read in 2017, this would be it. I admit, I’d Like You More If You Were More Like Me took me longer to finish than I would have liked. Ideally, this would have been finished at least six weeks ago; however, this obviously was not the case. Even though I did not finish it as fast as I wanted to, does not mean that it was not a good read. For that matter, it was an excellent read.
John Ortberg is a well-known author and pastor and has written numerous books. His newest one deals with the intimacy. Truthfully, the title is a little odd for the subject matter. Nonetheless, it is a true statement. I have found myself thinking this quite often over my short time here on earth.
I like the way Ortberg keeps the reader engaged and encourages them to pursue intimacy and closeness without making them feel guilty for needing help. While you could easily argue that we all need help, Ortberg assumes nothing and gives step-by-step advice in dealing with these situations. While the book talks about spousal relationships quite often, one could easily applies these same principles to any sort of relationship. Ortberg’s guiding could be applied by any person alive at this time regardless of their views on Jesus Christ. While I would be quick to argue that this makes the best foundation to base your relationships on, I cannot see tossing the baby out with the proverbial bathwater if you do not believe in Jesus and want to deepen your relationships.
The one downside to this book is I feel like you get the cliche humor that most pastors utilize. It does not mean that it is out of line or that it is not applicable to the point that Ortberg is trying to make, it just does not have the zing that I would like. I feel like a lot of the words are placed in there for no real reason. This same gripe could be made about dozens of other books by Christian authors. That is no flaw on the content, it is simply a personal preference.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking to deepen their relationships. As 2017 draws to a close, this book would be an excellent starting point for kicking off 2018. A new year is always an opportunity to reframe the relationships that we have in place and work towards cultivating greater intimacy so they grow stronger.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review. The words above are my own and have not been influenced in any manner by the author or publisher outside of the book’s manuscript.
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