All Groan Up

Getting a book that is especially relevant to the reader is almost rare these days even if bookstores offer a torrent of selections. Well, I am glad that in such rare occasions, I picked and bought Paul Angone’s All Groan Up: Searching for Self, Faith, and a Freaking Job.

All Groan Up is probably a self-help book for adults ages twenty-something, but I doubt if Angone will claim that it is. I don’t want to box it in a self-help book category since the insights that it presented deserve more than that of a simple self-help book.

Yes. I am a twenty-something. And the book really hit my core, and each line is punching me to the extreme. I am not exaggerating it, but metaphorically, it happened.

As I read the book (in more or less two days only… It can be read faster, but I had to take it slowly to digest the thoughts), I underlined so many quotes that are really quotable. I am tempted to cite all of them here, but if I do that, the quotes might be longer than my thoughts about the book. Angone shares an important wisdom that the likes of me should hear even if it might be painful.

I just graduated and earned my master’s degree, and I am currently drifting between my current post and my dream post. As I meddle with the thoughts that will lead me to my future plan, the book let me pause for a while and think about the process (not just the product). Reading the book was like Angone was hugging me and telling me that I am not alone. Suddenly, I found a friend. Books like this are hard to find.

I admire Angone’s humility in sharing his down-to-earth journey from a series of failures to the finality of all. Actually, I am shocked because most books from a Christian publication would usually paint a life of a very holy author, a perfect-how-can-I-become-like-him author. I am thankful that Angone was generous enough to share his shortcomings and imperfections just to present the essence of grace in a different sight. That made me relate to it more easily and sincerely.

Indeed, All Groan Up is one of my favorite books that I read this 2017. The principles that it presented is not easy to forget. All the grown ups out there should read this.