Vacation Time... Book #2... SEASON OF LIFE

When Walt Mueller was here, Jason Thompson asked him what books he would recommend that we probably haven't heard about. His recommendation was a book by Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter Jeffrey Marx.

Jason read the book while in Florida over Spring Break. He came back and bought several copies for people he thought would enjoy it. I was one of those people. After finishing Twilight, I picked up Season of Life. 48 hours later, I tearfully finished the last page. I have 15 copies ordered that I'm about to send out to people I think would greatly enjoy this book.

I can confidently say this is the best book I've read since 2008, and it is likely to land on my top 5 most influential reads for me.


The summary on the book's website says:

More than a quarter-century after they first knew each other as a professional football star and a ballboy for the Baltimore Colts, Joe Ehrmann and Jeffrey Marx once again crossed paths. The outcome was a remarkable journey through the greatest football season of all. It was really a season of life more than anything else.
Joe was now a white-haired minister who also coached high school football and ran a program called Building Men for Others. He was changing lives by teaching boys how to be men of substance and impact by focusing on relationships and a cause beyond themselves.
Jeffrey quickly realized there was much to learn from his old friend. But he never could have foreseen the gift of his own transformative experience. He never could have imagined that Joe would ultimately help him open doors to his own dad.

After laying down some basic groundwork at the beginning of the book, Marx dedicates a chapter to the football season followed by a chapter where he meets one-on-one with Joe Ehrmann. As a sports fan, it was just an enjoyable read. More importantly, as a youth minister, a father, a man, and a son of a recently deceased father, it stirred me deeply.

If you coach, teach, lead, minister to young men; or if you are a father, this is a "must-read". It was written in 2003, and I have no idea how such an insightful and profound book on investing in young men could have stayed off my radar till now. Go order it now, and read it. You won't regret it!