Piper, well-known for his Christian bestseller 90 Minutes in Heaven
, with over 1.4 million copies in print, takes his dramatic story one step further by describing the lessons he’s learned since he died on a bridge in Texas in 1989. Piper didn’t stay dead, but instead returned from the gates of heaven a changed man. “I left the bridge different than I had been when I started across,” he says. Piper uses the bridge metaphor throughout, describing his salvation as the first bridge he crossed, then the traversal of another bridge to a “new normal” after accepting that his life was forever altered. Other journeys discussed include the bridge to compassion and the final bridge to heaven (for good this time). Undergirded with e-mails and letters from people who have read his book or heard him speak, Piper also leans heavily on the example of the Apostle Paul and the New Testament book of Philippians. Although the messages can be repetitive and the writing uninspired, Piper’s story is astounding and his life lessons are real: focus on the eternal, find the humor, accept help, give thanks and just hold on. (Aug. 7)
