You Can, You Will: 8 Undeniable Qualities of a Winner

Osteen (Your Best Life Now) has his cultural and theological critics even as millions of followers enjoy his television broadcasts and buy his books. The pastor of the 45,000-member Lakewood Community Church in Houston acts as cheerleader and encourager, as pastors ought to do. The newest iteration of his simple belief system offers eight maxims to help a person understand and imitate the qualities of a successful individual: commit to excellence, serve others, etc. Osteen's eight undeniable winner qualities include the quintessentially American injunction to "think positive," and the book reads as much as business advice or self-help as it does pastoral counsel. It's clearly intended to speak beyond a small Christian audience; references to biblical sources and stories are general and lack detail. The question thoughtful people of faith ought to consider in thinking about Osteen's fast-food theology is, why are people eating it up? The question for booksellers is how many copies to stock. Agents: Shannon Marven and Jan Miller Rich, Dupree Miller & Associates. (Oct.)