Following on the heels of Live Like You’re Blessed
, Cook, the first woman president of the Hampton University Ministers’ Conference, advocates a can-do approach to life. Using the example of the daughters of Zelophehad (known for claiming what was rightfully theirs, though their father died without a male heir), she encourages readers to stand up, speak up, look up, book up, kiss up, listen up, hang up, make up, wake up and cheer up. Other biblical references and personal anecdotes fill out the pages—complete with suggested exercises for re-energizing commitments to self, community and God. Individual chapters read much like a Sunday sermon, and some, particularly early in the book, are imbued with the oral tradition of message repetition. Especially strong are the chapters on hanging up (finding the “clear beginning and... clear end” of the seasons of relationships) and making up (refusing to stay offended and practicing forgiveness). Christian readers who are already familiar with her work and those looking for fresh inspiration will find her enthusiasm contagious.(May 6)
