Christine Sine, a former medical missionary, and Tom Sine (Mustard Seed vs. McWorld) here challenge overachievers afflicted with "hurry sickness" to discover "God's best" for their lives. The Sines' premise is that the values of contemporary American culture, which they represent allegorically as those of "Boom City," are counter to the values of "the City of Shalom." For example, they state that the purposes of Boom City "elevate the individual pursuit of happiness as the cardinal goal of life," while "the good life of God is found through losing our lives in service to God and others." In order for people to remove themselves from the hustle of Boom City, the Sines provide a roadmap constructed of "off-ramp" reflective exercises structured by biblical principles and interwoven with anecdotes. The ultimate goal of the book is to provide readers with steps for developing a life-changing personal or family mission statement, which can then be fine-tuned as individuals reflect on how they are meeting their spiritual, physical and financial goals. The Sines differentiate their book from others that encourage mission statements, such as Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families, by stressing that it is grounded in Scripture and the question "What kind of people does God want us to be?" The steps and exercises that the Sines provide are practical and their principles compelling, but one wonders how their intended audience will ever get off the highway long enough to listen. (Jan.)
