Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People

In delivering the audio edition of the follow-up to his 2012 inspirational self-help guide, Love Does, Goff—a human-rights activist, attorney, and speaker—brings an affable and casual style that befits his laid-back San Diego surfer persona. Goff tackles some weighty topics related to the Christian commandment to love the unlovable, particularly with regard to his encounters with the perpetrators of child sacrifice in Uganda. Yet, he manages to project a natural sense of ease and calm without coming across as flippant. Goff’s voice sounds both sincere and humble when recounting the more personal anecdotes in the narrative—most notably, one about an encounter with a slow-moving rental car agent who strains Goff’s patience. His delivery is conversational, varied enough in tone and pitch to keep listeners engaged but not as intense as his charged motivational talks. Goff’s earnest rendering of memorable catchphrases—such as the recurring reference to his wife as “Sweet Maria”—provides a human touch that accentuates the warm tones of the message. Fans of Goff will flock to this audiobook. A Thomas Nelson hardcover. (Apr.)