Review: Desiring God 25th Anniversary Edition

I'm a bit of a fan boy when it comes to John Piper. I genuinely appreciate just about everything he does. I listen to his sermons, I attend his conferences, I watch his videos, and I read his books. I'm not a blind fan boy. I know he is a sinner. At times he seems inconsistent. I don't always track with him on every minor point of theology. But in the main, I find much I agree with him about. He is a mentor from a distance and for that, I am thankful for him.

When Multnomah made the paperback copy of the 25th Anniversary Revised Edition of Desiring God available, I asked for it. On a purely superficial level, this edition has my favorite cover artwork. From a more substantive level, this book is a real treasure. Of all the books I have read outside the Bible, I think this is the most formative and instructive for me. Piper's vision of Christian Hedonism, the pursuit of true joy and pleasure in God himself, is truly life changing. Piper in provocative language tells us what we should already know as Christians-- our greatest joy and happiness in the world comes only from God. Furthermore, that pursuit of pleasure in God is not bad but ultimately good and even necessary. Desiring God is a must read for every Christian.

Piper's preface is new. It is interesting to read his perspective 25 years after the book originally was published. The new paperback edition leaves out several appendices and a poem written by Piper to his wife that earlier editions have. The paper is cheap and not as nice as other editions.

What this edition does have however makes it an excellent resource. A discussion guide is included at the end of the book. This makes it a great book for use in small group studies, book clubs, or Sunday School classes.

Desiring God is a must read. I'm glad to recommend this revised edition to you.