[.ca] Body Piercing Saved My Life: Inside the Phenomenon of ... (ISBN 0306814579)

Wonderfully Written:
I have to give credit to the author - this is a wonderfully written book. Not being a Christian himself, the author has a unique "outside-looking-in" perspective on the world of Christian music. Andrew (the author) has obviously done a ton of research for this book and really seeks to know the subject in depth. The chapters of the book alternate between interviews with individuals in the Christian music scene and the author's own thoughts and experiences as he travels to concerts and meets with various people. The first half of the book begins with some history of Christian music and documentary-style facts and introduction of people. But the book really gets interesting about midway when it turns from a "documentary" about Christian music into an exploration of how Christian culture interacts and intersects with secular/mainstream culture. For 2 or 3 chapters, it has little to do with Christian music at all, which is fine because those are some of the best chapters of the book. The author genuinely tries to understand the perspective of the people he's writing about. He drives deep and is able to see past his own perspectives and biases. He seems fascinated with the people he meets and the subject he's writting about and that fascination comes through in the writing. He has a great empathy for his subjects. It's hard to put in to words, but the author's deconstruction of his own thoughts/opinions is as interesting as the ones of his subject. Over all I give it at least 4 out of 5. A very interesting and enlightening read.