The Butterfly Effect by Andy Andrews

The Butterfly Effect: How Your Life Matters by Andy Andrews Hardback: 114 pages Publisher: Thomas Nelson Released: 2010

Source: Review copy provided by Thomas Nelson's BookSneeze program.

Book Description from the Publisher's Website:
The decisions you make and the way you treat others have more impact than you may ever realize.

Speaker and New York Times best-selling author Andy Andrews shares a compelling and powerful story about a decision one man made over a hundred years ago, and the ripple effect it’s had on us individually, and nationwide, today. It’s a story that will inspire courage and wisdom in the decisions we make, as well as affect the way we treat others through our lifetime. Andrews speaks over 100 times a year, and The Butterfly Effect is his #1 most requested story.


Review:
The Butterfly Effect is an inspirational book for those who wonder, "Does my life matter?" It's gift-book style with slick pages, colorful interior, and full-color pictures (often only loosely related to the text).

The author first explained "the butterfly effect." Then he told the exciting story of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlin who made a courageous choice on July 2, 1863 which was pivotal in American (and world) history. Then, to make sure his point was clear, the author told the story of someone whose actions have saved billions of lives...but was it the man honored on ABC News for the accomplishment, or the man who made the first man's research possible, or the man who got the second man to see the value in such research, or the couple who saved the third man's life, or... It took a series of people acting to help another for this result to come about, yet they had no idea at the time how far-reaching an impact their actions would have.

The author tells the stories in an exciting, inspiring way, and it's a quick read. The author referred to us as being "created as one of a kind" and "in order that you might make a difference," but he doesn't get more specifically religious than that. Overall, I'd recommend this book as an inspiring read for both children and adults.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.