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The Unseen Essential: A Story For Our Troubled Times
Hope. Enough for your own wilderness journeys... This compelling story will refresh you like a cool drink on a hot summer afternoon. Meet Michael Nastasis. He's handsome. Brilliant. Successful. He "has it all"... until the night that marks the pinnacle of his career. Life sets him on a course that will change him forever. Love Press offers you a contemporary novel about one man's poignant, face-to-face encounter with himself and ultimately, with God. Share his struggle to find peace and his dream of bringing his broken family back together again. The unforgettable Caleb, a dynamic 77-year-old man, disciples him in his long journey home...toward God's kind of love.
228 pages, Paperback
First published June 28, 2012
34 people are currently reading
159 people want to read
About the author
James P. Gills
53 books18 followersJames P. Gills, M.D. has earned a reputation as the most experienced cataract surgeon in the world. He is the founder and medical director of the renowned St. Luke's Cataract & Laser Institute in Tarpon Springs, Florida. Dr. Gills has dedicated his life to restoring much more than physical version. His not-for-profit publishing outreach, Love Press, has distributed well over three million copies of his books on a donation basis through LoveLines: The Honor Innovation.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 8, 2009
Someone recommended this to me and I finally got my hands on it thanks to swaptree. I have to give this three stars because while I liked it and I plan to read the sequel, it occasionally bogged down for me. It shares a lot of theology, which is not bad, but when you already are aware of what Gills is talking about, it gets a little slow. I am interested in the story line, however, and I will read the continuation soon. Glad I read this one.
October 31, 2015
This was a very good book overall. The story was great and I learned alot from it. There were a few things that I didn't like so I couldn't give it higher ratings. First there was some taking of God's name in vain among Christians, mostly things like g*sh and gee but they still are derived from God's name. The second thing was some watered down things that are part of the modern Gospel in it. Like asking Jesus into your heart and having a God shaped hole in your life. Otherwise the author seemed to be searching for truths and sound doctrine to be inserted into the story.
July 13, 2018
Vivid imagery, great dialog and the characters are wonderful within the context of the story, which is religious in nature. This story is touching, engrossing, inspiring, a bit preachy, but worth the read. Really enjoyed this book.
September 29, 2023
Wow I love this book
This was such a well written book… It will make you feel like you are witnessing the story in real time…It made me look at my own life and walk with Jesus. I would recommend this book to everyone… I didn’t want it to end.
This was such a well written book… It will make you feel like you are witnessing the story in real time…It made me look at my own life and walk with Jesus. I would recommend this book to everyone… I didn’t want it to end.
October 9, 2025
I started reading this book and couldn't find it up until now. It's definitely a page turner. I love the christian self journey but that's not overwhelming in biblical stuff but explain more on how to build your relationship with your religion.
March 21, 2020
Just finishing this. I enjoyed praying this book as I read. Great pieces for bible study discussions.
December 21, 2022
I read this about 15 years ago while in prison & I do recall (very well) it was significant in my transformation from agnostic to a Christian.
January 1, 2024
This book helped me come closer in my relationship with God. It helped me understand the journey better and helps me to this day explain certain aspects of Gods relationship with usto people.
January 25, 2016
Very quickly I began to dislike this book, and I was having a tough time determining why. After all, it puts itself forward as a sort of fictional version of one of those personal testimony book. I've read a number of those over the decades, and found many of them quite good. I would also say that the book I recently read entitled The Shack was couched as a fictional story of a life-like person--but it was more of a spiritual fantasy against a real-world background, something like Lewis' Out of the Silent Planet, not making any pretenses at being someone's real story. This book seemed to want me to believe it was as good as a true story while in fact being fictional, and sure, lots of works of fiction couch themselves as if they were true--so what was my problem here?
The word I found for the problem, within the first two pages, was "contrived". Everything was happening a bit too conveniently for the author, a bit too predictably. This was terribly difficult, because it was one of those life stories that when they really happen you begin by cringing and thinking that it couldn't possibly have happened like that, it's just too horrible--and when we have the reassurance that it's true we empathize with the poor teller who went through it. But let it be fiction, and it crosses the lines: I, at least, don't believe it.
I never completely got past this feeling, but I realized that I was being at least a bit unfair to the book. The writer seems not to be trying to create a fictional personal testimony book, but rather trying a writing experiment. His goal is to create one of those books that give the reader steps from trusting Jesus as savior into a deeper walk with God, but in order to drag the reader on this path attempts to couch it in the growth of the main character and his interactions with other people in his life. This is facilitated by teaching materials presented as part of the narrative--Bible lessons from a mentor, sermons, excerpts from imaginary books, and conversations in which the characters share their feelings and insights. As such, it presents a fairly sound program with a solid focus on relying on God in everything. It does not cease to be contrived, but that is easier to forgive when we see it more as setting up situations in which the author can delve into Christian choices against something like a real-life background. It was an interesting experiment; I don't know that it worked.
The experimental aspect was an intriguing way to avoid controversy. For example, at one point one of the characters mentions the imminent return of Christ in the context of what is clearly a premillennial eschatology. Because it is given as a statement by a character in the book, it is partly deflected--had it been a statement directly from the author, it might be more objectionable for its presumption. There were actually quite a few similar pieces throughout the book, where one of the characters expressed a notion that is rather popular among conservative Evangelicals but which is not completely defensible, and it was easier to let it slide as what the character mistakenly believes than as a point the author should have either avoided or supported.
The second printing noted that a sequel was in the works. Although some of the characters intrigue me, I doubt I would look for it. I'm almost afraid of what the author might contrive next.
The word I found for the problem, within the first two pages, was "contrived". Everything was happening a bit too conveniently for the author, a bit too predictably. This was terribly difficult, because it was one of those life stories that when they really happen you begin by cringing and thinking that it couldn't possibly have happened like that, it's just too horrible--and when we have the reassurance that it's true we empathize with the poor teller who went through it. But let it be fiction, and it crosses the lines: I, at least, don't believe it.
I never completely got past this feeling, but I realized that I was being at least a bit unfair to the book. The writer seems not to be trying to create a fictional personal testimony book, but rather trying a writing experiment. His goal is to create one of those books that give the reader steps from trusting Jesus as savior into a deeper walk with God, but in order to drag the reader on this path attempts to couch it in the growth of the main character and his interactions with other people in his life. This is facilitated by teaching materials presented as part of the narrative--Bible lessons from a mentor, sermons, excerpts from imaginary books, and conversations in which the characters share their feelings and insights. As such, it presents a fairly sound program with a solid focus on relying on God in everything. It does not cease to be contrived, but that is easier to forgive when we see it more as setting up situations in which the author can delve into Christian choices against something like a real-life background. It was an interesting experiment; I don't know that it worked.
The experimental aspect was an intriguing way to avoid controversy. For example, at one point one of the characters mentions the imminent return of Christ in the context of what is clearly a premillennial eschatology. Because it is given as a statement by a character in the book, it is partly deflected--had it been a statement directly from the author, it might be more objectionable for its presumption. There were actually quite a few similar pieces throughout the book, where one of the characters expressed a notion that is rather popular among conservative Evangelicals but which is not completely defensible, and it was easier to let it slide as what the character mistakenly believes than as a point the author should have either avoided or supported.
The second printing noted that a sequel was in the works. Although some of the characters intrigue me, I doubt I would look for it. I'm almost afraid of what the author might contrive next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2017
Sometimes slow but after a while it gets interesting. Though it is sad it leans on Christian stereotypes to deal with their ideas.
September 16, 2012
Dr. James P. Gills in one of the worlds most renown cataract surgeons and he is equally extraordinary in his gift as a writer. This Christian Novel is exceptionally inspiring and empowering. The book leaves you yearning more and he does not disappoint with the sequel, "A Tender Journey"
May 31, 2013
Great idea. Seemed to drag on though.
December 7, 2016
This was a good book. I look forward to reading more of this author's work.
April 8, 2022
Very slow paced, but in the end a good story.
April 9, 2017
Great book. This book sat and sat on my book shelve for awhile. I thought the book was a sleeper, but I was totally surprised. Let me be clear here this is a fiction book; a bible based novel that aligns up with the bible. The story makes you see things from a new perspective; Gods perspective. Very strong messages throughout this book. This book was not a fast read. And those who dare to read it will be totally engaged. The Unseen Essentials is a book "YOU" should not pass up. I can not wait to read Part 2 , Tender Journey: A Story for Our Troubled Times.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews