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Gracenomics: Unleash the Power of Second Chance Living
Foster describes our society as a vulture culture, where grace is scarce and in high demand. Broken relationships, personal emptiness and increasing disappointments in work and life prompt us to search out a new way of living. "Gracenomics" offers an innovative approach to surviving and thriving in our grace-starved society.
Hardcover
First published September 13, 2010
9 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
Mike Foster
4 books7 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Mike Foster is the Chief Chance Officer at People of the Second Chance. He has dedicated his life to helping people relaunch their lives with a sense of hope and purpose. He has been featured on Good Morning America, The 700 Club, and in The New York Times.
Mike Foster is the Chief Chance Officer at People of the Second Chance. He has dedicated his life to helping people relaunch their lives with a sense of hope and purpose. He has been featured on Good Morning America, The 700 Club, and in The New York Times.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 19, 2012
This book was disturbing to read.
I have long been a supporter of Mike Foster's organization, "People of the Second Chance," which is all about waging grace as a way of life. I've been inspired by Mike and his partner Jud Wilhite to get off my high horse and let go of judgment in choosing radical, irrational grace-filled interaction with everyone I come in contact with. I've been inspired to extend grace like Jesus did - in loving broken people and wrecked people who need the life-changing power of the grace of God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. That grace is what they need. It is really the ONLY thing we need... before anything else. The grace of Jesus Christ is our breath and heartbeat. Our only hope.
Therefore it was disturbing to read "Gracenomics." I tore into it, eagerly expecting a platform - a scriptural framework - a manifesto of the powerful grace of Jesus alive in us that undergirds and empowers our ability to give grace to others in return. Instead, there wasn't a single mention of God.
Not one.
Mike Foster is a Christ follower. I understand that People of the Second Chance is a 501-c3 faith based organization, yet per their website, they "work diligently to produce 'human' messages and not religious ones." These ideals stand in conflict with one another.
Instead of a grace-filled reminder of the cross of Jesus and our freedom to love the marginalized and wounded in His name, "Gracenomics" presented a combination of self-help therapy and law-filled "do it better, do it more, try harder" message that, frankly, is the OPPOSITE of grace. Without Jesus, our best efforts are anemic at best, misguided and ineffective and dangerous at worst. Without Jesus, "Gracemenomics" is empty.
For those who believe, we can still read Jesus INTO the book, and try to filter the grace dynamic through our own theological grid, but the size and depth of the missed opportunity here is staggering.
Also, I found the many editing errors to be very distracting. The book design is flat-out gorgeous, but cool graphics can't redeem sentences that end with "anyways" and phrases like "all of the sudden" and spelling REIGN as RIEGN. I stopped counting after about a half dozen or so of these errors. Even though the book is beautiful, the shoddy editing made it hard to take seriously.
I still love Mike and Jud and what POTSC is all about. I'm not about to chisel the "People of the Second Chance" sticker off the back of my Jeep just yet, or change out my POTSC desktop on my laptop any time soon. There is some irony here as I write out a stinging critique of a book all about GRACE. And yet, we are also called to speak the truth in love. I just have to be honest about "Gracenomics."
It was shallow. It seems like it was rushed to print. Frankly... It just wasn't very good.
I have long been a supporter of Mike Foster's organization, "People of the Second Chance," which is all about waging grace as a way of life. I've been inspired by Mike and his partner Jud Wilhite to get off my high horse and let go of judgment in choosing radical, irrational grace-filled interaction with everyone I come in contact with. I've been inspired to extend grace like Jesus did - in loving broken people and wrecked people who need the life-changing power of the grace of God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. That grace is what they need. It is really the ONLY thing we need... before anything else. The grace of Jesus Christ is our breath and heartbeat. Our only hope.
Therefore it was disturbing to read "Gracenomics." I tore into it, eagerly expecting a platform - a scriptural framework - a manifesto of the powerful grace of Jesus alive in us that undergirds and empowers our ability to give grace to others in return. Instead, there wasn't a single mention of God.
Not one.
Mike Foster is a Christ follower. I understand that People of the Second Chance is a 501-c3 faith based organization, yet per their website, they "work diligently to produce 'human' messages and not religious ones." These ideals stand in conflict with one another.
Instead of a grace-filled reminder of the cross of Jesus and our freedom to love the marginalized and wounded in His name, "Gracenomics" presented a combination of self-help therapy and law-filled "do it better, do it more, try harder" message that, frankly, is the OPPOSITE of grace. Without Jesus, our best efforts are anemic at best, misguided and ineffective and dangerous at worst. Without Jesus, "Gracemenomics" is empty.
For those who believe, we can still read Jesus INTO the book, and try to filter the grace dynamic through our own theological grid, but the size and depth of the missed opportunity here is staggering.
Also, I found the many editing errors to be very distracting. The book design is flat-out gorgeous, but cool graphics can't redeem sentences that end with "anyways" and phrases like "all of the sudden" and spelling REIGN as RIEGN. I stopped counting after about a half dozen or so of these errors. Even though the book is beautiful, the shoddy editing made it hard to take seriously.
I still love Mike and Jud and what POTSC is all about. I'm not about to chisel the "People of the Second Chance" sticker off the back of my Jeep just yet, or change out my POTSC desktop on my laptop any time soon. There is some irony here as I write out a stinging critique of a book all about GRACE. And yet, we are also called to speak the truth in love. I just have to be honest about "Gracenomics."
It was shallow. It seems like it was rushed to print. Frankly... It just wasn't very good.
January 21, 2017
Grace Matters
Quick read! Important message for personal and work life. I plan to share with friends and co-workers. Next up, the POTSC.
Quick read! Important message for personal and work life. I plan to share with friends and co-workers. Next up, the POTSC.
February 1, 2016
Mike Foster has written a short manifesto called Gracenomics: Unleash the Power of Second Chance Living. He has also founded an online community called People of the Second Chance (potsc.com) so this is not just a passing fad for him.
The book is only five chapters long and written quite simply. Don't mistake that for criticism, because the concept of grace is easier to explain than it is to live. Mike writes in a way that is inspiring and gives one hope that we could each make a difference by doling out grace in our relationships.
I came across a free e-version of this book from the good peole at Catalyst. At the risk of sounding like I lack grace, the one criticism I'll mention is that this book contains some foul language. I realize that may make me sound like a prude (or a 7-year old tattletale) but the book was not enhanced in any way by those 3 or 4 words.
All in all, a good book and a good reminder for us all as we live with one another.
The book is only five chapters long and written quite simply. Don't mistake that for criticism, because the concept of grace is easier to explain than it is to live. Mike writes in a way that is inspiring and gives one hope that we could each make a difference by doling out grace in our relationships.
I came across a free e-version of this book from the good peole at Catalyst. At the risk of sounding like I lack grace, the one criticism I'll mention is that this book contains some foul language. I realize that may make me sound like a prude (or a 7-year old tattletale) but the book was not enhanced in any way by those 3 or 4 words.
All in all, a good book and a good reminder for us all as we live with one another.
December 15, 2011
Short review: I read this on kindle and for $0.99 it is a great read. It is short, but it is short based on lack of fluff. I appreciate not fluffing it up just to get an extra 50 pages.
The kindle version was not formatted all that well. There were extra spaces between paragraphs which was a bit distracting.
My complaints are that the reasons for grace are more focused on pragmatism than scripture. Scripture is there, but is less than the pragmatic reasons.
But overall I still give this a four star review because I think the message overall is a good one. We need to give more grace and we need to understand grace better as a gift from God, not just to be enjoyed, but to pass on.
My full review at http://bookwi.se/gracenomics-unleash-...
The kindle version was not formatted all that well. There were extra spaces between paragraphs which was a bit distracting.
My complaints are that the reasons for grace are more focused on pragmatism than scripture. Scripture is there, but is less than the pragmatic reasons.
But overall I still give this a four star review because I think the message overall is a good one. We need to give more grace and we need to understand grace better as a gift from God, not just to be enjoyed, but to pass on.
My full review at http://bookwi.se/gracenomics-unleash-...
December 19, 2011
So, I read this book in less than 2 hours. It's a very short, easy read with one underlying message: give more grace. And if you're not sure how that plays out, then it just means to forgive more and give people some slack to screw up -- even yourself. I liked the general premise, but the book itself was...meh. Borrowed the Kindle version thru Amazon Prime, so didn't have to spend $ for an OK reading experience, FTW.
December 25, 2010
"Most of us wouldn't choose to hang out with other people who live to criticize us. Yet we let our own self-talk drain the grace out of our lives...." Some real nuggets to remind us about grace, 2nd chances and how we can't forget ourselves when it comes to all of it! A super easy read!
July 20, 2011
Just started it but I like it.
"I've come to consider myself to be a person of no reputation. Here's why: I've discovered when you give up your reputation, you don't have to spend so much time and energy defending it."
"I've come to consider myself to be a person of no reputation. Here's why: I've discovered when you give up your reputation, you don't have to spend so much time and energy defending it."
May 6, 2012
Short book but it packs in a lot about extending grace to ourselves and others. Simple yet thought provoking. Makes you realize how little we practice grace as a society and as individuals and challenges you to consider living out gracenomics.
February 4, 2013
This book is must read for anyone not just church goers it is also for the top business person. It puts grace into action. It is to me what everyone wants in life is grace from their friends, co-woerks and boss. We need to be able to make mistakes and still be loved not yell at or put down.
April 24, 2011
I loved this book. There is no mention of God is this book but He is written of on every page.
January 4, 2011
A very quick read... worth the read... may or may not be world changing
June 2, 2012
Mike Foster is very open and vulnerable. An interesting and challenging book on grace.
June 29, 2012
Chances are, if you don't like this book, it's because it shines a light on too much truth. Truth hurts sometimes Great read!
August 25, 2013
Excellent material, including relevant ways to give and receive grace in everyday life. I think this could be a good book to use for building staff morale.
August 13, 2016
The Wonderlife book.
January 9, 2011
Quick read. Good handling of the subject. Wish it was unpacked more though
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews