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Silent Alarm: A Parable of Hope for Busy Professionals
After a near fatal accident, Jack Turner jumps off the corporate treadmill to seek a more meaningful life. Inspired by the voice of an angel that only he can hear, Jack begins to stop living accidentally and begin living intentionally. Silent Alarm is a wake-up call for overextended professionals.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published August 30, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 22, 2009
There are some simple reasons I didn't like the book. I like self-help books and find usually good things that I can apply to my life or the general public but this book felt like it was written for a specific group of people. You have to be really rich, Christian (which bothered me a little, what about the other rich people who have not found a believe yet?) and heal like Jacob, the werewolf.
Things I liked:
*short, and some good quotes (the book looks like a compilation of his best key note speeches, his actual profession)
Things I didn't liked:
*A victim of a violent accident cannot heal so quickly. I believe in fast healing but you do not get the the diagnoses that you'll never walk and talk again and after you wake up think about your life's purpose. Patients with head injuries think only about the presence. "I am cold, I am in pain, who is coming in, my bed is uncomfortable." When Jon and I stayed with my German friend in Idaho after her terrible car crash (she flew out there for a wedding and nobody in the hospital knew where she was from or who she was) we experienced this quite a lot. She was in a terrible shape and very disoriented for weeks. It took her months to understand what happened and the effects it will have on her life for the next year (therapy and processing it). The doctors from the very beginning told her she would recover 100% but it takes time for the body to recover. She swore like a sailor and was scared a lot of the time. Finding his (Jack) true character while recovering and changing with deep thought seemed simply not possible (in the short amount of time).
*why do we hear about every single breakfast, lunch and dinner tray?
*the extras, Mike and Monica /Tim /Sheila / etc, didn't seem to have a vital purpose other than the fact that a story needs characters. I wanted the kids to say: "Dad, we're mad at you for ignoring us for so long" and getting it all out. And then a healing thing would beautiful withing the family. I wanted him to face his choices and not just think about his bad choices.
*why do we hear about the position of Susan's purse or bags every time she enters the room?
*a talking figurine with glowing wings? Are you serious?
*unnecessary details that don't further the story: "They read the cards clock wise." Why is the direction important? Wouldn't you say: "They took turns reading the cards."?
*Almost every chapter ended with a dramatic sentence. "suddenly all the electricity went out in the whole hospital" etc.
*Repetition of things already said or that we can safely assume: "Jack wasn't a person who took the time to Journal (which was made obvious in the previous 15 chapter's character analysis). And the Angel repeats: "I know you don't like to journal." I get it. People like Jack don't Journal or prefer emails over telegraphs (thanks for pointing it out).
In the foreword his friend represented the author of the book with cigars and a silk robe "To stay home and write a book". I wish he would have just thanked him for the gesture but stayed with his speaking abilities.
Things I liked:
*short, and some good quotes (the book looks like a compilation of his best key note speeches, his actual profession)
Things I didn't liked:
*A victim of a violent accident cannot heal so quickly. I believe in fast healing but you do not get the the diagnoses that you'll never walk and talk again and after you wake up think about your life's purpose. Patients with head injuries think only about the presence. "I am cold, I am in pain, who is coming in, my bed is uncomfortable." When Jon and I stayed with my German friend in Idaho after her terrible car crash (she flew out there for a wedding and nobody in the hospital knew where she was from or who she was) we experienced this quite a lot. She was in a terrible shape and very disoriented for weeks. It took her months to understand what happened and the effects it will have on her life for the next year (therapy and processing it). The doctors from the very beginning told her she would recover 100% but it takes time for the body to recover. She swore like a sailor and was scared a lot of the time. Finding his (Jack) true character while recovering and changing with deep thought seemed simply not possible (in the short amount of time).
*why do we hear about every single breakfast, lunch and dinner tray?
*the extras, Mike and Monica /Tim /Sheila / etc, didn't seem to have a vital purpose other than the fact that a story needs characters. I wanted the kids to say: "Dad, we're mad at you for ignoring us for so long" and getting it all out. And then a healing thing would beautiful withing the family. I wanted him to face his choices and not just think about his bad choices.
*why do we hear about the position of Susan's purse or bags every time she enters the room?
*a talking figurine with glowing wings? Are you serious?
*unnecessary details that don't further the story: "They read the cards clock wise." Why is the direction important? Wouldn't you say: "They took turns reading the cards."?
*Almost every chapter ended with a dramatic sentence. "suddenly all the electricity went out in the whole hospital" etc.
*Repetition of things already said or that we can safely assume: "Jack wasn't a person who took the time to Journal (which was made obvious in the previous 15 chapter's character analysis). And the Angel repeats: "I know you don't like to journal." I get it. People like Jack don't Journal or prefer emails over telegraphs (thanks for pointing it out).
In the foreword his friend represented the author of the book with cigars and a silk robe "To stay home and write a book". I wish he would have just thanked him for the gesture but stayed with his speaking abilities.
June 27, 2009
How can this be called a parable when all the motivational messages are crammed down your throat? I thought the whole point of a parable was to be subtle and allow the reader or listener to puzzle out its meaning.
The messages are good, I suppose, but I was so turned off by the writing (tell, tell, and then tell some more) that I did't even really focus in on the point. I actually couldn't make it to the end of the book. This book was not helpful or worth the read.
The messages are good, I suppose, but I was so turned off by the writing (tell, tell, and then tell some more) that I did't even really focus in on the point. I actually couldn't make it to the end of the book. This book was not helpful or worth the read.
September 3, 2009
Very unimpressed. Great quotes were stuffed down my throat at breakneck speed as they tried to cling to a bleak story line.
October 10, 2012
The absolute most POWERFULL book you can ever read. Its sad and heart wrenching. But it honestly changed my life for forever. everyone must read this book. so well written. props to John G Blumberg
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews