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Gut Check: Confronting Love, Work, & Manhood
Only a few years into a career marked by dazzling early success, Tarek Saab's life took a dramatic turn with his selection for Donald Trump's reality show, The Apprentice. Viewers noticed something unusual about Tarek. Throughout the chaos and pressure, including several boardroom showdowns with Trump, Tarek displayed tremendous character and resilience. In this book, he shares his hard-won insights into love, work, and manhood and their source in a faith that is ever old, ever new.
The biggest problem by far facing men in their twenties is the crisis of manhood. Offering a completely new take on the so-called quarter-life crisis, Tarek describes his reluctant confrontation with career, relationships, and spiritual disillusionment and reveals the surprising truths he learned about what it means to be a man.
A distinctly modern-day Confessions, Gut Check is the wry and candid self-examination of a man whose life, despite its extraordinary twists, is full of lessons for ordinary young men. Tarek's captivating tale reveals a young man with many talents and temptations whose saving grace is a relentless pursuit of truth and the daring to be counter-cultural. Gritty, comic, utterly believable, Gut Check is not the usual Christian fairy tale.
Gut Check is a manual for manhood lived the hard way. It is a book for men who never read and for men who think they have read it all. If you think you know what you really want, are you ready for a gut check?
The biggest problem by far facing men in their twenties is the crisis of manhood. Offering a completely new take on the so-called quarter-life crisis, Tarek describes his reluctant confrontation with career, relationships, and spiritual disillusionment and reveals the surprising truths he learned about what it means to be a man.
A distinctly modern-day Confessions, Gut Check is the wry and candid self-examination of a man whose life, despite its extraordinary twists, is full of lessons for ordinary young men. Tarek's captivating tale reveals a young man with many talents and temptations whose saving grace is a relentless pursuit of truth and the daring to be counter-cultural. Gritty, comic, utterly believable, Gut Check is not the usual Christian fairy tale.
Gut Check is a manual for manhood lived the hard way. It is a book for men who never read and for men who think they have read it all. If you think you know what you really want, are you ready for a gut check?
208 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2008
28 people want to read
About the author
Tarek Saab
2 books5 followersTarek Saab is the Chief Operating Officer of Kaspar Companies, as well as the founder and COO of Texas Precious Metals. Tarek graduated with a BS in electrical engineering from The Catholic University of America and a BA in liberal arts from St. Anselm College. After working for five years as Texas Instruments' global marketing manager for portable power semiconductors, Tarek decided to accept a spot on season 5 of NBC's The Apprentice in 2006 with Donald Trump. This period in Hollywood would prompt Tarek to publish his memoir: Gut Check: Confronting Love, Work, & Manhood. A precious metals expert and entrepreneur, Tarek founded Saab & Company Inc., under which he owned and operated an online precious metals business, Guardian Commodities. Around the acquisition of Guardian Commodities in 2010, Tarek created the company Texas Precious Metals and has since worked tirelessly to build it into the multi-million dollar company it is today, designing innovative online operation systems and creating a solid framework for business to consumer transactions. Texas Precious Metals was recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing private companies in America in 2015.
Tarek is married with five children and lives in Austin, Texas.
Tarek is married with five children and lives in Austin, Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 20, 2017
June 7, 2011 on amazon.com
I'm the type of readers that just wanna complete a book to grasp the knowledge it contains. This is not the case here. I got really disappointed when i realized that I only had 15 more pages until the end of the book. What I got from this book was not only knowledge, but wisdom and life advice that changed the way I perceive the world. It gave me so much wisdom that it changed the way I think. It enlightened the goal of life, the good and the bad, what is important and what is not, how to focus on what is important and avoid what is not. In addition to the philosophies and the wisdoms mentioned; I very much appreciated Mr. Saab's writing style. It was very easy to understand, though very wise. His writings will be quoted someday, that's for sure ! Only in his twenties, however, readers can notice that he has the wisdom and knowledge of a 50 year-old. This book is specifically written for men in their twenties, because that is the period where they shape their lives. However, women can also read this book because they can relate to it in many ways.. This is the kind of book that I will be reading over and over and over again every time I forget the real meaning of life.
May 18, 2015
Five years after reading it for the first time, I was still blown away while re-reading. T-Saab literally read my mind and wrote this book, using quotes and references I wouldn't have thought of using. In other words, I couldn't begin to imagine a better way of translating this quarter-life crisis into a 200-page book.
At 23, Tarek Saab had a turning point in his life whereby he changed the way he thinks, the way he behaves and the principles he stands by. He developed a list of characteristics of the man he wants to become and eventually achieves it. This book is about the journey of his thoughts from the world of wanderings into becoming the man from that list. Recommended to any person struggling in the battle of manhood.
I'm the type of readers that just wanna complete a book to grasp the knowledge it contains. This is not the case here. I got really disappointed when i realized that I only had 15 more pages until the end of the book. What I got from this book was not only knowledge, but wisdom and life advice that changed the way I perceive the world. It gave me so much wisdom that it changed the way I think. It enlightened the goal of life, the good and the bad, what is important and what is not, how to focus on what is important and avoid what is not. In addition to the philosophies and the wisdoms mentioned; I very much appreciated Mr. Saab's writing style. It was very easy to understand, though very wise. His writings will be quoted someday, that's for sure ! Only in his twenties, however, readers can notice that he has the wisdom and knowledge of a 50 year-old. This book is specifically written for men in their twenties, because that is the period where they shape their lives. However, women can also read this book because they can relate to it in many ways.. This is the kind of book that I will be reading over and over and over again every time I forget the real meaning of life.
May 18, 2015
Five years after reading it for the first time, I was still blown away while re-reading. T-Saab literally read my mind and wrote this book, using quotes and references I wouldn't have thought of using. In other words, I couldn't begin to imagine a better way of translating this quarter-life crisis into a 200-page book.
At 23, Tarek Saab had a turning point in his life whereby he changed the way he thinks, the way he behaves and the principles he stands by. He developed a list of characteristics of the man he wants to become and eventually achieves it. This book is about the journey of his thoughts from the world of wanderings into becoming the man from that list. Recommended to any person struggling in the battle of manhood.
June 10, 2008
What a great premise-- thinking about death helps one prioritize LIFE. Scholars have claimed that. Saints have insisted it. Yet, an ordinary, successful-by-the-world’s-standards man proposing it in 2008 is something unique.
Tarek Saab’s life experiences in a private college mirror a common experience for many young men--away from parental controls the first time, many students *go crazy*. Immersed in freedom, surrounded by college coeds’ typical forms of debauchery, Saab is faced with his surroundings and ….. with himself. What will he choose as his life’s compass? "What is the purpose of his life…of life itself?" This inimitable presentation got me at chapter one.
GUT CHECK reads like a novel--conversational, descriptive. Yet, the book is deep and rings true. Saab’s conclusions are brilliant, and while he seems like a normal every-day guy, it is easy to see how he has Mensa brains. (He's actually a member of that elite organization) Saab chronicles his financial success story, yet reveals that he finds affluence and material prosperity empty. This is not to say the book bashes wealth. On the contrary, it shows how true wealth goes beyond mere finances and taps into something more enduring.
(As an aside, it is interesting to read how the whole "Apprentice" drama in which Saab found himself embroiled was orchestrated as a plot. We probably all knew this, but it confirms that reality TV is anything but.... )
I’m no Mensa member, but I’m smart enough to know a good book when I read one. Grab a copy and curl up under a comfy quilt. Or better yet, buy one for your sons or your husband for Father’s Day. After all, every man needs a GUT CHECK.
Tarek Saab’s life experiences in a private college mirror a common experience for many young men--away from parental controls the first time, many students *go crazy*. Immersed in freedom, surrounded by college coeds’ typical forms of debauchery, Saab is faced with his surroundings and ….. with himself. What will he choose as his life’s compass? "What is the purpose of his life…of life itself?" This inimitable presentation got me at chapter one.
GUT CHECK reads like a novel--conversational, descriptive. Yet, the book is deep and rings true. Saab’s conclusions are brilliant, and while he seems like a normal every-day guy, it is easy to see how he has Mensa brains. (He's actually a member of that elite organization) Saab chronicles his financial success story, yet reveals that he finds affluence and material prosperity empty. This is not to say the book bashes wealth. On the contrary, it shows how true wealth goes beyond mere finances and taps into something more enduring.
(As an aside, it is interesting to read how the whole "Apprentice" drama in which Saab found himself embroiled was orchestrated as a plot. We probably all knew this, but it confirms that reality TV is anything but.... )
I’m no Mensa member, but I’m smart enough to know a good book when I read one. Grab a copy and curl up under a comfy quilt. Or better yet, buy one for your sons or your husband for Father’s Day. After all, every man needs a GUT CHECK.
August 1, 2008
Great story. This young man has learned more about life, God, and personal salvation in his short life than most people learn in a long lifetime. I hope that he touches many lives, and, ultimately, changes many, as well.
I bought this book for my 18-year-old son, but I had time to read it before he did. I will strongly encourage him to read it. While it's a great story for young men, I would not suggest any young man younger than 18 read it. The author delves into his sexual relationships (not graphically) as well as drinking and drug issues.
I bought this book for my 18-year-old son, but I had time to read it before he did. I will strongly encourage him to read it. While it's a great story for young men, I would not suggest any young man younger than 18 read it. The author delves into his sexual relationships (not graphically) as well as drinking and drug issues.
February 18, 2012
In a society that focuses on lust, sex, and money Tarek Saab struggles to find love, purity, and purpose in his life. Saab does an excellent job portraying a 20 something male in a society that is drastically different than the ideal Catholic path. He describes his continuous struggle to find virtue among the tempting vices in our world. Saab intertwines his life story with relevant quotes from St. Thomas Aquinas, G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, and John Eldredge. He finishes the book, not as a complete man, rather with letting the reader know that his journey is only yet beginning.
April 20, 2009
Interesting. A must read for all parents considering college and those who are about to attend. I enjoyed his journey and delighted that he found what he was looking for at the end of it. A bit terrifying to see a glimpse of the reality of college life. Sage insight on why movies with crude humor are inappropriate for common viewing. . .it rips the veil from what is supposed to be intimate. So true.
May 21, 2015
Don't let the title fool you. This book is for everyone! Seriously thought provoking, yet humorous at the same time. Very good for anyone going through the transformation of the teenage years to adulthood and wants to spiritually "grow-up." Gut Check rises above the noise of secular chaos into a quiet, intimate conversation with the self...and God.
March 5, 2017
Spectacular book about manhood and faith!
April 26, 2016
A great book. For a man in his twenties. I really enjoyed reading it. Puts life into a new perspective
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews