Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven but Nobody Wants to Die by David Crowder and Mike Hogan

Death & Hope. Those are the two words I would use to describe the basis of this book. The title of the book (and title of a great song) summarizes a great struggle people have. Getting to Heaven is the goal for most people. Yet, these same people are terrified of death.

Every author has a writing style and language. Everybody wants to go to Heaven is very conversational. Crowder and Hogan are very personable and open as they write and interact throughout the book. Even the layout of the book lends itself to casual conversation. And this is the greatest part of the book, its ability to wrap you up in its context. As you are entangled in this conversation, you forget that you are reading a book and believe that in fact you are in a conversation with the authors about the pain of death and the hope of Heaven.

If you have ever experienced pain from a lose of a loved one, you need to read this book. You may not like bluegrass music, but that is okay (you do not like death either). Crowder and Hogan allow the reader to peak into their emotions and watch them struggle through pain and grief. Throughout these pages, you are drawn into an open soul-searching discussion about what makes death so difficult and how to overcome.

Overcoming pain is not easy, but it is possible. By interweaving stories, personal accounts, Scripture, expert opinions and this section called "columns" the authors have been able to walk the readers through a process of discovery. This process of discovery culminates with an understanding of the hope that can be found in Christ. This hope brings about a paradox. "Hope placed in the future inadvertently brings hope into the present, in turn making the present tolerable."

No other book discusses the topic of death quite like Everybody wants to go to Heaven. You will be encouraged. You will grow. You will look at death and dying from a different perspective.

My advice (rating) – go out and buy it (4 out of 5)



(As I was reading, I came across this fun page. I had forgotten that when I bought the book David Crowder, Mike Hogan and Toni Crowder were kind enough to sign in one of the IM conversation pages. Fun times)