Crazy Busy: A (Mercifully) Short Book About A (Really) Big Problem Paperback – 23 Sept. 2013

As a self-confessed 'driven' person with a demanding job, a speaking and writing schedule, and five young children, Kevin DeYoung seems well qualified to write a book on being 'Crazy Busy'. But what makes this book special is the way he brings biblical principles to bear on the daily realities of life. That makes it so much more than just another book on time management or goal setting.DeYoung starts by giving three reasons why being crazy busy is not good: it can ruin our joy, it can rob our hearts, and it can cover up the rot in our souls.Then he gives us seven diagnoses to consider, each with its own short chapter. For example, he helps us think about pride, and how our busyness can be driven more by a desire to LOOK good than a desire to DO good. He helps us think about the technological revolution, and about the blessings and pitfalls of constant connectivity and social media. He helps us think about the value of a rhythm of work and rest. However, he also says that work is a good thing. And helping needy people is both time-consuming and unpredicatable. Jesus was a very busy man - but he was busy doing the right things for the right reasons.The final chapter of the book presents "one thing that you must do" and, again, is very helpful and challenging.DeYoung writes all this from the viewpoint of a fellow-struggler on the road to recovery, seeking to share what he has learned and (sometimes) managed to put into practice. He admits that the book's analysis is largely geared to a Western mindset. But he shrewdly points out that, as globalisation spreads, the issue of 'Crazy Busy' will surely only spread as well.For those who live in an age of unprecedented complexity and unprecedented opportunity, this is a wonderful, short, Christian book to help us live lives that are fruitful, not just 'crazy busy'.

Relevant, short, to the point, concise and helpful with practical advise that is easily implemented.

This short but practical book strikes at the heart of busy peoples lives and opens up to us the reason we struggle with business. His simple gospel focussed answers strike home to me and will challenge me on my view of my busy life.Highly reccomended!

In many ways, I see this as the companion piece to John Mark Comer’s ‘The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry’.Where Comer presents busyness, fundamentally, with a problem that is ‘out there’ (the world is busy so we need to learn to shut out the world), DeYoung presents busyness as a problem within us (our hearts are full of pride and seek after the approval of others), meaning to deal with busyness, we need to deal with our hearts.Both are true. And I heartily recommend both books, though they are really very different. In this one, De Young conversationally, insightfully, gets to the heart of the problem with our hearts and provides practical, thought out, realistic solutions to the problem.

This is an excellent, practical and timely book - all from an author who doesn't have his head in the clouds. Highly recommended.

Interesting read

A really practical yet theologically deep book about busyness. Very readable, very enjoyable and very profound :)From a Christian man struggling with busyness

A great focus to pause for thought for the busy Christian. A chance to recalibrate the busyness that consumes me and refocus on the motivation for the activity.

An easy to read book on busyness with some good insights about the heart of the problem: pride. Not revolutionary or totally new, therefore 4 stars.

Spedizione puntualissima e tutto in ordine

Great book. We live in a time of distractions and busyness and we all need to be more like Mary who had chosen the one necessary thing, to sit at the feet of Jesus. One thing that I didn't like is the recommendation by Rick Warren on the cover which all Christians should stay away from.

This book is relevant for everyone. It is a neat little book on busyness by Pastor Kevin DeYoung. I used this book in the context of discipleship with one of the members of our church. I do recommend it for either personal reading or reading in a discipleship context. In a world in which many people are so busy, this book approaches the subject spiritually. It is both theological and practical.I appreciated how early in the book DeYoung tells the reader that he’s not writing this book because he’s mastered the subject but rather he’s writing this for his own edification and that he’s “trying to figure things out.” His humility and description of his problem is one that would make readers connect with the author.In the second chapter of the book DeYoung goes over three dangers to avoid when it comes to busyness. DeYoung reminds us that while there are books that talk about the physical risk of being overly busy, we must not forget the spiritual threat that busyness can be to our own faith. We must not allow the busyness of work and life rob our hearts and joy while also examining to see if our busyness is a way of covering up the rots in our soul.The bulk of the book goes over the seven diagnoses DeYoung identifies with the problem of busyness. They are all very good but two stands out among them for me personally. It was very edifying to read his discussion about how busyness can be a manifestation of pride. Here DeYoung gives us what he calls the “Killer P’s” that are the many faces of pride such as the fact that we can be busy because we want to please people, get pats on our backs or desire for perfectionism, etc. DeYoung poses to the reader a good question to test if our busy work is for God or for our pride: “Am I trying to do good or to make myself look good?” I also appreciate DeYoung’s discussion about technology that strangles our soul. It is wonderful to see DeYoung address this issue in a world of social media and smart phones. He’s not doing this to show he’s hip and up to date since he talks about how fleeting technology is, given how fast things change but he’s addressing this pastorally. I appreciated how in this chapter DeYoung not only talk about the obvious risk of addiction but also the threat of acedia which he describe as something like sloth but has the aspect of indifference and spiritual forgetfulness. It is the condition where we are busy but not with something important but being busy with being busy, where are content to do things that are purposeless and shallow in the passing of time.I appreciated how the book ends not with a call to not be busy—but rather DeYoung is realistic in that we cannot forsake all things in order to not be busy. He does have a chapter titled “Embracing the Burdens of Busyness” and his final chapter was very appropriate in that he tells us that in the middle of all our task, there is one thing we must do even if it’s not man-centered pragmatic: we must make the time to be closer to Jesus. Excellent!I highly recommend this book. There is a reason why it is the 2014 Christian Book of the Year.

Great book. So true to the heart of busyness!