Official Review: Learning to Love by Kevin Monroe

[Cecilia_L]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Learning to Love" by Kevin Monroe.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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"When you encounter a stranger, see him as you would want God to see you--with pure and unconditional love."

In Learning to Love: A Journey into the Realm of Love, Kevin Monroe examines the different types of love and establishes the need for agape: love "with compassion and without regard to race, creed, or nationality." He discusses the power of acts of kindness and stresses the need to embrace our differences in order to blur the current racial divide. Monroe explains how society's practices of lovelessness and misdirected love dilute unconditional love, and he offers practical suggestions for reducing hatred incrementally while encouraging readers to follow the path of agape love.

There is a wealth of information packed into this 112-page book; it is concise, well-written, and the editing is flawless. Monroe writes from a Christian perspective but offers the following distinction, "It is not necessary to be a Christian to love your brother. But to truly be a Christian, you must love your brother." Monroe shares that the word "love" is mentioned over 300 times in the Bible and designates the chapter, "Love Lessons From God," to include some of the verses.

I particularly like the examples Monroe provides to support his thoughts throughout the book. His metaphor involving the control knobs on an Etch A Sketch create a compelling image of parental influence in a child's life. In early childhood, the parents control the knobs, but as the child matures, others will influence the final "picture" of his life. Additionally, he cites various examples of famous people exemplifying love by helping others, including Lebron James, Bill Gates, and Oprah Winfrey. However, Monroe also shares that small acts of kindness can have a big impact on a community. For instance, when his neighbors care for his yard when he is in the clinic due to health issues, Monroe feels humbled and blessed, confirming his belief that kindness grows when it is shared.

I also appreciate Monroe's thoughts regarding our potential as a nation to rise to the task of helping others. He refers to the civil rights movement and further illustrates the point by recounting the unity and outpouring of help from individuals, as well as nonprofit groups, that occurs after a natural disaster.

I honestly can't name anything I dislike about this enlightening book and wholeheartedly rate it 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend the book to readers of various faiths, particularly those interested in learning more about agape love. Additionally, it would be a helpful resource for a group book study.

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Learning to Love
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Like Cecilia_L's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Stephanie Elizabeth]

I like that the author emphasizes that you don't need to be Christian to help others. If our society could embrace that the foundation of every religion is based on love, our world would be in a far better place.
Thanks for the great review!

[Cecilia_L]

I like that the author emphasizes that you don't need to be Christian to help others. If our society could embrace that the foundation of every religion is based on love, our world would be in a far better place.
Thanks for the great review!

Thank you. I appreciate your comment.