Reviewed by: James Schantz, a professional writing student at Taylor University

Introduction

Title: Go West: 10 Principles that Guided My Cowboy Journey

Author: : Jeremy Sparks with Stephen Caldwell

Publisher: Elevate Faith

Publication Date:  February, 2017

Format: Print Book

Length: 215 pages

OVERVIEW

Jeremy Sparks was a skinny kid from a small town in Arkansas nobody had ever heard of. Despite this, he felt compelled to do great things!
When Jeremy was 14 years old he felt he had received a message from God. God needed Jeremey to become a rodeo bull rider as a way to glorify the Lord. Despite the disdain his parents felt toward the rodeo, Jeremy pursued his calling. Everything seemed to be running smoothly and his future seemed clear until one hot summer day right before heading off to college. While working as a farmhand, Jeremy was electrocuted, seemingly halting his plans for joining the rodeo. However, that was just the beginning of the plan that God had set out for him. Jeremy would not be thwarted, and his diligence paid off.
Jeremy Sparks uses this book to relay the top ten life lessons he learned from his career as a hall-of-fame rodeo bull rider. He has endured gruesome injuries, heartbreak, and poor decision making. However, his honesty, humility and, most importantly, his faith, helped him get back on the right path in fulfilling his God-given goal to glorify the Father. He ultimately managed to do so on some of the biggest rodeo stages across the country and around the world.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5)

4 stars

Suggested Audience

This book will appeal to anyone who enjoys rodeos and cowboys. Its life lessons can be applied to anyone’s life but will be appreciated most by someone who is intrigued by the ways of the rodeo and wild west. Young adult readers will find the lessons stated in the book most useful, for they focus on planning one’s life in appropriate ways.  Nevertheless, anyone can appreciate the compelling journey that Jeremy Sparks relates and the lessons he shares.

Christian Impact

Jeremy is not perfect, and he knows it. However, he is very transparent about his life and therefore can recount, honestly, the life lessons he has learned. He cites a relevant verse from the Bible at the conclusion of every chapter to support and verify the lesson he is presenting.

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