The folks at WTS Books got so excited about the content of Tim Keller’s latest book, King’s Cross: The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus, that they decided to sell the first copy for each customer at a 60% off of the retail price. Additional copies after that will be at 45% off. The extra discount ends February 28.
The hardcover retails for $25.95, so this means you can get the first copy for $10.38, and copies after that for $14.27. The sale happens automatically when you add the books to the cart.
A few observations about the book itself:
(1) Conventional wisdom suggests that an author pick a specific target audience. Aiming at too many types of readers simultaneously usually ensures an unfocused book. Keller somehow manages to pull off a book that could be read profitably by both pastors and new believers—and even unbelievers might want to listen in and to consider the life of Jesus. It’s unique in that regard.
(2) This book began as an expository sermon series on the Gospel according to Mark, and it makes a nice transition from the original oral form of delivery. It does not read like a transcript. At the same time, it has some of the connectivity and intimacy of a spoken address. This isn’t easy to describe—much less pull off—but Keller and his team have done it well.
(3) More than his other books, this one helps to establish (in my mind at least) the connection between Keller and C. S. Lewis. It wouldn’t be fair (or true) to say that Tim Keller is the 21 century’s C. S. Lewis. Keller is better in many ways; Lewis in others. But both men cannot help but use illustrations in a compelling, illuminating, creative, faithful way. Both men are always very fine students of the “existential perspective” (to use John Frame’s terminology). They are not only students of the Word but students of the world. They think deeply about what makes people tick and how to speak truth into lives of hopeless despair.
Those are a few thoughts—none of which really get at the content of the book per se. But I’m happy to recommend this latest book from Keller’s keyboard. I think it will help a lot of people not only understand the book of Mark, but more importantly the Jesus behind it and in it.
For some excerpts, see my previous posts: