'Stuff Christians Like' Blogger Jon Acuff's 'Do Over' Features More Career Wisdom, Same Familiar Wit [BOOK REVIEW]

do over book cover

It's not often that a writer will publish a book that's a fresh take on their own material. NYT-bestselling author Jon Acuff revisits his favorite theme of finding one's path to their dream career - this time with rock-solid advice, a doable, down-to-earth approach, and more than a few laugh-out-loud moments.

Acuff first came to the attention of Christian audiences with his popular blog, "Stuff Christians Like," which later became a book of the same name. Since then, Acuff's target audience has evolved slowly from decidedly Christian in Stuff Christians Like, to a more inspirational/self-help target niche with his career advice books Quitter and Start. Do Over is his first book not published by a Christian publishing house.

Acuff was somewhat of an early-adopter of social media platform building, he has amassed a massive following of readers through his use of Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. His online fans also function as focus groups and beta testers for his material and ideas. All members of the "Dreamers and Builders" Facebook group are mentioned and thanked by name in the acknowledgments in the back of the book. It's the special, intuitive touches like these that make Acuff so successful at connecting with his readers.

While both Quitter and Start offered hope to those that were stuck and starving, career-wise, the advice offered in those books was at times more theoretical than concrete. Not so in Do Over.  

With a sense of humility, honesty and, of course, his trademark hilarity, Acuff is able to reach a special place with his writing that makes readers feel like they actually can change their lives with the information and tools he is providing. It helps, too, that Jon has all kinds of personal experience to flesh out his narrative.

Acuff, who has worked as a writer for everyone from the Home Depot to Dave Ramsey, now presents us with his most practical offering by focusing throughout the book on what he calls the Career Savings Account. The Career Savings Account pools together an individual's unique set of skills, relationships and character traits and multiplies them by hard work. With Acuff as their personal cheerleader, readers are led through a gamut of exercises to rediscover what they're good at and mine the depths of their own potential.

Claiming it's a book that he "needed to write," Christian audiences will appreciate Acuff's focus on building one's character and investing in relationships. The very idea of the Career Savings Account incorporates the Biblical principles of the golden rule and looking to conquer and contain yourself before placing blame or ill-will upon others.

Through step-by-step visualization activities, quirky and memorable illustration charts, end-of-chapter takeaways, and hilarious anecdotes, Do Over is a stand-out in its genre that will give readers access to "up-leveled" careers.

For more information, visit Jon Acuff's website here.