The Fourth Fisherman - A Book Review

I was very excited to receive a hard cover copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah to review!  There is something wonderful about opening a brand new hard cover book that is just wonderful, don't you think?  On to the review - although I received a free book in exchange for my review, all opinions are mine.

I feel torn about this book.  The story of three Mexican fisherman who were lost in the Pacific Ocean for over nine months without any supplies, kept me on the edge of my seat to find out their survival story.  On the other hand, although, Joe Kissack's story of his coming to know the Lord and how he found this story was interesting, I found the two stories to not align very well.

I found it hard to compare the story of three men's survival and faith in God during a lost at sea story to one man's (Joe Kissack) personal endeavor to overcome his own self-induced addictions and loss in society.  To me, selfish life decisions on the author's part minimize the powerful story of survival and faith of these three Mexican Fisherman.  I wanted to know more details about the three fishermen's struggles and faith, a more deeper and intimate look at their struggles for that nine months of being stranded without food, water, or communication.  I wanted to feel their pain and know the actual biblical journey that got them through.

This book is not written with the most developed sentences and structure, so I found the entire story to be too simply written and not stimulating intellectually to read.  That all being said, I don't discount this book as a good read for those that are looking for a quick and easy read, yet motivating and  faith-filled. I rushed through my reading of this book, so that I could pass it on to Mr. Right immediately, because I knew that he would enjoy this story and find it a rewarding read.

I think this book could definitely be a great tool to help people come to know a deeper faith in God.  It would be excellent for the person that doesn't like to read or for the addict looking for motivation to turn to God during the hard times in life.  I highly encourage Christians to read this book and prayerfully pass it on to those who may need spiritual encouragement.