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I share the enthusiasm of other reviewers for the life, work, and music of Rich Mullins. However, I don't share the enthusiasm for this book.

The author, a trusted personal friend of Mullins, has done a fine job with the research, sifting through Mullins' private and published writings and collecting quotes from a broad range of individuals connected with him. He's extremely respectful to Mullins and the people in his life, refraining from saying anything negative about anyone. He clearly states in the introduction that this is a "devotional biography," intended to impart more about the theology of Rich Mullins than about the details of his life.

This is all good in theory, but I found the book a chore to trudge through. The author has a bad habit of overexplaining all things theological, even to the point of paraphrasing Mullins' words immediately after quoting them. The thing is, Mullins wasn't speaking in arcane terms requiring translation; he used the plainest of plain English. Mullins' life was an exceptional example of simplicity in action. His biography could have benefited from the application of the same principle. A good editor could've really made this book shine, but the publisher failed in this and other respects. (If you're a person who cares about things like graphic design and typeface choices, get ready to cringe a lot when you pick up this book.)

Despite its limitations, this is the only authorized biography of Mullins we are likely to get - and his life and faith are well worth knowing about. The book contains a fair amount of info that even his more loyal fans aren't likely to know, as well as a couple of his writings not published elsewhere. In the afterword, Mullins' brother speaks of the many who "have been touched and brought closer to God by this book," and at least one other LT reviewer says it's changed their life. Thanks be to God, who uses flawed people and flawed books for divine purposes. ( )

It was during my honeymoon that Rich Mullins died. I was driving up I-95 from Florida while Rich was driving southbound on I-35 toward Wichita. A random car accident ended the life of a gifted songwriter and unique follower of Jesus.

Rich was different that most people. Like the prophets, his vision was so consumed with the kingdom of God, he lived an odd life significantly out-of-joint with the principalities and powers of this world. A good example of this is when Amy Grant's people contacted his people to buy the recording rights to his first big hit, "Sing Your Praise to the Lord". He agreed right away, not realizing that he would be paid for this—the money didn't factor in his decision.

In this "Devotional Biography," James Bryan Smith gives us a close picture of Rich's life that challenges readers to reevaluate our own lives. Rich Mullins was far from perfect—a point he made often, confessing his own sins openly and (at times) uncomfortably. Far from disqualifying him, this humility and openness is refreshing in an age of carefully-crafted Facebook selfies.

Rich was, truly, An Arrow Pointing to Heaven. We would do well to consider his life, then look up. ( )

If you like Rich Mullins this book is for you. His music is uplifting and heard all over the world in many churches. This book lets us see the man behind the music. ( )

I loved this book. Rich Mullins is a bit of a hero to me. Not only because of the songs he wrote and sang but because of the way he lived his life. This book showed me more about his life and soul. ( )