This is the first work of Billy Graham I have read. I enjoyed the book, it was easy to ready and it made you think as you read his words. A very nice book and enjoyable. I recommend it.

Billy Graham must be one of the most famous Christians today and perhaps that might cause some people to buy this book - to read what the man who has spoken to more people on earth than anyone else has to say. I hope these people DO buy the book, as I'm not sure who else will - I have found it difficult to work out the target market for the book.

The physical book was slightly disappointing as the pages were roughly cut and the font used for emphases was a strange, ungainly-looking italic. The front cover is plain but the rear cover has a photograph of Billy Graham - a very widely-known face that no doubt my fellow train passengers recognised. The occasional name-dropping in the book (John F Kennedy, for example) reminds you that Billy Graham really has met the great and the good, and yet he comes across as a very humble and godly man, aware of his own failures and shortcomings. I was impressed.

This work is Billy Graham's explanation of why you should become a Christian, how to live the Christian life and how to look forward to heaven. It's written with all the experience and wisdom of an 87 year old Christian who has travelled widely and communicated with people from all walks of life - and this comes through very well. The book is peppered with quotes from people who have written to him where they share their lives, thoughts, difficulties, and it's a real strength in the book that he can illustrate all his points not only with the Bible but with `real life'. His family, particularly his wife Ruth, also are mentioned many times in order to reinforce what he is saying, and it lends the book an intimate and friendly feel.

It's a very easy read - the sentences are short, no complex subclauses, each page has several mini-headings so you can keep track of his arguments - and yet it is packed full of real meaty stuff. In some ways it reads as if designed for speaking, as a sermon, and this is one of its strengths as he lays out his argument clearly and precisely. The "prayer of commitment" occurs on page 52 of this 312 page book and the remainder of the book is about our lives as Christians - how we can be sure of our conversion, remain faithful, live godly lives and accept our responsibilities as believers. Billy Graham steers clear of all controversial topics, speaking in generalities about Christian ethics and behaviours, which made the book a less frustrating read than some which hold firmly to a particular viewpoint to which many Christians may not adhere.

The underlying message of this book is that prayer and Bible study are the foundation for the Christian life and the way in which we will grow, mature and learn to know God better. His advice is always to pray more, to read the Bible, and this cannot be faulted.

For me, it was a real pleasure to read a book that reminded me once again why I became a Christian - and also recalled to memory the many ways in which we all fail as Christians along the road in terms of our behaviour to others, to ourselves and to God, and offered advice in avoiding some of these pitfalls. I liked the fact that Billy Graham said there were many things which he did not know and understand about God, about the world, about suffering - he made the journey towards understanding worthwhile. This is no American self-help book with ten magic bullet points to becoming a proper Christian - it's a book which doesn't downplay the difficulties, frustrations and questions that Christians may have, but also gives hope for the future and the confidence that it is all worth it.