To Read, Perchance to Dream: Book Review: The Final Summit by Andy Andrews

David Ponder is back--and this time, the fate of mankind may be in his hands.

This is humanity's last chance. Centuries of greed, pride, and hate have sent mankind hurtling toward disaster, and far from its original purpose. There is only one solution that can reset the compass and right the ship--and that answer is only two words.

With time running out, it is up to David Ponder and a cast of history's best and brightest minds to uncover this solution before it is too late. The catch? They are allowed only five tries to solve the ominous challenge.

Readers first encountered David Ponder in the New York Times bestseller "The Traveler's Gift." Now, in "The Final Summit," Andrews combines a riveting narrative with astounding history in order to show us the one thing we must do when we don't know what to do.

The Final Summit by Andy Andrews is the second book about David Ponder, a "Traveler." He is introduced in The Traveler's Gift where he must travel through time to find the 7 secrets of success, but each book stands on its own in a complete novel. In The Final Summit, we find David Ponder, a successful businessman, who is well loved by colleagues and employees alike, mourning for his wife. He is now 74 years old and feels his life is over. The Archangel Gabriel appears to him and tells David he must attend a grand meeting of all the Travelers because humanity's survival is at stake. They must find a two word answer that an individual or humanity as a whole can do to save the human race, as God is thinking of starting over - a la Noah and the Ark.

I enjoyed reading this book. The other Travelers who join David Ponder in this meeting are big names from history. Andy Andrews manages to blend them well into the storyline, giving a brief synopsis of each Traveler and their contributions to the world. He tempers the tense overtones of the meeting (after all, they are trying to save the human race) with tidbits of humor, especially through Winston Churchill trying to get the best of Archangel Gabriel.

This book just made me feel good as I was reading it. The principals put forth as the answer are all things we should incorporate into our lives in order to make ourselves better people. But, you never feel like you're being preached at. I was a little let down at the final answer. Perhaps I was expecting something a little grander, more God-like. Yet sometimes, it's the little things that make the most impact.

I would recommend this novel whether you're a Christian or not. It's a light read, I finished in two hours. You can be entertained and learn things about your self as you go. Who doesn't need to do that?

*Disclaimer: This book was provided as a free advanced reading copy to me from the publisher through BookSneeze. I was not required to write a positive review.