God Unplugged: How do you know He's Real?
by Amy Hammond Hagberg
Shippensburg: Destiny Image Publishers, 2006, 447 pp.,

God Unplugged collects the stories of 44 celebrities who share their stories of coming to faith in Jesus Christ. Teens will enjoy reading the inspirational histories of some of their favorite musicians and athletes. The only exception to those categories is Katie Harmon, Miss America 2002.

The generic summary is that the girls struggled with self-esteem and eating disorders, and the guys struggled with ego and lust. That's the quick overview of 90% of the stories, but for teens struggling with similar issues, finding out that someone they admire dealt with the same issues and found peace through God can be encouraging.

Musicians in the book include Jonny Lang, George Huff (American Idol) and members of bands like BarlowGirl, TFK, Pillar, Kutless, Superchic[k], Seventh Day Slumber, Skillet and ZOEGirl. Athletes include Olympic medalists, extreme sports competitors and professionals like Jeremy Affeldt (baseball), Alana Beard (WNBA), Dwight Howard (NBA) and several NFL players, including the "least likely name for a Christian," Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, who grew up with a Muslim father.

Each story is followed by a devotional, so this book could be used as a study guide for youth groups or teens eager to study the Word on their own. Anyone considering it for a church group needs to be aware that a wide range of views are represented, including extreme charismatics who purport to carry on extended conversations with God.

The biggest danger of the book is the "Facing The Giants" syndrome--kids might get the idea that if they just commit to God, they'll end up winning whatever it is they are passionate about. No one wants to buy a book about people who trusted God and finished out of the medals, but the theme of trusting God and making it to the top could cause disillusionment when it doesn't work for someone inspired by these winners. That said, the positives outweigh the negatives, especially if you're aware of the dangers before you read the book.

Note: This book is not for pre-high school teens, due to some frank mention of sexual struggles and topics.

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