Piper set the stage with an introduction connecting the three men together in history, spiritually, and theologically. As usual, his words are salted with spiritual wisdom and worth meditation. From the life of John Newton, Piper explored “habitual tenderness” and what it means to have “a tender heart and a theological backbone of steel.”

The biography of Charles Simeon is one of my favorite from the series so far. For the first twelve years of his service at Trinity Church his congregation resisted and rebelled against him, and yet he remained there for fifty-four years! And as many now know due to the recent movie, "Amazing Grace," William Wilberforce also maintained his service through many years, though for him it was in Parliament fighting slavery. Piper told the stories of these men’s inspiring lives along with great academic footnotes and insightful practical application.

Unlike the other books in this series, I thought the concluding thoughts to The Roots of Endurance were a bit shallow (compared to Piper’s other reflections) and perhaps rushed. However, the book stands well enough on its own without the conclusion and I would recommending reading it if only for the biography of Charles Simeon.

Horton begins by relating the tragic story of his parents’s deaths, setting the stage for the reality of sorrow we face in our lives. The book moves from suffering to biblical truths using autobiographical stories to bring to life the theological explanations of reality. Drawing from many passages of scripture and insightful theologians throughout Christian history, Horton offers explanations of the complex nature of the world we live in and points to the finished work of Christ on the cross as our true hope and joy for this life.

Michael Horton is a well established theologian with many academic works under his belt. Since I was only familiar with his academic work, I was somewhat surprised to find how well he wrote about his personal life in such a tender and insightful manner. Passages such as the following resonated with me and aided my perspective of God’s work in my life: “Even in my prayers, I can all too often identify with the hymn writer’s words, ‘Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.’ In moments of peak piety, I am still a struggling believer; and in moments of great transgression, I am still baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection and thus a citizen of the new creation that has dawned with Christ’s victory over sin and death and his sending of the Spirit.” (p 146)

The result is an excellent book full of biblical wisdom and deep theology made practical for real life. I believe Too Good to Be True will be even more helpful for me when I return to it as trials occur in life, and I commend it to others as a faithful illumination of how Christians should deal with sin and suffering in their lives.