Scary Close. Donald Miller. 226 pgs. Nelson Books.

Matt Trotman

Business Administration, Spring ’18

28 October 2017

Scary Close was the best book that I read this past summer, and I hope you all get the chance to read it too! In this book, Donald Miller gets to the heart of his deepest insecurities and its effects on the relationships in his life. He explains why people do certain things in relationships, and how they are a result of our insecurities.

A phrase that you will see throughout the book is “You are good at relationships.” This is a phrase that Donald Miller uses each day to reassure himself and give himself confidence over the fears of growing close to people. He takes you on a journey through his life, highlighting his mistakes and flaws. In the process, you learn about his marriage and learn how to be comfortable being uncomfortable. Throughout the book, he tells many stories about his life and his wife. The book is focused on helping people grow in all kinds of relationships such as dating, marriage, friendships, etc. Scary Close teaches you how to be vulnerable and shows you the positive effect that vulnerability has on your relationships. The book teaches you that relationships are messy, hard, and challenging, but they are so rewarding when you grow close to people that you love. This book makes you think about your insecurities, but it will also help you learn and grow past them. Letting people into our lives is a difficult thing, but Donald Miller illustrates his struggles and helps the reader grow along the way. This book will make you think in a truly amazing way, and change the way that you look at relationships.

Donald Miller did a great job of helping the readers where they are. Everyone has social insecurities, and Donald does a great job of helping the reader connect to the text. One thing that he could’ve improved on was making connections to all types of relationships. It is clear that this book has a focus on dating and marriage.  This book portrays some truths that are universal in any type of relationship, but all in all, Donald could have done better at connecting with readers who are not dating or married.

Once you read this book, you won’t be able to put it down. This is a very easy read, and you will feel connected from the first page on. I read about 6 chapters while on a two-hour flight this summer, and I am a person that reads at a very slow rate. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially those who are looking to be stretched and grow in your social relationships. Thank you for reading this, and I hope that you enjoy this book as much as I did!