Solomon Summaries

Heather Goodman is an ultra cool writing/blogging buddy who is a voracious reader of all kinds of books. Not only is she down to earth, but she’s spiritually, intellectually and philosophically deep! Deeper than me, that’s for sure, and I’d like to share with you about her and her new ultra cool Solomon Summaries project.

Solomon Summaries is a not only a great idea for people who don’t like to read, but for people who don’t have the time to read, or just can’t wrap their minds around some of the more classical books out there. I admit, I fall into this category and at first I really didn’t see this as a need for myself, but after going to the website I was really impressed. Here’s  a summary of Solomon Summaries:

“Glean the wisdom of Solomon–a simple 20-minute investment each week will enable you to easily gain insight from some of the best Christian thinkers in the world. If you wish you had time to read a book each week (52 a year) then sign up below to learn more today”

I’m thoroughly impressed with the website and summaries offered. In fact, the only thing that could make this better is a podcast of the summaries for people like my hubby who probably would never even read the summaries! (Just and idea Heather and Chris if it’s not already in the works!)

To find out more about Solomon Summaries check out the website, to find out more about the masterminds behind this service keep reading and don’t miss the great offer at the end!

Tell me a little bit about your background and your family.

Chris–I have a strong background as an entrepreneur and business executive along with a passion for ministry and missions. I’ve served on the regional board for Young Life and the steering committee for Come Glorify Jesus a citywide prayer event in Dallas, Texas and currently spend much of my time thinking about the intersection of the Internet and ministry.

Heather–I began reading from the womb. Close to it, at least. When I was three, I memorized my favorite book (Raggedy Ann and Andy’s Please and Thank You book), even knowing when to look at which page. My mom told friends I could read. (She told them the truth after they oohed and ahwed.)

I’m passionate about books, music, art, and theology, particularly when they go together. My undergrad’s in music, and my master’s in theology. I write and teach (and read in between).

What has God been teaching you lately?

God had really been stirring a passion in our hearts to engage people in authentic, relevant, and transformational discussions about Christianity. Our society’s beginning to move to a more post-Christian culture. On the other hand, God in his grace leaves imprints of himself everywhere–in stories, art, business, and especially in the Church. We love talking about how culture intersects with Truth–how it shows Truth, and where it needs to be transformed by Truth.

Through Heather’s writing and speaking, Chris’ work with bible.org, and projects like Solomon Summaries, we have opportunities to help people see the Bible and God as relevant issues from practical everyday decisions about weekly financial and church life to bigger questions like purpose, calling and gifting.

Where are you headed next?

Wherever my imagination takes me–as a nymph in a forest, a dolphin in the ocean, or an artist in Italy (Heather).

Seriously, we’d love to see Solomon Summaries grow and become a platform for engaging wider audiences (translations to other languages, broader topics etc.). Our heart is to encourage people to read more and to see books as gateways to “stand on the shoulders of giants.” We hope these books will spark discussions that will cause us to peer further into our own lives and will give us opportunities for Christian impact in a hurting, lonely world.

What inspired you to begin a business like this? Why did you want to start it?

I (Chris) found a growing chasm between the amount of books I want to absorb and the amount of time available to read them (not so much due to time shrinking, but because there are so many amazing books). In the business world, I had access to executive book summary services for years to glean the latest business wisdom and I dreamed of something similar for Christian books.

I (Heather) am passionate about all things books. I love the idea of raising awareness of what’s out there.

In a culture that has adopted “I’m busy” as a standard response to the question “how are you?”, there seems to be an interesting opportunity to engage people in bite size chunks with the key points from a book on Christian living. Hopefully, this will help readers triage which books they want to look at further. Also, we want to help lay leaders choose good materials and resources for Sunday school classes, small groups, mentoring relationships, and leadership training and help pastors stay in touch with what’s out there and what their congregations are reading.

As you have explained the idea to people, what has been the general reaction?

Reactions have been very positive thus far. For some, the concept is a bit new. But when they finally get it, they get very excited. For others, especially business men and women, they’ve seen the concept before and quickly value the opportunity to glean wisdom from many of the christian nonfiction books they’ve been wanting to read for years like Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Many people have heard of the book. Some have even bought it. But few have actually read it and can share the insight of Lewis with their friends or coworkers.

And pastors seem to appreciate the frustration of not being able to keep up with all the great books out there. Whether it’s for their own understanding or being able to answer questions people ask them about various books, they seem to value the ability to stay current with their limited time budget. Solomon Summaries can also help them decide which books to spend their valuable reading time on.

How do you choose the books that are reviewed?

We primarily choose books that are of interest to our audience–books they would like to know more about, books they are considering buying or books they’ve heard in a conversation and want to have an opinion about. We look at new releases, bestsellers, general Christian living books, and we have a poll on our website to find out what books our readers would like us to summarize.

What is your vision for Solomon Summaries?

Well that is an interesting question. As future-thinking people, we have great interest in seeing Solomon Summaries become a platform for engagement and growth. Based on the initial reaction and how passionately people share the idea with their friends (and we’re hoping people will be very excited and share it with lots of friends), we are in discussion on a number of additional pieces of the puzzle (what Chris calls the blueprint) to offer value to book readers and small group book discussions. We’d also like to get the authors of the books more involved in the discussion. We’ll be paying close attention to subscribers and their interests and ultimately it will grow into what people want and need to help them in their lives.

SPECIAL OFFER:

 Heather and Chris are giving my readers a year’s subscription for $100 (regular price: $120, ~15% discount). Just remember to reference your blog when signing up.

ADDITIONAL INCENTIVE:
Everyone who visits the Solomon Summaries website from this tour will receive a free sample summary.

WORTHWHILE LINKS:
Solomon Summaries website: http://www.solomonsummaries.com

Heather’s Website: http://heatheragoodman.com

List of all participating bloggers: http://blogtourspot.com/solomon-summaries-blog-tour/ss-blog-tour-stops