The premise of the book is great and the author really delivers. Great read. Highly recommended. .

Great exceptionally practical book. Covers major challenges that we all face in an honest but gracefilled way. The author uses lots of personal examples that help the reader get a clear picture of what’s being said. Readers can come away from the book with step by step things they can do to overcome these challenges. The book is motivating and inspiring.
I received a copy from netgalley. I was in no way required to write a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

Carey Nieuwhof's "Didn't See It Coming" is a captivating read from the first few lines. The book lines us up, toe-to-toe, with some of the greatest fears we face in modern life, then helps us navigate the battle.

Didn't see it coming is a book that opens up to the reality of areas of our lives that we often don't think about and address until it becomes a major issue in our lives. This is a great book to keep handy to continuous reflect upon. The areas that are covered are always going to be areas we will struggle with and handle

We don't like being blindsided. We hate it especially when we miss the signs that appear so clearly, yet we miss it so dearly. Managers miss seeing disgruntled employees. Couples miss the signs of a troubled marriage. Young people miss out on the opportunities for change. Worse, some ignore the warning signs even when they are glaring right at them. When we didn't see it coming, we are left wondering why we miss the proverbial forest for the trees. The key questions in this book are: "Could they have seen it coming? Can you?" According to author and pastor Carey Nieuwhof, we have ample symptoms and warning signs. What we need is attentive listening and discernment. While writing from a Christian perspective, the author makes this book readable from non-Christian perspectives without being "preachy." Thus, all the "seven greatest challenges" are generic and could be appreciated from a human standpoint. Each challenge has two chapters allotted. The initial chapter tells us why we need to take the challenge seriously. This is followed by a constructive response to show us how to do something about it.


The first challenge is cynicism. It snuffs out hope. It squashes our ideals and dreams. It spreads negativity to the heart and dampens the soul of people around us. If we are not careful, we allow such cynicism to harden and we lose perspective. Unless we are prepared to defeat this inner cynicism with hope. We learn about hope that is anchored in Christ, as well as the five keys we can adopt to be curious and hopeful.

The second is compromise. Underlying the pursuit of success is the needed foundation of character and integrity. In our world, we have oversold the importance of success that we compromise on the virtues of what it means to be human. Our potential is achieved not according to our abilities or capabilities. It is achieved via integrity, character that leaves a lasting legacy.

The third is disconnection. In spite of all the advanced technologies around us, we are increasingly lonely. Being connected digitally does not necessarily mean establishing real understanding. Nieuwhof points out that technology is not the issue. It merely exposes the underlying issues all along faster and clearer. Until we learn to deal with our tendency to give "excuses, reasons, explanations, and justifications" for our own sense of self-righteousness, we will remain disconnected from people.

The fourth is irrelevance. Using the metaphor of people refusing to change their furniture over time, Nieuwhof notes how our lack of updating our perspectives will cost us, especially when our obstinacy spreads to the way we think, talk, and do. He defines "irrelevance" as the gap between how rapidly we change vs how rapidly things change. The solution is to keep learning, be humble, and learn to evolve with changing times. If not, we will hit the path of regret.

The fifth is pride, an age-old problem through history. Pride gnaws at us and leaves behind a huge mess. Insecurity drives our prideful behaviour. Pride hardens our hearts. We suffer from wanting to be superior to others; judgmental of others; refusal to be accountable; and feeling increasingly isolated. The key is humility.

The sixth is burnout. Often we get so focused on achieving things that we put ourselves constantly on overdrive. We move from one target to another. We become without ourselves knowing it. Sometimes, we may know it but blatantly ignore the signs. Until we are drained, desolate, and depressed. The way to recovery is to pace ourselves through gratitude for what we have and to find true rest.

The seventh is emptiness. The sad thing in many of our lives is that we readily jump on the bandwagon of pursuing money, fame, success, and power. Thinking that we will be fulfilled, the irony is that it leaves us feeling even more empty. Success may thrill us for a while, but when the world dangles a higher challenge, we lose our sense of self and are off running toward another elusive dream. We need to fight the tendency to ask "What's in It for Me?" and to replace it with "What's in it for the Kingdom of God?" The key to a fulfilling life is one of gratitude, giving, and sacrifice.

My Thoughts
I must say that this book is a wake-up call for those of us who have experienced one or more of the above. Warning signs are there to prevent us from danger or fatal collapse. We ignore them at our own risk and peril. Curiously, the way the seven challenges are arranged gives us a clue from the obvious to the not so obvious. Cynicism is something that we can all identify with. With the massive amount of information we have nowadays, we can all try to be our own doctors, lawyers, engineers, and teachers. By downloading the knowledge from the Internet, we become cynical of things that do not match our expectations. We wear the hat of "Been There; Done That; Nothing Thrills; What's Next" attitude. The last category of "emptiness" is something we all feel but often relegated to the lowest rung until we feel it up close and personal. In fact, the first four challenges involves how we interact with external matters while the last three deals with things more internal to us. This gradual progression I believe is intentional. If we were to invert the whole list and begin with "emptiness," I doubt the book would be that effective because people identify more with cynicism than emptiness. Only after dealing with the external and more obvious factors are we more familiar with the author's prescription. Only then would readers be more open and accepting of the points given.

There are many practical tips in the chapters. Tips to help us identify the symptoms. Tips to aid us in battling the challenge. Tips that are clearly numbered to help us put into action needed treatment. At the end of the day, this book is about knowing ourselves, our strengths and weaknesses, and the need for self-awareness. The challenges are not only there to force us to adapt. They are there to increase our self-awareness and self-knowledge, that we may take the relevant steps to be ready for a brave new world.

Carey Nieuwhof is a trained lawyer and founding pastor of Connexus Church. He blogs at www.CareyNieuwhof.com which has been read by millions.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Waterbrook & Multnomah Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

This book was a timeous addition to my bookshelf. I was just taking time to stop & reassess my life asking God for my next steps. Being self-aware knowing God is my strength, this book has helped me as I navigate through a dark challenge knowing even in my darkest moments He is still God and always faithful. It was encouraging to be reminded he is in the process so that I can live in the promises he has for me.

This is a good book. The author makes some very good points in this book and he is so right, we Didn't See It Coming! This is a book for everyone. Thank you WaterBrook via NetGalley for the free copy of this book. This is my honest opinion of this book.

In the book Didn't See It Coming, author Carey Nieuwhof, takes us on a journey to overcome some of life’s most crippling challenges: cynicism, compromise, disconnectedness, irrelevance, pride, burnout, emptiness. Nieuwhof writes: “Of all the lies we tell, the lies we tell ourselves are the deadliest. One of the best things you can do to overcome your hypocrisy is to humble your talk and accelerate your walk.”
This is a good book. It felt more like a compilation of Nieuwhof’s blog posts than a flowing book. But he gives some good insight and advice. I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have been living my vocation as a Catholic Priest for 43 years and have read numerous books in the course of my on-going efforts to be current and authentic. I'm not sure however that I've ever read a book that I found so easy to read in style but at the same time so challenging to read. In Didn't See it Coming, the author, Carey Nieuwhof, has quite simply been able to find the challenges, share the experiences and present some steps we can take to overcome some very significant barriers to good leadership and healthy living.
If you want to understand some of the issues that can quite literally creep up on you and be given insights into how to avoid them or, at least, mitigate their impact in your life, then reading this book will be one of the best things you can do for your health and your leadership.

I am convinced that Carey Nieuwhof's new book is going to be revolutionary for leaders who read it. As I read through the review copy provided to me by #netgalley, I couldn't stop highlighting and taking notes.

For those unfamiliar with Carey, he is a Canadian pastor, podcaster and leadership guru. I have followed his work for the past two years regularly - listening to his podcast, reading to his blog and gleaning a lot of information surrounding leadership.

His book takes that training to the next level. In this book, Carey presents 7 challenges common to leaders that we often "don't see coming." In each section, he explains the issue, gives some warning signs, and then gives some incredibly practical tools to meet those challenges head-on. Carey's insights are simple but also incredibly deep and convicting. His sections - particularly on cynicism and pride - hit home for me.

I also deeply appreciated the fact that Carey shared so much personal insight. Many leaders write books on these topics with principles from leadership, psychology and the Bible. Carey does that - but also includes his own personal stories and anecdotes. His vulnerability is what truly makes this book impactful.

I have been talking about this book to so many leaders and friends! I will be recommending it to any and everyone in leadership!

A fan of leadership podcasts, Carey Nieuwhof has always been a favorite ranking up there with my favorite Andy Stanley. As a 40 something working wife and mother with a role in organizational leadership, the title alone caught my attention. This is a must read for the reader struggling to pace their race and always looking to the next thing.

"Didn't See It Coming: Overcoming the Seven Greatest Challenges That No One Expects and Everyone Experiences" provides a depth of wisdom and insight that can only be born from experience and for that reason it reads with a voice of relatable authenticity.

For many leaders the challenge is not about showing up every day, but rather the toll of the daily grind and how it eats at different aspects of our soul. Often the decay is a gradual one, unidentifiable at first by ourselves or those closest to us. Eventually though, the damage becomes apparent.

In "Didn't See It Coming", Nieuwhof works to reach the reader, to grab our attention and point out the warning signs before we've become a victim of our own doing. This is a book to be read more than once - it's the book you loan out, it's the book you gift to others who just don't see it coming.

I hadn't heard of this author before but I'm so glad I discovered him, this book is great with lots of relatable personal experiences. I've now tracked down his podcast and can't wait to read more!

I've followed Carey Nieuwhof for sometime now, am a regular reader of his blog and listener to his podcast and have had opportunity to hear him at conferences.  I have read 2 of his previous releases and was very excited for the opportunity to review his newest book due out in September.

What I wasn't ready for (not a play on the title) was how much I could relate to much of the content within the book.  Whether at current or having lived through it, Carey is dead on to state that you don't see these issues coming.  Perhaps it's cynicism or burnout, often they slip in to part of your daily life and you may miss the signs.

I love the honesty Carey uses and his implementation of personal stories backs up the need for pastors of all ages to be on watch for these 7 struggles (issues) and not believe it won't happen to you.  Further Carey uses scripture in proper context and not to prove a point, which is missing in some modern writings.

Even if by chance you never face all 7 issues, you will face at least one.  I would say all pastors (leaders really) should get a hold of this book to help you not only watch for the issues, but avoid them as well.  Honestly I can't stress it enough, this conversation is so important in church leadership and not many are having it.  Do yourself a favour and be ready, the wisdom here can also be applicable with friends who are walking through the hard moments outlined within.

*I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  These are my personal thoughts.

This book is brilliant. Covering seven of life’s challenges – cynicism, compromise, disconnection, irrelevance, pride, burnout and emptiness – Carey Nieuwhof writes in a warm, engaging style while pulling no punches.

Be warned – this book might cut close to the bone. I found a couple of the chapters quite unnerving. Carey offers sound insights as he addresses the challenges, mixing principles with engaging stories and suggestions. He writes in a way that is practical and grounded.

A few of my favourites:
“Most cynics are former optimists.”
“Knowledge often brings sorrow because the more you know, the more you see life for what it really is.”
“You project past failures on to new situations.”
“When you close your heart to people, you close your heart to God.”
“Pride is in many ways, the master sin.”
“Perhaps the most disturbing part of my burnout was the loss of hope.”
“Figuring out how to live today, so you will thrive tomorrow.”

I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of thirty, and to those who are younger and hope to learn before they make their mistakes.