I combined reading this book with viewing a speech Mark Batterson gave for a Summit I was helping run---and though the advice he shares is simple, it is powerful.
Sometimes, the simple lessons we spend teaching our toddlers are the ones we need to relearn in adulthood.
This book is not a rocket science kind of thing---but it IS powerful.
The thank you section spoke to me. I love how Mark says, "• A heartfelt thanks paves the way toward a resilient mindset of gratitude and an expectancy to see God move on your behalf."
I want to be a resilient follow of Christ ---full of grace and expectancy. I'm thankful for this simple, but powerful reminder that Mark put together for us.
There's nothing earth shattering here. But, there is everything earth shattering too.

Interesting and well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. Difficult to follow at times and a little slow. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Please, Sorry, Thanks is the first book I read from Mark Batterson. After hearing an interview about the book I knew I needed to read it and it surpassed my expectations. It talks about the importance, foundation and impact of these 3 amazing words, Please, Sorry and Thanks. It's well rooted in God's Word and It's easy to read. I totally love it. I am looking forward to read it with my family and church community. Highly recommend it for study groups or book clubs.

This had many thought provoking statements and questions. I did have some take aways and great conversation with friends over what I read.

It also had way too many references in my opinion. I was at 76% of the book when it was done and the rest was the footnotes.

I was a little disappointed, I would have liked more Mark’s words and less other people words.

I found this book to be a very good reminder of why manners matter. Mark Batterson provides practical and Biblical reasons for using these 3 words in your everyday life. How it can improve your life, your relationships, and yourself.

The chapters are short and could easily be used as a daily devotional study.

I found a lot to highlight. There were many quotable parts, lots of data and studies to back up Batterson's claims, and stories to drive his points home.

So, please, take the time to read the book for yourself. You won't be sorry that you did. Thanks for considering it!

Batterson’s gift is to make profound theological issues very simple. In this book he has boiled down the essence of life to three words: please, sorry and thanks In a world that has become self centered and contentious, this is a message that needs to be heard. The three words summarize the law: to love the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind and to love your neighbor as yourself. Batterson contends that words are powerful and the expression of sorrow and thankfulness to God is the gateway to salvation. The expression of these words to our fellow man calms discord and leads to unity.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This as always was an excellant book by Mark Batterson. It is a book that is easy to read but the content is definietley challenging. What seems like three simple words have been broken down to enable you to see what other aspects they bring and how it can impact both your life and faith.
I dont want to give any content away but hightly reccomend this.

Thanks to netgalley for the advance copy.

Another great read by Mark Batterson. If you want a book on prayer and Christian living in general - this one is a great one!

In the book Please, Sorry, Thanks, author and pastor Mark Batterson, writes about using these simple words – Please, Sorry, Thanks to change our lives and impact out world. He writes: “Your words are Occam’s razor—simple words can solve seemingly impossible problems. Your words are Archimedes’s lever—small words can make a world of difference.”
Why is our response to others so important? Batterson writes: “Everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about. When someone says something or does something that hurts me, I try to remember that. Hurt people hurt people. That doesn’t excuse bad behavior, but it does put it in perspective. And it helps me respond the same way Jesus did: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."”
This was a great read with lots of challenging thoughts about how we live our lives and about how we treat others around us! I would highly recommend this book. I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

We like to think we’re the good guys, the mature ones. But we still need reminders to return to the basics that we learned as children, to say please, sorry, and thanks.

In the book, Batterson makes a case for changing the world through these three words and the implications they hold. He uses personal stories, scripture, historical and cultural references to talk about the power of please, sorry, and thanks.

“Nothing opens doors like please. Nothing mends fences like sorry. Nothing builds bridges like thanks.“

Batterson sometimes goes a bit too far for me in exclaiming the power of these words. But I agree with his overall goal: we can better our relationships by changing our words.

“Our words don’t just exchange ideas; they exchange energy.”

I appreciate Batterson’s emphasis on humility with each word. For instance, with please, Batterson writes:

“Please is giving someone else the upper hand. It’s a posture of humility. It’s setting aside your preferences. It’s giving someone else the first right of refusal. Please is shaking hands, palm up. The greatest of all, said Jesus, is the servant of all.”

For sorry, Batterson says,

“Few things take more courage than saying sorry! Sorry is a we word. . . . But it has to pass a twofold litmus test: It has to be specific, and it has to be sincere.”

And when we say thanks, Batterson again says to be specific:

“The more nuanced your thanks is, the more powerful it is.”

This isn't my favorite Batterson book (to be nitpicky, I wish he'd use far less exclamation marks), and I think he could have covered the material with fewer words, but it's still worth your time to read.

My thanks to NetGalley + WaterBrook and Multnomah for the review copy of this book.

In his book, Please Sorry Thanks, bestselling author Mark Batterson explains the life-giving and life-changing qualities of these words and the far-reaching implications of choosing to adapt them to our lives and relationships. Breaking down each of these words into three parts of the book, Batterson explores each of them in a way that connects with his readers. We learn in the “Psychology of Please” how our willingness to be polite and humble can open hearts, minds, and even opportunities. Through the “Science of Sorry”, we learn that willingly admitting when you do wrong or expressing compassion for someone who’s struggling can restore broken relationships. In the “Theology of Thanks”, we discover how learning to have a spirit of gratitude and thankfulness can change the way we see the people and world around us. Through all this, we are reminded that choosing to put the power of all three of these common words together can change our hearts and relationships more than we can imagine. Batterson does all of this in his unique style of writing, full of fun and relatable stories and illustrations, that makes you feel you are speaking with a friend. This book is a creative and inspiring approach to common words that we can tend to take for granted. It’s one that every Christian should read.

Words are important, Batterson reminds us. Words have power. Our words reveal our heart. Changing the words we use changes life.

He concentrates on three words.
Please opens doors like nothing else. It's personal and requires humility. Whether we use the word or not is revealing. “How you treat others is a function of how you feel about yourself.” (555/2375)
Sorry mends fences like nothing else. We find out the power of apology, the kind of character it takes, the courage required, forgiveness and the danger of bitterness.
Thanks build bridges like nothing else. We are reminded of the general benefit of an attitude of gratitude, its relationship to worship and believing in God's faithfulness, cultivating a life of giving.

There is good teaching on relationships in general included in each of the sections. Batterson's writing style is informative and inspiring. He is widely read and includes a wealth of examples and evidence for his teaching. It's a good book. I recommend reading it along with then making these words evidence of a way of life.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Having attended National Community Church for going on four years now, I would say this book felt a lot like a greatest hits album.

Each chapter acts as a succinct deep dive into areas of spiritual discipline of gratitude and grace.

There were several gut checks in the book surrounding forgiveness, self-righteousness and gratitude that I appreciated.

Pastor Mark always speaks of keeping a gratitude journal, which I always get down on myself that I haven’t started yet. But like everything else this spiritual journey is personal pursuit, and this book was a good encouragement in this direction.

I’ve read most Mark Batterson books. I audibled this one. Having just finished Chase the Lion, the next Batterson read would have big shoes to fill. I was not disappointed….from if you want to change your life, change your words, I was on board. Stewardship of words is a high calling…tell all the truth but tell it slant…speak kind words and you will hear kind echos…your sorry is only as powerful as your motives are pure…abracadabra as I speak I shall create, the tongue said Solomon has the power of life and death….much more, Thanks!!

Mark Batterson writes about good topics (the power of properly using please, sorry, and thanks) with practical applications, but all in all, the information was very similar to other books that he has written. It felt disjointed, a little chaotic, and didn't flow very well (this could have been due to the ARC copy that I read).

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Title: Please, Sorry, Thanks
Author: Mark Batterson
Genre: Christian
Rating: 5 out of 5

The best predictor of success in life, in love, and in leadership is your proficiency at please, sorry, and thanks. Those three words are the foundation of all healthy relationships and successful careers. Those three words are the only ceiling on achieving your dreams. Those three words will determine how happy you are.

With his trademark blend of personal stories, scientific and historical references, and biblical insight, Pastor Mark Batterson shows how you can change your world with your words:

- A timely please can help you unlock the rule of reciprocity for greater results, discover the power of "we is greater than me," and honor others above yourself.
- A sincere sorry can lead you to mend broken relationships, strengthen connections through being radically vulnerable, and better understand the degrees of forgiveness.
- A heartfelt thanks paves the way toward a resilient mindset of gratitude and an expectancy to see God move on your behalf.

Whether you're launching out into a new phase of life or navigating long-established complexities, it's time to harness the power of those three transformative words and let them propel you wherever God leads you to go.

I loved this! The concept is simple: use please, sorry, and thanks frequently—words we all learn as toddlers—to make our relationships and interactions with others more positive and uplifting. Period. As I read, I thought about how seemingly little things in my own life made such a huge difference to me—even something as simple as the older gentleman sitting in front of me at church telling me, with a smile, “It’s so nice to hear someone enjoy singing so much.” My singing is, at best, indifferent, but that compliment made me smile. It took two seconds of his time, but it brightened my day. How many times every single day do I have that same opportunity to show love to other people with three simple words?

Mark Batterson is a bestselling author and lead pastor of National Community Church. Please, Sorry, Thanks is his newest book.

(Galley courtesy of WaterBrook & Multnomah in exchange for an honest review.)

I love Batterson’s transparency. (Previously I’ve read and loved DRAW THE CIRCLE, and WIN THE DAY.) He shares personal stories and solid teaching in a relatable way. Each of the important words has the potential to change hearts and restore relationships.
Batterson writes with warmth, humor and humility. Yet this book isn’t an “easy” read. I was challenged and convicted by the idea that a simple word of apology or gratitude could have a profound impact on someone else. A few quotes I especially loved:“Nothing opens doors like please. Nothing mends fences like sorry. Nothing builds bridges like thanks.”

“The best predictor of success in life, in love, and in leadership is your proficiency at please, sorry, and thanks.”

“Legacy is not what you accomplish. Legacy is what others accomplish because of you.”

Overall, I loved this book and I highly recommend it!

I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley, from the publisher, but that did not induce me to review it, favorably or not.

My review is in goodreads site. I wrote the review several days ago and put it into that site. Please go there.

Please, Sorry, Thanks: The Three Words That Change Everything
Mark Batterson
4 Stars Out Of 5
The Three Words that Change Everything Please Sorry Thanks
March 5, 2023
I really enjoyed this new book! I learned many ways these three words, please, sorry, and thanks changes everything in the pathway of life! Additionally, I learned about the human body's sound waves and how one says these word in tone affects the hearer. Also, I learned about many people's stories, and places unknown to me. Lastly, as a Christian Biblical Counselor the book gives additional keys to implement in one's life, as it is informative, in sound Biblical truth and principles. This is a very good read which will impact your daily life to open doors, mend fences, and build bridges, positively impacting all your relationships for God's glory

I probably read one book per month on average. I'm so glad I chose to read this one. Mark has a way of writing the way friends talk to each other over coffee. Simple and practical ways to live better, be better friends and ultimately do everything better. Please sorry thanks has been a great reminder to treat people the way I'd like to be treated and pay it forward in practical ways. I look forward to reading this again and learning even more.