Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives

Rating:
Summary: A Timely Antidote to What Ails Modern Man
Review: As its subtitle suggests, MARGIN is a holistic treatment of the modern day malady called overload. Written by Richard A. Swenson, M.D., a former practicing physician, the book is the result of more than a decade of professional research and personal experience.

Following several years as an associate professor at a state medical school, Swenson now writes and speaks full-time as an expert on the intersection of faith, health, culture and the future. And his insightful analysis here does not disappoint, as he succeeds brilliantly at bridging the gap between the sacred and the secular, the timeless and the temporal.

Defining margin as the space that exists between people and their personal limits, Swenson suggests it is has largely been squeezed out of our lives and become yet another casualty of the harried and hurried times in which we live. Yet margin must be restored if we are to experience health through contentment, simplicity, balance and rest, he says.

From the opening chapter titled "Marginless Living," Swenson describes the decimation left in the wake of living with chronic overload. From our overstressed teachers and overworked farmers to overburdened pastors and overwhelmed parents, society at large has succumbed to the pressures of progress.

And, according to Swenson, the type of overload we are experiencing is a relatively new phenomenon, exponential in growth and unprecedented in scope. Fueled by the power of technology, living today has accelerated to warp speed, with many people yearning for a rest stop, if not an exit ramp, off the frenetic freeway of life.

"Progress's biggest failure has been its inability to nurture and protect right relationships," writes Swenson. And he suggests that the remedy is a return to a safer and saner lifestyle, one where people are thought of as priorities instead of problems, time is considered an ally rather than an enemy, and material wealth is less about making money than it is about living meaningfully.

While the price of progress can exact a painful toll, through the establishment of healthy limits, such as learning how to say no to over-commitment, Swenson advocates that a renewed emphasis on voluntary simplicity not only enhances one's standard of living, it is fast becoming a necessity for survival.

Swenson's frequent use of statistics, figures and graphs --- especially as he diagnoses the symptom of pain caused by overload --- can itself be somewhat burdensome at times, but it is well worth wading through the material to get to the marrow of his message: the prescription of margin for a prognosis of health.

As proven and prescribed by Dr. Swenson, MARGIN acts as a timely antidote to what ails modern man. And with sales well into six figures since its initial release in 1992, the book has earned its well-deserved place among contemporary Christian classics. Explaining complex change in context is Swenson's calling card, and his cure for it is a cause for celebration. Consider it a house call from heaven with hope and help for the soul.

--- Reviewed by Sean Fowlds

Rating:
Summary: This book teaches you how to live life like Jesus lived.
Review: Margin was one of the best books I have ever read. I have read it three times so far. It teaches you how to live life in a manner that seems to me the way Christ meant for us to live. Most of us are living life the way "the world" says we should. The book, Margin, makes you step back and review your life and reevaluate your priorities. I think it can help people reduce their stress and get much more enjoyment out of life. It teaches a simple life style, and wanting less, not more. If you read these reviews, Dr. Swenson, I just want to say thank you. I am buying two more copies for stressed out friends.

Rating:
Summary: Reduce stress, increase your quality (and enjoyment) of life
Review: Richard Swenson has given us a "how to" book for reducing stress, increasing our quality (and enjoyment) of life by increasing the MARGIN in many areas of life. MARGIN is the difference between the resources we have and those we must have based on commitments we make. For example, financially, if we need $75,000 per year to live and we make $100,000, we have a margin of $25,000. I specifically liked the author's point that 100 years ago most people had much more MARGIN than we have today. Whether it is the MARGIN in our finances or the MARGIN in our time commitments versus how much time we have to give, the smaller the MARGIN the higher the stress and the less productive and satisfied we are as human beings! I also liked the point that Swenson made that MARGIN time can be used for planning, creative thinking and other activities that get lost when we are too busy and stressed out. The author's message is much needed in today's fast paced and hectic world - and, who knows, perhaps more MARGIN (savings, health, etc.) could impact the entire world if more people applied the principles in the book.

Rating:
Summary: Good and Practical Suggestions for Dealing With Life
Review: Swenson's book is an excellent and timely read for the person who wants to learn how to develop more time and space for a fruitful life.

The book's layout is orderly and the text is easily understood - thankfully, Swenson does not attempt to impress the reader with technical jargon and knows how to address his audience. Swenson organizes the book into three main parts: 1) The problem (pain), 2) the prescription (margin), and 3) the prognosis (health).

As mentioned earlier, Swenson describes the problem of pain and the prescription of margin in layman terms. Swenson describes how we can either place undue pressure on ourselves or allow society to dictate the unrealistic expectations we are expected to live up to today. Especially helpful were the prescriptions Swenson prescribes for dealing with today's insane rat race. Particulary compelling were the suggestions for balance, rest, simplicity, and healthy relationships.

All in all, an excellent read. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars was because I believe (in my humble opinion) that the author spent a little too much time describing the problem - he did not get into a comprehensive definition and description of the term "margin" until 1/3 of the way into the book. Despite this minor complaint, I highly recommend this book. The Christian will be encouraged to just rest in the love and acceptance of Jesus while the unbeliever will be encouraged to consider life is more than just career success and busy activities.