Book Review: Branded

Branded: Sharing Jesus with a Consumer Culture, by Tim Sinclair discusses various ways of sharing Jesus with today’s modern society.  On page ten, Sinclair wrote, “I'm convinced that when it comes to showing and sharing Jesus to and with the world around us, it's critical that we recognize our own unique situations, talents, abilities—and then efficiently use them to reach people within our individual spheres of influence."

This well-written and intriguing book is a quick read (with less than 150 pages), yet it’s packed with information that it’s ultimately based on Christian values.  There are examples from the author’s own life, as well as various marketing and media sources.

Sinclair shared in the preface, on page ten, "Other than the boundaries and guidelines provided by the Bible, nothing else should create a game plan for us because there is no right way for everybody....  So I'm not going to give you one.  I'll set the backdrop, and let you take it from there."

The thirteen chapters are titled as the following:  

• Caught Off Guard: Why Branded Was Written 
• Putting Lipstick on a Pig: What Branding Jesus Is (and Isn't) 
• Playing Monopoly by Yourself: What Branding Jesus Is Up Against 
• I Wanted a Honda: How Branding Jesus Was 
• The Culture Club: Why Branding Jesus Is Difficult 
• The Product Isn't the Problem: Where Branding Jesus Has Gone Wrong 
• Spiritual Cereality: Why Branding Jesus Is Necessary 
• Death of a Salesman: Effectively Advertising Jesus 
• Sweet Emotion: Honestly Sharing Jesus 
• White Headphones: Passionately Following Jesus 
• Not Every Artist Wears a Funny Hat: Relevantly Showing Jesus 
• Just Do It: Successfully Representing Jesus 
• What If? Radical Ways to Re-market Jesus

This book also includes these sections: Introduction: Pretending or Living?, Conclusion: The End of the Beginning, and Discussion Questions.  In the Discussion Questions section, there are scripture verses to “read or reference” and five questions to ponder for each chapter.

Branded is ideal for people involved and/or interested in marketing, yet still readable for all (from teenagers to older generations) who want to share their faith with today’s consumer culture.  However, this book is geared more towards Americans, due to the various references throughout Branded.

Giveaway:  To celebrate the release of this book, Kregel Publications is hosting a giveaway!  Enter to win a $50 Amazon.com prize.  To enter this giveaway, simply tweet or facebook about Branded.  If you tweet, then your entry will be noted when you use @litfuse.  If you facebook, then simply send an email to info@litfusegroup.com.  Ideas of what to post are listed below.

Twitter: I just read a book review about Branded by @timjsinclair.  For more details, visit @litfuse blog: http://ow.ly/566elr.

Facebook: I just read a book review about Branded, by Tim Sinclair.  For more details, visit Litfuse’s blog: http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13338985

My blog post is a part of a blog tour, hosted by Litfuse Publicity Group.  To view the rest of the blog tour, please click HERE.

Please note: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity, which has a program designed for book reviews by bloggers.  The opinions that I have expressed in this review are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review.  For more details about the Litfuse Publicity, please view their websites: http://litfusegroup.com/.