The Final Summit: A Quest to Find the One Principle That Will Save Humanity

I was interested in this book because it is historical fiction and is supposed to be a motivational, life-changing read.  Perhaps I expected too much from it because of all the hype I had read over this and Andy Andrews other books.  Perhaps from a secular perspective, it's extraordinary.  From a Christian perspective (and this book is supposed to be a Christian book... I think) it falls short.

For example, there's so much humanism here: "the one principle that will save humanity"?!  I believe God's word... there's one thing that can save humanity and it's not anything we can do in and of ourselves and I don't think it falls in to the category of a "principle."  I do believe we can and should do amazing things with the time on earth that God has given us but this book just seemed off.  It's hard to put my finger on exactly why, but even if I hadn't had that nagging feeling as I read through it, the highly anticipated answer to that question would still have been thoroughly disappointing!  What answer does the author tell us is the one principle that will save humanity?  (Spoiler Alert!) "Do something."  Yes, that's right.  "Do something."  All kinds of people with good intentions have "done something" throughout history who have not benefited humanity.  Let you imagination run wild with that truth for a minute.  People may read this book, take that "do something" to heart, and do something absolutely wrong, as good as their intentions may be.

At the end of the book, there is a short "personal declaration" which is what the main character and the other "travelers" (historical figures throughout time) conclude to be, I guess, the model to live by.  I found it very superficial and empty, something to read and sign off on to give your self-esteem a boost, perhaps.  We do need answers about how to live and we do need principles to live by, but don't go to some empty book about how you can be a "successful" person and "save" humanity... serve God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind to discover how to really live to serve humanity.  Go to God's word, and truly wise men like C.S. Lewis and Albert Mohler, to get much better advice than to just do "something."


Thomas Nelson provided me with this book to facilitate a thoughtful and honest review.