Book Review: 7

Jen Hatmaker

Sub Title: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess 

Publisher:  B&H Publishing Group 

Pages: 224 

List Price: $14.99 

Pub Date:  January 01, 2012 

ISBN:  9781433672965

The book, 7, tells of the author and family’s decision to abstain from seven areas of excess in their lives; food, clothes, possessions, media, waste, spending, and stress. Each month the family decided to do with less of that item. I found the month concerned with possessions especially interesting. Family took possessions and gave them away—no change of mind later, saying, “I need that back now.” 

 This entertaining book is coffee with your funniest friend. The worst thing I can say about someone is that he/she has no sense of humor. This book fulfilled my humor quotient. 

It starts with fear as the author contemplates giving up what she has always had or done: then comes the honeymoon phase. Toward the end, her experiment metamorphoses into missionary zeal. Permanent changes have taken place. 

The author lapses into a few dissertations complete with quotes that slowed the writing in a couple of places, but 7 is a fun and valuable read. It does bother me that no one cares about cover art any more. This one probably meant to emphasis simplicity, but, for me, it just emphasises that cover art is being neglected.