Dinner with a Perfect Stranger is a very good book, especially for new Christians, to give as a gift to someone to whom you may have been witnessing, or to someone who may be asking the right questions and searching for answers. The story begins with a gentleman by the name of Nick Cominsky receiving a dinner invitation from Jesus; he has no idea who it is "really" from and does not believe it could actually be from Jesus. At first he thinks it may be another outreach technique from a local church, or perhaps a practical joke being played on him by co-workers. He shows up at the restaurant thinking he will find the culprits and is seated at a table where the gentleman waiting introduces himself as Jesus. At first he is very sarcastic, thinking this person is an actor hired by whoever was playing the joke. Every now and then, however, Jesus knows things about his past that an actor could not possibly know.

After the initial meet, "The Seating", and ordering, "The Menu", each chapter begins as a different course in the meal and covers a variety of topics such as, "Who is to say that Jesus' way was any better than..." various religions; "What do you mean there's no path to God?"; "So you're saying no one can make it?" (meet God's standard); "What do you have to do to get it?" — the gift; "Why doesn't God just show Himself to people?" Each time Jesus explains Himself and answers each question in a way that is simple to understand, yet very matter of fact. Many times Nick thought he would be able to trip Jesus up, but the more they spoke, the more Nick wanted to hear.

This book answers very interesting questions in a very unique way. Questions which we may have all had ourselves at one time or another, or perhaps are being asked. This is a great tool, no matter how you look at it. When I was through, I couldn't help but wonder what questions I would ask if afforded this opportunity. Also, it is short (and interesting) enough to read in one sitting, so as a gift, it would not be overwhelming to anyone. I liked it very much both as an interesting read, and a good resource as a witnessing tool. I received this book free from Water Brook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

My wife and I were given this book more than a decade ago, and I have now found a book of fiction that I really, really enjoy. I'm surprised. I'm not big on novels, but this super quick read kept my attention. A mysterious envelope arrives on Nick Cominsky's desk. Although his seventy-hour workweek has already eaten into his limited family time, Nick can't pass up the opportunity to see what kind of plot his colleagues have hatched. The normally confident, cynical Nick soon finds himself thrown off-balance, drawn into an intriguing conversation with a baffling man who comfortably discusses everything from world religions to the existence of heaven and hell. This stranger seems to know a disturbing amount about Nick's personal life, and it seems that having dinner with Him may change Nick's life forever. According to Wikipedia, this book was the inspiration for a movie called The Perfect Stranger.

The very best thing that I loved about this book, was that it reminded me of why I believe what I believe. As others have said, its a fictitious conversation between Jesus and a man named Nick. However as most of this book is written in conversation form, its a great easy read for someone who is a new christian or someone who has questions about Jesus. This book by no means answers everything, but it's a great place to jump off and getting started. I have recommended this book to several people over the years and have never had a negative comment about it.

This little book isn't your typical small, quick, superficial read. It's actually more of the opposite! It may be small but the contents are thought provoking and reflective. For me, it's a book that I'm going to have to read more than once to digest it all!

Skepticism abounds in the beginning of the book. From thinking the invitation is a joke from his friends to doubting Jesus at the beginning of dinner---"Tell me (Yesh), can you turn this wine back into water?". Who can blame Nick? It's not every day you get invited to dinner by Jesus! But by dessert, Nick is trying to decide if this guy is a nut-case, a great actor, or is it possible he's the real thing?

Obviously Nick has a lot of questions and much doubt about this whole thing but he's not afraid to ask the hard questions. As expected, the answers are not always specific or clear cut. They are meant for the reader to ponder and reflect about their own beliefs and values. On the flip side, sometimes the answers touched upon by Jesus are "lessons" that we need to learn.

Dinner with a Perfect Stranger is a splendid read for a book club or bible group. There are several different sets of study guides for group discussions (located here)–discussions for one meeting, 4 meetings, or 8 meetings. For a 100=page book, 8 weeks of discussion shows the inspiration of the book.

I would give this a 5 out of 5 star rating. The story is very well written, easy to read and understand, as well as a way to discover your own beliefs and views. I'm going to give this to a family member who has quite a bit of "alone time" due to his job. I'm not trying to convert someone with the book but just allowing them explore their own principles and convictions. I'm sure we all could use a little of that.

I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah's Blogging for Books and have given my honest opinion of this book.

loved the easy read book...bought 10 to give away to friends who come and visit....