Can pain give birth to creativity? Does suffering help us look outside the box? Driven by the belief that art and agony are linked, Bell explores our ability to experience significant insights not because our situations went right but because everything fell apart. Discover how affliction can free you to see in new ways! 192 pages, softcover from Zondervan.

Average Customer Rating:

3.6

out of

(8 Reviews) 8

Rating Snapshot (8 reviews)

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

2 out of 367%customers would recommend this product to a friend.

Customer Reviews for Drops Like Stars: A Few Thoughts on Creativity and Suffering

Review 1 for Drops Like Stars: A Few Thoughts on Creativity and Suffering

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Beautifully posed and quotable beyond words!

Date:January 13, 2012

Merrill Greene

Location:Yarmouth, NS

Age:18-24

Gender:male

Quality:

5 out of 5

Value:

5 out of 5

Meets Expectations:

5 out of 5

This is a gem of quotable material and concepts to further your understanding in just how Jesus saves us not only from our sinful nature, but from the suffering we encounter from day to day life. Bell shows how through suffering we have a choice to see the new thing that God is doing and whether we want to be a part of it or not is completely up to us. Suffering then, according to Bell, is a choice. It is relative to our preconceptions and embracement of what Jesus has accomplished.

I highly reccomend this book to anyone who is trying to figure out what it means to live in a broken world with broken people and how to be a light in that world. As Bell says elsewhere, "Love Wins".

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Review 2 for Drops Like Stars: A Few Thoughts on Creativity and Suffering

Overall Rating:

2 out of 5

Not very helpful

Date:January 18, 2011

Rachel

Location:Michigan

Age:25-34

Gender:female

Quality:

4 out of 5

Value:

1 out of 5

Meets Expectations:

1 out of 5

In order to understand others and culture in general, I believe it is important to be well-rounded in what I choose to read. I had this thought in mind when I chose to read Rob Bell's Drops Like Stars. The byline of this book: A Few Thoughts on Creativity and Suffering. While I do not agree with Rob Bell's theology, I was intrigued to read what he would have to say in this book. I was also curious to find out how creativity and suffering were associated.

I received the book and eagerly began reading. My husband questioned my laughter after five minutes of reading, and I told him "I am already finished with one fourth of this book". I timed the remainder of my reading and was amazed that the entire book took a total of 27 minutes to read. Bell's post-modern thinking is evidenced by even the layout and writing of his book. The book is full of photographs and sentence fragments. As for content, he did not delve into the topic in a way that was beneficial.

If you are searching for a book that is filled with nice pictures and stories that assure you are not alone in your suffering, perhaps this is the book for you. It is available in a hardback coffee table edition, which could make an artistic addition to your living room. However, if you are seeking a book that digs deep into the issues underlying suffering, this book will leave you disappointed. I will note that Bell does not claim to answer the "why"s associated with suffering. His claim is to answer the "what now"s. However, I feel he fails to do even that.

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Review 3 for Drops Like Stars: A Few Thoughts on Creativity and Suffering

This review is fromDrops Like Stars.

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

The book communicates to the soul and heart.

Date:January 18, 2011

Silver Dollar

Location:Vincennes, IN

Age:55-65

Gender:male

Quality:

5 out of 5

Value:

5 out of 5

Meets Expectations:

5 out of 5

I've given away several copies to people I wanted to help and bless. The book speaks to the SOUL as well as to the mind. It encourages, inspires and motivates one to live for Jesus. This book could be a coffee table book that truly ministers to people. In fact the book will not only be paged through, but read cover to cover.

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Review 4 for Drops Like Stars: A Few Thoughts on Creativity and Suffering

This review is fromDrops Like Stars.

Overall Rating:

1 out of 5

Date:July 26, 2010

Anne

I'm with the Publishers Weekly review. I consider $40 for this to be exorbitant -- the book has high production values (that's what you're paying for), but there are about 40 (or fewer) pages' worth of content in this 160-page book. Bell is trying very hard to be arty, which may come across as extremely cold to someone who's enduring suffering.<br /><br />It looks like a regular trade paperback will be available in the Fall. If this really interests you, I'd advise waiting for that version.

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Review 5 for Drops Like Stars: A Few Thoughts on Creativity and Suffering

This review is fromDrops Like Stars.

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Date:August 22, 2009

Brandon Vogt

Rob Bell is one of the best communicators of Jesus today. As a thirty-nine year old hipster, whom many see as the face of the emerging-church-movement--though he himself rejects the association--his teachings can be described with one simple word.Cool.In recent years, many pastors and churches have tried to become "cool", "relevant", or "new" to attract a younger, post-modern generation. To do so, many have chosen to squelch everything about God that they believe to be mundane, uncomfortable, and ancient--this unfortunately includes most of the Gospel. Many of these churches have services that seemingly blend self-help seminars with rock concerts.But that isn't Rob. He's cool, but not on purpose. He's relevant, but only because he uses modern metaphors to describe ancient situations. And he's new only in the sense that he uses fresh words to convey old ideas.In fact some of my favorite, humbling words of his include: "Every fresh and original thought you think you have, somebody smarter a long time ago in Europe said it."Rob doesn't think what he says is cool, he thinks what he says is true.His teachings clearly convey his belief that the Gospel, properly communicated, is relevant and provocative on its own. Rob's coolness exists because he swims into the depths of theology and comes up still breathing, able to communicate the experience in a provocative way.

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Review 6 for Drops Like Stars: A Few Thoughts on Creativity and Suffering

This review is fromDrops Like Stars.

Overall Rating:

1 out of 5

Date:August 17, 2009

I was uneasy about the information Rob Bell preaches. Rob Bell fails to mention that our only salvation is through the only begotten son of God, Jesus Christ. Scripture tells us to be discernful. I would not recommend this or any Rob Bell's teachings for it falls short to pointing his readers to Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviuor. The bible said in the last days there will be many deceivers: 1 John 2:18,22; 1 John 4:3 and 2 John 1:17. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. I pray you will not be deceived.

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Review 7 for Drops Like Stars: A Few Thoughts on Creativity and Suffering

This review is fromDrops Like Stars.

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Date:August 7, 2009

Roz

My husband and I saw Rob Bell on his "Drop Like Stars" Tour this spring. When I found his book of the same title, I purchased the book immediately. It is a very timely read. Having a parent experiencing cancer has smashed the boxes in my life along with removing insulators...This book was oxygen to me! Starting a list of people I'll be giving this book to as gifts...

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Review 8 for Drops Like Stars: A Few Thoughts on Creativity and Suffering

This review is fromDrops Like Stars.

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Date:July 24, 2009

Peter Tang

Drops like Stars is Rob Bells newest book. Its the biggest, heaviest, but the shortest read compared to his other books. This is not a book to rush but to sit and think. Rob has caused people to question his theology. And its a valid thing to discuss but if you are reading this in order to prove Rob to be a heretic then I suggest you dont read this. Because you will simply take art theory out of context and be making useless arguments that doesnt do anything. We must remember that were not making statements about truth but rather discussing what is truth. You cant simply accept truth unless you take time to think and wrestle with the issues.As a graduate of an art school I can relate to many of points made in this book. What convictional Christian must understand that art is NOT math. Art doesnt reproduce the same thing over and over again but art is something that is personable and imperfect but seeking perfection. I can reshoot a movie from start to finish but I will never get the same acting, shots, or feeling as the first. If youre going to read this from a legalistic point of view you will not gain much from reading this book. But if you take time to read, digest, and see the meaning behind the words you will have a bigger understanding of the human condition. We are complicated creatures art is a complicated thing you can try to put things in a box but art has a life of its own.Rob does an excellent job of linking God to art and art to our pain and suffering. Thats why we make art to express the inner most pains. I personally wont say that this is best book he wrote but its different. And I personally would recommend reading in a quite room. It only takes 45 minutes to read the whole book. It almost plays like a nooma video.

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