Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul | 
 enlarge | Authors: John Eldredge, Stasi Eldredge
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Category: Book
List Price: $14.99
Buy New: $7.76
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Avg. Customer Rating:  293 reviews
Sales Rank: 1101
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.7
ISBN: 0785289097
Dewey Decimal Number: 291
EAN: 9780785289098
ASIN: 0785289097
Publication Date: July 10, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: New, never read, may have minor wear from being on a retail store shelf.
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Product Description
Every little girl has dreams of being swept up into a great adventure, of being the beautiful princess. Sadly, when women grow up, they are often swept up into a life filled merely with duty and demands. Many Christian women are tired, struggling under the weight of the pressure to be a "good servant," a nurturing caregiver, or a capable home manager. What Wild at Heart did for men, Captivating can do for women. This groundbreaking book shows readers the glorious design of women before the fall, describes how the feminine heart can be restored, and casts a vision for the power, freedom, and beauty of a woman released to be all she was meant to be. By revealing the core desires every woman shares-to be romanced, to play an irreplaceable role in a grand adventure, and to unveil beauty-John and Stasi Eldredge invite women to recover their feminine hearts, created in the image of an intimate and passionate God. Further, they encourage men to discover the secret of a woman's soul and to delight in the beauty and strength women were created to offer.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 288 more reviews...
 The first thing... July 12, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
The first thing in this book about the Proverbs 31 woman was a certain miss for me. If a author, christian or not, puts down the God breathed scriptures, you can be assured the book will be false throughout. This was a Bible study at my church and of course I bought the book and started reading and threw it in the trash. I have heard how great it was and it helped so many women but at what cost did it help?! At what cost?
 Truly Ministers to the heart of a woman July 9, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have read many of the reviews concerning captivating. Personally I found it to be a great read and very good bible study. I was able to study this with over 200 women and saw many face challenges and things they had allowed to be buried for years. Some who had endured rape, molestation, bad parenting and other types of relationships were able to connect with a part of their femininity they had lost. There was a deeper understanding of the cresendo of creation concerning woman....well written throughout the book. The book ties scripture, everyday life experiences and even movies to help with application. I do realize while many embrace this book, many do not. I think it is difficult sometimes for us to admit that we are missing something, difficult to come to terms because facing truth sometimes can be painful and many of us find comfort in status quo or the reality that we have made for ourselves for years. I truly believe this book was a gift to women in so many ways. I had given it to friend who after reading the first three chapters was angry saying the writers were generalizing all women and that she didn't feel any of that. She wanted to throw the book out of the window...she was so angry with me for book. I allowed her to vent and suggested she not read it if it is not for her. Well about a week later she called to say she was sorry. She really did not want to admit some of the things from the book because it would cause her to make some changes, admit some things are wrong, and confront some issues in her life. I would challenge any woman to read this book with an open mind and not from a critical standpoint.
There is so much in us women that needs to come forth and again Captivating in a biblical view ministers to the heart of a woman!!! For those who like my friend wanted to throw it out the window or get a refund I challenge you and admonish you to pick it back up again and feast on this gift.
FSATAT!
hmmm...... July 4, 2008
Listen to a copy and dance around to 'Dancing Queen'..youll feel better! youll feel all girly and feminine, without all the jargon inbetween...
reality being, i think 'she' has alot of issues, and tries to imply that 'every woman' has or should have these feelings!
and when you get the chanceeeee...you are the dancing queen!
i am not quite finished with the book, however, i thought this would be something different than all the other 'women' books out there. its not, if anything its very shallow, and doesnt tell you anything else you havent read in other similar themed books.
without judging, because im not for sure yet..it appears that some scriptures are taken way out of context..and makes you think huh??!!??
yes, it does make you think a little, and reminds you to keep your heart on Jesus, and all the little surrounding things in our lives...yes, we all know that..
i have never in my life, heard of a game called 'capture and rescue?' or whatever game she talked about at the beginning...
it was weird reading, then suddenly her husband would be telling/writing part of the story...
and yes, she may have the perfect husband, but in reality alot of our husbands are not as doting and 'rescuing' as hers...and that does not make them bad! and just because most husbands dont fit 'their' mold, is not the fault of the woman for not being 'feminine'. (did that make sense?).
bottom line, they dont like 'controlling women with controlling behavior'...cool, most people dont...so, again nothing new...so the book tells us again how to be feminine and not be overpowering...
the book lost fuel about halfway thru..so i really have no urge to finish it..
sorry, i was so looking forward to this book being rewarding and fulfilling ...(big trombone sound..wah wah wah wahhhhhhhhhhhhh)...
d
Don't be seduced July 2, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is mostly emotional claptrap. As my daughter put it, "I don't want Jesus to be my boyfriend!" Women--don't be seduced by this. Your relationship with God and with others, as scripture demonstrates, is much bolder than this.
Somebody to Love July 2, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
When I was a little girl (okay, not that little, but younger than I am now), I would imagine myself being a lawyer or a Jedi. I would save the world from criminals, uphold the ways of the Force, and travel the world (or the universe on my own starship). Eventually, the hero of my dreams (either detective or Luke Skywalker) would tell me how beautiful I was and marry me. Together, we would live happily ever after. Fast forward over a dozen years and the story is much different. Today, I have a less-than-glamorous job, no significant relationships with men, and little hope that anyone outside my family will ever call me beautiful.
My story is one that many women can relate to. In this book, John and Stasi acknowledge the way that women feel and encourage them to rise above it. Women are not called to mediocrity, is their cry. Women are meant to be beautiful, to be loved and to love, and to be involved in adventure and the way this can be achieved is by a meaningful, intimate relationship with the one who started it all: God, the ultimate lover.
What I Liked:
When I first started this book, I couldn't get into it. When my church group encouraged the ladies to read Captivating while the men read Wild at Heart, I took up the challenge--this time with better success. The entire novel absorbed me--particularly Chapter Two: "What Eve Alone Can Tell". In this chapter, John and Stasi gave me a picture of my femininity that I had never, in my wildest dreams, pictured before. Here, they assert that Creation was not complete without woman. For me, that was the most jaw-dropping moment of the book. "Creation is not complete without me?!?!" Woa.
Furthermore, John and Stasi give plenty of examples--Biblical, pop culture, and real-life men and women--of what they mean. In describing God and how he wants to love us, they use examples from movies that many women have seen: Titanic, Braveheart, Lord of the Rings, and Sense and Sensibility to name a few (none of the movies are endorsed, only the imagery is used). When describing how parents influence a daughter's image of herself, several women's life stories are given. This real-life approach is also given when describing interactions with men, interactions with God, and interactions in the world and lends the whole book great authenticity.
But most importantly, John and Stasi made me realize how valued I was as a woman and how important it was for me to let go of all the chains and grudges and burdens I have been holding on to. In this manner, the book was a success and a delight.
What I Did Not Like:
Towards the end, the book begins to read like a to-do list, i.e. "So in order to feel better and be more beautiful follow the steps below". I hate this because I am the type of person who wants to do the items and conquer each before moving on in the book. But when you are just reading through a book (and don't plan on doing a step, waiting a few weeks/months, going to the next step, repeat), such a tactic does not work. And if I just read all the steps one after another without doing each one, I tend to get overwhelmed with all the "to-do" work I have in front of me.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
In relating a prior conversation, a woman says an expletive.
John and Stasi relate others' (and Stasi's) failed relationships. These include rape, sexual assault, physical abuse, verbal abuse, and other forms of domestic violence. Definitely not for younger teens; preferably for older teens and adults.
Overall:
Wow. Wow. What else can I say? I've learned so much about myself in the few days this book has taken to read that I never knew in all the years before. I know why I feel the way I do--and that many other women feel the same way. I understand how my parents influence the way I do things today. And I understand that God loves me in a special way--a romantic way that church never talks about.
Are you a lonely woman, looking desperately for someone to love and love you? Are you bored out of your mind in your job? Is someone calling you beautiful? This is a book that will show you that there is someone to love, to call you to adventure and who is calling you beautiful. A must read book.
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