Love Does

Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World

By: Bob Goff

Narrated by: Bob Goff

Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's Summary

The runaway New York Time’s best seller!

Can a simple concept shift your entire world? Bob certainty thinks so. When it comes to loving your neighbors, instead of focusing on having the “right answers” or checking the “right boxes,” what if you decide to simply do love? To shamelessly show love and grace to those around you - what would that look like? Not the kind of love that stops at thoughts and feelings, Bob's love takes action. Bob believes Love Does.

It might look like spending 16 days in the Pacific Ocean with five guys and a crate of canned meat. It might look like taking your kids on a world tour to eat ice cream with heads of state. It might look like taking a road trip with a stressed-out college student - even though you just got married a few days before.

When Love Does, life gets interesting. Light and fun, unique and profound, the lessons drawn from Bob's life and attitude in this collection of stories just might inspire you to be secretly incredible, too.

If you love Love Does, don’t forget to check out Everybody, Always for more of Bob’s delightful and inspiring stories! 

©2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. (P)2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Love this Book and Love this Aurthor

What did you love best about Love Does?

I loved that this book was a simple concept but really challenged you to change your thinking.

What other book might you compare Love Does to and why?

I would compare Love Does to Ken Davis's book Fully Alive. They are both extremely inspiring. I developed a real hope for change after reading both of these. I think anyone would be inspired by either or both of these books.

Have you listened to any of Bob Goff’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was the first book by Bob Goff that I have listened to. I think he did a great job. I really enjoy when an author reads their own work because you get their intended emphasis and emotions as the story is told.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed and cried while listening. It really hit home and I felt a good connection to this book.

Any additional comments?

Anyone whose questioning where they are at or where they should go with their life would really enjoy and take something away from this book. I would definitely recommend it!

One of the most amazing books I have ever read!

I bought this title on a whim, but am so glad I did. This is a collection of some of the most amazing and thought-provoking true life stories of the author. After telling the story he share lessons learned from the experience. If you think these stories are just another "run of the mill" collection of cute stories like I thought they might be, you're in for a big surprise! Most of them are so far-fetched it makes you wonder if they really happened. I highly recommend this book to everybody. This is Christianity at its core and makes me want to free myself of all that binds me from allowing LOVE DOES not KNOWS. If you need to have your faith renewed in what love can accomplish in this sad world in which we live PLEASE don't let this title pass you by!

Encouraging and thoughtful

This was just the book I needed right now: an encouraging look at how God loves us and how we can show His love to others. Some of the chapters resonated more with me than others, but I think that is part of what makes the book good: it speaks to you where you are at. It's an easy read or listen and well worth the time.

A pleasant surprise, well read by the author

Where does Love Does rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the rare audio books I listened to twice in a row. It brought inspiration through the author's joy of sharing his adventures, leaving the listener convinced that anything is possible with a can-do attitude built on moral and ethical principles.A great book to share in the car on long trips. Well written (it's good that the story has benefitted from the help of Bob's author friend) and presented (benefiting from Bob's unique passion and exuberance which draws the listener in to his world).So yes, a great listen, likely to encourage a "let's just do it," healthy and determined attitude.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, twice. It came at a good time when I needed a pick me up to tackle whatever life brings next.

Engaging stories, a little boastful and completely impractical

I feel like this book was more “the chronicles of man with lots of money and his wild adventures” than inspiration for the everyday Christian who wants to love people but doesn’t have a boat, the ability to buy tickets to London to take their daughter for high tea on a week’s notice, or famous, wealthy friends who he can fly to “the lodge” he owns at a moments notice to shroud his family. There was no sitting with the widow across the street, giving the underprivileged neighborhood kid a ride to church or any examples of just literally being light and love in the place you live. What love “does” in these examples is spend a ton of money on extravagant adventures and then retell them in a somewhat boastful way, then adding a few qualifying statements, as if “that’s what we do because we love people.” I know. I know. Haters gonna hate. Because this is a NYT best seller and who am I to critique his work. It was an easy and enjoyable read, but go into it knowing your going to be reading ABOUT this guy and his “adventures”...not walking away with real life examples of how regular people like you and me (well, me anyway) can “love” by “doing.” Unless you have lots of money, a boat, an airplane and unlimited vacation time. Then this book is totally practical for you.

Unrealistic stories out of reach for normal people

Something just didn’t sit right with me about this book. I thought about it for several weeks after I finished it so I could articulate it to friends.

It’s not so much that the book was bad, it’s more about the unrealistic stories given by the author. They have the end effect of being discouraging.

About 75% through, I thought “This guy must be loaded.” For example, he flys around the world on the whim of his children and speaks of it as casual as if everyone lives that way. There are many other examples which won’t be helpful here. Basically, money was no barrier to the extravagant stories.

I don’t think the author meant to brag or come across as prideful. On the contrary, it’s more like he was oblivious to the fact that normal people don’t live that way.

Over all, the book left me more annoyed than anything else. There’s also the repeating phrase at the beginning of each chapter - I used to think XYZ, but now I know XYZ.

There are a few nice moments, like the story of the weird guy who keeps asking him to use his back yard to propose to his girlfriend. But often, the stories were sugar coated so much that they did not seem authentic.

This book was inspiration-less and frustrating to me overall and I wish had not spent time and money on it.

Good Stories and Advice

Any additional comments?

Mr. Goff uses stories from his life and the bible to illustrate a path the avoids the many negatives of modern religion and 'religious people' these days. My teenage daughter and I listened to it together on a car trip. I surprised her with it; she wasn't pleased. However, she liked it so much she went out and bought the book to discuss with her friends (I was pleasantly astounded). I typically can't abide the books found classified in the religion/christianity category these days, but this book is refreshing in its lack of dogma and in its surplus of inspiring ways to live your life to the fullest and in accord with the teachings of Jesus (not any church version of him, but the historical version) without annoying your friends and family and colleagues.

Wonderful and Whimsical

I had heard that this book would change my life, but I didn't believe it until I read it. Goff's stories encourage the reader to live on whims without social restrictions on love and humanity.

This book is narrated by the exuberant author who probably talks with his hands, so there were a handful of times I had to listen twice, but otherwise the narration is also good.

Inspiration from a Real [Crazy] Life

What made the experience of listening to Love Does the most enjoyable?

This audiobook will inspire your wild, adventurous side, and passion for God and others, to work itself into your everyday life. Bob Goff tells stories of his own experiences living life on the edge in an everyday kind of way, while welcoming you into his reflections on God and His boundless, bold, abundant love. He reads about his life with authenticity and makes the listener understand that living a life of love [for God and others] requires boldness, but is fully attainable for those of us who are "typical" or "regular" people.

What did you like best about this story?

Bob Goff lives an extraordinary life and speaks about it like "it's just that way it is."

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I enjoyed listening to a chapter at a time, and then allowing myself the time and energy to ponder the things he shared.

Do Love

If you could sum up Love Does in three words, what would they be?

Love fixes things

What did you like best about this story?

I was challenged to Love EVERYBODY better.

Have you listened to any of Bob Goff’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

Any additional comments?

A great book to listen to or read.

Loved this book

I love everything Bob Goff does. This book had me laughing, thinking, praising and I felt inspired.

simply brilliant

inspiring, challenging, compelling, uplifting and at times laugh out loud. I'm recommending this to everyone I talk to about books.

A book about Love in action

If you want to know about theory of love or the different languages of love, this is not the book. If on the other hand, you want to see practical ways of his love can be in action and to be inspired by someone who does love, this is a great book to read.

Great for both young and old Christians

Really refreshing and i really got reminded of god's love and how to love other better!

Inspiring

An eye opening book about saying yes to life and for living a meaningful life in service of society and particularly vulnerable populations. With inspiring stories illustrating the core messages.

Charming Read

The narrator was interesting. The book, charming!

The author has a sincere and deliberate outlook on life and what it means to truly love others.

an inspiring read that is dynamic but not OTT

really good read
lovely little life stories from the author with anecdotes and links to the life and teachings of Jesus. a fresh way of looking at how to really love every one. I made lots of notes and have lots to put it into practice

Very inspirational book

this book left me with a challenge and an inspiration: am I merely a Bible student or am I a Bible doer. Do I just talk love or do I love?

Wow, life changing moments!

I recommend to all ages, a fantastic audiobook. If you want to do a bit of soul searching, rethinking your attitude, understanding what ‘love’ can really consist of than look no further. Bob gives lots of belly laughing accounts of his life which although sometimes beyond what I could imagine doing, are an inspiration to get up and make those changes in your own life.
No homework needed, just listen and go forth!
Loved it and hoping to buy a copy for all my friends this Christmas!!

Read or listen to this book!

This is an incredible book containing so many stories of love and grace. However you access it, it will give plenty of food for thought and may even change your life.