book review: Be You. Do Good.

Author Jonathan David Golden is passionate about two things: helping other find their calling, and having a great cup of coffee. Founder of Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee Company, Golden had a vision for bringing an exceptional to America while assisting genocide victims and survivors in Rwanda. His company employs thousands of local farmers in Rwanda to harvest coffee, prepare the beans, and ship them globally.

In his book Be You. Do Good., Golden brings readers and the tumultuous journey that led him to the founding of his company, as well as the challenges they have overcome since its establishment. He shares his own life stories, his family background, and his wife’s counsel in leading others to find their calling the way he found his.

Golden introduces readers to character such as his father, grandfather, coworkers, and mentors who helped guide his journey; he uses their wisdom to instruct readers. Golden debunks myths we believe about our jobs and why we choose certain professions. A lot of what he says is countercultural, but not counter-biblical. His advice is spot on about the need to choose a career because it is where God had called us instead of because it is lucrative or expected of us.

 

At the end of each chapter, Golden includes three follow-up questions. The last question is always, “Right now, what is one next step you can take?” He emphasizes that each “next step” or little step is moving in the right direction. We don’t have to have all the answers now or have the plan all figured out; we just have to have the next step. He challenges readers to prayerfully find their own calling, and take the next step toward pursuing it. Each of us has a calling placed on them by God, and the purpose of Golden’s book is to help his readers find that call.