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| The Almost True Story of Ryan Fisher: A Novel | 
 enlarge | List Price: $12.99
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (based on 22 reviews)
Sales Rank: 538843
Category: Book
Author: Rob Stennett
Publisher: Zondervan
Studio: Zondervan
Manufacturer: Zondervan
Label: Zondervan
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.4 x 1
ISBN: 031027706X
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780310277064
ASIN: 031027706X
Publication Date: June 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Meet Ryan Fisher. He's young, energetic, and needs an edge in the real estate market. He's found the perfect niche: Christians. His business doubles when he advertises in the Christian business directory, and he begins to think he could really cash in by planting a church. But when the church takes off, Ryan is in over his head.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 17 more reviews...
Read this book. Seriously. December 14, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Are you a Christian? Do you sell real estate? Do you sell real estate to Christians?
If you answered yes to all of these questions, your name just might be Ryan Fisher.
But either way, The Almost True Story of Ryan Fisher is a fantastic book that everyone (including you) should read.
It is a story (fiction) about a man who becomes a Christian to save his real estate business by becoming a real estate agent just for Christians. But along the way he realizes that being a pastor would be an even better Christian endeavor.
From meeting in a chuck-e-cheese to a tent with free popcorn to signing with a worship leader who doubles as a local karaoke favorite to a guest appearance on Oprah, these pages will never stop turning until you finish the story.
Go buy this book right now (seriously, do it) and read it. Because it is soooooo funny and really, really good.
Brilliantly Twisted November 29, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Rob Stennett is truly a gifted satirical writer! Not only can he provoke vivid images of the main character Ryan Fisher, but he also grabs your attention until the last paragraph of the novel. Whether you have grown up in church or have only had a passing acquaintance with organized religion, this book will engage you! I have read it, recommended it, and given it to friends. Read it!
 Authenticity Illustrated November 12, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Our western American culture, especially the next generation, has a great desire and need for authenticity. Ryan Fisher offers such an remarkable amalgam of authenticity and lies. He's sort of authentic with himself and his wife about his agnosticism. He offers a sort of authenticity to his church. That is, he offers authentic real life experience Vs abstract dogma. That's attractive and winsome to people. And in the end, the very last sentence of the novel, he seems to be ushered into discovering real authenticity. But it's all in the context of outrageous lies and self-deception.
Of course it is also an intriguing satire on what really makes western evangelical churches work. If we are honest with ourselves, we recognize that our churches really are often a fusion of spiritual faith, real love for God, marketing, worldly business practices, pop-psychology and pragmatism. God is so patient with us! And He must also groan so often.
 It's almost my story, but not stranger than fiction. October 22, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
I do not often read fiction, especially new fiction, but how often does one share a name with the title character of a new novel?
As I got into the first few chapters I was amazed at the incredible and considerable traits I shared with Stennett's character of the same name.
Same age, similar background, shared names of friends, similar philosophical views, same disdain for receiving loose change as well as the same fondness for paying with exact change.
I must also admit that I have even entertained the idea of forming my own religious affiliation for lack of one that meets my needs.
The book is an entertaining read, to be sure. Stennett has put together a plausible story that flows well but sometimes gets campy. I'll submit "Cowboy Jack" and "The Greasy Spork" as examples. I've lived in Southern Oklahoma, so I know these names are not too far off the mark for people or places in that part of the country, but I still had a hard time getting around them.
The pace of events in the book felt a bit rushed and some parts skipped ahead in huge leaps, but I can understand the author's need to shove the story ahead when he did. Not doing so may have bogged the story down making for a much heftier and less enjoyable text.
Overall the book is decent. There is a target audience out there that doesn't include folks like me who read history almost exclusively. But if religious non-fiction is your bag, pick up The Almost True Story of Ryan Fisher.
The True Story of a Classic Novel October 21, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
A short description of the plot of this book is enough to grab any reader: an average real estate agent trys to boost his business by catering only to Christians, and when he is successful in the endeavor, decides to start his own church. That would be enough to make someone pick the book up, but Rob Stennett's writing is what keeps the reader engaged.
The book is an easy read, but don't let that fool you. The characters are complex and realistic. Stennett uses all kinds of literary devices, such as flashing forward or back, but does so masterfully, resulting in a satisfying reading experience. Stennett has a firm grasp on American Christianity and how it is perceived by those on the outside. Even Oprah makes an appearance in this book. (That's right. Not just mentioned, but actually has dialogue. What kind of writer has the guts to do that?)
The only knock I have on this book is the constant pop culture references. Most of them are funny, but sometimes it feels as if Stennett is trying too hard to be hip. But overall, I give this book a stellar review. The character of Ryan Fisher is unbelievable. I couldn't figure him out. Sometimes I hated him, and others I wanted to cheer for him. He was real, and that's what a writer should do.
I'm trying hard to be objectional, but I'm on the verge of calling Rob Stennett a genius.
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