Book Blog: Confessions of a Raging Perfectionist

I am a planner- which i have learned coincides directly with a little bit of control freakness. When I saw the title ,"confessions of a raging perfectionist," I was intrigued and knew that I should read the book. Thanks to my friends at Tyndale House Publishers I have been provided with a complimentary copy of this book.
First off when I received the book, it bugged me ALOT that the book title was not capitalized. Writing the name of the book here without capital letters also bugs me but I am working on it. In a Q and A session provided to me by Tyndale House Publishers, the author Amanda Jenkins was asked:
What is your hope for this book, Confessions of a Raging Perfectionist?
Response: That my transparency would get readers one step closer to freedom from their own impossible goals; that it would open their eyes to the strangleholds we sometimes don’t even see, but 
shape the way we think and spend our time; that it would get us laughing at the stuff we hide; 
that when brought into the open, things like vanity, materialism and desire for recognition 
would lose their power/hold on our minds and hearts.

Hence why I said that I was working on seeing another persons work and not wanting to judge(edit) it. Having such a strong background in journalism, anytime I read a blog or book I am constantly looking for mistakes- and I do not enter reading the piece for that reason, it is just pure unavoidable habit. Life when I was reading this book, I found trapped white space, and the snap our quotes were unnecessary and distracting. Jenkins was asked: Is this something that is an ongoing struggle, or do you feel as if your perfectionist days are behind you?
I’m experiencing freedom I’ve never known before, but my perfectionism continues to rear its 
head. My standards for myself are still too high, but I’m aware of them and their 
destructiveness. I’m allowing God total access, and I’m working hard to surrender to the 
changes He’s making in my heart/mind. I’d say that God has my perfectionism on the run.

I would recommend this book to anyone who struggles with wanting control. Each chapter points out a specific place where Jenkins struggles and points out her specific flaw in that area. She includes ALOT of scripture to show how God wants us to deal with our struggle to perfect our lives. Jenkins is pretty transparent with her life to show that it helps to be honest with oneself to help others be honest. The entire book I would go, "yeah, uh-huh, I do that." Below thanks to Tyndale I have included the first chapter of the book on Vanity. Check it out 


by Amanda Jenkins

About the Author . . . Amanda Jenkins attended Northwestern Bible College 
and graduated with a degree in biblical studies and communications. She has 
worked in sales and marketing for a number of Christian retailers, as well as 
in visual communications and advertising. For the past 14 years she has 
taught Bible studies for women of all ages and is passionate about 
communicating truth in a culturally relevant and humorous way. She lives just 
outside of Chicago with her husband, Dallas, and their four young children, 
including their newly adopted son.

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