Although this is a little psychobabbly in places, it's surprisingly insightful. Who'd have thought one could write a whole book about making lists?! More than a mere list of lists to make (although there are suggestions for that, too), this is an exploration of all the ways list-making can be useful, how lists can grow and evolve and turn into more than merely lists, and what we can do with lists to take greatest advantage of those qualities.

People who find keeping a journal a daunting idea may find a more accessible format as they read McEntyre's ode to list making. As a confirmed journal writer, I appreciated her creative ideas for lists to expand my heart and soul. A book to refer to for inspiration.

I love lists, reading them, making them and checking things off of them. This handy little edition has lists of lists on every imaginable topic and gives us plenty of ideas to expand our list-making skills into a therapeutic experience that can teach us more about ourselves than we thought. It did seem a touch wordy and hinted at repetitiveness but had some good ideas for future lists to make. I can even add those lists into my bullet journal if I want to get really creative.

I skimmed a lot of this book though and feel that it is best used as a reference and tool rather than to sit down and read through cover to cover. Still, I love the idea of a book on lists.

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley and wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

One of the important things we do to help us remember is to make a list. We have shopping list; book list; grocery list; stationery list; school list; homework list; blog list; name list; and so on. This book really goes into the different types of lists we all make. Personally I make lists and then only get about halfway through them if I'm lucky. More often then not I completely forget about the list and don't ever go back to it.

As a lifelong listmaker, I loved reading Marilyn McEntyre's book "Make a List." Her book goes far beyond the benefits of simply making a list; she delves into a comprehensive perspective of the power of this simple act. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in lists, organization, and evolving one's spirit in the process!

Fun lists, for a change! I thought that I had too many lists already, but they are just the wrong sort of list!

More than just a book about lists! Very helpful, fun and the list prompts are great!

3.5 stars. Includes reasons to make lists and advantages for those who do. Lots of examples and ideas for making your own lists. Could be great for writers or those interested in self-discovery. If you aren't interested in the "why," you might prefer a guided journal or Listography book instead.

I get it.. Yes I really do... List list list... I understand writing list. and I don't mind that... and this was well written and a great read but she takes it to a whole new level. If you're unorganized buy it... if you need help buy... but if you know what your already doing your fine.

Make a List is MacEntyre’s lesson to baby writers, and anyone interested in personal growth. In it, she details several ways that writing lists can be beneficial to authors, and everyday folk, such as by helping to discover and/or process the truth of who they really are. They can help you let go of anxieties, and fears. I really liked her comparison between list-keeping and archaeology. By keeping these lists, you are doing excavation work on your soul, searching for buried treasures. I also really liked the comparison between the truth, and a beam of light. She points out that there are many sides to 'truth’, depending on perspective.

There are multiple examples of lists and various list prompts. Examples include, but not limited to:

Gratitude
Defining wants/needs
Clarifying concerns
Clarifying priorities
Exploring implications
(look, a list!)

I keep word lists, to help my writing and poetry. Overall, though, I'm not much of a daily list-keeping person. It just doesn't fit my personality. I'll sit and make lists when contemplating difficult decisions, certainly, or looking for a solution. There is one list I've kept since 1993. It tracks books read by month. I'm nearing 2500, and by looking back over these titles, it sparks my memory. I can recall a whole plethora of information I might not easily recall cold.

This book was a good introduction to why you may wish to keep lists. Even if list-keeping isn't your thing (like me), it's worth the read. The prompts certainly worked with me! I used them to help clarify a few things in my life, and I found the insights useful.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Wm B Eerdman's Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I have always loved to make lists. There is something so calming and satisfying about that activity. This is such a fun book with lots of list prompts that are completely original.

We're all way to familiar with lists. For groceries, for books, for packing. In this book, the author, implores her readers to treat lists as an introspection guide. With personal examples she talks about the benefits of charting and mapping one's life and learning from it.
The book gives practical advice in making the best of lists. It feels a little like a pop version of keeping a journal. It borrows or lends to the recent surge in self help and noticing patterns and being able recognize and learn from those patterns. This book is primarily about learning about oneself, there is very little on what to do with that learning.

Author -Marilyn McEntyre
Publisher - Eerdmans
Year - 2018
Rating- 2.5/5
Source- NetGallery

One of the important things we do to help us remember is to make a list. We have shopping list; book list; grocery list; stationery list; school list; homework list; blog list; name list; and so on. Once we have the necessary items on the list, we would be assured that even if we forget some items in our heads, we have a dependable list written down somewhere. Most of the time, these lists are simply to help us remember stuff. What if the lists could do more? What if the lists:

Mirror something about us;
Works as an educational device;
Help us listen to ourselves;
Enable us to love;
Teach us how to let go of anxieties;
Facilitate our practice of prayer;
and many other uses?

What's really interesting is how the author is able to turn such an ordinary list activity into a device to practice spirituality. Part One is about the purposes and pleasures of making lists. This is the part that we are most familiar with. McEntyre takes us through the process and teaches us to discover small little opportunities for personal growth. She brings together a list of ideas with regard to the use of list making. Besides the practical lists, there are also lists to help us express our emotions. Why are we upset? What are the things we need to let go of? Why am I afraid of? What makes forgiveness so hard? What gives me joy? What could I pay more attention to? What are the risks worth taking? What are the things to do when down? Lists could even work out as a better "punching bag."


There are lists for poems, for instructions, for litanies; for writing down thoughts to help us make sense of our feelings and our reactions to things around us. McEntyre guides us along with her own lists of things she had written. On more than one occasion, such lists inspire the creation of other lists as well. Just like the way we use Microsoft Word's bullet features, lists help us put down long thoughts in short pointers.

My Thoughts
Allow me to list some of the powerful ways this book has inspired me.
- Write down a list to help me remember
- Write down my feelings about a particular person or about a specific event
- Making sense of big projects with bite-sized points
- Discovering details in the most ordinary and mundane things
- Thinking in small spurts rather than being bogged down by details

In a communications culture that are increasingly limited within a tweet of 126 characters; a text message; or a FaceBook quip; we should be quite comfortable about the concepts mentioned in this book. We have heard of the classics such as "Ten Commandments;" "Nine Attributes of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit;" "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People;" "Five Love Languages;" "Four Quadrants;" and all kinds of list-driven books. Even pulpits could be reduced to a 3-point or multi-point sermons. We all live by some kind of a list everyday, consciously or unconsciously. The difference is how long or short the list we live by. This book is based on a simple idea but practiced with lots of creativity and insight. It is not just a book about doing things. We could use lists like a microscope to zoom into greater details about something; a telescope to outline the broad picture of where we want to go; a stethoscope to detect the emotional pulses of our heart; a gyroscope to anchor ourselves on a big idea while we let ourselves loose in brainstorming topics around that idea; etc. We can even create prayer lists. The lists are endless because ideas have no limits. Do not be deceived by the simplicity of this book. Putting the ideas into practice would lead us to places we have never known or gone before. That's the power of lists.

Dr Marilyn McEntyre is a Professor of English at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. One of her books, "What's in a Phrase?" was a winner of Christianity Today 2015 Book Award.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of William B. Eerdmans and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

I have always made lists. They help me feel some measure of control in a life that often feels overwhelming. I get great satisfaction in crossing off items as I accomplish them. They give me reassurance that I haven't omitted to do something that I need to do. This clears up space in my head as I can focus better without constantly fretting that something crucial won't get done. So the author certainly didn't have to sell me on the central theme of the importance of listmaking. This book goes beyond that to look at how listmaking can induce personal growth and clarity of life goals. I found it very useful and recommend the exercises highly. The only aspect I did not relate to on a personal basis was the heavily Christian leaning. I was able to work my way around that however without a great deal of difficulty. I recommend this book!

I received a review copy of this book from Net Galley for my honest review.

A different approach to lists

I always do to-do lists. Lists of Christmas presents to buy. Lists of things to take on vacations. Lists of groceries to buy. I did a list of names when I was to chose my younger daughter. I also have a list of dreams and this Marilyn McEntyre would understand. For her, lists can be much more complex than our daily to-do lists. They therapeutic and a tool for self-discovery.

Lists serve a surprising variety of purposes. Here are a few reasons to make them:
To discover hidden feelings
To name what you want
To clarify your concerns and fears
To notice what you might have missed
To unburden our sorrows
To claim what gives you joy and what you are grateful for

The author presents “rules” or suggestions in list-making to make lists useful, beautiful, and fun.Lists can be a way of opening up “play space". There is a whole section that is an invitation to play with lists.

The book ends with an appendix which suggests several original lists. A good one is "Why children enchant us". I have three children and my list will be endless.:)

This is an entertaining book with several good ideas to inspire us.

I had never thought about list-making as a spiritual discipline until I read this book. The three sections address the purpose of lists, how to make lists, and examples of lists. Each topic concludes with prompts that readers can use to create their own lists. McEntyre's reasons for making lists include “to decide what to let go of,” “to help dispel a few fears,” “to find out what you still have to learn,” and “to map the middle ground.” This book will appeal to a diverse audience. It could be used for personal devotions or personal growth, for small group study, or even as a textbook for a writing course. While McEntyre writes from the perspective of Christian faith, her list-making suggestions transcend the boundaries of Christianity. For instance most, if not all, of the recommendations could be used as mindfulness exercises.

This review is based on an electronic advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Being a long time lover of lists, this book had me at the title. Though being honest I began the book wondering how someone could write a whole book about making lists, however the author manages it, giving us a book not just about lists but so much more. The book really encourages reflection, on self, others and life in general. I came away with the understanding that list making has many purposes beyond what you would think of on a surface level. A thoughtful read.

I'm a list person. Always have been, always will be, so this book was perfect for me. It's a strange concept - a book just about making lists – but it works, and I enjoyed working my way through it immensely. Although not all the list topics were relevant to me (and won't be relevant to everyone), there were plenty that were, and some of the ideas really made me think. A fun book!

As a chronic list-maker, I was immediately drawn to "Make a List" by Marilyn McEntyre and could not wait to read it. And I'm so glad that I had the opportunity. Not only does the book highlight the many reasons we make lists (or should, if we don't already), it offers so many suggestions of lists to keep.

"Make A List" is made up of three parts, explaining (1) why we make lists, (2) how we go about making these lists, and (3) "play lists" or fun lists everyone should make. Though there are several types of lists peppered throughout the book, I like how each part focuses on a different aspect of list-making. Reading along, I was encouraged to make lists of my own, inspired by the author. Many were fun, others were necessary, and quite a few were thought-provoking. Just reading the types of lists the author suggests, readers can tell she is a compassionate person. This made me admire the author even more.

I highly recommend this read to anyone who loves journaling and list-making as a form of self-reflection. I also encourage anyone that reads to do so with a beautiful journal and fountain pen at the side of them, as I did. Just make sure to take your time while reading it. Devour the words bit by bit, because reading about list-making for too long might start feeling like a chore instead of the eye-opening experience it should be.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is much more fun than I expected! It examines and suggests the benefits and pleasures that can be found in various forms of list making, and how to take the anxiety and pressure out of the idea of The List. There are suggestions of lists to make and very practical advice that is original and unique. I really enjoyed making my own lists and it felt like expanding my thought process in a positive way through these listrelatex exercises.