A Life That Is Good: The Message of Proverbs in a World Wanting Wisdom (Eerdmans) is now available. Here’s the product description from the Eerdmans website:

Somewhere out there is the “good life,” and we’re all scrambling to get it. Glenn Pemberton maintains in this book that we find the so-called good life not in good things but in living well—and the biblical book of Proverbs teaches us how to live that life.

Though based on solid biblical scholarship, A Life That Is Good is not a textbook, commentary, or comprehensive study. It is instead a readable, practical guide to the wisdom found in the ancient book of Proverbs—wisdom on everyday living, speech, relationships, justice, money, and much more. Pastors and church groups in particular will love and benefit from this relevant guide regarding the message of Proverbs for today’s world.

I’d only clarify that adult Bible classes as well as small groups should find this book useful. The Table of Contents reveals both my approach and the content of the book.

Part One: The Sages, Their Book, and Wisdom
1. The Sages and their Book
2. The Women of Proverbs and Proverbs 1-9
3. The Proverb and Proverbs 10-31

Part Two: Major Concepts in Wisdom
4. Deforming Character: How to Become a Fool
5. What’s God got to do with it? Searching for God in Proverbs
6. Justice and Mercy: The Wisdom of Merciful Justice

Part Three: Applied Topics for a Life that is Good
7. Speech: A Kiss on the Lips or a Club to the Head?
8. If I were a Poor Man: Wealth and Poverty
9. Which way did they go? The Wisdom to Lead

Part Four: Relationships in a Life that is Good
10. Destroying and Creating Friends: Wisdom for Relationships
11. Mom, Dad, and the Kids: Family Values in Proverbs

Hopefully, a few copies will soon find their way to your local Christian bookstore. I am also still gathering names from new subscriptions to this blog to enter into a drawing for at least one new book, two if we hit 20 new subscriptions (visit this page to subscribe; you will have the option of enrolling for all Mosaic blog posts or only enrolling for my own). If not, you may always order direct from Eerdmans or Amazon.

More to come about the book and my presentation this week at Summit (Abilene Christian University) that “completes” the book: “Spare the Rod and Spoil the Proverb: Reading Proverbs in a World Wanting Wisdom.”

Update Sept. 21: Yes, it has been officially released. And yes, all orders are temporarily on backorder. Apparently, there Eerdmans has changed distributors and all the kinks have not yet been worked out of the system. So, if you previously ordered a copy, won a copy (on this site), or plan to buy a copy--they are coming; we just don't know exactly when. (I've not actually seen the book yet either; so, we all wait with some patience.)