About the Book
World of Wonders: The Transformative Power of Reading as a Spiritual Discipline
Why should we read? It's a question Jeff Crosby both poses and beautifully answers through engaging personal stories, literary reflections, and spiritual insights, within this rich, thought-provoking book.
World of Wonders is a heartfelt tribute to the power of books and reading's ability to unfurl the glory of God, transform our lives, open windows to the world, inspire our imaginations, and help us be more faithful Christ followers.
Crosby explores how reading bridges differences, fosters understanding, and brings healing in a fractured world. Whether you're a lifelong reader or just beginning to explore the joy of books, this compelling work reveals reading as a sacred practice--a means to encounter God, navigate life's seasons, and cultivate a more meaningful faith.
Discover:
How reading shapes our spiritual journey--with wisdom from C.S. Lewis, Dostoyevsky, Maya Angelou, and other great thinkers
Curated book recommendations at the end of each chapter to expand your literary and faith horizons
Stories that inspire, challenge, and uplift--reminding us that books are not just entertainment but a form of divine companionship
Perfect for book lovers, spiritual seekers, and anyone looking to rediscover the joy of reading, World of Wonders is an essential companion for those who long to see God's presence revealed through the written word.
"Reading is a way of fulfilling Jesus's commandments to love one's neighbors. It's not love if you don't know them or name them or see their struggles and triumphs. Reading diverse voices is a pathway toward Christlikeness." - Jeff Crosby, Publishers Weekly interview
Read Publishers Weeklyinterview with Jeff Crosby HERE.
About the Author :
Jeff Crosby is the President of ECPA, the trade association of Christian publishing, and has worked in bookselling and publishing roles for more than four decades. Among cherished books on his personal library's "shelf of honor" you would find books by Dostoyevsky, John Steinbeck, Maya Angelou, Kent Haruf, Marilyn McEntyre, Frederick Buechner and Luci Shaw, among others. He resides in the Chicago area with his wife, Cindy Crosby. JeffreyCrosby.net
Review :
"This beautiful book illuminates what God has in store for us, and in story for us. With Jeff Crosby as our guide, we see how best to number our days along with the pages. The wonder of reading unfurls the glory of God - a God who is lo! with us always - to the very last page." -- Dr. Carolyn Weber, author of Surprised by Oxford (from the foreword)
"Crosby convincingly frames reading as a means of deepening one's faith by learning more about God as well as the perspectives of secular writers who are likewise "created in the image of God" and "wrestle with many of the same questions we do." Christian bookworms will want to dive in." - Publisher's Weekly
"World of Wonders is itself a wonder. In this delightful and inspiring book, Jeff Crosby shows us how reading deepens our spiritual lives, even when we may not initially be aware of it doing so. While reading it, I was reminded of so many books and writers who have influenced me over my life. Crosby's clear and wise writing illuminates, as do the vignettes from other authors sprinkled throughout the book. And the reading lists for each section are delightful. As we Quakers say, this book speaks to my condition. I'm sure it will yours as well." - J. Brent Bill, author of Holy Silence and Amity: Stories from the Heartland
"C.S Lewis wrote, "Heaven, once attained, will work backward." In that sense, Jeff Crosby's book is heavenly, as it works its way backward in your life, revealing that your reading was really a companioning, with the great Companion from whom all creativity comes. After reading World of Wonders, I no longer see the books on my shelf as a home library; I see them as a spiritual record of my time here. What a gift." - Dr. Kelly Flanagan, author of The Unhiding of Elijah Campbell and True Companions
"As I read through World of Wonders, it created two surprising images for me. First, I felt like I was with Earnest Shackleton sailing the infamous Drake Passage, battling hurricane force winds and waves over a hundred feet high and like him, telling myself, "No doubt Providence guided us." Second, I felt a kinship to John Muir strapped to a California Sierra Douglas Spruce during a violent December storm. Muir said, "Never before did I enjoy so noble an exhilaration of motion." Crosby's book brought me to the Southern Ocean and to the California Sierra. Good books and good reading do that. Crosby's book is rightly named and an adventure worth taking. Read this book. Go exploring. " - JK Jones, author of Reading With God in Mind and A Soul's House
"World of Wonders is a heartfelt tribute to the transformative power of reading. Crosby's depth and breadth of personal vignettes is deftly woven with profound insights, making a compelling case for reading as a spiritual discipline. From soulful reflections on spiritual growth to prescriptive tools, this book is a treasure trove for anyone seeking to deepen their faith through literature. It's more than just a guide--it's also an invitation to embark on a lifelong journey of wonder, curiosity, and connection. A must-read for avid readers, would-be readers, and spiritual seekers alike." - J. Dana Trent, author Between Two Trailers
"Most book lovers love that genre of writing -- books about books. They are beloved and often influential. World of Wonders is one that is unlike any other in this field, a truly lovely, easy-to-read, utterly delightful, deeply spiritual book that indeed makes you want to read more. It helps you realize God's presence as you turn the pages, and guides you to encounter the world of wonder that is discovered in an open-hearted reading life. No stuffy tome for only the erudite experts, this is a book for you, me, your neighbors, friends, and even those who may not (yet) love to read. This book is a gift. Read and share." - Byron Borger, Hearts & Minds Books, Dallastown, Pennsylvania
"Crosby's book not only traces the way the magic of reading captured his own imagination, setting him on a lifelong career in the book industry. More than that, his exploration of reading as an act of worship, a form of liturgy, and even a spiritual discipline, summons all of us, calling us forth from the frenzy and fragmentation of modern life to the sacred and healing ground of getting lost in a book. It is a stream of shining waters for a fatigued and thirsty soul." - Wendy Murray, journalist and author of Clare of Assisi, Gentle Warrior and Inner Healing the Franciscan Way.
"Having been an English teacher and language arts administrator on both high school and college levels during my 40-year career in education, it is easy for me to say that our national education community would greatly benefit from Jeff Crosby's refined celebration about the mesmerizing holiness of reading. I highly recommend World of Wonders!" - Christopher de Vinck, contributing columnist for The Dallas Morning News, author of Things That Matter Most
"In World of Wonders, Crosby has given us a wonderfully written, intimate bit of memoir. Woven throughout are excerpts from great writers, across all genres. With these quotes, we are shown the way in which reading has been formational in this author's journey, and discover the joy to be found within our own pages." - Rick Lewis, Logos Bookstore, Dallas, Texas
"If spiritual disciplines are practices to help us encounter God's grace, then Jeff Crosby is onto something important. What's more, he's the consummate storyteller who brings decades of experience reading, writing, editing, selling, and publishing a variety of books and genres. His wisdom is as evident as his breadth of reading in these pages, gently pointing us toward grace in the various seasons of life." - Mark R. McMinn, co-author of An Invitation to Slow
"Jeff Crosby appropriately begins his exploration of reading with a quotation from C. S. Lewis's brilliant Experiment in Criticism, which, with the perceptive precision typical of Lewis, perfectly describes why we read: "We want to see with other eyes, to imagine with other imaginations, to feel with other hearts, as well as with our own." World of Wonders is intended to help us do just that. Despite his immersion in every aspect of book reading and publishing, Jeff is an unintimidating, disarmingly gentle and humble guide for readers of every level of proficiency and every type of reading intention, whether it's for sheer entertainment or deepest spiritual discipline. And don't miss the dozen reading lists, reflecting decades of experience of a veteran reader and publisher. Pure gold." - Warren Farha, founder and owner, Eighth Day Books, Wichita, Kansas
"Jeff Crosby invites me to step away from my fragmented life of screens, information, images and opinion, and he returns me to earlier days when I dwelled in books, when I lost track of time, when the now-rare experience of "presence" was as natural as reading. Where researchers fail to spark a change in my habits (despite their evidence of my changing brain and shrinking capacity for attention), World of Wonders speaks to my soul through literary quotes, intriguing books lists, practical strategies, and stories of people who call me back to what I once knew - that to read deeply is to inhabit the world more fully and to encounter the God who is there." - Karen Wright Marsh, author of Wake Up To Wonder and Vintage Saints and Sinners, and executive director of Theological Horizons.
"As an avid reader, I saw myself in many of the stories sprinkled throughout World of Wonders. As an author, I appreciated Jeff's critical exploration not just of the types of books he most gravitates toward, but also of a myriad of genres, offering compelling, spiritual reasons to explore them. As a pastor, I found myself thinking of particular parishioners that I cannot wait to share this book with. Certainly, it will encourage and challenge those who already love books. But it will also help reluctant readers who are deeply devoted followers of Jesus to find new ways to encounter God. Jeff's stories and real life examples of meeting God in the pages of books will challenge and encourage others to do the same." - Jen Bradbury, Sr. Director of Family Ministries, First Presbyterian Church, Glen Ellyn and author of Faith Beyond Youth Group
"World of Wonders is a great book for readers who always are looking for a book recommendation. In addition, Crosby gives words to what is often our inarticulate sense of the spiritual importance of our reading. And it is good for Christians who realize that they'd like to read more but wonder where to begin. Crosby's stories of his own reading journey are not from elite literary circles but from daily life. One thinks "that could be me." And indeed it could. Welcome to the world of wonders!" - Bob Trube, "Bob on Books"
