Free books?
I'm in!
Well the first book that they sent me was entitled The Fourth Fisherman by Joe Kissack.
This is an epic story of survival, revival, and faith. Joe Kissack is a man on top of the world, when his addiction to prescription painkillers threatens to ruin everything. The book entwines his story with that of three fisherman who survive a 9 month ordeal of being lost a sea.
At first this book started off a bit slow. I was two chapters in before I became hooked. Joe writes this story very well and after you get past that foundation that the opening chapters build, you reach a tale that leaves you wanting to know "what happens next." Each chapter alternates between the story of the fisherman and Joe's story. One is physical survival story--battling weather, hunger pains, and dehydration. Where as Joe's story is one of surviving our emotional battles--depression, feelings of insignificance, and addiction.
As the fisherman battle to survive, you hear about their strong reliance on God via the small pocket Bible that one of the men just happens to have brought with him. In a situation that seems completely hopeless, three of the original five fisherman, survive due to their continuous hope that God will provide. They find a way to store rain water and drink sea turtle blood for hydration and are able to capture various other sea creatures for sustenance. Surviving in a boat, similar to the picture below, for nine months at sea, is definitely a miracle of God.
Meanwhile, Kissack is fighting his own battle. A prominent man in the television industry, Kissack was responsible to license the rights of television programs to broadcast stations around the country. But, this job and a poor relationship with his father left him missing something. He was always craving something and would often turn to alcohol and eventually prescription medications to fill the void. As the story progresses (you will just have to read the book to find out how it happens), Kissack drops to an ultimate low where he finds the love of Christ.
As he continues through his own healing, he hears about the story of the three fisherman and decides that God is calling him to share their story. Thousands of dollars later and a crazy trip through the jungles of Mexico, Kissack touches base with someone close to the fisherman and works out a deal to share their story--this book.
The Fourth Fisherman is an easy read and definitely inspirational to say the least. I would recommend it to someone looking for a good and fast read. I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars.