Hokey Pokey : a book review

Hokey Pokey: Curious People Finding What Life’s All About
by Matthew Paul Turner

While I may get to experience an epic from tme to time, sometimes I just want my life to resemble a limerick - something short but true that makes only a little sense but gives me something to talk about with friends and strangers. (p. 37)

Hokey Pokey is a book about “finding meaning and significance in life’s small curiosities”. Turner takes a different approach to meaning/calling however, turning the conventional Christian approach a little bit on its head. Turner believes that “by discovering small ways and attitude changes needed to live fee and (even if just a little) dangerous we can find meaning and purpose in our lives.”

Using stories, truisms and brutal honesty, he articulates something most of us have discovered - often painfully - that finding our purpose isn’t nearly as easy as we all wish…or even “finding our purpose” really isn’t what it’s all about afterall. (do I have you singing the song yet?)

I found Hokey Pokey to be an enjoyable read because of all the stories and I also found it to be a reassuring affirmation that I’m not the only one who has a hard time choking down the notion that “if you just figure out God’s will for your life, all will be well”.

The book progresses from exploring paths and freedom to getting a little bit more specific about finding your calling.

I was glad to see that Turner doesn’t lay out a 5 step plan for finding your purpose in life so if you’re looking for some sort of big life altering revelation you’re not likely to find it here. But what you probably will find are beautiful, human and hopeful stories and a friend on the often winding, often enfuriating journey called life.