All In: Gambling on Life, Love & Faith in a World of Risk

By Michael DiMarco

When a gambler is confident of a winning hand, he or she moves all in, pushing all their chips into the pot. If their hunch is right, the move reaps huge rewards. If wrong, the gambler has lost it all and is out of the game. This title delivers a spiritual message about long shots and sure things from someone who has lived both ways.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0800718623
• ISBN13: 9780800718626
• Release Date: September 2006
• Publisher: Fleming H. Revell Company
• Length: 216 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.8" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Read this DiMarco book before the others!

I've read and reviewed a couple of the DiMarco's previous books on dating and relationships. They were humorous and had good advice, but also tainted somewhat by superficiality. Sometimes I got the impression that they (husband and wife team Michael and Hayley) were two perfect pretty-people dispensing advice from on-high. Plus, despite claiming a Christian worldview, their conclusions were short on Scriptural backing. However, "All In" addresses these issues in spades, while still providing the usual DiMarco lighthearted insights. Michael DiMarco tackles the subject of risk, using gambling (poker, blackjack, etc.) as a framework to discuss "life, love, and faith in a world of risk." A number of recent Christian books have dealt with the topic of risk, but I liked how Mr. DiMarco anted up his checkered personal life for our edification. He reveals an addiction to gambling that led him to embezzlement and jail time. Plus, he discusses his first marriage and subsequent divorce, and takes responsibility for its failure. But instead of folding due to these setbacks, with God's help he learned from them, overcame their consequences, and is now a husband, father, writer, and CEO of Hungry Planet publishing company. Not bad. I was impressed with Mr. DiMarco's honesty about his past, and the hard-won lessons he gleaned from it. What's even better is his ability to communicate real-world wisdom in a readable and interesting form. Each chapter discusses an aspect of risk, whether in relationships, job, ethics, or walk with God. I liked his perspective on how the desire to exert control of our world and avoid pain determines the risks we take - or avoid taking. He also quotes Scripture quite often to bolster his hand - it seems that there are more Biblical passages here than in the previous three DiMarco books I've read. And he's not preachy or self-righteous, either. The chapters end with a "Your Turn To Deal" section of topic-specific personal application questions. Make sure you read "All In" before getting any of the other DiMarco books. Along with instruction and humor, "All In" provides a solid, honest lead-in to the DiMarco Hungry Planet line. Indeed, it's like a key piece of the DiMarco puzzle has finally been filled in - they are now more real and credible in my eyes, at any rate. "All In" is a solid bet.