The Final Summit: A Quest to Find the One Principle That Will Save Humanity is a follow-up to The Traveler’s Gift. This is my first Andy Andrews book, so I started this book not knowing any background or what to expect. Andrews does a great job of filling the reader in on pertinent facts from The Traveler’s Gift, so it’s not necessary to read that book first, although I do wish I had just because I dislike reading books out of order. In The Final Summit, David Ponder is called to a meeting with other Travelers to discuss the future of mankind. Their task is to determine what people must do individually and collectively to stop the downward spiral of our civilization. The answer is one two-word phrase.

I liked this book for several reasons. First, I love historical fiction and the premise of this book pulls historical figures from different time periods and tells their stories. So, while the fiction is that they wouldn’t all be sitting around having conversations with each other, the facts of their lives are true. Andrews even pulled some of the dialogue from actual things that the famous characters said or wrote.

This book is full of wisdom, inspiration, and humor. Also, this book is an easy read. Having small children, I don’t get to relax around water, but I bet this book would be a good beach or pool read. However, I wouldn’t recommend reading it once and sticking it on a shelf. This is a book that you’ll want to reread from time to time. That’s saying a lot, because I keep few books on my personal shelf and I rarely reread books.

This is not a book just for Christians. I say that because it is not blatantly preachy and I think anyone with enough sense to embrace the wisdom in this book will enjoy it, whether the reader is a Christian or not.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. ( )

David Ponder is an ordinary old man who is summoned by the archangel Gabriel to lead a meeting.

“With a serious nod, Gabriel began:
- You are at a turning point, he said
- You, the human race, are balanced on a precipice, and He is not pleased. … now the Travelers are being convened with an opportunity to avoid what seems to me, the inevitable.” (page 32-3)

The most influential leaders of the past history are gathered around a table to discuss ‘the one principle that will save humanity.’

“What does humanity need to do, individually and collectively, to restore itself to the pathway to ward successful civilization?” (page 71)

The Travelers in charge for the Answer are: Winston Churchill, Joan of Arc, Abraham Lincoln, Eric Erickson, King David, George Washington Carver, and Joshua Chamberlain.

The Final Summit is my first reading of Andy Andrews, so my opinions about this book could be incomplete.

I was disappointed since the start of the book because, although the ingredients were ‘high level’, the result is poor.
Reading the praise for The Final Summit, I was expecting a story stuffed with ideas, suggestions, and quotations from historical characters.
I was also expecting a bit of fantasy.

The style of the book suggests the idea kind of brainstorming meeting for insurances’ sellers, so motivational purposes are far from this book. The final answer ‘that will save humanity’ seems hanging over there, and so …
It is not just double-entry accounting.

I advise to reread hagiographies books, where ‘examples’ and suggestions comes from real life.

Booksneeze has provided me with an Arc of this book.

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Andy Andrews does it again! I became and Andy Andrews fan when I read The Heart mender, this book was no less enjoyable. The book chronicles the journey of David Ponder who is sent to gather all the “Travelers” together to answer questions. The book is filled with many twists and turns throughout. As was the case with the last Andrew’s book I read – this one is so difficult to put down. I wanted to know exactly how the entire thing would turn out. However, I do wish that Andrews had pointed more to the personal relationship needed with Jesus Christ in order to enter heaven. There is not really any mention of Christ’s sacrifice for humanity and our dependence on this to have eternal life. Even in this I would recommend this book for an enjoyable read.
Thank you Thomas Nelson, Booksneeze, for this review copy.
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This was a very intriguing read. Andy Andrews doesn't disappoint. The ending of the Summit put me on the edge of my seat and kept me there! Learn life principles with suspense leading the way! ( )

I became a fan of Andy Andrew after reading "The Heart Mender". Then I read "The Butterfly Effect" and "The Boy Who Changed the World". But "The Final Summit" is yet the best I read from this author. It is truly an amazing book that captures the reader's attention from page one till the last. The storyline is simple: David Ponder is summoned to lead a meeting that will have to produce a correct answer to a question in order to save humanity. This meeting is organized by archangel Gabriel and David can count with the help of five famous predetermined people from the past that will reasoning together towards the requested answer. They have five tries to come up with the correct answer, and on each try they learn a principle that is part of the final answer.
Andy Andrew is a superb storyteller and although this particular story does not have that much theological bases in terms of its reality, the teaching of moral principles and attitudes that should guide anyone's life is priceless.
I would recommend this book to any reader that is willing to search for an improvement in his/her attitudes towards a better life. It deserves to be in the permanent library of any serious reader.
This book was written by Andy Andrews and it was published by Thomas Nelson in April of 2011 and they were kind enough to send me a copy for reviewing through their Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers Program.
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