"Viral" by Leonard Sweet

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Leonard Sweet, Viral. Waterbrook Press, 2012. 240 pgs. 

"The Gospel is nothing without relationship. And no one gets it like the google generation." So begins the copy for Viral by Leonard Sweet. What follows, once you get into the book, is 4 chapters distinguishing the "Google generation" from the "Gutenberg generation." Once Sweet has set up this division, he proceeds to examine Twitter, Google, iPhones, and Facebook and how each of these lends itself to relationship and, thus, the gospel. Sweet concludes by saying that we need to be able to deal with both cultures with love and hospitality. 

I have enjoyed some of Sweet's books in the past. I did not enjoy this. The problems with this book are numerous. Sweet acknowledges, in the final pages of his book, that he has "grievously simplified the two cultures" of 'googler' and 'gutenberger.' He is almost right. I would go so far as to say that he has invented these two cultures. People, at least the people I know, do not divide along these lines much at all. What you get, then, is a shallow analysis of a non-existent phenomenon based on exaggerated pop-cultural cliches. Unfortunately, most of the chapters follow suit. The "analysis" (if you can call it that) of each pop trend is also entirely based on stereotyping. Sweet's conclusion is, of course, absolutely true: we do need to embrace people regardless of their culture. Of course, when the entire book has failed to get below the surface it is not difficult to find a general Christian principle with which to conclude. 

Conclusion: 1 Star. Not Recommended. You won't find anything worth your time here. 

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