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Product Description

Every little girl has dreams of being swept up into a great adventure, of being the beautiful princess. Sadly, when women grow up, they are often swept up into a life filled merely with duty and demands. Many Christian women are tired, struggling under the weight of the pressure to be a "good servant," a nurturing caregiver, or a capable home manager.

What Wild at Heart did for men, Captivating is doing for women. Setting their hearts free. This groundbreaking book shows readers the glorious design of women before the fall, describes how the feminine heart can be restored, and casts a vision for the power, freedom, and beauty of a woman released to be all she was meant to be. By revealing the core desires every woman shares-to be romanced, to play an irreplaceable role in a grand adventure, and to unveil beauty-John and Stasi Eldredge invite women to recover their feminine hearts, created in the image of an intimate and passionate God. Further, they encourage men to discover the secret of a woman's soul and to delight in the beauty and strength women were created to offer.

Customer Reviews:

• What a relief!
  There are others out there who think and feel all these things that I do everyday all the time? Not only that but "most" women probably do.
  We all pretend to be so together we convince others and almost ourselves that we are indeed "together" but it is exhausting and heart breaking because we arent.
  I just want to be, and know that who I am is not only ok but valued and sought after by God and whoever else is in my life.
  What a wonderful book this is for me. It explains so much and has given me peace that until now I hadn't been able to find. Thanks Stasi for your honesty and vulnerablility.
  Amanda (a regular (beloved) girl)...more info
• Loved it
  I had heard about this book for awhile but never seemed to get around to reading it. I finally read it and I loved it. I actually found the content hard to read sometimes, because it was true and it made me really look and think about some things. This book touched me profoundly and I would highly recommend it....more info
• My life is changing as a result of this book
  I have been through a lot in my 40 years of life. I always thought that I had to be strong and just carry my sadness with me like a backpack I would pick up every day--it just became a part of my routine to deal with the overwhelming pain and sadness.
  
  A friend of mine suggested I read this book. I went into it skeptically because I have read so many Christian-based books that encouraged me, but never helped me to get "over that hump" of going back to dwelling on past hurts.
  
  I am now getting this book for a few of my girlfriends for Christmas. I believe it will help them as it has helped me.
  
  I read another review on this site that said the book did nothing for her. Well, to be honest, I believe that God reveals things to you when the timing is right. I have read books that I felt did nothing for me and then an event will take place in my life --and lo and behold the book I felt was useless did in fact prepare me for the event. So I don't limit God's teachings or Word. As the Bible states His Word does not go out void.
  
  I suggest reading a chapter or two and really reflecting on what it's said, how it relates to you and then prayerfully asking for God to help you get a deeper understanding from the book.
  
  I am still in the process of reading the book, but each chapter has brought me to a higher level. I no longer think the negative thoughts that once plagued my heart and soul. I no longer wake with dread of "what's going to happen to make me sad today." I am renewed, I am cleansed and I am free of picking up that backpack of sadness....more info
• Amazing
  John & Stasi compiled an amazing piece of work here. I was impressed with the depth covered in "Wild at Heart," and was so excited to hear they made one about females, as well! I was not at all let down! "Captivating" opened my eyes to the reasons behind many of the things about myself and other women that I didn't quite understand. I am preparing to read it a third time (I don't want to miss even one nugget of gold contained within!), and have purchased an extra copy to give to a lovely friend who doesn't see herself as the beauty she is...yet. Like "Wild at Heart," I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone I discuss books with--males and females alike!...more info
• God spoke to me through this book
  although this isn't fiction, it contains many interesting and personal stories. it absolutely changed my life, the way i look at myself and Who i believe God to be. i remember something from this book every day and open it very often during the year. i daily thank the Lord for bringing it my way... thank You...more info
• It's good, but not the best I've read
  I can understand the variety of reviews I've been reading. I really liked the concept of the book and did relate to a lot of the information, but I also did see how off track it could get as well. I've only seen one review of the videos..has anyone else viewed these? I think I've decided to do a different study called "The New Eve" which is by Robert Lewis - I think it stays more on track and hit the nail on the head for women these days. And don't fear, just because it's written by a guy :) he's done a great job....more info
• Literally captivating
  When I first started reading the book, I though, "Nah, this doesn't apply to me. Maybe to some women, but not to me." But as I read more, everything started to make more sense. This book has close ties to the Theology of the Body of John Paul II, but never explicitly so. This book encouraged such a positive change of perspective for me that I ordered 3 copies for other women I know. And then I ordered Wild at Heart (also equally eye-opening) for their husbands. I highly recommend this to every woman I know who is not scared of self-reflection....more info
• deep healing
  WOW!
  This book was so amazing that I had to go over it three times! It was a healing tool, I say healing because so many woman are told how to be a "good" christian and that we are suppose to chase the image of the Proverbs 31 woman. Guess what, SHE DOESN'T EXIST!!!! This helped to heal all the lies we are told by woman still living by the old code. Stuck in a box, and God doesn't belong in a box! It made me remember that being feminine is my God given gift and right. Reminded me of the longings I forgot in the midst of trying to "serve" and being exausted by trying to keep up with the "religious" views of others. It was freeing and not condeming in anyway. I have felt hopless and like I would never measure up to the figure most religious spiritual women and men will try to tell you to be like. This set me free of guilt and condemnation from those things and reminded me that the Lord thinks I am beautiful and lovely and He loves me, sin and all. I recomend this to any woman who wants to be set free and recapture the beauty God has set in all women! Let God set you free! Get out of that box:)...more info
• Loved Captivating
  I really enjoyed reading this book and felt so loved and admired by my Heavenly Father. It was a spiritual boost that I so desperately needed....more info
• Captivating
  Although I was initally excited about the captivating study guide, as I progressed I became more disturbed. In Chapter 6, The author relates our relationship to God in a sexual way by using the Song of Solomon. I believe the Song of Solomon to be an allergory of a husband of wife relationship. It disturbs me to think that we could relate to God in such a preverse way. This could be a very confusing study guide for those new in their faith or that are sexually active. I believe this to be a distortion and misinterpretation of scripture. I do not recommend this book....more info
• I really tried to like this book
  I bought this book because my husband really enjoyed "Wild At Heart". I thought "Captivating" would be a "Wild At Heart" for women and I was wrong. I really tried to like it and even read the book twice. I first felt uncomfortable how they try to relate Jesus as your lover. I get the concept, but the way they explained it was too weird for me. Then I started researching the verses they used and found most of the verses are taken out of context to meet their examples. I strongly urge you to look up the verses in the Bible and compare them to how they use them in the book. Then there are parts where John jumps in and speaks on how/why women act. Maybe it's just me, but not even my husband can figure out how I feel about myself, especially the root inner feelings. I really wanted this book to be a good one. Too bad....more info
• More than a book, it helps with my quiet time
  every girl, woman and teenager will relate to this book. You uncover so much of yourself and your potential, while discovering your purpose in life, as a female....more info
• CAPTIVATING
  WOW-what a great book--it's just what this exhausted woman needed to help lift her spirits from a Biblical perspective. Thanks for the great service! James 1:17...more info
• Take it personally and it will speak to you.
  Wild at Heart was an amazing book and so I was excited to learn that the Eldredges were collaborating to put Captivating together. Like Wild at Heart did for men, it speaks to the innermost desires that women have. Other reviews might leave you wondering if it is worth reading, but I insist it is beneficial to you as a woman, enlightening to you as a man, and a wonderful tool to deepen a marriage.
  
  First, you must get it. This book is not a set of rules or a list of do's and dont's. Therefore, you cannot read it as such. It begs you throughout to explore your emotions and their causes. As Christians, we know that we were created with purpose. You have all heard that everyone has a God-shaped hole in their heart that only God can fill. Well, we have to admit, then, that we were designed to need Him. Some adults still don't understand this need, much less the children that we all were. Children have this need, too, and they look to fill it from their mothers and fathers. Because no parents are perfect, we receive wounds when our need is not fulfilled. These wounds harden our hearts so that we learn to do without, to live without, to choke down our emotions with a determination from an idea that the need cannot be filled and that we must "grow up" and learn to be independent. But, God created all of us, men and women, to be dependent on Him. It's no wonder why we struggle so much. We were literally not designed to be living the lives that we do.
  
  This book goes into the subject that all women have at one time or another repressed. It is the first steps to a path of having a deeper relationship with God. It brings light to the cycle of a lot of today's churches that deal with a recurring group of people that volunteer and then get "burnt out".
  
  A very long previous review explained that "we don't need to feel good about ourselves" because "we are all failures, women and men alike". While I agree that we have all failed and that we need Jesus to save us, I disagree with the theme of that review that makes it sound like the buck stops there. Yes, we all need to be saved and born again, but Jesus did not just die to save us from our sins alone. He died to set us free from the shackles of our sinful nature. He died so that we, through Him, could come to the Father and have relationship with Him. Communion with Him. Life through Him. If we, as Christians, teach the next generation to live a life void of personal loving relationship with God, then we have failed beyond the decision of Adam and Eve. If you have not been taught that you can have an amazing purposeful intimate relationship with God that satisfies you to your very core then I say read this book. Read Wild at Heart, too. God created men and women differently because he instilled different parts of Himself into each of them so that together they would be "in His image." We can only know the complete heart of God when we know all aspects of his personality. So, I say read both of these books to fully understand the nature of our God and where you fit in to His desires....more info
• Captivating
  Great book and timely shipping by this provider. Price and description were right on the money! ...more info
• Deficient of Solid Biblical Truth
  My Bible study leader recommended this book, saying that it is a "life-changing book." Upon finishing "Captivating," I found it to be anything but. There were a few passages here and there in which I liked; although, I found the majority of the book to be watered-down and lacking of substantiated biblical support. Rather than backing up their claims with Scripture, John and Stasi Eldredge support their arguments using the plots of movies (i.e. Lord of the Rings). What is the problem with this? Movies are fictional. They are not real.
  
  All in all, I do NOT recommend this book. It is watered-down and deficient of solid biblical truth. Several of my friends have also been disappointed with the content of this book....more info
• Wonderful!
  This is a great book for women, Moms with daughters, or men to understand their wives. It made me realize how God created me, and all women, and rejoice in that and grow in that, not stifle it. God's design is best, and reading this book made me thankful to be a woman created in His image. I typically don't love women's books, but this one is a must read!...more info
• Personal expectation
  A search for your inner self, what is true in your heart as a woman and what draws you close to God. Any book that you can read which will generate the emotions inside of your heart to seek God is a great book. Research the scriptural references from your own solid "book" of scriptures. Reading this book can change the journey in seeking God's love to fill your heart. Then again, maybe this book won't satisfy that need for you. But it did for me.
  ...more info
• Life-changin
  This book has changed my life and the way i think about God's love for me! I feel loved in a way that is only satisfied by God....more info
• Don't Bother
  I won't take up much space because so many before me have thouroughly covered about every point, however a group of 3 of my friends and myself decided to read this book and do the study guide, not one of us could finish it - I almost feel bad donating it....more info
• Captivating
  What a gift from God this book is. What growth I've experienced and understanding I've come to thanks to Captivating. Every woman should give herself the gift of this book. Every man who has a daughter or wants to understand his wife on a deeper level need to read this as well, what an opportunity to connect and understand a woman's true soul. I will re-read this book over and over.....Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul...more info
• AMAZING!
  I have to say I absolutely LOVED this book. I read it last year and then did the DVD series with a small group with my church. I got a lot out of the book itself, but even more so when I was reading it with my group and watching the DVDs. I think this is a very relevant book for women of any age and really encourages women to dig deep and discover your wounds and allow God and God ALONE to heal you. It is very Biblically based and focuses on bringing these issues and the core of who we are to God (not men, money, etc). I have highly recommended this book to many people. A lot of women in their 20/30s that I know have enjoyed it, but my mom couldn't get into it. I think from what I have discovered is that sometimes my mom's generation and older are a little more private, and Stasi does put it all out there, which I appreciated. I think anyone with an open mind seeking God will enjoy this book though regardless of age. Just my opinion though :)...more info
• fulfilled expectations
  Received in a timely manner. Was not "as-new", as there was some underlining and several pieces of left-over papers amonst the pages.
  Condition was good, tight binding, clean book cover. ...more info
• A Wonderful Tool for This Generation of Women
  We have used this book two years in a row for a small group in in our Women's Ministry. Both times, I am amazed at how it affects the women. We have had laughter, tears (many), wounds healed and a developing sense of the awesome Call the Lord has on us as His Women!!
  
  There is scripture throughout and the principles are Biblical. The important this is, the Lord wants a relationship with us! That is one of the main themes throughout. He loves us! And He has a special plan for us.
  
  It is a beautifully written book, in my opinion. I highly recommend it!...more info
• Looked New! Great Price!
  Igot a wonderful deal on this book, having priced them in stores I know. It looked brand new. Thanks!...more info
• Amazing book
  This book hits at the heart of a woman. A must read for all women!...more info
• Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul
  This is an excellent book that will bring to healing and receiving the greatest love and lover of all... God. It will lead you to answering the unanswered question in the soul of every woman. It is also an excellent and easy read from a woman's and male's perspective....more info
• Very Pleased
  The books I purchased "new" as described. Processing and shipment of my order was very prompt. Arrived within a week....more info
• Nothing Special
  This book is co-authored by John and Stasi Eldredge. Sometimes it is clear who is writing, other times it is not.
  
  Overall the premise of the book is for women to be captivating. Their hearts should provide the invitation to romance so they can let their true beauty shine forth all the while having an adventure throughout their lives.
  
  "What Wild at Heart did for men, Captivating will do for you" is the caption on the back of the book. When I read the caption, I was a little annoyed because "Wild at Heart" did nothing for me. In fact, I though the book was wrong, so I had little expectation for this book.
  
  As I started reading, however, I found this book to be better in places than "Wild at Heart." The places I found myself enjoying were when Stasi wrote. I found myself usually disagreeing with John's writing.
  
  This book is an okay read, but could have been better if Stasi would have wrote the whole book. As with "Wild at Heart" the theology is a little off in places and the authors seem to use more movie and cultural references than scripture to prove their point. Sometimes (as with "Wild at Heart") the scripture is interpreted in a weak or liberal way to further attempt to substantiate their point.
  
  This is another book you can safely skip.
  
  ...more info
• Your captivating spirit
  I highly recommend this book to women and the men who love them! This book was one more helpful tool on my path to healing from an abusive marriage. It gives women with low self esteem possible explanations as to how our spirit becomes injured in the first place. It offers ways to overcome that and see ourselves as captivating and see our own beauty once again. This is only two peoples' opinions, mind you, but their personal accounts and references to friends' and acquaintances' experiences give credence to their claims. It didn't hurt that I felt that I had LIVED this myself. I personally liked that the authors also use biblical scripture to support their points. I liked this perspective about "Eve" so much, now I am interested in reading about "Adam" in the companion book, "Wild at Heart", which I recently purchased. ...more info
• Takes verses out of context
  Our women's Bible study group started using this book this fall but quickly discovered we couldn't continue. The authors take verses out of context to prove their points and the new Christians were being misled. I am throwing away both my book and study guide since I wouldn't want anyone else to fall victim to the faulty teaching. Stasi herself seems to have many issues that are unresolved and if you view the videos that come with the book it is clear that the women in the group need help in climbing out of the pit instead of repeatedly discussing their difficult past (which since I am a former social worker didn't seem all that difficult by comparison to what many women suffer in our world). ...more info
• Awesome book
  I had read this book twice already and given it to a woman I knew to read. I believe she really needed to know she was very special as a woman to God. I purchased it again to read again, maybe to keep for myself and maybe if I find another woman who will need it, maybe I'll give it to her. I know I'm very special as a woman to my God. I love this book!!!...more info