Book Review: “The Search for God and Guinness” by Stephen Mansfield

December 7, 2009 | Posted by Kathy

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Having never been a been drinker myself, I was still drawn to read this book because I had the opportunity to visit the Guinness brewery with my brother on a trip to Dublin. My brother has always been a Guinness fan, and also read this book.

The book chronicles Arthur Guinness and how he began the company that had a huge impact on Ireland and on the beer brewing industry. Until I read this, I didn’t know that beer was created as an alternative to the stronger liquor that was felt to create problems in families. I didn’t know how one could possibly put beer and God in the same sentence. It was interesting to me to learn that beer has long played a role in the Christian community and that the Guinness family were committed to spreading Christianity. Some of the family were bankers, some missionaries, and brewers, all feeling the call to serve God in their respective professions. Arthur Guiness was a visionary and clearly believed in what he was doing, shown in one way by obtaining a 9,000 year lease on the property where he built his brewery.

I also found it fascinating how the Guinness company took care of their people. They believed strongly in taking care of their employees, even paying half salaries to the family when a man was sent to war so that he didn’t have to worry about how his family would survive while gone. They invested in the people and the community, using their wealth to serve others, a great example of servant leadership. Companies today could learn from this; perhaps they, too, would reap the blessings that the Guinness family received. This is a good example of how a business can do well by the people they work with, serve their community, and still be profitable.

I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others. It is a good read that covers some of the history of Ireland, the history of brewing beer, and the history of the Guinness family. It would make a great Christmas gift for the beer lover in your life.

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