The Search for God and Guinness

The Search for God and Guinness, by Stephen Mansfield, was a fascinating read. The book’s subtitle – A Biography of the Beer that Changed the World – sets the author up for a momentous task. One can’t simply make that kind of statement and not back it up with a great story, and Mansfield certainly delivered if you ask me.

The book opens with a history of beer before the founding of Guinness. Personally, I found this to be the most fascinating part of the story, and a big reason I think the book lives up to its ambitious subtitle. This part of the book reminded me of How the Irish Saved Civilization. It details the history of the influence beer has had on the development of our civilizations and cultures. It was simply astounding. If you have no interest in the Guinness family (though you should), this part of the book is well worth a read.

The rest of the book gives a broad overview of the history of the Guinness family and the company they founded. There are detailed stories about three men in particular, but the book makes reference to many others. I’ll have to admit that the book falls a little flat for me in the middle, but that may be because I have much more interest in the topics which surrounded the middle. I’ve read many stories about earning a good living doing something in order to support one’s ministry to the world. I have little interest in those stories – probably because it sometimes seems we are surrounded by such stories in our modern culture.

I find the story of a man who wanted to brew beer as his calling – the idea that God can call a man to business as his vocation AND ministry – much more compelling. I was also very impressed by the stories of the impact Guinness had on its employees and their families. The world would be a better place if companies cared as much about the impact they had on the world – their own employees, the communities in which they operate, their customers, and the world.

It was also a fun read. I learned about connections between the family that never occurred to me. I had never actually thought much about Guinness as a family. It never really occurred to me that there were people behind the brand. That’s why I never wondered, as some do, whether Alec Guinness was related to the family (Apparently, he is not). It also never occurred to me that there was any connection between the dark ruby stout and the book of world records I used to read at my desk while my teacher was talking about who knows what – perhaps one day we learned about the Guinness family while I was reading their book.

While searching for a couple of quotes from the book, I learned that there are at least a few other stories of members of the Guinness family that have given of themselves for the greater good of their community and the world. Stories not included in the book.

I’m glad I know now.