AM I RUNNING WITH YOU, GOD?

By its title and its mode of writing, this steps back over the eleven preceding books by this Episcopal priest and advertising alumnus, and connects with his best-selling Are You Running With Me, Jesus?. The form is again a very personal conversation with God--one side, only, heard from. The author reflects on his daily life and aspirations against the felt presence and demands of the biblical deity. Sharply focused vignette and anecdote help along, but Boyd's wish to instruct his readers can produce flat patches of platitude. The book's grip on the reader markedly increases just before midpoint, when some weeks in Israel, direct consideration of hunger and justice, and profiles of two women stir a stiff dose of specificity into the mix. Intentionally or not, this is an entry in that sometimes mammoth sales category--the devotional book. That the author is open, committed, articulate, uninhibited means that others so inclined can use this book as a springboard for their aspirations.