Title: Wrong Again, Doglips
Author: Roger Austin
Publisher: Newman Springs Publishing, Inc.
ISBN: 978-1638816119
Pages: 356
Genre: Spiritual, Christian / Non-fiction
Reviewer: Ephantus M.
Pacific Book Review
If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to get a sermon and a stand-up set rolled into one, Wrong Again, Doglips is just that. Roger Austin brings together faith, humor, storytelling, and down-to-earth lessons in this wildly eclectic book. Reading it is like flipping through a pastor’s notebook where every page has a joke, a moral, and something that makes you go, “I never thought of it that way.” Whether he’s talking about cartoons, race car drivers, or egg-frying anti-drug commercials, Austin’s voice is clear- God is real, big, and He’s got a sense of humor too.
The book is structured like a collection of devotional reflections or mini-sermons. Each chapter opens with a Scripture passage and then Austin runs with it. He might take you through Paul’s conversion in Acts and compare it to brains “on God,” or use the coyote-and-sheepdog cartoon to explain the nature of good and evil. It’s part storytelling, part scripture analysis, part homespun wisdom. You’re never quite sure where the story is going to land, but somehow, it always makes its point. He’s got a gift for weaving in quotes from Tozer, Swindoll, Chesterton, and even little kids in Sunday school, tying them all together like he’s sitting across the table talking to you.
One thing readers will notice right away is that Roger Austin doesn’t write like a scholar – but rather like someone who wants you to get it. The prose is conversational, rambles a bit at times, but always friendly. The chapters feel more like transcribed talks than traditional essays, and that’s honestly part of its charm. The stories are easy to follow, and the lessons are simple but profound. It’s not “high theology”- it’s more like spiritual common sense, the kind of stuff your pastor might say if you caught him in the mood to talk deeply.
Stylistically, the book leans heavy on metaphors and analogies, from sports to pop culture to childhood memories, which keeps it relatable. Structurally, it doesn’t follow a linear narrative, and you can jump into any chapter and walk away with something to think about. Themes like spiritual discipline, resisting temptation, the nature of evil, and the endless love and power of God come through loud and clear.
Wrong Again, Doglips by Roger Austin feels like having a long, meandering, but heartfelt chat with a preacher who’s seen a lot, laughed a lot, and still deeply believes that God’s in control. If you like your faith with a side of wit and a whole lot of honesty, this one’s for you.
