#236 Review of "Theo Of Golden" by Allen Levi

Sometimes the most meaningful discoveries come when we venture beyond our usual preferences. Having just finished "Theo of Golden," by Allen Levi. a book far removed from my typical action-packed thrillers, I found myself profoundly moved in unexpected ways.

When Eric Rostad, host of Books of Titans podcast and a friend whose literary judgment I trust implicitly, recommended this book, I took notice despite my hesitation. Where Brad Thor novels offer adrenaline and espionage, "Theo of Golden" presents something entirely different—a slower, more contemplative journey filled with grace, mercy, love, and kindness. These qualities feel increasingly rare in our world of endless online anger and division.

What struck me most was how this book addressed our universal longing to be truly seen and acknowledged for who we are, not what we accomplish. It made me pause and consider: When was the last time you felt completely seen? How often do we overlook opportunities to extend kindness to others? These simple acts cost nothing yet mean everything. The enjoyment I derived wasn't from heart-racing suspense but from slowing down and letting the story's wisdom sink deep, leaving me with something thrillers rarely provide—genuine hope.

I encourage you to read "Theo of Golden" and give yourself permission to take it slowly. Don't rush through it; let it breathe and work on you. After finishing, I'd love to hear what resonated with you and whether it reminded you of times when someone showed you unexpected grace or kindness. Reach out and let's continue this conversation about the books that don't just entertain us, but transform us.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Theo of Golden
• 2:16 What Makes This Book Special
• 3:37 Reading Outside Our Comfort Zone
• 5:12 A Call for Kindness
• 6:34 Final Thoughts and Invitation

Transcript

Speaker 1: 1:03

Welcome to the Scott Townsend Show brought to you by Dietzoman Productions.

Speaker 2: 1:10

Today I want to share a book with you that I just finished yesterday, and it's one that really moved me in ways I wasn't expecting. The book is called Theo of Golden, and I found out about it through a recommendation from my good friend, Eric Rostad. You may know Eric as the host of Books of Titans podcast. I've had him on several times on my show. Eric reads more books in a year than most of us will in a decade, and he doesn't just read them, thinks about them, talks about them and recommends them thoughtfully. So when eric told me, scott, you need to read this one, I listened.

Speaker 2: 1:53

Now I'll admit this isn't the type of book I normally go for. I'm more of a brad thor kind of a guy. Page-turning thrillers, you know action, espionage, high stakes that's usually my jam. Po Golden is nothing like that and it's slower. It's more reflective, more about the heart and the soul, and maybe that's why it hit me so deep. I didn't race through it. In fact I went slowly, sometimes just a few pages at a time, because the words had a way of making me stop and think and by the time I finished yesterday I knew I needed to tell you about this book. So what's so special about Theo of Golden? Well, without spoiling anything, I'll just say it's a book full of grace and mercy, love, goodness, mystery and kindness.

Speaker 2: 2:52

Those aren't always the things we find in abundance these days, are they? If you spend any amount of time online, or even just scrolling through headlines, you'll see plenty of anger, division and cynicism, but here's a story that reminds us of what we long for to be respected, to be known, to be seen and to be acknowledged. That got me thinking, and here's a question for you when was the last time you felt truly seen, not for what you do or what you achieve, but for who you are? It's rare, isn't it? And yet it's what we all crave. That's one of the reasons this book hit me so hard. It reminded me how powerful those simple acts of acknowledgement and kindness can be.

Speaker 2: 3:42

Another thing that struck me is how unusual it felt to read a story like this for fun. I'm used to action, cliffhangers, that heart racing pace, but with Theo of Golden, the enjoyment came from slowing down, reflecting, letting the story sink in, and, I'll tell you, it left me with something. Thrillers rarely do a sense of hope. So let me ask you this when was the last time you read something outside of your usual comfort zone? Did it surprise you? Did it open you up to something new? For me, the surprise was discovering that this book was actually what I needed right now. Not that I thought I wanted, but what I needed. Here's another thing worth thinking about.

Speaker 2: 4:33

The book made me consider how often we overlook opportunities to show grace and mercy in everyday life, whether it's with coworkers, family or even strangers. We're given these small chances every day to extend kindness. How often do we take them? How often do we miss them? To you, of golden is more than just a story. It's a reminder, a reminder that the world still needs goodness, still needs mercy, still needs love, and maybe that reminder is exactly what you've been looking for. So my encouragement to you is simple Do yourself a favor and read Theo of Golan.

Speaker 2: 5:17

Take your time with it, don't skim, don't rush. Let it breathe, let it work for you, let it work on you. I think you'll find yourself walking away from it with a little more hope and maybe even a little more resolve to bring kindness into your daily interactions. And once you've read it, I'd love to hear from you what stood out to you. What did it make you feel? Did it remind you of a time when someone showed you grace or kindness that you didn't deserve? Send me a message and I'd love to keep this conversation going and to my friend, eric Rostad thank you again for pointing me toward this book.

Speaker 2: 5:58

You knew what you were talking about. This is Scott Townsend. Thanks for listening to the Scott Townsend Show. Have a great day. Everything's going to be all right and we'll talk to you later. And we'll talk to you later.