Overcoming Shame: The Perfectionist, the Prodigal, and the Receptive Child by Michael Rowntree

Why do we swing between striving for control and running from failure? In Overcoming Shame: The Perfectionist, the Prodigal, and the Receptive Child, Michael Rowntree explores Ecclesiastes 7:15–29 to reveal how both self-righteousness and self-indulgence are forms of pride. True freedom, Solomon teaches, comes not from mastering life but from fearing God—trusting Him when logic fails, humbling ourselves when pride rises, and receiving His grace as children instead of schemers.