All good brands need a mission statement or a manifesto. Warren\u2019s breakthrough to a mass audience came in 2002 with The Purpose Driven Life. His book describes itself as a \u201c40-day spiritual journey for Christian living in the 21st century\u201d\u009d. Though he rejects descriptions of it as a \u201cself-help book\u201d\u009d for the religious, it is reminiscent of the genre, with its folksy prose and short chapters. It reassures those with busy lives that they can converse with God \u201cwhile shopping, driving or working\u201d\u009d and that everyday tasks can be devoted to God including \u201ctaking out the trash\u201d\u009d.<\/p>\n
Warren says: \u201cThere\u2019s not a new idea in [it] that hasn\u2019t been said in 2,000 years of history. It\u2019s been said all before. If I had a 15-word sentence, how could I say it in nine? How can I say it in five?\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Warren\u2019s revolutionary tactic was to bypass bookshops and market the book directly to evangelical America, through its churches. It became a classic word-of-mouth success: it has sold more than 30m copies in the US, been translated into more than 50 languages and generated sequels.<\/p>\n