Paved with Good Intentions: A Demon's Road Map to Your Soul

by C.S. Lewis

The Screwtape Letters has long been one of C.S. Lewis's most popular works. Its delightfully devious demon, Screwtape, advises his nephew on how best to corrupt a brand new Christian, illuminating the strategies that tempters use to bring down humans. Compiling excerpts of the most humorous and insightful of this advice, this fun, give volume presents these strategies as success tips for life.

Genres: Religion, Christian, Classics, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Christian Non Fiction

112 pages, Hardcover

First published February 15, 2005

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Clive Staples Lewis was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954. He was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Mere Christianity, Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics The Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and been transformed into three major motion pictures.

Lewis was married to poet Joy Davidman.
W.H. Lewis was his elder brother]

Reviews

[Brice Karickhoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last week we attended a CS Lewis seminar and the speaker went on about how he’s one of the most profound intellectuals of modern times. Even though he’s always been one of my favs, I thought to myself, “perhaps he’s being a bit hyperbolic”.

Then I read Lewis for the first time in a few years. No hyperbole. This book was unbelievably profound and is not even a well known work. Too many nuggets to quote, just read it yourself.

[Chris Kidwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unnecessary, but good nonetheless. Basically a pocket-sized Screwtape.

[Ronda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like everything by CS Lewis, this is packed with lines that will make you catch your breath. I was surprised to find that this is basically a remake of The Screwtape Letters, but that didn't stop it from being wonderful. So many insights that make me look at life from a new perspective.

[T Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading The Screwtape Letters, this was an interesting "field book" of instructions to take a soul.

Favorite quotes: (keeping in mind this is from a devil's viewpoint: the patient is us, the Enemy is God.)

"It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out."

"There is nothing like suspense and anxiety for barricading a human's mind against the Enemy,"

"You should always try to make the patient abandon the people or food or books he really likes in favor of the 'best' people, the 'right' food, the 'important' books."

"Fun is closely related to Joy - a sort of emotional froth arising from the play instinct."

"A thousand bawdy, or even blasphemous jokes do not help towards a man's damnation so much as his discovery that almost anything he wants to do can be done, not only without disapproval, but with the admiration of his fellows, if only it can get itself treated as a joke."

"...he must be made to imagine that all the choices which have effected this change of course are trivial and revocable." - the gradual desscent

"Catch him at the moment when he is really poor in spirit and smuggle into his mind the gratifying reflection 'By jove, I'm being humble' and almost immediately pride - pride at his own humility - will appear."

"When they have really learned to love their neighbor as themselves, they will be allowed to love themselves as their neighbors."

"...thoughts such as Creative Evolution, Scientific Humanism, or Communism,.. fix men's affections on the future, on the very core of temporality."

"We want a whole race perpetually in pursuit of the rainbow's end, never honest, nor kind, nor happy now, but always using as mere fuel wherewith to heap the alter of the future every real gift which is offered them in the present."

"Men are not angered by mere misfortune, but by misfortune conceived as injury."

"Zealously guard in his mind the curious assumption 'My time is my own'. Let him have the feeling that he starts each day as the lawful possessor of twenty-four hours."

"Certainly we do not want men to allow their Christianity to flow over into their political life, for the establishment of anything like a real just society would be a major disaster."

"Prosperity knits a man to the world. He feels that he is 'finding his place in it' while really it is finding its place in him."

"He sees as well as you do that courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point..."

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is kind of hard to rate. Lewis's writing style is genius and beautiful. The content is fascinating. This book is a highlights version or an abridgment of The Screwtape Letters, so I don't know you wouldn't just want to read that instead. You'll get a fuller context of the chosen paragraphs for this one. This is designed as a cute little gift book, really. It's quite short.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically a short, quick, compendium of insights taken mostly from The Screwtape Letters, but also from various other C.S. Lewis works (like Mere Christianity, Pain, Divorce, etc.)

Quick, easy read. Some interesting thoughts, but if you've read C.S. Lewis before, all covered in his various other works. (The compendium is made by his estate too, so thats an interesting note.)

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is sort of a condensed version of The Screwtape Letters. I wouldn't recommend reading it instead of The Screwtape Letters, but I teach English and this is a nice little refresher book that hits some of the main points that I discuss with my class. I used it to help me plan my lessons & discussions.

[Alessandro Rosborough · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit disappointing. I was hoping for a bit more of Wormwood in this, but it’s essentially an abridged version of the Screwtape Letters. Which is fine, I love the Screwtape letters, but if I want to read it then I’ll reread it, not peruse the short version. Of course if that what you want to do then this is great for that.

[Daryl Nagai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had higher expectations for this book which claims to be an instruction manual full of tricks and deceptions for demons to use against humans. The book was written under the oppressive shadow of World War 2 back in 1942. Common in the late 1800s and early 1900s, this book takes a rambling Victorian prose approach to writing, which is only redeemed by its brevity.

[Ryceejo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I guess these are the abridged "notes" of The Screwtape Letters...I wish I could memorize this little book cover to cover. What an eye-opening view. I didn't realize my natural man and the things that make me ME were so predictable! ;)

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sort of companion book to The Screwtape Letters which is one of my all time favorite books. This book was more 3.5 stars. It has many deep and interesting things to think about and discuss but those same thoughts are presented in a much better way in TSL.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is actually a collection of excerpts from Lewis' "The Screwtape Letters," reformattd to be like a demon's guidebook. I liked it because it was a refresher on "The Screwtape Letters," but if someone is choosing to read one or the other, you should read the original -- hands down!

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realize this book was simply excerpts from The Screwtape Letters. Still excellent and hit a couple points I need to work on, but I was expecting a book I hadn't read yet.

[David Thrower · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most impactful books I have ever read. So much to reflect on while reading.

[René · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not realize this was going to be the airplane version of The Screwtape Letters lol. It contains witty, insightful strategies, but the book itself felt disjointed.

[Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

…3.5 stars.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very quick and thought provoking read.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is just like a "highlights" version of The Screwtape Letters. Paved With Good Intentions is perfect for those who want a taste of what the a fore mentioned book is like. It's a quick read and full of insightful, though provoking statements.

[Art · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not to take anything away from this book, but it wasn't quite as good as it's predessesor, The Screwtape Letters. Although there were good tidbits to be had throughout, it lacked unity and felt a bit disjointed.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm sure I would have given this book a higher rating had I started by reading The Screwtape Letters. As a stand-alone book, it was good, but not amazing.

[Larsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great insight about everyday people and everyday religion. It is a thinking exercise; I read it twice for this reason.

[Julie Glynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I definitely prefer Screwtape Letters to this, but still worthwhile.

[Chrystall Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as thought-provoking as The Screwtape Letters. Makes spiritual warfare real to the average person instead of a deep or heavy religious term too difficult to understand.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read that puts you in the mind of a daemon. It's been a long time since I had to look up several words within a book. Interesting & insightful .

[Ricki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't hold my attention.

[Mr. M.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

C.S. Lewis just blows my mind away; always enjoy reading his stuff.