I can’t remember too many books where I was only partly in when I realized that this was going to be one of my favorite books. Usually one comes to that conclusion near the end or maybe months or years later. But when I was reading Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl, I knew that I was going to savor every page of the rest of the book. 
It’s a difficult book to describe. It is part philosophy, part apologetics, part culture and a large part humor. I laughed out loud on many pages. The biggest part for me was the fresh perspective it gave on God’s Creation. It is aptly subtitled, Wide-Eyed Wonder in God’s Spoken World. If that title grabs you, you ‘ll probably enjoy the book. You can read the preface and first (short) chapter online and that will give you a good feel for the carnival ride that the book is.
I was surprised when the film distributor asked to send me a review copy of the “bookumentary”—a one-hour film based on the book. The reading audience of this blog is small. I think they wanted me to write a review for the BiblePlaces Blog but it does not belong there. So you get my take-away.
I watched the film twice over the last two months. The first time I watched it all in one sitting with Kelli. When we finished we both felt like we had just been on one of those rides that make you dizzy. N. D. Wilson alone can make your head spin, but when his philosophic musings are married to intense visual stimulation, it’s a bit overwhelming. I knew I had to watch it again.
The second time I split it up into four parts (on four separate nights) and I watched it with our 13- and 11-year-old sons. We paused the DVD after each chapter and discussed it. While some was clearly over their head (for example, a 5-minute blitz on the problem of evil), there was always something we could talk about profitably.
I would consider myself a fan of N. D. Wilson after reading only two of his books (the other I stumbled across in the church library and read to the boys several years ago) and would encourage you to read this book and/or watch the DVD. My criticism of the DVD would be that some of the material is more suited to a book where you can read and re-read. And you can read slowly. The DVD has one speed until the ride is over. That doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy the DVD. I was quite impressed with the visual excellence of the production. Some parts of Wilson’s message were significantly enhanced by the visual elements. But for this reviewer, not raised on MTV, for other parts I felt like my brain needed more circuits.
What I loved best about the book and the movie is the smile they put on my face as I thought about the Great Artist having a blast in designing and caring for his world.
The book is at Amazon (with 85 reviews) and at Google Books (with 156 reviews). The DVD is available from multiple sources here and Justin Taylor’s blog has some endorsements and video previews.