Religious and inspirational books offer new perspectives
REVIEWS BY MIKE PARKER
It is that time of year again—the season that sends millions of Americans into sheer panic trying to decide what to buy for that special person who has everything. This year, instead of an electronic gadget that you can't figure out how to operate, why not give the gift of wisdom? It comes in small, rectangular packages that are lightweight, portable, easy to operate and guaranteed to impact your life. With this year's crop of spiritually inspiring volumes to choose from, you might even consider giving one of these books to yourself.
Get real
Like The Tao of Pooh and The Gospel According to Peanuts, Toni Raiten-D'Antonio's new
book, The Velveteen Principles draws on well-known children's literature for inspiration. The author skewers the
prevalent worldview that equates wealth, beauty, public acclaim, power and popularity with happiness. True happiness,
she says, only comes from being "Real," and "Real" rarely means conforming to the standards of the "United States of
Generica." Instead Raiten-D'Antonio extracts 12 principles for becoming real from the charming children's classic,
The Velveteen Rabbit. It begins with realizing that "Real is Possible," confesses that "Real Can Be Painful," and defines "Real" as Generous, Grateful, Flexible and Ethical. "Real," she insists, is "a life well-lived, where we are true to ourselves," and "all the struggles and challenges only make us more Real."
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Water from the well
Max Lucado may be the most recognizable Christian author on the planet. His 50-plus books have sold more than 39 million
copies and have been translated into more than 20 languages. A quick glance at his latest
work, Come Thirsty, will reveal the reason for Lucado's popularity: bite-sized chapters filled with folksy stories that succinctly illustrate his insightful, spiritual points. Comparing spiritual dryness with physical dehydration, Lucado declares soul-thirst—resulting in fear, anxiety, hopelessness and resentment—to be one of the most common and under-diagnosed ailments in America. The good news, he says, is that there is a well of living water. And Lucado invites, encourages and even commands us to drink our fill. The result of imbibing this spiritual libation is joy, peace and confidence. As an added bonus the book includes a chapter-by-chapter study guide suitable for individual or small group study.
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The only thing that stays the same
Popular author Marianne Williamson begins her new
book, The Gift of Change, on the seemingly unremarkable premise that life is tough and rapidly getting tougher. In a world where the only constant is change, Williamson advocates the radical concept of embracing change as the only efficacious avenue for spiritual growth. Whether we like it or not, she writes, life today is different. The speed of change is faster than the human psyche seems able to handle. In a time when the "center does not hold," Williamson insists the most important thing to remember during these times of momentous change is to fix our eyes on the one thing that doesn't change—God. Indeed, while many see this era as the precursor to Armageddon, Williamson believes it is the time of the Great Beginning. "It is time to die to who we used to be and to become instead who we are capable of being," she writes.
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The wisdom of the ages
According to King Solomon, wisdom cries in the street, imploring the simple to acquire her reproof. If it were only
that easy. Wisdom may cry in the street, but it also hides in the nooks and crannies of our psyches, walks on the waters
of our adversities and disguises itself in paradox and poetry. In his inspiring
book, Where Shall Wisdom Be Found?, literary critic Harold Bloom explores the great writing of Western culture in his quest for wisdom. Bloom's criteria are simple: he is searching for Truth, Beauty and Insight. Drawing from the writings of the ancient Hebrews and Greeks, the classic literature of Shakespeare and Cervantes, and the philosophical musings of Goethe and Nietzsche, Bloom attempts to synthesize the wisdom of the ages into a succinct syllabus. "We read and reflect," he writes, "because we hunger and thirst for wisdom."
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Who, what, where
The National Geographic Society is uniquely qualified to produce an exhaustive and fascinating new
book, The Geography of Religion. With more than 400 pages of stunning photographs, maps, illustrations and authoritative text, the writers and editors of National Geographic trace the origins and spread of the world's five great religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. More than just an incredibly beautiful coffee-table book, The Geography of Religion is part history book, part travelogue, part theology text. The authors examine the development of religion in ancient cultures as well as contemporary practices that trace their roots to ancient texts. The twin roles of conflict and persecution as a means of spreading religion are investigated. By identifying those common threads that bind the peoples of the earth together—our belief in a higher being, belief that kindness rewards both the giver and the receiver, belief in a hereafter—we may at last come to understand one another. Perhaps then there may truly be peace on earth.
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