Spirituality Books

Thomas Moore opens this narrative with his preface, reminding us to choose a spirituality being open to multiple possibilities rather than the worrying over the nuances of belief. (xi) Midway through his own Dantean journey, a burned-out professor and workaholic who's been neglecting his family, Slattery wants to recharge his soul and confront his own mortality. DPS "wanted to reimagine my life from the point of view of eternity," seeking to-- as Michael Novak phrases it-- act earnestly but without attachment to the results. (3)

DPS tires of the Church's "Main Street theology," longing rather for the back alleys and haunted corners of facing his mortality straightforwardly. Prayer, he reflects beginning at New Camaldoli Hermitage in Big Sur, is not petition but entering a presence. Not that God is there. If we knew he/she/it was, why then have faith? The possibility, not the inevitability, of what he seeks in the divine invites him towards silence. God may take him over, or he may not. Not sure of what he will find, but DPS opens himself to the chance- the readiness is all, I guess, to quote Hamlet!

DPS begins to peer into the dark silence where God may reside, beyond the logos, refusing the manifestation, before the word made flesh. This emptiness preceded the light, the flesh, the world, and us. DPS reflects on the love of poverty, and how this shows the "blessed are the poor in spirit" confronts his own memories of a life lived by his parents grudgingly, under an alcoholic father, a too-thrifty mother, a cowed family. Solitude is a "strong potion" best sipped slowly and rarely. Thoreau's relevant chapter in "Walden"- Of the "subtle powers" of heaven and earth: "We seek to perceive them and do not; we seek to hear them and do not. Identified with the substance of things, they cannot be separated from them." (41) Monks and nuns do not flee the world but face their own mortality and frailty within it; they choose to lessen distraction and limit temptation so as to confront their ultimate silence before God.

DPS writes movingly about the shy foxes and stillness of Big Sur, the bursting grapes and his father's torment as DPS wanders Napa Valley at the Carmelites, and at the Sonoma Zen Center takes on Zendo early morning and the oryoki "eating handout" rituals that are both compelling in what they resemble and awkward for their strangeness for one raised Irish Catholic. He learns to rake the rocks in circles so they enter into one another- the duty he's assigned slows him down, so what takes us fifteen minutes in our world is transformed. "The task was to imagine the process rather than rush to results." (35) I wonder how we would all live if we worked with such mindfulness, and how we'd sustain such wonder after repetition wears down novelty. Which is the whole point of order for a monk, to remain in one place, to do the same things, and not to escape the world but to face his own mortal frailty within it, without escape, distraction, or respite. Blackberries, a deer's severed leg, altitude sickness, cows separated from their calves, and Hohokam petroglyphs all inspire powerful insights.

The book admittedly, for me, did despite its appropriate brevity bog down at times. Most of his prayer-poems I found not to my aesthetic taste, although I recognize his quest. His grappling with his father's legacy encourages his own tender and blunt reflections, but these are often at the level of what one would write in a diary or tell a spiritual director; for more reticent me these confessions feel awkward on his distant page. I admittedly do not seek out inspirational writing when its shelved thus, so my preferences may not be those of this book's target audience. I found this by chance in a library cross-reference. While I learned much from it, there's too little detail about the felt, physical, concrete surroundings DPS stays in for roughly a week at at time for fifteen weeks in all. Minimal descriptions force you into his own mind and spirit instead. This direction left me too detached from experiencing enough of the actual travel he embarked upon during his sabbatical, but other readers may favor his journalistic intent. Fittingly, he admires Merton for the same level of intimacy attained in that monk's notebooks.

DPS learns more about solitude's disturbing and consoling qualities as he makes his way to other fascinating retreat centers and monasteries in the Northwest and then down the Rockies into the Southwest, where nothingness at Nada Hermitage confronts him and challenges him. Charity, patience, and wisdom emerge but there's no Pollyannish transformation or New Age bliss. For that, DPS merits acclaim, as this narrative is realistic. No dramatic, invented climactic moment ends his search. Gradually earned, the lessons he learned must be taken back into the world he "left"; I wonder how he fared afterwards? Terrifying, not comforting, to face this brutal rawness of spirit, as DPS learns well.

(Having visited myself a few of the places listed in the main text and the afterword, I agree that he chose fine retreats throughout the West. I only hope, nearly a decade after he wrote this, that the Catholic establishments can sustain themselves; the ones he lists that I know all have fewer, and more elderly, monks, friars, sisters, or nuns now than when he made his count. Error on p. 137: St Andrew's Priory in California is not a "Trappist Cistercian community" but a Benedictine one. Trappists live in California, but in the north of its Central Valley at Vina.)

This writer takes us on a unforgettable journey across many different places of worship. It's not the belief system he has that's important it's the purity of BELIEF for its own sake. The sheer joy of faith and joy of living this man has is written all across the pages of this work. Anyone who wishes to undertake a pilgrimage should read through this book. This man has a real talent and grace when writing about faith and life.

I read this book about a pilgrimage while I was on one of my own. I went to Spain and walked a sizeable part of the Via de la Plata - a route of the Camino de Santiago. I had previously walked another route nine months before.

This book chronicles a journey, via a beat up truck, to different retreat centers, monasteries and convents by the author. His feelings and emotions are erudite, he wears them on his sleeve, and this is one of the first rules of memoir writing: be willing to bare all. And Slattery does this as he confronts his deceased father, his fears, his past and present.

At times he longs to give up and return to the comfortable minutia of everyday life, a test common to pilgrims. One can see as the pages turn the metamorphosis that he goes through. This is a book, above all, about contemplation, retrospection, determination and hope. He has been living his life partly dead, but through grace finds ressurection. He is not dogmatic, though he is a devout Catholic. He is not preachy, but humble. He is many times poetic, many times candid.

I would be surprised if, no matter your religion or spiritual views, you do not find yourself at the end of this book with almost as many bookmarks as there are pages.

Before I go to sleep at night I read Grace in the Desert. I travel to the monasteries between the lines on the pages. Through the palpable silence, I feel the sacred space creep into my own bones. I too, am healed by the journey.

I am deeply grateful to Dennis Slattery for his profound psychological insights, for his nomadic spirit, and for the poet who so eloquently lives in his soul.

As a mother and a psychologist my pilgrimages are not accomplished on extended retreats or treks, but in the folds and unexpected flows of a busy day. Like many, I turn to spiritual literature of many ilk to aid me in interrupting my preoccupations and orienting me to meditation and prayer. What joy this summer when I found myself riding the wake of Dennis Slattery's Grace in the Desert:Awakening to the Gifts of Monastic Life, a lyrical story of his months spent at different spiritual retreat places. Far from any monastery myself, his intimate prose and sustained narrative reflections allowed me to slow down. They oriented me to the soulful pilgrimage that is available to all of us at any moment if we are ready to forego numbing routine, habitual rapidity, empty diversion, and consumeristic addictions. By placing his feet on the path of the pilgrim and his pen to paper, Slattery shares his gift of pilgrimage: a solo journey becomes food for the community. Leading the way, he invites us in his wake to the realms of spirit and soul for which we thirst.

Julia Carroll's fascinating book is a journey through a gifted healer's world. We travel with her deep into the inner terrain of the body-being, high into the multi-dimensional realms of spiritual guidance and assistance, and around the world in her quest to learn and to serve those called to her for healing. All along the way, we are touched by the people her healing hands and heart have touched. Carroll also shares with the reader healing secrets learned from many traditions, but it is the stories of her work with specific clients that reveal to us her greatest secret: her total surrender to and trust in the healing power of Grace.

In this life, Julia Carroll signs on to be a Master Healer. Her personal journey into the world of spirit and the realities of modern medicine initiate the reader into the both the possibilities and dangers of the qwest. Time and again Julia summons forth deep inner courage and spiritual wisdom to make tough choices, often life and death decisions - sometimes her own. The book left me feeling that the life of a healer is a precarious one at best-full of tests of faith, courage and grace.It also left me marveling over the divine protection available to each of us when we finally commit to our gifts and doing God's work.

When I finished reading the book, I turned to the blank pages at the back and chronicled many coincidences, divine protection and amazing experiences that I too have encountered along the way. The book was not just an autobiography, but a well thrown grenade made to shake me up and make me think beneath the surface of my own life.

Thanks to Julia for openly and generously sharing healing secrets from various traditions in the final chapters of the book and for connecting the dots through the use of case studies to some of the psychologial cords that bind our lives and influence our health and well-being.I also appreciate Julia's sharing her spiritual life and the amazing student/ teacher relationship she treasures so deeply.

The subject of the complexities of karmic ties, other dimension, psychic and intuitice experiences, spiritual masters is not an easy one to tackle.

Julia, through her personal story, does a formidable job of opening us up to other realities and ways of connecting and healing. She gives us a new language to use, a reference point from which to launch a more vibrant and conscious life.

It is an exciting autobiography, inconceivable at times, leaving me breathless and grateful that I haven't had to face all of Julia Carroll's trials - yet!

Sheela Hewitt, Seimei Practitioner and Healer

Julia Caroll is unique in her connection with nature - especially animals! I have yet to meet anyone on this planet that has initiated dolphins into Reiki. Wow! What a service to this place we call earth.

Dr. Patrick Price, DC, BD
"THE BODY DETECTIVE"

Julia Carroll is the real thing. In her book she has a world of spiritual information to offer, whether you have already encountered the healing art of Reiki in your life or you are seeking knowledge of this ancient, tried, and true practice. The benefits are clear, as is her writing and recommendations. Reading this book makes you aware that you are encountering a Master who with joy and love seamlessly presents a path that is open to everyone. Dive in.

I know Julia Carroll to be a gifted healer. I am delighted that she is passing on her rich legacy reflecting a lifetime devoted to healing. Her presentation is unique and she offers a whole panorama of modalities which she has both developed and mastered. This is a must read book for anyone interested in the healing arts.

I was looking for this book as I had given my copy away. Luckily, Amazon had it! It is a place that I can 'travel' that offers kindness and hope. Hearts on Fire fulfills me with the strength to stay fully present to others.

If you have an interest or backgorund in the spirtuality of St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, you will find this book to be a rich treasure. From Ignatius himself, to Jesuits still serving today, you will discover wise and challenging prayers and poems, each pertaining to specific movements of the Spiritual Exercises. Additonally, appropriate scriptures are suggested for praying the Exercises. If you know nothing about Ignatius or the Jesuits, you will also find this a rich source of meaningful prayer and reflection. I regularly give these booklets as gifts to people seeking good resources for prayer. A special book in deed!

It opens your heart and your mind. It is at once intriging and delightful. Not a book to be read from cover to cover. But one to pick up and read and contemplate.

This was just as I had hoped it would be. I am very pleased with it.

It is seldom that I actually like a book of prayers, rarer still that I enthuse, and only once or twice ever would I actually rave about such a work to my friends. I don't normally think prayer books help; they are after all someone else's prayer and I see prayer as an intensely personal thing that cannot be attained 'second hand'.

Thats probably why, even before joining the Jesuits, I came to appreciate Ignatian Spirituality and the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius Loyola. For the Exercises [often called SpEx in shorthand by Ignatian retreat directors) are not prayers you say specifically but guidelines on how to do the prayer yourself. Even here, in Harter's book, this is clearly the purpose...

In effect, Harter brings us meditations on the four Weeks of the SpEx that clearly serve to aid us in our prayer. We read these meditations - from Ignatius, Xavier, Rahner, Teilhard,Hopkins et al - not for themselves [though the glorious quality of their language makes it aesthetically worthwhile even without praying]but for how they might ignite in our hearts (to use the title's metaphor) our own spiritual encounter with God.

Of course it is not the same as making the full Spiritual Exercises (30 days) or the SpEx in Daily Life (8 months to a year, with 1hour of prayer per day) or even doing an 8-day Ignatian retreat. Though it is certainly a book one could take on such retreats (as, in fact, I did recently). The beauty of this little book is that it can be used by pretty much anyone, anywhere. One hopes, as I am sure Fr Harter hopes, that it will also draw more people to encounter God through the Spiritual Exercises.

As an avid reader of Judaica, I have a special liking for women's prayer books. Poet Dinah Berland happened upon an unknown author's Hours of Devotion in a used book store in LA. Having just been estranged from her son, Berland connected to "A Mother's Prayer Whose Child Is Abroad" and bought the book. She loved the book, loved the prayers, and began to use it every day - morning and evening.

Miracles began occurring. Her son Adam reappeared in her life; she joined a wonderful new synagogue; and Berland just kept thinking about updating Hours Of Devotion. But first she needed to know the author. She turned to a colleague and bibliographer who uncovered the name of Fanny Neuda (1819-1894), wife of a Moravian rabbi, whose story is as interesting as the prayers.

Fanny Neuda was a brillaint rebbitzen who wrote an essay regarding the importance of religious education and the understanding of the Hebrew language to young women and published two volumes of short children's stories. She married a progressive rabbi and scholar, Abraham Neuda, who passed away in 1854, leaving Fanny a young widow and mother.

In 1855, with the support of Baroness Louise von Rothschild, Neuda published the first edition of Hours of Devotion. The book was immediately acclaimed, and the original version remained continuously in print through a 28th edition published around 1918.

This volume was considered "'the authoritative women's prayer book of its time.'" It was republished in a newly edited edition by Martha Wertheimer in 1936 Frankfurt and remained in print in Switzerland until 1968. This book survived concentration camps and great diaspora, passed hand to hand by Jewish women in hiding. Berland selected prayers from several editions of the book and restored them into verse, also reinstating the short biblical epigraphs that introduced each prayer.

The book is divided into daily prayers, sabbath prayers, holiday prayers, women's prayers, memorial prayers, healing prayers, and special prayers. Every life experience is addressed from working, poverty, prosperity, traveling, illness, death, success of children, recovery, childbirth, and the simple acts of awakening and sleeping. This is a beautiful book full of solace and understanding for Jewish women of all backgrounds and levels of faith.

this woman was so wise and good. her prayers are so inspiring. they help me turn to God when things get tough.

Sue Chizeck

Thnak you to Dinah for bringing us this wonderful book of meaningful prayers. I have shared the book with many who have thanked me for the gift. Dinah's story is very moving.

As a 55-year old Jewish woman with no formal instruction but a long personal reading list, I have been devouring Hours of Devotion since I purchased it. This volume speaks to my heart in so many ways, and the Introduction had me in tears.

This is, indeed, a work of beauty and depth. Over centuries, these women have worked to share it with the world. Don't miss it. Hours of Devotion will become part of your soul.

Arlene Ross
Miami, FL

It is obvious this woman loved G-D. I happened upon my copy at work. We have a "free" book table in the lunch room and I found it there or rather it found me, WHAT A TREASURE. I am never letting it out of my sight! Fanny was very insightful in her prayers and I am glad that the woman who compiled this book allowed a new genration to share what previous generations had the opportunity to partake of whil maitaining the integrity of the book in the updated version. When sometimes in prayer I am at a loss for what to say, I find Fanny's eloquent expressions in prayer wonderfuly assist me.

This is a great feat - to take such a complex situation as a disfunctional church and explain clearly and simply the dynamics that may be at play. A few things I thought were very helpful:
* a discussion of the brain's capacity to function at different levels according to stress and anxiety levels
* the nature of anxiety and its role in a family system/congregational system (particularly when shared around)
* ways to reduce anxiety so that we can function at our problem-solving best
* the role of pain in moving us forward in better directions

So much of what has happened in my past and present congregations was resolved in me by reading this book. It is helping improve my leadership greatly.

I would hightly recommend this book because it gets the the heart of the issue about how conflict develops between church members as a result of our family background. Steinke gives practical insight into our own ways of looking at church situations through the lens of the family systems theory. Even though it is a short book it is packed with good things and definitely a must read, especially for church leaders.

I was the pastor of a troubled church and was relocated after 20 months. This book provided me with much understanding of the dynamics of church life. I wished I had it when dealing with my struggles. Now that I am in a new church, I am writing a thesis based on my former church using this book and others to do a case study.
A great read for clergy and lay alike.

Murray Bowen caused a stir in the fields of psychitry and psychotherapy when he suggested that families were emotional systems, and that only by stdying the system could one begin to understand the behavior of individuals within the system. Now that his ideas have gained wider acceptance, many thinkers in this field, like pastor and psychologist Peter L. Stienke, have begun to explore the application of systems theory in other contexts. This book presents an excellent introduction to systems theory in the context of a church or synagogue congregation, which function as their own emotional systems much like extended families. Steinke does an excellnt job of introducing systems theory for pastors, church leaders, and others who may want to better understand the way that emotional reactivity influences not just individual congregants, but the whole congregation. Those who have little background in this area will find Stienke's book clear and approachable.

Peter Steinke is a Lutheran pastor and director of the Interfaith Pastoral Counseling Center in suburban Chicago. His career has been one of studying and advising the dynamics of disfunctional churches and counseling pastors who have been hurt by said churches. "How Your Church Family Works" is an introduction to systems theory as it relates to interpersonal dynamics within a church and has been very helpful for this reader.

Steinke begins by introducing the concept of systems--that every unit in a system effects and is effected by every other unit in that system. He then covers how systems work--always seeking to remain stable, even if that stability harms most or all the people in that system. He then moves into a discussion of forces that stabilize or change a system (anxiety, closeness, etc.). Finally, after weaving theory and example to the point that the reader has a fuller understanding of systems theory, Steinke shows how individuals within a system can effect change for the better.

The overriding theme in in "How Your Church Family Works" can be "knowledge is power." Steinke accurately describes the "tunnel vision," the pressure to conform to others' idea of what your role in a system should be, and the tendency of people within a system to focus on other people in that system and blame them. However, through understanding systems, the way they work, their flaws, and how to be an angent of change, one can make an ineffecient, stifling system a productive, nurturing system. They key is knowledge and "big picture" thinking, and defining one's self.

In all, this book has been incredibly helpful as I continue to reflect upon my experiences at a church with a dangerously crushing emotional system. Steinke's book empowers one to be agents of positive change in situations that may be difficult to understand, let alone control. Highly recommended.

Having worked and read many 12-Step books, Keith Miller offers an easy to read and much needed Christian perspective to many
in the church today. I intend to recommend it to all my family and friends who want to grow in their faith journey.

Carolyn P

I read this book after I had worked through the steps, but I wish I had read it before. Miller does a great job breaking down each step and applying it to his own life. If you thought the steps were just for alcoholics, think again. This book will open your mind to behaviors that keep you stuck in the insanities of life. If your new to the steps or if you have lived them most of your life this book hits the spot.

First step - Get Real! It's time for the church not to be afraid to admit they're dysfunctional. read this book. Also get "A More Excellent Way" by Pastor Henry Wright. Let's get the church and the body healed!

Our church staff recently presented a seven-part message series based on Miller's book and it had a profound impact on our congregation (New Life Christian Church, Centreville, VA, see newlife4me.com). We made the book available for our folks at our information table and it was the best received book we have ever used -- running slightly ahead of Lee Strobel's Case For Christ. It was so popular and there was so much interest in it that the book and the message series led to starting a couple of Celebrate Recovery/Hunger For Healing groups for those working through their own "hurts, habits, and hang-ups," including some who had never acknowledged having a problem other than some vague recognition that there was "sin" in their lives. Miller's book has been a perfect companion for our recovery groups. I highly recommend it for anyone struggeling with control issues -- those willing to admit their own lack of self-sufficiency and ready to return God to his rightful place as Creator and Lord of the Universe.

In doing my own recovery work, this book has been an invaluable resource that has allowed me to inventory and begin to deal with my past. J. Keith Miller has great perspectives and anecdotes that you can relate to. I would recommend this book to anyone, even those who feel that they are spiritually and emotionally healthy. I can bet this book would allow anyone to find things about their past that they still need to heal and resolve. For those that feel as though they are at the bottom, this book is definitely for you. This is likely going to be a book that I am taking my time with going through the first time and will re-read again and again.

I went on the three-week cleanse and have never felt better. Weight loss, while a goal for me, was secondary to how I felt and the concept of nourishing rather than feeding oneself. (I did lose 20 pounds on the 3 week cleanse.) Be warned though - if you choose to cleanse for 3 weeks it requires a time commitment. I found it helpful to actually plan out a week's menu (for shopping, prep and diverisifcation of meals).

Recipes are good and very versatile. I have several friends who are now also interested in "clean" food and love coming to my house for dinner - even the skeptics.

Many books on health and diet tell us what we should be doing, shaking a proverbial finger at bad meals, sugary desserts and then nag us to stop the madness. If the Buddha came to Dinner promotes enlightened, soulful eating, not following the latest fad in cloaked in scientific research. Eating mindfully means listening deeply to what your mind, body and spirit want to eat and how your mind, body and spirit react to what you do eat. It is not about superficially changing your dietary habits, only to have them come back vengefully once your diet is "over." I recommend this book for anyone who is looking to profoundly change their eating habits while shifting their life trajectory to a more soulful path.

The basic premise of this book is that if the Buddha (or insert your own spiritual role model here) came to dinner, you would probably prepare food with much more care, love, and attention that you would for just yourself -- you wouldn't just dump something out of a can and chow it down in front of the television. The book is about learning to love yourself and nourish yourself in that same way, and realizing that you are deserving of this attention. It is a book not just about food, but about life and learning to live it without just going through the motions. It explains why whole foods are more nourishing for your body, and has some wonderful recipes in the back. I think it is an excellent read for those who are looking for a more mindful way of living.

This book is great. I love the idea of fasting, eating according to my senses and only eating what's in season in my vicinity. But how realistic is THAT for most people? I tried it, but man, here in the high desert, that really limits what I'm eating. This woman teaches and writes beautifully. Her recipes are amazing. Oh, and her website is beautiful, go check it out.

I just finished reading "If the Buddha Came to Dinner". I thoroughly enjoyed it. One reading isn't enough, I find myself paging through it and stopping at certain sections from time to time. I tried a few recipes and really like them. I just ordered it for a friend of mine. The book speaks to your body and soul.

If you have to read reviews about I-Ching books this is the first book you need to buy. The study of the I Ching begins with practice by consulting the oracle not with immediate attempts at understanding-especially for the Western mind. This version of the I Ching is the easisest way to make that first step. You read a few paragraphs on instructions to throw three pennies and begin an adventure that can last from a few minutes to a lifetime. Despite its ease of use, this book is a complete work unto itself shold you choose to go deeper. It has ample references to history and more subtle interpretations. A glimpse of Western understanding may be obtained by reading Carl Jung's foreword in the Baynes/Wilhelm interpretation.

I own both this one and the I Ching Workbook and they are practically the same book, though this one doesn't have the spiral binding (which you'll need because you'll open it so much) but has the most beautiful, meditative paintings on each hexagram. The pictures give you a profound inner sense of the truth of each throw of the coins, transforming the experience into a deeply effective tool for inner growth. Not to be confused with the Art of War or the Tao Te Ching, the I Ching focuses mainly on political relationships and the development of character as one navigates one's way through professional and personal relationships. The main thing you'll get from using the I Ching is, to learn which situations you can definitely change and which ones you should just let pass. It also shows you where you are in the development of goals and what to prepare yourself for, as you go on. Start with one question, and when you read the answer, if you have deeper questions, ask them too. You'll get amazing answers.

Some of the longer reviews will tell you how this I Ching integrates relevant art work with practical advice. I just wanted to second all the positive reviews here in saying that from looking at many I Ching books, this is the only one that really clicked with me. The art work is beautiful and the text is very illuminating. 5 +++ stars!

I have bought several books on I Ching and this one is one of the most interesting books I have purchased.The book is larger than most books,about an A3 size but short on text than most books,less than a page for each hexagram.(a bit too light on for text).Written in simple English makes this book an advantage.The illustations throughout add to the character of the book.This book will please a lot of people.Didnt have this book for long because I needed more indepth books.

If you are looking for books on I Ching that go in depth and in great detail you might want to consider other books like those written by author Stephen Karcher,Kim-Anh Lim,Sam Reifler,etc.

this is the best version of the I Ching out: each hexagram is accompanied by a relevant piece of traditional Chinese painting that helps the intuitive understanding of the message the hexagram intends to convey. Lively text translation that interprets the hexagrams on the four planes of existence: spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical aids in the interpretation of the hexagrams' messages as related to the areas the question might address. The tone is psycho-spiritual-social but written in everyday terms.

[...]

In Sweet Company is a thoughtful well-written book which will inspire any reader. It is a collection of interviews with 14 incredible women. My favorite is Sr. Helen Prejean's answer to "Is there a Golden Rule that guides you?" This book makes a wonderful gift to a friend as well as an annual read.

"In Sweet Company" introduces readers to several beautiful and well known women of varying faith traditions who share spiritual journeys and life happenings with author Margaret Wolff. The book is a thrill to read and discover that, although faith traditions may vary, spiritual journeys can be quite similiar.

Margaret Wolf's interviews with these accomplished and insightful women about spiritual life demonstrate the many ways women have found both connections and comfort through their spritual journeys. Through mainstream religions, personal issues, cultural traditions and thoughtul meditations, these women share with Margaret their own pathways to spiritual places and to finding greater meaning in their lives. Inspirational, comforting, compelling, interesting, delightful and connecting, this is a book for anyone who is on his or her own journey. Margaret's gentle and respectful tone of writing and interviewing made me feel I was right there, listening to them talk to me. I highly recommend it!

I read In Sweet Company as part of a summer reading group two years ago sponsored by a friend's church. There were usually 10-15 women plus the leader,a young female minister. We met in a coffee shop. As we progressed, reading two chapters a week, I realized that I was reading a life-changing book. The spiritual journeys of each woman were so different and so much the same. Age, religion, and ethnic backgrounds were really not the most important factors in their spiritual experiences.As we discussed the chapters each week we each found something important to use in our lives.In my case, it was the discussion of meditation labyrinths. Not all of the authors were well-known names to me, such as Olympa Dukakis and Sister Helen Prejean; however, each of the women has made a tremendous impact on those around them.I will reread this book at least once a year. The result of our reading group two summers ago was to invite author Margaret Wolff to our city for a women's retreat called "Embrace" that allowed women from all backgrounds,religions and races to learn more about spirituality. The retreat was a great success. We have talked about repeating it.I believe that Margaret has compiled interviews with women whose life experiences strike a chord with other women of all ages. She is an amazing woman herself.

There are many extraordinary aspects to this book. The first is that I felt like I was right in the company of these remarkable women as they talked about their lives. Much more than interviews, they are true conversations, and I felt I had been invited to sit in on them, able to see and hear on many levels the depth of what was being shared. Wolff is a master at what she does! Each one of the fourteen women came alive as she generously shared her spirituality with a groundedness that has no room for pretense. Their stories are not about dogma and doctrine; it is about their innermost lives--real and touching.
I was also captivated by the story behind the story: The author determined to write the book following a serious car accident which left her with profound, permanent brain damage, unable even to construct a sentence. By refusing to accept that fate, and working relentlessly to regain brain function, she ended up not only with an insightful book about others' lives, she recreated her own brain from the rubble, re-grooving and rewiring it to superb capacity.
Incidentally, it was a man who first told me about the book. I knew he did not have time for fluff, so I bought the book, and after reading it, bought four more copies to give to both men and women friends. It is an extraordinary treasure on many levels!
Catherine Light, Encinitas, CA

For anyone truly interested in bringing more balance, love and light into their life, "Invocations: Calling Forth the Light That Heals" is essential reading. Jacob Glass, step by step, will guide you to transformation. A remarkable work. Truly inspired!

I loved this book! The author not only discusses the value of prayers and includes a wide of variety of prayers, he also encourages the reader to form a personal mission statement and leaves a few blank pages to complete the exercises. I was motivated to begin creating my own prayers and in making "daily life" my spiritual practice.

Jacob's book is very inspiring in a world that is so caught up in the fast pace of time(ie. celestial speed up). We regularly forget to focus on what is most imperative to our lives....prayer.

This is the type of book that becomes a staple on one's journey--the sort of dog-eared, much loved volume kept close at hand on the nightstand. Jacob's words articulate feelings and emotions in a way that gives universal comfort on a cellular level. I am particularly fond of his grace at keeping his prayers non-denominational and therefore accessible to all. Prayers have never sounded so poetic and expressed so much!

Spirituality made practical - that's what this powerful little handbook is all about. The prayers are insightful and inspirational while the text remain humanly poignant. If you thought spirituality had nothing to do with your day to day life, think again. This book elegantly brings the two paths together in order to make ones life better, more peaceful, happier - all the ingredients necessary to entice the things that we desire into our lives. A must have book. You will use it every day.