Book picks similar to
The Desert Reader: A Literary Companion by Gregory McNamee
non-fiction
personal-library
philosophy
american-20th-c-lit
Time and the Soul
Jacob Needleman - 1997
What used to be considered signs of success--being busy, having many responsibilities, being involved in many projects or activities--are today being felt as afflictions. The bestselling author of Money and the Meaning of Life, philosopher Jacob Needleman, shows how to take a bold and unconventional approach to time. The aim: to get more out of it by breaking free of our illusions about it. Needleman dispenses with tricks and techniques that only serve to make our obsessiveness more "efficient." Instead he shows how we can understand what our days are for. It's this understanding that allows time to finally begin to "breathe" in our lives.People can learn to experience time more purposefully and meaningfully. We need not be at time's mercy. Needleman rejects time-management techniques in order to reveal ancient and little-known modern practices for exploring one's internal clock. He reveals how time is experienced by the soul. Drawing on the wisdom literature that chronicles the ways of Buddhists, poets, and philosophers, one learns:What it could mean to chart one's real past, unclouded by emotionsHow memory can lie to us Why we need not be obsessed with the futureHow to experience time so that it is not an enemy robbing us of the joy of lifeHow to have more "nonpsychological time," or "time of the heart [that] does not move," such as moments of ecstasy or joy in which time is cut off from the physical worldHow to experience the gifts of time
Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You
Lin-Manuel Miranda - 2018
Do NOT get stuck in the comments section of life today. Make, do, create the things. Let others tussle it out. Vamos!Before he inspired the world with Hamilton and was catapulted to international fame, Lin-Manuel Miranda was inspiring his Twitter followers with words of encouragement at the beginning and end of each day. He wrote these original sayings, aphorisms, and poetry for himself as much as for others. But as Miranda's audience grew, these messages took on a life on their own. Now Miranda has gathered the best of his daily greetings into a beautiful collection illustrated by acclaimed artist (and fellow Twitter favorite) Jonny Sun.Full of comfort and motivation, Gmorning, Gnight! is a touchstone for anyone who needs a quick lift.
The Power of PrayerTM to Change Your Marriage Book of Prayers
Stormie Omartian - 2009
They'll come away understanding as never before how to look to God to strengthen and protect their marriage pray for their marriage in order to keep their hearts aligned with one another overcome issues of anger, infidelity, or any other problem that might try to undo what God has joined together Readers by the millions have loved the power and insight of Stormie's books on prayer. She now turns her attention to the deeper issues in the union between husband and wife. With the same care and insight she touches readers' lives with the truth and hope to be found in hearts that seek God.
Reflections
Idries Shah - 1972
The book confronts the reader with unaccustomed perspectives and ideas, in an attempt to set the mind free, to see how things really are. As the book's foreword states, 'Do you imagine that fables exist only to amuse or to instruct, and are based upon fiction? The best ones are delineations of what happens in real life, in the community and in the individual's mental processes'.
Way of the Wolf
Martin Bell - 1970
. . Beguiling characters like BarringtonBunny . . . Joggi, the porcupine . . . Lena, the witch . . . Joshua, the boy who has lost his magic . . . and the great silver wolf -- majestic, ever-present, mysterious . . . A book that will inspire you to consider and celebrate such things as love, forgiveness, acceptance, salvation and commitment.
Markings
Dag Hammarskjöld - 1963
A dramatic account of spiritual struggle, Markings has inspired hundreds of thousands of readers since it was first published in 1964.Markings is distinctive, as W.H. Auden remarks in his foreword, as a record of "the attempt by a professional man of action to unite in one life the via activa and the via contemplativa." It reflects its author's efforts to live his creed, his belief that all men are equally the children of God and that faith and love require of him a life of selfless service to others. For Hammarskjöld, "the road to holiness necessarily passes through the world of action." Markings is not only a fascinating glimpse of the mind of a great man, but also a moving spiritual classic that has left its mark on generations of readers.
Seasons of Your Heart: Prayers and Reflections, Revised and Expanded
Macrina Wiederkehr - 1991
Using biblical passages, poetry, and excerpts from her journal, Wiederkehr provides meditative ideas and prayers as "postures" for realizing and approaching the holy in our daily lives.These reflections and prayers, then, have grown out of a daily listening to God in the changing seasons of my spiritual life, "writes the author. "These reflections have grown out of my conviction that our God is not some Almighty Being beyond us, but a Mystery within."
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
New World Library - 2001
The Buddha in Your Rearview Mirror: A Guide to Practicing Buddhism in Modern Life
Woody Hochswender - 2007
That book, which is in its 10th printing and has sold more than 80,000 copies, was such a resounding success that Hochswender has written an insightful new work -- at once a follow-up to the previous volume and a freestanding work of its own. A new breath of inspiration, "The Buddha in Your Rearview Mirror" speaks to the spiritual yearnings so many of us have amid the hustle and flux of contemporary life. The book is a sophisticated but accessible introduction to Buddhism as well as an in-depth study of Buddhism in the Samurai period. Hochswender again focuses on the philosophy of Nichiren and applies its principles to everyday issues ranging from health to careers to family problems. "The Buddha in Your Rearview Mirror" is both cogent and compelling -- informative history and inspiring self-help. Ideal for the novice or veteran Buddhist, the book will resonate with anyone interested in concrete methods for tapping into their own highest potential or enlightened self.
The Christian Imagination: The Practice of Faith in Literature and Writing
Leland Ryken - 1981
This anthology covers all of the major topics that fall within this subject and includes essays and excerpts from fifty authors, including C.S. Lewis, Flannery O’Connor, Dorothy Sayers, and Frederick Buechner.
In the Sanctuary of Women
Jan L. Richardson - 2010
Jan believes it is essential for women to listen to one another and to bring the fullness of their lives, with all their wonders and messiness, into their prayer lives.This book, Richardson writes, is an invitation to enter into a conversation. Here amongst these pages, in the presence of women past and present, is a place to enter into the mysteries that lie at the heart of who we are. Drawing from the often-hidden wellsprings of women's wisdom in Jewish and Christian traditions, In the Sanctuary of Women gathers together women from scripture and history whose lives invite us to move more deeply into our own: Eve, St. Brigid of Kildare, the Desert Mothers, Hildegard of Bingen, Harriet Powers, and the woman of the Song of Songs. Each chapter becomes its own sanctuary, gracing and engaging the reader with the reflections, stories, poetry, prayers, and blessings that Richardson offers. An invitation into reflection and prayer alone or in the company of others, In the Sanctuary of Women is a book to treasure and to share with the women and the men in your life.
Damn Yankees: Twenty-Four Major League Writers on the World's Most Loved (and Hated) Team
Rob Fleder - 2012
Love them or hate them, they cannot be ignored by anyone who professes to be a fan of the great game of baseball.With Damn Yankees, Rob Fleder, former Executive Editor for Sports Illustrated magazine, offers a timeless collection of original essays by some of the most prominent contemporary writers in America—from Pete Dexter to Jane Leavy, from Roy Blount Jr. to Colum McCann—each piece focusing on one uniquely colorful subject: the fanatically adored/resoundingly despised “Bronx Bombers.”Funny, moving, provocative, insightful appreciations and detractions—from Babe Ruth to Mickey Mantle to Derek Jeter—Damn Yankees offers twenty-four fascinating takes on the most storied franchise of baseball’s Major Leagues.
Child of Mine: Original Essays on Becoming a Mother
Christina Baker Kline - 1997
This unique collection of original essays features contributions by Mona Simpson, Meg Wolitzer, Susan Cheever, Sara Bird, Naomi Wolf, and other contemporary female writers on the joys and frustrations of the first year of motherhood.
Walden and Other Writings
Henry David Thoreau - 1854
B. White Naturalist, philosopher, champion of self-reliance and moral independence, Henry David Thoreau remains not only one of our most influential writers but also one of our most contemporary. This unique and comprehensive edition gathers all of Thoreau's most significant works, including his masterpiece, Walden (reproduced in its entirety); A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers; selections from Cape Cod and The Maine Woods; as well as "Walking," "Civil Disobedience," "Slavery in Massachusetts," "A Plea for Captain John Brown," and "Life Without Principle." Taken together, they reveal the astounding range, subtlety, artistry, and depth of thought of this true American original.Includes a Modern Library Reading Group Guide
Celebrating the Disciplines: A Journal Workbook to Accompany "Celebration of Discipline"
Richard J. Foster - 1992
For those who want to develop a deeper, more joyful inner life through the practice of Christian spiritual disciplines, this one-year journal-workbook helps readers find new ways to reflect on, experience, and integrate the disciplines into their lives.