03 February 2011

Book Review | The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have By Mark Nepo

Product Details
Paperback: 434 pages
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1573241172
ISBN-13: 978-1573241175
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5 x 1.1 inches
Author: Mark Nepo

Synopsis: The time when we walk in the shadow of death is, ironically, a time when we feel illuminated by life's true meaning. Poet and philosopher Mark Nepo has firsthand experience with this mystery--he had cancer. During his arduous recovery, he sought inspiration and guidance that would reflect his growing appreciation of life. Although this daybook is exactly what Nepo longed for as he struggled with a difficult disease, , it can be appreciated by all readers.

This collection of essays, one for every day from January 1 through December 30, offers a poet's sensibility and sensuality and gives the reader Nepo's well-harvested wisdom. "Water reflects everything it encounters," Nepo writes in a May 5 essay. "This is so commonplace that we think water is blue, when in fact it has no color.... But the water, the glorious water everywhere, has taught me that we are more than what we reflect or love. This is the work of compassion: to embrace everything clearly without imposing who we are and without losing who we are." After each entry, Nepo offers a short list of suggestions or questions to help carry the essay into the day. There are many inspirational daybooks out there. What sets this one apart is the mature poet's voice rising from a seasoned soul.

Product Review
“A year’s supply of inspiration every day and the perfect gift for yourself and your friends.”
By. Oprah Winfrey

The Book of Awakening by poet and teacher MARK NEPO provides small doses of what really matters, simple truths and stories from everyday lives, plus inspiration from the great wisdom traditions. Each day’s entry is accompanied by simple, yet profound, practices designed to help us live the life we want by being present to the life we have. For, in the words of St. Francis of Assisi,
“YOU ARE THAT WHICH YOU ARE SEEKING.”
“Each entry in this capacious and tender daybook widens both the eyes and the heart.”
By. Jane Hirschfield, author of Nine Gates and After

A daily guide for authentic living in hard times, The Book of Awakening is a book to keep your head high, your heart open, and your feet on the ground. “It is true,” Nepo writes, “If you can’t see what you’re looking for, see what’s there. It is enough.”
“Mark Nepo has written a beautiful book about life, informed by the shadows of death. I’ve been blessed and humbled by reading his words.”
By. Marianne Williamson

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