Recommended books
Here you’ll find some of our favorites—old and new!
Best Care Possible: A Physician’s Quest to Transform Care Through the End of Life by Ira Byock, $26.00
A palliative care doctor on the front lines of hospital care illuminates one of the most important and controversial ethical issues of our time on his quest to transform care through the end of life. Dr. Byock explains that to ensure the best possible care for those we love-and eventually ourselves- we must not only remake our healthcare system, we must also move past our cultural aversion to talking about death and acknowledge the fact of mortality once and for all.
In the Sanctuary of Women: A Companion for Reflection & Prayer by Jan L. Richardson, $22.00
Jan Richardson is back with another devotional book that interweaves the stories of historical Judeo-Christian women into the realities of lives women lead today.
Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life by Richard Rohr, $19.95
A fresh way of thinking about spirituality that grows throughout life. In Falling Upward, Fr. Richard Rohr seeks to help readers understand the tasks of the two halves of life and to show them that those who have fallen, failed, or “gone down” are the only ones who understand “up.” Most of us tend to think of the second half of life as largely about getting old, dealing with health issues, and letting go of life, but the whole thesis of this book is exactly the opposite. What looks like falling down can largely be experienced as “falling upward.”
Without Buddha I Could Not Be a Christian by Paul Knitter, $22.95
Paul Knitter presents his most courageous and profound book yet. Although his explorations of Buddhist ideas have led him, by his own admission, toward the outer perimeters of Christian belief, Knitter has by their light gradually distanced himself from the false supernaturalism of Jesus as God in a man suit and from an overliteral reading of the resurrection. VERDICT Knitter’s rich book should be a source of fascination and guidance for seekers of all sorts. One of the finest contemporary books on the encounter between religions in the heart and soul of a single thoughtful person.
Broken Hearts and New Creations: Intimations of a Great Reversal by James Alison, $24.95
Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer by Novella Carpenter, $16.00
For anyone who has ever grown herbs on their windowsill, tomatoes on their fire escape, or obsessed over the offerings at the local farmers’ market, Carpenter’s story will capture your heart. And if you’ve ever considered leaving it all behind to become a farmer outside the city limits, or looked at the abandoned lot next door with a gleam in your eye, consider this both a cautionary tale and a full-throated call to action. Farm City is an unforgettably charming memoir, full of hilarious moments, fascinating farmers’ tips, and a great deal of heart. It is also a moving meditation on urban life versus the natural world and what we have given up to live the way we do.
Finding Beauty in a Broken World by Terry Tempest Williams, $16.00
In her compassionate meditation on how nature and humans both collide and connect, Williams affirms a reverence for all life, and constructs a narrative of hopeful acts, taking that which is broken and creating something whole.
Be Free Where You Are by Thich Nhat Hahn, $8.95
Be Free Where You Are is a compendium of the core teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, based on a talk given at a prison. It shows how mindfulness practice can cultivate freedom no matter where you are, and summarizes for the first time all of Thich Nhat Hanh’s core teachings making it an outstanding introduction to the ideas and practices of one of the foremost Buddhist teachers alive.
Inviting Silence: Universal Principles of Meditation by Gunilla Norris, $12.95
The basic principles of meditation and mindful living are explained in this guide for everyday living. The deep and abiding qualities of silence and the foundation of true spiritual experience are explored, and the need to make conscious choices in daily life to ready oneself for meditation is illuminated. This book also provides individuals with all the particulars of good meditation practice and explains the challenges and rewards of group meditation. Ideal for individuals and spiritual friends to use alone or with one another, this text is a thoughtful primer on finding silence and a practical manual on meditation for seekers of every persuasion.
The Three Marriages: Reimagining Work, Self and Relationship by David Whyte, $17.00
David Whyte knows there are three crucial relationships, or marriages, in our lives: the marriage or partnership with a significant other, the commitment we have to our work, and the vows, spoken or unspoken, we make to an inner, constantly developing self. In The Three Marriages, the bestselling author, poet, and speaker argues that it is not possible to sacrifice one relationship for the others without causing deep psychological damage.
