5 comments about Escape.

1. If you had any doubt about the abuse the women and children removed from the FDLS compound may have suffered read this book. This is a first person account of a life so unreal and bizzare that you cannot believe this is happening in the USA. Teen age boys are put out of the community so that that sixty, seventy and eighty year old men can marry 14 year old girls. Carolyn Jessop is a modern day hero!!!!! God help the FDLS for their systemtic abuse of children and women.



2. READ THIS BOOK!!
   
   Every American taxpayer should be aware of how criminally minded men are living high on the hog (on your tax dollar) while the women and children they use and abuse to get your money are treated like dogs. Every human with a mind and a heart ought to read this book to get a clue of how religious fanaticism can become so insidious and evil, and learn that there is no easy way to deal with these situations. And every person who has ever experience domestic abuse will be inspired by this woman's story.
   
   Cults are difficult enough to understand for those who have not experienced them, let alone one that is so large and deeply rooted as the FLDS. This incredibly courageous woman gives us good look in this riveting expose~. This type of understanding is surely needed right now so we can support the brave people in Texas who are dealing with the children from the Yearning For Zion Ranch. The raid in 1953 did not have the public support, thus failed, and ultimately strengthened the stranglehold of the FLDS leadership. Difficult as it is, we CANNOT let that happen this time.
   
   As for the reviewer who commented on "dull writing", I respond: A few parts of this book are not easy to read. It's not fun to read all the details of the nightmare this woman lived in day after day. But I think these details were necessary to really tell the story. It certainly gave me that much more compassion for these women. That being said, I thought the writing was great and much to my family's dismay, I couldn't put the book down.
   
   I hope this powerful volume with enlighten us and cause us to support all the decent people who have been so horribly abused by the FLDS, as well as the law enforcement trying to do their jobs in an incredibly difficult and dangerous situation.



3. I am currently about half way through this book and I have found it to be very interesting. I had been wanting to learn more about the FLDS ever since all the children were taken from the Texas ranch. I recommend reading this book.



4. I was riveted by this first person account of escaping from FLDS and polygamy. I couldn't put it down, and finished the book in one day.



5. This was a excellant read, once I started I had a hard time putting it down.. Sad but reality... Hard to believe that all of these people have such a strong Faith that they put themselves in danger with out knowing it. Brainwashing is a very scarey thing..

5 comments about Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope.

1. What trials and pain these families have been through. Losing loved ones is never easy, but the faith these people show is wonderful and heart-warming. Definitely a book that will produce tears and hope.



2. I just finished reading this book last night. I have a lot of respect for the families involved in this story. I don't know that I would be as charitable and faithful in that situation. I like to think I would but you never know unless you are in the situation. These families are amazing. Not only did they write a great book, they did it for the right reasons. I did get a little confused at the first because it switches families and days and it took a little bit to get everyone in the right place in my mind. I know somone who was in a coma for three months if I remember right. I have gained a greater appreciation for the things she and her family went through.



3. I had heard this whole story through interviews and magazine articles. It was good to see the whole story played out through the eyes of the families.



4. this was an amazing true story of one family burying a child thought dead and another caring for a child thought alive. it was honest, heartwrenching and honest. very bittersweet. i hope i could identify my family or friend better if i was in this situation. makes you hug your close circle more!



5. I ordered and received this book after a local girl went through a similar situation and suggested that it was a very good book. I began reading it and I could not put it down. I have very little time to read these days but I made the time to read this one. I will pass it on to my friends with a 100% endorsement.

5 comments about 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death & Life.

1. I love books that give us glimpses into the mysteries of the afterlife. But this very brief and limited experience, and the author's very limited and literal insights (he tells us, for example, that the "Pearly Gates" are actually pearlescent rather than literally made of pearls, for instance) is not very illuminating in that respect.
   
   However, his admirably honest account of his courageous recovery as he learns to live with his miraculously saved but chronically pain-wracked body is inspiring. Although his glimpse of heaven helped keep him going through everything and has been a blessing to those who have lost loved ones, this is essentially a tale of difficult and deep spiritual growth through learning to live through and with tremendous adversity.



2. Having had a near death experience in 2003 I was amazed when I read this book. This pastor saw many of the same things I did; he saw more. I have been a nurse 30+ years and been at the bedside of many who died wondering what they were seeing, sharing tears with family members although nurses are not supposd to do this. No family member ever objected and actually appreciated my feelings for them. I was hospitalized for a month and on mechanical ventilation not expected to live as all my systems were shutting down. Many people were praying for me and God saw fit to keep me on earth. My husband was told if I did live I would be in a vegetative state or in a wheel chair. I can tell you that it was a long way back, but today my mind is as good as it ever was. I do have times when I have slight remissions, yet my experiences have had a positive outcome for those I talk to. I believe it is natual to have a fear of death as it is the "unknown". I have no fears of death now and I tell everyone this. I went too far to ever fear this last enemy. Jesus paved the way for all of us and some of us get a glimpse of heaven. After this we no longer have to fear, expecially when we have been lucky enough to see so much. It is quite easy and painless to die. It is getting to this stage that may be painful. Have no fear as there are so many beautiful things awaiting us on the other side and in my case I saw no tunnel or bright light. I was simply there. I hope you find my comments encouraging. I have bought this book to give to a few people and they have loved it. I believe it is a "must" for those who wonder what happens when we die. We do not really die (just the physical body does). We simply are immediately transitioned to heaven. J.Green



3. I thought this book was just ok. I bought this book because i recently lost my mother and thought it would bring me some comfort. I think the author focuses on his recovery to much and would like to have read more about his 90 minutes in heaven.



4. I've read a few reviews of this book in which the reviewer states
   that Don couldn't have gone to heaven. Think about it, folks: He was
   dead. His spirit had to have gone SOMEWHERE.
   
   I found the book to be very credible and very believable. The fact that
   the description of heaven doesn't occupy the whole book just makes it
   that much more believable.
   
   This is a story of trial and triumph. You are able to easily stay
   with the author as he describes the long recovery process because
   YOU CARE ABOUT HIM. He is a sympathetic author, and I couldn't put the
   book down until I had read every last word.
   
   Thank you for writing this book, Rev. Piper!
   
   Judi Ludwig - author of The Twenty People You Meet In Hell



5. I have spent more than ten years researching, reading, and writing about near-death experiences especially the role of light and The Light (God) in these experiences. I heard about 90 Minutes in Heaven on a television documentary and was delighted when my sister purchased a copy from Amazon and gave it to me as an ordination gift.
   Don Piper's description of Heaven as a "first class buffet for the senses"...powerful embraces by relatives and friends... "heaven's light, a warm, radiant light that engulfed" him..."vivid, dazzling colors...everything was brilliantly intense." (pp. 23, 25 & 27) is in the mainstream of near-death experiences.
   Then it was over and Don was back in his crushed, pain-wracked body- suffering that continues.
   But his experience of light, especially The Light ("brighter than the light that surrounded us, utterly luminous") that emanated from the "Gate of Heaven" changed his life forever. (p. 27)
   As Betty Eadie wrote in the bestseller Embraced by the Light, and as Morse, Moody, and Kubler-Ross agree, people of light, A Being of Light (who Don did not see directly because he was outside the "Gate of Heaven"), reluctance to return, and personality transformation are part of the experience of light that most near-death experiencers see, and which transforms them permanently.
   Don Piper sums up his experiences after heaven: "I don't have a death wish. I'm not suicidal, but every day I think about going back. I long to return. In God's timing, I know with utter certainty that I will. ... I have no fear of death. ... There's nothing to fear - only joy to experience. ...
   Although I long for my heavenly home, I`m prepared to wait until the final summons comes for me." (pp. 196-97)
   90 Minutes in Heaven is a great companion book for our journey through life to our final destination!

5 comments about Same Kind of Different As Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together.

1. Wow! And I say it again, Wow! I don't think I have ever read a story quite like this one, and I've read some incredible stories. This is probably the most amazing true-life tale I have ever heard of. It is so amazing it's almost hard to believe it really happened. But you know without a shadow of a doubt that it did. People don't make up things like this. The fact that God could bring together a wealthy art dealer and an angry homeless man and use them to further His glory proves that he can truly do ANYTHING. This book will challenge the way you view everything, including yourself. It offers insight into worlds most people know nothing about; the world of the homeless, the world of cancer and most importantly, the spiritual world. Everyone on planet Earth should read this book and learn from it. To its authors: thank you for sharing this story and your faith. I know God is using it in wonderful ways.



2. A really inspiring look at my generation, the generation of the Great Depression. It shows you what one determined and truly caring individual can do in a world seemingly without hope.
   
   Highly recommended. It has the power to convert the most determined sceptic among us.



3. I started this book while eatting lunch on a Thursday. I picked it back up on Sat. and did not put it down until I finished it. Being from Ft Worth TX myself, I could really connect with the 1st part of the book. I did not know much about the book (picked it up for book club), so I was not prepared for the 2nd half of the book. It really touched me. Warning: Have tissues ready!!! Being a Christian, it made me reflect on how God's plan for us may not be exactly what we had in mind, but we just have to trust HIM that "Father knows best." Christian or Not - Texan or Not, I think everyone can enjoy this book. There are so many subjects cleaverly intertwined into this book, that it is thought provoking - - - Racism, Prejudice, Poor, Rich, Infedelity, Grief, Self-Doubt, etc. That's what I thought of the book, now for a brief synopsis of the book itself...
   
   You have Denver, who worked most of his life virtually as a slave in a cotton field, until he escaped only to find himself homeless and a slave within his own self doubt. He isolates everyone around him and set a boundry of fear around him as a survival technique. Then there's Ron who is very successful and enjoys being so. He travels with the "right" kind of people; enjoys fancy cars and doesn't have much use for those below him. Ron is married to Deborah-a loving Christian woman, who really does not care for the rich fancy lifestyle. She wants to be a good mother, wife, person and serve God. Ron has an affair. Deborah forgives him and their marriage becomes stronger, however to try to appease his wife, Ron reluctantly follows her to work in a homeless shelter. Through Deborah's persistence, Ron learns to let go of his prejudice and Denver learns how to escape from his self prison and they both learn to trust people again. But nothing comes without a price and Ron & Denver learn to work together and with the love of God to overcome a great tragedy. As a result they become best friends and even closer to God.



4. Second only to the Bible, Same Kind of Different As Me is the most outstanding book I have ever read. Thanks to Ron Hall and Denver Moore for sharing their beautiful story about the activity of God in all of our lives. Gentlemen, you are to be commended for putting on the printed page the mighty works of the great I AM. Proverbs 2:1-5 speaks to our search for understanding and that when we search for it as for treasure, we find it. You, gentlemen, have found it! Your book testifies to that fact. May God richly bless you and your families as you continue to follow Him.



5. I read this book in just a few days. It was unpredictable, inspiring an a great read.

5 comments about Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, & Priorities of a Winning Life.

1. I'm writing this on behalf of my husband. He LOVED this book. He is not a church-going man, but Tony's sentiments really moved my husband, and he found it a very interesting read. He couldn't put this book down (which is amazing since the remote control usually takes up that space, ha ha)



2. I am a young person trying to break into the field coaching. I currently work for a division one program and some times I get discouraged. Coaching is a difficult profession to break into and some times my life gets discouraging. My father got me this book and told me to read it. It was after a particularly bad week that I decided to read this book and it lifted my spirits. Coach Dungy has the right idea in a profession full of wrong ones. Knowing people like him have made it gives me strength to keep going.



3. Tony has a great testimony! Makes a great gift or a great read, football fan or not!



4. Whether you are a parent, a coach or both this book is absolutely captivating. I have been reading it with our 12 year old son and found myself reading ahead after he went to bed. Tony Dungy is an inspiring man of God and his wisdom and experience will certainly give adults and young readers a new perspective on life.
   
   I am in the process of purchasing other copies of the book to give to clients and friends. It is a great story and is the best book I have read in years!
   
   Brett Morey
   Brentwood, CA



5. Tony Dungy's autobiography, "Quiet Strength" is a terrific book that contains a message that should appeal to any reader (not just football fans). Dungy speaks of leadership without intimidation, confidence through religious conviction and success through perseverance. The book has a religious tone, but Dungy gets his point across without being preachy. He draws from a stable upbringing by his parents and shares his thoughts about life, football, parenting, dealing with adversity, and being a man.
   
   There's a lot of football references so football fans and those who have followed Dungy's playing and coaching career will certainly enjoy "Quiet Strength". The book should play well in Pittsburgh, Tampa, and Indy because so much of the book deals with Dungy's career as an NFL football coach.
   
   The book is a testament about doing things "right" and treating people with respect in order to gain the same in return. And...as evidenced by the 2007 Super Bowl, nice guys CAN finish first!

5 comments about The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama.

1. This book is ok. I feel the author could have written in a more personal manner about the Dalai Lama then about his own interaction with him. I feel he was talking about his own feelings instead what the Dalai Lama is really about.



2. Mr Iyer provides a tender, yet seemingly detached view of the Dalai Lama himself and the context in which he lives and has to try to balance his spiritual and political duties. Very insightful and without some of the spiritually breathless language that sometimes obscures accounts of the leader of the Tibetan people. Eminently readable!



3. To a skeptic steeped in Western tradition, the Dalai Lama is a puzzling figure. A celebrity created and exploited by the media? A shrewd politician? A religious icon transcending strife and ambition?
   How "authentic" a spokesman is he for Buddhism, for Tibet?
   
   The almost simultaneous visits of the Pope and the Dalai Lama in the U.S. invite comparison. The Pope, obviously, addresses himself primarily to Catholics of any nationality or ethnicity. His speeches are circumscribed by Catholic doctrine, although he attempts to reach out to other religious faiths.
   The audience of the Dalai Lama, on the other hand, is meant to include everybody, regardless of religious affiliation. He does not try to convert people to Buddhism.
   
   Pico Iyer, by birth and education a wanderer between East and West, is uniquely suited to shed some light on the problem. His close relationship with the Dalai Lama gives him easy access, his journalistic training allows him to keep a certain distance. He clears away some of the misconceptions: the Dalai Lama is not a mystic; not a "living deity". His word is not gospel - he encourages debate and criticism. He emphasizes selflessness and compassion, the interconnectedness of all human beings. But what foreigners are usually drawn to is the exotic, spiritual side of Tibetan Buddhism - the images of skull-headed creatures riding monsters and of strange, copulating deities.
   Iyer attempts to reconcile these different aspects: the rational and the irrational, the daylight side and the nighttime side, as he puts it, of Tibetan Buddhism. And he gives us a taste of some of the divisions inside Buddhism, of competing factions (such as the followers of Shugden) and rival candidates put forward as incarnate lamas.
   
   The Dalai Lama insists that he is a "simple monk", a student as well as a teacher. Meditations, prayer and reading take up most of his day. But his rigorous training in Tibetan philosophy does not serve him well when he is confronted with tourists eager for a spiritual adventure, or impatient youths seeking a fast and efficient way to enlightenment. Therefore his message has to be watered down to what often sounds like simple tenets you might find in a Boy Scout manual. You could even buy a T-shirt displaying purported sayings of the Dalai Lama....
   
   Iyer's vivid description of Dharamsala, the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile, puts you right in the middle of the rather chaotic goings-on, and you understand that the vision of a "global village" is still far from reality. When the Dalai Lama admonishes the displaced Tibetans to "build a home within" he knows it's an idea that is hard to implement; and it is not made easier by the hippies and drifters crowding the scene.
   
   There is growing tension between the Dalai Lama's message of non-violence and increasing restlessness among younger Tibetans who are calling for political action. As I write this, the Chinese government has received emissaries of the Dalai Lama, who advocates "meaningful autonomy" for Tibet. A glimmer of hope for the Tibetans?
   
   "The image of the Open Road speaks for a perpetual becoming" writes Iyer. His own struggle for peace and clarity is reflected in these pages - an attempt, as he sees it, "to bring the Dalai Lama out of Tibet and Buddhism and into the larger community of ideas and thinkers".



4. Iyer has spent years interviewing the Dalai Lama, going along with him on his travels to the West and to Japan, as well as interviewing those close to and critical of the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala,India the home of Tibet in exile. Viewed as a god and as the leader of a nation now occupied by China, this book explores the pressures upon this man who teaches non-attachment, no-self and peace while his people live under the yoke of a brutal oppressor. This is a fascinating look at this holy man's public and private personae. The author states that he is not a Buddhist. I couldn't help but wonder how he felt about Buddhism and since he is not a Buddhist what drives his fascination with the Dalai Lama. These questions remain unanswered.



5. The colors of Tibet come alive, and Dharamsala rocks (quite hilariously) into clarity. Iyer brings us into the orbit and inner sanctum of the 14th Dalai Lama -- possibly the last in a long line of Dalai Lamas -- and creates a profoundly thoughtful, intelligent, skeptical, provocative and moving portrait of the most beloved spiritual leader of our time and also a breathtaking bird's eye view of what has become of Tibet and its people in the last 50 years.
   
   The thing that's rare here is the perspective and intellectual honesty: Although he has known the Dalai Lama for thirty years, Iyer isn't a student, a follower, or even a Buddhist pracitioner. There are no overwrought feelings or needless demonstrations of somber respect, or attempts to please a big daddy figure. Iyer asks the hard questions -- has the Dalai Lama done enough for his people? -- and guides us perceptively through a rich assortment of encounters with the spiritual leader, both public and private, while skillfully revealing to us the wild projections we cast upon the smiley icon of Tibet.
   
   I can't imagine a more deliciously highbrow yet gentle-hearted portrait of anybody, much less a human being who has come to play such a huge role in our imaginations but of whom we know (and expect) so little.
   
   Pico Iyer's books are all so good -- I hope you've read The Lady and The Monk -- that I am reluctant to say this is his best work yet, but I feel it is.

5 comments about Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith.

1. There is so much about Anne Lamott that resonates with me. What I like the most is that her brand of theology is very uncomplicated. She gives each of us permission to find our own path and reminds us of what is important -- love, diversity, acceptance, helping others, and social justice. Her authenticity is refreshing. She is just as confused and flawed as the rest of us, yet she deals with sensitive subjects with humor and clarity. Some dislike her frequent condemnations of the Bush administration, but I find those passages particularly amusing and poignant as they set the context for the loftier discussions on what really matters in life.



2. A series of snack-sized yet nourishing essays on topics ranging from religion (but in a not-in-your face-kind-of-way) and politics to relationships and recovery, Grace (Eventually) subtly highlights what ultimately matters most in life. With honesty, humor, and humility, Anne reminds us that although we can't avoid the messiness of life, there are ways to stay awake, alert, forgiving, and somewhat sane as we stumble through all the muck. As she points out in her Lamont-language, grace and healing are not "abracadabra kinds of things" but instead "it's clog and slog and scootch...the lesson is in the slog." Perhaps the key to life is not in avoiding the muck--but in learning how to first plod through it and then gracefully de-gunk. (Eventually).



3. I had read a few of Anne Lamott's essays on Salon. I found them interesting, but because of the leftist leaning ideology that permeated them, just a bit tiresome. But I kept reading and hearing about her and picked up this book thinking maybe I needed to give her another chance.
   
   I must say that overall I enjoyed the book very much. One thing I do like about her is her brutal honesty. She does not weigh her words and then choose something that will be a little more palatable; she says exactly what she thinks. In fact, the first sentence in her Prelude says "There is not much truth being told in the world. There never was. This has proven to be a major disappointment to some of us." A sentiment to which I wholeheartedly agree. So she had me from the first sentence.
   
   At another point in the book she says "Our lives are filled with people who provoke us, especially people we love. They help us figure out our own stuff [paraphrase] and why we are here." And this I think is the basis of her popularity. In the hands of a skillful writer like Anne, these essays where she is trying to figure out her relationship with her son, examining her relationship with her now dead parents, and trying to choose a correct path in a world that has gone slightly crazy reach out and touch us in some fundamental way. Because actually this is what we are all doing in our own blundering way.
   
   Her essay "Samwheel" particularly spoke to me, as it was about her 17 year old son Sam and their rocky relationship since he hit the teen years. I have a 17 year old son at home now and found this essay particularly insightful. At one point she says "Recently I have begun to feel that the boy I loved is gone, and in his place is this male person who pushes my buttons with his moodiness, scorn, and flamboyant laziness. People tell me that the boy will return, but some days that is impossible to imagine." Yes, indeed.
   
   This book, despite its tiresome attacks on Bush and left leaning politics, is a book about community, family, and the heart.



4. Anne Lamott is my favorite writer on religious issues. She is grounded in the present but is aware of, and wrestles with, the spiritual realities. Thanks, Anne.



5. Anne Lamott reminds us of our humanity and that we don't need to be ashamed of our warts. God continues to love us even as we struggle to love ourselves.

5 comments about Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust.

1. I loved this book! I learned about the genocide in Rwanda, as well as, I found Immaculée's story to be inspirational. Even though she was in a small bathroom with several women for such a long time, she rose above it by meditation and prayer. As a result of her relationship with God, she discovered her purpose in life. Immaculée truly soared above the suffering in Rwanda in many ways.



2. 
   I found this book very powerful and very moving! It is unbelievable that anyone could live through such an experience and come out a loving person!! I can't imagine how difficult it must be to forgive for such atrocities!! Loved loved loved the book - it's a must read



3. This book taught me more about the Spirit within all humans and how we can stay in one place and allow that spirit to be mamed or how we hold fast to the Higer Spirit and trust our future to that Spirit and triump over the evils and atrosicities in this world.



4. Fantastic book. Talk about forgiveness!! We can all learn from this remarkable woman.



5. This is a must read for everyone who has suffered pain and loss. Imaculata is amazing!

5 comments about Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife.

1. After the raid on the FLDS camp in Texas (April 2008), I set about to find out what these people and their religion is all about.
   I first read "Escape" by Caroline Jessop and I finally could breathe when she and her children were safe from the perils of living a plural marriage with her husband.
   "Shattered Dreams" was a book that I really got into as I lived and died each calamity of povery, loneliness, and hurt that Irene experienced in her 'marriage' to Verlan
   as he erroneously tried to control his burgeoning family
   until he could get them all into the kingdom of God.
   My heart went out to Verlan because he was living and working in all that he knew and his responsibility to
   each endeavor and to his family was just more than any one human should ever undertake. This is the error of the teaching of plural marriages.
   I probably will not ever get to meet Irene on this earth but thanks to her genuine conversion into Christianity, I know I will be living an eternity of time 'over there' where we both will be and I'd just love to give her a great big hug of love as my Christian sister.
   My word to Irene is this "Sister, enjoy whatever time of life you have on this earth for you have truly earned it and it is good to know that you finally have a person who loves you unconditionally just as Jesus loves us".



2. I really enjoyed this book. I couldnt put it down. It was amazing to hear about this womans struggles and hardships. It made me truely appreciate my husband and how blessed we are. I have recomended it to everyone that I know.



3. I can't say enough good things about this book. It was so enthralling that I read it in two days. A true page turner in every sense of the phrase. I read it and then eagerly passed it on to my book loving sister to read. She loved it as well. Seriously...BUY THIS BOOK!



4. Especially in view of recent events in Texas, this book is a should-read for everyone. I was a mainstream Mormom for 10 years, and THAT society is patriarchal enough, but what I found utterly chilling is that fundamentalist Mormonism is extraordinarily similar to many aspects of ISLAM. I wish everyone who feels inclined to accept 'freedom of religion' excuses, or who feels sorry for sect mothers in Texas crying for their children, would read this book, and Carolyn Jessop's "Escape" and Susan Ray Schmidt's "His Favorite Wife". Fundamentalist Mormonism takes freedom of religion WAY beyond individual rights, and mothers have a duty to protect their children from all kinds of abuse, and these three books just rip the lid off what really goes on (one of the books also makes clear that among other things, there is rampant, officially-sanctioned cruelty to animals going on for which there should be NO excuse). No great literary style but a great source of information. A Can't-Put-Downer book.



5. This was a great book! Irene details her live from her childhood to the end of her marriage with her polygamist husband. The book is not filled with strong words against polygamy per-se. Instead, Irene shows us, through her life, why polygamy is problematic. I wish it was longer!

5 comments about Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith.

1. This book is written differently than just your average book. It's a compilation of several life lessons all molded into one story. The short stories are really interesting and her humor gives it a fun kick. She tells her stories in such detail it feels as though you're experiencing it with her. The stories are so diverse that I guarentee someone finds some story in there that they relate to. No matter what your religion is, this book is a really powerful read. Prayer helps the author out in numerous ways that will prove to the readers that there is power in prayer. This book is touching and it really makes you think about life.



2. Anne Lamott writes with tremendous vulnerability and sincerity. She opens her veins for us and spills the contents of her life onto the page--the good, the bad, and the very very ugly. Her words are raw and evocative.
   
   I must say that while this book resonates with many people, including myself, who have been hurt by life, disillusioned by the church, and a bit angry at things, I did not come away feeling closer to any tangible answers. I didn't think her crass and vulgar language added much to her message. It was kindof distracting, and I felt like taking a shower after wading through it.
   
   My generation is craving something more--something deeper. We want real answers for real problems. While I continue to read Lamott, I would not say this is her best work.
   
   Shameless plug--check out my new book Sex, Sushi, and Salvation: Thoughts on Intimacy, Community, and Eternity



3. Brutally honest, endearingly quirky, funny as the dickens, and turning on dimes to catch a reader's heart by surprise. This little volume is a treasure. From discussion of her formative years and early losses, through alcoholism and on into single parenting, Lamott holds nothing back. Her prayers, her curses, her neuroses, her blessings, are all laid out for inspection. Through it, despite her admitted self-absorption and bottomless fears, wisdom born of close attention and contemplation leaps off the page. More than once the reflected brightness lit up parts of my own life and character and motives that suddenly seemed to have lain too long in the dark. Breezy and deep are not two words I would commonly apply to the same essay. Here they fit.



4. An "in the trenches" view of spirituality that puts a human face on her version of Christianity. Don't mistake this for a run-of-the-mill "God squad" inspirational or How-To book: It is a powerful narrative of spiritual enlightenment that would be good for anyone to read. I am not a Christian nor do I subscribe to any specific religion -- frankly I'm more likely to be Agnostic as anything else -- but this book was a powerful and important read for me and part of my spiritual journey.



5. Lamott's Traveling Mercies takes the reader along on her journey of self-discovery and search for faith. A touching, wonderful, thought provoking story.