A BOOKLIST FROM THE COLLECTION OF PAULINE SCHLEGEL SHANK

Please contact Pauline to purchase any of her books and/or to arrange a browsing time:
kindredspiritsbooks@rogers.com

For February 2007 Pauline recommends....

Sneak preview - new book coming in May by the author of The Kite-Runner. Book is called A Thousand Splendid Suns.
I have finally met one person who said she did not enjoy The Kite-Runner but that was the first!

Neafsey, John. A Sacred Voice is Calling: Personal Vocation and Social Conscience. Orbis. 2006. $23.95
Excellent! “ A perceptive combination of spiritual wisdom, psychological insight, and biblical passion.” says Marcus Borg. How do we distinguish between an authentic calling and the competing, counterfeit voices in our culture? How can we balance the inward listening TO our hearts and listening WITH our hearts to the needs of our world? Neafsey draws widely on the wisdom of saints and sages to describe a path to living in the place that Frederich Buechner describes as “where our deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”

Whyte, David. River Flow: New and Selected Poems, 1984 - 2007. Many Rivers. 2007. $35.00
Contains over 150 poems (365 pages) selected from his five previously published works, together with 23 new poems. Poetry is arranged by theme - Home, Moments Revelation, The Well, Writing, Remember, Exile, The Consequence of Love, Sons & Daughters, the Voice, From the Kayak, Albion, Ireland, Himalaya, Those I know and Have Known, Admonitions. Poems are indexed in a chronological manner, listed by book title and date of earlier publication. Also indexed by First Line, and Title.

Maathai, Wangari. Unbowed . Knopf. 2006. $32.95 SPECIAL $28.00
Maathai, a 2004 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, presents a matter-of-fact account of her rather exceptional life in Kenya. This memoir (after The Green Belt Movement) documents the remarkable achievements of an influential environmentalist and activist. Bill Clinton says Maathai’s memoir is ‘direct, honest, and beautifully written - a gripping account of modern Africa’s trails and triumphs, a universal story of courage, persistence, and success against great odds in a noble cause.”

Cameron, Julie. Finding Water: The Art of Perseverance. Tarcher. $32.50 SPECIAL $30.00
Structured as a 12-week course, offering guidance on weathering the periods in an artist’s life when inspiration seems to have run dry. Cameron offers advice and wisdom about challenges such as making the decision to start a new project, persevering when a new approach to your art does not bear immediate fruit, staying focussed when other parts of your life threaten to distract you from your art, and finding possibilities for artistic inspiration in the most unlikely places!

Adam, Betty Conrad. The Magdalene Mystique: Living the Spirituality of Mary Today. Morehouse. 2006. $18.00
Invites readers into the spiritual life of a cotemporary community that celebrates Mary Magdalene as apostle, mystic, beloved companion of Jesus and first witness to the resurrection.

Pickering, Sue. Creative Ideas for Quiet Days: Resources and Liturgies for Retreats and Days of Reflection. Canterbury Press. 2006. $33.95
Excellent resource! Explains the practical basics of running a quiet day, provides twelve complete theme programmes, includes photocopiable materials for groups and individual exercises, offers a range of prayers, readings and resources for creating your own quiet days.

Beckett, Sister Wendy. (Editor) Speaking to the Heart: 100 Favourite Poems. Carroll & Graf. 2006. $25.00
Inspiration, comfort and joy from 100 of Sister Wendy’s favourite poems. Organized around the themes of Longing, Wonder, A Lighter Spirit, The Heavy Heart, Courage, Sorrow, Faith, Hope, Love, Prayer.

Henderson, Katharine Rhodes. God’s Troublemakers: How Women of Faith are Changing the World. Continuum. 2006. $31.00
A thought-provoking book about women who are changing the world as leaders in the public arena and whose work is spiritually motivated, women who are ‘socio-ethical entrepreneurs’, women who are Christians, Jews, Muslims. What shaped and formed them? How do they integrate a progressive social agenda with their faith? How do they exercise public leadership in a world where women’s public roles are sometimes still suspect? Based on extensive interviews with twenty women social entrepreneurs.

Gordon, Mary. Pearl. Anchor, 2006. $21.00 (new in paperback).
Gordon's latest novel opens on Christmas night in New York City with a phone call from the State Department. Maria Meyers's 20-year-old daughter, Pearl, supposedly studying linguistics for a year in Ireland, has chained herself to a flagpole outside the American embassy in Dublin. For reasons that are unclear, she has starved herself for six weeks and is now in serious danger of dying from dehydration. Without understanding Pearl's motivation for the hunger strike, Maria must try and save her daughter's life. Explores themes of the roles of art, beauty, and religion in our lives; the paradoxes of political action,; and the singularly powerful bond between mother and child.

Dalai Lama. How To See Yourself as You Really Are. Simon & Schuster. 2006. $26.99
How to recognize and dispel misguided notions of self and embrace the world from a more realistic -- and loving -- perspective. Step-by-step exercises help readers shatter their false assumptions and ideas and see the world as it actually exists. Getting past one's misconceptions is only a prelude to right action, and the book's final section describes how to harness the power of meditative concentration to the service of love, and vice versa, so that true altruistic enlightenment is attained. Enlivened by personal anecdotes and intimate accounts of the Dalai Lama's own life experiences. For spiritual seekers of all faiths.

Forsthoefel, Thomas A. Soulsong: Seeking Holiness, Coming Home. Orbis. 2006. $25.00
Drawing on the examples of saints and spiritual masters from the world’s religions, the author reflects on the challenge of recovering our full humanity. From East and West, he draws portraits of holiness expressed in compassion and action, in serenity and detachment, in suffering and brokenness, and in the choices that constitute the holiness of everyday life. Offers us inspiration and insights that guide the reader in the ultimate human task of a human life: surrendering to what we are at the deepest level of being.

Carter, Jimmy. Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. Simon & Schuster. 2006. $33.00 SPECIAL $30.00
Former President Jimmy Carter shares his intimate knowledge of the history of the Middle East and his personal experiences with the principal actors, and he addresses sensitive political issues many American officials avoid. Pulling no punches, Carter prescribes steps that must be taken for the two states to share the Holy Land without a system of apartheid or the constant fear of terrorism.

Holdberg, Jennifer L. Shouts and Whispers: Twenty-One Writers Speak about their Writing and Their Faith. Eerdmans. 2006. $20.00
Contains a fascinating array of reflections on topics surrounding the often-perilous intersection of writing and faith. The authors all agree that literature can help us to be more faithful, yet they approach the subject in ways as diverse as their biographies. Contributors include Katherine Paterson, Frederick Beuchner, Madeleine L’Enlge, Anne Lamott, Joy Kogawa, Jan Karon plus 15 more! Fascinating indeed!

Lynch, David. Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity. Tarcher. 2006. $25.00
A rare window into Lynch’s methods as an artist and his personal working style. Lynch writes candidly about the tremendous creative benefits he has gained from his thirty-two-year commitment to practising Transcendental Meditation. In brief chapters, Lynch describes the experience of "diving within" and "catching" ideas like fish-and then preparing them for television or movie screens, and other mediums in which Lynch works, such as photography and painting.

Nani, Christel. Sacred Choices: Thinking Outside the Tribe to Heal your Spirit. Harmony Books. 2006. $30.00
In this warm, engaging, and inspirational work of personal renewal, Christel Nani guides you to listen to your inner “knowing,” the always wise and honest voice of your spirit that will illuminate the specific tribal beliefs that are standing in the way of your success, happiness, and healing. Shows you how to creatively rewrite your tribal beliefs in areas such as work, marriage, health, and success in a way that harmonizes with your own spirit, talents, secret wishes, and individuality.

Ford, Marcia. Finding Hope: Cultivating God’s Gift of a Hopeful Spirit. Skylights. 2006. $21.99
Drawing from Christian and Hebrew scripture and the wisdom of spiritual teachings from all traditions, Ford helps you realize that we all can receive a gift of hope and grace from the Divine - we just need to be open to accept it.

Jones, Karen M. The Difference a Day Makes: 365 Ways to Change Your World in Just 24 Hours. New World Library. 2005. $16.99
Features 365 simple actions people can take to change the world, one day - or even five minutes - at a time. Each suggested action, in 16 "helping" categories, can be started and finished in a day or less, and none requires a cash donation.

McGinn, Bernard. (Ed. And introduction). The Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism. Random House, 2006. $26.95
Nearly one hundred selections spanning seventeen centuries, this book explores how h7man life is transformed through the search for direct contact with God. Uniquely organized by subject, the volume includes accessible headnotes for each section, biographical sketches, and a selected bibliography. Themes explored are: encountering God through Biblical interpretation and prayer, mystics’ actual encounters with God, implications of the mystical life. Fascinating. Invaluable reference book.

Prin, John Howard. Secret Keeping: Overcoming Hidden Habits and Addictions. New World Library. 2006. $19.95
First half of the book explores the human tendency to keep secrets, profiling a variety os Secret Keepers from all walks of life. The second half provides a clear, step-by-step approach to healing, rebuilding self-esteem, and living a healthy, secret-free life.

Luz, Ulrich & Michaels, Axel. Encountering Jesus and Buddha: Their Lives and Teachings. Fortress. 2006. $20.00
Two premier scholars of Christianity and Buddhism engage in a lively and insightful dialogue about the figures at the wellsprings of those two religions. Demonstrates a model of comparative religious inquiry in which neither religion gets “the last word”, providing an invaluable resource for respectful interfaith dialogue.

Dawn, Marva J. The Sense of Call: A Sabbath Way of Life for Those who serve God, the Church, and the World. Eerdmans. 2006. $21.00
Dawn teaches skills such as learning to rest in prayer, saying no to busyness, enjoying one’s body as God’s temple, and embracing the cost of living as a Christian disciple as ways to a ‘sabbath way of life’. Such living can guide readers into a more restful, joy-full life of trust in God.

Cariou, Heather Summerhayes. Sixtyfive Roses: A Sister’s Memoir. McArthur & Company. 2006. $29.95
A memoir offering a compassionate yet unflinching eyewitness account of the hope, pain, and courage of a family in crisis, living with a child who has Cystic Fibrosis. The family falls apart and puts itself back together again, to emerge stronger and more loving. The heart of the story explores the relationship between the two sisters: one devastatingly ill, the other healthy but burdened with guilt, as they journey through childhood adolescence, and young adulthood. Percentage of proceeds to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Canada.