Our Own Bookstore: Open Minds Books
Open Minds Books will be set up on the second and fourth Sundays.
The second Sunday of each month, we will have all books on display in the room just off the foyer. Some copies you may review and order, some you may purchase right then.
The fourth Sunday of each month, we will have the current featured titles on display. Books ordered through us will usually be available the second Sunday of the following month.
This month’s featured books are in the bookstore for your review, (to order) and we have other books “to go.”
Other info and recommendations can be found in most issues of The AGAPE Newsletter
Featured this month:
When Things Fall Apart
by Pema Chodron, $12. Pema Chodron has written the Tibetan Buddhist equivalent of Harold Kusher’s famous book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People. The author indicates, “We live in difficult times. One senses a possibility they may get worse.” Consequently, Chodron’s book is filled with useful advice to help readers cope with the grim realities of modern life, including fear, despair, rage and the feeling that we are not in control of our lives. Through reflections on the central Buddhist teaching of right mindfulness, Chodron gives readers an orientation and a language with which to shape their thinking about the traumas of modern life, and demonstrates how effective the Buddhist point of view can be in bringing order into disordered lives.
The Dalai Lama’s Little Book of Wisdom: The Essential Teachings
by The Dalai Lama, $10. This little book which can fit in the palm of your hand or in your back pocket is based on the bestseller, The Power of Compassion. Basically it is 115 pages of direct quotes from the Dalai Lama concerning four major life issues: Contentment, Joy and Living Well; Facing Death and Dying, Dealing with Anger and Emotion; and Giving and Receiving. The wisdom in this little book is simple and helpful for someone who practices any faith or discipline. It would also make a great gift.
Welcome to the Wisdom of the World
by Joan Chittister, $17. In this inviting book Joan Chittister offers her readers penetrating spiritual insights distilled from five major religious traditions. It is an extraordinarily rich exploration of spirituality.
Leaving Church
by Barbara Brown Taylor, $13. Barbara Brown Taylor is an Episcopal priest who gave up her pulpit after twenty years of service. While she fully expected to spend the rest of her life writing sermons, leading worship, delivering pastoral care to the living, and burying the dead, that was not to be. Her gains and losses are chronicled in this warm and fascinating book, which depicts her struggles in the quest to be fully human.”
Children’s Featured Book
Listen to the Wind
by Greg Mortenson, illus. by Susan Roth, $14.50. This children’s version of “Three Cups of Tea”, tells the story of how Greg Mortenson, the mountaineer, built over 50 schools for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan! This would be a wonderful choice for a gift for that special young friend. Many other great and unusual children’s books are available.
Previously Featured
The Sun My Heart
by Thich Nhat Hanh. In a simple, direct style, Thich Nhat Hanh allows the reader to move from mindfulness to insight: “Our insight and our language are inseparable from the times in which we live. If we can survive our times, the gap that separates science and spirituality will close, and East and West will meet one another on the path to discover true mind.”
Falling in Love with Mystery: We Don’t Have to Pretend Anymore
by Richard F. Elliot, Jr. This is the book currently being discussed in the adult discussion class, Theology in Everyday Life. It is out of print, but copies are available through Amazon.com.
How to Believe: Teachers and Seekers Show the Way to a Modern, Life-Changing Faith
by Jon Spayde. Spayde takes a journey across America and meets an array of believers, eminent and obscure, who relate their personal stories of active and living faith — how they balance Jesus’ love versus judgment; the church’s dictates versus their own free will — to live and love completely while on Earth.
The Perennial Philosophy
by Aldous Huxley. Defined by Huxley as “the metaphysic that recognizes a divine Reality substantial to the world of things and lives and minds," The Perennial Philosophy is a masterful interpretation of the supreme mystics East and West.
In this timeless anthology, which was first published in 1944, Huxley covers topics such as grace and free will, time and eternity, faith, prayer, truth, self-knowledge, and many others. His selections are from sources as varied as St. Thomas Aquinas, Meister Eckhart, Bhagavad Gita, Rumi, Lao Tzu, St. John of the Cross, and William Law.
With wit and intellect, Huxley examines the spiritual beliefs of various religious traditions and explains them in terms that are personally meaningful.
The Gnostic Gospels
by Elaine Pagels. Using the texts found at Nag Hamadi and historical data, Pagels writes with concise clarity about one of the earliest Christian sects. This provocative book explores the world of the early church and probes both Orthodox and Gnostic views of God, the Church, and Jesus. Also available for Kindle: The Gnostic Gospels: Kindle version
The Inclusive Bible: The First Egalitarian Version
by The Priests for Equality. Available in soft or hard cover:
- The Inclusive Bible: The First Egalitarian Translation (soft cover)
- The Inclusive Bible: The First Egalitarian Translation (hard cover)
Be sure to also check out the titles we featured for grownups in 2008.
Featured Children’s Book
Listen to the Wind
Greg Mortenson (illustrated by Susan Roth). Have you read Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace … One School at a Time
Many other great and unusual children’s books are available. Stop by and browse after church May 17!
Be sure to also check out the titles we featured for children in 2008.
