The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have - Hardcover

Nepo, Mark

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1573245380 ISBN 13: 9781573245388

Publisher: Red Wheel, 2011

The Book of Awakening, a cult favorite since its original publication in 2000, catapaulted to fame in 2010 after it was chosen as one of Oprah Winfrey's favorite things. This gift edition with sewn binding and a ribbon marker reflects the book's odyssey as a well-beloved daily companion. Mark Nepo wrote the book more than a decade ago, in response to his journey through cancer a decade before that. That experience led him to create a day book not only for people going through life-threatening situations but for everyone.

Nepo calls it, "a book to help people meet their days and inhabit their lives. I had a commitment to create a book that could serve up inner food, that could be turned to as a spiritual first aid kit." That this book continued to find its readers affirms its quality as a life affirming companion. Again, in Nepo's words, "I think it confirms the yearning of people everywhere for meaningful and humble work that invites readers on a journey together. The premise of the book is that people everywhere have a wisdom of their own and the book is there to guide them to their own wisdom."

The Book of Awakening is a modern classic, speaking to the hearts of hundreds of thousands of readers. It's a daily guide for living in hard times and good times, all the time reminding us that the life we're living is the life we have. Lived authentically it can and does become the life we want.

This hardcover edition features a ribbon marker and a subject index that allows the reader to search for quotes and inspiration pertinent to his or her life not only by day but my category.

Review:

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. --Gail Hudson

About the Author:

Mark Nepo is a poet and philosopher who has taught in the fields of poetry and spirituality for forty years. A New York Times #1 bestselling author, he has published fourteen books and recorded eight audio projects. Recent work includes: Reduced to Joy (2013), Seven Thousand Ways to Listen, which won the 2012 Books for a Better Life Award, Staying Awake (2012), Holding Nothing Back (2012), As Far As the Heart Can See (2011), Finding Inner Courage (2011), and Surviving Has Made Me Crazy (2007), as well as audio books of The Book of Awakening, Finding Inner Courage, and As Far As the Heart Can See (2011). As a cancer survivor, Mark devotes his writing and teaching to the journey of inner transformation and the life of relationship.

Mark has appeared with Oprah Winfrey on her Super Soul Sunday program on OWN TV, and has been interviewed by Oprah as part of her SIRIUS XM Radio show, Soul Series. He has also been interviewed by Robin Roberts on Good Morning America about his New York Times bestseller The Book of Awakening. The Exquisite Risk was cited by Spirituality & Practice as one of the Best Spiritual Books of 2005, calling it "one of the best books we've ever read on what it takes to live an authentic life." Mark's collected essays appear in Unlearning Back to God: Essays on Inwardness. Other books of poetry include Suite for the Living (2004), Inhabiting Wonder (2004), Acre of Light (1994), Fire Without Witness (1988), and God, the Maker of the Bed, and the Painter (1988).

His work has been translated into more than twenty languages. In leading spiritual retreats, in working with healing and medical communities, and in his teaching as a poet, Mark's work is widely accessible and used by many. He continues to offer readings, lectures, and retreats. Please visit Mark at: www.MarkNepo.com, http://threeintentions.com and www.simonspeakers.com/MarkNepo.

• Publisher: Red Wheel
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1573245380
• ISBN 13: 9781573245388
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 456