barbaraandradedubransky's reviews
777 reviews

Read this with Gabriel . . .

"Their strength is secret. They send ferocious roots beneath the ground. They grow up and they grow down and grab the earth between their hary toes and bite the sky with violent teeth and never quit their anger. This is how they keep. . . When there is nothing left to look at on this street. Four who grew despite concrete. Four who reach and do not forget to reach. Four whose only reason is to be and be." - Sandra Cisneros

Another vivid Paulo Coelho book that combines whimsical storytelling with profound thought-provoking themes.

This book is incredibly well-written. It's a basic book about secular buddhism. It provides a foundational understanding of the practice, the obstacles to practice and the "goal" or "purpose" of practice. As a Christian, I found that it brought me closer to understanding what it means to "know" Christ. It's a beautifully clear book.

From the author of Real Women Have Curves. Easy reading about the nature of sensuality, with an incomplete effort to connect sensuality to spirituality. She seemed to be trying to address too many topics. You never got a heartfelt sense of what was really driving/troubling the main character - perhaps pretentiousness.

This book is very nuanced. It brings greater depth and clarity to the psychological and spiritual structures of the enneatypes than Riso & Hudson and Palmer & Daniels books - which are more key for understanding what the Enneagram of personality is as a system. This book has influenced my perspective on the similarities between the types based on the interconnectedness and wholeness of the basic needs (passions and fixations) of each type, as well as their essences and virtues. Its a beautiful, complex book, which I will definitely want to refer to often and try to continue to digest.