ENLIGHTENMENT IN SUBURBIA

A spiritual philosophy book that delves into the realms of existence.

The debut work starts with the feel of a memoir but is far broader in scope, looking at everyday existence through the lens of spiritual thought. But although its title may suggest otherwise, it has nothing to do with spirituality in a specific world of minivans and housing tracts, and unlike many other books in the spirituality genre, it’s refreshingly not centered on the author. Indeed, when professional life coach Mallard occasionally speaks of herself, it’s only to make one of her points easier for the reader to grasp. There are references to familiar subjects, such as karma and death, each of which gets of its own chapter; however, the author effectively manages to explain them in concrete terms. Karma, for instance, is described as a “buffer” that functions as “your Michelin Man suit.” These two chapters, which appear midway through the book, contain the most thought-provoking and surprisingly pragmatic passages, as Mallard presents her concepts in a tone that’s never breathless or awestruck. She offers a thoughtful, well-reasoned view of the transition to death, for instance, by dividing it into four types of “realms,” noting that a decedent may have “crossed over” into a realm that’s almost formless or into one that has more form, or unsuccessfully crossed over and entered a realm of confusion and doubt or one that’s still “attached to the incarnation.” Overall, this is a deep-thinking, philosophical book that, for example, expounds on the “non-dualistic reality” of “Oneness” and explains why, in the author’s view, it’s practically impossible to go to hell or ascend into heaven. In order to alleviate any possible confusion regarding concept definitions, she provides a glossary, which adds useful insights. In fact, the glossary is an integral part of the book, lending additional layers of explanation to commonplace ideas, such as “apparent,” “content,” “crutch,” and “energy.” Mallard also quotes sage sayings from various historical sources (including the Bible and the work of the 13th-century Persian poet Rumi) but doesn’t advocate any particular faith.

Most useful for readers schooled in spiritual thought but won’t alienate neophytes.