A personal and revealing (if slightly scattered) memoir from a trailblazing therapist.
The developer of somatic experiencing examines the series of events in his life that led to his understanding of trauma and healing.
Levine, a psychotherapist, declares the purpose of his memoir as twofold: to help others overcome their traumas and to finally be able to fully let go of his own. Throughout the narrative, the author explains how all of the significant moments of his life have led to his position as the “prophet” of somatic experiencing, a practice Levine describes as an “evolving healing method… named for the experience of the sensing, living body.” The practice is not, he states, an “exclusively formulaic or a codified protocol, but rather an unfolding organic process that involves basic principles and building blocks.” As such, it is difficult to teach and to study. Still, the author’s students have trained over 60,000 people to treat patients using the method. Levine connects the many traumatic aspects of his life, including physical and emotional abuse he experienced from his parents, to his discovery of precepts from Navajo and Buddhist traditions that he adapted to his work. (The book helpfully begins with a trigger warning, as Levine discusses personal trauma including sexual assault.) The writing is strongest in the connections the author makes between the physical and spiritual realms; Levine recalls a trip to Germany during which he experienced a vision of “red flowing down” on a certain street, only to find out later that it was the site of student revolutionaries’ executions during the Nazi regime. While the memoir’s narrative sections are strong, occasionally the transitions between ideas are less so, as when the author jumps from the story about Germany to an account of confronting his own racial biases. While the various segments are compelling and insightful, the connections between them could have been made clearer.
A personal and revealing (if slightly scattered) memoir from a trailblazing therapist.Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9798888500767
Page Count: 200
Publisher: Park Street Press
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An uplifting ode to the power of taking small steps to make big changes.
Manbeck offers direction for life’s journeys in his children’s book debut.
Using just one or two pithy sentences per page, the text encourages readers to bravely forge their own paths in the world. Whatever one hopes to accomplish or whatever one’s destination in life, the starting point is “here,” a point of view that suggests that there is power and wisdom in embracing the present moment. Manbeck assures readers that “you can go anywhere!” and includes all-caps imperatives on almost every double-page spread: “Begin”; “Take your time”; “Keep going”; “Be patient”; etc. A major thrust of the narrative is the futility of comparing oneself to others since every person is unique and there is no one-size-fits-all formula for how life should unfold. The whimsical illustrations, rendered in gouache and mixed media with digital editing, show sprightly children and their childlike anthropomorphic animal companions romping on giant fantastical play structures that recall Rube Goldberg machines. Some spreads feature a montage of the characters adventurously exploring a range of fun activities: butterfly watching, rollerblading, riding a penny-farthing, etc. Flowers and butterflies—with their associated meanings of transformation, hope, courage, success, and new beginnings—are used liberally as motifs throughout the colorful artwork. The characters have various skin tones, and one of them uses a wheelchair. Many wear party hats, conveying a mood of celebration; indeed, this book would make a good baby-shower or graduation gift.
An uplifting ode to the power of taking small steps to make big changes. (Gift book. 0-5, adult)Pub Date: May 10, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-79721-010-0
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An engaging, rousing study of Christian manhood with a few knotty digressions.
A debut guide offers a portrait of the nature—and obligations—of modern Christian masculinity.
Clubb takes as the springboard for his book a modern meaning of the word “Jack,” as a synonym for an all-around likable and trustworthy man, compassionate, caring, and completely dependable. He extends this general term into the realm of modern Christianity. “I see it,” he writes, “as an apt moniker for a spiritually healthy and emotionally intelligent man.” Throughout the work, the author directly tackles the challenges and pitfalls of contemporary Christianity as it’s experienced by men. “Real men give God control of their private, inner, and public spiritual lives by making prayer, personal Bible study, and fellowship priorities in their lives,” he writes. “And a real man isn’t afraid of connecting with other men for mutual support and accountability.” Unfortunately, Clubb decides to briefly outline what he refers to as reasons to trust the Bible, all of which are questionable. He claims the Bible provides “extensive detailed prophecies relating to the rise and fall of individuals and empires … with incredible accuracy”; Noah’s Ark was found on Mount Ararat; and the Bible was “written by eyewitnesses.” Fortunately, these digressions are limited. The bulk of the book is devoted to the author’s captivating meditations and advice to his (presumably exclusively male) readers about how the duties of their gender are reflected in the Bible. The author is an animated and very readable guide to everything from the story of King David to the Epistles of St. Paul. He skillfully intersperses these explorations with vivid stories from his own walk of faith.
An engaging, rousing study of Christian manhood with a few knotty digressions.Pub Date: Dec. 10, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-973680-39-0
Page Count: 230
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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