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THROUGH THE LABYRINTH

STORIES OF THE SEARCH FOR SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN EVERYDAY LIFE

Occhiogrosso (Once a Catholic, 1987) offers profiles, based on in-depth interviews, of 14 men and women of every religious stripe who encountered a vital spiritual force that changed their lives. The author begins with Lex Hixon, a white-haired, pajama-clad scholar and religious man for all seasons. A sheik of a Sufi order, Hixon (born an Episcopalian) also claims to be an Eastern Orthodox Christian as well as a follower of Hindu Vedanta and a meditator in the Tibetan Buddhist mode. Despite the potential for spiritual confusion, Hixon finds a commonality among these faiths, cautioning against ``self-made'' religions: ``Those peripheral developments have always occurred, but the main forces within religion have been vibrant communities, rich in depth, and not simply circling around one charismatic individual.'' More conservatively, a middle-class Boston couple whom Occhiogrosso profiles explains how, after a weekend retreat called ``Marriage Encounter,'' they discovered that Roman Catholicism could be experienced as a vibrant spiritual community. Their faith inspired the couple to sacrifice their wealth and security in order to minister to the poor. Often Occhiogrosso zeroes in on practical applications of spirituality- -e.g., in the case of Bernard Glassman, a Zen master who is trying to develop an American Zen of business and social action by running a bakery and an agency to help the homeless in blighted Yonkers. Other notable profiles include those of Paul Lowe, a maverick guru who once served as a swami under the notorious Rajneesh, and Kathryn Quick, a Long Island housewife and mother who gave up her heritage of Conservative Judaism for the awakening of ``Kundalini'' power under the direction of famed Hindu Swami Muktananda. Enlivened by Occhiogrosso's account of his own wide-ranging religious quest, these stories illuminate and feed our near- boundless American need for some palpable proof of the power of the spirit.

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1991

ISBN: 0-670-82993-5

Page Count: 496

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1991

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THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE

50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...

Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.

Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").

Pub Date: May 15, 1972

ISBN: 0205632645

Page Count: 105

Publisher: Macmillan

Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972

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NUTCRACKER

This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

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