An architect’s convincing blueprint for inner peace.
A comprehensive spiritual guidebook that offers a vision of tranquility and fulfillment.
The title of Cross’ new book will give readers the sense that he has some ambitious goals. There are no half-measures in this capacious volume, which aims to synthesize insights from psychology, medicine, cartography, religion, philosophy, and science. It’s a lot to unpack, but the throughline is freedom, which Cross, the author of The Architecture of Freedom (2014) and The Path to Personal Freedom (2016), describes as “letting go of those things in our lives that block us from experiencing our birthright, which is living fully within the flow of this infinite multiverse—a flow that is shaped and interconnected with a deeper type of Love.” Of course, ideas like these aren’t new; they have roots in time-tested Eastern religious practices that advocate detachment from the things of this world and a search for enlightenment and serenity. The strength of Cross’ book, however, is his attempt to put ancient ideas into a contemporary idiom. He’s able to do so because he’s trained in a very different field—architecture—and the fact that he’s a nonspecialist is not a weakness but a great strength. Like a traveler from another land who’s able to see things that longtime residents miss, Cross brings an outsider’s perspective to spiritual concerns and produces genuinely unique new insights. Among these is his central, titular concept, whole-ing, which is both a process and destination for the author; he defines the term as “the conscious illumination, acceptance, and integration of all that we are; all that we judge to be ‘good’ along with all of the ‘bad,’ so that we may become more of a ‘whole’ and complete being.” This fuller and more profound experience of life has many aspects, and Cross imagines whole-ing as having spiritual, physical, and psychological benefits. That he’s able to make these benefits seem so achievable is a testament to his powers as a writer and as a thinker.
An architect’s convincing blueprint for inner peace.Pub Date: May 20, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-9888344-9-1
Page Count: 420
Publisher: One River Press
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A conversational, pleasurable look into McConaughey’s life and thought.
All right, all right, all right: The affable, laconic actor delivers a combination of memoir and self-help book.
“This is an approach book,” writes McConaughey, adding that it contains “philosophies that can be objectively understood, and if you choose, subjectively adopted, by either changing your reality, or changing how you see it. This is a playbook, based on adventures in my life.” Some of those philosophies come in the form of apothegms: “When you can design your own weather, blow in the breeze”; “Simplify, focus, conserve to liberate.” Others come in the form of sometimes rambling stories that never take the shortest route from point A to point B, as when he recounts a dream-spurred, challenging visit to the Malian musician Ali Farka Touré, who offered a significant lesson in how disagreement can be expressed politely and without rancor. Fans of McConaughey will enjoy his memories—which line up squarely with other accounts in Melissa Maerz’s recent oral history, Alright, Alright, Alright—of his debut in Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused, to which he contributed not just that signature phrase, but also a kind of too-cool-for-school hipness that dissolves a bit upon realizing that he’s an older guy on the prowl for teenage girls. McConaughey’s prep to settle into the role of Wooderson involved inhabiting the mind of a dude who digs cars, rock ’n’ roll, and “chicks,” and he ran with it, reminding readers that the film originally had only three scripted scenes for his character. The lesson: “Do one thing well, then another. Once, then once more.” It’s clear that the author is a thoughtful man, even an intellectual of sorts, though without the earnestness of Ethan Hawke or James Franco. Though some of the sentiments are greeting card–ish, this book is entertaining and full of good lessons.
A conversational, pleasurable look into McConaughey’s life and thought.Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-13913-4
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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