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coyote_trickster_goddess's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful. Inspiring. I will return to this book again and again.
cmkacirek's review against another edition
4.0
This book was filled with influential people and inspiring thoughts and ideas. But what was most important to me was that it was filled with optimism. It reinforced the gut feeling I have about how I need to engage in my world, in my community. And it also drove home how I need to do it in whatever way I can best serve. I can't fix everything, but I have skills and love enough to do SOMETHING.
amymarietruax's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great choice as an audiobook, getting to listen to the actual interviews and voices of the people she discusses. I struggled to focus at times but that's normal for me with lots of audiobooks. I'd like to re-read this one more closely, and likely buy my own copy to take notes and make highlights. It was profound.
lukeleighfield's review against another edition
5.0
As the host of the On Being podcast, Krista Tippett gets to have conversations with some of the most inspiring artists and spiritual teachers in the world – from the Dalai Lama to Anne Lamott, Mary Oliver to Eckhart Tolle, and most people in between.
Thankfully, Tippett's chosen to present a gift to the world in the form of 'Becoming Wise'. It's a distillation of some of her most memorable conversations, and acts as a kind of guide to living – how to be. The richness of the book is almost overwhelming – it's sumptuously written, full of wisdom from some of the greatest thinkers of our time, ambitious in its scope – and I wanted to underline almost every word. It's one of the best books I've read all year.
"And so in choosing how we are in the world, we shape our experience of that world, our contribution to it. We shape our world, our inner world, our outer world, which is really the only one we'll ever know. And to me, that's the substance of the spiritual journey. It's not an exasperating idea but an infinitely emboldening one, and it's taken me many years to come to that without resistance."
Thankfully, Tippett's chosen to present a gift to the world in the form of 'Becoming Wise'. It's a distillation of some of her most memorable conversations, and acts as a kind of guide to living – how to be. The richness of the book is almost overwhelming – it's sumptuously written, full of wisdom from some of the greatest thinkers of our time, ambitious in its scope – and I wanted to underline almost every word. It's one of the best books I've read all year.
"And so in choosing how we are in the world, we shape our experience of that world, our contribution to it. We shape our world, our inner world, our outer world, which is really the only one we'll ever know. And to me, that's the substance of the spiritual journey. It's not an exasperating idea but an infinitely emboldening one, and it's taken me many years to come to that without resistance."
jillblumenthal's review against another edition
4.0
This was an interesting and challenging book to read, but it's good to discuss with other people of faith. A significant portion of it involves Krista Tippett summarizing or reprinting interviews with many of the fascinating people she's spoken with as host of her NPR show, "On Being." One friend listened to this as a book on tape, which she strongly recommended.
rosy1912's review against another edition
3.0
2 1/2 stars. Lots of errors in this kindle version and missing audio interviews?? cause it wasn't 'compatible'? If you're going to do a kindle version don't screw over those that don't have the top of the line devices. It made the sections messy and extremely confusing. It was a very rough slog of a book but only thing that kept me going was there were some inspirational/helpful bits that even got underlined.
melodyshobe's review against another edition
4.0
Lovely reflections that were rich and thought-provoking. I know I will return to this again and again. I listened to the audio version, which I strongly suggest, because it includes the voices of those she interviews and cites.
reader22554's review against another edition
4.0
To say I have "read" this book is misleading, because it is not a book to read and be done with. This is a compilation of wonderful, wise interviews with Krista Tippett's wide-ranging guests, woven together with beautiful prose in six thematic chapters. There is so much to take in that I think over the years I'll go back to it, either looking for a particular person or theme; or opening at random to see what wisdom pops out at me. It was our book group's selection for October, but we had to take November as well, because it is so rich.
If you are not already listening to "On Being," on the radio or on podcast, consider this a recommendation!
If you are not already listening to "On Being," on the radio or on podcast, consider this a recommendation!
biblizzyophile's review against another edition
5.0
I've been listening to Ms. Tippett's podcast for a few months now and would recommend her conversations to just about anyone. The variety of people she's interviewed over the years (that I'm only now discovering) is just as impressive as the depth and authenticity of each individual who chooses to spend their time with her, and in turn, us.
The book, as she notes, is a physical thread of universal lessons and truths which have continuously shown up in her interviews. Quantity doesn't necessarily mean repetitive however; instead it is because of all the unique perspective included in this book that the reader can come away with a completely new and simultaneously familiar understanding of concepts they encounter every day.
One takeaway for me is that I learned the subject of each chapter: words, flesh, love, faith, and hope; each of those words holds at once hundreds of definitions and a single meaning. It's a metaphor throughout the pages that takes a bit to understand and may feel awkward or redundant at first, but it's likely because of rushing (at least in my case). Sit with it, read it, learn from all of these people, and then take it with you.
The book, as she notes, is a physical thread of universal lessons and truths which have continuously shown up in her interviews. Quantity doesn't necessarily mean repetitive however; instead it is because of all the unique perspective included in this book that the reader can come away with a completely new and simultaneously familiar understanding of concepts they encounter every day.
One takeaway for me is that I learned the subject of each chapter: words, flesh, love, faith, and hope; each of those words holds at once hundreds of definitions and a single meaning. It's a metaphor throughout the pages that takes a bit to understand and may feel awkward or redundant at first, but it's likely because of rushing (at least in my case). Sit with it, read it, learn from all of these people, and then take it with you.
sydneymcclure's review against another edition
3.0
This was really good at times and ponderous at others. Much of the material was lifted from Tippett's On Being podcast, which I enjoy much more. It's a bit more digestible to reflect on this material in a piecemeal fashion. Perhaps I would have enjoyed this book more if I hadn't had to read it in the span of two weeks to get it back to the library.