jbmorgan86's review
3.0
I'm always torn when I read Parker Palmer. Is he a hippie turned self-help guru who is banking on a few simple ideas or is a writer who plumbs the depths of the human soul? Obviously, I tend to fall in the latter camp or I wouldn't keep reading his books, essays, and articles. However, part of me is still skeptical.
If you've read Palmer before or heard him in a Ted Talk or on an episode of OnBeing, you are familiar with his ideas: showing up as your whole self, life on the Möbius strip, "circles of trust," Quaker ideals, hints of Buddhism. This book lays out all of those basic principles (though, particularly it focuses on the circles of trust).
I find Palmer's transparency and vulnerability refreshing. I also appreciate his wide knowledge of poetry and ability to adapt it to so many topics throughout the book.
If you've read Palmer before or heard him in a Ted Talk or on an episode of OnBeing, you are familiar with his ideas: showing up as your whole self, life on the Möbius strip, "circles of trust," Quaker ideals, hints of Buddhism. This book lays out all of those basic principles (though, particularly it focuses on the circles of trust).
I find Palmer's transparency and vulnerability refreshing. I also appreciate his wide knowledge of poetry and ability to adapt it to so many topics throughout the book.
vanitar's review against another edition
5.0
A great book about how to become more congruent and a plan to form circles of trust that create an environment to live into your true self and to form spaces for deeper healing.
aleber's review against another edition
5.0
Such a beautiful look at how to live a life of integrity.
One I will return to often
One I will return to often
eahaynes's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
rtq66's review against another edition
5.0
"By violence, I mean any way we have of violating the identity and integrity of another person. I find this definition helpful because it reveals the critical connections between acts of violence large and small, from dropping bombs on civilians halfway around the world to demeaning a child in a classroom. Most of us live our lives in the home or classroom or workplace. We play bit parts in the great global drama. But the choices we make in the micro arenas of life contribute, for better or for worse, to what happens in the world at large." This small quote which comes near the end of Palmer's book (I listened on audio) encapsulates much of the power of this book on spiritual wholeness and integrity. It is an especially powerful message at this cultural time and shines a light on how our cultural discourse (on social media for one) reveals a culture immersed in violence. I am grateful to Prof. Peggy Way who introduced me to the writings of Parker Palmer in 1989 my first semester at Vanderbilt Divinity School. His vulnerable wisdom has been a challenge and inspiration ever since. I live a divided life more than I would like to admit. Palmer shows how the power of real community along with the cultivation of silence grounds us and leads us toward a wholeness that lives boldly because silence confronts our fear of death and frees us. As he puts it, "Our culture is so fearful of the silence of death that it worships nonstop noise." This is a profound book with much wisdom for our fractured times. I will find myself returning to it again and again.
lazygal's review against another edition
5.0
A Friend recommended Parker Palmer's works to me, and this was one of the two books I bought. There's so much here that spoke to me: how to ask open questions, how to hold someone's soul as sacred, and how to create a circle of trust. As a Quaker I understood the underpinnings of his work, and some of his examples of how to translate this to the "real" world without calling it Quakerism made a lot of sense. Beyond this, all I can say is that my response was deeply personal. Highly recommended.
sethjames's review against another edition
3.0
I look forward to working out these concepts of "circles of trust" in my future work. Implications for small groups, organizational boards, leadership teams, and small business. I grow more and more grateful for Palmer's work.