The Half-Empty Heart: A Supportive Guide to Breaking Free from Chronic Discontent

Book Description

Low-grade depression, also known as chronic discontent or dysthymia, is one of the most common diag-noses for people who visit a psychotherapist-and an undiag-nosed problem in millions who don't get the help they need. Its symptoms include: -Lack of motivation -Low threshold for frustration -Constant disappointment -Irritability and hopelessness. Psychologist Alan Downs has written an access-ible and groundbreaking book that will help individuals who suffer from this chronic but reversible problem, their loved ones, and psychotherapists wanting to learn more about the condition. Using anecdotes, simple exercises and advice, and in-sights, the five-week program in this book provides hope and help for the millions of Amer-icans suffering from this condition.

Customer Reviews:

A label for me at last........2007-01-11

I have been reading the library copy of this book, and decided I needed my own copy so I could highlight significant lines. All my life I have felt what I called "melancholic", and now I finally have a real diagnosis for myself. So many things in this book speak to me, such as feeling unloved all my life, and unworthy of attention. I'm looking forward to reading this over and over again, and hopefully, I can benefit from it. I've never considered myself depressed, per se, but this comes much closer to what I feel. I used to describe myself as living inside a "bubble"; in the world, but not part of it. Now I know why.

Lots of insight, but don't rule out meds.......2005-11-29

I must take issue with the author's statement that psychiatric medications are ineffective in treating dysthymia (see the appendix). His review of the literature supporting this assertion is incomplete at best; at least one study which he mentioned actually *supported* the use of medications (he quoted it out of context to argue *against* their effectiveness)! As a student of psychology, I recently did library research on the treatment of dysthymia and found that the majority of studies indicate that medications are at least as helpful as psychotherapy in treating dysthymia.

Having said that, I do believe that psychotherapy is useful with or without psychiatric meds, and I think that "The Half Empty Heart" gives an interesting characterization of chronic discontent and some potentially-useful tools for overcoming it. If you think you suffer from chronic discontent, you'll probably want to read this book.

A brilliant description of chronic discontent.......2005-04-05

I think this is so far the best descriptive aspect of chronic discontent. Particularly it is coming from a person who have been there.I feel that the Dr Downs has done a really great job not only in describing one of the aspects of life which is common yet not acknowledged often, it shows the way how to fight it( i have some doubts on the methods he describes simply because i think chronic discontent is almost a part of the personality,hence ingrained i.e hardwired,hence only partly can be addressed through psychological methods). I think that it is too simplistic to differentiate chronic discontent from dysthymia.
But truthfully all these matters little. I sincerely think he has done a really brilliant job and to my knowledge this is the first systematic account of a concept which is still unclear amongst scientific society.

Half Empty Heart.......2004-03-09

For most of my relationship with my significant other, I have struggled with his lack of ability to include me in his life. There were many times that he would be very open and honest with me while in the next instance he would withdraw and cage himself in some other place. After finding the review of "Half Empty Heart" in a magazine, I felt as if the author had been following my boyfriend around, taking notes on his daily life.

I purchased the book for both of us and although it is early in the study of the book, it is the first time I have felt hope for someone I love so much. We are reading it together and talking daily about a chapter. We haven't started the daily exercises yet, but when we do I am hoping that there will be major break through in his happiness.

I am very appreciative for the insight this has given me. I am more understanding of where my boyfriend is coming from and hopefully where he now has the ability to go.

Excellent book, distracting amount of typos and errors.......2003-08-14

Although I found this to be an excellent book as far as written content, I was distracted and downright disgusted with the obvious lack of proofreading this book received. I have never encountered so many glaring mistakes in one book. I found I had to reread several sentences to make sense out of them through the typing mistakes.

Book Description

Miriam Vener feels trapped in the comfortable white middle-class life she leads with her family in Houston in the 1980s. That life suddenly shatters with the appearance, after almost eighteen years, of Veronica (Ronnee), her biracial daughter born in Mississippi in the sixties when Miriam was a civil rights activist. Rosellen Brown charts the emotionally fraught terrain of the mother and daughter's reunion and Ronnee's divided sense of self and loyalty. With which family, and which race, does she identify? A searingly honest novel of public and private ideals betrayed, Half a Heart is a deeply moving story about estrangement and intimacy, race and privilege, identity and belonging.AUTHORBIO: Rosellen Brown is the author of the New York Times bestseller Before and After and three other novels, The Autobiography of My Mother, Tender Mercies, and Civil Wars; a collection of stories, Street Games, and three collections of poetry, Some Deaths in the Delta, Cory Fry, and Cora Fry's Pillow Book. She lives in Chicago, Illinois.

Customer Reviews:

Do not waste your money.......2005-09-10

I have just finished Half a Heart and I was very disappointed w/this novel. First, the book seemed to drag on and on. It seemed that Ms. Brown took up 3 paragraphs to say something that could have been said in 3 sentences! Also Miriam comes off as a stupid woman. How unrealistic to give up your baby because of politics and an impractical fear. This book could insult white mothers who bore mixed heritage children, as if they are not capable of raising their children to be strong and proud of both cultures....Also the book stated the year was 1986 which meant Ronee was born in 1968. During the flashbacks Miriam seemed too naive, bland and unsexy during the free-love,hippie,Black power period. What in the world even attracted Eljay to her. That was never fully explained in the novel. Also after reuniting w/Ronee she seemed distanced and foolish. It seemed like she did not even try to get to KNOW her daughter. For instance what was the big deal w/Ronee going to Houston in the 1st place. If I had not seen my child in over 17yrs you think I would leave her to see my mom in the hospital. No! Ronee should be there it was HER family. Also once Ronee stated she was going to Stanford one of the first issues Miriam should have asked her about was money! As for Ronee she comes off as your typical know-it-all teenager. But something was weird about how Ms Brown described her physically. She kept giving an unattractive physical description (i.e. large size, ugly clothes, bad hairstyle) but men in the book found her attractive. Go figure. All in all check the book out @the lib. do not buy it.

A disappointing book from a good writer........2001-09-06

This novel disappointed me deeply because it started out so good, with so much potential. A white woman gives birth to the child of a black man in 1960s Mississippi. She leaves the child to be raised by the father, but eighteen years later, still haunted by the daughter she lost, she goes looking for her. That premise has potential for melodrama, of course, but also for an interesting exploration of what it means to be a mother, as well as some complicated racial issues.

For the first hundred pages, I thought this novel would probe those issues in a sensitive and intelligent way. The two main characters Ð Miriam, the mother who left her daughter behind, and Ronnee, her bi-racial child Ð start out as intriguing characters. The pain of Miriam, who has a good life, but canÕt appreciate it because of the hole left by her absent child, is palpable. And Ronnee is a beautifully written character. We learn early on that she agrees to meet with her mother mainly because sheÕs hoping for some money to finance her way to college. And yet she doesnÕt come across as a greedy villain, but rather as an intelligent, ambitious and complex young woman.

But once Rosellen Brown goes into flashback to tell the story of MiriamÕs affair with RonneeÕs father, the novel goes astray. The biggest problem is that the author doesnÕt seem to know what to make of MiriamÕs lover, Eljay. She begins with a promising portrait of a charming and intelligent man, somewhat edgy and resentful because of all he has had to suffer to get where he is. But then, out of nowhere, he gets involved with a group of black separatists who seem to take over his personality. Suddenly heÕs a different, incomprehensible, man. Because we never get inside EljayÕs head, but only see him from MiriamÕs point of view, the change in him seems weird. I have the feeling Rosellen Brown was merely trying to make the point that black racism can be just as bad as white racism, but her political point gets in the way of the story. It would have been a lot more interesting to see what Afrocentrism meant to a man like Eljay. Dismissing his point of view seems like a betrayal of a potentially fascinating character.

And the novel goes downhill from there, with one clich after another. Almost all the characters, black and white, are bigots, and the bigotry is so blatant and obvious, so crude, that it makes the novel seem anachronistic. God knows racism has not disappeared, but the author seems unaware that it usually takes subtler forms than it did in 1960.

Rosellen Brown is obviously a talented writer, and this novel had a lot of potential, but unfortunately the promise remained unfulfilled.

An emotionally rewarding answer to the question "what if?".......2001-06-11

As the mother of several grown children, I've often wondered who my children would have been without my influence...who I would have been without them at the center of my life. This wonderful story explores those "What if" questions in an engrossing and authentic way. By creating a mother and daughter who are desperate to compensate for a lifetime of seperation, this book pays beautiful tribute to the amazing power of parenthood. As is always true of Ms. Brown's books, the writing is lush and lovely.

Half a Heart.......2001-06-03

It's been a while since I've read a book that totally mesmerized me. I wanted it to go on and on. It is a beautiful story, yet does get ugly and strange at times. That's what makes it so special. You want to keep reading to find out what will happen next.I felt it was very realistic, considering the timing. I also enjoyed the way Brown let Ronnee and Miriam speak throughout the book.

I recommend this book and look forward now to reading Brown's other books

A major disappointment.......2000-10-25

Ms. Brown is a more-than-competent writer and the premise of this novel is intriguing, but it disappoints on nearly every level; the storyline is tedious and the characters self-absorbed, annoying, and ultimately predictable. Most unforgivably, nearly every character or situation in the book disintegrates into stereotype. By the time I reached the chapter dealing with Ronnee's false arrest and incarceration, the circumstances felt so contrived I lost every bit of sympathy or interest. Why, after such a potentially groundbreaking premise, did Ms. Brown resort to stock scenes and cliches? The story, and her readers, deserved better than this.

Average customer rating:

Half My Heart is in Iraq!
David D Bayouth
Manufacturer: Bay Island Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Military & Spies | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Stories of Love for Our Brave

David Bayouth is the founder of Halfmyheart.com, a "support our troops" site offering free recognition space for troop families and a plethora of support products to help express love and support for their loved ones, including the new book "Half my heart is in Iraq!"

14 STEPHEN KING (+ pseudoynms) Books: Lisey's Story, Heart's in Atlantis, The Dark Half, Tommyknockers, Night Shift, Dolores Claiborne, Rose Madder, The Stand, Talisman, Regulators, Misery, Firestarter, Memory of Running, Journals of Eleanor Druse (Unboxed Set of Suspense Thriller Horror Books)

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14 STEPHEN KING (+ pseudoynms) Books: Lisey's Story, Heart's in Atlantis, The Dark Half, Tommyknockers, Night Shift, Dolores Claiborne, Rose Madder, The Stand, Talisman, Regulators, Misery, Firestarter, Memory of Running, Journals of Eleanor Druse (Unboxed Set of Suspense Thriller Horror Books)
Stephen King , Eleanor Druse , Ron McLarty , Richard Bachman , and Peter Straub
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WICE54

Product Description

14 STEPHEN KING (+ pseudoynms) Books: Lisey's Story, Heart's in Atlantis, The Dark Half, Tommyknockers, Night Shift, Dolores Claiborne, Rose Madder, The Stand, Talisman, Regulators, Misery, Firestarter, Memory of Running, Journals of Eleanor Druse, (Unboxed Set of Suspense Thriller Books), in either Hard or Softcover, (See Seller Condition Comments), Shipped in one package to save on shipping costs.

Daddy Darwin's dovecote, (On verso of half-title: The young of heart series)

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Daddy Darwin's dovecote, (On verso of half-title: The young of heart series)
Juliana Horatia Gatty Ewing
Manufacturer: D. Estes & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Average customer rating:

Half a Heart
Rosellen Brown
Manufacturer: FARRAR STRAUS & * GIROUX
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UCYWUW

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Half a Heart
Rosellen Brown
Manufacturer: Farrar Straus & Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NUC4N8

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Half a Heart
Rosellen Brown:
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus & Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MZQNHW

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Half a Heart (SIGNED)
Rosellen Brown
Manufacturer: FSG
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HKHK8S

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Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow's Love Story
Getting through the storm

Half Moon, Full Heart
Gene Cartwright
Manufacturer: Falcon Creek Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0964975610

Book Description

A failing economy, acts of terror, the winds of war. What the world really needs is a love story—a powerful love story that embraces heart and soul long after the story has been told.

Once upon a time, it was 1955. Eisenhower (`Ike') was President; a stamp cost three cents; gas was twenty-three; Popsicles came two to a package; Elvis was twenty, and against all odds, young David Joe Fallon, Jr. and Jessie Marie Taylor were in love. The End.

And the story may well have ended there, were it not for what happened to those two. It has been said, few younger than twenty or so could possibly know true love.

That may be true for most, but not for Jessie Marie and David Joe, both of whom lived in Rosedale—a small, north-central Texas town—back in the 1950s. First taken with each other at age nine, these love-struck youngsters grew to profess a love so deep, in their hearts and minds it transcended life itself.

And despite Cyrus Ecclesiastes Taylor's success in keeping his daughter and David Joe apart, there was never any doubt these two lived and breathed each other. Not much else mattered to them. Taylor's actions, born of his intense hatred for David Joe's father, only steeled the young lovers' vows to love and cherish each other forever.

Theirs was a love cloaked with an aura of destiny; imbued with an air of inevitability. Most everyone in Rosedale knew that to be fact. What they sacrificed and suffered, to nurture their uncommon love, accounts for their indelible place in the hearts of all who know their story.

And there could only have been one Jessie Marie and David Joe. Townsfolk, who were alive then, still speak of them in mythical tones. No true love story can rightly be told without the mention of their names, and the storybook lives they shared.

Despite the joy and heartbreak that was and is their story, David Joe and Jessie Marie live on. And nearly fifty years later, the world beyond their part of Texas may never have known of, and been inspired by them, except for unforeseen events in Rachel Marin's life, half a country and nearly half a century away, in southern California.

September 11, 2000

Rachel Marin, a Texas-born beauty, and Boston University grad, had always dreamed of being a writer. Even when she served the President as Assistant, Deputy White House Press Secretary, she never surrendered her dream.

At thirty-eight, she was just divorced and clawing her way up from the basement of her life. Her heart was broken; her dreams shattered. On a cool September morning, she packed her life away into every corner of her vintage '65 Mustang and left California.

Along the way to an uncertain destination, a detour through a small, north-central, Texas town; a 50 year old wedding dress in a quaint dress shop, and a chance telling of a five decades-old love story, opens a magical door. The result is a fateful marriage of past and future.

The legendary love story of David Joe Fallon, Jr. and Jessie Marie Taylor inspires another story—one Rachel could never have dreamed. She finds herself helping to write a final chapter no one could have imagined.

Customer Reviews:

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow's Love Story.......2007-09-05

Gene does a fabulous job in weaving a love story that swells the heart with such emotion. It's a must read for lovers of romance and mystery

Getting through the storm.......2005-04-09

Rachel Loftin grew up with success on her mind. Meeting and falling in love with David Morin wasn't exactly her plan, but when it happened, she embraced it wholeheartedly. Going through the years with her husband seemed to be the pinnacle of her life, until she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Suddenly, the world as she once knew it came crashing down around her, especially when the husband she so dearly loved shut her out as if SHE were the disease.

Ironically, after her divorce, Rachel finds out that she never had breast cancer, but was misdiagnosed. Feeling empty and alone, she leaves everything and everyone dear to her in California in an effort to "find" her true self. Stumbling to Rosedale, the home of her father, Rachel begins to learn that when life throws you punches, you don't have to fall down.

Meeting someone new was never her intent; self-love was the main goal. While listening to the town's history, she also learns about a love story and family feud that spans across generations. With this new knowledge, and a new love interest, Rachel sees life through a different pair of eyes.

HALF MOON, FULL HEART is a wonderfully woven tale of self-appreciation, true love at its finest and rebirth. With its colorful, rich, fairytale-like essence, this is sure to have you either getting a tissue or jumping for joy. Gene Cartwright has outdone himself with this novel, which is not just African-American literature, but a fine crossover in literary genre. If you're ever in the market for something different, this is a sure read that won't disappoint.

Reviewed by Belinda
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Average customer rating:

Dark Magic

A great book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

An action packed adventure continues. . .
Dark Magic: The Godwars Book 2
Angus Wells
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Wells, Angus | ( W ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Magic & Wizards | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Wild Magic (The Godwars, Book 3)

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Wild Magic: The Godwars Book 3

Wrath of Ashar: The First Book of The Kingdoms (The Book of the Kingdoms, Book 1)

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ASIN: 0553762818
Release Date: 1992-10-01

Customer Reviews:

Dark Magic.......2003-01-18

Travel with Calandryll, Bracht & Katya on their quest to stop the evil necromancer, Rhythamun, from raising the Mad God Tharn. The addition of a revenant adds to the interest and keeps the reader hooked, hoping they can excape its evil clutches in order to save their world. A great second novel. Can not wait to finish the third.

A great book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......1998-09-03

I really liked the second book. It was even better then the first book. I liked the part where the Younger Gods came to help Calandryll. I also liked the part where Ahrd saved Bracht from death. Really good book, you should read it.

An action packed adventure continues. . ........1997-06-20

DARK MAGIC picks up where FORBIDDEN MAGIC ends. The story is just as action packed as the first, and this time it even brings in a couple of minor subplots which help to make the story richer. The biggest flaw of this novel, like the first one in the series, is it's lack of depth. Wells only puts his reader part of the way into his world, not elaborating enough. But despite this, it is still a good story worth reading if you can find nothing better to lay your eyes upon, and it shouldn't take to long to read this story

Amazon.com

It's that story again: unsophisticated adolescent boy, spunky, curious princess, large landscape for them to tour, troublesome deities, a magic sword. J. Gregory Keyes's knowledge of epics, myths, and human cultures is a solid foundation for his series, making it far better than the average product: a story that might have happened sometime between the Ice Ages when numinous deities still dwelled in every tree, rock, and pool. The detailed social structures and customs feel more authentic, though they're also familiar--the urban monotheists, the shamanistic horseback nomads, and so on. The writing is workmanlike, but the anthropological soundness and echoes of ancient stories give life and dimension to the old archetypes.

Book Description

The River flowed through all the land, deep and unstoppable, a god in his own right. His head was in the mountains; his arms embraced the outlands; his body lay at the core of all the civilized realms; and his legs stretched on to the distant sea. Dark and sluggish, he rolled unchallenged, dreaming his own invincible might and glory into stark reality.

Everywhere he touched, the River God held dominion. And in Nhol, the fabled city at the heart of the world, an emperor ruled as the living aspect of the god, presiding over the splendors and intrigues of a prosperous land and a glittering court.

Hezhi was an imperial princess; her blood carried the seeds of the River's power. When her favorite cousin disappeared, Hezhi searched throughout the sumptuous palace with its ghosts and priests, giants and courtiers, and frightening creatures of wizardry. And the magic within her began to grow; soon it must attract dangerous attention. Hezhi's anxious quest ripened into a desperate fight for her own life--a battle she could not hope to win alone.

Small wonder that the princess wished for a hero.

And far away, a hero's journey began...

Customer Reviews:

Fantasy at its best !.......2007-02-16

This book would make you wonder "Where was Gregory Keyes all along"? The plot is dark, complicated, powerful and intense. It is adult fantasy at its best.

Having seen the rise and fall of many a fantasy writer getting bogged down by their creations, this book is a refreshing and welcome change. The story is unique and extremely well written. It will keep you hungering for more of Gregory Keyes and his other books are equally well written.

Pretty good stuff.......2007-01-19

I thought this book was pretty original. It did have the storied nobody becomes big important stud theme but a lot of fantasy does that. I thought the world was unique and interesting. The book was very simple and easy to follow. The only problem is the characters lacked depth as did the plot. Same goes for the sequel Blackgod.

Fantasy infused with myth.......2006-06-18

The problem with most fantasy is that it is written entirely within the world of fantasy literature. It refers only to other books, creating a mirror world in which every image has been seen before, and every character is the reflection of many others. With the Chosen of the Changeling series Greg Keyes has escaped from this trap by infusing his story with anthropology and traditional myth. These books feel original because they return to the tradition of heroic stories told around the hearth that lies behind all fantasy. Keyes' heroes are like the heroes of epic, chosen by the gods to play parts in stories they don't really understand. The setting is magnificent, the writing fine. I enjoyed both of these books and recommend them highly.

A Great Writer.......2006-05-11

This was the first Keyes book that I read and I have to say that, after wandering through a wilderness of some of the lousiest sci-fi and fantasy books over the past few years, that this was, oh so, refreshing.
I believe that Greg Keyes is probably one of the finer writers out there right now.
So, I'm picking up just about every book of his that I can.

A great read, well worth the money for a new one off of your favorite book store shelf.

A Typical Freshman Effort.......2005-09-26

"The Waterborn". What does one say about a book that hits the quintessence of average? We have our spunky little priestess Hehzi, who finds herself going up against a cabal of evil priests bent on, well, being evil priests. Elsewhere, wilderness warrior Perkar joins a quest to speak with a forest god about opening up some more land for cultivation. Unfortunately Perkar has recently had sex with a goddess, never a good thing, and consequently emerges with a fierce determination to kill some other god. Mix that with a good-sized helping of magic swords, swashbuckling action, and ill-fated attempts at romance, and you got a recipe for a book that plods along.

I won't say that "The Waterborn" is formulaic. It's not. In fact it has its share of genuine plot twists, hidden identities, and deftly concealed secrets. It would be more accurate to say that "The Waterborn" is a checklist novel. Stuff gets thrown in - the sex scenes, the irksome suitor, the mysterious warrior - and one feels it's merely because the author feels a fantasy needs to have all that stuff. I do certainly credit Keyes with respecting the reader's intelligence. "The Waterborn" unfolds with careful attention to motivation and psychology.

Keyes does have a mighty struggle with dialogue, unfortunately. Whenever people talk in this book, it's organized more around getting across the needed information rather than imitating the flow of a real conversation. I should perhaps be lenient. As Ernest Hemingway famously remarked, writing dialogue that really sounds like real people talking is the hardest thing any writer ever has to do, and it surely can't be done without practice. But as for that, I always review books by content, not caring whether it's the author's first effort or not.

Average customer rating:

Not your typical fantasy

The Waterborn
Greg Keyes
Manufacturer: Legend
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ASIN: 009966951X

Customer Reviews:

Not your typical fantasy.......2006-07-23

Keyes draws on older legends and invents some of his own in telling the story of a boy's coming-of-age quest. Perkar's love for the goddess of the stream that runs by his village leads him along strange paths, and you won't be able to guess the ending. This was one of the most imaginitive and original fantasy debuts I ever read.

The Waterborn (Children of the Changeling Ser., 1)

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The Waterborn (Children of the Changeling Ser., 1)
J. Gregory Keyes
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVAHS0

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The Waterborn
J. Gregory Keyes
Manufacturer: Book Club
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UPSFLG

Average customer rating:

The lost art of listening

Kindred Spirit

Listening well is a huge part of loving well.

She had me from "hello"

LEARN TO PRACTICE THE DISCIPLINE OF SOLITUDE

Listen: Finding God in the Story of Your Life
Keri Wyatt Kent
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Christian Living | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
All Deals | Blowout Books | Stores | Books
Religion & Spirituality | Blowout Books | Stores | Books
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Breathe: Creating Space for God in a Hectic Life

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ASIN: 0787982334

Book Description

In this remarkable book, Keri Wyatt Kent shows how to open ourselves to more love and joy by listening—to God, our hearts, and each other. By listening we discover God in our own stories and in other people’s stories. Throughout the book, Kent shares her personal experiences and shows that by reflecting on our own story we can discover the things that bring us joy and the things we love and hold dear. Once we are more aware of the joy and love that are already in our lives, we can notice God. Listening is the central spiritual practice that makes other practices–such as prayer, worship, and study–transformational in our lives.

Customer Reviews:

The lost art of listening.......2007-08-14

In Listen: Finding God in the Story of Your Life, Keri Wyatt Kent pulls together the classical ideas of spiritual formation into a practical understanding that can be incorporated into our daily lives. Listening to God's work in our lives, to his Word and to others in community are all key components of this much-overlooked facet of the Christian life. Kent shows how learning to listen is critical to many of the spiritual disciplines and, through her personal experience and with reference to many of the great spiritual writers, challenges her readers to become skillful listeners.

The first section immediately captured my attention, as well as my heart, as Keri challenges us to actually listen to our lives. What do we love? Where do we struggle? What are our desires? I've come to realize that God is not only intimately aware of my struggles and desires, but that he speaks to me through them.

In the second section, Keri communicates the importance of listening to others. We all long to be listened to, but are we available to listen to others in the same way? Listening to others allows us to both minister as well as be ministered to, as we open ourselves to the wisdom and encouragement of others. Without true listening, can there really be community as Jesus intended?

The final section covers listening as it relates to the spiritual disciplines of silence, scripture reading and prayer, although Keri is quick to point out that "all of our spiritual practices are transformed by listening." Keri challenges us to begin making space for God in our lives by learning to listen deeply, rather than just follow rituals.

Keri's passion for spiritual transformation is quickly evident in her writing, and her engaging manner makes it easy to relate to what she's talking about. Listen is one of those books that warrants more than one reading and should probably be read with a pen in hand. It would lend itself well to a group discussion as well, as she poses a few thought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter.

Kindred Spirit.......2007-06-24

This was one of those books that has God's finger prints all over it...and through it. I related SO much with Keri's experience. I found it not only affirming...but it also took me deeper into my journey as I continue to listen for God's voice in my experience as a contemporary Christian music minister.

Listening well is a huge part of loving well........2006-11-28

"Real listeners notice. They pay attention."

But how do we become real listeners and to what do we listen?

In Listen: Finding God in the Story of Your Life, Keri Kent takes us on a journey through several forms of listening: listening to our own hearts and desires, listening to others, and listening to God through His Spirit, His people, His Word.

She presents listening to others as a ministry, and distinguishes between merely practicing listening techniques and actually becoming a better listener. As Keri explains: "To truly listen, we must set aside our own junk--selfishness, neediness, overwhelming desire to interrupt with `that reminds me of what happened to me!'"

Listening is costly. But so is love, and listening well is a huge part of loving well.

And when it comes to listening to God, Keri makes a significant point: "Knowing the Scriptures can guard us against putting words in God's mouth. What God is telling us and what we want God to say can sometimes be two different things. If we listen to the Bible, we'll recognize God's voice among the many that shout for our attention."

With refreshing candor, she reveals a truth overlooked by many: "If we spend time listening to MTV or reading People magazine, that's what we are meditating on, even if we don't think of it as meditating. If we repeatedly hear something, our mind will retain it. Think of how many song lyrics you've memorized, simply by hearing songs on the radio. Meditation begins with repetition, to think about something, even on a subconscious level. And that is what will shape our souls and thoughts, even our actions... What we focus on and think about, even passively, affects us. Ultimately, it forms us."

Listen speaks truth, encouragement, and challenge to both new and seasoned travelers who earnestly seek the narrow path.

She had me from "hello".......2006-11-10

It's rare that I pick up a book and I'm drawn in from the first paragraph (of the Introduction!) but I was. Keri's book is timely, insightful, and thoughtful. We all need to stop and to listen to the voice of our Savior and to rediscover why we call ourselves believers.

LEARN TO PRACTICE THE DISCIPLINE OF SOLITUDE.......2006-09-16

A seasoned retreat leader, Kent knows what it's like to be weary, exhausted from the constant noise of our culture. She wrote this book to show readers how we can focus on the Voice that matters, God's whisper of love to us.

"If we really are dialed in to that Voice, it will lead us to our purpose and a deeper relationship with God, which will bring us joy," Kent says.

The author explains how listening is the central spiritual discipline that makes other practices -- such as prayer, worship and study -- transformational in Christians' lives.

She shows readers how we can hear God by paying attention to three areas: the circumstances of our lives, both joys and struggles; the words of other people; and through spiritual practices of solitude, prayer and Scripture.

What better excuse to slip away from the mad rush of busyness than to learn to practice solitude?

-- Christian Women Online Book Buzz

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