My Latest Favorite Book
…is The Art of Power by Thich Nhat Hanh (New York: HarperOne, 2007).
Thich Nhat Hanh has a way of cycling his material over and over again in his long string of titles. His message is very consistent across them all. A good thing, and not unsurprising given the content of his message. And this book is a good thing too; a very good thing. All are short, beautifully and elegantly written, and on target. This one is no exception.
Despite the repetitiveness, I’m fond of all his books. Yes, it’s the same material, but angled differently depending on the theme of the particular volume. I like this one in particular because the theme is so relevant, practical, and all-encompassing. We are all faced with power and authority issues daily, either in the workplace, at home with the family, or even trying to make sense of our politicians, pundits, and other public figures. It’s not just about the power they’re all trying to wield over us; it’s about responding to them, and about the way we ourselves use our own power and authority moment-to-moment, in situations large and small.
So there’s material in here for each and every one of us. And we don’t even have to be Buddhists. Regardless of our particular spiritual path, his advice is appropriate. Just goes to show once again that we all want the same things, regardless of which individual path we walk.
Filed under: books, Buddhism, Thich Nhat Hanh | 1 Comment
Tags: Buddhism, Thich Nhat Hanh
I agree that Thich Nhat Hanh’s books are very similar, but I like to read one every so often to be reminded in a new way. I particularly liked the one on Anger, and now you’ve made me want to read the one on Power. Thanks for the post.