Customer Reviews

Beachcombing at Miramar: The Quest for an Authentic Life

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(5)

 

 

Beachcombing at Miromar is a wonderful insight into Richard Bode's quest for inner peace and beauty. It is full of fascinating imagery that literally leaves the sensory minded person speechless in its descriptions! Richard Bode's writing melts into a scenery of tranqulity with fascinating images and phrases! Included along the way are a few of Richard Bode's favorite encouraging poems, books, and songs. I bought this book on a whim, looking for something intriguing to read...I was not disappointed! Richard Bode more than surpassed my expectations with this novel. I would recommend this book mainly for those who appreciate tranqulity and crave beauty...and for those who have known what it is like to feel lost admist life's travels, wishing only for a solace from the world. Beachcombing at Miramar makes a wonderful solace.

I first bought this book in a bookstore by accident, and I ended up reading it. Ever since, I have given away at least a dozen copies of it to other people, and they have also given away many more copies to my knowledge. At that multiplication rate, if you don't buy it - you should recieve it soon anyways. It is such a relaxing read. It shows you the pace at which life should be lived. I do encourage you to read it.

These are the reflections of man who has dropped out of the fast lane and is spending his days in a gentle, reflective life, combing the beach for its treasure, but much more searching his life, his thought, and his experience for the meaning of life, love and ultimate concerns. Bode is thoughtful and perceptive in his observations, simple but beautiful in his writing, candid and generous in his sharing of himself with the reader. The book's setting and content invites a comparison with Anne Morrow Lindbergh's classic Gift from the Sea, and it compares very favorably. Read it, you'll enjoy it.

I 'accidentally' found this book while on vacation in Seattle , WA a few years ago. I was on my way to the Oregon coast and the title caught my eye. I wasn't really sure what I was looking for, but when I picked this up, I knew that I had found it. The first chapter, "The Child Sees" completely changed me. It totally opened my eyes and started me on what is a still ongoing journey of self discovery and transformation. The metephors used by the author are so relatable for me because I love the ocean and wish is to someday do what Mr. Bode did. Simplify my life and find my own place on the 'beach of Mirimar'. This book is a very enjoyable read, and the lessons become so clear that I have been anxiously awaiting his next effort. Find this book as I did and it may help you start finding your way to an authentic life as it did for me.

Richard Bode yet again gives the reader a unique outlook on life and its events with this book. I really enjoyed "First You Have to Row a Little Boat," and this book comes very close to capturing that same magic. If you don't have either, get both - I've read both books several times over, and I will continue to do so. I get something new and refreshing from them with each reading.

What an inspirational gem of self-reflection and dicovery is "Beachcombing at Miramar"! Richard Bode writes eloquently, with thoughtful poise and quiet power, about his search for Truth. Bode's gift to readers is to share pearls of wisdom, life lessons, he finds or recalls as he strolls a California beach. For him, the beachcombing is a metaphor for truly observing and discerning life meanings. Coming out of a long and troubling marriage and giving up a lucrative career to identify and pursue his heart's desires, Bode is Everyman grappling with the meaning of life. A major theme of the book, so important for people in today's society to really hear, is the value and strength of being in touch with the spiritual Self. In the chapter "Stone With a Hole in the Center," Bode writes, "Not all men are born to be saints, but I believe we are all born with a voice within that we tend to ignore until it becomes so indistinct we barely know it's there." The author's musings help the reader rediscover that inner voice and the value of listening to it. One of my favorite chapters is "By-the-wind sailor," about little jellyfish that can't steer and are therefore at the mercy of the elements. Bode makes the point that humankind need not be like those jellyfish because we can listen to our inner voice and make choices for ourselves. The author learns for himself: "I am not drifting. I am moving by design, aware of the teeming life about me and the choices I must make -- when to resist, when to accept, when to bide my time." This book helped me listen to my inner voice and find my way to greater love, joy, and peace. I highly recommend this gentle guide for beachcombing through life.

Buy this book! "Beachcombing at Miramar" is a wonderful, reflective walk through the quiet woods of one man's soul. Bode's poetic prose seems to roll so easily from his pen that you wonder if even his rough notes are beautifully polished.

"Beachcombing" is a much-needed respite from the "can we have everything faster than everything else" pace of modern life.

Amazon, your reviewer of this book seems to have completely missed the point amidst his own struggle to appear clever and cynical. He's done a disservice to a marvelous book.

This book offered me a framework of self examination and contemplation of the forces around which I frame my life. I enjoyed his open look at the influences he responded to throughout his more conventional years, and the introspection he endured while questioning his own decision. The references to money are a bit shallow, since the money allowed him to take the time off in the first place. But the "I Have A Choice" paragraph remains posted on the wall next to my desk. I have recommended this book to any who would listen.

From the very first page Richard grabs your attention with his eye for details, from the shard of purple glass, to the couple walking on the beach. He is no Everyman, but a unique person on a journey to find his soul. Not in the bowels of NYC but on the sands of Miramar. A must read for anyone searching...

Changed me, got me through the worst time of my life, forever altered--fixed--my perception of my relationship with others and myself.