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The Book of Love: A Treasury Inspired by the Greatest of Virtues
 
 
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The Book of Love: A Treasury Inspired by the Greatest of Virtues [Hardcover]

Andrew M. Greeley (Author), Mary G. Durkin (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)


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Book Description

November 1, 2002
Love. Of all the virtues that have been passed on to us through the ages, from the great poets to the saints and scholars, throughout history and literature, love is the one virtue that we as a society cannot live without.

The ability to love well and to love wisely is the most important trait that parents can pass on to their children. As children grow, the longing to share this love as well as receive it will remain strong throughout their lives.

Bestselling author Andrew M. Greeley and his sister, Dr. Mary G. Durkin have complied a beautiful and inspiring anthology that will help us comprehend this the most important of virtues and also help us express and understand what it means to love, and how to love wisely. The Book of Love is a perfect gift for a parent to give to a child, for relatives or friends to share, or for those who are coming to know this virtue in all its glory. People of all nations, creeds, colors, and denominations will appreciate this treasury of essays, poems, stories, and songs reflecting the one human need that has remained constant: Love.

It has been written about in the Bible, and it was passed down orally in myth and legend. It was discussed by the Chinese philosopher Confucius and in the Koran, and it inspired great works of literature and the pages of popular fiction. The Book of Love is a testament to the enduring nature of our own good, a good expressed through the human bond. In the tradition of William J. Bennett's The Book of Virtue, The Book of Love is a collection to be treasured, and shared, but most of all, it will guide us to express and to pass on the greatest of life's virtues: Love.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Priest, sociologist and mystery novelist Greeley and his sister Durkin bring out the many facets of love with this uneven but often rewarding anthology of poetry, stories, scripture and folk tales from many cultures. Following St. Paul, the editors deem love not just an emotion, but a "virtue" that mediates many kinds of relationships. While romantic verse takes pride of place, Greeley and Durkin also offer selections from Huckleberry Finn to illustrate friendship, Oscar Wilde on love of family, Keats's Ode to a Nightingale on love of nature, the 23rd Psalm on love of God, and Shelley on the primal urge of dualities to unite that animates the universe. Some of the selections, like the trite love letters from Mozart and Tsar Nicholas II to their wives, are ill chosen, and the much too generous helpings of the editors' (and their relatives') own writings do not come off well in the company of Chaucer and Shakespeare, but most readers will find something here to enchant and move them.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This compendium draws from a wide array of universal religious texts, including the Bible and the Koran, as well as notable works by Mark Twain, William Shakespeare, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Kahlil Gibran, John Keats, and a host of others, to explore the essence of love. Scripture, folklore, sayings, songs, children's stories, classic tales, poetry, and more are gathered under 12 broad themes that address love in its varied manifestations, e.g., "Friendship," "Family Love," "Generic Love," and "A Place To Belong." The result is a sumptuous anthology of seminal reflections on a topic important to us all. Greeley is both a priest and the celebrated author of many novels; Durkin has published numerous books on women, marriage, and the family. Intended for a popular readership, this treasury will find an audience in all public libraries, especially those serving patrons with a religious predilection.
Richard K. Burns, MSLS, Hatboro, Pa.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 512 pages
  • Publisher: Forge Books; First Edition edition (November 1, 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 031287183X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0312871833
  • Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,584,675 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

 

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Very highly recommended, January 14, 2003
This review is from: The Book of Love: A Treasury Inspired by the Greatest of Virtues (Hardcover)
THE BOOK OF LOVE examines the possibilities and challenges of love, inviting the reader to enter the imaginations of others who have examined this greatest of all virtues. Images of love give wing to imagination and the lifting of our spirits as the words through the centuries and from across the world inspire reflection. Some sections give obvious answers to love's meaning even as others present the troubling aspects of love that can confound us all.

Authors Andrew M. Greeley, a Catholic priest and best-selling author, and his sister Mary G. Durkin, a pastoral theologian and author, co-edit this collection on love. Drawing from poetry, folklore, sayings, music, stories and autobiographical reflections, these experts from around the world examine the question of love's meaning. More than just sentimental mush, in the hands of these editors, love unfolds as defining virtue that bonds us each to the other and to the divine. THE BOOK OF LOVE comes very highly recommended.

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars For those who love..., November 21, 2002
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This review is from: The Book of Love: A Treasury Inspired by the Greatest of Virtues (Hardcover)
In this collection of poetry, vignettes, Bible verses, legends, and classical literary quotes, the editors delve into the nature of the finest human emotion, that of love. All forms of it are examined, young love and old, love lost and love that is never lost, love between Man and God, love in families, romance, love of nature, etc. Even though many of the stories will be familiar, seen in this new presentation, they take upon added depth and meaning. Readers will come away knowing that love is both the most simple thing in the world, and at the same moment, the most complex.

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore.

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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
It is odd that God has chosen the name of Love. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Anne Marie, Prince Vladimir, First Woman, Happy Prince, Stavr Godinovich, Spider Woman, Christmas Eve, Lord God, Grand Beach, King Fergus, Sister Alphonse Mary, Zabava Putyatichna, Earth Maker, Parallel Myths, The Wanderer, Katrina Ivanovna, New York, Penitential Prayers, Ambassador of Greece, Blisterfield Sandgilly, Danta Gra, Irish Love Poems, Jack Hash, San Francisco, Town Councillors
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