A Gift of Meaning [Paperback]

Bill Tammeus (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 4, 2002

Because of the peculiar momentary nature of journalism, not every column can stand the test of time. But many—even those about events nearly gone from the public consciousness--contain lasting truths. A Gift of Meaning is a collection of those lasting truths from Bill Tammeus, a columnist for the Kansas City Star.

Each piece reveals Tammeus's attempt to wrestle eternal meaning from the events and experiences that sweep us along day by day.

I stopped by a homeless shelter the other day to see someone I know. As I waited, I felt rather conspicuous in my suit and tie. In fact, the friendly man at the information desk asked me if I was a pastor. I chuckled.

But as I sat in the lobby waiting to see the man I came to check on, I was struck again by what may be the most difficult of all human tasks: empathy. That is, the challenge of really putting ourselves in the shoes of others.

In the end, A Gift of Meaning is not just a presentation of found meaning, but also a call to readers to stop and think for themselves. This book is an invitation to breathe deeply and seek out the meaning of what the world heaves at us each day. It is an offering of insights that will provide fresh ways of comprehending things readers thought they already understood.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I don't know of another voice in American newspaper journalism quite like his. From beautiful descriptions of nature to considerations of his mother's death to the matter of bio-engineered plants to the conundrum of the death penalty; from Harry Truman, Chelsea Clinton, Waco, Mark Twain, and Kosovo, to homosexuality, preachers, and baseball—good Lord! Mr. Tammeus keeps a steady eye on balancing the insights of his head and the emotions of his heart, always aiming to decipher what you've aptly called A Gift of Meaning."—Walt Harrington

About the Author

Bill Tammeus is an editorial page columnist for the Kansas City Star, where he has worked since 1970. He has done freelance reporting for numerous publications, including the New York Times and the Washington Post. He is also the coauthor of They Were Just People: Stories of Rescue in Poland during the Holocaust.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: University of Missouri; 1 edition (January 4, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826213669
• ISBN-13: 978-0826213662
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,502,784 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bill Tammeus is the former Faith section columnist for The Kansas City Star. He came to The Star in 1970 as a reporter, spent nearly 27 years on the paper's editorial page and then moved his column in March 2004 to the weekly Faith section. He took formal retirement in mid-2006 but continued as Faith section columnist on a freelance basis until mid-November 2008. He currently writes a monthly column for The Presbyterian Outlook and a biweekly column for The National Catholic Reporter.

A graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Bill was a member of the Star staff that won the 1982 Pulitzer Prize for local reporting. His many other awards include several from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the American Academy of Religion, in addition to receiving the 2005 Wilbur Award given each year to the best religion column in the country. He received the David Steele Distinguished Writer Award from the Presbyterian Writers Guild in 2003 and is the author of A Gift of Meaning, published by the University of Missouri Press in 2001, and co-author of They Were Just People: Stories of Rescue in Poland During the Holocaust, published in 2009 by the University of Missouri Press.

Bill is past president of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. He's married to Marcia Tammeus. Between them they have six children and six grandchildren.

Visit Bill's daily "Faith Matters" blog at http://billtammeus.typepad.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Food for the Brain and the Heart, March 18, 2002

By 

Duke Robinson "dukerob" - See all my reviews

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This review is from: A Gift of Meaning (Paperback)

Bill Tammeus notices things as one who participates widely in life. He asks you to notice the meaning of these things with him, even as he assumes you will interpret them yourself. His range of subjects is remarkable. And no matter his focus--family, the news, war, politics, sports, AIDS, celebrated heroes, the "soft underbelly" of the media, pop culture, and much more--he always is scratching at what it means to keep human life human.

Tammeus' seasoned writing, thoughtful organization of topics and column length pieces (about two pages each) make reading effortless and a joy. His wit and self-effacing humor jump out of almost every page. But just the moment you chuckle with him, he takes you through his own personal pain and your eyes well up. Whether he is graced and elated or is staggering under grief, he touches you deep inside, because he writes so honestly from his own inner depths. No matter the subject, he leaves you full and enriched.

The author opens with personal reflections on the burial of his mother in a muddy Illinois plot in 1996. In the Epilogue he writes poignantly about what the world lost with the senseless death of his beloved nephew Karleton (and of all the others) in the first plane to hit the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. From his first word to his last, Tammeus packs his 250 pages with life. Thus, "A Gift of Meaning" makes a wonderful gift. I have already given copies to several people I love.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Epic in Journalism, December 25, 2001

By 

Robert T (Lawrence, Kansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Gift of Meaning (Paperback)

Never in my life have I encountered an author with such colorful grace in describing life, and the way which Bill Tammeus writes is the same way that we'd each like to author our own. He is truly an artist of our time, working in words like others do in oils or clay. If you're willing to be caught reading a book cover to cover, than "A Gift of Meaning" is the literary genius to take you on your journey.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gift of Meaning, March 27, 2003

By 

Malcolm R. Howell (Mobile, AL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Gift of Meaning (Paperback)

A superbly written book in which the author reveals and shares so many personal details of his life, making it most personal, inspiring, humorous and enjoyable. In a day when so many journalists have an agenda, it is delightful to read past essays from a journalist who does not have an agenda, is not to the right or to the left attempting to impose an attitude or set of beliegs on the reader. The author has compiled a second book of essays, which I have not been able to find...