Customer Reviews

The Hidden Beauty of Everyday Life

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"Our lives are filled with ordinary moments when the hidden beauty of life breaks into our everyday awareness like an unbidden shaft of light. It is a brush with the sacred, a near occasion of grace. Too often we are blind to these moments. We are busy with our daily obligations and too occupied with our comings and goings to surround our hearts with the quiet that is necessary to hear life's softer songs." - From the book

In his 122-page book The Hidden Beauty of Everyday Life, Kent Nerburn shares heartwarming stories and observations about the wonder and meaning concealed amidst ordinary moments. Author of other inspirational books such as Simple Truths and Small Graces, Nerburn unveils the splendor of the mundane, gently prodding us to look closer, deeper at the people, places and things that surround us. From decoding the sermon of birds in England to the abashed, mentally challenged boy who repeats the author's name like a magical incantation, The Hidden Beauty of Everyday Life conveys heart-tugging wisdom with poetic simplicity.

While it's all too easy to miss these profound moments, Nerburn writes, "There is no shame in this. We are only human, and the demands of life make a raucous noise. But we must not let those demands drown out the quieter voice of the spirit. We must take the time to stop and listen, knowing that they voice of spirit speaks more often in a whisper than a shout."

One of the stories that brought tears to my eyes was The Visit, which chronicles a polite, shabbily dressed youth on the streets of England asking for spare change for food (and his heartfelt thanks "You have to let me thank you. It's all I have to give you in return."). Upon his return to America, Mr. Nerburn visits an elderly shut-in friend. While he had other things on his mind, such as a busy morning filled with stops and responsibilities--she offered him a plate of artfully arranged cookies. Initially, he had hoped to make a quick exit, and his host seemed to sense his restlessness for her "unless you're in a hurry" was tinged with sadness. However, remembering the grateful young man in England, he shoved his to-do list deep into his pocket, settling in for a visit with his elderly friend.

Poignant and uplifting, The Hidden Beauty of Everyday Life helps us see beyond the surface to spiritual dimensions that offer profound lessons if we but have ears to hear and eyes to see. Nerburn notes:

"This is a book for those who believe that God speaks as surely in the murmurs of the trees and the laughter of the children as from the pulpits of churches and the synagogues, who know that a mother tucking a child in bed is offering a prayer of joyful praise as surely as the cantor or the minister or the monk at evening vespers."

I've loved the first two books in this trilogy of non-fiction essays and eagerly awaited the third. What I look to in these books is support to live a life of conscious attention and gratitude. As someone who struggles all too often with myself, I have found that his books are sources of wisdom, support, and strength in my life. They help to ground me. They serve as companions with me as I set about to live with intention, honesty, and courage. His books are like window washers for the soul, helping me to see my own life more clearly and wisely. You won't be disappointed. These are slim, sometimes deceptively simple, sharings of a life spent connecting with himself and everyone he crosses paths with. They serve as a wake-up call too to not live without meaning, love, and much kindness.

"The Hidden Beauty of Everyday Life" warmed my heart. Each page contains inspirational messages that will fill your soul. Each story speaks of a spiritual journey. Each word, so captivating, you feel you are at the author's side. From seeing things through the eyes of a child to cherishing each magical moment, each story convenes a message of meaning and of hope. Beautifully packaged and easy to read, this book will appeal to anyone who is open to seeing a higher purpose in all things... Highly recommended, Michelle Skaletski-Boyd, author.

I am one someone who waits for a new Kent Nerburn book like an event. This one did not disappoint me. It is a very spiritual book of the kind that I need.

In some ways it is like a follow up to Small Graces. It is about ordinary events in life that we all understand, like going to a child's graduation or being approached by a panhandler on the street. But Kent Nerburn is able to see the way these ordinary events connect with the sacred. I need that in my life because I consider myself a spiritual person who tries hard to live a spiritual life in a world that sometimes doesn't seem very spiritual. Kent's books help me do that.

Where I feel this book is different from Kent's other books is in the places it takes me. This is like a spiritual journey. Yes we go to a typical school classroom like the kind my own children attend. But we also go to Oxford, England to listen to the birds outside a window and to a church in Italy. I was especially touched by his journey to a funeral on an Indian reservation. It took me to a world I have never known and would otherwise never see.

Kent Nerburn helps me see the world the way I wish I could see it. I wish I could sit on a park bench and have a retarded boy ride by on a bicycle and see it as a spiritual moment. That's why I am excited when a new book of his comes out. It helps me to see the spiritual moments in my own life.

If you think your life is ordinary you should get The Hidden Beauty of Everyday Life. It will help you see the beauty in your own life.

This is the new book I keep by my bedside. I read it in the morning when I first get up, like a meditation to help me start my day. I am also giving copies to my friends as presents.

Thank you, Kent Nerburn, for continuing the journey.

This marvelous book is a two hour read with a never ending impact. Each individual story is a personal experience for Mr. Nerburn but the reader comes away with his own connection, albeit a similar happening which he or she can relate to or simply a warm, inspirational understanding of what these occurances meant to the author. One cannot discount that Mr. Nerburn's words come from his heart and he is passionate about conveying his feelings. The stories contents are both interesting and inspiring. I am so glad I read this book. Mr. Nerburn has shown me that there is indeed hidden beauty in everyday life.

Kent Nerburn is such a blessing in taking the ordinary everyday and showing us the gift that we so often ignore, the wonderful blessing of living, of Life. His writing is lyrical, almost poetic, but easily read. It will resonate with you regardless of your particular religion or faith. It will resonate with you regardless of your social or economic status. It will resonate because he speaks from his heart and his soul about the deep things that make life worthwhile.
I encourage you to read any of Kent's books, then check out his website. You'll be glad you did.

This is a wonderful book. I had read a copy that a friend had and I had read it on a Church Retreat and it really made an impression on me. I then purchased it from Amazon to give to a friend for a Christmas gift. It reduces our stressful life to the simple things and to our love of God and that is how it should be.

This book is all a human needs for instructions to Life.
The author is a beautiful soul!