The Richest of Fare: Seeking Spiritual Security in the Sonoran Desert [Paperback]

Phyllis Strupp (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2004

This innovative volume won the 2005 Independent Publisher Book Award in the New Age/Mind-Body-Spirit category.

To find a renewed sense of purpose in today’s world, "The Richest of Fare" weaves together photos, scientific information, and spiritual insights to explore human relationships with Nature, our own selves, other people, and God.

"The Richest of Fare" is appropriate for anyone regardless of religious beliefs, as the focus of the book is on the universal spiritual wisdom of the ages.

Editorial Reviews

Review

". . . a book not only to read but also to contemplate . . . It will affirm your place in the pattern of things." -- Alan Jones, Dean of Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, and author of Soul Making

". . . stunning photography and prose that ranges from the teachings of Marcus Aurelius and the Bible to Darwin and Thoreau . . ." -- Sharon Begley, co-author, The Mind and the Brain

"The Richest of Fare", winner of the 2005 Independent Publisher Book Award in the New Age/Mind-Body-Spirit category. -- 2005 International Independent Publisher Book Award

After reading this extraordinarily intelligent volume, I must say I feel better for having read each word. -- Angela Hutchinson, Spirit-Works.net, May 26, 2004

Here is one of the most, thoughtful, insightful, and original spiritual books I have encountered in a long time. -- Southwest BookViews, Fall 2005 Issue

Strupp brings the desert to life, both in its ecology and its lessons for human spirituality. -- Rambles.net, April 9, 2005

Strupp shows how the ideas of Albert Einstein and numerous philosophers explain the mysteries of the physical and spiritual world. -- Scottsdale Tribune, June 4, 2005

The stories are fascinating and the photography is inspiring...this resident of the desert offers up a beautiful meditative book. -- "We Recommend", The Anglican Digest, August 2004

This book offers a table full of New Age ideas, gleaned from both ancient and contemporary sources and nature itself. -- Joyce Handzo, Inthelibrary.com, June 18, 2004

This is one of the most moving, beautiful, spiritually fulfilling books I have read in over a decade. -- Curled Up with a Good Book, April 10, 2005

About the Author

Phyllis Strupp grew up in Moorestown, New Jersey and has lived in the Sonoran Desert since 1997. She decided to write this book (her first) after reading Henry David Thoreau's "Walden" in August, 1998. She graduated from Rutgers University in 1978 with a BA in History, and received an MBA in Finance from Columbia University in 1982. In addition, she is a graduate and mentor of the Education for Ministry theological study program of the University of the South. Her employment has been in the financial services industry for over 18 years.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Sonoran Cross Press (June 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 097467270X
• ISBN-13: 978-0974672700
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #565,008 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Midwest Book Review -- soul satisfying fare, June 26, 2004

By 

Laurel Johnson (Kansas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Richest of Fare: Seeking Spiritual Security in the Sonoran Desert (Paperback)

I have always imagined deserts to be nothing but sand dunes. The Richest of Fare changed that ill-informed idea. Blending scientific fact, spiritual truths, and stunning photographs with thoughtful prose, the author has created beauty for our senses. Visually appealing and emotionally comforting, this book is one you'll want to keep.

In ages past, Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed all sought spiritual renewal in the desert. Stark beauty, blessed silence, and the awesome nighttime sky drew them closer to God's message. On a daily basis, modern man has been estranged from the natural world. Artificial lighting prevents city dwellers from seeing the stars. Concrete and sprawling subdivisions separate us from earth's spirit. We sense an isolation; wonder at a feeling of indifference; and struggle unsuccessfully to create a finer meaning for our existence. America, especially, the richest and most blessed of all countries, is floundering. To paraphrase Thoreau, civilization has improved our houses but not the men who inhabit them. This richest country in the world boasts 44 million uninsured citizens; 10 million illegal immigrants; 9 million unemployed; and 4 million homeless souls. Something is wrong with this picture and Ms. Strupp makes a compelling argument in explanation.

Quotes by Thoreau, Francis of Assisi, H.G. Wells, Marcus Aurelius, Charles Darwin and others are combined with Old and New Testament writings to make her point. Poetic metaphors enhance Ms. Strupp's well-written prose. In the desert monsoon season, "air clings to you like a desperate beggar." Runoff deposits after a hard desert rain become "little shards of eternity." Earth has been transformed by warring humans into "a sponge to sop up blood." Those who plunder Earth like a commercial commodity are "spoiled children betraying their mother." The writing, photographs, and well-chosen quotes create a spiritual picture I won't soon forget.

The Richest of Fare is not a "religious" book It's spiritually encouraging, emotionally comforting, informative and educational. It may impact how you look at life, your fellow man, the desert and the cosmos. This one is highly recommended for readers who are searching for true meaning in their lives.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MidWest Book Review, July 28, 2004

By 

Shirley Priscilla Johnson "Author/Reviewer -... (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Richest of Fare: Seeking Spiritual Security in the Sonoran Desert (Paperback)

It isn't often that you can get lost in the beauty of a book, this was the case with "The Richest of Fare."
Words crafted skillfully to describe the life and beauty of the Sonoran Desert weave their way into your heart and make you yearn to be part of it's majesty.
Accompanied by colorful pictures, your spirit senses the pure spiritual side of this part of creation, as the author shares pictures of landscape and creatures that merge to make this desert what it is.
The Richest of Fare is more than a book, it is a spiritual awakening to what has been before us since the world began. It is a reminder that truly our Maker speaks to us in all that He has created.
Well worth your time.
Shirley Johnson
Senior Reviewer
Denise's Pieces
MidWest Book Review

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Apostle for the Desert, November 12, 2004

By 

A. W. Schwab "A. Wayne Schwab" (Essex, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Richest of Fare: Seeking Spiritual Security in the Sonoran Desert (Paperback)

I like to think of Phyllis Strupp as "an apostle for the desert." She weaves her love of and inspiration from all of the desert's flora, fauna, and scenes with biblical insight, history, philosophy, science, and literature. The result as an ever so rich tapestry that draws you on from scene to scene, from page to page. As a Bible student myself, I found her biblical references both apt and suggestive. Her book does, indeed, nurture one's spirit.