Customer Reviews

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

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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.

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

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.

I read about this book in our local paper and decided to carve out some time and read it. I am so glad that I did. The author has helped me to understand why I hunger for nature when my spirit hungers for purpose. This book is filled with quotes that relate to scriptures and ultimately author observations. Many times, I found myself stopping mid-page and thinking about how the observatins applied in my life. For example, she points out that so many of our spiritual leaders (Jesus, Moses, David and Isaiah, to name a few) retreated into the desert when they needed to find their spiritual security. Why? I had never thought about it before, to tell you the truth. But now that I have I realize that, as usual, there was and still is a very good reason. Does it ever feel like each day passes at the speed of sound? This book encourages you to spend some time in nature (even if you just look at the beautiful pictures). It is there that you will come to realize that these anxious feelings are man (or woman) made. Nature is moving at the exact same pace it has for millions of years.
There is a wealth of information in this book about wild life, plant life and the universe. I found it so interesting and I've often used it to generate discussion around our dinner table. I highly recommend adding this book to your reading collection. You will find yourself going back to it again and again. I know I have and I just read it a few weeks a go.

Phyllis Strupp, The Richest of Fare: Seeking Spiritual Security in the Sonoran Desert, Sonoran Cross Press, 2004. A guided tour to the desert's life changing spiritual power. A spiritual explorer's essay about the big picture, who we are as a human species, where we've come from, where we're headed and spiritual resources available to point us along the way. The author takes as her frame of reference the newly understood Universe Story and speaks from the particular context of both her local geographical region and the stories of the biblical spiritual traditions. The engaging narrative is an encouragement to look deeper, wherever we are, into who we are and what we're about, to look deeper into the Book of Nature, look deeper into the Book of Scripture. Failing to do so we are left with truncated meanings that demean our relationships with ourselves, our world and with God. The beautifully crafted book (250 pages) paints a picture from the author's own journey of these stories converging, the Universe Story and the Biblical Story. It is a celebration of the transformations happening in both our spiritual and secular lives today. Beautiful photography set on high quality paper anchors the narrative to place, truly the "richest of fare."