Customer Reviews

Simple Truths: Clear & Gentle Guidance on the Big Issues in Life

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"Life is a creative experience," begins author Kent Nerburn in his slim little volume of basic truths on which to build a life of value for oneself and others. They are, as the title states, basic and simple truths, but it is these simple truths that have been lost in the muddle and busyness and confusion of modern life marked by an embarrassment at claiming a value system. Nerburn continues in explanation of why we must reconnect to these simple truths: "We are shaping ourselves at every moment by every decision we make."

And so we are. A moment taken to consider carefully the meanings and values of topics Nerburn has chosen here are moments well spent. To ponder these truths and to absorb them clears the path ahead and moves us forward with peace and conviction.

Short chapters illustrate in clean prose the values of education and learning ("without knowledge I could not play the violin. Without wisdom, I could not play the music"); work ("we are what we do, and the more we do it, the more we become it"); money ("be a giver and a sharer... in some unexpected and unforeseeable fashion, all else will take care of itself"); possessions ("possessions are as likely to make you unhappy as they are to make you happy, because they define the limits of your life and keep you from the freedom of choice that comes with traveling light"); giving ("you have the power to create joy and happiness by your simplest gestures of caring and compassion"); travel ("if we don't offer ourselves to the unknown, our senses dull. Our world becomes small and we lose our sense of wonder"); loneliness and solitude (the first is a void, the second a sense of self-fulfillment); love ("treat what love brings you with kindness"); marriage ("if you believe in your heart that you have found someone with whom you are able to grow, if you have sufficient faith that you can resist the endless attraction of the road not taken and the partner not chosen, if you have the strength to embrace the cycles and seasons that your love will experience..."); parenthood ("in the bondage to a child you will find a freedom you never imagined, but neither should you seek parenthood as a way to fill an emptiness in your life. A child will hold a mirror to your life..."); strength ("true strength does not require an adversary and does not see itself as noble or heroic. It simply does what it must without praise or need of recognition... strength based in love is strength people crave"); tragedy and suffering ("they are the fire that burns you pure"); the spiritual journey ("spiritual understanding never becomes deep unless you subject yourself to the spiritual discipline of practicing your belief"); elders ("they were you and you will be them"); death ("it brings us to a judgment, so it is ours to control by the kind of life we live"); and concludes with an epilogue on embracing the mystery.

"If we have played our part well - offering love where it was needed, strength and caring where it was lacking; if we have tended the earth and its creatures with a sense of humble stewardship - we will have done enough."

Simple, yes, and shining with a timeless truth.

This book is so profound I can't describe it. I don't know how anyone could distill so much that was so important into such a small work. Love, death, parenting, drugs, nature, solitude, work. And everything is so wisely expressed. Give this book to every young person you know. No, give it to everyone you know! I defy you to read this and not be enlightened in some way you never imagined.

This book discusses many issues concerning the problems of everyday people which have been forgetten in this modern world.We get so caught up that we lose our true selves in the book helps to give you a calm sense of self worth.It explains in depth about education which is truly what you know, giving form your heart not worrying about the rewarding glory or praise to put forth extra time that is personal,love is internal and true love is accepted.

This book grabbed ahold of my attention like a sunset on a calm winters evening, in Min-nesota. The words seemed to dance off the pages with such a ballet resemblence. I would love to talk to the publisher, or anyone interested in helping me on my quest, to see if there is any way our school can purchase this book for the graduating class of '98. I would like everyone to experience the heart-warming and inspirational wisdom expressed so brilliantly on the pages of this book. Thank you is not gratitude enough to say to you, Kent, what has come alive within my soul and has "filled" my entier being! May the beauty of silence be acknowledge praise you until eternity and beyond!!

I was given Simple Truths as a gift. After my second reading of it, I began buying the copies from any bookstore I found that had a few copies. I must've given away 20 or more copies. There is a message for us all inside these very simple pages. Thank you, Dr. Nerburn, you changed me when I needed it most, by pointing out things I believe I've always known. I have survived the worst trauma of my life with this clear and gentle guidance.

I am nearly 50 years old and I can't remember any book I have read any more profound than this one! The writing clarity and depth of wisdom spoke directly to my soul. If I had to leave my home and could only take a few books with me, this book would definitely be one of them. Often times, I read a book and pass it on, but this one was so internally and externally thought provoking, it is one book I will keep with me always and read again and again. For each time it is read, a new truth unfolds that was, perhaps, unrecognized on a previous reading. If your heart is sincerely seeking truth in an incredibly mixed up world, this is the book you must read.

I bought this book at a book fair simply because it was discounted - and let me tell you - it was the most valuable purchase I've ever made. I have read this book dozens of times. It is like my bible. Kent Nerburn is truly a wise person. I was so moved by the wisdom in this book, that I have actually made it the standard gift that I give to every high school/college graduate I know. And I've also picked up a copy to give to a friend who is going through a particularly rough time in their life and needs some clarity and understanding. Nerburn has a knack for knowing how to bring the important issues back into focus.

Just buy the book - there's not enough room here for me to fully explain why you should. Suffice it to say, its content is worth more than any price they could put on it, trust me.

This book changed my life. I connected with every word and thought on a deep level, realizing that these were truths in which I have always strongly believed but never seen articulated in such profoundly simple and elegant prose. Seeing these concepts and "truths" presented so beautifully and artfully-- and yet so logically--caused me to re-commit to them and examine my life around them. I realized that in many ways I hadn't been living one of my own credos, Be True to Yourself, and I was inspired to make some very positive and freeing changes in my life. Over the past year since reading the book, have read other books to expand on the thoughts to the point that I now know myself better and have more inner peace than ever before (The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle was a major contributor). I keep a stock of "Simple Truths" to give as gifts. Nerburn's book "Small Graces" made me want to crawl into the pages and live there. Instead I applied the principals to my life and am now enjoying living there even more. I've ordered "Neither Wolf nor Dog" and "Wisdom of the Native American's," both by Nerburn, and am eagerly awaiting their arrival.

I have tried in so many ways to say these very things to my own daughter. This book encompasses the very things in life that, if understood, will pave the way to peace and success during life's sojourn on earth. It brought tears to my eyes to have observations I have made put in such beautiful, succinct words. This book should be read by everyone who cares about themselves, their families, and their role in society

I already own this beautiful little book. I'm here today to order 10 more copies to give away.