The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have [Hardcover]

Mark Nepo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2011

The Book of Awakening, a cult favorite since its original publication in 2000, catapaulted to fame in 2010 after it was chosen as one of Oprah Winfrey's favorite things. This gift edition with sewn binding and a ribbon marker reflects the book's odyssey as a well-beloved daily companion. Mark Nepo wrote the book more than a decade ago, in response to his journey through cancer a decade before that. That experience led him to create a day book not only for people going through life-threatening situations but for everyone.

Nepo calls it, "a book to help people meet their days and inhabit their lives. I had a commitment to create a book that could serve up inner food, that could be turned to as a spiritual first-aid kit." That this book continued to find its readers affirms its quality as a life affirming companion. Again, in Nepo's workds, "I think it confirms the yearning of people everywhere for meaningful and humble work that invites readers on a journey together. The premise of the book is that people everywhere have a wisdom of their own and the book is there to guide them to their own wisdom."

The Book of Awakening is a modern classic, speaking to the hearts of hundreds of thousands of readers. It's a daily guide for living in hard times and good times, all the time reminding us that the life we're living is the life we have. Lived authentically it can--and does--become the life we want.

This hardcover edition features a ribbon marker and a subject index that allows the reader to search for quotes and inspiration pertinent to his or her life not only by day but my category.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The time when we walk in the shadow of death is, ironically, a time when we feel illuminated by life's true meaning. Poet and philosopher Mark Nepo has firsthand experience with this mystery--he had cancer. During his arduous recovery, he sought inspiration and guidance that would reflect his growing appreciation of life. Although this daybook is exactly what Nepo longed for as he struggled with a difficult disease, , it can be appreciated by all readers.

This collection of essays, one for every day from January 1 through December 30, offers a poet's sensibility and sensuality and gives the reader Nepo's well-harvested wisdom. "Water reflects everything it encounters," Nepo writes in a May 5 essay. "This is so commonplace that we think water is blue, when in fact it has no color.... But the water, the glorious water everywhere, has taught me that we are more than what we reflect or love. This is the work of compassion: to embrace everything clearly without imposing who we are and without losing who we are." After each entry, Nepo offers a short list of suggestions or questions to help carry the essay into the day. There are many inspirational daybooks out there. What sets this one apart is the mature poet's voice rising from a seasoned soul. --Gail Hudson --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review

"A year's supply of inspiration every day and the perfect gift for yourself and your friends." -Oprah Winfrey --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 456 pages
• Publisher: Conari Press; Gift Edition edition (October 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573245380
• ISBN-13: 978-1573245388
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 5.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (211 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,876 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #43 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Mental Health > Happiness

More About the Author

Mark Nepo is a poet and philosopher who has taught in the fields of poetry and spirituality for over thirty years. He has published twelve books and recorded five CDs. Forthcoming work includes a new book of teaching stories, As Far As the Heart Can See, (HCI Books, Fall 2011), Finding Inner Courage (Red Wheel-Conari, Spring 2011, originally published as Facing the Lion, Being the Lion, 2007), and audio books of The Book of Awakening and Finding Inner Courage (CD, Simon & Schuster, Spring 2011). His most recent book of poetry is Surviving Has Made Me Crazy (CavanKerry Press, 2007).

In 2010, Mark sat down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey as part of her Soul Series on the satellite radio network, SIRIUS XM Radio. Of his books, The Exquisite Risk (Harmony Books) was cited by Spirituality & Health Magazine as one of the Best Spiritual Books of 2005, calling it "one of the best books we've ever read on what it takes to live an authentic life." The Book of Awakening was a finalist for the 2000 Books for a Better Life Award and was cited by Spirituality & Health Magazine as one of the Best Spiritual Books of 2000. Mark's collected essays appear in Unlearning Back to God: Essays on Inwardness (Khaniqahi Nimatullahi Publications, 2006). He is also the editor of Deepening the American Dream: Reflections on the Inner Life and Spirit of Democracy (Jossey-Bass, 2005). Other books of poetry include Suite for the Living (2004), Inhabiting Wonder (2004), Acre of Light (1994, also available as an audiotape from Parabola under the title Inside the Miracle, 1996), Fire Without Witness (1988), and God, the Maker of the Bed, and the Painter (1988).

His work has been translated into French, Portuguese, Japanese, and Danish. In leading spiritual retreats, in working with healing and medical communities, and in his teaching as a poet, Mark's work is widely accessible and used by many. He continues to offer readings, lectures, and retreats. Please visit Mark at: www.MarkNepo.com and www.threeintentions.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

98 of 103 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Learning who I am February 3, 2001

By Cathy Millsap

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I start every morning with an inspiration from this book. I take the time I need to reflect on the daily passage and have found it to be a way of learning about the real person I am. I have been searching for inner peace for so long , this book has helped me to meditate on the important things to make my life and my inner self more complete and at peace. I love this book and want to give everyone I know a copy.

127 of 136 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Editorial Review July 17, 2000

By Carmella B'Hahn

Format:Paperback

There are very few books in this world which elicit the question `Why have I such an array of books on this subject when this one would suffice?' The entry of Mark Nepo's Book of Awakening into my life not only presented this question but also initiated an immediate removal of the other six inspirational books waiting in a tumbled line by my bed, making space in my overcrowded life for the simplicity of one source of wisdom.

The Book of Awakening, which is beautifully produced by Conari Press, is in the form of a daybook, having an entry of wisdom for every day of the year. This allows us to take a dip into this vast ocean of insight every day or to dive in at random when the spirit moves us. Each page of wisdom is followed by a short and profound meditation on the topic at hand which helps put the reading into the context of one's own life, and is suggested in such a way that even the meditation-shy could be enticed to participate.

In his introduction, Mark describes his book as `a companion and a soul-friend'. I agree that this book can act as a soul friend, which is a different relationship than is possible with most wisdom books. And that is quite a gift to give to yourself or a friend. The key reason for the possibility of this almost human relationship with the book is, I believe, to be found in the divinely human writing style of the author.

Mark is born a poet whose eyes perceive the divine patterning within the everyday experiences of life. He has crafted the art of painting that depth so that others may begin to see into and beyond the mundane. Each new entry seems to invite a deeper friendship of the soul as Mark lays himself bare in his truly personal stories of struggle and revelation. He interweaves his own perception with gems of collected treasures from many spiritual traditions, giving us access to his own spiritual advisers in their many forms.

--- Carmella B'Hahn, Sufi Journal, London

57 of 59 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Courageous, Honest, and Motivating December 23, 2010

By Claire Moores

Format:Paperback

This short series of motivational vignettes address the author's (a poet) experience of life. His love, loss, friendships, fight against cancer, moments of joy...it's all there in a lyrical thrust of wisdom and perspective on what's to be valued in this life. It's the kind of book you want to keep by your bedside, thumbing through it as you drift off to sleep and reading passages on those mornings where it's hard to find the motivation to leap out of bed and seize the day.

It may sound too simple at first from afar, but once you experience the book you'll see how much it helps you to appreciate each day that you've been given on this earth.

Emotional Intelligence 2.0 is the only other book I check in with daily. Leaning on their wisdom makes life that much sweeter.