Customer Reviews

Valley of Fire

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Don't judge a book by its cover!

Truer words were never spoken than in the context of this book. This is a wonderful and thought provoking read which draws you in immediately as you travel to Las Vegas with Dr. John Munin, on his way to a psychiatry conference. What starts as a somewhat routine trip to do a presentation at the conference morphs into a journey of self examination. Dr. Munin's six elements of love grind a lens through which he views not only his patients, but also his own relationships. Inevitably the reader finds themselves putting on Dr. Munin's glasses and doing some of the same.

Reading this book one is struck by the density of the prose-not a wasted word. It is beautifully crafted and throughout the book one finds oneself stopping to reread and reflect on achingly precise insights about the human condition.

There are no long descriptive passages focused on painting a landscape-no such distraction! This book gets right down to the story leaving the stage design to the mind's eye. Despite the book's seemingly short length, it offers a full slate of interesting characters and compelling plot line. As a book club selection, it offers a huge variety of topics for discussion. It was a treat to read, and to re read, each time unwrapping more layers, and gleaning new perspectives. We can hope that we won't have to wait too long for Steven Manners to write another.