Fire in the Heart: A Spiritual Guide for Teens (Chopra, Deepak) (Hardcover)

by Deepak Chopra (Author) "A boy of fifteen is standing on a high green hill overlooking a valley..." (more)
Key Phrases: wishing tree, Humpty Dumpty

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 6 Up–Chopra presents inspirational life lessons spoken in parables by a mysterious teacher who leads an unnamed narrator through a four-day retreat of self-discovery. With the guidance of Baba, the 15-year-old comes to know his true self by generating answers to four major questions: "Do I have a soul? How do wishes come true? What is the supreme force in the universe? How can I change the world?" The teen and Baba spend a day discussing each question; these four sections are divided into smaller lessons or chapters that end with the young man describing what he learned and how he has applied Baba's wisdom to his life. The didactic text demonstrates a cosmic connection between the soul and all things in deliberate, forced dialogue between the teen and his teacher, and the narrator's internal conversation. The prominent themes are consistent with those common to the genre: finding order in chaos, looking for the missing "something" in life, meaningful communication, and understanding and belief in what one cannot see. The book is rather like Antoine de Saint Exupéry's Le Petit Prince meets Chicken Soup for the Soul. The final section, "A Soul Alphabet," contains inspirational words and motivational prose: appreciation, beyond, communicate…. This nondenominational offering could serve as a textbook for a course on self-exploration, faith, or spiritual discovery.–Jodi Kearns, University of Akron, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 8-12. Chopra, who has been very successful writing self-help books for adults, now turns to a teenage audience. The messages about one's spiritual self and enlightenment he presents here are not noticeably different from those that he gives to older readers. To deliver the information, he uses a literary device (which the book presents as true, not metaphorical): a wise old man, Baba, comes out of the mist to pass on knowledge to a young Deepak. Older teens will probably smirk, but younger ones may find the interaction both accessible and inviting. Baba's teachings revolve around the questions that most people ask, beginning in young adulthood. "Why am I here?" "Do I have a soul?" "Do wishes come true?" "What is the supreme force in the universe?" Along with answers, Chopra offers words of encouragement and simple suggestions to improve relationships and make the world a better place. Familiar philosophy youthfully repackaged. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (April 27, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689862164
• ISBN-13: 978-0689862168
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #443,262 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A treasure!, April 21, 2004

By	Lissa Coffey, Host of coffeytalk.com "DoshaDiva" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

Deepak Chopra's new book for teens is filled with wonderful stories, beautifully told! It conveys profound spiritual teachings that resonate with wisdom and truth. I bought several copies - one for each of the teens in my life! Thanks, Deepak; this is just what the world needs right now!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Fire in the Heart, November 25, 2004

By	Radha "Radha" (India) - See all my reviews

This is an amazing book, to be read by people of all age groups.
There are a very few books which give a spiritual insight in such simple terms.
This is definetely one among the best of such books. It is as interesting as
a good fiction, with a very simple and effective message in each chapter.
The author makes each of the message reach straight into the heart of the
reader by the style he has used for writing.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fire in The Heart, January 5, 2007

By	Laura "Mom" (California USA) - See all my reviews

It is a awesome book. Real situations real solutions yet in alignment with spirituality for teens,not boring at all.It makes you think and wonder. The author Chopra is a great teacher.