or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
Sorry!
X
More Buying Choices
121 used & new from $0.01
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Book of Qualities
 
 
See all product images
See 1 customer image
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

The Book of Qualities (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Patience wears my grandmother's filigree earrings She bakes marvelous dark bread..." (more)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
List Price: $12.00
Price: $10.80 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $1.20 (10%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Monday, November 16? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
31 new from $4.88 90 used from $0.01

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Paperback, January 26, 1988 $10.80 $4.88 $0.01
  Audio, Cassette, December 31, 1990 -- $14.48 $21.98

Frequently Bought Together

The Book of Qualities + Notes on the Need for Beauty: An Intimate Look at Essential Quality + Changing Light: The Eternal Cycle of Night and Day
Price For All Three: $33.24

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: The Book of Qualities by J. Ruth Gendler

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Notes on the Need for Beauty: An Intimate Look at Essential Quality by J. Ruth Gendler

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Changing Light: The Eternal Cycle of Night and Day by J. Ruth Gendler

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Changing Light: The Eternal Cycle of Night and Day

Changing Light: The Eternal Cycle of Night and Day

by J. Ruth Gendler
5.0 out of 5 stars (2)  $10.00
The Four-Fold Way: Walking the Paths of the Warrior, Teacher, Healer, and Visionary

The Four-Fold Way: Walking the Paths of the Warrior, Teacher, Healer, and Visionary

by Angeles Arrien
4.1 out of 5 stars (15)  $13.68
Holding On to Good Ideas in a Time of Bad Ones: Six Literacy Principles Worth Fighting For

Holding On to Good Ideas in a Time of Bad Ones: Six Literacy Principles Worth Fighting For

by Thomas Newkirk
3.8 out of 5 stars (4)  $21.94
101 Drama Games for Children: Fun and Learning with Acting and Make-Believe (SmartFun Activity Books)

101 Drama Games for Children: Fun and Learning with Acting and Make-Believe (SmartFun Activity Books)

by Paul Rooyackers
4.4 out of 5 stars (8)  $10.17
To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings

To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings

by John O'Donohue
4.9 out of 5 stars (41)  $15.61
› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A bright new talent whose work is at once reminiscent of James Thurber's drawings, Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities, Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene, and Zen koans." -- Art Kliener, San Francisco Bay Guardian

"Ruth Gendler has discovered a way to give new meaning and immediacy to familiar words. Her brief meta-definitions sing, dance, and sometimes cry." -- George Leonard, author of The Silent Pulse

"The Qualities are wise and whimsical and express truth in a very personal way." -- Jean Bolen, author of Goddesses in Every Woman



Product Description

From Beauty to Compassion, from Pleasure to Terror, from Resignation to Joy -- here is an insightful exploration of the rich diversity of human qualities. J. Ruth Gendler's evocative book has as its cast of familiar characters our own emotions, brought to life with a poet's wisdom and an artist's perceptive eye. In The Book of Qualities' magical community, Excitement wears orange socks, Faith lives in the same apartment building as Doubt, and Worry makes lists of everything that could go wrong while she is waiting for the train. In portraying the complexities of the psyche, Gendler uses the Qualities to bridge the distinctions between literature and psychology, and has created an original work that challenges us to look at our emotions in new and inspiring ways.
See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Paperback: 112 pages
  • Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (January 27, 1988)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0060962526
  • ISBN-13: 978-0060962524
  • Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #61,558 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

More About the Author

J. Ruth Gendler
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

› Visit Amazon's J. Ruth Gendler Page
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
Patience wears my grandmother's filigree earrings She bakes marvelous dark bread. Read the first page
New!
Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Citations (learn more)
25 books cite this book:
See all 25 books citing this book

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Book of Qualities
96% buy the item featured on this page:
The Book of Qualities 4.8 out of 5 stars (29)
$10.80
Notes on the Need for Beauty: An Intimate Look at Essential Quality
2% buy
Notes on the Need for Beauty: An Intimate Look at Essential Quality 5.0 out of 5 stars (4)
$12.44
Changing Light: The Eternal Cycle of Night and Day
1% buy
Changing Light: The Eternal Cycle of Night and Day 5.0 out of 5 stars (2)
$10.00
The Art of Living: A Practical Guide to Being Alive
1% buy
The Art of Living: A Practical Guide to Being Alive
$28.08
Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(2)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
See all 12 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more
 

Customer Reviews

29 Reviews
5 star:
 (23)
4 star:
 (6)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (29 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Gendler introduces the reader to several familiar friends..., January 16, 2001
Ever felt like your emotions have taken on a life of their own? Gendler in her Book of Qualities takes that feeling and bust it wide open. A friend gave me a photocopied copy to read and I ran out and bought my own copy. Gendler's ability to give each emotion (quality) their own breath is intriguing. I long to take a walk with Stillness by the ocean... and realize I have done so too little in my hectic life. So many books these days are nice little leasure empty entertaining snipets of fun. Gendler's book is one of those rare finds that will leave you longing for more and glad you took your brain out for the stretch. Enjoy.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The best little book ever, June 19, 2001
By Avid Reader "Reed ah" (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
I truly adore this little book - I give it as a gift (bought 25 copies last year for all sorts of clients and friends), and I have read my own copy until it is as dog eared as a truly loved book can get. So lyrically draws the emotions and qualities that make us all up.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars a gift of a book, August 9, 2002
By M. Wilson (Bellevue, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
what can i say? this is one of the most inspiring, empowering, revealing books i own. it is filled with deep "ah-hah" moments and carefully chosen words and fluid description. it is not preachy or light-hearted, but rather allows each person to find a lesson for themselves by giving depth and color to the words for emotions and feelings. every time i read it, i have new revelations and each time i share it with someone new, they love it as instantly as i did. buy two copies... you'll want to give one to someone as soon as you read the first few pages.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended Reading
I first came across this book at a garage sale while looking for a book to give to my niece. Before giving it to her, however, I was compelled to read it. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Shaela Leggett-Wilson

5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZING!
This is now my favorite book. It is beautifully written and immensely entertaining. I've found that it is a great conversation vehicle. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Jena Schlobohm

4.0 out of 5 stars Creative and interesting!
The Book of Qualities is a creative and poetic way of looking at human emotion. I especially appreciated the allusions to nature. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Kathleen E. Leenders

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read
This is one little treasure that I will read over and over again. My book is now moving from person to person. Read more
Published 9 months ago by E. Lawrence-Ellis

4.0 out of 5 stars A True North Star Book for Life's Journey
I have had this tiny little book for 20 years. I treasure it as one of the greatest books filled with a cutting wisdom that reminds me of the simple and profound truths of God's... Read more
Published 20 months ago by True-north

5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless
I was given this book several years ago by a dear friend. As is always the case when someone gives me something, it sat untouched for almost a year. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Mason Mc

4.0 out of 5 stars An Old Favorite
I owned this book for many years often quoting from it to friends. I either lent it or lost it in a move. I missed it. An old friend returned.
Published on November 5, 2007 by Teri

5.0 out of 5 stars Quality Poetry
April is National Poetry Month. Yeah, I know: there's a national month, or special week, or weird celebratory day, for every topic and group in the universe now. Read more
Published on October 6, 2007 by A. D. Cox

5.0 out of 5 stars If I were stranded on an island...
I absolutely love this book, and everyone I show it to falls in love with it too. Gendler had the idea to take qualities such as anger, complacency, joy, and contentment and write... Read more
Published on April 11, 2007 by T. McDaniels

5.0 out of 5 stars The Book of Qualites by J.Ruth Gendler
This is a wonderful book to give as a gift,to someone who needs an uplift or one who needs support or just because it is a very
endearing book. Read more
Published on January 31, 2006 by Wendy Rambo Shuford

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   

So You'd Like to...

Create a guide

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Look for Similar Items by Category

Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:













i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...
 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.