Charles J. Roussel

Nice Try. But no.

Revisado: 11-12-24

An ambitious survey of Quebecois history that doesn’t hit its mark.

This felt like a children’s history book. Narration was sing-song; intonation was random and content discontinuities were jarring.

This recording fills a gap but I cannot recommend.

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Engrossing, Affecting, and, at Times, Exquisite

Revisado: 11-01-23

With such a monumental story arc as this, the reader is left to feel, at the end, that someone close had died, so great is the connection to the lives you’ve shared for so many hours. Quite an accomplishment. I laughed; I cried; I couldn’t stop listening for hours on end.

This is a plot-driven novel with the occasionally exquisite and often quite funny and poignant prose that causes you to re-listen to and write down what the author has just said so you can quote it to friends while finishing up a long dinner.

But what sets this book apart—as a truly great novel, and it is that—are the rich, layered, and utterly compelling characters speaking to one another in entirely believable ways about important things to which all of us can relate.

The author’s deft narration, intonation, and largely successful efforts at so many dialectics are quite remarkable.

I will never forget this book.

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Great insights about how to live a Catholic life in the modern world

Revisado: 02-27-23

Not new ground but an affirmation of the “perennial philosophy” in a Catholic context. He’s inspirational while being direct and encouraging. Great way to spend spiritual time.

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Lovely to Hear Father Rohr Tell this Story

Revisado: 03-09-21

As with all of Fr. Rohr’s writings, this speaks to the heart and, so, to the heart of the problem we face as we try to get out of our own heads and into a greater reality. It is easily digestible and immediately nutritious. Highly recommend for those facing pivotal moments in life when it’s unclear how “falling up” is even possible.

The narration is sing-song at times, and this can momentarily distract from the profound messages. But this quality is easily offset by the direct wisdom of the teaching from the teacher.

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Another Great David Whyte!

Revisado: 12-28-20

Whyte advances a clever hypothesis about the major commitments that govern our lives and determine our happiness. He uses amusing and informative historical and personal anecdotes to reinforce his theses. As with all his works, this is a deep book with some profound and potentially life-altering guidance.

Entirely engaging and a great adjunct to his other works. Highly recommend if you’re juggling many life situations (and who isn’t?)

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Such Rich Insights From The Soul of a Poet

Revisado: 11-09-20

This is a gorgeous recording. It is a rich and deeply nuanced David Whyte. Having him read some of his works in the context of his life experience was, for me, transformative. His insights are relatable but also aspirational and speak directly to our better angels in, as you’d expect from him, the most lyrical and gentlest language.

Such a privilege to spend time in his company. I listened to this book in a chair next to my wife’s bed as she lay dying. It helped me, real time, to make sense of my welter of emotion and to find grace in what was unfolding. I will never be able to thank him enough for being such a gracious good shepherd.

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Never More Needed

Revisado: 07-15-20

This is a demanding but essential book. It is thoughtfully and beautifully narrated, best appreciated by stopping and thinking often about what has just been said. If you make it through, you’re likely to buy a hard copy to keep by your bedside.

The density of specific references to the many spiritual traditions—which is the book’s greatest strength—requires an attentive listener willing to think and then ask, “What now can I do with this understanding?”

Written in the midst of a world war that must have seemed a complete upending of wisdom and order, 75 years later it still resonates because we now know that human failing, on a global scale, is more the rule than the exception. Our wars are more violent, our technologies more abundantly able to hurt as to help, and our indifference more deadly.

Today’s ubiquitous social and other media mean that we are more aware of our inherent human failings than ever before. This awareness brings a heaviness of spirit for which the traditions of the perennial philosophy offer an antidote. This is the main point Huxley makes over and over again.

The perennial philosophy assures us that within and across religions, we can see our own actions and their impact on the ones we love and the broader world with greater clarity and understanding. We can then choose to act in ways that bring lasting peace to ourselves and others.

Arguably, the stakes for finding this peace have never been higher, and, so, this book has never been more essential.

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Thoroughly Absorbing

Revisado: 07-01-20

James Finley conveys the rich and compelling content of Meister Eckhart with sincerity and clarity. Despite the universal appeal and timelessness of Eckhart’s teachings, this is not an easy task.

Finley is an amiable companion both in the way he speaks and through the personal stories he shares to illuminate the often demanding content. Be patient with the sometimes detailed arguments that the author makes and you’ll be rewarded.

I’d suggest that listeners have some familiarity with the “perennial philosophy” as Huxley called it before wading into Meister Eckhart.

Another Eckhart—Eckhart Tolle—conveys in simpler language and without the strictly Christian context—many of the same ideas that Finley highlights in this book. I benefitted from listening and reading Tolle in apprehending the meaning of the concepts in this work.

Stop often and reflect on what’s being said. You’ll find that it will resonate more deeply.

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