8 Habits of Love

Starred review from June 25, 2012
Rector of All Saints church in Pasadena, Calif., Bacon discusses 21st-century spirituality and the critical role of love as a liberating, joy-filled and guiding force; he has “an unshakeable certainty that within each and every human being there lives a core of love and goodness.” He offers eight simple habits—play, forgiveness, stillness, truth, candor, compassion, community, generosity—to change the way we think and behave. The habit of generosity opens hearts so one may give and receive. Practicing the habit of candor deepens relationships, and the stillness habit restores a calm confidence. The habit of truth causes us to challenge our assumptions about ourselves and others and leads to growth. Along with personal anecdotes, memories, and stories of soul survivors, Bacon interpolates the thoughts of poets, sages, scholars, and writers, such as the Dalai Lama, Thomas Merton, and Alice Walker. Readers who find a life-giving energy pulsing in these pages will pass this book on to those they love. Agent: Eve Bridburg, Zachary Shuster Harmsworth.