Who is it for? Anyone who has ever questioned if there is more to life than what they currently have.
What makes it special? Is simple, short, and candid. The author bares his story, and uses his 'gifts' to provide the reader with the tools and framework to hear their own voice and find meaning. His analogy the seasons of life is both heartwarming and enlightening.
Let's make some unnecessary labels: Self growth, Vocational development, Personal Essay
Review
Parker J. Palmer's 'Let your life speak' is both an echo of the author's journey and a plea for the reader to listen to their inner voice. The book succeeds in addressing not only the importance to listen to your inner voice, but also showcases some of the many reasons why such a simple and obvious statement is not always practiced by the majority of the population.
In the search for motivation and meaning, conscious individuals are challenged with questions about who they are, and what role they are meant to fulfill in their journey. Those are both philosophical as well as practical questions that only a small sector of humanity ever gets to ask.
The author infuses his own journey as a scholar and a faith practitioner to weave his argument. What is pleasant about his thesis is that it combines some of the best of both practices without succumbing to some of their most prevalent limitations. The author addresses his book as an academic piece, and uses his theological knowledge perhaps exactly for what it was originally intended, not to preach between good and bad, but to illustrate human nature with the help of allegories and archetypes.
Abstract
With wisdom, compassion, and gentle humor, Parker J. Palmer invites us to listen to the inner teacher and follow its leadings toward a sense of meaning and purpose. Telling stories from his own life and the lives of others who have made a difference, he shares insights gained from darkness and depression as well as fulfillment and joy, illuminating a pathway toward vocation for all who seek the true calling of their lives.
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