Live with Intention: Rediscovering what We Deeply Know

Writer and artist Radmacher (Promises to Myself) has expanded her "Live with Intention" catchphrase, a reaction to the death of a friend that went on to adorn walls, bags, and coffee mugs the world over, into a slim self-help guide. The big ideas here are platitudinous: slow down and smell the roses; take a deep breath; "choose love." Speaking of "the edge" that we might come to in life, Radmacher offers, "And if completion is a destination, there's one imperative that must be followed: just begin it." Ironically, though the author offers a number of clichéd suggestions for deeper living, their presentation (bullet points jumping wildly from one topic to another) makes the familiar almost incoherent. The author's prose is perfunctory and difficult to digest, and most of her advice has been offered countless times before in more accessible books. (Jan.)