PW's starred reviews and other noteworthy religion books publishing in September 2014.
What Is Veiling?
Sahar Amer. Univ. of North Carolina, $28 (312p) ISBN 978-1-4696-1775-6
While there is no direct requirement to veil in any Islamic religious texts, many Muslim women choose to do so and in a variety of ways with nuanced meanings, which Amer, a University of Sydney professor of Arabic and Islamic studies, catalogues and explores, offering perhaps the definitive glossary on veiling. She spares no one in her analysis, asserting that Western politicians exploit the veil rather than focusing on real problems.
Killing Lions: A Guide Through the Trials Young Men Face
John Eldredge and Sam Eldredge. Thomas Nelson, $19.99 (208p) ISBN 978-1-4002-0670-4
John Eldredge (Wild at Heart) is joined by his son, Sam, for a give-and-take examination of what it takes to become a man. A writer in his 20s, Sam asks advice from his father John, a Christian counselor, author, and adventurer, and John responds. The elder Eldredge rejects the hackneyed “the journey is the destination” language, instead counseling his son that it’s time to enter into the “warrior” phase of becoming who he is meant to be.
The Buddha Walks into the Office: A Guide to Livelihood for a New Generation
Lodro Rinzler. Shambhala, $14.95 trade paper (192p) ISBN 978-1-61180-061-6
Rinzler (The Buddha Walks into a Bar...) once again offers practical life advice from a Buddhist perspective, emphasizing compassionate, harmonious thoughts and actions in the everyday hustle and bustle. This time, Rinzler turns his attention to the new generation of young adults leaving college and entering the professional workforce for the first time. The book is organized according to the Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana Buddhist traditions, which he interprets and employs as practical methods for cultivating oneself, relating better to others, and doing compassionate works to improve society.
David: The Divided Heart
David Wolpe. Yale Univ., $25 (184p) ISBN 978-0-300-18878-3
Giant killer, warrior, home wrecker, murderer, and adulterer, Israel's King David—whose kingdom was looked upon as the "golden age" of Israel and who is portrayed as an ancestor of Jesus—remains perhaps the Bible's most colorful and enigmatic figure. How can a man who murders his lover's husband in order to cover up an adulterous affair be fit to be king?
Rare Bird: A Memoir of Loss and Love
Anna Whiston-Donaldson. Convergent, $22.99 (224p) ISBN 978-1-6014-2519-5
In this powerful debut memoir, blogger Whiston-Donaldson tells the tragic story of the death of her 12-year-old son, Jack. The author is an emotionally insightful guide to the territory of grief. She notes the relationship of grief and shame, the comforts and sorrows of sex, and the hideous fights between bereaved parents.
