Kahlil Gibran’s Little Book of Life

Douglas-Klotz (Prayers of the Cosmos) compiles Lebanese poet Kahlil Gibran’s writings on energy, vitality, and expression in this pocket-sized first book of the Little Book of Life series. Douglas-Klotz draws from the full breadth of Gibran’s oeuvre (including many poems from Spirits Rebellious and The Garden of the Prophet) and organizes his selections under six themes: the life of nature, beauty, the human journey, seasons, paradoxes, and the soul. Apart from the introduction, Douglas-Klotz forgoes any commentary or personal reflections, though the chosen works generally emphasize Gibran’s influences of Maronite Christianity and Lebanese culture—two cultures the poet (who immigrated to America) straddled throughout his life. Highlights include selections on connecting with nature through solitude, the triumph of life in the face of suffering, and the limits of knowledge. Purposefully avoiding Gibran’s best-known work, The Prophet, this slim gift book will serve as a solid guide for Gibran fans looking for an easy entrée into his less popular work. (Mar.)

A previous version of this review listed the incorrect ISBN.