Give me a T,
give me an E,
give me an A!
What's that spell? According to Sondhe, a Cleveland entrepreneur, radio show host and lecturer on business leadership and ethics as well as applied spirituality, TEA is not only a drink but an acronym for three life-changing principles, not to mention the all-purpose answer to freeing oneself of stress and frustration. Writing in a style clearly imitative of Paul Coelho, Sondhe falls far short of the parable-like narratives that have made Coelho popular; this book would be better titled "Our Dinner with Swamiji." The entire "plot" revolves around a conversation that's meant to be enlightening, directed by a visitor from India named Swamiji, who plays the role of guru to 10 American dinner companions. The guests, representing a range of Western stereotypes (the business person with no time for family, the harried parent, etc.) arrive filled with disappointment, stress and frustration, yet soon find that Swamiji has universal wisdom. Filled with clichés ("When one door is closed to you in life, another door is always opened") and a substantial dose of Eastern philosophy with little nuance, this recipe for TEA may strike readers as seriously wanting. (Oct.)
