Living the Questions

by Sam M. Intrator

Book Overview

Parker J. Palmer--who for forty years has written and spoken about subjects ranging from contemplation to community, the inner life to public life, education to social change--is known as one of the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0787965545
• ISBN13: 9780787965549
• Release Date: March 2005
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.3" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Guides for living into the answers

Through his many books, teachings and the Courage to Teach circles, Parker has been a significant influence in my life. He has opened up my eyes to ways of thinking that have resonated deeply with my own, often unnamed, philosophy of life. His call to live "divided no more" is one that accompanies me throughout my days. This, and many other ideas - the authentic self, circles of trust, right action - are not necessarily new, but with Parker's writings and open and joyous spirit, they are brought down to earth and presented as immensely doable - well worth incorporating into one's life and work. Living the Questions is a collection of essays of how people from many walks of life - physicians, business leaders, educators, activists and others - have taken Parker's ideas and applied them to their life and work. While I have long known of Parker's work, until working on this book, I had no idea of the scope of his work. The book is proof that Parker's ideas and words touch a universal need and desire to live "divided no more." The essays in Living the Questions are testaments and guides for how to bring these ideas into our lives - something we all could use.

Will You Join the Conversation?

Will you accept the invitation? Sam M. Intrator has gathered together, for the benefit of all, the deep reflections of a remarkable cast of characters. Their essays form the book entitled, Living the Questions. These individuals are joined, like the individual lines of a mandala, through their connection with educator, author, and seeker of justice, Parker Palmer. The journey for the reader is one of mystery, discernment, and surprise. Palmer's ideas may be familiar but there is new information about medicine, intriguing insights about science, and questions to ponder about the relationship between politics and the spiritual life. There is a diversity of disciplines and a variety of voices. However, all share the desire to connect their inner life with their outer work and all dare to wrestle with essential and perplexing questions. One can picture a grand round table filled with friends and the day's dialogue featuring questions such as: What does it mean to be human? The invitations have been sent, responses pondered, and the feast is ready to begin! The question remains: will you join the conversation?

A Journey of the Heart

From the first book that I read authored by Parker Palmer years ago to "Living the Questions", each time there has been a sense of homecoming. I have been a teacher for almost 35 years and have often struggled to find ways to keep my head and heart connected, in balance, and in service to children and families. Palmer's work has helped to inform and shine light on that journey. In "Living the Questions", not only did I learn more about his life and work, but also about others whose work has been enlightened by his example. I was especially taken by Sally Hare's vision for teacher education. If we are to ever see true educational reform, we must begin by honoring the hearts of teachers! Thanks to Sam Intrator for bringing together this collection of beauty and possibility at a time when it is easy to be discouraged.

A Life Undivided

Since the initial publication of To Know as We are Known (1983/1993), Parker Palmer has been inviting us to explore our own inner landscapes and to envision our lives in their entirety as a "Hidden Wholeness" and not as divided parts. This invitation is an invitation to a journey; but Palmer does not invite us to the journey from the position of mentor or even of guide, but rather as a fellow traveler. In this book, Dr. Sam Intrator has done an amazing job of both chronicling the nature of journey Palmer invites us to share, and of exploring, through the essays of various other travelers, the impact this journey has had on the world. The book starts with a short, well-crafted and engaging overview of the life and works of Parker J. Palmer. The book then moves into six sections, each composed of a series of individual essays, about the impact Palmer's words, deeds and example have had on ideas, programs and people. Each essay is carefully crafted and chosen to put in the center of our attention, not Palmer himself, but the ideas and personal experiences that Palmer has opened up for each essay author. The essays deal with issues of learning, teaching and leadership in the context of core identity and integrity as they manifest individually in each of us. The clear thread holding the book together, that Intrator skillfully brings out, is the quest of a less-divided, more authentic way of being as learners, teachers, leaders and human beings. Contributing essayists include well-known writers and thinkers such as Margaret Wheatley, Chip Wood, Jane Tompkins, Michael Lerner, Russ Moxley, Sharon Daloz Parks and Peter Senge. For anyone interested in the dynamic of identity and integrity - of soul and role - of who we are and what we do - this book will prove a joyful and illuminating experience. In one particularly striking essay, Jay Casbon cites Thomas Merton in saying, "The humble person receives praise the way a clean window takes the light of the sun. The truer and more intense the light is, the less you see of the glass". This is a pure and graceful metaphor for this book. Intrator has provided us with a window into ourselves, through the work of Parker Palmer, with a glass so clean and bright that the light dazzles the spirit. - Dr. Mike Poutiatine

Inspiration on the Journey

Author of seven books over many years, Parker Palmer has long challenged us to seek wholeness and integrity in connecting who we are with what we do in the world. This wonderful volume is a sourcebook of essays exploring the gifts and challenges of "living divided no more." The authors represent a wonderful diversity of professions, styles, and perspectives about this topic. This is not a book that you will read from cover to cover, but one you will pick up again and again for inspiration on the journey.