RUNNING ON EMPTY: Contemplative Spirituality for Overachievers

Until 15 years ago, Anderson was spinning his wheels in a frenetic attempt to bring others into a deep relationship with God through his work with the evangelical group Young Life, all the while allowing his busyness to sabotage any hope of enjoying his own relationship with God. An encounter with Brennan Manning (who contributes the foreword for this book) reignited Anderson's passion for God and rerouted his spiritual journey, a journey that provides the backdrop for this uneven book. Primarily a memoir, the book weaves in encouragement for others who are plagued by both a hectic life and a shallow view of God. It's highly readable, though repetitive in describing the obstacles to a genuinely satisfying and authentic spiritual life. But what the book suffers from most is a misleading subtitle: Contemplative Spirituality for Overachievers implies practical guidance, but there's little here that might help overachievers incorporate contemplative practices into their lifestyle. Anderson describes a few of those practices, but others, like the foundational practice of living in the moment, are mentioned only briefly, and anecdotally at that. Now executive director of Journey Resources and a spiritual director who trains others to provide spiritual direction, Anderson is in a prime position to write a more focused book that would live up to the promise of this book's subtitle. Let's hope he does. (Feb. 17)