Religion Update: Books in Brief

WHAT WOULD BUDDHA DO AT WORK? 101 Answers to Workplace Dilemmas
Franz Metcalf with BJ Gallagher Hateley. Berrett-Koehler/Ulysses, $16.95 (192p) ISBN 1-56975-300-8
Metcalf, the author of What Would Buddha Do?, joins with business consultant Hateley to dispense spiritual advice from the water cooler. What would Buddha do to become a terrific boss? What would Buddha teach about customer service? How would Buddha go about getting a promotion? The answers are sometimes surprising ("Buddha did not work for promotions and neither should you"), making this a refreshingly countercultural alternative to the typical spirituality-at-work manuals. Metcalf and Hateley provide relevant sacred texts at the top of each page, drawing from sutras, the Dhammapada and more modern guides such as Philip Toshio Sudo's Zen Computer. This is a successful example of the application of ancient wisdom to modern business situations. (Aug.)

ST. NADIE IN WINTER: Zen Encounters with Loneliness Terrance Keenan. Tuttle, $24.95 (216p) ISBN 1-58290-049-3
"To be lonely is to be among people who do not know what you mean," quotes Keenan, a librarian, poet and Zen Buddhist priest. While Keenan's spiritual memoir offers many moments of epiphany, there are other times when the above quote seems to describe the book itself, which can be abstruse. It chronicles Keenan's personal struggle with alcoholism (which, in the spirit of Anne Lamott, makes for some of the most profound passages in the book) and the difficulties of personal relationships. Despite the shadowy nature of Keenan's writing style, his book is worth reading for his flowing reflections on topics ranging from karma to Kafka. Particularly intriguing are his thoughts on writer's block, meditation, Japanese poetry and fatherhood. (July)

THE MYSTERY OF CHILDREN: What Our Kids Teach Us About Childlike Faith
Mike Mason. WaterBrook, $12.95 paper (256p) ISBN 1-57856-422-0
*This is not a book about how to parent; it is a book about how the experience of being a parent can bring a person closer to understanding the grace of God. Mason offers chapters arranged by half-years, roughly chronicling his own spiritual development as his daughter, Heather, morphed from a baby to a toddler to a wise-beyond-her-years school-age child. Mason's writing can be truly revelatory, whether he is exploring the implications of Jesus' command to "become like little children" or ruminating on the helplessness that many parents feel as children turn their lives upside down. Some conservative Christians may be put off by Mason's more startling assertions, but this is a truly prophetic book and prophets aren't always popular. Without a doubt, this is one of the best Christian books of the year. (July)

LET'S TALK MARRIAGE: A Guide for Couples Preparing to Marry
F. Dean Lueking with foreword by Martin Marty. Eerdmans, $10 paper (80p) ISBN 0-8028-4904-0
Designed to be read by engaged couples, this sensible marriage preparation handbook tackles all of the potentially sticky issues with both style and substance. Lueking, a retired Lutheran pastor who counseled more than 1,000 couples before their wedding days, adopts a warm, conversational tone as he deals with issues such as money (which, interestingly, he addresses first), sex, in-laws, fidelity, children, forgiveness and faith. The book's read-aloud format ensures that couples will begin putting Lueking's communication techniques into practice even while reading the book together. This will help to provide solid foundations for a good marriage, which, according to Lueking, "consists of lifelong growth in unity in mind, body, and soul." (July)

AND THEN I HAD TEENAGERS: Encouragement for Parents of Teens and Preteens
Susan Alexander Yates. Baker, $12.99 paper (208p) ISBN 0-8010-6366-3
Yates, author of And Then I Had Kids, tackles the trials of parenting adolescents in this down-to-earth Christian manual. She encourages parents to not just endure, but to enjoy, their children's teen years. She identifies some common challenges--teens who suddenly become uncommunicative, who reject the faith of their childhood or who are hypercritical of themselves and others. She also discusses "hot topics" such as dating, driving, grades, drugs, TV and movies. What places this parenting guide a cut above is its honesty; Yates is quite frank about the joys and sorrows of raising her own five kids (who were so closely spaced that there was one year when they were all teenagers! Yikes!). Christian parents will appreciate Yates's warm and wise counsel. (July)

PRE-HYSTERIC PARENTING: The Frazzled Parent's Guide to Harmony in the Home
H. Norman Wright. Cook, $12.99 paper (212p) ISBN 0-78143-688-5
Those Christian parents who would spare the metaphorical rod should first consult this draconian but thought-provoking book, which challenges them to stop indulging their children and teach responsibility instead. Wright comes down hard on America's love affair with consumerism (the "affluenza" epidemic), and also asks parents to carefully consider each activity their children undertake. He rightly observes that many parents are so frazzled and exhausted from hauling kinds around in a minivan that they often miss opportunities to spend unstructured quality time with them. Wright makes some simplistic overgeneralizations about the 1950s ("these children knew nothing but the good life," he asserts), and his indictments of contemporary culture can be too stark. Overall, however, he raises some excellent points here. (July)

DR. MOM'S PRESCRIPTIONS FOR PRESCHOOLERS: Seven Essentials for the Formative Years
Marianne Neifert. Zondervan, $12.99 paper (224p) ISBN 0-310-22876-X
Pediatrician Neifert (otherwise known as "Dr. Mom") shares sensible advice for parents (especially mothers) of preschool-age children. She encourages parents to set clear, ranked priorities during their children's formative years, and to follow seven "essential" guidelines for raising loving, confident kids. Among these are passing on a heritage of Christian faith, instilling healthy self-esteem and finding tender "alternate caretakers," such as preschool teachers. Chapter seven delves into age-specific concerns such as potty training, tantrums and picky eating. Despite the occasional gimmicky phrase ("children spell love t-i-m-e"), Dr. Mom offers solid guidance for shepherding those delightful, willful, funny creatures called preschoolers. (July)