IN THE MOMENT: Celebrating the Everyday

Clinical psychiatrist and lecturer Rich started working on this book, which deals with being aware of life's daily moments, prior to September 11. After the attacks, he reconsidered his premise, thinking it trivial, but decided "celebrating life's moments is an important antidote to what is poisoning our very humanity." Rich opens the book with remembrances of his mother, a woman who saw merit in everyone's lives. Drawing on her lessons, Rich posits that taking this approach to life allows one to live in the present while feeling "grounded in the scheme of life and history." This popular view certainly has its merit, but Rich's statement, "The more we use conveniences that eliminate our need for one another, the more limited become our opportunities to know ourselves in relation to others in a way that brings meaning to their lives and to our own" may rankle some. (Buying groceries online—an example Rich himself cites—does not necessarily mean the end of human contact.) Still, his basic premise is valuable and his examples are appropriate. There's the story of Wanda, whose mother's inattention to her childhood accomplishments caused her suffering later in life; Marvin, who comes to celebrate his own gift; and Eleanor, a divorcée who finally learns to recognize the value of adversity. Although he uses the word "celebration," Rich's counsel often hinges on the concept of "awareness." Indeed, reveling in the triumphs and travails of everyday life can help anyone gain new perspective. Agent, Gail Ross. (Dec. 2)