Comfort
An Atlas for the Body and Soul
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- $19.99
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
For readers of Kathleen Norris and Gretchen Rubin, a thought-provoking examination of the meaning of comfort.
Comfort is a universal human need. It's that craving to feel at one with the world we live in, warm (but not hot), protected (but not smothered), and secure (but not marooned) in what the future holds. Yet in our increasingly complex and overstressed world, we tend to overlook this important aspect in our lives.
In Comfort: An Atlas for the Body and Soul, Brett C. Hoover, a scholar and Catholic priest, explores what comfort means-and it means different things to different people. He delves into the psychological, emotional, and spiritual facets of comfort and offers ways to rediscover it. With insight and humor, Hoover writes about the advantages and the pitfalls of seeking-and finding-comfort as he guides us towards the goal we should strive for: to find comfort in our own lives as we offer comfort to others.
By turns lyrical and thought-provoking, funny and poignant, Comfort is full of engaging and unexpected insights in our very human search for personal fulfillment.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The nature of comfort in its physical, emotional, and spiritual forms drives this considered study from Paulist priest Hoover. With sections titled "Blessed Are the Poor but I Wouldn't Want to Be One," and "Of Death and Pasta," Hoover, a self-declared "Catholic geek," strikes a balance between serious and funny that is appropriate for his subject and immensely readable. Drawing on pop culture, multiculturalism, and his work as a priest, the author provides a nuanced classification of creature comforts and religious consolation while pondering the necessity and risks inherent in each. While many of the personal stories relate to Catholicism, Hoover's sincerity makes for a work that readers of any faith can take something from. A minor drawback is the amount of statistical information included. Topics like domestic ease, suburban living, and electronic isolation, while certainly worth a mention, fill too many pages. This volume is recommended not for its sociology but because Hoover authentically addresses the prospect of lasting peace without giving up his banana split.
