On the brink of everything : grace, gravity, and getting old
(2018)

Nonfiction

Book

Call Numbers:
155.6719/PALMER,P

Availability

Locations Call Number Status
Adult Nonfiction 155.6719/PALMER,P Available

Details

PUBLISHED
Oakland, CA : Berrett-Koehler Publishers, [2018]
EDITION
First edition
DESCRIPTION

xii, 198 pages ; 18 cm

ISBN/ISSN
9781523095438, 1523095431, 9781523095438
LANGUAGE
English
NOTES

With gratitude -- Prelude -- The view from the brink: what I can see from here -- Young and old: the dance of the generations -- Getting real: from illusion to reality -- Work and vocation: writing a life -- Keep reaching out: staying engaged with the world -- Keep reaching in: staying engaged with your soul -- Over the edge: where we go when we die -- Postlude

"From beloved and bestselling author Parker J. Palmer (Let Your Life Speak, The Courage to Teach, Healing the Heart of Democracy), comes a beautiful book of reflections on what we can learn as we move closer to "the brink of everything." Drawing on eight decades of life -- and his career as a writer, teacher, and activist -- Palmer explores the questions age raises and the promises it holds. "Old," he writes, "is just another word for nothing left to lose, a time to dive deep into life, not withdraw to the shallows." But this book is not for elders only. It was written to encourage adults of all ages to explore the way their lives are unfolding. It's not a how-to-do-it book on aging, but a set of meditations in prose and poetry that turn the prism on the meaning(s) of one's life, refracting new light at every turn. From beginning to end, the book is laced with humor as well as gravitas -- beautifully enhanced by three free downloadable songs from the gifted singer-songwriter Carrie Newcomer, written in response to themes in the book"--

"On the Brink of Everything is an exploration of Parker Palmer's experience of living and aging, written in hopes of encouraging readers of every age to explore their life course. It is not a "guide to" or "handbook" for "getting old"--something all of us are doing all the time. Instead it's a set of meditations in prose and poetry that turn the prism on the meaning(s) of one's life--and on the importance of staying meaningfully engaged with life until the end. From beginning to end the book is packed with both humor and gravitas"--