Reviews for Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life

The average rating for Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2011-01-27 00:00:00 Scott Smith The only thing cynical about this book is its title. In her closing pages, Armstrong writes, "The attempt to become a compassionate being is a lifelong project. It is not achieved in an hour or a day-or even in twelve steps. It is a struggle that will last until our dying hour. Nearly every day we will fail, but we cannot give up." Why do I point out the obvious marketing ploy of the title? Because my name is Lisa, and I am a recovering snark-a-holic. I grew up in a household where debate was a blood sport. My two little sisters and I engaged in verbal sparring like three kittens gleefully eviscerating prey. It really wasn't until I brought home my verbally restrained husband that I saw anything bizarre about that. Armstrong's background as a religious scholar serves the narrative well. She feeds my voracious appetite for knowledge as she gently suggests that perhaps we smarty-pants-know-it-all's don't actually know as much as we think. Rather than fly to judgement, she suggests we ought to reflect a bit upon the vastness of what we don't know about our perceived opponent. Do we ruminate, Rumsfeld-style, on the unknown unknowns for a tactical advantage? No. The point here is not to win the war, or even the battle. The point is lay down our arms and discover common ground. Stuff like, Do Unto Others as You Would Have Others Do Unto You. Or, Don't Do Unto Others What You Don't Want Others Doing to You. (10 bonus points if you can tell me which one is more enlightened. Oh wait, that's inviting another debate.) Is compassion easy? Nope. Not for a gal whose playground was a battle ground, for whom sharp sarcasm was a shiny toy. Having a baby nearly cured me of sarcasm. Babies don't get sarcasm. I had to learn to speak differently if I wanted to communicate with my child. Now that he's fifteen, he thinks it's a hoot when an insult shoots out of my mouth like a thunderbolt on a sunny day. I need to look elsewhere to continue my education in compassion. Armstrong's book points out other little tips I ought to learn sooner than later. For instance, she suggests that religious fundamentalists don't like it when you make fun of them. It only makes them more fundamental. So much for my plan for my sister and I to visit the Genesis museum wearing a Phil Collins t-shirts. See? After walking Karen Armstrong's twelve steps, I know I still have a long way to go. Making peace is not for wimps. It's hard work! Here's a link to my essay inspired, in part, from Karen Armstrong:

Review # 2 was written on 2019-01-29 00:00:00 William Timmerman Karen Armstrong is a fabulous researcher and she knows her world religions. She uses the major world religions and teachings to come up with 12 steps to becoming a more compassionate person. This is a lifelong process and you can't just read the book and be compassionate. This is a daily practice. I am glad I read this book. The truths she reveals have the power to open your mind and they can be very helpful. The problem is that this was oh so dry. I mean it was crisp like the cracked desert floor. It was all mental and intellectual. I know you can put this into practice, but the delivery is super dry. For me, this book isn't going to convince me to do this, it is going to have to come from within. Still, I think it's an important work and there are some other books by Karen that I do want to read. I mean she knows her religious histories. She understands each faith and what is at the heart of them. She said to really understand someone else's religion, you have to practice it. Spend a week saying their prayers and thinking about their culture and what they did. Even take a look at your own and look at the good and bad things your own culture does. I thought those were insightful ideas. I did get a lot of of this book. I'm not sure it sparked me. I don't have a burning desire to do this after reading it. I do want to hear more about what she knows about history and where and how they all fit in together. That was pretty fascinating.