Bill's Picks

When we are young, we all dream a life for ourselves. But, as John Lennon said, "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." Many of us reach the age of 50 only to realize we have lost sight of our dreams. This book teaches us to see the stories of our lives not only as exterior events, but also as reflections of our interior selves. It encourages us to embrace the paradox of both/and (instead of the limiting either/or) in an effort to expand the horizons of our dreams. Combining images, poetry, stories, meditations, and other forms of symbolic language, Angeles Arrien draws on many cultures to help us see our potentials from new vantage points and to act on these potentials to make the second half of life aesthetically rewarding. Now that science has made a longer life more possible, we need new ways to look at old age. The baby boomer culture of youth must be transformed and expanded to appreciate the gifts of elders. This book may be one way to teach us how.

This time of year, I don’t get much reading done. I get home from work and I’m in the garden until dark. (I’ve turned into my father!) I have been looking at gardening books for ideas and one of my favorite designers has a new title. I’ve enjoyed John Brookes’ books for years and Small Garden is no exception. He has written books about country gardens, suburban gardens, designing strategies, and planting schemes. This new one is especially for us city gardeners, concentrating on small spaces conceived mostly as outdoor rooms. Beautiful photographs and imaginative ideas make this a great book for daydreaming. If you don’t have a garden, this may prompt you to get started.