In The Way of Silence: Engaging the Sacred in Daily Life, Brother David Steindl-Rast has written a manual for living a meaningful, contemplative life outside of a religious community. Given Steindl-Rast’s age and his reliance on his earlier works, the reader may suspect that this book is a culmination of a lifetime wisdom derived from study and practice. In any case, this small tome contains a powerful message that looks beyond the surface of the major spiritual traditions and even organized religion as a whole to find eternal truths that resonant deeply with the reader. Covering such immense topics as finding God through the senses, cultivating grateful joy, and our quest for ultimate meaning, this is not a book that is readily summarized. Instead, for those seeking answers and possibly solace, this is a book to be read, pondered, and annotated over and over again. While those who align themselves with a particular tradition will have no issue with this book, those who seek a way to live in and find meaning in this world outside of an organized religion may have found all the answers they seek.

(Reviewed in exchange for copy of book for San Francisco Book Review.)