"He was alone. The night was totally dark and he was afraid. He tried to calm his fears by repeating to himself that he was alone and that as long as he was alone nothing bad could happen to him. suddenly, someone seized him from behind and threw him to the ground. He tried to fight back. He had worked hard all his life and he was strong, but his adversary was just as strong as he was. They fought and struggled and wrestled through the night. Neither one able to gain an advantage over the other. "Who is this person?" the man wondered, "Who is exactly as strong as I am? Where did he come from? And what does he want with me?". Then as the first rays of dawn began to appear, he felt the mysterious stranger twist his leg and escape from his grip. The two men, sweating and exhausted, regarded each other with the grudging respect men have for worthy adversaries whom they cannot defeat. The man knew he would never be the same person he had been until just a few hours before." ( )

I am usually not a fan of inspirational books. However I wanted to read a book that would do two things for me. I wanted to figure out how to deal with the increasingly belligerent landscape of my country and how to draw myself closer to religious inspiration. I didn't have high hopes for either, but I was definitely inspired by the words of Rabbi Kushner in this small book. I finished reading it within two days.

I found myself writing down quotes that had special meaning for me. I liked how the author not only talked about reasonable rules to live by but also how he gave examples both from biblical writings as well as from contemporary films and books. Inspirational for me were things he said about how to deal with the need for success versus the need for a good conscience. Additionally, I found some of the most moving parts of this book toward the end where he discussed friendship and death. I found many things of which he wrote applicable to my own life. I'll try to keep in mind what he said when I deal with matters with which I disagree from day to day. ( )

Does a person's life have any meaning? When we die, what was the point of our having lived? What must we do to give our lives meaning? And why do good people (and most of us are good people) do bad things (and all of us sometimes do bad things)? These are a few of the major questions Kushner tries to answer this typically concise, easy reading book. In addition to the story of Jacob's life, which makes up the backbone of the book, he uses constant references to books and movies from popular culture to illustrate his points. Should be of equal interest to Christians and Jews. ( )

I'm not sure I would call this a self-help book even though that's how it's categorized on the back cover. Harold Kushner is obviously a well educated man of strong faith. He brings meaning to your life through interpretations from the Bible, religious convictions and current events. I agree 100% with Kushner that most people are not afraid of death but rather of dying without having significance in your life. His premise is that little things, primarily love is what will really matter in the end. A big part of the book focuses on beibg a victim and how to react either thru forgiveness or retribution. This a good book and well worth reading. While there are not specifics on what to do the information will certianly help shape your thought processes and how you react to situations. ( )

This book was unexpectedly meaningful to me, and I refer back to it in my mind often. It informs my decision making on a daily basis, (though not as much as I'd like it to...) ( )