The Exquisite Risk

January 31, 2005
Books concerning spiritual awakening after a near-death experience tend naturally to be self-centered, and Nepo's book is no exception. The 53-year-old writer and motivational speaker (The Book of Awakening) suffered from cancer, which he survived with the help of his wife of 20 years. While undergoing treatment, he refused to allow panic to influence his decisions, thus avoiding some radical and dangerous procedures, which threatened his life almost as much as the disease itself. In this memoir, the poet elaborates upon his difficult journey, offering sage advice gleaned from incidental experiences and the work of other spiritual leaders. Clearly, Nepo is a sensitive observer, but his prose tends toward gauzy, inflated metaphors and long, self-flattering passages. Remembering the time a dentist gave him a root canal, for example, Nepo writes, "Though his eyes were intent on the thin canals inside my tooth, I saw behind his focus to his soft place. It was there that we'd known each other deeply, though we'd never met." Elsewhere, he instructs readers that, "like a stone rippling in a lake, the heart of our being dropped softly into any moment will ripple us into the mystery of everything," and declares, "I was born to say what my father couldn't, to face what he's turned from." The transformational saga of Nepo's cancer treatment does indeed highlight the wonders of life and human relations, but Nepo's convoluted writing doesn't do justice to his painful, joyful reality.

February 1, 2005
Opening to the pain and joy of being spiritually awake makes us more fully human-more authentic, as the title would have it. This is the message that poet, spirituality teacher, and cancer survivor Nepo offers in a lovely, luminous work that should make a lasting impression on its readers. Nepo asks us to attend to our well-being by stepping back and listening deeply to our own thoughts and emotions. Various insightful chapters focus on learning to center ourselves, journeying with others in the sacred quest, and being present to the venerable unknown. Throughout, Nepo argues that we can come out of our self-centered shells by undertaking small, consistent actions. Advanced students of truth seeking and those who have had an epiphany will connect with the spiritual questions that Nepo asks, but for the uninitiated, it will be slightly rougher going. For psychology/spirituality sections of all public libraries.-Lisa Liquori, MLS, Syracuse, NY

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