Classic Brandy
Author: Nicholas Faith
This is one of the most far-ranging guides to the brandies of the world ever published. It takes us to Cognac, where the finest brandies in the world are made—an area rich in magnificent brands like Martell and Courvoisier—and reveals the secrets of Cognac's unique prestige. Armagnac also has legions of devotees, although its brands are less well known, and Spain produces some superb brandies, as does Italy—whose fashionable grappas are described here. Faith also visits the distilleries of Greece, Cyprus, South Africa, Israel, Mexico, and Armenia. The histories of the brands, their techniques, and their tastes are all expertly described by one of the world's leading writers on spirits. Award-winning journalist and wine expert, Nicolas Faith is Editorial Director of France's premier wine magazine, L'Amateur de Bordeaux. He is also the author of the acclaimed The Winemasters of Bordeaux.
Books about: Practice of Everyday Life or Diabetic Cookery
Radical Hospitality: Benedict's Way of Love
Author: Lonni Collins Pratt
In an age of terror, it is difficult to look into the eyes of a stranger without cringing. We carefully peruse our fellow passengers before we board a plane. We bolt our doors and feel safest when we are with our close friends and family. It may seem natural, given the devastating recent attacks on our country, but isn't there a better way to live?
From the authors who delighted thousands of readers with Benedict's Way: An Ancient Monk's Insights for a Balanced Life comes a new book with a bold challenge: Radical Hospitality: Benedict's Way of Love. In this book, Lonni Collins Pratt, a Catholic laywoman, and Daniel Homan, a Benedictine monk, blend their unique voices to present a radical vision for a kinder world.
According to Pratt and Homan, Benedictine hospitality is not cozy and comforting, but risky and world-rattling. It is not about "sipping tea and making bland talk with people who live next door or work with you," but it is about mutual reverence—"a call to revere what is sacred in every person ever born."
For people of all faiths and walks of life who seek to live with compassion and generosity, Radical Hospitality provides an essential introduction to the timeless wisdom contained in Benedictine spirituality. It will appeal to the general reader as well as to the serious spiritual seeker as a guide for personal study, retreat, or group discussion.
Publishers Weekly
"All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ." So says the famous Rule of St. Benedict, written more than 1,500 years ago and still the operative standard for all Benedictine monasteries. This simple guide shows readers that hospitality is not reserved for the monastery only, but is an ideal for all Christians who wish to connect closely with one another. Homan, a Benedictine monk in Oxford, Mich., draws stories from monastery life, while Pratt, a freelance writer and retreat leader, transposes them nicely for the reader. They discuss some of the challenges of hospitality: guests sometimes have different values than their hosts; they can intrude upon the routines of daily life; they require intimate companionship when hosts might rather be alone. There is an element of surrender to true hospitality, of opening the heart to strangers as well as friends. "Forget about turned-down sheets, mints on the pillow and towel-warmers," say the authors. "Monastic hospitality creates sacred space where the guest is free to be alone, to enter silence, to pray and rest." At the heart of monastic hospitality is the discipline of listening, of allowing a guest to feel safe and loved. The book is more descriptive than prescriptive; it is not a how-to guide listing 10 steps to cultivate "deep listening" or the seven secrets of the well-laid table. It is instead a heartfelt sharing of stories, a welcome mat to enter into the spiritual discipline of hospitality. (Oct.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
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