The Heart Aroused : Poetry and the Preservation of the Soul in Corporate America
Author: David Whyte
List Price: $14.95
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ISBN: 0385484186
Publisher: Currency (01 June, 1996)
Sales Rank: 10,629
Average Customer Rating: 3.95 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 4 out of 5
Review, "The Heart Aroused."
An excellent book seeking to explain the nature of the link between a person's creativity and their work. That the two must be maintained in an equilibrium, each nourishing the other, if either is to become a quality experience leading to a quality product. The nature of the dilemma he describes might have been less obscure had he called it a conflict between honor and selfrespect. The term "Honor" (External)describing the various benefits that accrue from work and the term "Self Respect" (Internal) describing how we feel about ourselves after the compromise and sacrice that are often necessary. At a level below this is the font of our creativity (Sexual energy)welling up from our souls. It is most unusual to read an author who descends to this level, for here are forces that defy direct perception and can only be vaguely perceived through poetic and artistic expression. He also dares to confront the struggle between a persons male and female selves. The story of the shopkeeper in "Taking the Homeward Road," is in itself worth the reading of the book and contains wonderful insight as well as some good advice. The book causes you to look at aspects of yourself you might not have considered and it will open doors that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Rating: 5 out of 5
A gentle finger on the pulse of the corporate worker's heart
Amazing insight into the human soul and how the corporate workplace has evolved to stifle personal identity, creativity, and the joy associated with work. More than that, Whyte skillfully and poetically provides the philosophical framework for reuniting the worker with the workplace. Using references from great literature, parables, poetry and prose, and drawing from the great diversity of humanity, Whyte opens a path by which we can regain the joy of working creatively. A book to read, and read again, just to learn how to grow spiritually and remain human at work.
Rating: 5 out of 5
In My Mind: A Classic
This book is already on the way to becoming a well known classic now but I first encountered it in a very private and personal way at a crucial time in my life when it first appeared a few years ago. I felt very thankful then that someone had been able to speak to the hidden qualities of my work life and set me on more of a courageous path as a result. Having just reread it I realize now why it had such a profound effect on me: The Heart Aroused really does speak to a person whatever threshold of life they might find themselves on. A hearty recommendation then to anyone wondering about the hopes raised by the title, it more than fullfils its promise. Similar Products
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