A well-researched and personable guidebook to using the Mussar tradition in addiction recovery.
A rabbi and a recovering addict combine the Jewish principles associated with Mussar and 12-step recovery techniques in this nonfiction book.
Co-author Hannah L. notes that within her family’s Jewish culture, there was an assumption that “nice Jewish boys or girls don’t do drugs.” As she notes, this misconception both intensified her own struggle with addiction and denied her the benefits that Jewish tradition can provide in helping people with an addiction and their families on the path toward recovery. Supporting Hannah’s insights with sound theological underpinnings (her teacher and co-author, Winokur, is a retired rabbi), Hannah makes the case that the Jewish spiritual tradition of Mussar offers the faithful spiritual practices and teachings that complement the 12-step recovery programs that addicts may already be familiar with. With origins stretching back to the 19th century, the Mussar tradition centers around “soul traits (middot)” that the co-authors believe constitute a “Treasure Map” to healing. Mirroring the 12-step process, the authors discuss a dozen of these spiritual traits—from truth and courage to responsibility and holiness—in chapter-long overviews. The book concludes with five distinctly Jewish concepts promoting actionable areas of practice, such as “non-judgmental curiosity” (Hitlamdut), compassion (Rachamim), and gratitude (Hakarat Hatov). The text blends Hannah’s conversational and deeply intimate writing style, which includes anecdotes from other addicts and their loved ones, with her and Winokur’s scholarly understanding of Judaism and Mussar teachings. Backed by more than 360 research endnotes, this is an arduous read that engages in occasionally esoteric spiritual philosophy across 300 pages—it is made accessible with personal vignettes, visual elements, and two glossaries (one of Mussar-related terminology and one of terms frequently used in recovery circles). Most importantly, the book is practical, including daily reminders for those working through 12-step programs, prompts for journaling, and even musical playlists.
A well-researched and personable guidebook to using the Mussar tradition in addiction recovery.Pub Date: Sept. 11, 2025
ISBN: 9781963475364
Page Count: 324
Publisher: Ben Yehuda Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
It’s not Shakespeare, not by a long shot. But at least it’s not James Franco.
A noted actor turns to verse: “Poems are a Saturday in the middle of the week.”
McConaughey, author of the gracefully written memoir Greenlights, has been writing poems since his teens, closing with one “written in an Australian bathtub” that reads just as a poem by an 18-year-old (Rimbaud excepted) should read: “Ignorant minds of the fortunate man / Blind of the fate shaping every land.” McConaughey is fearless in his commitment to the rhyme, no matter how slight the result (“Oops, took a quick peek at the sky before I got my glasses, / now I can’t see shit, sure hope this passes”). And, sad to say, the slight is what is most on display throughout, punctuated by some odd koanlike aperçus: “Eating all we can / at the all-we-can-eat buffet, / gives us a 3.8 education / and a 4.2 GPA.” “Never give up your right to do the next right thing. This is how we find our way home.” “Memory never forgets. Even though we do.” The prayer portion of the program is deeply felt, but it’s just as sentimental; only when he writes of life-changing events—a court appearance to file a restraining order against a stalker, his decision to quit smoking weed—do we catch a glimpse of the effortlessly fluent, effortlessly charming McConaughey as exemplified by the David Wooderson (“alright, alright, alright”) of Dazed and Confused. The rest is mostly a soufflé in verse. McConaughey’s heart is very clearly in the right place, but on the whole the book suggests an old saw: Don’t give up your day job.
It’s not Shakespeare, not by a long shot. But at least it’s not James Franco.Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
ISBN: 9781984862105
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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