A worthwhile and readable introduction to Sikhi and a strong testament to peaceful living.
Lessons from the Sikh faith.
Singh provides an accessible work that combines personal testimony of a fascinating and little-understood ethnic and religious minority in America and an introduction to the teachings of Sikhi (the author uses the Punjabi noun as opposed to the colonialized Sikhism). Singh’s life story—and the history of the Sikh community—has been shaped by misunderstanding, racism, and violence. The author recounts a shocking array of racial confrontations with people on public streets, in schools, in airports, and elsewhere. He chronicles the Sikh struggle through numerous periods of oppression and mass murder in India as well as incidents in the U.S., including the post–9/11 murder of a Sikh man and the 2012 massacre of a Sikh congregation in 2012. “They didn’t have to forgive the man who’d tormented them, but they didn’t have to internalize his hate either,” writes Singh. “Rather than calling for blood or revenge, they shared with the world a core Sikh teaching: “No fear, No hate (Nirbhau, Nirvair).” This concept—to “fight hate with love”—has helped the author deal with his own anger. He points to three major components of his faith that shaped his positivity: “chardi kala,” a teaching that imbues life with optimism and gratitude even amid pain and suffering; “ik oankar,” the concept that all people are divine, or have a light of divinity within them, making all people equal and worthy of respect; and “seva,” the practice of expressing love in all things, especially through service. “With each selfless act,” writes Singh, “we become slightly less selfish; with each loving action, we become slightly more loving.” The author calls on readers to seek a life of active empathy, seeing each person, even those who are hurtful, as valuable and worthy of kindness and love.
A worthwhile and readable introduction to Sikhi and a strong testament to peaceful living.Pub Date: July 19, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-08797-8
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Riverhead
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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