'THE ERIC DAVIS STORY'
By Eric Davis, with Ralph WileyViking; 278 pages; $24.95.
There are many ways to write a life story. The tone of such a tale often follows from the author's motives. In the case of major league baseball player Eric Davis, the tone he has chosen is one of hope, faith, and resilience. A gifted athlete, his life and career have been interrupted by numerous injuries, a life-threatening battle with colon cancer, and the tragic death of his only brother.
One would certainly forgive Davis if he told his story in terms of sadness or bitterness. But that's not what Davis is all about, and that's what makes reading his book a must for anyone looking for encouragement when facing the adversity that life sometimes throws our way.
-- By Robin Romano, The Boston Globe.
It is improbable fantasy to suppose that authors and publishers wouldn't do nearly anything to sell their books, so it's hardly surprising that Frank McCourt took the opportunity to do a television commercial for Barnes & Noble's online bookselling operation and plug not only the chain but his best-selling "Angela's Ashes" as well.
But to independent booksellers, it was as if the writer were feeding bananas to an orangutan or trying to buy off the neighborhood bully with candy. The writer, making no apology, said, "They should be dealing with literacy, devoting themselves to nurturing future readers. What good does it do to hound me? I'm not in the mood for my crucifixion."
McCourt was one of four writers to do the (barnesandnoble.com or www.bn.com) commercial. The others were Stephen King, Tom Clancy and Scott Adams, the cartoonist who created Dilbert. But only McCourt caused a flap, because in 1997 he won the independents' Abby Award.
-- By Martin Arnold, The New York Time Service
'AWAKENING TO THE SACRED, CREATING A SPIRITUAL LIFE FROM SCRATCH'
By Llama Surya Das
Broadway; $26.
As if you didn't have enough to do every day at work, now comes this:
Enlightenment under fluorescent lights.
Nirvana at the budget meeting.
It's not as unlikely as it sounds. Centuries-old Eastern thought and relaxation techniques may be the answers to the various ills of the working life, where stress, jealousy, greed and various deadly sins often abound.
That's according to Massachusetts author Llama Surya Das, who says the workplace is one of the most rewarding places to practice Tibetan Buddhism.
Das is busy hyping his newest book, "Awakening to the Sacred, Creating a Spiritual Life From Scratch," now in bookstores. If the mantra sounds a little familiar, it's because the author hit the religion charts in 1997 with "Awakening the Buddha Within, Eight Steps to Enlightenment" (Broadway Books).
In his books, Das distills the ancient philosophies of Buddhism -- meditation, breathing exercises, yoga -- into simple techniques that time-stressed Americans can practice.
-- By Jeesie Milligan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram