T-shirts will wear out. And jackets, well jackets are good for only a couple of seasons. But a book, and a book about faith, is something to be enjoyed for generations, says Tom Kimball, who is director of marketing for Signature Books. As one might expect, Kimball believes a book is the best possible Olympic legacy.
And that's why, this fall, Signature reissued one of the publishing company's best-sellers, "World of Faith," with a new format and a new introduction. The book also has a new cover, adorned with the Olympic rings.
"World of Faith," written by Peggy Fletcher Stack and illustrated by Kathleen Peterson, was originally published by Signature in 1998 as an oversize children's book. Stack, of Salt Lake, and Peterson, of Ephraim, explained the beliefs of 28 different denominations, one church per page.
The book came about in the first place because Stack is a mother. She often found herself trying to explain to her children the differences between their faith and other's faiths. Because she writes about religion (for the Salt Lake Tribune) she thought she should have found the explanations easier than they were. When she went to the library looking for a children's book about world religions, she found some that explained the differences between Islam and Christianity — but nothing that explained to children the differences between Methodists and Presbyterians.
So she set out to write the book her family needed, two paragraphs per faith. This was not an easy task, as Stack describes it. "Especially when it's about something as complex as a religious tradition that's thousands of years old."
A coworker introduced her to Peterson, who began her own research for the illustrations. Meanwhile, Stack read books, wrote a rough draft, then took her words to be reviewed by people within each faith.
Sometimes, she found, she'd emphasized a fact that was not really central to the practice of worship. Other times just a word might be wrong, but the one word was vital. Christian Scientists, she learned, don't use the word "miracle," to describe healings. Muslims describe Hagar as Sarah's friend, not her "handmaiden." Says Stack, "I learned so much. Words I thought were neutral, weren't." The danger in short is much greater than in long, she learned. But short remained their goal.
The story of how the book came to be reissued began a couple of years ago, when the Interfaith Roundtable of the Salt Lake Olympic Organizing Committee decided some members of their task force ought to write the history of all the faiths in Utah.
Time went by. The Olympics got closer. The chore of writing an original book began to seem impossible.
Then Jan Saeed, chairwoman of the Interfaith Roundtable, asked her fellow members if they'd ever seen Stack's book. A few had, and the rest went out and found a copy. They were delighted with it.
Originally, says Saeed, " 'World of Faith' was marketed as a children's book. But my take is, this is very much an all-ages book. It's a Reader's Digest approach."
In the new introduction, Stack and Peterson explain their goal is to offer "a glimpse, a taste, an awakening." And the awakening to the faith of others is all the more vital since Sept. 11, they believe. The Interfaith Roundtable also has an introductory message in the new version of the book. Roundtable members explain that Salt Lake City was founded by members of the LDS Church — but now, more than half the population belongs to other faiths. "All of the religious communities together add to the beauty and culture of this city," the members wrote.
At the end of the new version is a list of how The Golden Rule is taught in various faiths. "Be not estranged from another, for in every heart pervades the Lord," is how the Sikhs put it. In Judaism, Rabbi Hillel says, "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the entire Torah; the rest is commentary."
Lovely scriptures. Lovely illustrations. "We are proud to be part of this project," says Kimball. And yes, printing 5,000 copies in a new, more expensive format was a bit of a financial risk. Especially since, previous to this, Signature best sellers equaled 2,000 copies.
But the Olympic committee made its own gesture of good faith, too, says Saeed. Usually SLOC expects 15 percent of the profits when a product carries the Olympic rings. In this case, the Interfaith Roundtable will take the profits — in books.
Says Saeed, "Having some books we can hand out to people, books we can put in the schools, so we can further education and understanding . . . this has been a real positive story. And when the world comes here, they will see a beautiful book." Kimball says, "And each one of these faiths is represented here in Utah."
Book signing today in Cottonwood Mall
"World of Faith" author Peggy Fletcher Stack and the chairwoman of the Interfaith Council, Jan Saeed, will sign copies of the book today from 4 to 6 p.m. at Deseret Book in the Cottonwood Mall, 4835 S. Highland Drive, Salt Lake City.
E-mail: susan@desnews.com