In Grateful , Diana Butler Bass is a calming voice in raging cultural seas. She accomplishes this feat by flipping individualism on its head using a surprising lever: gratitude. Grateful is challenging and refreshing, and speaks to the core of so much modern misery.
★ 06/15/2018 Does gratitude simply mean thank you notes and politeness? Bass (Grounded) delves into the spiritual aspects of gratitude and the life and world-changing effects of practicing gratefulness in personal and civic spaces. Her aim is to illustrate that "gratitude is not a transaction of debt and duty. Rather, gratitude is a spiritual awareness and a social structure of gift and response." By weaving a picture of gratitude as both a "me" and a "we" response composed of ethics as well as emotions, the author successfully creates a four-fold picture of thanks as a way of life. Although writing as a Christian, Bass includes other religious and nonreligious viewpoints, asserting that even politics can be transformed by changing from a quid pro quo system to one that is pro bono, based on gifting and gratitude rather than payment and debts. Personal anecdotes and spiritual insights enrich this portrait of gratitude as a goal and way of life. VERDICT Will appeal to the spiritually minded seeking an encouraging and challenging read. Strongly recommended for libraries of all types.—Ray Arnett, Anderson, SC
★ 02/12/2018 Bestselling author and scholar Bass (Grounded) takes two seemingly contradictory recent surveys of the mood of Americans as the jumping off point for her excellent call for a more conscientious practice of gratitude. Eight out of 10 Americans feel “a strong sense of gratitude or thankfulness,” according to the Pew Research Center. At the same time, the Public Religion Research Institute finds that Americans are “more anxious, less optimistic, and more distrustful” than ever before. Bass asks how both could be true. Her answer focuses on what she calls the “gratitude gap,” and she writes that most people feel grateful when “someone does us a favor or when greeted by a beautiful surprise” but also feel a “sense of powerlessness from thinking we will never have enough.” To close this gap, Bass asks readers to consider how they express gratitude. She believes that most people have an “imbalance of gratitude” and suggests ways of rethinking how to give thanks in order to find “communal gratefulness.” For example, someone who feels gratitude while listening to the national anthem should also think about how to contribute to public service, and someone who feels obligated to send thank-you notes might need to consider actions that would express deeper thanks. Bass’s persuasive book will please her longtime fans as well as readers interested in living a more productively thankful life. (Apr.)
What we have... [is a] utopian book [that] advocates a corrective vision of American society that is desperately needed. It is not impossible to imagine a society based on gratitude. It merely takes courage, creativity, and trust.” — Los Angeles Review of Books
“Bestselling author and scholar Bass takes two seemingly contradictory recent surveys of the mood of Americans as the jumping off point for her excellent call for a more conscientious practice of gratitude…. Will please longtime fans as well as readers interested in living a more productively thankful life.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review
“There is no better response to this historical moment than cultivating gratitude. This book will show both why and how to do it, and in the process you will get the extraordinary pleasure of Diana’s company, as she rediscovers the gifts that gratitude brings.” — Ana Marie Cox, political commentator, host of With Friends Like These podcast
“Gratitude is the undeniable beginning of the spiritual life. Diana Butler Bass offers us a superb overview of this virtue in our individual and communal lives. As she unpacked the various graces and challenges associated with expressing thanks, I found myself grateful to her for this deeply spiritual book.” — James Martin, SJ, author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage and The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything
“Diana Butler Bass is one of the most thoughtful, insightful voices to emerge among us. Her words are a gentle but fierce reminder that on some eternal level, all is well.” — Marianne Williamson, New York Times bestselling author of Tears to Triumph
“Grateful is a timely and beautifully-written book. The practice of gratitude has been a lifeline for me in a challenging season, and this wise book articulates both a helpful challenge and a soul-shaping framework.” — Shauna Niequist, New York Times bestselling author of Present Over Perfect
“An insightful, illuminating, and thought-provoking book on the subject, one that is simultaneously a meditation and celebration.” — Booklist
“Provides a series of ethical actions to bring gratitude truly alive in our everyday lives, making it both a personal and a public practice.” — Spirituality & Practice
Bass writes about things that matter, and she does so with graceful, accessible intelligence. In Grateful , she guides us to discover how we can grow in gratitude as individuals and as communities. If you let this book into your mind, it will find its way to your deepest heart. — Brian D. McLaren, author of The Great Spiritual Migration
“In Grateful , Diana Butler Bass is a calming voice in raging cultural seas. She accomplishes this feat by flipping individualism on its head using a surprising lever: gratitude. Grateful is challenging and refreshing, and speaks to the core of so much modern misery.” — “Science Mike” McHargue, author of Finding God in the Waves and co-host of The Liturgists Podcast
“If the world has you feeling a little down, I urge you to read this book and enjoy its invitation to a deeper, richer life.” — Spirituality and Health
“Deep, warm, smart, spiritual, reflective, practical, thoughtful and oh-so-engaging, Gratitude is a spoonful of honey to help us transform the ‘hard’ in our lives into wisdom, compassion, and even resistance.” — The Rev. Jacqueline J. Lewis, Senior Minister, Middle Collegiate Church and author of The Pentecost Paradigm
Grateful is that beautiful miracle of both challenge and embrace; pushing us toward a deeper way of living while understanding how difficult that living can be and what it costs us. Diana’s warmth, humor, and resilient faith are in full bloom in Grateful —and they’re contagious. — John Pavlovitz, author of A Bigger Table
“In weaving together sociology, psychology, art, religion, and data, Bass has produced an intimate, spiritual case for reconsidering gratitude — one that suggests others’ practices of thankfulness may save us, too.” — Sojourners
“Full of provocative and inspiring ideas... it’s terrific reading for anyone trying to preach or teach or lead a small group in this anxious era in which confrontational voices seem to be surrounding us. This book is an invitation, a pathway forward.” — David Crumm, Read the Spirit
“Invites us to a personal virtue and habit of thankfulness, even as it nurtures us into a deeper spirituality, even as it reminds us of the social and civic implications of taking on authentic gratitude. This simple virtue, when teased out and given some political teeth, can be downright revolutionary.” — Hearts and Minds
“Mixing sociological research with warm personal anecdotes of appreciation for the everyday, Bass examines why individuals find it challenging to maintain a practice of gratitude and reveals how thankfulness can serve as the foundation of a healthy community.” — BookPage
“A fascinating book.” — The Faith Angle
Provides a series of ethical actions to bring gratitude truly alive in our everyday lives, making it both a personal and a public practice.
Gratitude is the undeniable beginning of the spiritual life. Diana Butler Bass offers us a superb overview of this virtue in our individual and communal lives. As she unpacked the various graces and challenges associated with expressing thanks, I found myself grateful to her for this deeply spiritual book.
Bass writes about things that matter, and she does so with graceful, accessible intelligence. In Grateful , she guides us to discover how we can grow in gratitude as individuals and as communities. If you let this book into your mind, it will find its way to your deepest heart.
What we have... [is a] utopian book [that] advocates a corrective vision of American society that is desperately needed. It is not impossible to imagine a society based on gratitude. It merely takes courage, creativity, and trust.
Los Angeles Review of Books
In Grateful , Diana Butler Bass is a calming voice in raging cultural seas. She accomplishes this feat by flipping individualism on its head using a surprising lever: gratitude. Grateful is challenging and refreshing, and speaks to the core of so much modern misery.
There is no better response to this historical moment than cultivating gratitude. This book will show both why and how to do it, and in the process you will get the extraordinary pleasure of Diana’s company, as she rediscovers the gifts that gratitude brings.
“Grateful is a timely and beautifully-written book. The practice of gratitude has been a lifeline for me in a challenging season, and this wise book articulates both a helpful challenge and a soul-shaping framework.
An insightful, illuminating, and thought-provoking book on the subject, one that is simultaneously a meditation and celebration.
Diana Butler Bass is one of the most thoughtful, insightful voices to emerge among us. Her words are a gentle but fierce reminder that on some eternal level, all is well.
Deep, warm, smart, spiritual, reflective, practical, thoughtful and oh-so-engaging, Gratitude is a spoonful of honey to help us transform the ‘hard’ in our lives into wisdom, compassion, and even resistance.
The Rev. Jacqueline J. Lewis
If the world has you feeling a little down, I urge you to read this book and enjoy its invitation to a deeper, richer life.
Invites us to a personal virtue and habit of thankfulness, even as it nurtures us into a deeper spirituality, even as it reminds us of the social and civic implications of taking on authentic gratitude. This simple virtue, when teased out and given some political teeth, can be downright revolutionary.
Full of provocative and inspiring ideas... it’s terrific reading for anyone trying to preach or teach or lead a small group in this anxious era in which confrontational voices seem to be surrounding us. This book is an invitation, a pathway forward.
Grateful is that beautiful miracle of both challenge and embrace; pushing us toward a deeper way of living while understanding how difficult that living can be and what it costs us. Diana’s warmth, humor, and resilient faith are in full bloom in Grateful —and they’re contagious.
In weaving together sociology, psychology, art, religion, and data, Bass has produced an intimate, spiritual case for reconsidering gratitude — one that suggests others’ practices of thankfulness may save us, too.
A fascinating book.
Mixing sociological research with warm personal anecdotes of appreciation for the everyday, Bass examines why individuals find it challenging to maintain a practice of gratitude and reveals how thankfulness can serve as the foundation of a healthy community.
An insightful, illuminating, and thought-provoking book on the subject, one that is simultaneously a meditation and celebration.
In weaving together sociology, psychology, art, religion, and data, Bass has produced an intimate, spiritual case for reconsidering gratitude — one that suggests others’ practices of thankfulness may save us, too.
What we have... [is a] utopian book [that] advocates a corrective vision of American society that is desperately needed. It is not impossible to imagine a society based on gratitude. It merely takes courage, creativity, and trust.
Los Angeles Review of Books
An insightful, illuminating, and thought-provoking book on the subject, one that is simultaneously a meditation and celebration.
Provides a series of ethical actions to bring gratitude truly alive in our everyday lives, making it both a personal and a public practice.
Invites us to a personal virtue and habit of thankfulness, even as it nurtures us into a deeper spirituality, even as it reminds us of the social and civic implications of taking on authentic gratitude. This simple virtue, when teased out and given some political teeth, can be downright revolutionary.
Mixing sociological research with warm personal anecdotes of appreciation for the everyday, Bass examines why individuals find it challenging to maintain a practice of gratitude and reveals how thankfulness can serve as the foundation of a healthy community.
A fascinating book.
If the world has you feeling a little down, I urge you to read this book and enjoy its invitation to a deeper, richer life.
Timely, full of provocative and inspiring ideas that makes it terrific reading for anyone trying to preach or teach or lead a small group in this anxious era in which confrontational voices seem to be surrounding us. Diana often is prophetic, and this book is an invitation, a pathway forward.
Make America grateful again.