Recovery―The Sacred Art: The Twelve Steps as Spiritual Practice (The Art of Spiritual Living)

Having read the Big Book many times, this book really expanded the 12-step concepts.

Helpful

An inciteful look at all the ways we are obsessed by a need to "control" the world around us which can lead to addictive behaviors, and how the 12 step program principals can free us to live a rewarding life. Even "non-addicts" may find it helpful to realize how much we are controlled by our desire to control the world around us and how it affects our relationship with others. Occasionally the book is a bit "dense" and hard to follow, but just gloss over those parts or try to follow his logic - it is a rewarding exercise and an enlightening book. Well worth a thoughtful read.

After finding this book and reading all the posted reviews I entered it enthusiastically. I was especially drawn to the authors understanding of Bill W's statement that first we must quit playing God. I found the idea of that relating to the delusion that we have control over life refreshing after 30 years in the rooms. I have been looking for an approach to the steps based on the principles of the program versus the way the steps are presented in a dogmatic way difficult for a non-believer to relate to. The understanding of my "disease" as the illusion of having any control over life on life's terms as presented in the first three steps has made my purchase of this book well worth the price. However, now that I have reached step four I am bogged down. All of a sudden sin, the devil and other religious dogma appear and are all just presented as fact based on quoting from different cannons. I guess I finally had to put the book down for now when I got to the biblical idea of not having blood on your hands. While I agree with the sanctity of life, I guess I have a hard time relating this to the Abrahamic God who by all accounts in the bible would make him the most blood thirsty genocidal killer ever. I do understand the author is a Rabbi so I shouldn't have expected otherwise but the reviews and the initial chapters had me hoping for a less dogmatic rehash of the steps from a religious point of view. There are so many of those already. I'm not giving up though. I try to keep my skepticism openminded. I just need to get up the energy to get through it. I might even be able to up the star rating if I do. If you are OK with the devil, sin and the "loving Abrahamic God" presented as reality than this will probably be a great help to you. I'm not looking for reading only what I believe but so far I feel as if the reviews and the first few chapters being helpful to non-believers smacks of bait and switch. I would enjoy a response from the Rabbi himself if he is so inclined.

Really useful in digging into the meaning of each step. Buddhism is such an effective tool in this effort, and Rami leads readers to new insights, especially in its conjunction with rabbinic Judaism. Excellent opportunity to broaden the concept of HP "as we understand" that idea. Fun resource in step study groups, especially those more tightly linked to orthodox Christianity (with some judicious paraphrasing, of course).

I am so thankful for this book. I am a long-time Buddhist and relatively new to a Twelve-Step program (Al-Anon). I guess anyone who is serious about the 12 steps knows it is a spiritual journey (not tied to any religion) but for me it was challenging to learn to ask a higher power for help. This book has been an insightful guide and I have highlighted so many powerful passages. The author refers to "the core addiction of control" and he says, for instance:"Hitting rock bottom is an experience of the ego. It is the point where the ego, the addicted self clinging to the illusion of control, can no longer maintain that illusion and is surrendered to the reality of powerlessness." Yes, this rings true for me and I suspect for many others practicing the 12 steps who know it is a difficult but tremendously rewarding journey. This book explains each step in its most essential form. It offers much valuable guidance no matter what your religious or non-religious background and takes you deeper into each step than you may have realized on your own.

Shapiro has given us perhaps the best multicultural understanding of the 12 Steps. I am grateful. He wrestles with the paradoxes and seeming contradictions of the process, i.e., I am powerless but I have responsibility and power to 1st., conceive of the God of my understanding, 2nd., I have the power to turn my life over to this God, in intriguing ways. He sheds light on every page and gives voice to many struggling to overcome addictions and alcoholism.Most powerful to me has been his assertion is that the Steps are for all of us in our struggles with control and egocentricity.Paraphrasing closely my favorite line--- when our ego's shatter at rock bottom, rock bottom shatters and we begin a free fall into God. I know this to be true, scary and true, wonderful and true."Recovery- the spiritual art" is a great read for anyone interested in spiritual growth, written with insights from many of the world's spiritual traditions. Enjoy and be blessed.

I'm barely getting to the 5th step material, but I am so in love with this book! I've bought several copies as gifts, though I am by nature a supremely cheap como se llama.By the grace of God working through the program of Alcoholics Anonymous in the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous, I have been sober since March 2007. Even so, practices he introduced in the context of steps 1 & 2 gave me the tools I needed so I could begin to apply 12 step recovery to a behavior that had stood in seeming defiance of my recovery ever since I sobered up.And I love some of the language he gives me to reflect on & talk about my spiritual journey. My enthusiasm bids me yammer on, but one does not work these steps over and over without developing a touch of prudence. Just get it. You'll thank yourself.

The author takes you deeper into the steps .A true spiritual journey in every sense .Recommended for any 12 stepper whomever or whatever your higher power/God of your understanding maybe .Superb understanding of the human psyche/ego

This is, quite simply, the best book you will ever read on recovery and the 12 steps. This leaves traditional (AA) material looking dated and staid (which it is). Shapiro explores the spiritual origins of the steps across many faiths and offers practices to complement each step.A seminal work.

Do yourself the biggest favour of your life & buy this book.''Prevention is better than cure''This book may well contain both!!!!!!!?

An amazing book. I love the all the references to different world religions.

We human beings all suffer from the dillusion of controlling our lives. Once we surrender to the fact that we can't we then start to live life!