Kindred Spirits: Adrift in Literary London - Softcover

Lewis, Jeremy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0571244289 ISBN 13: 9780571244287

Publisher: Faber and Faber, 2009

Synopsis

Rare Book

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Switching on our hearts does not mean we have to switch off our minds.
Jonathan Magonet
9 JANUARY

'The party's not over till that fat lady sings.'
I don't know where it comes from or what it means, but in a depression it popped into my mind and gave me a lift. I passed it on and it has the same effect on others – especially in hospital. We shouldn't be spiritual snobs.
Lionel Blue
5 JUNE

I sometimes found warmth in a pub when I was frozen out of a place of worship.
God (thank God!) is not caged by the institutions that claim Him.
Lionel Blue
1 AUGUST

There are few things more obvious, or more thought-provoking, than this little medieval story. When someone lost his brother he was asked: 'What was the cause of his death?'
He answered: 'Life'.
Jonathan Magonet
6 NOVEMBER

How sad that the first thing that seems to go when people become religious is their sense of humour.
Jonathan Magonet
24 NOVEMBER

True wisdom shows itself not so much in obscure theories and fantastic proclamations, but in an altogether quieter way. It is through the little things of life that many men and women have gained a deeper understanding of humanity and of God.
Such understanding is not confined to one view of the world, but crosses the boundaries of all faiths and nationalities.

In' Kindred Spirits', Lionel Blue and Jonathan Magonet have drawn upon this collective wisdom with a little bias towards their own Jewish faith. For each day of the year they introduce a reading or observation by a favourite writer or sage. In learning of the influences that have formed two of Britain's best-known rabbis, the reader's own spiritual journey may be enriched.

Lionel Blue and Jonathan Magonet first met thirty years ago when the former was studying to be a Rabbi and the latter to be a doctor.
Both eventually became Rabbis.

Rabbi Dr Jonathan Magonet is the Principal of Leo Baeck College, a Bible scholar and author (As well as being a doctor of philosophy). Rabbi Lionel Blue is a broadcaster, author and lecturer at the same seminary, whose morning radio talks have become nationally known and loved.

Together they have prepared the new Liturgy for the Reform Jewish Community. Both are involved in the work of the dialogue with their fellow Christians and Muslims. They have successfully co-authored a number of books including 'The Little Blue Book of Prayer' and 'How to Get Up When Life Gets You Down'. In their spare time Rabbi Dr Magonet composes songs and Rabbi Blue tells jokes.

Synopsis:

The humour of self-deprecation is peculiarly English. Few people do it better than Jeremy Lewis. His first two autobiographical volumes - "Playing for Time" and "Kindred Spirits" - are being reissued in "Faber Finds" to coincide happily with his third volume - "Grub Street Irregular" - being published by HarperCollins. The second volume of Jeremy Lewis' wonderfully entertaining autobiography sees him starting out, with a mixture of diffidence and self-professed incompetence, on a career in publishing. Along the way we see him tucking into cod and chips with Jane and Geoffrey Grigson, drinking tea with Kingsley Amis and retsina with Patrick Leigh-Fermor. When reviewing this book, Christopher Sinclair-Stevenson called it 'The funniest book I have ever read about publishing...this is not merely a hugely entertaining book, but an important one'. That judgment still stands.

About this edition

• Publisher: Faber and Faber
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0571244289
• ISBN 13: 9780571244287
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320