We forget how soul lives in the day-to-day world and that, when we lose contact with things, we lose soul. In A Home for the Soul Anthony Lawlor, an award-winning architect and author of The Temple in the House, discusses ways "to re-envision your home or apartment as a sacred setting where depth and meaning are a concrete reality." Sensuous photographs by Rick Donhauser accompany chapters on kitchens, dining rooms, gathering rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, clothes closets, home offices, and gardens. There is a playfulness evident here as Lawlor rekindles our ability to cherish those things closest to us.

Here are a few examples: A pumpkin and dried corn by an entry honor a change of season. Placing a bed in a corner by a window attunes sleeping, dreaming, and lovemaking to the rhythms of sunrise and sunset. A clothes closet carefully kept becomes a chapel for dressing. And cleaning is a spiritual practice that "makes whole the life of the house." Lawlor concludes with directions on how to create "a mandala of the soul" — a collage of personally significant items representing each room of your home. This is an enchanting gift book and perfect for soul friends.