One of the first things you notice about Terry Hershey is that he is a relaxed and playful person who is at home in his own skin. But for many years he was a self-confessed workaholic out there doing many things to make the world a better place. Now, he has learned how to slow down — while still doing good things. We haven't visited him in his home on Vashon, an island in the Puget Sound, but he tells us that gardening is a passion that perks up his mind, body and soul.

Down through the centuries there have been individuals in all religious traditions who have gone against the cultural grain of the times: sacred clowns in Native American traditions, St.Francis and members of his order who saw themselves as jesters of the Lord, the Hasidic sage known as the Baal Shem Tov, and of course, the Zen masters with their koans. Terry Hershey stands in this multi-faith tradition of crazy wisdom.

Come. Set aside your to-do lists for a while and join the author for some stories, quotations, and musings on this crazy, wonderful, mysterious, and grace-filled world we share. Hershey explores what he calls seven sacred necessities: amazement, sanctuary, grace, stillness, simplicity, resilience, and friendship.

The best place to read this paperback is your own special hideaway where you will not be bothered by intrusions or distractions. Be prepared to look at your life and your priorities from a spiritual perspective that challenges pragmatism and productivity and celebrates uselessness and down time. We were happy to see one of our favorite movies in this book — Joe Versus the Volcano — a loopy parable about the spiritual practice of letting go and gliding into wonder — or as Hershey calls it, amazement. We also loved the passage from Winnie the Pooh on the art of doing nothing. And if you fall asleep in your chair after savoring one passage or another, don't worry: Terry Hershey praises napping as one of the best things around.