James L. Mirel, rabbi of Temple B'nai Torah in Bellevue, Washington, and Karen Bonnell Werth, a health care professional, use the rhythms and routines of a single day as a frame for this sturdy guidebook to Jewish practice and everyday spirituality. "By devoting our actions to God, we step into the sacred," they write. "This opens us to a deep sense of meaning and purpose, to finding our place in the intricate web of life."

The book is divided into chapters on Sunrise, when the emphasis is upon renewing our bodies, meditation, and mindful breathing; Morning, when the accent is upon repairing the world, right livelihood, and social responsibility through work; Afternoon, when the thrust is giving thanks with blessings and reaching out to family, friends, and community with hospitality; Evening, when study, prayer, and relaxation come into play; Night, when pain, loss, and death are confronted with rituals of healing; and Midnight, when the closing of the day concerns mysticism, sexuality, and creation.

The Judaic tradition of infusing daily activities with holiness and purpose shines through these pages on rituals, meditations, prayers, and quotations from Jewish sages.