Evolving Toward Peace: Awakening the Global Heart, by Jalaja Bonheim

Most of us want to find some semblance of peace in our lives, a way to shut up the chattering voice of doubt, anger and/or dissonance in our lives. In Evolving Toward Peace: Awakening the Global Heart, Jalaja Bonheim attempts to lead us toward gaining that peace, while building toward "a peaceful global community" (from the back cover).

While the book's introduction is a little long, it helps give the reader some background on where Bonheim is coming from, both physically and emotionally. My main concern with the intro came from its New Age-y feel, which almost made me put the book down. Bonheim also introduces us here to her idea of "circlework," in which people gather in circles to strengthen their "capacity for heart-thinking." This circlework is her method of helping people find peace.

Near the end of the intro, Bonheim writes, "...Together, we can move...from violence to peace" (page 23). She also recommends that the reader "not try to absorb whole chapters in a single gulp." I found this to be good advice, as it is too easy to become overwhelmed. Much of what is written in Evolving Toward Peace seemed repetitive, making the reader possibly want to skip over sections while missing some of what Bonheim has written.

The body of the book is broken down into four main parts, each with several chapters to read through. Each chapter is filled with anecdotes from Bonheim's observations, as well as quotes from a wide variety of people, places, books and points of view to help drive home the point that each chapter is trying to teach. The chapters then end with several exercises for the reader to do, and which are described fully in Appendix II.

In the end, while much of what Evolving Toward Peace: Awakening the Global Heart has to offer is relevant to helping better one's self, the idea of a "global movement" may be a difficult undertaking with one book, and the New Age-feel may be a turn-off to many of those Bonheim is trying to reach. That said, I would advise a potential reader to check out a copy, as there are portions that, even among skeptics, can help one's understanding of one's self.

Disclaimer: I received this book as part of Goodreads' giveaway program. (Thank you!)