A major contribution to a lost art, discipline, and spiritual practice. It reflects both a maturation of religion and a radical return to tradition. Thomas Ryan is teaching us how to refine our appetites! -Richard Rohr, OFM, founder and director of The Center for Action and Contemplation A solid and stimulating addition to the reading list of interreligious discussion groups. -America Insightful and balanced.... Garners the wisdom of different religious traditions ... needed in today's world.... Father Ryan has rendered a notable service in writing this book. -Monastic and Interreligious Dialogue A superbly written guidebook and practical resource.... Explores with ease and clarity our deeply rooted fascination with fasting and abstinence.... He writes from a Christian perspective yet compares and contrasts teachings and practices in other religious traditions with insight and respect. -John Borelli, Special Assistant to the President for Interreligious Initiatives, Georgetown University Broader and more complex than it might at first appear.... [A] sensitive treatment of fasting's tradition and meanings in not only Christianity but also Judaism, Islam, and other faiths. -Library Journal A sober, practical, and deeply reverential discussion of an ancient practice undertaken in search for enlightenment. -Midwest Book Review Readers may be inspired to develop their own fasting practice.... Warm [and] personal ... accessible and inviting.... Equips readers to practice this sacred art safely and meaningfully. -New Age Retailer Accessible, thoughtful.... One of the book's strengths is its evenhanded introduction to each of the six religions it covers....These [balanced] narratives allow adherents from each religion to speak from their own belief and experience.... [A] gem.... A much-needed treatise that will attract believers from all faiths. -Publishers Weekly Does an excellent service.... With diverse perspectives of social responsibility, devotion, ecology, the politics of hunger, and medicine, he explores the depth of human well-being ... dispelling fears, guiding us with examples. -Bhaswati Bhattacharya, MPH, MD, holistic physician-author and assistant professor of family practice in medicine, Weill-Cornell Medical College Well-researched and developed.... Well-rounded.... Merit[s] serious consideration.... A feast of words that cannot fail to delight all who partake of it.... Reader-friendly ... a work of substance. -Montreal Anglican
