Joan Chittister's powerful spiritual guide builds on the ancient Rule of Benedict to show us how to live this life, our daily life, well. 'The monastic archetype is embedded in every soul - because in our true centre we are all "truly seeking God" Joan Chittister understands and communicates this to her contemporaries with rare insight and power' Laurence Freeman, author of The Selfless Self ' . . . the allure of this book is its promise that "the monastery of the heart" is where we learn to live our lives "from the inside out" in a contemporary world that is spiritually bereft and bewildering' Ephrem Hollermann, author of The Reshaping of a Tradition 'This marvel of a book sings in the heart and makes the mind quiet with reverence, even as it instructs both of them with a holy gladness' Phyllis Tickle, compiler of The Divine Hours.

Joan Chittister is an internationally known author and lecturer, and the executive director of Benetvision, a resource and research center for contemporary spirituality. She currently serves as co-chair of the Global Peace Initiative of Women, and lives in Erie, Pennsylvania.