As a child, my father used to sit my brothers and I down while reading aloud from this timeless masterpiece.

Admittedly, as children we'd get bored. However, I'd like to believe that something profound sunk in, which led me to seek out this book as an adult.

The Prophet tops my list of all-time favorite books because it's drenched with seductively simple words of wisdom that move the soul while soothing the mind.

If you've ever lost someone and you're still feeling the pain, then skip to the chapters, "On Pain" and "On Death."

See how simple that was? Highly recommended!

The Prophet, by Jibran Khalil Jibran, is an unusual type of self-help book. The best description of it is poetry, but of a sort that harkens back to the style of the ancient Greek philosophers. The book is masterfully written, but it is a difficult read. It is not-quite novel, but not-quite directional, either. Instead, the author takes you on a journey into the depths of foundational topics such as love, peace, and charisma. The prophet, incidently, is neither Jesus nor Muhammad, but more models the Christian picture stemming from the background of the Maronite Lebanese. Nevertheless, he is a compelling figure.

I cannot say that I truly recommend this book. It is a hallmark of world literature, so anyone would do well to read it. But it is not really that helpful, unless you like esoteric spiritual guides. If you are a fan of Rumi, for example, you might really enjoy it. I was glad I read it, for if nothing else, it exposes us to the depth of spiritual insight found in the East. In our world’s troubled times, this discovery is no small matter.