Sam Osherson

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REKINDLING THE FLAME
What does it mean to have a faith? What is the difference between religion and spirituality? Can we vitalize the deeply personal experience of a religious tradition in our lives? These are questions that many people struggle with, as they try to make their traditions match who they are as spiritual adults. In this book, I examine these questions from the perspective of growing up Jewish. There are millions of assimilated, unaffiliated, or disaffected Jews who are quietly finding their way back to their religion and in the process creating new approaches to an ancient tradition. They offer perspective and lessons for people from all traditions who want to bring their childhood experience more in line with who they are now as adults. Here is the copy from the book jacket:

"Sam Osherson has found many men and women who are Jewish under the radar: families observing the holidays at home; intermarried couples raising their children Jewish; study groups working with and without the benefit of rabbis; and people being inspired to creative work and charitable action by Judaism. These people are widening the doors of Judaism, creating new holiday rituals, increasing the openness to other religions, and moving this patriarchal religion toward one without authoritarian figures.

"Osherson has identified sources of the ambivalence that afflicts so many Jews-ranging from unfinished childhood struggles with parents to the impact of the Holocaust on Judaism itself-as well as the surprisingly strong, resilient nature of Jewish identification. Ambivalence and commitment co-exist for many Jews, and Judaism can thrive by honoring both. Many Jewish men and women who have questioned their tradition are now creating a vibrant, enriched Judaism for our contemporary world. The excitement and joy that comes from rekindling the flame is the powerful message of this book. Samuel Osherson has begun a new chapter in the long story of the survival of the Jewish people."

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WRESTLING WITH LOVE
Mark Twain once said that at the age of twelve a boy starts imitating a man and just keeps on doing that the rest of his life. In fact, men's lives are filled with rich opportunities and dilemmas. Wrestling With Love explores the male experience of intimacy through the life cycle—with women, children, friends and each other. Dr. Gus Napier praised this book in the following way: "With a rare combination of compassion, insight, and wisdom, Osherson tackles the vital area of men's struggles with intimacy. One of the first to write about men's dilemmas, the author's depth of experience shines through, offering men a powerful sense of being understood. This book touched me, and helped me feel better about myself." Dr. Lillian Rubin wrote that "...Sam Osherson's Wrestling With Love is a wise, wonderful and provocative book that should be required reading for every man who is or hopes to be a lover, a husband, or a father. If more men's literature dealt as honestly and persuasively with men's difficulties in intimate relationships, more women would have cause to celebrate."

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THE PASSIONS OF FATHERHOOD
Fatherhood is one of the most challenging and rewarding relationships in a man's life. Fatherhood is not simply a role; it's an evolving, highly dynamic relationship that continuously and powerfully transforms men as their children grow up. This book weaves together compelling moments from the author's experience as a father of a son and a daughter with interviews of scores of other fathers to examine the central dilemmas that all fathers face today. Dr. Berry Brazelton has commented that "this is a beautiful book," while Dr. Lillian Rubin writes that, "Sam Osherson may be our premier national interpreter of men's experience, explaining men to us and to themselves with insight and sensitivity few writers about men are able to muster. If you want to understand fatherhood—the feel of it, the passions it elicits, its heft and meaning for men—read this wonderful book."

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FINDING OUR FATHERS
Finding Our Fathers examines the hidden struggle faced by millions of men: how to reconcile their childhood images of their fathers, and all men, as silent, stoic breadwinners with the life they want to live now - embracing two-career marriages, closer ties with their children, a greater emotional awareness. Harvard psychologist Samuel Osherson shows how a man's "unfinished business" with his father affects his relationships with his spouse, children, friends, and boss, and how it can lead to a profound sense of loneliness, vulnerability, and rage.

Osherson's work penetrates the shroud of silence that prevents men from coming to terms with their deepest feelings and fears. He shows how every man can resolve the inner conflict of the father-son relationship and begin to develop a new sense of strength and purpose in his family life and career.

This new, thoroughly revised edition of Finding Our Fathers, which became an instant bestseller when originally published in 1986, is the first and most crucial step to finding a more rewarding, more vital masculine identity. It is one of the most important books you'll ever read about your father - or about yourself.

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