Malcolm Croft

The Planet's Most Spiritual Places by Malcolm Croft is a beautiful and very interesting coffee table book. If this collection of pictures and places doesn't stir some kind of desire to learn more about our world and the people in it, then I don't know what will.

The first thing I consider when looking at a coffee table, or any oversized book, is appearance. I certainly want what text there is to be interesting, but its purpose is largely display and, in my house, conversation starter. The pictures in this volume serve this function very well, from sweeping views to more detailed close-ups, there are images to appeal to most people who like photography.

This volume, however, goes well beyond most other books in that the information, though offered in short, concise descriptions, makes the reader want to learn more about the many places they likely haven't seen in person and remember fondly the ones they have. As I am prone to do, I spent some time searching online for more information about several of the belief systems mentioned, and I love books that make me want to know more. I fully intend to go back and slowly work my way through the book in this manner.

Highly recommended whether you are simply looking for an attractive display book or one that can serve as a springboard for great conversation and perhaps opportunities to learn a bit more about our world.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (altro)