The Essential Rumi

I picked this up on a recommendation and I'm so glad I did. Coleman Barks has produced something special here — enjoyable to read while also being genuinely substantive. The kind of book you want to press into people's hands. Five stars without any hesitation at all.

Genuinely one of the best books I've read this year. Coleman Barks writes with clarity and intelligence and the ideas in The Essential Rumi are both original and immediately relevant. I came away from it thinking differently about something I thought I understood. That doesn't happen often. Highly recommended.

Outstanding in every respect. The Essential Rumi shows Coleman Barks at their very best — clear thinking, elegant writing, ideas that linger. I don't give five stars lightly but this absolutely earned them.

Few books manage to be both intellectually stimulating and genuinely enjoyable to read. The Essential Rumi is one of them. Coleman Barks's command of the subject is evident throughout and the presentation is superb. Highly, highly recommended.

This is exactly what a good book should do — entertain you, challenge you, and leave you feeling like the time was genuinely well spent. Coleman Barks delivers on all three counts. I've already recommended it to everyone in my office. A wonderful purchase.