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The Book of Hours: An Anthology
Kevin Jackson
#UB7002
Hardcover, 221 pages; 2007
$20.00
 Members' Price: $17.00
Books of hours have been around since the Middle Ages. Before the mass synchronization required by industrialization and city life, many cultures marked time by chunks of the day, and most religions required that specific prayers and readings occur in a prescribed order. Inspired by those early books of daily prayers, Kevin Jackson has gathered together a new, secular "book of hours." His is an anthology of poems, essays, and other literary excerpts all having particular time associations. Dividing the day into four equal parts—beginning with six in the morning to noon—he suggests readings that are whimsical, funny, thought-provoking, or poignant, ranging from very old (1600s) to quite current. So, when at loose ends for a few minutes, one picks up The Book of Hours, turns to the appropriate time of day, and reads a bit of something worthwhile. Perfect!
(EE)
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