Words for Life

Publishers Weekly

"Go placidly/ amid the noise and haste,/ and remember what peace/ there may be in silence." Max Ehrmann's inspirational poem, first published in 1927, Desiderata: Words for Life, is here introduced to a new generation. Marc Tauss's photographs give it a cutting-edge feel: the opening line accompanies a full-color photograph of New York City at sunrise, nary a car in motion; opposite "If you compare yourself/ with others,/ you may become vain or bitter,/ for always/ there will be greater/ and lesser persons/ than yourself," he pairs a b&w photograph of a statue of George Washington flanked by Roman columns. A portion of each sale will benefit Children's International Summer Villages and the Daniel Pearl Foundation.

Children's Literature

The familiar free-verse poem has been immortalized in posters, greeting cards, and books. It was first written in 1927, though for many years it was thought to be "age-old wisdom from an anonymous author." The words continue to provide wisdom and inspiration and are now beautifully complimented by Marc Tauss' black-and-white and full-color photos. The photos are a touching and dramatic representation of Ehrmann's message. A joyous family pillow romp reminds us to "Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass." A city street, devoid of people or motion, shows only parked cars and building after building opposite the words, "Go placidly amid the noise and haste...." Some of the profits from the book will celebrate two people who did that—the Daniel Pearl Foundation and the Children's International Summer Villages founded by Doris Allen. The photos are a beautiful way to make the Desiderata message real again for all generations, and concrete and comprehensible for a new and younger generation. 2003, Scholastic,
— Karen Leggett

School Library Journal

Gr 6 Up-Ehrmann's well-known inspirational work, written in 1927, offers cogent advice on how to live at peace with oneself. This edition is distinguished by Tauss's striking photographs, most of which show children and adults of different cultures. Each of the images captures the essence of the passage it accompanies. For instance, the opening sentence ("Go placidly/amid the noise and haste,/and remember what peace/there may be in silence") is matched with a scene of a deserted city street that brilliantly creates a sense of stillness. Lines on the timelessness of love ("Especially do not feign affection./Neither be cynical/about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment/it is as perennial as the grass") are accompanied by one photo that shows parents and children nestled in bed, and another of them engaged in a pillow fight. Perhaps the most memorable illustration shows a boy and a girl set against a galaxy of stars. This complements the life-affirming statement, "You/are/a child/of the/universe,/no less than the trees and the stars;/you have a right to be here." All of the photos are well composed and have a dreamy quality, suffused with a soft light. However, while the pictures have intergenerational appeal, the vocabulary employed and the philosophy expressed in the text are adult in nature.-Karey Wehner, formerly at San Francisco Public Library Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.