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40 of 41 people found the following review helpful: To understand, rather than be understood., September 30, 2003 By  Wesley L. Janssen (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews          The book is perfectly titled. Mother Teresa's biographical information is minimal and the book does not canonize her. Apart from introducing the thoughts of volunteers who work with the Missionaries of Charity, her own words are few. What we find are simple views of a simple path, and beauty in simplicity. This is not the story of a famous nun, it is the story of a way of seeing ones world and of living without self-focus. Mother Teresa, and those who work in the missions that she and others have established and conducted, convey an attractive invitation to service to others. The path has been set before us in the Gospels of Matthew (25:34-40) and Luke (10:30-37). This small volume contains no rancorous sectarian, philosophical, or theological arguments. The themes are peace, love, joy, and fearless devotion to the welfare of others. The simple path is well summarized in the words of St Francis of Assisi: "Lord grant that I seek rather to comfort than to be comforted, To understand than to be understood; To love than to be loved . . ." The book makes little mention of the opposing worldview, but I briefly will. The opposite worldview is the ever-popular celebration of slavery to self. There are, of course, many variations on this theme. One notices how offended, even angered, the culture of self can be when it is rejected, in this case by Mother Teresa. Articles and books have been published which denigrate her, and she has been called a hypocrite. I doubt she terribly cared. A sign on the wall of Shishu Bhavan children's home in Calcutta reads in part: "People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered, Love them anyway If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives, Do good anyway . . . The good you do will be forgotten tomorrow, Do good anyway . . ."  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful: This is a 5 + star book., May 21, 2001 By  Soudamini M. Nath (Murrieta, CA USA) - See all my reviews    I have read a few of Mother Teresa's books. This is the best. I read it cover to cover all in one sitting...as soon as I got the book. Mother Teresa made me humble. It is a shame how most of us are frantically running around, to find happiness (which we think is in how much money we make, what big house we built, what type of car we drive around)and yet at the end of the day, we are still not there yet. This book reveals how we can find that happiness by following a very simple path. If all of us can follow that simple path, the world would be lot more peaceful. But can we?? This question makes me think, that this woman, Mother Teresa, is no ordinary human, she is beyond human. Reading this book time and time again daily, may help us all to bring peace and happiness to the world! It is a wonderful book, very meaningful and thought-provoking. If only we can follow her path - a very simple path.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful: Why do we make it so stinking hard?, June 9, 2000 By  Tracy Groot (Hudsonville, MI United States) - See all my reviews Mother Teresa used to threaten me, the way all good people do. I thought she had nothing to say to me (that I wanted to hear anyway) because she would challenge a part of me that didn't want guilt. How could I relate to a non-stop self-denial works machine? Surely, a part of her had to be dead or dying or in denial. I wanted to find out more. In her book, "No Greater Love", I learned that Mother Teresa was a person who saw Jesus in "the distressing disguise" of not only the poor, but the abused and the cruel and the mean and the unloved. For Mother Teresa, response to that person is response to Jesus. ("When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat...") In "A Simple Path", two paths seem to be explored: the simple life path Mother Teresa herself followed, and the simple path the volunteers of the Missionaries of Charity (the order she founded) follow. The exploration of both pathways was, for me, an eye-opener. Here are people who simply minister to needs, and who do not force feed Jesus to the one in need. The paradox is that many who are ministered to end up turning to God...perhaps because they saw a little bit of God in the person who helped. And Mother Teresa's take on finding God? Pray. "If you find it hard to pray," she says, "you can say 'Come Holy Spirit, guide me, protect me, clear out my mind so that I can pray.'" I didn't realize a works machine could teach me so much. A Simple Path, maybe; a simple woman, never. This review may be wordy, but I'd never have enough space to quote the things she said that stopped me dead. Read this book and discover the depth of a woman who is called a saint, and how she happened by the name. I've learned Mother Teresa can teach me something, and I can still eat chocolate and spend money with no serious guilt. Means she said a few things that went beyond coughing up change for the poor. (I only wonder if she could see Jesus in the distressing disguise of a manic four year old.)  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)