The Soul of Desire: Discovering the Neuroscience of Longing, Beauty, and Community

In this beautiful book, Dr. Curt Thompson invites his readers to "pay attention to the world in a different way". The Soul of Desire is an excellent, powerful and thought provoking offering from Dr. Thompson as he encourages and convinces his readers to examine the longings, desire and depths within each of our souls. Dr. Thompson truly believes that beauty, goodness and truth will change the world. He demonstrates, with compassion and sensitivity, this significant and practical life-change through sharing poignant stories of real people that he has served faithfully as a therapist. He weaves together his work in the area of Interpersonal Neurobiology---which is utterly fascinating--- with his day-to-day work with clients in his personal therapeutic practice. I have read each of Curt Thompson's other books, as well. I would highly recommend Soul of Desire and his other works to anyone who may want to know themselves and others better. His offering of hope for personal healing; as well as his proposal that we can heal others as we hold hope and imagine beauty---this offering is an invitation you just can't refuse! In our current climate of daily doses of hard news, darkness, hopeless situations and broken relationships, this book is ---100%--- a must read!!

although put forward as Christian, there is a clear Catholic view point, and Trinitarian emphasis. It is not an easy book to read with this apologetic approach making it harder rather than easier to dig to the core point . It takes a long time to make a simple point, the case studies dragging on a bit too much. Overpriced for what it is.

In this book, Curt Thompson puts forward his experiences and training combined with psychotherapy, IPNB, and the biblical narrative, to demonstrate what the Christian life was meant to be, but modern evangelical Christianity in the USA has lost sight of. It’s refreshing to witness the stories, the systems, the rhythms, the processes, and rituals by which people can rediscover true healing, beauty, and goodness, while holding the tension of all the grief, rage, shame, and horrors of this life. If you read this book and you follow Christ, you will probably have one of two reactions: revulsion towards the explicit content, or intrigue and awakening to desire more of heaven, of God, and of those who love God.

An achingly beautiful, thought-provoking/challenging piece of art. A book that I will come back to again and again. It helped me to see myself in a different way....and I am grateful!

This is a book that could transform the way we relate to God and to each other. This is an important and serious book that works.

This book is a book of hope. It stirred up a desire in me in a very quiet joyful way to become and to create beauty, goodness, and truth. And when I put this book down, I KNEW and I was CONFIDENT that God would make it a reality. In my life, and in my marriage. And I had a smile on my face. Years ago, I was undone listening to Antonin Dvorak wrote his Symphony No. 9, "From the New World" at a retreat. I had read Dr. Curt's previous books. But I did not quite understand why he would have us listen to this classical piece of music and why it undid me. I was struggling in my life with shame, fear, and the same of my spouse's. Dr. Curt offered the two questions that he discusses in this book. One that God asks Adam in Genesis Chapter 3. The other is asked by Jesus in John 1. A friend of mine, seeing me being undone, took me out of the room, and we walked outside. In his book "The Soul of Desire", Dr. Curt quotes Jeremiah 6:16. Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and ... find rest for your souls. (Jeremiah 6:16) Interestingly enough, my friend read this verse to me, and it was the theme for us for the rest of the retreat. That retreat and many interviews and his podcast, "Being Known" helped me how much I wanted to be known by others experience God knowing me. I told my husband that I wanted to know him more and wanted him to see me knowing him deeply. I saw that every baby is born looking for someone looking for him(her) - even as adults we need to see someone seeing us, even what the part we want to hide, and see that they had not "left the room". With his tender tone and skillful guidance, Dr. Curt helps us tell our true stories, God created heavens and earth with his wisdom and understanding, and IN FELLOWSHIP. We become who we really are when we, as the ones made in His image, create beauty and goodness as we enter and remain in fellowship. This book makes so much sense why I was able to make sense of my life and move toward integration because I had that friend at the crossroads. This is the beauty of how Dr. Curt discusses interpersonal neurobiology and the gospel. You get to see from a vantage point so different from what we know. It's not either science or theology, it is both. I am so ready to create beauty and goodness in our marriage. Thanks, Dr. Curt. (Sorry the book is upside down :P)

I have highlighted so many beautiful and provocative passages in this book. It has offered me imagery to extend my imagination of God’s purposes and inspired me to continue seeking how to create something of a confessional community in my church. The example stories are very impactful and helpful in understanding what is possible when we truly love each other. Definitely worth reading My criticisms would be: 1) even though the author mentioned that he wasn’t providing a manual, I did leave wanting more about how to structure a confessional community, particularly if they all know each other. 2) Curt does not know how to write short sentences! 😆 It is flowery from front to back - as such it can sometimes be difficult to read when it is so much of the same. Yet, there was a definite progression through ideas, and repetition is the way to learn, but some reduction in the wordiness would be helpful at times.