Comfort: An Atlas for the Body and Soul

by Brett C. Hoover

For readers of Kathleen Norris and Gretchen Rubin, a thought-provoking examination of the meaning of comfort.

Comfort is a universal human need. It's that craving to feel at one with the world we live in, warm (but not hot), protected (but not smothered), and secure (but not marooned) in what the future holds. Yet in our increasingly complex and overstressed world, we tend to overlook this important aspect in our lives. In An Atlas for the Body and Soul , Brett C. Hoover, a scholar and Catholic priest, explores what comfort means-and it means different things to different people. He delves into the psychological, emotional, and spiritual facets of comfort and offers ways to rediscover it. With insight and humor, Hoover writes about the advantages and the pitfalls of seeking-and finding-comfort as he guides us towards the goal we should strive to find comfort in our own lives as we offer comfort to others. By turns lyrical and thought-provoking, funny and poignant, Comfort is full of engaging and unexpected insights in our very human search for personal fulfillment.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Philosophy, Self Help, Spirituality

304 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2011

Reviews

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is truly an interesting book. The author takes on an area of our lives that is central to all of us in one live we spend much of our leisure time embracing –– comfort.

He does a great job of personalizing his points and using examples of his life and others around him to make these concepts more real.

I enjoy this and I recommend it for others.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was probably a 3.5 stars read. The author brought out an impressive variety of ways to view comfort; sometimes, way too many. I think he could have used a good editor to still bring out his points yet follow a more consistent train of thought. Maybe I'm just being picky, but the format of the book was "dense," as in long paragraphs and a kind of compact font.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this as a Catholic and it’s just a good anthology of sermons on a theme, self-deprecating and down-to-earth. I wish we had more like this - in the vein of Fr. James Martin but more accessible.

[Mary Diebel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the parts about the soul. I didn't like the body parts. I renewed it twice from the library and still didn't finish it. I think I read enough.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get comfortable—whatever that means to you—and join the author in his exploration of comfort. Looking at comfort from all angles—its roots, history, cultural components, benefits, dark sides, and roles in our current lives—this book provides a unique opportunity to explore the comfort zone, and beyond.

Life seems to be an ongoing journey between comfort and discomfort. In the author’s own words, the human story of comfort is:
“Stretches of tranquility interrupted by periods of struggle. Rest and run, play and work, weekend and workday, celebration and crisis—our lives are built on such cycles. We ride back and forth from comfort to discomfort, even from those very first moments. We learn that life is both beloved ease and uncomfortable challenge, often in succession, sometimes shifting without warning. Always both.” (p. 4)

Although comfort motivates us and guides us in our journeys to enjoy ourselves, each other, and the big and small gifts life offers, being forced out of our comfort zone is when real growth can happen:
“Our real lives begin when challenges erupt and drag us out of our comfort zone. Struggle ensues, and with it comes insight. We find out who we really are, who our friends are, what we really believe. Ultimately, change becomes possible.” (p. 86)

As the author conveys, comfort is a funny thing. As humans we need it, but too much of it can paradoxically make us less human and disengaged from others. How do we create that optimal balance where we are soothed and motivated—and not numbed and disconnected—by comfort? Keep that question in mind as you read this book. Although you might not have the exact answer by the end, your eyes will be opened, and in the hopes of the author you’ll be able to “engage the quest for comfort in daily life with greater wisdom and grace.” (p. 248)

So, get comfy and get reading—you might just be surprised upon discovering what comfort really means to you.

[AliNicole Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed Brett C. Hoover's writing, story-telling, and overall lust for life. Hoover's writing feels very real. I wouldn't have checked out this book if I had come across it at the library, never in a million years. But now I find myself writing an almost glowing review. Maybe it's because I like this guy, I want him to be my Priest...if he was I'd probably be going to church a lot more.

However, I think he could have benefited from better editing. I loved all the stories, but it felt as though he never stayed on one path for very long. There were actually times when I read two completely different stories in the same paragraph. It all felt very abrupt and as if lines were copied and pasted without thought to how they would sound when read.

I'm going to pass this book along to the next person, that tends to happens with good books I come across.

**I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.**

[Jill Hardy]

I won this item as a good reads giveaway. This was a interesting book. I really enjoyed the antedotes about Brett's life and the life of others, but the "scientific" portions of the book left me bored and hard to focus, but the personal stories were scattered in enough that I didn't totally get lost, just a little off course. There were many things that intrigued my thinking and made me wonder and look at things just a little bit differently. Might have even helped me clean out a few messy corners :) It was worth the read.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway. My original intention was that it would make a great read for my wife. As I thumbed through the book almost every page I stopped at caught my attention and I found myself reading through until the next topic. The author has a great writing style that explains in a technical but personal way the things that we deal with on a daily basis. Bottom line, I loved this book.

[Jason Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this on good reads and wasn't sure if I was going to like it. The author has a great style and personalizes the topic just enough to draw you in. Even though the author is Catholic it was not overly burdened with religious dogma. Very interesting topics and after I finished I passed this one on to my mother who also really enjoyed it.

[Bonnigene Cloud · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice book, with very good anticdotes, but says the same thing over and over again. I think that it says comfort is based on perspective many many times. Comfort is what you find comfortable and comfort is based sometimes on discomfort. I really do recommend it if your interested and it does have nice short stories in the text, but it isn't really enlightening.

[Bonnigene Cloud · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice book, with very good anticdotes, but says the same thing over and over again. I think that it says comfort is based on perspective many many times. Comfort is what you find comfortable and comfort is based sometimes on discomfort. I really do recommend it if your interested and it does have nice short stories in the text, but it isn't really enlightening.

[Angie Moulton · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read the first few chapters only, so this isn't exactly a fair review. I scanned several pages farther into the book and it seemed pretty much the same. After reading reviews and the back cover I had different expectations. It seems to be pretty much an observation of Comfort in it's various forms. I did not find it to be exceptionally thoughtful or enlightening.

[Jim Hoover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not very many authors could write a book about comfort and make it interesting but Mr. Hoover did accomplish that. Anecdotes, wisdom, and perspective gave it the imagery, challenge, and mind-stretching experience that relating to comfort's many facets needs.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed it - much to savor and ponder.

[Lorena · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was ok.. I felt like it was a bit of a boring dry read.

[Charissa Ty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hoover is one open minded priest. This book is pretty complete, covering a substantial amount of perspectives of comfort that I didn't pay attention to. Comfort is subjective. Parfait.