The Structure of Delight

by Nelson Zink

At the most obvious level, this is a book of stories. The cast of characters is headed by an old mining engineer named Noom, who reminds one of Lao Tzu if Lao Tzu had been born in Nebraska. Included are stories an herb-gathering mid-wife, a cranky Missouri mule, and a chalk-dusted professor of mechanics. There also surface every now and then a giant haiku-quoting carp, an invented Anasazi people named the Awb, and a likeable Australian dog, Fat-Tail-Wagging. Many slim self-help manuals crowd psychology shelves Books with a single subject, fat introductions and lots of padding and repetition. Unlike these, The Structure of Delight fairly bristles with the ways and means of change. Running alongside and beneath the stories is an unabashedly non-linear how-to-do-it manual of heavy-duty proportions. "A most unique book - remarkably wise and evocative. Be careful! It will change your life forever. The most provocative and best liked book we've ever recommended to clients. A powerful tool for people who want to change their lives." -- Chelona Edgerly, Ph.D. and David Edgerly, Ph.D. -- Psychologists The Structure of Delight is the richest treasure chest of teaching stories I have discovered in more than thirty years in higher education. It is a book that nourishes the mind, the emotions, and the soul. Nelson Zink skillfully weaves narratives of lives well lived and experiences well worth having into a tapestry that truly reveals the patterns and structures which bring delight. -- Joe Munshaw, Ph.D. Professor of Speech Communication, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and Director of Gateway NLP Institute

252 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

You ever come across those books that are just what you needed at that exact point in your life? I received this as a gift a few years ago, kept picking it up and putting it down. A month or so ago I picked it up and I have devoured it. Strange, oddly structured, oddly plotted, Zink's philosophical musings through his main character Noom, were just what I needed right now. Give it a try. Come back to it. Bookmark it. Read it.

[Joseph Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting perspetival explorations.