Every fall I look forward to the release of THE BEST AMERICAN series of books. I always purchase three of the collections: Spiritual Writing, Short Stories, and Non-Required Reading. This year I've also purchased Essays. What I enjoy most about the collections is not that they contain "the best": that is a matter of opinion and it's probably safe to assume that there are many pieces not included in these volumes that would qualify as being "the best." What each volume does contain is a great variety of writings that can appeal to a wide range of readers. It also makes available great writings that could only be collected by people who subscribe to a wide range of periodicals and have more time than most people to devote to reading.

This volume, like the other collections of spiritual writings from previous years, represents a wide variety of spiritual traditions and do not subscribe to any one set of religious values. Each piece does, in some way, challenge us to look within ourselves and at our world. While it is not a self improvement book, it doe shave the potential to challenge and change the reader. What I enjoy most about the pieces included in these collections is that many are true to a specific religious or spiritual tradition, yet they also have a way of transcending that tradition and speaking to all people. A piece that comes to mind in this collection that does this is David James Duncan's "The French Guy." The piece tells of the author being asked to give a talk about the ecological meaning of St. Francis of Assisi's life, which the author contends was never a part of his life even though he is considered so by many in the ecological movement. Johnson discusses Francis' life from a Catholic perspective, not taking him out of the context of his time, and presenting a figure who may be at home in the Catholic tradition, but has elements that can speak to people from a variety of traditions.

As in the past, there are some well known names in spiritual writing such as Harvey Cox, Brian Doyle, Kenneth Woodward, Richard John Neuhaus, and Heather King (what makes them well known? I own and have enjoyed copies of books they have written) as well as some whoa re emerging writers and the original writings were published in a variety of periodicals, some religious or spiritual and other secular. While I always rush through the volume as soon as I purchase it, I often find myself rereading favorite pieces throughout the year and find that so many of the pieces have a great deal to say.