Book Review: “The UnSelfish Spirit:Human Evolution at a time of global crisis” by Mick Collins, reviewed by Maggie Jeffery
I’ve been a closet OT all my life but way back in the 60’s inadvertently trained as a nurse instead. Since then the challenges that life produces have drawn me time and again to awareness of the vital importance of balancing ‘Doing’ as well as ‘Being’. Psychosynthesis training in fact included the old song – ‘Do, Be, Do, Be, Do’. How easy is it to find such balance in everyday life today, I wonder?
With so much wisdom in this book, it’s difficult to highlight any particular part. But I was especially drawn to the chapter on ‘The Alchemy of Occupational Engagement’. This refers to human potential and describes ‘being’ and ‘doing’ as complementary in the individual transformative process. Collins points out (p133) a comment by Satish Kumar about how spirituality can be discovered through simple practices where being and doing interact – such as baking bread for example.
This is a book about the ever deepening process of personal growth towards self- discovery and the fundamental spiritual nature at the heart of our being. I can’t recommend it enough because it tackles crisis and transformation at a time when the world faces challenges that seem overwhelming. It is timely and very relevant to Occupational Therapy.
