But the jewel in this little treasure chest is Jonas's introduction. Beautifully written, the essay-which comprises fully a third of the book-tells the story of this fragile, Christ-like man in a way that I can only imagine would be as informative to those deeply familiar with Nouwen's writing as it was to a neophyte like myself. Jonas weaves together biographical information with literary analysis, broadly-known stories with never-before-told vignettes from his own friendship with Nouwen. And throughout, he holds a graceful balance among collegial respect, psychological insight, spiritual affiliation, clear-eyed scrutiny, and loving tenderness, while retaining an appropriate respect for the boundary between truth and sensationalism. I emerged from reading this soon-to-be classic collection at once informed, inspired, and grateful.
The second part of the book is the meat: selections from Nouwen's own writing. They are organized thematically, around such topics as Community, Intimacy, and Being the Beloved (central to Nouwen's theology). Each selection is perfect... a self-contained revelation. I used this book as the starting point for a series of sermon's using Nouwen's thought... and it would be wonderful for personal study and devotion as well. This is the book to start with if you want to understand Henri Nouwen!