You Are a Tree
And Other Metaphors to Nourish Life, Thought, and Prayer

Truly as delightful and wise as you can imagine a book from Joy would be. Lots of great primary sources and rabbit trails to follow, to make these metaphors your own and let them seep into your bones.......more

The introduction is a helpful exploration of why metaphors matter and how they work, and this is certainly the best and most interesting part of the book. I really appreciated the concept of the book! The chapters, however, ramble on a bit and your enjoyment of this book will really depend on how mu......more

2.5 stars. Most of the best material in this book is found in the introduction. It’s worth pondering the contrast between Biblical metaphors comparing us to trees, vs modern metaphors that compare us to machines. It reads like an academic paper that she added personal stories to try to make it more......more

This unique, thoughtful book explores the significance of metaphors for the human life. Joy Marie Clarkson explains that the way we think and talk about ourselves shapes our expectations and affects how we live. For example, she points out that even though metaphors about computers and machinery som......more

This was a delightful read, in which Joy Clarkson examines seven specific metaphors in Scripture and their meaning for our lives. Clarkson is a gifted and thoughtful writer, and one of my favorite parts of the book is how she ended each chapter with beautiful connections. There might be a poem to lo......more