With the trademark wisdom, humor, and honesty that made Anne Lamott's book on faith, Traveling Mercies, a runaway bestseller, Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith is a spiritual antidote to anxiety and despair in increasingly fraught times. The world is a more dangerous place than it was when Lamott's Traveling Mercies was published five years ago. Terrorism and war have become the new normal; environmental devastation looms even closer. And there are personal demands on Lamott's faith as well: turning fifty; her mother's Alzheimer's; her son's adolescence; and the passing of friends and time. Fortunately for those of us who are anxious and scared about the state of the world, whose parents are also aging and dying, whose children are growing harder to recognize as they become teenagers, Plan B offers hope in the midst of despair. It shares with us Lamott's ability to comfort, and to make us laugh despite the grim realities. Anne Lamott is one of our most beloved writers, and Plan B is a book more necessary now than ever. It will prove to be further evidence that, as The Christian Science Monitor has written, "Everybody loves Anne Lamott."
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"I really enjoy Anne Lamott's memoirs, but her constant criticism of her mother and the Bush administration detract from her otherwise wonderful stories. I'm not arguing whether these people deserve her contempt, but her faithful readers could certainly use a lot less of it. "
— Jennifer (4 out of 5 stars)
" I will read just about anything by Anne Lamott "
— Risa, 2/19/2014" i love her writing style and her honest attitude towards life/faith/her failings. My one problem was that her anger with bush/the war in iraq was mentioned in some form almost every essay, which got repetitive. "
— Kathryn, 2/16/2014" Read everything by Anne Lamott! "
— Gia, 2/8/2014" Read this one last weekend too. Typical Lamott wit and insight, this was probably the most religious-sounding novel I've read by her so far; however, it isn't preachy. I love the essay-esque chapter the contains her typical gradutaion speech as she's asked frequently to speak at such events - a must read for any secondary teachers. "
— Kristin, 2/3/2014" Not as good as Travelling Mercies. Love her voice though. "
— Lorrie, 1/20/2014" Excellent book to get you thinking. Lamott's honest, ironic style is irresistible. "
— Isabella, 1/15/2014" Maybe it's because I listen to these books on tape that I enjoy them. The author repeats stories and uses the same formulas and same themes for stories repeatedly. Still, I continue to listen to her voice and get a kick out of her. I think she's like an old friend retelling me stories I have already heard. She must have a large following as she continues to publish, but she seems so quirky I can't imagine anyone but me liking her. "
— Judith, 1/8/2014" Another favorite.... thought provoking about faith and real live "
— Domenique, 1/6/2014" Recently, I feel like I've lost my faith. My strategy is to read an Anne Lamott book every week till it comes back. So far, so good. "
— Lisa, 1/1/2014" I can't help but to laugh...and cry. "
— Dora, 12/23/2013" I haven't read anything by her that I didn't LOVE! "
— R., 12/9/2013" I really enjoyed her honest take on life and walking in faith. It helped put in perspective some of the attitudes I have had over the years. "
— Heather, 12/5/2013" My 2007 was very much about a Plan B - and that was tough to take. But Annie Lamott's phenomenal sense of humor and knack for storytelling with a-ha moments really helped me cope. "
— Kristin, 10/29/2013" A very good read....funny and thought provoking... "
— Agnes, 10/14/2013" anne lamott is always so honest. she makes me feel like my friends and i are not crazy, that it is okay to be a christian and not support bush. "
— Vikki, 9/16/2013" Reading it again, because she's that awesome. "
— Kat, 7/26/2013" Anne Lamott's writing always entertains me. She makes it look easy to just observe life and write about it but it must be hard. I enjoyed this book of essays. "
— Heidi, 7/9/2013" I waited so long for this book to be published. A must read! "
— Deb, 2/6/2013" I received this for my birthday from Katie, Dan, and Orion. I really enjoyed it, though not quite as much as some of her other books like Traveling Mercies and Operating Instructions. "
— Mele, 10/16/2012" Love LaMott "
— Hollie, 8/13/2012" I love her wit and her beautiful relationships, especially her relationship with God and how she lives it out. For those who are sensitive, she has a vocabulary that may be offensive. "
— Beth/Sr., 7/8/2012" I love the way Anne expresses herself. If a personal friend she definitely would add spice to life "
— Linda, 6/4/2012" While full of Lamott's characteristic reverence and self-deprecation, it does focus a great deal on the Bush administration. Now that we are out of it, it's almost more painful to look back. "
— Janine, 2/8/2012" Not one of my favorites of Anne Lamott's. I enjoyed Bird by Bird and Operating Instructions immensely. "
— Christina, 12/18/2011" Funny and yet spiritual book for our times. Down to earth childrearing made me laugh and wince in recognition. "
— Laureen, 10/11/2011" Love Ann Lamott "
— Ann, 9/29/2011" Aborted, couldn't finish it... which is kind of rare for me. Moreover, I've enjoyed some of her writing before, and I particularly liked the first chapter/essay, but few after that. "
— Eric, 9/4/2011" I've read all by Anne Lamott - she strikes at the heart of things in both fiction and nonfiction....in the same genre for me as Terry Tempest Williams... "
— Marta, 7/12/2011" B; Kind of a hodge podge of chattering with a basic spiritual theme. The author shares stories from her life raising her son as a single parent and the ongoing challenges she faces in parenting, spiritual fulfillmen, body image and friendship. "
— Cathy, 6/18/2011" I love Ann Lamott, but probably enjoyed Traveling Mercies and Grace (Eventually) better. Reading and listening to her books has brought me closer to faith than any church could ever do. "
— Heather, 6/3/2011" I pretty much worship Anne Lamott and will read anything she writes. This is good stuff; maybe not as breakwater as Traveling Mercies, but maybe that's just b/c I've already read most of her work. She is priceless. "
— Lisa, 5/24/2011" I like Anne Lamott, but I didn't enjoy this one as much as I did "Traveling Mercies" and "Grace Eventually". I definitely recommend reading Lamott's works, just not this one. "
— Tory, 5/8/2011" Read this book during Lent and absolutely loved it. Anne pulled me out of a spiritual void with her sense of humor and unconventional faith. "
— Kckottkamp, 4/25/2011" Anne Lamott's politics are right on. Very good writer. "
— Carmen, 4/9/2011" Anne Lamott is very authentic and witty writer. You can't help but love her writing. It is so refreshing to hear a Christian author talk about real struggles, rather than some phony made up struggle to make them seem holier than they are. "
— Wil, 4/3/2011" Funny and so true. I read this first because I couldn't find Traveling Mercies at the library then. Now I am going to read Traveling Mercies. "
— Pam, 3/5/2011" Truth, faith, humor, love and motherhood.<br/><br/>Inspiring, hopeful....felt less alone. "
— Lisa, 1/12/2011" Again, she is so wise . . . . "
— Sally, 1/10/2011Anne Lamott is the author of twenty books, including nonfiction and novels and several New York Times bestsellers. She is a past recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and is an inductee to the California Hall of Fame.