Rabbi Kushner uses the story of Moses, as told in the Bible, to illustrate that although life can involve great sorrow, it also contains great happiness - and you can't have one without the other. The focus of the book is looking at ways to overcome the inevitable disappointments in life. Fortunately, it is not a formulaic how to be happy type of book.
Although based on the Bible's account of Moses' life, the message is universal and can be of help to members of all religions or those who do not hold religious beliefs.
It is written in Rabbi Kushner's typical down-to-earth and easy to relate to style. While the ideas on how to overcome disappointments are not new, they are presented in such a way that they give one a fresh view and useful reminder.
There are some contradictions in the book, such as talking in one chapter of how Moses' burden made him old before his time, and in another how bright and energetic Moses was in spite of his advancing age. However, these do not detract from the overall quality of the book.

Rabbi Kushner is such a great writer. His style is direct and personal. It is easy to read and follow. You can skip around from chapter to chapter and still gain a lot of insight. It does not necessarily have to be read from cover to cover. Rabbi Kushner is obviously very grounded and in touch with what people need to know and how to convey information that can be quite philosophical.

This book is outstanding. a great source in learning to deal with and overcoming the hardest knocks life can throw at you. in my opinion Harold Kushner is one of the wise authors of our time. must read for anyone and everyone. a great clear voice in times of despair and hardship.

I purchased this book shortly after it was released, but did not read it until now (a year+ later). I'm glad I waited until what, serendipitously, was just the right time. Having experienced some disappointments of late, this book based on the life of Moses and his many disappointments showed me a way of moving beyond that which did not turn out precisely as I had (arrogantly and self-centeredly) expected.

"Overcoming Life's Disappointments" is an informative read. Mr. Kushner is well educated and writes a book that promotes the understanding that everyone experiences similar disappointments in life. He wrote the book on bad things happening to good people. Mr. Kushner offers a pragmatic way of dealing with life when dreams are dashed and hope is all that remains.

I got a lot out of the first half of this book but started having problems with the second half. I thought the first half provided some good insights on how to deal with disappointments and starting over. The two things I had problems with were his continual pounding on the fact that great people were great largely because they sacrificed their family life, while at one point he admits that he largely did the same to write 10 books, etc., etc. What I really had a problem with was his siding with the heroine in A League of Their Own. If you are not familiar with the movie (I never saw it) the team that has won the championship many times is about to win again, but the heroine drops a ball hit by her sister, whose teams then wins, with the sister becoming the heroine. The Rabbi says that this is a good ending and life lesson. I saw it conflicts with his own values. First he says the winning isn't so important. If so, it should not have been so important to her sister either. Obviously winning is important or it wouldn't have mattered either way. But more important, the Rabbi pounds and pounds on commitment in his book. The heroine had a commitment to her teammates. She violated that commitment. If she couldn't keep it, she didn't belong in the game, which would have been another violation of her commitment to her teammates. The real lesson of the movie is that winning is so important that you should violate the trust of your teammates to give an unearned victory to your sister (a selfish motive, in my eyes). Reading this reminded me of a story from my own life. Many years ago I had a girlfriend I played three par golf with. I always won, every hole. Not because I played well, but because she played poorly and I got lucky occasionally. One day, about halfway through a round, she hit one into some bushes. I found her ball in the middle in an unhittable lie, which would have resulted in a penalty stroke. While she was looking the other way I placed the ball in some grass at the edge of the bushes where she could get a good swing. Then declared that I had found it. She hit the ball onto the green, and one putted. I hit mine very badly and lost the hole, and everyone thereafter. Not just that day, but every day. I had given my good away. She start boasting and taunting me, not just while we were playing, but in front of our friends, and in a short time our relationship deteriorated and fell apart, undoubtedly not because of golf. But I have to wonder what happened to the teammates of the heroine, after the movie ended, if it had been real life. Their good had been taken away from them by someone that can be seen as having been selfish, from one viewpoint. I guess my point is that this book was worth reading, but we have to make our own minds up about the decisions we are to make in our lives.

In my life I've read a huge number of books, to the point that some ideas are becoming to pop up over and over again, but with Kushner's books, new insight poses itself regularly. I find myself underlining or highlighting, or feeling inclined to anyway, most of the book. There are so many tidbits in this book that I love that it's hard to single out one to share. One I liked: An old rabbi named Zusya was nearing death and became agitated at the thought. As he had led an exemplary life, his followers asked why. He said, if God asks me why I wasn't another Moses, I can answer that He did not give me the greatness of soul that He gave Moses. If God asks me why I wasn't another Solomon, I can answer that He did not give me the wisdom of Solomon. But when He asks me, Zusya, why weren't you Zusya, why were you not the person I gave you the ability to be, I will have no defense. Kushner's books are a blessing to me.

Serendiptitously I came across this book at a key juncture of my fast approaching mid-life; a time when I felt that I had finally righted the wrongs of my past, made ammends with my soul for opportunities lost, and a new script was about to take on flesh. In short, I was sure that I had successfully authored my own comeback, resurrection, starting-over-point.



However events would soon interfere and these best crafted, thought out plans were not to be so, nor, does it seem, will they ever be. I found myself instant robbed of meaning at age 46--in short, on the world's stage with no script and, hence, no part.



Rabbi Kushner's work is a deeply moving and profound look at the ultimate "what if..." question that haunts humankind; "What if things don't turn out for good?" His book is spiritual without being mystical; practical without being profane; humane without being overly humanist.



After reading and praying over this book, I've come to the realization that life is precious; that it is something more than to be mastered or even tolerated. Life itself is a sacred mystery, and whether we win or suffer defeat, gain or lose, achieve or fail, truly, that which does not destroy us makes us stronger. This, according to the good and blessed Rabbi, is our goal.

Serendiptitously I came across this book at a key juncture of my fast approaching mid-life; a time when I felt that I had finally righted the wrongs of my past, made ammends with my soul for opportunities lost, and a new script was about to take on flesh. In short, I was sure that I had successfully authored my own comeback, resurrection, starting-over-point.

However events would soon interfere and these best crafted, thought out plans were not to be so, nor, does it seem, will they ever be. I found myself instant robbed of meaning at age 46--in short, on the world's stage with no script and, hence, no part.

Rabbi Kushner's work is a deeply moving and profound look at the ultimate "what if..." question that haunts humankind; "What if things don't turn out for good?" His book is spiritual without being mystical; practical without being profane; humane without being overly humanist.

After reading and praying over this book, I've come to the realization that life is precious; that it is something more than to be mastered or even tolerated. Life itself is a sacred mystery, and whether we win or suffer defeat, gain or lose, achieve or fail, truly, that which does not destroy us makes us stronger. This, according to the good and blessed Rabbi, is our goal.