{"product_id":"brother-john-a-monk-a-pilgrim-and-the-purpose-of-life-9781945507946","title":"Brother John: A Monk, a Pilgrim and the Purpose of Life","description":"\u003ch2\u003eBrother John: A Monk, a Pilgrim and the Purpose of Life\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRecipient of the prestigious $100,000 Templeton Prize\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBrother John\u003c\/i\u003e is the true story of a monastic encounter between \u003cb\u003eAugust Turak\u003c\/b\u003e, going through a midlife crisis, and an umbrella wielding Trappist monk: a magical Christmas Eve encounter that eventually leads the author and us all to the redemptive power of an authentically purposeful life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis illustrated hardcover edition brings the story to life with twenty-two full-color original oil paintings by Glenn Harrington, a multiple award-winning artist. Set in the magnificent Trappist monastery of Mepkin Abbey, the book combines deeply moving narrative with stunning visual artistry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout This Spiritual Biography\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe narrative follows August Turak's transformative journey during a pivotal moment of personal crisis. Through his encounter with Brother John at Mepkin Abbey, readers discover how monastic wisdom applies to modern life challenges. The book explores themes of purpose, service, and spiritual transformation through an authentic lens of lived experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe 22 original oil paintings by Glenn Harrington add a unique visual dimension to the storytelling. Harrington's work has been featured in \u003ci\u003eAmerican Arts Quarterly\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eAmerican Art Collector\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, and exhibited at the Norman Rockwell Museum. His Portrait Society of America Draper Grand Prize and multiple Honor Awards demonstrate the caliber of artwork accompanying this memoir.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003ePerfect for Gift-Giving\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eBrother John\u003c\/i\u003e works equally well either as a Christmas gift or all year long. The book's inspirational message and rich illustrations are sure to bring the reader back again and again, making it a meaningful addition to any spiritual library.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAugust Turak\u003c\/b\u003e is a successful entrepreneur, corporate executive and award-winning author who attributes much of his success to living and working alongside the Trappist monks of Mepkin Abbey since 1996. As a frequent monastic guest, he learned firsthand from the monks as they grew an incredibly successful portfolio of businesses. Service and selflessness are at the heart of the 1,500-year-old monastic tradition's remarkable business success. It is an ancient though immensely relevant economic model that preserves what is positive and productive about capitalism while transcending its ethical limitations and internal contradictions. Combining case studies from his thirty-year business career with intimate portraits of the monks at work, Turak shows how Trappist principles can be successfully applied to secular business settings and to our personal lives as well. He demonstrates that monks, people like Warren Buffett and other \"transformational organizations\" are successful not despite their high principles but because of them. He lives in North Carolina.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout the Illustrator\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGlenn Harrington\u003c\/b\u003e's paintings are recognized and collected internationally. They are highly esteemed among collectors and publishers and have been featured in \u003ci\u003eAmerican Arts Quarterly\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eAmerican Art Collector\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eInternational Artists Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e, and on the covers of \u003ci\u003eAmerican Artist\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eUS Art\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNew Art International\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, and more. He has numerous solo exhibitions in New York, Japan, Charleston, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania, and has exhibited at the Norman Rockwell Museum, The Museum of American Illustration and the USGA Museum. His portrait work has received the Portrait Society of America's Draper Grand Prize in 2007, Honor Award in 2008 and 2005 and Certificate Awards in 2009 and 2004 during its international juried exhibitions. He lives in Pennsylvania.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Clovercroft Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50493292183826,"sku":"9781945507946","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_cdc5dee1-52cc-4b6e-aa9c-428d7265779c.jpg?v=1730641897","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/brother-john-a-monk-a-pilgrim-and-the-purpose-of-life-9781945507946","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}