Rating: 
Summary: One of the most practical tools available for devout laity
Review: "John McQuiston II takes the Benedictine rule and adapts
it to the circumstances of contemporary life. McQuiston
provides one of the most practical tools available for
the devout layperson who seeks a daily Christian praxis
within the strictures of a successful business or
professional life." --Publishers Weekly
"Here's a book that can become a companion in life,
encouraging new insight each time it is read." --The Rev.
Randall Day, Ex Dir, Canterbury Cathedral Trust in America
Rating: 
Summary: A great book for daily living!!
Review: Always We Begin Again is an inspirational and helpful tool for incorporating the Rule of St. Benedict into the modern secular life. I found it refreshing and extremely helpful. It is a book that may be read daily and with fruitful results.
Rating:
Summary: How the book came to be.
Review: I did not intend to write a book. The original Rule appealed to me, particularly its unstated premise that one may, through daily practice, change the tone and content of life. But the language of the Rule (from the Sixth Century, and in the classic tradition of the church) had lost much of its ability to communicate.(That is, it had lost its ability to communicate with me. I'm sure it still resonates with many others). So I restated the Rule in words that spoke to me. By chance I shared the rewritten rule with the Abbott of a Benedictine monastary. He encouraged me to submit it for publication I did so.
Rating: 
Summary: Meditations for everyone, everyday
Review: John McQuiston's book, Always We Begin Again, is simple and direct with the heart of St Benedict's message for ALL. It is meant to reach All - maybe especially those who may be uncomfortable with the word "God." But God is there in the pages at every turn. I love the daily meditations. I began at first to read the morning meditation sometime but that increased as I saw the wisdom in the words. It is poetic and humble. The book gives one much to consider in a plain and simple way.
Rating:
Summary: Meditations for everyone, everyday
Review: John McQuiston's book, Always We Begin Again, is simple and direct with the heart of St Benedict's message for ALL. It is meant to reach All - maybe especially those who may be uncomfortable with the word "God." But God is there in the pages at every turn. I love the daily meditations. I began at first to read the morning meditation sometime but that increased as I saw the wisdom in the words. It is poetic and humble. The book gives one much to consider in a plain and simple way.
Rating: 
Summary: A watered-down paraphrase
Review: This book consists of a modern paraphrase of the Rule of Benedict. I found it very watered-down. The author equivocates about God (says you can use the Higher Power, the First Cause or whatever makes sense to you), and while there's nothing bad or evil about this, it goes against the spirit of the original text and it certainly dilutes the force of Benedict's argument. For someone who is familiar with the Rule itself, this paraphrase offers a refreshing new look, but it's no substitute for the real thing. (Probably the author does not mean for it to substitute for the real thing, and it will probably be read by people who will never pick up the real thing -- and there's no harm in that, I admit.) Those who are really curious about the Rule of Benedict should also get one of the widely available editions of that text.
Rating:
Summary: Benedict for every man/woman.
Review: This little book can lead people to inspect their lives and try to improve on them. The Rule of Benedict is to be read everyday, a little at a time, and then as the title says, Always We Begin Again. Even the less astute can find thoughts to guide them in dealing with the day to day issues of living. The book is not meant to be the full Rule of Benedict, but the author has reworded it to fit a busy life that is not cloistered, but one that has to deal with runny noses, car pools, bossy bosses, and impossible clients. The author also offers some suggestions on using meditation/prayer time in a busy schedule.
Rating:
Summary: Timeless wisdom made available
Review: This little book is, I think, a small miracle. St. Benedict (480 - 543), really the designer of monasticism as it existed in the Western World, wrote his Rule to guide monks through a life of discipline to spiritual realization. There's a great deal of wisdom on that rule, but unfortunately much of it is inaccessable to secular people in the 20th century --- many of us are not strictly Christian these days, most of us not monks or nuns, we live in a much more complex world than existed in the 6th century, etc. A couple years ago, John McQuiston apparently set out on a search for spiritual principles by which to live in everyday life. He found the Rule of Benedict, and recognizing it's inherent wisdom despite the limitations of its original assumed context. He "translated" the Rule, changing Christian symbols to more universal images, changing allusions to monastic asceticisms to analogous practices possible in the modern secular world. The result is an extremely accessible text that transmits (I think) the core values of St. Benedict's message, values that lead us from a self-centeredness & entrapment in the contingencies of daily life to expansion, clarity, and connection with meaning & Mystery. The book is small --- each "chapter" really only takes a minute or two to read, so I have been finding it very helpful as a reflection before meditating, before going to bed, etc. I have also been find that these tiny sections reveal more and more upon rereading. I love this book because, on the one hand, it's not "more to read" in the sense of some onerous task, and yet each small investment of time pays richly in inspiring themes on which to reflect for days. It is idea for any busy person in the modern world seeking a life of greater depth and meaning.
Rating:
Summary: Timeless wisdom made available
Review: This little book is, I think, a small miracle. St. Benedict (480 - 543), really the designer of monasticism as it existed in the Western World, wrote his Rule to guide monks through a life of discipline to spiritual realization. There's a great deal of wisdom on that rule, but unfortunately much of it is inaccessable to secular people in the 20th century --- many of us are not strictly Christian these days, most of us not monks or nuns, we live in a much more complex world than existed in the 6th century, etc. A couple years ago, John McQuiston apparently set out on a search for spiritual principles by which to live in everyday life. He found the Rule of Benedict, and recognizing it's inherent wisdom despite the limitations of its original assumed context. He "translated" the Rule, changing Christian symbols to more universal images, changing allusions to monastic asceticisms to analogous practices possible in the modern secular world. The result is an extremely accessible text that transmits (I think) the core values of St. Benedict's message, values that lead us from a self-centeredness & entrapment in the contingencies of daily life to expansion, clarity, and connection with meaning & Mystery. The book is small --- each "chapter" really only takes a minute or two to read, so I have been finding it very helpful as a reflection before meditating, before going to bed, etc. I have also been find that these tiny sections reveal more and more upon rereading. I love this book because, on the one hand, it's not "more to read" in the sense of some onerous task, and yet each small investment of time pays richly in inspiring themes on which to reflect for days. It is idea for any busy person in the modern world seeking a life of greater depth and meaning.
Rating:
Summary: A worthwhile distillation
Review: While not a detailed examination of the Rule Of ST. Benedict this remains an inspiring little book. I particularly come back often to the chapter entitled "the twelve steps to humility." I understand that the lack of a direct reference to God may put off some and the desire of the author to use this material in a universalist rather than a purely Christian context strays from the original intent there are nonetheless some thoughtful passages that deserve to be read and re-read.
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