Rating: 
Summary: A Joy to Read.
Review: I absolutely could not stop reading The Wisdom of Shepherds once I started reading it. The story held my attention more firmly than any book I've read in the past few years, and it moved my emotions in a strange way. The Wisdom of Shepherds is full of wisdom, suspense, good humor, and everything else one would expect from a good novel, and it was a delight to read. While the book addresses hard subjects and at times sad subjects, it manages to remain positive and hopeful throughout. The ending left me with a very happy, satisfied feeling.The plot is not predictable, and it contains many hooks-- many questions for the reader to attempt to answer, many mysteries for the reader to attempt to solve. What strange thing had the old shepherd buried beneath his cottage when he was a young man? Who was the young woman's strange husband? For that matter, who was the strange young woman? Will the old shepherd work out his internal struggles? Will everyone find true love in the end? For that matter, will they find friendship? The story begins one evening when an old shepherd makes his annual return to his crumbling little cottage, his shelter during the cold months. He is shocked to find that a strange young woman has moved into the cottage. He is also afraid that the thing he had buried beneath the cottage has been unearthed. We get all this in the first three or four pages. By the end of the first chapter, I was totally hooked. Anyway, The Wisdom of Shepherds is now one of my favorite books of all time. Well worth reading.
Rating: 
Summary: I don't understand how this book is plugged so much?
Review: I bought this book because it popped up and had fabulous reviews. While it was not the worst book ever, it was just not what people are saying it is. The plot was predictable, the story was sappy and generally I couldn't believe all the great reviews it had once I finished reading it. The guy who wrote this has to be related to someone at Amazon because I still see this book pop up as a recommneded book on every third visit or so. It only has 67 customer reviews, so it's obviously not a best seller, so why is it always popping up? Anyhow if you like sappy, predictable stories, this is for you.
Rating:
Summary: Story, it's all about story!
Review: I love this book. The Wisdom of Shepherds is a story, first and foremost, not some kind of literary excursion into the esoteric. As such, pseudo-intellectuals will hate it. They always do. However, if you love a good story, one with a lot of heart and several pearls of wisdom, this story will be just right for you. Speaking of the story, it is about a tired old white haired shepherd who returns to his crumbling little cottage one year to find it occupied by a young woman with flaming red hair. She has a little daughter with her. The old man finds her presence quite annoying because given the moral codes of the time, he can't move in, and being a gentleman, he can't force them to evacuate. His monotonous life is profoundly disturbed. In time a friendship forms, and all parties involved learn lessons. There is a big mystery about something the old man buried beneath the cottage. I found the underlying theme to be mercy, and the only ones in the story who do not receive mercy are those who do not show mercy. Well, anyway, you gotta read this story-- unless you are cynical and your emotions cannot be moved.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I read mixed reviews of this book, both glowing and scathing. The general review of the book sounded intriguing, and I hoped for a multi-layered tale that offered some philosophical insights. Ha! The book was trite at best. There are no layers to the tale--unless I completely missed something! Its only virtue was that it was a quick read! Just add me to the scathing review category.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it.
Review: I'm a big fan of this style of writing-- simple but profound. I loved it. I got a kick out of the unusual and original characters.
Rating:
Summary: Great Wisdom-lit
Review: I'm a big fan of wisdom literature, those simple stories that make profound and deep points, often in a symbolic way. The Wisdom of Shepherds is one of the greatest examples of the form. The story got to me emotionally as I totally connected to the characters. The points it made about living life and dealing with constant change made a lot of sense.
When the old shephed returned to his cottage and found it occupied, he did not know what to do. I have felt like that before-- like everything I thought was mine never was. The Wisdom of Shepherds is a must read.
Rating:
Summary: Worst Book Ever!!!
Review: The Wisdom of Shepherds is a favorite of mine. It's an amazing story from the category of wisdom-literature. Being simple, it takes one to great depths of thought and feeling. The story is about an old man with secrets-- one buried in his heart, another buried beneath a cottage where he spends the winter months. One year when he returns to that cottage, he find that a woman has moved in. She has a little daughter too. The old man is perplexed about the situation. He can't put them out, and he is worried that his secret will be discovered. The book is about dealing with changes in life-- very profound stuff. Truly it is a favorite.
Rating:
Summary: Good Book for Good People.
Review: The Wisdom of Shepherds is a good book for good people. What I mean by that is: It's a very good natured story. Very little sexual content. No foul language. Now, this is not to say that the book is not powerful and doesn't touch on some deep life issues. It's just that it's a very good natured book. While it is primarily intended for adults, you could let your middle school students read it, and they would like it a whole lot. I'm sure of it. The characters are very colorful. The story begins with Old Caleb, a relatively happy shepherd with one place in his heart that is lonely. He also has a big secret, and that's what forms the mystery aspect of the story and keeps the reader hooked into the plot. What secret thing could a kind old man like Caleb be hiding? The second major character is Susan, the red head with the iron will and more pride than a lion. She's a poor girl who unwittingly takes up residence in Caleb's winter cottage-- inadvertently causing trouble for Caleb. The other characters are varied and mostly just strange. There are some components of the story that are utterly unique-- the way Old Caleb talks to his sheep and goats is amusing. I have to agree with some of the others who have posted here that the writing is very simple, and perhaps that's a problem for some, but I think the story so completely envelopes you that you don't even notice. Or at least it eveloped me. The Wisdom of Shepherds is one of my favorite books of all time.
Rating:
Summary: Best Book of Its Kind.
Review: The Wisdom of Shepherds is a story for the heart. Cynics beware-- you probably won't like it. If you are the kind who likes to feel every line of a story, however, this one is right up your alley. It's about Old Caleb, a shepherd who returns once a year to a crumbling cottage for shelter during the winter months. One year he returns and finds the cottage occupied by strangers-- a young woman with red hair and her little daughter. His old, familiar way of life is suddenly changed, and he doesn't know how to handle it at first. In time, friendship grows, but given the circumstances it doesn't grow easily. Still, the end is satisfying. I truly love this story, and I'm recommending it to all my friends.
Rating:
Summary: Rare Read
Review: The Wisdom of Shepherds is a very powerful story, and it moved me in a way that few books have. It is hard to believe that a story so simple could have the huge impact that it has. While I found many shades and depths of wisdom in the story, I also found that it touched and moved my emotions. I laughed quite often and cried more than once. If you haven't read this book, you've really got to read it. It really is amazing. It is about an old shepherd named Caleb. Every year during the winter months, Caleb returns to a crumbling, country cottage to camp during the cold months. One year when he returns he finds that a poor woman and her small daughter have moved into the cottage. He doesn't know how to handle the situation, and he thinks it would be best for everyone if the woman would just move back to the small town where she walks to work each day. The most conflict in the story comes from the interraction between the shepherd and the woman's husband, a sailor who also returns once a year to the area. The sailor is a basically a creep, and the shepherd, though he is strange and very much alone, is a good person. There is a big surprise that revolves around a mysterious object that the shepherd had buried beneath the cottage when he was a young man. The story moves fast because the language and style is simple. Again, The Wisdom of Shepherds is a great book. Be extra sure to read it.
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