Nurture the Wow: Finding Spirituality in the Frustration, Boredom, Tears, Poop, Desperation, Wonder, and Radical Amazement of Parenting - Hardcover

"A wise book [whose] ideas keep stirring after the lastpage is turned."
--Chicago Tribune

"An inquiry into the spiritualnourishment that raising young children offers parents... an opportunity to ...reckon with the power of life and the mysteries of the universe."
--Slate

"In her inimitable style - sometimes sassy, other times soft andreflective, Ruttenberg tills the soil of [parents'] inner landscape."
- Forward.com

"Smart and funny... so meaningful for parents of small kids."
- Tablet Magazine

"For my parents, it was Dr. Benjamin Spock. For us, itwas T. BerryBrazelton and Penelope Leach. And for this generation, it might be Rabbi DanyaRuttenberg. [Nurture the Wow] is not about how to parent.
It's about why youwould even want to.... it fills a necessary gap... Read Nurturethe Wow. No, don't read it. Pray it."
--ReligionNews

"Parenthoodis rough from minute to minute, but [Ruttenberg] offers a way to see it as achance to connect to the bigness of the universe."
--Upworthy

"This book does not offer a how-to strategy for raisingobedient or well-adjusted children with a minimum of efficiently placed effort.Instead, its somewhat counterintuitive central thesis is that parenting is nota goal-oriented process at all. Rather than exploring the best ways to getspecific results from our children, Ruttenberg reflects on how parenting canmake parents themselves more sensitive, open, and truly spiritual people."
--JewishStandard

" Engaging, at times self-deprecating and funny, and atother times deeply poignant. Nurture the Wow asks us to shiftour mindset about parenting and think of it as a spiritual practice. That meansstaying awake through the mundane and forgiving ourselves for the mistakes madetoday, so that we can keep trying again, and again."
--Jewish Journal

"Finally a parenting book that's not preachy orpretentious. "Nurture the Wow" reminded me not only that I'm not alone in thechallenging work of raising little humans, but that I already have theresources and ability to become more of the parent I want to be, moment bymoment. I highly recommend it to any parent who wants to feel more connected, not only to their children, but to their heritage and community, the presentmoment, and perhaps most importantly, themselves."
--Kveller.com

"Nurture the Wow offers a refreshing break from parenting books that tellus only what to do and not do, and instead invites us to ask the largerquestions of how and why. This is a wise and honest guide to seeing the magicinside the mundane."
--Tova Mirvis, author of Visible City

"Remember the 'operating instructions' Anne Lamott famouslycomplained don't come with babies? Well, they finally got here! Rabbi DanyaRuttenerg breaks the news gently: the kids themselves aren't the problem -- themanual we need is for our own messed-up mental states, and Nurture theWow is exactly that. I so wish I'd had this wise, funny, andinsightful book thirty-six years ago, and once my son's read it he will wish Ihad too!"
--Carol Lee Flinders, author of the forthcoming Our Fistful of Salt: Gandhi and the Global Women's Movement.

"Ruttenberg challenges readers to find spiritual meaning in thenitty-gritty of parenting. This illuminating book offers much that can enrichthe experience of daily care for small children."
--Judith Plaskow, author of Standing Again at Sinai and TheComing of Lilith

"As the parent of young children, Danya Ruttenberg knowshow to juggle her many responsibilities. As an author, she shows the rest of ushow to juggle the demands of the body and spirit. Nurture the Wow is a bookabout finding grace when you thought you were changing a diaper. And it is alsoone of those rare gems that seems to add a new color to the already vibrantpalate of parenting books. Read this book and you will feel less alone. Readthis book and you will see how parenthood can translate into a kind ofuniversal prayer. Ruttenberg is a compelling writer with much tosay."
--Nomi Eve, author of Henna House and The FamilyOrchard

"Nurture the Wow is the literary equivalent of having a cup of tea with a friendwhile the children entertain each other in the next room. Danya Ruttenberg is awarm, witty companion, a wise sister in the struggle, offering up nothing shortof spiritual ballast."
--Elisa Albert, author of After Birth

"Nurture the Wow is a great reminder to live morefully in the present--a great gift to any child and every parent. DanyaRuttenberg's own story woven with doses of wisdom from religious and spiritualleaders gives this book the perfect balance of head and heart."
--Amy Richards, author of Opting In