There are times in life when we are caught absolutely unprepared: a death in the family, the finish of a relationship, a health crisis. They are the times when the solid surface we thought we stood on disappears beneath our foot, leaving us reeling and heartbroken, as we stumble back again to our faith.

THE TIMES of Awe encompass the weeks preceding Rosh Hashanah up to Yom Kippur, an interval in which Jews be a part of some rituals and prayers that reenact the journey from the soul through the world from about This Is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared: The Days of Awe being a Trip of Change birth to death. This is an interval of contemplation and repentance, much like Lent and Ramadan. However, for Rabbi Alan Lew, the real purpose of this annual passing is for all of us to see brokenheartedness and open up our heart to God. In That is Genuine and You Are Completely Unprepared, Lew has marked out a trip of seven distinct stages, one which draws on these rituals to awaken our spirit and wholly transform us. Weaving jointly Torah readings, Buddhist parables, Jewish fables and stories from his own lifestyle, Lew lays uncovered the meanings of this ancient Jewish passage. He reveals the road from terror to acceptance, confusion to clarity, doubt to perception, and from complacency to awe.

In the tradition of When Bad Things Happen to Good People, This Is Real And You Are Completely Unprepared allows believers of most faiths to reconnect to their faith with a passion and intimacy which will resonate over summer and winter.