Gratitude Works: Open Your Heart to Love by Katherine Scherer , Eileen Bodoh Search Amazon for other books by or about Katherine Scherer. Rating: Reviewed by: John L. Hoh, Jr.

There are in this world daily calendars and daily devotions. Some are in book form, some as desk-top calendars, some as inspirational desk-top displays. This book is one of them.

This book employs a certain amount of organization not found in many other daily devotion/inspiration books or desk-top displays. The book's focus is on Gratitude. Each month has a theme, often reflecting what is going on in that calendar year:

January: Reflection
February: Heart
March: Balance
April: Growth
May: Beauty
June: Love
July: Nature
August: Fun
September: Transition
October: Harvest
November: Thanksgiving
December: Gifts

Each day begins with the phrase "I am so grateful for…" and then dives into what is to be thankful for that day. Each day follows the theme of that month. The items to be grateful for are written in free-form verse. The gratitude is expressed for the sophisticated as well as the simple:

I am so grateful for compositions of famous composers
Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" amplifies a rippling wavelet,
Chopin's poetic nocturnes are a sentimental journey,
Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker" is a fanciful piece-
Such music is alive and will be with us forever. (October 26)

I am so grateful for the power of song
Gondoliers serenade and romance escalates,
Spiritual lyrics instill inner strength,
Movie sound tracks brighten ordinary days,
And hymns communicate hope for eternal peace. (February 26)

I am so grateful for unique sounds of music
The mournful notes of Swiss Alpine horns echo off distant mountains,
A humpback whale moans in the background of a meditation melody,
A soprano soars high above the orchestra in a moving aria,
And a beginning violin player's bow moves cautiously over the strings. (May 21)

I am so grateful for formulating my own music
Humming a catchy tune softly,
Singing off-key, unheard in the shower,
Listening to an almost forgotten old favorite,
And happily whistling while I work. (August 14)

This book elicits gratitude for both "famous restaurants" (none bearing any golden arches) and backyard barbecues, fine art and children's art posted on the fridge. Basically, the whole gamut of human experience is mined for gratefulness.

One could take notes on each day to reflect what each individual is grateful for on each day, following the authors' leads. One may want to consider a notebook, as this book doesn't have much white space. The book can be a great aid in therapy and in self-esteem issues a the reader is prompted by what the authors are grateful for to stimulate one's own thoughts of gratitude.

The book has very few direct references to faith and religion, and when it does it is generic. This makes it optimum for anyone to use this book and reflect on his or her own thankfulness in his or her own traditions. It weaves spirituality as part of life, not something that stands by itself in one's life.

Outside of having no entry for February 29, I find very little to fault in this book.