The Icon in My Pocket : On Inward and Outward Journeys

This book, superbly translated from the original Swedish, reflects on our modern obsession with travel whilst yet discussing existential questions. During his visits to Rome, Paris, Venice and the Canary Islands, the author depicts an inner journey. On the way we meet such diverse figures as the philosopher, Seneca; the author, Proust; Emporer Marcus Aurelius, and the ‘Man in the Corner’, whose radical doubts question all kinds of pretentious talk. We click on computer icons and the world opens up; but the pocket icon is of a different sort. It speaks of another journey. At a time when many people feel confused and embarrassed by talk about spirituality, this book puts forward powerful ideas in an eminently readable style. But, perhaps, it poses more questions than it answers…